Warmth.
Real, heavy, solid warmth.
Elias stirred, blinking against the soft morning light filtering through his thin curtains. His body ached in a delicious way — muscles sore, lips tingling, skin humming like there was still magic dancing just under the surface.
And there was a weight. A very large weight pressed against his side.
He turned his head—
And nearly yelped.
Rael was sprawled half on top of him, blond hair tousled into an actual halo, thick arms wrapped protectively around Elias's waist. His bare chest rose and fell with slow, even breaths, nipples dark against golden skin, pecs massive and ridiculously inviting.
And his... lower half?
Oh gods, Elias could feel all of it against his thigh.
Heat rushed to his face so fast he thought he might combust.
"Morning, sunshine," Rael mumbled without opening his eyes. His voice was gravelly, low, the kind of voice that dragged wicked thoughts from the pit of your stomach.
Elias squeaked and tried to pull away.
Bad move.
Rael grunted and tightened his grip like a vice, rolling Elias fully against him. Their legs tangled, their hips bumped, and the blanket slipped dangerously low, exposing the hard lines of Rael's abdomen—and a flash of his heavy, half-hard cock resting between them.
Elias froze, heart hammering against his ribs.
"You smell good in the morning," Rael muttered, nuzzling into the crook of Elias's neck.
"Y-you can't just say things like that!" Elias hissed, face burning.
Rael cracked an eye open, bright blue and glinting with mischief. "Why not? It's true. You smell like sex and magic. Makes me wanna do very bad things to you all over again."
Elias slapped a hand over his own mouth to smother the sound that tried to escape.
Rael chuckled, low and wicked, then sat up — slowly, lazily — revealing way more of himself than was decent.
"Get used to it, love," he said, stretching his massive arms over his head, muscles flexing shamelessly. "You're stuck with me now."
The casual words sent a strange flutter through Elias's chest.
He sat up too, clutching the blanket around himself like armor, glaring. "I am not stuck with you."
Rael leaned down, grinning like a devil. "Aren't you?"
He kissed Elias — a fast, hot peck on the mouth — and stood, stretching again, completely unbothered by his nudity.
Elias watched him move toward the tiny bathroom, unable to tear his eyes away.
Gods, he was doomed.
And worse, he didn't even mind.
Rael emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later, a towel slung low around his hips, droplets of water racing down his golden skin.
Elias tried very hard not to look. He failed. Miserably.
"You good?" Rael asked, cocking his head.
Elias huffed and looked away, cheeks burning. "I'm fine."
Rael's face softened, the teasing draining out of him. He crossed the tiny room in two long strides and sat back down on the bed, the mattress dipping under his weight.
"You weren't fine last night," Rael said quietly.
Elias stiffened. "What do you mean?"
"You were hurting," Rael murmured, reaching out, brushing Elias's hair away from his face. "The magic inside you... it was tearing you apart."
Elias blinked. "What? No, I— I just thought I was... sick or something—"
"No," Rael cut him off gently. "You're not sick. You're awakening."
Elias's heart skipped.
Rael sighed and scooted closer, until their knees brushed. "Listen. What happened between us — that bond, that connection — it wasn't just sex. It fused us, Elias."
"Fused—?" Elias squeaked.
"Relax," Rael chuckled. "Not in a way you can't escape. But... a part of my magic, the deepest, oldest part of me — it's inside you now."
Elias stared at him, mouth dry. "You're saying... I have demon magic?"
"Primordial demon magic," Rael corrected with a wicked little smirk. "The real, ancient stuff. Wild and raw and older than human history."
Elias gaped. "But... but... I'm just a scholarship student! I barely scraped into the Academy—"
Rael leaned forward, voice lowering. "You were never weak, Elias. Your magic's been sleeping. Hiding. Fighting to stay balanced. You just needed... a little push."
Elias clutched the blanket tighter. "And that 'push' was... you?"
Rael winked. "You're welcome."
Elias made a strangled noise.
Rael's hand slid over his, warm and grounding. "It's okay to be scared. It's okay to feel like everything's different now. Because it is."
Elias swallowed thickly.
"You've got the beginnings of a new power inside you," Rael said, voice serious now. "It's beautiful. Dangerous. Unpredictable."
"So what happens now?" Elias whispered.
Rael's grin was slow, dark, and very promising.
"Now, love... I train you.
I teach you how to survive your own magic — and maybe, just maybe, how to make the world tremble at your feet."
Elias's heart pounded so hard he thought it might crack his ribs.
"And," Rael added with a sly wink, "we can work in... private lessons too. Y'know. For motivation."
Elias shoved him, sputtering, but Rael just laughed — a low, rich sound that filled the room, the kind of laugh that made you want to believe anything he said.
Even if it meant stepping off the edge of the world.