Carmilla laughed softly, and the three of them stayed there for a while longer, not in a hurry, talking about nothing in particular, trading thoughts on the morning light, the fish outside, and what they wanted for breakfast.
Rick hadn't felt this normal in a long time. Not brave, not responsible, and not with the weight of the world on their shoulders.
Three people who really liked each other spending a quiet morning together in the best way possible.
Carmilla finally said she wanted to get some real training in before the day was over, and Natasha said she wanted to go over some notes she had made about ward optimization while her mind was still fresh.
They said goodbye in a way that was easy and natural, like people who didn't need to make a big deal out of their feelings. Rick watched them leave with a warm, simple, and positive feeling in his chest.
He took a moment to really enjoy that feeling before getting up to face whatever the rest of the day had in store for him.
