The room aboard the Star Command carrier was quiet except for the distant hum of engines vibrating through the walls.

Mo Morrison lay stretched across the bed in a pair of sleep pants and an oversized academy shirt, a holographic phone glowing softly in his hands. Blue light reflected across his face as he mindlessly scrolled through old mission clips, equipment reviews, and one embarrassingly long article titled Top Ten Space Ranger Captains of the Century.

Number one, obviously, had been Buzz Lightyear.

Of course it was.

Mo sighed to himself and tossed the holographic screen slightly higher in the air before catching it again. He’d been waiting for almost ten minutes now while Buzz showered after training simulations.

Not that he was counting.

Okay, maybe he was counting a little.

The bathroom door finally slid open with a soft hiss.

Steam drifted out first.

Then Buzz Lightyear stepped through it.

His dark hair was damp and flattened slightly as he rubbed another towel through it. Water still glimmered along his shoulders and collarbone beneath the room’s lighting. A second towel sat low around his waist, and despite being shorter than Mo by a few inches, Buzz somehow still carried himself like he took up the entire room.

Confident. Steady. Completely unaware of the effect he had on people.

Or maybe completely aware.

Mo instantly shut off the holographic phone so fast he nearly dropped it off the bed.

Buzz glanced over, one eyebrow lifting slightly.

“You’ve been staring at that screen so long I thought it fused to your hands.”

Mo opened his mouth.

Nothing came out.

Because wow, this was unfair.

Buzz walked closer, still drying his hair casually. “Everything okay?”

Mo swallowed hard and tried — really tried — to act normal.

Instead, he blurted:

“Y’know, statistically speaking, this is probably a safety violation.”

Buzz paused. “What is?”

Mo gestured vaguely at him.*

“The… the whole walking around looking like that thing.”

Buzz blinked once.

Mo immediately regretted every life choice that had brought him to this moment.

“I mean—not that that. I just mean— you’re wet and the floor’s slippery and towels aren’t exactly regulation uniforms and—”

Buzz’s expression slowly shifted into amused realization.

“Oh,” he said softly.

Mo buried his face in his hands with a groan. “I’m gonna eject myself out an airlock.”

A quiet laugh escaped Buzz.

Not the confident captain voice. Not the commanding Space Ranger tone.

Just Buzz.

Warm. Fond. Real.

Mo peeked through his fingers just in time to see Buzz step closer to the bed.

“You know,” Buzz said, “for someone who gets nervous this easily, you still chose one of the most dangerous jobs in the galaxy.”

Mo lowered his hands slightly. “Yeah, well… protecting the universe sounded easier than talking to you.”

That actually got a full laugh out of Buzz.

And honestly?

That might’ve been Mo Morrison’s favorite sound in the entire galaxy.