Evaline:
I curled my fingers around his calf through his pants, lightly tracing the muscle beneath. His entire body went still for a second.
His jaw tightened.
He slowly lowered his laptop screen.
Then he looked down at me with the absolute flattest expression.
"Evaline."
"Hm?"
"Are you-" His voice sounded strained. "-attempting to seduce me to avoid training?"
Silence.
I blinked.
He blinked.
"…No?" I lied shamelessly.
He let out a long, slow inhale through his nose. "Liar," he murmured like a warning.
But his voice had already softened.
He reached down, cupping my chin gently between his fingers, forcing my eyes to meet his.
"You don't like long sessions?" he asked quietly.
"No," I admitted instantly. "I hate them. I'm tired. I haven't had a day off in three weeks."
His thumb brushed my cheek, slow and warm.
I leaned into it without thinking.
He sighed, a soft exhale that ruffled the strands of hair near my forehead.
"You should have told me earlier."
