Allen didn't move for a long time. He sat among the warmth of their tangled bodies—Kari still curled beside him like a woman reborn, Elira trembling as she held her breath, the turtle elder laying back against the cushions with her legs slightly parted, not in exhaustion but in reverence. His hands rested on his thighs, fingers still glistening, gaze cast upward toward the heavy silence of the elder seats.
A moment like this didn't beg to be rushed. It demanded to be savored.
Fina leaned into him from his left, her lips brushing his ear. "She's still staring."
