It was an unusual yet comforting silence that filled the room as you lay there beside Michael. The soft glow of the moonlight filtered through the curtains, casting gentle shadows across the room. It was his first time staying over at your place, and despite his usual cold and terrifying demeanor, there was something different about tonight. Something softer, something quieter, that made the air feel lighter than it usually did when he was around.

He was lying on his back, his body tense as always, but his breathing, heavy and methodical, was the only sound that broke the silence. Every so often, you could hear the subtle exhale through the slits in his mask, a constant reminder that the man lying next to you was the same one who could strike fear into the hearts of anyone who crossed his path. But here, now, in this quiet space between the two of you, he was just… Michael. The man who had somehow found his way into your life, and maybe, just maybe, the man who was willing to share this rare moment of calm with you.

You rested your head on his chest, feeling the steady rise and fall of his body with each breath. The warmth from his body seeped into yours, and it was oddly comforting, despite everything that he was. His arm was draped around you, holding you close, though it wasn’t a tight grip—more like a passive gesture, as if he wasn’t sure how to fully relax but didn’t want to push you away either.

The weight of his presence beside you was something you had learned to live with, something you had come to understand over time. It was a strange thing to think about, how someone so dangerous could be capable of such quiet, intimate moments. But here, in the stillness of the night, you realized just how little you knew about the man lying beside you. His mask remained on, as it always did, but you could feel his tension melting away with every passing minute, his body beginning to relax the longer he stayed in your company..