Elion's slowly opened his eyes, the faint morning sunlight sneaking through the curtain cracks. The room was quiet, except for the soft hum of the AC and the gentle sound of soone breathing next to him. For a mont, he stayed stil. Then his gaze shifted to the figure beside him, and everything ca rushing back.
Raelynn lay close to him, her face soft and peaceful in sleep. Her lashes fluttered slightly as she dread, her lips slightly parted. The faint rise and fall of her chest seed to synchronize with his own breath. Elion's brows furrowed as he recalled why he'd co to her room the night before.
It wasn't because he wanted to be near her. Of course not.
He'd co to check on her, only wanted to see if she was doing okay and everything, but who would've guessed she'd have such a bad dream? The bad dream had clearly upset her, her face still showed traces of fear. He couldn't just leave her like that—alone, vulnerable. So, he'd stayed. Stayed to give her so sense of security. That was all.
Definitely not for any other reason.
His focus shifted to her stomach, where his child—their child—was growing. His lips pressed into a thin line as he tried to process the thought. No matter how many tis it crossed his mind, it still felt surreal. He, a father?
Elion wasn't sure he deserved such a title. He'd spent his life without giving much thought to the idea of children, family, or anything remotely close to family life. And yet, here he was, staring at her growing belly, feeling sothing foreign stir in his chest.
Carefully, as though he might shatter the mont, he reached out a hand. He let his fingers graze the fabric of her shirt, settling over her belly, where their baby was. His hand warm against the cold air as he moved carefully, almost timid.
The corners of his lips tugged upward into the faintest of smiles—an expression so rare it felt foreign on his face. "You're about to flip my whole world upside down, aren't you?" he whispered, barely loud enough for himself.
After a few monts, he pulled his hand back. His hand lingered close to her face while his eyes moved across her delicate features, from her cheeks to her nose to the faint pink tint of her lips. For a fleeting mont, he felt an almost overwhelming urge to touch her, to feel the warmth of her skin beneath his fingertips.
But before he could act on the impulse, Raelynn stirred. Her brows furrowed slightly, and she let out a small, sleepy hum. Elion froze, his hand retreating as though burned.
Her eyes fluttered open, unfocused at first but quickly locking onto his. She blinked a couple of tis, the hazy confusion clearing as recognition dawned on her face.
And then she smiled.
It was a bright, beautiful smile—one that lit up her entire face and made her eyes sparkle despite the lingering haze of sleep. It was the kind of smile that caught him off guard, that made his breath hitch ever so slightly.
"Hey, there," she greeted softly.
Elion stared at her, unable to form a response. For a mont, all he could do was look at her, his mind blank and his chest tightening in a way that both irritated and confused him.
Raelynn frowned, tilting her head as Elion remained silent, his eyes fixed on her as if she'd suddenly grown a second head. After a good minute of his silence, she waved her hand in front of his face. "Uh, Elion? You didn't just have a heart attack or sothing, right? Because I gotta be honest—I'd probably just scream for help. I'm terrible under pressure."
Then, as though snapping out of a trance, he straightened abruptly, pulling away from her. He cleared his throat, his expression shifting into sothing more neutral—though the faint redness on his ears betrayed him.
"Great. You're awake," he said sharply. He got up fast, running a hand through his hair like he was trying to pull himself together. "I'll call Sloane and Hera to check on you."
Raelynn blinked at him, her smile fading slightly. "Elion—"
Before she could say more, he turned and made a beeline for the door without hesitation.
"Wait," she called after him, sitting up slightly. The confusion in her tone was undeniable, but there was sothing else—maybe disappointnt?
He stopped for a split second, his hand lingering just above the doorknob. His shoulders tensed, and she thought he might turn around. But he didn't.
Without looking back, he said, "Get so rest." His voice was softer this ti, but there was sothing to them, as though he were trying to suppress sothing.
And then he left, the door clicking shut behind him.
Her eyes stayed on the closed door as her brows furrowed. "What was that about?" she mumbled with a mix of puzzlent and humor.
On the other side of the door, Elion leaned against the wall, letting out a slow, asured breath. His hand ca up to his chest, where his heart was beating just a little too fast.
"Damn it," he hissed under his breath, rubbing a hand over his face.
She had smiled at him. That bright, gorgeous smile that made sothing inside him feel… Honestly, he didn't even have the words for it. And the way she'd looked at him—like he was sothing more than the cold, calculating man he'd always been.
A small shake of his head was all he could manage to push the thoughts aside. "This is ridiculous," he told himself, though the words did little to ease the unfamiliar ache in his chest.
Elion straightened up from the wall, his normal calm expression slipping back into place. He couldn't let himself get distracted. Not by a smile. Not by her.
But as he walked away, her smile was stuck in his head, no matter how hard he tried to brush it off.
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