THE LIGHT WITHIN.

Mine.

[Smut ahead. And one thing y'all should know is I can't write smut. Shit ain't for me. Don't come at me. And oh the thing I use to edit doesn't edit such scenes, so there might be errors, a lot.)

Chapter 13.

"Are you sure Toby won't hurt Michael?" Liam asked, his brow furrowed in concern. "I mean, I don't want to presume anything, but... Toby can be a little aggressive sometimes, and I just want to make sure Michael is safe. I know Toby wouldn't hurt him intentionally, but I don't want anything bad to happen."

Liam paced around the room, his mind racing with worry. He couldn't stop thinking about the worst-case scenario, imagining all the ways things could go wrong. It was all he could do to keep himself from barging into the other room to check on them.

"Come to bed," Daniel said softly, his voice heavy with exhaustion. Liam had been pacing for hours, unable to calm his racing thoughts. Daniel had tried to reassure him, but it seemed nothing could calm Liam's anxiety.

"But Michael..." Liam began, his voice trailing off. He was about to launch into another spiral of worry when Daniel cut him off, his voice raised.

"Michael is fine, Liam!" Daniel said, his voice tinged with frustration. Liam flinched at the sudden outburst, his eyes wide with fear. Daniel immediately regretted raising his voice, seeing the look of terror on Liam's face. He took a deep breath and tried to soften his tone. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shout."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to annoy you." Liam said in that little voice Daniel hadn't hoped on hearing. Now Daniel felt ten times worse.

Daniel took a deep breath and tried to put his frustration aside. He didn't want to upset Liam, and he knew his outburst had been uncalled for. "I'm really sorry for raising my voice," he said again, his tone soft and apologetic. "I know you're just worried about Michael. But I just... I really want to spend time with you, and it's hard when your attention is elsewhere."
He hesitated, then admitted, "I guess I'm a little jealous. I'm sorry, I know that sounds a bit possessive, but I can't help it. I care about you, and I really want to talk to you about something. But you not even paying attention to me."

"I'm sorry, What did you want to talk about?" Liam asked, still looking a little wary.

"Well, it's kind of a big thing," Daniel said, choosing his words carefully. "But it's about us. About how we spend time together." He hesitated, then decided to just come out with it. "I want to be more than friends. Liam hummed , his eyes starting to droop. Daniel thought he was about to fall asleep and he wasn't wrong.

"Hey, don't fall asleep on me!" Daniel said, shaking Liam gently. Liam's eyes snapped open and he sat up, looking a little sheepish.

"Sorry," he said. "I guess I was more tired than I thought. What were you saying?"
"I just..." Daniel hesitated, his heart pounding.

Gosh Liam, I fucken love you, want to be my boyfriend?" Daniel blurted out. Liam's eyes went wide, and all traces of sleepiness vanished as Daniel's words sank in. He was speechless, unable to process what he had just heard. Was this really happening?

Finally, he managed to nod, his heart racing and his cheeks burning red. Then Daniel's lips were on his, and any coherent thought was wiped from his mind. The kiss was gentle at first, then deeper, more passionate. It left Liam breathless, his heart pounding in his chest. Then Daniel's lips found his neck, and he couldn't stop himself from letting out a soft moan.

Liam's breath quickened, his heart hammering in his chest. His body felt hot all over, a flush spreading across his cheeks. He wasn't sure what to do, but he didn't want this to stop. He felt like he was melting under Daniel's touch, his body soft and pliant. The tension that had been building between them for so long was finally being released, and it was exhilarating.