Darius Holt confirms in brief interview that a wedding date has been set!
DNA retesting reveals that body discovered in LeVieux mansion ruins is not, in fact, Blaise LeVieux.
Camille tossed his towel onto the rack on top of Noah's and reached into the shower to turn it on.
Noah came up behind him and covered Camille's hand with his own, helping Camille adjust the temperature and water pressure. Then he stepped in and held out his hand to help Camille in. It was a strangely gentlemanly gesture that left Camille's heart pounding like he had just run up a flight of stairs.
Camille took the offered hand and stepped under the fall of warm water. He tipped his head back into the stream, letting the water drag his curls down into straightness. He let out a long sigh as the water washed down his body, but he tensed when Noah's hands slid around his waist, fingers brushing over the scars that were littered across Camille's torso.
Noah's eyes grew concerned. "Is it too much?"
Camille ran a hand through his hair. "No. It's just new, that's all." He nodded to the rack holding the shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. "Wanna grab the shampoo?"
Noah quickly obliged, squeezing a quarter-sized amount into his palm and flipping the cap shut. "Here, turn around."
Camille did. The feeling of Noah's fingers massaging the gel into his hair was alien at first, but eventually he admitted to himself that he rather liked it. He rinsed the bubbles out of his own hair once Noah was done and hesitated when Noah opened the body wash.
Noah saw it. "Do you want to do it yourself?" he asked, holding out the bottle. He was so accommodating and never in a way that made Camille feel pitied.
After a moment of internal debate, Camille shook his head. "I'm fine." He kept telling himself that as Noah's hands roamed over his body, leaving trails of lather in their wake. He put one hand on the shower wall to brace himself when Noah's fingers brushed over his abused hole. An involuntary hiss escaped his lips.
Noah pulled away immediately. "Sorry," he hastily apologized. "I didn't mean to hurt you."
"It's whatever," Camille replied, too tired to snap defensively. "I just kinda forgot what it feels like…afterwards."
Noah's hands came back, much slower this time and much more attentive to any hint of pain.
By the time they were clean and got out of the shower, Camille was ready to collapse. He let Noah dry his body off but waved off Noah's offer to dry his hair too. He went straight to Noah's bed and lay down, his skin prickling in goosebumps when Noah pulled the sheet and blanket over him and then tumbled into the other side of the bed. He blinked once, trying to adjust his eyes to the darkness, and slipped into sleep without a second thought.
The sunlight hitting his eyes through a gap in the curtains woke Camille the next morning. He sat up automatically, since he had never found a good reason to stay in bed after waking up, but froze when his gaze brushed over the person sprawled next to him.
Noah was fast asleep on his stomach, mouth slightly open as he snored gently. His arm was sprawled across the bed, his fingers almost touching Camille. He looked so peaceful. So perfect.
And Camille was ruining it. He was ruining all of it just by being here. He moved to get up, but a hand closed around his wrist.
"Don't go," Noah whined in a sleepy, teasing voice. "You'll let all the cold air under the blankets."
Camille looked over his shoulder and lost most of his confidence when his gray eyes met Noah's dark brown ones. "I've messed everything up for you. Last night was a mistake. I shouldn't be here."
Noah propped himself up on his elbow. "Do you really believe last night was a mistake? Or is that your past talking?"
It was his past. But it was also his present. Both agreed he had done nothing to deserve Noah's love. "I don't deserve it," he replied simply.
Noah reached out and grabbed Camille by the shoulders, turning him back around so they were facing each other. "You do. And even if you didn't, my love is unconditional. I've never needed you to be anyone or anything other than yourself, and I won't start now. Don't play the 'I'm not worthy' game with me, Camille. If I could go back to last night, I'd make the exact same decisions." His hands slid up Camille's neck to cup his face. "You're worth it. Now until forever."
"I'm not going to cry, if that's what you're waiting for," Camille said after a few moments.
Noah laughed softly. "You don't have to. Just remember what I said. I don't want to hear you saying anything like that again because it's not true. It's never been true, and it never will be. Remember that, okay?"
Camille nodded, almost automatically. He instinctively wanted to agree with whatever Noah said, though maybe that was emotional and hormonal residue from last night. "Okay."
"Good." Noah tugged him forward until they were both laying down again. "Now sleep in like a normal person. Or at least rest. Even if you don't want it, your body definitely does, so just chill for a bit."
Camille let Noah pull him closer, and the moment he lay back down, he realized Noah was right. His body had been crying at getting up so early, but he had not noticed it until Noah made him rest more. His head settled in the warm, comfortable space between Noah's neck and shoulder, and he fell back asleep with Noah's heat enveloping him like another blanket. He only woke up again when Noah gently shook his shoulder.
"Hey," Noah called softly. "It's almost noon, and I'm starving. You hungry?"
Camille yawned and rubbed his eyes with the backs of his hands. Now that he moved, he could feel how sore he was. Yeah, being out of practice was definitely applicable to this situation. It felt like his second or third time instead of the whatever-hundredth time it actually was. "I don't want to move," he groaned.
Noah smiled and bent to press a quick kiss to Camille's forehead. "Then you don't have to. I'll bring you breakfast, okay? Or lunch. Or whatever meal this should be called."
Camille chuckled as Noah slid out of bed and got dressed. "I think the proper term is brunch."
Noah snorted and slid his hoodie's zipper up. "Very well, milord. I shall go to prepare thy brunch."
Camille laughed out loud as Noah bowed and left the room. Laughing the morning after was rare for him, especially since he never woke up with anyone beside him. He lay on his back and watched the shadow of the tree outside the window wave on the ceiling, too tired and sore to roll over and look at the real thing.
Noah was back within fifteen minutes, two plates of food in his hands. He set them both down on the covers and then sat cross-legged on his side of the bed.
Wait, was Camille already thinking in sides?
Noah grinned. "You need help sitting up?"
Camille scoffed and shoved himself up, making sure to keep the blankets covering his lap. He was fully naked and, although Noah had seen everything last night, he was strangely shy about exposing himself. "I'm fine." He grabbed one of the plates and started with one of the pieces of toast, stuffing his mouth to escape any other cheeky questions Noah had up his sleeve.
But Noah just giggled like a little kid, reached out, and pinched Camille's rounded cheek. "You're adorable. My adorable angel."
Camille felt himself flush, and he did not like the hot, prickly sensation that spread up his neck and across his cheeks. It had been a long time since he had been…human enough to blush at someone's compliment. What did that say about his mental state? Did he really believe that he had ever been human? When had anyone treated him in that way? Noah did, and before him Rowan had. Before them, no one. Camille had been stupid enough to believe that Blaise had cared about him like another human. He had been naive enough and deprived enough that he had mistaken Blaise's attention for affection, and that had just made it easier for Blaise to control every possible aspect of Camille's life like a damn puppeteer.
Noah's grin dropped abruptly, and he leaned in, concern drawing his eyebrows together. "Are you okay? You flushed and then went as pale as a sheet."
Camille forced one of the smiles he knew passed for normal out onto his face. "Just thinking."
But Noah was not fooled for a moment, which Camille either hated with a vengeance or adored like a child feeling the peace of a cathedral for the first time—he did not know. "Camille," he warned in a low voice, "don't lie to me."
"Fine. I was thinking about my horribly manipulative and abusive older brother," Camille snapped. "Happy now?"
"Hold on, the one who died in the fire?"
Camille nodded, noticing that Noah had not blamed him for the fire despite what Camille had told him.
Noah cocked his head. "If you acknowledge that he was manipulative, then why do you think the fire was your fault?"
Camille stared down at his plate. "I'm the one who started it. It doesn't matter what made me do it."
"It does matter!" Noah's hands shot out and snagged Camille's. "If he made you do it, even if he made you think that it was your idea, then it's not your fault at all!" Noah's grip was warm and comforting and so were his words.
It felt nice to have someone stand up for him, even if Camille felt like he did not deserve it. Camille squeezed Noah's hands back. "Thank you," he said softly.
Noah blinked like Camille had flicked his forehead. "You're not just saying that to shut me up, right?"
"No," Camille replied with a smile. "I think I finally believe you. So thank you."
Noah smiled back and rubbed his thumbs across the backs of Camille's hands.
"But," Camille continued, "with Blaise dead, there's no one to confirm what happened, not like he'd be on my side even if he was alive."
Noah nodded slowly. "I know. That doesn't matter, though. As long as you know you're innocent, you'll be fine. I won't let anything bad happen to you, okay?"
Camille returned the nod, took his hands from Noah's grasp, and returned to his meal.
The two of them ate in peaceful silence, the chaos in both of their minds settled for now.
Camille had stuffed the last bite of his eggs into his mouth when his phone buzzed against the wood of the nightstand. He twisted over to grab it. "Did you bring this in?"
"Yeah. I thought you might freak out if you couldn't find it." Sweet, ever-thoughtful Noah.
Camille flipped the phone up and stared at the text from a number not saved in his contacts. His phone unlocked as the camera recognized his face, and he was able to read the message.
Miss me, mon petit sucre?