While Flynn stayed off to the side, struggling in his uncomfortable position with his wrists and ankles tied, the fear gripping him slowly faded the moment he heard the voice of the men's boss.
Wait... was that Dylan? the thought shot through his mind.
He listened carefully, trying to make sense of what was happening. He heard footsteps moving away, then the sound of an engine starting, and the vehicle driving off.
A moment later, only one set of footsteps remained—the boss. Flynn stiffened when those footsteps stopped right in front of him.
"D-Dylan... is that you?" Flynn stammered.
The man didn't answer. The silence thickened around them, but even without a response, Flynn could feel him standing there. And strangely, instead of panicking, Flynn felt himself calming down.
Then he suddenly felt the man trying to lift him. "W-wait—put me down! Where are you taking me?" Flynn struggled, twisting in place. But the man was too strong—stronger than the men who had kidnapped him earlier.
Slung over the man's shoulder, Flynn caught a familiar scent. That was when his breath hitched. It really is Dylan, he told himself.
He felt the man start climbing a staircase. Step after step, higher and higher. Minutes passed. Flynn had no idea how many floors they'd gone through, and eventually he stopped resisting, letting the man carry him wherever he intended to take him.
After more than twenty minutes, he sensed they had finally reached their destination. Then—
Thud.
The man dropped Flynn onto a bed, leaving him lying flat on his back. Then he pulled off the black hood covering Flynn's head, revealing his face.
Flynn was panting heavily, trying to catch his breath after the hood was removed. "What the fuck, Dylan! Have you lost your mind?!" Flynn shouted, furious and gasping from the struggle. "You actually hired people to kidnap me?"
"Yes," Dylan replied simply. "So I can have you with me again. I don't care about anything else now as long as you're here. No one will know where you are. Just the two of us. Don't worry... I'll take care of you."
"You're son a b–"
Before Flynn could finish himself, Dylan settled himself on top of him, straddling his hips. Then he leaned down, gently brushing his fingers through Flynn's hair and over his cheek.
"At last, baby... you're finally here," Dylan murmured.
Flynn's brow furrowed, and his expression darkened when he heard it from Dylan.
"You're a fucking psycho, Dylan! Release me, or I'll make you regret it," he snapped, trying to push Dylan off his lap.
"No chance. I won't let you go just like that again," Dylan said firmly.
"Dylan, I'm telling you!" Flynn shouted.
"What? I just missed you. Missed you so damn much. Didn't you miss me? Hmmm?" Dylan murmured, then suddenly pressed his lips against Flynn's.
Flynn fought back immediately, shoving him as hard as he could. "Dylan, what's really gotten into you?!" he said breathlessly after managing to push Dylan back enough to stop the kiss.
But Dylan didn't answer. He grabbed Flynn's bound hands, forcing them above his head, pinning them to the pillow so Flynn couldn't struggle. Then he kissed him again.
Flynn clenched his mouth shut, refusing to let Dylan deepen the kiss, twisting his wrists in an attempt to break free.
When Flynn finally yanked his hands free from Dylan's grip, he shoved him hard and swung his bound hands, slapping Dylan across the face.
The room fell silent. Both of them froze. For a moment, it was as if reality crashed back into the room.
"This is your fault, Flynn. You made me do this," Dylan said, breathing hard.
"You knew, from the very beginning, that what I felt for you wasn't normal. You knew the way I treated you wasn't how people normally act toward their friends. And what did you do? Huh? You just let me. You never told me to stop. You never said you were uncomfortable. So this is your fault too... you're the one who seduced me."
Flynn said nothing. He only turned his gaze away.
"I liked you, Flynn. From the start. And the longer we stayed together, the deeper it got. So when you pushed me away, it tore me apart," Dylan confessed, voice raw.
"I know I pushed you away yesterday too... but I realized I can't live without you. So I'll do whatever it takes just to keep you with me. If you won't forgive me for something I didn't do, then I'll just do it my way. You're angry at me anyway... so I might as well make the most of it."
Flynn stayed silent, still avoiding Dylan's gaze.
"Why won't you answer me now, huh? Are you guilty... or are you giving up?" Dylan murmured, holding Flynn's face, trying to turn him toward him.
Flynn still wouldn't look.
"That's good then... just behave yourself," Dylan said softly.
Slowly, Flynn lifted his eyes to meet Dylan's. "Dylan... have you gone crazy? Why are you doing this?"
"If this is the only way for us to be together again, then I have no other choice," Dylan replied.
"Untie me now."
"No. You'd just run away from me."
"I'm not going to run."
"I don't believe you. You'd just leave... stay here with me."
"Why would I run? I've been looking for you all day."
Dylan froze, surprised at what Flynn had said. His words... they didn't sync with the way Dylan had expected him to feel.
"What did you just say?"
"I won't say it again," Flynn murmured, turning his gaze away once more.
"You've been looking for me? For what? No... no... you're just messing with me so I'll untie you, and then you'll run away," Dylan said, his voice edged with disbelief.
"Why don't you ask your aunt?" Flynn said quietly.
"You... you went back to my aunt's house?" Dylan asked, stunned.
"Unfortunately, I told my dad about the fight we had... and it turns out he didn't mind at all. That's why he insisted I come to you and apologize," Flynn admitted.
"But out of nowhere," he added sarcastically, "some crazy guy decides to have me kidnapped... and even tries to assault me."
Dylan stood up, restless at Flynn's words. "No... you're not playing around, are you?"
"Then why don't you call my dad so you can find out."
Dylan immediately searched for his phone. When he spotted it, he quickly grabbed it and dialed Lucas's number to confirm what Flynn had said.
"Stay right there. Don't make a sound," Dylan told Flynn while the phone continued to ring.
After a moment, Lucas finally answered.
"Dylan! How are you, son?" he greeted warmly.
"I'm doing okay, Uncle," Dylan replied.
"That's good. Flynn already told me what happened, and don't worry... there's no problem to me. I actually told him to go to you and apologize. Are you with him? He still hasn't come home. I'm starting to worry," Lucas said from the other line.
"Uhmmmm, y-yes, Uncle... actually, that's why I called, to thank you. And to let you know Flynn is already here with me."
"Is that so? That's good to hear. Don't forget to come back home soon, alright? We miss you here."
"T-Thanks, Uncle," Dylan said before ending the call.
Right after ending the call, a sly grin curved on Dylan's lips as he lowered the phone. He slowly walked back to the bed and sat beside Flynn.
Flynn pushed himself up slightly, raising his still-bound hands. "Are you satisfied now? Then untie me, unless you want me telling my dad exactly what you did."
"Fine, fine," Dylan said, giving in as he began untying the knots around Flynn's wrists.
As soon as Flynn's hands were free, he rushed to loosen the ropes around his ankles. When he finally removed them, he rubbed at the red marks on his skin, wincing at the sting.
Once the pain settled, Flynn's expression hardened. He glared at Dylan—then suddenly started hitting him.
"You absolute psycho! You actually had me kidnapped—who the hell does that?!" Flynn shouted as he slapped and punched at him in a flurry of angry blows.
"Wait! Hey! stop, stop! I said I'm sorry!" Dylan protested, trying to shield himself with his arms. Flynn even kicked him hard in the hip as Dylan stumbled back.
When Flynn finally stopped, he made a move toward the door. But Dylan blocked him immediately.
"Move," Flynn snapped, pushing him hard. Dylan staggered but quickly recovered and grabbed him again, trapping Flynn against the wall, their bodies pressing together.
"Don't go. Not yet," Dylan said, breath unsteady.
"You think I can forgive you after what you did?" Flynn shot back.
Dylan pulled him into a tight embrace. "I'm sorry... I know I went too far. I know it was wrong. I just... I couldn't stand the thought of losing you," he murmured, his hand tangled possessively in Flynn's hair as he held him close, pressing him almost too tightly against his chest..
"I need to go home. It's late," Flynn replied, trying to pull away from the embrace.
But Dylan stopped him again, pressing him lightly back to the wall. "What about me? I still haven't heard your answer."
"What answer?" Flynn asked, frustrated.
Dylan let out a short, disbelieving laugh. "I just confessed everything to you. I told you exactly how I feel."
"Dylan... what you feel for me isn't normal," Flynn said quietly.
"How is it not normal?"
"Dylan, we're both guys. You shouldn't have feelings for me. Maybe you're just... attached because we spent a lot of time together."
"So what if we're both guys? You remember that video we saw online? The dog and the cat who loved each other even though they were different?"
Flynn couldn't believe what Dylan just said.
"Dylan... that's different."
"It's the same," Dylan insisted.
Flynn could only sigh at Dylan's logic.
"Aren't you worried? You'll just be judged by everyone ."
"I don't give a damn about what anyone says." Dylan said firmly. "Flynn, I like you. I don't know how it happened, it was off the record, but I still fell for you. And I know you feel something too. You let me get close to you because you wanted it, right?"
Flynn fell silent, unable to answer. He didn't even know what he was supposed to feel anymore.
"I'm not answering that," he muttered.
"You like me too, don't you? You feel the same way about me, right?" Dylan insisted. "If you didn't, then you would've pushed me away a long time ago. And the song you performed in the Battle of the Bands, that's for me, right?"
Flynn exhaled slowly. "You already know the answer. Why ask?"
Dylan immediately pulled Flynn into another embrace.
"I know what I'm feeling isn't... normal. And I know you're confused right now. But you don't have to force yourself to love me, Flynn. Just let me take care of you. Let me love you quietly... just don't push me away again. That's enough for me."
Flynn stood stiff in Dylan's arms, unsure where to place his feelings. He wasn't angry anymore, but he wasn't okay either. Everything inside him felt tangled, messy, impossible to sort out. Dylan's quiet plea only made the confusion louder.
Just as the two fell silent in their current position, a sudden noise echoed from outside the room.
"Are you with someone else?" Flynn asked sharply.
"No. It's just me," Dylan replied.
"I thought no one was supposed to know about this place," Flynn pressed.
"Actually... we're in my apartment," Dylan admitted awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck.
Flynn glared at him. "Wait... this is your big criminal hideout? Seriously? So you dragged me all the way here, acting like no one would ever find me, and it turns out it's just... your place? Did you even think for a second how ridiculous this looks?"
"This is the only place I have." Dylan said, a little proud..
"You're unbelievable," Flynn said, shoving Dylan aside so he could fix himself.
Once they both straightened up, they hurried out of the room to check who had arrived.
The moment they stepped into the living area, they froze.
Standing there, looking just as shocked as they were, was Anna.