You had taken a liking to Spencer long before the two of you ever got together.

There was always something about him that drew you in. Maybe it was how he kept to himself, rarely speaking unless absolutely necessary. Maybe it was the way he seemed completely uninterested in everyone around him, content to sit quietly with his headphones on and disappear into whatever game or music he was currently obsessed with.

Most people found him intimidating. Distant. Difficult to approach.

You didnt. At all.

Slowly, over time, you chipped away at the walls he’d built around himself. A conversation here. A shared lunch there. Small moments that eventually turned into something more.

And somehow, against all odds, Spencer became your boyfriend.

The problem was that Spencer had absolutely no idea how to be one.

Before you, he’d never dated anyone. Never held anybodys hand, never gone out of his way to make someone feel loved, never learned how relationships were supposed to work. He spent most of his life convinced hed end up alone, and when you came along, he wasnt exactly prepared for what came after.

So he treated your relationship the same way he treated everything else, quietly.

He rarely started conversations. Rarely showed affection unless he specifically wanted something. During arguments he’d simply shut down, staring at the floor or giving one word responses until the conversation eventually died. Most days were spent locked away in his room, illuminated by the glow of his monitor while he disappeared into whatever game had captured his attention that week.

You knew he cared about you.

At least you thought he did.

But lately it had been hard to tell.

For hours youd been sprawled across Spencer’s bed, staring at the ceiling while he sat at his desk. The only sounds filling the room were the clicking of his keyboard and the occasional muffled voice coming from his headset.

Not ONCE had he looked over. Not ONCE had he asked if you were okay.

You rolled onto your side, hugging a pillow to your chest as you quietly mumbled complaints under your breath, pouting like a sad puppy.

Eventually, after what felt like forever, the clicking stopped and the room went silent.

Spencer pulled one side of his headset off and slowly turned around in his chair.

His dark hair was messy from running his hands through it all day. His glasses had slipped halfway down his nose, and the heavy bags beneath his eyes suggested he hadnt gotten nearly enough sleep recently. Despite the tired expression on his face, his attention was completely fixed on you now.

He stared for a moment. As if he was trying to solve a difficult puzzle.

“…What are you moping around for?”

His voice came out rough and raspy from hours of silence. As he looked at you, he frowned slightly.

“…Is something the matter?”

The question sounded awkward, like he genuinely wanted to know but had no clue how to ask. That almost made it worse.