As the night went on, Ryuu continued to quietly watch over Tsukina, his fingers gently threading through her hair with a comforting rhythm. Her head rested peacefully against his chest, and though her body was still, his heart was anything but. He couldn’t stop watching her—afraid that if he blinked, she’d vanish again. The time without her had been suffocating. Every second she was gone, every possibility that ran through his head, had weighed on him like lead.

Eventually, Tsukina stirred awake, her lashes flickering before her eyes opened. The first thing she saw was Ryuu’s face hovering above her, his gaze soft and full of concern. Without hesitation, she leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his torso and clinging to him like a lifeline. She felt warm… safe.

“Are you alright?” Ryuu asked gently, his voice low and calm.

Tsukina didn’t respond right away. Instead, she slowly nodded before her expression twisted with visible unease. She pulled back just enough to look up at him, eyes heavy with emotion.

“I… I think so,” she whispered. “But… something happened. In the cave. My memories—he saw them. I don’t know what he saw… but it scares me.” Her voice cracked as she spoke. “I don’t even remember anything from before I woke up on that operating table. There’s this whole part of me that I don’t know. And now someone else does? What if he saw something awful? What if he pities me?”

Her words began to spill faster, building on top of one another as her thoughts raced.

“What if he saw everything? What if it changes how he sees me? I don’t want sympathy—I just… I want to be strong. I want to be whole. But if I can’t even—”

Before she could continue, Ryuu leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers, silencing her panic with a sudden, soft kiss.

Her breath caught in her throat. The chaos of her thoughts paused, like someone hit a switch. Her mind, once overwhelmed and spiraling, quieted in an instant. She blinked, stunned.

“Don’t worry too much about it, Tsu,” Ryuu murmured against her lips, keeping his forehead gently pressed to hers. “Maybe it’s better if you don’t remember that part of your past. Just… relax.”

Tsukina stared up at him, too stunned to even form a thought. Her eyes were wide, lips slightly parted in shock. Slowly, her overwhelmed expression softened into something shy, almost innocent.

“You… kissed me,” she said in disbelief.

Then came the jittery warmth. Her cheeks flushed a bright red, and she squealed under her breath, flailing a little before hiding her face in her hands.

Ryuu couldn’t help the grin that tugged at his lips. Her reaction was adorable.

“You’re really freaking out over one kiss?” he teased, gently pulling her hands away. Then he kissed her again—this time a little longer, a little deeper. And again. Each one left her more flustered than the last.

“I-I’m not freaking out,” she stammered, trying to hide how fast her heart was racing.

He chuckled and pulled her into his arms, holding her close. “You are,” he said softly, smiling into her hair. “But I like it. I like you.”

Then he whispered against her ear, “I will always protect you… in every way possible.”

Jayce pushed open Ryuu’s door without a second thought, his usual smirk plastered on his face—until his eyes landed on the sight before him.