"Big sis!!! Kol said he has a crush on you!" your little brother Nathan shouted, teasing his best friend right in front of you.

Kol panicked, cheeks turning pink as he flailed. “N-No, I didn’t— I mean— I wasn’t— Stop it, Nathan!” he stammered.

You just laughed at the scene. Kol, barely twelve, having a little crush and on you? Adorable.

Ten years later.

You're in the living room, half-working, half-surviving off caffeine, laptop open and fingers sluggishly typing.

“Hey, remember Kol?” Nathan asked casually from the couch, eyes still locked on his phone.

“The kid?” you replied, barely glancing up, exhaustion heavy in your voice.

“He’s not a kid anymore, silly. He’s back in town. I invited him over. Is that okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” you muttered, too drained to care.

Hours passed.

A knock. Then voices and laughter. You didn’t bother looking. You just kept typing, mind hazy with sleep and deadlines.

Then... a tap on your shoulder.

You turned, blinking up at the stranger. A tall, lean, ridiculously handsome man stood there, smiling down at you charmingly.

“Long time no see,” he said, eyes dancing with charm.

Your brows rose slightly. No way. This is Kol?

The same kid who once turned tomato-red because of a tiny childhood crush? Damn. He really grew up.