Chapter 41: A Midnight Promise

The heavy door to Basil’s suite gave a barely audible click as the latch gave way. Darius slipped through the opening like a guilty shadow and immediately reached back, easing the door shut behind him with painstaking care. He held his breath until the latch settled into place without making a sound. He remained still for a moment before carefully moving forward. Keeping his weight on the balls of his feet, he weaved past the elegant furniture bathed in soft lamplight.

Crossing the sitting area, he made his way toward the inner hallway leading to the main bedchamber, the thick carpet swallowing his footsteps completely. Basil’s bedroom was bathed in the faint, silvery glow of moonlight filtering through the high arched windows. Stepping through the doorway, Darius saw him lying sprawled across the large bed, the blankets twisted around his legs after apparently being kicked off during the night. One arm rested above his head while the other lay loosely across his stomach. It was a posture completely at odds with the rigid, guarded prince he appeared to be.

In this position, he looked so peaceful and unguarded, almost boyish. It was such a stark contrast to the cold, distant man who constantly kept him at arm’s length. A faint smile tugged at Darius’s lips as he quietly crossed the room and lowered himself onto the edge of the bed.

He leaned in slightly, studying the relaxed features that sleep had softened. The tension that had lingered around Basil’s eyes earlier that day was gone. Even the permanent crease between his brows had disappeared.

Who would have believed this was the same person who had been glaring at him all day?

A quiet warmth settled in Darius’s chest.

"You really do look different when you’re asleep," he murmured under his breath.

His gaze lingered on Basil’s face. The rise and fall of his breathing. The loose strands of blond hair scattered across his forehead. Darius found himself staring longer than he should have.

Then Basil shifted in his sleep. Darius instantly froze, his heart jumping into his throat as Basil rolled onto his side. For one terrifying second, Darius was certain he had been caught. But instead of waking up, Basil simply turned toward the warmth, shifting closer until he buried his face against Darius’s side. His arm swung out and wrapped firmly around Darius’s waist.

A sleepy breath brushed against his shirt. Darius went completely rigid as Basil settled against him as though this were the most natural thing in the world. Basil’s grip tightened slightly, pulling him closer while remaining completely asleep.

Seconds ticked by in agonizing stillness, and Darius didn’t dare move, afraid he’d wake Basil. After several more seconds passed without him waking, Darius slowly began to relax his rigid posture and let out a soft, silent breath, a helpless smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"If you knew who you were clinging to right now, you’d completely lose your mind."

But seriously, what even am I doing here? He thought as the absurdity of the entire situation finally hit him. What was he even thinking, sneaking into another man’s bedroom in the middle of the night? Has he completely lost it?

"I miss you, Darius...I miss you so much." Basil suddenly mumbled, pressing his face closer as a faint, pained whimper escaped his lips.

Darius’s heart did a somersault, his eyes widening in the dim light. Is he really dreaming about me right now? Does he actually remember? Has he known it was me all along?

Uncertainty and sudden overwhelm rushed through him as his thoughts spiraled in a dozen different directions at once. If Basil knew it was him all along, did that mean he had been pretending not to remember him? And if he woke up and caught him sneaking around his bedroom in the middle of the night, wouldn’t that destroy whatever progress he had managed to make today? Feeling completely out of his depth, Darius decided it was time to leave.

He began to gently disengage, carefully lifting Basil’s arm from around his waist so he could slide off the bed. But the moment he finally managed to force himself to stand, an iron grip suddenly tightened around his wrist.

Darius gasped, spinning around in panic.

Basil’s green eyes slowly blinked open, struggling through the heavy fog of sleep as he stared up at him in the dim light. "Darius?"

Darius immediately started panicking, his mind scrambling for an excuse now that he had been caught red-handed. "Y-Yes. Um... I can explain. I... I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sneak in. I was just... I was just about to go—"

"Did you come back for me?" Basil asked softly, his voice thick with sleep, hovering in that hazy space between dream and reality.

Darius froze, staring down at him. Seeing the raw, unfiltered hope in Basil’s half-lidded eyes, he realized with a start that Basil was still trapped somewhere between sleeping and waking.

Darius abandoned his frantic attempt at explaining himself and sat back down on the edge of the mattress, his voice dropping into a low, steady whisper. "Yes. I came back for you."

"What took you so long? I missed you so much," Basil whispered, his voice cracking as a quiet sob slipped free.

The pain in his voice nearly shattered Darius’s heart. "I’m sorry," he said softly. "I’m sorry it took me so long to come back for you. But I’m here now. I finally found my way back to you. And I won’t ever leave you again."

The words had barely left his mouth when Basil surged forward and pulled him into a desperate, crushing embrace, burying his face against Darius’s shoulder. "Thank you for coming back for me," Basil whispered brokenly. "Thank you... I waited for so long."

"I’m here now. I’m back to keep my promise, and I’m not going anywhere," Darius murmured as he wrapped his arms securely around Basil and holding him tight.

After a long moment, Basil slowly pulled back and looked up at him. "You are really here to stay with me, right?" he asked quietly. "You’ll never ever leave me no matter what?"

Darius’s expression softened. "Yes," he said without hesitation, brushing a hand gently through Basil’s hair. "I’m really here to stay with you and I’ll never leave you, no matter what."

Basil stared at him. The heavy haze of sleep lingering in his eyes began to clear, replaced by a sudden, electric stillness that charged the small space between them. His gaze drifted from Darius’s eyes to his lips.

Did he want to kiss me? The thought struck Darius with the force of a sudden blow, sending a sharp jolt through his chest. His own gaze dropped instinctively, tracing the curve of Basil’s mouth. The room suddenly felt far too warm, the air thick and difficult to breathe as the erratic rhythm of his heartbeat thundered in his ears. Neither of them moved, caught in the sudden tension hanging between them, until Basil slowly leaned in and closed the remaining distance.