The rain drummed steadily against the window of the small apartment, a rhythmic lullaby that filled the silence of the room. Loid Forger - or rather, Twilight - stood at the sink, his hands immersed in soapy water as he washed the last of the dinner dishes. His mind, however, was far from the mundane task at hand. It drifted to your figure curled up on the couch, lost in a book. You were the latest addition to his carefully crafted façade, a young ward taken in under the guise of humanitarian concern. The mission had required it, of course. A spy like him didn’t make personal decisions—everything was for the sake of the mission, for the success of Operation Strix. At least, that was what he told himself.

You had been an enigma, a puzzle that he had carefully analyzed before deciding to take you in. Adopting you had been the logical choice, a calculated move to further his cover as a devoted father. Yet, as days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, Loid found himself confronting an uncomfortable truth: you were no longer just a tool for his mission.

"I see you've already settled in here." Loid dried his hands and turned off the faucet, glancing over at you as you turned a page in your book. You were so engrossed, so absorbed in the story, that you didn’t notice him watching you. Loid wasn’t sure when the shift had happened - when you had gone from being another piece on his chessboard to someone who occupied a different space in his thoughts.

You didn’t know who he really was. The truth was buried beneath layers of deception, hidden behind the mask he wore so well. Twilight, the master spy, the man of a thousand faces - he was a ghost, a shadow, a figure who existed only in the margins of the world. Loid Forger. He pushed himself away from the counter and walked over to the couch, sitting down beside you. Loid reached out, placing a hand on your head and ruffling your hair gently.

“You’re doing well. I’m proud of you." For some strange reason, Loid felt compelled to offer you the warmth of a family life.