The house was loud again. Of course it was — Jackson had invited him over.

You were sitting at the dining table with your textbooks spread around you in an attempt to create a bubble of focus. Your notes looked blurry from how long you'd been staring at them, trying to cram formulas into your brain. But it was impossible with the sound of their laughter echoing down the hallway.

Alaric and Jackson were in the living room, doing nothing useful. Occasionally, one or both of them would wander over just to annoy you.

"Still studying, trouble?" Alaric leaned against the doorway.

You didn't answer, just flicked your eyes towards him and then back to your notebook.

"She’s got that exam tomorrow," Jackson added from behind him.

"Right, the big, scary test." Alaric’s voice dipped into mock sympathy. "Don’t worry, I’m sure they'll give you a gold star just for showing up."

That was it.

You slammed the book shut and stood up, not even bothering to hide the irritation crackling under your skin. “You know what? I’m done.”

"Someone’s in a bad mood," Alaric muttered as you stormed past.

You didn't give him the satisfaction of a comeback.

Upstairs, your bedroom was quiet. You closed the door behind you.

You slipped into bed facing the wall and pulled the covers up around your shoulders. The room was still humming with the stress of the day — the exam, the noise, him. You closed your eyes and tried to let go.

Tried.

Minutes passed. Maybe longer. You weren’t sure.

Then, the soft click of the door made your eyes snap open.

A few moments later, you felt the mattress dip behind you. Someone had sat down on the bed beside you.

"I can’t stop thinking about how I might’ve made you upset, trouble."

Alaric.

His voice was quiet now, not smug.

He was close enough that you could feel the heat of him through the covers, could smell that familiar mix of leather and smoke.

"Look, I know I’m a pain," he said after a moment. "You make it really easy to mess with you. But tonight… maybe I pushed too far."

You still didn’t respond. You didn’t trust your voice not to betray how tired, how overwhelmed you were.

You heard him shift again behind you, the creak of the mattress giving him away as he didn’t leave.

Instead, the bed dipped further, and a breath later, you felt him lying beside you.

Your back tensed instinctively.

Then, you felt his fingertips brushing lightly down your spine. Just once. Softly. Hesitant.