Monday feels different.
The weekend existed in its own universe.
School means reality.
Sable pauses before they leave his room.
Raxian notices immediately.
He steps closer.
His hand hovers near her ribs first — like always.
Silent question.
She nods.
He rests his palm there gently.
The other hand settles at her back.
Grounding.
"You good?" he asks anyway.
She answers by kissing him.
Once.
Then again.
Then again—
Until he's laughing softly against her mouth.
"We're going to be late."
She doesn't disagree.
Eventually they pull apart.
Straighten shirts.
Fix sleeves.
Rebuild composure.
Hand in hand, they step into the hallway.
At the front door she pauses again.
Breath in.
Breath out.
He doesn't rush her.
He just waits.
She nods.
And they step outside.
It's colder today.
Sharp air, gray sky.
She dresses like she always does.
Minimal layers.
"It doesn't bother me," she insists when he looks at her.
"Yeah. I know."
He pulls his hoodie open anyway and wraps part of it around her as they walk.
Not forcing, just offering.
She doesn't protest.
Instead, she leans into him slightly.
Head resting against his shoulder.
Small, instinctive.
It feels… natural.
Dangerously natural.
This.
Walking beside him.
Breathing the same cold air.
Sharing warmth.
It feels like something she was never supposed to have.
And now she does.
-
Second Shift is already busy.
Tess stands behind the counter, tying her hair back.
She spots them immediately.
Her eyes flicker once.
Assessment, approval.
No comment.
They walk to the booth.
Everyone's there.
Marcus.
Ava.
Bruce.
Logan.
One space empty.
Jake's.
No one jokes about it.
No one says anything.
But everyone feels it.
Raxian meets Marcus' eyes briefly.
Marcus gives a subtle head tilt.
Not accusation, just awareness.
Raxian sits.
Sable slides in beside him.
He orders warm drinks for them both without asking.
While Tess prepares them, he scans the booth again.
The missing presence sits heavier than he expected.
Did I break it?
The thought lands harder than he wants.
Sable's hand finds his under the table.
She doesn't look at him.
She just squeezes once.
He exhales slowly.
Jake isn't here.
But the orbit hasn't collapsed.
Not yet.
Still—
The empty space feels like a warning.
And Raxian can't shake the feeling that this is only the beginning of something shifting.