☬♛ PART TWENTY THREE ♛☬

"Stay."

The word hung between them, soft yet certain.

Sebastian stared at Alex, searching his face for hesitation. For doubt.

There was none.

"Just for a night," Alex said, his voice gentle. "Stay here. With me."

Sebastian should have refused.

He was a king now. He had a kingdom to return to, duties waiting, a throne built from war and bloodshed.

But here, in this quiet village-

None of it mattered.

Because Alex was looking at him like he wasn't just a ruler.

Like he was still Sebastian.

And for once, he didn't want to be a king.

He just wanted to be his.

So he nodded. "Alright."

Alex smiled-small, but real.

And just like that, Sebastian felt his heart slip a little further from his control.

_______________________________________

The night was quiet, the air carrying the soft scent of earth and distant rain.

Sebastian sat by the small fireplace in Alex's modest home, watching as Alex moved around the room, setting down fresh blankets, pouring warm tea.

It was a simple life.

So different from the cold stone walls of the palace, the endless scheming, the weight of a crown that never truly rested.

"You live like this?" Sebastian finally asked.

Alex turned, raising an eyebrow. "And what's wrong with it?"

Sebastian shook his head. "Nothing." He exhaled. "It just... suits you."

Alex smirked. "And what suits you now, Your Majesty?"

Sebastian scoffed. "Not that."

Alex only hummed, settling beside him.

For a while, they sat in silence, the fire flickering between them.

Sebastian glanced at Alex from the corner of his eye, watching the soft glow of firelight dance across his skin.

And suddenly, it hit him-

How beautiful Alex had always been.

Not just in the way he looked-though that was undeniable.

But in the way he carried himself. The quiet strength in his presence. The warmth in his touch. The steadiness in his voice, even after everything.

Sebastian had spent years trying to erase his softness, believing it had made him weak.

But Alex-

Alex had remained soft. And yet, he had never been weak.

Sebastian swallowed hard.

"You're staring."

Sebastian flinched, realizing too late that Alex had caught him.

He looked away, scowling. "You're imagining things."

Alex chuckled. "Of course."

Sebastian rolled his eyes. But his heart-

His heart was a different story.

_______________________________________

As the night wore on, Sebastian found himself watching Alex more than he should.

The way he tucked a stray lock of hair behind his ear.

The way his fingers drummed absently against the wooden table.

The way he laughed, low and quiet, at something unspoken.

Sebastian had spent years thinking he had lost Alex.

But now, sitting beside him, he realized the truth-

He was still losing him.

Every second, every stolen glance, every quiet breath-

Sebastian was falling, all over again.

And he was terrified.

Because for the first time in years, he wasn't falling into rage. Into vengeance.

He was falling into love.

And this-

This was a battle he didn't know how to win.