Val put his cup down and sighed of pleasure; and what that sigh had come to mean gave Adrien a shiver of his own. What joy they were sharing; and what chaos. Until the day before, Adrien had only been aware of his own turmoil, but now he knew that Val had felt just the same, that he had gone through an agony of his own, each pain unspoken between them. How had it been for him, Adrien wondered, what sort of heartache had he been hiding in each of his kind smiles; had he also concealed himself within his bedroom to cry for the things he had thought could never live? Had he also wrapped himself in despair as he wished for the death of his love? Adrien looked at Val again, within those gentle eyes, wishing to understand what had been rippling through him, to know all he had longed for, to turn it into joy to share now that they had found each other; and if wishing had a blade, he would have carved him open already - and he had to take care to stay his hand. This was a fragile thing they were holding - a single thread spun between their fingers; a wet butterfly spreading its new wings, still recognizing the darkness of the cocoon as a part of itself.