5.

KIERAN'S POV:-

Noah Everly didn’t realize it yet.

But he belonged to Kieran.

And Kieran wasn’t going to let anyone—not time, not rules, not even Noah himself—get in the way of that.

It started small. Obviously, he can't scare away his little angel that fast.

A little control here, a little influence there.

Changing the seating chart so he could sit closer. Making sure Noah’s coffee order was always paid for before he arrived, so he’d start wondering who was looking out for him. Watching, always watching, memorizing the little things—Noah’s favorite books, the way he chewed on the tip of his pen when he was thinking, the soft, barely-there scent of vanilla that lingered whenever he walked past.

And then, of course, came the people.

Noah didn’t talk to many, but Kieran made sure the few that tried didn’t stick around.

A male teacher who lingered too long? Rumors.

A student who got too friendly? A well-timed accident.

Kieran was careful, methodical. Invisible.

No one would ever suspect him.

But Noah…

Noah was starting to notice. It's thrilling.

---

NOAH'S POV:-

The feeling wouldn’t go away.

That awareness. That sense of being watched.

At first, Noah told himself it was just paranoia. That he was imagining things. Or maybe a silly school crush , eventually Kieran will get tired.

But then the little things started adding up.

His coffee, already waiting for him. The strange glances from students, like they knew something he didn’t. A teacher suddenly resigning with no warning, just after Noah had spoken to him a few times.

And then there was Kieran Wolfe.

Always there. Always too close.

Today was no different.

Noah sat at his desk, fingers gripping his pen a little too tightly as Kieran leaned against the desk beside him.

Watching.

Always watching.

“Do you need something?” Noah asked, keeping his voice steady.

Kieran just smiled. Slow. Easy. A little too knowing.

“I just like being here,” he murmured.

A shiver ran through Noah’s spine.

He needed to end this. Now.

“I think you should—”

“Be careful, Mr. Everly.”

Noah froze.

Kieran’s voice was low, almost a whisper, but there was something dangerous underneath it.

“People aren’t always what they seem,” Kieran continued, tilting his head. “It’d be a shame if you trusted the wrong person.”

Noah’s breath caught.

And then, Kieran smirked.

Like he knew something Noah didn’t. Like he had already decided something Noah hadn’t realized yet.

Like he had already won.

---

KIERAN'S POV:-

Noah was scared.

Good.

Because fear meant he was thinking about Kieran.

Step by step, piece by piece, Kieran was erasing all the distance between them.

Making himself inescapable.

Noah could fight it all he wanted.

But in the end…

He’d be right where he belonged.

Right in Kieran’s hands.

---

NOAH'S POV:

He had to do something to stop this madness , once and for all.

So here he was ..

The faculty meeting room felt too small, too confined. Noah found himself glancing at the door repeatedly as Principal Chen discussed upcoming semester plans.

"Mr. Everly? Your thoughts on the new curriculum changes?"

Noah startled, realizing everyone was looking at him. "I... yes, the changes seem reasonable."

His mind wasn't on curriculum changes. It was on the note he'd found in his desk drawer this morning - a carefully drawn sketch of him reading, capturing every detail down to the way his hair fell across his forehead.

He'd reported it to administration. Filed a formal complaint.

But somehow, that only made him feel more vulnerable.

KIERAN'S POV:

The complaint meant nothing.

Adults always thought paperwork could fix everything. Build walls with forms and policies.

Kieran watched from across the cafeteria as Noah spoke with the guidance counselor, his shoulders tense. Even nervous, he was beautiful.

But he'd made a mistake, trying to push Kieran away.

Now it was time to show Noah exactly what happened when people tried to come between them.

NOAH'S POV:

The whispers started that afternoon.

Students giving him odd looks. Hushed conversations that stopped when he walked past.

His phone buzzed with an anonymous message:

"Check your email."

With trembling fingers, Noah opened his inbox.

And felt his world tilt sideways.

___________