The morning after burned just as fiercely as the night before.
Riven woke to a warm weight across his waist—Cassian's arm, possessive even in sleep. The man's chest pressed against his back, breaths steady against his nape, anchoring them in a stillness neither of them had known before last night.
Riven didn't move. Couldn't. The way Cassian held him felt like a tether… not just physical. Emotional. Deep. Irrevocable.
"Awake?" came the low murmur behind him, voice rough with sleep.
Riven turned slowly in Cassian's arms to face him. "Barely."
Cassian's hand moved up, brushing the sweat-dried hair from Riven's temple. "Last night wasn't a dream."
"Unfortunately."
Cassian smirked. "Unfortunately?"
"Because it means I'm still tethered to you."
Cassian's eyes darkened. "You say that like it's a curse."
Riven leaned in, close enough to kiss, but didn't. "Maybe it is."
Cassian kissed him anyway—rough, urgent, tasting of unresolved need. Riven melted under it, moaned low into Cassian's mouth, his body already responding, already aching.
The sheets fell away.
Cassian pushed Riven onto his back, straddling his hips, their erections grinding together with maddening friction. "I want to mark you again."
"You already have."
"Then I'll make it deeper."
This time, the pace was different. Less rushed. Less raw. Still demanding, but laced with something more dangerous: affection.
Cassian's mouth explored every inch of Riven's body—languid, patient, reverent. He lingered at every mark from the night before, tongue dancing over bruises like vows.
Riven was panting by the time Cassian reached his thighs, moaning when fingers and tongue teased him open again. "You—fuck, Cassian—"
"Let me in. Again. All the way."
Cassian's voice was velvet and steel. The way he filled him this time was slower, deeper, every stroke deliberate. Riven clawed at the sheets, his breath catching with every movement.
Their bodies found a rhythm that felt sacred—like worship.
Cassian leaned close, lips brushing Riven's ear. "You tethered yourself to me the moment you looked at me with those storm-wrecked eyes."
"You mean when I tried to steal a million-dollar sculpture?"
Cassian smiled against his skin. "That's when I knew I wanted to ruin you."
"And now?"
"I don't want to ruin you anymore," he whispered. "I want to keep you."
Riven groaned, overwhelmed. "Cassian—fuck—I'm—"
They fell over the edge together, a tangle of limbs, sweat, breathless curses, and whispered names. It wasn't just climax—it was combustion.
After, Riven lay there, chest heaving, tears burning behind his eyes.
Cassian saw them.
But didn't say anything.
Instead, he pulled Riven close, pressed a kiss to his damp forehead, and whispered, "You're not alone anymore."
And for the first time in years, Riven believed it.