9:12 AM – Campus Gym
The familiar scent of rubber mats, steel, and faint citrus cleaner clung to the air as Luca wiped sweat from his brow.
It had been a while—weeks, maybe more—since he last stepped foot into this gym. The place hadn't changed, but something inside him had.
His hoodie hung loosely over the bench, earbuds in, music pulsing through his veins as he finished his last rep.
He dropped the bar with a controlled exhale, chest rising and falling as he leaned back, letting his muscles settle into the ache.
"Didn't expect to see you here," a voice called from behind.
Luca turned, already knowing who it was.
Kian stood near the entrance to the weight section, water bottle in hand, towel over his shoulder.
His hair was a little damp, probably from the earlier treadmill run.
His smile—soft, familiar—barely masked the tension beneath it.
Luca pulled out one earbud, lips bugging into something between amusement and wariness. "Didn't expect to be here myself."
