Rex let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, unable to suppress the ghost of a smile that her theatrics always managed to coax from his guarded heart. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her against the cold metal of his armor.
"Your 'corner' happens to be the most critical watch post in this entire operation, Lilith," he said, his voice dropping to a low, intimate murmur. "Without your eyes, the entire flank collapses."
"You aren't a spectator; you're the guardian of our rear." He pulled back just enough to meet her eyes, his gaze unblinking beneath the mask. "And I promise you this: once the blood has dried and the last of Aethelgard's fools has been buried, you'll have more of my time than you know what to do with."
"I will make good on that vow."
Lilith searched his masked face for a long moment, her lips parting as if to speak, before she finally released him. "I'll hold you to an absurd amount of time, Master."
