A Dragon's Treasure

10. The Forbidden Twin Bed

LUKE

Ever since the last and thankfully final run-in with Ernest, Cassian has been needy. He acted like Luke just evaporated if they weren't in the same room. As if Cassian had to be in the same room to know Luke was okay. This accumulated to Cassian requesting that they sleep in the same room at night.

Luke and Cassian were enduring a staring context across Luke's twin bed. The only place Luke could look were the walls or directly at Cassian's face. Nowhere else was safe. Definitely not Cassian's bare chest or the abs or the little patch of hair leading to what was underneath his sweatpants.

Luke's whole body was flush as if the summer heat had infiltrated this room. Luke radiated heat as hot as the sun. Without warning, Cassian just stormed into the room half naked. Didn't even knock or prepare Luke for what his eyes couldn't unsee, what was now burned into his memory, what Luke could now imagine closer and underneath his fingertips.

Suddenly, Luke remembered the strength of Cassian's arms as they were wrapped around him in the forest. They were just standing, and Luke needed to catch his breath.

With his arms crossed, Luke made his feelings clear. "We're not sleeping together."

Cassian's brow flicked up his forehead in a manner that was way too suggestive for the safety of Luke's mental health.

"Get your thoughts out of the gutter," Luke said.

"You started it."

Luke attempted to push down the horror that Cassian even caught his hint from the other night, which Luke will deny and if questioned further will insist it was the fault of too much tequila and Eartha Kitt. Luke shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about, but you're not sleeping here. Ernest is gone. Harry took care of him."

"But obviously this house isn't safe," Cassian insisted. He had his hands out, pleading to Luke so earnestly, it was actually kind of cute. Almost cute enough to let him snuggle up with Luke in the twin bed. "I've been thinking about it, but I don't understand why Iris would have my Fortress Ring and not use it. It makes me wonder if it's even in this house at all."

Luke wilted and untangled his arms. "I've been thinking the same thing. We've kind of exhausted the house and the storeroom, right? We've spent the last month cataloguing everything and still..."

There was more to this conversation, but Luke didn't where to go there and neither did Cassian. Sighing, Cassian set his hands on his bare hips and Luke had to take another breath. He was getting sweaty. It wasn't nearly cool enough in this room. Cassian produced far too much heat.

"We can talk about this more tomorrow," Cassian said and motioned to the bed. "Let's sleep."

"No!" Luke threw his hands up. He glared at this dragon that wouldn't stop it with that sparkly look in his eyes and that smug smiling thing he did that was driving Luke absolutely crazy. Luke was yelling. He couldn't help it, even if it tore up his throat. "This is my childhood bedroom! This is a twin bed that's definitely not going to fit both me and you-" His breath shuddered as he gestured to all of Cassian. "If you have to sleep here, you have to sleep on the floor."

Cassian held up his hands in surrender, keeping them where Luke can see them and use them for more terrible imaginations. In another world, under different circumstances, Luke would already know what those hands felt like. He would've studied the wrinkles. Know the texture. Maybe even the taste. Luke's mouth shamefully watered and he gulped, nervously.

A man has never made him feel like this in his entire life.

No boyfriend.

No passing comfort.