But as the warmth of the morning continued to seep into the room, the uncertainty between us lingered, a quiet but constant reminder of the path we'd chosen. I could feel it in the way Sky's fingers brushed against mine as we cleaned up, in the way he would steal glances at me as we worked in tandem, moving around the kitchen like we'd been doing this for years. Like a old married couple. Well, we've been friends for as long as I can remember.

Sky's eyes, though filled with humor and teasing, held something deeper—a need for confirmation. He wanted to know if this was real. If we were real.

"Spade," he said suddenly, his voice serious, breaking the comfortable silence between us. I paused mid-step, glancing up at him as he set the last plate in the drying rack. His back was to me, but I could sense the tension in the air, his body rigid.

"Yeah?" I replied, taking a step toward him, the question in my tone obvious.

Sky turned around, and for a moment, his eyes softened. But then the vulnerability came through—he was still unsure, still afraid of what was next, of the weight of everything we'd just started.

"What happens when the fun... the heat, the lust... fades?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper, the words heavy with meaning.

I reached out to him, placing a hand on his cheek, feeling the coolness of his skin against my palm. "It won't fade, Sky. We're in this together, and I'm not going anywhere. Lust, love... it doesn't matter. This... us... is real."

His eyes searched mine, looking for any sign of doubt, any hint of hesitation. But there was none. I meant it. I'd always meant it.

Sky nodded slowly, his lips curving into a soft smile. "I think I can handle that," he murmured, leaning into my touch.

I chuckled, my thumb brushing over his bottom lip. "I think you can, too." Then, my voice dropped an octave. "But if you're thinking of giving up on me after round three..." I trailed off, my hand sliding down his chest, teasing his skin, and a mischievous grin tugging at my lips. "I don't think I'll let you."

Sky laughed, his shoulders shaking as he pulled me in for a kiss, brief but full of promise.

"We'll see about that," he said, his voice playful, yet with a hint of sincerity that made my heart skip a beat.

The weight of the conversation lifted, and we fell back into a comfortable rhythm, finishing breakfast and slipping back into the familiar banter that had always defined us. But there was something different now. A shift in the way we moved around each other, a deeper understanding that this wasn't just another fleeting moment, another wild night that would fade away by morning.

We were building something here, something we couldn't take back. And despite the lingering doubts, the uncertainty of what came next, I knew one thing for sure—Sky was mine, and I was his.

And as we sat down to eat together, I couldn't help but feel the excitement buzzing in my chest.

The quiet morning stretched on, the sounds of our soft laughter and the clink of utensils filling the space between us. But beneath the normalcy of it all, the unspoken truth lingered—this connection between us, so raw and consuming, was far from simple. We were teetering on the edge of something deep, something real, and while I was ready to dive in, I knew Sky needed time to navigate his own feelings.

I watched as he took another bite of his eggs, his gaze flickering toward me every so often, like he was measuring something—deciding whether the words he wanted to say would stay hidden or spill out into the open. His hesitance was palpable, and I couldn't help but feel a wave of empathy for him.

"Spade..." he began, breaking the silence again, his voice unsure but steady. "I don't think I've ever really... done this before. I mean, I've never been... vulnerable with anyone like this."

His admission surprised me, though I shouldn't have been shocked. Sky was always the confident one, the untouchable figure in our world of high-class power players. But underneath that exterior, there was more to him—a complexity I was only beginning to unravel.

I leaned forward, placing my hand over his, my thumb gently tracing over his knuckles. "We're learning together, Sky. You don't have to be perfect. You don't have to have it all figured out. I've got you."

His eyes met mine, and for a split second, I saw the weight of everything he was carrying in that one look. He wanted to be brave. He wanted to be strong. But he was scared, just like I was. And that realization made my heart ache in a way I wasn't prepared for.

"I just don't want to screw this up," he admitted quietly, his voice tinged with vulnerability.

I squeezed his hand, my grip firm and reassuring. "You won't. And if you do, we'll figure it out together. There's no perfect way to do this, Sky. There's just us, figuring it out as we go."

His lips parted as if he was about to say something more, but he paused, his gaze dropping to the table. For a moment, I thought he might retreat again, but then he looked back at me, the edges of his mouth curling into a soft, sincere smile.

"You really mean that, don't you?" he asked, his voice thick with emotion.

"Of course I do," I replied, my voice unwavering. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life."

Sky let out a soft laugh, shaking his head in disbelief. "You make it sound so easy."

"Not easy," I corrected him, my voice soft but serious. "Just worth it. Worth the effort. Worth the mess we're probably going to make along the way."

His smile deepened, and for the first time since we started this, I saw the weight in his eyes lift, even if only slightly. "I think I can handle that," he said, his tone lighter now, as if the air between us had shifted—settled into something more comfortable, more real.

I leaned back in my chair, feeling a sense of peace settle over me. The chaos and uncertainty that had defined our relationship until now had been replaced by something different—something that felt like a foundation, albeit still fragile. But we'd build it together. We'd strengthen it with time, with effort, and with the kind of honesty we were learning to embrace.

"So," I said, breaking the silence once again, "round three... what do you think? You up for it?"

Sky's eyes widened at my playful tone, and his cheeks flushed, though a teasing grin quickly replaced the softness in his expression. "Are you trying to kill me, Spade?"

I chuckled, standing up and making my way toward him, my fingers lightly brushing his arm as I passed. "Just keeping things interesting," I teased, winking at him.

Sky shook his head, but the playful glint in his eyes told me everything I needed to know. "You're incorrigible," he muttered under his breath, though there was no real heat in his words.

But before I could say anything more, he grabbed my wrist, pulling me back toward him. The sudden movement caught me off guard, but I wasn't complaining as he closed the distance between us, his lips capturing mine in a kiss that was soft, but filled with an intensity that sent a spark shooting through my chest.

When he pulled away, his lips still hovered just above mine, his breath mingling with mine. "Let's make today ours, Spade," he said, his voice low and filled with purpose. "Let's not overthink it."

I nodded, my hands cupping his face as I kissed him again—this time slower, more deliberate. Because, for once, I didn't want to rush. I wanted to savor this. Savor him.

"Deal," I murmured against his lips, feeling the world around us fade as we lost ourselves in each other, in the simple, unspoken promise we had just made.

We stood there, the quiet intimacy of the moment wrapping around us like a cocoon. It was a shift—a turning point. The world outside could wait. I was more than ready to explore what lay ahead for us, even if the path wasn't always clear. With Sky, everything felt more alive, more unpredictable in the best way.

He pulled away slightly, his thumb brushing along my bottom lip, his eyes searching mine as if he was trying to read every thought I wasn't saying out loud.

"You make me feel like I can breathe again," Sky murmured, his voice just above a whisper, as if afraid to break the fragile peace between us.

I tilted my head, tracing my finger along his jawline. "You don't have to hide with me, Sky. Not anymore."

The vulnerability that flashed in his eyes made my chest tighten, and I pulled him closer, wrapping my arms around his waist, wanting to hold him in that moment forever. "We'll figure this out, together. Whatever it is."

His arms snaked around me, pulling me into a tight embrace, and I felt the weight of his body against mine, solid and grounding. Sky wasn't the type to show weakness, but in this moment, he allowed me to see the cracks in his armor. And I wasn't going anywhere.

"Together," he echoed, his lips brushing against the top of my head.

We stood there, holding each other in silence, the only sound between us our synchronized breathing. The world felt still, and for once, that was okay.

After a while, Sky pulled back slightly, his fingers trailing down the side of my neck as he met my gaze. His expression was a mixture of playfulness and something deeper, something he hadn't fully said out loud yet.

"So, about that round three," he began, his smirk making a return, and I couldn't help but chuckle at the familiar spark in his eyes.

"You're impossible," I teased, my hands resting on his chest as I gave him a gentle push.

But he wasn't fazed. Instead, he leaned down, his lips brushing against my ear as he whispered, "Impossible's my middle name, baby."

I pulled back to look at him, my own smirk tugging at the corners of my mouth. "You're really going to make me work for it, huh?"

Sky's laugh was low and throaty, the sound sending a thrill down my spine. "You already know the answer to that," he teased, his fingers dancing along my waist in a playful challenge.

I shook my head in mock exasperation. "You're lucky you're so damn charming."

He raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

Before I could respond, Sky was leaning in again, his lips capturing mine in a kiss that was slow, deliberate, and full of promise. The playful banter we'd been tossing around faded into the background as the intensity of the moment took over.

As the kiss deepened, I felt that familiar heat between us, the kind that made everything else in the world feel like it didn't matter. It was just Sky and me, tangled in the here and now, lost in the connection we were beginning to build. There was no rush this time—no need for quick decisions or expectations. We could let this unfold, piece by piece.

Sky pulled away just enough to look at me, his expression soft but intense. "Spade..." His voice was low, filled with something I couldn't quite place. "I've never been good at this.... But with you..." He paused, his gaze searching mine. "I think I'm starting to get it."

My heart swelled at his words, and I took his hand, squeezing it gently. "It's okay... We don't have to have everything figured out right away."

He nodded slowly, his thumb brushing over my knuckles. "I know. But I want to try. I want to see where this goes. With you."

My pulse quickened at his admission, and I leaned in to kiss him again, this time with more intensity—more certainty. I didn't need words to understand what he was saying. We were on the same page now, and that meant everything.

When we finally broke apart, both of us breathless and with that familiar warmth flooding our veins, Sky smiled again. "You're a dangerous man, Spade. You know that?"

I grinned, my hand still resting on his waist, pulling him closer. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"Just make sure you're ready to keep up," he replied, his voice dripping with challenge.

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I'm ready."