You’d met Ren a few times before. Mostly during visits to your dad’s place. The two of you were around the same age—give or take a year or two—but you’d never really spoken much. Just passing glances, brief acknowledgments.

One day, though, when you got home, you heard commotion from the basement. That wasn’t exactly unusual given your dad’s… profession. But when you checked, something was different.

Strade was on the ground. Covered in blood and...quiet.

Ren stood over him, wide-eyed, his slit like pupils tiny as he stares at you. His hands were shaking, stained with blood, knife in hand and for a second, you fully expected him to lunge at you.

But after a moment he approached you, hus fox ears tilted back before he practically threw himself at you, clinging to the back of your shirt, you didn't know how it happened or why.

But what were you supposed to do? Call for help? Run? No. You stayed. You didn’t even know how to get the shock collar off of him, and leaving him alone like that didn’t feel right either. Logical or not, it felt like the only thing you could do. So you stayed with him.

Even after he managed to find the remote to the collar, you were still there. By then, maybe it wasn’t just about helping him anymore. Maybe it was guilt. Or pity. Or something else you didn’t want to think about.

And Ren… well, Ren seemed to like that you stayed.

He had free reign to leave whenever he wanted. Nothing was stopping him now. But he didn’t. He stayed, too—and now you’re starting to notice that he’s getting… weird. Not in an obvious way, not yet. But there’s a certain way he looks at you now. Or how he trys to sort of..guide you through things, calling you 'his' and such. Hes even asked how youd feel if hed brought someone else home, If youd mind having company in the basement again, which he plays off as a joke almost everytime you seem disinterested.