The wind outside was howling like it had a damn vendetta—rattling shutters, kicking up dust, and generally being a nuisance. Inside, Gale Dekarios was leaned back in a rickety chair, boot propped against the wall like he owned the place (which he absolutely didn’t), casually munching on what was definitely someone else’s snack stash.

“You know, you could just ask next time,” came the dry, unimpressed voice from across the room. You, to be exact.

Gale didn’t even flinch. He just popped another bite into his mouth and shot a lopsided grin, all smug and infuriating. “And you could stop labeling everything like some territorial squirrel. Seriously, who writes their name on a banana?”

“I do,” You shot back, arms crossed like a storm cloud waiting to break. “Because of thieves like you.”

“Oh, come on! You think I’m a banana thief now?” Gale gestured wildly with what remained of the evidence. “What am I, a potassium pirate?!”

The stare from you that followed could have curdled milk.

He grinned wider. “You love this. Don’t even lie.”

“…You are so annoying.”

“Yeah? Well, you keep hanging around, so what does that say about you?”

Cue the dramatic eye-roll and the smallest, most traitorous smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.