March 14^th 2016

It was the first day of spring break and Ethan couldn’t wait to spend the next two weeks with his pet. He hums the catchy tune of a cereal commercial that refused to leave his head while chopping strawberries. He arranges the red slices over and around the pancakes topped with whipped cream. Satisfied with his plating, he picks up the two dishes and carries them to the dining table. Isak is sitting at the table, but he is lost in thought and pays him no mind. His vacant eyes longingly stare at the breathtaking view outside the window. The flowers were in full bloom and the sunny green glade beckoned all those who laid eyes on it.

Isak hadn’t set foot outside since the day he was captured. Ever since his abrupt disappearance last December, only a handful of people missed him, and not one among them shed a tear. His parents were dead, and he had no relatives or friends. Ethan was the only colleague he was moderately close to, and even then, no one thought they were anything more than acquaintances. Even when Sheriff Milligan called him in for questioning, neither she nor her workforce suspected it was him. Countless times, Isak had attempted to escape and fight back, only to fail miserably and force Ethan to use violence. His mind quickly deteriorated from the losing streak, and all the fight and luster of his spirit soon faded away. The guilt weighed heavily on Ethan’s conscience, but the fear of losing Isak outweighed it.

“Breakfast is ready, sweetheart. Why don’t you eat?” he slides the plate towards him, but Isak only continues to hopelessly gaze outside.

Ethan sighs and walks to the counter to pour a mug of hot chocolate for Isak. For the past eighty days, he had tried everything in his power to make him happy, but nothing seemed to work. He drops three marshmallows into the cup and carefully carries it to the table where he sees Isak now blankly staring at the food in front of him.

“I’m not hungry...” Isak whispered with his head lowered.

Ethan sets the mug near Isak and reaches out to him with one hand, making him instantly flinch and brace himself. His hand stops mid-air as he watches his unwilling lover cower in fear. Ethan gently runs his fingers through his golden hair, silently assuring him that he wasn’t going to hurt him.

“If you eat, I’ll take you outside... Deal?”

Isak’s eyes dart up to his immediately, a glimmer of hope flashing in his icy blue orbs. “Do you really mean it...? You’ll take me outside...?!”

“I will... But you have to promise me you won’t try to escape or hit me again. I don’t enjoy hurting you, and I really don’t want to do it again.”

“Okay, I promise! Thank you!” exclaimed Isak with renewed vigor before springing up and throwing his arms around his neck.

Isak’s lips and body press against his, almost causing him to stumble backwards. Ethan kisses him back as he tightly wraps his arms around his waist. He knew that he was only doing this to make sure he didn’t change his mind about letting him outside, but he didn’t care. Whatever his motivations were, Ethan was still happy that he was taking some initiative at last. Their tongues and bodies crash and intertwine against each other. After what feels like an eternity of ecstasy, they finally pull apart, gasping for air with their cheeks flushed and lips wet with each other’s saliva.

“Food’s getting cold. We should eat...” said Ethan as he panted and glanced at their breakfast.

Isak smiled for the first time in a really long time and started eating quickly. Ethan joined him and silently watched as he took large bites and gulps of his food. If only he could trust him not to abandon him like everyone else did in his life. So many times he had been dumped and cheated on by men who promised to be his. He eventually came to understand that no one would love him unless he forced them to.

***

Isak sank his body into the grass with his eyes closed and feet immersed in the river. Ethan couldn’t tear his eyes off him as he basked in the glow and warmth of the sun. Only now did he notice how much his appearance had changed over these months. He had lost enough weight to appear gaunt; the skin around his eyes was darkened, and he looked much weaker now. He wasn’t eating or sleeping enough, regardless of how much Ethan had tried to convince him to do otherwise. A question arose at the back of his mind: ‘How much longer would this last?’

“Ethan... will you ever let me have my freedom?” Isak asked while looking up at him despondently.

“I’m so sorry, Isak...”

Isak angrily turns away from him, leaving him to stare at his back. The twittering of birds somewhere in the forest and the murmurs of the river fill the silence between them. After a while, Ethan exhales and lies back down on the grass next to him, unsure of what more to say. He wanted to sustain this strange lifestyle of theirs forever. Ethan didn’t want the kind of relationship dynamic that most couples had. It was deeply flawed in his opinion and one that would leave him sleepless for many nights as he would constantly worry about being forsaken. More than anything, he wanted a pure and unbreakable bond with someone who would love him unconditionally. It bewildered him that Isak wasn’t happy or impressed by all the care and love he showered on him. What was so great about being free anyway? Here he was worshipped and diligently taken care of. What more could a person want?

A wet tongue slides across his lips, snapping him out of his thoughts. Ethan looks up in confusion as Isak takes his face in his hands and starts kissing and licking his face like a wild animal.

“What are you doing?” Ethan asks, regarding him with suspicion.

“I want to make love to you. Don’t you want to?” Isak pulls back and immediately starts taking off his clothes as if he can’t wait to be rid of them.

“But...we’re out in the open. Let’s go back inside and—” Ethan’s words are cut short by Isak’s open mouth.

“No one is going to come here, Ethan. You know that...” Isak whispers in between kisses before leaning back and taking off his underwear.

Ethan sighs and shifts his gaze to the cloudy blue sky as Isak eagerly begins stripping him. Once they are both free of all clothing, Isak presses both their hardened members together and starts stroking them swiftly with one hand while the other he uses to finger himself. His sweet moans and skillful rubbing make Ethan grow harder and leak precum. Unable to control himself anymore, he lurches forward and holds Isak down on the ground. He grabs his legs and spreads them apart and over his shoulders before aligning his cock with his entrance. When Ethan shoves his entire length inside him with one strong thrust, Isak cries out in blissful agony. Soon enough, he is rapidly pounding and losing himself inside Isak. The sensation of his pulsing wet insides clenching around his erect penis makes him feel absolute rapture. He licked Isak’s neck and the tears that flooded down his cheeks. His nails were clawing into his back from arousal, but Ethan ignored the bleeding pain and continued moving back and forth.

“Ethan...! Ahh I love you! I love you so much!” Isak cried out loud enough to be heard throughout the forest.

Ethan begins to stroke Isak’s cock in tandem with his thrusts, causing him to arch his back and scream. Every lewd sound that erupted from his mouth dragged him dangerously close to his climax.

“Ethan, please! Come inside me! I’m begging you!” Isak wails as his legs twist around his hips and pull him deeper inside.

Ethan groans from the pressure, and eventually the two of them ejaculate together. He feels Isak hug him and whimper as he takes in all of his load. The hot and wet touch of their bodies connected so deeply made him feel like he was swimming in paradise. He rests his forehead on Isak’s shoulder as he tries to catch his breath. Their hearts race and drum as they embrace each other in passion.

“Isak... I love you...” Ethan confesses before laying a soft kiss on his lips.

Once they had both come down from their highs, Isak gently pushes him off before rising to his feet. Ethan drapes an arm over his eyes and chuckles as he realizes just how much he loves him. In that moment, he knew he wanted nothing but Isak, for every second in life and even in death.

A sharp pain abruptly explodes at the side of his head, and when Ethan determines its source, his stomach sinks. Kneeling over him is Isak with a large rock in his hand, dripping with fresh blood. His blood. Before he can even react, Isak smashes the heavy rock against Ethan’s skull again.

“Die, motherfucker! Die!”

With a livid expression on his face, Isak continues to mercilessly bludgeon him with the intention of killing him. Ethan screams his lungs out as he feels and smells the streams of blood gushing down his face from his cracked skull. His vision is obscured, and the last thing he sees is the color red.