Chapter 11: Unraveling the Walls

The safe house was quieter than usual, the hum of the city outside barely reaching the windows. Inside, it was just the two of them—D and Amir. Their crew had gone into hiding, laying low until they figured out how to deal with Malik's betrayal. D could feel the weight of everything pressing down on him. The leaks, the threat of Jordan, the loss of someone he once trusted. It was all too much, and the only thing he could focus on now was the comforting presence of Amir beside him.

Amir was on the couch, flipping through a stack of papers—maps, plans, notes, all remnants of their mission. But D couldn't concentrate on any of that. His thoughts were too clouded. Too heavy.

He hadn't meant to, but his emotions had started to spill out. The mission, the betrayal, the constant danger—it had all built up over time, and now it felt like D was unraveling at the seams.

He needed Amir. Needed the warmth that Amir exuded without even trying. The calm in his presence that always made D feel like everything was going to be okay. Even though it never was.

Without thinking, D crossed the room and sat next to Amir on the couch, his body pressing close. He could feel the tension in Amir's muscles as he sat up straighter, but D didn't move away. He was tired of pretending everything was fine. Tired of being the strong leader who carried the weight of the world alone.

"I'm sorry," D mumbled, his voice softer than usual, the words almost foreign on his tongue. "I've just been... I don't know how to do this anymore. How to fix everything."

Amir paused, the papers slipping from his hands as he turned to face D. His expression softened as his gaze met D's, the intensity in his eyes making D's heart race.

"You don't have to fix everything, D," Amir said, his voice steady, but the underlying warmth was unmistakable. "It's not all on you."

D swallowed, leaning in just a little closer, his body craving the closeness. "But it feels like it is. Every damn day. I just... I don't want to mess this up. I don't want to lose anyone else."

Amir's hand found its way to D's shoulder, his fingers lightly brushing the tense muscles there, the contact making D shiver. "You won't. Not if you don't push everyone away."

The words hit harder than D had expected. He hadn't realized how much he'd distanced himself from his own emotions, from the people who cared about him—especially Amir. And now, sitting here, so close to him, D could feel the flood of affection and need he had kept buried for so long.

D let out a shaky breath, leaning into Amir's touch, letting his head rest on Amir's shoulder as he closed his eyes, his body relaxing for the first time in what felt like forever.

Amir's breath hitched, just for a moment, before he relaxed into the moment too. His fingers gently threaded through D's hair, the touch soft and deliberate. "You're okay, D. You're not alone in this."

The warmth of Amir's hand against his skin was like a lifeline. D didn't want to pull away, didn't want to let go. He needed this—needed Amir in a way he couldn't explain. His usual walls, the ones he'd built up to protect himself from the chaos of the streets, were crumbling.

"I don't want to be alone anymore," D confessed, his voice barely above a whisper. It felt too vulnerable to say, but it was the truth. The longer he stayed in this dangerous world, the more he craved connection. And Amir was the one person who could make him feel grounded.

Amir's response was slow but steady. He pulled D closer, guiding his head to rest on his chest. "You don't have to be. Not if I can help it."

The feeling of Amir's heartbeat beneath him, steady and strong, was comforting. D closed his eyes, feeling the tension in his body melt away. He had always prided himself on being the one who protected others, who took care of everything. But here, in this moment, it was Amir who was taking care of him.

D's hand slid around Amir's waist, pulling him closer, needing to feel the warmth of his body against his. He couldn't explain why, but it felt right. It felt like something he'd been missing for a long time.

Amir's voice was soft, but there was a strength in it. "You're making this harder for both of us, D," he said, a hint of playfulness in his tone, though there was an undeniable tension beneath it. "You know this complicates everything, right?"

D's heart pounded in his chest, the truth of Amir's words hitting him. He knew. He knew exactly what this meant. But in this moment, with everything so uncertain, he couldn't bring himself to care. The need for Amir's presence, for his touch, was more important than anything else.

"I don't care," D muttered, his voice thick with emotion. "I need you, Amir."

There was a long silence, a beat where neither of them moved. The air between them thickened, charged with the unspoken words they hadn't said yet. D could feel Amir's breath on his skin, his lips just inches from his ear, and it felt like the whole world had stopped spinning, leaving just the two of them in the center of it.

And then, Amir spoke, his voice low and husky. "You're not the only one who feels this way."

D's heart skipped a beat at the confession. He pulled back slightly, searching Amir's face for any sign of doubt, but all he saw was sincerity. The soft curve of Amir's lips, the warmth in his eyes—everything about him was an invitation D couldn't resist.

Amir didn't wait for D to make the next move. He leaned in, his lips brushing against D's in a soft, tentative kiss, as if testing the waters. D froze for a moment, his body on fire at the sensation, before he closed the gap completely, deepening the kiss.

Everything around them faded away. The world, the mission, the crew—it didn't matter anymore. It was just D and Amir, and whatever was happening between them felt like the only thing that mattered in this moment.

When they pulled apart, both breathless and wide-eyed, D couldn't help but smile. For once, he didn't feel like he was carrying the weight of the world.

"I need you too," D said, his voice soft but certain.

Amir's eyes softened, and he nodded, pulling D back into his arms. "We'll figure it out, D. Together."

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