After being formally discharged from the hospital, Ilyas found himself running into another problem, one far harder than recovering physically. He was going to Micah's place where Darcy lived one floor below.
During this morning in the hospital, he had managed to maintain a certain level of ease and composure whenever Aria and Dean were present beside him. Aria's lively and warm personality had a naturally soothing effect, while Dean's presence, though somewhat sharp and occasionally intimidating, kept him from overthinking.
However, everything changed the moment Darcy reappeared.
Darcy had returned with what could only be described as a thoughtful and practical gesture, going out of his way to replace Ilyas's broken phone without being asked.
It was not an overly grand action, nor was it delivered with any particular flourish, yet it carried a weight that unsettled Ilyas more than anything else.
