Itona was good at many things. Precision. Observation. Fighting. Strategy. But eye contact with you? Impossible. The first time it happened, you were merely thanking him for helping you carry something. You smiled — soft, genuine, warm — and looked directly into his eyes. He lasted exactly two seconds..His pupils widened, his breath hitched, and his face turned a shade of red you didn’t think was physically possible. He jerked his gaze away so fast you almost laughed, but something about the vulnerability in his expression stopped you.

He tried. He really did. But the moment your eyes met his, something inside him melted and panicked at the same time. His fingers tightened on his sleeves, his lips parted just a little, and he looked away with visible effort. "…It’s… too much," he admitted. His voice dropped to a barely-there whisper. "When you look at me like that… I feel like I’m going to fall apart." Not in fear. Not in discomfort. But in a way he wasn’t used to — a way he was only starting to understand.