Kazou steps inside, kicking off his shoes by the door, the soft click of the door closing behind him. The apartment is minimalist, modern, with soft, warm lighting and typical furniture. It's not cold, but rather a calm haven, filled with books, papers, and hints of their work scattered around.
Rose, ever graceful, glances at him as she walks past. She heads toward the kitchen, a smile playing at the corner of her lips. She reaches the fridge, opens it, and after a moment of contemplation, pulls out a full bottle of whiskey. Kazou watches her, still standing in the entryway, loosening his tie. He doesn't say anything.
"Didn't you already have alcohol, babe?" Kazou raises an eyebrow.
Rose turns back toward him with a playful glint in her eyes.
"You didn't drink today! Let's have fun," she says, her voice light.
The bottle of whiskey gleams in her hand, an invitation.
Kazou arches an eyebrow, a slight smirk curling at the corner of his lips.
"At this hour?"
He's always been a man of routine, of calculated precision, but the sparkle in Rose's eyes makes him think twice.
Rose walks toward him, her stride confident, graceful, as she opens the bottle and pours a generous measure into a glass. The amber liquid catches the light as she hands it to him, her fingers brushing against his.
"You've been too serious lately, Kazou," she says, her voice low. "You need to loosen u; even our little game the other night didn't seem to work on you."
She sets the bottle down on the coffee table and sits beside him on the couch. There's a brief moment where she leans against him, her head resting on his shoulder, and for a moment, everything feels still. Kazou takes the glass from her, his fingers wrapping around the cool edge, and he glances down at her, the softness of her gaze pulling him in. He takes a slow sip from the glass, his eyes never leaving hers. After about a minute of no one speaking, Rose speaks.
"So, tell me, Kazou, why do you always act like you have everything under control? Like you're some perfect image of yourself."
Kazou leaned back slightly, his eyes narrowing as he gave her a half-smirk.
"Maybe I do," he said, voice low. "Maybe I don't see the point in letting go... of control."
He rubbed the back of his neck. Suddenly, Rose's fingers grazed the side of his arm.
"I think you're just scared," she said, moving closer, her shoulder brushing against his. "It's okay. You can let go around me. I don't bite."
Kazou found himself leaning into her warmth.
"Is that so?" Kazou replied, trying to keep his voice steady.
"You're just being stubborn," she murmured, her lips barely brushing against the side of his ear.
Kazou swallowed, his throat suddenly dry.
"Maybe," he said softly.
His fingers curled around her wrist. Rose leaned in, her lips brushing his. Kazou kissed her back, pulling her closer. Rose didn't pull away when they broke the kiss.
"I love you so much, babe," she whispered. "You're not so difficult to figure out after all."
Kazou exhaled. He tilted his head back slightly, surrendering to the moment.
"I love you," Kazou says.
The night had gone on, the whiskey flowing freely between them. Neither of them cared anymore—about the hour, about how much they'd had to drink, about anything. Their laughter echoed through the apartment.
Kazou's head lolled back on the couch, eyes half-closed from the alcohol. His hand rested loosely on Rose's shoulder, but she didn't seem to mind, her head resting on his chest, her fingers tracing lazy patterns on his arm.
"You're ridiculous," she said between giggles, looking up at him with a playful gleam in her eyes. "Did you really just... compare me to a cat?"
Kazou let out a loud laugh, shaking his head.
"You've got a cat-like way about you," he said, a grin tugging at his lips. "You're sly and... well, you know."
Rose rolled her eyes, but her smile didn't falter.
"I'm not even going to dignify that with a response," she muttered, before bursting into another fit of giggles.
Kazou joined her, their laughter mixing together, filling the space with a carefree energy neither of them had felt in a long time. She turned toward him then, leaning into him, her fingers lightly brushing against his lips.
"You're pretty fun when you let your guard down," Rose teased. "You're just like him." Her words slurred, but the bite in them was still sharp.
"Like who?" Kazou asked.
"The man you pretend not to be," she said, taking a swig from the bottle and leaning even closer.
Her presence was intoxicating in its own right, pulling him in as much as the liquor did. She leaned against the back of the couch. Kazou leaned forward slightly, his elbows resting on his knees, watching her closely.
"And who would that be?" His words were barely a whisper.
Rose smiled, her gaze flicked to his lips before returning to his eyes.
"The man who hides everything," she said, "The man who only lets people see what he wants them to see. Who keeps all his secrets locked up behind those eyes of his."
Kazou chuckled, but it was hollow, devoid of real amusement.
"You don't know anything about me," he said, his voice taking on an almost challenging tone.
"Oh, but I do," she replied, her finger trailing lightly along his jawline, just enough to make him shiver. "I know that you're full of things you won't say, full of things you'll never let anyone see. But…What if you just let go? What if you let me see everything?"
He glanced up at her, and for a moment, there was a flicker of something in her eyes.
"You really want to see all of me?" he asked, his voice quieter now, but more intense.
Rose took another swig of the whiskey, her lips still curled in that dangerous smile. Kazou couldn't help the soft laugh that escaped him.
* * *
The home was quiet now. The laughter, the teasing, the soft banter—all of it had faded away into the darkness of the night. Kazou lay beside Rose in the bed, the sheets tangled around them, both of them exhausted but unwilling to let go of the warmth that surrounded them. His arm was draped over her waist, his chest rising and falling with steady breaths. Rose was nestled against him, her head tucked under his neck. Kazou's hand gently brushed through her hair, a soft sigh escaping his lips.
"You're trouble," he muttered, his voice still thick with sleep.
Rose smiled against his skin, her hand slipping under his shirt, fingers gliding across his skin.
"And you're exactly the kind of trouble I need," she whispered, voice low and intimate.
Kazou chuckled softly, but there was a softness in his gaze as he looked at her. The alcohol had worn off, but the warmth between them remained.
"Goodnight, babe," Rose mutters.