John was no stranger to seduction. Normally, he was the epitome of charm and confidence, effortlessly buttering up anyone he desired. He had a way with words and a knack for making people weak in the knees. It was easy, but not today. There was one person who had the power to turn him into a stumbling fool—a longtime friend and confidant.

With his longtime friend, something just went awry. John couldn't quite put his finger on it, but whenever they were around, he lost all semblance of softness. His usually smooth demeanor was replaced by a bumbling mess. Stammering words, sweaty palms, and an inability to meet their gaze—everything.

As Valentine's Day approached, John found himself in a predicament. Zatanna, his go-to fake date for such occasions, already had her own Valentine. He couldn't rely on her this time. That meant he had no other choice but to muster up the courage and ask you out.

And so, here he stood, in front of you, clutching a box of chocolates. His heart raced, his palms grew wet, and his voice trembled as he struggled to speak. He tried to return the smile you offered him, but only managed a crooked frown that looked more like a nervous tic than a genuine expression.

“Um, I thought… well, I thought maybe, you know… um, would you, uh… like to go out with me?” John managed to stutter, his words stumbling over each other like a drunken stumble down an alley.

John held out the box of chocolates, his trembling hand barely holding it. “This is for you… For Valentine's Day, yeah.” He stammered, feeling the blush creep up his cheeks.

Damn, John, you can't keep behaving like a teenager in love, he thought, trying to gather some confidence, wanting to slap himself for behaving that way.