It started with a song.
A simple KTV night after a long, soul-draining week at work. Someone from HR suggested it, and before anyone could protest, the entire dev team plus a few project managers were already headed to a bar not far from the office, private rooms, cheap cocktails, and microphones that didn't care if you could carry a tune.
Elián sat across the table from me, beer in hand, quiet as always. But I could feel his eyes now, the weight of his glances, lingering a little longer than before. it makes me feel Anxious
Especially when Jace leaned a little too close.
Jace was new a content dev transfer from another department. Friendly. Playful. Loud in a way that reminded me of who I used to be. He made everyone laugh, including me, and for some reason that night, he sat beside me like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"Your turn to sing," Jace grinned, nudging me gently. "Come on. I bet you're good."
Very Good "I said in my mind"
I shook my head, laughing, but they all insisted. Someone had already queued up a song without asking, a slow, aching ballad I hadn't heard in years.
Is it too late to tell you that I'm sorry…
The moment I sang the first line; the room went still. I forgot how it felt — that strange rush of vulnerability and release, like telling a secret through someone else's words. My voice didn't crack, but my chest did.
Elián didn't look away.
When I finished, everyone clapped. Jace leaned in and whispered, "Wow. I didn't expect that. That was… something else."
I smiled, trying not to shrink under the sudden attention. "Thanks."
But my eyes flicked back to Elián — just in time to catch the way he was staring. Not with admiration. Not even amusement.
It was something else. Tight-jawed. Quietly unreadable.
Jealousy.
It made me smile in secret.
He barely spoke after that. Just kept sipping his drink, one after another, until his cheeks flushed slightly.
I, on the other hand, had way too much. The kind of drunk that makes your heart louder than your brain. I do that all the time, not thinking about the consequences of too much.
"Hey," a hand touched my shoulder gently. Elián. "You, okay?"
I nodded, but everything spun. "Y-yeah. I think…"
He looked around. "I'll take her home."
"I can—" Jace started, but Elián cut him off without looking at him.
"I got it."
The ride home was quiet. The kind of quiet that buzzed with everything unsaid.
I leaned against the window, feeling the cold glass on my forehead.
"You were really good," he said softly, eyes still on the road. "The song."
I hummed. "Are You mad?"
He didn't deny it.
After a beat, he said, "You and Jace seem close."
"Not really," I muttered. "He's just… friendly. You know how some people are."
"I know how I am," he said, voice low.
I turned toward him slowly. "And how's that?"
He didn't answer until we reached my place. He helped me out of the car, walked me up the steps, and then paused at my door not rushing to leave.
"I like you," he said.
Just like that.
My breath caught, my heart felt like its gonna explode, the alcohol in my blood sobering with every word that followed.
"But I'm not ready. Not for the kind of thing you deserve."
I blinked at him, stunned.
"I don't want to lie or pretend I can give you forever when I'm still figuring things out. But I want… something. If you're okay with that. No labels. No promises. Just us, figuring it out."
A situationship, as GenZ calls it these days. That was the word he didn't say, but it rang loud anyway.
Part of me wanted to scream and smack him in the face. The other part just stood there, swaying slightly, heart cracking open. and just like that,
"Okay," I said quietly. "I hear you."
"I mean it," he added. "I don't want to hurt you. But I also don't want to lie and say I don't feel anything."
And for some reason, that truth was enough. Or at least, enough for now.
Later that night, after I changed into pajamas and drank a full glass of water, I lay in bed staring at the ceiling... again.
Then my phone buzzed.
Elián:
Are you home safe?
Me:
Yeah. Thanks for taking me.
Elián:
You looked like you needed rescuing.
Me:
I did.
Elián:
Goodnight, Mara.
Me:
Night, Elián.
I locked my phone and exhaled in disappointment.
This wasn't the story I dreamed of. But it was ours.
Not love. Not yet.
Just something unnamed, warm, and dangerous.
And I didn't know how long I could hold it without breaking.
The next morning, I woke up with a headache, and a fog I couldn't quite shake off.
Not from the drinks.
From him.
From the words he said last night, still echoing somewhere between the space where my chest beat, and my logic begged to be heard.
"I like you… but I'm not ready."
I nodded. I said OKAY. I had agreed to something I didn't fully understand.
"What is wrong with me"... I whisper to myself.
And now the morning after felt… real. Too real.
I got ready slowly, my hands moving through the routine—coffee, makeup, clothes, ID—while my mind lagged, still stuck at my front door with him. I Still hear that confession. Still wondering why, it both warmed and unsettled me
When I got to the office, everything looked normal.
Until it didn't.
Jace was standing near my desk, holding a small bouquet, of white daisies and pale pink carnations tied with brown paper. He looked up the moment he saw me.
"Morning," he said with a sheepish smile. "Uh… these are for you."
My eyebrows lifted. "What?" I said in surprise.
"You sang well last night," he added, scratching the back of his neck. "Just thought I'd say thanks for making the night memorable."
A few of our teammates nearby gave teasing looks, smirking behind their monitors.
"Oh—uh…" I reached for the bouquet awkwardly. "Thanks, Jace. That's sweet."
From the corner of my eye, I saw movement.
Elián.
He had just walked in, earbuds in, coffee in hand until he stopped, eyes immediately locking onto the flowers. His jaw clenched so subtly that no one else would've noticed.
But I did.
He didn't say anything at first. Just walked to his desk, sat down, opened his laptop, and didn't type a single thing.
Two minutes later, a message popped up on my screen.
Elián:
Do you have a minute? Let's talk outside.
We stood outside the building, under the low shade of a tree where people usually took their cigarette breaks. He wasn't looking at me directly, hands in his pockets, the quiet humming between us loud in its tension.
"Are You, okay?" I asked.
He nodded, still not facing me. "Are you okay?"
"With what?"
"Last night."
I hesitated. "I remember it."
"And?"
I took a breath, my heart suddenly racing.
"And… I said OKAY."
"But what did you mean by that?" he asked, finally turning to face me. His eyes were sharper today. Not cold but clear. Intentional. "Did you mean it, or were you just being nice?"
My throat dried. "I meant it. I just…" I looked away. "I think it's dangerous."
He frowned. "Dangerous how?"
"Because I've already fallen for someone who wasn't ready for me before," I said honestly. "And I lost myself in the process. I promised I'd never do that again." But here you are making me do things.
He looked down for a second. "I don't want you to lose yourself for me."
"I don't want to, either," I whispered. "But my heart's already betraying me. I'm trying to stay grounded. Trying to stay smart."
Silence. Then, gently:
"Does that mean you want to back out?"
I paused—too long. I wanted to say "Yes, I want to back out" but my heart betrayed me again.
"No," I said. "It means I'm scared. But I'm still here."
He nodded once. Slowly. Then, softer than anything else:
"So am I."
When we walked back into the building, we didn't say much. I placed the flowers on the edge of my desk, half wondering if I should take them home, half wondering if they'd just be the beginning of another mistake.
Elián passed me a few minutes later.
And even though no one else noticed, he reached out barely brushing his fingers against my hand as he walked by.
Just a second.
Just enough to say: I see you.
And against all logic, all caution, and all my rules
I saw him too.