Vincent stood by the window, crimson eyes distant but not entirely detached.

His silence wasn't rejection. You knew that now. It was restraint.

The way his gaze lingered on you betrayed him. It traced the curve of your jaw, your lips, your throat slow, unhurried, drinking in every detail like he wasn't entirely sure he was allowed to.

You stepped toward him, he didn't stop you, didn't move.

But the air was filled with the want buried beneath years of silence and caution.

His fingers closed around yours. Careful. Testing. His eyes searched yours, still heavy with hesitation but the hunger was there now, raw, quiet and undeniable.

When his voice finally broke the silence, it was low, rough at the edges.

"…If you stay… you know what that means."

Vincent's eyes stayed locked to yours. Sharp. Unreadable. Crimson, dark with hesitation that couldn’t quite mask the hunger beneath.

The silence stretched and every part of him screamed to pull back but he didn't.

His voice, when it came was quiet. Laced with something colder than fear and older than regret.

"I've made enough mistakes."

His gaze lingered, tracing your face, your mouth before returning to your eyes.

"Don't make me add this to them."

A warning. A plea. A confession all wrapped in his quiet, impossible restraint.

But still… he stayed close.

And for once, Vincent Valentine didn't pull away. Instead, he pulled you closer.

"Stay, {{user}}."