Walking into the office felt… normal. Almost too normal. I carried my bag, shoulders straight, trying not to think about how different things had been at home these past days. Felix was away, Rylan had been staying close, and I’d grown used to his presence.

Now, back at work, everything felt like a test seeing if the old routines would hold, if the tension we’d built in private would leak into public spaces.

Rylan was already there, leaning casually against the counter, coffee in hand, eyes scanning the room. When he spotted me, a faint smile tugged at his lips. I felt it, even from a distance.

“Hey, Blake,” he said, voice light, teasing in that familiar way I remembered. “Missed me?”

I rolled my eyes, trying to match his tone. “You wish.”

He grinned, moving closer, like the air between us could carry small jokes without awkwardness. “You know I did.”

For the first time in weeks, it felt easy. Natural. Like the old Kai and Rylan, the ones who laughed at the stupid things in the office, who pushed each other’s buttons, who didn’t have panic episodes and unspoken tension hanging over every word.

We walked past desks and exchanged nods with colleagues. No one seemed to notice the subtle closeness, the way our shoulders brushed, or the slight tilt of his head toward me when we talked.

At lunch, we sat together in the cafeteria. Not holding hands, not flustered, just… comfortable. Old friends.

“So,” he said, sipping his coffee, “did you try any of the exercises?”

I shrugged, a small smile appearing. “Yeah… a few. They helped. Some.”

“Some?” he raised an eyebrow, mock-serious. “I see. You’re holding back on me, huh?”

“Maybe,” I said, smirking despite myself. “Or maybe I’m just used to being awkward around you.”

He laughed softly, a sound I hadn’t realized I’d missed. “Good. Means some things never change.”

We talked quietly for the rest of lunch, catching up on projects, commenting on office gossip. It was easy, familiar, almost like nothing had changed. Except… something had.

Beneath the comfort, there was a current. A quiet intensity, subtle but present. I could feel it whenever he leaned slightly closer, when his eyes lingered too long on me, when the corner of his smile hinted at knowledge I hadn’t admitted.

We were old friends, yes. Comfortable. Familiar. But the air between us was charged, like a storm just beyond the horizon one we were both pretending didn’t exist.

And maybe, for today, that was enough.