I'm Forever on Hold (BL)

—Well, now I have to invite Antonella —muttered Saval to himself.

Will Antonella say yes or no? She's a mystery. On one hand, I know she's somehow involved in whatever is happening to Semiel, but on the other, I want to see her, I want her to be in the stream.

No, Saval, think this through. Semiel is your best friend, and even though you've been in love with Antonella for so long, you also know she's changed. Thanks to Dante, you started realizing that maybe you were just obsessed with her.

I'm going to expose her, but first, I have to invite her so she doesn't suspect anything.

—Alright, let's do this… —Saval murmured as he dialed Antonella's number.

Turururu.

—Hello? Saval? —a cheerful voice came from the other end of the line.

—Hey, Antonella, how are you?

—Just chilling over here, what about you?

—All good, getting ready to sleep. I called to ask for your answer.

—Answer to what, cutie? —Antonella's laughter could be heard through the phone.

—Antonella, I already told you not to call me that —Saval replied shyly.

Focus, Saval. Don't fall for her.

—Hahaha, well, which answer? If it's about your confession… I'm still thinking about it.

—No, Antonella, I wouldn't pressure you about that. I meant the offer I made you, about being in the stream in three days.

—Ahhh, that…

Silence lingered for a moment.

—Alright, I'll be in your stream. But… who else is going? Just the two of us?

—Semiel will be there too. That's not a problem, right?

—Semiel? Oh, of course not. I'd love for HIM to be there —Antonella said in a tone that hinted at something else.

—All set then. Well, I'll leave you to it, I just called for that.

—So soon? Come on, stay a little longer, for me?

—Sorry, Antonella, I have to go, I'm busy —Saval said seriously.

—Aww, alright, take care.

Antonella hung up.

—Alright, I did it. Now I need a solid plan.

...…

In a pink-painted room, Antonella sat on her bed, her phone beside her, analyzing what had just happened.

—Semiel, huh… so he'll be there too. My little pet didn't even tell me about that. Maybe I should remind him who's in charge —Antonella whispered.

Saval felt strange. Normally, he would've stayed talking with me much longer. In fact, he'd be the one asking me not to hang up… mmm, weird. But I'll let it slide for now, je. It'll be fun to get some information out of Semiel and see what's going on.

...

The day after Saval's call, Semiel walked into a café simply because he needed a break. He didn't think too much about the place, he just let his feet guide him while his mind was still tangled in the conversation with Saval.

I shouldn't have accepted. That thought kept echoing in his head. Saval had said he would invite Antonella to the stream, and instead of stopping him, instead of saying what I really felt, I agreed like an idiot. Now there's no turning back.

He ordered a coffee and sat by the window, hoping the caffeine would help calm the anxiety that was pushing him to the edge. He rubbed his temple with one hand, closing his eyes for a moment, trying to clear his mind.

That's when he heard a familiar voice.

—What a coincidence, running into you here, Semiel.

His eyes shot open.

Antonella stood in front of him, that calculating smile on her lips. She wore a light jacket over her shoulders, and her hair fell over her face with irritating perfection.

As if the universe were mocking him, she took the seat across from him without even asking.

—You don't mind, right? —Antonella asked, even though she had already made herself comfortable, crossing her legs with elegance.

—Semiel felt a knot in his stomach. His coffee suddenly tasted bitter.

—Do whatever you want —he murmured, too drained to protest.

Antonella let out a small laugh before resting her elbows on the table and clasping her hands under her chin, watching him closely, as if analyzing every small gesture on his face.

—Saval invited me to the stream —she said suddenly— Obviously, I accepted. I thought it was a really sweet gesture from him. I suppose you already knew, right?

Semiel swallowed hard. His fingers tightened around his coffee cup. He knew this was going to happen, but hearing it out loud, from her lips, made his chest feel even heavier.

—Yeah, he told me —he replied, his voice tense.

—And? Excited? —her tone was innocent, but the mocking look in her eyes said otherwise.

Semiel didn't answer. Antonella smiled even more, leaning in slightly toward him.

—Oh, come on, Semiel. Don't ignore me. I know you're not happy about me being there. I can see it on your face. But of course, you couldn't say anything, could you? Because you're the good friend. The one who's always there for him without expecting anything in return. What a lovely little pet you are.

Every word was like a needle piercing his skin. His jaw tightened, but he kept his gaze fixed on the table, refusing to fall into her game. He knew what she was doing. He knew she was enjoying this.

—Look, you don't have to worry so much —she continued, stirring her coffee absentmindedly with a spoon— I won't say anything… yet. As long as you keep behaving like the well-trained puppy you are, of course.

Semiel felt the air leave his lungs. His fingers trembled slightly on the table, but he didn't let himself react more than necessary. He knew she was waiting for that.

—Enough, we have a deal —his voice came out colder than he expected.

Antonella let out a soft chuckle.

—Oh, Semiel… You know exactly what's going to happen. I'm not stupid. I see how you look at me when you think no one's watching. I see how you react when Saval mentions my name. You're so obvious it's almost embarrassing. And the worst part? He doesn't even notice. Poor you, huh?

Every word hit the mark, pressing down on him like an invisible weight, suffocating him little by little. He wanted to yell at her, to stand up and leave, but his body wouldn't move. Because deep down, he knew she was right.

—What do you want?

Antonella rested her chin on one hand, watching him with a smile.

—Nothing. Just to see you like this. It's entertaining, you know? Watching you try to act normal, pretending it doesn't hurt. It's almost touching. If only you had the courage to do something about it…

A shiver ran down Semiel's spine. His thoughts tangled into a chaotic mess of emotions that drowned him more and more. But he couldn't let himself give in. Not in front of her.

—If you think I'm going to fall for your little game, you're wrong —he spat the words with as much firmness as he could muster.

Antonella tilted her head, as if evaluating his resistance. Then, she smiled.

—Oh, I don't need you to fall for anything. You're already trapped in this, Semiel. There's no way out. No matter what happens in the stream, you're going to have a bad time. Because you'll be there, watching us, seeing how he smiles at me, how he talks to me, how he gives me his attention. And you won't be able to do anything. Because you can't do anything.

Semiel's heart was beating so fast he thought it might burst out of his chest. Antonella slowly stood up, smoothing out her jacket with the same calm she had when she arrived.

—See you at the stream. Make sure to smile for the camera. You wouldn't want people to suspect anything, right? Oh, and puppy…

Suddenly, she leaned in and kissed him.

—Remember who owns you, okay? Don't go talking to anyone else but me, hahaha.

And with that, she left. Leaving behind the scent of her perfume and the weight of her words drilling into Semiel's mind.

He sat there, unable to move, still feeling the taste of Antonella's lips. The café continued around him as if nothing had changed, as if the world hadn't just crushed him with a truth he already knew, but that now hurt more than ever.

This stream was going to be hell. And there was nothing he could do.

—

OMG, did she just call him puppy? What's going on? Is this a game or something else?

What neither of them noticed was that someone else had been close enough to overhear part of their conversation.

How would this fact affect the future? That was something worth waiting for.