"So," Elric began. He cleared his throat afterward, faintly embarrassed by how unfamiliar his own voice sounded without the weight of authority pressing it flat. "We have…" a pause, quick glance around, "...time. A little of it, at least."
Time. The word landed strangely. Time was not something they ever had. Time was rationed, negotiated, stolen between obligations and documents and lessons that stacked like bricks. Yet here it was. Unclaimed and wandering.
Verona squeezed his hand, then realized she was doing it and loosened her grip. "I've never had a day like this," she admitted, softly. "Not really. Not where… no one expects anything from me for the next few hours."
Elric's mouth curved, not a smile meant for courts or councils, but the quiet, private kind that seemed to exist only when he forgot himself. "Then let's waste it," he said. "Shamelessly."
She laughed. A quick sound. Almost surprised.
And just like that, the afternoon became something small and precious.
