Eliana waited.
One minute.
Two.
Five.
She listened for the steady rhythm of his breathing from the other side of the bed. It came — slow, even, controlled. Too controlled.
She knew he wasn't asleep.
Her pride wouldn't let her move first.
But her curiosity was stronger.
Carefully — painfully slowly — she shifted, turning onto her back. Her eyes fluttered open just a fraction.
Sebastian was lying on his side, facing away from her.
Still.
Unmoving.
But his shoulders were tense beneath the thin fabric of his shirt.
Her brows knit together.
Was he… upset?
The thought unsettled her more than his teasing ever had.
She hesitated before whispering, barely audible.
"…Are you awake?"
Silence.
Then—
"Yes."
His voice was calm. Too calm.
Eliana swallowed.
"You knew."
It wasn't a question.
"I did."
Her fingers curled into the blanket. "Then why didn't you—"
"Embarrass you?" he finished smoothly.
She said nothing.
The mattress shifted as he turned, now facing her. Even in the dim light, his eyes found hers instantly.
"I gain nothing from humiliating my wife."
The word wrapped around her like heat.
Wife.
Not mockery. Not dominance.
Just fact.
Eliana's throat tightened. "You could have teased me."
"I could have," he agreed.
He reached out — not to grab her, not to trap her — but simply to brush his knuckles lightly against her wrist.
A gentle touch.
Deliberate.
"But you were flustered enough."
Her cheeks warmed instantly. "I was not."
A single brow lifted.
Her heart betrayed her again, racing under his quiet gaze.
Sebastian's expression shifted — something softer, something almost careful.
"You think I do not notice these things?" he asked quietly. "The way you run when you feel overwhelmed. The way you pretend sleep when you are thinking too loudly."
Her breath hitched.
He noticed that?
"All of it," he murmured. "I see all of it."
The air between them thickened — not with tension this time, but understanding.
Eliana's voice dropped to a whisper.
"Why?"
The question held more than one meaning.
Why pay attention?
Why be gentle?
Why not push?
Sebastian studied her for a long moment.
Then, softer than she had ever heard him speak—
"Because you are not something to conquer."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"You are something to protect."
The words settled deep.
Not possession.
Not control.
Protection.
Choice.
He withdrew his hand slowly, giving her space again.
"I will not rush you, Eliana," he added quietly. "Not even from yourself."
Her chest tightened painfully.
For the first time since their marriage, she felt it — not the weight of being claimed.
But the warmth of being chosen.
Carefully, hesitantly, she shifted closer.
Just an inch.
Then another.
Until there was barely space between them.
Sebastian stilled, surprised — though he didn't show it fully.
Eliana kept her eyes on his collarbone as she spoke.
"…Goodnight, Sebastian."
Not pretending this time.
His gaze softened in a way few would ever witness.
"Goodnight, Eliana."
He did not pull her closer.
He did not test her resolve.
He simply stayed.
And sometime in the quiet of the night, her hand drifted unconsciously to rest against his chest.
This time—
She didn't move away.