Kai spent far too much time deciding what to wear.
That realization annoyed him.
It was dinner.
Just dinner.
People had dinner every day without standing in front of their wardrobes for fifteen minutes wondering whether a black shirt looked too deliberate.
Kai pulled one shirt from the hanger, held it against himself, frowned, and put it back.
“Ridiculous.”
He chose a simple dark-blue shirt instead.
It wasn’t expensive. It wasn’t flashy. It was clean, fitted, and comfortable.
Perfect.
At least, that was what he told himself.
From the doorway, Noah watched him with suspicious amusement.
“You’re dressing up.”
Kai glanced at him.
“No.”
“You changed your shirt three times.”
“Go away.”
Noah grinned.
“Who are you meeting?”
“Someone.”
“A girl?”
“No.”
“A boy?”
Kai froze for half a second.
Noah’s eyes widened.
“Oh.”
“Don’t.”
“You’re meeting a boy!”
“I’m meeting a person.”
“A boy.”
Kai grabbed a pillow and threw it at him.
Noah ducked, laughing as he ran down the hallway.
Kai sighed.
His phone vibrated.
Adrian: I’m outside.
Kai stared at the message.
His stomach tightened.
He grabbed his jacket and left before Noah could return with more questions.
⸻
Adrian was standing beside his car when Kai stepped outside.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
It had been longer than Kai expected since he’d seen him.
And somehow, seeing him again made the distance feel real.
Adrian looked exactly as he remembered.
Dark suit. Controlled expression. Calm eyes.
But something about his gaze was different.
Softer.
Only slightly.
“You’re late,” Adrian said.
Kai checked his phone.
“I’m two minutes early.”
“I know.”
“Then why did you say I was late?”
“I wanted to see if you’d argue.”
Kai stared at him.
“You’re unbelievable.”
A faint smile touched Adrian’s mouth.
“There you are.”
Kai frowned.
“What?”
“That expression.”
“What expression?”
“The one you always make when you’re annoyed with me.”
Kai opened the passenger door.
“You’re already irritating me.”
“Good.”
Adrian walked around the car.
“I was beginning to worry you’d become too agreeable.”
Kai looked at him.
“Don’t worry. That isn’t happening.”
⸻
The restaurant was quiet and elegant without being overwhelmingly extravagant.
Kai noticed immediately that Adrian hadn’t chosen one of those places where every plate looked like it had been designed by an architect.
That surprised him.
“You’re not going to tell me how expensive everything is?”
Adrian glanced at him.
“Would you like me to?”
“No.”
“Then I won’t.”
Kai smiled despite himself.
They were seated in a private corner, far enough from the other guests to have some privacy without feeling isolated.
A waiter handed them menus.
Kai studied his carefully.
Adrian barely looked at his.
“You already know what you’re ordering?”
“Yes.”
“Of course you do.”
Adrian raised an eyebrow.
“You’re the one who takes ten minutes to choose.”
“I like options.”
“You complain about the price of everything.”
“Because I’m poor.”
Adrian’s expression changed slightly.
Kai noticed.
He lowered the menu.
“Don’t.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You were about to.”
Adrian leaned back.
“I wasn’t going to offer you money.”
Kai relaxed.
“Good.”
“I was going to say you don’t need to worry about the price tonight.”
Kai narrowed his eyes.
“That sounds suspiciously similar.”
“It isn’t.”
“What’s the difference?”
“I invited you.”
Kai stared at him.
“So?”
“So let me take care of dinner.”
Kai opened his mouth.
Adrian added calmly, “Just dinner, Kai.”
The argument disappeared before it began.
“Fine.”
Adrian nodded.
“Good.”
For several minutes, they ate quietly.
It wasn’t awkward.
That was what surprised Kai most.
He had expected the evening to feel strange after so much time apart.
Instead, it felt natural.
Almost too natural.
“How was your week?” Adrian asked.
Kai looked up.
“Busy.”
“University?”
“University. Work. Studying.”
“Three jobs?”
Kai sighed.
“You remembered.”
“I remember things that matter.”
The words landed harder than they should have.
Kai looked down at his plate.
“And you?”
“Work.”
“That’s all?”
“Mostly.”
Kai smiled.
“You’re terrible at small talk.”
“I don’t usually have small talk.”
“I noticed.”
Adrian studied him.
“You missed me.”
Kai nearly dropped his fork.
“What?”
“You were quieter when I picked you up.”
“I was tired.”
“You looked at me for five seconds before speaking.”
“You looked different.”
Adrian’s eyebrow lifted.
“Different?”
Kai realized what he’d said.
“I mean—”
“You noticed.”
“I notice everything.”
“Apparently.”
Kai looked away.
Adrian didn’t press him.
That somehow made it worse.
⸻
After dinner, they walked outside.
The evening air was cool, and the city lights reflected against the glass buildings surrounding them.
Kai shoved his hands into his jacket pockets.
“I thought you were going to talk about business.”
“I said it wasn’t business.”
“So why did you invite me?”
Adrian stopped walking.
Kai turned toward him.
Adrian looked at him for a long moment.
“Because I wanted to see you.”
There it was again.
No complicated explanation.
No excuse.
Just honesty.
Kai swallowed.
“You could have called.”
“I know.”
“But you didn’t.”
“I thought giving you space was the right thing.”
Kai looked down.
“And was it?”
Adrian was silent.
“No.”
Kai looked back at him.
Adrian’s expression was unusually open.
“I thought I would get used to not seeing you.”
Kai’s heart began beating faster.
“And?”
“I didn’t.”
The city continued moving around them.
Cars passed.
People laughed somewhere nearby.
But for Kai, everything seemed strangely quiet.
He had spent days wondering whether Adrian missed him.
Now he had his answer.
Kai smiled faintly.
“Neither did I.”
Adrian’s eyes changed.
Neither man moved.
For once, Kai didn’t feel the need to break the silence with a joke.
Neither did Adrian.
Then Adrian’s phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
His expression returned to its usual controlled state.
“Marcus.”
Kai smiled.
“Your work is calling.”
Adrian answered.
“Yes?”
He listened for a few seconds.
“No. Move it to Monday.”
Another pause.
“I said Monday.”
He ended the call.
Kai laughed softly.
“You really can make people afraid with one sentence.”
“I wasn’t trying to.”
“You don’t have to try.”
Adrian looked at him.
“And yet you’re not afraid of me.”
Kai shrugged.
“Maybe I should be.”
“Maybe.”
“But I’m not.”
Adrian’s mouth curved slightly.
“I know.”
⸻
When Adrian dropped Kai off, neither of them immediately opened the doors.
Kai looked at him.
“Thank you.”
“For dinner?”
“Yes.”
Adrian nodded.
“You’re welcome.”
Kai reached for the handle.
Then stopped.
“Adrian?”
“Yes?”
Kai hesitated.
“I… had a good time.”
Adrian’s gaze softened.
“So did I.”
Kai finally stepped out.
He closed the door and walked toward his house.
Halfway to the gate, he turned around.
The car was still there.
Adrian was watching him.
Their eyes met through the windshield.
Kai smiled.
The car finally pulled away.
He stood there until the taillights disappeared.
Then he whispered to himself,
“This is becoming a problem.”
But for once, Kai wasn’t sure he wanted the problem to go away.