Dont Leave In The Morning
Lia didn't think sleeping beside Adrian would feel this intimate.
Not the kisses.
Not the touching.
This.
The quiet afterward.
The soft exhaustion settling between them while the city slept beyond rain-covered windows.
It somehow felt more dangerous than everything else.
Because this wasn't desire anymore.
This was closeness.
Real closeness.
The kind that changed people slowly.
Adrian moved first, guiding her gently toward the bed with his hands still resting carefully at her waist.
Like he physically hated letting go of her now.
Lia's pulse stayed uneven the entire time.
Not because she was afraid.
Because Adrian kept looking at her like this mattered too much.
And somehow—
that affected her more deeply than obsession ever had.
The room remained dim except for soft city lights filtering through the windows.
Rain whispered quietly outside while Adrian pulled back the blankets before looking at her again.
His gaze softened immediately.
"You still look nervous."
Lia exhaled softly.
"I'm in your bed wearing your clothes while you stare at me like that."
A faint smile touched his mouth.
"That's fair."
God.
Even his smile felt dangerous now.
Softer than before.
Less controlled.
Like happiness around her still surprised him.
Adrian sat down first against the edge of the bed, then looked up at her quietly.
The intimacy of the moment nearly overwhelmed her again.
Because suddenly—
this didn't feel temporary at all.
Lia climbed into bed carefully beside him.
The mattress shifted softly beneath them.
Warm sheets.
The faint scent of cedarwood and rain surrounding her immediately.
Adrian watched her the entire time.
Of course he did.
"You're staring again," she whispered softly.
"You're in my bed."
The roughness in his voice wrapped tightly around her chest.
Like even now, he still couldn't fully believe it.
Lia pulled the blanket slightly closer around herself.
"You make everything sound intense."
"You make everything feel intense."
The honesty nearly ruined her emotionally.
Because Adrian sounded exhausted by it.
Like loving her had become something far bigger than he knew how to control anymore.
He finally lay beside her slowly.
Close enough that warmth surrounded her instantly.
But still careful.
Still giving her space.
That somehow affected her most of all.
Even obsessed—
Adrian never trapped her.
His eyes stayed fixed on her face while silence settled softly around them.
No tension now.
Just rain.
Breathing.
The quiet weight of too many confessions hanging between them.
Lia looked at him carefully in the dim light.
Without the suits and cold expression and constant control—
Adrian looked younger somehow.
Not in age.
In vulnerability.
Like she was seeing parts of him no one else ever reached.
"You look tired," she whispered softly.
A faint flicker crossed his face.
"I haven't slept properly in weeks."
Her chest tightened.
"Why?"
The silence stretched for several seconds.
Then honestly—
"You."
The answer came quiet.
Raw.
Adrian looked away briefly toward the windows before continuing.
"I kept thinking you'd disappear if I relaxed for even a second."
The confession shattered straight through her chest.
Because suddenly—
she understood how deep his fear really went.
All the possessiveness.
The obsession.
The constant watching.
It came from panic too.
Panic that he'd finally found something he couldn't survive losing.
Lia shifted slightly closer before she could think herself out of it.
The reaction in Adrian was immediate.
His breathing caught softly.
Dark eyes returning instantly to her face.
"You moved closer."
Heat rushed lightly into her cheeks.
"You looked sad."
Something inside Adrian's expression changed completely after that.
Not darker.
Softer.
Devastatingly softer.
His hand lifted slowly toward her face before stopping halfway.
Like he still couldn't believe he was allowed to touch her whenever he wanted now.
Lia noticed immediately.
And without thinking—
she took his hand gently and pressed it against her cheek herself.
The reaction nearly destroyed him.
A sharp breath escaped him.
His eyes closed briefly like the affection physically hurt somehow.
When he looked at her again—
he looked completely gone for her.
"You do things like that," he whispered roughly, "and then wonder why I'm obsessed with you."
Warmth spread painfully through her chest.
Because Adrian sounded wrecked by tenderness.
Not lust.
Not control.
Tenderness.
His thumb brushed lightly against her cheek.
Careful.
Affectionate.
Like touching her gently mattered more than everything else combined.
The silence between them softened further.
The storm outside fading quieter and quieter while exhaustion slowly settled into the room.
Adrian studied her face for a long moment before speaking again.
"You know what scares me?"
Lia blinked softly.
"What?"
His gaze lowered briefly.
"Getting used to this."
The honesty hurt unexpectedly.
"Why would that scare you?"
Adrian looked back at her slowly.
"Because if this becomes normal for me..." His thumb brushed lightly beneath her cheekbone again. "I won't survive losing it."
The confession settled heavily into the room.
Not dramatic.
Not manipulative.
Terrifyingly sincere.
Lia stared at him quietly while rain tapped softly against the windows behind them.
And for the first time since meeting Adrian—
she realized something devastating.
He truly loved her enough to break himself over it.
Her fingers moved slowly toward his face this time.
Brushing lightly through his dark hair.
The reaction remained immediate.
Always immediate.
Adrian leaned into her touch before closing his eyes briefly.
Like affection from her still overwhelmed him every single time.
"You're overthinking again," she whispered softly.
A faint laugh escaped him.
"You're learning me too well."
Maybe she was.
Maybe that was the problem.
Lia shifted slightly closer again until her forehead rested lightly against his shoulder.
Adrian went completely still afterward.
Not tense.
Almost stunned.
"You're cuddling me voluntarily," he murmured softly.
Heat rushed instantly through her chest.
"You make it sound unbelievable."
"It is."
The quiet honesty nearly made her smile.
Adrian's arm slid carefully around her waist beneath the blanket.
Holding her gently against him.
Protective.
Possessive.
Warm.
Then softly—
so quietly it almost sounded afraid—
"Don't leave in the morning."