Julius didn't argue.
That was what unsettled him the most.
The words hung between them, heavy and undeniable.
You're already mine.
And for the first time, Julius had no immediate response. No sharp denial. No anger to hide behind.
Just silence.
Harrison noticed.
Of course he did.
His gaze remained fixed on Julius, steady and patient, like he wasn't in a hurry to hear the answer he already believed in.
Julius finally exhaled slowly, his grip still tight around Harrison's wrist.
That was the only thing keeping him grounded.
"This isn't real," he said again, but this time, the words sounded weaker. Less certain.
Harrison didn't pull his hand away.
Instead , his thumb moved slightly against Julius's skin, just enough to remind him that the contact was still there.
Still real.
Still affecting him.
Julius's breath caught.
"Stop," he said quietly.
But again—
He didn't move.
Harrison's eyes darkened at that.
"You keep saying that," he murmured.
Julius swallowed hard, his thoughts starting to blur under the pressure building in his chest.
"This… whatever this is," Julius forced out, "it doesn't mean anything."
Harrison tilted his head slightly, studying him.
"Then walk away."
The words were simple.
But they hit harder than anything else.
Julius's fingers tightened unconsciously around Harrison's wrist.
He could.
There was nothing physically stopping him.
No force. No restraint.
Just his own body.
And that was the problem.
Because it wasn't listening.
The cold air on the balcony no longer felt cold.
Everything felt too warm.
Too close.
Too intense.
Julius released Harrison's wrist slowly, but instead of stepping back—
He stayed.
Harrison's gaze dropped briefly, noticing the hesitation, the lack of distance.
A small shift.
But it said everything.
"That's what I thought," Harrison said quietly.
Julius's jaw tightened immediately.
"Don't," he snapped, trying to regain some control. "Don't act like you understand me."
"I don't need to understand you," Harrison replied calmly.
Another step.
Closer.
Now there was barely any space left between them.
"I just need to know what you'll do."
Julius's heart pounded harder.
"You're pushing this too far."
"And you're still here."
That shut him up again.
Because it was true.
Harrison lifted his hand once more.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Giving Julius time to stop him.
To step away.
To end this.
Julius didn't.
Harrison's fingers settled against his neck again.
This time, not just a brush.
A firm, controlled touch.
Julius inhaled sharply.
His entire body reacted at once, tension tightening through him as if something deeper had been triggered.
"Still doesn't mean anything?" Harrison asked softly.
Julius's breathing became uneven.
"Stop talking," he muttered.
But there was no strength behind it anymore.
Harrison's thumb pressed slightly, just enough to make Julius's head tilt back a fraction.
A small movement.
But it changed everything.
Julius felt it—
That loss of balance.
That shift.
That dangerous pull that made it harder to think clearly.
"Harrison…" his voice came out lower now, almost strained.
It was the first time he said his name like that.
And Harrison noticed immediately.
His eyes darkened further.
"Say that again."
Julius froze.
Realizing what he had just done.
"No."
Harrison stepped even closer, his other hand returning to Julius's waist, holding him there.
Not forceful.
But certain.
"Say it again."
Julius shook his head, his control slipping faster now.
"Don't make this worse."
"It already is."
Harrison leaned in slightly, his voice dropping near Julius's ear.
"And you're not stopping it."
Julius's grip tightened instinctively against Harrison's arm.
Not to push him away.
But to hold on.
That was the moment everything shifted.
Because Harrison felt it.
The lack of resistance.
The silent acceptance.
"You feel it," Harrison said quietly.
Julius closed his eyes briefly.
That was his mistake.
Because the moment he did—
Harrison moved closer.
Too close.
Close enough that the space between them disappeared completely.
"You're already reacting to me," Harrison continued, his voice calm but certain. "You just don't want to admit it."
Julius opened his eyes again, something conflicted flashing through them.
"This isn't over," he said, but even he didn't sound convinced.
Harrison's expression didn't change.
"It already started."
And this time—
Julius didn't argue at all.