“Knight!” Saint laughed when the demon swept him off his feet into a bridal carry at the front door. “I haven’t even gotten the keys out.”
“Get them out, then,” Knight teased, nuzzling his jaw.
Saint couldn’t help the slight tremble in his hand as he pulled them out of his pocket and inserted the front door key into the keyhole. He held his breath as he twisted, his heart skipping at the sound of the mechanism unlocking, then pushed the door open.
Knight sensed his hesitation, how big of a deal this was to him, because he murmured, “Ready?”
Saint pulled the key out, his hand still trembling. “Ready.”
They stepped over the threshold. Saint had known he’d feel this choked up when he finally moved into a space of his own that felt permanent, where the rest of his life might truly begin—no stalkers, no fears, no hesitations.
What he couldn’t have predicted washowhe’d get here. How much he’d have changed, and who had helped him on that journey.
Knight took his chin in his thumb and forefinger at the same time that Saint reached up, and their mouths met.
Saint laughed, though he wasn’t sure why. Knight let him slide down to his feet, kicked the door shut behind them and then pushed him against it, kissing him until he was breathless.
“Welcome home,” he whispered as they pulled apart for air.
Saint was used to his heart doing mad things when Knight said romantic shit like that. “I love you.”
Knight’s red eyes flared, like his heart was doing the same thing Saint’s was. “I love you, too. So much.”
He kissed Saint again, hard and brief, then took a step back.
“Be back in a moment, bunny.”
“Take your time.”
Absolutely not.
Saint laughed. Knight disappeared. Saint fell against the door, giddy and still in disbelief that this was his life.
Knight reappeared on his next blink, all Saint’s things, and their dog, in tow. The landlord had said no pets allowed, but Knight had used his magic so none of the neighbours—or the landlord himself, should he stop by—would look twice at Knight the Dog and think something was off about his presence.
Knight the Dog barked in greeting, coming over to scent Saint’s hands, before bounding back into the apartment to explore. There were only three open rooms—the bedroom, the sitting room, and the kitchen; there was a guest toilet by the sitting room and an ensuite in his bedroom—so Saint left him to his devices.
Knight waved a hand and all the boxes meant for the bedroom followed them in. Saint didn’t have a lot of stuff, so it took nothing at all to get unpacked.
The apartment hadn’t come furnished, and Saint felt only a little bit guilty when Knight popped their chosen furnishings into existence with his magic. They’d spent hours poring over interior designs on his laptop until Knight practically had their selections memorised.
They dressed the bed, then went to the rest of the house to finish with the interior decorations. The moment they set Knight the Dog’s bed in one corner of the sitting room, along with his toys, he rushed over and promptly lay down, grabbing one of the squeaky toys in his mouth. They’d walked him earlier, so he was all tuckered out.
Saint’s eyes stung a bit as he stood in the furnished living room. It already felt warm, lived in. Knight pulled him into his arms.
“Food? ThenPride & Prejudice?”
“Again?” Saint raised a teasing eyebrow.
“Yes,” Knight deadpanned.
Saint laughed and kissed him, his smile and expression open and tender. “Sounds perfect.”
When Saint opened his eyes later that night, he found himself standing in the middle of a clearing in a familiar forest.
His lips quirked, and his heart began to pound. A little over a year and a half ago now, when Knight had first appeared to him, the act of dreaming, especially of this place, had been an entirely involuntary action.
But Saint had learned how to “travel” to this particular dreamscape on purpose. He loved playing this game with Knight out in the real world, in that forest where Saint had first finally let go of his fears and surrendered to his desires, but there was something about this forest in the dreamscape that felt special; just for the two of them. Saint had chosen it for that reason.
