Chapter 19

The room became painfully silent.

Danny held his hot chocolate with both hands while refusing to look at Lucas.

Lucas sat beside him calmly.

Too calmly.

“…Tests?” Lucas repeated softly.

Danny considered jumping out the window.

Unfortunately they were on the fourth floor.

“Kai says weird things sometimes,” Danny mumbled weakly.

Lucas hummed.

“I noticed.”

Silence again.

Lucas slowly loosened his cufflinks while watching Danny carefully.

His mate looked nervous.

Cute.

Suspiciously cute.

Danny suddenly shoved cake into his mouth to avoid speaking.

Lucas almost smiled.

“You’re hiding.”

“No I’m not.”

“You are.”

Danny pointed at him dramatically with his fork.

“You’re psychologically intimidating.”

Lucas leaned slightly closer.

“And you’re avoiding my question.”

Danny blinked rapidly.

Danger.

Too handsome up close.

His stupid heart started acting weird again.

Lucas’s voice lowered softly.

“What exactly are you testing, Danny?”

Danny immediately grabbed a pillow and hid half his face behind it.

“…Nothing.”

Lucas gently pulled the pillow down.

“Liar.”

The word wasn’t cruel.

If anything, it sounded affectionate.

Danny stared at him silently.

Lucas looked beautiful tonight.

Dark shirt sleeves rolled to his forearms.

Silver eyes calm beneath warm lighting.

Pretty enough to genuinely make Danny nervous.

Which was unfair.

Lucas suddenly brushed frosting from the corner of Danny’s lips with his thumb.

“There,” he murmured softly.

Danny’s brain stopped functioning briefly.

Stupid.

Very stupid.

Then suddenly he remembered Kai’s mission.

Right.

Tests.

Science.

Danny straightened slightly.

Okay.

He could do this.

Test number one.

Clinginess.

Danny stared at Lucas seriously.

Then without warning-

He climbed directly into Lucas’s lap.

Lucas froze.

His wolf immediately lost its mind.

Mate close.

Mate choosing us.

Good.

Danny wrapped his arms around Lucas’s neck dramatically before laying his head against his shoulder.

Lucas stayed very still.

“…Danny.”

“Mhm?”

“What are you doing?”

Danny closed his eyes innocently.

“Being clingy.”

Silence.

Then Lucas quietly asked-

“Why?”

Danny internally panicked.

Wrong question.

Very wrong question.

So instead he answered honestly-

“You’re comfortable.”

Lucas’s chest tightened painfully.

His mate said things like that so casually.

Without realizing what they did to him.

Lucas slowly wrapped one arm around Danny’s waist.

Careful.

Protective.

Danny immediately melted closer.

Warm.

Lucas was always warm.

Danny sighed contentedly against his neck.

And Lucas-

Lucas forgot how breathing worked for several seconds.

His wolf looked smug.

Mate likes cuddles.

Obviously.

Danny peeked upward slightly.

“…You don’t mind?”

Lucas looked down at him quietly.

“You’ve been sitting in my lap for ten minutes.”

“…Oh.”

“And I haven’t complained once.”

Fair point.

Danny thought seriously.

Okay maybe Kai was onto something.

Because fake husbands probably did not look this happy while cuddling.

Lucas brushed his fingers slowly through Danny’s hair.

“You smell like strawberries.”

Danny blinked.

“That sounds creepy.”

Lucas almost laughed.

Cute.

Danny shifted slightly closer again.

Then froze.

Oh.

Oh no.

Something hard pressed against his thigh.

Silence.

Lucas immediately realized too.

Danny slowly looked upward.

Lucas looked away calmly.

The calmness somehow made it worse.

Danny’s face became violently warm.

“…Lucas.”

“Yes?”

“…Why are you hard?”

A dangerous silence filled the room.

Lucas closed his eyes briefly.

Because you’re sitting in my lap cuddling me like you belong there.

Because you’re mine.

Because I’m in love with you.

Instead he answered carefully-

“You’re attractive.”

Danny stared blankly.

“…Oh.”

Lucas watched him quietly now.

Danny didn’t move away.

Interesting.

Instead Danny looked thoughtful.

Very thoughtful.

Then suddenly-

“Wait.”

Lucas raised an eyebrow.

“What?”

Danny narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

“Fake husbands probably don’t get hard from cuddling.”

Lucas almost choked.

Direct.

Too direct.

Danny pointed dramatically.

“YOU FAILED THE TEST.”

Silence.

Then Lucas laughed.

Actually laughed.

Warm and helpless.

Danny blinked.

“You’re laughing?”

Lucas pulled Danny closer against him effortlessly.

“You’re unbelievable.”

Danny frowned.

“That’s not an answer.”

Lucas’s eyes softened dangerously.

“No,” he murmured quietly. “It’s not.”

The air suddenly felt strange again.

Heavy.

Warm.

Danny’s heartbeat stumbled awkwardly.

Lucas looked at him too intensely sometimes.

Like there were words sitting behind his eyes he refused to say aloud.

Danny quickly looked away first.

Dangerous.

Very dangerous.

Then Lucas gently tilted Danny’s chin back toward him.

“Any other tests planned for me?”

Danny froze.

“…Maybe.”

Lucas smiled faintly.

“Should I prepare myself?”

Danny stared at him suspiciously.

“You sound too confident.”

Lucas brushed his thumb softly against Danny’s cheek.

“That’s because I already know the answer you’re looking for.”

Danny’s chest tightened.

“What answer?”

Lucas looked at him silently for one long moment.

Then instead of speaking-

He leaned down and kissed him slowly.

Not playful.

Not teasing.

Soft enough to make Danny’s thoughts disappear completely.

Lucas kissed like he was careful with him.

Like Danny was precious.

Danny’s fingers curled instinctively against Lucas’s shirt.

Warm.

Everything felt warm around Lucas.

When the kiss finally ended, Danny looked slightly dazed.

Lucas rested his forehead lightly against his.

“You should sleep.”

Danny blinked slowly.

“…That’s unfair.”

Lucas’s lips twitched faintly.

“What is?”

“You kiss me when I’m trying to investigate you.”

Lucas smiled softly.

Maybe.

But if Danny wanted to test whether Lucas loved him-

Lucas intended to make him fail spectacularly.