Lucien decided he was done arguing over laundry.

He waited until Leon was busy in the kitchen—the smell of searing garlic acting as a distraction—before slipping into the master bedroom.

He'd lived in the apartment for weeks but had never crossed this threshold... it felt like entering a wolf's den.

The room was offensively minimalist—sharp edges, expensive gray silence, and a bed large enough for a small army.

Lucien began his search... his heart hammering a frantic rhythm against his ribs.

He opened a drawer and froze.

Stacks of hundred-dollar bills stared back at him—unsecured and piled high like a scene from a heist movie.

"Who even carries this much cash?" Lucien whispered... slamming the drawer shut before the temptation to call a taxi to the airport kicked in.

Beneath the drawer sat a safe.

If Leon kept loose thousands in a nightstand... what the hell was in the safe? Gold bars? A hit list?.

Lucien reached for the handle—

"Looking for a payout, baby?".

Lucien nearly jumped out of his skin... spinning around to find Leon leaning against the doorframe.

The man looked offensively relaxed... gray-blue eyes tracking Lucien's guilty stance with a dark, amused glint.

"Where's my stuff?" Lucien demanded... trying to sound like a threat instead of a startled lamb. "Give it back."

Leon pushed off the doorframe... closing the distance in three predatory strides.

He caught Lucien's hand in a warm, crushing grip. "No."

"You can't just keep my underwear, Leon! That's theft!"

Lucien pointed a trembling finger at the safe. "What's even in there? Is it a... you know?"

He mimicked a gun with his fingers... throwing out a few "biu-biu" sound effects for good measure.

Leon's mouth curved into a slow, dangerous smirk.

"Want to see?"

Leon pressed his thumb to the scanner... the safe clicked open with a heavy, metallic thud.

Lucien peeked inside... and his brain officially stalled.

No gold. No weapons.

Just a white shirt... a pair of boxers... and the leather wristband Lucien had lost at the beach.

"You... you're actually a freak," Lucien stammered... his face turning a vivid, indicting shade of red.

"I'm your freak," Leon rumbled... caging Lucien against the wall.

"I want to lock up a lot more than just your clothes, Lucien."

Lucien's stomach chose that exact moment to let out a loud, pathetic growl.

He looked at Leon... eyes wide and innocent.

"I need to eat."

Lucien didn't get his clothes back... and he wasn't about to risk a second "search" of the master suite.

He decided on psychological warfare instead.

After dinner... he curled up on the sofa and opened Twi.

He made sure Leon could see the screen... scrolling through a feed of tanned, muscular fitness models.

"This guy's physique is incredible," Lucien noted... tapping a 'heart' on a particularly shirtless photo.

"Wow... his skin tone is perfect. So athletic."

Leon stood by the dining table... his jaw tightening as he watched Lucien's thumb fly across the glass.

Without a word... Leon turned and disappeared into his room.

Lucien peeked over his phone... Did I actually win?.

Minutes later... the bedroom door opened.

Leon walked out... steam still clinging to his broad shoulders from a quick rinse.

He was only wearing a towel... slung precariously low on his hips.

He stopped directly in front of the sofa... towering over Lucien like a lethal shadow.

"You like the view on the screen that much?" Leon asked... his voice a low, vibrating scrape.

"It's... it's a good aesthetic," Lucien squeaked... his phone slipping in his damp palms.

Leon took a step closer... and the towel "accidentally" slipped.

Lucien's brain short-circuited.

"Leon! Cover yourself!" he shrieked... his hands flying up to block his vision.

"Why? I thought you were a fan of the muscular look," Leon countered... pulling Lucien into his lap.

Lucien's eyes watered as Leon's teeth caught the sensitive skin of his neck.

Merde... it's going to be swollen again.

Two days before Christmas... the campus was a blur of red ribbons and artificial snow.

Lucien dragged Leon toward the massive wish-tree near the dorms.

He scribbled on a card: I want a lot of money.

Leon read it over his shoulder... a frown deepening his sharp features.

"That's a terrible wish. I can give you a check right now. Pick something else."

"That's not the point!" Lucien huffed.

He peeked at Leon's card.

I want to kiss the baby.

Lucien's face flared. "You can't write that! Everyone can see it!"

"I didn't use your name," Leon noted... hanging the card on the highest branch.

Lucien glared... then scribbled a second card and sprinted to the other side of the tree.

Leon caught him by the waist before he could hide.

He looked at the card.

Merry Christmas..

Leon's mouth tilted into a rare, genuine smile.

He caught Lucien's hand... sliding their joined fingers into his coat pocket.

Large, wet snowflakes began to drift from the sky... melting against Lucien's lashes.

"Let's go to the Riok tomorrow," Lucien whispered... looking up at the man through his messy bangs.

"To see the fireworks?"

"Yeah... and I have something I want to tell you."

Leon's grip on his hand tightened... his gaze turning heavy and dark.

"Yaeh. Babe, I have something to say, too."

Lucien woke to the scent of savory broth drifting into the bedroom.

He'd stayed out too late with Jamie, mostly listening to his roommate's latest dating disaster while nursing a single beer.

Leon didn't wait for him to find his feet; he simply scooped Lucien out of the duvet.

"Morning, baby," Leon rumbled, carrying him toward the bathroom like he was a particularly expensive, fragile pillow.

"Joey says the perfect Christmas involves a mall, and then fireworks," Leon announced later, leaning against the counter while Lucien ate.

Lucien looked at his reflection, clad in one of the discounted, oversized hoodies he usually favored.

"Why the mall? I don't need anything," Lucien muttered, stabbing a piece of fruit.

Leon's expression flattened, the look he gave opponents in the ring right before a knockout.

"I've been giving you money, but I haven't bought you things," Leon noted, his tone heavy with a very specific kind of resolve.

Shopping with Leon Bolton was a cardiovascular workout, and a lesson in excess.

Leon didn't check price tags; he checked if the fabric made Lucien look "soft" and "mine".

By the third hour, Lucien was trailing behind, his legs turning to jelly.

"I'm done," Lucien pouted, tugging on Leon's sleeve. "Take me to the Riok Hotel".

Leon didn't argue, he just reached down and snagged Lucien by the waist, hoisting him up.

"Leon! We're in public!" Lucien hissed, his face flaring a brilliant, indicting pink.

"You said you were tired," Leon countered, his grip on Lucien's rear unyielding as he marched through the crowd.

Lucien gave up, burying his face in Leon's neck and inhaling the scent of expensive soap and trouble.

The hotel sat right on the edge of the square, towering over the city's Christmas lights.

Leon set him down in the lobby, instantly threading their fingers together as they approached the desk.

"Cold?" Leon asked—his thumb tracing circles over Lucien's knuckles.

Lucien shook his head, his eyes widening as a muffled boom echoed from the street—the first bloom of color hitting the sky.

"We need to get upstairs," Lucien urged, pulling on Leon's arm.

They stepped into the elevator—the numbers on the display ticking upward in the heavy silence.

Lucien licked his lips, his heart doing a slow, rhythmic thud against his ribs.

"Leon," he whispered, looking at their joined hands in the mirrored wall.

Leon didn't answer, he just watched Lucien's reflection with those steel-gray eyes—predatory and focused.

The penthouse suite door clicked open, revealing a floor-to-ceiling view of the entire city.

Lucien didn't look at the window, he looked at the man closing the door behind them.

He lunged, throwing his arms around Leon's neck and pressing his mouth against the man's.

It was messy, desperate, and entirely Lucien's idea.

Leon groaned—his hands finding Lucien's waist and hoisting him flush against his chest.

The fireworks exploded behind them, reds and golds reflecting in the glass like a war zone.

Leon dragged his teeth over Lucien's lip, trailing heat that made the boy's knees buckle.

"What happened to the 'No-Kissing Order'?" Leon rasped, his breath hot against Lucien's skin.

"Deduct the points later," Lucien panted, his hazel eyes bright with a rare streak of defiance.

Leon carried him out onto the balcony, the winter wind hitting them instantly.

He unzipped his heavy coat, pulling Lucien inside the warmth of the expensive fabric.

Only Lucien's head poked out, resting against Leon's solid, humming chest.

The city lights twinkled below, a sprawling, frozen ocean of gold and holiday cheer.

"I have something to say," Lucien murmured, his voice muffled by Leon's shirt.

Leon tightened his hold, waiting for the words like he was waiting for a bell to ring.

"Let's date," Lucien whispered, his grip on Leon's waist tightening. "For real".