"Well, I did make plenty of mistakes in my last relationship," Ken said, his voice dropping to a serious, grounded register. He set his burrito down with a definitive thud, the casual atmosphere of the cafeteria suddenly feeling like a high-stakes negotiation.
"So, unless you agree to these rules, we won't be able to progress forward. I need to know where we stand before I let myself fall."
Lucien didn't blink. He sat perfectly still, his black coffee untouched, his focus so absolute it felt like the rest of the student body had been blurred out of existence.
"Alright," he replied almost immediately, his voice a low, resonant baritone. "I'm listening."
