A languid, unhurried smile commenced at one corner of his lips and unfurled with the exquisite leisure of a predator savoring the aftertaste of victory — it was not at all the razor-edged, soul-devouring leer of the Soul Realm's apex predator that had beat Kyle black and blue but something softer, fonder, laced with a wry, almost boyish amusement that would have horrified his enemies.
It was the private grin a clever lad reserves for the one wretched saint in the universe who has been quietly preventing the apocalypse while he napped like a spoiled cat.
Cassiopeia registered the minute flex of his jaw against the crown of her head and uttered a tiny, questioning murmur into the fabric of his shirt. He offered no answer.
He simply let the smile melt back into the shadows of his mouth like he was tucking away a stolen sweet before the grown-ups notice.
He was smiling for Eira...
'Of course Eira had kept the world spinning. Bless her murderous little heart.'
