James paced the floor of his London flat, his phone clutched tightly in his hand. The news had come in the middle of the night, shaking him to his core: Ethan had been kidnapped. His chest tightened as the words replayed in his mind. Kidnapped.
It was surreal, a nightmare he couldn't wake from. Ethan had become the target of a small but aggressive group of haters who had been vocal about their disdain for his relationship with James. They had been sending hateful messages for months, but no one ever thought they'd act on their threats.
Now, Ethan was missing, and James felt utterly powerless.
Sandra, who had been staying at James's flat after sensing his spiraling emotions, tried to comfort him. She placed a hand on his shoulder, but James shook her off.
"I can't, Sandra," he said, his voice raw. "I can't do this without him."
She stepped back, her face falling as she realized how deep his love for Ethan truly ran. "James, you need to stay strong. For him."
James turned to her, his eyes blazing with desperation. "What if he's hurt? What if I never see him again?"
Sandra hesitated, then reached out to hug him. "You will, James. You'll get him back. And when you do, hold on to him. Don't let anything come between you again—not even me."
James froze, pulling back to look at her. "Sandra, what are you saying?"
Tears glistened in her eyes as she gave him a sad smile. "I've been blind, James. I thought maybe… maybe I could be the one to make you happy. But I see it now. Your heart belongs to Ethan. It always has. And I need to let you go."
James swallowed hard, his throat tight. "Sandra…"
She shook her head, cutting him off. "Don't say anything. Just go find him. Be with him."The hours felt like days as James waited for any updates on Ethan's situation. When the call finally came, it was from Ethan's manager, informing him that Ethan had been found. He was safe but shaken, currently at a private hospital in Los Angeles.
James didn't waste a second. He booked the first flight out, his heart pounding the entire journey. By the time he arrived at the hospital, it was well past midnight, but he didn't care. He needed to see Ethan.
When James walked into the hospital room, his breath caught in his throat. Ethan sat on the bed, his face bruised, his arm in a sling, but his eyes lit up the moment he saw James.
"James," Ethan whispered, his voice cracking.
James rushed to him, wrapping his arms around him gently, mindful of his injuries. He buried his face in Ethan's neck, his tears soaking into Ethan's shirt. "I thought I'd lost you," James choked out. "I can't… I can't lose you."
Ethan held him as tightly as he could with his good arm, his own tears falling freely. "You didn't lose me. I'm here, James. I'm not going anywhere."
They stayed like that for what felt like hours, neither wanting to let go. Ethan was discharged two days later, and James brought him back to his flat in Los Angeles. The air between them was charged with unspoken emotions, a mix of relief, love, and the lingering pain of everything they had been through.
That night, as they lay in bed together, Ethan reached for James's hand. "I thought about you every second I was in that place," he said softly. "You were the only thing that kept me going."
James turned to him, his eyes shining. "I don't know how to live without you, Ethan. I don't ever want to find out."
Ethan cupped James's face, his thumb brushing away a stray tear. "Then let's promise each other. No more doubts, no more running. Just us, James. No matter what."
James nodded, his voice firm. "Just us."
Ethan pulled him into a kiss, slow and tender at first, but it quickly deepened, their desperation for each other spilling over. James climbed onto Ethan's lap, careful of his injuries, and kissed him harder, his hands sliding beneath Ethan's shirt.
"I need you," James murmured against his lips. "All of you."
Ethan's eyes darkened with desire. "Then take me, James. I'm yours."
They moved together with a newfound intensity, their hands and lips exploring each other as if for the first time. It was raw and wild, a celebration of their survival, their love, and their refusal to let anything tear them apart again.
Ethan's hands gripped James's hips as he guided him, their bodies moving in perfect rhythm. The room filled with their moans, their cries of pleasure, and the whispered declarations of love.
When they finally collapsed against each other, their bodies spent, they lay tangled in the sheets, their breathing heavy.
"I love you," Ethan whispered, pressing a kiss to James's temple.
James smiled, his heart full for the first time in weeks. "I love you too. Always."Sandra watched from afar as James and Ethan rebuilt their love. She had quietly left London, deciding to start fresh in a new city where she could heal and find her own happiness.
She had tried to come between them, but now she understood that their love was unbreakable. It wasn't perfect, but it was theirs. And that was enough.
As James and Ethan held each other that night, their love stronger than ever, they knew they had fought for something worth keeping. Together, they could face anything—and they would.