I want to see you

Liam’s hand froze just as he was about to open his camera.

Bloody hell. He could practically hear Jack grinding his teeth behind those plain, unremarkable words.

He sent Jack a string of ellipses to express how ridiculous the whole thing was, then added:

“But I want to see you.”

Jack didn’t reply or send a photo. No matter how many cheesy pickup lines Liam tried after that, the other man remained silent. His messages disappeared without a trace.

Liam felt as though he had travelled back to the days when he used to chase Jack around like a lovesick idiot.

Back when they had first met, before they became close, Jack had always acted this way. He was cold and distant, sometimes responding with nothing more than an occasional “Oh” to every ten messages Liam sent.

That infuriating, cold on the outside act could drive anyone up the wall. Somehow, though, Liam had enjoyed fawning over him.

……

The next day, August 14, at 1:30 p.m., Liam arrived at Central Station in Sydney.

Jack wasn’t waiting at the exit. He had only sent Liam a pinned location showing where he had parked.

The relentless heatwave made the air feel heavy and suffocating.

After just five minutes outside, Liam was already soaked in sweat. By the time he dragged his suitcase to the parking spot, the heat had left him feeling dizzy.

Inside the car, Jack spotted the approaching figure in his rearview mirror, and his heart gave an unexpected little flutter.

A white T-shirt, casual trousers, and flat shoes. Liam still had that understated, thrown-together style that somehow made his face look even more endearing.

No matter where they were or how much time had passed, Jack could always pick Liam out of a crowd at a glance.

Two years apart, and the ungrateful little bastard hadn’t changed much. If anything, he had become even thinner.

Jack’s fingers practically itched to grab him.

Still, there was no denying that he was angry. Yet when Liam had called him, Jack had felt more excitement than surprise.

The first time, his pride had made him hang up. He regretted it almost immediately.

During the next few attempts, he had deliberately played hard to get, secretly worried that Liam might give up and stop calling.

Even without the news of Liam’s mother’s death, even if something about the whole situation felt suspicious, Jack couldn’t bring himself to refuse him.

He could fool everyone else, but not himself.

He simply couldn’t let go of the bastard.

Finally reaching a black Hummer, Liam was drenched in sweat and thoroughly irritated by the heat.

As he stared at the glossy paintwork, two ridiculous clickbait headlines suddenly popped into his head.

SHOCKING! MY EX DUMPED ME, THEN BECAME A SUCCESS!

DISCARDED BOYFRIEND RISES TO THE TOP AFTER BEING DUMPED!

“……”

Pulling himself together, Liam wiped the sweat from his face, stepped forward, and knocked on the window with a smile.

After a long pause, Jack finally opened the door and stepped out.

A blast of cold air hit Liam’s face, cutting through the haze caused by the heat.

Putting on a brave smile, he greeted him.

“Brother Jack, long time no see.”

“……”

Jack gave him a frosty once-over, his expression cold enough to cause frostbite, before taking Liam’s suitcase and heading towards the boot.

It was awkward, certainly, but Liam doubled down on his shamelessness and openly admired the man he hadn’t seen in so long.

There was no denying that Jack was taller and more handsome than him. Otherwise, Liam wouldn’t have become such a lovesick fool in the first place.

Jack’s tousled hair was swept back, and he wore a black shirt with matching dress trousers. His collar was open, with two buttons undone, giving him a relaxed business look.

Compared with two years ago, he seemed far more mature. At 190 centimetres tall, with the strong bearing of someone trained in the military, he carried an intimidating, rebellious charm.

Put him in a suit, and he looked downright lethal.

Those legs alone seemed longer than Liam’s life expectancy.

And as for Jack’s physique without clothes? Absolutely ridiculous.

Liam was insanely jealous.

He worked out, too. He had abs and a V-line, but a body built in the gym simply couldn’t compare with Jack’s naturally powerful, military-trained physique.

Thinking about it made Liam want to slap his past self.

He had been lucky enough to date such a gorgeous man, yet he had still chosen to break up with him without even discussing it properly.

What an ungrateful idiot.

Jack could feel Liam’s gaze lingering on him.

Liam had always looked at him this way, with heart-shaped eyes, as though he adored him more than anything in the world.

And yet, in the end, Liam had been the one to dump him!

Bang!

The boot slammed shut, snapping Liam out of his daze.

Clearly, Jack had done it on purpose.

Jack returned to the driver’s seat while Liam obediently climbed into the passenger seat. After fastening his seat belt, he tugged at his collar to fan himself.

“This weather is bloody ridiculous! It’s so hot!”

Jack’s expression darkened. Despite the car’s automatic climate control, he still reached over and lowered the air-conditioning temperature.

His voice remained cold.

“It’s almost two. Let’s get some lunch first. What do you want to eat?”

“Anything’s fine. You can decide, Ex-Brother Jack.”

Liam sounded cheerful, putting on his best good-boy act.

As long as he behaved himself, Jack wouldn’t have an excuse to lose his temper. Once he had settled in, he could slowly test the limits a little further.

Jack shot him a sidelong glance, his lips pressed into a tight line, then started the engine and drove out of the car park.

Soft music filled the cabin, easing the tension slightly.

They both knew Sydney well, and when it came to food and entertainment, Oxford Street was an obvious choice.

Jack drove smoothly to a stylish boutique restaurant.

Parking, going upstairs, ordering food. Liam asked no questions, and Jack offered no explanations.

However, every dish Jack ordered happened to be one of Liam’s favourites.

It hadn’t been intentional. His fingers had simply moved on their own while he was ordering.

Liam secretly rejoiced, warmth spreading through his chest. His grin was harder to suppress than the recoil of a rifle.

And so, they began their first lunch together since reuniting, with unspoken tension hanging between them.

Liam tried several times to start a conversation, but whenever he met Jack’s gaze, he swallowed his words along with his food.

The atmosphere wasn’t right. Some things were better left unsaid for now.

Jack had planned to ask politely whether Liam liked the food, but after seeing him practically inhale it, he decided against it.

The bloke looked starving. Taste probably wasn’t his main concern.

After lunch, Jack paid the bill while Liam went to the bathroom before returning to the car park.

Liam had assumed Jack would take him home.

Instead, Jack drove straight to a hotel where a room had already been booked in Liam’s name.

Once the bellhop had taken his luggage inside, Liam’s face fell.

Staying in a hotel meant he had no chance of moving in with his ex. Worse still, hotels would be prime targets during the apocalypse.

However, after thinking it through, Liam realised that he might have expected too much.

Jack had agreed to let him come to Sydney, not to take him in.

Booking a five-star hotel room for an ex-boyfriend was already more generous than most people would have been.

Seeing Liam’s disappointed expression, Jack frowned.

“What’s your problem?”

Was Liam already going to start sulking before they had even cleared up their past?

Liam looked at him earnestly.

“Hey, Brother Jack, I don’t want to stay in a hotel. Can I stay with you instead?”

If he was going to cling to someone for protection, the closer he could get, the better.

Jack stared at him, remembering why Liam had come looking for him in the first place. Suppressing his irritation, he softened his tone.

“You came here to relax. This place has a good environment, and our company handles the hotel’s security. It’s safe.”

Liam pouted.

“Well, technically, I did come here to relax. But mostly, I came to see you, so I’d rather stay with you. Besides, I don’t have much money left. Ever since Mum passed away, I’ve been having terrible nightmares. I’m a nervous wreck, and I can’t stand being alone at night…”

Jack’s chest tightened.

Was Liam hinting that he wanted to share a bed?

Noticing the look in Jack’s eyes, Liam immediately blushed and hurried to explain himself.

“No, no! I don’t mean it like that. I just feel safer and less anxious when I’m near you.”

It wasn’t as though he had stopped being attracted to Jack. But Liam wasn’t the sort of person who would jump into bed with someone before they had sorted out their relationship.

Besides, disasters rarely arrived without warning. Dreams were among the most common signs.

In his previous life, after the apocalypse began, many survivors had claimed they dreamed about the disaster before it happened.

Liam was deliberately laying the groundwork now so that he could explain his plans to stockpile supplies later.

If he suddenly announced that the world was about to end, any sane person would think he had lost his mind.