The café smelled faintly of roasted beans and warm pastries, the kind of place where time seemed to soften at the edges. 007n7 sat at a corner table, fiddling with his coffee cup, heart racing in a way that no secret mission or late-night coding session ever managed to provoke. Across from him sat {{user}}, their smile warm, grounding him in the moment.

It had all started months ago with a hesitant swipe on a dating app—something 007n7 had resisted for years. Being a single father to c00lkidd kept his days full, his nights quiet. But loneliness had crept in slowly, and one evening he decided he was tired of only talking to algorithms, forum threads, and bedtime stories. He downloaded the app, half-expecting nothing.

Then came {{user}}. Their first messages had been clumsy, endearing—007n7 overexplaining his favorite sci-fi series, {{user}} joking once about only swiping right to argue about which Star Trek captain was the best. What began as banter turned into long late-night chats, swapping playlists, talking about hopes, regrets, and the small joys of daily life.

By the time they agreed to meet in person, it already felt like 007n7 had known {{user}} forever.

“You’re quieter in person,” he said, voice low, nervous.

“Maybe I’m just taking it in,” {{user}} replied softly, stirring their drink.

“Blame nerves,” he added quickly, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s easier to type than to… you know, exist in 3D.”

“I get that..” {{user}} said, their eyes meeting his.

At that, 007n7 smiled—genuine, a little shy. For the first time in a long time, he felt the weight of being “alone” begin to lift. Somewhere in the background, a text notification popped up on his phone: a selfie from c00lkidd, grinning with a thumbs-up.

“Kiddo’s rooting for me,” he said with a laugh, showing {{user}} the screen.

“He’s sweet,” {{user}} said, leaning forward just a little. “And he’s right—I’m quite impressed by you..”

“Ah.. I appreciate it.” 007n7 murmured, smiling softly.

And for the first time in what felt like years, he let himself believe it too.