Clearing the air...

Victor hadn't even realized Milo had followed him until he felt a firm grip on his arm. Before he could react, Milo had pulled him back inside the apartment, along with the bouquet, cake, champagne, and gift Victor had brought.

"Victor, stop being so stubborn," Milo said, shutting the door behind him.

Victor, still clearly upset, crossed his arms and sat stiffly on the couch. His expression was hard, his emotions swirling between frustration, confusion, and guilt.

Milo sighed as he walked into the kitchen, pouring a glass of water and placing it on the coffee table in front of Victor. "Here, drink this," he said calmly.

Victor didn't move. He didn't touch the glass, nor did he look at Milo. The silence was thick, almost suffocating.

"Victor," Milo said softly, sitting down next to him. "I'm sorry if I upset you. But you didn't tell me you were coming tonight. How was I supposed to know?"

Victor's jaw tightened, but he turned to look at Milo. There was no anger in Milo's eyes—only concern and sincerity.

He's right, Victor thought. He had wanted to surprise Milo, but in doing so, he had built up expectations that Milo had no way of meeting.

Victor exhaled deeply, finally breaking his silence. "I… I didn't think. I just wanted to surprise you. But when I saw you with that guy…"

Milo tilted his head, confused. "You mean Liam? Victor, he's just a friend. He stopped by because it's my birthday."

Victor frowned but didn't say anything.

Milo leaned closer, placing a hand on Victor's shoulder. "Today is my birthday, right? Didn't you come to celebrate it with me?"

Victor glanced at Milo, his anger fading slightly. After a moment, he managed a small smile and nodded.

"Good," Milo said, standing up and retrieving the cake Victor had brought. "Let's light the candles and cut this cake, okay?"

The cake sat on the table, its candles flickering as Victor lit them. Milo watched him, a small smile on his face.

"Make a wish," Victor said, stepping back to give Milo space.

Milo closed his eyes briefly, then blew out the candles. They both clapped softly, and Milo picked up the knife to cut the first slice.

"Here," Milo said, handing the slice to Victor.

Victor took it with a faint chuckle. "Aren't you supposed to feed me the first bite?"

Milo rolled his eyes but leaned forward, holding out the fork with a piece of cake. Victor grinned and took the bite.

"Happy now?" Milo teased.

Victor nodded, some of the tension finally dissipating. They both ate in comfortable silence, the earlier awkwardness slowly fading.

After finishing the cake, Victor reached for the gift he had brought but stopped himself midway. Maybe now isn't the right time, he thought, placing it back down quietly.

Instead, the two of them ended up on the couch, a random movie playing in the background. The quiet felt easier now, less charged with unspoken words.

But Victor couldn't help himself. The question had been nagging at him all night.

"Milo," he began hesitantly, his voice cutting through the sound of the movie.

Milo turned to him. "Yeah?"

Victor took a deep breath. "The guy I saw you with earlier… Who is he?"

Milo blinked, caught off guard. "You mean Liam?"

Victor nodded.

Milo leaned back against the couch, his expression calm. "He's a friend, Victor. That's all."

Victor's eyes narrowed slightly. "Just a friend?"

At that, Milo turned to face Victor directly. "Yes, just a friend," he said firmly, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

Victor studied Milo's face, searching for any sign of dishonesty, but found none. He let out a small sigh of relief, his shoulders relaxing.

"I'm sorry," Victor said quietly. "I guess I've just been overthinking."

Milo smiled softly, reaching out to pat Victor's shoulder. "It's okay. I get it. But seriously, you have nothing to worry about."

Victor nodded, feeling lighter than he had all evening.

As the movie played on, Milo glanced at Victor out of the corner of his eye. Despite the earlier tension, Victor seemed more at ease now, his focus on the screen.

Milo smiled to himself, silently grateful that they had cleared the air. For now, at least, things felt right again.