She glanced up at him, surprised. “You get it?”
“I think this whole thing is too much,” he huffed a quiet laugh. “And I don’t even have powers to deal with.”
That made her smile faintly.
“All the elders watching,” he continued. “The speeches, the photos, the expectations. My family acting like this is the most important moment in basilisk history.
“Honestly? It’s overwhelming.” He shook his head slightly.
Liora studied him for a moment, and then her expression softened. Maldenis looked down at her properly, and the thought hit him suddenly.
She looked…beautiful.
Not in the dramatic way the stylists had been aiming for earlier in the evening. Not like the carefully staged photos hanging all over the reception hall.
Just like this.
Her hair was slightly loosened from the elaborate styling. Her makeup softened from the long night. Her brown eyes open and honest in a way they hadn’t been in front of the crowd. There was no guarded sarcasm there now. No performance. Just her.
And she was looking at him the same way. Like they were the only two who actually understood how insane the whole day had been. Slowly, almost without either of them deciding it, they leaned toward each other.
It felt…inevitable.
Two beings caught in the same ridiculous storm, finally standing somewhere quiet together. The only two in the building who knew how crazy everything was. How badly they both just needed a moment.
A little comfort.
For a moment, they simply hovered there, close enough that he could feel her breath against his chin. Then one of them moved. Later, he wouldn’t have been able to say who started it. Maybe it was him. Maybe it was her.
It didn’t really matter because leaning into each other felt…natural.
It was the way he had always gotten through things—throw himself forward, deal with the consequences later. And from everything he knew about Liora, it seemed like her way, too.
After all, it was exactly how they’d ended up in this situation to begin with.
Their lips met, but the kiss wasn’t careful. It wasn’t staged like the ones with cameras clicking and being told where to stand. This one was just feeling. Just the two of them leaning into the moment and into each other.
His arms tightened around her as the kiss deepened, instinctively pulling her closer. She responded immediately, her hands sliding up to the back of his neck as she drew him toward her. Every small shift seemed to bring them closer still, bodies fitting together as if the rest of the world had narrowed down to this single point between them. His hands settled at her waist, pulling her closer while she leaned into him, warm and steady against his chest.
“This probably isn’t a good idea,” she pulled back just enough to look at him, her breath a little uneven.
“No?” he murmured against her neck, his lips brushing warm skin. “It feels good.”
She exhaled slowly, her fingers still curled in the fabric of his jacket.
“I mean it,” she said, trying again. “We should keep things simple, right?”
“Uh-huh,” his voice was distracted, low, and when his mouth brushed her neck again, he felt a shiver run straight down her spine.
“Hey,” Liora slapped his arm. “Listen.”
Maldenis lifted his head, feeling mildly offended.
“Stop kissing me,” she said, her face arranged in what was clearly meant to be a stern expression.
He looked down at her, studying the attempt, the tight set of her mouth, the little crease between her brows, and felt a grin tug at his lips. She was trying very hard to look serious. It was cute, but, unfortunately for her, he knew better.
He raised a brow. “You stop kissing me and I will.”
