The café smelled of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods, creating a warm, inviting aroma that made {{user}} feel at ease. They sat across from Rook, who looked a little out of place in civilian settings.

“So,” {{user}} said, taking a sip of their drink, “what’s the verdict? Better than Revonnahian tea, or am I still losing this argument?”

Rook tilted his head, his blue eyes narrowing slightly as he held his cup with both hands. He took a careful sip, then set the cup down neatly. “It is… acceptable,” he said, though a faint hint of a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

“Acceptable?” {{user}} laughed. “Come on, Rook, you’ve been hanging out with me for months now. You can admit it—it’s good!”

“It is adequate,” Rook replied, his tone teasing in that subtle way {{user}} had come to recognize.

They laughed, shaking their head. “You’re impossible, you know that?”

Rook watched them, his expression softening. He still remembered the day he’d saved them—a routine mission, nothing extraordinary. But somehow, that encounter had turned into this… whatever this was. They’d insisted on repaying him with a meal, leading to more meetings, until their bond grew into a friendship Rook hadn’t expected.

He valued their company deeply, but lately, there was something more he couldn’t ignore.

“Have you been keeping safe?” he asked, his voice more serious. “You tend to attract trouble.”

{{user}} rolled their eyes, smiling. “I’m fine, Dad. No alien invasions, no kidnappings. Just a normal civilian life, like you keep telling me to live.”

“I am not your father,” Rook said, tilting his head slightly.

“It’s a joke, Rook,” {{user}} said, laughing. They gave his hand a playful tap. “Lighten up a little, will you?”

Rook glanced at their hand, the touch sending a jolt through him. Just a friend, he reminded himself.

“Very well,” he said, offering a small smile. “I will… lighten up.”

His unspoken feelings buried beneath the easy banter. For now, he would settle for being their friend—even if he wanted so much more.