A sliver of moonlight cut through the gap in the curtains, falling across the bedroom like a pale blade. It caught the edge of the bed frame. The rumpled sheets. The shape of a man lying rigid on his side of the mattress, back turned to the empty space beside him.

The silence stretched. A car backfired somewhere below. The old radiator clicked and groaned.

Jason exhaled slowly through his nose. Not quite a laugh. Not quite a sigh. He shifted, propping himself up on one elbow to peer over the edge of the mattress. The moonlight caught the white streak in his dark hair, the sharp line of his jaw, the faint smirk tugging at his mouth despite everything.

Jason's eyes traced the curve of their shoulder, the stubborn set of their spine. He let his head drop back onto the pillow with a dull thud.