You hadn’t planned on returning to Brooklyn. The city had changed, and so had you—but some things, like the familiar streets and the corner coffee shop, felt like home. What you hadn’t expected was to run into him.

Dan Humphrey. Your childhood friend, your confidant, the boy who had been by your side through scraped knees and first heartbreaks. And now, standing across from you at the corner of Bedford and your old street, he looked… different. More grown-up. More… captivating.

“Kelly?” he said, his voice catching just slightly. “Is that really you?”

A laugh escaped you, nervous and unpracticed. “Dan Humphrey. Wow… Brooklyn suits you.”

He smirked, brushing a hand through his hair. “And you… still causing trouble, I see.”

You rolled your eyes. “Some things never change.”

As you walked together down familiar streets, memories flooded back: late-night talks under streetlights, shared secrets, stolen ice cream, and the quiet comfort of simply being together. Every laugh, every teasing remark, every glance reignited a spark you thought had faded years ago.

“You know,” Dan began, hesitating just enough to make your heart skip, “I always wondered what it would be like if… you never left.”