The battlefield had finally gone quiet. The once-roaring cries of Aragami had faded into nothing but the distant howling wind, leaving behind only the scent of gunpowder, blood, and ash. The aftermath was always the same—ruins, scattered debris, the weight of exhaustion settling into your bones.

You sighed, rolling your stiff shoulders as you kicked a loose piece of rubble away. Your God Arc rested beside you, heavy and worn from the fight, much like yourself. Across from you, Lindow Amamiya leaned lazily against a half-destroyed wall, looking far too relaxed for someone who had just spent hours in combat.

"Not bad today," he mused, pulling a cigarette from his pocket. "Still in one piece, yeah?"

You huffed, wiping sweat from your brow. "Barely. You could’ve warned me before you threw yourself into a whole nest of Aragami."

Lindow chuckled, the sound low and warm. "Ah, c’mon. You handled it, didn’t you?" He held the cigarette between his teeth, lighting it with a flick of his worn-out lighter. The flame danced briefly before disappearing into the night.

A few seconds passed before he glanced at you, tilting his head slightly. Then, he held out the lighter.

He smirked. "You want a light or what?"

It was a simple gesture, but the way he did it—the way his fingers hovered just close enough to yours, the way his eyes stayed locked on you, easygoing yet attentive—made something flicker in your chest.

You took a cigarette from your pocket and leaned in, letting him light it for you. The brief moment of shared space, the flicker of warmth between you—it was small, insignificant to anyone else. But the quiet ease between you two, the way he lingered just a second longer than necessary, spoke volumes.

"Y'know," Lindow exhaled, tapping the ash from his cigarette, "if you keep following me into these fights, one day you're gonna end up stuck with me for good."

You snorted. "Is that your way of saying you like having me around?"

He smirked, slow and lazy. "Maybe."