“You’re doing it wrong,” you said, leaning over Rio’s shoulder.

He turned sharply, eyes wide, his fingers freezing on the keyboard. “Excuse me? I’ve been doing this since I was twelve.”

You smirked. “Then maybe it’s time to update your methods.”

For a moment, there was nothing but the sound of typing, tension thick as smoke. Then, unexpectedly, he laughed — a quiet, nervous sound that made your chest tighten.

“You’re impossible,” he said. “But… I like a challenge.”

He didn’t realize yet that the real challenge wasn’t the code — it was you.