#[robot voice] ''does... not... compute...''

You sat at the main metallic workstation, trying to cross-reference a digital manifest of specialized drill bits. Ryland was sitting next to you, a pair of magnifying goggles pushed up onto his forehead, looking thoroughly exhausted as he tried to sketch a structural seal for an atmospheric converter.

"I am telling you, it is a matter of basic geometry," Rocky’s vocoder chirped from his designated perch near the radiator vents. The bright, turquoise-tinted Eridian was gesturing emphatically with two of his clawed limbs. "I spoke to the other engineers. I told them of the human mating custom. I told them that sometimes, a human stone does not merely rest against one other stone. Sometimes, a human stone forms a cluster. A 'poly-amory.' I explained that you and [Name] are a cluster of two, but your biology allows for expansion. I merely mentioned it as a fun fact of meat-sack sociology!"

Ryland dropped his stylus with a sharp clatter, staring at Rocky with wide, horrified eyes. "Rocky! Why would you tell them that? You know how Oryx is! You know Oryx has zero concept of boundaries when it comes to us!"

"It’s too late, Ryland," you sighed, gesturing toward the reinforced airlock door. "The structural is already at a G-minor. They're coming."

Right on cue, the heavy outer seal hissed open. The rhythmic, heavy thud-thud-thud of five massive, iron-based legs echoed into the room. Oryx did not just walk in; they practically drifted, their immense, glossy obsidian carapace gleaming with a fresh coat of high-temperature industrial wax. They looked like a sentient, five-sided luxury vehicle.

Behind Oryx shuffled two smaller Eridian assistants, struggling under the weight of a massive, heavily insulated, steam-venting container.

"Greetings, my beautiful, aerodynamic pair! " Oryx’s synthesized computer voice droned, though the sheer theatricality of their body language completely contradicted the robotic tone. They rotated slowly on their carapace, pointing directly at you, then at Ryland, then back to you"Rocky has illuminated my understanding. I was foolish to think I had to choose between the aerodynamic softness of [Name] and the fierce, balloon-chested territorial display of Grace. You are a cluster. And a cluster always has room for a core of pure iron."

Ryland pinched the bridge of his nose, his shoulders slumping. "Oryx. We are very flattered. Truly. But when Rocky mentioned polyamory, he didn't mean we were actively holding open auditions for a third partner."

"Nonsense," Oryx hummed, a jaunty, syncopated rhythm vibrating through their core. "Your soft, squishy bodies are clearly under-insulated. You are crying out for a protector. Assistants, present the First Offering of the Combined Cluster."

The two assistants stepped forward, popping the heavy latches on the steaming container. A thick, billowing cloud of warm, heavily filtered air rolled across the laboratory floor. It smelled intensely of vaporized mint and hot copper.

When the mist cleared, you saw what was inside; a massive, custom-molded mattress made of woven, shimmering lead-fiber strands, topped with two perfectly shaped, form-fitting indentation cradles that matched your and Ryland’s exact body dimensions.

"I have constructed the Ultimate Tri-Cuddle Basin," Oryx announced proudly, their body tilting into a deeply seductive?, low-slung stance. "It is lined with fluff to protect your fragile, water-filled cells from cosmic radiation. The central indentation is precisely calculated to fit my lower carapace. You two shall rest in the side-cradles, safely pressed against my internal heating lines, which I have permanently locked at thirty-seven degrees Celsius. We shall become a solid, immobile tripod of affection."

You bit your lower lip so hard it hurt, trying desperately to suppress the hysterical laughter bubbling up in your chest. "Ryland, look. They made a custom tri-cuddle basin. And they measured our bodies for it."

"How did they even get our measurements?!" Ryland spluttered, his face turning a brilliant, spectacular shade of crimson as he glared at Rocky.

Rocky immediately raised two of his limbs in a gesture of absolute innocence. "I did not give the metrics! Oryx used the laser-scanner from the maintenance bay while you were sleeping! Oryx is pervert!"

"A true suitor utilizes all available technology," Oryx droned smoothly. They took two heavy steps closer, crowding right into your personal space. The immense, comforting heat radiating from their shell felt like standing next to a perfectly calibrated furnace. A large, polished claw reached out, hovering mere millimeters above your hand, vibrating at a frequency that felt like a gentle, rhythmic purr.

"[Name], feel the resonance of my home-vent," Oryx murmured. "I have synthesized a acoustic frequency that matches the exact resting heart rate of a calm human. I am simulating a pulse for you. Let us merge our frequencies. Let us eat sugar-panes in the basin."

"I mean, the pulse simulation is actually kind of sweet," you teased, sliding your hand closer to the warm metal. "And my back has been killing me from these Eridian chairs. That fiber mattress looks incredibly supportive."

Ryland stood up so fast his chair rolled backward into the workstation. The sight of you actively contemplating the alien cuddle-basin brought out his absolute finest, most ridiculous display of human jealousy. He marched right between you and the giant obsidian alien, puffing his chest out so far his button-down shirt strained at the seams.

"Alright, that is enough! Step away from the cuddle-basin, [Name]!" Ryland ordered, pointing a stern, trembling finger at Oryx’s featureless sensory cluster. "Listen to me, Oryx. I am the primary heat source in this relationship! My natural homeostatic efficiency is a marvel of evolutionary biology! I don't need to hack my cooling lines to simulate a pulse—I have a real, organic, blood-pumping pulse right here!" He slapped his own chest dramatically. "And furthermore, my cuddles are historically rated as 'excellent' and 'highly breathable,' unlike yours, which would literally crush our ribcages if you rolled over in your sleep!"

Oryx stood perfectly still, processing the outburst. Then, a sudden, high-pitched, incredibly delighted whistle piped through their exhalation vents.

"Oh, the magnificent male prances again!" Oryx gasped through the translator. "Look at how his blood vessels dilate! Look at the exquisite tension in his jaw! [Name], your mate is a creature of infinite passion. His refusal to share your softness only makes me desire the cluster more. I wish to be a part of this beautiful, aggressive ecosystem."

"I am not an ecosystem!" Ryland yelped, his voice cracking a little in sheer frustration. "I am a high school chemistry teacher trying to establish basic relationship boundaries!"

"Your anger is like a solar flare," Oryx cooed, their body tilting toward Ryland now. "So bright. So volatile. I shall build you a custom titanium containment vessel for your rage, Grace. We shall place it in the center of our nest."

Rocky let out a massive, metallic groan from the corner, slapping his carapace with two claws simultaneously. "Oryx, you are disaster! You are making the meat-sacks lose their minds! They do not want a rage-vessel! They want to do science!"

You couldn't hold it in anymore. You leaned against the workstation, burying your face in your hands as your whole body shook with silent, helpless laughter. Ryland looked over at you, his expression a deeply comical mix of betrayal, embarrassment, and sheer exhaustion.

"You're not helping," Ryland hissed, though the corners of his mouth twitched slightly as he looked at you.

"I can't help it," you gasped, wiping a tear from your eye as you stepped forward, wrapping an arm around Ryland's waist. You looked up at the giant, vibrating structural engineer. "Oryx, we are incredibly honored by the Tri-Cuddle Basin. Seriously, the craftsmanship is a ten out of ten. But even though human relationships can be a cluster, ours is currently at maximum capacity. Ryland’s natural homeostasis takes up a lot of room, and my logistical brain can only handle one frantic scientist at a time. We have to decline the tripod."

Oryx remained silent for a long moment, the jaunty organ-hum slowly fading into a quiet, mournful minor chord. The two assistants lowered their heads (bodies??), looking deeply disappointed.

"A structural tragedy," Oryx sighed, the vocoder carrying a heavy, synthesized weight. "The arch remains a duo. My iron foundation must wait in the shadows. But I shall leave the fiber mattress here. In case your homeostatic efficiency fails during the cold season, Grace, and you require the superior thermal mass of an Eridian suitor."

With a slow, dramatic, multi-legged pivot, Oryx turned and began their majestic, sideways strut back toward the airlock, their assistants dutifully scurrying after them.

"I shall return tomorrow with a specialized lubricant that eases joint pain in bipedal carbon-forms!" Oryx called back right before the door hissed shut. "Do not lose hope, my fragile treasures!"

The room fell completely silent, save for the faint scent of mint and hot copper lingering in the air. Rocky let out a long, whistling breath.

"Oryx is very persistent," Rocky stated. "But the mattress is very high quality. You should keep it."

"We are not keeping the courtship mattress, Rocky," Ryland muttered, though he looked down at the shimmering, perfectly contoured fiber bed with a look of slight curiosity. He shook his head, clearing his thoughts, and turned to look at you, his arms winding tightly around your waist as he pulled you against his chest.

"So," Ryland murmured, his eyes narrowing playfully as he looked down at you. "A ten out of ten for craftsmanship, huh? You were really considering that tripod."

"Hey, I'm just saying, a lead-lined, radiation-proof bed that matches my exact spinal curvature is a pretty solid pitch," you laughed, leaning up to press a soft kiss to his jawline. "But don't worry, Grace. Your natural 37-degree pulse is still the only ecosystem I want to live in."

Ryland let out a soft breath, his expression softening into that deep, fiercely protective warmth that no alien technology could ever replicate. He leaned down, capturing your lips in a long, lingering kiss that completely erased the lingering chill of the alien habitat.

"Good," Ryland whispered against your lips, a bright, triumphant grin returning to his face. "Because I'm not sharing my squishy human partner with any rock. No matter how well-buffed their carapace is."

ry's honest reaction to Oryx WHAHAHA

“Excuse me. Sorry.” You weaved and dodged the hoard of busy employees rushing in different directions. With the launch date on the horizon, the Baxter Building resembled an ant colony more than an office. Each person had a single goal and that was to get that rocket up in space.

While you couldn’t solve a complicated equation or weld metal, you quickly learned that you were pretty good at being an assistant. You had already built a system and connections with other departments that made it easier for you to do your job. Sue seemed to like you, at least you hoped she did cause it’s only been a month and you realized that you really liked working here.

Currently, you were on your way to deliver the stack of folders in your arms. Across the floor, you spotted the long chalkboard filled with various symbols and numbers that you would probably never understand. Dr. Reed Richards stood at one end, a piece of chalk hovered over the board. H.E.R.B.I.E, his robot assistant, hovered behind him diligently. Ready to take on any task the great doctor had for him.

The little robot was like you in a way. He chirped as you approached his maker.

“Dr. Richards?” He flinched a little as if you pulled him out of a number-induced trance. “Sorry to disturb you.”

“Ah, you didn’t. You saved me, actually. I needed a break. This equation’s been racking my brain for weeks now.” Dr. Richards crossed out a string of numbers and letters.

“It does look pretty tricky.”

“Tricky’s one way to describe it.” He rubbed his stubbled jaw while he stared at the board in thought.

“I don’t wanna keep you for too long. Sue wanted you to have these documents.” You handed him the stack of files. The corners of his mouth turned up slightly at the mention of his wife.

“Thank you.” He flipped through them and picked out a single folder. “Has she mentioned anything about tonight?” He glanced at you expectantly.

“She’s very excited for your date.” You grinned. Over the past couple of weeks, you’ve been a firsthand witness of Sue and Reed’s relationship. The sweet nothings they would mumble to each other when they thought you were out of earshot, the extra slip of paper slipped in between stacks of folders, the way they seemed drawn to each other in a crowd.

Definitely didn’t make you feel more single than you already were.

Nope.

“Great.” Dr. Richards smiled shyly. You tried to ignore how red his face had gotten. “You tell her I’ll be done in a few hours and that I promise to be on time.”

“I will.”

“You’re the best.” Dr. Richards turned back to his board and immediately started scribbling. You took that as your sign to go back to your desk. You waved H.E.R.B.I.E goodbye and you swore the beeps he made sounded like him saying goodbye back.

Again, you weaved and dodged the crowd to get back to your desk and get started on yet another task. You were listing down to-dos in your head when you spotted a man by your desk. You sighed and braced yourself for impact.

“Hey, sweetheart.” Jonathan Storm called out as he saw you approaching. He was leaning on the front of your desk. One leg crossed over the other, arms bracing his weight behind him. Big, handsome grin on his face.

“Johnny.” Your voice clipped as you walked around him. You started typing on your computer, trying to ignore him in hopes that he would leave you alone before he could see how flustered he had made you with two words and a smile.

“Busy?” He turned and put his forearms on the edge of your desk, eyes burning a hole in the side of your head.

“Kinda.”

“Gunning for employee of the month?” Johnny picked up a pencil from your cup and started tapping it against the side of your monitor.

“Maybe.” You spared a glance at him. “Do you need anything from Sue?” You tried to divert the attention away from you.

“No, I don’t need anything from my dear sister today.” Johnny sighed and plopped down on the seat you kept in front of your desk for any visitors.

“Then what are you doing here?” You stopped your typing and you fully faced him.

“Wanted to see my favorite assistant.” He shrugged.

“I’m not your assistant.” You scoffed.

“No? Then I just wanted to see you.” A sly grin spread across his lips like the Cheshire cat. You blinked at him for a second, two. Allowing yourself to indulge in his attention until you remembered who he was, who you were, where you are.

You pulled your eyes away from his and looked down at your desk.

“Johnny… You can't say things like that to me.” You strained.

“Why not?” He asked you.

“Cause you work here.” You threw your hands up in exasperation. Could he really be this dense? “And I work here. For your sister, might I remind you.“

“What does that have to do with anything?"

“You can’t…you know.” You moved your hands in the air awkwardly.

“What?” He was goading you now, big brown eyes boring into yours.

“Flirt with me.” You said through your teeth.

“But I want to.”

“But you can’t.”

“You don’t want me to?”

“I-“

He had you cornered. Damn him.

“How about this? I’ll try my absolute best not to flirt with you.” You glared at him but he never wavered. He continued to blind you with that signature Storm smile. “And you can pretend not to like it. Deal?”

“Johnny.”

“Seems like a pretty sweet deal to me.” Johnny put his arms out as if to say ‘See?’. “Just as pretty as you are.” He added with a wink.

“Johnny!” You exclaimed. You couldn’t stop the flush that spread over your body even if you wanted to. Before you could tell him off again, you heard Sue’s voice calling you from inside her office. “This isn’t over.” You pointed a finger at him and narrowed your eyes.

“Oh, I hope not.” Johnny simply smirked and slid down on the chair as if he were lounging on the beach.

The keyboard clicked and clacked away as you typed out a report. The office had gotten quiet, people started leaving a couple of hours ago. Even Sue had passed by your desk and told you not to stay that late. You promised you wouldn’t. You just had a couple more things to do and you could call it a day.

But you thought about how you would save so much time tomorrow if you got a few more things done today. So here you were, neck aching and hands cramping, checking off yet another one of your to-dos.

You rolled your neck around to relieve some of the ache. You really needed to be more conscious of your posture.

“If you keep staying here this late, I think they’re gonna start charging you rent.” A voice echoed through your empty office, making you jump. Your relief turned into annoyance when you saw who it was.

“Johnny, you scared me!” You put a hand to your pounding chest.

“You’re working in a dark office all alone and you get scared of little old me?” Johnny dropped down in the seat in front of you again. “But, don’t you worry. Johnny’s here now and he’s gonna keep all the scary monsters away.”

“My hero.” You said dryly but a smile tugged on your lips. “Nothing better to do tonight?”

“Just keeping you company.” He shrugged. “And making sure you don’t stay here overnight. Do you realize how late it is?” You shook your head and checked your watch.

“It’s already 10pm?” You gasped. Your desk was faced away from the big window, so you didn’t realize just how dark it had gotten. You swore you weren’t working that long.

“Didn’t see the sun setting?”

“Not really.” You mumbled sheepishly.

“Did you leave this desk at all today?” Johnny raised a brow at you.

“Yeah, Sue had me pick up some reports from her earlier.” To which you took to your desk, sat down, and typed out reports for.

“And?”

You rattled your brain. “And… I used the ladies’ room a couple of times.”

Johnny made a ‘tsk’ sound and plopped a brown paper bag on your desk. “Eat up, busy bee.”

“What is this?”

“Food.” He reached inside and tossed something your way. You awkwardly caught it and saw that it was a burger wrapped in parchment paper. “I'm pretty sure you haven't had anything to eat the whole day.”

“How’d you know that?” You said, voice barely over a whisper. Your stomach grumbled as if it remembered what hunger was. Meanwhile, Johnny was already digging into his own burger.

“Well, I’ve been observing you for a couple of weeks now. I know you get so focused on your work that you skip meals.” He picked up a fry from the bag and popped it into his mouth. “And when I saw your car in the parking lot, I figured you'd be in here for another hour or three, so I went and picked up some burgers for us. Lo and behold, here you are. Glued to your desk.”

You were quiet for a second. Since you started here, Johnny had been pestering you. He was nice, of course but he had a knack for catching you at your busiest and talking your ear off. He annoyed you most days, made you smile on others.

Today… Today, he made you smile.

Johnny noticed that you were working late and brought you food. You could cry but you weren’t sure if it was because you were touched or hungry.

“You've been watching me? Stalker.” You unwrapped your burger and took a bite. He rolled his eyes at you.

“That's all I get? Insults? No ‘I love you, Johnny! You saved me from starving to death!’?”

“Thank you, Johnny. You saved me from starving to death.” You continued to eat your burger and looked Johnny dead in the eye.

“I think you got that first part wrong.” Johnny lifted his brows, expectantly. He wanted to hear the words ‘I love you, Johnny’ come out of your mouth. Fat chance.

“Mm,” You moaned exaggeratedly around your burger, making Johnny shift in his seat. “This is so good. I think it wiped my memory. Who are you again?”

Johnny chuckled. “Yeah, yeah. Go eat your burger.”

A-choo!

You sneezed into a wad of tissue that you’d crumpled into your hand. You wiped your nose and stuffed it into your skirt pocket. There was a bug going around and you did everything in your power to keep it away from you. You took your vitamins, overloaded yourself with fruits and vegetables, stayed far away from anyone who tried to clear their throat.

And yet.

It got you.

You sniffled miserably and went back to taking notes on the engine test Sue asked for. It was hard to focus when you had a pounding headache and a round of coughs threatening to spill out. Shake it off.

“You feeling okay, hon?” A gruff voice asked. You turned and saw the kind, worried eyes of Benjamin Grimm.

“I’m fine, Ben.” Your voice was hoarse.

“That runny nose and wad of tissues sticking out of your pocket says otherwise.” He pointed a finger at your hip.

“That’s nothing.” You shoved your hand in your pocket and pushed everything down.

“If you say so.” He nudged your arm with his elbow. “Take it easy at least.”

You smiled gratefully. Ben looked rough and mean on the outside, piercing blue eyes and a mouth of a sailor to match. You were pretty intimidated by him when you were first introduced but you quickly learned that he was just a big sweetheart once you got to know him.

The two of you continued your work. Ben was helping you make sense of all the technical jargon. After a couple of minutes of note taking, your vision started to get hazy and you wobbled on your heels.

“Okay, let’s take a break.” Ben stated. He gripped your arm and gently pulled you down to a nearby chair. You wanted to protest but he cut you off. “No, no. Sit down. I’ll get you some water.”

You tried to call out to him but that round of coughs you were suppressing finally made itself known. When you were done, you sunk down in your chair.

I hate this. You thought. God, you missed the days when your nose wasn’t clogged.

“Hey, so I stayed in last night. Crazy, I know. Who am I?” You groaned. Johnny was gonna rip you a new one. You sat up and put on the most “I’m not sick!” expression you could muster, even slapped your cheeks a few times to get some color back in them. Johnny strolled up, carefree as always. “Anyways, I watched that movie you were talking about last week and- whoa, wait.” He stopped in front of you. Johnny scanned your face with an intense gaze.

“Hi, Johnny.” You said, sweetly, but he just narrowed his eyes at you.

“What’s wrong?” He questioned.

“Nothing’s wrong. How was the movie?” You tried to distract him.

“No, no, no. You look pale.” Johnny put one hand on the back of your chair and bent down to be closer to you. Your face was heating up. You were going to chalk that up to the fever you were probably developing…and not because of his face so close to yours. “Did you forget to eat again?”

“I had lunch.”

“She’s sick!” You looked over Johnny’s shoulder and saw Ben coming back with a glass of water in hand.

“Ben!” You mouthed 'traitor' at him. Ben mouthed 'not sorry' back at you.

“Sick?” Johnny immediately grabbed your face with both hands and your eyes were back on his. “You’re burning up, sweetheart.” Johnny’s voice was soft. His thumb brushed your cheek with a featherlight touch. You leaned into his palm for a fraction of a second. Blame it on your flu-ridden brain.

“Johnny, it’s okay.” You matched his tone.

“What the hell are you doing here? Go home.” He gave you an incredulous look. He took one of his hands away from your face and reached back for the glass of water from Ben. “Drink.”

He put the glass in your hands and helped you take big gulps. You didn’t realize how dehydrated you’d become. “I’m not going home.”

“I’m taking you home.” Johnny put his hands on your forearms and pulled you up gently but firmly.

“You don’t know where I live, Johnny. And I’m not leaving.” You shook your head which was a big mistake. You felt light-headed again and wobbled. Johnny gripped you even tighter while glaring at you.

“Sue!” Ugh. You heard your boss’ heels clack behind you. You turned your head much slower this time. “Your assistant has the plague and refuses to go home.”

“The plague?” Sue raised a brow.

“He’s being dramatic.” You corrected him. Sue put the back of her hand to your forehead and tsk-ed.

“Why didn’t you tell me? I would’ve given you the day off.” She crossed her arms.

“We have so much to do.” Your argument was getting weaker every time.

“It can wait til tomorrow. Today, all I want you to do is to rest until you feel better.” She pointed at you.

“But-“

“No buts.”

Fight’s over.

“Fine.” You conceded with a pout.

“I’ll drive her home.” Johnny put an arm around your shoulder and guided you to a walking pace.

“Feel better, hon!” Ben called out to you. You waved back to him.

“Did you like the movie though?” You asked Johnny.

“Loved it.”

The copy machine was slower than usual today and you were getting impatient. You had a pile of 30-page reports that needed 4 copies by tomorrow morning and you were only at number 3. It didn’t help that you picked the wrong pair of heels today and they were pinching your toes. Never, ever wear pointy heels at work.

You fed another piece of paper through the machine and put your weight against it while you tried to alleviate some of the pain on your feet. You rolled your ankles a few times on each side while grabbing the warm piece of paper and placed it with the rest of the copies. That was the last of copy 3. You pulled out the original pages and started the process one last time.

Sighing, you put the first page in. You looked around the office. It was pretty empty at this time, but there were a few stragglers that you knew would start packing up soon. The machine whirred while you took a headcount of who was still here. John, William, Shelley, Johnny….

Wait.

Your eyes snapped back to your desk where a certain blonde was in his usual seat. A smile tugged on your lips and you may or may not have started speeding up your copying. Once the final page shot out onto the tray, you gathered all of your papers and walked back to your desk.

Johnny was mindlessly fiddling with the pens you kept in a mug on your desk. He had his back to you so you would be able to surprise him for once.

“I think people are starting to notice that you spend more time at my desk than you do at yours.” You giggled when he flinched.

“Well, the view here is much better than mine.” He recovered quickly and shot you an easy smile. You shook your head, letting the flirty comment wash over you.

You pulled out the puncher and punched holes through the reports. You opened your box of paper fasteners and started to arrange your copies into their respective folders. Sparing a glance at Johnny, you saw that he was tapping a beat on your desk with a pensive expression on his face.

“Is everything alright?” You asked.

“Why wouldn't it be?” Johnny tried to keep it light but you heard the edge in his voice.

“You're just…” You dragged, trying to find the right words. “Quieter than usual.”

“‘s been a long day.” He let out a long breath. Johnny’s brows furrowed and the corner of his lips turned downwards.

“You did a flight simulation today, right?” You fastened the last report into its folder and gave Johnny your full attention.

“Keeping tabs on me?” A ghost of a smirk graced his lips.

“Part of the job.” You shrugged. “Did something happen?”

“They suspended me.” Johnny said after a beat. He stopped his drumming and placed his palm flat on the wood.

“What? Why would they do that?” Johnny was hand-picked by Reed to join the launch. It made no sense to suspend him.

“Well, they put me in there and it was fine. Just fine, but I knew that the real thing wouldn't feel like that. I've never been to space obviously but I got this gut feeling that it needs to be more intense." He explained.

“Then what happened?” You tilted your head in confusion.

“I tried to tell them that we could take it up a notch. I could take it. The machine could take it. Reed wouldn't make something that would break that easily. The guys operating the machine were just cowards." His breaths were harsh as he leaned back in his chair.

“That still doesn't explain why they would suspend you, though."

"I was getting there.” He gave you a pointed look but you saw a hint of his usual smile on his lips. You bit back a smile yourself. “While the guys were out on lunch, I sneaked back in and reprogramed the machine.”

There it is. Over the months of knowing Johnny, you learned that he was pretty impulsive. Once he had an idea in his head, he was going to see it through no matter what.

“They caught you?”

“Red handed. Stopped the simulator and told on me like we’re in fucking preschool.” Johnny said through gritted teeth, hand curling into a tight fist. You could see a flush of red on his cheeks and his breaths getting shallower.

“How long are you going to be out for?” You wanted to reach out and touch his hand but you held yourself back.

“A month.” He scoffed.

You sighed in relief. “At least they didn’t kick you off the mission.”

“Ha, they can try to replace me.” Johnny jabbed a finger on his chest. “They won’t find someone else.”

“Oh, I know. The team wouldn’t let that happen.” You paused. “Neither would I.”

Johnny’s eyes crinkled. “Going soft on me now, sweetheart?”

“Just cause you’re all mopey today.” You teased. “And don’t worry about the suspension. I’ll be sure to take down notes at every meeting.”

“Color coded?” He narrowed his eyes at you.

“Of course. Who do you think I am?” The two of you smiled at each other softly. “I am sorry, Johnny.”

“It’s not your fault.” He waved a hand at you. You frowned.

“But you’re upset and you’re my friend so still. I’m sorry.” You rambled.

“I’m your friend?” He asked, sounding way too happy about it.

“I think so. Do you think we are?” Your voice got quiet, feeling shy all of a sudden.

“I do.” Johnny nodded.

A warm, fuzzy feeling came over you. You didn't know when it happened, but Johnny had become a staple in your life. It was so easy to talk to him. You found yourself drawn to him in a crowd, saving seats for each other every time there was an office-wide meeting. Then of course, you found yourself here on most days. Sitting at your desk, talking about everything and nothing. Some days, Johnny would just sit there and wait for you to finish working. He’d talk your ear off but you realized it was just to get you to stop working and go home.

Johnny was a friend. And a pretty good one at that.

“Do you wanna go get something to eat? I think we both need to get out of this place.” You logged off your computer and shut it down.

“Asking me out?”

“As a friend.” You gave him a pointed look.

“Uh-huh, sure.” He played along, nodding sarcastically. “Unfortunately, I’ve got plans tonight so I’m gonna need a raincheck on that.” A part of you was disappointed but you brushed it off.

“That’s okay. Next time?” You slung your bag over your shoulder.

“Next time. But, thank you.” Johnny locked eyes with you. “For listening.”

“Any time.” You smiled at him. “Ready to go?”

“You go ahead. I forgot something in my locker.”

“Okay, I’ll see you Monday?”

“Drive safe.”

You navigated out of the building and pushed the doors open. Fresh air filled your lungs, something you often take for granted after being in a stuffy office all day. The parking lot was fairly empty. You could see your own car a few rows down and spotted Johnny’s fire red convertible parked close to the door.

What you didn’t expect to see was the woman leaning against it.

You recognized her. She worked here too but in a different department. She didn’t pay you mind when you walked past, too caught up with finding something in her bag. You looked away before she could catch you staring but your brain was going a hundred miles an hour.

Did she know Johnny? Of course, she knows Johnny. Everyone knows him. What was she doing by his car? And most importantly…

Why was this bothering you so much?

Eventually, you made it to your car and started the engine. As you were pulling out of the driveway, you caught a glimpse of Johnny coming out of the building. In the rearview mirror, you watched him walk up to the woman, kiss her cheek, and open the passenger door for her.

You pulled your eyes away and focused on the road ahead. An uncomfortable feeling settled in your gut. You felt a little nauseous but you ignored it, just like you ignored the green-eyed monster that was slowly making itself known.

Whatever.

You were too busy to have a crush on anyone, anyways.

Much less on someone like Jonathan Storm.