"SHOULD I make you another one?" Astrid asked, clearly amused as he watched Wulfric finish his sandwich in three bites.

Wulfric felt a little embarrassed to ask for more, but he was still hungry. He also didn’t want Aster to cook again while he was still eating his own food. So he said, "Do you have any leftovers from last night? I can just have those."

Astrid caught on to what Wulfric was thinking and smiled to himself. He got up and walked over to the refrigerator, pulling out a plate of scallion chicken from last night. He placed it in the food heater and pressed the setting for reheating frozen dishes. The machine hummed to life, and he turned back to Wulfric.

"Do you want some rice too?" Astrid asked. "I still have some from last night. It should still be warm." He appreciated the rice cooker’s setting that kept rice warm until the next day. It was a small convenience, but it made a difference, especially for someone who loved rice as much as he did.

Wulfric stood up right away, plate in hand. "I’ll get it. You sit down and finish your food. Where is the rice cooker?"

Astrid pointed toward the rice cooker sitting on the counter beside his knife block, then walked back to his stool. He watched as Wulfric scooped a generous amount of rice onto his plate, enough to feed three people. Just as he finished, the food heater let out a soft ding, signaling that the scallion chicken was ready.

"I’ll get it," Wulfric said, setting his plate of rice down on the island before turning toward the food heater.

"Be careful, it’s hot," Astrid called out. "Use the mitt."

Wulfric nodded and slipped the mitt onto his hand. He opened the heater and carefully pulled out the plate of scallion chicken. Astrid bit back a laugh at the sight. The fearsome general, the man who commanded armies and struck fear into the hearts of his enemies, standing in his kitchen wearing a polka dot oven mitt and holding a plate of chicken. To preserve this scene, he quietly opened his Terminal and snapped a picture before Wulfric could notice.

Once Wulfric had settled back onto his stool with his rice and chicken, Astrid returned to his own meal. They ate in comfortable silence for a while, the only sounds the occasional clink of utensils against plates.

"That was really good," Wulfric said after they’re done eating, patting his stomach. He finally felt full, properly full. He set down his fork and reached for his plate and Astrid’s. "Let me clean up. It’s the least I can do."

He stacked the plates and took them to the dishwasher, loading all of them in with incredible efficiency. Then he pressed a few buttons to start the cycle. Astrid watched him for a moment, a smile tugging at his lips. He opened his Terminal again and quietly snapped another picture.

"So, are you going to tell me what you’re really doing here in the capital?" Astrid asked once Wulfric had settled back onto his stool. "Is there some kind of military business you need to handle here?"

A flash of embarrassment crossed Wulfric’s face. He scratched the back of his neck, looking anywhere but at Astrid. "I... I kind of snuck out."

Astrid’s eyes widened slightly, but somehow the answer didn’t surprise him as much as it probably should have. Maybe he had already expected something like this. That didn’t mean he wasn’t going to scold him for it, though.

"Wulf, may I remind you that you’re a general?" he said, crossing his arms and doing his best to look stern. "You have responsibilities. You can’t just leave your planet whenever you feel like it just because you wanted to see me."

Wulfric pouted. Actually pouted! "I can’t help it! We finally got together. I got your parents’ approval and everything. Do you know how hard it was to stay put after that? I kept thinking about you, about seeing you in person. How was I supposed to just sit on Alluna and not come see you?"

Astrid opened his mouth to point out that his parents hadn’t really given their approval so much as reluctantly accepted the situation because it was what their son wanted. But before he could get a word in, Wulfric kept going.

"Besides, Leland is on Alluna. He can handle things while I’m gone."

Astrid winced at that. He had a feeling Leland was always the one "handling" things for Wulfric. "Did Leland even know you left?"

Wulfric’s face took on that guilty look he always got when he had done something he knew he shouldn’t have. The one where he suddenly found the ceiling very interesting and refused to meet Astrid’s eyes.

He narrowed his eyes at Wulfric. "So what, you just left in the middle of the night and hopped on a ship?"

Wulfric scratched the back of his neck again. "More or less?"

"Go call Leland and apologize," Astrid said. "I’m happy to see you. More than happy, actually. But leaving Alluna without even telling your lieutenant is not a good look. What if Leland thinks I’m a bad influence on you?"

Wulfric moved around the island in a blur, his hands coming up to cup Astrid’s face before he could even blink. "No, my star. There’s no way Leland would think you’re a bad influence. If anything, I’m sure he thinks you’re good for me."

Astrid just stared at him, a look of skepticism written all over his face. His expression clearly said he thought Wulfric was talking nonsense.

Wulfric grinned at the look on his face. "No, I’m serious. Before you, I was a mess. Uncontrollable, volatile. Leland used to get constant headaches just from dealing with me. But ever since we got closer, I’ve been more steady. More in control. More stable. You keep me grounded, Aster. You make me want to be better, not because anyone’s telling me to, but because I want to be the best version of myself for you."

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