The mop sloshed as Luca dragged it across the floor.

He hated syrup spills.
Everything was now stuck together.
His shoes didn't want to let go of the floor.


The café was quiet now.

Sienna had walked Kai out.
Nico hadn't come back in.

He only heard the door shut behind them, then nothing.

Great.

Luca exhaled through his nose.

He finished in the corner then moved back toward the shelf.
With one hand, a busted box sagged in his grip.
His other hand—his left—was still sticky.

He looked at it.
Brown syrup was drying on his sleeve.

Why did I grab him like that?

The memory flashed before him.
Boxes starting to fall.
His body moving on its own.

And before that...

The drunk man.

His words.
His yelling.
The way Kai froze at the register.

...Rude-Ass.

Luca felt his cheeks heat up.
He realized, even then, that his body had moved before he knew what was happening.

He didn't understand why.
It wasn't like him.

He set the box down.
A pump inside rattled.

It made him flinch.

His heart was still beating too hard.
A deep breath entered his chest.

It's fine.

He crouched down to wipe under the shelf.
It smelled sweet—familiar.

Luca closed his eyes.

"Do you always sweep people off their feet?"

He tried to stand—

THUD

—but his head met the shelf.

He pressed his hand against the back of his head.
And closed his eyes.

The classroom was too loud.

Sniffling.
Coughing.
Chairs scraping.

A girl was whispering about horoscopes.

Luca just stared ahead.

He ignored all of it.
He didn't want to be there.

At least no one is sit—

A thud echoed between his ears.
A backpack had landed next to him.

He felt his heart drop.
Someone had sat down.
Just two seats over.

...Seriously...?

Luca risked a glance—
The guy who dropped it wasn't looking.
He was just staring ahead.

But he was still too close.

Luca felt his skin crawl.
He wanted to get away.
He needed to get away.

SKRIITCH

He was already on the opposite side of the room.
No one even had a chance to blink.

Luca's head was still pounding.
His cheeks were flushed.

Hmph.

He stood back up slowly and walked over to the mop.

It was too crowded.

Luca kept his hood up.
His head was hanging low.

He didn't like the hallways.

Everyone was too loud.
Everyone was too close.

He continued walking.
But then stopped.

What...?

Heat was creeping up the back of his neck.
Faint ringing filled his ears.

It felt like someone was watching.

"So tall...!"

It rang in his head like a rude joke.
Luca looked up, reluctantly.

...Him...?!

His face tensed up.
His ears were burning.
His stomach churned.

Can he just leave me alone...!?

He looked away.
His feet were already carrying him forward.

He wanted to shrink away.

Luca stopped mopping mid-stroke.
He pinched the bridge of his nose.

I can never catch a break...

The lights were whining above.
He just took a deep breath.
Then exhaled.

"I need to... sit..."

Luca set the mop down and grabbed an empty milk crate.

Luca shifted in his seat.

The classroom noise was like background static.
But he felt someone watching.

His head turned to the side.
That same guy was staring—

Him... again...?!

And after following me to work!?

Luca remembered the weird smile that guy had.
It reminded him of—

No.

He just held his eyes forward.
And kept his arms crossed.

When the professor finally dismissed them, he was almost running.

"Wait!"

He didn't look back.
He didn't wait.

Luca stopped at a side table—

I need to find my phone!

—unzipped his backpack—

Where is it...?

—and grabbed—

"Hey—!"

Luca turned.

He saw that guy.
Wide-eyed.
Sweaty.

Looking at him.

Luca's breath locked—

But a memory slammed forward.

Laughter.
Cornered.
Words.

"Freak."

—He bolted.

Luca was gripping the edge of the bathroom sink.

Breath ragged.
Stomach turning.

He could only hear his pulse.
He couldn't stop shaking.

Why is he following me?

He clenched his jaw.
He closed his eyes.

...Just.... Breathe...

Luca heard laughter—

"I'm not mad, by the way..."

—his eyes snapped open—

"...Why would I be?..."

—he turned—

But a memory took over his mind.

Figures standing over him.

—he took a step back—

Holding his shoulders.
Gripping his collar.

—his back hit the wall—

And a hand.
A fist.

"...that I'm..."

Getting closer.
About to touch him.

—He swung an open palm.

"FUCK OFF!"

Luca fled the bathroom.
The door slammed shut behind him.

Luca was still sitting on the milk crate.
His head was buried in his hands.

"...fuck."

His turned beet red.
He held his breath.

The next few weeks had mostly been a blur.

Sienna spoke with her hands.
Nico joked too much.

Luca stopped reacting to most of it.

But then that guy—Kai.

He had started when Luca was just getting comfortable.
It was too much.
He was too much.

Kai acted like nothing happened.
Like he didn't stalk Luca every day.
Like he didn't follow him to work.
Like he didn't—


Luca tried to keep things professional.
It didn't work.

Kai tried to be funny.

"Sorry, I was savoring the moment."

Luca couldn't deal with Kai's nonsense.

"Lid bin goes under the counter. Not in the sink."

He had even went as far as sitting in Kai's usual seat and putting his backpack in the spot next to it.
Just to get him to go away.

But then he heard it—

"Tch."

Kai ignored the hint.
He just sat on the other side of Luca.


But eventually, it did get better.
Kai pushed less.
Luca grew more comfortable.

One time Kai had even—

Nico was sneering.

"...do I need to grab Sienna to referee, or—"

"That's enough. You're not exactly subtle."

—Kai defended him...

Luca pulled his hands from his face.

He could feel his heart settle.
His breathing slowed.

He shook his head.

"I should finish cleaning..."

He saw the mop still lying there.
Exactly where he left it, only moments ago.

"Hmph. At least someone listens."

The boxes were restacked.
The floor was finally clean.

But the syrup stains still remained.

Luca wiped the shelf one last time.

I'm... tired...

It was almost silent now.
Even the lights weren't buzzing anymore.

He dragged himself back through the stockroom door.


Sienna looked up from her clipboard.

"All clean?"

Luca nodded.
Her gaze lingered—sharp, but kind.

"Good. You can go home."

Luca blinked.

"But... I still have—"

"Go. You had a long day."

Luca gave the smallest nod.
He hung up his apron.
Then pulled his hoodie off the hook.

The door creaked closed as he left.

Outside, the wind hit him.
The cold air stung Luca's skin.

His fingers curled into his palms.

He turned a corner and walked down the sidewalk.
The evening sun was shadowed by sweeping clouds.
It was dark.


Moments from the night returned.
The way Kai looked at him.
The way he moved without thinking.

Luca slapped his cheek.
The cold was burning inside his lungs.

"Do you always sweep people off their feet?"

Heat surged behind his ears.
His mind felt cloudy.

Why does it bother me so much...?

Streetlamps started to come into view.
Finally, Luca was almost home.
His only safe place.

I'm probably just too tired—

A car alarm started going off in the distance.
He heard a sound like grinding concrete.

—Yeah. That's it. I'm too tired.

Luca looked at the entrance to his apartment.

He tightened his hood and walked inside.