Noah's POV
The door closed with a soft click, and Noah opened his eyes.
He hadn't meant to.
He had truly tried to remain still, to not make a sound.
But hearing Diamant's voice whisper "Sleep well, Noah" right beside him… how could he sleep through that?
His heart was beating so fast it almost hurt.
Noah lifted a hand and pressed it to his chest, as if trying to calm the fluttering. But the warmth there only grew as he remembered the way Diamant's fingers had brushed a strand of hair from his forehead — slow, gentle, almost reverent.
Nobody had ever touched him like that.
Carefully.
Softly.
Like he was delicate but worth holding.
He curled deeper under the blanket, his face burning.
Why… why does he treat me like this?
Is it just because he's kind? Or… something else?
The thought frightened him.
But it warmed him, too.
He turned his face into the pillow where Diamant's scent lingered faintly, a clean, cool smell like cedar and winter air. It relaxed him immediately, his body softening, his breathing slowing.
"Sleep well," Noah whispered to the empty room, pretending he was saying it back.
He didn't know how long he lay awake like that, listening to the quiet hum of the city outside, his heart filling up with something too big for his small, tired body to contain.
Eventually, with Diamant's scent still wrapped around him, he drifted into the first peaceful sleep he'd had in weeks.
Diamant's POV
Diamant stood in the living room, one hand braced lightly on the back of the sofa. His long hair fell over his shoulder in a cascade of silver, glowing faintly in the dim light.
He should have gone to bed.
He had work in the morning.
He had meetings that required focus.
But he found himself standing there, unmoving, replaying the image of Noah sleeping — curled like something small seeking safety, his golden hair scattered over the pillow, his lashes trembling just slightly.
He hadn't meant to touch his hair.
But the moment Diamant had leaned closer and seen the strand lying across Noah's forehead, he couldn't help brushing it away.
It felt… natural.
And saying "Sleep well" had slipped out of him without thought — softer than he intended, almost like a confession.
Diamant exhaled through his nose, closing his eyes.
I'm getting too attached.
But when he opened his eyes again, his expression held none of its usual coldness.
It held warmth.
Dangerous warmth.
He walked to the window, pulling the sheer curtains aside just enough to let the moonlight spill in. The sky was a deep navy, speckled with the faint glow of city lights.
For the first time in a long while, Diamant felt… peaceful.
A quiet smile touched his lips — rare, small, unguarded.
He looked better, he thought. Rested. Safe.
And the knowledge soothed something inside him he didn't realize had been tense.
Diamant glanced toward the hallway, where the faint light of the bedroom peeked out beneath the door.
His voice was almost a whisper.
"…Good night, Noah."
Noah's POV — A Few Hours Later
A soft breeze drifted through the slightly open window, brushing over Noah's skin. He shifted in his sleep, clutching the blanket tighter.
His dreams were warm.
He dreamed of silver hair falling over him like starlight…
Of fingers brushing his cheek…
Of a deep, gentle voice saying his name like it meant something.
He murmured "Alpha" and smiled in his sleep.
His heart knew the truth long before he did.
Diamant's POV — Dawn
The first hint of morning light touched the sky.
Diamant had eventually fallen asleep on the couch, still wearing his robe, his long hair spread over the cushions like silver silk. He woke slowly, blinking at the pale light filtering through the curtains.
His shoulders ached slightly, he hadn't meant to sleep there.
But the moment he remembered Noah was resting in the next room, his fatigue vanished.
He stood, adjusted his robe, and tucked his hair behind his shoulder with a smooth motion. The house was quiet, peaceful.
He moved toward the bedroom, not to wake Noah, but just to check, silently, from the doorway.
The door was slightly ajar.
Diamant stepped close, stopping at the threshold.
Inside, Noah slept curled up just as before, hair glowing softly in the early light. He looked small, innocent, breathtakingly serene.
Diamant's heart tightened in a way he couldn't ignore anymore.
He whispered again, barely audible:
"Sleep well, Noah… truly."
And for the first time in years, he began his morning not with a schedule, not with a plan,
but with a feeling.
A gentle, dangerous feeling he knew he wouldn't be able to bury anymore.