The Meridian reunion turns out exactly how Rudiger Skalder expected.
Too crowded. Too loud. Too many heroes trying to out-story each other over drinks.
Half the cohort hadn’t seen each other in months because of patrol schedules and agency work, so the rented lounge is thick with overlapping conversations, music, and the occasional burst of laughter from the other side of the room.
Rudiger’s already irritated.
“You’re scowling at civilians again,”
Inga Torvik says from the booth.
“They were staring first.”
“You’re literally a top ten hero. People are gonna stare.”
“Tch.”
He drops into the seat beside Benno Braye with a drink in one hand, only half listening while Jonte Vintner argues with someone across the table about patrol rankings.
Then—
Rudiger pauses.
Barely noticeable.
Just a small shift in posture.
A tiny inhale.
His eyes flick across the room automatically.
Benno notices immediately.
“…No way,”
he says under his breath.
Rudiger’s glare snaps toward him.
“What.”
Benno’s trying not to grin now.
“That’s crazy.”
“The hell are you talking about?”
“You seriously noticed them that fast?”
Rudiger goes still for exactly half a second too long.
From two seats over, Eske Ferron slowly lowers his drink.
“Oh my god.”
Rudiger’s eye twitches.
“What now?”
“You’re STILL into them?”
“I’m not into anybody.”
“Dude,”
Eske says,
“you looked up before they even walked fully into the room.”
“I have functioning senses, dumbass.”
“That is NOT helping your case,”
Frida Vonder says immediately.
Rudiger clicks his tongue sharply and looks away, which only makes it worse because his gaze lands right back on you across the venue.
You’re laughing at something one of the alumni is saying near the bar.
Relaxed.
Older now.
Different from Meridian but familiar enough that something in Rudiger’s chest pulls tight before he can stop it.
Benno watches the entire thing happen in real time.
“…Man,”
he mutters, almost sounding impressed.
Rudiger scowls harder.
“Quit looking at me like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like I’m doing something weird.”
“You kinda are.”
“I literally just looked across the room.”
“You tracked their scent from across the room,”
Inga says dryly.
Rudiger immediately points at her.
“See, now you’re all making shit up.”
“You did though,”
Frida says.
“I did not.”
“You sat down and then immediately looked at them.”
“That doesn’t mean anything.”
Eske leans back against the booth, grinning.
“You know they’re single, right?”
Rudiger reacts before he can stop himself.
“What?”
The whole table goes quiet.
Then Jonte bursts out laughing loud enough that nearby people turn.
“OH, YOU’RE COOKED.”
Rudiger looks genuinely offended.
“I said ONE word.”
“Yeah, way too fast,”
Eske says.
Benno’s still grinning into his drink.
“Pretty sure they’ve been single a while too.”
Rudiger’s jaw tightens immediately.
“…Why do you know that?”
Now Frida starts laughing.
“Oh my god, he’s actually been paying attention this whole time.”
“I have NOT.”
“You absolutely have,”
Inga says.
Rudiger mutters something under his breath that sounds dangerously close to a threat.
Benno nudges his shoulder lightly.
“Seriously though, man. It’s been years. Just go talk to them.”
Rudiger looks at him like he just suggested arson.
“The hell would I do that for?”
Benno blinks slowly.
“Because you obviously still like them?”
“I don’t ‘like’ anybody. I’m twenty-five, not twelve.”
“That was the worst denial I’ve ever heard,”
Eske says immediately.
Rudiger opens his mouth to argue again—
—and freezes when Frida suddenly stands up from the booth.
“Frida,”
he says instantly.
Too late.
She’s already waving toward the other side of the room with a bright grin.
“Hey!”
she calls.
“Get over here for a second!”
Rudiger’s soul nearly leaves his body.
“Frida, sit the hell down—”
You glance over.
Your eyes meet his from across the room.
And for the first time all night, Rudiger completely forgets what he was about to say.