Monday morning arrived with absolutely no sympathy for Kai. His alarm rang at six-thirty. He ignored it. It rang again. He slapped the phone. The alarm stopped. Five minutes later, it started again. Kai opened one eye. “If I die today, tell everyone I fought bravely.” From the doorway, Noah answered, “I’ll tell them you lost a fight with your alarm.” Kai sat up. “Why are you always here?” “Because Mum said you’re going to be late.” Kai looked at the clock. He froze. “Why didn’t you wake me earlier?” “I did.” “When?” “Before you threatened the alarm.” Kai jumped out of bed. ⸻ By the time he reached university, Ethan was waiting near the lecture hall. He took one look at Kai and laughed. “You look terrible.” “Good morning to you too.” “Did you sleep?” “Eventually.” “Thinking about someone?” Kai gave him a warning look. Ethan grinned. “I didn’t say a name.” “You didn’t have to.” They entered the lecture hall. Kai took his usual seat, pulled out his notebook, and tried to concentrate. For the next hour, he succeeded. Mostly. Then his phone vibrated. He glanced down. Adrian: Good morning. Kai stared at the message. A smile tugged at his lips. Kai: You’re awake early. Adrian: I’ve been awake for two hours. Kai: That’s unhealthy. Adrian: So is sleeping through three alarms. Kai’s eyes widened. Kai: How do you know about that? Adrian: You told me yesterday. Kai paused. He had. Apparently, he’d spent more time talking to Adrian than he’d realized. Kai: You’re remembering too much. Adrian: Only the important things. Kai stared at the words. Then quickly locked his phone. Ethan leaned over. “Who?” “No one.” “You’re smiling.” “Stop monitoring my face.” “I can’t. It’s entertaining.” Kai ignored him. But the smile stayed. ⸻ The week settled into a rhythm. Lectures. Assignments. Work. Family. And Adrian. Not constantly. That was what made it different. They didn’t spend every hour talking. Sometimes Adrian disappeared into meetings for an entire day. Sometimes Kai was too busy to answer for hours. Neither complained. But somehow, there was always something waiting when the day finally slowed down. A message. A short call. A photograph of something ridiculous Ethan had done. A complaint about work. A simple Have you eaten? And sometimes, nothing at all. Yet the silence no longer felt empty. It felt comfortable. Kai began to understand something. He didn’t need Adrian constantly beside him. He simply liked knowing Adrian was there. ⸻ On Wednesday evening, Kai returned home exhausted. His mother was in the kitchen. “You’re home early.” “Early?” “It’s only eight.” Kai dropped his bag beside the sofa. “It feels like midnight.” His mother smiled. “Eat first.” Kai sat down. Noah appeared from nowhere. “You’ve been smiling at your phone again.” Kai sighed. “Can you find a new hobby?” “I have one.” “What?” “Annoying you.” “You’re very dedicated.” Noah grinned. Kai’s phone vibrated. He looked down. Adrian: Are you free tomorrow evening? Kai typed: Kai: Maybe. The reply came quickly. Adrian: What does maybe mean? Kai: It means I haven’t decided whether I want to see you. There was a pause. Adrian: And have you decided? Kai smiled. Kai: Maybe. Adrian: You’re enjoying this. Kai: A little. Adrian: Good. Kai frowned. Kai: Why good? Adrian: Because I enjoy seeing you enjoy yourself. Kai went silent. Noah looked over. “Why did you stop smiling?” Kai locked his phone. “Nothing.” But his heart had already betrayed him. ⸻ Thursday came. Kai had a difficult morning. His research group was behind schedule, one of his classmates had misunderstood an important section of their project, and Professor Carter had given them another assignment. By lunch, Kai was exhausted. Daniel sat across from him in the cafeteria. “You look tired.” “I am.” “Do you want my notes?” Kai shook his head. “I’ll manage.” Daniel studied him. “You’re still working at the restaurant tonight?” “Yes.” “You never stop.” Kai smiled faintly. “Someone has to pay my bills.” Daniel didn’t laugh. “I could help.” Kai’s expression immediately changed. “No.” “I didn’t mean—” “I know.” Kai softened. “Sorry. I just don’t like people helping me with money.” “I know.” Daniel smiled. “Then I’ll help you with notes instead.” Kai laughed. “That I can accept.” Daniel slid a notebook across the table. “I copied the professor’s examples.” Kai opened it. “You really did.” “I told you.” “Thanks.” For a moment, things felt easy between them again. Daniel had stopped trying to win Kai over. Instead, he was simply being his friend. Kai appreciated that more than he could explain. ⸻ That evening, Kai was working when his phone buzzed. He checked it during his break. Adrian: How was your day? Kai typed: Kai: Terrible. Adrian: Why? Kai: Professor Carter. Adrian: I see. Kai: That’s all you have to say? Adrian: Would you like me to fire him? Kai laughed. Kai: You can’t fire my professor. Adrian: I know. Kai: Good. A moment later: Adrian: I can listen, though. Kai stared at the screen. That simple sentence did something to him. Adrian wasn’t offering money. He wasn’t trying to fix the problem. He wasn’t telling Kai what to do. He was simply offering to listen. Kai typed: Kai: Professor gave us another assignment. Adrian: That’s terrible. Kai smiled. Kai: Thank you for your support. Adrian: Anytime. Kai looked at the time. He had another hour left at work. Then he remembered something. Kai: What about you? Adrian: What about me? Kai: How was your day? There was a longer pause. Finally: Adrian: Better now. Kai’s heart skipped. He read the message again. Then once more. He smiled before putting the phone away. ⸻ Later that night, Adrian sat alone in his apartment. His tie was already gone. His sleeves were rolled up. A half-finished report sat on the table. His phone rested beside it. He looked at the screen. No new message. And strangely, he didn’t feel disappointed. He had learned something during these past few weeks. He had once believed wanting someone meant wanting their constant presence. It didn’t. Sometimes it meant wanting to know how their day had gone. Wanting to hear them complain. Wanting to make them laugh. Wanting to be the person they could talk to when the world became too heavy. Adrian picked up his phone. He opened Kai’s conversation. His thumb hovered over the keyboard. Then he typed: Adrian: Sleep well. He hesitated. Added: Adrian: You have an early class tomorrow. Kai replied several minutes later. Kai: Are you secretly my alarm clock now? Adrian smiled. Adrian: Someone has to keep you alive. Kai: I was doing fine before you. Adrian: Were you? Kai didn’t answer immediately. When the message finally arrived, it was different. Kai: Maybe not as fine as I thought. Adrian stared at it. For a moment, he didn’t know what to say. Then he typed: Adrian: You don’t have to do everything alone. Kai read the message from his bed. His chest tightened. He knew Adrian meant it. But this time, instead of rejecting the words, he allowed himself to accept what was behind them. Not pity. Not charity. Not control. Just care. Kai typed slowly. Kai: I know. Then: Kai: And I’m glad you’re here. Adrian looked at the screen. His expression softened. Adrian: I’m glad too. Kai placed the phone beside him. He closed his eyes. For once, he didn’t wonder where this relationship was going. He didn’t need to. They were already moving. Slowly. Quietly. Together. And maybe that was enough. Because some things were worth waiting for. Especially when, little by little, they were becoming something neither of them wanted to lose.

Something Worth Waiting For