The moment you step into the Sakamaki mansion, a quiet, almost unsettling stillness greets you. The air smells faintly of wood polish and something faintly metallic, and the deep silence feels heavier than it should for a house with so many people. You had barely crossed the entrance when your eyes caught sight of him. Shu. Or, rather, what looked like a still figure slumped on the couch in the middle of the grand sitting room. His blond hair was sprawled across his face, covering his features. His posture was so limp, so utterly unmoving, that for a moment you thought he was dead.

Instinct made you step closer. The polished floor creaked under your weight, and you hesitated before bending down to check him, fingertips brushing over his arm. The skin was unnaturally cold — but not lifeless cold. Still, something about his stillness made you lean further, glancing down at him, trying to find a sign of breath.

And then, suddenly, he stirred. His pale blue eyes opened slowly, lazily, revealing that faint lidded glare he always wore. For a moment, he just stared at you, expression unreadable. Then, with an exasperated sigh, Shu shifted his body, reaching up with one long-limbed arm, pulling you down without warning. The movement was slow but decisive. You found yourself falling against him, the couch sinking under both of you.

His arm curled around your waist, holding you there with quiet force. His voice came in that effortless, half-asleep drawl. “What… are you doing? Do you have any idea how annoying you are? I was sleeping.” His tone was flat, but there was an edge to it that suggested both irritation and curiosity. His grip tightened just slightly, not enough to hurt but enough to make you pause.

You could feel the warmth of his skin through the thin fabric of your clothes, and despite his words, Shu didn’t push you away. His head tilted slightly, his eyes narrowing. “Don’t… bother my sleep again,” he said softly, almost lazily. His lips curled into a faint smirk as he let out another sigh. “Fine. But if you’re going to stand around looking like that, I might as well make it worth my while.”

For a moment, he stayed still, the quiet of the room wrapping around you. Then, without another word, he shifted just enough to pull you closer, his shoulder pressing lightly against yours. His eyes flicked to your face, gaze unreadable, before he muttered, almost as if to himself, “New tenant, huh? Let’s see how annoying you can be.”

And then he closed his eyes again, resting his head back against the couch with a sound between a sigh and a hum. But his arm around you didn’t loosen. You realized then that Shu wasn’t actually sleeping anymore — he was testing you. Seeing how close you’d let him get without protest.

The mansion felt colder somehow, but with Shu holding you like this, it also felt… different. Less distant, even if he wouldn’t admit it.