The screen flickered as the game loaded, the familiar battlefield rising into view.
Kian stretched his arms, cracked his knuckles, and took the second controller with an almost theatrical flair.
"You still remember how to shoot?" Luca asked, glancing sideways.
"Please," Kian scoffed. "I carried you half the time. You just looked good dying."
Luca smirked. "Delusional."
The countdown hit zero. They dropped into the match.
"Go left," Luca muttered, fingers moving quickly across the controls. "There's a guy behind the containers."
"I see him," Kian said, and moments later, gunfire erupted through the speakers. "Boom. Got him."
"Barely."
Kian leaned forward, grinning. "Still counts. Hey, remember that rooftop fight in Season 3? You rage-quit on me."
Luca groaned. "That was lag. And you kept distracting me."
"I was shirtless," Kian said with a wink. "How could you not be distracted?"
Luca didn't answer, just tightened his grip on the controller.
They played in silence for a minute—two. The kills racked up.
They worked like they used to: Luca giving sharp commands, Kian flanking like he was born for it.
"You know…" Kian said mid-match, voice lower now. "If I asked, would you ever come out again? Just one night."
Luca didn't take his eyes off the screen. "Why?"
"Because I miss that version of you."
"Yeah," Luca said, calmly. "I don't."
Another burst of fire, and the match ended with a victory.
"Damn," Kian breathed. "We still got it."
Luca set the controller down carefully, as if the weight of the silence that followed might crack it. "You're leaving after this, right?"
Kian looked at him, half a smile forming. "Yeah. I'll head out."
He stood, brushing crumbs off his jeans, then hesitated. "It's good to see you. Even if you're pretending to be a monk."
Luca's gaze flicked up, but didn't hold. "Goodnight, Kian."
For a heartbeat, nothing moved. The kind of pause that only mattered when you wished someone would stay.
Then came the sound of the door clicking shut. Luca stared at the empty chair across from him. Then Noel's side of the room. Still empty.
He sat there for a long second before turning the screen off.
Luca sat back on the bed, arms folded behind his head, the room dim except for the glow from his phone screen.
Buzz.
A message lit up.
Sophie : Hey Luca my party at Dusk Till Dawn, hope you're coming!! you promised me last time!! More emojis followed—sparkles, hearts, a fire icon.
Luca stared at the name. "Sophie…" he muttered. "Do I even know you?"
He didn't reply. Instead, he scrolled up through the chat. Barely any history. Maybe met her once at a bar?
He stared at the blinking cursor, thumb hovering over nothing. Then, with a sigh, he switched to the only thread that made sense.
Luca: Hey, whose party at Dusk Till Dawn?
A second later, Jordan replied.
Jordan: Sophie. Blonde. Talks a lot. You met her when we went out last month. You coming? I'm already on my way.
Luca stared at the screen for a moment, thumb hovering.
Luca: Maybe. Not sure.
Jordan: Bro it's gonna be packed. Drinks on her, too, beside you promise her.
Luca: Still thinking.
He tossed the phone beside him, sighing.
Another buzz.
Sophie : You better come, Lucaaa~ I saved you a spot Followed by a winking emoji and a dancing girl.
Luca rolled his eyes and mumbled, "Of course you did."
He turned his phone face down, lay back on the pillow, and closed his eyes.
Luca reached for his phone again.
Luca: I might swing by.
Jordan: That's more like it. Meet me at the entrance in 30?
Luca didn't reply right away. He sat up, rubbed the back of his neck, then stood and stretched.
"Why not," he muttered. "Dorm's quiet anyway."
He changed into a black shirt, checked himself in the mirror, grabbed his phone and keys, and headed out.
As he walked across campus, another message lit up.
Sophie : Eek! Can't wait to see youu!
He stared at it, snorted lightly, then shoved the phone into his pocket.
At the gate, Jordan was already leaning against the rail, drink in hand.
"Took you long enough," Jordan said.
"I didn't say I was coming for sure."
"And yet... here you are." Jordan grinned. "Let's go."
They crossed the street together, neon lights already flickering from the distance.
"You even remember what Sophie looks like?" Jordan asked.
"Not really."
"You will when you see the dress."
Luca chuckled. "Great."
Jordan nudged him. "Just don't vanish with someone too early. It's a party, not a chase."
"No promises."
The bass thudded through the pavement before they reached the door, a synthetic heartbeat pulling them in.
Neon bled across the sidewalk as they stepped inside.