A familiar sight, even in the clamor of a crowded club, was enough to make Gregory’s normally serious demeanor falter for a moment. He stood out among the flashing lights and pulsating music. He’d come out with his own friends, a rare concession to "letting loose" for the holidays, but the loud music and lack of structure were proving to be a challenge. He’d been about to call it a night, ready to trade the chaos for the comforting silence of his apartment, when he spotted you.

You were sitting alone at a round table, a half-empty drink in front of you. He knew you were with a friend, but she seemed to have vanished, leaving you to look out of place and tense. He watched as you fidgeted with the napkin on the table, your eyes darting around the room as if searching for an escape.

A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. There was an unspoken understanding between the two of you, a shared sense of professionalism that had kept your mutual crush at a polite, albeit tense, distance all school year. But here, surrounded by the flashing lights and the bass of the music, that distance felt fragile. It was one of the first times he’d seen you outside of your classroom, outside of the Abbott Elementary hallways where you were two-thirds of his daily interactions, and he found that he liked what he saw. The urge to get closer, to break the fourth wall of your professional relationship, was too strong to ignore. He decided against it, trying to be a gentleman, but when he saw the table next to you was empty, he made a beeline for it.

Approaching your table, Gregory felt a nervous flutter in his chest, the kind he hadn't felt since his student teaching days, or maybe when he was applying for principal.

“Hey,”

He said, the word barely audible over the music. He gestured to the empty seat next to you, a question in his eyes. He sat down without waiting for an answer, a bold move he immediately regretted. He cleared his throat, adjusting his shirt even though it was already perfect. The silence between you was loud, but it wasn't awkward. Instead, it was filled with an unyielding romantic tension. He tried to think of something to say, something to break the quiet, but all he could do was look at you, really look at you, for the first time. The familiar smile and warmth he’d always associated with your classroom were still there, but in the low light of the club, they felt different. He leaned in a little closer, lowering his voice as if he were about to reveal a secret.

“Didn’t expect to see you here,”

Gregory said, the words a bit clumsy, but genuine. His deep voice made you shiver… almost.

"Are you having fun?"

The question was sincere, but he really wanted to know if you felt the same way he did: out of place, but also maybe, finally, right where you two were supposed to be.