Chapter 36: Conditions

Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Conditions

"Nero."

The warning in Sebastian’s voice would have carried considerably more authority if Nero’s hand had not been the only thing keeping him upright.

Nero appeared fully aware of that.

His mouth curved.

Sebastian disliked him more on principle.

"You are not staying in the bathroom while I shower."

"You nearly fell beside the bed."

"I stood too quickly."

"You’re saying that as though standing has recently become an advanced military maneuver."

Sebastian straightened enough to look past him into the bathroom.

The room was offensive even by Sahan standards, finished in pale composite stone, brushed black metal, and warm recessed lighting that made the entire space look more like an expensive private spa than something installed inside an aircraft. The shower occupied nearly the entire rear corner, broad enough for several people and enclosed on two sides by perfectly transparent glass.

Sebastian stared at it.

Then at Nero.

"No."

Nero followed his gaze.

His expression changed.

Sebastian immediately knew he had made a mistake.

"Do not laugh."

"I haven’t."

"You’re about to."

"I’m thinking."

"That is usually worse."

Nero looked toward the glass enclosure again. "You’re objecting because I would be able to see you?"

"I am objecting because I would prefer not to shower while you supervise me like a medically unstable criminal."

"You’ve spent half your adult life deployed."

"I am aware."

"You have showered around soldiers before."

"Yes."

"Hundreds of them, presumably."

"Not simultaneously."

Nero smiled.

Sebastian’s eyes narrowed.

"And none of them wanted to marry me."

That stopped him for approximately two seconds.

Then Nero laughed.

Sebastian folded his arms, realized the movement pulled unpleasantly across his chest, and abandoned it before Nero could notice.

"That is an important distinction."

"I see."

"You very clearly do not."

"No, I do. Apparently communal military showers are acceptable so long as everyone present has no romantic intentions."

"Precisely."

Nero’s eyebrows rose. "That is an unexpectedly specific boundary."

"It has served me well."

"I’ll remember it."

"You will not be present often enough for it to matter."

"That seems optimistic."

Sebastian stared at him.

The jet moved smoothly beneath their feet, its engines producing little more than a low vibration through the floor. Beyond the bedroom windows, sunlight spread across a solid field of cloud, bright enough that the dark wood paneling and black fixtures made the suite feel almost theatrical.

Nero’s hand remained at Sebastian’s waist.

Sebastian looked down at it.

"You can remove that too."

"You swayed."

"The aircraft moved."

"We’re at cruising altitude."

"It was turbulence."

"There was no turbulence."

Sebastian lifted his gaze. "Do you want me to collapse out of spite?"

"No. You’d probably damage something expensive."

"That improves the temptation."

Nero ignored that and glanced toward the shower again.

"I could turn around."

"No."

"I wouldn’t look."

"You absolutely would."

"Only if you made a concerning sound."

Sebastian gave him a flat look. "Define concerning."

"A crash."

"Reasonable."

"A sharp inhale."

"No."

"My name."

"Especially no."

Nero looked personally offended.

Sebastian continued before he could object. "You are staying outside the bathroom."

"That defeats the purpose of supervision."

"There will be no supervision."

"Sebastian."

"Nero."

They stared at each other.

Nero eventually sighed as though Sebastian were the unreasonable one.

"Compromise."

"That word sounds unnatural in your mouth."

"I use it frequently."

"With whom?"

"Hale."

"That explains why he looks tired."

Nero almost smiled again.

"The door remains unlocked, and I wait in the bedroom."

Sebastian considered that.

"You enter only if I call you."

"If I hear you fall, I’m entering."

"If I fall, you will probably hear several thousand credits of your lightweight marble being damaged first."

"It is composite."

"That remains the least important correction you’ve made today."

Nero gave him a patient look. "If you feel like you’re going to fall, you call me before you actually do."

Sebastian hesitated.

That was, unfortunately, reasonable.

"I will."

Nero studied his face.

"You’re promising?"

"Yes."

"Explicitly?"

Sebastian exhaled through his nose. "If I feel dizzy enough that I think I might fall, I will call for you."

Nero nodded, apparently satisfied.

"Good."

Sebastian took one step toward the bathroom.

Nero moved with him.

He stopped.

Nero stopped too.

"I thought we had an agreement."

"I’m walking you to the door."

"It is two meters away."

"You nearly lost an argument with gravity three minutes ago."

"I am beginning to understand why people try to assassinate royals."

"Most of them don’t succeed."

"Comforting."

Nero continued beside him anyway, one hand hovering near Sebastian’s back until they reached the threshold.

Sebastian turned.

"Out."

"I’m not inside."

The tip of Nero’s black shoe was just over the line.

Sebastian looked pointedly at it.

Nero followed his gaze.

"That counts?"

"Yes."

Nero moved his foot back half an inch.

Sebastian nodded. "Better."

"You are extremely difficult for someone currently dependent on my pheromones."

"And yet you still want to marry me."

"That has never been the problem."

Sebastian reached for the door.

Nero caught it before he could close it.

"Unlocked."

"Yes."

"You call me."

"If I’m going to fall."

"Before."

"Fine."

Nero considered him for another second.

Sebastian could practically see him searching for additional terms.

"Anything else?"

Nero’s eyes flicked toward the glass shower.

Sebastian immediately regretted asking.

"I don’t mind if you watch me when I shower."

Silence.

Sebastian stared at him.

Nero looked completely serious.

"What?"

"I’m simply establishing that the rule does not need to be reciprocal."

Sebastian’s expression went blank.

"How generous."

"I thought so."

"I would rather watch rust appearing."

"That sounds less entertaining."

"I disagree."

Nero leaned one shoulder against the doorframe, far too pleased with himself now.

"You may change your mind."

"I will not."

"You haven’t seen me shower."

Sebastian closed his eyes.

"There are moments when I understand why your father looks exhausted."

"My father encourages me."

"That is the problem."

Nero smiled. "For the record, the glass would not bother me."

"Thank you. That information has damaged my recovery."

"I’m trying to be transparent."

Sebastian looked toward the shower.

Then back at him.

"That was terrible."

"It was appropriate."

"It was criminal."

"You’re still smiling."

Sebastian immediately stopped.

"I am not."

"You were."

"I was experiencing a facial spasm."

"Should I call Claude?"

Sebastian pushed the door toward him.

"Leave."

Nero finally released it.

Sebastian closed the door until only a narrow gap remained.

"If you—"

"Nero."

Silence followed.

Sebastian waited.

Then, with maddening calm, Nero said, "You can still watch me later."

Sebastian shut the door fully.

From the bedroom came a quiet laugh.

Sebastian stood there with one hand on the handle, blood dried stiffly across his shirt, and wondered whether survival had actually been the correct choice.

Then he began undressing.

The shower water warmed quickly, carrying diluted red from his skin and into the drain while steam clouded the glass enough to make the enclosure slightly less objectionable. Sebastian braced one hand against the wall for a moment as the heat loosened muscles that had been rigid for hours.

No dizziness came.

Outside, Nero remained quiet.

Sebastian breathed slowly, aware of the faint warmth of Nero’s pheromones even through the closed door.

It was irritating.

It was also helping.

He would deal with that particular humiliation later.

Preferably after he had discovered something Nero valued enough to confiscate in retaliation.