Sunlight crept in through the high stone windows, catching dust motes in golden beams. The Rubellum guest chambers, cold and stark by design, felt warmer now — the sheets tangled around bare limbs, the air heavy with the scent of skin, sweat, and something deeper.
Asta stirred first.
He blinked into the soft light, his body sore in all the best ways. Yuno was curled against him, head tucked beneath his chin, one arm draped over Asta's stomach. His chest rose and fell slowly, mouth slightly parted in sleep.
Asta didn't move.
He just watched him.
This side of Yuno — the real one, the one no one else ever saw — was precious. Relaxed. Vulnerable. Not Golden Dawn's vice-captain. Not the royal with magic flowing like a river. Just his.
Yuno shifted in his sleep, nuzzling into Asta's neck with a quiet sigh. "You're staring," he mumbled.
Asta smirked. "Damn right I am."
Yuno opened one eye, groggy but amused. "Pervert."
Asta leaned in and kissed his forehead. "Only for you."
There was a beat of silence. Just the rhythm of breathing and the distant sound of a bird outside the window.
Then Yuno whispered, "Last night… I needed that."
Asta's hand found Yuno's and laced their fingers together. "I know."
"I didn't realize how much it was getting to me," Yuno said quietly. "The way they looked at me. Like I was something to win. Something they were entitled to."
"You're not a trophy," Asta said firmly. "You're not a prize. You're my partner."
Yuno looked up at him. "You didn't ask for permission last night."
Asta's brow furrowed. "Was it too much?"
Yuno shook his head slowly, lips brushing Asta's collarbone. "It was exactly right. I wanted to be claimed. Needed it. You didn't take anything I didn't give."
Asta kissed him again, softer this time. Long. Deep. Intimate.
When they finally parted, Yuno rested his forehead against Asta's and whispered, "Don't go back to pretending in front of them. I want them to know. I want them all to know."
Asta's smile was slow and dangerous. "Then let's make damn sure they do."