Three weeks had passed.
The city had not changed. The streets were still empty in the mornings, quiet in a way that felt unnatural. Windows stayed shut. Doors locked. The air itself carried the uneasy silence of a place that had learned to survive by staying still.
But Aoi had changed. Sleep came rarely now. Most nights he barely closed his eyes, and when he did, it was light and restless. The moment dawn arrived, he was already awake.
Searching. Every day. Every street.
Every corner he thought Ren might have gone to.
And every day he returned with nothing.
—
That morning was no different.
Aoi stepped out of the house with a small bag over his shoulder. The sky was pale gray, the kind of dull light that made the world feel colder than it actually was.
Behind him, Ms. Aiko's voice followed softly. "Aoi… you're going out again?"
He paused at the door.
For a second, it looked like he might answer.
But instead he only nodded slightly before stepping outside. The door closed quietly behind him.
He didn't say where he was going. Because the answer was always the same.
Looking for Ren.
—
The streets were mostly empty.
Aoi walked through them slowly, scanning the surroundings with tired eyes. His movements had grown more careful over the weeks—more alert. Living alone in a city filled with monsters forced people to adapt quickly.
But even now, he still found himself glancing at places where Ren used to stand beside him.
As if expecting him to suddenly appear again. He never did.
—
By noon, Aoi had found a small convenience store that hadn't been completely looted.
He pushed the door open carefully. The inside was dark. Shelves half-empty.
Dust settling over the floor.
He grabbed a few cans and some bottled water, placing them quietly into his bag.
Then he paused. Something felt wrong.
The silence inside the store had changed. Aoi slowly turned his head.
Behind him—
Something moved.
The movement behind him was sudden.
Aoi turned just as the creature lunged.
It was fast—too fast.
He barely had time to raise his arm before the monster slammed into him, its weight crashing against his body and sending both of them into the shelves behind. Cans scattered across the floor with a loud metallic clatter.
Aoi forced himself to react. His hand went straight for the gun at his side.
He fired once.
The shot echoed sharply through the empty store. The creature recoiled but didn't fall.
Instead it lunged again.
This time the impact threw Aoi completely off balance. His back hit the floor hard, the breath knocked out of him as the gun slipped from his hand and skidded across the ground somewhere out of reach.
For a second the world blurred. Then the weight hit him again. The monster pinned him down.
Its claws pressed against his arms, forcing them against the cold floor as its distorted face hovered above him.
Aoi struggled. He twisted his body, trying to push it away, but exhaustion and weeks of poor sleep had already worn him thin. His strength wasn't enough.
The creature opened its jaw. Aoi barely had time to turn his head—
And then it struck. Its teeth dug deep into his shoulder.
The pain exploded through him.
Aoi gasped sharply, the sound breaking out of his throat before he could stop it. His fingers clenched against the floor as heat spread down his arm, blood quickly soaking through the fabric of his shirt.
For a moment, everything felt distant. The ceiling above him.
The shelves around him.
The sound of his own breathing growing uneven.
He tried to move again. But the creature held him down.
The pressure only grew heavier. It was pointless.
Then—
Something moved.
Fast. So fast the monster barely had time to react.
A shadow crossed the room.
The creature was suddenly torn away from Aoi with violent force, its body thrown across the store like it weighed nothing. It crashed into the far wall with a heavy thud, knocking over shelves as metal cans scattered across the floor.
For a moment the creature struggled to rise.
Then someone stepped forward. Tall.
Still.
Standing between Aoi and the monster.
The creature screeched and lunged again.
But the man moved first.
Too fast.
The distance between them vanished in an instant. His hand shot forward and caught the monster by the throat before it could even reach him. The creature thrashed wildly, claws slashing at the air.
The grip didn't loosen.
Aoi forced his blurred vision to focus. Something felt wrong.
Ren's posture had changed.
The calm restraint that usually held his movements back was gone.
And when Ren lifted his head—
His eyes were no longer grey.
They were white. Completely white.
Not glowing. Not human.
For a split second he looked more like the monster than the man holding it.
The creature struggled harder.
Ren didn't hesitate. His hand tightened.
A sharp cracking sound echoed through the empty store.
Then the creature's body suddenly went limp.
Ren released it. The monster collapsed to the floor like a discarded shell.
Silence returned.
For a moment Ren didn't move. His breathing was slightly uneven.
Then he turned. His gaze fell on Aoi lying on the floor, blood spreading slowly across his shoulder.
And something shifted. The tension in his body faltered.
His chest tightened as if the sight had pulled him back to himself. The white faded from his eyes. Grey returned.
Ren stepped toward him quickly now. He knelt beside him without saying a word.
Ren's hand moved to Aoi's shoulder without hesitation. The wound was deep. Blood soaked through the fabric, warm against his fingers.
For a split second Ren froze. Then he pressed his hand against it.
The moment his skin touched the injury, the familiar burning sensation shot through his arm.
His power. It began to work.
A faint warmth spread from his palm into Aoi's body, slowly pulling the torn flesh back together.
But it hurt. More than usual. The deeper the wound, the heavier the cost.
Ren's jaw tightened as the pain climbed through his arm and into his chest like something tearing him apart from the inside.
Still—
He didn't stop. His focus stayed locked on Aoi's pale face.
"Stay with me…" Ren murmured under his breath.
The words barely sounded like his voice. Minutes passed.
Or maybe seconds. Ren couldn't tell anymore.
The healing continued, slowly closing the worst of the damage, but every second drained more strength from him. His breathing grew uneven. His hand trembled slightly against the wound.
But he kept going. As if Aoi's life depended on it.
And maybe it did.
Then—
Aoi stirred. A faint breath escaped his lips.
His eyes fluttered weakly before opening halfway, unfocused at first.
The world slowly came back to him.
Pain. Cold.
And warmth—
A strange warmth spreading from his shoulder. His gaze drifted downward.
Ren's hand.
And something else. Ren was shaking.
Aoi's eyes sharpened slightly. He realized.
Ren was the one hurting.
With the little strength he had left, Aoi lifted his hand and pushed Ren's away.
Ren immediately stopped. Aoi drew a slow breath and forced himself to move, wincing as he pushed himself upright.
He sat there for a moment, unsteady, trying to catch his breath. The wound wasn't gone.
But it was no longer fatal. His senses had returned.
And the first thing he saw clearly—
Was Ren. Ren's hand stilled the moment Aoi pushed it away.
For a second neither of them moved. The air between them felt strange… tense.
Aoi forced himself to sit up properly, one hand pressing against the ground to steady himself. His breathing was still uneven, his shoulder throbbing despite the healing.
But he wasn't looking at the wound. He was looking at Ren.
His eyes slowly focused, as if making sure what he was seeing was real.
Ren was right there. After weeks.
Silence stretched between them.
Ren finally spoke, his voice low. "…You shouldn't have come out alone."
Aoi stared at him. For a moment he said nothing.
Then a quiet, almost disbelieving breath left him. "…That's the first thing you say?"
Ren didn't answer.
Aoi let out a short, bitter laugh. It didn't sound like amusement. "I looked for you."
His voice was rough, strained from pain and something deeper. "Everywhere."
Ren's expression tightened slightly, but he still said nothing.
Aoi's fingers curled against the ground. "You disappeared." His voice rose a little.
"Without saying anything."
Ren looked away."I thought you were dead." That sentence came out quieter.
He swallowed, forcing the rest of the words out. "And now you just show up… save me… and act like nothing happened?"
Ren stood slowly. "I did what I had to."
That answer made something snap.
Aoi pushed himself to his feet despite the pain. "What you had to?" he repeated, disbelief in his voice. "You call disappearing for weeks 'what you had to'?"
Ren turned slightly, clearly preparing to leave again. And that made Aoi's chest tighten.
"You're leaving again?" Aoi's voice sharpened. "Seriously?"
Ren didn't answer. That silence hurt more than anything.
Aoi's hand shot forward and grabbed Ren's wrist. His grip wasn't strong, but it was desperate. "…Don't."
The word came out quieter this time.
Almost breaking.
Ren felt Aoi's fingers around his wrist.
For a moment… he didn't move.
Then slowly, gently, he pulled his hand free. The absence of that small contact felt heavier than it should have.
Ren turned slightly, clearly intending to leave.
That was the moment something inside Aoi snapped.
"…You're leaving again?"
Ren didn't answer.
Aoi stared at his back, disbelief slowly turning into something sharper.
"Of course you are," he muttered under his breath.
His chest tightened painfully.
Weeks.
Weeks of searching. Weeks of wondering if Ren was dead… or hurt… or just gone.
And now he was walking away again.
Aoi let out a shaky breath. "Fine."
"If that's what you want."
Ren paused. Only for a second.
But he didn't turn around.
That small hesitation only made the anger burn hotter.
Aoi's hands clenched into fists.
"You want to leave?" His voice rose now, rough with frustration and something deeper. "Then go."
Still no response.
Aoi laughed once, bitter and hollow. "Just don't come back next time."
Ren's shoulders stiffened slightly.
"And don't bother saving me again." The words came out sharper than he intended, but he didn't take them back.
Aoi's breathing had grown uneven, his injured shoulder throbbing as adrenaline faded.
"I mean it."
Silence stretched between them again.
Cold. Heavy.
"You don't get to disappear," Aoi continued, his voice trembling now, "and then show up whenever you feel like it… like nothing happened."
Ren still hadn't turned around. And somehow… that hurt the most.
Aoi's voice dropped, quieter now. "If leaving is so easy for you…"
He swallowed hard. "…then just go."
Ren stopped. For a long moment he stood there, unmoving.
Then slowly… he turned back.
His eyes fell first to the blood spreading through the fabric over Aoi's shoulder. The sight made something in his chest tighten. He looked at Aoi again. Really looked this time.
Aoi was sitting there on the ground, pale, breathing unevenly, his hand still pressed weakly to his injured shoulder.
Ren walked back. Without a word, he lowered himself to one knee beside him again.
Up close, the wound looked worse than before.
His voice came quieter this time. "…What do you mean you don't want me to save you?"
Aoi didn't answer immediately. Ren's hand hovered near the injury, unsure whether he should touch him again.
"I understand if you want me to leave," Ren continued, his voice low, controlled. "But I'm not going to stand here and let you die."
Aoi shifted slightly, trying to sit up straighter despite the pain that shot through his shoulder. His breath trembled. "…I don't want you to leave."
Ren froze.
Aoi lifted his head, frustration breaking through the exhaustion in his eyes.
"Why don't you get it?"
His voice came out louder than before, raw with emotion.
Ren's gaze dropped for a moment. "…I'm a danger to you, Aoi."
The words felt heavy between them. But Aoi shook his head immediately.
Tears slipped down his face before he even realized it. "No." His voice cracked.
"You were never a danger."
Ren's jaw tightened slightly, but Aoi kept going.
"Back then… you didn't know how to control it." His breathing hitched. "But now you do."
Another tear slid down his cheek. "You would never hurt me."
Aoi's words hung in the air between them. Ren didn't answer.
For a moment he only looked at him, as if searching his face for doubt… for hesitation… for anything that might make those words less absolute.
But there was none. Only exhaustion.
Pain. And trust.
Too much trust.
Ren looked away first. "You trust me too much," he said quietly.
Aoi wiped the back of his hand across his face, trying to stop the tears, but his voice still trembled when he spoke. "No," he said. "You just don't trust yourself enough."
Ren's fingers tightened slightly where his hand rested near Aoi's shoulder.
For a moment he didn't move. Didn't breathe.
Then finally, slowly, he placed his hand over the wound again. The faint glow returned almost immediately beneath his palm. Healing.
But this time the light was weaker. More unstable.
Ren's breathing grew heavier as the power pushed through him again, draining what little strength he had left.
Aoi noticed. His hand shot up and grabbed Ren's wrist. "Stop."
Ren didn't. The glow flickered stronger. "You're still bleeding," Ren muttered under his breath.
"I said stop," Aoi repeated, his grip tightening despite his weakness.
Ren's jaw clenched. But after a second… the light faded. The healing stopped.
Silence settled between them again.
Aoi was breathing unevenly now, his shoulder still injured but no longer bleeding as badly.
Ren pulled his hand back slowly. "…You're stubborn," he said quietly.
Aoi let out a weak breath that almost sounded like a laugh.
"You disappeared for weeks," he replied. "You don't get to complain about stubborn."
Ren didn't answer. He just looked at him again.
Really looked at him. At the pale face. The dried blood.
The shaking hands.
And something in Ren's chest twisted painfully.
"…You shouldn't have come out here alone," he said.
Aoi looked at him like he'd just said the most ridiculous thing possible.
"I was looking for you." The words came out so simply that Ren had no reply for them.
Just silence. Aoi slowly pushed himself up a little more, wincing as he adjusted his injured shoulder. His eyes didn't leave Ren. "…Are you leaving again?" he asked quietly.
Ren didn't answer. His silence stretched for a second too long.
And that was enough. Before Ren could move, Aoi's hand shot forward and grabbed the front of his shirt. His grip wasn't strong — he was still injured — but it was desperate.
Firm. "Don't."
Ren froze. Aoi's breathing was uneven, his other hand pressed against his injured shoulder as pain flared through him. But he didn't let go.
"If you walk away again," Aoi said, his voice shaking despite the force behind it, "don't expect me to forgive you this time." The words landed harder than anything else he had said.
Ren slowly looked down at the hand clutching his shirt. Then at Aoi.
His expression tightened slightly.
"You shouldn't make promises like that," Ren said quietly.
Aoi's eyes flashed with something raw.
"Why?" he shot back. "Because you plan on disappearing again?"
Ren didn't respond.
And that silence… hurt worse than the answer.
Aoi's grip trembled slightly. "You think leaving fixes anything?" he continued, his voice cracking now. "You think I was safer without you?"
His breathing grew heavier. "I was out there looking for you."
Ren's chest tightened.
"I kept thinking maybe I'd see you somewhere. Maybe you'd come back." Aoi laughed bitterly under his breath. "Turns out the only thing I found was monsters."
Ren's hand moved instinctively, hovering near Aoi's injured shoulder again.
But he stopped himself. "…You were supposed to stay safe," Ren murmured.
Aoi stared at him in disbelief. "Safe?" he repeated.
Then he pushed himself up slightly despite the pain, forcing Ren to lean back a little.
"You left me."
Ren's eyes darkened slightly. "I did it for you."
"Stop saying that." Aoi's voice was suddenly sharper. "You don't get to decide that for me."
Silence fell again. Wind moved faintly through the ruined street around them.
Aoi's hand was still gripping Ren's shirt. Still refusing to let go.
His voice softened when he spoke again. "…Just stay."
Not an order. Not an argument.
Just something close to a plea.
Aoi's grip on Ren's shirt loosened slightly, his strength fading as the pain in his shoulder pulsed again. For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The wind moved quietly through the empty street.
Ren looked down at him. Then, slowly… he crouched again beside him.
He didn't say anything. He simply stayed.
Aoi noticed. And that was enough. His hand tightened again before he suddenly leaned forward.
Ren barely had time to react before Aoi pulled him closer and wrapped his arms around him. Tightly.
Too tightly. Aoi winced instantly as pain shot through his injured shoulder, his breath hitching for a second — but he didn't let go. Not even a little.
Ren stiffened in surprise. "…Aoi—"
But Aoi shook his head against his shoulder. "Don't move." His voice was muffled, strained.
"I'm serious… don't move." Ren could feel the way Aoi was shaking slightly.
Not from the cold. From everything. From the weeks. From the fear.
From almost dying just minutes ago.
Ren hesitated… before slowly placing one hand on Aoi's back. Carefully.
"…You're hurt," Ren murmured quietly.
"I know." Aoi's grip tightened again. "And I don't care."
Another quiet moment passed. Ren could feel Aoi's breathing slowly steady against him. But he still refused to let go.
"…You're impossible," Ren said under his breath.
Aoi let out a weak, humorless laugh. "Yeah." His voice softened again. "…But you stayed."
Ren didn't answer that. Instead, he carefully shifted one arm around Aoi's back, supporting him. "Come on," he said quietly after a moment. "We need to get you home."
Ren studied Aoi for a moment before speaking quietly. "Can you walk?"
Aoi nodded faintly. "…Yeah."
Ren didn't look convinced, but he helped him sit up anyway. Aoi pushed himself to his feet slowly. For half a second, it seemed like he might actually manage.
Then his leg faltered. Pain shot through his shoulder and side, forcing a sharp breath out of him as his hand immediately pressed against the wound.
Ren noticed instantly. He didn't argue.
He simply turned around and knelt in front of him, his back facing Aoi. "…Get on."
Aoi blinked slightly. "You don't—"
"Get on," Ren repeated.
After a moment, Aoi slowly leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Ren's shoulders.
Ren stood carefully once Aoi settled onto his back.
They started walking. The streets were quiet again.
Only the sound of Ren's footsteps echoed faintly against the empty buildings.
Aoi's arms rested loosely around his neck at first. But after a while… They tightened.
Ren felt Aoi's grip shift slightly. Then he heard it. A quiet sniff.
Ren frowned a little. "…Are you crying?"
Aoi didn't answer right away. His face slowly buried itself deeper against the side of Ren's neck. "…I don't want you to leave again." His voice was quiet. Almost fragile.
His fingers tightened in Ren's shirt. "…Come back."
For a moment, Ren said nothing.
But his grip under Aoi's legs tightened slightly as he kept walking through the silent street. By the time they reached the house, the weight on Ren's back had grown heavier.
Not because Aoi was heavy. Because the silence between them was.
Ren pushed the door open with his shoulder and stepped inside.
The house was quiet.
He walked straight to Aoi's room and gently lowered himself beside the bed before carefully letting Aoi slide off his back. Aoi winced faintly when his feet touched the floor.
Ren guided him down onto the bed without saying anything. Once Aoi was lying down, Ren crouched slightly and began pulling his shoes off. One. Then the other.
Aoi watched him quietly, still looking pale. Ren stood up again. "…Take your shirt off."
Aoi blinked. For a second he just stared at him. A faint blush crept onto his face. "…What?"
Ren frowned slightly. "I need to check the wound." Aoi hesitated, fingers gripping the edge of his shirt. "…But you'll get hurt."
Ren shook his head. "I'm fine now."
A moment passed before Aoi slowly pulled the shirt over his head.
Ren's gaze shifted to the wound on his shoulder. The torn skin. The dried blood.
And the bruises spreading faintly across his side.
For a brief moment, something tightened in Ren's chest. He reached out and placed his hand gently over the wound.
The moment his palm touched Aoi's skin, that strange warmth spread again.
Aoi sucked in a quiet breath. The pain slowly started fading.
Ren kept his hand there, focused, letting the power move through him.
This time it was slower. Careful.
Like he was afraid to push too much. Little by little the torn flesh closed.
The bleeding stopped. The skin healed.
When Ren finally pulled his hand away, the wound was gone.
Only faint pink skin remained. Aoi stared at his shoulder in silence.
Ren stood and grabbed a clean shirt from nearby before handing it to him. "…Here."
Aoi put it on slowly.
Ren pulled the blanket over him afterward, making sure it covered him properly.
He was about to step back. About to say something like you should rest.
But Aoi spoke first. "…C-can you stay here tonight?"
Ren paused. "…Don't worry," he said quietly. "I'm not leaving."
Aoi shook his head slightly. His fingers tightened on the blanket. "No… I meant…"
He hesitated for a moment. Then said it anyway. "…Sleep with me."
The room fell completely silent. Ren didn't answer immediately.
For a moment he just stood there beside the bed, looking at Aoi as if weighing something in his mind. Then he sighed quietly. "…Move."
Aoi blinked.
Ren slipped off his shoes and laid down beside him on the bed, keeping a small distance between them at first. The mattress shifted slightly under the added weight.
The room fell into silence again. Only the faint sound of Aoi's breathing filled it.
Ren turned his head slightly to look at him. Aoi's eyes were already closing, exhaustion finally catching up with him. For a moment Ren just watched him.
Making sure he was comfortable. Making sure the pain hadn't returned.
Then his gaze shifted.
Something on Aoi's neck caught his attention. A small red mark. Right below his jaw.
Ren frowned slightly. Slowly, he reached out. His fingers brushed lightly against the mark.
Aoi flinched. His eyes opened instantly.
Ren's hand froze.
"…What is this?"
Aoi looked away almost immediately. "It's nothing."
Ren's eyes narrowed slightly. "That doesn't look like nothing."
Aoi shifted under the blanket. "…I just had a small fight with someone."
The words came out too quickly. Too casual.
Ren didn't buy it. "…With who?"
Aoi hesitated. For a moment he looked like he was considering lying again.
Then he exhaled slowly. "…Takeda."
The name made something dark flicker behind Ren's eyes. His expression hardened slightly. "How did he do that?"
Aoi's chest tightened. He didn't answer.
The silence stretched. Ren was still looking at him. Waiting.
But Aoi kept his eyes on the blanket instead. His fingers gripping the fabric slightly.
The memory of it flashed through his mind. Too close. Too sudden. Too uncomfortable.
"…It was nothing," Aoi muttered quietly.
Ren didn't respond. But the air in the room had changed.
And for the first time that night—
Ren's thoughts weren't only about monsters anymore.
Ren's hand lingered on the small red mark for a moment. Then, almost imperceptibly, the warmth of his power spread gently through Aoi's skin. The mark faded, vanishing as if it had never been there. Aoi let out a quiet, almost startled breath.
Ren didn't move immediately. He stayed close, his eyes fixed on the spot where the mark had been, his expression softening slightly.
He leaned in slowly, careful not to startle him. "…Can I?" His voice was low, barely audible, brushing against Aoi's ear.
Aoi didn't answer. His body was still tense, but he didn't push him away.
Ren tilted his head slightly, taking the silence as permission. "I'll take that as a yes," he whispered. Then he leaned closer.
The warmth of his breath brushed over Aoi's neck. Soft. Gentle. Almost electric.
Ren pressed his lips to the exact spot where the mark had been. Slow. Light. Intentional.
Aoi flinched immediately, a sharp inhale escaping him, but his eyes squeezed shut.
His fingers gripped the blanket instinctively.
The sensation was strange—unfamiliar, yet… comforting.
Somewhere deep, a small part of him couldn't deny that it felt good.
Ren lingered for a moment longer, his touch careful, almost reverent, before he pulled back just slightly, just enough to let Aoi breathe, but not so far that the closeness vanished.
He rested there, near him, letting the warmth of his presence fill the space, his eyes locked on Aoi's, waiting for him to say—or do—something.
Aoi didn't open his eyes right away. His fingers were still gripping the blanket, his breathing slightly uneven. Ren was close enough to feel it.
"…Did I hurt you?" Ren asked quietly. Aoi shook his head almost immediately. "No."
His voice came out softer than he expected.
Ren watched him for another second before finally pulling back just a little more.
Enough to give him space. But he didn't move away.
Aoi slowly opened his eyes.
Their faces were still close. Closer than either of them usually allowed.
For a moment neither of them spoke.
Then Aoi looked away first, a faint color creeping across his face.
"…You didn't have to do that."
Ren tilted his head slightly. "I wanted to."
That only made Aoi more embarrassed. He pulled the blanket up a little higher, half hiding his face. "…You're weird."
Ren let out the quietest breath that almost sounded like a laugh. "Maybe."
The room went quiet again. But this silence felt different now.
Warmer. Safer.
After a moment Aoi shifted slightly under the blanket, moving a little closer without really thinking about it. His shoulder brushed lightly against Ren's arm.
He froze the second he realized. Ren noticed. But he didn't say anything.
Instead, his hand slowly moved and rested lightly over Aoi's wrist where it lay on the blanket.
Not holding it. Just there.
Aoi's heart skipped. Ren's thumb brushed gently across his skin once.
"…You should sleep," Ren murmured. Aoi hesitated. Then quietly asked,
"…Will you still be here when I wake up?"
Ren didn't answer with words. Instead, he shifted slightly closer and pulled the blanket up around Aoi a little better.
Then his hand moved again. This time sliding behind Aoi's back.
Careful. Slow. Until Aoi found himself being pulled gently closer to him. Not tightly.
Just enough that Aoi's forehead rested lightly against Ren's shoulder.
Ren's voice came quietly above him. "…Go to sleep."
For once—
Aoi didn't argue. His fingers slowly curled into the fabric of Ren's shirt.
And after a while…
his breathing finally steadied. The room was dark.
Only the faint light from the moon slipped through the window, spilling softly across the bed.
Aoi stirred. At first it was just a small movement, his fingers tightening slightly where they rested in Ren's shirt.
Then his eyes slowly opened. For a moment he didn't remember where he was.
Then he felt it. Warmth.
Solid. Ren.
Aoi blinked sleepily, his head still resting against Ren's shoulder just like before.
But something felt… different. He lifted his head slightly.
Ren's eyes were open. Aoi froze. "…You're still awake?"
Ren glanced down at him. "…Did I wake you?"
Aoi shook his head faintly. "No."
His voice was thick with sleep. "…Why aren't you sleeping?"
Ren looked back toward the ceiling for a moment before answering.
"…Just making sure you're okay."
Aoi stared at him. "You've been doing that all night?" Ren didn't respond.
Which was answer enough. Aoi's chest tightened a little. "…You're stupid."
Ren raised an eyebrow slightly. "That's a strange way to thank someone."
Aoi huffed quietly. But instead of arguing more, he shifted a little closer again.
His hand moved slowly until it rested against Ren's chest. "…You should sleep too."
Ren glanced down at the hand resting there. "I will."
Aoi looked at him suspiciously. "You're lying."
Ren almost smirked. "…Maybe."
Aoi sighed quietly. Then, after a second of hesitation, he moved even closer and wrapped one arm loosely around Ren's side.
Not desperate like before. Just… comfortable.
His voice came out quieter this time. "…If you don't sleep, I won't either."
Ren looked down at him again. Aoi's eyes were already half closed.
Stubborn even when exhausted. After a moment, Ren let out a quiet breath. "…Fine."
Aoi mumbled something that sounded vaguely satisfied. Within minutes, his breathing slowed again. But this time, Ren didn't stay awake for long.
For the first time in weeks—
He let himself rest too. And the room finally fell completely silent.
Outside, the night remained quiet.
But for the first time in weeks… neither of them were alone.