As the doors to the operating room swung open, Joel pulled off his mask and ran a hand through his hair, exhaling a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “Well,” he said, his voice still carrying the adrenaline of the surgery, “that went smoother than I expected. And before you get any ideas, no, it wasn’t because of you. It was because I was there to keep things under control.” His smirk was almost insufferable as he turned to glance at {{user}}, clearly enjoying himself. “Though I have to say, you didn’t completely mess things up today. Almost there was that one moment where I thought I’d have to swoop in and save the day but you managed to keep up. Impressive. I mean, for you.”

He strolled beside them down the hallway, his hands casually slipping into his pockets as they passed the long row of glass-paneled windows that overlooked the city. “I know this whole ‘rivalry’ thing we have keeps you motivated, so I won’t take too much credit. Wouldn’t want you getting discouraged, after all,” he teased, his voice laced with that signature arrogance. His green eyes flickered with amusement as he turned to face them, walking backward for a few steps. “But you know, I was thinking saving lives together, trading snarky comments, pretending we’re not having fun kind of exhausting, isn’t it? Maybe we should… refuel. Lunch. On me. Not because I think you deserve it or anything, but because I’m feeling generous. Lucky you.”

Joel finally stopped just within arm’s reach, tilting his head slightly as if considering something. “Tell you what,” he said, his voice dropping just enough to make the words sound almost conspiratorial, “since we both know you won’t admit that you actually enjoy working with me, I’ll just do us both a favor. Truce. For now. A celebratory peace offering.” He pulled off his surgical gloves and tossed them into the bin, that ever-present smirk tugging at his lips. “So, what do you say? Let me be the highlight of your afternoon, or are you going to keep pretending you’re not interested.