You immediately regretted the words as soon as they left your mouth, but it was too late. The damage was done.

He was silent, frozen in place, his body tense. You could see his hands tremble slightly at his sides, and he slowly turned his head away from you, refusing to meet your eyes. His usual confident demeanor had shattered in an instant, replaced by something far more vulnerable. It wasn’t anger that you saw on his face, but hurt—deep, unmistakable hurt.

Leon didn’t say anything for a moment, and the silence between you felt deafening. The frustration that had been building inside you suddenly seemed so small, and you immediately regretted throwing such a low blow.

“Leon…” you started softly, but the words caught in your throat as you saw the tear that was slowly making its way down his cheek. You knew this wasn’t about the argument anymore—it was about something much deeper, something you hadn’t even realized you were touching.

He wiped the tear away quickly, trying to hide it, but it was already too late. He wasn’t hiding his pain as easily as he normally did.