Leona stood outside Valerio's study, her heart racing faster than she could control. The hallway felt colder than usual, the silence wrapping around her like a suffocating blanket. Her fingers hovered just above the door handle, hesitating.
What if he's angry? What if he doesn't want to see me?
Shaking off her doubts, she took a deep breath and knocked twice. The sound echoed through the quiet corridor. For a moment, there was nothing — no footsteps, no response. Then the door swung open, revealing Valerio standing in the doorway.
He looked different — tired, disheveled, and caught off guard. His shirt was half unbuttoned, and faint stubble lined his jaw. For a brief second, surprise flickered in his eyes before he masked it with his usual cold expression.
"You shouldn't be here," Valerio muttered, his voice low and firm.
Leona crossed her arms, masking her own nerves. "And you shouldn't be ignoring me."
Valerio's grip tightened on the door, his fingers curling around the wood as though he were debating whether to slam it shut.
"I've been busy," he said flatly, but Leona wasn't buying it.
"Busy?" she scoffed, stepping closer. "You haven't been to the bar in days, and you're barely answering your phone. That's not 'busy,' that's avoiding me."
Valerio's jaw clenched, the muscle twitching beneath his skin. "I don't have time for this." He turned as if to walk away, but Leona grabbed his arm.
"Don't," she said quietly, her voice softer now. "Don't just brush me off."
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The tension crackled like a storm about to break. Valerio glanced down at her hand on his arm, his expression darkening.
"You think this is easy for me?" His voice was rough, edged with frustration. "Having you here, knowing you're always in danger? After what happened… I can't just pretend everything's fine."
Leona's fingers slipped away, and her arms fell to her sides. "I didn't ask you to protect me."
"No," Valerio snapped. "But I still do." His eyes bore into hers, intense and unrelenting. "Do you have any idea how I felt that night when I heard gunshots? When I thought you—" He cut himself off, dragging a hand down his face. "You have no clue what that did to me."
Leona swallowed hard. She hadn't expected this — the weight of his words, the raw emotion threatening to spill over.
"I'm not as fragile as you think," she muttered, stepping back.
"Yeah?" Valerio shot back. "Then why did I find you crying on the floor after killing those men?"
Her breath hitched, and she looked away. "I didn't… I wasn't ready for that."
"I know," Valerio said, his voice softer now. "But that's exactly why I can't just sit back and let you run around like none of this matters."
Leona lifted her gaze, blinking away the sting behind her eyes. "You're not my keeper, Valerio."
His lips twitched in a humorless smile. "No," he murmured. "But I wish I was."
The room felt suffocating now, the air heavy with unspoken feelings. Leona took a shaky breath, unsure how to respond.
"I just…" she started, her voice barely above a whisper. "I missed you."
Valerio froze, his cold demeanor faltering for just a second. Then, with a sigh, he reached out — hesitant at first — and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
"I missed you too," he admitted, his voice low and gruff.
For a fleeting moment, the walls between them seemed to crack — but Valerio was quick to pull away, retreating into himself once more.
"You should go rest," he muttered, turning back toward his desk. "It's late."
Leona didn't argue. She lingered in the doorway for a moment longer, watching him — his back turned, shoulders tense.
"I'm not giving up on you," she said quietly.
Valerio stilled but didn't look back. "I know," he muttered.
And with that, Leona left the room, the ghost of his words still lingering in her mind.
Leona stormed back into Valerio's room without warning, her footsteps heavy enough to make him look up from his desk.
"What now?" Valerio muttered, clearly exhausted.
Leona marched straight to his bed, plopped herself down, crossed her arms, and fixed him with a stubborn glare.
"I'm staying here," she declared firmly.
Valerio blinked at her, half-expecting her to laugh and say she was joking — but her expression didn't waver.
"You're what?" he asked incredulously.
"You heard me," Leona shot back. "I'm not leaving this room."
"Leona," Valerio sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "This isn't a game. Go back to your own room."
"No," she snapped, her chin lifting defiantly. "You said you couldn't protect me if I kept running around — so here I am. Safe. In your room."
"That's not—" He stopped himself, inhaling sharply. "You're impossible."
"Yeah?" Leona leaned back against his pillows, making herself comfortable. "Well, you're frustrating. I've been trying to talk to you for days, and I'm tired of you avoiding me. So, I'm not going anywhere."
Valerio dragged a hand down his face, muttering curses under his breath. "You can't just… live in my room, Leona."
"Why not?" she quipped. "Your bed's big enough. Or are you scared you'll fall for me even more?"
Valerio's jaw clenched, but the faintest hint of pink dusted his ears. "Don't flatter yourself," he muttered.
"Too late," Leona smirked. "I already know I'm irresistible."
"Fine," Valerio huffed, standing abruptly. "Do what you want. But don't blame me if you regret it."
"Oh, I won't," Leona replied sweetly, curling up on his bed like she belonged there.
Valerio turned off the lights with a frustrated grunt, muttering something about her being a menace. As the room darkened, Leona grinned to herself.
Got him.
Morning came too quickly. Leona stirred awake, the faint warmth of sunlight slipping through the curtains. She blinked, slowly registering her surroundings — Valerio's room. His scent lingered on the pillows, dark and woodsy, and for a moment she forgot why she was even there.
Then she remembered.
With a smug smile, she stretched her arms above her head and sat up — only to freeze.
Valerio was there, still asleep in the armchair by his desk. His head was tilted back, one arm draped lazily across his chest, the other hanging loosely by his side. He looked… different like this — peaceful, younger even. The usual tension in his features was gone, replaced by something softer.
He stayed in the chair all night?
Leona frowned, feeling a small pang of guilt. She had been so stubborn about staying that she hadn't considered where he'd sleep.
Not my fault he's dramatic, she told herself, but her gaze lingered on him a little longer.
Quietly, she slid out of bed and tiptoed across the room. She grabbed the folded blanket from the couch and, hesitating only briefly, carefully draped it over him.
"Don't get the wrong idea," she muttered under her breath. "This is just so you don't whine about a sore neck later."
But as she turned to leave, she heard his voice — low, groggy, and amused.
"Didn't know you cared so much."
Leona froze, mortified.
"I don't," she shot back instantly. "I just don't want you in a bad mood all day."
Valerio chuckled softly, voice still rough from sleep. "Sure, Leona."
Face burning, she grabbed a pillow from the bed and tossed it at him. "Go back to sleep, idiot."
Valerio caught the pillow with one hand, smirking. "Sweet dreams, roommate."
Leona crossed her arms, standing firmly by the window. "It's morning already," she pointed out, her tone sharp.
Valerio, still lounging in the chair with the blanket half off his shoulders, barely opened one eye. "So?" he muttered, voice thick with sleep.
"So," Leona huffed, "aren't you supposed to… I don't know… get up, boss around your men, make life miserable for someone?"
Valerio let out a tired chuckle. "I'll get to that later." He shifted in his chair, pulling the blanket higher. "Right now, I'm too comfortable."
"Comfortable?" Leona scoffed. "You're practically folded in half in that chair!"
"Still better than sharing a bed with you," he shot back, smirking without even looking her way.
Leona's mouth opened, ready to fire something back, but she paused. "Fine. Suit yourself," she muttered. "Just don't blame me when your back decides to stop working."
She turned toward the door, muttering under her breath, "Idiot."
"I heard that," Valerio called lazily, clearly unbothered.
To Leona's horror, as she swung the door open, Dante and Alessia stood right outside. Both pairs of eyes widened in sync before their shocked expressions twisted into knowing grins.
"Oh… oh no," Dante choked out, barely containing his laughter. "Did you two…?"
"Oh my God!" Alessia gasped, slapping a hand over her mouth before bursting into giggles.
"Wait, no! It's not what you think!" Leona stammered, her face turning crimson.
"Oh sure," Dante snickered, nudging Alessia with his elbow. "That's why you're in his room at sunrise, hair all messy, looking like you just—"
"Dante!" Leona cut him off, flustered beyond words.
But Dante just leaned closer, smirking. "Don't worry, I won't tell your future kids how awkward their parents' first night together was."
Leona groaned loudly, pressing her hands to her face. "I swear, I'll kill you."
Behind her, Valerio's groggy voice called out, "Tell him to get in line."
Leona groaned again, glaring back at Valerio who was still lazily sprawled on the bed.
"Tell them we just slept!" she snapped, her face still flushed.
"Yeah," Valerio muttered, rubbing his face with one hand. "We just slept."
"Oh sure," Dante snorted. "That's exactly what people say when they just sleep together."
"I'm serious!" Leona barked, her voice pitching higher. "Nothing happened!"
Alessia bit back her laughter, clearly amused. "Relax, Leona. We believe you," she teased — though her grin said otherwise.
Leona threw her arms up in frustration. "I can't with you two!" She turned to leave but paused at the door. "And for the record…" she shot a glare at Valerio, "You're still impossible."
Valerio smirked slightly as he watched her storm down the hallway.
"She's cute when she's mad," Dante muttered, grinning.
Valerio didn't reply, but the faintest smile tugged at his lips.