The first pale ribbon of dawn crept between the canopy curtains, brushing across Yu's face and coaxing his eyes open. For the first time in weeks he felt… awake. Alive. The fatigue that had clung to him like damp cloth had vanished, replaced by a vibrant hum running through every vein.
The realization soured quickly. He knew where that energy had come from.
Yu lay on his side, half-covered by the pale pink sheets, and looked at the man sleeping beside him. Adrian's features were relaxed in sleep, a faint crease between his brows even now—the sign of a man who rarely let his guard down. His breathing was deep, even; his dark hair fell over his forehead in a way that made him look strangely young.
Yu's chest ached at the sight. He reached out as if to brush a stray lock from Adrian's temple but stopped himself, fingers curling into the fabric of the sheet instead. The warmth he felt now was a stolen thing.
'How could I tell him what I am?'
