Adrian woke up before Alessio.
For a few seconds, he didn't move. He just lay there, staring at the ceiling, trying to understand where he was.
Then it came back.
Not the bad memory.
Just the present.
Alessio's room.
The quiet.
The fact that he wasn't alone.
Adrian turned his head slightly and looked at the other bed. Alessio was still asleep, one arm thrown over his head, breathing steady.
Adrian watched him for a moment.
"…We used to do this," he said quietly, more to himself than anything else.
He didn't remember it clearly.
But it didn't feel strange either.
That was new.
Instead of getting up immediately, Adrian stayed there for a few more minutes, letting that feeling settle. It wasn't strong, but it was there.
Familiar.
Not fully, but enough.
—
When Alessio finally woke up, he didn't look surprised to see Adrian there.
He just glanced over and said, "You're still here."
Adrian nodded. "…Yeah."
Alessio sat up and stretched. "Did you sleep?"
Adrian thought about it. "…Better."
That was true.
The memory hadn't come back during the night.
Or if it had, it didn't stay.
Alessio nodded once. "Good."
Adrian sat up slowly.
"…I didn't think it would help."
"What?"
"Not being alone."
Alessio shrugged. "It usually does."
Adrian looked at him for a second.
"…Okay."
—
At breakfast, things felt normal again.
Not forced.
Not quiet in a bad way.
Just normal.
Dante noticed immediately.
"Well, look at that," he said, leaning back in his chair. "He didn't disappear this morning."
Adrian sat down without reacting much.
"…I didn't disappear before."
Dante smirked. "You went straight to your room every day."
Adrian picked up his fork. "…I don't feel like doing that today."
Nico glanced at him. "That's new."
Adrian shrugged. "I guess."
Marco looked at him more carefully this time.
"You slept in Alessio's room."
Adrian nodded. "…Yeah."
Marco didn't comment on it, just accepted it.
"That's fine."
Adrian expected more questions.
There weren't any.
And that made it easier.
—
The car ride to school felt different again.
Not because anything big changed.
Just small things.
Adrian didn't sit stiffly.
He didn't stay completely quiet.
"…Do you think I'll keep remembering things like that?" he asked, looking ahead.
Alessio knew what he meant.
"…Probably."
Adrian nodded slowly. "Okay."
"You don't sound worried."
Adrian thought about that.
"…I am."
He paused.
"But I think it's better than not knowing."
Alessio looked at him for a second.
"…Yeah. It is."
—
At school, Adrian paid more attention today.
Not perfectly.
But better than yesterday.
During reading, he didn't lose focus as much.
He still paused sometimes, but he kept going.
When the teacher asked him to read out loud again, he didn't hesitate as long.
He started slower than the other students.
But he finished without stopping.
"Good," the teacher said.
Adrian nodded and sat down.
He didn't look uncomfortable this time.
—
At lunch, things were more relaxed.
Adrian actually finished his food.
That didn't go unnoticed.
Alessio leaned back in his chair. "That's better."
Adrian glanced at him. "…You were watching?"
"Yeah."
"…Why?"
Alessio shrugged. "Because yesterday you barely ate."
Adrian looked down at his tray.
"…I wasn't hungry."
"That's not what it looked like."
Adrian didn't argue.
He just said, "…I'm fine today."
Alessio nodded.
"Good."
—
After school, something small happened.
But it mattered.
As they walked out, one of the other students bumped into Adrian by accident.
It wasn't hard.
Not aggressive.
Just careless.
But Adrian froze for a second.
His body reacted before his mind did.
His shoulders tensed.
His breathing changed slightly.
Alessio noticed immediately.
"Hey," he said quietly.
Adrian blinked and looked at him.
"…I'm fine."
Alessio didn't look convinced.
But he didn't make a big deal out of it.
"Let's go," he said instead.
Adrian nodded and followed him.
By the time they reached the car, Adrian had calmed down.
But he didn't like how fast that reaction came.
—
Back at the mansion, Adrian didn't hesitate this time.
He went straight to the living room.
Marco was there again, along with Nico.
They both looked up when Adrian walked in.
"You're getting used to this place," Nico said.
Adrian sat down on the couch. "…I'm trying."
Marco closed the file in his hands.
"How was school?"
"…Better."
"Anything happen?"
Adrian hesitated.
Then he said, "…Someone bumped into me."
Nico raised an eyebrow. "And?"
Adrian looked down at his hands.
"…Nothing."
Marco didn't speak right away.
He studied Adrian for a second.
"…But your body reacted."
Adrian looked up, slightly surprised.
"…Yeah."
Marco nodded. "That's normal."
Adrian frowned slightly. "It doesn't feel normal."
"It will," Marco said. "Eventually."
Adrian leaned back slightly.
"…I don't like it."
"No one does," Nico said.
Adrian glanced at him.
"But it doesn't last forever."
Adrian didn't reply.
But he listened.
—
Later that evening, Adrian stayed with them again.
No one forced him to talk.
No one forced him to leave.
He just sat there, listening, sometimes answering when someone spoke to him.
At one point, Dante walked in and tossed a small cushion at him.
"Catch."
Adrian caught it without thinking.
Dante smirked. "Not bad."
Adrian looked at the cushion, then back at him.
"…That was random."
Dante shrugged. "You looked bored."
Adrian didn't argue.
He just placed the cushion beside him.
"…Thanks."
Dante didn't reply, but he didn't take it back either.
—
Later that night, Adrian went back to his own room.
He stood there for a moment after closing the door.
It felt different now.
Not as empty.
He walked over to the bed and sat down.
Then he reached for his notebook.
He opened it and looked at what he had written before.
The names.
The small notes.
He added one more line under Alessio's name.
Stayed with him last night
He stared at it for a second.
Then added another.
Felt better
He put the pen down.
"…That's something," he said quietly.
It wasn't a big change.
But it was real.
—
When he lay down that night, he didn't feel the same fear as before.
He was still aware of the memories.
Still aware that more could come.
But there was something else now.
Something that made it easier to deal with.
He wasn't alone in it anymore.
That thought stayed with him as he closed his eyes.
And when sleep finally came—
It wasn't heavy.
It wasn't tense.
And for once, even if only for a few hours—
Adrian rested without feeling like he had to be ready for something bad to happen.
That didn't fix everything.
But it was a start.
And for now—
That was enough.