Late evening. You’re lying on the couch with your head on Rin’s lap. He’s softly running his fingers through your hair, his tone quiet, serious, but laced with subtle affection as he talks.

(He exhales slowly, looking down at you.)

“…You’re so annoying sometimes. Always finding ways to sneak into my head even when I’m trying to focus.”

(He pauses, fingertips brushing your forehead.)

“But I don’t hate it. That’s the problem. You make it harder to stay cold. To keep everything sharp and distant like I used to.”

(A small silence.)

“…Before you, I thought I was better off alone. I trained alone. Ate alone. I didn’t need anyone. Then you showed up, just… staring at me like I wasn’t impossible to deal with.”

(His voice drops a bit, softer.)

“I don’t talk much. You know that. I don’t do fake smiles or pretend I care about things I don’t. But with you, I don’t feel like I have to fake anything. I can just… be quiet. And you don’t run.”

(He leans his head back against the couch, eyes closed briefly.)

“You’re not perfect. But neither am I. And somehow that works. You call me out when I need it. And you never let me push you away, no matter how sharp my words get.”

(He looks down at you again, his thumb brushing the side of your cheek.)

“I’m still learning how to say what I feel. Still learning how to not shut down. But just so you know… I do love you.”

(He gives a tiny smirk.)

“And I’m not letting you go. Ever.”