[Damien's POV]
I stormed into the study room, shutting the heavy door behind me with more force than necessary. My fists were clenched, and my jaw ached from grinding my teeth. That infuriating Alec always smug, always calm. Who the hell did he think he was?
I paced the marble floor, trying to calm my rising anger. The chandelier overhead flickered slightly from the sudden vibration of the door slam, casting uneven shadows across the bookshelves. I didn't care. I needed air. Space.
But of course, the universe had other plans.
The door creaked open again, and in walked the one person I didn't want to see.
Alec.
Still dressed in that perfectly tailored dark navy uniform, his golden hair tousled like he had just walked off some royal magazine cover. His expression was unreadable, calm, as always.
"What do you want?" I snapped, turning away from him, pretending to sift through papers on the desk.
"You walked off after training," he said simply, stepping into the room, his voice low but firm. "We're not done talking."
"There's nothing to talk about," I said sharply.
He moved closer. "You can't keep letting your emotions dictate your actions. You're reckless, Damien. You could've gotten hurt out there today."
I spun around, furious. "Is that why you humiliated me in front of the guards? You think I don't know how to fight? Or was it just fun for you to show off?"
Alec stepped even closer, eyes narrowed. "I wasn't trying to humiliate you. I was trying to protect you"
"I don't need your protection," I hissed, stepping into his space. "I'm not some weak little prince."
"No, you're not," Alec said, his voice quieter now, something unreadable flashing in his eyes. "But that doesn't mean I'll stand by and watch you get yourself killed to prove a point."
We were close now too close. I could feel the heat coming off him, the tension in his jaw, the way his chest rose and fell faster than usual.
"Stay out of my way," I said, my voice low and dangerous.
"Make me," he challenged.
That was the last straw.
I shoved him.
It wasn't hard—just enough to push him back a step. But Alec grabbed my shirt and yanked me forward.
And just then—like some cruel joke the chandelier above groaned.
A loud crack.
We both looked up.
The massive fixture broke free from the ceiling.
Time slowed.
I felt Alec shove me hard—his entire body crashing into mine as we fell. The chandelier came down like thunder behind us, glass shattering across the marble floor.
We landed...Alec on top of me.
The sound was deafening. Dust and fragments hung in the air like glittering mist.
But the only thing I could hear was Alec's breath. Harsh. Shaky.
His hands pressed against my shoulders, holding himself up. Our faces were inches apart.
I froze...He didn't move...Neither did I.
His eyes searched mine—flickering with something raw, something I couldn't name. My heart pounded in my chest, not just from the near-death experience.
The way he looked at me.
The way our bodies were pressed together.
For a moment, just a single moment, neither of us said a word. We just stared.
And the tension in the air? Thick. Heavy. Charged.
"Alec…" I breathed, barely a whisper.
His gaze dropped to my lips.
Then the door burst open.
"Alec! Damien!" It was Caspian.
Alec blinked, tearing himself away. He stood quickly, brushing glass off his uniform.
I sat up, still stunned, the heat from his body lingering on mine.
Caspian stared at the wreckage, horror on his face. "Are you both okay?!"
"Yeah," Alec answered first, his voice tight. "We're fine. It missed us." Barely.
I didn't speak. I couldn't. My mind was still replaying the seconds that passed between us while we lay
there, tangled in tension and silence..Something had shifted...And I didn't know what it meant.
Alec's POV
My chest rose and fell against his. Damien's breathing matched mine shaky, quick, uneven. His scent wrapped around me, warm and clean, like cedar and something faintly sweet. I couldn't move. I didn't want to. Not yet.
His eyes locked onto mine, blue and narrowed in that defiant way he always had, but they flickered with something else now confusion, heat, restraint.
What was this?
His fingers gripped the hem of my shirt, unintentionally or maybe not. I couldn't tell anymore. The world around us had paused. Just for a second.
"What the hell was that?" he breathed, but his voice had lost its edge.
I swallowed. "Saving your life, apparently."
His eyes darted to the shattered glass surrounding us. The chandelier damn thing had almost crushed him.
I shifted slightly, enough to ease the weight off him, but I didn't move away completely. My knee still rested between his. His jaw clenched, and I saw the flicker of tension ripple down his throat.
Then his hand pushed against my shoulder—not rough, but enough. "Get off."
I lingered one more heartbeat before pulling back The air that rushed between us felt colder now. Empty.
I stood and extended a hand. He hesitated, then took it, glaring at me as he stood. "Don't think this changes anything."
I let out a breath, smirking a little. "Didn't say it would."
The doors burst open. Soldiers and servants flooded in, gasping at the mess. Someone called for a healer. Another picked up a piece of the shattered chandelier, eyes wide.
And then Caspian stormed in.
"What happened here?"
Damien and I both spoke at the same time.
"He nearly got crushed."
"He tackled me to the ground."
Caspian's eyes bounced between us. "Start again. Alec?"
"I saw it falling, I acted. That's it."
Damien scoffed. "Oh, sure. My knight in shining armor."
I turned to him sharply, that familiar irritation bubbling up. "You'd rather I let it fall?"
"Maybe."
His words stabbed deeper than I wanted to admit. Caspian stepped between us.
"Enough," he snapped. "This is serious. A chandelier doesn't just fall in a royal study."
There was a beat of silence.
"I'll speak to Father," Caspian muttered.
And we both froze.
The King.
Later That Night – Damien's POV
The damn ache in my shoulder wouldn't let me sleep. Not from the fall, but from the tension—that closeness. His body over mine. His hand on my chest. His eyes on my lips.
I growled and threw the pillow across the room. What the hell was wrong with me?
This was Alec.
The same Alec who annoyed me just by breathing.
But that moment… That pause. That electricity.
I hated how my skin still burned from where his hand had been...I hated that I noticed.And worse, I hated that I didn't hate it.