As the sun tickled the tip of his nose, Isaac slowly woke. For a moment he lay completely still, letting the warm light seep through his eyelids. His first clear sight fell on Noctis's chest. In his sleep, his own leg had slipped between Noctis's, and the other man's arms were wrapped gently around him.
A dull throbbing pulsed through his body. The old and new bruises reminded him of the fights of the past week, and his lower body felt as though it had been taken apart only to be put back together again.
A smile crept onto his face. He felt pretty good.
Isaac lifted his gaze and studied Noctis's sleeping face. He was shamelessly beautiful in the soft morning light. Carefully, Isaac kept still; he didn't want to move too much and risk waking him.
The circumstances of his first time had been anything but ideal. Chaotic. Painful. Far too overwhelming. And yet—if he was honest—he wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Noctis had treated him like something precious, and even if he hadn't listened to his pleas to stop, he had been incredibly gentle and careful.
Isaac didn't deserve that much care. Not after everything he had done.
And yet Noctis hadn't pushed him away.
He loved this man.
Isaac snuggled a little closer to Noctis, enjoying his body warmth and allowing himself a moment of rest. A soft sigh escaped him. How nice it would be if he didn't have to go to work today. He just wanted to lie here and savor the moment a little longer.
But unfortunately he had so much to do that he couldn't afford that luxury.
He blinked into the sunlight.
All at once he froze. The sun was already high in the sky. What time was it?!
Isaac jolted upright. With still-blurry vision, he fumbled frantically for his phone, half climbing over the sleeping Noctis as he did. His heart began to race.
He had overslept. Damn it—he should have been at work already!
"…lie back down…," Noctis murmured sleepily.
Isaac spun around. Noctis blinked sluggishly, yawned, and rubbed his eyes. He wrapped his free arm around Isaac's leg.
"Why are you already so energetic this early in the morning?"
Isaac stared at the display in disbelief. That couldn't be right—it wasn't seriously already eleven.
"Early in the morning? It's almost noon!" he burst out. He tried to get up, but Noctis stopped him. "Let go! I have to get to the café!"
"And?" Noctis's voice was rough with sleep, completely unfazed. He held Isaac's leg firmly and pressed a kiss to his butt. "You don't have to work today."
Isaac froze mid-movement. "…What?"
Noctis simply pulled him back. Before Isaac could react, he landed flat on his back on the mattress again, staring straight into Noctis's amused face. Even with his hair completely tousled, he looked shamelessly sexy, wearing a satisfied smile and looking like the happiest man in the world.
"I made sure you could rest," he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. A crooked, mischievous grin appeared on his lips. "Kieran knows. He's covering your shift."
Isaac blinked. His brain needed a moment to catch up.
"You… did what?"
Noctis's grin widened. "I must have been too gentle with you if you already have this much energy again today."
"Idiot," Isaac muttered half-heartedly, but there was no real bite to it.
Noctis chuckled softly and leaned in to kiss him.
A throaty sound escaped Isaac as his body reacted immediately to the kiss.
"Want to go again?" Noctis asked in a low, seductive voice.
"Shouldn't we talk first?" Isaac breathed, his cheeks noticeably flushed.
He pushed Noctis back a little with one hand. He would have liked nothing more than to give himself to him again, even though his lower body still throbbed sensitively. Noctis's lips curved into a knowing smile. He took Isaac's hand, his golden eyes holding him in place as he slowly ran his tongue over Isaac's index finger.
Isaac's body flared instantly, as if someone had rekindled the embers inside him. A pleasant shiver ran down his spine.
"We will," Noctis grinned in satisfaction. "You just can't fall asleep again after I'm done with you."
Embarrassed, Isaac looked away. "I was just tired," he muttered.
Noctis slipped his own fingers into his mouth, moistening them until a little saliva ran down them. His gaze was so intense that Isaac squirmed beneath him. Anticipation tightened hot in his stomach. He could hardly wait to pick up where they had left off the night before.
He's going to devour me, he thought breathlessly.
His heart pounded wildly. He held his breath as Noctis deliberately guided his fingers toward Isaac's most intimate place. Isaac's hands dug into Noctis's shoulders as the fingers pushed inside him — but the expected pain never came. Instead, his body gave way with surprising willingness.
Noctis's mouth curved in satisfaction.
"Perfect…," he murmured quietly. "You're still soft from last night."
Even so, he worked him open patiently.
Isaac let out a quiet, impatient moan.
"Then put it in."
Noctis raised an eyebrow provocatively. "Can it be that someone can't get enough?"
"Stop teasing me…," Isaac muttered and buried his face against Noctis's shoulder in embarrassment.
A soft chuckle vibrated in Noctis's chest. He pressed a brief, surprisingly gentle kiss to Isaac's forehead before finally pulling away from him.
Completely at ease, he reached for the nightstand, pulled open the lower drawer, and took out a condom and the lube.
Isaac's gaze inevitably lingered on him.
Noctis's arousal hung heavy and unhidden between his legs, and Isaac could hardly look away. A fleeting, almost disbelieving thought shot through his mind. He still could barely comprehend that something so large had been inside him the night before — and that he hadn't just endured it, but had actually enjoyed it.
But the thought quickly faded.
His gaze was captivated. Almost automatically, he began to memorize every detail: the lines, the tension of the skin, the fine veins. The shape of the tip. The places where the shaft was widest. When Noctis shifted slightly, Isaac even noticed a few pale patches on the skin — like a pigment irregularity.
Strangely, that of all things… attracted him.
Those small imperfections were oddly aesthetic and stirred his imagination. If Isaac painted more nudes, he would use Noctis as his model.
"Like what you see?" Noctis asked, amused.
Isaac blinked, pulled from his thoughts, and looked up at his face. "What?"
Noctis's grin widened. "You're drooling."
Isaac reflexively touched his mouth — only to realize there was nothing there.
Noctis burst into loud laughter.
The embarrassed kick Isaac promptly delivered to his thigh only made his grin widen further.
"Oh, come on. Don't be mad."
Still chuckling quietly, he leaned in and kissed Isaac briefly on the lips — soft enough to soothe, cheeky enough to show no real remorse.
"You're such an asshole…," Isaac muttered, avoiding his gaze.
The corner of Noctis's mouth twitched.
"I'm your asshole."
Isaac pouted demonstratively. "Maybe I should exchange you."
It sounded petulant, but the words carried no real weight.
"I'm afraid I have to disappoint you," he said with a quiet smirk. "There's no one you can return me to." His fingers brushed casually over Isaac's hip. "I've belonged to you since the day we met."
Isaac rolled his eyes in feigned annoyance, even as his heart gave a small, restless jump at the words.
"So, sweetheart," Noctis murmured closer to his ear, "how do you want it?"
Isaac looked at him questioningly. But Noctis didn't wait for his answer. Without hesitation, he turned Isaac onto his stomach, then pulled him up onto all fours. For a brief moment Isaac felt the cool gel at his entrance, then Noctis gripped his hips and pushed into him.
Isaac gasped.
His fingers instinctively clawed into the sheets. He was still too sensitive, too sore; the initial pressure burned noticeably. His body tensed reflexively. But the thought dissolved into nothing as Noctis reached that same spot that had stolen Isaac's senses the night before.
Isaac's head fell forward, an uncontrolled moan slipping from his throat.
"This should be easier for you," Noctis murmured roughly behind him. An audible groan followed. "Fuck… you feel way too good."
In this position, he couldn't see Noctis. Couldn't kiss him. Couldn't even properly gauge what would come next. For a moment he wasn't sure if he liked that—
Until Noctis began to move.
It felt as if he was reaching even deeper than before. Isaac arched his back slightly, with the result that Noctis's cock slid over that sensitive bundle of nerves. Isaac let out an uncontrolled moan.
Noctis adjusted his angle, pulling back until only the tip remained inside Isaac. Then he thrust into him hard and fast.
White spots flared at the edges of Isaac's vision.
His breath hitched.
Shit. This feels way too good.
He closed his eyes, completely losing himself in the feeling of Noctis inside him.
"Do that again," he managed hoarsely.
Noctis didn't need to be told twice.
He repeated the movement — slow withdrawal, then a hard, precise thrust — before settling into a faster rhythm. Every push hit the exact same spot, rubbing over Isaac's most sensitive place again and again until his awareness condensed into a flickering haze.
Isaac's legs began to tremble.
His lower body clenched rhythmically, released, then tightened again. His fingers bunched the sheets so tightly his knuckles turned white.
Noctis's hands tightened around his waist. Then he placed one hand flat against Isaac's stomach and applied light pressure. The added counterforce made Isaac feel even more clearly how Noctis was moving inside him.
A strangled gasp tore from his throat.
The white spots before his eyes grew denser. His pulse hammered. His breathing came only in broken bursts.
Then he felt Noctis's lips at the back of his neck and the next moment his teeth sank into Isaac's skin.
Everything in Isaac drew tight as the pain of the bite set in and spread bittersweet through his body. Breathless, he came.
Given how hard Noctis had bitten, he wouldn't have been surprised if the spot was bleeding.
Noctis lifted his mouth from Isaac's neck, pulled them both upright, and didn't stop moving. He drove Isaac through his orgasm, his thrusts growing more demanding, more insistent. With a firm hand, he turned Isaac's head to the side so he could kiss him.
Isaac clung to him.
Not a single second of rest was granted to him. His body was hypersensitive, every touch burned in the aftermath — and although he had only just come, tension was already gathering again deep in his stomach.
Noctis's breath came heavy against his lips. His hand slid down, closed around Isaac's cock, and began to stimulate him relentlessly.
Isaac gasped into the kiss.
Noctis's tongue pushed into his mouth, slow and possessive. He kissed him so thoroughly, so long, that Isaac felt as if his head were filled with nothing but cotton.
It was too much.
His body trembled without pause, the sensations colliding and overwhelming — until the second orgasm hit him like an oncoming train.
Noctis came as well, resting his forehead against Isaac's shoulder while Isaac threw his head back and cried out in pleasure. Noctis kept kissing his neck and the spot where he had bitten him. He slowed his thrusts until they had both ridden out their orgasms.
Only then did the tension ebb.
Powerless, Isaac sagged in his arms.
The bite throbbed just as fiercely as his overstimulated lower body.
Weakly, Isaac jabbed his elbow into Noctis's ribs.
"Since when are you a damn dog?" he managed breathlessly.
"You were just too cute. I couldn't help it," Noctis replied innocently. "Did it hurt a lot?"
Isaac shook his head; he was far too busy trying to breathe.
"Good," Noctis said with satisfaction.
A short while later they lay cuddled closely together in bed, still warm, still sweaty, their legs loosely entwined. They lingered in the afterglow and allowed themselves a rare moment of quiet stillness.
Isaac closed his eyes in contentment. He really should have done this with Noctis much sooner.
"So?" Noctis broke the silence. "What happened? The last time I saw you, you had a few fewer bruises."
Isaac clenched his hand. His stomach twisted painfully. So the moment of truth had come. Everything he had tried to handle on his own had, for whatever reason, failed.
Even though he normally never had trouble accomplishing everything he set out to do. He looked at Noctis. Isaac had changed over the past few weeks, his life had changed, and he wasn't ready to lose Noctis.
It was time to trust someone. He was no longer in a position where he had to do everything alone.
Slowly, Isaac exhaled.
"The idiots from the Viper Syndicate are after me," he finally said quietly.
"Why would they be after you?"
"Good question," Isaac sighed. "They said they knew everything about me and my abilities."
"Bullshit. Hardly anyone knows about your ability," Noctis scoffed.
"Exactly. From the outside, I'm nobody but barista Isaac Walker from Café Noir. Aside from my ridiculous looks, I live the life of a normal man," Isaac said. Absentmindedly, he traced small circles on Noctis's chest with his index finger. "Either they're lying, or someone talked."
Noctis was silent for a while.
"So they roughed you up because they want you? Did they try to kidnap you, or was it a recruitment attempt?"
"Both," Isaac answered irritably. "They tried before. Apparently a polite refusal wasn't enough for them."
Noctis lifted Isaac's chin, his gaze blazing with anger. He looked straight at the scar on Isaac's neck.
"Did you put them in their place?" he growled.
Isaac looked away, but Noctis forced him to meet his eyes.
"I fought back, but they still got me in the end."
The muscles in Noctis's jaw tightened hard.
"Why didn't you kill them?"
Isaac sighed. Noctis might be a killer, but that was no reason to slaughter everyone who was annoying — even if Isaac could understand the thought.
"Because I didn't want to give them a reason that could escalate into a war between the clans. You know exactly how fragile the peace in this city is."
"So you'd rather let yourself get beaten than save your life? We've already had this discussion, if you remember," Noctis scoffed.
Isaac met his gaze steadily. "I would have killed them if there had been no other choice." He bit his lip. "Besides, I had help."
"Was Noah there too?" Noctis's tone shifted ever so slightly. "Does the boss know?"
Isaac shook his head. "No…" He hesitated for a heartbeat. "It was the cop."
Noctis blinked once. "…Huh?"
"He recognized one of the idiots and followed us," Isaac explained. "He was there before they could knock me out."
For a moment, Noctis simply stared at him. Then he dragged a stressed hand over his face.
He looked at Isaac in disbelief, rubbing his face again. "Start from the beginning. How long has this been going on with the Viper Syndicate?"
Isaac grimaced slightly. "Maybe… about a month? Yesterday was the third time they showed up." He exhaled briefly. "The first time was at the café and—"
"Isaac," Noctis growled. "When were you planning to tell me about this?"
"It didn't seem important enough. I can defend myself, after all," he replied sheepishly, even though he had failed just the day before.
Noctis let out an annoyed breath. He seemed to need all his willpower to muster even a shred of patience.
"They choked you, and from what I understand the cop got there in time to help you because otherwise they would've just dragged you off?" Noctis snarled. "I wouldn't have even had a clue where to start looking for you, Isaac. Until yesterday I hadn't heard anything from you, and at the earliest I would've shown up here on my own tomorrow."
His fingers unconsciously tightened at Isaac's side.
"Do you even understand what could have gone wrong?"
Isaac's chest tightened painfully.
If they had succeeded, Noctis would have been in his abandoned apartment and probably gone on a rampage if he hadn't seen him for a few days. Isaac didn't want to imagine how he would have reacted in that situation.
Only now, seeing the raw pain on Noctis's face, did he realize what he had almost caused.
"…sorry…," he murmured quietly.
For a moment, Noctis said nothing. Then his hand moved surprisingly gently over Isaac's head.
"At least you realize it," he sighed. But suddenly he paused. His gaze sharpened. "Wait."
He pushed Isaac a little away from him, studying him closely. "Did anyone see your scar? The guys from the Viper Syndicate — or the cop?!"
"The guys didn't see anything." Isaac looked away. "…the cop did. My choker fell off while he was treating my wounds."
Noctis's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Was he here again?" he hissed.
Not today, Isaac thought, but he bit back the words.
Instead, he shook his head. "No. I was at his place. His apartment was closer, and I refused to go to the hospital," he explained guiltily. "I didn't really get far after the attack."
Noctis looked at him uncertainly until he exhaled in annoyance. "So if someone happens to spot a scar on Moonshadow's neck, the cops will come knocking on your door first," he stated flatly — a fact Isaac hadn't even considered yet. "Shit. You hid it so well all these years."
Isaac nodded. "Right now nothing is going the way I planned," he muttered.
Noctis's gaze softened a fraction. "Is that why you were so desperate yesterday?"
Isaac nodded again. His fingers clenched lightly in the sheets.
"When he saw it… I panicked," he admitted quietly. "Only you and the boss know about that scar. And the people who treated me back then." His voice grew softer, more uncertain. Slowly, he moved closer again and leaned into Noctis. "Do you think… he's still alive?"
For a moment, there was silence.
Noctis's arm tightened around him.
"I don't know," he finally said calmly. "We were kids ourselves back then. And I joined the clan practically at the same time you did." His expression turned thoughtful. "You remember what it was like — they didn't tell us anything."
His hand stroked soothingly over Isaac's back.
"The thought that he might still be alive makes me sick." Isaac looked back into Noctis's face; his golden eyes steadied him. Just being with him made Isaac feel safe. "Do you think he'd try again if he found out I'm still alive?"
Noctis wrapped his arms firmly around Isaac. "I'd kill him before he even got near you," Noctis swore darkly. Then he sighed. "You're such a damn idiot. When are you finally going to learn that you can rely on me? You can tell me anything."
Isaac pressed his lips together. He definitely couldn't tell Noctis about the kiss.
"Because I've always done everything on my own," he admitted quietly. "I'm not thrilled about having to do the heists together with Noah and Ashe either."
Noctis made a face. "Me neither. Ashe is really useful, but Noah…"
"…lives only for attention and prestige," Isaac finished dryly.
"I don't like that things have gotten more dangerous for you since he got involved."
"It was still fine until Benedict joined. But since then, nothing has gone according to plan."
They were silent for a while.
"I'm glad you came when I texted you," Isaac admitted quietly.
"After your provocative message, I didn't really have a choice," Noctis said dryly. "Seriously, Isaac, we need to work on your social skills. That text was a long way from being considered cute."
Isaac frowned and hurriedly replayed his message in his head. He had been pretty sure he hadn't written anything unusual. Though he had been fairly stressed.
Noctis watched him and started to smirk.
"If you're wondering what my issue with your message was, I can give you a few pointers. 'Come.' sounds very passive-aggressive," Noctis laughed. "I was expecting the argument of the century when I followed your summons. I was so damn irritated by your message that our last conversation came flooding back."
Embarrassed, Isaac opened his mouth to respond, but nothing fitting came to mind.
"Instead of 'Come.' you could write something like: I want to see you, let's talk or I need you."
"I'm just not good at that kind of thing," Isaac pouted.
"It's okay — you're cute when you pout," Noctis crooned. "Besides, it means you're not capable of flirting with other people."
"Idiot…," Isaac muttered half-heartedly.
Noctis only smirked, leaned forward, and pressed a calm kiss to his forehead. Then he sank back into the pillows and pulled Isaac halfway down with him.
His expression grew serious again.
"Promise me you'll always come back to me," he said quietly. "I want you to take better care of yourself. And not just accept everything — no matter who hurts you."
Isaac slowly pushed himself up, ignoring the pull in his hip, and looked down at him.
"Why wouldn't I come back to you?" he asked calmly.
Noctis looked at him with a sad smile.
Isaac nodded hesitantly.
Noctis exhaled slowly. "Figures," he muttered.
"He's still my lifesaver. I can't just abandon him," Isaac said quietly. "I won't betray him."
"He's using you, Isaac. You do realize that, right?"
"Even if that's the case. I'll serve him as long as I'm of use to him."
"There's nothing that would change your mind?" Noctis asked calmly.
"He'd have to personally deliver the killing blow," Isaac replied seriously.
The words hung heavy between them.
"You didn't actually see the damage to the painting, did you?" Noctis finally asked. His voice sounded completely matter-of-fact; there was no anger and no aggression in it.
"Because of the tear gas, everything was blurry."
Noctis studied Isaac silently for a moment before continuing.
"You know, our argument really pissed me off," Noctis said. "So that same night I broke into his office and took a look at the painting."
Isaac's heart skipped a beat. Noctis seemed to be studying his expression. But the words stuck in Isaac's throat. He wanted to know what Noctis had seen — and at the same time he was afraid of what he was about to hear.
"Do you want to know what exactly was damaged?"
Isaac hesitated. "I… I'm not sure if—"
"The frame got a few scratches," Noctis scoffed. "And not even where you'd see them right away — on the back."
Isaac stared at him in shock. Noctis had to be lying. There was no way the boss had lost his temper over a few small scratches. Without a word, Noctis grabbed his phone, tapped on it briefly, and finally held a photo out to Isaac.
"I knew you wouldn't believe me, so I took pictures."
Isaac scrolled through the images, but contrary to his expectations, they clearly showed that Noctis wasn't lying.
"That can't be…," Isaac murmured. "He said everything was destroyed. Irreparable and beyond saving. He…"
"He hit you," Noctis said quietly but sharply, "even though you did your job ninety-eight percent perfectly. At least as far as the painting is concerned. We won't even talk about your physical condition — in that regard, you failed."
Isaac stared at the screen in disbelief. He pressed his lips together, trying to make sense of it all. But he couldn't. Noctis took the phone from him and brushed his fingers gently over Isaac's face.
"Promise me you'll be careful, okay?" he asked quietly. "I'm not asking you again to leave the clan — at least not right now. But please don't take everything that comes from the boss as a given, alright?"
Isaac nodded on autopilot.
He couldn't believe what he had just seen. For a week he had blamed himself for completely destroying such an expensive painting — and all along the canvas had been unharmed.
Even so, it didn't change his gratitude toward the boss. Despite everything, he still wanted to serve him and prove that he was worth it. He was beginning to realize that Noctis was right, but he couldn't just question everything he had lived for all these years because of one misstep.
Maybe the boss had just had a bad day. Maybe something else had gone wrong.
Isaac didn't know — and he probably never would.
What he did know was that Noctis was there for him and genuinely worried about him. He didn't want to disappoint him either, and the promise to take better care of himself was one he could keep.
"Don't worry," Isaac said with a sincere smile. "I won't put myself in mortal danger, and I'll take better care of myself."
Noctis studied him for another moment.
"Make sure you do."
Then he leaned in, and their lips met in a calm but familiar kiss. Noctis's hand slid over Isaac's side and finally settled warm and heavy on his hip.
Isaac immediately sensed where this could lead again. But before he let himself get carried away, he pushed himself upright. He cleared his throat.
"Should I make you a coffee too?"
The corner of Noctis's mouth twitched. "You're trying to escape, aren't you?"
Isaac's ears instantly turned bright red. "I wouldn't have to escape if you didn't behave like you're in the middle of rut!"
"I'm not," Noctis replied with a grin. "Otherwise I would've taken you without a condom long ago until you—"
"Idiot!" Flushed deep red, Isaac shoved a pillow into his face. "And besides, I'm still a man. Stop talking such nonsense!"
Noctis's muffled laughter followed him as Isaac hastily climbed over him, grabbed a shirt and a pair of underwear, and pulled them on in quick movements.
He urgently needed a shower, but first he needed coffee, and he had to look over the documents Constantin had brought him.
Then he more or less fled the bedroom. His heart was still pounding in his chest as he prepared the coffee. He had done it with him not just once, but twice. His cheeks grew warm.
Lately quite a few things had been going wrong — but good things had happened too.
He grabbed the cups and went to the living room table. He would have liked to sit down, but his backside hurt too much, so he opened the file and read through what had been written on the single A4 page.
Isaac had to read the text twice to understand that this job was not like the others.
So that was why the canvas needed to be smaller.
He looked at the photo that had been enclosed. Noctis rested his chin on Isaac's shoulder.
"Your new assignment?" he asked, taking the coffee Isaac was holding.
"Yes."
Thoughtfully, Isaac picked up the other cup. The motif, the time of delivery, and even the conditions were specified. In his head, he went over how he would paint the picture. It posed no real challenge and wasn't anything special. He would be done with the preparations quickly.
Especially since it was for a private space and not a public one.
He walked to his studio, Noctis following him with his coffee. He yawned loudly.
"Man, I'm usually still asleep at this hour. You sure you don't want to come back to bed with me?"
"No, I have to finish the job," Isaac replied thoughtfully. He was completely lost in thought until he stepped into the studio and his gaze fell on the last painting.
Beside him, Noctis suddenly went very still.
"What the hell is that?" he asked coldly.
Isaac's stomach dropped.
"You painted the damn cop?"
Shit, that was stupid, Isaac scolded himself internally.
"Noctis, it's just a painting," Isaac tried to placate him.
Then Noctis's gaze fell on the open sketchbook containing all the drawings Isaac had made of the half-naked cop.
"Isaac," Noctis said threateningly. His voice could have frozen hell over. "What exactly did you do here with the cop?"
"He was here to check on me. Kieran told him I was sick," Isaac explained calmly. But Noctis only looked at him angrily. He seemed to truly hate the cop. Isaac swallowed. "He was just here to cook something for me and then…"
"…then what?" Noctis asked. The gold of his eyes seemed to glow. He looked as furious as a Valkyrie on the battlefield. "You let the cop into your house, he cooks for you, and then he just happens to take his clothes off so you can do exactly what?"
The anger in his voice was unmistakable.
"H-he only helped me find a bit of inspiration," Isaac stammered.
"I disappear from your life for not even a week and the best thing you can come up with is painting the cop half-naked?!"
But it had only been a figure study…
"Did you enjoy seeing him naked, Isaac?" Noctis growled. "Did you strip right along with him while you were at it?!"
"Don't be ridiculous! Why would I strip in front of the cop?!" Isaac snapped. Cold anger crept into his veins.
Without warning, Noctis grabbed him and shoved him against the wall. He braced both arms beside Isaac's head. Isaac's heart jumped.
"What do you see in that bastard? If he had the chance, he'd strip you without hesitation and do the exact same things we were just doing in the bedroom. Do you seriously think I can tolerate that?!"
But Isaac couldn't answer; Noctis's gaze burned into his retinas. His fingers tingled as inspiration struck him suddenly and without warning.
"He just wanted to help me…" Isaac said absently.
His hand came up to cup Noctis's cheek. He memorized every line of his anger. His gaze was so intense that Isaac shivered, and every place Noctis had touched or kissed the night before throbbed with anticipation.
He loved that expression — even when Noctis was angry at him.
"Breathtaking," Isaac murmured.
"What?" Noctis asked irritably.
That murderous look in his eyes is so raw and unfiltered… damn, does he always look like that when he kills someone?
"Isaac?"
He was almost jealous that others got to see him like this.
"Stay like that," he breathed.
An image formed in his mind; he couldn't afford to lose it. So he turned, propped the painting against the wall, grabbed a fresh canvas, and began sketching his idea.
His body burned with excitement.
Stroke by stroke, he laid out the composition, then impatiently grabbed his palette and began to paint Noctis.
He heard Noctis step up behind him. Eventually, he sat down beside Isaac on the floor and watched as Isaac painted color onto the canvas with obsessive focus.
"I hope you realize I still won't go easy on you later," he growled beside him, though he no longer sounded quite as annoyed as before.
"As long as you hold back until then," Isaac said, focused.
Noctis snorted softly but said nothing more. Instead, he leaned to the side, finally resting his head in Isaac's lap and silently drinking his coffee — while Isaac kept painting as if there were no tomorrow.