The instinctive urge to pull away, to cover himself, to escape before whoever this was could see him in the harsh light of morning.
Then memory rushed in.
Landen pounding on the door. Landen telling him not to lie. Landen kissing him at the door; desperate and fierce, and then the others, so many others, he'd lost count. Falling into bed. Landen above him, those dark eyes burning down. His hand on Adriel's cock, his mouth on Adriel's nipple, his words;pretty, soft, look what you do to me…
I'm not going anywhere.
Landen was still there. Still here. Still in his bed. Still holding him.
Adriel lay frozen. Afraid that moving would break the moment. Afraid that if he shifted even slightly, the spell would shatter and Landen would wake up and remember where he was, who he was with, and leave.
He could feel his breathing at his back. Slow and even. The weight of his arm across his waist was grounding and terrifying all at once.
Eventually, Landen stirred. His arm flexed slightly at Adriel's waist; a small unconscious movement as he surfaced from sleep. His breath changed, deepened, then evened out again. Then he shifted closer. Pressed his lips to the back of Adriel's shoulder.
The kiss was soft. Natural in a way that made something in Adriel's chest ache. Like it was the most ordinary thing in the world. Like he woke up every morning and kissed Adriel's shoulder before he even opened his eyes.
"Morning," Landen murmured. Rough with sleep, low and warm against Adriel's skin.
"Hi," Adriel managed.
Landen's hand moved, the one wrapped around his middle, traveling up slow and lazy until it found his chin. His fingers gripped him gently, turned his head to the side. Then Landen's lips were there, pressing against his.
Adriel's breath stuttered.
His lips lingered, warm and dry and perfect. When he finally pulled back it was barely an inch, just enough to speak against Adriel's mouth.
"Coffee?"
Adriel felt so small. So confused. So utterly unsure of what was happening or what any of this meant. Landen was acting like this was normal. Like waking up in Adriel's bed, kissing him good morning, asking about coffee, like they were any ordinary couple on any ordinary morning.
He couldn't process it. Could only nod. Small. Jerky. A puppet with tangled strings.
Landen smiled, just a curve of his lips that Adriel felt more than saw. He pecked his lips once more before moving away.
The bed shifted as he got up. Adriel watched him. He was still in the same clothes from last night, considerably more rumpled now. His hair a mess, strands falling across his forehead in a way that made him look younger.
He wasbeautiful.
The thought arrived unbidden, simple and true. Beautiful in his wrinkled clothes and his messy hair and his sleepy eyes. Beautiful in a way that made Adriel's chest hurt.
He walked across the bedroom, his hand brushing the doorframe as he left, a casual touch, and then he was gone.
Eventually Adriel forced himself to move. Sat up slowly, the sheet pooling around his waist. Only then did he register he was completely naked, the events of last night having left him stripped bare in every possible way.
His face flushed hot.
Landen had seen him. Had seen everything. Had touched everything.
He crossed quickly to the dresser, pulled open the drawer, grabbed the first things his hands found, soft worn pajama pants and an old cotton shirt, and pulled them on with shaking hands.
Then he reached for the door. Paused with his hand on the frame and took a few deep breaths. Tried to find some version of himself that could walk into that kitchen and face Landen like this was normal.
He wasn't sure he'd find it. But he stepped through the door anyway.
Landen moved through Adriel's small kitchen like he belonged there.
Adriel watched from the doorway as Landen opened cabinets without hesitation, found the coffee, the cheap stuff Adriel bought because it was on sale, and measured it into the machine like it was the most natural thing in the world.
