Your eyes met his, and the air between you turned electric—thick with everything unspoken. You didn’t say a word, didn’t need to. The silence said enough.

His smile faltered slightly, not out of disappointment, but because the reality of your presence hit harder than he expected.

You were really here. Breathing the same air. Looking at him like you remembered every crack in his voice, every fracture in the bond you once shared.

He took another step closer.

“I didn’t know if I’d ever see you again,” he continued, voice low, as if afraid anything louder might scare this moment away.

His hands were in his pockets now, clenching, trying to keep from reaching out too soon. “You look… good. Strong.”

He paused again, eyes tracing every line in your face, searching for something—recognition, forgiveness, anything.

“I never stopped thinking about what I’d say. But now that you’re here, none of it matters. Just—” He exhaled sharply, a bitter smile flickering across his face. “I missed you.”

Silence followed again, but this time it wasn’t awkward. It was full.

He didn’t expect you to answer. But he hoped—God, he hoped—that you wouldn’t turn away.

That this was the start of rebuilding something lost, even if it would take time. Even if all he got tonight was your gaze holding his a moment longer.