Ardyn watches, just as Valen does, Prince's car grow smaller in the distance. Its taillights fade into the night, leaving only the soft glow of the streetlights and the moon's gentle glow to illuminate the empty space around them. The cold air feels heavier now, numbing him as he turns back to Valen.
Valen seems to take in their solitude with the same pressure Ardyn feels. His gaze shifts from the empty space where Prince's car once was to meet Ardyn's eyes. "He's protective of you," he observes, gently.
Ardyn makes a small noise, a faint hum to fill the silence between them. It's all he can manage at the moment, still processing the emotions tearing through him.
Valen falters again, uncertainty flickering across his face as the space between them grows thick with everything unsaid. Eve
