Chapter 324: Chapter 324: Here we are
The next morning came in a spill of soft autumn light across the heavy curtains. Beyond the windows the garden trees were turning copper at the edges; a faint breeze rattled a few early leaves against the glass. For a moment Lucas thought he was still dreaming; warmth pressed along his back, a mouth at his shoulder, and the slow drag of a thumb over the inside of his wrist. Then another kiss landed just below his ear, slow and warm, and he surfaced fully with a groggy sound.
"Too early," he muttered, voice muffled against the pillow.
"I know," Trevor’s voice came, low and amused. Another kiss at the curve of Lucas’s neck. "But I’ve been watching you sleep for two weeks, and I’m done with that."
Lucas tried to roll onto his stomach, but Trevor followed like tidewater, a solid line of heat against him, hand sliding under the edge of his shirt. "You’re a barnacle," he grumbled, eyes still shut.
"Barnacles stick," Trevor murmured against his skin. "And I’m not letting you walk into that hall without at least remembering I exist." His fingers traced small circles at Lucas’s hip.
Lucas cracked one green eye open. The clock on the bedside table glowed a time he didn’t want to see. "We have a full day," he protested weakly. "Rehearsal, dressing, security checks..."
"That’s why I do this an hour earlier than scheduled."
Lucas gave a sleepy snort into the pillow. "You scheduled me? Even in bed?"
Trevor’s chuckle rumbled low against his back. "Someone has to manage you. Otherwise you’ll go from the bathroom to the car to the palace and forget you have a husband."
"I don’t forget," Lucas mumbled, though his hand drifted back to catch Trevor’s wrist, thumb brushing across the tendons there. "I just... run out of hours."
"I noticed." Trevor shifted, propping himself up on an elbow so he could look down at him. In the soft autumn light his violet eyes were almost gentle, the faint shadows of too many late nights still under them. "Two weeks of meeting only your sleeping face is enough. I’m reclaiming at least one morning."
Lucas rolled onto his back finally, eyes opening all the way. The air was cool against his skin where Trevor’s palm had been. "You’re impossible," he muttered, but there was no real bite in it.
"Persistent," Trevor corrected, leaning down to kiss him once. "It’s the same skill set that got you into my life."
Lucas’s mouth curved faintly against his. "Flattery before sunrise? You really are desperate."
"Desperate for you," Trevor said simply. His thumb skimmed along Lucas’s jaw, then down to the hollow of his throat. "An hour. Then you can run off and be everyone’s Grand Duchess after."
Lucas let out a soft, half-amused breath. "Grand Duchess," he echoed under his breath, as if testing how absurd it sounded at this hour. "You make it sound like a costume I put on."
"You wear it better than anyone," Trevor murmured.
Lucas’s hand slid up from Trevor’s wrist to the back of his neck, fingers threading into the short hair there. Instead of pushing him away, he tugged, slow but deliberate, until Trevor’s head came down to rest on his chest. "Fine," he whispered, eyes already slipping shut again. "But if you want me awake, you’re going about it all wrong."
Trevor made a low sound that might have been a laugh and might have been a growl, his breath warm against Lucas’s collarbone. "Trying to steal more sleep?"
"Mm-hmm." Lucas’s palm stayed at the nape of his neck, thumb moving in small circles. "Five minutes like this. Then I’ll be human again."
Trevor shifted just enough to fit more comfortably against him, his weight a steady pressure across Lucas’s ribs, heartbeat thudding against his own. "You’re a terrible liar," he said quietly. "I can feel you thinking."
Lucas’s mouth curved in a sleepy smile, eyes still closed. "You feel everything."
"I try," Trevor murmured, lips brushing the edge of his collarbone again. He stayed where he was, letting Lucas hold him there, not asking for anything more.
Lucas breathed in and out, the scent of autumn air drifting through the cracked window, the warmth of Trevor’s body an anchor. He wanted to sink back down and let the hour slip past. But his pulse was already picking up with the day ahead, his mind ticking through entrances and names and camera flashes even as he lay still.
After a moment he gave a soft huff against Trevor’s hair. "Doesn’t work," he muttered. "Too awake now."
Trevor tilted his head up just enough to meet his gaze. "Good," he said, violet eyes glinting. "Then I got what I wanted."
"You always get what you want," Lucas said without heat.
Trevor’s mouth curved, a flash of teeth in the autumn light. "Not always. But often enough to be accused."
Lucas’s fingers stayed at the back of his neck, idly tracing the short hairs there. "You sound proud of it."
"I’m proud of knowing when to stop letting you hide under the covers." Trevor shifted suddenly, bracing his palms against the mattress and levering himself up.
Lucas blinked, still flat on his back. "Wait..."
Too late. Trevor slid an arm beneath his knees and another behind his shoulders and lifted. Lucas gave an undignified noise, half laugh, half protest, as the sheets fell away and cool air slid across his skin.
"Trevor," he warned, gripping his husband’s shoulder automatically. "I can walk."
"I know you can," Trevor said easily, carrying him toward the bathroom door with unhurried steps. "But if I let you walk, you’ll stop halfway, check your phone, and start scheduling catering again."
Lucas let his head fall back against Trevor’s chest with a groan. "This is not a sustainable morning routine."
"You like it," Trevor murmured near his ear. "You just don’t want to admit it."
Lucas’s laugh came out soft and reluctant. "I like my autonomy. You’re a barnacle and a tyrant."
"Consistent branding," Trevor said, nudging the bathroom door open with his hip. Steam from the early shower still clung to the tiles, warm against the cool air from the bedroom.
Lucas squinted at the sink, then at Trevor’s grin. "Put me down before you decide to brush my teeth for me too."
Trevor lowered him slowly to his feet, hands sliding down to Lucas’s waist but not letting go immediately. "Tempting," he said. "But I’ll settle for making sure you actually shower and eat before they steal you from me."
Lucas reached for the counter, still smiling despite himself. "You’re ridiculous."
"And yet," Trevor said, pressing one last kiss to his temple before stepping back, "here we are."
Lucas shook his head, catching his reflection in the mirror: mussed hair, faint color high in his cheeks from being carried, and Trevor’s scent still clinging to his shirt. "Here we are," he echoed, softer, before reaching for the faucet.