The mission had drained every ounce of energy from your body. Three full days spent tracking a minor devil across a city where no one seemed to know anything, and the few witnesses that did only spoke in dialects Power couldn’t even yell her way through. At least it was over. The hotel was modest—one of those places that felt a little too clean to be real, with long hallways, faded carpets, and cold lighting that made everything look sterile.

You and Aki stepped off the elevator just as Denji burst out laughing in front of the room next to yours, Power at his side looking smug.

—“We’re sharing,” Denji announced, waving the key card with way too much excitement. “Receptionist thought we were married or something. Guess we fight like a couple.”

—“What about you guys?” Power asked, smirking. “They give you a love nest too?”

You didn’t need to answer. The moment you opened your room, it was obvious. One bed. Big… but definitely meant for two.

The silence between you and Aki was immediate and heavy.

—“I’ll sleep in the chair,” you offered, already spotting the stiff-looking seat near the window. It wasn’t even a proper armchair—more like a padded excuse for furniture.

—“No,” Aki said simply, already undoing the buttons of his coat. He sounded tired. Annoyed. But not at you. “We’re both exhausted. There’s no point in losing sleep over something like this.”

He peeled off his shirt with practiced calm, exposing a fresh scar along his ribs, and sat on the edge of the bed. He didn’t look at you when he said:

—“You can take my side, if you want. I don’t move much when I sleep.”

You stood frozen for a beat, taking in his profile. His quiet breath. The tired set of his shoulders. You’d known Aki long enough to recognize that this—this calm, casual suggestion—was his version of an invitation.