***Cassius***
One year into our second beginning, I woke before dawn to find Aldrik already awake beside me, propped on one elbow, watching me the way he'd taken to doing lately, like he was memorizing something he was afraid might be temporary.
"You're staring again," I mumbled, not bothering to keep my eyes open.
"I like doing that now." His voice was rough with sleep, but there was no apology in it. "I spent enough years not looking at you properly. I'm making up for lost time."
I cracked one eye open. "That's going to get exhausting for you eventually."
"I doubt it."
He reached over and brushed a strand of hair off my forehead, unhurried, like we had nowhere to be—which we didn't.
I caught his wrist before he could pull his hand back and pressed a kiss to his palm, feeling him go still at the small gesture the way he still did sometimes, like even now some part of him hadn't quite believed he was allowed this.
"Good morning," I said against his skin.
