It turns out that one of the downsides of being in a relationship, properly, is that he worries. It actually matters when you say the wrong thing and do the wrong thing and crack the foundations between you. There’s more to lose.

So when Gwenaëlle opens her mouth there’s a kneejerk anxiety that she’s still going to be coldly furious, but his expression smooths over a little when she mentions the Satinalia gift. Stephen straightens up further with an elbow against a raised knee and scrubs at his face, knuckles rubbing the remainders of sleep out of his eyes, fingers pressed to the bridge of his nose.

“Alright,” he says. Wishes, as ever, for the ability to just snap his fingers and conjure up some tea or coffee out of nowhere; it would save so much time.

“That— sounds nice. I’m all yours.”