Loriel turned at the sound of his voice.
For a single unguarded moment, her whole body moved toward him — the instinct to close the distance immediate and honest, arms already lifting — before she caught herself mid-motion and pulled back, the embarrassment arriving fast enough to make the whole thing awkward rather than smooth.
Leon reached over and patted her head.
"Good to see you again, Loriel."
The pat landed, and her composure took a direct hit. Color rushed across her face before she could manage it, the blush moving fast and settling deep. She looked slightly to the left of his face.
"How are you here so quickly?" Her voice came out softer than she'd intended. "I didn't think — I mean, I wasn't expecting—"
She stopped, which was probably the right call.
"I was worried about your safety," Leon said simply. "So I came."
Straightforward. No strategy behind it, no softening for delivery. Just the plain truth of it, said the way he said most things.
