Louis let the words hang in the air, letting the silence stretch between them like a taut wire.
"You don't understand," he murmured, voice low, deliberate, every syllable heavy with something she couldn't name. "Every second you're here, I want to reach for you… but I can't give in. Not fully. Not yet."
Nessa's breath hitched. Her pulse thundered in her ears, every nerve alive, every instinct pulled toward him despite the ache in her chest. She wanted to step back, to breathe, to gather herself—but something magnetic pinned her in place, he tilted his head slightly, studying her. The faintest smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, dangerous, teasing. "And yet… being near you, seeing you like this… it's impossible to stay calm."
Her lips parted, a whisper threatening to escape, but she forced it back. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of her unraveling. Not entirely, Louis leaned in, just a fraction, enough that the space between them crackled, heavy and electric. She could feel the warmth radiating from him, the restrained force beneath every movement. "Do you feel it?" he asked softly. "This… tension? This… pull?"
She swallowed hard, words failing her. Her body screamed yes, her mind screamed warning, and yet… she couldn't move.
"I shouldn't," he breathed, a low, rough undertone threading his calm. "And yet… here I am. And you… you make it impossible to pull away."
Her chest tightened, a shiver running down her spine. He wasn't touching her—not yet—but his presence filled every corner of the room, every heartbeat in her chest, every thought she didn't dare speak aloud.
"You have no idea what it does to me," he murmured, voice soft, but laced with a dangerous weight. "The way you look at me, the way you breathe near me… I can barely… keep control."
Nessa's knees weakened. She didn't move, didn't speak, just let him draw closer, letting the pull, the heat, the silent dominance wash over her. The storm in him was nearly visible, coiled, waiting, dangerous… and she was right in its center, willingly, irresistibly.
"And yet," he whispered, eyes locking on hers, silver-dark and unreadable, "I won't let this break either of us… not tonight."
Her breath hitched. Every instinct screamed, every nerve burned—but she stayed, captured in the moment, suspended between desire, danger, and the intoxicating promise of him, the air between them trembled, alive with unspoken confessions, restrained passion, and the dark, magnetic pull neither could deny.
Nessa's chest was still pounding, her fingers tingling from the almost unbearable closeness. She swallowed hard, trying to catch her breath after the intensity of their shared silence.
"What… what do you mean?" she finally whispered, voice soft, trembling. "By… by what you said… about not breaking us?
Louis's lips curved into that faint, dangerous smirk. He didn't answer. Instead, he stepped closer, forcing the question back into the air like a play, teasing, pulling her in without giving anything away.
"I—what do you mean?" Nessa pressed, heart aching with longing, frustrated by his evasion.
He leaned in, letting his breath brush against her ear. "Some things," he murmured, voice low and rough, " aren't meant to be explained yet," he murmured, low, intoxicating.
She bit her lip, frustration mixing with desire. Finally, almost instinctively, she reached up, hand trembling slightly, and cupped his cheek. Her fingers traced the sharp line of his jaw, brushing the stubble along his skin, caressing him like she could anchor herself in him.
Louis's eyes closed at her touch, a deep, shuddering exhale leaving his lips. His chest rose and fell, slower now, but every muscle in his body was taut, coiled, restrained. He steadied his breath, trying to regain control—trying to regain the calm façade he usually wore like armor.
Nessa's thumb brushed over his cheekbone, lingering near his temple. The warmth of his skin, the tension beneath it, made her heart hammer in her chest.
Finally, he opened his eyes.
For a split second, the silver faded, replaced by a glint of crimson red, like fire barely contained. Then, just as quickly, it returned to silver, Nessa blinked rapidly, heart skipping. Her mind raced. Did I just see that? she thought, unsure if it had been real or just a trick of her imagination.
Louis didn't give her time to dwell on it. He leaned in, and their lips met in a soft, welcoming kiss, gentle yet filled with the unspoken weight between them. It was intimate, teasing, almost like a confirmation: he was here, present, but the danger and desire simmered beneath the surface, restrained but undeniable, her hands instinctively found their place on his chest, feeling the warmth and strength of him. Every beat of his heart resonated against hers, slow, steady, controlled… but threaded with something wild, something almost untamed, he lingered, letting the kiss stretch, letting the tension coil tighter around them, daring her to want more, daring himself to lose just a fraction of control. When he pulled back slightly, just enough to let their foreheads rest together, the world outside ceased to exist.
"I…" she mumbled , breathless, trying to form the words for the storm she felt inside.
"Shh," he murmured against her lips, voice low, magnetic. "Don't speak. Just… feel."
Nessa's pulse thundered in her ears. Every nerve was alive, every inch of her attuned to him. The pull between them was suffocating, addictive, a dangerous gravity she had no desire to escape, he pulled her in for another deep kiss… calm, controlled, and yet almost unbearably alive in her presence… held her close, enough to consume, not yet, but close enough to make her ache for the seconds to stretch forever, for the dangerous, beautiful tension to linger, her eyes fluttered closed, letting herself sink into it—into the warmth, the intoxicating scent of him, the softness of the moment, and the undeniable truth: he wanted her, in ways that went far beyond the surface, and she wanted him just as fiercely.
The air around them thickened, heavy with anticipation and desire, but tempered by restraint. It was a moment stolen from the world, a dark, magnetic pause that left every heartbeat, every breath, every glance charged and impossible to forget.