The balcony was silent, save for the gentle patter of rain beginning to fall around you, the droplets clinging to your silver hair like dew on frost-kissed petals. The sky above Velaris shimmered with starlight and glowing trails — your very first Starfall in the Night Court.

You leaned against the railing, breath catching as one star streaked across the heavens, then another, a cascade of celestial fire dancing above the mountains. The chill of the rain on your bare shoulders barely registered. Your heart was too full — of wonder, of longing, of quiet awe. This was not your court. But your mate was here. And so this was home now.

Behind you, the doorway creaked softly.

You didn’t turn. You felt him — that familiar thread of the bond tightening in your chest as Nyx stepped onto the balcony. The scent of night-blooming jasmine and storms wrapped around you as his warmth approached, steady and sure.

Without a word, he draped his jacket over your shoulders, the fabric still warm from his body. It smelled like him — like home, like safety.

“I should’ve brought you something warmer,” he murmured near your ear, his voice low, his hand brushing your arm as it settled at your waist.

You turned your face slightly, glancing at him over your shoulder. “I didn’t want to miss it. Not even for a moment.”

His eyes softened, the stars reflected in those violet depths, and then he leaned in — pressing his forehead to yours. “Neither did I.”

The rain slicked through his dark hair, dampening the white shirt he hadn’t bothered to button completely, and as your fingers curled around the lapel of his shirt, the city fell away. There was only the two of you, tangled in moonlight and falling stars.

“I was watching you,” he admitted, voice quiet but rough. “You looked… like every dream I’ve ever had.”