Page 85 of Second to None

I exhaled, light as a soap bubble that fractured sunlight into a rainbow hue of colours. “I don’t, no. I don’t want to wait. So—we’re doing this?”

His smile could have ended wars. “Yeah, we are.”

“Good.” Terribly inadequate, my mind clutching this moment like a shining pearl. Cass washere. I drew him close again, couldn’t stop touching now that we were finally here. “How long can you stay?”

His lips twitched into a slightly mischievous upwards curve. “I was thinking indefinitely?”

A joke, but also not. I squeezed his waist. “Please do.”

The humour drained from his face and left a heaviness that didn’t feel stifling, justright. “Planning to.”

“Good,” I said and trusted him to hear all the words I didn’t say.

I love you. I believe you. I’m so glad you’re here.

Welcome home.

Epilogue

I. THE BUZZZ

Feat. Cassian Monroe(?!?): Levi Blake Just Broke the Internet

Or: The Cat That Launched the Mothership

Ladies, gents, and non-binary pals, the wait is over. Grab your coffee, pull up your group chats, and brace yourselves for what might just be the mosticoniccoming-out of the decade.

Levi Blake—yes,thatLevi Blake—took to Instagram this morning, and let’s just say, subtlety isn’t his strong suit. Or maybe it is, depending on how you look at it. The video is simple: His cat Alba, perched regally on a very familiar torso. (Fans recognised Cassian Monroe’s Lyra tattoo inapproximately0.2 seconds, because of course they did.)

Oh, and what’s this? A second Lyra tattoo peeking out from Levi’s wrist as his hand reaches to tickle Alba. Coincidence? We think not. The caption? Just three words: ‘Good morning, Alba.’

That’s it. No explanation. No tagging Cass. No press release. Just a cat, some ink, and the internet collectivelylosing its mind.

Want a taste? Here’s what comments look like:

“Not me zooming in on a cat vid to confirm their tattoos match. I AM UNWELL.”

“The way he didn’t even tag Cass but made it so obvious… king behavior.”

“ALBA IS LIVING HER BEST LIFE AND SO ARE WE.”

“Imagine being Levi Blake’s cat, though. ICONIC.”

“The tattoos???? I’m sobbing. It’s like… they’ve had this planned forever.”

“Okay, so Cass’s been in the UK this whole time, yeah?Let’s discuss.”

“So they’re cat dads and DADS together?!? I’m not crying. YOU’RE crying.”

Let’s zoom out!

While the video itself is pure, understated Levi—a cat, some ink, and vibes—the implications are enormous. This isn’t just a casual nod to some rumours. It’s a full-on confirmation that Monroe and Blake, the most shipped pairing sincepeanut butter and jelly, are not just back in each other’s lives—they’re in ittogether.

Fans have long speculated about their relationship, but recent hints—like Monroe reworking his upcoming tour schedule and spending more time in Manchester—had already stoked the fire. This, however, sets it ablaze.

So what does this mean? For starters, we’ll be watching Cass’s Instagram for a matching post (or story?)—and for any interviews where he might finally confirm what we’ve all suspected for years.

Until then, we’ll be replaying Levi’s reel on a loop and thanking Alba for her service.

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