Lucas awoke to a dull, throbbing pain that radiated through his entire body. The cold floor beneath him was unforgiving, and the heavy scent of sweat and cum lingered in the air. He tried to open his eyes, but only one responded; the other was swollen shut, the skin around it tender and bruised.
For a moment, he was disoriented, his mind struggling to piece together the events that had led him here. The remnants of his earlier pleasure still tingled faintly in his limbs, but now it was overshadowed by the raw ache that permeated every inch of his being.
His good eye fluttered open, and the dim light of the room filtered in. As his vision adjusted, he realized he wasn't alone. A hand was gently stroking his hair, the touch light and comforting. He turned his head slightly, his gaze locking onto Dimitri, who was lying beside him on the bed, his expression unreadable.
Dimitri's fingers continued their soothing motion, tracing soft patterns along Lucas's scalp. His eyes were focused, watching Lucas intently, as if trying to gauge his state of mind. There was something tender in the way Dimitri touched him, something Lucas had rarely allowed himself to experience, let alone accept.
Lucas's throat tightened, and he tried to speak, but his voice came out as a croak, raw from the night's exertions. "Dimitri…" The name slipped from his lips, tinged with confusion and an unfamiliar vulnerability.
"You're awake," Dimitri murmured, his voice barely above a whisper, as if speaking too loudly might shatter the fragile moment between them.
Lucas tried to speak, but his throat felt dry, his voice coming out as a rough croak. "What… what are you doing here?" His tone was weak, lacking the usual sharpness he reserved for moments like this.
Dimitri's gaze softened further, his fingers never stopping their gentle strokes through Lucas's hair. "You called me," he replied simply. "You said you needed me."
Lucas blinked, trying to remember. The events of the night before were a blur, fragments of memories that refused to come together. But he vaguely recalled the desperation in his own voice, the quiet plea for someone—anyone—to be there with him.
"Did I?" Lucas asked, more to himself than to Dimitri. He hadn't intended to show weakness, not to anyone, least of all Dimitri. Yet here he was, half-naked, vulnerable, and aching in more ways than one.
"Yes," Dimitri confirmed, his thumb gently brushing against Lucas's temple, where the skin was bruised and tender. "You did."
He tried to shift, to move away from the warmth of Dimitri's touch, but the pain in his eye flared up, making him wince. Dimitri noticed immediately, his hand pausing mid-stroke. "Don't move too much. You're hurt."
The concern in Dimitri's voice was genuine, and it made Lucas's chest tighten even more. He hated the way it made him feel, so exposed, so fragile. He wasn't used to this, wasn't used to someone caring for him without an ulterior motive.
"Why are you here?" Lucas finally managed to ask, his voice weak but edged with the faintest hint of defiance. It was easier to be angry, easier to lash out than to acknowledge the softness that Dimitri was offering him.
Dimitri didn't answer immediately. Instead, he continued to gently stroke Lucas's hair, his thumb brushing lightly against the swollen skin of Lucas's closed eye. The tenderness in the gesture made Lucas's breath hitch, a strange mix of fear and longing swirling in his chest.
"Because you needed me," Dimitri said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. There was no accusation, no judgment in his tone, just a simple statement of fact.
Lucas swallowed hard, his mind reeling. He wanted to push Dimitri away, to tell him he didn't need anyone, that he was fine on his own. But the words stuck in his throat, refusing to come out. The truth was, in this moment, with Dimitri lying beside him, his touch so gentle, Lucas didn't want to be alone.
A long silence stretched between them, broken only by the soft sound of their breathing. Lucas could feel the warmth of Dimitri's body next to his, the steady rise and fall of his chest as he lay there, unmoving, except for the hand that continued to stroke Lucas's hair.
"Why do you care?" Lucas asked, his voice barely audible, as if he was afraid of the answer.
Dimitri's hand paused for a moment before resuming its gentle caress. "I don't know," he admitted, his tone filled with an honesty that caught Lucas off guard. "I just do."
Lucas closed his eyes again, leaning into the touch despite himself. He should have pushed Dimitri away, should have snapped at him for daring to see him like this. But the exhaustion and the pain were too much, and the comfort Dimitri offered was too tempting to reject.
"How did you get in?" Lucas asked, his voice slightly steadier now.
Dimitri smiled faintly, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "You forgot to lock the door. I guess you were too out of it to notice."
Lucas huffed, a mix of annoyance and confusion. He prided himself on being in control, on keeping people at arm's length, yet here was Dimitri, slipping past his defenses without even trying.
"You shouldn't be here," Lucas muttered, though there was little force behind his words. He wasn't sure if he meant it or if he was just saying it because it was what he thought he should say.
Dimitri's expression didn't change, his fingers still tracing soothing patterns through Lucas's hair. "But you need me here," he said softly, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
Lucas's chest tightened at the words, a strange mix of emotions he couldn't quite decipher. He had spent so long keeping everyone at a distance, using anger and cruelty to push them away. Yet now, with Dimitri so close, he couldn't bring himself to do it. Not this time.
"Dimitri…" Lucas started, his voice faltering.
"It's okay," Dimitri interrupted gently. "You don't have to say anything."
Lucas let out a shaky breath, his body relaxing slightly against the mattress. The pain in his face was still there, but it seemed to fade a little, the dull throb becoming a distant background noise. Dimitri's presence, his touch, and his quiet acceptance all worked together to dull the edges of Lucas's turmoil.
"I look like shit," Lucas muttered, trying to inject some of his usual sarcasm into his tone, but it fell flat.
Dimitri chuckled softly, the sound low and comforting. "You're not wrong," he teased lightly. "But I've seen worse,you've done worse."
"Thanks," Lucas replied dryly, though a small, reluctant smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He hated how easily Dimitri could disarm him, how effortlessly he could make Lucas feel less like a monster and more like… himself.
Dimitri's hand moved from Lucas's hair to his swollen eye, his touch feather-light as he examined the bruise. "This looks painful," he said softly, concern evident in his voice.
"It is," Lucas admitted, his voice barely more than a whisper. He wasn't used to admitting weakness, but with Dimitri, it somehow felt okay. Maybe it was because he knew Dimitri wouldn't judge him for it."But isn't this what I deserve.People like me deserve the worst."
A long silence stretched between them only broken when Dimitri got up."I'll get you some ice," Dimitri offered, starting to pull away, but Lucas's hand shot out, grabbing his wrist with surprising strength.
"Don't go," Lucas said, the words slipping out before he could stop them. His grip on Dimitri's wrist was firm.He didn't want to be alone, not now, not after everything.
Dimitri paused, his eyes searching Lucas's face, and then he nodded slowly. "Okay," he agreed, settling back down beside Lucas. "I'm not going anywhere."
Lucas released his hold on Dimitri's wrist, letting his hand fall back onto the bed. He stared at Dimitri unblinking as if trying to map every feature on his face. The soft light cast shadows across Dimitri's features, highlighting the contours of his jaw and the delicate curve of his lips. But what struck Lucas most were Dimitri's eyes—those deep, brown eyes that seemed to hold a world of unspoken emotions.
For the first time, Lucas truly noticed the richness of Dimitri's gaze. The brown of his eyes was warm, almost comforting, like the earth after a summer rain. They were a stark contrast to the cold, clinical blues and grays that Lucas was used to—eyes that only reflected back the harshness of a monster. But Dimitri's eyes were different. They were alive, vibrant, and full of something Lucas couldn't quite place. Was it compassion? Concern? Or something more?
Lucas felt a strange pull, as if those eyes were drawing him in, offering him a glimpse of something he had long forgotten—or maybe had never known. He found himself wanting to drown in them, to lose himself in the depths of that warmth. It was a terrifying thought, but at the same time, it was oddly comforting.
Dimitri noticed Lucas's prolonged stare, and a soft smile played on his lips, a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes but still held a gentleness that Lucas couldn't ignore. "What is it?" Dimitri asked quietly, his voice carrying a tenderness that Lucas was not used to.
Lucas hesitated, his mind racing to find an answer, to deflect, to protect himself. But the usual walls he put up—the sarcasm, the indifference—were nowhere to be found. Instead, all he could manage was a quiet, almost awed, "Your eyes... they're... beautiful."
The words felt foreign on his tongue, like they belonged to someone else, not the cold, detached Lucas he had always been. But they were the truth, and in that moment, Lucas couldn't bring himself to lie.
Dimitri's eyes widened slightly in surprise, the smile fading from his lips as he studied Lucas's face. There was a flicker of something in his gaze—something Lucas couldn't quite decipher. Was it hope? Doubt? Or maybe a mix of both?
"Thank you," Dimitri replied softly, his voice tinged with a vulnerability that mirrored Lucas's own. His fingers resumed their gentle stroking through Lucas's hair, a silent acknowledgment of the connection they were both feeling but neither fully understood.
For a moment, the two of them just lay there, eyes locked, words unspoken but not needed. There was a quiet understanding between them, a fragile bond that had formed in the aftermath of violence and pain. Lucas didn't know what it meant or where it would lead, but for the first time in a long while, he felt something other than anger, fear, or the thrill of destruction. He felt... calm.
And in that calm, there was a flicker of something else—something he wasn't ready to name but that settled in his chest, warming the cold, empty spaces he had carried for so long.
Lucas knew this moment wouldn't last; it never did. But as he lay there, bathed in the soft glow of Dimitri's gaze, he allowed himself to hope that maybe, just maybe, it could. Even if only for a little while longer.