Caelum did not go to bed immediately. The city had long quieted, the rain now nothing more than a memory clinging to the streets, when he finally stepped into his kitchen. The takeout bag sat on the counter exactly where he had left it, Untouched. He stared at it for a moment. A small, ordinary thing, Paper. Slightly crumpled. Aeris' voice echoed faintly in his mind. "You promised to eat it." Caelum exhaled quietly Then reached for the bag. He opened it carefully, as though it required some level of precision. The scent hit him immediately. Strong, Spiced.. He paused, Brows narrowing slightly.
"…interesting."
He pulled out the container and set it on the counter. For a moment, he considered grabbing a plate. And he did. He walked to the cabinet, took one out, and placed it beside the container. Then he stopped. His gaze shifted back to the food, To the wrapper, The way it had been packed. Nothing like the carefully arranged meals he was used to. He hesitated for a moment, Then slowly, He pushed the plate aside. And picked the food up exactly the way it had been given to him. From the wrapper.
His fingers adjusted awkwardly. "This is inefficient," he muttered under his breath. He took a bite. And immediately regretted it. The spice hit him like fire. Caelum froze For a full second. Then coughed. Once, Twice.
"…what is this?"
His voice was hoarse as the heat spread across his tongue. His eyes watered slightly. He turned quickly, grabbing a glass from the counter and filling it with water. He drank. Fast, Too fast but the burn lingered anyway.
"This is absurd."
He set the glass down, breathing out slowly. Silence returned to the kitchen. He looked at the food again. Suspicion, Mild offense was all he felt. Then, stubbornly, He took another bite. This time slower. More cautious, so he thought. The spice was still there, Sharp. But beneath it, There was flavor, Something warm, Something layered. Something… alive. He chewed thoughtfully. Then swallowed.
Another pause. Then he shook his head faintly.
"No."
He placed the food back down.
"This is not for me."
But there was no real annoyance in his voice. Only quiet acceptance. He wiped his hands clean and stepped away from the counter. The kitchen fell silent again. Still, Orderly, Controlled. Nothing like the chaos of flavors he had just experienced. Nothing like her.
Caelum walked slowly out of the kitchen and into his study. The room was dimly lit. Familiar, Cold. His steps were quieter here. Measured. He stopped in front of his desk. For a long moment, he didn't move. Then, He reached for the drawer. Pulled it open. Inside, tucked neatly among papers and untouched objects, sat a small box. Dark. His fingers hovered over it briefly. Then he picked it up. Held it carefully, As though it weighed more than it should. His thumb brushed lightly against the surface. He did not open it, Not this time. He already knew what was inside. He always did. His jaw tightened slightly. And for the first time that night, Something shifted in his expression.
Not control nor distance. Something else; sadness. His eyes softened. Just barely. A quiet sting gathered behind them. He blinked once,Then again. Stopping it before it could fall. Slowly…He brought the box closer. Pressed a soft, lingering kiss against it. A gesture so gentle it almost didn't belong to him. Then he lowered it. Placed it back inside the drawer. Closed it. The sound echoed softly in the still room. And just like that, The moment was gone. Caelum straightened slightly. The mask returned.
But somewhere deep within him, Something had been touched. Something he had spent years trying to bury. And tonight, Because of a girl who ran in the rain and fed him fire… It stirred again.