Sage cornered Adrian in the dining hall during lunch, sliding into the seat across from him with zero subtlety.
Adrian looked up from his sandwich. "Hello to you too."
"We need to talk." Sage's green and purple and now-blue hair was tied back in a messy bun, their expression serious in a way that made Adrian nervous.
"About?"
"Cut the shit. What's going on with you and Dante?"
Adrian sighed, putting down his fork. "We're taking it slow. Daily coffee dates. Lots of talking. Therapy. Boundaries. Space when we need it. All the healthy things."
"That's the press release. What's actually happening?"
Adrian hesitated. Because the truth was complicated. Messy. Hard to articulate.
"I don't know," he admitted finally. "We're doing everything 'right'—being honest, taking space, not rushing, respecting boundaries. But it feels like we're stuck in this weird limbo. Not together. Not apart. Just existing in parallel."
Sage nodded slowly. "You know what your problem is?"
