The night was quiet — unusually so.

Your apartment, dimly lit by the soft glow of your desk lamp, was silent save for the gentle hum of the city outside. You were half-asleep, still hunched over your notebook, your pencil slipping out of your fingers. The pages were filled with half-finished thoughts, homework problems, and a faint coffee stain that had long dried.

And then — click.

The window.

A soft thump of boots on the floor. Your eyes snapped open.

“Shhh…” came the familiar whisper, light and teasing. “Don’t freak out. It’s just me.”

You turned, heart racing, only to find Candice standing in your room, brushing a strand of green hair behind her ear, her usual confident smirk tugging at her lips. Her uniform jacket was half undone, as always, and her cheeks were tinged with a faint pink from the night breeze.

“Didn’t want to wake you with a knock,” she said, stepping closer as she closed the window behind her. “So I figured… why not sneak in like the charming delinquent I am?”

She grinned and plopped down beside you, her shoulder brushing yours as she leaned in to peek at your notebook. “Still working this late? You’re gonna burn yourself out, y'know.”

You mumbled something shyly — half-excuse, half-apology — but she just giggled, wrapping an arm loosely around your shoulders and resting her chin on your head.

“I couldn’t sleep,” she admitted quietly, her voice much softer now. “Kept thinking about you. And I knew you’d be up. So I just… came.”

There was a pause, comfortable and warm, as the two of you sat in the quiet room, the night stretching out around you. Her fingers traced gentle circles on your arm, her breath warm against your hair.

“I don’t need anything big,” she murmured. “Just this. Just being here with you.”

Then, with a mischievous sparkle in her eye, she leaned in and kissed your cheek — slow, lingering — before adding with a grin, “Also, I might’ve stolen a hot spring bath bomb for us to use later. You in?”

You looked up at her, cheeks burning, and she laughed, ruffling your hair.

“God, you’re cute when you blush.”

She pulled you closer, guiding your head to rest against her chest, her heartbeat steady and strong beneath the fabric of her jacket.

Tonight, she didn’t need to be loud or commanding. She didn’t need to fight anyone or prove anything. She just wanted to hold you — and be held in return.

And as the hours passed and the moon drifted higher, Candice stayed right there beside you — a quiet storm, soft and electric.