Su Ling dragged a chair over and sat down, leaning forward with a mischievous glint in his eyes, a little burst of triumph in his voice. “I won’t force you. If you wanna eat, just turn your head to me and blink twice. I’ll feed you, nice and slow.”

The admiral’s back went rigid, and he closed his eyes, his face a blank, impassive mask—stone cold, unyielding.

Su Ling had expected this, didn’t care, didn’t get discouraged. He picked up the bowl of chicken soup and took a big slurp, moaning in delight, loud and dramatic. “Mmm—so good. Droid food’s fine, I guess, but it’s missing something—humanity. It doesn’t taste like someone cared when they made it. This soup? It’s rich and savory, the flavor lingers on your tongue, it’s perfect.”

He ate noisily, his mouth full, rambling on and on, singing his own praises like a street vendor hawking his wares. “This fish porridge with the big-bellied space fish is chef’s kiss. The porridge is soft and creamy, melts in your mouth, and the fish is so tender it falls apart—explodes with flavor in every bite.”

“Oh my god, this cake!” He took a bite of the mousse, his eyes widening in fake awe. “It’s so smooth and fluffy, sweet but not cloying, I almost swallowed my tongue it’s so good. Can you smell it? Sweet and buttery and warm. You really don’t wanna try just a little bite?”

He ran out of words eventually, his plate clean, and still the admiral’s eyes stayed closed, his body motionless.

Su Ling told Square to clear the dishes and take the table away, then sat down on the edge of the admiral’s bed, silent, just staring at his face.

What was his problem? Su Ling thought, a little frustrated. He’d made all his favorite foods, set them right in front of him, and he wouldn’t even open his eyes. Was he not hungry? Not tempted? Was he even human? He just sat there, silent as a statue, day in and day out—what was the point? He was making Su Ling’s job impossible.

But no matter how stubborn the admiral was, Su Ling wasn’t going to give up. He stared right back, his eyes bright and determined, unblinking.

After what felt like an eternity, the admiral’s eyes fluttered open. Su Ling leaned in immediately, his voice soft, eager. “Square saved me today. You ordered it to protect me, didn’t you?”

The admiral’s expression was flat, empty—no confirmation, no denial. Su Ling leaned in closer, their faces only a few inches apart, his breath fanning the admiral’s cheek. “I know it was you. Square has no free will, no mind of its own—it only takes orders from you. You told it to feed me, to house me, to listen to me, to protect me.” He smiled, a bright, hopeful little thing, his conclusion firm. “So you don’t hate me, do you?”

Faced with Su Ling’s clear, bright eyes, the admiral’s gaze turned complicated, dark and deep like the ocean floor—who knew what lay hidden there? Whirlpools, tornadoes, tsunamis… or a quiet, calm stillness no one had ever seen.

“I… I only have myself.” Su Ling’s voice dropped, a little sad, a little lonely. Stranded in a strange world, no family, no friends, he was grasping at any lifeline he could find, desperate to hold on to something real. “We’ll be stuck with each other for seven months. Just the two of us. Can’t you say just one word to me? Even a ‘hm’ would be enough.”

It was practically begging, his voice soft and pleading—and still, the admiral only narrowed his eyes, not a single syllable passing his lips.

So stubborn! Su Ling grumbled to himself, taking a deep breath and forcing a bright smile back onto his face, like the admiral’s coldness hadn’t stung, like he wasn’t a little heartbroken. “Thank you anyway.”

The admiral’s face was as stiff as ever, like his paralysis had seeped into his features, turning them to stone.

They stared at each other in silence, and Su Ling’s mind whirred, a sudden thought clicking into place. Refusing to eat or drink because he was paralyzed? Was that the key? The full-body paralysis?

A lightbulb went off in his head, a faint understanding dawning. He thought he knew why the admiral was living on nutrient shots now—he just needed to confirm it.

His gaze never left the admiral’s face, but he spoke to the motionless medical droid in the corner, his voice casual, calm. “Brute? Can you come with me for a minute? I need to ask you something.”

“Affirmative, Admiral’s spouse.”

Su Ling lifted his chin, a little smug, a little playful, and shot the admiral a grin. “Admiral. I can even get your medical droid to follow me. Aren’t you scared I’ll do something bad? Do you trust me that much?”

He turned and walked out, his steps light and confident, his back straight, a little spring in his step—like he’d just won a great victory, like his life was finally safe.

The admiral’s lips twitched, a tiny, almost imperceptible upward curve—you’d need a microscope to see it.

In truth, the permissions he’d given Su Ling were minimal—just food, shelter, and safety. He was the admiral’s spouse, in name only; it was the bare minimum of responsibility, nothing more.

The little fool had no idea what he was so proud of. But that look on his face—when he thought he’d won, when he was all proud and smug— it was like a kid who’d just gotten their favorite toy, pure, unadulterated joy.

Kinda cute.