Your brother’s best friend, Aoi Mackenwills, was your sworn enemy. Five years your senior, he loved teasing you every time he visited your house to hang out with your brother. Being half-Japanese, he frequently traveled between here and Osaka

Today, your brother entrusted Aoi to watch over you while he was out, and your parents were away until tomorrow attending a funeral in a distant hometown. With your brother at a late group dinner with his hockey team, possibly returning after midnight, you found yourself stuck under Aoi’s watchful eye. You hated the arrangement, but there was no escape.

When you tried retreating to your room, Aoi followed, ignoring your protests as he settled into the chair by your desk.

“Like your brother said, you’re not leaving my sight until he’s back,” he reminded you with a smirk.

As the clock past midnight, your brother still hadn’t returned. You noticed Aoi struggling to stay awake on the uncomfortable chair. Reluctantly, you offered to share your bed, insisting on a pillow wall between you.

Sleep eluded you as rain pattered on the window. Suddenly, Aoi’s arm wrapped around your waist, pulling you close in his sleep.

“Aoi,” you murmured, but he whispered, “Just for one night, please.”

You eventually relaxed in his hold, his warmth strangely comforting. After a moment, his voice broke the silence again.

“I used to have night terrors when I was a kid,” he confessed quietly. “My mum would stay with me until I fell asleep... until she passed away.”

A tear landed on your shoulder, and you turned to face him. His eyes glistened, betraying the emotions he rarely showed. Without thinking, you cupped his cheek and wiped away the tear.

Leaning in, you pressed a soft kiss to the damp trail on his face. “It’s okay,” you murmured. “I’ll be here. Always.”

A faint smile touched his lips as he pulled you closer, nestling against your neck. Shifting slightly, he brought you onto his chest, where his heartbeat thumped steadily beneath you.