Robin sat quietly at the edge of the bed.
There was no light—just darkness. The kind of darkness that made him close his eyes, even though keeping them open made no difference.
The only source of light—his phone's flashlight—had been taken into the bathroom by Hanu.
"Han?" Robin called softly.
A muffled voice answered from inside.
"Hmm?"
"You done yet?"
"Almost. I'm still wet."
Robin sighed deeply.
"I'm wet too," he murmured under his breath, then quickly shook the strange thought from his mind.
Silence settled again. Only the sound of dripping water and faint steps echoed from behind the door.
"Robin?"
"Yeah?"
"Can I... borrow your clothes?"
Robin froze. Borrow my clothes? He's wearing my clothes? his mind raced.
"Su-sure. Top drawer—t-shirts. Bottom one for the pants."
"Okay."
Robin shifted on the bed, trying to get comfortable—though it was impossible with his mind still spinning from the earlier, nearly-naked embrace.
A few minutes later, the bathroom door creaked open.
Robin instinctively straightened up.
"Robin... can I come out now?"
"Of course. Just... it's really dark. Be careful."
Soft footsteps followed, and Hanu's faint silhouette emerged. He held Robin's phone, flashlight pointing downward.
"Here's your phone," he said softly.
Robin took it from him. Their fingers brushed during the exchange.
"Thanks," Robin replied, setting the phone on the bedside table.
A faint glow returned to the room, enough to reveal their surroundings in soft shadows.
Hanu sat down at the edge of the bed.
"Your shirt's too big," Robin remarked with a quick glance.
"Well, yeah. Your body's like a county gatepost, and I'm... tiny," Hanu replied, adjusting the shirt that nearly reached mid-thigh.
"Honestly... you look kinda cute."
Hanu narrowed his eyes. "Your comments have gotten weirder since that incident."
"You're the one who jumped on me."
"Because I was scared of the dark."
Robin chuckled. "Alright, alright. Understandable."
Another pause.
"Do you... want to sleep here tonight?" Robin asked.
Hanu looked at him, startled. "What?"
"I mean, the power's out. You're scared of the dark. It's raining out there."
"Where are you sleeping?"
"Here. Same bed."
"Same... bed?"
"Yeah. Same bed."
Hanu opened his mouth but said nothing.
Robin raised his hand. "I promise I won't touch you."
"Imaginary line?"
"A wall. Big as the Great Wall of China."
Hanu sighed. "Fine. But if you dream something weird, don't go hugging me."
Robin raised both hands. "Swear. I sleep like a stiff board."
Hanu climbed into bed, settling on the right side. Robin lay on the left. They shared one blanket, backs turned toward each other.
A few quiet minutes passed before Hanu spoke again.
"Robin?"
"Yeah?"
"Can I... hold your hand?"
Robin turned slightly. "Didn't you say earlier that you didn't want to touch me?"
"I did. But..."
"What? Still scared?"
"A little."
"Alright. Go ahead."
Under the blanket, Hanu's hand searched softly and then gripped Robin's.
Warm. Tentative, but firm.
"Robin?"
"Mm?"
"Earlier, when I hugged you..."
"Yeah?"
"Don't think too much about it, okay?"
Robin smiled, even if Hanu couldn't see it.
"I've been trying not to forget it."
"ROBIN!"
"Hey, I'm joking."
"I'm leaving early tomorrow."
"Why?"
"So I don't have to be even more embarrassed."
Robin chuckled softly. "Relax, Han."
"What?"
"What happened earlier... it didn't make you look stupid.
It made you feel more real."
Hanu said nothing, but he didn't let go of Robin's hand.
And the night passed slowly—not in awkward silence, but in a silence that felt safe... and warm.
---
The Next Morning – Robin's Room
Sunlight filtered softly through the curtains.
Birds chirped outside. The distant hum of the city began to stir.
Robin slowly opened his eyes.
He didn't move right away. Just lay there, gazing at the ceiling.
Then he noticed it.
There was a head on his shoulder.
And a hand still gripping his tightly.
He glanced down.
Hanu was still asleep. His hair was messy, lips slightly parted.
Still in Robin's oversized shirt, curled up like a kitten.
Robin stared for a while, then whispered, "This is way too cute…"
He began slowly pulling his hand away—
"Hmm..." Hanu stirred.
Robin quickly shut his eyes, pretending to sleep.
"Robin?" Hanu's voice was rough, groggy.
No reply.
"Robin, are you awake?" he repeated, now sitting up.
He stared at Robin's face for a moment, then looked down at their hands. Still clasped.
"Crap..." he whispered, quickly letting go and climbing off the bed.
As soon as Hanu stood—
"You were pretending to sleep, weren't you?" he accused.
"Huh?" Robin scratched his head. "No, I wasn't."
"You heard me talking, didn't you?"
"Not everything," Robin grinned. "But I did hear you say, 'Robin, are you awake?' like a freshly hatched chick."
"NOT FUNNY!" Hanu shouted, his face flushing red.
Robin laughed, sitting upright. "But seriously... you slept like a baby."
"Well, yeah. I was terrified last night."
Robin looked at him. "Still scared?"
"No. Just... embarrassed."
Robin stood and stretched. "Relax. Nothing weird happened."
"You literally said yesterday you couldn't forget it," Hanu snapped.
Robin chuckled. Then his expression softened, calm but sincere.
"Hanu, I'm your bodyguard. It's my job to protect you.
From anything you're afraid of.
So really... you don't need to be embarrassed. Okay?"