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.

loose curl behind

"One day, I'm going to make it on my

my eyes as

and

and said,

first I thought he wouldn't but then

to pull away as I slipped my arm around his

"Elsa…"

He groaned.

"Mmm…"

not wanting to listen to him as I erased

around my waist as his fingers grabbed the back of my neck and he

he leaned forward and pressed

girl, you have to stop before

that

his dark hair, clutching him

"Because you're underage."

reminded me like I

said it like it was something he hated

his chest as I

and he hugged me to

a pain in the arse,

know if he sent you as a gift or

know you can easily turn it

"Shut up."

and then laid

heartbeat in my ear, I smiled to

change his decision but I couldn't wait for my eighteenth birthday, I didn't want

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

smooth skin, making him go tense and still beneath me but

fingers trailed down his arm, a red scarred tissue

ran the length of the scar on

this? How

arm and

"Kristian?"

"Someone broke my arm."

sat up to look at his face as I asked in

"Deliberately?"

met mine and

pain and I asked, "How

was my eleventh

3 "No…."

I was horrified.

and looking at him even now sometimes he looked so lost which made

and my mother protects me from my father like her life depends on it whenever he

bears the brunt of his anger so it wouldn't reach

"Why? Who was it?"

as he took a deep breath and visibly let out a long exhale then smiled for

have to worry about me, little

young boy who can't

"You shouldn't have to…"

as he brushed his thumb under my left eye and said, "Your tears are too precious to cry for

hadn't even realized

are not precious enough when

you I will cry a river

with

rubbed my bottom lip with

what about what I

will do anything you

promise me

I laughed.

a promise when I know I would break it at

his eyes and said, "Come

I shook my head and instead

even the invisible ones, but it was a line

how much

day I will break his walls and love him the way I want to Elsa I

he wasn't wearing a

the small counter, so engrossed that he didn't

closed the door, making sure not to make

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

somersaulted inside my chest and a smile

I assumed was playing as he stirred the vegetables in a pan on the induction stove that he had brought

stayed there

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

with each other, making sure that no one was aware of

mother was told that I made new friends in school and I

no one ever ventured here and when Kristian wasn't caring for his mother or brother he would come here and

"Fuck!"

me blink and focus on

at the pan as bubbles started to form in the sauce

off muttering another curse under

as if he thought I was someone else

"You are early."

the sizzling sound of the vegetables

wait any

at his smooth

stiffened at the soft

fingers plucked my arms from around his body

I shook my head.

"No.

you

at me and I said, "I promise, I will

way he looked at me but he sighed and raked his fingers through

behind him and replied, "I can

counter and pushed him on the

don't you sit, I'll see what I

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

It burned."

hands

always, his body went rigid

not letting go enough to kiss me like he

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

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

dark eyes the only confirmation that I

nod and turned from

pan before I scraped

remaining sautéed vegetables and started the

boiled pasta, I mixed it well and served

turned around I found him asleep with half his body

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

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

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

already so reluctant about

fighting a battle inside his mind, every moment of the

walked around the mattress to his other side and laid down beside him, slowly I

he felt my soft touch on his cheek, his other

was trying to place my touch then they cleared into

and

it, but sometimes it feels like you're the one