the confrontation

He managed to evade Chima for exactly eleven hours before Chima cornered him in the toilet at the main compound. Andem backed off into the stall as Chima crowded him in, reminding Andem that he wasn't just younger. He was shorter, leaner. Less… than Chima. Andem lowered his eyes to the ground.

"You've been avoiding me."

"We have to go back to trai-"

Chima moved in and Andem had to hold the walls as the back of his legs hit the toilet seat.

"Are you going to tell anyone what happened?" Chima asked. Andem could feel Chima's gaze on him, as surely as he'd felt Chima's touch the night before.

"Nothing happened."

Chima hesitated for a second before he turned around and left the stall, allowing Andem a moment to breathe before he was back in Andem's face again.

"You can't tell Eteli," Chima explained emphatically. "You can't…" He sighed. "I'm not breaking the rules, okay?" Chima stood with one hand on his hip and another rubbing the creases of his young forehead. "It wasn't real. I wasn't trying to fuck my teammate. We were just training."

And all Andem did was wait. In his stall.

"You know that, right?" he asked. "It didn't mean anything. You don't have to tell Eteli. Please." He looked at Andem. "You don't even believe me."

Andem was still not sure what to say so he just held his tongue.

"Say you believe me," Chima commanded. "Say you won't tell anyone what happened."

"I won't tell anyone what happened."

Because really? Who was he going to tell? What was he going to say? That he was approached sexually by an alpha?

"Okay but do you believe me?" Chima asked, stepping closer.

Andem did not. He knew what he felt. He knew what he'd seen in Chima's defunct eyes and chances were, it was going to happen again. He'd used the alpha voice on Andem in that situation and he was going to do it again. Chima was going to find him somewhere else and try things with him or worse still, convince Andem that his ghastly lifestyle was worth the experimentation.

"You don't believe me," Chima whispered, sounding confused and betrayed. 

"What does it matter if I don't believe you?" Andem asked, anger surging in him.

"If you don't believe me, you're going to talk about this somewhere."

"I'm not going to say anything."

"If you do, I'm going to lose everything, Andem."

"I'm not going-"

"Do you understand what that means?" Chima asked. "Riddim is my second chance. It's my last chance. Do you know how hard it is to be a recruit at twenty-five? No one wants to hire someone who's my age who has no experience on his record. If Riddim kicks me out, no one else will take me."

"I already told you-"

"And your judgment betrays your intentions Andem. You already think I'm defunct, not to mention the ignorance and bigotry you wear on your head like a crown."

"I have no intentions-"

"You're worried that I'm going to… you're worried I might force myself on you," Andem did not dispute him. "I won't. I never would. I just wish you would believe me. If you want me to stay away from you, I will. I will do anything to prove that I won't ever do anything. I swear."

He was still coming closer and once again, Andem was forced to step back into the toilet that he had just taken a dump in, minutes ago.

"I'm sorry," Chima said, standing so close that Andem would have liked to point out that this was probably not the best way to prove that he wasn't going to try anything. "I won't do anything to make you feel uncomfortable."

Except this? Andem thought.

"I just…" he trailed off as his eyes lowered to Andem's lips –Andem cringed inwardly- and then he leaned in.

"Back the fuck up," Andem snapped, pushing Chima away and stepping out of the stall. "What the hell? What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

"I'm sorry." Chima looked frustrated and guilty.

"Come near me again and I swear to fucking god, I will kill you."

When he stormed out, Andem didn't think he'd ever been more annoyed in his entire life.

-*-

Steven wouldn't take no for an answer so he hauled Andem to the kiosk down the street. He sat quietly, listening to Steven make small talk with the seller about useless things and important things. He knew something was up between Andem and Chima but he didn't bring it up. Didn't ask about it. The fact that he was trying so hard to get Andem's mind off of it was so endearing for Andem that he almost cried.

Maybe if he avoided Chima, things would just simmer down and sizzle away.

Or Chima might avoid him altogether and make it easier on all of them.

Or they might become so stiff with each other that Eteli would have intervened.

Maybe then, Andem would just tell everyone what was going on and rid their team of a defunct leader.

Granted, Eteli wouldn't care that Chima was defunct. He'd be more infuriated that Chima tried to break Eteli's biggest rule. Do not fuck your teammate. All Andem had to do was mention it and, Viola!

Even though he couldn't do it, Andem still relished the idea that he would just walk up and rip the damn band-aid. But there was no way he could ruin someone else like that. He knew what it felt like to pursue a dream regardless of where you were supposed to be. He wasn't supposed to be in Uyo or at Riddim. He was supposed to be home, preparing to learn business and take over from his father. But he stayed in Uyo.

Granted, it wasn't the same thing but he couldn't deny that Chima would make a fine agent and a great leader… if he would just stop trying to molest other alphas, who also happened to be his teammate. He had fight in him and he had fire and he was talented and hard-working after the amount of experience he'd gotten from training, Andem knew Chima would be an irreplaceable asset to their team.

So who was he to say Chima shouldn't be in Riddim?

-*-

By the time they got home, Rotimi had a baffled expression and Nsemeke had more baffling news.

"Chima is gone," Nsemeke said and Andem's jaw tightened at the news.

"What?" Steven asked.

"See?" Rotimi said, showing them into the box-room. "He packed up all his things and left.

Andem shrugged and walked out.

Because he was not to blame for that.

And he wasn't going to feel guilty about it.