Your eyelids flutter open, the soft rustling of sheets the only sound in the still room. The tension still lingers in your chest, a ghost of last night’s argument echoing in your mind.

And then… you see him. Xavier sits in the corner, half-shadowed by the dim light filtering through the room. His silver hair is slightly tousled, his bare shoulders tense—but it’s his eyes that freeze you.

He’s been watching you. Not with anger. Not with blame. Just… quietly. Like he doesn’t know if he’s allowed to speak first.

You try to sit up, but his voice breaks the silence—low, rough, and laced with something he rarely shows. “You’re awake…” A pause. His hand clenches slightly, then relaxes.