Espresso in The Rain

The silence stretched between them, heavy yet oddly comfortable. Elias still held the photograph in his hands, his thumb tracing the edges like it was a relic from a past life—one he had long buried but could never quite forget.

Noah had always known Elias was private, that there were parts of him locked away behind careful smiles and teasing remarks. But tonight, for the first time, it felt like he was standing at the edge of something deeper, something raw.

And it scared him.

Because he knew exactly what it felt like to be trapped under the weight of expectations.

"…My mom wants me to take over the family company," Noah admitted suddenly, his voice barely above a whisper.

Elias glanced at him, his brow furrowing. "I thought you wanted to be an engineer?"

"I do," Noah said quickly. "But she doesn't think it's enough. She keeps saying I should prepare to handle the business, to take my responsibilities seriously." He let out a humorless chuckle. "She acts like it's a given, like my future isn't even mine to decide."

Elias was quiet for a moment before he said, "And what do you want?"

Noah exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "I want to live for myself," he admitted. "I don't want to wake up one day and realize I spent my whole life being someone I never wanted to be."

Elias hummed thoughtfully. "Sounds like we have more in common than I thought."

Noah looked up at him. "Do you regret it?"

Elias tilted his head. "Regret what?"

"Leaving it all behind."

Elias was silent for a long moment. Then he leaned back, resting his head against the couch. "Sometimes," he admitted. "Not the choice itself, but the way it happened. I wish things had ended differently. I wish I didn't have to walk away like that." His fingers tightened around the photograph. "But if I had stayed, I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't have this."

Noah followed his gaze, seeing the way Elias' eyes softened when they landed on him. His heart skipped a beat.

"Do you think I'm selfish?" Noah asked, the words slipping out before he could stop them.

Elias blinked at him, surprised. "Why would you even ask that?"

"Because… I have everything. A mother who loves me, a future lined up for me, a life that people would kill for." Noah let out a bitter laugh. "And yet, I keep wanting more."

Elias studied him for a moment, then reached out, threading their fingers together. His grip was warm, grounding.

"Noah," he said firmly, "wanting to be happy isn't selfish."

Noah swallowed hard.

"My family had everything, too," Elias continued. "Money, status, power. But none of it mattered in the end. I was still just a disappointment to them." He squeezed Noah's hand. "If you live for someone else, you'll never truly be free."

Noah looked at him, at the quiet certainty in his gaze, and something inside him shifted.

Maybe Elias was right. Maybe it wasn't about having everything—it was about choosing what mattered.

And right now, in this moment, nothing mattered more than the man sitting beside him.

✦✦✦

The next morning, Noah woke up to the smell of coffee and something warm wrapped around his waist.

He blinked, disoriented for a moment, before realizing he was still at Elias' place, tangled in the sheets of his bed.

Elias' arm was draped lazily over him, his bare chest pressed against Noah's back. His breathing was slow and steady, still lost in sleep.

Noah exhaled quietly, shifting slightly. The movement made Elias stir, his grip tightening around Noah's waist.

"Mmm… don't move," Elias mumbled, his voice thick with sleep.

Noah chuckled softly. "I need to get up."

"No, you don't." Elias nuzzled against the back of his neck, pressing a lazy kiss to his shoulder. "Stay."

Noah rolled his eyes, but his body betrayed him, relaxing into Elias' embrace.

A few weeks ago, he never would have imagined himself here—waking up in someone else's bed, feeling this safe.

But here he was.

And for the first time in a long time, he didn't feel trapped.