No longer kids

1

OK LIKE THE DESC SAYS THIS IS A CONTINUEATION OF LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT LAMS OKKK?? 

also this is kinda a sad chapter it'll get better dw!

It had been a year.

A whole year since they'd left uni.

And everything—

Had changed.

The flat was quieter than their dorm had ever been.

No late-night chaos.
No random interruptions.
No friends bursting in unannounced.

Just—

Work.

Deadlines.

Long days that blurred into each other.

John checked the time again.

9:47 PM.

"...You've got to be kidding me," he muttered.

Dinner had gone cold an hour ago.

He'd texted.

Twice.

No reply.

That—

That was what was bothering him most.

Not even the lateness.

Just—

Nothing.

The door finally opened.

John looked up immediately.

Alexander stepped in—

Tie loosened, shoulders tense, clearly exhausted.

"...Hey," he said, like it was normal.

It wasn't.

John sat up straighter.

"...Hey?"

A pause.

"...You didn't text," John said.

Alexander blinked slightly.

"...I was working."

"That's not an answer."

"It is an answer."

"No, it's not," John said, frustration creeping in now. "You could've just told me you'd be late."

Alexander exhaled slowly.

"...It was a long day, John."

"I'm not saying it wasn't," John replied. "I'm saying you could've told me."

"I didn't have time."

"You didn't have ten seconds?"

Silence.

That—

That landed wrong.

Alexander rubbed his face slightly.

"...I wasn't thinking about my phone."

"Well, I was," John shot back.

A pause.

"...I made dinner," he added, quieter now.

Alexander glanced at the table.

At the untouched plates.

"...I'm not hungry."

That made something in John snap slightly.

"...Okay," he said, standing up. "Great. Cool. I'll just—throw it away then."