AFTER chatting a bit more about his schedule for next week, they ended the call. Astrid took another sip of his tea. Well, that went better than expected. He had thought Ellis might have a stronger reaction. But after all the other shocking news he had dropped on her before, she was probably used to it by now. That would explain why she stayed much calmer than he had anticipated.

Once he finished his tea, he got up from his seat and stretched his arms over his head. Then he started on his meal prep for the night. He decided to keep it simple, making spicy chicken pasta and a side salad, with freshly squeezed orange juice to go with it.

He pulled out what he needed from the pantry. First, he marinated two chicken breasts and set them aside. Then he chopped up the vegetables for his salad and made the dressing. Once everything was mixed in a bowl, he put the oranges through the juicer. After that, he started on the pasta sauce and let it simmer on the stove. Just as it began to bubble, his Terminal rang with the sound of a video call request.

He already had a good idea who it was before he even looked. So when he opened his Terminal, a smile was already forming on his lips. That smile only grew wider when he saw Wulfric’s name appear on the screen.

"Hey, baby," Wulfric said, like he had been calling him that for years. "How was your day?"

Astrid blinked, then felt heat rise to his cheeks. What the heck? What was with the ’baby’? For a moment, his composure almost cracked. His stomach flipped, then flipped again. A warm rush spread through him, and he had to fight the urge to smile like an idiot. Somehow, this simple word caught him completely off guard and left him feeling lightheaded in the best way.

But he forced himself not to show any of it. Wulfric would only get more smug if he saw how much that one word had affected him. So he lifted an eyebrow and kept his voice steady. "Baby? Where did that come from?"

Wulfric had the good sense to look a little sheepish. "Well, I read in books that when people become a couple, they start using pet names for each other. I thought about it for a while and decided on ’baby’. It just felt right."

What kind of books was he even reading to come up with that idea? Astrid wondered, both amused and confused. But before he could answer, Wulfric’s face shifted. An embarrassed look crossed his features.

"You don’t like it?" he asked, suddenly looking like a sad puppy with its ears drooping.

Astrid felt his heart soften as he watched Wulfric’s expression. It was almost ridiculous. How could the same man who made people tremble in fear look so unsure over a simple nickname? He was adorable, and he probably did not even realize it.

"If you don’t like that one, there are others," Wulfric said quickly. "There’s honey, darling, sweetheart, pookie bear, sugar plum, sweetie pie--"

"Okay, let me stop you right there," Astrid said before Wulfric could list off any more. The first few names had been manageable. But the further he went, the more Astrid felt his face twitch. "If you really want to call me a... pet name, just pick something, uhm, not too much ."

Wulfric’s face lit up again, the disappointment gone in an instant. "So baby it is, then?"

"Well, if you’re okay sharing a pet name with Reas and his boyfriend, then sure," Astrid said, a teasing smile tugging at his lips.

He had not meant to eavesdrop, but he had overheard Reas talking to Lauren on his Terminal once. Reas had called him ’baby’. When Astrid heard it, he felt a little awkward. No matter how much Reas denied it, he was still his little brother. Hearing him call someone baby with so much affection felt almost like walking in on him making out. It was a bit uncomfortable.

He also thought it was a little cringe, no offense to his brother. But when Wulfric had called him the same thing earlier, he finally understood the appeal. It hit different when the person you loved was the one doing it.

Wulfric’s face fell when he heard that, like someone had just told him his favorite dessert was discontinued. Reas was using the same name for his boyfriend? For a split second, he felt genuinely robbed. How dare that kid steal his idea? Then he caught himself and realized how ridiculous that thought was. ’Baby’ had to be one of the most common pet names out there. He should have known that, considering he had read it in more than a dozen romance novels. But then again, that was exactly why he had chosen it. He thought it would sound more romantic.

But now that he knew ’baby’ was so common, he figured he should probably use something more original. The question was, what? He stood there thinking for a while, running through different options in his head. Then, finally, a good one came to him.

"My Star," Wulfric said slowly, testing it out. "How about I call you my Star?"

Astrid’s eyes went wide the moment he heard it. His face felt hot, the heat creeping up from his neck to his ears. His heart started beating faster, loud in his own ears. The name caught him off guard. It was simple, just two words, but it made something in his chest tighten. He had not expected Wulfric to come up with something like that. But maybe he should have. Wulfric did call him his number one star before. But that was more in writing, than him saying it out loud. So, he didn’t expect the effect it would have to be like this.

He swallowed and tried to find his voice, but for a second, nothing came out. Wulfric must have taken his silence the wrong way, because his next words came out careful and unsure.

"Don’t you... like it?"

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