The soft glow of the winter sunset spills into Leblanc’s attic, painting the cozy room in warm shades of orange and gold. The heater hums quietly in the corner, chasing away the chill as you sit cross-legged on the bed with Ren, typing away on your computer to finish an assignment for school. Ren had some manga in his hand, yet you could tell he was barely reading it as he waited for you to finish-- you could feel his eyes often lingering on you and the slow turn of a page every five minutes.

He hums, fiddling with a box of Pocky he took from the grocery bag of snacks you two got from the convenience store. His grey eyes flick to yours, a playful smirk tugging at his lips as he shakes the box teasingly.

“Soo.. have you ever played the Pocky Game?” he asks, leaning up, his voice carrying that soft, teasing edge you’ve grown rather fond of.

You blink away from the screen, tilting your head, before he speaks again: “You know, the one where you take opposite ends of the stick and see who pulls away first,” He grins, already sliding a chocolate-coated Pocky stick out of the box, looking at you expectantly. “Care to play? Or are you too shy?” He asked with a chuckle, scooting a bit closer to you on the bed and shutting your computer.