however, as he begins to enter your apartment, you suddenly get saddened by a future that isn’t metamorphosed into stone. an idle nod; a discontented smile. things usually aren’t awkward with you two, so he immediately picks up on the tension as you shut the door behind him.

“the fuck is your problem?”

kicking off his sneakers, he scoffs. panic spikes in your chest, and you quickly shove it back down. unfortunately, he’s still waiting for a response.

you hate that he’s always been attentive.

“nothing. i’m just… tired.”

“just tired my ass.”

he grunts; rolls his eyes. giving you a once over, he then goes in for the kill. “it’s obvious that you’re fucking lying.”

this time, irritation begins to make its way into the fore. looking away, the truth amplifies, and you can’t help but acknowledge your inevitable demise; be honest about the fall. you feel the grin that’s being etched onto his skin, so the provocations are bound to come. jeff always loves to win games that you hate to lose.

you press crescents into your palm.

“i’m not lying. i said i’m fine.”

“oh?” he tilts his head, taunting you. “you’re bad at lying, you know. it’s gotta be something serious if you’re trying this hard to—“

“drop it, jeff. i said i’m fucking fine.”

you don’t get a chance to reload.

within two steps, he’s crowding your space. nothing on the floor is worth studying right now, but you’re too busy trying to ignore the closeness. it’s the way he invades all of your dashed lines and formless ruins. you can feel your cheeks getting warmer, and you hate that the labyrinth only has one way out.

conversely, jeff throws you a rose that doesn’t need to be passed into a crucible.

“what’s up with you today?”

the inquiry is quiet. you look up to meet his gaze, and it’s clear that worry has made a martyr out of him.

there’s a subtle glaze over his eyes. a fine line has replaced his usual need for a reaction, so he’s obviously not in the mood for diversions. he carries on after a beat passes. “is it work? who’s bothering you?”

“no one is bothering me, jeff.”

you ignore the way your chest tightens at the implication. you know he watches you. he keeps a lookout even when the coast is clear, and each bullseye has only worsened your sanity.

“well, something is bothering you.”

he’s close to snapping. you can feel him abandoning what’s left of his patience as logic suddenly gets thrown to the wind.

“is it your coworker? i told you i should’ve gutted that piece of shit.“ a heavy promise quickly tempers with his expression. “tomorrow, i’ll slit his fucking throat. it’s him, isn’t it? i’ll make sure he doesn’t get a chance to—“

“jeffrey.”

his skin becomes your grave site.

before you can think, your fingers suddenly cup his face, tracing over his cuts. he blinks at the touch. “no one is killing anybody… okay? i told you already. the guy is harmless. he’s just annoying, and he didn’t even get on my nerves this week.”

your thumbs brush over his cheeks. you can almost feel him settle into the gesture. however, shock passes through your mind before you get a chance to bask in the moment.

“wait. are you… jealous?”

there’s a vicious tug at your bait.

jeff immediately shoves your hands away, sneering at the suggestion.

“jealous? the fuck would i be jealous?”

turning, he grumbles out more muted complaints while making his way deeper inside. “always trying to start some shit. come on. we have a movie to watch, dumbass.”

smiling, you immediately take note of his resistance. it’s clear that his stubbornness is indicative of something more.

trailing after him, your trouble transmutes into a thing of the past.