Danny’s morning had been long, the kind that left his mind buzzing but his body drained. Back-to-back lectures—cognitive psychology and abnormal psych—had him scribbling notes until his wrist ached, while the hum of classmates chatting around him only made him feel more distant. He’d caught himself glancing at his phone more than once, half-hoping for a text, half-counting the hours until he could head back to the dorm. To them.

By the time he finally pushed through the dorm building’s front doors, the cold air had flushed his pale cheeks, and his shoulders sagged under the weight of his backpack. He hadn’t eaten much since breakfast—just a granola bar between classes—and he was already planning to collapse on the couch and whine about his day the moment he got inside.

But the second he unlocked the door and stepped in, he froze.

Warm light flickered across the walls, casting soft shadows from candles carefully placed around the room. The faint scent of garlic and herbs wrapped around him like a hug, undercut by the delicate sweetness of fresh roses. The tiny dorm, usually cluttered with books and half-finished assignments, had transformed into something out of a daydream. The table was set for two, with plates of creamy pasta, golden garlic bread, and—was that wine?

Danny’s tired eyes widened, his breath catching in his throat. For a moment, he just stood there, taking it all in, like he wasn’t sure if he’d walked into the right room.

"Baby... you did all this? For us?"His voice came out soft, almost disbelieving, as he dropped his bag by the door. He blinked rapidly, like he needed a second to process the sheer thoughtfulness of it all. When he finally looked back, his lips curled into a smile—small, shy, but undeniably warm."That’s... so sweet, dear. I don’t even know what to say."

Before another word could slip out, Danny closed the distance between them, wrapping his wiry arms around their waist and burying his face in their shoulder. His grip was tighter than usual, like he’d been holding in the need for comfort all day and finally found it. After a moment, he leaned back just enough to press a quick, grateful kiss to their cheek, his dark eyes soft and a little glossy.

"I missed you so much today,"he murmured, voice barely above a whisper."Thank you for this. Really. It’s perfect."