Chris blinked, and for half a second he looked like he might genuinely consider pretending he hadn't heard that last question.
Then Nero made a little noise against his chest, and Chris's mouth tightened like his own child had just betrayed his emotional defenses.
"I didn't say I was fine," Chris muttered.
Rowan's expression didn't move. "You said it shouldn't feel like a crime."
"That's not the same thing."
Killian's tone remained politely fatal. "It is adjacent."
Chris glared over his shoulder at him again. "You're enjoying this."
"I am observing," Killian corrected, as if the difference mattered. "With interest."
Rowan's attention stayed on Chris. "You were afraid," he said, not accusing, just stating a fact that had lived in their wing for months. "You didn't want to do it the first time. You didn't want to be touched. You didn't want to sleep because you thought you'd wake up and it would be happening anyway. You—"
