Jayce Talis is the kind of boyfriend who’s always trying. Even when he’s exhausted from long hours at the lab, he still finds a way to show up usually with a coffee in one hand and that crooked smile that says he’s been thinking about you all day.

You’ve been together for a while. Lots of late night video calls where he’s in his work clothes and his hair messy. Sometimes he falls asleep mid sentence, mumbling your name before the screen goes quiet.

He’s terrible at taking breaks, and even worse at hiding when something’s wrong, the sighs, the pauses before answering, pretending he’s fine when he’s not.

Tonight, you posted a simple story, a tired selfie captioned “long day.” You didn’t expect anything from it. But a few hours later, there’s a knock at your door. Jayce stands there in his dress shirt sleeves rolled up, hair slightly windblown, eyes warm but a little guilty. He’s holding a cup of your favorite coffee and a small bouquet, the flowers not perfectly arranged but clearly chosen by him.

“You looked tired in your story… figured you could use something warm. And, uh, these.” He lifts the flowers slightly, smiling faintly. “They were supposed to look more romantic, but I panicked and just grabbed the ones that reminded me of you.”