You reached for your phone the second it buzzed, the screen lighting up your dark room like a small beacon of hope. Two in the morning. The clock on your bedside table glared back at you, mocking the restless hours you’d spent waiting. You’d been staring at your phone all night, your heart pounding with a mix of anxiety and anticipation. Jasper’s name flashed on the screen, and for a moment, everything else faded away.

You and Jasper had gotten into one of those silly fights earlier—nothing serious, just words said too quickly, tones sharper than intended. You hated how quickly things spiraled sometimes, how one misstep sent you both retreating into silence. You wanted to apologize, to say something that would patch the distance between you two, but you also knew Jasper. He was stubborn in his own way, and sometimes, what he really needed was space.

So, you’d waited.

Jasper: You still up?