Flynn woke up, blinking against the dim light filtering through the window. He glanced at Dylan, still lying beside him, sleeping soundly on the couch, completely unaware of the time. Outside, the rain had softened, no longer the fierce downpour it had been earlier. Thnder and lightning had calmed too, leaving only a gentle patter against the windows.
The living room was in disarray. Their clothes were scattered across the floor, and notebooks they hadn't managed to review were left open on the table.
Suddenly, Flynn felt his stomach growl. He looked at the wall clock and realized it was already 6:00 p.m. They had been asleep on the couch since morning.
Flynn stood up right away to get dressed and decided to reheat the leftover food in the fridge for dinner. Before going to the kitchen, he covered Dylan with a blanket.
After heating the food in the microwave, Flynn placed everything on the table. Just as he finished, someone suddenly hugged him from behind.
"My wife is so hardworking," Dylan said.
Flynn didn't realize that Dylan was already awake. "Stop calling me your wife. And... put some clothes on." Flynn said when he saw that Dylan was only wearing his boxers.
Dylan immediately grabbed his shorts and shirt and put them on so they could eat together.
-
The next morning, Dylan woke early to the sound of his phone ringing. He answered, and the moment he heard the voice on the other end, his eyes widened in surprise.
"Okay, got it. I'm on my way," Dylan said quickly. As soon as he hung up, he hurried to get dressed.
Flynn stirred and woke, blinking against the morning light. He watched Dylan, noticing the unusual urgency in his movements. "Where are you going?" he asked, curiosity lacing his voice.
"My brother just arrived from Singapore. I need to pick him up at the airport," Dylan replied, slipping into a polo shirt.
"Your brother?" Flynn asked, tilting his head in surprise.
"He's my older cousin," Dylan clarified.
Flynn simply nodded. "What time will you be back?" he asked.
"I'm not sure yet. Just go ahead and eat without me later," Dylan said.
"I'll just go home for now," Flynn offered.
"Okay, that's fine. But I can't drive you. My cousin will be here any minute," Dylan replied.
"I'm not a kid. I can get home on my own," Flynn said firmly.
"All right, just... make sure to text or call me if anything comes up," Dylan said.
Flynn nodded and got up to get dressed. Dylan left immediately after, heading straight to the airport.
It didn't take long before Dylan arrived at the airport. Soon after, his cousin Brent emerged from the arrival area.
"Brother," Dylan greeted, pulling Brent into a brief hug.
"You're not late," Brent said.
"You know I wouldn't keep you waiting," Dylan replied.
"Good," Brent answered simply.
Dylan hesitated for a moment before asking, "So... is there anywhere you want to go?"
"Just take me to the hotel for now. I need to rest," Brent said. "I have a few meetings with friends tonight, so we'll hang out tomorrow."
After Brent said that, Dylan immediately agreed and went to get his car to drive him to his hotel. Truthfully, the arrangement worked in Dylan's favor. He wanted to be with Flynn more than anything else. That was why he drove a little faster than usual, eager to drop Brent off as soon as possible so he could go back to Flynn.
Meanwhile, Flynn was packing the things he planned to bring with him when he returned to Dylan's apartment. As he moved around his room, his eyes landed on the drawer of his study table that he hadn't opened in a long time. He was just about to open it when a knock sounded on his bedroom door.
"Son, someone wants to talk to you," Lucas said as he stepped inside, handing him a phone.
"Is that Dylan?" Flynn asked. "Tell him I'm busy."
"It's Chloe," Lucas replied.
It felt as if time stopped the moment Flynn heard the name-a name he couldn't even remember the last time he'd heard spoken.
"C-Chloe?" Flynn muttered.
"She's been calling for days now, asking for you," Lucas added.
Flynn immediately walked over and took the phone from his father. As soon as he did, Lucas quietly left the room, giving him space.
Flynn hesitated, unsure whether he should answer the call or not. But wanting to know the reason behind it, he finally decided to pick up.
"C-Chloe?" Flynn said softly into the phone.
"Flynn? Is that you?" Chloe said on the other end, her voice trembling, as if she were crying.
"Are you crying?" Flynn asked, concern clearly written on his face. "W-what's wrong?"
"Flynn... why are you only answering now?" she sobbed. "I've been looking for you since the other day. Do you know how much I miss you?"
"D-did something happen to you there?" Flynn asked.
"I miss you, Flynn. I think about you all the time. There isn't a single moment when I don't think of you and wish you were here with me."
"Chloe," Flynn said gently, "we've been apart for more than a year now. A lot has changed. Your life there abroad is already stable."
"No, Flynn," she replied immediately, almost desperately. "You're still the one I love. Don't you miss me? Don't you love me anymore?"
Flynn fell silent, unsure of what to say. The weight of the past pressed down on him, memories he thought he had buried resurfacing all at once. His eyes drifted to the SpongeBob plushies resting on his bed, and he let out a slow breath before speaking again.
"Chloe, I've already moved on. I hope you can move on too and focus on yourself. And one more thing-please stop calling my dad. You're bothering him."
"No, Flynn. I won't," she said firmly. "If you won't get back together with me, then I'll keep calling your father."
Flynn closed his eyes. "I'm sorry, Chloe," he said quietly. Before she could say anything else, Flynn ended the call.
After talking to Chloe, Flynn immediately went back inside and headed straight for Lucas.
"Hey, son, did you talk to Chloe? I thought you two were on a break?" Lucas asked.
"Next time, don't talk to her," Flynn snapped. Without waiting for his father to respond, he yanked the SIM card from Lucas's phone and snapped it in half. Before Lucas could protest, it was already destroyed.
"Just buy a new one," Flynn said, handing the phone back to him before retreating to his room.
Lucas sighed, muttering to himself, "This kid... I have so many important contacts in here."
Back in his room, Flynn went straight to his drawer. As soon as he opened it, he saw the last letter from his ex, Chloe. A bracelet with his name also caught his eye. He reached for it, lost in thought, when suddenly Dylan appeared behind him, swiftly snapping the bracelet from his hand.
Startled, Flynn spun around. "Why are you here? I thought you were with your brother."
"He said he'd rest first, so we'll go out later," Dylan replied, his eyes lingering on the bracelet until he noticed Flynn's name engraved on the pendant. Even without asking, Dylan immediately knew it was a couple bracelet.
"Who's this from?" Dylan asked.
"It's nothing," Flynn answered curtly, continuing to tidy up.
"Nothing? Come on, who's it really from?" Dylan pressed.
Flynn paused and faced Dylan, realizing he wouldn't let this go until he got an answer. "It's from my ex-girlfriend," he said.
"I left for a moment, and you're already reminiscing about your ex?" Dylan teased, holding the bracelet up in front of Flynn.
"Stop talking," Flynn muttered, snatching the bracelet back and placing it in the drawer.
"Then why were you staring at it earlier? Missing your ex?" Dylan continued.
"Dylan, can you just leave me alone?" Flynn shot back.
"Why do you still have it?"
"Why wouldn't I? It's not like I'm going to throw it away. And I don't even use it. What's your problem?" Flynn said, clearly irritated.
"Fine, fine. You're so grumpy," he added with a huff.
Flynn finished packing his things. Once his bag was zipped, he practically shoved it into Dylan's hands before storming out of the room. Dylan was left holding Flynn's bag, watching him go.