They had known each other for a long time—but lately, something had changed in the spaces between their words.
It started with small things. A glance that lingered a second too long. A pause before saying goodbye. The way he noticed her before she even spoke. The way she pretended not to notice that he noticed.
Tonight was no different.
They stood on the balcony while the world below moved in blurred lights and distant sounds. The air was cool, but neither of them seemed to feel it.
“You always come out here when you’re thinking,” he said quietly.
She didn’t look at him at first. “And you always follow when you notice.”
That earned a soft exhale from him—almost a laugh, but not quite. There was something careful in the way he stood beside her, like he was afraid one wrong move might break whatever this was between them.
But it was already breaking. Or changing.
She finally turned her head. That was the mistake.
Because up close, everything felt louder. His presence. His breathing. The way his eyes didn’t rush away like they used to.
“You’re different lately,” she said.
“So are you.”
The words hung there, unfinished. Heavy.
A silence followed—not empty, but full of things neither of them dared to name.
He stepped slightly closer. Not enough to close the distance completely… just enough for her to notice he had moved at all.
Her heart did something stupid. Something honest.
“Why does this feel like a mistake?” she whispered.
“Because it might change everything,” he answered.
Neither of them moved away.
And for the first time, neither of them wanted to.