"That I liked him?" Mera considered. "Probably when he held me after the first time. Just held me without trying to leave or make it weird. That’s when I knew he was different."

"Different from what?"

"From what I expected." Mera finished her curry, setting the container aside with a satisfied sound. "I thought he’d be like the file. Rich playboy, uses people, doesn’t care. But he asked if I was okay. Multiple times. Like my answer actually mattered to him, not just the polite thing to say."

Cheon remembered Rome asking her the same thing. Not just once but repeatedly throughout that entire overwhelming first night, checking her reactions, making sure she wanted what was happening. His voice kept dropping into that quieter register that meant he was paying attention to more than just what she said.

"He does that," Cheon agreed quietly.

"Yeah. He’s annoying that way." Mera grinned at nothing in particular. "Makes it hard to keep emotional distance when he’s being all considerate and shit. I had a whole system. He ruined it."

They finished eating and cleaned up together, falling into an easy rhythm that surprised Cheon. Mera rinsed, Cheon dried. Neither spoke much but the silence didn’t feel awkward anymore.

Mera’s phone buzzed with a text from Rome saying he’d be another hour. Some situation with his sister required handling. Cheon read the message over Mera’s shoulder, noted the careful wording, wondered what Noel had actually done this time.

"Want to watch more?" Mera held up the remote. "We were at the good part."

"The entire show is the good part."

"See? You’re learning." Mera queued up episode five with the practiced ease of someone who’d watched this series multiple times. "Soon you’ll be a regular degenerate like me."

"I don’t want to be a degenerate."

"Too late. You’re dating Rome."

They settled back onto the couch. This time Cheon didn’t protest when Mera put her head in Cheon’s lap, and Mera didn’t comment when Cheon absently stroked her hair during particularly tense scenes. The contact felt natural now, comfortable in a way that three days ago would have sent Cheon into a spiral of overthinking.

The show played on. Characters made terrible choices set to beautiful cinematography. Relationships imploded dramatically in houses that cost more than most people made in a lifetime. Everyone was beautiful and miserable and wearing designer clothes while falling apart.

"This is ridiculous," Cheon said during a particularly overwrought monologue about identity and self-destruction.

"That’s why it’s perfect."

"These people need therapy. Extensive therapy. Multiple therapists, probably."

"We’re sleeping with the same guy and helping him build a harem." Mera looked up at Cheon with those sharp green eyes. "We need therapy."

"That’s different."

"How?"

Cheon opened her mouth. Closed it. Opened it again. Her brain, usually so good at constructing logical arguments, came up completely empty.

"I don’t know," she admitted finally.

"Exactly." Mera turned back to the screen, satisfied with her victory. "So shut up and watch the pretty people destroy their lives. It’s educational."

"Educational," Cheon repeated flatly.

"Yeah. It teaches us what not to do."

"I don’t think we need help with that."

"You’d be surprised."

They made it through two more episodes before Rome finally arrived. The door opened and he walked in looking like the day had physically fought him and won. His white hair was slightly disheveled, his collar loosened, and he had that particular exhaustion in his mismatched eyes that came from dealing with his family.

"Hey." He noticed them on the couch and paused, taking in the domestic scene with an expression Cheon couldn’t quite read. "What are you watching?"

"Euphoria," Mera said.

"That explains why Cheon looks scandalized."

"I’m not scandalized."

"You’re clutching a throw pillow like a shield."

Cheon looked down. She was, in fact, holding a pillow pressed against her chest. She set it aside with dignity.

Rome crossed to the couch and kissed Mera first, then Cheon. Both kisses tasted different, carried different energy. Cheon’s drain opened automatically at the contact, warm and electric.

"How was your sister?" Cheon asked when Rome pulled back.

"Exhausting. I’ll tell you later." Rome collapsed into the armchair across from them. "Did you save me food?"

"No," Mera said.

"Yes," Cheon said at the same time.

Rome looked between them. "Which is it?"

"There’s pasta in the fridge." Cheon stood. "I’ll heat it up."

"You’re perfect." Rome’s eyes followed her. "Both of you."

Mera threw the remote at his head. "Suck up."

"Accurate suck up."

Cheon went to the kitchen and reheated the pasta while listening to Rome and Mera bicker about the show. Their voices carried easily across the open space, comfortable and familiar.

Three days. She’d been here three days and already this felt normal. Cooking for Rome. Watching trash TV with Mera. Sharing space and time like they’d been doing this for years.

Cheon brought Rome his food and sat back down between him and Mera. Rome ate while they finished the episode, occasionally making comments about the cinematography or asking questions about characters he didn’t recognize.

When the episode ended, Mera stretched and announced she was going to shower. "Don’t have too much fun without me."

"We’ll try to control ourselves," Rome said dryly.

Once Mera disappeared down the hallway, Rome set his empty bowl aside and looked at Cheon properly.

"You okay?"

"Stop asking me that."

"I’ll stop when you stop needing to be asked."

Cheon wanted to argue but couldn’t find the energy. "Mera and I watched five episodes of a show where everyone makes terrible decisions and ruins their lives."

"Sounds educational."

"It was actually." Cheon pulled her knees up to her chest. "We also talked. About Aurora. About you. About this whole situation."

"And?"

"And I think I’m friends with your demon girlfriend."

Rome smiled, genuine and warm. "Good. You should be."

"It’s weird."

"Everything about this is weird." Rome reached out and touched her ankle, just resting his hand there. The drain opened but stayed quiet, barely a whisper. "But weird doesn’t mean bad."

"Doesn’t mean good either."

"Guess we’ll find out."

Cheon looked at Rome’s hand on her skin, feeling the connection between them pulse with steady warmth. Three days ago she’d been the perfect student with perfect grades and a perfectly organized life. Now she was sitting on a couch with a boy who stole abilities through sex while his other girlfriend showered down the hall and the girl he wanted to pursue next was probably texting him right now about being friends.

The shower turned off. Mera’s voice called out asking where the good towels were.

"Second shelf," Cheon called back.

"Thanks, Panda!"

Rome squeezed her ankle gently. "You really are friends."

"Apparently." Cheon leaned back against the cushions. "How did this become my life?"

"You signed a contract."

"Worst decision I ever made."

"Liar."

He was right. She was lying. And they both knew it.

Mera emerged from the bedroom wearing one of Rome’s shirts and nothing else, her hair dripping water onto the hardwood. She climbed onto the couch between them and kissed Rome properly, making small pleased sounds.

"My turn," she announced when she pulled back.

"For what?" Rome asked.

"Quality time. Cheon had you yesterday." Mera’s tail wrapped around Rome’s arm. "Fair is fair."

Cheon started to protest but stopped. Mera was right. They’d established this rotation without explicitly discussing it. Rome spent nights alternating between them, or sometimes with both together. But individual attention mattered too.

"I should go to bed anyway." Cheon stood. "Early classes tomorrow."

"You can stay," Rome offered.

"No. Mera’s right." Cheon gathered her textbook. "You two should have time alone."

She headed toward the guest bedroom, the room that had somehow become hers without anyone officially assigning it. Before closing the door, she heard Mera’s laugh and Rome’s lower response, the sound of a kiss starting.

Cheon changed into pajamas and climbed into bed. Her phone buzzed with a text from Mera.

Mera: thanks for not being weird about it

Cheon: you’re welcome

Mera: also thanks for the math help

Cheon: study more tomorrow

Mera: yes mom

Cheon set her phone on the nightstand and stared at the ceiling. Down the hall, she could hear muffled sounds. Mera’s voice, breathy and pleased. Rome’s answering. The particular rhythm that meant things were progressing.

She should have felt jealous. Instead she just felt tired.

Her phone buzzed again.

Mera: you really are okay right

Cheon considered lying. Decided against it.

Cheon: ask me tomorrow

Mera: deal

Mera: night panda

Cheon: goodnight

Cheon closed her eyes and tried to sleep. Tomorrow was the finals. Tomorrow Rome would face Team One with Nolan and Aurora. Tomorrow she’d have to watch from the observation room while Rome fought against people she considered friends.

Tomorrow she’d figure out if she was actually okay with all of this or just very good at pretending.

But tonight, she was just tired.

And weirdly, surprisingly, genuinely grateful that Mera existed.

Even if she’d never say it out loud.