WARMING Up

He thought he was slowly winning Jackson’s heart, and he believed there was still a chance for him since Jackson had never openly said that he did not like him or rejected him.

During the holidays, Eli and Jackson would sit together at the kitchen counter every morning, talking about almost anything while brewing coffee.

Most of the time, Jackson did the work, but Eli always helped with preparing breakfast.

Eli yapped nonstop, and Jackson never stopped him.

It had now become part of their daily life.

Even though Jackson did not openly show his feelings, he loved everything they did together.

He may not have noticed it yet, or maybe he just did not want to admit it, but he was always looking forward to the time they spent together.

He smiled whenever Eli was clumsy or did something silly.

Slowly, Jackson started becoming possessive too.

He would ask about Eli’s whereabouts and chase other guys away from him.

On this day, they went shopping for the things they needed before school resumed.

They decided to buy some random clothes, and when Eli started trying them on, the mood suddenly changed as a thick tension filled the air.

Eli loved wearing revealing clothes, and Jackson was there to judge which outfits looked good on him and which did not.

Eli had a tiny waist and fair skin, making him look delicate.

After trying on several outfits, an older man walked into the dressing area and immediately noticed Eli.

His eyes lit up in a way that made the situation uncomfortable.

Before the man could say anything, Jackson quickly stepped in front of Eli, blocking the man’s view. He then draped his jacket over Eli’s shoulders.

Eli was stunned.

At the same time, he felt happy seeing Jackson care enough to act so possessively over him.

After security escorted the man out, Jackson turned back to Eli with a complicated expression Eli had never seen before.

Then the next thing Jackson said completely shocked him.

JACKSON:

“Don’t dress so openly around strangers. You’re too noticeable, and there are weird people everywhere. Don’t you know that?”

On the day school resumed, everybody was shocked to see Jackson and Eli arriving together in the same car.

Even though everyone already knew about their family situation, they still did not expect them to show up together like that.

The moment they stepped out of the car, Eli quickly ran ahead and stood in front of Jackson.

Eli expected Jackson to push him away like he normally would, but instead, Jackson simply looked at him and said,

JACKSON:

“Don’t disturb me during class, and be ready when school closes. We’re going out for dinner together.”

He said it out loud for everyone to hear.

The entire schoolyard went silent.

Everyone had heard him loud and clear, and they were too shocked to say anything.

Even Eli was left speechless.

Without another word, Eli walked into the classroom, still trying to process what had just happened.

Before Jackson could follow, his friends dragged him away, leaving the rest of the class completely stunned.

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