𝐇𝐞𝐲 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐈’𝐦 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤!
𝐈’𝐦 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈’𝐦 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐣𝐮𝐦𝐩 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠! 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤—𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞.
𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐨𝐨𝐧. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐭!
𝐌𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞,
𝐒𝐮𝐤𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢/𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐬𝐡𝐢 ♡
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As Xanthos tried to steady his breathing, his mind still weighed down by the heavy chains of his past, Shoji stirred beside him. The soft rustling of the sheets as his mate shifted was enough to pull Xanthos from the dark haze that clung to his thoughts. Shoji’s hand instinctively reached out, searching for the warmth of Xanthos’s skin, and when his fingers found it, he sighed softly in his sleep.
Xanthos watched him for a moment, taking in the peaceful rise and fall of Shoji’s chest, the way his lips parted ever so slightly as he breathed. Shoji’s presence had always been a balm to his deepest wounds, a source of comfort that Xanthos never imagined he could have. The darkness that loomed in his mind seemed to ebb away when he focused on his omega, replaced with a warmth that only Shoji could provide.
But then, as if sensing the tension still wrapped around Xanthos, Shoji’s eyes fluttered open. He blinked a few times, the sleep slowly fading from his gaze as he turned to face his mate. Even in the dim light, Shoji could see the strain etched across Xanthos’s face, the way his body still seemed on edge, as if bracing for something unseen.
“Xanthos…” Shoji’s voice was soft, a gentle whisper that cut through the silence. He reached up, his fingers brushing against Xanthos’s cheek, the touch both tender and grounding. “What happened? Are you okay?”
Xanthos didn’t respond right away. His throat tightened, the words heavy on his tongue. He wasn’t used to being comforted, wasn’t used to letting someone in like this. But with Shoji, it was different. Shoji wasn’t just anyone. He was his.
“It’s nothing,” Xanthos murmured, his voice low and rough from the remnants of the nightmare. But Shoji wasn’t convinced. His brow furrowed, concern darkening his usually bright features.
“Don’t lie to me,” Shoji whispered, his fingers tracing soothing patterns along Xanthos’s jawline. “You don’t have to hide from me. Not here. Not with me.”
Xanthos’s chest tightened, the weight of Shoji’s words settling deep inside him. Slowly, he exhaled, the tension easing just a fraction as he allowed himself to be vulnerable, if only for a moment.
“I… had a nightmare,” he admitted, his gaze flickering away for a brief second, ashamed of his weakness. “About my past. My mother.”
Shoji’s eyes softened, his hand slipping to the back of Xanthos’s neck, pulling him closer until their foreheads touched. He didn’t say anything for a moment, just held Xanthos close, their breaths mingling in the quiet of the room. The intimacy of the moment calmed the storm that raged inside Xanthos, grounding him back in the present.
