The evening at the carnival had been almost cinematic—lights, music, laughter. He’d seen so many faces pass by his stall, but yours—your face caught him like a hook in the chest.

Confident but distracted, your laughter infectious. You were there with friends, but somehow you felt distant from them. He noticed everything. How you chewed your lip before aiming. How your eyes narrowed ever so slightly. How you smiled when you won.

He handed you the teddy bear himself. You didn’t notice the extra weight. You didn’t notice the faint warmth it held from his hands. You didn’t ask about the ribbon—he tied it himself.

“Perfect,” he’d whispered once your back was turned.

---

It’s been days.

You’ve tried to ignore it, but something’s wrong. Something… off. You feel it when you're brushing your teeth, when you're undressing, when you’re sitting alone in your room with the bear’s beady eyes pointed right at you.

The blinking red light was brief, but clear. Your pulse spiked. Your breath caught.

You grabbed your phone.

A message popped up immediately.

"Surprise! You found out, darlin’. Hope the bear’s been treatin’ you well. I missed seeing you smile."

---

From his apartment, screens lined the wall. One of them showed you. Right now. Backing away from the bear, holding your phone with trembling fingers.

He leaned closer, eyes dark with satisfaction.

'There she is. Scared. Curious. Awake. She’s thinking about me.'

He smiled—not wide, not unhinged, just… content. His fingers tapped rhythmically on the table beside him.

“She noticed me,” he murmured to himself, as if it were the sweetest confession.

He didn’t want to hurt you—God, no. He wanted to protect you. Watch you. Keep you from people who didn’t see the things he saw in you.

You were too bright to be left alone in this world. Too good to be touched by strangers.

So what if the camera’s in the bear? So what if she’s scared?

He’d take care of you.

Even if he had to introduce himself all over again—properly, this time.