PIECES FALLING INTO PLACE

Mark slid the final piece of the Colosseum's base into place, leaning back with a satisfied sigh. "Not bad for one day of work," he said, surveying the intricate structure coming together on the table before us.

"Not bad?" I teased, wiping a smudge of dust off my hand. "I feel like an engineer at this point."

He chuckled, his lips twitching into a smirk. "Speak for yourself. But bear in mind you're just following my lead."

"Not denying it… And, by the way, is exhausting," I replied, feigning exasperation. "Your obsession with getting every angle perfect is borderline terrifying."

"Details matter," he said lightly, his tone carrying that self-assured edge I'd grown oddly fond of.