The day "It" Came

Julian and Leo are embraceing the moment.Love is a strange thing isnt it? One second Your cuddleing on the couch the next your haveing sex on the bed then its gone.The velvet curtains of the apartment Julian shared with Leo usually offered comfort, but tonight they felt like a shroud. Leo was tracing the line of Julian’s jaw, his touch light, almost reverent—a stark contrast to the cold, calculated look in his eyes as he whispered, "I did it for us, darling." Julian froze, the smell of copper and iron suddenly cutting through the scent of rain and wine.He looked down at Leo’s hands, normally so gentle, now faintly trembling, and knew immediately the "problem" of Julian’s stalker hadn't been solved by police."Leo, what did you do?" Julian’s voice was barely a breath.Leo smiled, a slow, tranquil expression that didn’t reach his icy eyes. He leaned in, kissing Julian’s knuckles before bringing them to his lips. "He won't hurt you, I promise. No one ever will. You're mine now, completely."The love was there, absolute and intoxicating, but as Julian processed the chilling implications, he realized it was a love that required total possession, a devotion that had just turned into a gilded cage—and perhaps something much worse.Leo stood up, walking toward the bathroom, humming a tune as he turned on the shower. He stopped at the doorway, glancing back. "Don't look so terrified, Julian. We're happy, aren't we?"Julian looked at the front door, the freedom he had once desired seeming impossibly distant, and then back at the man he had fallen for, realizing he was already far too deep in the darkness to run. He forced a stiff, trembling smile. "Yes, Leo. Happy."The water started running, and Leo disappeared inside, leaving Julian alone with the silence, the iron smell, and the terrifying knowledge of what his love had created.