Daniel lit a cigarette, the tiny flame briefly casting shadows over his sharp cheekbones and colder-than-ice eyes. He took a slow drag, the silence thick between them, then exhaled smoke in a steady stream; casual, calm, like nothing could touch him.
"So," Daniel began, voice low and deliberate, "do you actually know how this is going to go? Not just the what, but the how? Because once we start, there's no rewinding."
Ethan leaned against the wall, trying to mask how fast his heart was racing. He nodded. "I've done my research. I'm not clueless."
Daniel cocked a brow, letting that hang in the air. "Research." He said it like a challenge, like he was unimpressed. "Cute."
Ethan grinned. "Well, I didn't exactly take a class for it."
"You'd be surprised how many do," Daniel muttered, flicking ash into the tray beside him with a sharp, practiced motion.
There was a pause, then Daniel added, cool and clipped, "But here's the thing. For guys? It's not about reading articles or watching some awkward video in 720p. You've gotta loosen up. Physically. Mentally."
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Loosen up, huh?"
Daniel gave him a sideways look, impassive. "Yeah. Otherwise, you'll make it painful for yourself. And annoying for me."
Ethan chuckled, stepping forward just an inch. "I don't get nervous. You're not that intimidating."
Daniel didn't blink. "No. You're just too young to know what intimidation really is."
Ethan opened his mouth, then closed it again.
Daniel took another drag, exhaled slowly. "Listen," he said, voice dropping a note. "You don't need to loosen up for me. I already handled that in the shower."
That made Ethan blink. "Wait—what?"
Daniel's eyes flicked up, deadpan. "I meant me. I loosened myself up."
Ethan's smirk returned, wider now. "That's not exactly how that sounded."
Daniel's gaze narrowed. "Don't get cocky."
"I thought that was the whole point tonight," Ethan quipped, folding his arms.
Daniel stared at him flatly. "Cute. Again. But try that mouth with less sarcasm and more purpose next time."
For a moment, the room felt like a standoff. Ethan, cocky but breathless beneath the surface. Daniel, calm and carved from steel.
Then Daniel crushed the cigarette into the tray and stood, slow and deliberate, towering a little as he approached.
His tone didn't change. Still flat. Still cold. But there was weight in it now.
"Enough talk," he said, voice low and firm. "Let's get on with it."
Ethan blinked, straightening instinctively. "We're really—?"
"You're the one who said you're ready." Daniel's expression didn't waver. "Don't start second-guessing now. That's boring."
Ethan swallowed hard but nodded. "Okay. No second-guessing."
Daniel's eyes dropped to Ethan's hands, then slowly dragged back up to his face.
"Good. Then come here."
The air between them shifted. The silence wasn't awkward now — it was charged, sharp at the edges.
Ethan stepped forward, slower this time. There was no denying the way his hands trembled slightly, but his chin stayed up. "You're not going to make this easy, are you?"
Daniel leaned against the dresser, arms crossed over his bare chest, cool and unreadable. "Easy isn't interesting."
"Of course not," Ethan muttered under his breath, taking one more step. He was close enough now to feel the heat radiating off Daniel's skin, close enough to see the faint scar slicing just under his collarbone. "You really don't let anyone in, do you?"
Daniel's jaw ticked, but he didn't answer.
So Ethan tried again. Softer this time. "Why me?"
Daniel's gaze snapped to his. "I haven't decided if it's a mistake yet."
Ethan flinched, but then smiled. "That sounds about right."
And just like that, he reached up, tentative at first, fingers brushing against Daniel's bare shoulder. The contact sent a jolt through both of them.
Daniel didn't move.
Ethan leaned in, testing the boundary. "If I do this wrong, are you going to lecture me mid-kiss?"
"If you do it wrong," Daniel said flatly, "you won't get another chance."
"Good to know," Ethan whispered and kissed him.
At first, it was slow. A gentle press of lips. Ethan's hands lightly gripping Daniel's upper arms. But Daniel didn't respond immediately not until Ethan shifted, angled his mouth differently, braver this time.
Then Daniel grabbed him one hand curling firmly around the back of Ethan's neck, the other braced on his lower back, pulling him in tight.
The kiss turned sharp, heated. Dominant.
Ethan gasped softly against Daniel's mouth.
Daniel smirked. "Still think you're leading this?"
Ethan's voice was breathy. "I never said that."
Daniel's thumb traced Ethan's jaw, almost absently. "Good. Because I'd hate to waste time correcting that."
There was something intense in Daniel's stare now, not lust exactly, but focus. Like Ethan had become a puzzle to solve. A code to break.
They moved together, slowly, urgency threading between their limbs. Ethan's fingers found the side of Daniel's waist as they kissed again — deeper now, lips parting, breath tangling.
But then suddenly, Daniel pulled back, eyes flicking downward — unreadable, cold as ever. And with a startling force, he gave Ethan a firm shove. Not rough. Just decisive.
Ethan landed on the mattress with a surprised grunt, propped up on his elbows. "Wait—"
"I'll do this," Daniel said flatly, his voice low, steely. His gaze didn't waver.
Ethan blinked up at him, lips still tingling. "You mean—?"
Daniel didn't answer with words. He climbed on top of him — slow, smooth, without hesitation. His knees braced the mattress on either side of Ethan's thighs, and suddenly, it was Daniel above him, looking down; but not with control. With invitation.
A shift in the balance, silent but deliberate.
They didn't stop at just kissing. Clothes fell away, limbs tangled, skin slick with heat and sweat. Daniel was on top now, moving with quiet, deliberate control—each motion measured, precise.
Ethan froze — not in fear, but in awe.
Daniel was — God — he was beautiful. Not in a soft, romantic way. No, Daniel was cut from ice and fire, harsh lines and smooth planes. There was something wild beneath the calm; that sharp, dangerous kind of beauty that made people stare too long without meaning to. His dark hair, still damp from the earlier shower, clung slightly to his temples. His eyes — cold steel with sparks of challenge — held him still.
Even like this, surrendering the position of control, Daniel commanded the room.
And Ethan… Ethan couldn't breathe right.
He had always known Daniel was attractive, but now? Now, with the way the moonlight traced the lines of his chest, the dips of his collarbones, the curve of his mouth, this close — Ethan couldn't not see it. His skin was warm, smooth under Ethan's palms, toned without trying, and his expression never gave away more than he allowed.
Daniel leaned down, mouth brushing Ethan's ear. "Don't think too hard. You'll ruin it."
Ethan's breath hitched. "Sorry, I just— I didn't expect you to—"
"You don't have to expect anything," Daniel murmured. "Just follow."
He kissed him again, slower this time. Not rough, but firm. Ethan's hands instinctively came up, resting lightly on Daniel's hips, unsure at first. Daniel allowed it, didn't push him away.
As Daniel began to move—slow, steady at first— Ethan's breath hitched, caught between surprise and surrender, his hands moving instinctively to Daniel's hips, trying to keep up but happy to let Daniel take charge, but then a sudden warmth trickled down his upper lip. His eyes widened in surprise. A small trickle of blood appeared at his nostril.
Daniel froze for a heartbeat, then that faint smirk twisted into something sharper, amused.
"Well, look at you," Daniel said, voice low and teasing. "Getting a nosebleed just from me riding you? Guess I'm more dangerous than I look."
Ethan flushed even deeper, quickly wiping at his nose. "It's… uh, nothing. Just a little—"
"Bullshit." Daniel's gaze pinched at him. "You're adorable when you lose control."
Daniel's lips brushed against Ethan's neck, warm breath feathering across his skin as he leaned closer.
The steady, controlled movement became urgent, muscles taut and trembling with each wave building inside him.
Then Daniel shifted, hips rolling gently down against Ethan's. The friction was electric.
Daniel's breath came heavy now, close to Ethan's ear, voice low and rough. "Not backing down."
Ethan's fingers dug into Daniel's sides, eyes wide and bright, watching Daniel's every motion—entranced and desperate.
Ethan gasped, hands tightening without thinking. "Oh, fuck."
Daniel arched one brow, his lips twitching. "Language."
"You're impossible," Ethan breathed.
Daniel leaned in, pressing a kiss to his throat. "And yet here you are."
Ethan let his eyes flutter shut for a moment. He could feel Daniel's heartbeat now, rapid, despite the man's calm exterior. His own was racing too, wild and loud in his ears.
Then, with a sharp intake of breath, Daniel's body tensed and shuddered, his release spilling over both of them.
He collapsed against Ethan, breath ragged, cheek pressed to Ethan's collarbone.
Ethan's chest rose and fell beneath him, flushed and stunned, lips parted.
"You're…" he began, swallowing thickly, "kind of incredible, you know."
Daniel looked at him sharply. "Don't say sweet things unless you're prepared for me to hate them."
"I mean it."
Daniel didn't respond. But he didn't move away either.
Instead, he settled in, body lowering against Ethan's, skin against skin, breath against breath. His head rested briefly on Ethan's shoulder, hair tickling his collarbone. It was a strange moment, quiet and close. Vulnerable in the smallest way.
Ethan didn't take it for granted. He reached up, hand threading slowly through Daniel's hair.
"You don't always have to be in charge," he murmured.
Daniel let out a breath, not quite a laugh. "I'm not in charge now, am I?"
"You still feel like you are," Ethan whispered.
Daniel kissed him again, slow and deep. "Good."
The tension between them twisted, less urgent now, but thicker somehow. Daniel guided Ethan without a word, shifting his body with small movements, never rushing, never hesitating. And Ethan, fueled by awe and affection and adrenaline, followed his lead — hands exploring, mouth learning.
Daniel pulled back just enough to meet Ethan's gaze—catching the hungry, starving look in his eyes.
A slow, dark smirk curved Daniel's lips. "Thought it was over?"
Ethan swallowed hard, voice barely a whisper. "Not even close."
Daniel's eyes glinted with that cold fire again. "Good."
He stayed there, breath warm on Ethan's skin, knowing this was only the start.