[h1][b][color=red][center]FLASHBACK[/center][/color][/b][/h1] [color=lightgray][center][h2][color=D0B4EC]Lottie[/color] & [color=lightsteelblue]Cas[/color] Part 4[/h2] [img]https://i.imgur.com/3xLx2dH.png[/img] [b][color=D0B4EC]Time:[/color][/b] Sola 26th [b][color=lightsteelblue]Location:[/color][/b] The Train [/center] Cassius watched her, his stormy eyes keen, attuned to every shift in her expression, every flicker of emotion that crossed her face. He had expected another jest, another deflection wrapped in her sweet brand of charm, but instead, she peeled back a layer of herself, revealing something tender and real. It was… [i]unexpected.[/i] He said nothing at first, merely studying her as the air between them grew quieter, heavier—not with discomfort, but with something unspoken, something fragile. His smirk had faded, replaced by a thoughtful intensity, his gaze tracing the way her fingers curled around the hidden locket, as if anchoring herself to something long past. For all his teasing, for all his bravado, Cassius understood loss. He knew what it was to cling to ghosts. Leaning forward slightly, he rested his forearms on the table, his voice losing its usual sharp edge. [b][color=lightsteelblue]“You will.”[/color][/b] The certainty in his tone left no room for doubt. [b][color=lightsteelblue]“You’re not the sort to let go of what matters, princess. Not without a fight.”[/color][/b] His gaze dropped briefly to where her hand still lingered over the locket, then returned to meet her eyes with something softer—something absent of jest, absent of mockery. Just understanding. [b][color=lightsteelblue] “You know, I used to tell myself that remembering them too often made it worse.”[/color][/b] His voice was quieter now, not hushed, but missing that usual boldness, as if he were testing the weight of the words before fully committing to them. [b][color=lightsteelblue]“That it was better to keep moving, to keep drinking…fighting…anything to keep from looking back.”[/color][/b] A short, humorless chuckle escaped him, his eyes flickering up to hers. [b][color=lightsteelblue]“Didn’t work, though. Turns out memories don’t give a damn about how fast you run.”[/color][/b] Then, as if sensing the moment teetering on the edge of something too raw, too deep, Cassius let a smirk cross the corner of his lips. He reached for his drink as the attendant returned, swirling the amber liquid in his glass before lifting it in an easy toast. [b][color=lightsteelblue]“To the ones we hold close, then.”[/color][/b] His eyes locked with hers, something unspoken passing between them. [b][color=lightsteelblue]“And to making damn sure they stick around.”[/color][/b] He tapped a finger idly against his glass before finally taking a sip, letting the burn of the alcohol settle in his throat. Charlotte watched him, attuned not just to his words but to the spaces between them—the weight of what he wasn’t saying. For all of Cassius’s teasing and swagger, there was something different in his tone now, something almost… careful. [b]Careful.[/b] The word lodged itself in her mind. Cassius did not seem like someone who usually moved with caution. Not in the way he spoke, not in the way he moved through life… And yet, here he was, speaking of memories like a man who had made a habit of burying them rather than carrying them. [i]Memories don’t give a damn about how fast you run.[/i] The way he had said that had seemed almost resigned as if it was a truth he had learned the hard way, a truth that still chased him even as he ran, but could never outrun. And suddenly, she saw him, just as quickly as he had seen her just moments ago. Not the smirking playboy who lived for the thrill of the next drink, the next fight, the next fleeting pleasure…But a man who had spent years running, drowning, numbing….A man who had learned to treat ghosts not as something to hold close but as something to push away, before they could reach for him first. And Charlotte Vikena knew what it was to run from ghosts, but she also knew what it was to be caught by them. She exhaled before reaching for her own glass. With a tilt of her wrist, she mirrored his toast, lifting it high. [b][color=D0B4EC] "To the ones we hold close,"[/color][/b] she echoed softly, Her gaze met his, lingering for just a moment longer than intended, before she added with a small smile, [b][color=D0B4EC] "And to making damn sure they never fade."[/color][/b] The crystal clinked between them and she took a slow sip, letting the burn of the drink warm her chest. Then, almost absently, her gaze dropped, settling on the swirl of her champagne. Her fingers toyed with the stem of the glass as she spoke again. It was not as a grand revelation, not as something rehearsed, but as a truth that had long lived in the quiet corners of her heart. [b][color=D0B4EC] "You know…”[/color][/b] she murmured, her voice quieter now. She wasn’t even sure she wanted to say this aloud. But she did. [b][color=D0B4EC] " I’ve always thought that trying to push away the memories of the ones we lost…letting them slip through the cracks of time—"[/color][/b] she exhaled, shaking her head lightly, [b][color=D0B4EC] "It’s almost like losing them all over again… A second death, in a way."[/color][/b] Her gaze narrowed with sadness as she seemed to be honing her focus on the liquid of her drink. Then that hollow laugh of his echoed in her mind and she dared to meet his eyes finally. [b][color=D0B4EC] [i] You’re a lonely man…Aren’t you, Cassius Vael?[/i][/color][/b] Cassius let the warmth of the drink settle in his chest, but it wasn’t just the alcohol that lingered. It was the way she looked at him—like she saw past the bravado, past the easy smiles and humor. Like she understood. His fingers tapped once against his glass before stilling. [b][color=lightsteelblue]“A second death,”[/color][/b] he echoed. He tilted his head slightly, studying her, then huffed a small breath that wasn’t quite a laugh. [b][color=lightsteelblue]“Damn, Charlotte. That’s one way to put it.”[/color][/b] There was no teasing in it. No deflection. Just an unguarded honesty that slipped through the cracks before he could stop it. His gaze flickered down for the briefest moment, and when he looked back at her, something in his eyes was different. [b][color=lightsteelblue]“Maybe that’s why I never stop moving.”[/color][/b] A faint smirk tugged at his lips, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. [b][color=lightsteelblue]“If I stand still too long… I might start counting the graves.”[/color][/b] Charlotte’s expression softened as she let the warmth in her eyes speak for her. She then reached out, her fingers grazing his before resting gently over his hand. Holding his gaze, she murmured with gentle kindness, [b][color=D0B4EC]“If you’re not alone… you might not.”[/color][/b] For a moment, Cassius didn’t move. His fingers remained still beneath hers, as if uncertain whether to pull away or press closer. His lips parted slightly, a breath catching somewhere between a laugh and something else entirely. He glanced at her hand over his, then back up at her—blue eyes steady, unwavering. [b][color=lightsteelblue]“Suppose I’ll just have to stick around and test your theory, then.”[/color][/b] His smirk returned, lazy and laced with something unreadable. His gaze flicked to the window, to the world rushing past, but his hand remained in the warmth of her touch. [b][color=lightsteelblue]“But if you start making me sentimental, I’m holding you personally responsible.”[/color][/b] Charlotte’s lips curled, her fingers lightly tapping against his. [b][color=D0B4EC]“First it’s sentimentality, then suddenly you’re reciting love sonnets on horseback.”[/color][/b] A giggle bubbled up as she added playfully, [b][color=D0B4EC]“Don’t worry, if it comes to that, I’ll make sure the horse spares us all and throws you off before the second verse.”[/color][/b] Cassius scoffed, his smirk deepening as he tilted his glass toward her in mock offense. [b][color=lightsteelblue]“Now, now, don’t underestimate me, love.”[/color][/b] His voice was smooth, edged with casual amusement. [b][color=lightsteelblue]“I’m already the best in the world at everything I do…if I start adding love sonnets to the list, it’d be downright unfair. Imagine all the poor noble fools trying to woo their way into a fair maiden’s heart, only to realize they never stood a chance.”[/color][/b] He leaned in slightly, eyes gleaming with mischief. [b][color=lightsteelblue]“It’d be cruel, really.”[/color][/b] She simply laughed and rolled her eyes at his arrogance as the train journeyed toward Rosegate, Cassius and Charlotte continued their conversation, the initial barriers between them gradually dissolving. Laughter intermingled with shared stories, and moments of silence spoke volumes as they found a comfortable rhythm in each other's company. [/color]