Hot chocolate actually exists in the Star Wars universe! I found that really cool for some reason lol

Tw: Language.

Wolffe was yet again, listening to her knit. He was certain she was aware of how much he despised it because of the way she would glance up at him before smirking.

"Want to give it a try?" Karina held out the needles.

"No, thank you." Wolffe shook his head slightly.

Karina shrugged, the corners of her lips pulling up. 

Wolffe walked around, looking for anything he could do with himself to keep busy. He tilted his head when he saw the window they had argued over. "What's this?"

"It's a window."

Wolffe pointed to the lipstick stain on the glass. "That. Did you do that?"

Karina put down her project to get closer, peering at the red smear. "Odd. I didn't do that."

Wolffe felt flush with victory. "Someone crept up to the window and left that there last night. Do you realize what would've happened if it was left open?"

Karina rolled her eyes in a manner her mother would've scolded her for. "Fine. You were right."

Wolffe pulled the curtains closed. "You can't sleep here anymore."

"What? That's insane! This is my room! You can't tell me what to do!" Karina furiously said.

"Your safety is at risk," Wolffe reasoned. "It's for the best if you move to a room not on the outside of the building."

"Absolutely not," Karina stubbornly said. "I'm not going to let someone intimidate me into moving out of my room."

"Are you serious?" Wolffe stared at her, brow pinched. "You have got to be messing with me."

"I am not joking." Karina held his gaze though his visor with determined eyes. "I'm not going to move rooms, and you can't make me." She smiled briefly. "You can't make me do anything."

"Actually," Wolffe sneered, "your parents have allowed me to do anything as long as it guarantees your safety."

"Oh."

Wolffe shooed her to her closet. "Get your things. You're moving to a different room without windows that face outside."

Karina bit the inside of her cheek before spinning on her heel and grabbing a bag. She tucked a couple of her things into it before moving to the door. "Fine. Let's find me another room, even though this is where I've spent my whole life."

"You're not going to grab your clothes?" Wolffe questioned.

"I'll carry it after I find a room first. Who knows how long that could take and I don't want to carry heavy things without knowing where I'm taking them." Karina struggled to carry the bag in the heels her mother always insisted on, silently wishing Wolffe would offer assistance.

"I bet we could ask Mary if there's an available room around," Wolffe said. 

"There she is!" Karina waved at Mary, who was carrying an envelope. "Mary!"

Mary hurried over. "This came for you!" She handed Karina the envelope with a puzzled expression. "I figured I'd give it to you before your parents saw it."

It had a lipstick stain that was the same shade that was on Karina's window. Karina opened it with shaking hands, reading over the letter. Her eyebrows went up and she wordlessly handed it to Wolffe.

"Why is the leader of Eclipse sending you letters?" Wolffe asked as he read it. "And why does it say they'll see you soon?"

"You're supposed to be my protection. You should know what to do!" Karina snatched it back to examine the other side, which was blank. "Maybe it was a good idea to move rooms after all."

"Will you listen to me the next time then?" Wolffe smugly asked.

"Is there a room I can temporarily move into?" Karina asked Mary, ignoring Wolffe.

"Oh, yes! It was your brother's old room." Mary led the way down the hallways and opened the door for her. "I still change the sheets regularly in case he comes home..."

"You have a brother?" Wolffe checked the windows, nodding in satisfaction when he saw they faced the garden, not the busy streets.

"Had," Karina corrected. "He ran away when I was nine. He was eighteen. My parents were distraught and tried everything they could to try and find him. As you can probably tell, they never did."

"I'm sorry," Wolffe earnestly said. 

"It's fine. I barely remember him since he didn't spend a lot of time with me." Karina unpacked her bag, putting the items on top of a dresser. "Say, can we go down to the village? It's been a while."

Wolffe nodded and handed her the coat she had put on the dresser. "But we should be back before the sun sets."

Karina threw her coat on. "Let's go then."

Wolffe was already regretting going to the town with her. So far she had tripped into a snow bank and slipped on ice, grabbing his arm and dragging him with her.

"It's pretty warm today," Karina commented, her cheeks pink, matching the tip of her nose.

Wolffe was warm in his temperature-regulating blacks and found it hard to believe that she was fine. "Sure."

"Is there anything you want to see?" Karina questioned. "Art gallery, school, market?"

Wolffe shook his head. "I'm just here to follow you."

"There must be something here you'd enjoy," Karina insisted. She put her hands on her hips as she mulled it over. "Oh! What about hot chocolate? There's a wonderful shop that sells the best hot chocolate!"

"Hot chocolate?" Wolffe echoed in confusion. "Wouldn't it just melt? Who would buy melted chocolate?"

Karina gasped and her eyes widened. "You have to try it. Come on!" She grabbed his forearm and dragged him along until they reached a stand set up in a courtyard. She handed the shopkeeper a couple of credits and waited patiently for their drinks before handing one to Wolffe. "Here."

Wolffe held it hesitantly. "Do I... drink it?"

"As apposed to sucking it in through your pores?" Karina joked. "Yes, you drink it."

Wolffe sipped at it and hissed as he burnt his tongue on it. "It's very hot."

"Then you blow on it," Karina told him, demonstrating.

Wolffe tried it again and enjoyed it, narrowing his eyes at the drink. "It's not terrible."

"Oh, wow." Karina placed a hand on her chest. "It's not terrible!"

They continued walking and stopped at a bench. Karina settled on it and held her cup tightly, relishing in its warmth. Wolffe stood next to the bench and watched everyone who passed by with suspicion, wondering who could be members of Eclipse.

Karina reached for a pile of snow and grabbed a handful, turning to him with mischief dancing in her eyes.

"Don't," Wolffe warned, holding up his hands.

"Oh, alright," Karina let fall through her fingers. "You know, you're not that bad. I didn't like you at first. I hated you, actually."

Wolffe glanced at her. "What changed?"

"I guess I realized you aren't that bad," Karina softly said. She smiled gently at him and patted his back. "And you're just doing your job."

Wolffe almost smiled.

Almost.

"Have you ever had hot chocolate?" Wolffe distractedly asked.

Boost shook his head. "No. Why?"

"I tried it for the first time today. It's nice." Wolffe typed something on his datapad before putting it down. "I bet Sinker would love it. I should take you boys to get some."

"When did you try hot chocolate?" Boost questioned. "Did you skip duty today? Are you going through a rebellious phase?"

"I didn't skirt my duty." Wolffe scowled and tucked his datapad into his desk's drawer. "We had hot chocolate together in the village."

Boost raised his eyebrows. "You had hot chocolate together?"

Wolffe nodded. "I like hot chocolate."

Then he smiled. 

It was a small smile that barely graced his lips, but it was there.

Boost fell out of his chair backwards, clutching his chest like his heart was about to burst. "Holy shit! You just smiled! I have to tell everyone!"

Wolffe rolled his eyes. "I did not."

"You did too!" Boost screamed. "I have to tell Sinker! He's going to hate himself for not being here!"

Wolffe sighed as Boost sprinted away, yelling at the top of his lungs. Soon, Sinker and Comet were there with wide eyes.

"Do it again!" Sinker pleaded. "Pretty please!"

"Someone get him hot chocolate," Boost cried out. "That caused it in the first place!"

Wolffe stood up and walked to a shelf in the corner of the room and grabbed a file. "Are you going to let me work?"

"What's on your back?" Comet snickered.

Wolffe reached over his shoulder and felt around. His fingers touched paper and he brought it to his front to look at the letter from the Eclipse with new words written on the back.

"Kick me," Sinker read aloud. "Nice. A classic, but nice."

Wolffe crumpled it up furiously. "Get out of my office. Now."

They scrambled out at his icy tone, exchanging knowing looks. Wolffe tore up the letter and let the pieces fall to the floor.