When Elizabeth arrived, Samael had already showered and was sprawled on the sofa.
Cleaning was more exhausting than it looked.
He was almost proud of it.
The door opened with the access code she already knew by heart.
Elizabeth stepped inside.
Paused.
Silence.
The first thing she noticed was the floor.
Shining.
The second was the scent.
Cleaning products.
The third was the fact that there were no clothes scattered like landmines.
She had spent two months trying to convince him to clean that apartment.
Two months.
And now… it was impeccable.
She closed the door slowly.
"You're here," Samael said, still sprawled on the sofa.
He sat up, excited.
"Let's go get the—"
He stopped.
Elizabeth looked… strange.
She walked toward him in complete silence.
No expression.
No sarcastic comment.
No immediate judgment.
"Elizabeth?" he asked, suspicious.
She didn't answer.
Stopped in front of him.
Too close.
Much too close.
Samael blinked.
Before he could react, she tilted her head and pressed her forehead against his.
The world froze.
Heat instantly rose to his face.
His brain simply shut down.
She stayed there for a few seconds.
Silent.
Focused.
Samael recoiled abruptly, blushing.
"W-What was that?!"
Elizabeth stepped back with the same calm with which she had approached.
"You're not feverish," she murmured, more to herself than to him.
He blinked, incredulous.
"Who are you?" — she asked.
Silence.
The question wasn't joking.
Samael froze for a few seconds.
Who are you?
He opened his mouth.
Closed it.
I am Samael.
The words got stuck.
Because, deep down…
He still wasn't entirely sure.
"I… am me," he finally answered.
It was the only honest response he had.
Elizabeth stared at him.
"No, you're not."
He furrowed his brow.
"The Samael I know would only clean the apartment when it turned into a battlefield of cockroaches."
She crossed her arms.
Convicted.
"Hey! I am fully responsible for cleaning the apartment!"
The sentence came out firmly.
At that moment, his Aspect remained silent.
No validation.
No confirmation.
He was lying.
Elizabeth raised an eyebrow.
"Nope, not happening."
Silence.
"So what happened?" she asked. "Did you see a cockroach or something?"
Samael felt indignation.
"Hey, don't call it 'a cockroach.' It had a name."
Elizabeth blinked.
For a second, she believed he wasn't childish enough to—
"Lord of Shadows," Samael replied with absolute seriousness. "It was a formidable enemy."
Silence.
Elizabeth stared.
He stared back.
She sighed.
"He's childish enough…"
"Why did you give a cockroach a name? How old are you? And what's with the name?" — she fired questions without pause.
Genuine curiosity.
Mild irritation.
And something else.
Something almost… amused.
Samael averted his gaze.
Scratched the back of his neck.
"I… was feeling lonely. That's why I gave it a name."
The admission came quieter than intended.
Elizabeth blinked.
Lonely?
He continued, trying to regain dignity:
"And where's the respect? I'm older than you."
She made an instant grimace.
"For months."
"Still counts!"
She ignored him.
"'Lord of Shadows' isn't a normal name for a cockroach."
He huffed.
"It's the name of someone I like. Happy now? Or will the interrogation continue?"
Elizabeth tilted her head slightly.
She didn't realize she was being just as childish as he was.
But, for the first time since entering, her lips almost formed a smile.
Almost.
Samael didn't know what to say after admitting such an embarrassing loneliness.
So he did what he did best.
He ran away.
"Let's go. My cat's waiting for me," he said, already leaving the apartment without looking at her.
Elizabeth stayed for half a second.
Then followed.
The door closed behind them.
In the hallway, a strange silence settled.
Awkward.
Samael's face was no longer red.
But Elizabeth wasn't most people.
She noticed.
The tips of his ears were still slightly flushed.
He also wasn't starting any conversation.
Which was… unusual.
Ninety percent of their conversations were initiated by him.
Samael talked too much.
Especially with her.
With others, he was more restrained.
But now, he was quiet.
Walking too fast.
Avoiding eye contact.
She broke the silence.
"Hey. What's your cat's name going to be?"
He immediately regained some energy.
"I already have an amazing idea."
Elizabeth almost sighed.
Premonition.
If she were capable of genuine pity, this would be one of those moments.
"Poor cat…" she thought.
She didn't truly feel pity.
But she had developed the habit of using emotional phrases.
"How sad."
"Poor thing."
Expressions that simulated feelings she didn't really experience.
Useful.
Socially acceptable.
She hadn't even realized when it became automatic.
Samael smiled proudly.
"The name will be…"
He paused dramatically.
Elizabeth already knew it wouldn't be normal.
"Mr. Fool."
Silence.
Her mind truly froze for a second.
She had never heard a name so bad.
Almost insulting.
"…Why?" she asked, genuinely curious.
Samael turned to her, excited.
"Think about what a cat reminds you of."
He didn't wait for an answer.
"Mystical things. Bad luck. Omens."
He was fully invested in his own explanation.
"Have you heard the saying that black cats bring bad luck? So, following that line of thought, I chose the name of a character I like."
He seemed genuinely satisfied.
Convinced of his own genius.
"Mr. Fool is perfect."
Elizabeth remained silent for a few seconds.
Processing.
A cockroach named "Lord of Shadows."
A cat named "Mr. Fool."
She tilted her head slightly.
"I think it really suits you, Sam."
Honest.
Necessary.
She had never met anyone who would name a cockroach Lord of Shadows and a cat Mr. Fool.
Maybe he was a new species, she thought.
Samael grinned with satisfaction.
"Thanks, hehe."
He clearly took it as a compliment.
Elizabeth didn't correct him.
They continued walking side by side.
The sky was beginning to darken.
The city continued noisy, indifferent.