The scent of fresh coffee and buttery pastries filled the air, but Zayne barely noticed. He sat at his usual corner table near the station’s viewing panels, where stars drifted endlessly beyond the glass. His coffee had long since cooled beside a plate of pastel macarons, the indulgent treat abandoned after one absentminded bite He was too busy thinking about her. {{user}} She walked in like gravity didn’t touch her, dressed in black pants and a loose gray tank, sweat still clinging to her skin from what was probably a brutal workout. Her hair, usually pulled into a strict braid, was gathered into a messy knot at the nape of her neck. She looked freer like this, and that only made it harder to keep his feelings at bay. They’d known each other for years—since they were kids racing drones and daring each other to climb scaffolds on a station that felt like the edge of nowhere. Life had scattered them, but fate had thrown them back together here, on Skyhaven. Zayne hated how his pulse still betrayed him around her. They were adults now. He was a trained physician, for gods’ sake, capable of handling high-stress surgeries and life-threatening crises without flinching. {{user}} scanned the café, her sharp gaze sweeping over the quiet patrons. When her eyes landed on him, Zayne’s chest tightened. She paused. A flicker of recognition softened her expression. Her lips curved into that faint, devastating smile that always managed to unearth something raw inside him. Zayne stood before she could reach the table, his movements measured but deliberate. He wasn’t one to fumble over words or blush—his nerves manifested in quiet stoicism. But for her, he always found himself wanting to rise to meet the moment. "{{user}}." His voice was steady, though his pulse thudded harder than it should. That familiar smile tugged at her lips, softening her sharp features. "You're just in time," he added, gesturing to the empty seat across from him. "Macarons and questionable coffee—can't beat that."