CHAPTER 13: SWOLLEN LIPS

Leonel’s fingers tightened on Cassian’s hips. In one swift motion, he stood, lifted him just enough, and let him fall onto the bed beside them. The mattress dipped under Cassian’s weight, a small gasp escaping his lips. Before he could process, Leonel followed, caging him in with his body, his gaze burning with something Cassian couldn’t name.

"Now..." Leonel’s smirk curved dark and teasing, "...time for me to play with your stomach and chest."

Cassian’s breath caught as Leonel’s hand slid beneath his shirt, fingertips grazing along his stomach in lazy strokes before gliding upward to his chest. Cassian shivered, the sensation almost unbearable in his drunken haze. A soft, broken sound slipped past his lips half-moan, half-whimper as his body trembled beneath Leonel’s touch.

"L-Leonel..." his voice cracked, shaky, "w-what are you doing?"

Leonel didn’t answer. Instead, he dipped his head lower, brushing his lips against Cassian’s throat. A warm kiss, light at first, then another, firmer, until he was pressing a trail along the side of his neck. Cassian’s body arched at the heat, his hands twitching against the sheets.

And then Leonel’s mouth hovered just above his lips. He paused for only a heartbeat, eyes locked on Cassian’s flushed face, before closing the gap.

The kiss landed soft, almost testing, but within seconds it deepened demanding, desperate. Leonel’s hand pressed firmly at Cassian’s waist, pulling him closer, as if he couldn’t stand even an inch of distance between them.

Cassian’s mind went blank. His lips moved back against Leonel’s almost instinctively, shaky but eager, his fingers finding their way into Leonel’s hair. He tugged lightly, needing something solid to hold onto.

Leonel groaned low in his throat at the contact, tilting his head to kiss him deeper, tongue brushing briefly before pulling back just enough for air. He stared down at Cassian, chest heaving, lips swollen from the heat of it. A smirk played across his mouth again, victorious and hungry.

But then-....

He froze.

Cassian’s eyes had fluttered shut. His breathing evened out, soft and steady. His hand, once tangled in Leonel’s hair, had gone slack.

"...Are you kidding me?" Leonel whispered under his breath.

Cassian had fallen asleep. Right there. Mid-kiss.

For a long, ridiculous moment, Leonel stayed where he was, hovering over him, every nerve burning with frustration. His jaw clenched, his smirk long gone. He let out a heavy sigh, finally peeling himself away.

He sat at the edge of the bed, near Cassian’s legs, running a hand through his own hair like he could scrub away the restless energy. "How irritating," he muttered, glaring down at the peacefully sleeping omega who’d just unknowingly pushed him over the edge and then left him stranded there.

Cassian shifted in his sleep, murmuring something incoherent, his shirt still ruffled up from Leonel’s hands. Leonel caught himself staring far too long, his chest tight in ways he didn’t want to admit.

With a final exhale, he laid down beside him, eyes fixed on the ceiling. Minutes ticked by before exhaustion finally dragged him under too.

Two bodies, inches apart, one lost to dreams, the other to a storm he couldn’t name.

And the night carried on in silence.