The moonlight spilled through the curtains, casting a soft glow across Sher's room. The candles flickered gently, and everything felt still. Calm… but not empty.
The door creaked open.
Cassian stepped in without a word. He didn't knock. He never had to. The quiet click of the door closing behind him felt intimate, like a secret being sealed away.
He leaned against it for a moment, his gaze sweeping the room until it landed on her.
There she was. Sitting near the window. Alone. As always.
Cassian took a slow breath and walked toward her. Each step was deliberate, almost careful—like he was approaching a fragile piece of glass he didn't want to crack. The closer he got, the heavier his footsteps seemed, like he was walking into something he had long avoided.
He stopped just beside her.
"I thought you might be awake," he said softly, crouching slightly so he didn't tower over her. His voice was low, almost a whisper, and filled with something unspoken.
She didn't look at him.
He waited, then added with a faint smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, "You've been quiet all day. That's never a good sign."
His hand reached out slowly, brushing a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. The touch was gentle, careful, and lingered a second longer than necessary. He was giving her time to speak, time to pull away—but she didn't.
"Tell me, Sher," his voice dropped, almost pleading now. "What's going on in that storm of a mind you hide from everyone?"
The room stayed silent. Not cold. Just heavy. With emotions, with thoughts unspoken, with wounds still healing.
Finally, Sher spoke.
"I… I don't even know how I'm feeling anymore."
Her words came out soft and uncertain, barely above a whisper. They trembled, like her heart was trying to speak through her lips.
"Everything's changing so fast. One moment I feel like I'm in control… and the next, I'm standing in the middle of chaos."
She let out a shaky breath and tightened her fingers around the edge of the window sill.
"We never really know what's waiting for us in the next moment, do we? One wrong turn, one word too late… and everything falls apart."
Cassian listened quietly. No interruptions. No advice. Just presence. And she felt it.
He stepped closer behind her, his fingers lightly touching her shoulder. There was hesitation in the gesture, as if asking for permission to stay.
"You don't have to figure it all out tonight," he said. His voice had lost all playfulness now. It was steady, grounding.
"But if the world's going to keep spinning out of control… let it. Just stay here with me tonight. Let this moment be still."
She didn't answer right away.
"I'm not asking you to be strong right now," he added softly. "I just want you to let yourself breathe."
Sher swallowed the lump in her throat. She turned slightly to face him, and when their eyes met, her storm was visible—but so was her exhaustion.
"Thank you… for being with me," she whispered.
Her voice trembled just a bit, but it was sincere. She met his gaze fully now, her guard lowered just enough for him to see through.
Cassian stepped closer.
"Always," he said without hesitation.
He lowered himself onto one knee beside her, eyes never leaving hers.
"You don't have to thank me for this. I'd walk through hell if it meant I could stay by your side."
He reached for her hand, lifting it gently. Carefully. Like something precious.
"Even when you don't say a word… I still hear you."
Sher's cheeks turned red at his words. She quickly looked away, trying to hide behind a curtain of hair. Her fingers fidgeted in her lap.
She cleared her throat and spoke, trying to shift the mood.
"By the way… why are you even here?"
Her voice was awkward now, trying to sound scolding but failing to hide the softness beneath.
"It's not proper to enter a woman's room this late at night."
Cassian chuckled, the sound low and rich.
"Why would anyone get the wrong idea about me entering my wife's room in the middle of the night?"
He tilted his head, smiling mischievously.
"In fact, I think they'd get the right idea."
Her eyes widened in shock, and she turned away quickly, hiding her face in her hands.
"I'm not your wife—I mean, technically I am, but…"
She flailed slightly, waving her hands as if trying to erase her own words.
"You know what I'm trying to say, right?"
Cassian's smile deepened. He didn't mock her. Not really. Just gently teased.
"Yeah, I know… but still," he said as he stepped a little closer.
His voice dropped.
"You live here as my wife."
Her breath hitched. He was too close.
"You can't leave our kid behind."
He shrugged.
"And let's be honest… we don't even hate each other anymore."
He looked at her with that same intense gaze that always saw through her.
"So tell me, Sher… technically, what does that make our future?"
She opened her mouth but no words came out.
Because deep down, she had thought about it too.
She looked at him, voice small.
"Why are you talking about the future all of a sudden?"
Her heart pounded.
"Do you… want that kind of relationship with me?"
Cassian tilted his head like he was confused.
"That kind of relationship? I didn't understand, Sher. Can you explain it to me?"
Her whole face turned red.
"I-I mean… like a real marriage! You know what I meant!"
She turned away, flustered, gripping the blanket beside her.
Cassian leaned closer, his voice playful again.
"Oh… a real marriage, huh? I didn't know you thought about that."
She could barely breathe.
"You're the one who said it first… and now you're acting like I got the wrong idea."
He smiled gently.
"I never said you got the wrong idea."
Then, in a softer tone:
"In fact… I want more than just the title of husband."
Her heart skipped. She turned away again, feeling her whole body warm.
"L-Let's talk about it in the future," she mumbled. "You can go now. I'm tired."
Cassian laughed, stepping closer.
"I can't go. Husband and wife should sleep together, remember?"
She didn't respond, but her silence said enough.
Cassian grinned, placing the pillow back.
"So, Sher… do you want to sleep on the left or right side?"
She stared at him.
"I actually prefer the right," he added casually.
Her face turned crimson.
"W-Why are you even asking that?! You're not sleeping here!"
"I just thought it would be nice to know, for the future. In case I do sleep here someday."
She covered her face.
"You're unbelievable…"
"So? Left or right?"
She threw a pillow at him.
"Sleep in your own room, Cassian!"
He caught the pillow easily.
Cassian chuckled softly, his eyes glinting with amusement as he leaned against the doorframe with infuriating ease.
"You're the only woman in this world who dares to throw a pillow at a man like me… and gets away with it," he said, his tone laced with teasing warmth. But beneath that smirk, there was something softer—something unreadable—in his gaze.
Sher crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes as she tried to steady her breath.
"If you think that's bold," she muttered, voice laced with irritation, "trust me—I can do a lot more than that."
She meant it as a threat. A warning. But her flushed cheeks and the tremble in her fingers betrayed her far too easily.
Cassian didn't back off. Instead, he moved closer with slow, deliberate steps—closing the space between them until his breath ghosted against her ear.
"You can do anything you want to me, Sher…" he whispered, his voice low and dangerously playful. His wicked smile brushed against the edges of her senses, making her chest tighten.
Her pulse stuttered. Her thoughts tangled.
Then—like someone caught in a spell—she jolted back, eyes wide, face flushed deep crimson.
"T-That's not what I meant!" she blurted, hands flailing slightly as she tried to reclaim her composure. "Don't twist my words!"
But it was too late.
Cassian was already smiling like he'd won something.
"One day, Sher… you'll ask me to stay."
She didn't answer. But he saw the blush on her ears.
Without saying another word, Sher stepped closer, grabbed his hand, and gently guided him to the door.
"Good night… husband."
Cassian paused at the door, his hand still in hers.
He didn't let go.
Instead, he held it tighter, then slowly lifted it to his lips.
He kissed her hand—a soft, warm kiss that made her breath stop.
"Good night, Sher," he whispered.
Then he turned and left.
Sher stood frozen in place.
Her heart pounded wildly in her
chest. Her hand still tingled from where he kissed it.
Her cheeks burned.
She blinked at the door, lips parted slightly, unsure of what to say or think.
Only one thought echoed in her mind:
What… was that?