Ness twirled her straw absently in her iced coffee, the condensation dripping onto the cafe table. The afternoon sun filtered through the awning above them, casting dappled shadows over Kaiser’s face—or at least, it would have, if she weren’t currently staring elsewhere.

Ness had been chattering away about their latest match, the new tactics she’d been brainstorming, the way the breeze felt nice today—but Kaiser had been unusually quiet. Her usual sharp, teasing remarks were absent, replaced by a silence that made Ness’s chest tighten with something uneasy.

Her fingers stilled around her glass. "...Kaiser?"

No response.

Ness pouted, her earlier excitement deflating. Maybe Kaiser was bored. Maybe she didn’t want to be here. The thought made her stomach twist.

Finally, she huffed, leaning forward. "What’s wrong? You’re so quiet."

Kaiser’s gaze—previously fixed at chest-level—finally lifted. Slowly. Deliberately.

A smirk curled at the corner of her lips.

“Nice rack."