"This is the problem with you." Elias said, rising from the couch. "You can wait; you have the leisure of time, but you still chose to press me into giving in." He looked at Victor, his easy stance and the confidence.
Victor didn't step back.
He watched Elias rise, watched the measured movement, the way the light caught in damp strands of hair still falling into his face, and the way his shoulders squared as if bracing against a storm.
"Elias…" Victor's voice was low, carrying none of his usual teasing edge. "Things are easier to understand than you think. Being my soulmate isn't something I take lightly, nor is it something I would ever regret."
He took a single step closer, the faint hum of his ether brushing the air between them like a slow heartbeat.
