The theater lights flickered on, harsh and sudden after two hours of soft, cinematic glow. Cassian blinked, disoriented, like he'd been pulled out of a dream he didn't want to leave.
He yanked his hands back from Leonel and Aiden like they'd burned him, cheeks flaming. On screen, the credits rolled some sappy piano melody still playing but all he could hear was his own heartbeat, loud and unsteady in his ears.
Aiden stretched with an exaggerated groan, arms over his head. "So," he said, grinning sideways at Cassian, "robot shark next time, or should we go full rom-com and ugly-cry together?"
Cassian ducked his head, but a small smile tugged at his lips. "As long as you don't steal my popcorn again."
"Never," Aiden said solemnly, hand over his heart. "I merely… redistributed the snacks for optimal enjoyment."
