Caught Between The Tides Of Pain & Rapture | MxM

Chapter 01

 Story Notes:

This story includes themes of:

Sexual harassment | Non-Consensual Touching | Blackmail | Dubious Consent | Drugged Sex | Internalized Homophobia | Kidnapping (ish)

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Hot, Nathan Das thought when he reversed his red truck jeep into the empty garage of Logan's Garage, the local mechanic shop. The scaling heat of August bit into his skin, turning him a shade darker than he already was, while his whole body lay sheathed in sweat. It dripped down his neck, and onto his chest until the vest he wore stuck to his body like a second skin.

He sighed when he stepped out of the jeep; he should've gone home and changed into something clean before he came over. No matter. The day was almost over, and Logan had seen him in worse ways since the summer had started.

Speaking of Logan... Nathan's eyes wandered through the garage, it wasn't anything special, somewhat rundown — not big enough, not small either — looking for his lover.

"Logan!?" He slammed his palm against his jeep's door a couple of times to get Logan's attention when the man didn't come out. A long minute passed and yet no one came. "Where are you?... Logan?"

The place was silent, stagnant — almost like the calmness before a storm. Suddenly a deep frown appeared on Nathan's forehead, and a feeling of dread coiled his stomach. Strange. It wasn't like Logan to leave the garage unattended. Before he let his thoughts stray, he quickly stepped over the piles of tools scattered on the floor, striding toward the garage's office at the back of the shop.

"Logan?!" He called for a second time, his voice slightly quivering with nervousness. He pushed the door open, "Lo —" and his eyes doubled before a shuddering gasp left his lips.

Logan stood, hunched over by the sink while splashing water on his face, seemingly completely oblivious to Nathan's presence. His shirt was covered in splashes of blood — caked in it. And when he glanced over his shoulder to look at Nathan, the older man's heart skipped a beat at the ugly, ghastly bruise on his lover's left cheek.

"What happened?" Nathan asked, rushing inside. He didn't wait for an answer before he cradled Logan's face with gentleness, and inspected the blossoming bruise. "Who did this to you?"

Logan closed his eyes and bit back a hiss when Nathan's thumb brushed against the bruise. "I'm alright," he said, slowly removing Nathan's hands from his face before grabbing the wet rag from the sink and swipe it down his bloody arm. "It's not my blood. It's Tylor's," he laughed lightly, seemingly recalling earlier events. "He came in wanting to pick a fight — can you believe he threatened me?" Logan sighed, his jaw tightening despite the defeated look in his blue eyes. "He said he's going to bring his friends and burn this place down."

Nathan clenched his palms into tight fists, gritting his teeth. This was the third time in a month that Tylor and his friends had come over to start trouble. They had destroyed parts of the shop a couple of months back, stolen tools and damaged the racks. He didn't understand why Logan wouldn't make a report to the station. Why did he allow those bastards to treat him so poorly?

Nathan's heart clenched before he grabbed Logan by the wrist. And with pleading eyes, "Go make a report," he urged, staring straight into his lover's tired eyes. "This needs to stop. You can't let Tylor and anyone else —"

"What you expect me to say?" Logan's eyes swelled with frustrated tears, then his breathing went rigid with pent-up irritation while he stared Nathan down with a burning gaze.