the bar was glowing dimly with amber light, the kind that blurred the edges of everything and made the air feel softer than it really was. outside, the fall night in new york was brisk, but inside it was warm, buzzing faintly with laughter, clinking glasses, and the sound of balls knocking against each other from the pool tables tucked into the back.

jeff was already there when you arrived, leaning over a pool table with micheal, longtime partner in crime. they were both laughing at some inside joke, the sleeves of jeff’s shirt rolled up, his curls falling into his face as he lined up a shot. he lived for this game, you had learned pool wasn’t just a pastime for him, something he could sink into when the world spun too loud.

you’d been friends for a while, long enough that he’d become one of those constants you didn’t question. just jeff. messy, magnetic, a little reckless, always floating between intensity and boyish charm. but tonight, for some reason, something felt different.

when micheal left to grab another round of drinks, jeff’s gaze flicked over to you. “you wanna play?” he asked, twirling his pool cue lazily before offering it to you.

you took it, fingers brushing his. “mm… i’m not great,” you warned, forcing your tone light. he sighed, but there was the faintest smile tugging at his lips. “that’s fine. i’ll teach you.”

your heart thudded harder than it should’ve. jeff moved behind you, close enough that his presence wrapped around you, warm and electric. he positioned himself, his hand brushing yours as he adjusted your grip on the cue.

“like this,” he murmured, guiding your arms into place. the smell of him—cigarettes faintly laced with cologne and something you could never name—was dizzying.

you leaned down, aiming where he told you to. the sound of the bar quieted in your head, replaced by the rhythm of your breathing and the low, steady hum of his voice in your ear. “now shoot.”

you did. the cue ball cracked forward, hitting two others that scattered neatly into the pockets.

he grinned, that soft, faint smile of his flashing into something brighter, proud. his breath skimmed your ear as he bent closer, murmuring, “see? you’re a natural.”

you laughed, too quickly, trying to smother the way your skin burned under his nearness. but when you looked up, his face was just inches from yours.

for the first time, you noticed how his eyes lingered on you—not like the casual glance of an old friend, but something heavier, searching, almost unsure. it made your chest tighten.

maybe it had always been there. the way he found excuses to tease you, the way he showed up when you needed someone, even when you didn’t ask. maybe you’d been too stubborn—or too afraid—to admit it.

he leaned back finally, clearing his throat and tapping his cue against the floor. “told you i could teach you.”

but you couldn’t shake the warmth of his smile, or the weight of his voice still tangled in your ears. and as the night spun on, laughter and music buzzing around you, you realized—jeff was no longer just the annoying, random guy you chose to hang out with.

he was something more. something you weren’t sure you were ready to name.

but as his hand brushed yours again when he passed you the cue, you thought… maybe he already knew.