Private In the Arms of Unspoken Truths

[Shade]

Shade's breath hitched, shallow and ragged despite her effort to steady it. Every word he spoke landed with the force of something impossible, something she hadn't let herself hope for: that she wouldn't have to give up herself, or him. Her chest tightened, her pulse jumping—not from danger, but from shock and disbelief.

Her eyes widened slightly, searching his, trying to measure whether he genuinely meant it. Could it be this simple? Could they actually…exist alongside each other without sacrificing everything she had built herself to be? For the first time in years, a flicker of possibility teased at the edges of her carefully maintained walls. A weakness—yes, one he could exploit—but also a strength they could share.

A small exhale escaped her lips, trembling. She let her hand hover near his, unsure whether to take the tether or to retreat. The thought of letting go had never felt so bitter. And yet the certainty that they could do it together, that whatever came next could be faced side by side, steadied her in a way she hadn't known she needed.

Her gaze sharpened, though the raw vulnerability lingered, and she let herself voice the question that had been clawing at the edges of her mind. "And now…what happens?" Her tone was barely a whisper, laden with everything she didn't dare say outright: fear, hope, and the fragile, dangerous thrill of a possible future.

Even with the uncertainty, she stayed, letting the moment hold them suspended, alive with the promise and peril of what might come.

Cassian Abrantes

 

[Cassian Abrantes]

Shade ​

Cassian studied her in the silence that followed, the dim light catching in her eyes sharp and uncertain, but no longer guarded. He could see the question she hadn't been able to silence, the need for something solid in a world that never stopped shifting beneath their feet.

He drew a slow breath, his tone steady when he finally spoke. "We keep doing what we're doing." he said quietly. "We watch each other's backs. We move forward. One mission at a time."

His words weren't grand or gilded, but there was weight in them honesty wrapped in calm conviction. He took a step closer, close enough that their shoulders brushed, grounding the promise in proximity. "That's how we make it through. We don't overthink it. We don't let anyone tell us what this has to be."

Cassian's gaze softened, the edges of his usual discipline melting away for just a moment. "You look out for me," he said, a faint, almost wry smile tugging at his mouth, "And I'll do the same for you. Simple as that."

"We keep going." Cassian said. "Together. Whatever comes next, we face it the same way we always have, side by side."

Thread End​