The silence between them was suffocating, stretched tight like a wire ready to snap. The flickering streetlamp above cast long, distorted shadows on the pavement, the dim glow doing little to ease the tension pressing down on Damian's chest.
Alex's words still rang in his head—just doing whatever the hell feels right for once. It was reckless, impulsive, stupid… and yet, Damian couldn't shake the feeling that maybe, just maybe, Alex had a point.
Alex shifted on his feet, shoving his hands deep into his jacket pockets. He let out a sharp breath, tilting his head back to stare up at the dark sky. "Forget I said anything, man. It's late, we should—"
"No."
The word was out before Damian even realized he'd spoken. His voice was quiet but firm, steady despite the storm brewing inside him.
Alex froze, his eyes snapping back to Damian's face. "No?"
Damian swallowed hard, his throat dry, his fingers twitching at his sides. "I don't want to forget it."
Alex blinked. Whatever he had expected Damian to say, it wasn't that. His lips parted slightly, but no words came out, like he was still processing. Then, with a breathless, disbelieving chuckle, he rubbed the back of his neck. "Shit, Damian…"
Damian felt like he was standing too close to a fire, the heat licking at his skin, daring him to step forward. But he didn't move. Couldn't. The air between them was charged, electric, humming with something raw and unspoken.
Alex took a step closer, closing the distance between them inch by inch. His dark eyes flickered across Damian's face, studying him, searching for something—hesitation, fear, an excuse—but he wouldn't find one.
His voice was quieter when he spoke. "Then what do you want?"
Damian's pulse hammered against his ribs. He should say something. He should take a step back, shove his hands in his pockets, laugh it off like he always did. But he didn't.
Instead, he stood his ground, his breath uneven, his chest tight. He wasn't sure what the hell he wanted, but he knew he didn't want this—whatever this was—to disappear.
Alex exhaled sharply, shaking his head with a half-smirk. "You make this so fucking complicated."
Damian let out a dry scoff, finally forcing himself to breathe. "You think I'm the problem? You're the one always playing these damn games."
Alex's smirk faltered for half a second. "You think I'm playing?"
Damian hesitated. "…Aren't you?"
For a moment, Alex didn't respond. The sounds of the city hummed in the background—the distant whir of passing cars, muffled laughter from a nearby alley, the low buzz of a neon sign flickering above a closed shop. But here, between them, it was quiet. Heavy.
Then, with a quiet, almost bitter laugh, Alex muttered, "Fuck it."
And before Damian could react, before he could process what the hell was happening, Alex moved.
One second, there was space between them. The next, there wasn't.
Alex's hands fisted in the front of Damian's hoodie, yanking him forward in a rush of heat, breath, and something too intense to name. Their lips crashed together in a kiss that was messy, desperate, years in the making.
Damian's brain short-circuited. Every thought, every carefully built-up wall inside him, shattered the moment Alex's mouth was on his. It was too much all at once—the warmth of Alex's lips, the way he tasted like whiskey and adrenaline, the rough way he held onto Damian like he was afraid he might slip away.
A quiet noise escaped Damian's throat before he could stop it, something between a gasp and a sigh, and that only made Alex tighten his grip, pressing closer.
Then, just as quickly as it started, Alex pulled back. His breath was uneven, his eyes dark, locked onto Damian's with an intensity that made it impossible to look away.
"…Still think I'm playing?" he murmured, his voice rough.
Damian licked his lips, his heart pounding so hard he could hear it in his ears. "I don't know what to think."
Alex exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah. Me neither."
They stood there, breathing hard, staring at each other, caught in the wreckage of whatever the hell had just happened.
And for the first time in a long time, Damian didn't want to run from it.