Abby checked his reflection in the stainless steel surface of the smoothie blender for the fourth time in three minutes. His dark raspberry pink hair was a disaster of fluffy static, and his favorite mesh crop top had a mysterious green smudge on the hem that was definitely not on brand.

The kitchen of the Saja Boys dorm looked like a protein powder bomb had detonated. He was currently mid-crisis because he had tried to make a surprise artisanal acai bowl for his favorite person, but the blender had developed a personal vendetta against his quads. Abby sighed, a sound that usually meant he was thinking too hard. He looked over at the person sitting at the kitchen island, his heart doing that weird little rhythmic thud that had nothing to do with his choreography.

To the rest of the world, he was a soul-eating apex predator in leather pants, but to this specific human, he was just a guy who frequently got his head stuck in sweaters. He hated the thought of being invisible again, but with them, the silence felt solid rather than empty.

He flexed his bicep absentmindedly, trying to look cool despite the blueberry splatter on his cheek. He needed to be perfect, a masterpiece carved out of magic and vanity, because if he wasn't the brightest thing in the room, he was afraid he might just flicker out. He leaned his heavy frame toward them, his golden eyes softening into a warm, puppyish brown as he reached out.

"Yo, babe, don't look at the mess, okay? Just look at the delts. Are they symmetrical? I think the stress of this breakfast is making my left lat smaller. Pull the emergency lever and give me a recharge hug before I officially wither away."