Rain tapped softly against the windows.
The entire mansion was quiet.
Dark.
Still.
Only the dim bedside lamp near the far wall remained on, casting a warm golden glow across the bedroom.
Lillian slept peacefully beneath the blankets, her breathing slow and steady.
Beside her, Sebastian slept close.
Very close.
One arm wrapped securely around her waist even in sleep, his face buried partly against her shoulder like somewhere deep down, even unconscious, he needed to know she was still there.
The past few days had changed something in him.
Before Washington, Sebastian rarely slept properly.
Lillian knew that now.
He would stay awake until early morning working in his office, pacing through the mansion, or staring silently out the windows when he thought nobody noticed.
But since she brought him home—
he slept beside her every night.
And for the first time in a long time, he actually rested.
Lillian shifted slightly in her sleep.
Sebastian's hold tightened instinctively.
A quiet sound left him.
Not fully awake.
Not fully asleep either.
Then slowly—
something changed.
His breathing became uneven.
His brows pulled together tightly.
The hand resting against Lillian's waist suddenly gripped harder.
A strained breath escaped him.
"…No…"
The word came out faint.
Broken.
Lillian stirred slightly beside him but didn't fully wake yet.
Sebastian shifted against the mattress restlessly.
Another quiet groan escaped him.
Then another.
His breathing worsened.
Faster now.
Shallow.
Uneven.
"…I'll fix it…"
Lillian's eyes slowly opened.
Still sleepy at first.
Confused.
Then immediately concerned.
She pushed herself up slightly and looked at him.
Sebastian's face was tense with fear.
His body trembling faintly beneath the blankets.
"Sebastian?" she whispered softly.
No response.
He flinched suddenly in his sleep.
Hard.
Like someone had grabbed him.
"…Don't…"
His voice cracked painfully.
Then quieter—
"Please…"
Lillian's chest tightened immediately.
Because he sounded terrified.
Not angry.
Not frustrated.
Terrified.
She moved closer immediately and gently touched his cheek.
"Sebastian," she said softly.
"Wake up."
He kept trembling.
Breathing becoming harsher now.
"…I didn't mean to…"
Lillian carefully brushed his hair back from his forehead.
"It's okay," she whispered.
"You're okay."
Sebastian suddenly turned slightly away from her in his sleep.
Like he was trying to protect himself from something.
"…No more…"
Lillian frowned softly.
"No more what?" she whispered gently.
Then his voice came again.
Small.
Broken.
"…Please don't lock me in there…"
Lillian's heart dropped.
Immediately.
Pain twisting sharply in her chest.
Because even asleep—
even trapped inside a nightmare—
Sebastian still sounded afraid.
Like that younger version of him was still trapped somewhere inside him.
Lillian gently cupped his face with both hands.
"Sebastian," she said softly but more firmly now.
"Wake up for me."
His breathing became sharp suddenly.
Then—
his eyes opened.
Sebastian jerked awake hard.
A panicked breath leaving him immediately.
Disoriented.
Confused.
For a few horrible seconds he didn't seem to recognise where he was.
His eyes darted around the dark room quickly.
Breathing uneven.
Body tense.
Lillian immediately moved closer.
"It's okay," she whispered quickly.
"Sebastian, it's me."
His eyes landed on her.
But he still looked frightened.
Not fully present yet.
Lillian gently touched his face again.
"You're home," she whispered softly.
"You're in New York."
Sebastian swallowed shakily.
His breathing still uneven.
Lillian could physically feel the tension in him.
Like his body was still expecting something bad to happen.
Slowly—
recognition returned to his eyes.
The bedroom.
The soft lighting.
The rain outside.
Lillian.
Not the estate.
Not that room.
Sebastian shut his eyes tightly for a second.
A shaky breath leaving him.
Lillian immediately pulled him closer carefully.
One hand stroking slowly through his hair.
"You're okay," she whispered again.
"I've got you."
Sebastian didn't resist.
Didn't pull away.
Instead, almost instinctively, he moved closer into her warmth.
Like he needed grounding.
His hand weakly tightened against the back of her shirt.
Lillian could still feel faint trembling running through him.
She gently pressed a kiss against his forehead.
"You're safe."
Sebastian stayed quiet for a while.
Only his uneven breathing filling the room.
Eventually he spoke softly.
"…Sorry."
Lillian frowned immediately.
"Why are you apologising?"
"I woke you."
"You had a nightmare, Sebastian."
His eyes lowered slightly.
Like that somehow made apologising necessary.
Lillian gently brushed her thumb across his cheek.
"You don't have to apologise for being scared."
Sebastian went quiet again after that.
But she noticed how his grip on her shirt tightened slightly at those words.
Like some part of him still didn't fully believe he was allowed to be vulnerable around someone.
The room stayed quiet except for the rain.
Lillian continued stroking his hair patiently.
After a while Sebastian finally spoke again.
Very quietly.
"…I thought I was back there."
The confession made something ache painfully inside her.
Because his voice sounded exhausted.
Not dramatic.
Not emotional.
Just tired.
Like part of him genuinely couldn't escape it yet.
Lillian tightened her arms around him slightly.
"You're not," she whispered firmly.
Sebastian swallowed faintly.
His eyes stayed lowered.
"…It felt real."
Lillian gently tilted his face toward her.
"Look at me."
Slowly, Sebastian did.
His blue eyes still looked slightly unfocused from sleep and fear.
"You're here with me," she said softly.
"Not there."
Sebastian stared at her quietly.
Lillian brushed her fingers through his hair again.
"No one is locking you anywhere again."
Something flickered across his face at those words.
Not disbelief exactly.
More like he wanted to believe her.
But didn't fully know how yet.
"…I think the call got to my head," he admitted quietly.
Lillian's expression softened immediately.
"That's why you were tense tonight?"
Sebastian nodded once.
"I know it was irrational."
"No," Lillian said immediately.
Sebastian blinked slightly.
Lillian gently cupped his cheek again.
"After what she did to you, being scared isn't irrational."
Silence.
Sebastian looked away slightly.
"…I hated it."
"What?"
"The fear."
His voice sounded quieter now.
"I thought I was past this."
Lillian's chest tightened.
She understood immediately.
Sebastian hated weakness.
Hated losing control.
And trauma made him feel both.
Lillian leaned forward slightly until their foreheads rested together softly.
"You survived something horrible," she whispered.
"Healing from it doesn't make you weak."
Sebastian's eyes closed slowly at her words.
Like hearing them physically exhausted him.
Lillian kept holding him carefully.
Eventually his breathing finally started calming properly again.
The trembling easing little by little.
But he still stayed close.
Very close.
Like he was afraid to drift too far away from her.
After a long silence, Sebastian finally spoke again.
So quietly she almost didn't hear him.
"…Will you still be here when I wake up?"
Lillian's heart hurt instantly.
Because he sounded genuinely uncertain.
Like some part of him expected this comfort to disappear once he fell asleep again.
She gently brushed her fingers through his hair.
"Always," she whispered softly.
Sebastian slowly lifted his eyes toward her again.
Still exhausted.
Still vulnerable in a way almost nobody else ever saw.
Lillian leaned down and pressed another soft kiss against his forehead.
"I love you."
The words came naturally.
Quiet.
Warm.
Honest.
Sebastian froze slightly beneath her hands.
Not pulling away.
Not uncomfortable.
Just still.
Lillian felt it immediately.
The hesitation.
The silence.
Sebastian's lips parted slightly like he wanted to say something.
But nothing came out.
Instead, he slowly buried his face against her neck.
Holding her tighter.
Like his body answered before his words could.
Lillian closed her eyes briefly.
Because she understood.
Sebastian wasn't cruel.
He wasn't cold.
He just… didn't know how to say things like that.
Not after the life he lived.
Not after growing up in a house where love always came with conditions.
Still—
a tiny part of her noticed the silence anyway.
Even if she didn't want to.
Sebastian slowly relaxed completely against her.
Exhaustion finally pulling him back toward sleep.
Lillian continued gently stroking his hair.
"You should sleep," she whispered softly.
Sebastian nodded faintly against her shoulder.
But before fully drifting off again, he spoke quietly.
"…Stay close."
Lillian's expression softened immediately.
"I will."
That seemed to finally calm whatever fear still lingered inside him.
Because only moments later, his breathing evened out completely.
Peaceful again.
Asleep in her arms.
This time without fear.
Lillian stayed awake longer after that.
Still holding him carefully beneath the blankets while rain continued softly outside.
Her fingers moved slowly through his dark hair.
Sebastian unconsciously leaned closer even in sleep.
Like he trusted her enough now to rest fully.
And that alone felt precious.
But somewhere deep inside her chest—
one quiet thought still lingered.
He held her like he loved her.
Looked at her like he loved her.
Needed her like he loved her.
But he still couldn't say the words back.