1
Royce's life is seemingly ordinary. He works the evening shift at the local convenience store, always greeting customers with a warm, genuine smile. His black hair often falls into his dark brown eyes, giving him a disarmingly cute appearance. Every evening, as the sun begins to set, Royce clocks in for his shift. He tidies up the aisles, restocks the shelves, and makes sure the coffee is fresh and hot. His customers love him; he has a way of making everyone feel welcome. The bell above the door chimes softly as a tall, handsome figure walks in. Royce looks up from behind the counter and smiles warmly. "Welcome in! How can I help you today?" he asks, his voice friendly and cheerful.
"C'mon you know what I buy always" the man said, looking at Royce, his gaze intense.
Royce blushes slightly, taken aback by the intense gaze but trying to maintain his composure. "Oh, right! Your usual coffee, chew gums and that pack of cigarettes," he says, turning to grab the items from their respective places. He hands them over with a smile. "Here you go." but just then, Royce's eyes widen slightly in surprise as Luan takes his hand. He tries to play it cool, but his heart races a little faster. "Oh, uh, here you go," he says softly, trying to pull his hand away gently while Luan pretends to search for his card in his pocket.
The man, known as Luan, takes this opportunity to thread his fingers through Royce's, pretending to search deeper in his pocket. He looks down at their linked hands, smirking slightly. He knows Royce has no idea about his feelings. He finds his wallet finally and pulls out a card to pay. "Keep the change,"
Royce's cheeks flush an even deeper shade of pink as Luan finally let's go of his hand. He takes the card and processes the payment, his hands shaking slightly as he tries to compose himself. "T-thanks," he stammers out, avoiding Luan's intense gaze. As the transaction finishes, Royce inadvertently knocks over a small display of gum packs with his elbow. "Oh, shoot!" he exclaims, bending down hurriedly to pick them up. His flustered state and clumsy movements only add to his adorable charm.
Luan watches Royce bend down, his eyes lingering on the convenient store worker's form. He can't help but admire how cute Royce looks when he's flustered. He clears his throat to get Royce's attention. "Here, let me help you with that"
Royce looks up, startled, as Luan kneels down beside him. He watches as Luan begins to help him gather the fallen gum packs. His heart races a little faster at the close proximity. "Th-thank you," he murmurs, his voice barely above a whisper.
As they finish picking up the gum packs together, their hands accidentally brush against each other. Royce's heart skips a beat at the touch, and he quickly pulls his hand away, avoiding Luan's gaze. "I-I think that's everything," he says, standing up and brushing off his pants.
While Royce is straightening up, Luan deliberately lets a few gums packs 'fall' again, just to have an excuse to kneel closer to him. He picks them up slowly, his eyes deliberately fixed on Royce's face. "Such clumsy hands you have,"
Royce blushes an even deeper shade of red at Luan's teasing comment. He stammers nervously, "I-I'm not always this clumsy, I swear!" He bends down hastily to grab the last few gum packs, accidentally bumping his head against Luan's in the process.
Luan just chuckles "well, see you later" he said, walking to exit."
"O-oh, um, bye," Royce replies softly, his head throbbing slightly from the accidental bump. He watches Luan leave the store, a mixture of embarrassment and something else lingering in his chest. He touches the spot where their heads collided, a small smile playing on his lips.
Next day-
As the evening progresses, Royce continues his usual routine at the convenience store. He's unaware of the depth of Luan's obsession with him. To Luan, every interaction, every accidental touch, is cherished and remembered. For Royce, Luan is just a friendly, attractive customer. Royce hums softly to himself as he restocks the shelves. He's completely oblivious to the fact that Luan has been secretly taking pictures of him during their interactions, collecting them like precious mementos. Royce walks home from work, his uniform replaced with comfortable clothes. He's unaware that he's being followed by Luan, who keeps a safe distance but never takes his eyes off Royce's form. The streetlights cast long shadows, making Luan blend in perfectly as he stalks Royce. Suddenly few guys came up to Royce and startles some threatening comments. He'll be walking, unaware of the danger lurking in the shadows. He's about to turn the corner to his house when a group of men suddenly surround him, their intentions unclear but menacing.
"Hey, where you rushin' off to, pretty boy?" one of the men sneers, stepping closer to Royce. His friends laugh, encircling Royce and blocking his path. Royce swallows hard, his instincts telling him this isn't going to end well.
"I-I'm just headed home. Please, I don't have any money on me," he says nervously, trying to keep his voice steady. The men circle him like predators, enjoying his discomfort. Suddenly, one of them grabs his wrist roughly. "But you're such a cute little thing..."
"Sweetheart! I was lookin' for you! where were you?" Deep voice comes from behind, making all of them look at that direction.
The men turn their heads towards the voice, and Royce feels a moment of relief. He recognizes Luan's voice instantly. One of the men loosens his grip on Royce's wrist, distracted by the interruption. "Who the hell are you?" one of them growls at Luan.
"Told you, baby.. not to go too far alone" Luan said to Royce like they're in relationship, his gaze falls on man, cold and deadly
Royce blinks in confusion at Luan's intimate tone, but the fear quickly returns as he realizes how casually Luan just referred to himself. The men around him seem genuinely terrified as they quickly back away from Royce. One of them whispers loudly "That's Luan..."
Luan strides forward with an air of authority, his cold gaze making the men scatter like roaches. He reaches out and gently but firmly pulls Royce out of their grip, his touch surprisingly warm compared to his icy demeanor. "I said, come here sweetheart." Luan wraps an arm protectively around Royce's waist and starts walking away, leaving the terrified men behind. Royce can feel Luan's muscles tense beneath his shirt, a silent warning to anyone who might think to follow. He pulls Royce closer possessively as they walk.
"You're okay?" he asks, pulling back slightly to maintain some distance. Royce stumbles slightly as Luan pulls him close, his mind reeling from the sudden turn of events. He looks up at Luan with wide, disbelieving eyes, trying to process the fact that the usually calm and collected Luan is now acting like a possessive lover. "Hey? you oaky?" he asks again, snapping Royce out of his thoughts. Royce nods slowly, still trying to catch his breath. He looks into Luan's eyes, searching for any sign of the usual calm demeanor he's accustomed to seeing. "Y-yeah, I'm okay," he manages to say, his voice barely above a whisper.
Luan's expression softens slightly, but his arm remains tightly wrapped around Royce's waist. He pulls Royce closer again, resting his forehead against Royce's. "You sure? You're shaking," he murmurs, his voice lower than usual, almost gentle. Royce shudders slightly, feeling the warmth of Luan's breath against his face. He nods again, trying to convince himself as much as Luan. "I'm fine, really," he says, attempting a small smile. His heart is still racing from the adrenaline and the unexpected intimacy. Luan walks Royce to his house in silence, his arm still wrapped around him. As they reach the door, he turns Royce to face him, his hand moving to cup Royce's cheek. "Go, and don't walk alone at this time at least" he orders, his thumb brushing over Royce's cheekbone.
Royce looks up at Luan, surprised by the sudden command and the gentle touch. He swallows hard, feeling a strange flutter in his chest. "Okay, I won't," he promises, his voice softer than intended. He lingers for a moment, unsure if he should say anything else. Royce finally steps back, breaking the contact. He turns to open his door but pauses, looking back at Luan. "Thanks, Luan," he says quietly, offering a small smile. He waits for a moment, hoping Luan might say something more before slipping inside and closing the door behind him.
As Luan chuckles to himself, recalling the feeling of Royce's waist tucked under his arm, he unconsciously licks his lips, a predatory smirk tugging at his mouth. "He's so small," he thinks to himself, "It would be so easy..."
Little does Royce know, as he settles into his house and tries to calm his racing heart, that Luan stands outside, a wicked glint in his eye. The shadowy figure lingers, contemplating his next move. Luan's smirk widens as he whispers to himself,
"Such a sweet little thing... I wonder what kind of sounds he'd make if I...?" The thought is cut off by a low, menacing chuckle as Luan's gaze drifts back to Royce's house, his eyes darkening with sinister intent. "I saved you from those men, but who is going to save you from me, sweetheart?"
