Serena had just finished her relentless teasing, leaving him with a headache he wasn't sure he'd recover from. Sienna, as always, remained calm, watching him with a gaze that felt far too analytical for his liking.
He sighed, tilting his head back against the sofa, stretching his arms behind him. But as he moved, his fingers brushed against something around his neck.
A chain.
A pendant.
He frowned slightly, pulling it forward—a miniature version of Dragonis, perfectly crafted in intricate metal.
It was Sienna's gift.
The locket she had personally made for him.
Jasper stared at it for a moment, letting it dangle from his fingers, the tiny sword reflecting the dim blue lighting of the ship's interior.
"She really put effort into this."
But why?
He glanced at Sienna, who had shifted slightly closer, though not enough to make him uncomfortable. Her silver-white hair cascaded softly over her shoulders, her sharp yet elegant features still carrying that unreadable expression.
"I don't get it."
"Why does she care so much?"
Jasper sighed, rolling his shoulders. "You really went out of your way to make this, huh?"
Sienna tilted her head slightly. "It wasn't difficult. I wanted to."
Jasper rubbed his thumb over the pendant. "Yeah, but why?"
Sienna smiled softly. "Because I like you, Jasper."
His fingers froze over the metal.
Not in shock. Not in embarrassment.
But because he still didn't get it.
He let out a short breath and leaned back. "Well… thanks, I guess. It's cool."
Sienna observed him, noting the lack of reaction, the absence of any flustered response.
She had expected that.
But she still didn't understand it.
Sienna adjusted her posture, keeping her tone gentle yet direct. "Jasper, do you understand why I'm saying these things to you?"
Jasper scratched his head lazily. "You like hanging out with me. I get that."
Sienna's silver eyes held his gaze. "It's more than that."
Jasper sighed. "Look, I appreciate you, alright? You're great. Smart, strong, all that. But… I think you're reading too much into this whole 'feelings' thing."
Sienna folded her hands on her lap. "Then let me explain it differently."
She leaned forward slightly. "Love isn't just about attraction, Jasper. It's about connection. It's about finding someone who makes you feel at peace just by being there. It's about trust, comfort, and understanding."
Jasper hummed thoughtfully, then shrugged. "Sounds nice. But… I don't really care about that kind of stuff."
Sienna's lips parted slightly, but she didn't interrupt.
Jasper continued, his voice as calm and casual as ever. "I mean, yeah, people fall in love, they do the whole romance thing, and that's fine. But for me? I don't think that stuff matters."
Sienna studied him, her mind piecing together every conversation they'd had.
She had known Jasper for a while now—long enough to understand that he wasn't just rejecting love. He just… didn't recognize it.
Because he had never felt it before.
Not in the way she did.
Not in the way most people did.
"Jasper has been alone since the beginning."
He had no family. No siblings. No one to teach him what love meant.
To him, love wasn't something missing from his life—because he had never seen it as something he needed.
Sienna sighed softly. "Jasper… you've never experienced love before, have you?"
Jasper blinked, then snorted. "I mean, if you count the three-second crushes I had on hot girls in bars, sure."
Sienna shook her head. "That's not love. That's attraction."
Jasper shrugged again. "Then no, I guess not."
Sienna's chest tightened slightly.
She had expected this. But hearing it aloud still stung in a way she didn't anticipate.
Because it meant he truly didn't understand what she was trying to give him.
She wasn't frustrated.
She wasn't angry.
She was just… sad.
But before she could say anything else—
A voice interrupted.
"Oh, wow, would you look at that!"
Jasper groaned instantly. "Oh, for the love of—Serena."
Serena stood in front of them, arms crossed, her smug grin practically radiating mischief.
Jasper narrowed his eyes. "What did you do?"
Serena feigned innocence. "Oh, nothing major. Just a tiny, little, completely harmless situation."
Jasper already hated this.
Sienna, completely composed, simply asked, "What kind of situation?"
Serena snapped her fingers.
The lights in the room suddenly dimmed to a soft, warm glow.
At the same time, the ship's AI activated a slow, romantic melody in the background.
The furniture around them subtly rearranged, and in the middle of the room, a candle-lit dinner table projected itself as a hologram.
Jasper stared.
Sienna blinked.
Serena grinned.
"There! Perfect atmosphere for a confession!" she announced proudly.
Jasper sighed deeply, dragging a hand down his face. "Serena. Why."
Serena sat on the edge of the table, smirking. "Because you, my dear, emotionally stunted dumbass, need all the help you can get."
Jasper slumped back into the sofa, completely unfazed. "And here I thought I was gonna get a peaceful day."
Serena cackled. "Not a chance."
Sienna, though amused, watched Jasper carefully.
He still wasn't reacting.
Not flustered. Not uncomfortable. Not even slightly nervous.
Instead, Jasper stretched his arms lazily, completely undisturbed. "Look, if you two wanna set up a 'fake romantic moment,' go ahead. Just don't expect anything dramatic from me."
Serena groaned. "Unbelievable. How are you this emotionally resistant?!"
Jasper smirked. "Because, unlike you, I'm not a hopeless romantic."
Serena clutched her chest dramatically. "I am wounded."
Sienna, however, wasn't playing along this time. She stood up, folding her arms, her voice softer but still firm.
"Jasper."
He looked at her, still calm, still casual.
"You really don't feel anything, do you?" she asked.
Jasper shook his head. "Not in that way, no. Like I said, it's just… not important to me."
Sienna exhaled slowly.
He wasn't lying.
He really, truly didn't see love as something he needed in his life.
She nodded, stepping back. "I understand."
Jasper tilted his head. "You're not mad?"
Sienna smiled softly. "No. I just… hoped I could make you understand."
Serena leaned back, watching them both. "Damn. That was kinda tragic."
Jasper laughed lightly. "Told you. I'm fine the way I am."
Sienna watched him for a moment longer, then nodded.
She wouldn't force him.
But she wasn't giving up either.
Because whether he realized it or not—
He wasn't as fine as he thought.
The air inside the Silverstar felt… different.
It wasn't tense. It wasn't uncomfortable.
But it carried a strange, unspoken heaviness.
Jasper didn't notice it—not fully. He was too relaxed, too indifferent to the weight of what had just happened. To him, this was just another conversation.
But for Sienna… it wasn't.
She stood up from the sofa, her movements as graceful and composed as ever, but her mind was far from calm.
She didn't let it show.
She didn't sigh. She didn't frown.
Instead, she simply said, "I'll be in the control room. I need to finalize our trajectory and mission reports."
Her voice was as steady as always.
Jasper nodded, not thinking much of it. "Cool. Have fun with your, uh… numbers and stuff."
Sienna gave him a small, unreadable smile before turning away, walking toward the sliding door of the control room.
The moment she was out of sight—
Her fingers curled slightly.
She wasn't angry.
She wasn't frustrated.
But she was disappointed.
She had told herself she would be patient. That she would give him time.
But for the first time, she wondered—
"Will he ever understand? Will he ever care?"
She exhaled slowly, shaking off the thought, then focused on the holographic interface in front of her.
Numbers. Trajectories. Data streams.
The cold logic of space travel didn't require emotions.
And maybe, for now, that was exactly what she needed.
Meanwhile, Serena had been watching everything.
At first, she had teased and laughed, enjoying every second of Jasper's obliviousness.
But now?
Even she was getting tired.
She stood up, stretching her arms with an exaggerated groan. "Alright, you know what? I'm done."
Jasper raised an eyebrow. "Done with what?"
Serena rolled her eyes. "With you. With this. With trying to make you feel something other than 'oh, cool' or 'haha, whatever.'"
She waved a dismissive hand. "I give up, you unshakable, emotionally extinct dumbass."
Jasper grinned lazily, completely unfazed. "Aww, don't give up on me now, Serena. I thought we had something special."
Serena deadpanned. "If I had a laser cannon right now, I'd test it on your face."
Jasper snorted. "Sounds like love to me."
Serena dragged her hands down her face. "I cannot deal with you right now."
With that, she turned on her heel and marched toward the bedroom, the door sliding shut behind her.
For a few seconds, the ship was silent again.
Jasper exhaled, stretching lazily on the sofa.
"Finally. Some peace."
Or so he thought.
Sienna had buried herself in work for the past hour.
She had analyzed star maps, energy readings, ship diagnostics—anything to keep her mind occupied.
But eventually, she realized something.
Avoidance wouldn't solve anything.
She had already tried honesty. She had tried logic.
Maybe… she needed a different approach.
One that wasn't about explaining love to Jasper.
One that wasn't about waiting for him to figure it out.
But one that was about simply making him feel something different.
She didn't need to force a realization.
She just needed to plant a seed.
Taking a quiet breath, she stood up and walked back into the living quarters.
Jasper was still lounging, tossing a small holo-disk in the air absentmindedly, clearly lost in his own thoughts.
She approached calmly, sitting down on the same sofa as him—closer this time.
Not close enough to make him uncomfortable.
But close enough to make him notice.
Jasper glanced at her, but he didn't say anything at first.
She was quiet for a moment, then spoke—her tone lighter this time.
"I think I've been going about this the wrong way," she said.
Jasper raised an eyebrow. "Going about what?"
She gave a small, knowing smile. "You. Your way of seeing things."
Jasper smirked. "Oh? So you're finally admitting I'm right?"
Sienna shook her head. "No. I'm just saying that you're a different kind of person. And that's fine."
Jasper blinked. He wasn't expecting that.
Sienna leaned back, crossing her legs gracefully. "I think instead of trying to explain things to you, I should just let you experience them. No pressure. No expectations. Just… seeing what happens naturally."
Jasper tilted his head. "So… what, you're giving up too?"
Sienna smiled. "Not at all. I'm just changing my strategy."
Jasper narrowed his eyes playfully. "Should I be worried?"
Sienna chuckled. "Not at all. Just relax, Jasper. I'll handle the rest."
Jasper wasn't sure why that sent a weird chill down his spine.
But before he could think too much about it—
The door to the bedroom suddenly slid open with a loud hiss.
Serena marched back in with the most evil smirk ever.
Jasper groaned. "Oh god. You again."
Serena plopped down on the couch opposite them, stretching out dramatically.
"You know what? I had a nice nap, and I've decided…"
She pointed at Jasper.
"…I'm doubling down."
Jasper stared at her blankly. "Doubling down on what?"
Serena grinned. "On making your life a living romantic nightmare."
Jasper groaned, leaning back. "For the last time, I'm not into romance!"
Serena ignored him, turning to Sienna. "Alright, new plan. Since Jasper is clearly incapable of basic human emotions, we just need to set up more situations where he has no choice but to feel something."
Jasper threw up his hands. "That's literally the worst plan I've ever heard."
Serena winked. "Oh, just wait. You're gonna LOVE it."
Jasper pointed at Sienna. "You're not gonna let this happen, right?"
Sienna smiled mysteriously. "I'll allow it."
Jasper's soul left his body.
Serena laughed evilly. "Buckle up, lover boy. This is gonna be so much fun."
Jasper sighed deeply.
"I need a new ship."