Beyond The Fine Line

Chapter LV - Dream State

A/N: I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Hidelias for bringing Sir Fitzgerald to life. Thank you so much!

The first light of dawn seeped gently into the loft, softening the edges of the slanted ceiling and casting a warm glow over the room. The air, thick with the lingering scent of rain, seemed to hold its breath, embracing the stillness that came with the early hour. The quiet rustle of leaves blended seamlessly with the faint murmurs of a city not yet fully awake, as if nature and life were perfectly aligned in their pause.

Sean stirred, his body rousing on instinct, bound by months of waking at the same hour. He was still half-asleep when the realisation that there was no need to reach for his phone sank in. The mattress beside him wasn't cold either. He shifted closer, slipping his arm around Jay and pressing a soft, unhurried kiss to his shoulder blade, a quiet acknowledgement of comfort and presence that felt as natural as breathing.

Something he nearly pushed away.

When Sean had agreed to move in with Jay, he thought his doubts were gone. But as the time passed, a quiet unease began to creep in. The idea of moving into Jay's penthouse started to feel like a betrayal of the values that defined him and the principles that had driven him to fight for equality and justice.

As these thoughts grew louder, Sean found himself wondering if he should instead look for a small flat on the outskirts of London, somewhere he could afford on his intern's salary. It would be inconvenient, certainly, but it felt honest. It wouldn't risk diminishing the integrity of his work or the person he aspired to be.

His struggle must have been written all over his face because Sari cornered him one evening after dinner, invoking her big sister's privilege to demand an explanation. When he finally finished, she sighed heavily before smacking him lightly on the head.

"So, your solution is to punish both of you for the disparity in your finances?"

Sean stared at her, caught off guard. "It's not punishment. It's...fair," he muttered, though the word felt hollow even as he said it.

"Fair?" Sari raised an eyebrow. "You think it's fair to strain your relationship by living across the city because you can't match Jay's bank account? Fair to deny yourself the time and space to be together when your schedules are already insane? A relationship isn't about keeping score, Sean. It's about supporting each other. If the roles were reversed, wouldn't you want Jay to move in with you if it meant making things easier for both of you?"

Her words lingered in his mind long after the conversation ended, forcing him to confront a truth he had been avoiding. Living separately wouldn't make their relationship more equitable. It would simply put distance between them when time together was already precious. He thought about how hectic their lives would be, even in the same city. If they weren't living together, it might be days or weeks before they found a free evening. But this wasn't the only thing that helped him reinforce his decision...

Jay was always respectful and understanding, never flaunting his wealth. Even his style was defined by luxury in a quiet, unassuming way, where the absence of visible logos reflected his preference for elegance over ostentation. More importantly, Jay never made him feel dependent or inadequate, never drawing attention to the gap in their financial realities. In fact, it was the opposite. Jay often made him forget it was there in the first place. And Sean finally realised that moving together wouldn't change it... that Jay asked him to move in simply because he wanted to be with him.

"Do you have a death wish?"

The chilling voice was so sudden it cut through Sean's thoughts like a blade. He froze, yet his fingers still unconsciously kept tracing the spider lilies.