“We weren’t dancing,” I protest weakly.
“You were waltzing. Very badly. For months.”
Kaia snorts. “He’s not wrong.”
“Whose side are you on?”
“The side that just gave me two orgasms.”
“That’s—” I pause. “Okay, fair.”
Malrik’s arm drapes over both of us, his hand finding mine across Kaia’s hip. Our fingers intertwine.
“This is okay?” I ask quietly. Meaning all of it. Meaningus.
“More than okay.” He squeezes my hand. “This is what I wanted. What I’ve wanted for a long time.”
“Both of us?”
“Both of you.” No hesitation. No uncertainty. Just truth.
Something loosens in my chest that I didn’t know was tight.
The motes drift lazily overhead, painting soft patterns of light across our skin. The Eds have retreated to a respectful distance — though Bob is definitely still watching from his post near our clothes, posture radiatingI am choosing to pretend I saw nothing.
At the edge of the Berserker hall, a flicker of gold catches my eye. Kieran. Standing in the shadows, watching — then gone before I can blink.
Of course.
“We should probably go back eventually,” Kaia murmurs. She doesn’t sound like she means it.
“Eventually,” I agree.
“The others will wonder.”
“Let them wonder.”
Malrik huffs a laugh against her hair. “They know exactly what we’re doing.”
“They know what theythinkwe’re doing.”
“Finn.” Kaia twists to look at me. “Torric literally said ‘don’t break anything.’ They know.”
“In their defense,” I say, “I did almost break several things. Internally. My brain, specifically. Multiple times.”
She laughs — tired and warm and completely content — and the sound travels through the bond like sunlight.
Our bond.
I still can’t quite believe it’s real.
“Hey,” I say softly.
“Hey.”
“I love you.”
The words slip out before I can stop them. Before I can wrap them in jokes or deflection or any of the armor I usually wear.
