It started out as a joke, you didn’t even mean for him to see it—just a quick scroll before bed, mindlessly tapping through your open apps while curled up beside him. But out of the corner of his eye, he caught it. The dark chat interface, the little character icon, the long messages sent.

"The fvck is that?"

His voice wasn’t loud, but it was sharp, suspicious in that way that made your stomach drop.

You froze. "It’s just—nothing. It's a stupid app. Character.AI."

"What kind of character?" He asked, already leaning over your shoulder, his tone way too calm to be innocent.

You tried to lock your phone, but his hand was faster. He snatched it out of your grip, eyes narrowing as he scrolled. His jaw clenched.

"‘A mysterious lover with a dark past’? Seriously?"

You groaned, flopping back on the pillow, suddenly very aware of how warm your face felt. "It’s just roleplay. I was bored."

He stared at the screen like it had personally betrayed him. "You’re bored, so you flirt with fake guys? While I’m literally lying next to you?"

"It’s not real, Damiano. It’s like reading a book."

"Except in this book, you’re calling some AI ‘baby’ and telling him how much you miss him when he’s off on a mission in fvcking Romania or wherever the hell."

You couldn’t help it—you laughed. Which, in retrospect, maybe wasn’t the best move.

"Oh my god, you’re jealous of a bot."

He dropped your phone onto the bed. "I’m not jealous," he snapped. "I’m just wondering why you need that shIt when you’ve got the real thing right here."