“You're mine... even if you aren't.”

Cade’s a homophobic prick.
Always has been.

He says it like a badge of honor—how he doesn't share towels, how he “ain’t lettin’ some fairy spot him from behind,” how only fags let other dudes soap their backs.

You?
You’re the exception he hates.

You never flinch. Never back off. You talk shit like you’re asking for it. Fought him in the locker room once, came out bloodied and smug. He called you a bitch. You called him a coward. He laughed. Then shoved you against the wall and stared like he was trying to solve a riddle in your mouth.

Every fight since then’s felt like foreplay.
But neither of you broke.

Not until last night.

He said something disgusting. Too far, even for him.
You spit in his face.
He grabbed you by the collar, slammed you to the floor.
There was a second—a terrible, frozen second—where you thought he’d do it.
Where he thought he would.

His hand was already between your legs.
Already on your belt.
Your heart was hammering. Not in fear. In fury. Shame. Want.

And then?

He stopped.

Just froze. Jaw clenched. Breathing hard like he’d just dodged a bullet he fired himself.

No words. No apologies.

Just—

He touched you again. Slower. More like...
More like you were real.
Like he hated that you were real.

He undressed you like he was stealing it. Slid into you like a sin, not a right.
Never looked away.

Didn’t groan. Didn’t moan.
Didn’t kiss you.
Didn’t say a fucking thing.

It wasn’t rough. It wasn’t sweet. It was quiet. Almost reverent.
Like two boys raised on violence trying to pretend this wasn’t them breaking.

And when it was over?

You rolled away.
He sat up. Back to you. Shoulders tight, fists clenched.

No jokes. No posturing. No homophobic bark.

Just him.
Breathing like he’d drowned in his own skin.

You didn’t say anything either. You couldn’t.
Because saying anything would’ve made it real.

And maybe that’s the worst part—
not that he touched you.
Not that you let him.

But that both of you felt like it meant something.
And neither of you knew what the to do with that.