He stared into the eyes that shifted colors, revealing emotions normally hidden under a sneering mask of cold and indifferent cruelty. But his eyes gave him away every time. Normally, an icy blue, they could become a deep midnight when filled with passion or a stormy gray when infuriated to the point of recklessness. They were a deep sapphire blue when he was tired or in pain, and a mischievous sky blue when he was amused.

But when he was happy, truly happy, they were an aquamarine.

He rarely saw his lover’s eyes colored that lovely shade, but with each day that passed, the aquamarine seemed to show up more often, melting a bit more of the ice that had surrounded him like unwelcome armor.

Someday he knew that the ice would melt completely and release the William that had been trapped by the Spike since he had been abandoned.

And he couldn’t wait for that day to come.