Two days passed slowly.
Quietly.
The hotel room no longer felt heavy with panic and fear.
Now it felt tired instead.
Exhausted after surviving something terrible.
The curtains were half open.
Soft afternoon light filled the room.
Sebastian sat near the edge of the bed, leaning slightly back against the headboard.
Still pale.
Still sick.
But better.
Much better than before.
The fever had mostly broken during the night.
Not completely.
Just enough.
The coughing remained, though not as violent anymore.
No more blood.
Thank god.
Even so, every cough still sounded painful.
Like his chest hadn't fully recovered yet.
Lillian sat nearby watching him carefully over the top of her coffee cup.
Not hiding it anymore.
She checked on him constantly now.
Sebastian had noticed.
But for once—
he didn't tell her to stop.
Chloe stood near the table, closing her laptop.
"I think we should go back to New York."
The room went quiet.
Sebastian slowly looked up.
Lillian glanced toward Chloe.
Chloe continued carefully.
"He's stable enough to travel now."
Sebastian lowered his gaze slightly at the word stable.
Like being discussed at all made him uncomfortable.
Chloe noticed but continued anyway.
"And honestly?" she added quietly.
"We shouldn't stay in Washington longer than necessary."
Silence followed.
No one disagreed.
Because they all knew why.
The Wolfe family.
The estate.
Everything waiting here.
Lillian looked back toward Sebastian carefully.
"What do you think?"
Sebastian was quiet for a moment.
Then—
"…Home sounds better."
The words came out rough from coughing.
But soft.
Real.
Something in Lillian's chest tightened quietly.
Because New York had become home to him too.
Not Washington.
Not the estate.
New York.
With her.
Chloe nodded once.
"I'll arrange the jet."
Then she grabbed her things and headed for the door.
"I'll give you two some privacy while I deal with everything."
The door clicked shut behind her.
Silence returned.
Soft this time.
Not uncomfortable.
Sebastian leaned back slightly against the headboard again.
He looked tired just from talking.
Lillian stood slowly.
"You should change before we leave."
"I can do it myself."
The response came automatically.
Instinctive.
Lillian looked at him quietly for a second.
Then nodded.
"Okay."
Sebastian pushed himself up slowly from the bed.
Immediately regretting it.
Pain crossed his face briefly.
His hand pressed lightly against his chest as another cough hit him.
Lillian stepped forward instantly.
"Sebastian—."
"I'm fine."
Weak lie.
He barely stayed standing properly.
Lillian stayed close anyway.
Not forcing help.
Just there if he needed it.
Sebastian moved toward the chair where his clothes had been folded neatly.
Fresh shirt.
Dark coat.
Everything Chloe had brought back from the hotel laundry earlier.
He reached for the shirt first.
But halfway through buttoning it—
his hands shook slightly.
Barely noticeable.
But enough.
Lillian saw it immediately.
Sebastian noticed her noticing.
And something guarded flickered briefly across his face.
Before he could struggle through it himself, Lillian quietly stepped closer.
"Here."
Sebastian hesitated.
Then slowly lowered his hands.
Lillian carefully buttoned the rest of his shirt for him.
Gentle movements.
Slow.
Sebastian watched her silently the entire time.
Not pulling away.
Not arguing.
Lillian adjusted the collar softly afterward.
Then looked up at him.
"You don't have to keep pretending you're okay."
Sebastian's gaze lowered slightly.
"…I'm trying not to be difficult."
The words hit her harder than they should have.
Lillian carefully smoothed the front of his shirt once.
"You're not difficult."
Silence.
Sebastian looked at her quietly.
Like he still didn't fully believe that.
Then another cough interrupted him.
Lillian immediately rested a hand lightly against his chest.
"Easy."
Sebastian closed his eyes briefly as the coughing eased.
Exhaustion still clung to him heavily.
When he opened them again, he looked at her differently somehow.
Softer.
Tired.
"…Thank you."
Lillian's expression softened instantly.
"You don't need to thank me either."
But Sebastian still looked like he wanted to.
Like gratitude itself had become instinct.
The drive to the airport was quiet.
Rain tapped softly against the car windows now.
Washington blurred outside.
Cold streets.
Grey buildings.
Memories Sebastian clearly wanted nothing to do with anymore.
He sat beside Lillian in the backseat.
Close enough that their shoulders touched lightly.
At first Sebastian stayed awake.
Quietly watching the city pass by.
But the exhaustion was catching up to him again.
Lillian noticed the moment his eyes started drifting shut more often.
His breathing slowed.
His head dipping slightly once before he straightened again.
Trying to stay awake.
Lillian gently reached for his hand.
Warm fingers sliding carefully through his.
Sebastian looked down at their hands quietly.
Then back at her.
Lillian softly rubbed her thumb over his knuckles.
Grounding.
Gentle.
"You should sleep."
Sebastian looked like he wanted to argue automatically.
But the exhaustion won.
His shoulders loosened slightly.
And after a few quiet minutes—
his head slowly lowered onto her shoulder.
Lillian went still for a second.
Sebastian immediately tensed faintly.
Like he thought he shouldn't have done that.
But Lillian simply adjusted slightly to make him more comfortable.
Her fingers still rubbing softly against his hand.
The tension slowly left him again.
Then finally—
he relaxed fully.
Falling asleep against her shoulder.
Lillian looked down at him quietly.
At the exhaustion written across his face.
At how much younger he looked asleep.
Softer.
Less guarded.
The bruise on his cheek had faded slightly now.
But seeing it still made something cold settle in her chest.
Her fingers tightened gently around his hand.
And Sebastian unconsciously held onto hers a little tighter in his sleep.
The private airport terminal was empty when they arrived.
Chloe handled everything quickly.
Sebastian barely woke while boarding the jet.
Only enough to move.
To follow quietly.
Still exhausted.
Still recovering.
Once inside the cabin, Lillian guided him toward one of the seats near the window.
"You should lie down."
"I'm alright."
Lillian gave him a look.
Sebastian sighed faintly.
Then sat anyway.
Lillian settled beside him.
Chloe moved toward the front of the jet, giving them space naturally.
The engines rumbled softly beneath them.
Sebastian stared quietly out the window.
Washington stretched outside beneath grey skies.
Silent.
Distant.
Lillian watched him carefully.
After a while Sebastian finally spoke.
"…How long was I gone for?"
His voice stayed quiet.
Rough from illness.
But Lillian immediately understood what he meant.
Not the hotel.
Not the fever.
The room.
The estate.
Lillian's fingers tightened slightly around his hand.
"…Four days."
Silence.
Sebastian went completely still beside her.
His gaze stayed fixed outside the window.
But something changed in his expression.
Not shock exactly.
Something emptier.
Like hearing the number made it real.
"…I didn't realise," he whispered.
Lillian's chest tightened painfully.
Because of course he hadn't.
Days probably stopped feeling real in that room.
She gently squeezed his hand.
"You're out now."
Sebastian stayed quiet.
Then slowly—
very slowly—
he leaned back into his seat.
The jet began moving.
The city outside started disappearing.
And for the first time since she had found him—
Lillian saw something in Sebastian finally loosen.
Like part of him had been waiting to leave Washington before believing he was actually safe.
His eyes slowly closed again.
Exhaustion pulling him under once more.
A few minutes later—
his head slipped gently onto her shoulder again.
This time without hesitation.
Without tension.
Lillian smiled softly.
Her fingers threaded through his hair carefully.
Sebastian shifted slightly closer in his sleep.
And gradually—
his breathing evened out.
Calm.
Peaceful.
Really peaceful.
Lillian rested her head lightly against his for a moment.
Still holding his hand.
Still close.
And Sebastian slept through the entire flight home beside her.