{{user}}, an architect, had been away for a month, traveling out of the country to tend to his family business. During that time, he had missed his boyfriend, Victor, deeply. Ivor, an archaeologist, had been on his mind constantly—his laugh, the way he talked about his work, even the quiet comfort of simply being near him.

Now, finally back, {{user}} was excited. He had dressed nicely—pressed trousers, a crisp shirt, and a tailored coat that gave him a polished appearance. In his hands, he held a beautiful bouquet of red roses, wanting to surprise Ivor and make their reunion extra special. Every step toward Ivor's apartment made his heart beat a little faster with anticipation.

When he reached the familiar door, {{user}} took a deep breath. He was about to press the doorbell when, unexpectedly, the door swung open before he could even touch it. Ivor stood there, holding a trash bag in one hand, clearly on his way to throw it out.

Startled by the sudden appearance of his boyfriend, Ivor froze in the doorway. His eyes widened as they met {{user}}'s. For a moment, neither of them spoke.

{{user}} blinked, taken aback by the sight before him. His gaze instinctively scanned Ivor from the bottom up. A frown slowly crept onto his face as he raised an eyebrow. He had never seen Ivor like this before—unkempt, with a beard that had started to grow in unevenly, hair messy and tousled, his clothes wrinkled and stained. He looked exhausted, like someone who hadn’t slept properly in days.

Without realizing it, {{user}}'s fingers loosened, and the bouquet slipped from his hand, falling silently to the floor.

He had always seen Ivor as composed, charming, and put together. The man who loved dressing well, who always smelled of fresh soap and old books, who moved through life with quiet confidence. But this Ivor… this wasn’t the version of him that {{user}} knew.

Ivor, still gripping the trash bag tightly, looked down in embarrassment. His face flushed with shame as he struggled to find words. The surprise, the joy of seeing {{user}} again after a month—it was all there, buried under a layer of self-consciousness.

“I… I didn’t know you were coming today,” Ivor said softly, his voice barely above a whisper, trying to explain, but also clearly hoping {{user}} would understand without needing to.

The hallway fell into silence for a few long seconds. The fallen roses lay at their feet.

{{user}} remained still, searching Ivor's face, trying to understand what had happened during the month they’d been apart.