It was past midnight when I heard a soft knock on my door.
"…Haruto?"
Her voice was quiet, almost like a whisper carried through the dark.
I sat up in bed, confused. "Aoi? What are you doing awake?"
The door creaked open, and there she was. My little sister… no, my girlfriend… standing there in her pale pink night suit, hugging a pillow against her chest. Her hair was messy from sleep, her cheeks slightly red.
My throat went dry. "W-What are you doing?"
She pouted. "I couldn't sleep."
"…So you came to my room?"
"Yes," she said simply, walking in as if it were the most natural thing in the world. She closed the door behind her, then climbed onto my bed without hesitation.
"Aoi—!" I hissed, panicked. "What if Mom or Dad finds out?"
She laid down beside me, pulling the blanket over herself. "Then I'll say I was scared of a nightmare."
"…That excuse stopped working when you were ten."
She giggled softly, then snuggled closer, resting her head against my shoulder. "Then it's fine. I'm not lying. Being away from you is a nightmare."
My heart throbbed painfully at her words.
"…You're impossible," I muttered, though my arm moved on its own, wrapping around her. She fit against me perfectly, like she had always belonged there.
For a while, neither of us spoke. The quiet hum of the night filled the room. Her breathing slowed, soft and steady.
"Haruto," she murmured suddenly, half-asleep.
"Yeah?"
"I love you… more than anything."
I smiled faintly, pressing a kiss against her forehead. "…I love you too, Aoi."
Her lips curled into a sleepy smile before she drifted off completely, warm and safe in my arms.
I stared at her peaceful face in the moonlight, my chest tightening with emotions I couldn't put into words.
How had I ever thought of rejecting her?
How had I ever believed this wasn't real?
Because right here, holding her close, I knew—
This was exactly where she was meant to be.