He buried his face in the crook of Adrian's neck, holding him as though he were afraid that letting go would make him disappear.
Adrian froze in surprise, his hands lingering awkwardly in the air for a brief moment before they slowly came to rest on Matteo's broad shoulders. He rubbed his back gently.
"Hey…" he murmured. "What happened? Is everything okay?"
Matteo nodded against his neck. "Yeah…" he whispered hoarsely. "Everything's okay. You just scared me, Rian. I woke up and you weren't beside me." He tightened his hold for a moment. "I thought you'd left me again."
Hearing the raw vulnerability in Matteo's voice, Adrian's heart melted. A soft, tender smile curved his lips as he wrapped his arms around Matteo a little tighter, gently threading his fingers through his dark hair.
"No, love…" Adrian whispered reassuringly. "I just went to the bathroom. I'm so sorry I scared you."
He lifted a hand to Matteo's cheek, waiting until their eyes met.
