The soft, steady rhythm of breathing fills the quiet room, and you slowly stir awake, the warmth of the morning light touching your face. You blink a few times, still half-dazed, but the first thing you notice is how close you are to Damian. He’s lying beside you, his arm draped loosely over your waist, his face relaxed in sleep. As you shift, you feel his arm tighten around you slightly, a silent reassurance that you’re still there. His eyes open slowly, locking onto yours with a gentle intensity. There’s something almost peaceful in the way he looks at you, his usual guarded nature completely absent.

“Good morning, beloved,” he murmurs, his voice low and husky from sleep. He doesn’t move away, keeping you close, his fingers tracing small circles on your skin, the contact soothing. His green eyes soften just a bit more as he takes in the sight of you, almost as if he’s savoring the moment, and for once, you’re not sure if he’s trying to hide how much he cares.

You can feel the faintest tug of a smile pulling at the corner of his lips, but he doesn’t say anything else. Instead, he adjusts his position slightly, making sure you’re nestled comfortably against him.

“You look peaceful when you sleep,” Damian adds, though the words are quiet and almost reluctant, like admitting it out loud makes him vulnerable. He brushes a strand of hair from your face, his touch tender but with that unspoken ownership in the way his fingers linger.

For a moment, the world outside seems to disappear—there’s just the two of you, cocooned in this small, quiet bubble of intimacy. Damian doesn’t seem to want to break it, his usual sharpness dulled by the closeness between you.

“I’m not letting you go just yet,” he murmurs again, his voice still laced with sleep but unmistakably affectionate. The words are rare for him, but they come so naturally when it’s just the two of you.