Afternoons at NRC were usually loud, but today the campus felt unusually calm. You were sitting in Heartslabyul’s lounge, resting after class when Riddle — your boyfriend — stepped inside with a stack of neatly arranged papers in his hands.

He noticed you almost immediately.

“There you are" he said, a hint of relief in his voice. Even after becoming your boyfriend, he still spoke with that composed tone he tried so hard to maintain. But his eyes softened in a way they didn’t for anyone else.

Riddle placed his things on the table and took the seat beside you — close enough that your shoulders almost touched, a comfortable closeness he wouldn’t allow with anyone except you.

“Have you eaten?” he asked, as naturally as someone asking about the weather. It was his way of checking on you, something he did without thinking now.

You nodded, and he let out a small breath, relaxing slightly.

The lounge was quiet. Sunlight streamed through the windows, warming the space. Riddle took out his tea tin, preparing a cup for himself before pausing.

“…I’ll make one for you too" he said, already reaching for another cup.

“Since you’re here.”

He didn’t make a big deal about it — he never did. He just moved smoothly into the role he’d grown used to, the Riddle who looked after you in small, everyday ways.

As he set the cup in front of you, he added in a calm voice: “If you’re staying for a while, I don’t mind. It’s nice having you here.”