Liam discovered the morning after his heat ended that very little had actually changed.
His temperature had returned to normal sometime during the night, the heavy sweetness that had saturated his pheromones for three days had faded back into ordinary saint's breath, and the overwhelming instinct to remain wherever Arik placed him had disappeared.
What had not disappeared was the realization that being taken care of was pleasant.
Liam woke beneath warm blankets with Arik sprawled beside him, one arm occupying enough of the mattress to qualify as territorial expansion, and found absolutely no desire to return to pretending he disliked being carried when tired, having cocoa placed in his hands, or being tucked against Arik while they watched terrible films.
He had spent years confusing independence with refusing comfort.
