Episode fanfic title: What the Hell is with the Mean Girls pink vibe for?

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(Narrator's P.O.V.):

"Give me a fish card." Cassandra starts holding her cards while Hal narrows his domino eyes, slightly annoyed: 

"Are you serious?" He glares. 

Making his niece show off her shitty grin, "Yup. And~ thank you." She snatched one of her uncle's cards, placed it in hers, and snickered until her uncle slowly smirked: 

"I got it, ...anchor." Hal points out, making his niece groan in defeat. 

"Damnit, every time!" She threw her cards at her uncle in a pout, who hummed in sweet victory he had stolen from his niece. 

Razer raised an eyebrow in annoyance: "Is this how you defeat a Green Lantern? A broken heart?" He sat in his seat with arms crossed as Kilowog's head leaned on his hand while moping in sadness, making Cassandra make a face behind the Red Lantern's head after hearing his comment, and decided to throw a HARD small box of cards at him in retaliation.

The box of cards hit Razer on the side of his head, causing him to jolt in surprise. He quickly turned to face Cassandra, his eyes burning with anger. 

"What was that for?" he spat, his voice dripping with venom.

Cassandra shrugged, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. "Just returning the favor," she quipped, satisfied with her retaliation: "Uncle, I need a gun card." Hal stopped his snort in exchange while he snapped his fingers in defeat before handing them to his niece. Razer, however, was not amused. He clenched his fists, his red energy construct forming around them: "You want to play rough, huh?" he growled. Before he could move, Hal intervened, stepping in between the two feuding teenagers, "Alright, that's enough," 

Hal said firmly, his green ring glowing. "We're here to have a good time, not start a brawl." Razer glared at Hal, his anger brimming beneath the surface. But after a moment of tense Silence, he reluctantly backed down.

"Still, but this is tragic." He spoke sarcastically.

"True, but you've felt this way before, Razer." Cassandra glanced at him to see him wanting to defend himself but realized she was right and decided to shut up. For now. As Razer thought of something, "And what about you? Surely you've felt like that." He asked, pointing at Kilowog's form.

Her smirk dies down before she blushes and awkwardly tells him, "Actually...Razer, I, um...I never fell in love with anyone before." She scratches the back of her neck by feeling embarrassment wash over her, making Kilowog's ears perk up but remain where he was sitting and moped.

"Never?" Razer asked, his tone filled with surprise.

Cassandra shook her head, avoiding eye contact with anyone in the room. "Nope, never. I've always focused more on my responsibilities as a college student and hacking stuff for more info to maintain aliens, people with powers that kind of refugees from other planets who come to the CodeLight warehouse back on Earth."

Razer's anger seemed to fade, replaced by a softening look of understanding. "I see," he said, his voice gentle, yet he was mentally stunned by this revelation. He thought Cassandra had dated; he thought Cassandra had dated her kind, and now, Razer hears this. He did not know how to react to it as his assumption about Cassandra's love life had been proven wrong. Razer had always believed that everyone had experienced love and heartbreak at some point, but Cassandra's admission challenged that belief. He wondered if her lack of romantic experiences was due to her dedication to her studies and her responsibilities as a college student.

Aya, silently listening to the conversation, finally spoke up. "You never fell in love? How so?" she said, her voice filled with curiosity about her best friend Cassandra's love life; she may be an A.I. with no emotions, yet she still showed how much she cared about her, who nodded. "Honestly, I've never had the time or the energy to focus on relationships. Plus, I've always been more comfortable with computers and technology than with people."

Razer couldn't help but wonder why, "Guess you weren't expecting that," she teased. Hal sighed, gave up playing with Cassandra, and checked on his friend, earning her a deadpan from Razer. 

"You want to talk about it, Sir 'Mopes-a-lot'?" Hal placed a hand over Kilowog's shoulder, but Kilowog moved away: "No, I miss Galia, okay?" His ears were flat down, and he looked down.

Hal felt saddened that he couldn't make the date night with Carol on Earth due to his status as a Green Lantern. "Hey, I know... You're not the only one who left someone they care about." Hal told him as Cassandra came in, "What we need to do is that you need to get your mind off this emotional stuff." "Good idea, Cassie. Aya, status?" Hal asked after fist-bumping her.

"Sensors indicate an entity 8,000 meters off the starboard bow. Contact in 20 seconds." As if beaming, she offered assistance. Cassandra enjoyed seeing her friend's unexpected smile, but Aya was unaware of it: "Thank you, Aya! That's exactly what I'm talking about." Hal turned to Kilowog with a smirk. "Alright, Kilowog. You're in charge." He nods, "What's your move?" 

Kilowog sighed. "Jordan, I appreciate what you, Cass, and Aya are trying to do, but I'm just not up for this." He spoke in defeat. 

The ship suddenly shook, causing Cassandra and Razer to lose their balance. Cassandra hit her head on the corner of her seat, and Razer helped her. "Ow!" She winced in pain and grabbed the side of her head. Razer moved a strand of hair off her face and asked if she was right. She replied that she was fine for now, but she would be furious if whatever caused the shaking happened again: 

"Uhh, what the hell?" Her uncle muttered as he and the rest got on their feet while Razer widened his angered blue eyes, "That's a real monster!" He angrily gritted his fangs, "I did give ample warning." Aya pointed out. Cassandra shouted, "Uncle Hal, you realize she wasn't playing along, right? Plus, Aya is serious about it whenever she tells us something." Hal shook off her comment before he glared at the monster just as Hal flew out with Kilowog and Razer to investigate. 

A giant greyish tentacle tries to snatch at them, only for Kilowog to be the unlucky one, while a roar comes from behind the Interceptor; Razer and Hal were already faced with an unidentified creature; Cassandra and Aya, on the other hand, watched from the windows: "/Aya, Cassie! The shock that thing off the-" Her uncle's comlink was cut off short by getting taken; He (Razer) tries to help but is saved when the two girls press the shock button to affiliate, in hopes of the monster getting off the Interceptor and letting go of their Lantern team from harm. Only to grow worse that it roared even louder than before: 

"It's growing bigger by the minute!" Cassandra exclaimed in total shock before taking a picture of it and sending it to Kia through her phone. After putting it away, her heart drops in fear when she turns to be faced by Razer and the rest captured by the monster. Still, then, an unexpected pink blast shoots the tentacle off them, uses the cameras from outside the ship (with the help of Aya, of course), and widens her eyes. 

The woman had blue skin, a slim figure, and black hair. She has darker blue eyes and face paint. She wears a unique pink lantern with a star in the shape of a sapphire costume: One with a sleeveless pink top that exposes her midriff and navel, two pink bands around the arms, a pink skirt with a longer length in the back than in the front and pink high heels. 

As for the other woman floating next to her, she must be around Cassandra's age, given that alien teenagers can be challenging to differentiate whether they are or not. She had grey skin, a petite curvy figure, and her grey hair in a mini ponytail. Her eye color was greenish-blue. She wears a unique pink top that exposes her midriff and navel, two pink bands around the wrists, and short-length shorts and pink heels. "How many lantern colors are they?" Kilowog questions in disbelief and shrugs.

"So, what? Are you Pink Lanterns?" Hal asked, while the lantern team, along with the pink ones, used their power rings to blast the monster away when the woman spoke softly, "~Not precisely," She continued, "~Where you value willpower, the Star Sapphires channel the power and serve the cause of love.~" 

Razer cringed. Back inside the Interceptor, Cassandra starts to cringe as the word 'love' is mentioned and grumbles: "I swear Aya...I get Mean Girl's pink vibes from this woman that I want to purge." She expressed distaste but then confusion when Aya handed her a bucket: "Um...why did you give me a bucket?" "Because you stated that you would start to purge by the woman's feature." Aya reminded her of her earlier statement.

This, of course, made the human girl raise an eyebrow and smile: "That...That was funny." "Really? I shall learn some 'funny' words to tell." Aya tilted her head as Cassandra nodded with a smile before they heard the conversation through the cameras of the Interceptor; she heard them introduce themselves as A'gapo and Gieta by offering them a trip to her home planet: "~This sector of space is ours.~" She explained, "But pardon my manners. I am Aga'po. This is my niece, Gieta." Aga'po said. Gieta waved at Cassandra's uncle, smiling shyly as she got defensive and pressed the speaker button: 

"Hal Jordan, sector 2814! You will NOT cheat on Aunt Carol because I will beat you a** until you learn a lesson!" Cassandra spoke, already protective of her uncle from A'gapo's niece, who seemed to notice his reaction freeze. 

A'gapo chuckled softly: "~Who was that who spoke?~" 

"Oh, t-that would be my niece, Cassandra," Hal replies awkwardly, scratching his neck, "She gets protective of what I do sometimes." 

"~I see. She is fond of you.~" 

"We need your help fighting the Red Lantern Corps," Hal stated. Aga'po immediately nodded in agreement with a confident smile. "I would be honored to ally myself with you, Hal Jordan," Giata said firmly. Cassandra's eyebrow twitched as she listened through the cameras, "~We are nearing our home planet.~" A'gapo then offered their hospitality, "~You should accompany us for rest and repair. Before you resume your mission?~" This made the others agree and leave for the Pink Lantern planet.

Inside the Interceptor, everyone was seated, minus A'gapo and her niece, Giata: "Course plotten to Zamaron." Aya announced as Cassandra slowly started to narrow her eyes at Giata being clingy on her uncle, but decided to ignore it so she wouldn't get much attention until A'gapo noticed Kilowog's state of sadness and walked up to his seat with her hands behind her back: "~Kilowog, you seem so empty.~" She gently told him, "I'd rather not talk about it." Kilowog looked away, only for her to shake her head at him by lifting his face to look at her with reassurance and kindness, "~You suffer from a great loss, a broken heart?~"

After closing her eyes, she sees a woman in Kilowog's mind. She smiles softly and releases him by sending a Star Sapphire ring to his love. Meanwhile, Cassandra observed the scene before telling Aya to record the conversation in secret so they could discuss it with Kia afterward; once she agreed, the human girl approached A'gapo. She stood up and asked, "A'gapo, can I ask you a question in private?" A'gapo replied, "~Of course, Cassandra. What is it that you wish to ask?~" The alien woman understood that Cassandra wanted to talk to her about something and followed her to the back corner of the main hangar.

She glanced at Razer and back at A'gapo before sighing, "It is the topic about love; I... I happened to tell my uncle and the others that I had never fallen in love before, a-and um, I don't know how to understand it."

A'gapo looked at Cassandra with understanding in her eyes. "~Love can be a complex and confusing emotion, especially if you have never experienced it before," she began. "~It is different for everyone, but at its core, love is about caring deeply for another person and wanting their happiness above all else. It can bring joy and pain but is also a beautiful and powerful force. It can't be fully explained until you feel it yourself."

Cassandra nodded, absorbing A'gapo's words. "I see... I guess I've always been so focused on my studies and responsibilities that I never really allowed myself the time to explore romantic relationships. But hearing about Kilowog's experience and seeing the impact it had on him... it made me curious."

A'gapo smiled warmly at Cassandra. "~Curiosity is the first step towards understanding," she said encouragingly. "~If you are curious about love, don't be afraid to open your heart and explore. But also remember that love cannot be rushed or forced. It will happen when the time is right."

Cassandra nodded once again, feeling a newfound clarity and acceptance. "Thank you, A'gapo," she said gratefully. They both walked away before Aya nodded at her about recording it secretly to listen to later.

Planet: Zamaron.

The Interceptor lands before the giant pink and magenta crystals around them, illuminating the landscape with its beauty and the serenity of its surroundings. Once everything was settled, Hal Jordan turned to Razer and asked: "You sure you don't want to come out? He tries to persuade him, "They're throwing us a party?" Razer stops typing down the landing coordinates with Aya and Cassandra, who watch him respond in his usual sarcastic personality: "How delightful of you; I'll pass." He shrugs a bit.

"Not a people person yet, but we're working on him." Hal shrugs in defeat before turning to his niece, "And you, Cassie? Wanna join?" At this point, she wasn't feeling up to it, so she made her choice and told him: "I'd... I'd rather stay indoors. I've got final homework to do." Cassandra said as she watched Kilowog and her uncle leave with the ladies. Once they were gone, she sighed in relief and raised her hands in victory, "Freedom from pink color!"

Razer raised an eyebrow but decided to ignore it.

Time skip~

Cassandra exited the room and was met with Razer doing some final check-ups on the ship's repairs while Aya was inside the engine room fixing it, "So, final homework, huh?" he asked, trying to make conversation. 

Startled a bit, she sees him and nods, her focus already shifting back to him: "Yeah, college life and all that. Gotta keep up with the assignments."

Razer leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. "You put a lot of energy into your studies, correct?"

She smirked, not taking her eyes off him: "Well, it's either that or dealing with being constantly bored girls who are clingy to others. Plus, it helps keep my mind sharp." 

He chuckled deeply and said, "It makes sense since you are reckless and interesting."

Cassandra shrugged, finally glancing up at him. "I've never really been into that scene. Besides, I enjoy the solitude. Gives me time to think and figure things out." Razer's gaze softened, realizing that there was more to her than meets the eye, but then she leaned towards his face, which got him baffled: 

"So~ you do think I'm interesting'?" She teased him by beeping his nose, causing him to blush and look away, but before he could defend himself, Aya walked towards them and spoke to them: "Repairs from the attack are complete," she continues, "but Green Lantern Kilowog is not responding. His energy levels have gone flat."

"He's dead?" Razer asks sarcastically, surprising Cassandra: "How so, Aya?" 

"No," Aya shrugs a bit of their question, "He seems to be... in stasis." "I knew this planet would be more trouble than it was worth." He gritted his fangs in anger, then contacted Kilowog's ring, who didn't answer for the last 7 minutes. As if he was secretly angered and anxious about not knowing where the two green Lanterns were in Zamaron, Razer growled a little when Cassandra held his hand to calm him down. Slowly, it worked. He calmed down a bit before

"Interceptor to Hal Jordan," Razer begins connecting his call through his red ring towards Cassandra's uncle, "Kilowog is not answering hails. Is he with you?" 

"/Kilowog's a big boy, Razer. I'm sure he's fine./" Hal comlinked before signing off with Giata, as Razer had already grown concerned before he asked Cass and Aya to find them. 

===Outside the Gate Entrance of the Star Sapphires===

Razer made a demand, stating that he did not want to harm anyone but was willing to do so if necessary. Cassandra and Aya stood behind him, watching as the Zamaronian guards threatened them for trespassing. Just then, A'gapo appeared and came to their aid. She floated down from above and stood before them like a royal queen. She declared the guest an honored hero who had valiantly saved her today. She welcomed the woman standing next to him as well. A'gapo then asked them what was bothering them:

"~This is an honored guest, one of the heroes who saved me valiantly today. Even the woman next to him is welcomed.~" She continues with her hands before her, "~Now, tell me. What's bothering you both?~" Before A'gapo could touch Razer's face, he grabbed her wrist as Cassandra got defensive while seeing the woman trying to caress him and spoke up in complete jealousy, "He wants to know where Kilowog is, m'lady. And please don't Razer... he does not like physical touch." 

Razer was surprised by Hal's niece's words, not expecting to see a new reaction from her of being protective of him, but he shook it off by sneering at the woman, "Where is he?" He gripped her wrist while the Zamaronian guards pointed their pink glowing spears at his threat for hurting their Queen, making A'gapo calmly look at him: "I do not know where he is at the moment." A'gapo spoke softly to him, "but I'm sure he has come to no harm. Come, we'll find your comrade together."

Cassandra gets in front of her and glares, "Try that on him, I dare you." A'gapo took the hint and chuckled, "~Oh, do not take wrongly, my dear.~" Inside her thoughts, she (Cass) thought in suspicion about the Star Sapphire queen:'She's up to something... it doesn't add up to anything, but I still don't like it AT ALL!' "~You'll be coming with us as well if it is alright with you?~" At this, it seems to ease her a bit, and she nods, "Sure." Cassandra didn't react when Aya signaled Kilowog's life nearby and that it was too weak to pinpoint where it was as she wasn't welcomed since A.I. or machines cannot enter the castle.

After being called a robot by A'gapo, Aya was insulted and felt that others did not value "emotionless machines" like her. This made Cassandra want to defend her friend, but Razer told Aya to wait for them before she could say anything. As soon as everyone walked away, Cassandra whispered to Aya, telling her to free Kilowog if he was captured. Aya narrowed her eyes and flew out to conduct her search for Kilowog while Cassandra followed Razer up the stairs.

A'gapo led Razer and Cassandra through the castle but avoided showing them the room where Hal and Giata were. Eventually, not long after, she took them to a room with pink walls and columns adorned with amethyst crystals. The room also had three pink velvet couches on each side: in the center, the left, and the right; next to each were coffee tables with three long glasses of purple juice: "What a shock... Kilowog isn't here, either." Razer sarcastically crossed his arms while furrowing his blue eyes at the Zamaronian Queen, "~Worry not, will find him." 

Cassandra, on the other hand, looked around the room in pure disgust before hiding it with a small fake smile while she put her hands behind her back, fidgeting her fingers a bit, "A'gapo, I don't want to be rude, but... what is that?" She hesitantly asked: "~This is a Kavleen fruit. We use them as refreshments for when we have company,~" A'gapo replies calmly, hiding her real intentions from the human girl, who didn't relax or move from her place: "I see..." As for Razer, he silently notices her discomfort and places his hand around Cassandra's, grips it to ensure her that it is alright, and she returns it when A'gapo sees the interaction. Upon sensing the rising jealousy, she came towards them with three glasses of juice in her hand.

"I always get what I want; I am the Queen, after all." She hands the glasses to them before they can take and drink them. A sudden green blast breaches through the now open wall, and Aya comes through it by saying: "Razer, Cassandra. They have imprisoned Kilowog." She informs them, making Razer widen his eyes before glaring through his shoulder to meet A'gapo's fake worried expression. As for Cassandra, she felt like she was willing to kill her on the spot.

Tension grew thicker than before as Cassandra and Aya were being motioned to stay behind Razer, who pointed his red ring at A'gapo for taking another seductive step towards them: "Do you not believe the soulless automation?" "I have amble reasons to trust them over any of you." The Star Sapphires Queen was enraged at this rate: "~GUARDS! Take them!" The female Zamaronian guards point their rings and spears at them in defense as Razer, Cassandra (who secretly took out the blaster she brought for emergency), and Aya get ready to fight.

It took about 2 minutes until the trio got defeated by A'gapo's women guards; Aya was put to the ground, while Cassandra was pinned to the wall by the violet crystals around her body except her face, and Razer, on the other hand, was trapped. Tension grows so thicker that the Queen cat walks towards him and snaps: "You will surrender Kilowog, Witch!" "~Child, you're friend is happy." A'gapo continues slyly, "Like you soon will be.~" Cassandra then glares in determination and shouts, "Leave him alone, or I'll ensure that I break your bones with no hesitation, you b*tch!" 

Suddenly, the alien Queen (A'gapo) slapped her across the face, making Razer growl as he struggled against his crystal bonds, "Harm and I will have no mercy from me!" Hoping his threat would scare A'gapo, she merely smiled and said, "~I see now why Razer values you so much, Cassandra. You have fire in your heart that you cannot help but truly love him.~" The truth was exposed, and she went silent by turning flustered, as Razer widened his blue eyes in shock at the revelation that Cassandra had feelings for him, 

"I'm here, A'gapo. Please listen," Giata's young voice echoed through the broken wall as she floated towards her aunt to the center of the room. "We must release the men. We've been laboring under an imperfect understanding of love. Earthling Carol Ferris rejected the ring and put her love's needs ahead of her own. That's true," Giata continued. However, A'gapo silenced her niece by backing her off, saying, "Silence! Men spread war." Cassandra was shocked to hear that Carol Ferris was here and immediately asked Giata, "Giata, how's Carol? Is she safe?" "Yes, she is safe and sends her regards to you, along with a message to not get hurt," Giata replied.

Both girls smile but are cut short by the Queen, who silences them again before gently touching Razer, causing Cassandra to feel burning flames of jealousy rushing through her body and mind. Aya noticed her friend's reaction but said nothing: "~The Star Sapphires bring the gift of love." With an evil smile, she slowly turns to face the Red Lantern, "~The galaxy will know peace once all men have been gentle by Violet's light~." 

A'gapo slowly closed her eyes, touching his cheeks while watching his mind: "~~So, you did have true love. One who died but whose form lives again into this robot...~~" Once she let go of him, Razer was shocked and angry that Aya had replicated his wife Illana's face from his memory; he glared: "It's true...You... You were in my mind." He sneered, "You STOLE the image of Illana from my memories!" Aya looked worried as Cassandra was in disbelief that her friend would do that; it made her scared that she wanted nothing more than to ask her why she did it. She then spoke, "I meant no harm. I based my mechanical form on my last imprint in my database."

"~Enough talk, which brings me to conclude something else." A'gapo spoke, smirking at the last information she had found from Razer: "~That...is not all, Razer. However, your heart lingers for someone new... a new love blossoms towards this woman beside you.~" Everyone's eyes were on Cassandra, who was in shock. She was speechless; Cassandra's heart raced as she realized that A'gapo had discovered her exposed her feelings for Razer out to him. She felt conflicted and worried about the situation, unsure how to react. 

On the one hand, she was thrilled that Razer had feelings for her, but on the other hand, she was terrified of what would happen afterward: "~In any case, this red lantern is dead inside. He has nothing to fuel us, and it is a mercy to destroy him.~" As A'gapo continued speaking, Cassandra's mind was a whirlwind of emotions. She felt exposed and vulnerable as if her entire being had been laid bare for everyone to see. She tried maintaining a calm exterior but had conflicting thoughts and feelings. 

It was hard for her to believe that Razer had feelings for her, and she didn't know how to process it all. She had always seen him as a friend, part of the family and team, someone she could rely on and trust. But now, everything was different. At the same time, however, she was also scared. She didn't know what would happen now that Razer knew her secret feelings for him. Would he ignore her exposed feelings like nothing happened after they escaped? 

Would Cassandra try to erase Razer's wife from his mind because of her? These thoughts swirled around in her head, making her even more anxious. Aya noticed it and continued to analyze what it meant. It was interrupted by Hal Jordan and Kilowog rescuing them from A'gapo's attack by saying: "By the way, is it a "no" on the whole team up against the threat to the galaxy question?" "Uncle Hal?!" "Hold still!" He tells her by freeing the trio from the crystals and Star Sapphire's constructive spears off their hands. Razer carries Cassandra without saying a word or asking if she needs a hand, and she also holds onto him before Aya follows the pursuit. 

Once they left Zamaron and fought the Cephalon monster, Kilowog was again himself, and everyone was relieved. They got out of there and were protected.

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It was time for dinner; everyone ate and went to bed. However, Razer and Cassandra were the last to finish their meal and would enter their shared room, avoiding talking and touching each other. Until they awkwardly bumped their shoulders together and tried not to make eye contact: "You go first, Cassandra." 

"A-Actually, Razer. Y-You go first. I don't mind being the second person to enter the room." She tells him with a nervous smile, which Razer silently nods before entering, and then Cassandra follows in pursuit. Once the door closed behind them, Razer finally gathered the courage to approach Cassandra. 

Despite her growing apprehension that her feelings for Razer may not be reciprocated, she remained quiet. Suddenly, he felt himself fully staring directly at Cassandra's silver eyes, which made her jump and feel exposed naked by the way he examined the human girl. He wanted to say something but stopped abruptly by changing his direction and walked towards the bathroom to shower, leaving her alone and hurt. 

She stood alone in the middle of their shared room, between the bed and closet mirror, while looking up from her reflection: Her dark brown hair cascades down like chocolate waters in a half mess, and her silver eyes shine like starlight, and the way her facial features show her the imaginary words that say 'Average' on her forehead: 'What does he think of me? I knew the moment A'gapo exposed my feelings for Razer. I knew he wouldn't accept them. But... I shall tell him.' Those were the only things in her thoughts—fear of rejection.

With Razer inside the bathroom, he did the same thing by staring straight at his reflection: His pale white skin tone and black tattooed line markings on each side of his face with blue eyes like the ocean waters. Yet, the way he describes himself in the mirror is 'Monster' all over his face: 'She has feelings for me, it cannot be accurate. What does she love about a monster such as myself? I have killed thousands of innocent lives after I had lost my Illana, but... what that Witch said was true? I should tell her...' Those were the only things in his thoughts—fear of losing her.

The human girl and the Volkgerian man cannot understand why one another loves each other dearly when enemies are bound to harm them. It made no sense, yet it does. Anyhow, Razer sighed deeply while making his red lantern ring off as his suit disappeared; Razer was still dressed in traditional clothing and took off his dark grey tunic that covered his white hair to bathe. This prompted Cassandra to speak up while the shower was running, believing that Razer would never hear her words, and took a deep breath. 

She explained how she planned to express her feelings for him before the Zamaronians but now, after it exposed her. Cassandra had no choice but to say it before the bathroom door, thinking he wouldn't listen to her. As it gave her enough strength to say it: "R-Razer... Whatever you feel, I know it is confusing and disbelief, but what A'gapo said is true." She paused, not knowing that Razer was listening to her before he eyed the door in shock and disbelief that she was speaking in his mother language without fail or miscorrection. He never thought Cassandra would admit them, yet he was nervous, happy, but frightened. 

Frightened that once he hears them, Razer would never stop himself from expressing them. He clenches his fist before mumbling under his fang, "Please... just say what you must..." He turns on the water for the bathtub to be loud enough, but not much because he wants to hear her words, and it makes his heart say, 'Let me free,' but his mind is telling, 'No, protect her from the past you not ready.' Those words stopped when he forced himself to enter the bathtub to preoccupy himself from standing, yet Razer listened:

"I do have feelings for you! A-And the moment I met you in that cell and saved you, I... I felt a bond. Something that I couldn't explain until now. You may be a Red Lantern, and I may be a human, but... I don't care. I care about you, Razer. And I love you."

There was a moment of Silence as Razer processed her words. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, yet part of him knew it was true all along. He listened to her footsteps leave; Razer cursed under his breath before he submerged into the water for peace while Cassandra's words echoed in his mind. After clearing his mind up, Razer turned off the water and stepped out of the bathtub, wrapping a towel around his waist as he opened the door to face Cassandra.

Who turned to widen her eyes before handing him pajamas, which made Razer grab her hands together in his. Not caring if he was a wet bare chest in front of her, he needed to tell her the truth so he could be free from the longing for Cassandra's warmth: 

"Cassandra..." he said in his emotion-filled voice, while Cassandra was flustered by seeing him topless and wet by only wearing a towel and hearing him say: "I have feelings for you too, Cassandra. But... I've been afraid to admit that... I am not yet ready to accept them. I'm sorry."

This surprised Razer. He expected Cassandra to be sad and shattered, but instead, she softly smiled and nodded at him: "I understand." The sound of sadness in her voice caused Razer to tense up in guilt before he blinked twice. He wondered if he had misheard her, "Y-You do?" "Yes, and it's okay." She turns around to hand him another towel by placing it softly on his left cheek, still flustered but manages to continue: "I won't rush you, and I'm happy to wait as long as you need. Plus, I still don't know how love even works. One day, I will say it again in the near future."

They stared at each other with longing; however, Cassandra was the first to interrupt the moment by ruffling his white hair: "Now. It's my turn to shower, unless~ you want to see me naked?" She teased Razer that his little finger grew and immediately exclaimed, "Stop teasing me in an emotional moment!" "Okay!...but I do mean what I said earlier. I will wait." That was all she said before entering the bathroom to take a bath.

Razer changes into the Volkgerian pajamas that he had asked Aya to make and heads to sleep.