His bodyguard

~Backed in a corner~

He shouldn't have said that. Why did he have to utter such words?

What the hell was wrong with him? Now everyone would know about his lingering feelings for him.

Avner was deep in his thoughts, trying to look for a way out of the situation he had found himself in.

His eyes searched through the room as he tried to decipher what was going through everyone's minds at that very moment. He took a glance at Jamil who was looking at him, bewildered by his statement, and then looked back at Leonard, whose hand was still in his grip.

“What did you say?”, Jamil questioned.

Leo turned and looked at Avner, waiting for his response. The immense joy he felt on hearing Avner declare those words was one he couldn't explain.

“Sorry, I meant to say he has to accompany me to a meeting”, Avner finally spoke, breaking the awkward silence that had overshadowed the room.

“No, you said he was yours. I heard you clearly”, Jamil closed the distance between him and Avner.

He knew what he was doing, and Jamil realized that Avner was jealous of how Leonard was with him.

“Jamil?” Leonard called.

“No, Leonard. If he said you were supposed to accompany him for a meeting, then why is he clasping your hands as if his life depends on it?”, Jamil sneered at Leonard. He just couldn't understand why Leonard would allow Avner to treat him like he was a piece of furniture.

“He is right. Why are you still holding his hands?”, Harry walked in with his hands in his pockets.

He had a disappointing look on his face as he walked closer to his man, who was holding the hands of another man who he had claimed that he had no feelings for.

“Just what I needed”, Avner mumbled.

“You know what? I don't have to answer your silly questions”, Avner claimed as he let go of Leonard's hands and stormed upstairs. Stephen attempted to run up with him, but Avner brushed him into a corner and ran into his room, slamming his door.

“Avner, you are not going to avoid my question, I need to know what the hell is going on between you and that bodyguard of yours?” Harry questioned as he chased after him.

“This is the second time I am asking you this question. Avner, do you even have the slightest feelings for me? Did you only agree to be my boyfriend just to hurt me?”, Harry sobbed and banged on the door vehemently.

Avner opened the door after hearing Harry's words. His eyes filled with remorse as he stared at Harry, who was sobbing. Harry was right with everything he had said, he didn't have feelings for him.

He had thought he would develop some sort of emotion for Harry, but he hadn't.

His heart already belonged to someone else, his body longed for that certain someone's kiss, and his touch.

He had never meant to hurt Harry.

He had thought he could forget Leo by dating Harry, but he was wrong, as every part of him couldn't stop longing for Leonard.

“Avner, why are you doing this to us? What am I doing wrong? Am I not good enough for you?”, Harry walked into the room, closed the door behind him, and broke down. He was overpowered by his emotions. The thought of him not being the right person for Avner crushed his heart.

“Oh, Harry, please stop”, Avner called out softly and wrapped his arms around him, comforting him.

Harry saw this as an opportunity and went in for a kiss. Avner couldn't avoid the kiss even if he wanted to. He had hurt the poor boy enough for the day, he couldn't add more to his broken heart, he thought, as he kissed him back.

Harry immediately took the opportunity to move closer to Avner, sticking to him like gum as he began to rub every part of his body against Avner's body, his hand beginning to creep down to Avner's d**k when Avner could no longer hold it in.

He stopped himself and pushed him back. Immediately, he realized that the kissing was escalating into something else, something he didn't plan for.

“Why did you stop?”, Harry queried.

“We are going too fast, Harry. I want to take things slow”, Avner responded and walked toward the window. He was lying.

That wasn't the reason he had stopped. Avner, whose pants would have been off immediately when Harry's lips were on his, said he wanted to take things slow? Unbelievable! Even Harry was flabbergasted the moment he had heard those words.

“Take things slow? Avner, you don't take things slow. You are Avner Reginald, the notorious player. You can give me any other silly excuses as to why you are refusing to have s*x with me, but not this”, Harry scoffed in disbelief and sat down on the bed looking at his man, pissed.

“As you said, I was a notorious player, which is why I want to do things differently with you. Besides, it doesn't seem right to me that we should have s*x after what just happened”, Avner explained, still keeping up with his lie.

“Just admit that you are worried about Leonard hearing our moans and nothing more”, Harry retorted, hitting the nail on the head.

“What are you implying?”, Avner inquired as he flared up at him.

He wasn't mad at Harry because of what he said, he was mad because Harry was right with his assumptions.

Ever since Leonard had appeared back in his life, he had lost the urge to sleep around with people who meant nothing to him, and they were now irritating to him.

Harry rose from the bed and took a deep breath, he walked over to Avner and held his shoulder.

“Don't make me do what we will both regret, Avner, you had better get your act together. Trust me, you won't like me when I'm done putting up with your bullshit. There is a side of me you have never seen, and I hope it remains that way”, Harry said, and walked out of the room.

He opened the door and saw Jamil standing by the door. Jamil was about to speak, but Harry hissed at him and walked out of his presence.

“What do you want?”, Avner asked Jamil as he took a glance at him.

“I came to apologize for my behavior earlier. I didn't mean any harm when I asked you that question. It's just that I care about Leonard a lot”, Jamil apologizes for his attitude towards him.

“Why? Who is Leonard to you?”, Avner asked, not minding who was listening or what they would think about his question, he needed to know so that he could get rid of the unease he was feeling about Jamil's sudden arrival.

“Wait a minute, do you think Leonard and I have something going on?”, he asked.

“Yes, I admit he is one hell of a fine man, but I don't swing that way. Leonard is my best friend”, Jamil responded and let out a chuckle at how adorable Avner had looked jealous.

“There you are”, Leonard, walked in on them.

“What? You said I was rude earlier, so I came to apologize”, Jamil explained.

“Thank you, Jamil. We need to leave now, so I can get back in time and accompany my boss to his meeting”, Leonard said.

“Where are you guys going?”, Avner asked.

He has been asking countless questions. Well, no one could blame him, even though he wouldn't admit the fact that he was head over heels for Leonard, he couldn't hide the fact that he was interested in his life.

“I'm taking him to Dad's”, Leonard replied.

“Why? He can stay here. No, he should stay here, you and Stephen are always at my place, so I don't see the need for him to stay at Stephen's place”, Avner refuted. He didn't know when those words came out of his mouth.

Although Jamil had assured him that he didn't have anything to do with Leonard, he just couldn't stand the idea of him and Leonard being alone in that big house with no supervision, who knew what could happen between both of them.

Leonard turned over to Jamil and asked him if he didn't mind staying at Avner's place. Jamil hesitated for a while and turned over to Avner, who was using his face to gesture him into accepting to stay at his place.

“If he has no issues with it then, no problem, I will stay, but I don't think Jamie would want to stay at his place”, Jamil responded.

“Hold on? Jamie is around?”, Leonard was surprised at this new development. He didn't know Jamil's twin was also in town.

“Who is Jamie?”, Avner asked, confused. The two men in front of him were confusing him with what they were saying.

“Jamie is my twin. He is the one you should be worried about,” Jamil said and walked out.

“Leonard, what is he talking about?”, Avner stopped Leonard, who was walking out on him.

“What are you doing?”, Leonard asked, frustrated at Avner.

“What do you mean?”, Avner replied.

“I mean this, Avner! First, you acted like our kiss meant nothing to you, then you declared in front of everyone that I was yours and later changed your statement. You are confusing me and I don't know what to do,” Leonard lashed out at him, his eyes were clouded with tears as he looked at him.

“Leo, it's not like that”, Avner said in a soft tone. He moved closer to Leo and focused his gaze on him.

“Then what? I know I messed up terribly by disappearing from you when you needed me the most, but I had my reasons, ones that if I tell, it will lead to more harm than good…”, Avner interjected.

“I should decide if it will lead to more harm or good, not you. You owe me that right, Leo. Did you know how badly it hurt at the mere mention of your name? It felt like my skin was being ripped off. I cried every single night, wishing for you to come back to me. I even prayed to God, begging him to turn back time, so I could stop myself from confessing to you. Not only that, but I thought you left because you were disgusted with me for liking you,” he revealed in anguish.

“No, I never felt disgusted with you. I was the happiest eighteen years old on earth that very day. It was like the universe was helping me”, Leo shook his head, disagreeing with Avner's words. He grabbed his hand, but Avner pulled out from his hold furiously.

“Then why did you leave? Why?”, Avner asked, this time his voice was laced with fury, water forming in his eyes, yearning to hear the truth behind Leonard's disappearance.

“I…”, Leonard couldn't say anything. He just stood there as still as a statue.

“You know what? Forget it. I should never have asked in the first place,” Avner barged into his room and locked the door.

He stared at his door with hopes of Leonard chasing after him, but he fell into despair when he realized Leonard wasn't coming.

How stupid of him to believe Leonard would fight for him. He walked straight into the bathroom and turned on the shower with his clothes still on his body. He went under the showerhead and sat down, he began thumping at his chest as he attempted to control his tears, but he couldn't, as the water in his eyes began flowing like a waterfall, and he uttered a profanity at himself for being so vulnerable that he was willing to forgive Leonard and let go of the past.

Leonard was heartbroken, seeing how Avner demanded an explanation from him, but he couldn't, even if he wanted to, as it involved keeping Avner alive. He wouldn't risk telling him the truth, not until he found out who was after Avner and why they wanted him out of his life.

“Master Leonard”, Butler Charles called out to him.

Leonard sniffed and wiped off the tiny drop of tears on his face before turning around to Butler Charles.

“What is it?”, He cleared his throat.

“Mr. Jamil asked me to call you,” Charles informed.

“Thank you, Charles”, Leonard nodded his head, acknowledging Charles's words.

“And Charles…”, Leonard said.

“Don't worry, I have already asked the chef to prepare something light for the young master,” Charles replied with a smile.

“Thank you”, Leo said, and left his presence.

“Jamil, what am I going to do? The only thing stopping Avner from being with me is the truth and we both know I can't tell him the truth behind my disappearance,” Leonard fell on top of the bed and whined as he entered the room given to Jamil.

“I still don't understand what you see in him. I'm here but, you want to annihilate yourself over a spoiled brat who doesn't know what you have been through in the past few years,” Jamie countered.

Leonard raised his head immediately after he heard those words. Jamil would never say such words to him. The only person bold enough to flirt with him and reprimand him was Jamie, Jamil's twin.

“Jamie?”, Leonard muttered.

“Who else were you expecting? Avner?”, Jamie teased him.

“My goodness, how did I get so lucky? My two favorite people are in the same room with me,” Leonard jumped up and rushed over to where Jamie was sitting.

“There is nothing like luck here, Leo. You don't remember calling my brother and me and crying your eyes out about how you wanted to die, blah blah?”, Jamie made a mockery of Leonard's little display of sadness on the day he and Avner had kissed and how Avner reacted after the kiss.

“Really?”, Leonard bent his head down, embarrassed at himself.

“Yes, you called for help, and so we are here to help”, Jamil came out of the bathroom, drying his hair with a towel.

“So, did you find out what I asked of you?”, Leonard questioned Jamie.

Jamie was a well-known underworld hacker who went by the name “Raven Cloud”.

When he was ten, Jamie could break into the FBI and CIA servers with ease and without being detected, so doing a background check on Harry Foley was an effortless job for him.

“Yes, I did. And all I have to say is Harry Foley is a Demon who escaped from the depths of hell,” Jamie revealed, leaving Jamil and Leonard confused.