The inn had gone quiet.Only the soft creaks of the wooden walls and the distant hum of wind outside filled the silence.
Kuro lay awake on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. The candle had long burned out, leaving only moonlight spilling through the curtains — faint silver across the room.
Lucien was still awake, his book closed now but his mind clearly not at rest.Mika stood by the window again, silent, his back to them both.
The atmosphere was thick.Heavy.Like something sharp waiting to snap.
{...It's so quiet.}
[Yeah, it's the creepy "someone's-about-to-have-a-meltdown" kind of quiet.]
{Elvastia—}
[What? Look at Ice Boy over there. If he clenches his jaw any harder, his teeth are gonna turn to powder.]
{He's just… thinking.}
[Thinking? Please. The man's radiating 'jealous knight' energy. Pretty Boy over there says one more nice word and Mika's gonna gut him like a fish.]
{He wouldn't do that.}
[You sure? He's been glaring at Lucien's back for ten minutes straight. That's not thinking, Kuro, that's mentally committing arson.]
Kuro sighed softly, rubbing his eyes.
Then — quietly — he said, "Mika… are you okay?"
Mika's shoulders tensed just slightly. "…I'm fine."
Lucien looked over from his bed, one eyebrow raised. "You don't sound fine."
Mika turned his head, eyes sharp in the dark. "I wasn't asking for your assessment."
Lucien smiled faintly. "Touchy tonight, aren't we?"
[Oh great. Pretty Boy's poking the beast again. Somebody grab popcorn.]
Kuro sat up, panic creeping in. "You two… please don't fight—"
Lucien's voice stayed calm, too calm. "I'm just saying, if something's bothering you, you could try not taking it out on the rest of us."
Mika's reply was quiet — too quiet. "You talk like you know me."
"I don't," Lucien said simply. "But I know how people look when they're trying not to care too much."
Mika's gaze sharpened.Lucien didn't flinch.
[Oh s***. He actually said it.]
The silence that followed could've cut glass.
Kuro's breath caught. He could feel something strange in the air — not magic, not danger, just… tension.A pull between them he didn't understand.
Mika finally turned fully to face them, his expression unreadable."You think you understand me, Lucien?" he asked, his voice soft but cold."Try again."
Lucien's calm mask flickered just slightly, but he smiled anyway. "Maybe not. But I understand Kuro."
That was the wrong thing to say.
Mika stepped forward once — not threatening, but enough to shift the air."Don't act like you do," he said, low and warning.
Kuro's heart pounded."Mika—please—"
But Mika stopped. His gaze fell on Kuro instead.And for a moment, his anger melted — replaced by something fragile.
Something that looked a lot like fear.
He sighed, running a hand through his hair and looking away. "Forget it."
[Holy f***, that was close. I thought he was about to throw hands.]
{You're not helping!}
[Hey, don't look at me. Your boyfriend over there's the one doing the murder-eyes routine.]
{He's not my—!}
[Yet.]
Kuro turned away, cheeks burning faintly even in the dark.But Mika caught the movement — and something in his eyes softened.
"…You should sleep," Mika said quietly. "Both of you."
Lucien tilted his head. "And you?"
"I'll take watch."
Lucien hesitated — then nodded. "Fine. Don't fall asleep on your feet, though."
Mika didn't respond.
He just stood there by the window again, staring out into the silver night.His reflection was pale in the glass — eyes faintly hollow, jaw tight.
Kuro watched him from the bed, silently.
[You know, for a guy who pretends not to care, he's doing a terrible job hiding it.]
{I know.}
[He's worried about you.]
{He shouldn't be.}
[Too late.]
There was a pause.And for once, Elvastia's voice lost its edge.
[You really don't think you deserve it, do you?]
{...No.}
[...f***.]
Kuro blinked.Did Elvastia just—?
[Don't start. I didn't mean it like that. You're just—ugh. Whatever. Go to sleep before I get sentimental and puke.]
Kuro smiled faintly and turned over, his eyes growing heavy.
Just before he drifted off, he heard Mika's voice — quiet, low, almost breaking through the dark:
"You shouldn't keep smiling like that, Kuro… Someone will take it away."
Then silence.
Lucien's breathing evened out.Elvastia muttered something incoherent and distant.And Kuro, somewhere between sleep and pain, thought—
{Even if someone did… Mika would take it back for me. Wouldn't he?}