It's just texting
Authors note: Hey there, and welcome to my very first chat story. I’ve always loved flirty, romantic, and emotional stories between two people who are scared to fall but fall anyway. This story follows Eli and Damien, two men who meet through a dating app and end up finding more than just temptation. I hope you enjoy every steamy, messy, soft, and bold moment. Feedback is always welcome. Thank you for reading.
Damien, 28, is a confident, charismatic nightclub manager who oozes charm and heat but secretly wants someone who sees past the act and chooses to stay.
Eli, 25, is a witty and emotionally guarded illustrator who masks his desire for real connection with playful comebacks and late-night flirting.
Eli is done with one-night flings that leave him emptier than before. Damien says he doesn’t do feelings, just fun. But what starts with shirtless selfies and midnight flirting slowly turns into confessions, missed calls, and a craving for more. One of them wants to run. The other wants to stay. But can two men afraid of love fall into it anyway?
Damien
Shirtless selfie? I’m bored. And you’re a good distraction.
Eli
You really know how to make a guy feel special. Fine. Here.
[Eli sent it before he could overthink. He hated how fast his pulse jumped every time Damien texted. It wasn’t the first time they’d flirted like this, and probably not the last. They had been chatting for a few weeks now, long enough for Eli to start overanalyzing things.]
Damien
Wow. Are you trying to kill me or what?
Eli
Maybe I’m just tired of being the one who always gets burnt.
[There it was, slipped into the conversation like a joke. But there was weight behind it. Eli didn’t usually say things like that. He didn’t like giving people the blueprint to hurt him.]
Damien
You? Burnt? Hard to imagine.
Eli
That’s because you don’t know me. Not really.
Damien
I know enough. I know you like playing with fire.
Eli
Maybe. Or maybe I just don’t like feeling cold anymore.
[The conversation slowed for a second. Eli stared at the screen, thumb hovering. He knew what this was. Late-night flirting, half-serious, half-dangerous. But every now and then, Damien said something that made it harder to keep pretending this was casual.]
Damien
Cold nights are for people who don’t know how to have fun.
Eli
And let me guess, you know how to🤔?
Damien
I do. And you make it so easy😏😏😏
Damien
Yes😏. But somehow you keep coming back for more. Why's that?
[Eli hesitated. He wasn’t sure why he kept coming back. Maybe it was the way Damien spoke like nothing mattered, like nothing could hurt him. Or maybe it was that deep, gnawing ache Eli had tried to ignore, the one that craved more than just pretty words and good timing. Not knowing how to respond to the question. He decided to ignore it and typed something else instead.]
Eli
We’ve been doing this for a while now. What are we even doing?
Damien
Talking. Laughing. Getting each other off.
Eli
And after that. What's next?
Damien
I don’t do feelings. You know that.
[The words stung more than Eli wanted to admit. He told himself he was fine with it. He wasn’t sure if that was still true.]
Damien
Why? Are you now catching feelings for me😏🤔?
[The lie sat heavy in Eli's chest.]
Damien
Look, I’m not trying to mess with you. I just like this. I like talking to you.
Eli
Then let’s do more than talk. Let's make it even more interesting
Damien
Ok I am listening. Interesting how?
[That was a risk. A big one. But Eli took it.]
Eli
Tomorrow night? You and me go out for drinks. I dare you 😈
[Damien read the message three times before answering. There was something in Damien’s late response that made Eli’s chest tighten. No more screens between them. No more teasing words hiding behind emojis. Them meeting up will finally make everything real and raw. Eli imagined the way Damien’s lips might curve when he smiled in person, the heat in his eyes, the slow brush of a hand that promised everything and nothing all at once.]
Damien
You’re in luck. Tomorrow’s my night off.
Damien
Make it eight. There’s a spot I like it's called Club Reverie. Clean cocktails, low lighting, and a couch in the back with your name on it😏.
Eli
Oh? You trying to seduce me already?
Damien
I don’t try, sweetheart. I just do.
Eli
Confident. I like that.
Damien
Good. Because I like what I see. And if your in-person game matches your texting game...
[Eli laughed under his breath, heat prickling down his spine.]
Eli
Are you ou planning to kiss me tomorrow, Damien?
Damien
I plan to do a lot more than that. But only if you ask nicely.
[Eli stared at the screen, his lips parting just slightly. His fingers hovered over the keyboard, but nothing came. Part of him wanted to match the heat with something even bolder. However, the other part of him, which was softer and more guarded, didn’t trust himself not to give too much away. This wasn’t just flirting anymore. Not for him. So instead, he swallowed the ache in his throat and took the safer route.]
Damien
Sweet dreams, Eli. Try not to think about my hands.
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