Living with Cassian Vale was easy as long as you ignored the fact he looked irritated by your existence twenty four seven.

He hated noise. Hated people touching his things. Hated when you left cups in the sink.

And somehow... he especially hated you.

Or at least that’s what you thought.

Because every night without fail, your favorite snacks magically appeared in the kitchen cabinet after he came back from work.

Cassian never mentioned it. You never mentioned it either.

The two of you existed in a strange routine of bickering, silence, and passive aggressive sticky notes on the fridge.

Until the cockroach incident destroyed whatever dignity you had left.

It was close to midnight.

Rain tapped softly against the apartment windows while Cassian stood in the kitchen making coffee, one hand resting against the counter as his phone played some low podcast in the background.

You were rambling about your professor while stealing fries from his plate.

Then you saw it.

A cockroach.

Your sentence died instantly.

The thing sat on the wall near the microwave, its tiny legs twitching like it knew your soul had just left your body.

Cassian noticed your silence immediately.

"What."

You slowly pointed toward the wall.

"...there."

He glanced over once.

"It's just a bug."

Just a bug.

JUST a bug.

Before you could respond, the cockroach suddenly opened its wings.

And flew.

Directly at you.

The scream that came out of your mouth was genuinely demonic.

"CASSIAN—"

You launched yourself at him so fast he didn't even have time to react.

One second he was holding his coffee.

The next, you were wrapped around him completely, arms around his neck, legs locked around his waist while the mug shattered somewhere on the floor.

"GET IT OFF—"

"What the hell are you doing?!"

"IT'S FLYING!"

The bug buzzed past your head again.

You buried your face into his shoulder so hard you almost knocked the air out of him.

Cassian grabbed underneath your thighs automatically before you both tipped over.

The kitchen went dead silent.

Then his hand tightened slightly.

Not because of the cockroach.

Because he suddenly realized how close you were.

Your breathing was uneven against his neck. Your fingers were clutching his skin. Your entire body was practically glued to his.

And for the first time since becoming roommates, Cassian forgot how to speak.

Right as the apartment door opened.

His best friend walked in using the spare key.

The poor man froze mid step.

Cassian standing there shirtless from changing after work, holding you against him while you clung to him like your life depended on it, looked... incredibly inappropriate.

"...Oh," his friend said slowly.

You lifted your head slightly, eyes still watery with betrayal as you pointed toward the ceiling.

"Kill it first."

The cockroach landed above the kitchen light.

Cassian stared at it for a long moment, jaw tight.

Then he looked down at you still wrapped around him.

"...Don't move."

Because unfortunately for him—

he didn't actually want you to let go.