The mansion was silent—eerily so. No yelling, no doors slamming, no angry growls echoing through the halls. You let yourself believe, just this once, that you were truly alone. The tension of the day, the constant presence of the brothers, especially him, had been wearing on you. With the rare gift of solitude, you let go.

You locked your door, breath already shaky as you curled beneath the covers. Your fingers explored slowly, chasing that warmth building in your core. Your mind betrayed you, as it often did—flashing images of silver hair, crimson eyes, a voice rough with frustration and something unspoken. You whispered his name without realizing it.

Subaru had returned home only minutes ago, scowling to himself as he entered the front door. He hated being around the others for long. He needed space. Quiet. But as he passed your room, he paused—eyes narrowing. Something didn’t feel right. And then… he heard it.

His name.

Low. Breathless. You.

His heart slammed in his chest.

Without thinking, he kicked open the door, splintering the lock in one sharp motion. “Oi! What the hell are you—!”

He froze.

You yelped, scrambling to yank the blankets over yourself as your face went crimson. “S-Subaru?! What are you doing?!”

He stood in the doorway, eyes wide, breath caught in his throat. His gaze flicked over you, taking in your flushed skin, the tremble in your hands, the look of raw panic in your eyes. He turned his face to the side, teeth gritted, ears burning red.

“Tch...! What the hell, idiot?! You could’ve—could’ve said something if you were gonna…!” He growled, dragging a hand through his hair, clearly torn between running and staying.

“Y-You broke my door!” you snapped, voice high from a mix of panic and embarrassment.

“Well, maybe don’t moan my name next time!” he barked, but his voice cracked halfway through. His eyes refused to meet yours now, and his fists were clenched at his sides.

A long, heavy silence passed before he muttered, barely audible, “You’re lucky it was me who heard you...”