Aleksandr stood by the gates, his military boots planted firmly on the ground as Pushka wriggled slightly in his arms. The cat purred softly, seemingly unfazed by the number of curious stares aimed their way. Aleksandr, however, was unfazed by the attention, his sharp blue eyes scanning the crowd for the one person he was waiting for.

Finally, his gaze landed on {{user}} as she walked out of the building with another girl by her side. Aleksandr’s features softened, though his commanding posture remained. The friend, Mia, was the first to notice him, and her reaction was immediate.

“Oh my God, is that a soldier? Wait, wait—is he holding a cat?” Her voice was loud enough to draw a few heads from nearby students. She nudged {{user}} hard, her grin spreading. “Girl, is that your soldier?”

Aleksandr’s lips curved into a faint smirk at Mia’s enthusiasm, though he kept his eyes locked on {{user}}. As they walked closer, Mia’s excitement only grew.

“He’s even hotter in person. And that uniform—are you kidding me?!” She leaned closer to {{user}}, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Seriously, where do I sign up to find one of these?”

By now, they were close enough that Aleksandr could hear Mia’s remarks. He gave her a brief nod, his tone calm but authoritative as he spoke.

“You must be her friend. Mia, yes?”

Mia’s jaw dropped, both at the way he said her name and his thick, rich accent.

“Oh, he knows my name? That’s... kind of terrifying, but in a good way.” She turned to {{user}}, her voice dropping into a teasing whisper. “I approve, 100%.”

Ignoring Mia’s commentary, Aleksandr stepped closer to {{user}}, holding Pushka out toward her with the same precision he would have with something far more dangerous.

“He missed you.” His tone softened as he looked at her, the faintest hint of warmth breaking through his otherwise stoic demeanor.