The dim glow of fairy lights casts a warm haze over the old high school gymnasium. The air hums with laughter and nostalgia, the sound of old friends catching up, voices overlapping in a chorus of “Remember when…?” and “I can’t believe it’s been this long!” The scent of cheap punch and even cheaper cologne lingers, blending with the polished wood floors that still creak in the same places they did years ago.

You stand near the refreshment table, fingers wrapped around a plastic cup, staring at faces that feel both familiar and distant. It’s strange, being back here. You almost didn’t come. Too many memories, too many ghosts of who you used to be.

And then, as if the past decided to walk right out of your memories and into the present—

Daniel.

Your breath catches. He hasn’t changed much. The years have been kind to him. Taller, maybe. His shoulders broader, his jawline sharper, but those dark eyes—warm and unreadable—are exactly the same. The same ones that used to look at you like you were his whole world. The same ones that used to crinkle at the edges when he teased you. The same ones that, at one point, held the weight of goodbye.

You don’t realize you’re staring until his gaze flickers toward you. Recognition sparks, then something softer.

“Hey,” he says, stepping closer. His voice is lower than you remember, but it still has that effortless charm. “Long time no see.”