Chapter 5: Tensions Rising
The aftermath of the kiss lingered between them like smoke.
Invisible.
Heavy.
Impossible to ignore.
Than tried pretending nothing had happened.
He threw himself into work harder than ever, arriving early to meetings, obsessively revising project details, and avoiding eye contact whenever possible.
Kit, meanwhile, seemed completely unaffected.
Which was somehow even worse.
His teasing smirk appeared more often now, and every comment he made carried something dangerous underneath it something that made Than's chest tighten in ways he absolutely hated.
"You're glaring again," Kit remarked one night during another late study session.
Than kept typing furiously on his laptop.
"I'm focusing."
Kit hummed thoughtfully from across the table.
Then he leaned closer.
Close enough for Than to catch the faint scent of his cologne.
"If that's your focus face," Kit murmured, voice low, "it's kind of hot."
Than's pen slipped straight out of his hand.
Heat rushed violently to his face.
"Can you please take this seriously?" he snapped, immediately bending down to grab the pen before Kit could notice how flustered he was.
Unfortunately for him—
Kit noticed everything.
The idiot looked way too pleased with himself.
"Oh," Kit said lazily, leaning back in his chair, "I'm being very serious."
Than refused to look at him after that.
Mostly because every time he did, he remembered the kiss.
The way Kit grabbed his jacket.
The heat of his mouth against his.
The fact that for one terrifying second...
Than kissed him back.
The silence between them stretched again.
But this silence felt different now.
Charged.
Like one wrong word could start another disaster.
Then Kit spoke again, softer this time.
"You know," he said quietly, spinning a pen between his fingers, "you're not as boring as you pretend to be."
Than looked up automatically, caught off guard by the sincerity in his voice.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Kit shrugged lightly, though his eyes stayed fixed on Than's.
"Just means there's more to you than the whole 'Mr. Perfect' thing."
Than stared at him for a second too long.
Something uncomfortable twisted in his chest.
Nobody had ever really looked past the version of him he showed everyone else before.
Nobody except—
No.
Absolutely not.
Than looked away first.
"…You talk too much."
Kit laughed softly under his breath, but he didn't push further.
Still, the words stayed in Than's mind long after the meeting ended.
The next few days only made everything worse.
Or better.
Than honestly couldn't tell anymore.
Kit suddenly seemed to find excuses to stand too close, brush against his shoulder, or lean over him while looking at project notes.
Every tiny touch felt painfully noticeable now.
One afternoon, while exchanging papers across the table, their fingers brushed accidentally.
Than's breath caught immediately.
Kit paused too.
Then slowly looked up at him with the most knowing smile imaginable.
Than pulled his hand back so quickly he nearly dropped the papers.
"This is getting ridiculous," he muttered later while packing up his things.
Kit's grin widened.
"What is?"
Than shot him an irritated look.
"You."
Kit stepped closer without hesitation.
"What's really ridiculous," he said softly, "is how much you like it."
Than's heart nearly stopped.
"You're delusional."
"Sure," Kit murmured.
Then he leaned in slightly, close enough that Than could feel his breath again.
"Whatever helps you sleep at night."
Than stared at him speechlessly while Kit walked away looking entirely too satisfied with himself.
And that night?
Than barely slept at all.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Kit's smirk.
Felt his touch.
Heard his voice.
And somehow, that scared him more than the kiss itself.