Esdeath looked down at Ash with a mix of mischief and affection.

The two of them were alone in his room.

"How about we sleep together tonight?" Esdeath said, her voice calm but laced with an undeniable hint of suggestion. She flashed him a smile that made his heart race.

Ash froze, his face immediately turning bright red. "W-what?! Sleep together?" His eyes darted nervously, avoiding hers. "I-I mean, uh... I don't know... what if my mom sees us?"

Esdeath raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by his discomfort. She leaned closer to him, her presence overwhelming. "Your mom? Ash, it's not like we're doing anything inappropriate." She shrugged nonchalantly, her grin widening. "Besides, it's not a big deal."

Ash took a step back, flustered. "I-I'm just saying... she might get the wrong idea, you know?" He fidgeted with his hands, clearly not sure how to handle the situation. "What if—what if she thinks we're... doing something?"

Esdeath's chuckle was low and teasing as she stepped closer, her fingers lightly brushing his cheek. "Trust me, Ash, she won't even bat an eye. And if she does... well, she's not here right now, is she?"

Ash stammered, heart pounding. "I—"

Before he could finish, Esdeath gently took his hand, her grip firm yet comforting. "Let's just sleep, okay? You're too cute when you're flustered." She leaned down and kissed his forehead softly. "I promise, nothing's going to happen. Just rest with me."

His blush deepened, but Ash didn't pull away. He wasn't sure what was happening anymore, but he couldn't deny the pull he felt towards her warmth.

"Okay..." he whispered, defeated but strangely comforted by her confidence.

Esdeath smiled. "Good boy."

She led him to the bed, and as they both lay down, she pulled him into her arms. Ash tried to remain stiff at first, but soon he relaxed into the softness of her embrace.

The next morning...

The soft light of morning filtered through the window, gently waking Ash from his sleep. He stirred, feeling the warmth of the bed beside him and the steady, comforting presence of Esdeath's arm around him. For a brief moment, he almost forgot about everything—until a loud, startled voice shattered the peace.

"Ash?! What—what is going on here?!"

Ash's eyes flew open, and his heart immediately began to race. His mother stood in the doorway, her face a mix of shock and confusion. Her gaze darted between him and Esdeath, who was still lying beside him, her eyes half-lidded as if she'd been awake for a while, enjoying the spectacle.

"Ash, what is—" His mother stopped mid-sentence, her voice rising. "Are you two—together?!"

Ash's face turned beet red. He sat up abruptly, pulling the covers up to hide his flustered expression. "M-Mom! It's not what you think! I—"

Esdeath, still lying casually in bed, stretched and let out a soft, contented yawn before glancing over at Ash's mother with a smile that was equal parts charming and mischievous. "Good morning. We were just sleeping."

His mother blinked in disbelief, her eyes widening. "Sleeping?! In the same bed?!" She looked at Ash, her face flushed with embarrassment and confusion. "Ash, why didn't you—"

"I—" Ash stammered, his mind a jumble. "It's not—there's nothing—" He felt like he was sinking into the mattress, wishing the earth would swallow him up.

Esdeath, ever the calm presence, sat up slowly, her movements languid but graceful. "Honestly," she said, her tone light and unbothered, "we're both adults here, so what's the big deal?" She flashed a playful grin at Ash's mom, who still looked like she had seen a ghost. "It's just sleeping, after all."

Ash's mom turned to him, her hands on her hips now, looking less shocked but more concerned. "Ash, what is this?! Do you know who she is?!" She shot Esdeath a wary glance. "You—you're Esdeath! What are you doing here, and why—why in the same bed as my son?!"

Ash looked desperately at Esdeath, who merely raised an eyebrow and shrugged, as if all of this was perfectly normal. "Well, you're right about one thing," she said with a smirk, "I am Esdeath. But nothing happened. We were just... getting some rest. If you're that concerned, you could always join us next time."

Ash's mother's eyes went wide again, her jaw dropping. Ash, on the other hand, could only bury his face in his hands, wishing for the ground to swallow him up.

"Esdeath, I—" His mother's voice faltered, unsure how to process this entire situation. "I don't even know what to say."

Esdeath, still casually sitting up in bed, grinned at Ash's mom. "There's nothing to say, really. I'm just here to make sure Ash gets some proper rest." She turned her head to Ash, eyes sparkling with amusement as she saw him squirming. "Isn't that right, Ash?"

Ash barely managed to nod, his face a fire-engine red, too embarrassed to speak. His mother continued to stare at the pair of them, her mind racing to make sense of what was going on, but she couldn't form a coherent response.

"Well," she finally said, shaking her head and letting out a sigh. "I suppose... if you're both okay with this..." She hesitated, her voice softer now. "Just... be careful, okay?"

Ash nodded vigorously, his cheeks still burning. "Y-yes, Mom. We will. I promise." He shot a quick glance at Esdeath, who, to his horror, was still smiling like she found the whole situation incredibly amusing.

As his mother finally turned to leave the room, Ash let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. He turned to Esdeath, who was still watching him, looking far too entertained by the whole exchange.

"You're... not making this any easier, you know that, right?" Ash muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

Esdeath leaned closer to him, her voice soft but teasing. "Oh, Ash, you're too cute when you're embarrassed. Don't worry—your mom will get used to it."

Ash could only groan, burying his face in his hands again. "I can't believe this..."