The second he stopped moving, the pain hit him properly, sharp and deep, settling into his bones like it had been waiting for this exact moment. His hands trembled slightly as he picked up his fork, jaw tightening for just a second before he forced himself to relax again.
The pain had arrived without warning, dragging him up from sleep so sharply he’d nearly cried out. It was only years of discipline that stopped the sound in his throat, teeth clenching hard enough.
He rolled the joint once, controlled, testing the range. The movement cost him. His breath hitched despite himself.
He stilled immediately, mastering it.
One hand braced against the mantel, head lowered, he waited for the wave to pass.
@ALEGREINFANTA defeat, though the faint smile refuses to leave his lips. “That is tragically respectable.” He lifts his gaze to her twitching eye, raising both brows in mock surrender as he slowly lowers the book toward her waiting hand but stops just short of placing it there.
@ALEGREINFANTA He pauses mid-motion, eyes flicking properly over the page this time, the dense script, the maps, the unmistakably serious tone. His brows knit together in brief, genuine surprise before he clicks his tongue softly.
“Well…” He exhales through his nose, clearly conceding [+]
@ALEGREINFANTA He reacts on instinct, stepping back just in time to evade her grasp, the book lifted higher with a low, amused laugh.
“Explorer?” He repeats, glancing quickly back at the page as if verifying her claim.
@ALEGREINFANTA Is it romance? Tragedy? Or something dangerously educational…” He lifts his gaze back to her, holding the book just out of easy reach, a crooked smile tugging at his lips.
@ALEGREINFANTA He glances down at the exposed page at once, scanning a few lines with exaggerated seriousness, one dark brow arching as a slow, amused smile curves at his mouth. “Tell me what has captured you so thoroughly that even my scandalous presence fails to compete. [+]
@ALEGREINFANTA “I shall endeavor to restrain both my limbs and my muttering, if only to earn back your concentration.” A faint, amused smile curves at the corner of his mouth. “Though I confess, knowing I have stolen even a fraction of your attention is a tempting fault to repeat.”
@ALEGREINFANTA “Loud thinker… what a cruel and accurate accusation.” He inclines his head again, this time more sincerely, his gaze flicking briefly to her book before returning to her face. [+]
@ALEGREINFANTA He blinks at last, drawing a slow breath before turning toward her, one brow lifting as a faint, apologetic smile tugs at his mouth. He inclines his head in a shallow bow. [+]