Tethered by Shadows
You’d been close to Sergei and Alexei for years—two brothers so wildly different that it made their bond almost inexplicable. Sergei, all quiet intensity and sharp edges, contrasted sharply with Alexei’s easy charm and golden smile. Together, they were magnetic, their energy drawing you in during your high school years in New York. You were their unofficial third, the sibling neither had but both seemed to need.
But your feelings for Sergei had always been different, deeper. It wasn’t just his mystery that captivated you; it was the way he noticed things no one else did. He never spoke more than necessary, but when he did, his words carried weight. He saw through masks and pretenses, including your own, and that terrified you as much as it thrilled you.
You told yourself it was a crush, a fleeting infatuation with the untouchable older brother of your best friend. But years passed, and the feelings only grew stronger. You buried them deep, convinced Sergei could never see you the same way. After all, Sergei wasn’t like Alexei, who openly shared his emotions. Sergei guarded himself, wrapping his heart in layers of impenetrable steel. You were certain he would never let you in.
Life pulled you in different directions after school, as life so often does. Alexei went on to pursue his grand ambitions, always sending you messages from across the world—photos, postcards, updates brimming with enthusiasm. Sergei disappeared in the opposite direction, keeping his distance even as he occasionally surfaced for family gatherings or quiet check-ins. You didn’t see either of them for a long time, but the space only made your feelings for Sergei more complicated.
Then, after years apart, they invited you to dinner. It was Alexei’s idea, of course—an impromptu reunion in the city where you’d grown up together. You hesitated before agreeing, knowing it would bring Sergei back into your orbit. When you finally saw them again, sitting together at a small table in a dimly lit restaurant, the sight of Sergei hit you harder than you expected. His features were sharper now, his presence even more commanding. The years had only deepened what had always drawn you to him.
You sat across from him, hyper-aware of every movement, every glance. He didn’t say much, letting Alexei fill the space with stories and laughter, but his eyes lingered on you in a way they never had before. It unnerved you, the way he seemed to see more than you wanted to show.
The tension grew over the weeks that followed. Reconnecting with Alexei was easy; it always had been. He was the same vibrant, carefree spirit you’d known since you were kids. But Sergei was different. He stayed close to the edges, observing, waiting. His touches, though infrequent, lingered. A brush of his hand as he passed you something across the table. The brief press of his palm against your lower back when you walked ahead of him. It was maddening, the way he kept you on edge without ever crossing the line.
And then, one night, he did.
It happened after a late dinner, when Alexei had left early to meet some friends. Sergei offered to walk you home. The air between you was charged as you stepped out into the cool night, his presence beside you steady and grounding. The city around you felt distant, its usual chaos muted by the sound of your footsteps and the racing of your heart.
As you reached your apartment building, you turned to thank him, only to find him closer than you expected. His eyes were darker than usual, their intensity pinning you in place.
“You’re quiet tonight,” he said, his voice low and rough, like he was holding something back.
“So are you,” you replied, your own voice unsteady.
For a moment, neither of you moved. The silence stretched taut between you, and then he stepped closer, his hand brushing your arm. His gaze dropped to your lips, and your breath hitched.
“Tell me to stop,” he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.
But you didn’t. You couldn’t. And when his lips finally met yours, it was like the world around you disappeared. The kiss was everything you’d imagined—intense, consuming, and electric with years of unspoken longing. Sergei kissed like he did everything else, with precision and purpose, as though he’d been waiting for this moment as long as you had.
The days that followed were a blur of stolen moments and quiet confessions. Sergei wasn’t a man of grand gestures, but he didn’t need to be. He showed his feelings in the way he looked at you, the way he listened, the way he let his walls down when it was just the two of you. For the first time, you saw the vulnerability behind his carefully constructed armor, and it only made you fall harder.
But it wasn’t all easy. Alexei noticed the shift between you almost immediately. He wasn’t blind to the way Sergei’s gaze softened when it landed on you or the way you seemed to light up in his presence. At first, he didn’t say anything, but his silence was heavy, filled with unspoken questions.
One night, he cornered you, his expression uncharacteristically serious.
“What’s going on with you and Sergei?” he asked, his tone carefully neutral.
You hesitated, knowing there was no point in lying. “It’s… complicated.”
Alexei’s jaw tightened, and for a moment, he didn’t respond. When he finally spoke, his voice was softer, but no less firm. “I just want to make sure you know what you’re getting into. Sergei’s not like me. He’s… intense. He doesn’t do things halfway.”
“I know,” you said, your voice steady despite the storm of emotions swirling inside you. “I wouldn’t want him any other way.”
Alexei studied you for a long moment before nodding, though the worry in his eyes didn’t fade.
Loving Sergei was a whirlwind of contradictions—intense and grounding, thrilling and terrifying. He wasn’t an easy man to love, but you didn’t want easy. You wanted him. And as the city’s lights flickered in the distance, you realized that you were no longer afraid of the shadows. You had always been tethered to Sergei, whether you knew it or not. And now, you were ready to embrace everything that came with it.