The silence of the night wrapped around the mansion like a soft blanket. The world had gone still — no footsteps, no voices, just the gentle rustle of leaves and the occasional whisper of the wind. It was well past midnight, but Lily couldn't sleep.
She wrapped a thin shawl around her shoulders and stepped out onto the balcony outside her room. The moon hung low, casting silver light across the garden, making everything glow with a quiet magic.
But she wasn't alone.
David was already there, leaning on the balcony railing, his gaze lost in the stars. He didn't hear her at first. She stood silently for a moment, watching him — the way his hair moved in the breeze, the calm on his face, the sadness in his eyes.
"You couldn't sleep either?" Lily finally whispered.
David turned, surprised. Then he smiled softly. "I guess... the stars don't let me."
She walked beside him, resting her hands on the railing. "You come here often?"
"Only when I need peace," he said, then glanced at her. "Or when I need to feel less alone."
His voice wasn't teasing tonight. It was low, sincere — like he was revealing a secret.
There was a pause. A quiet hum between them.
"I used to think love was simple," Lily said, staring ahead. "But after Xavier… I stopped believing in it. I stopped trusting people."
David looked at her, his expression unreadable. "But now?"
She turned her head slowly, eyes meeting his. "Now… I feel something again. Something confusing. But warm."
He moved closer. "I feel it too. Every time I look at you, Lily… I feel like I've found something I didn't know I needed."
Her heart beat faster. The moonlight softened the edges of everything — his face, her fears.
David reached out, gently brushing her hair back from her face. "Lily…"
She waited.
"I love you," he said, his voice trembling slightly, but steady. "I've been wanting to say it for days. I love the way you smile, the way you hide your pain, the way you fight to be strong. I love you."
Lily's eyes filled with tears — not sadness, but something that felt like relief and hope tangled together. She took a shaky breath.
"I love you too, David."
He stared at her, almost like he couldn't believe it. Then, without another word, he stepped closer, cupped her face in his hands, and kissed her.
It was slow, soft — a kiss that felt like healing.
The stars watched quietly as their hearts, once broken, began to beat together again.