Rain hammered against the windows, blurring the world outside into a smeared watercolor. Inside Ezra's apartment, the dim orange glow from the desk lamp painted the room in pockets of warmth that didn't match the tension in the air.
Kai sat on the edge of Ezra's bed, his hair damp from the storm, his hoodie clinging to his frame. He'd shown up unannounced, again—this time with an unreadable expression that made Ezra's chest tighten.
Ezra closed his laptop slowly. "You look like hell," he said quietly, though it came out more concerned than mocking.
Kai didn't answer right away. Instead, he stared at the floor, the sound of rain filling the silence between them. Then, finally:
"I did something tonight."
Ezra leaned back, crossing his arms. "You always do something."
Kai's lips curved into a humorless smile. "Not like this."
Ezra hated that his curiosity outweighed his better judgment. "Tell me."
Kai looked up then, his eyes locking on Ezra's like he was trying to burn the words into him without saying them out loud. And when he finally spoke, it was low, almost intimate.
"I think I scared someone enough to run out of town."
Ezra's pulse spiked. He wanted to believe Kai was exaggerating, that this was just another dare gone too far, but there was something different in his tone. It wasn't just thrill—it was possession.
Before Ezra could respond, Kai stood and walked toward him, slow, deliberate. The air between them shifted; it wasn't just tense—it was magnetic.
Ezra tried to hold his ground. "You can't just—"
But the rest of his sentence was lost when Kai reached out, bracing one hand on the desk beside Ezra, effectively caging him in. His voice dropped to a murmur.
"You said you weren't scared of me. I'm wondering if that's still true."
Ezra swallowed, his heartbeat loud in his ears. "You're dangerous."
Kai's smirk deepened. "And yet… you let me in."
For a moment, it felt like the world outside ceased to exist. Just the sound of rain, the heat radiating off Kai's body, and the strange, intoxicating pull Ezra couldn't explain.
Ezra forced himself to look away. "You can't keep living like this. One day, you'll go too far."
Kai tilted his head, studying him like a puzzle. "And if I already have?"
The words lingered in the air long after Kai stepped back, slipping his hood up again. He moved toward the door, pausing with his hand on the handle.
"You should lock your window tonight," he said without looking back.
When the door closed behind him, Ezra exhaled shakily, only then realizing his hands were trembling. Somewhere deep down, a truth began to root itself in his mind—whatever game Kai was playing, Ezra was already too far in to walk away.