Page 24 of Obsession of the Egoist
“I’m good.” Kuon smiled, catching a brisk wind with his face.
“I’ll be right back, okay? I’m thirsty.” Unable to resist the urge, he ruffled Kuon’s hair before facing the watching man. A white suit hugged the stranger’s body as he leaned against the tree, a black shirt contrasting beneath. He stood about a hundred feet away, but there was no mistake—his eyes were fixated on Kuon.
Determination grew in Rick’s heart with every step he took. He didn’t like the frost in the man’s gray eyes, or the unspoken confidence radiating from him. However, the stranger’s physique favored Rick, as he stood a half-head taller and a few inches wider. Approaching the stranger, he flexed his shoulders and asked, “What do you want from him? Why are you stalking him?”
The man didn’t react, as if he didn’t hear the questions. Fetching a cigarette out of his chest pocket, he lit it. His eyelids dropped for a second before he turned to Rick and blew thick smoke into his face.
“That’s none of your business.” The honeyed, soft baritone rolled out of the thin lips as the stranger spoke.
Rick’s chest vibrated with anger. The provocative insult hit his nerves. Any other time, he would hit the bastard, but that would draw Kuon’s attention, and, maybe, the police. Fighting in a public place would mean leaving Kuon on his own. Rick couldn’t do that. Clenching his fists, he spat the words out, “Everything about him is my business.”
He shifted left, shielding Kuon from the man’s field of vision with his chest. Satisfaction quickened his blood, as annoyance surfaced on the man’s face. The gray eyes looked him up and down with such arrogance as if the stranger was two heads taller. Snorting, the man flicked the half-finished cigarette to Rick’s chest, turned around, and strolled toward the parking lot. Blood slammed into Rick’s head, he grabbed the man’s elbow and forced him one hundred and eighty degrees.
“Don’t fucking mess with me. I know your type; I’ve killed people like you with no regrets. I don’t know what brought you here, but don’t get close to him ever again.”
The man smirked. His manicured fingers pulled a cigarette pack out of his chest pocket. Movements lazy and measured, he lit another cigarette and once again blew smoke into Rick’s face.
“WHO THE HELL ARE YOU, DOG?”Yugo peered into the man’s features, for the first time examining him. The crew-cut hairstyle screamed of the military; his muscular chest and arms bulged under the plain black t-shirt, and a dog tag hung around his neck. His chiseled jaw and wide cheekbones accented his hollow cheeks and a tall, straight nose that Yugo itched to break.
Yugo had zero intentions of facing Kuon today. As on all the days before, the need to see Kuon’s face hit his guts without warning. Every day he kept telling himself that this would be the last time; that he would check up on Kuon and let him go as he’d decided two years ago. Every day he’d been breaking his promises, as whenever the need occurred, he would pick up his phone and give out instructions to track Kuon down.
“That’s none of your business. Get lost.”
Since the incident at the hospital, Yugo had never approached Kuon. He hadn’t planned to resurface in his life, but the words of this arrogant bastard, who stuck to Kuon like a piece of toilet paper, kicked him out of his comfort zone.
Shouldering the man out of his way, Yugo strode toward Kuon, dropping the cigarette in his wake. With every step, his heart beat louder and faster. His mouth dried up, fingertips tingled, and he couldn’t tear his gaze away from Kuon’s upturned face. He froze in front of the bench, casting a shadow over Kuon’s body. For a split second, he hesitated. Needles of doubt, piercing his mind, reanimated the memories of the pier and the black muzzle of the gun. A million ‘what ifs’ swirled in his head, but a single word, rolling out of Kuon’s mouth, erased them all.
“Rick?”
Yugo squatted down. His hand caressed Kuon’s face, exploring it. His vision sharpened, increasing the contrast. The roughness of Kuon’s lips… the light stubble, scratching his fingertips… the gentle breath, tickling his palm. He squeezed his eyes, trying to control the overpowering mix of desires as his hands shook, fighting the need to slide lower and rip Kuon’s clothes apart.
Summoning his will power, he pulled back.
“Y-Yugo?” Blood left Kuon’s face.
Yugo’s heart stopped beating.
THE BITTER SMELL OF VANILLA AND TOBACCOwashed over Kuon as two strong hands wrapped around his torso, tugging him forward into an awkward embrace. Confusion washed over him as his cheek pressed to the padded shoulder of a suit. Thick fabric rubbed his skin, making him frown. Rick didn’t wear suits, and it was too hot for one. The painfully-familiar woody and spicy fragrance washed over him, distressing his every cell.
Nooo… This is not happening.
Mouth too dry to swallow, he squeezed his hand between their chests and reached up. Smooth skin greeted his fingertips as he found the sharp edge of a cheekbone. Bringing his other hand to the person’s face, he sucked a sharp breath in, trying to subdue the loud drumming of his heart. Hollow cheeks and thin lips… clean-shaven chin. Kuon had to open his mouth to ease his shallow breathing. His head spun as his fingers moved up, tangling in the slick, brushed-back hair.
That wasn’t a hallucination. He came to the hospital.
“Yugo?” he mouthed because his voice failed him. Fingers shaking, he had to clench his fists to stop the tremor.
“I hope you aren’t dating that gorilla. This will turn bloody otherwise.” A low baritone abraded his ear. “I came for you. Come home with me.”
No-o-o…
A sharp pain pierced Kuon’s head. Pushing Yugo away, he sank his fingers into his hair as memories sledgehammered into his mind. For a moment, he felt like vomiting, but then anger lit up his blood, setting his eyes and chest on fire. For two years, he’d been doing his best to return to normal, to erase Yugo from his memory and dreams.
What for?For a single touch to wipe clean all his attempts to forget the bitter taste of Yugo’s burning kisses. Rage bubbled in his throat as the minute of confusion and nostalgia passed. His mind cleared.
“Fucking bastard!” he growled. His hand formed a fist as he threw it forward in a crushing punch.
RICK DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO DO.Events had escalated so fast that he wasn’t sure if he had the right to interfere. He’d wanted to drag the man away from Kuon, but that would bring police attention, as people were already staring. Spending time in jail and dragging Kuon along didn’t sound like a good plan. Leaving him in the park with no one around sounded even worse. When Kuon called the man’s name, Rick’s determination to stop the stranger from touching Kuon melted as confusion took over. The way the man looked at Kuon didn’t seem harmful in any way, so Rick couldn’t say what exactly he was witnessing.
