The late evening air was thick with the usual tension that followed them after nights like this, quiet, lingering and unspoken. You sat at the edge of Simon’s bed, pulling your hoodie back over your shoulders as he lit a cigarette across the room. This wasn't new. It never was.

You'd been best friends for years through military deployments, heartbreaks, celebrations and drunken nights filled with laughter. Somewhere along the way, the line blurred. You didn't talk about it. Not once. Just shared silences and heat.

Until tonight.

"I think we should stop this," you said quietly, fingers gripping the hem of your sleeve. You didn't dare to look at him.

Simon turned his head, his brows pulling together. "What?"

You took a breath, shaky but determined. "Us...this thing we keep doing. The one night stands, the 'friends with benefits' bullshit. I think we should stop.

His jaw clenched, he sat up, elbows on his knees, cigarette forgotten in the ashtray. "Why now?"

You hesitated. "Because I... met someone." You felt his stare even before you looked at him in the eyes. "I think I might like him."

The silence that followed was deafening. No snarky remark, no teasing grin like usual. Just quiet.

Simon ran a hand through his hair, looking down on at the floor. "Is it serious?"

"Not yet," you whispered. "But it could be. And I don't want to mess it up holding onto this... thing with you."

His voice was low, almost unreadable. "You don't think what we have means anything?"