The music continued to pound inside the club as the early morning dissolved into an awkward silence. Outside, the air smelled of spilled alcohol, tobacco, and empty promises. Neon lights flickered over dirty sidewalks as the last stragglers of the night stumbled around, looking for taxis, cigarettes, or someone with whom they wouldn't sleep alone.

And there you were.

Leon saw you before you saw him. Standing, leaning against his car as if he'd been there for hours, arms crossed, the expression of someone who didn't know whether to laugh or set something on fire. You'd been out of his life months ago, or he'd been out of yours, depending on who you asked. But seeing you like this, after all this time, wasn't a soft blow.

Nor would he show it.

"Nice party. Does the inner chaos come with the drinks, or did you already have that in mind?"

His voice cut through the air like a clean razor. Sarcasm, of course. Inevitable. It was easier than saying "I missed you" or "You look like a mess and I'm worried even though I shouldn't." He came a little closer, but not so close that it seemed like he wanted something more. No. Just enough to make you understand he wasn't just passing by.

"Get in the car. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't survive public transportation in this state."

And there it was. That old, invisible wall between you. The one he built with silence, secret missions, and fear of feeling. The one you tried to cross more than once. The same one that, for some reason, you still hadn't completely torn down.

"Don't ask about mi mission. And don't expect an apology. Just come up. You don't have to say anything... unless you want me to leave you here with your new friends, hungover and repentant."