The door slammed shut with a heavy thud, followed by the sound of a key turning in the lock. A moment of stunned silence filled the space before reality settled in

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," you muttered, pressing against the wooden panel and jiggling the knob

Behind you, Tord exhaled sharply. "Great. Just what I needed"

The closet was barely big enough for one person. The shelves above were stacked with forgotten junk, the air was thick and worst of all—you were practically pressed against him.

"Move over" you grumbled, trying to shift to the side

"There's no space" Tord shot back, voice laced with irritation. "Unless you want to sit on my lap, then be my guest"

Your glare was wasted in the darkness, but you could feel his smirk

Outside, the muffled laughter of the group confirmed your worst suspicion

"You think this is funny?" you called out, pounding on the door.

"You two need to work things out!" Edd’s voice rang cheerfully from the other side

"Open the damn door!" Tord snapped

"Not until you two promise to stop fighting!" Matt chimed in

A heavy silence settled between you and Tord, you sighed, leaning your head back against the closet wall "This is ridiculous"

"Tell me about it" Tord shifted slightly, but the movement only pressed him closer, his breath was warm against your cheek "They really think this is going to fix things?"

"Apparently" You exhaled, suddenly hyper-aware of the proximity his arm brushed against yours, every small shift felt amplified "How long do you think they'll leave us here?"

"Knowing them? Hours"

You groaned "I hate this"

"Hate being stuck with me?" There was something unreadable in his voice

You hesitated "I hate being trapped"

Silence stretched between you both. Then, unexpectedly, Tord chuckled softly "At least you didn't say you hate me. That's progress"

Despite yourself, you smirked "Don't get your hopes up"

Another beat of quiet. Then he muttered "I guess we'll have to make the best of it"

You didn't reply, the walls between both felt smaller