"Where do we start with the investigation?"

Ezra didn’t even try to ease into it.

The question came out too quickly, cutting cleanly through whatever tension was left from before, like he was deliberately steering them away from a direction he didn’t want to face.

He kept his expression steady, but there was a stiffness in the way his shoulders held, the way his fingers rested just a little too firmly against the table.

He knew he had lost that conversation.

And instead of acknowledging it, he chose to bury it. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

’Just move on,’ Ezra thought, keeping his gaze on Kaelis, refusing to let it drift. ’If I stay on it, I’ll just make it worse.’

He expected resistance.

A comment.

Something sharp and teasing, something Kaelis would usually throw his way without hesitation.

Ezra had already braced himself for it, the way one braces for something familiar and unavoidable.

But it didn’t come.

"I can tell you everything that has happened while you were gone, but that would take a long time, so let’s schedule that."

Kaelis said it easily, as if there was nothing worth pressing anymore, as if he had already decided to let Ezra have his escape.

There was even a faint smile there, relaxed, unbothered.

And that was what made Ezra pause.

Not the words.

The lack of anything behind them.

’...he’s letting it go?’ Ezra thought, studying him for a second longer than necessary, trying to catch something he might have missed. ’Since when does he just stop?’

It didn’t sit right.

It felt...intentional.

But Ezra didn’t question it out loud.

Didn’t want to.

"Do you have somewhere else to be?" Ezra asks after a moment, the question coming out more naturally now, though there was still a trace of that earlier tension in his voice.

Kaelis lets out a small laugh, the sound low and brief, like he found something amusing that Ezra didn’t quite see yet.

Ezra’s brows pull together slightly.

Then Kaelis lifts his hand and gestures toward the window without saying anything.

Ezra follows the motion instinctively, his gaze shifting past the room, past the glass, and only then does it hit him.

It was already dark.

Not the kind of dim that lingers before night fully settles.

It was night.

The sky outside had long since lost any trace of light, leaving only shadows and faint outlines where the world used to be clearer.

Ezra blinks once, then exhales quietly.

’...how long have we been talking?’ he thought, the realization settling in a bit heavier than expected.

"It’s getting dark out, and I don’t see it appropriate to stay in your home too long," Kaelis explains, though Ezra already understood. "I only ever came here to check on you two and tell you about the move."

There was something measured in the way he said it, something that felt more deliberate than casual, like he was drawing a line without making it obvious.

Then Kaelis shifts slightly, leaning forward just enough for his presence to feel closer, his arm resting against the table as that familiar smirk returned, subtle but unmistakable.

"Unless you want me to stay here late?"

The words land lightly.

A little too lightly.

Ezra feels it immediately.

The way his body reacts before his mind catches up, his back straightening, his hand pressing against the edge of the table as if he needed something to ground himself.

"No, that’s not—"

"I want you to!"

Lior’s voice cuts through everything, bright and eager, his hand lifting high like he was answering a question in class, his entire face lighting up without hesitation.

The shift is instant.

Kaelis lets out a laugh, this one fuller, unrestrained, clearly amused by how quickly Lior responded, by how genuine it was.

Ezra, on the other hand, goes still.

He slowly lowers himself back into his seat, the movement controlled, deliberate, like he was forcing himself to settle instead of react.

’Of course he does,’ Ezra thought, glancing briefly at Lior, then at Kaelis, and immediately looking away again. ’He doesn’t even understand what he just said.’

Lior, completely unaware, just smiles between them, pleased with himself, like he had contributed something important.

Kaelis reaches out without much thought, his hand settling on Lior’s head, fingers brushing through his hair in an easy, familiar motion before ruffling it lightly.

"Hey," Kaelis says, his tone softer now, the amusement still there but gentler. "My apologies that I can’t stay tonight."

Lior’s smile falters.

Not completely.

But enough.

His shoulders dip just a little, his hands curling against the edge of the table as he looks up at Kaelis, like he was trying to figure out if there was a way to change that answer.

"But..." Lior starts, his voice quieter this time, the excitement from earlier slipping into something smaller. "But you said..."

Kaelis doesn’t pull his hand away. He keeps it there, steady, almost grounding, as he leans just slightly closer, enough to meet Lior at eye level without making it obvious.

"Once you and your maman move," Kaelis continues, his voice calm and certain, "I can visit more often. I can come see you, spend time with you, and get to know you better. That sounds fun, right?"

There’s a small pause after that.

Just enough for the words to settle.

Then Kaelis tilts his head a bit, watching Lior carefully.

"Would you like that?"

Lior blinks.

Once.

Then his whole face lights up again, the earlier disappointment disappearing as quickly as it came, replaced with something brighter, something genuine.

"Yes!" Lior says, a soft giggle escaping him as he nods eagerly. "I’d like that!"

Kaelis smiles.

Not the usual smirk.

Something quieter and softer.

Ezra watches the entire exchange without saying a word.

His gaze lingers longer than it should, fixed on the way Kaelis’ hand still rested on Lior’s head, on how easily Lior leaned into it without hesitation.

There was nothing strange about it.

Nothing that anyone else would question.

And that was exactly what made it feel wrong to him.

’...I feel like I should stop this.’ Ezra thought, his chest tightening faintly as he looked away, forcing himself to break the moment before it settled too deeply.

He exhales quietly.

Then straightens slightly.

"That’s good," Ezra says, his tone polite, controlled, carefully neutral as he finally speaks again. "Then you can go now, Your Highness. It’s getting late."

He made it sound kind.

As kindly as he could.

But there was something firm underneath it, something that didn’t leave much room for argument.

Kaelis’s hand stills for a second before he finally pulls it back, his attention shifting from Lior to Ezra.

He studies him.

Just for a moment.

Then he stands.

"Alright," Kaelis says, brushing his hand lightly against his sleeve as if nothing had happened.

But he doesn’t move toward the door immediately.

Instead, he looks at Ezra again, something unreadable passing through his expression before it settles into something more casual.

"Can you walk me out, Ezra?" Kaelis asks.

The question was simple.

But...odd.

Ezra’s brows knit together slightly, looking at Kaelis in suspicion.

"Of course, Your Highness."