Cassian lay awake, the moonlight etching silver lines across his bare chest, his arm still curled protectively around Riven's waist. The room was a haven of tangled limbs, forgotten whispers, and the scent of surrender. Yet peace was a fragile illusion.
Riven stirred beside him, breath soft against Cassian's throat. "Can't sleep?"
Cassian let out a quiet sigh. "I keep wondering when this thread between us will snap."
Riven shifted, eyes meeting his in the dim light. "Then maybe we need to make it unbreakable."
Cassian's hand moved instinctively, fingers threading through Riven's hair before tightening. "You talk like it's that easy. Like love can fix all the broken pieces."
"It can't," Riven murmured, inching closer, bodies pressing tight. "But touch might help hold them together."
Their mouths met again—not desperate this time, but slow, lingering. There was no battle in this kiss, only aching reverence. Hands roamed with purpose, relearning every ridge, every scar, every mark they'd memorized and missed.
Cassian rolled over, pinning Riven beneath him, eyes smoldering. "You still know how to break me."
Riven arched beneath him, voice low and breathless. "Then let me rebuild you. One touch at a time."
What followed was less firestorm and more slow burn. A claiming not of bodies, but of trust. Fingers moved like prayers, lips whispered confessions into skin. They moved together with aching precision—each kiss a vow, each gasp a thread binding them tighter.
Cassian cupped Riven's face, his voice a rasp. "Say it."
Riven blinked up at him, vulnerable and unguarded. "I love you."
The words slipped free like silk—and Cassian felt something snap inside him… not in destruction, but in surrender. He bent to press his forehead to Riven's. "Then we hold on. No matter what comes next."
Outside, the night deepened—but inside, they stitched their souls tighter with every breath, every pulse, every shared heartbeat.
And somewhere in the spaces between moans and murmured names, a new thread took shape—stronger than flame, forged by touch and truth.