William froze in the doorway, his heart thumping in his chest. The noise of the office seemed distant as if it was fading away. He didn’t expect to see Luke here. Not now, not like this. He stood there for a second, unsure if he should go back, or if he should just leave. But he couldn't, not when he saw Luke, his childhood friend, sitting across the table.
"William," Luke said, standing up. His voice still held that familiar tone, but it was more collected now, less doubtful. "I didn't expect you."
William blinked, still feeling the sting of surprise. His mouth felt dry, but he swallowed and managed to say, "Luke." He stepped into the room, his feet dragging slightly as he tried to find his footing. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. They were supposed to be older, not adults stuck in a room where everything was awkward.
Luke gave a tight smile, and for a second, it seemed like there was something more he wanted to say. He stood up straighter, his eyes de-stress just a little. "Didn't know you'd be here," he said, a slight pause before he added, "but it’s good to see you."
William nodded quickly, shifting his weight, his hands shaking a bit as he tried to keep himself composed. It was hard. He'd spent so long pushing his feelings down, hiding everything. And now, seeing Luke again, after so much time, it felt like it was all rushing back.
He cleared his throat. "Yeah. Me neither." He smiled, though it was a little strained. "Guess we're working together now."
Luke raised an eyebrow, an unsure smile crossing his face. "Guess so." He gestured for William to sit. "Come on, take a seat. You look like you’ve just run a marathon."
William chuckled nervously and made his way to the chair across from Luke. He tried to sit with confidence, but his body felt like it was betraying him—his legs shaky, his heartbeat out of control. He wasn’t used to this. He wasn’t used to being in the same room with Luke anymore, not after all the years apart.
“So,” William started, his voice cracking slightly at first before he adjusted. "What’s all this about? Important guest? What's going on now?"
Luke looked at him for a second, his gaze lingering before he answered, "You might be surprised. It’s... a big deal." He leaned forward, clearly diving into business mode. "But we can talk about that after, I guess."
The tension between them was still there, wide and unstated. But at least now they were talking. It wasn’t perfect, and it wasn’t easy, but it was something. And that was enough for now.
ns 15.158.61.16da2
