Chapter 2

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One's mind can quickly change. No one knew it better than Elias. Yet it still hurt. The guy he had been meeting with did unlock the front door and let Elias into his studio apartment with a strong smell of cigarettes — the smell which Elias did his best to ignore. However, before Elias could even make a move on the cute guy, his date had backed himself into a corner, trembling, his eyes wide with fear.

Rather than someone who’d get a thrill from danger, he reminded Elias of a terrified bunny, about to be ripped apart by a fox.

“If you don't want to do this, we don't have to. I can go home,” Elias had told him, disappointment seeping in. It hit even harder when the guy agreed right away, a sigh of relief coming from him.

Which was how Elias has found himself in this situation.

Running. In more ways than one.

The soles of his Nikes slammed against the soil and gravel of the Forbidden Drive — his favorite jogging trail. The muscles in his entire body were stretching and contracting in the rhythm with his steady yet slightly panting breaths, and he could feel the beads of sweat rolling down his back, soaking up his t-shirt.

Phone in hand, he kept at the edge of the path. That gave other Fairmount Park’s visitors — bikers, joggers, people walking their dogs, and others — plenty of space to avoid him.

He listened to the sounds of the gushing and burbling of the nearby river mixed with an occasional bark of an excited canine, while people chatted in the distance.

Right now, more than anything, he wished to lose himself in the sounds and the smells of vivid nature, basking in the evening sun. Feeling so isolated and alone… It made him wish, more than everything else, that he were born normal.

Or that he could just run away.

Just as he inhaled a lungful of fresh air, trying to calm his mind, a warning shout came his way, “Zeus, no!” And then, a giant ball of fur slammed into the side of his legs, making him trip. “Ack!”

Just before he could come down crashing to the ground, a firm hand grabbed his, catching him in mid-air. The other one grasped the large German shepherd by his harness.

“Hey, careful!” A deep, masculine voice said. It was rich and smooth, filling Elias to the brim, like a fine wine.

“Caw! Caw! Caw!” Like a dense black cloud, a flock of crows lifted from the tree canopies at the sight of the dog, trying to launch himself at them while barking.

That’s a lot of crows, Elias thought absentmindedly as he used the offered hand to pull himself up. “Thank you! I should’ve seen the dog coming. I must’ve been too distracted…”

When he was met with the face of his savior, the words died in his throat.

Bronze, sunkissed skin. Hair, as black as ink, creating a deep contrast to the sharp green eyes that matched the flourishing vegetation surrounding them. A small wrinkle creasing the forehead between the thick brows as if he would frown too often. And a short stubble covering a carved jawline seemed like the world’s best contour, only enhancing the stranger’s attractive features.

Involuntarily, Elias’s heart skipped a beat. “Damn,” he murmured under his breath before he could think.

And then mentally kicked himself.

The man chuckled in amusement. “I’ll take that as a compliment.” He glanced down and then back up, at Elias. “But you can let go of my hand now. Unless you need to hold it.” Grinning, he winked.

Meanwhile, the dog’s barking changed into whining. He kept on trying to tear himself from the iron hold. The passersby in the distance picked up on the commotion, many staring at them with hidden judgment.

“Ah! Sorry!” As though he had burned himself, Elias pulled back his hand. He could still feel the warm touch of the stranger’s fingers on his skin. And the memory alone made a delightful shiver run through him.

Suddenly, Elias realized that for the first time in his life, someone was so close to him, completely unaffected by his presence.

“Who are—?”

“Are you guys okay?” the same voice as from earlier shouted in their direction, making Elias redirect his attention to it.

A woman was springing towards them, a leash in hand. “I’m so sorry! He just started running out of nowhere, and the hook snapped. He’s still in training, so he sometimes decides not to listen when I call him. He’s been adopted just recently.”

Her cheeks were flushed in embarrassment — so red they put apples to shame. “I really didn’t know the hook was so weak. It was supposed to be able to handle the largest breeds. I’ll file a complaint for false advertising. But of course, I take full responsibility. If you need any compensation, I can—“

Elias glanced at the giant, panting beast by the mysterious’s man’s feet. As Zeus noticed his owner approaching, he started wagging his low-hanging tail happily, looking incredibly proud of himself.

The sight made Elias smile. Now, he kind of wanted to pet the dog. He crouched down and offered a hand for Zeus to sniff it, then scratched him behind his pointy ears. “No, it’s fine. Accidents happen. He probably just got excited by seeing the crows.”

He could swear the man's entire body suddenly stiffened.

“The crows?” The woman frowned at Elias and then looked past Zeus. “I must’ve missed them. But anyway, thank you so much—” The moment she came into a few-feet radius of both men, she abruptly stopped, planting her feet into the ground. Her face molded into one of fear and uncertainty. She gulped, her eyes fixated on Zeus in desperation. “I…”

“So, I still have a long way to go,” Elias quickly said, forcing himself to keep that smile on. He stood. “I’ll go now. Good luck with Zeus! He looks like such a good boy.”

He turned around and started running again, ignoring the pain of a thousand daggers, stabbing his heart. Just another day. Stop acting like you’re not used to it already. When he glanced back, despite his better judgment, he could see the woman tying the leash through the metal ring on the harness while the man kept on holding the dog.

Her earlier fright was completely gone.

Don’t think about it. Don’t think.

Just before he focused on the open trail before him again, he caught the man, looking at him with an intense stare. It seeped right into his bones and ignited a flame low in his stomach.

What was that?

And why did Elias want to turn again and run back?

“Hey, can I talk to you for a sec?” The mysterious stranger from before suddenly appeared beside Elias, jogging casually.

“What the—?” Elias looked behind himself where the woman was leading the German shepherd away, then at the stranger. “Weren't you…back there just a moment ago?” he asked between controlled breaths.

“Yeah, and then I sprinted after you before you could escape,” he laughed. “I really need to talk to you, do you mind?”

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