Sleeping Together

After finishing their meal, James gently wiped his mouth with a handkerchief. Sebastian did the same, quietly mimicking the gesture. James looked over at him and smiled."You must be tired. It's already getting late," he said softly.Sebastian nodded. Both of them stood up from the table.

As they walked through the corridor toward their room, James stopped at the door and turned to Sebastian."You'll sleep here tonight," James said.Sebastian tilted his head. "In this room?"James leaned closer, a teasing smile on his lips. "Yes. In my bed. With me."

Sebastian's eyes widened, his face turning bright red. "W-What? With you? In the same bed?"James chuckled and whispered near his ear, "Don't worry. I just want to protect you."

Before Sebastian could argue, James called out, "Butler."

The butler entered the room with a polite bow."Prepare nightclothes for both of us," James instructed."As you wish, Prince James," the butler replied and stepped out to fetch the garments.

The butler soon returned with two neatly folded sets of nightclothes and handed them to James with a respectful nod."Thank you," James said, then turned to Sebastian. "Let's get changed."

They both stepped into the changing room. While dressing, James glanced at Sebastian and casually asked,"How old are you, by the way?"

Sebastian replied softly, "I'm eighteen."James paused, a bit surprised. "Eighteen? Really?"Sebastian nodded.

In his mind, he wondered, Why does he look so surprised?

James smiled, his expression softening as a faint blush touched his cheeks. "I see... I'm two years older than you. I'm twenty.""Oh," Sebastian said, unsure how to respond, looking away.

They returned to the bedroom, and Sebastian's eyes wandered to the large royal sofa near the wall. He pointed toward it and said,"I can sleep there. I don't want to be a bother."

But James gently took his arm and pulled him back."No. Sleep in the bed," James said firmly but kindly. "I want to keep you safe."

Sebastian hesitated, flustered. He'd never shared a bed with anyone before. The mattress was soft, large, and luxurious—but lying beside someone, especially someone like James, made his heart race.

He lay stiffly on one side of the bed, unsure how to relax. James simply smiled to himself and settled beside him, careful not to get too close, giving Sebastian space.

Neither of them said anything more, but the silence was calm—warm even. Just before drifting off to sleep, Sebastian glanced at James and whispered in his mind, Why do you make me feel so safe?

James suddenly said with a grin, "Sebastian, you know I can read minds, right?"

Sebastian's eyes snapped open, startled. "What?! I–I didn't mean anything by it! I was just wondering why you go so far to protect me—"

James burst into laughter. "Relax! I was joking. I can't read minds."Sebastian glared at him, cheeks puffed slightly in annoyance. "You're so annoying sometimes..." he muttered, closing his eyes again.

But even with his eyes shut, he could feel James still staring at him. Why is he staring like that? Doesn't he sleep at night or something? Sebastian thought.

Unable to take it anymore, he opened his eyes again and turned his head toward him."Don't you plan on sleeping tonight?" he asked.

James just smiled sweetly. "Nope."

Sebastian sat up, clearly done with the nonsense. "Then I won't sleep either."

James reached up, gently tugging him back down. "You need to rest. If you don't sleep, your demon might come out." He carefully pulled the blanket over Sebastian and tucked it around him.

James shifted a little closer, just enough to feel warm beside him. Sebastian sighed in his mind, Should I just ignore him and sleep? He didn't reply out loud, just closed his eyes again—trying not to think about the prince lying so close beside him.

James chuckled softly to himself before finally closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.

By morning, sunlight spilled gently through the tall windows, casting a warm glow on both Sebastian and James. The butler quietly entered the room and opened the curtains with a soft swish, letting the golden light flood in.

Sebastian stirred first. He blinked a few times, then slowly sat up, glancing to his side—James was still fast asleep, his face buried half in the pillow, looking peaceful… and a little too comfortable.

"Good morning," the butler said politely, giving a small bow.

Sebastian nodded sleepily.

The butler walked over to James and gently said, "Your Majesty, it's time to wake up."

James only groaned in response, his face still tucked into the pillow. "Mmm… five more minutes…" he mumbled like a child refusing to get out of bed.

Sebastian raised a brow, watching with disbelief. Is he really a prince or a kid?

The butler sighed. "Your Majesty," he said again—this time tugging the blanket off James.

James squinted at the sudden light, sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes and yawning. "Ugh… morning already?"

Sebastian kept staring at him with a blank expression. Seriously? He rules a kingdom but wakes up like a sleepy puppy?

James caught Sebastian's look and just smiled, completely unbothered. "Good morning," he said with a lazy grin.

"Good morning, Your Majesty," the butler replied, already preparing to bring in their morning tea.