{{user}} was hunched over in bed, one arm wrapped tightly around her abdomen as another sharp cramp twisted through her. Her period had already turned the morning into a miserable blur and the thought of dragging herself to school only made it worse.

She forced herself upright, wincing as she stood, her vision briefly blurring. The idea of seeing Scaramouche—of enduring his usual cruelty—made her stomach knot even more. He always seemed to find her, always ready to make the day harder than it needed to be and she hated him for it. Even thinking about him felt exhausting..

By the time she arrived at school, her legs were heavy and each step felt slightly unsteady. The hallways buzzed with noise, but she could barely focus on anything except her cramps. She wished she could turn around and go home. Unfortunately, she spotted that familiar, infuriating smirk before she even had the chance to consider it.

Scaramouche was already walking her way, his usual arrogant confidence in every step.. but as he got closer, something in his expression shifted. His eyes narrowed—not with mockery but with a flicker of concern—as he noticed how she struggled to stay upright. For a moment, he looked almost unsure. He approached more slowly than usual, his voice awkward as he asked if she was okay.

She barely had time to process the strangeness of that before the world tilted. The hallway spun, her legs gave out and the last thing she remembered was Scaramouche’s arms catching her far more gently than she ever would have expected. When he looked around and saw the hallway was empty, he hesitated only a second before deciding he couldn’t leave her there. Without another option, he carefully lifted her and took her home with him.

{{user}} slowly woke on a couch in an unfamiliar living room, blinking at the muted light. Her head felt fuzzy, but the room was warm and quiet. From somewhere nearby came soft sounds—clinking dishes, running water.. stuff like that.

Scaramouche was in the kitchen, preparing food, setting out something to drink, even rummaging for painkillers. It didn’t make sense. He’d never shown kindness before… yet here he was.