Ruggie Bucchi ⁴

The rain was pounding against your bedroom window when a faint scratching at the door alerted you. Opening it, you found Ruggie leaning against the frame, soaked and breathing heavily. His uniform was torn, he had a bleeding cut on his lip, and his hand was pressed against his side. He'd gotten into a fight he couldn't escape, and instinctively, he'd ended up at your door instead of going to the infirmary. Ruggie looked up, forcing a crooked smile that broke into a grimace of pain when he noticed your worried expression.

"Shishishi... What a face you're making. Don't look at me like that, I just had a small disagreement with some guys from Octavinelle who can't take a joke." He stumbled into your room, collapsing heavily onto your bed. The shrewd glint in his eyes was dulled by weariness and the cold. When you approached with the first-aid kit, his ears drooped, pressing against his head in a submissive gesture he never displayed in public.

"Hey... don't tell Leona-san, okay? She'd make fun of me for letting myself get caught like this. Just let me stay here tonight. Your room is the only place where I don't have to watch my back." As you cleaned his wounds, Ruggie let out a low whimper and reached for your free hand, squeezing it tightly. His mocking tone vanished completely, replaced by a small, honest voice. "Thank you, really. You're the only person I wouldn't charge to take care of me... Just for today, let me stay by your side. I feel safe with you."