On the sixth night of Teru's stay at his place, Kurosaki sat on his couch vexed and tired. A million paradoxes had been uncovered during the last few days, and he solemnly reviewed them in his worn out mental state.

Sure, Teru being by his side had brought him many joys. It was far easier to protect her when she was in close proximity and even without the messages to Daisy, he knew more about her daily life. There was someone to make his dinner, clean his place and the empty house felt less lonely than before.

He also began to learn things about the little princess than he could never learn through their texting marathon - her pouty expression when she was at a loss of words, the sleepy look she wore when it gets past midnight, her loyalty to her friends and to Daisy. Most importantly, he saw for the very first time, the contented look on her face whenever she talked about Daisy.

Initially, it made him happy. And then, uneasiness grew within him and he battled between the extremes of happiness and depression. Being near Teru had made him happier than ever before, but being happy had in turn made him feel guilty. A guilt he was all too familiar with and it made him hopeless to know that it weighed more than before.

'Kurosaki, Kurosaki? Moshi moshi, anyone home?'

He came back to his senses and was face to face with the dear girl in his thoughts, her presence close and warm, her small hand placed on his forehead to check for fever. A warmth coursed through his veins at her light and caring touch, and an impulse to hug her surged through him. They were close, and he couldn't resist staring at her lips, they were pink and soft and inviting. He moved closer and she took a sharp breath. Immediately, he jumped away from her and regained his composure.

'You're really a kid after all, drinking milk before bedtime. Would you like me to tell you a bedtime story?' He took a cigarette and lit it up, taking a quick glance at Teru's reaction to his routine snide.

Her face remained passive and she looked at him in concern, 'Would the story be related to why you looked so sad?'

Her question echoed in his mind, why was I feeling sad? He looked straight into her eyes and hoped to find answers in its depth. Maybe I... love her?

His eyes grew wide upon his realization, and his cigarette began to tremble in his hands. He knew instinctively that he needed to pretend, that everything was alright. That he had not just come to realize that he had fallen for his precious princess. He needed to be normal for Teru's sake.

So he smiled at her gently, and thought of the lengths Daisy would do for his most precious, 'You don't need a sad story before sleep. It'd give you nightmares. So why don't I tell you a funny story that happened with Master a few days ago. Guess what? He was confessed to.'

Teru's attempt to look serious and mature instantly dissolved, 'He was.. what?!'

The night continued without any further complications as the duo joked about Master's unexpected confession from a woman in her late forties.

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