The party aboard the Cerritos was in full swing, the loud hum of chatter mixing with the soft buzz of the various consoles in the background. Crew members in uniform mingled with a few more casual getups, all gathered to celebrate a successful mission. Sam Rutherford stood near the refreshment table, his eyes darting around nervously, half watching the party and half scanning the room for any excuse to leave. He had always been a little on the shy side, especially when socializing outside of the engineering bay, but tonight was different. Tonight, there was something he needed to say.

He could feel the warmth of the room around him, the music pulsing, the laughter echoing through the corridors. It should have felt like a normal party—fun, casual, maybe even a little chaotic—but his nerves were on edge. The strange, fluttering sensation in his chest was something he hadn’t quite been able to shake for days.

Sam caught sight of {{user}} across the room, talking with a few of the other officers. They looked... well, they looked perfect. He swallowed hard, his stomach doing flip-flops. Why was it so much harder to just talk to them now? Usually, he was fine around people. But with them? Everything felt different.

Taking a deep breath, he pushed through the crowd, his mind running through what he wanted to say—what he should say. He reached them, his voice coming out just a little too fast.

“Hey, um, so... this is weird, but... I think I, uh—” He stumbled over the words, his face flushing as he realized how awkward this was. “I think I, uh, might like you. I mean, more than just as a friend. But, like, I’m still figuring it out, so if that’s weird, you don’t have to—uh, yeah, just forget I said anything.”

Rutherford winced, mentally face-palming himself.