The two of them ended up lingering far longer than they had intended. Smoke curling endlessly toward the ceiling and right now the room was drenched in the mellow fragrance of the leaves.
Erend leaned back, his shoulders loose for the first time in what felt like ages, his eyes half-lidded as he watched the haze drift and scatter.
The warmth of the smoke seeped into his body, calming his nerves, and smoothing the hard edges of his thoughts.
"These leaves are… nice," Erend murmured, his voice low, his gaze fixed on the ceiling beams above.
"I told you," Adrius replied with a small grin, swirling the smoke out from his lips like a practiced ritual. "They make you forget about your problems for a few minutes. Or hours, if you'd rather not get up at all. Heheh."
Erend chuckled softly. His chest rumbling with the sound.
But the humor faded quickly, replaced by the familiar weight pressing back on his mind.
