Dominic noticed the silence first.
Elias hadn't answered.
He hadn't argued, corrected, or deflected the way he usually did.
He had simply… stayed quiet.
For Dominic, that was louder than any confession.
The lab lights hummed softly above them, the monitors casting shifting blue reflections across the walls. Somewhere behind them the system continued its endless calculations, quietly analyzing a world that suddenly felt very small.
Because right now, Elias's entire attention seemed fixed on the man standing inches away from him.
Dominic didn't step back.
Neither did Elias.
"You're thinking again," Dominic murmured.
Elias exhaled slowly.
"I always think."
"Yeah," Dominic said with a faint smile. "That's the problem."
Elias raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
"You think so much you miss the obvious things."
"And what obvious thing am I missing right now?"
Dominic's gaze dropped briefly before returning to Elias's eyes.
"That I came back."
"I noticed."
"No," Dominic said softly. "You noticed I walked through the door."
His voice lowered slightly.
"But you still haven't asked why."
Elias crossed his arms, though the gesture felt weaker than usual.
"You said you wanted to see if you still felt the same."
"That's part of it."
"And the rest?"
Dominic looked at him for a long moment.
"You."
Elias frowned slightly.
"That's vague."
Dominic laughed quietly.
"You always want precise answers."
"It helps."
"Well," Dominic said, leaning one shoulder against the desk, "here's a precise answer."
His voice softened.
"I came back because leaving didn't work."
The words hung in the air.
Elias felt his chest tighten slightly.
"People usually leave for a reason," he said.
Dominic nodded.
"Yeah."
"And that reason doesn't disappear."
"Sometimes it does," Dominic replied.
"And sometimes you realize it wasn't the real reason."
Elias studied him carefully.
"What was the real reason then?"
Dominic hesitated.
Not because he didn't know.
Because saying it out loud made things complicated.
"You scared me," he admitted finally.
Elias blinked.
"Me?"
"Yeah."
Dominic gave a small laugh.
"You were building something that could change the world. Something bigger than anything either of us understood."
He glanced briefly at the glowing monitors.
"That thing behind you."
Elias followed his gaze.
"The system."
"Right."
Dominic looked back at him.
"You were disappearing into it."
"And that scared you?"
Dominic nodded.
"I thought if I stayed… I'd eventually become invisible to you."
Elias didn't respond immediately.
Because that thought had never crossed his mind.
Dominic noticed the realization in his expression.
"See?" he said quietly.
"You didn't even notice it happening."
Elias ran a hand through his hair.
"I was focused on the work."
"I know."
"That doesn't mean you didn't matter."
Dominic's eyes softened slightly.
"Maybe."
He stepped a little closer again.
"But it started feeling like I mattered less."
The words settled heavily between them.
Elias opened his mouth to respond, but Dominic spoke first.
"You know the worst part?" Dominic said.
"What?"
"I almost convinced myself I didn't miss you."
Elias's gaze lifted.
"Almost?"
Dominic's lips curved faintly.
"Yeah."
His voice lowered.
"Then I saw you tonight."
The quiet hum of the lab seemed louder suddenly.
Dominic took another slow step forward.
Now there was almost no distance left between them.
"You look exactly the same," Dominic murmured.
"That's not true."
"It is."
His eyes moved across Elias's face.
"Still serious. Still stubborn."
Elias sighed.
"And you're still annoying."
Dominic smiled wider.
"You missed that too."
Elias didn't answer.
Because unfortunately, Dominic was right.
Dominic noticed the hesitation.
His expression softened slightly.
"You know what the problem is?" he asked quietly.
"What?"
"We keep talking around it."
"Around what?"
Dominic gestured lightly between them.
"This."
Elias felt his pulse quicken again.
"There is no 'this,'" he said carefully.
Dominic tilted his head.
"You really want to keep pretending that?"
Elias looked away briefly.
Dominic waited.
Then he said softly,
"You remember the night it almost happened?"
Elias's jaw tightened.
"Yes."
"You stopped."
"I did."
"Why?"
Elias hesitated.
Because the truth wasn't simple.
Because the truth was standing right in front of him again.
Finally he said quietly,
"Because I didn't want to ruin what we had."
Dominic blinked slightly.
"That's why?"
"Yes."
Dominic stared at him for a moment.
Then he laughed.
Not loudly.
Just a quiet, incredulous sound.
"You're unbelievable."
Elias frowned.
"What?"
"You thought kissing me would ruin things?"
"I wasn't sure what it would mean."
Dominic stepped closer again.
Now their shoulders brushed lightly.
The contact was accidental.
But neither of them moved away.
"You want to know what it would've meant?" Dominic said softly.
"What?"
Dominic held his gaze.
"That you finally stopped pretending."
Elias felt his breath catch slightly.
Dominic's voice dropped to almost a whisper.
"You always knew there was something here."
He gestured faintly between their chests.
"You just didn't want to deal with it."
Elias tried to step back then.
But the desk stopped him.
Dominic noticed immediately.
A slow smile spread across his face.
"Well," he murmured.
"That's interesting."
Elias narrowed his eyes.
"What is?"
Dominic leaned slightly closer.
"You're trapped."
"I'm not trapped."
Dominic's voice softened.
"Then move."
Elias didn't.
The moment stretched between them.
Heavy.
Electric.
Dominic watched him carefully.
Then he said quietly,
"Yeah."
Elias frowned.
"Yeah what?"
Dominic's smile deepened.
"You definitely missed me."