#ch: rhodes burton

[eulcgizeme]

OPEN TO: @platiinums for nikia bellMUSE(S): knightley rhodes & rhodes burton. ft. lysander rhodes being a dick for .2 seconds. PLOT: the official rhodes-burton family introduction after lee indirectly popped a question to niki

Predictability is a blessing the Rhodes Burton family was not given but nature, but something nurtured into their structure by the eldest son. To hold every frayed edged taunt, even if knotting it together could make his own valiant noose, was the only way he could ensure the prosperity of his brothers— their survival, but he's never let himself dwell on the asperity of their reality. Their matriarch, Rhodes' namesake and the legacy her sons chose over their father after divorce, had been the root of their downfall before they were old enough to take on responsibility for their own faults. That is, if Rhodes ever let them. There's a shift tonight, an uneasiness Rhodes can't quite put the pieces together despite the way they all abide to routine. Not even 7 o'clock and the table is set with their mother's favorite china, Andy's hunger for antagonizing is somewhat satiated by the time he's arrived, and the calm comes with a thrilling after taste. It's only then that he notices Knightley, the youngest of entourage with an even stronger desperation for order, is missing. "Where's Lee?" He asked, but instead of a single concern for their missing piece, Celeste grins. She's holding excitement instead of crooked mania, and it's clear that there's a scheme he's been left out of. Its returned, concern glazed over before he inquires again. "What? Is he surprising us? Did something happen at the gallery?" "You'll see," She whispers, finger ruffling through the honey locks she's passed down to just two of her children. Halos she called them, which only spited Andy even more as the odd one out. If only he'd known she was more than her than the rest. She tilts her chin to the end of the table, placeholder for a fifth member finally given utensils to participate. A knock raps at the door gently as Knightley can't help but feel as though he needs to behave, string together every single manner as though he's imposing. He knows he's disrupting routine even if Niki has graced these halls more than once, but summer is over. The rest of the year belongs to the five of them, quiet and quaint for Celeste to challenge alone. "Sorry we're late!" Knightley's voice cracks through brief concern, relief settling over Rhodes. "We just got back from the city. You would think I've figured out how to gage traffic by this point, but you know how it is just getting out of the city. It's a nightmare. We also had to swing by the gallery here to drop off some pieces, and—" He's rambling, his own voice lost to a murmur as his mother greets him while his arm is around Niki's waist to hold her close. It's not as though she'll get lost, but rather taken for dissection. Her nods and rhythmic hums of agreement blend into every useless excuse because not a single person pays his mind. All eyes are on who he's brought with him. "Niki!" Celeste greets her first and catches her hands in her own, pink lips pressed to her knuckles. A smirk is given to her son that can't seem to piece together how to act. Despite standing tall, he can't catch the right words. "I hope you're hungry. This is nothing compared to those dreadful summer—" "She likes to make sure people starve at her soirees so the ones that don't matter are gone by 8," Andy chimes in, but he doesn't stand from his seat in the dining room. Inspection is done at a distance, calculation and laziness carefully construed for a hunter rarely given competition. "I can't tell if she's more excited Lee's brought a girl home, or someone might actually be impressed by something other than a cocktail." "Lysander." A hiss breaks through the excitement that nips at them as Celeste waves them down but as expected, her eldest is already at her side. Rhodes interrupts, hand clasped over his brother's shoulder as he takes the lead. Guilt as Lee can't seem to settle in creeps up on him, but it's mended quickly. "Sorry for being starstruck, I don't think we knew we'd have company tonight," He says, a nod to his brother. "We've got you at the head of the table if you don't mind."

[eulcgizeme]

"I wasn't a good person tonight, Luna," He disagreed, the car moving slow now against a city only half asleep. "I should have let them say whatever they wanted, and ignored it. Playing into it only made it true. And if I ever pull that again, I let everyone know it gets under my skin and to my brothers... it proves that they're suppose to fight back that way."

Rhodes was suppose to be their example, the one who laid the foundation for right and wrong. If he stepped out of line, it didn't matter what the rest did. The others could make mistakes and would be forgiven because they were all held to the expectation that they would end up like Rhodes. He had to be proof that they would alright.

"All it ends with is bloody knuckles and leaving early," He sighed, seeking her hand between them. Her hands, unscathed, he brushed against his lips before lacing his fingers with hers. "It won't happen again. If I'm as good as you say I am, it won't."

Luna   had   a   bad   feeling.   She   knew   that   the   man   next   to   her   wasn't   like   that   usually.   But   she   couldn't   shake   off   the   feeling   that   something   was   serverely   wrong   here.   And   that   there   was   absolutely   nothing   she   could   do   about   it.   Thoughtfully,   Luna   nibbled   on   the   inside   of   her   cheek.   ❝I   know,❞   she   replied   in   a   calm   and   quiet   voice.   ❝You're   a   good   guy.   Everyone   knows   that.❞   Especially   Luna   knew   that.   But   she   also   couldn't   blame   him   for   losing   his   patience.   Why   was   he   so   hard   on   himself?

❝Everyone   can   lose   patience.   Everyone,   even   you.   It   doesn't   make   you   a   bad   person,   it   makes   you   human.❞   Were   her   words   helpful   at   all?   She   didn't   think   so,   but   she   didn't   want   to   shut   up   either.   ❝I   really   like   you.   And   no   matter   what   you   think   of   yourself   right   now,   I   think   you're   a   wonderful   person.❞

[eulcgizeme]

OPEN TO: any f muse 27-30 + ! STATUS: NO LONGER ACCEPTING NEW REPLIES MUSE: rhodes "rho" burton, thirty-two. civilian, occupation tbd. aaron taylor johnson fc.PLOT: crime au��� rho gets woken up by his crime affiliated girlfriend coming in after something goes wrong. most nights he's asleep for her return and disposal of the evidence. it's a few days after he faced the consequences of her involvement, and he hasn't slept since because of it. he's awake this time around when she tries to sneak back in.

"If you're gonna sneak in, you might wanna try not turning on the bathroom fan when you turn on the lights." Rho's voice trickles through the quiet movements instigated by his girlfriend, but they cry out against the stillness of the apartment. It's far too big for both of them, and every ripple of their existence echoes through it. He supposed it was on purpose. After all, it made it easier to sense when something didn't quite belong by how easily anything and everything stuck out. Lifting himself out of bed, he searches for one of the shirts tossed to the floor with what little light peers from under the bathroom door. It clings to his body, and for a moment, he wonders if he'd grabbed the wrong one. Rho looks down, trying to inspect it in the dark, but there's nothing to be seen. He can feel it though, and the memory of too much of it burns in his nose and fills his mouth with the taste of copper. The bruises still hurt from that night. It seemed she had gotten to the shirt first to clean up whatever mess she had hailed from. "Do I even wanna know what I'm wearing right now?" He asks, opening the bathroom door carefully.

[eulcgizeme]

OPEN TO: any muse 27 + STATUS: NO LONGER ACCEPTING NEW REPLIES MUSE: rhodes "rho" burton, thirty-two. PLOT: rhodes just broke up with his significant other, or got broken up with. he heads to a bar to get even with himself and wallow, which he feels he should have done a long time ago since the relationship was doomed from the start. maybe your muse is the bartender, a neighbor, or the ex that chased him down.

"Anything cheap on the rocks," Rhodes said to the bartender, trying to find his footing to settle into the seat against the counter. Defeat had numbed his senses, but as for his judgement? It was apparent that had been impaired long before for him to make the decisions that left him in the predicament of his failing relationship for so long. "Oh, and make sure it doesn't taste celebratory. I need the drink of the losers tonight. I can go anywhere tonight, just home— not yet."

[eulcgizeme]

strings tied to levers, slowed down clocks tethered, all this showmanship to keep it, for you, in sweetness buried down deep and out of your reach, the secret we all vowed to keep it, from you, in sweetness but now we'll curtail your curiosity in sweetness

[eulcgizeme]

[eulcgizeme]

Maybe Rhodes had misinterpreted her world, built a confidence towards its rationalization because of how easily she navigated it. He often forgot that she lied in a world not just separate of his own, but one that she had changed herself to belong to in comparison to whatever mundane morality and values Rhodes pertained to. The way she went about it so casually had created a false hope that he could belong, too.

"You're not gonna pull a fast one on me, are you?" He asked, the kiss on his cheek chased for her lips on his. "You'll still be here?" @heartsbreaking

she could understand why maybe this shower wasn't one he wanted to join, after all it was late and she'd woken him up. she nodded, "i won't let you end up in an unmarked grave. i like you enough that you'll have a very nice, well marked grave." it wasn't funny, she knew that they were reckoning with something dangerous, but she wanted to lighten the mood a little. "i'll make it quick, okay." gabby walked toward him and leaned up to give him a kiss on the cheek. "i'll make us some tea and we can talk," then she remembered he knew how skilled she was as a chemist and he might not trust her not to poison him now. "or if you like, you can make the tea."

[eulcgizeme]

The laugh was half hearted to mimic hers, to follow her lead as he desperately did when they walked the line between the world she belonged to and the one her work afflicted— the one Rhodes belonged to. He knew it was never her intention, that the anarchy that kept her family alive was established far before Gia had taken responsibility of it. He thought he'd get used to it, but he couldn't help but take account for how much it conflicted against his life. Before, he could turn a blind eye to it. Now, Rhodes had spent days not turning at all because of the pain inflicted by it.

"I know," Rho said, nodding to her words. He caught her fingers in his to keep her touch close. She was back, that was all that mattered, but when did he become used to wondering if she'd come back at all? "I know you are. What I don't know is... Where did you go this time?"

" fuck " tired, gia fathomed only a murmur, frustration entangled within those once delicate features, now bruised from a mere inconvenience, one she'd handled. " sorry, i really didn't mean to wake you up " in these past few days the mazzi had apologized more than in an entire lifetime, yet it felt far from enough. agile fingers cleaned any remaining of blood from her face and arms, clothes had been disposed minutes ago in exchange for one of rho's t-shirts -- loose against gia's exhausted body. " couldn't sleep? "

as if evoked from that night's events, a vivid image of her family executed in their own living room submerged the woman for a few seconds. inevitably, such a haunted mind imagined rhodes within those corpses, a victim of hers. " don't come in... " dark eyes brimmed with tears, ones gia quickly hid upon his presence. " oh shit, it's my shirt " a faint laugh entangled itself with melancholy. " and you look strangely good with it " forcing any feelings aside, her hands reached for rho's torso, brushing against his bruised skin in an intimate moment. " i'm sorry... for all of this. "

[eulcgizeme]

As soon as his projection was confirmed, he turned away. Blue hues searched for the white that had yet to be tainted in crimson, burning it into his memory against what plagued him. There had been a time where it never bothered him, and a scraped knee that blossomed red was just a side effect of living. At some point, he'd come to believe it as a threat.

Sickness pierced the pit of his stomach, and he pressed himself against the door frame. "What happened? Tell me, Zoe, please."

"Rho --" Zoe turned to face him with wild eyes, fingers stained with blood clasped together in the sink. Steam was rising from the water pouring out of the faucet, scalding her hands, but at least it helped to keep her mind focused on the task, instead of the events of the night that led up to this.

"P-please...just...go back to bed." The talking aggravated the split in her lip and she pressed her fingers to it, trying to staunch the blood. "It's...fine. I'm fine."

[eulcgizeme]

Rhodes thought it had been over and done, that remedy was a lost cause and therefore detachment was all that was left. He left Sarah under the faith this was where their story would end. It was a long time coming, with pages of nothing threatening a paper cut if they weren't filled with conflict. Their story was over with no new chapter.

So why did she follow him here?

She caught him by surprise, drink spilling as he was brought back into her company. He thought she'd hit him with the final word if anything, but a rejection in this form? That everything he said was just a play on words? He took a moment to collect himself, caught between the between a newly stained shirt and defeat.

"Sarah— I thought I made it clear. We don't like each other anymore, not like that, at least. It's not that it wasn't working, but nothing was happening at all," He said. "We just tolerate each other and nothing more."

on paper, sarah and rhodes really were one conflicted couple. she knew it, because even her own friends believed that it was impossible for them to last. part of her wonders if the real reason why she even stuck around was because even her friends thought that she wouldn't even make it long with him, but then her head recounts to the times spent together and figures that she was happy with him. no matter what the highs were or how low their lows had been, sarah was content just to be with him. those memories could've been questionable, given how complex the brain worked, it could only be filtering out the worst of them all and painting their relationship like someone who wore rose-tinted glasses.

she knew it was coming for them, their end, but she never imagined that it would come the way it did. he sounded so final and so sure of himself, that there was no hope for them to even rise from their ashes and make it through this storm together. it broke her, had her feeling as if fingers were gripping around her heart, tightening them to a point where it feels as if it was being dragged down her body and she couldn't breath. she doesn't let him have the final say to this, because sooner than late, her feet were already dragging her to the bar where he was at, following him out. her hand on his shoulder as she forcibly has him turn to her as she pleads, "please tell me there's still something i can do. you were kidding, right? ending things with me ... that's not actually true, is it?"

[eulcgizeme]

Rhodes had heard the sentiment far too many times to pluck it out from a crowd. Bastard was murmured into the rim of every glass, this sleepy city desperate for a scandal that they'd build one. It didn't matter that Rhodes' father had passed away if his mother dared to move on. Her life, extending upon two more children, was enough to deem the one that wasn't like the rest a mistake even if he was the first one crafted in her image. But the rumor was born of his own skin and blood, planted in the anger of a man who was caught between everything and a plateau. Andy, believing the world forgot him as it was fixated on memorial for Rhodes' father, turned the world against his brother.

He'd grown used to it. That was said time and time again to drown own Andy's quips until the rest of the town learned to keep it to themselves if they agreed, until tonight. For the first time, Rhodes felt his own fragility and how dare that be what broke him. He should have known better, survived far worse when his mother mistook him for his father when she was in a fit.

"It looks worse than it is," Rhodes assured her, but the skin stung with every stretch over the bone. The cold air brushing over it brought false healing, making it hurt all over again when he disturbed its chance for recovery. "And it seems a lot worse than it is with them, Luna, trust me. They get lose in the need for whatever dignity means around here. They forget what the real world is sometimes, that there are things bigger than that room or even this town. I just can't let myself get caught up in it, and tonight I did. I didn't mean to, I just— I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done anything, much less this with you around."

━━ ❛❛       As   soon   as   Luna   sat   down,   she   adjusted   her   dress   a   little.   Then   she   turned   her   head   to   look   at   Rhodes   with   a   smile.   ❝To   my   apartment.   I'll   order   us   something   on   the   way.❞   Luna   carefully   placed   the   bottle   between   her   legs,   holding   it   with   her   thighs   so   it   wouldn't   fall   over,   before   fishing   her   phone   out   of   her   purse.   After   a   few   taps,   she   had   already   placed   an   order.   Of   course,   it   would   take   a   while   for   it   to   arrive   at   her   apartment. 

Her   slender   fingers   slipped   the   phone   back   into   her   purse   before   she   looked   back   at   Rhodes.   She   studied   his   profile   intently   and   smiled   a   little.   Rhodes   was   a   handsome   man,   almost   surreal.   Besides,   he   didn't   seem   vain   when   they   were   together.   It   had   always   been   easy   for   Luna   to   just   be   herself   without   feeling   the   need   to   pretend.   She   lost   herself   in   her   thoughts   for   a   moment   until   her   eyes   fell   on   the   steering   wheel.   For   the   first   time,   she   noticed   the   bruises   on   his   knuckles.   Luna   pressed   her   glossy   lips   together   and   took   a   deep   breath   to   calm   her   worried   down.   She   could   scold   him   later   for   hurting   himself.

❝Rhodes...your   knuckles.   Are   you   in   pain?   I'll   have   to   take   a   look   when   we   get   to   my   place.❞   She   reached   out   and   caressed   his   thigh   affectionately.   ❝You're   too   kind.   I   know   they're   your   family,   but   they   need   to   know   they   didn't   behave   properly.   And   I   MIGHT   have   just   said   they   have   no   dignity.   Oops.   I'm   not   sorry.   Birth   order,   my   ass.   In   my   opinion,   Andy's   acting   like   a   kid   who   got   his   lollipop   stolen.   Temper   tantrum,   you   know.❞   

[eulcgizeme]

"You're heaven sent," Rhodes grinned, pulling into the driver's seat beside her. He couldn't help the grin on his face that mirrored his affection for her. Luck was far too meek to be how he'd gotten the chance to have her at his side. "Where to again?"

As Rhodes glanced at Luna beside him, he couldn't help but marvel at her radiance. Each passing streetlight seemed to clung to her, casting fleeting glimpses of her silhouette before small details of her features were highlighted in the darkness as they drove on. It was as if the night itself conspired to showcase her beauty, illuminating her in fragments of light that only served to deepen his admiration for her. She was more than just infectious in the joy she brought him; she was his cure. Everything else seemed to fall away, allowing for fixation on the moment instead of every what if that plagued Rhodes' devotion to the world around him.

He'd been careful to not show his left hand as the other had been on the steering wheel, but he'd gotten too comfortable along the drive. Split knuckles wrapped around the wheel as he brushed off another moment of the night.

"They mean well," He interjected. "My family. They think if they just ignore everyone else being an ass, they're saints. Andy, he'd technically be the oldest if it wasn't for me. He likes to act out to, I don't know, protest that his birth order was stolen. I swear sometimes it just proves where he stands with the rest of us."

━━ ❛❛       No   matter   what   it   would   cost,   Luna   had   decided   to   help   Rhodas   and   support   him   to   succeed.   At   least   one   of   them   should   be   successful   and   reach   their   goals.   Luna   could   no   longer   do   that   because   of   her   injury.   She   would   never   be   able   to   use   her   knee   properly   again,   she   would   never   become   a   prima   ballerina.   But   she   tried   to   keep   it   far   in   the   back   of   her   mind.   Luna   could   cry   about   it   another   night,   but   not   tonight.

❝Okay   okay,   I'll   hurry.❞   Luna   gave   Rhodes   an   affectionate   kiss   on   the   cheek   before   hurrying   inside.   Her   nearly   immobile   knee   caused   her   to   limp   a   bit,   but   she   held   her   head   high   as   she   walked   in.   Someone   from   Rhodes'   family   was   beside   her   as   she   grabbed   the   bottle   of   champagne.   Luna   looked   at   the   person   next   to   her   with   disdain.   ❝I   feel   sorry   for   all   of   you.   You're   so   afraid   of   Rhodes'   potential   that   you're   forgetting   your   dignity.   This   is   more   ridiculous   than   any   high   school   drama.   Sad.❞   With   that,   Luna   turned   and   walked   towards   the   door,   where   she   could   already   see   Rhodes   standing.   She   walked   a   little   faster   and   grinned   again.

❝Sorry,   I'm   already   here.   I   got   held   up   by   some   trash.❞   Luna   held   up   her   hand   with   the   bottle   of   champagne.   ❝Let's   leave   before   someone   understands   that   I   insulted   them,   oops.❞

[eulcgizeme]

He curled the corner of his lips into a grin, abiding by what he knew best. Eventually, he had learned to bury his own woe and carry whatever victory he could help someone else achieve. The smile luna carried became his own, through and through, as her veil of content was all that mattered now. It was easy to dismiss himself, and it worked to pretend all was well. When he remembered, that was when it seemingly felt like too much to carry because there was never resolve. Rhodes had no time for anguish, let alone repair if it took away from his responsibility to someone else.

"Sounds like a plan. I'll make sure the car's up front, and we can get outta this rut," He agreed, catching that same infectious grin on his lips.

Following her direction, he followed the perimeter of every social circle for his exit. Coats were draped over his arm while he waited for their escape to be brought to them. It was almost too easy to pull away, and he wondered if his outburst had just been mild entertainment for the night. Disruption was almost carefully crafted and he was tugged at every thread as part of the show.

Rhodes pulled the door open for her as he caught the halo of her hair against the lights inside.

"Good to go?" He asked.

━━ ❛❛       Was   Luna   worried?   Of   course,   she   was.   She   didn't   know   if   Rhodas   was   in   pain   right   now.   She   didn't   know   what   was   going   on   inside   him,   she   knew   nothing.   What   Luna   did   know   was   that   it   made   no   sense   to   keep   everything   inside.   After   she   had   injured   her   knee   and   could   no   longer   dance,   she   had   distanced   herself   from   her   family.   And   that   was   only   because   she   couldn't   talk   about   it.

She   breathed   a   sigh   of   relief   when   the   man   finally   agreed   to   leave.   A   smile   appeared   on   her   lips.   ❝Good   decision,❞   she   whispered   softly   as   she   leaned   against   him   a   little.   Rhodes   was   lucky   she   hadn't   seen   his   injuries   yet.   The   small   kiss   on   her   cheek   made   her   smile   a   little   wider.   ❝Your   ideas   get   better   and   better.   Will   you   find   our   jackets   and   I'll   steal   the   champagne?❞   She   didn't   want   him   to   get   into   any   more   trouble.   Slowly,   she   turned   her   head   enough   to   look   into   his   eyes,   the   tip   of   her   nose   touching   his   softly.

[eulcgizeme]

"Are we still pretending like I don't know at all?" Rho asked, the water roaring against the quiet of the house. "If you can't hide it, Gabby, the least you can do is make something up I can believe."

He hadn't noticed it before, but that seemed to be how it always went. The stillness of his life interrupted by her, and for a moment, Rho considered the terminology everyone else had insisted— she disrupted his life. Still, looking at her now, he wasn't sure he liked it much without her. He just doubted if he fit in her life, if he ever would grow used to knowing he shouldn't ask more than what he was given.

she had been quiet coming in, she was skilled at that. she was not, however, particularly careful about being quiet about getting ready to join rho in bed. she felt sticky, gross and sweaty. she didn't want to climb into bed like this, and get her work all over their clean sheets. thus, a shower was in order.

"no, you're better off not knowing." gabby called over the sound of the fan. they hadn't talked about it and maybe that was partially her fault, but in her defense she never meant for him to find out. she was gone often enough, she didn't think that work would ever follow her home. she stood in her underwear, brushing her hair while the water heated up. she glanced over her shoulder in the mirror when the door opened. "it was wake you up with the fan or with that squeaky hall closet door so i could get a towel to shower in the guest room. i figured this was preferable. i meant to be home earlier."

[eulcgizeme]

Would she be disappointed if she knew the truth, that despite how he turned the cheek every other time in youth, it was now when he was suppose to know better that he'd acted childish? The hand in his pocket stung with guilt over bruising knuckles.

"That so?" He asked. In the spirit of scrubbing away another problem, another ache, maybe he should take on Luna's offer to get out of there. She had been away from it all, and he should keep it that way. Maybe if someone had let him believe a soft remedy like this could solve it all, he could spare her to weight of realizing how much deeper pain lied. Yet, his gaze fell to her knee. Maybe she already knew. "Let's go, then." Rhodes wrapped an arm around her waist, tilting her body close and pulling as much tension as he could off the injury so carefully concealed. Brushing his lips against her cheek, he murmured against her hair, "Should we take a bottle of champagne on the way out?"

━━ ❛❛       It  bothered  Luna  that  there  was  nothing  she  could  do.  She  wanted  to  tell  his  family  that  they  were  acting  like  ungrateful  assholes.  The  whole  family  should  be  grateful  to  have  someone  like  Rhodes.  But  as  always,  good  people  got  nothing  but  ingratitude.  With  one  hand,  Luna  tucked  a  strand  of  white-blonde  hair  behind  her  ear.

Slowly,  she  shook  her  head  and  grinned  a  little.  ❝No,  the  wiser  person  stops  arguing.  Besides,  the  way  you  leave  the  scene  is  important.  They  have  to  learn  that  they  can't  do  whatever  they  want  with  you  and  to  you.❞  Maybe  she  should  give  them  a  few  slaps  after  all.  ❝My  suggestion  is  that  we  go  inside,  get  our  jackets,  and  then  either  go  to  my  place  or  go  out  and  eat  something  really  greasy  and  unhealthy.❞    

[eulcgizeme]

"I want to join you," Rhodes said, proposal lost in vaguity as he couldn't seem to swallow his own thought. It went against every other course of action tossed his way, and even against reason, but he found it pursed on his lips with sound. "Not in this shower, though. I don't want you to keep having to sugarcoat it all for me, Gabby. That's still lying. I'm involved no matter how much we've tried to avoid it. Keeping on the outskirts is just gonna land me in some unmarked grave at this point."

she set the hairbrush down, and turned around to face him. she'd carefully orchestrated all this to avoid outright lying to him. there were a fair few people whom she was lying to, she had no problem with that, but she knew how big of a problem actually lying in a relationship was. the countertop was cold against her legs as she thought about the best thing to say.

"alright then, we can talk about it after my shower, or i can tell you something comforting right now and you can go back to bed." she didn't mean it to sound like an ultimatum, she only wanted to offer rhodes an out for now. "you're free to join me in the shower if you like," gabby offered, her mouth ticking up into a slight smile, hoping he'd see it as a peace offering.