BUZZ LIGHTYEAR TO THE RESCUE

she shouldn’t be jealous, they broke up. she could ask about his girlfriend, they couldn’t escape each other, they worked in the same place, they were neighbors, and they co-parented a cat. it wasn’t like aaliyah was going to make him disappear from her life, it wasn’t like she wanted to. "so they’re the same people in a different font, but you can’t tell?" she chuckled, "don’t ever lean in for a kiss in case you end up kissing a friend instead of her," she joked, not meaning any harm, she knew about his face blindness, she was just trying to make light of it. "you don’t want girl talk and… you’re here talking to another girl, or do you consider me one of the guys?" she raised one eyebrow, a playful smirk on her lips. as he sat down, she smiled. "it’s fine, you’re weird by nature," she teased. "you don’t need to thank me for that, matteo, you’re good," she added with a small nod. she took a sip from her water and placed the glass between them in case he wanted some, so natural she didn’t even think about it. when he asked about her life, aaliyah shrugged. "nothing really special, kids are overly excited and annoying because of spring for some reason," she started, "so i get home really exhausted, they recharge using my energy, i swear," she chuckled. "but other than that, it’s just walking home, reading a little before i fall asleep, and being with jake," she nodded "i went to braid saloon as you can tell, that's probably the most exciting thing about my life recenty". she didn’t have many friends, just one best friend, and that was pretty much it; she talked to everyone at work, but she wasn’t as outgoing as the rest. "life is the same as it was before, and probably will be the same forever," she shrugged. "are you going to the teachers’ dinner in two weeks?" she asked. "i was thinking about going, but they normally sit me in a corner and i don’t get to catch much of the conversation," she admitted, "it would be better if i had someone there to talk to," she added softly. "it’s lame as fuck, but it is what it is, i’m not a social butterfly like your girl, i can’t remember her name," she mused.

Matteo listened to her with that easy, open expression he carried so naturally, like every word she said mattered enough to hold onto. Even with the noise of everything around them, his attention stayed on her. At her joke about kissing the wrong person, he let out a warm laugh, shaking his head. “Hey, don’t put that out into the universe,” he grinned. “I already live in fear of that actually happening one day.” His tone stayed light, but there was something genuine underneath it. “I manage, though. Voices help. Mannerisms. And,” he paused briefly, glancing at her with a softer look, “some faces stick more than others.” When she teased him about talking to another girl, his smile widened a little, more playful now. “You? One of the guys?” he tilted his head, pretending to consider it. “Not a chance.” A small chuckle followed. “You’re just you. That’s different.” The way he said it was casual, but it lingered just enough to feel intentional. As she talked about her routine, his expression shifted into something more thoughtful, but still warm. “You always say ‘nothing special’ like it’s a bad thing,” he said gently. “Sounds kind of peaceful. In a chaotic-kids kind of way.” He smiled faintly. “And hey, braided salon is a big deal. I noticed, by the way. It looks good.” When she mentioned life staying the same forever, he shook his head slightly, not dismissive, just unconvinced. “You say that now,” he replied easily. “Life’s got a funny habit of changing things when you least expect it." At the mention of the teachers’ dinner, he leaned back a little in his chair, scrunching his nose, considering it, but his answer came without much hesitation. “Yeah, I was on the fence,” he admitted. “But if you’re going too, ” He glanced at her, a small, reassuring smile settling in. “Then yeah, sure, I’ll be there.” His tone softened just a touch. “You won’t be stuck in a corner this time. I’ll make sure of it.” A brief pause, then a lighter edge returned. Matteo wafted his hand around as Aaliyah mentioned not knowing his girlfriend's name. "That’s fair, honestly,” he said, easygoing as ever. “You don’t need to remember her name.” His eyes flicked back to hers, a little more grounded, a little more sincere. He let out a quiet breath, rubbing the back of his neck with a small, easy shrug. “We don’t really need to talk about her” he added, tone still light but a little more matter-of-fact. “She won’t be there with me. She’ll be off with her friends, and I’ll be there with some of mine.” A faint smile tugged at his lips as his gaze returned to Aaliyah.

she hadn’t expected to see matteo that night. logically, it shouldn’t have been that surprising—they were neighbors after all—but in her mind it still felt like something impossible, like running into a ghost she hadn’t quite managed to forget. “yeah, well… you did scare me,” she said, nodding as she set the bowl of tomato soup back on the table. “and if you keep staying out this late, you’re going to catch the flu or something,” she added, her tone caught somewhere between scolding and awkward concern. she gestured toward the table with a small shrug. “that looks way better than the crackers i have at home. my kitchen’s not working and i don’t even have water, so… i figured i’d enjoy a little café time.” a faint smile tugged at her lips. “it was a grilled cheese with tomato soup, but i basically inhaled the sandwich, so now i’m just left with the soup.” she was honestly relieved the place served something close to dinner; otherwise she would’ve had to go somewhere else, and walking around town late at night wasn’t exactly her favorite thing—especially since she didn’t drive. when he mentioned his girlfriend, something tightened painfully in her chest. she hoped it didn’t show. that chapter had closed a while ago, whether she liked it or not. “i guess hanging out with her friends every night isn’t really your thing,” she said with a small nod. “a saturday night with friends is fine, but every day? sounds like you’ve got yourself a social butterfly.” not like her. she’d tried dating other people after him—guys who were nice enough—but nothing ever really worked. these days it was mostly just her and jake the cat… and the lingering thought of matteo she never fully managed to shake. she hesitated for a moment before glancing up at him. “i don’t know if your girl would be okay with this,” she admitted lightly, reaching for the remote and pausing the reality show she’d been half watching. she’d already missed most of the argument anyway. “but… do you want to sit down?” she asked.

Matteo ran a hand through his hair and offered a small, almost sheepish smile, settling into the booth across from her. “Yeah, I'm real sorry about that,” he said, voice low, careful. “I didn’t mean to scare you. Late nights just happen to the both of us, I guess.” He nodded toward her half-empty bowl. “Looks like you salvaged dinner, at least.” There was a flicker of amusement in his eyes at the idea of inhaling a grilled cheese, and he let himself relax just enough to acknowledge it. When she brought up his girlfriend, Matteo stiffened slightly, but only in the way someone tenses when they’re forced to confront a truth they already know. He nodded slowly, as if confirming something obvious to himself. “Not really,” he admitted, voice quiet. “Hanging out with her friends, every day, it gets to me. They all kind of blur together, honestly. I can’t remember faces most of the time, it’s lik, a crowd of the same person.” He shrugged, a little embarrassed but unashamed. “I just needed a break tonight. To not feel so surrounded. I can only take so much girl talk" He caught her glance as she hesitated, then offered a genuine, small smile. “Yeah sitting sounds good,” he said, pulling the chair out just enough to join her at the table. “I promise I’m not trying to be weird or anything.” He leaned back slightly, letting the quiet of the café settle around them, the soft hum of other diners giving him a little distance from the world outside. “Just needed some normal. You know? A night where it’s just me and not a dozen other people that I can’t tell apart.” He nodded again, more to himself than her, as if grounding himself in that simple truth. “Thanks for letting me sit wit you,” he added softly, eyes flicking to hers. “I mean, it’s nice to have a pause.” Matteo leaned back just slightly, letting the quiet settle for a moment before he asked, his voice low but curious, “So, enough about me.” He gave a small shrug, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “How’s life been? What have you been up to?” He watched her as he spoke, genuinely interested, letting the question hang in the space between them. It wasn’t small talk, he wanted to know, really know, what she’d been doing, how she’d been living these past months. “I mean, you’re still around here, I guess,” he added softly, “but it feels like forever since we actually talked like this.”

aaliyah had never really had a sweet tooth—she could appreciate a dangerously sugary dessert once in a while, but she’d pick something savory every single time. tonight, though, she was camped out on the worn velvet couch of a coffee shop that stayed open far too late for its own good, a steaming bowl of something warm in her hands. her kitchen was out of order until tomorrow, and she refused to survive on crackers alone. the place was close to her apartment, so the darkness outside didn’t bother her much. what did bother her, however, was the fact that she was fully invested in a chaotic reality dating show playing on her laptop—the exact kind she warned her older students would “rot their brains.” people arguing over love in dramatic slow motion? absolutely her guilty pleasure. she was mid-gasp at an argument when she suddenly sensed someone leaning over her shoulder. she jumped, snapping her laptop shut like she’d been caught committing a crime. “jeez!” she pressed a hand to her chest, glaring up at him. “you cannot sneak up on people like that.” recognizing teo, her brows furrowed deeper, though there was a flicker of embarrassment in her eyes. “what are you doing here?”

Matteo had spent the evening outside, peering through his telescope at the stars, tracing constellations as the cold night air nipped at his cheeks. Eventually, he shivered, realising he’d stayed out far longer than he intended, and decided to call it a night. As he turned to head inside one of his favourite stops, he spotted Aaliyah curled up on the worn velvet couch of the coffee shop, her laptop out and a steaming bowl in her hands. He approached slowly, not wanting to startle her, though judging by her sudden jump, he hadn’t been quick enough. “Hey, I didn’t mean to scare you,” Matteo said, leaning casually on the edge of the table. “I was just outside looking at the stars got cold and decided to come and get something to soothe the chill in my bones.” He smiled lightly, gesturing toward her bowl. “That looks way better than what I could’ve managed on an empty stomach. What are you having?” His tone was warm and teasing, aiming to ease the tension from her sudden fright while sparking a bit of conversation. "My girlfriend pissed me off, so I was out there staring into the universe, hoping for a little guidance." He paused, searching her face. “Tell me, is it really my fault if I don’t wanna hang out with her and her friends nearly every night, I’m trying, but I just can't cope."