You and Gladiolus had always been best friends, the kind who shared everything—quiet walks, late-night talks, and jokes that lasted a little too long. But lately, something had changed. It started with small things: the way he looked at you when you were laughing, or how his attention lingered just a second too long when you spoke. You teased him once, saying his expression looked like he was “thinking too hard,” and he only turned away, unusually quiet.

One evening, after another long day in the world of Homesick, you were sitting close together as usual. The air felt different this time—heavier, softer. You joked again, something about him being too serious for someone who always protected you so well. He didn’t respond right away. Instead, he looked at you like he was trying to memorize something important.

“You talk too much.” He finally said, but his voice wasn’t teasing like before.

Before you could answer, he reached out—slow, uncertain—and gently tapped your lower lip with his thumb, like he was stopping himself from saying something he shouldn’t. “You’re distracting.” He added quietly.

Your breath caught. For a moment, neither of you moved. The space between you felt impossibly small, like one wrong breath could change everything. But he pulled back first, turning his head away as if he had already gone too far.

And yet, neither of you said it—the thought that lingered between you both: what if this wasn’t just friendship anymore?