Sunlight crept across the floorboards like an intruder, slicing through the open windows of the manor and slashing gold over the messy sheets tangled around Liam and Alex.
Liam stirred first, sleep still clinging to his lashes as he groaned and pulled the warm body beside him closer. His arms wrapped tight around Alex's waist, face buried against the nape of his neck.
"Mm…" Liam hummed, voice thick with sleep and still laced with that deep, satisfied edge from the night before. "You smell like me."
Alex, still pretending to sleep, smiled faintly but didn't move. His muscles ached in all the best ways, soreness blooming over his thighs, neck, and back, reminders of everything they'd done.
"You cling like a koala," Alex murmured, his voice husky.
"'Cause I'm cute and endangered," Liam replied, still nuzzling into him. "And you're mine."
Alex turned in his arms, nose brushing Liam's cheek. "Possessive already?"
