Do you want this or not ?

CALEB

The silence at the table didn’t last long.

Professor Elliot Ward stood abruptly, gripping the edge of the table as he pushed himself upright. The movement was careful, but I could still see the irritation in his shoulders.

“This was a mistake,” he said.

He reached for his cane and turned towards the hallway that led to the restrooms and the back exit of the club.

I watched him go for about three seconds. Then I followed.

The hallway was quieter than the main room, the music fading into a dull thump behind the walls. A few dim lights cast long shadows along the narrow space.

Ward was halfway down it when he noticed me.

“For the love of—” he muttered under his breath. “Mr. Foster.”

I leaned one shoulder against the wall .

You forgot something.”

His eyes narrowed. “What.”

“The part where you pretend we didn’t just match on a hookup app.”

Ward closed his eyes briefly, he was definitely gathering the last threads of his patience.

“This conversation,” he said carefully, “is over.”

“Doesn’t seem like it.”

“I am leaving.”

“Sure you are.”

He took a step forward. Then another.

When he tried to pass me, I moved without thinking, blocking the narrow space of the hallway.

Not touching him - yet.

“You are being unbelievably childish.”

“Maybe.”

“Move.”

“Why?”

“Because I am asking you to.”

“That doesn’t sound like asking.”

His grip tightened slightly on the cane.

“You seem to enjoy making situations unnecessarily difficult.”

“I prefer interesting.”

Ward looked up at me and the irritation in his eyes sharpened.

“You are my student.”

“Not here.”

“That distinction doesn’t matter.”

“It mattered when you matched with me.”

“That was before I knew it was you.”

I shrugged.

“Still matched.”

The silence stretched.

“You think this is amusing.”

“A little.”

His gaze flicked briefly to the wall beside me, calculating the space.

“You are aware,” he said evenly, “that I am attempting to leave this situation with what dignity remains.”

“Professor,” I said, unable to stop the grin pulling at my mouth, “you came to a hookup club using a fake name.”

“That is not the point.”

“It’s kind of the whole point.”

His patience snapped just a little.

“Oh for—”

The sentence got cut off when he stepped forward again, trying to move past me.

His shoulder bumped into mine, the movement throwing him slightly off balance. His injured ankle shifted awkwardly and he grabbed my jacket instinctively to steady himself.

For a long while, we were very close. I could feel the tension in his grip where his fingers clutched the fabric near my chest.

His head tilted back slightly to look at me.

“Let go,” he said quietly.

But he hadn’t moved his hand either.

“Thought you were leaving,” I said.

“I was.”

“You’re not doing a great job of it.”

“You are impossible.”

“And yet you matched with me.”

The words slipped out before I could stop them.

“You are insufferable,” he said.

“Probably.”

“You enjoy pushing people.”

“Only the ones who push back.”

The air between us felt heavier.

Ward’s hand still gripping my jacket.

Neither of us moved away.

Then he muttered under his breath. And before my brain could fully catch up with what was happening— He kissed me.

It was sudden and sharp, all the frustration and tension he’d been holding back snapped at once in form of the kiss.

I didn’t react at first. My brain could not process what was happening at that moment.

My hand came up automatically, gripping the wall behind him as I leaned in, the narrow hallway leaving almost no space between us.

Ward made a quiet sound of frustration against my mouth. His hand tightened on my jacket.

The kiss deepened for a brief, reckless moment.

Then reality crashed back in.

Ward pulled away abruptly.

His breathing uneven, his eyes wide with what looked dangerously close to shock . Then he ran a hand through his hair, looking completely furious with himself .

“That,” he said sharply, “was a mistake.”

I leaned back slightly against the wall, still processing what had just happened.

“You’re the one who started it.”

Ward grabbed his cane again, clearly done with the entire situation.

“This conversation,” he said tightly, “never happened.”

And before I could answer, he turned and walked quickly down the hallway towards the exit. Leaving me standing there, still trying to figure out what the hell had just happened.