<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#99ffcc">Alexi nodded, knowing his sister was already feeling a bit more at ease. She’d tensed up when the name had come up, despite trying to hide it from him. </span><i><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#4dffa6">&lt;I think we need to give up on trying to hide emotions from each other. It’s not doing either of us any good.&gt;</span></i><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#99ffcc"> it had worked in the past, but now, as deeply connected as they were, it just wasn’t going to work out that way. He pulled the door to their main room open, a comfortable lounge that they rarely ever used, save for certain lessons, since they spent most of their time in the study.</span><br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ccff99">Ayla walked over as she heard them come in, leaning on the doorway between the two rooms and smiling in greeting, her book tucked under her arm. </span><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#a6ff4d">“Hey.”</span><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ccff99"> she said softly, before straightening up as they approached her and planting her own quick kiss on Lucian’s lips. </span><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#a6ff4d">“You… sound like you need a dose of fun and relaxation.”</span><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ccff99"> she teased, before nudging out his favorite chair  with her foot, returning to the couch</span>.