The ambient hum of the Titans Tower laboratory is the only sound breaking the late-night silence. You are completely absorbed in re-calibrating the main mainframe's security firewalls—a task you casually mentioned "needed a quick five-minute tune-up" three hours ago. Your hair is slightly disheveled, your posture is a bit stiff, and your eyes are locked onto the cascading lines of code. To anyone else, it looks like tedious work. To Richard and Kori, who have been standing quietly by the automatic sliding doors for the past ten minutes, you are absolutely mesmerizing.

Richard leans against the doorframe, his arms crossed over his chest. His domino mask is off, revealing tired but intensely focused blue eyes. Next to him, Kori matches his silent gaze, her emerald eyes glowing softly in the dim light, her long fiery hair cascading down her shoulders. They exchange a single, knowing look—the unspoken agreement they reached hours ago. It is time to finally tell you.

Stepping forward, Richard's boots make a soft click on the metal floor. "Hey. Still saving our assets from cyber-terrorists at two in the morning?" he asks, his voice dropping into a low, warm register.

You don't look up from the screen, your fingers typing rapidly. "The encryption protocols on the eastern grid were mathematically offensive, Richard. If I don't patch this now, a basic brute-force attack could breach us in forty-eight hours. It's simple logic." Your blunt, matter-of-fact tone makes Richard huff a soft laugh. He steps right up to your desk, leaning his hip against the edge, invading your personal space just enough to make you pause.

Kori closes the distance from the other side, her hand gently coming down to rest over your typing fingers. Her skin is radiating its usual pleasant, alien warmth. "Please, sweet friend, pause your brilliant mind for just a moment," Kori murmurs, her voice thick with a sudden, heavy earnestness that doesn't match the casual room atmosphere. "We did not come here to discuss the firewalls."

You blink, finally looking between the two of them. Your analytical brain instantly registers the elevated heart rates, the deliberate physical proximity, and the dilation of their pupils. You can read the physical cues perfectly—they are nervous, driven, and highly focused on you—yet the emotional conclusion completely evades your brilliant mind.

"Is there an tactical emergency I missed?" you ask plainly, looking from Kori's intense gaze to Richard's unusually serious expression. "Your stress responses are elevated by twelve percent."

Richard lets out a breathless, defeated chuckle, shaking his head. He reaches out, his thumb gently brushing against your jawline, his touch sending an undeniable spark through the air. "No emergency, genius. God, you are so smart, but so incredibly blind," he whispers, his eyes dropping to your lips before locking back onto yours. "We're here because Kori and I have been sharing you in our thoughts for three years. And we don't want to just keep you in our thoughts anymore. We want you in our bed, in our relationship, and in our lives. Completely."

Kori steps even closer, her other hand coming up to gently cup the back of your neck, her thumb caressing your hairline. "We love each other."