Peace at the Table, War on the Horizon
"You're planning two already?" Rias teased.
"Three if no one stops me."
Laughter circled the table as everyone began taking their seats.
Some moved a little more carefully than usual. A few shifted subtly in their chairs, adjusting posture, easing themselves down slowly. The exhaustion from earlier still lingered in their muscles.
But their eyes told a different story.
Bright.
Alive.
Satisfied.
Leon sat at the head of the table, watching them with quiet amusement. There was a warmth in the room now that hadn't been there before.
Comfort.
Trust.
A strange kind of peace after the storm.
A quiet touch began when Rias slid her hand under the table, brushing against Leon's. Her fingers closed around his, slow and sure. Not a word passed between them - just warmth spreading through linked hands.
Close by now, she let her words slip out quiet, meant just for him. A hush hung around them as if sound itself had stepped back.
