Chapter 25

Sebastian's world was warm and wrapped in the familiar smell of leather mixed with the faintest hint of chlorine. He was home. He knew nothing else, but that didn't matter.

He couldn't open his eyes and wasn't sure he needed to. Something brushed his hair. He leaned into it, nuzzling the skin of a callused palm. The smell of home intensified and he breathed in deep.

"Sebastian, sweetheart, can you hear me?" a soft, familiar voice asked.

James . Sebastian smiled. Of course it was James. James was his world, his everything. He expected to be nowhere else.

He kissed the hand cupping his cheek, wanting to be wrapped up in James's sweet-smelling skin forever.

He must be lying on a bed because it dipped and a hard body encircled him. "I've got you, sweetheart. Just please wake up," James whispered against Sebastian's temple.

"I'm awake," he mumbled, shifting so he could bury his face in James's neck.

A relieved whine escaped James's throat.

That made Sebastian remember he was supposed to be taking care of James, not the other way around. Memories of shades, hot blue power, and the sight of James limp in the grass flooded his mind. Sebastian sucked in a panicked breath as his eyes flew open.

James held him so tight he could barely move. "You're okay. I've got you. Everything is fine."

"But you—" Sebastian gasped, unable to finish the thought.

"I'm fine." James kissed the top of Sebastian's head. "Rest, sweetheart."

Sebastian's whole body relaxed, going limp and accepting the firm hug James gave him. He breathed in the smell of the man, the smell of good things, and drifted back to sleep.

Later, Sebastian woke up much more alert. He was still in James's arms and had no idea how long it had been since the fight with the shades or the last time he'd woken up.

At least the sun was still out.

"James," he murmured groggily, trying to stretch but unable to move much with the way James held him.

"Sebastian." James didn't sound like he'd been asleep. "How do you feel?"

James released his grip enough for Sebastian to look at him. "Fine."

James glared at him. "Fine?" A sob choked out of him. "I didn't know if you'd ever wake up."

Pain gripped Sebastian's chest at the anguish on James's face. "I'm here." He clutched James's shoulders. "What about you? You drained yourself so badly with all that fire. And then—" His words failed as he remembered the shade taking James away.

James ran a hand through Sebastian's hair. "I recovered days ago. Parker too. All we did was a bit too much magic, nothing we couldn't come back from."

"You didn't know that." Sebastian squeezed him. "You could have killed yourself. And I know you were trying to protect us all, but, James, I can't do this without you."

James brushed his lips against Sebastian's, tangling a hand in Sebastian's hair. "I know, Sebastian. But I can't do this without you either. And shit , what you did was so reckless."

Sebastian fixed him with a serious stare. "If I hadn't done it, you'd have been sacrificed. There was never a question of risking myself. I won't let you leave me. Nothing can take you. I'd rather have died trying to save you than lose you."

Tears fell down James's cheeks. "But you're not allowed to save me and then not wake up for four days. You aren't allowed to leave me either, Sebastian. I wouldn't survive it."

Sebastian's own tears clouded his vision. "I won't leave you, James. I will claw my way back from the worst kind of hell to get back to you. Promise."

James let out a pained sound. Sebastian kissed him, swallowing all his fears, and didn't release his mouth until he could feel James smiling. "I promise, James," Sebastian repeated. "Nothing is keeping us apart."

"Nothing." James agreed softly and wiped his eyes. "But let's not do that again."

"Fuck, no." Sebastian let out a tired laugh. "Was I really out for four days?"

James brushed the tears from Sebastian's cheeks. "Yeah. We've all been so worried. After the darkness broke, some disaster relief workers came in, and Hazel convinced them to treat us here instead of trying to take us to the hospital, but they're long gone, and we've been doing our best to look after you. Things around town are mostly back to normal now."

Sebastian raised his brows. "No shade attacks?"

James shook his head. "No, it's been quiet. I haven't left you, but everyone else has been coming to check on you regularly and tell me what's been happening. They'll want to know you're awake."

"We'll tell them." Sebastian ran his hands down James's chest. "Just not quite yet."

"No," James agreed. "Not yet." He pulled Sebastian into a rough kiss.

The desperation as James devoured him unlocked something wild in Sebastian. He needed James just as much as James needed him. He had all these overwhelming feelings threatening to burst out of him.

James must have felt the same. Sebastian could feel it in the way James touched him. It was as if they were both searching for reassurance that the other was still there and not going anywhere. They tugged at their clothes until they were naked, tangled in the sheets, their legs wound together.

Sebastian pried himself from James's lips so he could kiss and suck his way down James's neck instead. James panted, arching into Sebastian. When Sebastian captured one of James's nipples in his mouth, James groaned.

"You're everything to me, James," Sebastian murmured as he dropped kisses across his chest. "I want a life with you. I want to see you every day and feed you all your favorite foods. I want normal and quiet moments with you. No more curses or otherworldly magic, just a simple and straightforward us ."

James tilted Sebastian's face so they could look at each other. "I want that too. It sounds perfect. I want to give you everything you've ever wanted."

"I've already got it. All I need is you. The rest of life is just details."

James gave him a radiant smile, and then they were kissing again. Sebastian pulled James on top of him. The press of hard muscle weighing him down made him feel safe and each brush of James's hands against his body reminded him he'd been chosen. This was his life. The good hadn't ended. It had grown into something even better.

Sure, they still had problems coming out their ears, and working out the details would be more complicated than in any normal relationship, but none of that mattered now. They were celebrating each other. They'd face the rest later.

"What do you want?" James whispered in Sebastian's ear as he rocked his hips.

Sebastian ran his hands down James's back. "I want you to stay right here on top of me so I can feel you."

They kissed, hips rolling, hard cocks rubbing, slickened with the precum smeared between them. Sebastian grabbed James's ass, and he groaned into Sebastian's shoulder. Sebastian kneaded the muscles, guiding James's movements against him.

"Love this ass." Sebastian squeezed again, then let his fingers trail between James's cheeks. James's movements faltered, and they looked at each other. "Are you into this?" Sebastian brushed him gently. He'd never touched James there before.

James was flushed, his eyes bright with need, as he pressed back into Sebastian's grip. "Yes, oh god, Sebastian, please." He spread his legs wider. "Touch me."

Being the one James opened up to lit a fire inside Sebastian. He buried his fingers between James's cheeks, and James canted his hips into the touch. Sebastian found James's hole and massaged the tight ring of muscle, circling around.

James shuddered and rocked against Sebastian. His eyes fluttered closed, and he dropped his head against Sebastian's chest. "Oh fuck, that feels good. Feels so good when you touch me."

"I love touching you." Sebastian pressed against the tight ring of muscle but didn't penetrate. James whined, thrusting back into the touch. "I love you fucking me and eating me," Sebastian said, and James moaned his agreement. "But the best thing is watching you unravel. Seeing how much you love it too. "

"I do. Fuck, being with you blows my mind. I didn't know it could be like this, Sebastian. Not before you."

"Me either, James. I never knew it would feel this good to be yours."

It felt like light and life and everything Sebastian had longed for all his life. He had his home, his James. He had a place in the world. As long as he had that, he could deal with the rest. He could face what his connection to the veins meant and the truths the shade had hinted at. Sebastian was done preparing for the worst. He knew he had hard things to face, but it didn't mean the end was coming. It meant the best things in his life awaited him on the other side.

James bucked on top of him, kissing and sucking on Sebastian's neck. Sebastian pushed the tip of his finger inside James, his muscles opening and pulling him in greedily. James moaned as heat enveloped Sebastian's fingertip. He bit down on Sebastian's shoulder and cried out, coming between them.

James's teeth on Sebastian's skin had Sebastian's orgasm racing through him. His pulse thudded, chest fluttering with every good feeling he'd imagined possible.

James had chosen him. He wasn't alone and didn't have to fear being left in the dark and forgotten.

Sebastian held James close as the sun streamed through the window, caressing their sweat-slicked bodies. The darkness couldn't claim them when they had each other to come home to.

The End