"Facing the Consequences"

I quickly pull out my phone and type out a text to Hawks, my heart still racing from the news. "Hey, so there's an article about us, and I was just asking if you could reassure everyone we aren't dating?" I hesitate for a moment before hitting send. I wait anxiously for his response, my eyes fixed on the screen. A few minutes pass, and I start to feel a sense of unease. What if he's not willing to deny the rumors? What if he's changed his mind about us? Just as I'm starting to get worried, my phone buzzes with an incoming text from Hawks. "What's going on? Which article are you talking about?" His response is immediate, and I breathe a sigh of relief. I quickly fill him in on the details, sending him a link to the article and a brief summary of what Mina told me. I wait again for his response, my heart pounding in my chest. This time, it takes a little longer for him to respond. I'm starting to get worried that he's not going to say anything, that he's going to leave me hanging. But then my phone buzzes again, and I see his response. "Don't worry about it, Vesper. I'll take care of it. Just be normal, and people will lose interest eventually. Besides, I don't see what the big deal is. We're friends, and that's all that matters." His words are reassuring, but I can sense a hint of amusement in his tone. I smile, feeling a little better. Maybe this isn't as big of a deal as I thought. But then I think about the article and the implications it could have. What if people start to spread rumors or speculate about our relationship? What if it affects our friendships or even our reputations? I send him another text, trying to gauge his reaction. "But what if people don't let it go? What if they keep speculating about us?" His response is immediate. "Then we'll deal with it together, Vesper. As friends. We'll figure it out, okay?" His words are calming, and I feel a sense of relief wash over me. I take a deep breath, trying to process everything. I look over at Mina, who's watching me with concern. "He's going to take care of it," I say, trying to reassure her. "He says we should just be normal, and people will lose interest eventually." Mina nods, looking thoughtful. "Okay, that sounds like a plan. But we should still be prepared for anything. Let's keep an eye on the situation and make sure it doesn't get out of hand." I nod in agreement, feeling a sense of determination. We'll get through this, together. As friends.