Hades
Elliot had fallen asleep before I even realized it.
Somewhere between the cautious silence and the low hum of the ceiling vent, his little body had slumped against my chest, the tension in his spine slowly uncoiling until he was just… still.
Peaceful.
Like a child again.
I hadn't meant to stay so long. But when I'd lifted him to wash his face, he'd clung tighter, nestling against me with that same quiet insistence I'd seen earlier. A wordless request.
Don't leave.
So I hadn't.