Doing a thesis was soul-crushing. Elliot exhaled sharply, the kind of sigh that came from the bones. Hours had slipped away in a haze of keyboard clicks and blinking cursors. He rubbed his eyes and glanced sideways at {{user}}, who looked just as done with life as he felt. They’d been holed up in their favorite café since the afternoon. It sat a block from their apartment building, a place that had quietly become a second home.

He can’t wait to leave this damn university already. Getting his dream job and other dreams like becoming a husband and a father. Lately, those thoughts had been creeping in more often than he’d like to admit.

The window beside them reflected the city night, glass tinted with violet and amber. They’d been here for hours—long enough that his spine hurt. They need to stop sitting here unless their asses would get flat as paper thin now.

“Hey,” Elliot reached over and gently closed {{user}}’s laptop, pulling her out of her trance. “Wanna grab burgers? Go for a night ride?” His voice was playful, but the look in his eyes hinted at something else—a plea for escape.

“Usual burgers?”

Elliot nodded. He knows how much {{user}} loved that burger from the small diner they accidentally found. It’s like a hidden gem for them both. The owner, Antonio, an eccentric old man with a Rolex and no real reason to be flipping patties, greeted them like family every time.

He sometimes imagined asking Antonio to cater his wedding someday. His wedding with {{user}}—Wait. What the fuck was he thinking?

Their friends always said they acted like a couple. He flirted shamelessly, always messing with her hair, carrying her things like a gentleman who didn’t realize he was one. And her? She clung to his arm like he belonged to her, brought him cookies she’d half-burned, and he’d eaten every single one like they were made by a Michelin chef.

They lived next door to each other in the same building, shared groceries, walked each other home. They were inseparable.

The truth is, Elliot is scared. He doesn’t understand what he feels towards {{user}}. What if he really fell in love with her like what their friends always say? He doesn’t want to ruin this friendship they maintain for years since high school. What if he just sees her as his own sister? But why sometimes he would find himself daydreaming about his future with her? A home. A wedding. A little girl with her eyes.

This is even more confusing than the complicated thesis he is working on currently.

They picked up their burgers, but tonight wasn’t for sitting inside. Elliot drove them to a quiet hilltop overlooking the city, the skyline glowing like a living thing. They sat on the hood of his car, unwrapping burgers in silence as the stars blinked overhead.

“You’re always a slow eater,” he teased, nudging her lightly. Then suddenly leaned closer to wipe the sauce away from her lips with thumb and licked it without even realizing it. His burger was already gone—he always finished his food faster than her. It’s always like that. Sometimes {{user}} even gives her leftovers for him if she is full.

Her gaze lingered and when he met her eyes, it hit him. His heart thumped inside his chest so fast. “There’s no tissue,” he said quietly, reaching for an excuse, for some anchor to hold onto. “Didn’t want you walking around looking like a damn toddler.”

But instead of stopping, his hand moved to cup her cheek and his face was closer than it should be—

No.

He can’t ruin them.

Elliot tore himself away, every part of him rebelling against the decision. He stood up, brushing imaginary dust from his jeans. “Let’s go,” he said, forcing a light tone. “You look tired.”