The last bits of food had been picked at, the conversation fading into a comfortable silence. The city hummed around them, lights twinkling like distant stars, the warm breeze carrying the faint sounds of life below.
Juno stretched with a soft groan, arms overhead. "Alright," she said, "I guess I better reopen before someone accuses me of abandoning my post."
Ren stood slowly, reluctant, stretching the stiffness from his arms. "Shame," he said, voice low.
Juno grinned over her shoulder. "You coming back, then?" she asked, casual — like she already knew the answer.
"Yeah," he said simply. "I'd like that."
She led the way down the rickety ladder, back into the humming warmth of the store.
Juno pushed open the door to the storefront, flipping the CLOSED sign back to OPEN with an exaggerated flourish. "And just like that, the city's finest late-night snack and energy drink haven is back in business."
Ren stepped into the main store, hands in his pockets. "Bet people were really suffering without it."
Juno snorted. "Oh yeah, I'm sure there's a whole mob of desperate customers just waiting to raid the instant noodle aisle." She looked out at the street, it was dead. As expected. Suddenly she became aware of how private their time together had become.
She turned back to him, leaning against the counter. "You heading out?"
Ren hesitated for a fraction of a second before nodding."Yeah, need to rest up before Vilnius kicks my ass again. See you tomorrow?"
Juno gave him an amused look. "Oh, so now we're planning ahead?"
"I guess this is a thing now. Thanks for dinner," he said.
Juno waved him off. "Yeah, yeah, don't get all sentimental on me. Just means you owe me one. I'm like a crossroads demon, now I own your soul."
Ren laughed softly and walked out into the night.
The automatic doors slid shut behind him, and as he stepped onto the quiet street, she let out a slow breath.
Something about tonight had shifted things.
Not in a bad way.
—-
The next morning, Ren arrived at the Omnivale lobby just as the sun started climbing over the city. The air still clung to the night's coolness, but the promise of another hot day was already humming through the streets.
His muscles ached from training with Vilnius, but he barely noticed. His mind was somewhere else. Somewhere it probably shouldn't be.
It had been so long since he had even thought about the concept of friendship.
Ren had shut himself off from the idea entirely. Zoe had tried to encourage him to be more sociable.. but who with?
Friendship wasn't something worth focusing on when it wasn't something his world could accommodate. He had never been around people long enough for it to happen. He'd see people every few months, but they'd be gone in a few days.
He knew he was awkward.
And even now, he had convinced himself that coming back here wasn't about connections. It wasn't about him. It was about training people, about protecting the people here. Saving the world.. and the burden of pressure that came with it.
But then there was Juno.
And she just... talked to him. Treated him like he was normal. Like he belonged in her life.
Not as a warrior. Not as a time traveller. Not anything special.
Just as a guy who stopped by her store every night.
And somehow, that was starting to feel more significant than anything else.
It was just dinner. Just conversation. Just... her.
He exhaled through his nose and shook his head as he walked through the gleaming halls of Omnivale, machines humming quietly, workers chatting in clipped tones. Even without the sword on his back now, he still drew glances. He never really fit here—and he gave up trying to.
He found Zoe in her office, as always, bent over a cluttered desk, surrounded by blueprints and documents. Coffee in one hand, pen in the other — multitasking like it was second nature.
When she heard him step in, she glanced up, arching an eyebrow without missing a beat.
"Morning," she said. "I saw Vilnius earlier. Guess you bruised more than just his ego this time."
Ren smirked faintly. "Morning."
Zoe set her coffee down and leaned back against the table, studying him with a sharp eye. "You slept on the sofa last night."
He shrugged. "Didn't wanna wake you. Thought it best to stay downstairs."
"Hmm." She tilted her head, watching him too closely. "You came back late."
Ren gave a noncommittal grunt, but Zoe wasn't fooled. She narrowed her eyes and pointed her coffee at him like it was a weapon.
"You've got that look," she said. "The one where you're five seconds from either confessing something stupid or running for the hills. C'mon, out with it."
Ren shifted his weight, uncomfortable. "It's nothing."
She crossed the room casually, brushed an imaginary wrinkle from his jacket. She gave him a look that was somewhere between teasing and exasperated.
She lowered her voice slightly, teasing. "Get into a fight? Having an affair with my assistant?.. Her husbands a nice guy, I see how she looks at you though."
Ren blinked. "What? No. It's not.."
Zoe just smiled that infuriatingly knowing smile, the one she always wore when she knew he wasn't being honest to himself about something.
"You think too much." She said it in a knowing tone, as if implying more. She moved in front of him and raised her arms to his neck, slowly adjusting his collar.
Ren hesitated before nodding.
She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, drawing him lower into a hug, kissing him gently on the forehead.
"I trust you'll tell me when you're ready. Just... don't wait too long. We don't have forever and I want honesty." Her voice was sad, as if knowing more than she would let on. She turned and left him standing there, lost in the mess of his own mind.
An affair with the secretary would be simpler. No attachments.
Whatever this feeling was, was harder to define, and that's what bothered him. At what point did comfort become intimacy?
He needed to see her.
–
Ren usually visited Juno's store late in the evening, after the city had quieted down, after training had worn him out and the world felt just a little bit slower. But today, after his talk with Zoe, something made him change his routine.
He decided to go earlier, closer to the start of her shift. Just before the sun started setting, when Omnivale inc employees were still heading home, when the streets were alive with noise and movement.
It felt different coming here now, with the store actually busy.
The automatic doors slid open, and instead of the usual empty aisles and soft hum of the fridges, Ren walked into a rush.
A real rush.
There were people everywhere—scientists, engineers, workers still in their Omnivale Corp uniforms, grabbing snacks and drinks before heading home. The store felt smaller, cramped with movement, voices overlapping, the register beeping nonstop.
And right in the middle of it all was Juno.
She was moving quickly behind the counter, scanning items, punching in totals, bagging snacks, all while keeping up a steady rhythm of conversation with the customers. She barely had time to look up as she worked, but she was still cracking jokes, still keeping the energy light.
Ren had never actually seen her working like this. Sure, she worked when he was there, but the store was usually empty enough that she had time to sit, to talk, to draw. Now, though, he saw the other side of it—the real work, the shift grind, the non- stop movement.
She was good at it.
Even though she looked a little overwhelmed, she kept her cool, never missing a beat.
Ren stood like an immovable mountain. Planted in place. He didn't belong here right now.
Maybe he shouldn't have come this early.
He had gotten used to their easy conversations, the quiet atmosphere where they had time to sit and talk. Now he just felt like he was in the way.
Still, he had already walked in, so leaving now would just be weird.
So, instead, he quietly grabbed a soda from the fridge, moving toward the counter just as Juno finally glanced up.
Her eyes flicked to him in brief surprise, but then she smirked, only slightly breathless from the rush.
"Whoa," she said, scanning someone's order. "You're early."
Ren smirked faintly. "I'd hate to be predictable."
Juno let out a short huff of laughter, bagging another order. "Bold move. You've walked straight into the storm."
"I can see that," he said, glancing around.
She finished ringing up another customer before finally taking his soda, scanning it quickly.
"You need anything else?" she asked, still moving fast.
"Nah, just this," Ren said, sliding some cash toward her. "Didn't want to disturb you."
Juno snorted. "You're the least disruptive person here" she said, handing him his change and a large thick envelope. Their hands lightly brushed as he took the coins and paper.
"What's this?" He asked
For a brief moment her focus shifted from her work, from the other customers, and focused solely on him. "It's a gift. Have a look when you leave... and you can tell me if you like it when you finish?"
Ren looked at her expression as she said it. Hopeful. The queue behind him started to shuffle, indicating they were taking too long. A large partially transformed Lycan directly behind him letting out a slow huff, lacking patience for this interaction.
"Of course. Thank you". He whispered to her as he moved to the side. He didn't like other people setting the pace of their day. Being a part of this.
Then, as quickly as he had arrived, he took his drink and stepped out, not wanting to linger when she was this busy.
As the door slid shut behind him, he exhaled, the night air hitting his skin. He wasn't sure why he had felt the need to come early. It wasn't like they were always going to have time to sit and talk.
He opened the envelope. Inside was a thick stack of rough photocopies — smudged ink, half-sketched scenes, messy margins. It wasn't polished. It wasn't perfect.
It was hers.
And she had trusted him with it.
On it was a sticky note that simply said "Thank you".
He smiled, and slid out the first sheet. His eyes widened.
The images hit him like a punch. She's finished the design of her protagonist, she had changed him completely, now he stands tall, confident, heroic, now weilding a sword.
Ren stared down at the drawing and the world tilted. He looked back at the store, barely seeing her through the window as she rung up customers.
He can't come back here. This is all wrong.