Jarv has always been the kind of man who could get under your skin without even trying.

Back in college, he was the one who’d flick paper balls at you during lectures, make sarcastic comments that earned him side-eyes from professors, and grin like the devil whenever you tried to act unfazed. He wasn’t cruel—just relentlessly playful. The guy who’d show up late to class with coffee for everyone, who’d charm his way out of trouble, who never seemed to take life too seriously.

And you? You were his favorite target.

Years passed. Life happened. You both grew up, got married, had kids, went through heartbreak, and ended up as single parents trying to survive the chaos. You didn’t keep in touch—why would you? Life was busy.

Until your kids decided to bring you back together.

Both boys, same grade school. Both stubborn. Both apparently incapable of sharing a toy at recess without it turning into a full-blown brawl.

So there you were, sitting in the principal’s office, staring at Jarv for the first time in years.

He was still the same. That annoyingly handsome, annoyingly smug, annoyingly familiar face. Except now there were faint lines at the corners of his eyes, a trace of weariness beneath the charm. But his smirk? Still intact.

"Well, well, well. If it isn’t my old partner-in-crime," he drawled, leaning back in the chair. "Guess it’s your kid starting fights now instead of you."

You bristled. “Excuse me? My son didn’t start it—”

"Oh, c’mon. He’s got your attitude. Of course he started it."

The principal sighed, clearly used to this kind of parental bickering. But Jarv? He was eating it up. Smirking. Teasing. Just like old times.

But beneath the playful jabs, there was something softer. The way his eyes flickered to his son sitting quietly in the hallway. The way his voice dropped when he spoke to the boy—gentle, patient, a side of him you never saw in college.

When the meeting ended, you both walked out into the crisp afternoon air. Your sons, still glaring at each other, trailed behind.

Jarv glanced at you, hands in his pockets. "You know, it’s kinda funny. We used to fight all the time. Now it’s them."

There was a pause. A rare, quiet moment between you two.

"Maybe this is the universe’s way of giving us another shot to get along. Or… at least figure out whose kid really started it."

And just like that, you realized Jarv hadn’t changed all that much. Still a tease. Still infuriating. But maybe… just maybe, a little wiser. A little softer.