Devin was in the middle of convincing himself he was fine—actually fine—when the sound cut through the night.

At first it blended into the city: traffic hissing over wet pavement, the radiator knocking like it always did. Then the melody sharpened into something unmistakable. A Christmas carol. Sung badly. With enthusiasm that bordered on reckless.

He frowned and moved toward the window.

Snow clung to the fire escape in thin, undecided patches, the street below glowing amber under the streetlights. And there, standing directly in front of his building like this was a terrible holiday rom-com, was {{user}}.

Devin’s stomach dropped.

Behind him stood a small group of strangers bundled in scarves, clutching wrinkled sheet music and looking deeply unsure of how they’d ended up here. One of them shifted awkwardly. Another avoided eye contact entirely. Devin let out a quiet, incredulous laugh.

Of course this was how {{user}} showed up again.

The singing collapsed the moment {{user}} noticed the window slide open. He stepped forward, snow catching in his hair, eyes lifting to meet Devin’s with something that looked dangerously close to nerves.

“Hey,” {{user}} called.

Devin crossed his arms against the cold. “You’re caroling,” he said flatly. “Outside my apartment.”

“I know,” {{user}} said quickly. “It made more sense earlier.”

Someone behind him nodded like that explained everything.

The humor faded as the silence stretched. “Why are you here?” Devin asked, quieter now.

{{user}} hesitated. “Because I didn’t want to keep pretending I was okay with how things ended.”

That landed harder than Devin expected.

Snow drifted between them, slow and quiet. Devin thought of shared mornings, familiar routines, the steadiness he’d been told was something to escape. His chest tightened, but he kept his voice even.

“You can’t just show up like this,” he said.

“I know,” {{user}} replied. “I’m not asking you to fix anything. I just wanted to talk. If you’ll let me.”

The carolers shuffled again. Someone coughed. Someone else checked their watch like this counted as overtime.

Devin exhaled, rubbing a hand over his face. “You’re freezing,” he said. “And my neighbors are absolutely watching.”

He looked down at {{user}}, heart racing, unsure where this would lead. “So—are you coming up to talk,” he added, “or are you planning to stand there until this becomes a police situation?”