All Chapters of COLLATERAL DESIRE : Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

They broke apart slowly.Not abruptly, not awkwardly, just enough for air, for space, for reality to settle back in.But it didn’t feel the same anymore.Nothing about it did.The room felt different now. Not louder, not brighter, just… altered, like something irreversible had clicked into place and neither of them had fully processed it yet.Lance was the first to really look at him properly.Not the cold version of him. Not the boss. Not the wall he usually hid behind.Just Ragnar.And the second he did, something in Lance shifted.A smirk pulled at the corner of his lips. Slow. Knowing.Dangerous in its own way.“…So,” he murmured, voice lower now, lighter, like the tension that had been suffocating him for days had finally snapped, “you do have a heart after all.”Ragnar didn’t answer immediately.And that alone said everything.Because for the first time, He looked… off.Not shaken. Not out of control.But not entirely composed either.His usual stillness was there, but it wasn’

Ragnar didn’t wait long after the meeting ended.He dismissed the others with the same calm authority he always had, but there was something sharper beneath it now, something restrained, barely held in place.The moment the room cleared, he moved.Straight out. No hesitation.He already knew where Lance would be.The kitchen was quiet.Too quiet compared to the tension that had filled the room minutes ago.Lance stood by the counter, one hand resting against it while the other lifted a glass of water to his lips. He looked completely unbothered, like nothing had happened, like he hadn’t just said all that in front of everyone.Like he hadn’t crossed a line.The door opened behind him.He didn’t turn immediately.He already knew.Ragnar stepped in, the door closing a little harder than usual behind him, not a slam, but enough to carry intent.“Do you find this amusing?”Lance took another slow sip before answering, setting the glass down with a soft clink.“…A little,” he admitted, fin

The shift between them didn’t happen all at once.It wasn’t loud or obvious, nothing that could be pointed at and named in a single moment. There was no clear beginning, no exact point where things changed. If anything, it was the kind of thing you only noticed after it had already settled in, quietly, steadily, until it became impossible to ignore.Over the next few weeks, it grew.From the outside, Ragnar was exactly the same. His routine never faltered. He still woke early, still moved through his days with that same precision and control, the same cold efficiency that defined everything he did. Orders were given without hesitation, decisions made without doubt, and his presence remained as sharp and intimidating as ever.To anyone else, nothing had changed.But Lance noticed.Of course he did.Because the difference wasn’t in what Ragnar did, it was in what he allowed.At first, it was something so small it could’ve been dismissed.Lance stopped knocking.The first time it happene

The bedroom was quiet, except for the sound of their heavy breathing. Lance had Ragnar backed up against the mattress, his hands sliding firmly under Ragnar’s shirt. Usually, Lance was the one making jokes to break the tension, but his face was dead serious now. He pushed Ragnar back, and Ragnar let himself fall onto the bed, his heart thudding against his ribs.Lance didn't waste a second. He crawled over him, pinning Ragnar down with his weight. He looked down at him, his eyes dark and focused."Ragnar," Lance said, his voice sounding rough. "Please. I’m not kidding. I want this so bad."Ragnar looked up at him, a bit stunned. He was used to the icy distance he kept between himself and everyone else, but Lance was melting right through it. Lance leaned down, his face inches from Ragnar’s, his breath hot against his skin."Please," Lance begged again. He grabbed Ragnar’s hands, locking their fingers together and pressing them into the pillows. "Let me. I want to put it in. I’ve been

Morning didn’t rush them.It unfolded slowly, sunlight slipping through the curtains in soft streaks, warming the room just enough to make everything feel quieter, heavier in that peaceful kind of way. The sheets were still tangled, the air still carrying the faint trace of the night before, something unspoken, something that lingered.Ragnar was the first to shift.Not abruptly. Not carelessly.Just a small movement at first, his arm sliding free, his body turning slightly as he sat up at the edge of the bed. There was a moment where he just stayed there, back straight, shoulders set, like he was gathering himself again.Control returning.It always did.Lance watched him from the bed, half-awake, one arm still stretched across the empty space Ragnar had left behind. His eyes were heavy, but the second he focused on Ragnar—He didn’t look away.Didn’t even try to hide it.Ragnar stood, reaching for his clothes with that same quiet precision. Every movement was measured, familiar, lik