By dawn, the room had finally gone quiet.

Lucien was a map of bruised territory.

Teeth marks decorated his chest, his hips, and the pale curve of his inner thighs.

Leon had hunted like he'd never seen meat before. Lucien was a heap of dead weight, his legs still twitching in an involuntary tremor.

Leon lifted him into the shower. Lucien's lashes fluttered as he tried to pull away from the warmth, whimpering even in his sleep.

Leon watched him with a dark, bottomless hunger. He tucked the "lamb" back into the duvet, and Lucien immediately rolled into his side like a sticky rice ball.

Leon stayed awake. He scrolled through boxing tapes on his phone, his arm pinned under Lucien's weight.

Lucien woke to an empty bed. His bones felt like they'd been put through an industrial blender.

"Scumbag," Lucien croaked into the pillow. "Bastard. Asshole. Traitor."

The door pushed open. Leon walked in carrying a tray with steaming rice porridge. "You're awake, baby?"

Lucien pulled the duvet over his head. "Leave me alone. You're a domestic abuser. I'm reporting you."

Leon laughed, sitting on the edge of the mattress. He reached under the covers and snagged Lucien's waistband, dragging him closer. "Let's see the 'abuse' then."

Lucien kicked, but Leon flipped him over with one hand. His large, calloused palm settled on Lucien's reddened skin.

Suddenly, Lucien felt a sharp, wet sting on his rear. He shrieked, clutching the sheets. "You—! You bit me again!"

Leon pulled back, eyeing the fresh mark. "White and tender. You're fine, baby. It's a perfect match."

Lucien scrambled to pull his pants up, glairing at the boxer. "Pervert! Freak!"

Leon scooped him up and carried him to the bathroom. He fed him spoonfuls of porridge while Lucien used the man's chest as a backrest.

"I have class," Lucien mumbled, turning his face away from the spoon after three bites. "I'm full."

"Eat more," Leon commanded. Lucien pouted until Leon gave in, kissing his cheek. "Fine. Lie down. I'll rub your back."

Lucien sprawled on the bed. Leon's heavy hands worked the knots in his waist. Lucien pulled out his phone to text Jamie.

Jamie sent a link for a campus concert. Want to go?

"I'm going to a concert with Jamie tonight," Lucien announced. "Don't wait for dinner."

Leon's eyes narrowed into lethal slits. He'd kept Lucien locked in the manor for weeks, and now the "lamb" was running again.

"Don't be late," Leon said. "I'll pick you up."

Lucien rolled his eyes. "I never agreed to move back in."

Leon swatted his rear. "You're staying. I'll get your things from the dorm. And my shirt."

Jamie caught Lucien in the hallway later that afternoon. He squinted at Lucien's face. "Leon's back, isn't he?"

"How do you know?" Lucien touched his cheek.

"You have that look," Jamie smirked. "Satisfied. Well-hydrated. Like a man who just had a very long workout."

Lucien's face caught fire. He dragged Jamie toward the plaza. "Shut up. The band is starting."

The campus was a sea of people. Lucien fought for air in the middle of the crowd. His hair was a bird's nest within minutes.

Jamie spotted a tall guy and vanished to "buy water." Lucien sighed. He was officially ditched.

He checked his phone. Leon had replied to his photo: Where are you?

Lucien started a video call. Leon was standing in a crowd that looked exactly like the plaza.

"I'm here!" Lucien waved. "Are you coming for me?"

Leon found him in minutes. He was a wall of muscle that blocked out the rest of the students. He wrapped an arm around Lucien's waist, shielding him.

"How did you find me?" Lucien asked, looking up.

Leon ran a thumb over Lucien's lip. "I missed you."

Lucien leaned into the man's heat. "Jamie left. I guess I'll let you stay. Just this once."

Leon smiled, a rare, dangerous flash of teeth. "Thank you, sir."

The bass hit its peak, the vibration rattling the floorboards of the plaza. The front row turned into a sea of moving bodies, and Lucien swayed with them, trying to catch the rhythm.

He turned his head and saw Leon holding up his phone. He wasn't recording the band; he was recording Lucien.

"What are you doing?" Lucien shouted over the music.

"Filming you," Leon rumbled, his steel-gray eyes fixed on the screen. "You're cute. Do it again, baby".

Everyone else had their cameras on the stage, but Leon's gallery was a 'Lucien Growth Diary.' Folders for Baby Sleeping, Baby Eating, and Baby's Daily Life.

Lucien grit his teeth. He was going to steal that phone and wipe every file tonight.

He turned away and pulled out his own phone to record the stage. He stretched his arms high, trying to clear the crowd, but his view was blocked by a wall of shoulders.

Leon snagged the phone from his grip. He held it up effortlessly, clearing the heads of the students in front of them.

"Shorty," Leon whispered in his ear.

Lucien bristled, his face heating up. "Who are you calling short?".

Leon handed the phone back after the song ended. "Drink more milk so you'll grow. Stop being a picky eater".

Lucien's mind went straight to the gutter. Milk? Which milk?.

Leon saw the look on his face and let out a low chuckle. "I'm talking about actual dairy. Get your head out of the trash".

"Maybe you should stop acting like a saint," Lucien huffed. "Your character isn't 'proper.' You're just dirty and violent".

Leon pinched Lucien's ear, his gaze darkening. "Fine. I'll show you exactly what 'violent' looks like tonight".