Psync by Zile Elliven

Chapter Thirty-One

Haruka

He had planned to ease out of bed as soon as Eli fell asleep, but it was so soothing to feel him slip from the waking world to the dreaming one, that Haruka lost time holding the small, fragile boy close to him.

Too fragile. Too easy to hurt or to pick up and run off with. It was effortless for Haruka to carry him around, and there were plenty of other people in the world who could do the same.

Like Hank.

Haruka lifted Eli’s head off of his chest and placed it gently on a pillow.

There were plenty of other people in the world who could see many of the wonderful qualities Eli had to offer. Ones with no morals.

Like Hank.

He closed the bathroom door and made a phone call. It took longer than he’d planned because he’d forgotten about the time difference—right now his aunt was in the middle of her pre-lunch meeting, which meant her assistant was busy too. He was willing to wait.

When he’d finished his call, he padded quietly back to the bed and climbed in, very ready to be wrapped around Eli once more.

He was certain his heart had stopped beating the moment he’d felt Eli’s fear when Hank grabbed him. It wouldn’t happen again—not with Hank, at least. Haruka had just made sure of it.

He brushed the hair back from Eli’s face and caught a glimpse of shadows in his mind. Haruka pulled him onto his chest—usually holding him was enough to banish the bad dreams that plagued Eli.

“No . . . please don’t.” Eli whimpered.

“It’s okay, Eli. I’m here.”

Haruka rubbed Eli’s arms to wake him, but he didn’t respond. Instead, Haruka’s mind was flooded with images of a small, dark-haired boy getting flung across a room, slapped, beaten, and abused—all by the same man.

“Eli!” He tapped him on the face. “Wake up.”

Eli’s eye’s fluttered open, but they were unfocused. Haruka was ready for the fist that came toward his face, so he caught it, held it firmly, and pressed a kiss into it.

“You’re safe, Eli. No one’s going to hurt you anymore.” Haruka fought against his own set of shadows as they rose. They wanted him to rend and tear, but Haruka couldn’t fight memories.

He held Eli’s struggling form in his arms and spoke softly in Japanese, hoping it would wake him up and make him realize where he was.

When the boy stopped finally stopped fighting, he pressed his face against Haruka’s chest, and let out a ragged sob. “He called me pretty.”

Haruka went quiet and began to stroke Eli’s hair.

“When he was lucid, he told me he took me because I was pretty like his dead son. When I acted like his son did, he would give me candy, and when I didn’t, he hurt me. I tried, but I didn’t know what his son was like, so . . .” Eli curled up into a ball.

“So, he hurt you a lot.” Haruka finished for him.

Eli made a choking sound and nodded into Haruka’s chest.

Eli hadn’t talked about his kidnapping before. Haruka had only caught glimpses of it in his mind, but they’d been bad enough for him not to push. He wanted Eli to tell him about it when he was ready.

It took a while for Eli to tell his story, but Haruka was nothing if not patient. When the boy choked or froze up, Haruka spoke to him in Japanese. He didn’t say anything important, just that Eli was safe and good and that no one could hurt him here. It seemed to work because, after a minute or so, Eli would relax and continue.

When Eli was ten, he was taken from his yard by a man who had recently lost his family to a fire. It wasn’t planned. The man had snapped when he saw Eli and took him. No one saw him do it, and since the man had no connection to Eli or his family, the police had no way to find him.

He’d spent eight days being tormented, beaten, and pampered depending on how well Eli had managed to act like the man’s son. On the eighth day, the man had overdosed, and Eli had crawled past his body to freedom.

Eli had been dealing with nightmares about his kidnapper ever since.

“I’ve managed to overcome most of the trauma, but I can’t sleep alone and . . . I don’t like when someone calls me pretty.”

No one ever would again if Haruka had any say in the matter.

After all of that—and being attacked twice on the same campus—Eli was still fighting to be able to live a normal life.

“You are very strong, Eli.”

Eli let out something that was half laugh and half sob. “Yes, I’m very strong. So strong I had a nightmare because someone called me pretty.”

“It was more than that, and you know it, baka.” Haruka loved every millimeter of Eli, but he wasn’t going to coddle him. “Don’t belittle how hard you worked to get here.”

Eli blinked up at him with his big Bambi eyes. Then the corners of his mouth twitched. He sat up and kissed Haruka hard. “You really just fucking get me.”

“I do.”

Haruka caught a flash of Eli thinking about his sister and how she was the only other person who knew his whole story and didn’t treat him like a sad, wet puppy. It was why he loved her more than anyone. And now he had Haruka too.

“You have every bit of me, Eli.”

Eli’s mind shined happily for a moment before the remnants of his nightmare dragged his thoughts back to his kidnapper.

“Where is he now?” Haruka asked.

Eli flinched and pressed his face into Haruka’s chest again. “He—his name is Liam”—his voice cracked, but he kept going—“but I don’t like to say it. He survived because I was able to tell the police where he was after I escaped. He was in a mental institution for a few years, but then he was transferred to prison. I . . . haven’t heard anything about him in a while. My mom usually takes any calls related to him.”

And from what Haruka was picking up from his mind, Eli wanted things to stay that way.

“I will make sure you never see him again.” Haruka vowed.

“You’re crazy enough that I almost believe you.”

“And I’ve been working so hard to keep you from noticing the crazy,” Haruka said lightly.

Eli laughed. It was a small, pale ghost of Eli’s usual laugh, but it was a start.

✽✽✽

Having a fan club turned out to be far more interesting than Haruka had anticipated.

When they’d first begun to show up in his life, they’d been nothing but a barrier between him and Eli—which meant they had to go. So, he did what he did when he’d first arrived at the school and coldly ignored them. This time it hadn’t worked.

Now he knew why.

He didn’t blame his followers for becoming enamored of Eli—who wouldn’t be? And, while he didn’t understand the fascination other people had developed with their relationship, he was fully prepared to use it to his advantage.

Haruka had had an unconventional upbringing, but it was coming in handy now. Just because he hadn’t willingly participated in the family business, didn’t mean he hadn’t paid close attention to everything going on around him.

Now he was having as much fun as he was capable of without Eli actively participating.

He had spies.

The day after their fan club had stepped in and protected Eli, Haruka had joined the Discord server devoted to the club and gotten to work. Over the next few weeks, he’d taken them from a loosely organized group of students to a well-oiled machine.

He’d arranged people into groups depending on what their major was and what part of the campus they tended to spend the most time in. If he wanted to know what was going on in a certain part of the campus, all he had to do was contact the group responsible for the area.

And all he’d had to do in return was give them signed pictures of him and Eli.

Eli had been resistant until Haruka told him the club had agreed not to take pictures of them any other time. Then he was all for their weekly photoshoot.

He’d even created a private Instagram page for members of the club and would upload candid shots when the mood struck him. Anyone caught taking screenshots would be removed from the club.

It had been a compromise for him. Haruka didn’t want anyone having pictures of Eli, but if they were devoted to the cause of keeping him safe, and Haruka could control which pictures were posted, he was willing to unbend a little.

The shots of Eli that were particularly cute were only for Haruka.

The whole situation had immensely improved Eli’s mood. If Eli had begun to come out of his shell before, now he had truly started to shine.

His rare, shy smiles had turned into laughter, and Eli almost never needed to pull his hood up to feel safe. Now he did it to hide the evidence of Haruka’s ongoing mission to make sure everyone on campus knew exactly who Eli belonged to.

It was his favorite mission, by far.

At the moment, Haruka was in the library, studying for an exam when his phone buzzed.

Redpheonix: Stranger approaching Eli

Caligirl: Holy shit, he’s going to hug him

Haruka: Send picture

There was only one exception to the no-picture rule, and that was if Haruka asked for one. It was probably for the best that Eli not know exactly how well protected he was. It would only worry him.

Caligirl: It’s ok, he stopped at the last minute. Eli seems to know him

Haruka: Picture. Now.

Haruka was gathering his things when a picture popped up in his messages. It was only a profile of the stranger, but Haruka recognized him. It was Jace.

The only person Eli trusted at school other than Haruka, Nate, and Alice. The person whose bed Eli used to sleep in when he was away. The person who’d actually slept in the same bed with Eli. Haruka was not a fan.

Haruka: On my way.

Let me know if they leave the area.

Caligirl: Roger

Redpheonix: You got it, boss

He recognized the cafeteria behind them in the picture, and it was close enough that he wouldn’t have to come up with an excuse for being there. He was always hungry.

Eli was chatting easily with Jace when he arrived. When he spotted him, Eli’s face lit up in a sunshine smile that never failed to make Haruka’s heart skip a beat.

Haruka went right up to him and draped himself over Eli, putting his arms around him and propping his chin on his boyfriend’s head. Then he gave Jace his best get fucked stare.

Jace jaw dropped, and he looked back and forth between Eli and Haruka, “Jesus, Eli, when did this happen?”

“It’s a recent thing.”

“And you’re really okay with this?” Jace narrowed his eyes at Haruka, seemingly immune to Haruka’s glare.

“Yeah, it’s kind of nice, actually.”

Haruka could practically hear a blush forming on Eli’s cheeks. He’d like to see it, but from a tactical standpoint, he was better where he was. It was important to start out strong and make his point clear.

Jace wasn’t touching Eli ever again.

“Is this the other arrangements you told me about on the phone?”

The reminder that Jace had Eli’s number made shadows stir restlessly in Haruka.

“Ummm, yes, actually.”

It wasn’t a denial of their relationship, but it also wasn’t the resounding, yes, I belong to Haruka and Haruka alone he would have preferred. Fortunately, he could sense little flutters of joy from Eli from the small admission.

It was good enough for now.

“Does this mean I can hug you now?”

“No.” Haruka pulled Eli in closer and cranked up the glare to maximum.

“It’s ah, actually still in early development right now, so maybe not. Oh, I did touch Alice the other day, and it wasn’t too bad.”

“You did?” Haruka asked. Alice was in his harmless, but good ally column. Did he need to rethink that assessment?

“That’s great! Keep up the good work.” Jace looked far more overjoyed than Haruka felt. Good for him.

Eli ducked his head, and Haruka got a flash of Eli patting the shoulder of a crying Alice for roughly two seconds. Alice could stay in her current column for now.

“I’m glad I ran into you though. I was actually about to call.”

So, they hadn’t planned to meet up. Good.

“I noticed when I was packing that your stuff is all gone. Did you move somewhere that made you feel safe?”

“He did.”

“I can answer for myself, thanks.” Eli poked him in the gut with his elbow. It was like being hit by a teddy bear. “I moved in with Haruka.”

“And you’re okay with that—and all of this?” Jace made a show of eyeing the way Haruka was wrapped around Eli.

“We’re dating,” Haruka said flatly. No point in dragging it out.

Jace looked like he’d just eaten something rotten. “Really?”

There it was. Haruka had had a feeling Jace was into Eli but couldn’t be sure. Now that he was, he could keep an even closer eye on the guy.

“Y-yes. We are.”

“And you’re sure?” Jace stepped closer. “About him?”

“He’s nicer than he looks. You’re just freaking him out right now.”

Haruka was, in fact, not freaking out. He was planning.

Planning to make sure Jace never came close to being alone with Eli ever again.

“Come with me to get coffee,” Eli said suddenly and grabbed Haruka’s hand.

He willingly allowed himself to be led away.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Eli said, “I know what you’re thinking.”

Haruka highly doubted that. He’d worked hard to make a sold barrier between his thoughts and Eli’s. Was it fair? No. But it was necessary. It wouldn’t be in either of their best interests for Eli to be intimately aware of just how obsessed he was with the boy.

It would only scare him.

No, things were good the way they were. All Haruka needed to do right now was keep the Jace situation contained until he went back home.

The way Jace was currently trying to stare him down as they walked away let Haruka know he wouldn’t make it easy.

That was fine by him. Haruka’s day had suddenly become completely free.

“What am I thinking?”

“That you think Jace is going to sprout fangs and claws, throw me over his shoulder, and make a run for it the second your back is turned.”

Haruka scowled. Maybe he was being a bit obvious.

“He’s had dozens of opportunities to do so if he wanted to, and he’s been nothing but friendly and understanding of my quirks.”

“I like your quirks.”

Eli’s neck flushed red. Haruka wanted to bite it.

“Jace won’t be here for long. He only needs to pack his things. I’d be surprised if he didn’t leave tonight.” Eli chewed on a hangnail. Haruka took his boyfriend’s battered hand and placed it safely in his own, then offered him a piece of gum. “No, thanks, that’s not going to go well with coffee. Anyway, you won’t have to deal with him for long. Do you think you could at least try to be nice?”

“No.” It was hard on Haruka when Eli asked for the impossible—he rarely asked for anything, and it made Haruka’s day to be able to give him what he wanted. “But I can try not to be mean.”

Eli scanned his surroundings and then went on his toes to kiss Haruka on the cheek. “Thank you.” His face was bright pink.

Haruka rubbed his cheek. He almost never got public Eli-affection. It was worth the promise of trying not to be mean.