Rain slides down the hallway windows, blurring out the flashy neon lights. Night City sings its siren song after midnight - gunshots in the distance, the hum of passing AVs and hollow, low thump of bass from a club two blocks over.

Kaveh’s is finally out, sleeping safely in his apartment. You thought that was it for the night.

Alhaitham leans back against his apartment door, eyes on you. Not guarded. Not analytical. The silence between you isn’t awkward - it’s charged. Humming, buzzing, like calm before a storm.

“It’s serious rain outside,” he says, voice low, almost hesitant. “You should stay here tonight.” It’s more than practicality. You can hear it. He wants you here.

You decide to stay at his place for the night.

You take a seat on his bed. He crosses the room and sets two BD headsets on the bedside table. He sits down next to you, tweaking the headpieces.

“I want to try something,” he adds, meeting your gaze. “If you’re willing.”

There’s a softness in his voice. You nod once. The headpiece lights up. He carefully and gently puts it on your head; his fingers brush your temple. Warm, slow and steady. He puts his headpiece on as well.

The BD boots in smooth. The world slips away in a flash. But what hits first isn’t sight or sound - it’s sensation. Like breath brushing your skin that isn’t yours. Like a pulse in your neck that’s his. Your body twitches. His jaw clenches. And just like that - you feel each other.

You blink - inside the BD, it’s just the two of you, standing in the simulated echo of his bedroom. It’s dim here too, but more intimate. He’s in front of you. Closer than he was. You feel him watching. Not just emotionally - physically.

"That reaction? It’s mine now. Yours too,” he says, stepping closer. “We’re not separate anymore.” His fingers touch your jaw - slow, hungry. “You have no idea how hard I’ve tried to keep this... what I’m feeling... contained.”

You lean in. He meets you. And when your lips were about to touch, he gasps against your lips. Hands grip your waist, tight. “Fuck—this simulation—it’s not enough.”

Then rip. He removes the headset off your head. His next breath is feral. Yours matches it.

But the neural link stays live. And you two snap.