Chapter 173: Morning After
Miller
The room smelled like sex, sweat, and Leo’s dark pheromones. The rich smoky mix of bitter black ink and charred sandalwood lingered in the air and I loved it.
I loved how it clung to my skin, how it made my chest feel full and calm at the same time.
Leo was sprawled half on top of me, his head resting on my chest, one leg thrown over mine. His breathing had finally evened out into slow, deep pulls.
I ran my fingers slowly up and down his back, tracing the line of his spine, feeling the faint ridges where my nails had left marks earlier.
He stirred a little, pressing his face closer to my neck.
"Miller..." he mumbled, sounding exhausted.
"Yeah?"
"We should talk tomorrow," he said quietly, dragging the words as if he was running out of breath. "I truly want us to talk about what happened to us and resolve it. All of it."
I nodded, even though he couldn’t see it. My hand kept moving in gentle strokes along his back.
"Tomorrow," I agreed. "For now... let’s just sleep. You flew across the state in the middle of the night for me. You’re wiped out, Doc, so sleep."
Leo made a small sound of agreement and tucked himself closer, one arm sliding around my waist like he was afraid I might disappear if he let go.
I pulled the blanket higher over us and kissed the top of his buzz cut. "I’m really fucking happy you’re back," I whispered against his hair. "I was miserable without you. Don’t ever do that to me again."
He didn’t answer with words, just tightened his hold and let out a soft sigh.
Within minutes, his breathing deepened into real sleep.
I stayed awake a little longer, just holding him, listening to the rain still tapping against the windows.
The house felt different with him in it. It was warmer, less empty, and for the first time in days, the knot in my chest was loosened.
Eventually, sleep pulled me under too and it was the best fucking night of my life.
Morning came with soft light filtering through the tall windows. I woke up first and kissed Leo’s forehead. He was still dead asleep beside me, curled on his side with one hand loosely gripping the edge of the pillow.
His face looked peaceful, no tight lines around his eyes. He was just Leo. My Leo.
I watched him for a minute, my chest tight with something soft and terrifying at the same time. Then I carefully slipped out of bed, pulled on a pair of loose sweatpants, and headed to the kitchen.
I wasn’t much of a cook, but I could manage breakfast.
I started the coffee maker, cracked eggs into a bowl, and threw some bacon into a pan. The familiar sizzle and the rich smell of coffee filled the open loft.
I was flipping the eggs when I heard soft footsteps behind me.
Warm arms slid around my waist from behind and Leo pressed his chest to my back, resting his cheek between my shoulder blades. He was still shirtless, wearing only the sweatpants I’d given him last night — the ones that were too big and kept slipping low on his hips.
I smiled, covering one of his hands with mine. "Morning."
"How did you sleep?" he asked, voice still rough with sleep. He kissed the back of my shoulder, then my neck.
"Better than I have in days," I admitted. "You?"
"Fine," he said simply, but I could hear the small smile in his voice. "Better than the hotel couch I was imagining if you’d kept ignoring me."
I chuckled and turned off the stove, turning around in his arms so I could face him. He looked soft like this — hair slightly messy from sleep, his eyes still a little heavy.
Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine Leo being this vulnerable. He was always so blunt and nothing seemed to impress him, but last night changed my mindset about him.
I leaned down and kissed him. It was slow, gentle, and tasted like toothpaste.
"You’ve brushed?" I asked in between the kiss.
He nodded.
"Yes, I found a new toothbrush to use."
"Great. Come on," I said, nudging him toward the island. "Let’s eat before it gets cold."
We sat side by side at the kitchen island with the breakfast in front of us.
For a few minutes we ate in comfortable silence, the kind that felt safe after everything, but as we were close to finishing breakfast, I knew that it was time to settle the issue between us.
Leo set his fork down first, staring at his half-empty plate.
"I meant what I said last night," he started quietly. "I was scared. Terrified, actually. Enigmas... we’re not supposed to exist. The laws, the old regulations, the way people still talk about us like we’re dangerous anomalies — it all made me think that if I told you, you’d either walk away or... worse, you’d tell someone. Even accidentally."
He rubbed a hand over his buzz cut, a nervous habit I’d come to recognize.
"I convinced myself it was smarter to keep it hidden. That this thing between us was probably temporary anyway. That an alpha like you would eventually want someone who didn’t come with this kind of complication. So I stayed guarded. I was selfish. I hurt you because I was protecting myself. I shouldn’t have said those words."
I listened without interrupting, my chest aching at the raw honesty in his voice.
Leo looked up at me then, eyes steady but vulnerable in a way I rarely saw from him.
"But after you left... after I stood in that stairwell alone, after I drove to your hotel and found you gone... I realized how much I actually care about you. How much it hurts when you’re not there. I’ve spent years keeping people at arm’s length with my sarcasm and my medical jargon and my walls. But you got past all of it. You made me want to let someone in. And that scared me more than anything."
He reached over and took my hand, his thumb brushing over my knuckles.
"I’m sorry, Miller. I’m sorry I didn’t trust you enough to tell you the truth. I’m sorry I made you feel like I thought you’d betray me. You didn’t deserve that. You’ve been nothing but good to me — patient, loving, even when I was being an asshole."
I squeezed his hand back as I started speaking. "I was hurt," I admitted. "Hearing you say you thought I’d rat you out... that fucking stung. Because I’ve been falling for you for months, Leo. I like you for your personality. You. The real you — the bossy, brilliant, secretly caring doctor who uses ten-dollar words when he’s nervous and still shows up for people even when it’s inconvenient."
I let out a slow breath, looking down at our joined hands.
"But I get it. I know what it’s like to carry shit you’re afraid to show people. I lost my parents young. I learned early that trusting someone completely means giving them the power to destroy you. So yeah... I was angry. But I’m not walking away. Not from this and never from you."
Leo heaved a sigh of relief and suddenly hugged me. "I don’t want to hide anymore," he said quietly. "Not with you. I don’t want to hide what I am, the fear... I want you to know all of it. Even the ugly parts. And I want to know yours too. No more secrets. No more running when it gets hard."
I leaned in and kissed him softly, tasting coffee on his lips.
"No more running," I agreed. "We talk. We fight if we have to. But we stay and sort it out. Deal?"
Leo nodded in response. "Deal."
We sat there for a while longer, finishing breakfast slowly, talking about smaller things that still felt important — how long he could stay in my house before he was back to the clinic, how Kayden and Rhys were probably dying to hear how this turned out.
When we finished eating, I pulled him into my lap right there on the bar stool, wrapping my arms around his waist.
Leo rested his forehead against mine, his eyes closed.
"I’m glad you came," I whispered.
"I’m glad you opened the door," he replied.
We sat there in comfortable silence, not saying anything for a few minutes, until I broke the silence.
"Now that we’ve sorted this out," I said quietly. "I want you to meet my parents."
Leo raised his head to meet my eyes, his eyes widened in shock. "Meet your parents?"
"Yeah." I stood up and pulled him gently with me. "Go take your bath. I’ll clear the dishes and grab your clothes. I had them washed."
Leo stared at me in disbelief, confusion etched on his face.
"Why are you staring at me like that?"
"I am just surprised you could be this domestic."
I chuckled as I took the plates from the island. "I can be anything you want, baby, as long as it’s you."