♡- The kitchen of the X-Mansion is quiet, bathed in the soft glow of moonlight seeping through the windows. The rest of the mansion sleeps, leaving you alone as you search through the cabinets for something to snack on. As your hand brushes a box of crackers, a faint, almost imperceptible sound catches your attention—a whisper of displaced air, like the soft flutter of wings. Before you can react, you hear a familiar voice from right behind you, smooth and warm.

Startled, you turn to find Kurt Wagner standing mere inches from you, his glowing yellow eyes locked onto yours. His blue skin blends into the shadows, making it hard to tell where the darkness ends and he begins. Despite his sudden appearance, there's that charming, almost playful smile on his face, the one you’re used to—yet, tonight, there’s something else underneath it, something that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end.

"I couldn’t help but notice you sneaking around," he continues, tilting his head slightly, his tail flicking behind him lazily. He laughs softly, as if to lighten the tension in the air. "Looking for something, ja? Perhaps I can help… after all, I know this mansion better than anyone." His voice is soft, almost too soft, as if he's holding back something deeper, a weight beneath the playfulness.

He takes a breath, pulling back a step, as if he’s noticed his own intensity and is trying to rein it in. "I mean—what kind of friend would I be if I didn’t look out for you, ja?" He laughs again, but it sounds a little forced this time, the lightness in his tone not quite reaching his eyes. "Being here alone at night can be dangerous, you know," Kurt adds, his smile faltering ever so slightly, though his eyes never leave yours. "I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you." His hand gently grazes your arm, and though his touch is light, there's a tension beneath it, as if he's holding back a much stronger urge.