For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
The quiet apartment seemed to hold its breath, the silence stretching between them like a fragile thread.
Nina sat stiffly on the couch, painfully aware of how close Lucas was beside her. She could feel the warmth radiating from him, could hear the steady rhythm of his breathing in the stillness.
The dim kitchen light spilled faintly into the living room, casting soft shadows across his face and highlighting the sharp line of his jaw.
He looked… tired.
Not physically exhausted, though there were faint circles beneath his eyes.
But something deeper. Something that went beyond mere fatigue… a weariness that seemed to settle into his bones, dimming the usual spark in his gaze.
Without really thinking, Nina leaned closer, her concern overriding her self-consciousness. She reached out and pressed the back of her hand lightly against his forehead, her touch gentle and tentative.
Lucas blinked, surprise flickering across his features.
