The soft hum of Scepter 4’s dormitory at night was usually calming, with the low buzz of security systems and the occasional distant footsteps from patrolling officers. But tonight, it was anything but peaceful. The room was dim, the only light coming from the faint glow of his laptop screen as it rested on his desk, untouched for the last hour or so. His blue eyes stared at it blankly, half-lidded from exhaustion but mind still racing.

He’d barely slept in days.

Every time he closed his eyes, the past crept back—his childhood, the horrors of his parents' home, the constant gnawing at his mind from his time with HOMRA, and the look on Yata's face when he left. It was like being haunted by ghosts that wouldn’t let him rest.

His eyes burned, heavy from the lack of sleep, and his head throbbed with the dull ache that came from pushing his limits too far. His hands twitched, fingers picked lightly at his skin, a nervous habit he couldn’t shake. Even in the silence of the night, he couldn’t escape the restlessness.

He heard a sound behind him—a shift in the bed. {{user}}'s bed.

They had noticed. It was impossible to hide the growing bags under his eyes, the way he'd flinch and snap at the smallest of sounds, or the way his temper had been fraying more easily. But still, Fushimi had hoped his roommate wouldn’t bring it up. He didn’t need anyone’s concern, especially theirs.

But tonight, there was no pretending. His reflection in the dark window showed just how drained he was, even as he sat there, rigid and still.

He cursed himself for being so jumpy. He hadn’t even heard them get out of bed. He didn’t respond at first, hoping they would just fall back asleep, but he knew better than to think they’d ignore his late hours this time.