The long wooden table was set beneath hanging lanterns, their glow soft against the night. Plates clattered, voices rose, and the warmth of family filled the courtyard as everyone gathered for the meal.
Adrian sat quietly, his posture relaxed but his mind elsewhere. Aiden took the seat beside him, calm as ever, while Cassian sprawled across his chair, already reaching for bread with a grin. Orion slid in opposite them, his teasing smile never fading.
Selene claimed her place beside Adrian, her sharp presence impossible to ignore. Lyra chose a seat across from Aiden, her silence heavy but graceful. Amara, determined, sat close to Julian — but the table was narrow, and her eyes never left Adrian.
The elders spoke of ordinary things — harvests, school, family traditions — but their voices carried undertones that only Adrian and Aiden caught. Whispers of "business," "arrangements," and "loyalty" threaded through the laughter, words that sounded harmless to the younger cousins but carried weight in the shadows.
Adrian's gaze flicked toward the head of the table, where one uncle raised his glass. "To family," he said warmly. "May we always stand together."
The cousins echoed the toast, but Adrian felt the hidden meaning beneath it. Together in blood. Together in silence.
As the meal continued, Amara shifted slightly. Beneath the table, her foot brushed against Adrian's leg. Adrian froze for a heartbeat, his eyes flicking toward her in shock. He moved his leg away, his smile still faint.
She didn't stop. A moment later, her foot returned, more insistent, sliding upward. Adrian shifted again, removing the contact, his silence sharper than words.
But Amara was relentless. The third time, her foot pressed higher, refusing to retreat. Adrian's hand moved under the table, catching her foot firmly. For a moment, he held it still — not just to stop her, but because he couldn't bring himself to let go.
His touch was steady, his expression unreadable to anyone watching. Yet inside, his emotions churned. She's here, choosing me in this moment… and it makes me happy.
But the happiness was shadowed by sadness. She already has a boyfriend. This can't be real. She would never truly want me.
The contradiction burned quietly in his chest — joy tangled with sorrow, desire shadowed by denial. He held her foot a little longer, as if clinging to the fleeting warmth, before finally releasing it.
Across the table, Cassian laughed at a joke, Orion teased another cousin, and Selene spoke sharply — none of them noticing the quiet storm beneath the surface. Only Lyra's eyes caught the tension, her gaze heavy with unspoken jealousy.
The meal carried on, voices rising and falling like waves. To anyone else, it was just family sharing food. But for Adrian, every bite tasted of secrets, every smile carried shadows.