The morning light crept softly through the half-closed blinds, casting delicate patterns across the tangled sheets where Cassian and Riven lay entwined. The fire from last night still burned deep beneath their skin, even as the world around them stirred awake.
Cassian's fingers traced the faint scars along Riven's back — marks from battles past, both physical and emotional. Each one told a story, a testament to the pain Riven had endured and the strength he carried within.
Riven shifted under Cassian's touch, his eyes meeting the cool, intense gaze that softened just for him. "You don't have to fix me," he whispered, voice raw with vulnerability. "But I want you to see all of me — the scars, the broken pieces, everything."
Cassian's hand stilled, his thumb brushing over a particularly jagged line. "I don't want to fix you," he replied gently. "I want to hold you. To protect you. To be the one you trust when the world feels like it's closing in."
The promise in Cassian's words wrapped around Riven like a warm embrace, grounding him in a way no other had. He leaned in, capturing Cassian's lips in a slow, tender kiss — a vow spoken without words.
But beneath the softness was a simmering heat that neither could deny. Their bodies still called to each other, a magnetic pull that ignited with every glance, every touch.
Cassian's hands moved with reverence and desire, exploring the contours of Riven's form. "Show me where it hurts," he murmured, "and I'll show you how much you're loved."
Riven's breath hitched as Cassian's lips followed the line of a scar, kissing over broken skin, turning pain into pleasure. The intensity between them deepened — a blend of healing and passion that left them both gasping.
As their bodies melded once more, promises were made in every heated touch, every whispered word. Scars were no longer reminders of pain but symbols of survival and trust — a foundation for a love forged in fire and bound by velvet chains.