The next morning brought no peace.
The small apartment was quiet, save for the sound of Alexei's heavy breathing as he stood by the window, watching the empty street below. His arms were crossed over his chest, the tattoos that covered his skin visible under his sleeveless shirt. The silver chain around his neck glinted in the pale morning light, but Oliver's gaze wasn't on that. It was on the tension in Alexei's posture, the rigid set of his shoulders that screamed he hadn't slept.
Oliver hadn't slept either.
He sat on the edge of the couch, his head in his hands, replaying the events of the night before over and over again. The kiss. The chase. The danger that had followed them like a shadow. And through it all, the undeniable truth that Alexei Ivanov had somehow gotten under his skin.
"This isn't sustainable," Alexei's voice cut through the silence, low and rough. "You staying here."
Oliver raised his head, meeting his eyes. "We don't have a choice. Not after what happened."
Alexei let out a frustrated breath, turning his back to the window. He paced across the room like a caged animal, his fists clenched at his sides. "There's always a choice. You just keep making the wrong ones."
Oliver stood, his own frustration boiling over. "And what, you're the one making all the right decisions?" He threw his hands in the air, pacing now too. "You're the one who kissed me last night, Alexei! You—"
"I know what I did," Alexei interrupted, his voice tight with something unreadable. His gaze was dark, piercing, as he turned toward Oliver. "But that doesn't mean it should've happened."
The room went still. Oliver stopped pacing, staring at Alexei, his chest tight with the weight of those words.
Alexei walked closer, stopping just a few feet away, his eyes locked on Oliver's. "You don't belong in this world, Oliver. You're too… clean. Too decent. If you stay here, it'll chew you up and spit you out."
Oliver's jaw tightened. "You don't get to decide where I belong."
Alexei's eyes flashed with frustration. "Do you even know what you're saying? What staying here means? I'm a criminal, Oliver. I've killed people. You think you can handle that?"
Oliver's heart pounded in his chest, but he refused to back down. "I'm standing here, aren't I?"
"Barely," Alexei shot back. He took a step closer, his voice dropping to a near growl. "Last night was just the beginning. Petrov's men won't stop, not until I'm dead. And anyone close to me—"
"I'm not scared of them," Oliver interrupted, his voice firm. He wasn't sure where the confidence was coming from, but in this moment, standing in front of Alexei, it felt real. "I'm not scared of you."
Alexei's jaw clenched, his hands flexing at his sides. "You should be."
Oliver stepped closer, closing the space between them. "You keep saying that, but I'm still here."
For a moment, neither of them moved. The air between them crackled with tension—anger, frustration, and something else entirely. Something that had been building since the moment they'd met.
Alexei's chest rose and fell in quick, shallow breaths. His eyes bore into Oliver's, dark and conflicted. And then, slowly, his expression softened, just a fraction. "You don't know what you're getting into."
Oliver let out a breath, his voice softer now. "Then show me."
The room fell into a heavy silence. Alexei's eyes searched Oliver's face, and for a moment, it looked like he was going to push him away again. But then something shifted in his expression. The hardness in his eyes melted, replaced by something raw and vulnerable.
"You're stubborn," Alexei muttered, his voice low, almost resigned.
"You're impossible," Oliver shot back, a faint smile tugging at his lips despite the tension.
They stood there, staring at each other, the weight of everything that had happened hanging between them. The kisses, the fights, the danger that seemed to be lurking around every corner. And underneath it all, the undeniable pull between them, drawing them closer despite the risks.
"I'll show you," Alexei said quietly, his voice rough around the edges. "But once you're in, there's no turning back."
Oliver swallowed hard, his heart pounding in his chest. "I'm already in."
Alexei's eyes flickered with something dangerous, something that made Oliver's pulse race. "Then we start with Petrov."
Oliver frowned. "Petrov? What do you mean?"
Alexei crossed the room, grabbing a duffel bag from the corner and tossing it onto the small table. He unzipped it, revealing a stash of weapons—guns, knives, and other tools of the trade Oliver was still unfamiliar with. "Petrov's coming for me. We need to strike first."
Oliver stared at the bag, his stomach twisting. "You're planning a hit?"
Alexei's expression was unreadable, his eyes hard as he pulled out a gun, checking the magazine with the ease of someone who had done it a thousand times. "This is the world you're choosing, Oliver. You said you wanted in. This is what it looks like."
Oliver's throat went dry. He had known, of course, that Alexei's life was dangerous, that violence was a part of it. But seeing it laid out so plainly in front of him, knowing that Alexei was about to put himself in the line of fire again—it made everything feel more real.
"I don't want you to get hurt," Oliver said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.
Alexei looked up at him, his gaze softening just a little. "I've been hurt before. I can handle it."
"I mean it, Alexei." Oliver stepped closer, his hand brushing against Alexei's arm, a silent plea. "There has to be another way."
Alexei's expression tightened, but he didn't pull away. "This is the only way."
The silence stretched between them, heavy and tense. Oliver's mind raced, torn between wanting to protect Alexei and knowing that he couldn't change the path Alexei had chosen for himself.
"I won't let you go alone," Oliver finally said, his voice steady despite the fear twisting in his gut.
Alexei's eyes darkened, his hand tightening around the gun. "You don't have to come."
"I'm not letting you do this without me," Oliver insisted, his voice firm.
Alexei stared at him for a long moment, and then, with a resigned sigh, he nodded. "Fine. But stay close. And don't hesitate."
Oliver nodded, his heart pounding as the gravity of what he had just agreed to settled over him. This was it. There was no turning back now.
As they geared up and prepared to leave the apartment, the weight of their decision hung over them. The line between them was blurring more and more with each passing moment, and Oliver knew that by the time this was over, neither of them would be the same.
And yet, despite everything, despite the danger and the uncertainty, he couldn't help but feel that he was exactly where he was supposed to be.
By Alexei's side.