The drive back from Switzerland was long, and with the new semester looming, the move back to the city was inevitable. The estate was too far from campus. Lucien intended to move back into his old dorm, but Leon was adamant about the city apartment.

They had their first real argument about it. Not that it mattered—it only made the "makeup sex" more intense.

Two days before classes started, Lucien was packing his own suitcase. Leon walked in with a tray of freshly baked cupcakes, his expression souring as he saw the open luggage.

"Who told you to pack?" Leon asked.

Lucien didn't look back. "Mind your business."

Leon leaned against the dresser, watching the curve of Lucien's back. "Come here. Kiss me."

Lucien dropped a sweater, walked over, and pressed a perfunctory kiss against Leon's jaw. He grabbed a cupcake and went back to his packing without a word.

Total indifference.

Leon's steel-gray eyes tracked him. "I have a match out of town. I'll be gone for three days."

Lucien paused. "My schedule is full. I can't go."

Leon's face darkened. "Then stay at the apartment. Be a good boy and wait for me there."

Lucien sat on a chair and bit into a cupcake, pretending he hadn't heard.

Leon marched over, spinning the chair around and pinning Lucien in with both arms. "Listen to me, baby."

Lucien offered a forkful of cake to Leon's lips. "Husband, want a bite?"

Leon looked at him, then bit the cake with a ferocity that suggested he was thinking of something else entirely. He chewed slowly, his eyes never leaving Lucien's mouth.

Lucien blinked. "You eat cake so aggressively, people would think you're eating me. You think I'd feel safe in an apartment with you?"

Leon's posture softened. He leaned down, pressing his face against Lucien's pale cheek. "Stay with me. I'll listen. I'll stop when you tell me to. I'll move exactly how you want."

Lucien looked at him, eyes wide and skeptical. "I'm not an idiot, Leon. Once we're in bed, do I actually have the strength to fight you?"

Leon had no rebuttal for that.

Leon was at the training facility when his phone buzzed. He had been irritable since the flight landed, but seeing Lucien's name on the screen settled the itch under his skin.

He answered the video call. Lucien's face filled the screen—flushed, eyes misty and red-rimmed.

"Baby? I missed you," Leon rasped. "Are you in the dorm? Did you dry your hair after your shower?"

Lucien didn't answer. He let out a low, shaky breath that made the hair on Leon's arms stand up.

"Lucien? What are you doing?"

The camera tilted. Lucien was at the apartment, but he wasn't alone. He was buried in a pile of black fabric—Leon's silk dress shirt.

Leon's pulse hammered in his temples. He could see the contrast of Lucien's pale skin against the dark silk.

"Lucien! Answer me!"

Lucien looked into the camera, his lips parted. "Guess, husband."

The camera shook as Lucien moved. The sound of rustling silk and broken moans filled Leon's ears.

After a few agonizing minutes, Lucien lifted his head. He looked pathetic and beautiful, his hair a mess. He held his hand up to the lens—his fingers wet and glistening.

"I can't do it right," Lucien pouted. "It doesn't work as well as you."

Leon's expression went perfectly still, but the veins in his neck were bulging. He let out a low, dark laugh.

"Fine," Leon whispered, his voice a lethal promise. "Wait for me to get back, baby."

F*ck

---

Lucien promised to wait at the apartment, but he bolted at dawn. Before zipping his suitcase, he shoved Leon's black silk shirt into the bottom of the bag. He'd washed it that morning, but he couldn't bring himself to leave it in the closet.

Jamie was in the dorm kitchen when Lucien dragged his luggage through the door.

"You're actually back?" Jamie squinted, leaning against the counter. "I thought you moved in for good. Did the 'situationship' hit a wall?".

"Classes started," Lucien muttered, avoiding eye contact.

Jamie circled him like a hawk. "Something's off. You look... frustrated. Unsatisfied." He tapped his chin. "Is your boyfriend bad in bed?".

Lucien's face turned a violent shade of pink. He thought of Leon's fingers—the way just two of them could turn his bones into liquid. Then he thought of his own clumsy attempt with the shirt that morning. It hadn't been the same. It felt like a missing piece.

"My gift was a waste, wasn't it?" Jamie sighed, patting Lucien's shoulder. "Whatever. If the billionaire can't get it up, I'll find you a man with three working legs. WK is full of them".

Lucien didn't stay to argue. He locked his bedroom door and ran to the bathroom mirror. He saw the same face—wide amber-gray eyes and soft lips—but Jamie's words echoed in his head. Unsatisfied?.

The dorm felt cramped compared to the manor. He opened his suitcase and sighed at the pile of clothes. When he was with Leon, he never had to lift a finger. Leon packed his bags, picked his socks, and even handled the laundry.

His phone buzzed on the bed. Leon's name lit up the screen.

"Baby," Leon's voice was calm, almost eerie. "Where are you?".

Lucien licked his dry lips. "In the dorm."

"I see." Leon didn't sound surprised. "I had dinner delivered to your room. It'll be there in ten minutes".

Lucien felt his resolve slip. Self-reliance: -90%. "Okay," he whispered.

"The room hasn't been cleaned in a month," Leon continued. "I'm sending a professional crew tomorrow. Don't touch anything heavy".

Lucien gripped the phone. "Leon, stop. I can handle one room. It's not a palace".

Leon was interrupted by someone calling his name in the background. "I have to train. Focus on your match. Don't worry about me," Lucien said, hanging up before Leon could argue.

In the city training facility, Leon stared at the darkened screen. His eyes were cold, like a predator tracking a scent. Joey sauntered over, checking his clipboard.

"You okay? Grace is a tough opponent, but he gases out in the late rounds," Joey said.

"I don't care about Grace," Leon snapped. "Book me a flight back to New York for tomorrow. Immediately after the fight".

Joey blinked. "The victory dinner is tomorrow. You're the guest of honor. You can't just—"

"I have to go back and discipline someone," Leon growled. He turned toward the heavy bag, his knuckles white under the tape.

That evening, Jamie dragged Lucien to a basement chicken shop. Lucien breathed through his mouth as he bit into a piece of "insanity-level" spicy chicken. Sweat beaded on his nose. It was the kind of junk food Leon would never let him touch.

A guy from across the room walked over, holding his phone out toward Lucien. "Hey. Can I get your number?".

Lucien didn't even look up. He pointed at his phone on the table. "I have a boyfriend".

"I don't care," the guy shrugged. "Maybe I'm better than him".

Lucien leaned in, trying to look intimidating. "My boyfriend is a violent psychopath. He has a terrible temper and he likes to hit people".

The guy's smile faltered. He glanced at Lucien's expression, then turned and walked away without another word.

Jamie shook his head. "You should have talked to him. Why stick with a dry tree like Leon? You already said he's useless in the bedroom".

"I never said—" Lucien stopped. His heart plummeted. His phone screen was glowing. The call was active. Leon was on the line.

Lucien bolted out of the shop into the cool night air. He pressed the phone to his ear, his breath hitching. "Leon? Are you there?".

Silence. Then, Leon's voice drifted through the receiver, low and level. "Yes".

Lucien felt like he was standing on the edge of a cliff. "Listen... I can explain...".

"Are you eating out?" Leon interrupted.

"Yeah."

"The food in those shops is dirty. Don't eat too much spicy food. It's bad for your stomach," Leon said, his tone perfectly conversational. "Go back inside before you catch a cold. We'll talk when I get home".

Click.

Leon had never hung up on him before. Lucien stood in the wind, feeling colder than the temperature suggested. Leon was angry. He was definitely angry.

Lucien walked back into the shop and sat down heavily. He looked at Jamie with a hollow expression.

"Jamie," Lucien whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Do you know any good hospitals for... men's health?".