Maybe," he admitted. His thumb brushed gently over her knuckles. "But it's only because I care too much."
Her teasing softened. "That's not a bad thing, Azrael."
He looked at her like she was everything.
"Yeah," he murmured. "That's the problem."
Azrael sighed, but there was no hiding the smile tugging at his lips. He stepped closer again, resting his hands on either side of her on the counter, trapping her without actually touching her.
"You have no idea how hard it is to take you seriously when you say things like that."
Athena tilted her head, studying him. "You laugh now, but two minutes ago you looked like the weight of the world was on your shoulders."
His expression softened. "Because it was. Because you matter to me."
That wiped the humor from her face, replacing it with something warm. She reached out, tracing the line of his jaw with her fingers. "You don't have to carry everything alone, Azrael."
