The silence in Nico’s head was deafening, a sharp contrast to the chill music filling Yani’s living room. Luke stood there, his expression all confidence and zero hesitation.

Beside Nico, Ben shifted. It was a subtle movement, a slight stiffening of his posture. Nico took a sip of his drink, praying it would dissolve the knot in his throat.

Luke stepped closer. He didn't really look at Ben. He slid into the space next to Nico, shrinking the gap between them until Nico could smell his loud cologne. The scent brought back steamy memories, which involved minimal conversation and even less clothing.

Ben cleared his throat. "I'm Ben." He paused. Nico didn't say anything so Ben continued. "I volunteer with Nico."

Luke glanced at him, eyebrows raising slightly. "Luke. I live here."

"So, thanks again for coming," Nico said to Ben, a desperate attempt to pivot the energy back to safe territory. "I know it was last minute."

"It's all good," Ben said. His eyes flicked from Luke to Nico, confusion knitting his brow. "It's a nice place. Yani has a lot of... consoles."

"Yeah, he's a collector," Nico babbled. "He's very serious about his retro games."

Luke took a sip of his drink, his eyes never leaving Nico’s face. "So," he said, his voice dropping an octave, intimate and smooth. "Sorry to interrupt. What were we talking about?"

"Nothing," Nico said quickly. Too quickly. "Just... the party."

Across the room, Jamie was holding court, gesturing wildly with a half-empty cup. "So I told him," Jamie shouted, "I have more emotional baggage than an airport carousel! You can't expect me to be chill!"

Romy and Yani laughed, but the sound felt far away. Nico was trapped in the gravity well of his own making, while Luke was apparently auditioning for the role of 'Most Inappropriate Host'.

"Sounds intense," Luke murmured, leaning in closer to Nico. "You look like you could use a break from all that."

Luke, chuckling at Jamie’s distant theatrics, casually placed his hand on Nico’s lower back.

Nico froze. It was a claim.

Don't move, Nico’s brain screamed. Don't look. Don't make this a thing.

If he pulled away, it would be a scene. It would acknowledge that the touch meant something. But standing there, accepting it? That said something even louder.

From the corner of his eye, Nico saw Ben go still.

Ben stared at Luke’s hand, resting comfortably on Nico’s lower back. Then he looked at Nico’s face: wide-eyed and paralyzed. The confusion in Ben's expression hardened. It was the look of a man realizing he didn't have the full picture, and that he probably didn't want to see it.

Luke leaned in further, his lips brushing the shell of Nico’s ear. "You didn't seem this shy at the gym," he whispered.

Nico flinched, his shoulders jerking up.

Across the room, Jamie’s laugh cut off. He had clocked the tableau: the hand, the whisper, the flinch. His eyes went wide with a very specific oh, shit realization.

But Ben had seen enough.

He didn't make a sound. He set his plastic cup on the windowsill with careful, deliberate precision. The ice inside clinked softly: a final, damning punctuation mark.

"I'm gonna go get some fresh air," Ben said. He wasn't looking at Luke. He wasn't even really looking at Nico anymore. He was looking through him.

"Ben, wait—" Nico started, but the words got stuck in his throat.

Ben was already turning, stepping out of their circle and heading for the door. He moved with a quiet efficiency that felt final.

Luke watched him go, then looked back at Nico. He looked perplexed by the lack of reaction. He removed his hand, finally. "Hey, we good? Want some space?"

For the first time, he dropped the hyper-confident facade, like a guy who had tried to order bottle service in a library and couldn't understand why everyone was shushing him.

Nico stared at the spot where Ben had been standing. The place felt empty.

Jamie gripped Nico’s arm, hard. "Go," Jamie hissed, his voice low and urgent. "Follow him. Now."

The command jump-started Nico’s nervous system. He blinked, the paralysis shattering.

He pushed past Luke, who looked genuinely confused now. "I—I have to go," Nico stammered.

He bolted for the door, nearly tripping in the hallway. He threw the door open and scrambled down the stairs, taking them two at a time, his heart hammering a frantic rhythm.

Please don't leave. Please be there.

He burst out onto the sidewalk, the night wind hitting him like a wall. He scanned the street, frantic.

The taillights of Ben's car were already fading down the block, turning the corner and disappearing into the city traffic.

"Shit," Nico breathed, the word hanging heavy in the empty street. "Shit."