The night passed in a quiet, flustered haze for Elias. He had not slept. Instead, he sat in the armchair, a silent, watchful guardian, his every sense hyper-attuned to the soft rise and fall of Milo's chest. The sight of Milo's abs, now hidden beneath the tucked-in shirt Elias had gently smoothed over him in the dead of night, was a memory seared into his mind. He was completely, utterly in love, and it terrified him.
The morning arrived with its usual chaos. Milo woke up, groaning and stretching, completely unaware of the profound emotional turmoil he had caused. He stumbled into the kitchen, his hair a mess of cowlicks, and blinked at the sight of Elias, already up and dressed, standing by the coffee maker.
"Dude," Milo said, his voice thick with sleep. "You're up early. You okay? You look... tense."
Elias was indeed tense. He was standing with his back to the window, his shoulders drawn taut, a fine layer of sweat on his brow. The usual quiet stillness was gone, replaced by a coiled, alert energy. His wolf-like ears were flicking back and forth, and his dark grass-green eyes, which had been so soft the night before, were now hard and wary.
"I am fine," Elias said, his deep voice clipped, without the usual low rumble. He didn't offer Milo a mug of coffee. He didn't offer to make one. He just stood there, a sentinel.
Milo, still half-asleep, didn't notice the abrupt change in demeanor at first. He just fumbled with the coffee grounds, his mind still in a comfortable fog.
"I'm just gonna… make some coffee. Okay. You good? You look like you're about to fight a bear." Milo chuckled, but the sound was hollow even to his own ears.
Elias's gaze darted to the window, then back to Milo. His jaw was clenched so tightly that a muscle jumped in his cheek. He suddenly moved, a swift, fluid motion that had Milo dropping the coffee filter. Elias was by his side in an instant, his hand on Milo's arm, his grip surprisingly firm.
"Do not… make a sound," Elias whispered, his voice dangerously low, a primal undertone in it that made the hair on Milo's neck stand up. "Move away from the window."
Milo's mind, now fully awake, raced. The look in Elias's eyes wasn't just wary; it was pure, unadulterated fear. Milo had seen it before, on the night he found Elias. But this time, it was directed not at some distant memory, but at something out there. Something in their calm, ordinary street in Calin City.
Milo nodded, his own heart beginning to pound a frantic rhythm. He followed Elias's lead, moving as quietly as possible, the faint scent of rain and fear coming off the half-dragon in waves. They moved from the kitchen to the hallway, away from the wide bay window that now felt like a gaping maw to an unknown danger.
"What is it?" Milo mouthed, his voice a panicked whisper.
Elias shook his head, his gaze still on the window, though he couldn't see it from where they were. His body was a tightly wound coil of muscle and tension, his horns seeming to pulse with a faint, dark energy. "He is here," Elias breathed, the words barely a whisper. "He found me."
Milo's blood ran cold. He. The pronoun hung in the air, heavy with a thousand unspoken threats. Was this the person who had left Elias beaten in that alley? The person who had chased him all the way to this apartment in Calin City?
Elias, still watching the silent living room, slowly took a step in front of Milo, shielding him. His body, once so soft and flustered, was now hard and protective. His wolf-like ears were flattened, but this time, not in embarrassment. They were flattened in preparation for a fight. He looked over his shoulder at Milo, and in his eyes, Milo saw something that stole his breath away. It wasn't disdain, and it wasn't just fear. It was a fierce, raw, and desperate protection. Elias was ready to face whatever came for him, as long as it didn't get to Milo.