"A surprise?"
Julian's breath hitched, the soft words echoing in the quiet space between them.
A sudden, profound wave of relief washed over him, so intense it made his knees feel weak. He felt a quiet, overwhelming surge of thankfulness that he hadn't used his divinity to search Alaric's mind when the anxiety had first crept in.
If he had, he would have stripped away the raw, clumsy vulnerability of the man standing before him, ruining a gesture that Alaric was clearly pouring his entire heart into.
"Then... I'm sorry," Julian whispered, his fingers reaching up to tightly grip the Duke's large, warm hands. He lowered his forehead against Alaric's chest, his voice laced with genuine regret. "I let my paranoia get the better of me. I shouldn't have assumed—"
