𝑼𝑵𝑬𝑿𝑷𝑬𝑪𝑻𝑬𝑫 | 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝑑𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡

𝐹𝐴𝐾𝐸 𝐼𝑇 𝑇𝐼𝐿𝐿 𝑌𝑂𝑈 𝑀𝐴𝐾𝐸 𝐼𝑇

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　　 𝐈 𝐒𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐋𝐘 𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐍 𝐌𝐘 eyes, letting the light seep in, and the first thing I see is the ceiling—white, blank, familiar. But then I turn my head, and there he is. Chase.

He's so close that I can feel the warmth of his breath, the steady rhythm of his chest rising and falling in sleep. For a moment, I just look at him, memorizing the way his features soften when he's not thinking, not calculating, not saving the world—just being.

My gaze wanders without permission. The curve of his shoulders, the faint lines of muscle shifting with each breath, the warmth of his skin still radiating against me. Heat creeps up my neck as flashes from last night surge forward—moments I never thought would happen, not with him. Not like that.

It had been sudden, unplanned, but perfect in its intensity. Chase had surprised me—not just with how determined and unyielding he'd been, but with the way he made me feel like the only person in the universe. Remembering it now makes my pulse trip all over again, desire curling low in my stomach.

His breathing changes, quickening slightly, and then his eyes flicker open. They land on me instantly, sharp blue softening when he catches me staring. A lazy smile spreads across his lips.

'Good morning.' His voice is husky, warm, like he hasn't quite shaken sleep yet.

I can't help smiling back. 'Good morning.' I lean in, pressing a slow kiss to his cheek, letting my lips linger a second longer than necessary. 'Yesterday was... amazing.'

'It was,' he murmurs, rubbing at one eye with the back of his hand, like he needs to ground himself in reality.

I tilt my head, teasing. 'Definitely something worth repeating.'

That wakes him up. His grin turns sharp, playful, his whole expression lighting with the kind of energy that makes my chest squeeze. 'Like right now.'

He shifts, rolling onto his side so that he's facing me fully. His body closes the distance, and the look in his eyes makes it hard to breathe—focused, mischievous, hungry.

My heart stutters. For a second, I forget how to function, but then I lean into it. Into him. I lift my head, pressing my lips to his in an answer he doesn't need spelled out.

The kiss starts soft but deepens quickly. Chase adjusts, bracing himself above me, his body hovering over mine, solid and sure. His hand finds my cheek, warm and grounding, while his other arm supports him easily. The weight of him, the closeness, sends a shiver of anticipation racing down my spine.

'I love you,' I mumble between kisses, the words spilling out before I can second-guess them. And when I feel him smile against my mouth, my chest tightens in a way that has nothing to do with nerves and everything to do with him.

He pulls back just enough to breathe, his forehead nearly touching mine. His voice is low, certain, when he says, 'I love you too.'

'Show me,' I whisper, daring him, my voice unsteady but certain in intent.

For a heartbeat, his gaze locks onto mine, blue eyes blazing with a heat that makes my pulse skitter. Then he smirks, slow and dangerous, a promise in the curve of his lips.

'Oh, I will.'

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　　 ❛𝐖𝐄'𝐋𝐋 𝐁𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐑 school,' Chase mutters, his voice tight with panic as he fumbles with the buttons of his shirt.