Blackmailed For Love

Elsa I opened the shed door and stepped inside to find him standing with his back to me.

And he wasn't wearing a shirt.

He was doing something on the small counter, so engrossed that he didn't hear me.

I closed the door, making sure not to make any noise and walked toward him.

When I was just a few feet away and I could see him in a profile, I stopped and watched what he was doing.

My heart somersaulted inside my chest and a smile broke on my lips.

His phone was propped up against the wall and a YouTube video for how to make pasta, I assumed was playing as he stirred the vegetables in a pan on the induction stove that he had brought here not two weeks ago, and the reason why he wasn't aware of me was the earphones in his ears and that his attention was focused on the video.

2 I stayed there and watched him.

The way muscles in his back shifted, how the veins in his arms were visible and how handsome he looked as he cooked.

Since the last three weeks we had spent every available moment with each other, making sure that no one was aware of our closeness.

My mother was told that I made new friends in school and I was always spending my time with them.

No one was allowed in this shed, it was exclusively Kristian's domain so no one ever ventured here and when Kristian wasn't caring for his mother or brother he would come here and wait for me.

"Fuck!"

Kristian cursed, making me blink and focus on him.

He glared at the pan as bubbles started to form in the sauce he had poured like it was its fault.

A splash of hot sauce landed on his chest and he picked up a napkin to wipe it off muttering another curse under his breath I walked to him and slipped my arms around him from behind.

He stiffened at first as if he thought I was someone else then he relaxed and I placed my cheek on his back.

"You are early."

He said and I heard him pressing on the buttons a few times and then the sizzling sound of the vegetables stopped, leaving behind a strong aroma that told me some of it had burned.

"I couldn't wait any longer."

I replied and pressed a soft kiss at his smooth back, inhaling his scent in my lungs.

He stiffened at the soft kiss and turned around.

His fingers plucked my arms from around his body and he said, "Let me grab a shirt."

I shook my head.

"No.

I like you like this."

His grey eyes stared down at me and I said, "I promise, I will behave."

He didn't believe me, it was clear the way he looked at me but he sighed and raked his fingers through his hair in agitation as he said, "I was trying to make pasta for us."

I looked behind him and replied, "I can see."

I pulled him away from the counter and pushed him on the mattress on the floor.

I said, "Why don't you sit, I'll see what I can do."

He made a face, looking adorable and said, "It's a waste.

It burned."

I stood up on my tiptoes, my hands on his arms as I kissed his lips.

Like always, his body went rigid as he let me kiss him.

It has been three weeks and he was still not letting go enough to kiss me like he really meant it.

I understood his side, but it was getting difficult for me to hold on to my own reckless affection for him.

I wanted him so much I couldn't explain it, maybe because it was my first love but also because I knew he would be my last love too.

I pulled back and his dark eyes the only confirmation that I affected him darted away from me.

He gave a nod and turned from me.

It took me ten minutes to spoon the sauce and veggies mixture from the pan before I scraped the pan off the burned part that was stuck to it.

Then I poured back the remaining sautéed vegetables and started the induction on low heat.

Pouring the already boiled pasta, I mixed it well and served it on a plate with two forks.

When I turned around I found him asleep with half his body reclining as if he was trying to stay upright.

I could've let him sleep without disturbing him as I knew he didn't always get a full night's sleep but I missed him and he had made an effort for us.

So I walked to him, placed the plate on the floor then woke him up the way I knew wouldn't make him jump like the last time I had made the mistake of callously waking him up by shaking him and ended up with his warm and strong body on top of me.

I wasn't complaining about that part but when I had met his eyes, he had looked close to murder and afterwards the guilt that had gripped him wasn't something I wanted him to suffer with.

He was already so reluctant about our relationship because of our ages.

I hated to see him like that, fighting a battle inside his mind, every moment of the day.

3 I walked around the mattress to his other side and laid down beside him, slowly I took his hand in mine and pressed my palm to his cheek.

His fingers tightened around mine and as he felt my soft touch on his cheek, his other hand touched the back of my hand and he opened his eyes.

At first they were dark and hazy as if he was trying to place my touch then they cleared into a beautiful light grey and he took my hand to press a soft kiss in the middle of my palm.

I pursed my lips and said, "You fell asleep."

He looked at me then at our joined hands, he said, "I don't know how you do it, but sometimes it feels like you're the one with all the maturity between us and I'm just a scared little boy."

I shook my head and said, "Mama said that girls are always far more intelligent than boys ever could be.

We mature early, you know."

He just smiled and I fell in love a little more.

He was right, though… With him, I did feel like I was the one he needed the most.

With the outside world, he was a force of nature.

Cold, closed off and controlling with anger that simmered like a volcano just below the surface waiting to explode, but here with me, he let me soothe his darkness, his invisible demons and he let me sometimes take care of him too.

We ate our pasta in silence, it was a little bit uncooked but nothing like we couldn't eat.

When we were finished, he said, "I wanted to make it for you."

1 I shrugged.

"You did.

I just helped."

I held out the water bottle to him after drinking some.

I offered it to him and waited for him to drink before capping it.

curl behind my ear

I'm going to make it on my own and serve it

closed my eyes as

softly and kissed my

eyes and

he wouldn't but then his lips

away as I slipped my arm around his

"Elsa…"

He groaned.

"Mmm…"

head, not wanting to listen to him as I erased the

fingers grabbed the back of my neck and

forward and pressed

have to stop before I

why is that a

hair, clutching him just as tightly

"Because you're underage."

me like I would

And he always said it like it was

eyes and slapped at his chest as I

with affection and he hugged

are such a pain in the arse, lịttle

he sent you as a gift or another form of

can easily turn it around, and

"Shut up."

replied gruffly and then laid down with me in his

his heartbeat in my

to change his decision but I couldn't wait for my

I can't explain it and when my sixteenth birthday comes in a

of his smooth skin, making him

down his arm, a red scarred

finger ran the length of the scar on his

is this? How

his arm and brought

"Kristian?"

"Someone broke my arm."

as I asked in

"Deliberately?"

eyes met mine and he

and

my eleventh

3 "No…."

I was horrified.

and looking at him even now sometimes he looked so lost which made me think how he used to be

me from my father like her life depends

bears the brunt of his anger so

"Why? Who was it?"

answer as he took a deep breath and visibly let out

don't have to worry

longer a young boy who

"You shouldn't have to…"

brushed his thumb under my left eye and said, "Your tears are

realized I was

are not precious enough when it comes to

you I will cry

said with a

smiled and lightly rubbed my bottom lip with

about what I

do anything you

promise me you won't

I laughed.

I know I would break it at the first possibility of losing you or

closed his eyes

he wanted to hug me but I shook my head and

wanted to kiss every scar on his body, even the invisible ones, but it was a line

matter how much I

love him the way I want to Elsa

wasn't

on the small counter, so engrossed

sure not to make any noise and walked

away and I could see him in a profile, I stopped

heart somersaulted inside my chest and a smile broke on

as he stirred the vegetables in a pan on the induction stove that he had brought here not two weeks ago, and the reason why he wasn't aware of me was the earphones in his

stayed there and watched

his back shifted, how the veins in his arms were visible and how handsome he looked as he

moment with each other, making sure that

friends in school and

in this shed, it was exclusively Kristian's domain so no one ever ventured here and when Kristian wasn't

"Fuck!"

making me blink and focus

the pan as bubbles started to form in

up a napkin to wipe it off muttering another curse under his breath

at first as if he thought I was someone else then he relaxed and I placed my

"You are early."

sizzling sound of the vegetables stopped, leaving behind a strong aroma that told

wait

soft kiss at his smooth back,

at the soft

plucked my arms from around his body

I shook my head.

"No.

like you

down at me and I

was clear the way he looked at me but he sighed and raked his fingers through his hair in agitation

and replied, "I can

from the counter and pushed him on

don't you sit,

face, looking adorable and said, "It's a

It burned."

tiptoes, my hands on his

rigid as he let me

three weeks and he was still not letting go enough to kiss me like he really

side, but it was getting difficult for me to hold on to my own

wanted him so much I couldn't explain it, maybe because it was my first love but

eyes the only confirmation that I affected him darted

a nod and turned from

from the pan before I scraped

the remaining sautéed vegetables and started the

well and served it on a

with half his body reclining as if

him sleep without disturbing him as I knew he didn't always get a full night's sleep but I

on the floor then woke him up the way I knew wouldn't make him jump like the last time I had made the

his eyes, he had looked close to murder and afterwards the guilt that

was already so reluctant about our relationship because of our

to see him like that, fighting a battle inside his mind, every moment

laid down beside him, slowly I took

touch on his cheek, his other hand

as if he was trying to place my touch then they cleared into a beautiful light

lips and said, "You

he said, "I don't know how you do it, but sometimes it feels like you're the one with all the maturity between us and I'm just