Leon Bolton monitored his father in the kitchen like a hawk before pinning Lucien to the sofa. He didn't trust the man with a stove for a second.

Freya sat next to Lucien. The boy sat as straight as a board, his hands folded neatly in his lap.

"Leon is... assertive," Freya said, her voice slow and careful. "Does he treat you well? You can tell me if he's ever too much."

Lucien shook his head so fast he looked like a rattle. "No. He's very good to me." He meant it. No one had ever been better.

Freya smiled. "I see that. He hasn't looked away from you once since we sat down."

Lucien's face flared. He'd told Leon a thousand times to stop staring at him like a predator in public. The man never listened.

"He had a temper when he was young," Freya continued. "He loved to fight. Boxing gave him an outlet for all that energy."

Lucien's mind flashed to the bite marks Leon liked to leave on his hips. So that's where the energy goes now.

"I can't watch his matches," Freya admitted. "My heart stops every time a punch lands."

Lucien nodded. He did the same thing—counting every hit Leon took, feeling each bruise as if it were on his own skin.

They pulled out albums. Lucien's posture relaxed as they leaned head-to-head. Freya showed him a photo of Leon at ten, his face smeared with cake and a murderous scowl.

Lucien grinned. He opened a locked folder on his phone. "I took this while he was asleep," he whispered.

It was Leon, WK's undefeated golden boy, wearing fluffy pink bunny ears. Lucien had done it as revenge for the "toys" Leon bought.

"Nice shot," a low, gravelly voice rumbled from behind the sofa. "Got any more?"

Lucien's heart did a backflip. He nearly launched his phone across the room. Leon was looming over him, his gray-blue eyes tracking Lucien's every tremor.

"Leon! You scared the life out of him," Freya scolded.

Leon didn't apologize. Freya stood up to change for dinner, leaving them alone. Leon immediately dropped onto the sofa, pinning Lucien's thigh with a heavy hand.

"Open the album," Leon commanded. "Let's see what else is in that folder."

Lucien gripped his phone. "It's private. No."

Leon leaned in until his lips brushed Lucien's ear. "A trade. One for one. You delete my photos, I delete yours."

Lucien hesitated. It sounded fair. He opened the album, showing Leon a collection of blurry, candid shots Lucien had taken.

Leon scrolled through them, then locked the phone. "The deal's off. Yours have no value."

"What?!" Lucien bristled. "You lied!"

Leon pinched Lucien's cheek. "You fall for it every time, baby."

Dinner was a struggle. The Chinese food was average at best, despite Leon's attempts to rescue the dishes.

Lucien didn't care. He spent ten minutes praising the meal without repeating a single adjective.

"It's better than Leon's cooking," Lucien concluded, flashing a mischievous smile.

Leon's father beamed. "I'll cook for you every day this month. You should come over more often."

Lucien looked at Leon, his eyes wide with a silent plea for help. Leon ignored him, his jaw set in a hard line.

"No," Leon said flatly. "I won't bully him, and your food isn't that good. Mine is better."

"Leon!" his father barked.

Leon ignored him, piling more food onto Lucien's plate. "Trust me, baby. It's not better than mine."

Leon used his chopsticks with surgical precision. His parents struggled, eventually giving up and reaching for spoons.

Lucien felt a strange warmth in his chest. He was being accommodated. He was being liked.

After dinner, Freya showed Lucien videos of their travels—ice climbing in the Alps, trekking through rainforests. Lucien was hooked.

"Wow... that's so cool..." Lucien breathed, his eyes glued to the screen.

Leon stood by the door, his car keys already in hand. "Time to go, Lucien."

Lucien didn't even look up. "What's the rush? It's early. Go ahead if you're in a hurry."

Leon grit his teeth, the muscle in his jaw jumping.

Leave? And leave Lucien here? He sat on the edge of the designer sofa, watching his "lamb" with the patience of a hunter.

Freya offered a warm, knowing smile. "You and Leon should travel when the semester ends."

Lucien let out a soft sigh, his fingers tracing the pattern on his teacup. "I have classes."

"Next break," Leon interrupted, his hand finding the small of Lucien's back. "It's late, baby. We should head back".

Lucien offered a lingering, floral-scented hug to Freya before Leon finally hauled him away.

The second the elevator doors closed, Leon pinned him against the mirrored wall. He nipped at Lucien's ear, his voice a rough, gravelly scrape. "Planning on moving in with them now? You're getting bold."

Lucien giggled, his face flushing a violent shade of pink as he dodged the hot breath. "Don't be dramatic. I read online that appropriate separation increases a couple's happiness. It's scientific".