Julian remained where he was, hands resting loosely at his sides, the quiet between them holding steady after his last words. He did not rush to speak again. The room had settled into a stillness that felt intact, not fragile, and he allowed it to remain that way while the thought continued forming in his head.
"This didn't start tonight," he said.
His tone stayed even, grounded in something he had already accepted rather than something he was trying to prove.
Lucian stood at the counter with the glass in front of him, his attention fixed on Julian without any visible shift in expression. The posture was the same as always, composed and measured, giving nothing away unless it was intentional.
