"Ouch," Varya exclaimed, opening the door with a delighted smile that quickly turned to shock. Daniel, feeling self-conscious, tried to hide behind Alexander. His head, vulnerable with a patch of medical plaster, a healing lip, and an abrasion on his cheekbone, made for an impressive sight, especially considering he'd previously sported a busted lip. Varya adjusted the flounces of her dark pink dress indignantly across her chest.

"Sasha, how could you?!"

"Sasha what?" Alexander lifted Daniel by the waist and pulled him close, simultaneously handing Varya a bouquet with a gift. "Hi, Varyusha. A belated happy birthday, my dear! Always stay as beautiful as you are now!" Then, without a pause, he added, "I didn't hit Danechka."

"Hi," she replied dryly. "Thank you. Daniel, please come into the living room. Sasha, I need to talk to you."

"Var, I swear I didn't hit him! I regret that other time too!" Alexander protested unhappily, trying to maneuver past the angrily hissing hostess. But she pounded her fist on his chest, continuing to block his way. Daniel smiled, thinking Alexander probably shouldn't have dragged him to a friendly party straight from the hospital. He took off his shoes, gave Alexander a mocking glance, and went into the living room as requested. The apartment was large and luxurious, though it was evident the owners' income wasn't quite on par with Alexander's. It had a middle-class feel, hovering between the middle and elite tiers. This likely explained Varya's partiality - she hadn't fully distanced herself from the common folk.

Daniel greeted Katya, Nastya, and Natella, shook hands with Boris and Mark, and pretended not to notice Georgy rising to shake hands as well. No, let things remain as they were. Since Georgy had ignored him as a man, he would stick to that stance. Everyone was uneasy at the sight of him; though they were more restrained than Varya, the tension was palpable. Daniel isolated himself in the farthest corner of the long semicircular sofa, blatantly disassociating from the group, and turned to the window. About five minutes later, Varya and Alexander entered, kissing and hugging their friends. Alexander plopped down beside Daniel and whispered sadly.

"You were right."

"Now everyone thinks you're the aggressor and I'm the victim. It's your own fault - you shouldn't have brought me here," Daniel replied faintly, gently stopping the hand that tried to hug him. Alexander sighed and then spoke loudly for everyone to hear.

"Listen, my friends. I need to address something, or you'll soon be scared off by rumors. I came to Sochi with bruises, and yes, we had a rough sparring session. I hit him at the resort, and I regret it. But this time, I didn't lay a finger on him - he was attacked. I promise, especially to him, that I won't ever raise my hand against him under any circumstances, because I love him more than anything. Can we put this incident behind us?"

Daniel blushed deeply, squirming uncomfortably, wishing he could disappear. The men looked awkward, while the women, except for Nastya, who seemed annoyed, smiled. Alexander, however, seemed completely at ease, his arm already around Daniel, planting a kiss on his temple.

"You're such an asshole," Daniel whispered desperately.

"An asshole who loves you," Alexander agreed with a chuckle, "but there's a big difference."

Instantly, the mood lightened. Everyone chatted, laughed, and looked at Alexander with admiration, which never ceased to surprise Daniel. People forgave Alexander for everything: his vanity, self-centeredness, and even his occasional temper tantrums, all for his charm, charisma, and ability to find something good in everyone. Even usually reserved Natella fell under his spell: her peachy cheeks flushed, her stunning velvety eyes radiated,she smiled at his jokes, unaware of her husband's loving gaze.

Sonya clearly faded in comparison with the ideal beauty of Natella, appearing only pretty and vibrant, yet much more alive, charming, and captivating. Daniel couldn't understand why someone would prefer Natella, who didn't love him, over Sonya, who did. This realization didn't make Georgy any more pleasant to Daniel. He caught Georgy's unfriendly look, blinked in surprise, and frowned, trying to figure out the reason for the hostility.

"Don't stare at Natella, please, it's bothering me," Alexander groaned as they moved from the aperitif table to the dining table.

"I was looking at Georgy," Daniel replied sharply. "And definitely not with any sexual intentions, if that's what you're thinking."

"Listen, Danny," Alexander interrupted him, becoming serious. "I know it was my fault that Gosha behaved badly toward you, but he's changed now. He's forgotten about the Singapore incident that almost caused an international scandal, and he's actively searching for your kidnappers. Please try to accept him."

"Never," Daniel tensed. "I barely accepted you. I can't tolerate both you and him, so choose. And you shouldn't have brought up Singapore; it was disgusting and humiliating. You fucked me like..."

"Danny, shh, let's not go there," Alexander cut in, signaling to Varya, who was passing by the table. "We'll join you later; Danny has a headache," he said as he guided the weakly resisting Daniel into the room. He closed the door behind them and sat down forcefully on the low sofa, motioning for Daniel to sit beside him. "Danny, you seem upset again. What did I do wrong?"

"Everything," Daniel replied, his anger escalating. "I didn't want to come here, and you dragged me along. That's not what we agreed on: that I could refuse if I didn't want to do something. Especially if I don't want to see someone I dislike - yes, I'm talking about Georgy! But it seems it always goes your way. Making a fool out of me at the beginning of the evening, feeding your friends half-truths. Why don't you tell them everything if they're so close to you? That we had an agreement, that I had no choice..."

"I understand, Danny," Alexander said, rubbing Daniel's knees and gently kissing one of them. "Let's stay a little longer, have dinner, and then we'll go home?"

"And I'll sleep alone," Daniel turned away. He had reluctantly agreed to come out tonight, but Alexander had insisted, and the main source of irritation was Georgy, whom Sonya still loved and would run to if he called. Not being able to be with her because of Alexander, the only girl who had stirred such intense feelings in him, and realizing that he was only second to her and that Georgy was her first choice, was crushing him. Sitting at the same table with them now seemed unbearable. "Still, I want to leave now, tell everyone I'm a psycho, no big deal."

"You're not a psycho, I made you this way," Alexander said, stretching out and burying his face in Daniel's lap. "Danechka, why is everything so painful? Why do you keep trying to slip away from me no matter what I do? I can't even stand your love of running. Sometimes I have nightmares where you're running a marathon, and I'm watching every step, checking in with the bodyguards running beside you, and then you vanish at the finish line. I try to catch you, but all I grab is air. It hurts so much."

"It's because we have everything wrong," Daniel replied, slumping on the couch and feeling utterly exhausted. "We'd be happier apart."

"Damn it," Alexander exclaimed with feeling, jerking up onto the couch and piling on top of him. "Don't say that. You're fine with me. That's it. Live with this for the rest of the year. I'll try to annoy you less," he added, wanting to say more but someone knocked on the door. "Shit. I'm coming. Danny, you lie down and rest, and then come back, okay?" He kissed his cheek, sighed dejectedly, looked into his unyielding eyes, and stood up.

Daniel emerged fifteen minutes later, smiling politely at the hosts seated at the head of the table, and took a seat next to Alexander. He didn't feel like eating or talking, and a headache had started, but his irritation had subsided. In its place was a heavy sadness, almost envy. Everyone at the table had someone important, someone they needed: calm, silent Boris had the frivolous, overly talkative, but kind-hearted Varya; funny Mark had equally cheerful Katya; George had icy Natella and, if he wished, wonderful Sonya; even Nastya had someone significant, though not in the way she had dreamed. He alone had no one, only a surrogate in Alexander. He never imagined living with a man, especially in such a dependent, humiliating position. If not for that unfortunate project and that fateful meeting with Alexander, maybe he would have met Sonya in a café, been captivated by her charm, and vanished into her eyes. Or he would have returned to New York, met another girl like her, and been a happy man now.

He sighed desperately, his eyes welling up as he retreated into his own thoughts, only to be jolted back to reality when Alexander squeezed his fingers, drawing his attention back to the present. Raising his eyes, he noticed everyone staring at him - he must have sighed too loudly, too noticeably.

Alexander stood up, still holding his hand, causing his friends to shift awkwardly in their seats. Feeling guilty for spoiling the mood, Daniel moaned.

"I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to apologize for," Boris said, hugging his wife. "Sasha, why did you bring a sick man out to party?"

"I wanted to cheer him up," Alexander replied irritatedly, "but it didn't work, as you can see. Thank you for the hospitality, Varenka, and happy birthday again. Let's meet next time at my dacha."

In the car, Alexander suddenly lay his head in Daniel's lap, stroking his chin with his fingers and looking up at him pleadingly, like a tame animal begging for affection. Daniel intercepted his fingers, which tickled, but didn't push them away. He looked down at him tiredly, sensing that Alexander wanted to say something but didn't know how to begin.

"I thought you didn't want to be alone together on the first night out of the hospital. I wanted us to be surrounded by people, to have fun, and erase that helpless fear. But I just made things worse for you, didn't I? I'm always wrong about you, Danny. Tell me, what would you like?"

Daniel smiled sadly, brushing his hair back from his forehead. Alexander squeezed his eyes shut, his lips quivering. Daniel wanted many things: to break free from this dependent relationship, to date Sonya instead of Alexander, or to just leave soon, to get rid of the bad feelings piece by piece - anything that required a long-term perspective. But at the same time, he found himself enjoying stroking Alexander's sharp cheekbones, running his fingers over his predatory nose, feeling his warm lips catch his fingers, and inhaling the familiar warm body odor mixed with woody perfume.

"I'd like to get out more often, walk in nature. I'm tired of the city," Daniel said, putting his hand on Alexander's throat, which was ticklish with soft stubble. He squeezed lightly, remembering how Sennoy had squeezed him hard and short, bringing him to a frenzy of fear in seconds. Alexander didn't even move, trustingly allowing himself to be played with, exposing his defenseless neck, only twitching his Adam's apple. Daniel recoiled nervously, pulling his hand away.

"Sit down, please, you are heavy."

Without responding, Alexander wrapped his arms around Daniel's waist, pressing his face into the groin and exhaling hotly. His breath made the area instantly warm and heavy. Flushing, Daniel pressed on Alexander's shoulder and forehead to push him away, groaning when Alexander bit down on the soft vicuña wool fabric covering his hardening cock. His hands slipped away. Seizing the opportunity, Alexander quickly reached down, pulled down Daniel's pants and underwear in quick, greedy motions, and swallowed his half-erect cock. He sucked eagerly, choking and licking the hard balls, biting the tender skin at the juncture of his thighs. Occasionally, he would raise his disheveled head to enjoy the sight of Daniel's softening, stifled moans. A flash of piercing pleasure surged through Daniel, and a languid weakness spread through his body, pulling him into slumber.

Daniel flopped down on the seat, savoring the pleasurable sensations. Alexander carefully pulled up his clothes, sat down beside him, resting his head in Daniel's lap and purring contentedly. Leaning over, chuckling faintly, he asked.

"Well, did I earn forgiveness for today?"

"You did," Daniel agreed, smiling. Tenderness flooded him, and he no longer wanted to encounter sharp edges but rather to lie cozily on warm knees, feeling caressing hands on him.

"Don't you... don't you want to?"

"Silly, I always want you," Alexander straightened up, making himself comfortable. "You didn't notice, but I've already taken care of myself. It's enough for the ride home, but I still want more when we get there."

"I'm sleeping separately tonight," Daniel reminded him slyly, no longer intending to insist on his original decision - he didn't mind continuing.

"Danny, that's cruel," Alexander said, lifting him effortlessly as if he weighed nothing, and kissed him infinitely tenderly, giving him his own salty-musky flavor in the kiss. "We haven't slept together in days, and you want to leave me like this? I thought you'd feel better in a fun group, so I brought you there from the hospital. I didn't mean to make you angry, you hear? Danechka, we're sleeping together tonight, right? Together?"

"I'll think about it," Daniel sighed, accepting the light tickling kisses and feeling the man's renewed desire. A fleeting thought of Sonya stabbed at him and quickly faded - Sonya needed him only as a cure for Georgy, but Alexander needed him for himself.

In the duplex, Alexander, already sensing that Daniel didn't really mind, scooped him up and carried him to the second floor, tearing off his clothes as they went. Daniel grabbed the railing, fearing he might fall as the excited Alexander veered sideways, and cried out angrily as his bare back hit the sharp corner of a painting.

"Fuck, calm down!"

"I can't," Alexander tossed aside his polo, pulled off his pants, bouncing dangerously on the steps, and grabbed him again, sinking his lips into his neck. He spoke incoherently as he continued kissing and pushing him upstairs. "I'm afraid that if I stop, you'll push me away. You're unpredictable, Danny. You're mine when I hold you, so I can't settle down."

He slowed down in bed, slipping his slick fingers inside, stretching the weary walls while stroking his cock. He watched with wild delight as Daniel opened his mouth in a silent moan, thrusting deeper into his fingers and pushing into his hand simultaneously. Daniel squinted, unable to endure the bubbling gaze of emotion, yielding weakly back and forth: into the ring of fingers on his cock, onto the fingers inside. Pleasure pulsed from two sources at once, merging into an elastic spring in his lower abdomen, spreading through his body. He wanted more – to be pushed to the limit from inside with powerful thrusts, to whip the pleasure into a frenzy, while also wanting to stretch out the pleasantly sweet process. Daniel opened his eyes, plunging into the glistening, disturbed green that was begging him not to resist, feeling himself being pulled to the very bottom of it. He gasped with a strange mixture of feelings: the desire to strike, to make the green show pain, and the urge to cling to Alexander harder.

The head rubbed against the distended, swollen entrance, pushing in and out, and Daniel moaned, slowly lowering himself onto the shaft, feeling the desirable, exciting spreading and rubbing of his prostate in a tight sliding motion. A tempting thought flashed for a moment, that he could spread Alexander's legs like that, squeeze into the hot depths, take him, subdue him. But it immediately vanished – there would be no victory, only further assurance of Alexander's attraction to him, deepening his entanglement. No. Let it be as agreed, without deviating from the agreement – Alexander takes him, and he gives himself to Alexander. And then... Daniel choked on a groan, throwing his head back, moving away from the hypnotizing green to the indifferent milky-white ceiling, pushing harder, deeper. Then he would do whatever he wished and with whomever he wished. He smiled serenely at the near future.

Alexander, shrewdly sensing his detachment, immediately took control. He squeezed Daniel's buttocks to the point of pain, almost bruising, and began thrusting with powerful, piston-like movements, shattering all unnecessary thoughts and breaking through mental barriers. Growing more fervent from the invisible resistance, he lifted Daniel by the thighs, dropped him onto his back, threw one leg over his shoulder to open him up as much as possible, and held his head in place, not allowing him to turn away. He then burst into Daniel's mouth, kissing assertively in sync with his deep thrusts. Daniel groaned, panting from the weight, the increasing pleasure, and the slight irritation that things weren't going according to his plan. But he surrendered with another successful thrust, sprawled helplessly on the bed, obediently meeting Alexander's stormy green gaze, and muffling his cries into Alexander's greedy mouth. Tense, dry muscles rippled under his fingers, a throbbing hard cock moved inside him, and a commanding tongue wielded in his mouth. Alexander was everywhere at once, not letting him close off or hide. He squeezed hard under the head, twisted a couple of times, and Daniel shattered into small pieces.

As they cooled down, they lay in each other's arms. Daniel's breathing became more measured as Alexander traced invisible patterns with his fingers across his chest and stomach. He lazily pondered Alexander's incredible insight: he always knew when Daniel was mentally open and when he wasn't. When Daniel was open, the sex was always gentle, soft, and caressing. When he wasn't, it was assertive, dominating, almost fierce, breaking through any barriers. During the cooling-off period, Alexander had been content with just the physical connection, but now, as in the initial phase of their pseudo relationship, he imperiously demanded everything. As if reading his thoughts, Alexander sighed and said.

"I don't like it when you close yourself off from me, Danny. I instantly lose control, I go crazy. Please, don't."

"It happens automatically," Daniel replied quietly. "I can't control the process."

"You can," Alexander insisted, propping himself up on an elbow, frowning. "You can, but you don't want to. On the contrary, you're deliberately shutting me out, I can feel it."

"You demand too much from me, Sasha. That's not what we agreed," Daniel said tiredly, looking into the troubled green of Alexander's eyes. "Don't push me."

"I won't," Alexander agreed, his lips trembling pitifully. He pressed against Daniel's chest, listening to his uneven heartbeat, and whispered, "I'll do anything for you, anything."

A tender, doomed feeling squeezed his heart, urging him to kiss the damp hair, inhale the strong, pleasant scent, and calm him.

"I feel good with you now, Sasha. Let's stop here, okay?"

"Okay," Alexander bit his lips, hesitating to say more. "But if... if some new feeling for me suddenly appears - please, don't resist it."

Daniel remained silent, his eyelids closed. The "other" feeling had already appeared, already taken root, but Alexander didn't need to know about it - it was too dangerous to inspire hope in a man with almost limitless power. Let the unsolicited feeling live in secret, and then die. It wouldn't be long now.