The morning sun warms the cabin, casting a soft glow over the bed. You wake slowly, your head resting against James’s chest, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat anchoring you. His arm is wrapped around your waist, his fingers tracing slow, absent circles on your bare skin.

Your fingers wander over the faint scars scattered across his chest, pale lines etched into his otherwise perfect skin. They feel like secrets under your touch, stories unspoken but heavy with meaning.

“Awake already, darling?” His voice rumbles low, rough from sleep, and you feel it in your bones.

“Just barely,” you murmur, lifting your head to meet his gaze. His dark hair is disheveled, his sharp blue eyes softened by the morning light.

“You didn’t sleep much,” you say softly, brushing your fingers over a scar that stretches just above his heart.

His lips curl into a smirk, but his eyes stay on you, unwavering. “Can you blame me? You’re impossible to ignore.”

You huff a quiet laugh, but the way his arm tightens around you sends warmth flooding through you. He leans down, capturing your lips in a slow, deliberate kiss. His hand slides up your back, holding you to him as though you might slip away if he lets go.

When he pulls back, his forehead rests against yours, his voice barely above a whisper. “If I could, I’d stay like this forever.”

“Then do,” you reply, your fingers brushing his jaw, your eyes searching his.

He hesitates, his gaze flicking to the window before settling back on you. There’s a heaviness in his eyes, but instead of answering, he pulls you closer, tucking you against his chest. His hand moves to your hair, stroking it gently as he sighs.

“For now, darling,” he says finally, his voice quiet but full of meaning. You close your eyes, listening to his heartbeat, and let yourself linger in the moment—because for now, it’s enough.