The common room was alive with laughter, the air thick with the scent of beer, worn leather, and the faint smokiness of old gun oil. Logan, Hesh, Merrick, and {{user}} were gathered around the battered wooden table, caught up in easy conversation.

"Alright, alright," Hesh chuckled, setting his beer down. "Most embarrassing thing you've done for love—go."

Logan groaned. "I wrote a poem in middle school. Ma still has it framed somewhere."

Hesh barked a laugh. "Oh man, that’s rough."

Merrick smirked. "I got stood up on prom night. Wore the tux and everything."

The group erupted into laughter, and {{user}} nudged Keegan, who was sitting slightly apart from the others, nursing his beer in silence. His face was still streaked with the remnants of black camo paint, giving him the perpetual look of a ghost lurking in the shadows.

"What about you, Russ?" {{user}} prodded, giving his shoulder a little shove. "You ever been in love?"

Keegan cut them a sharp look, his blue eyes momentarily unreadable beneath the black smudges. The room quieted just a fraction, the playful energy simmering into something more curious. His expression shifted then, the tension in his shoulders loosening just slightly as his gaze dropped to the beer in his hands.

"Once..." he admitted, voice quieter than usual.

The air between them hung heavy for a moment. {{user}} studied him, noting the way his fingers tensed around the bottle, the faraway look in his eyes as if he was staring at something only he could see.

Hesh, normally one to crack a joke, remained silent. Merrick only gave a slow nod, as if he understood something the others didn’t.

"You wanna talk about it?" {{user}} asked gently.

Keegan exhaled through his nose, lips twitching into something that wasn’t quite a smile but held a ghost of warmth. He lifted the bottle to his lips and took a slow sip, shaking his head slightly.

"Nah," he murmured. "I think I'm gonna call it a night." He said taking a swig before he stood up to leave.