When his eyes opened, he found himself in an unfamiliar bedroom.

  Everything was in muted shades of grey. The lights were turned off, the only source of illumination being sunlight trickling through a window, casting shadows in the shape of prison bars. The floor was cold marble pressing against his skin, and he was slumped up against a rge bed, several paces away from the door.

  Elliot blinked, sluggish and disorientated. The more he tried to recollect his scattered thoughts, the more it seemed to hurt. His entire body ached as if he’d been smashed against a rock. Fuck.

  "Where am I? What… happened?"

  The dizziness was starting to go away, but the pain was not. Elliot scrambled to stand up, ignoring the feeling of something cold digging into his wrists and ankles, greeting him, dragging him down. Rings of solid metal.

  He pced a hand on one tentatively. Chains.

  And then it all came to him.

  Elliot colpsed back on the floor, his complexion pale, gasping for breath, as his memory flooded back to him piece by piece.

  It had all begun with Leon’s confession.

  Elliot had only thought of him as a friend when it had happened, completely abrupt and out of the blue. In fact, they’d barely known each other for a few months at the time. Naturally he’d shot Leon down. Directly, completely, without any room for misunderstandings.

  Sadly, Leon had not taken it well.

  Elliot was naive. He should have gotten the hints then.

  From then on, things started to get creepy.

  Someone kept following him after his csses. To every one of his part-time jobs. Eyes lingered on him as he took public transport. And even when he pleaded for him to stop, Leon remained silent. Stoic. He ignored every single word Elliot said as if he didn’t matter.

  He had been working at a bar, tidying up and doing the dishes, when it finally ended.

  Leonard showed up, grim and stiff, the first time they’d talked to each other since days. Elliot remembered him trying to initiate conversation, assuring that it was all just a misunderstanding, how he only wanted one more chance, how he was sorry—

  A shudder ran through Elliot’s body as the memory surfaced. How he’d woken up in a foreign bed with Leonard and his friend. How he’d tried to run home. And then, the force Leonard had used to pin him down, chaining his leg to the post of the bed, ignoring his screams as his consciousness flickered and vision blurred—

  “El, stay here.” Leonard’s voice, slow and soft, penetrated his ear. His fingers caressed his hair tenderly as he whispered, “I love you.”

  Don’t call me El. You don’t get to call me El, you psycho.

  Elliot inhaled sharply, snapping out of the unpleasant memory.

  So it was clear now. He hadn’t just fallen asleep at the bar, and there was no false misunderstanding. Nausea rose up in the back of his throat, and he fought the urge to vomit.

  He’d been kidnapped. By his ex-friend, and crazy stalker.

  There was no time to lose. Elliot’s fingers went to his pocket, desperately searching for his Intercell phone. Leonard must have taken it away. It wasn't there.

  Instead, his fingers cmped around a note, a small bit of yellow paper with a dirty scrawl and a bunch of numbers.

  “Living room. Bottom drawer next to sofa. Profile text.”

  Elliot's eyes widened, and his originally gloomy face brightened with hope.

  What did this mean? Could it possibly be... a way to contact someone for help?

  His hands twitched around the chains, and in a split second decision, he memorized and swallowed the evidence. He couldn’t get up now. But if he could reach it ter… if there was any chance at all…

  “El?” A voice, familiar and despicable, brought him back to the present. “I’m back. Are you hungry?”

  There was a click, and the sound of a door opening. Elliot looked up, holding back a startled cough. That was close. Leonard looked back at him, holding a simple meal tray in his hands.

  “I brought porridge.” Leonard announced before walking over. “It’s warm and delicious, and I brought your favorite fvor."

  His rge frame was in the light, making his face shine brightly. Even his lips were curled, smiling. Elliot shook his head. Not only was he not hungry, he would rather starve than accept anything from his kidnapper.

  Leonard paused. He stopped smiling, and he moved away from the sunlight.

  Tension seeped through the air, deep and suffocating.

  “El,” His voice turned gentler as he coaxed, “Just one bite. I’ll help you eat it.”

  “I love you, El."

  Elliot opened his mouth to respond.

  And it was like poison.

  It wasn’t a kiss, really. More like possession, or viotion.

  A long, thick tongue forced itself through Elliot's lips, the musky bitter scent of sweat and saliva invading his nose. He gasped for breath, struggling, but Leonard forced himself closer, smothering him until his body turned sck.

  Their tongues brushed against each other tensely. Leonard’s eyes deepened as he felt the heat, the friction, as he felt himself being sated—

  Elliot bit down.

  “Ah.” Blood dripped from Leonard’s mouth.

  His eyes widened, looking almost dazed at his beloved El, as he let go. His ears curiously turned a shy pink. Elliot, on the other hand, coughed and sprawled onto the floor, curling up into a ball.

  “El…”

  The voice, sweet and lilting, penetrated deep into Elliot’s ear. Elliot reeled, unable to stand, feeling his vision go woozy once again as his brain started to shut down

  Leonard's fingers brushed his face. For a fleeting second, Elliot could have sworn he saw something else—something almost desperate, a tendril of fear; but it vanished as quickly as it appeared.

  “I’m sorry, that was just a little joke.” Leonard whispered, his hot breath tickling his ear, “Let’s try again. Open your mouth, El.”

  Elliot ignored him, his lips snapped shut.

  Leonard looked at him bnkly. Veins bulged on his forehead as his expression twisted. Elliot felt a little happier inside when he saw that he was mad. He deserved to be mad.

  “You’re going to be hungry ter if you don’t eat,” Leonard’s voice sounded more forceful this time, and his grip turned tighter,“I won’t py a joke this time.”

  Elliot stayed quiet, his eyes only on the chains around his wrists. Even as his captor moved closer, Elliot pushed him away and closed his eyes in refusal, his tied hands blocking his mouth from view.

  Trying to erase the lingering taste on his tongue.

  There was a pause, then a sigh. Was it finally over?

  A soft and sticky sensation wrapped Elliot’s ear. His eyes opened wide, and he jumped, startled, but Leonard was already on him. He was pping at his ear, nibbling the edges and licking the inside with his tongue.

  Hot breath blew into his ear canal, making him shiver.

  If he hadn’t been kidnapped, this might even be romantic.

  Elliot tried to ignore it, even as his own body quivered and shrank in response. His cheeks turned red, and he locked his lips to stop any sound from escaping. He looked down.

  Then he paled.

  Panic rushed through his head, as he stared at the hardening bulge inside his pants. No… it couldn’t be. He was definitely… he was definitely straight.

  There was no way he liked this, fuck.

  There was no way he was going to give that kidnapper what he wanted—

  For a second, his limbs seemed to regain their strength, and Elliot kicked his captor aside as he rushed for the door. Leonard reached out one hand to grab him, but he missed. His hand brushed past the edge of his shirt, failing to grasp it completely.

  Elliot kept running, feeling a strange glee rise up inside his chest, a smile spreading on his face.

  But this time he'd forgotten the chains.

  There was a crashing noise. As the chains held him back, Elliot slipped, falling back on his knees on the floor. Sharp pain flooded his body, killing the bulge from before. Leonard quickly stood up, concerned.

  Purple and blue bruises blossomed on his body. Leonard hugged El tightly until he couldn't breathe.

  "Are you okay, El? I'll have to make the chains shorter." Leonard mumbled. He almost seemed to be talking to himself, his words ced with devotion.

  “Don't worry. You'll be completely safe here."

  StoneInky