08-31-2025, 08:14 PM
Ezvin had been prepared for the hug. What he hadn’t been prepared for was how long she held on. He leaned into it, arms wrapping around her, one hand splayed flat between her shoulder blades to hold her there. He even gave a soft chuckle when she kissed his cheek, letting it warm the moment like steam off a winter mug. His arms were warm, his presence familiar, and his response was exactly what someone like Cadence deserved.
But inside? Inside was something else entirely. An old instinct that stirred behind the softness of his smile. She liked him. It was hard not to like Ezvin when he turned on the charm.
He had told her he wasn’t good at the long game. He hadn’t lied. But he was very good at playing a part long enough for it to mean something, but that something was usually for someone else. For him, it was different. For him, it was always temporary. Her invitation was tempting.
He tilted his head slightly, that boyish expression softening into something thoughtful. Not flustered. Not dismissive. Imaginative. His thumb brushed over the edge of her sleeve, his eyes meeting hers with that ever-earnest glint.
“I can’t pretend I don’t want to,” he said, the words softly. “But… Let’s not rush a good thing,” he added, offering a crooked, gently teasing smile. “You deserve something real.”
But inside? Inside was something else entirely. An old instinct that stirred behind the softness of his smile. She liked him. It was hard not to like Ezvin when he turned on the charm.
He had told her he wasn’t good at the long game. He hadn’t lied. But he was very good at playing a part long enough for it to mean something, but that something was usually for someone else. For him, it was different. For him, it was always temporary. Her invitation was tempting.
He tilted his head slightly, that boyish expression softening into something thoughtful. Not flustered. Not dismissive. Imaginative. His thumb brushed over the edge of her sleeve, his eyes meeting hers with that ever-earnest glint.
“I can’t pretend I don’t want to,” he said, the words softly. “But… Let’s not rush a good thing,” he added, offering a crooked, gently teasing smile. “You deserve something real.”