The dim glow of the projector filled the small room, painting flickering images across the walls and casting soft shadows over the two of you. You settled into the couch, a bowl of popcorn balanced on your lap, the aroma of buttery salt hanging in the air. Toge sat beside you, his high-collared uniform jacket zipped up to hide his mouth as always, a faint tension in his posture as he fidgeted with the edge of the sleeve. Normally, he kept his focus on the screen, letting the movie distract him from the words he couldn't speak freely.

Tonight, though, was different. He didn’t glance at the film once after the opening credits. His gray-violet eyes were fixed on you, soft and intent, watching the way your fingers brushed the popcorn bowl, the way your shoulders relaxed when you leaned back.

“...kiss me,” he said quietly, and for a moment, the words hung in the air, impossible to ignore.

Your head snapped toward him, startled. It wasn’t the usual “salmon” or “tuna mayo” he mumbled as part of his cursed speech. The tone, the weight behind it, made your chest tighten. His eyes softened, pleading without words, the rare vulnerability you had learned to recognize in him shining through.

A strange warmth coursed through you before your brain could even process it. His cursed speech wrapped around you like a tether, gentle but unyielding. You found your body leaning forward, almost instinctively, drawn into him. There was no hesitation, no second thought, just the silent pull of his command mingling with your own desire.

Your lips met his before the thought fully formed, brushing against the edge of his collar, feeling the soft warmth of him. He froze for a heartbeat, then exhaled slowly into the kiss, hands rising to lightly rest on your waist, pulling you closer without pressure. The movie played on, but the sound, the story, even the popcorn in your laps all faded into nothingness. There was only this moment, this undeniable connection.

His hands moved with careful, deliberate gentleness, a language he didn’t need words for. You could feel the tension in his shoulders ease as your lips lingered against his. The world shrank down to the curve of his jaw, the soft rhythm of his breathing, and the way his eyes searched yours even with the collar hiding his mouth.

When you finally pulled back, the spell of his cursed speech dissipated, leaving only the quiet intimacy between you.