Noah's POV
The soft glow of morning touched Noah's face before he even stirred. It was warm, gentle enough that he didn't shy away from it. His lashes fluttered, his body stretching under the heavy blanket.
For the first time in a long while…
he felt rested.
He blinked slowly, taking in the room: the pale curtains dancing faintly with the fresh morning air, the distant hum of the city, the faint scent of cedar that lingered everywhere.
Diamant.
The thought alone made his heart pick up a beat.
He sat up carefully, fingers brushing his hair back from his face. His golden strands slipped through his hands in soft waves, still a bit messy from sleep. Noah's cheeks warmed when he remembered the previous night — the gentle touch on his forehead, the blanket being adjusted, the whispered "Sleep well, Noah."
He covered his face with both hands.
"I-I can't think about it… my heart will explode…"
A soft knock made him jump.
"Noah? Are you awake?"
Diamant's voice. Smooth, deep, warm in the morning air.
Noah scrambled to make the bed or at least straighten up, but the blanket tangled around his legs. He squeaked and almost fell off the mattress.
Diamant opened the door a crack — just enough for his long silver hair to appear, cascading over his shoulder.
"Can I come in?"
Noah swallowed hard.
"Yes…"
Diamant stepped inside.
He wore a crisp black shirt, the sleeves rolled up, his hair tied loosely at the back. He looked effortlessly elegant in the morning light, like the kind of person sunlight naturally gravitated toward.
He carried a tray with tea, toast, fresh fruit — and something that smelled faintly of honey.
Noah blinked.
"You… made breakfast?"
Diamant glanced to the side as if embarrassed.
"I supervised. I'm not skilled enough to trust myself cooking for you yet."
Yet.
The word echoed in Noah's head like a spark.
Diamant set the tray gently on the nightstand.
"How are you feeling?" he asked, voice soft but attentive.
Noah hesitated, pulling the blanket shyly up to his chest.
"I… feel a lot better. Thank you."
Diamant studied his face for a moment, searching for any remaining signs of discomfort.
Noah felt the weight of that gaze — not heavy, but warm, steady. The kind that made him want to look away and keep looking at the same time.
"You slept peacefully," Diamant murmured.
Heat rushed to Noah's cheeks.
He fiddled with the blanket.
Then, quietly — almost too quietly — he said:
"…I've never seen an alpha like this before."
Diamant blinked.
"Like what?"
Noah looked down at his hands, knuckles pale from gripping the blanket.
"This caring," he whispered.
"And calm… not to mention—" he swallowed, voice shrinking shyly, "a dominant one."
Silence.
Diamant didn't move at first. He stood completely still, as though Noah's words had rooted him in place. His silver hair fell gently over his chest when he exhaled.
When he finally spoke, his voice was low, deeper than before.
"Noah," he said softly.
"You deserve gentleness."
Noah's breath hitched.
Diamant stepped closer, just a single step, but it felt like the whole world shifted with him.
"You deserve to be treated with care," he continued. "With respect. With patience."
Noah's eyes lifted just enough to meet his, wide, shimmering, vulnerable.
"And any alpha who thinks otherwise," Diamant said in a tone so calm it sent a shiver down Noah's spine,
"isn't worthy of standing near you."
Noah's chest tightened — the way Diamant looked at him, as if the words were not flattery but truth.
He whispered, almost afraid to break the moment:
"…Why are you so kind to me?"
Diamant's gaze softened.
"Because you make it easy," he said quietly.
"And because I want to be."
Noah's heart fluttered so hard he thought it might lift him off the bed.
Diamant reached for the tray then, voice gentler again.
"Eat a little. You need your strength."
Noah nodded slowly.
But before Diamant could turn away, Noah reached out and tugged weakly at the sleeve of his shirt.
Diamant froze.
Noah's voice was small, trembling but sincere.
"…Thank you. For yesterday. For last night. For everything."
Diamant looked at him for a long moment.
Then in a gesture so soft Noah nearly forgot how to breathe,
he reached out and tucked a strand of golden hair gently behind Noah's ear.
"You're welcome," he murmured.
"Rest, Noah. I'll be right outside."
Noah watched him leave with a heart full of something warm, bright, and impossibly tender.
Something he wasn't sure he could keep hidden much long.
Diamant's pov
He walked to his room calm, composed but lost in thoughts. "what was I saying in there, it was as if I couldn't control myself. I didn't mean that, did I? does this have something to do with the marking. why do I feel strange in my chest" he says as he grips his chest tightly.