Steve’s chest tightened a little at the way she looked at him — like she was holding back a storm and trying to smile through it. He ran a hand through his hair, that familiar nervous tick he got when things got… complicated. ❝ Yeah, yeah of course, ❞ he said, forcing a grin that felt too small for the sudden jolt in his chest. ❝ I… I’d like that. ❞ He stepped aside, gesturing for her to come in, though he lingered in the doorway longer than necessary. ❝ I mean, it’s been… forever, hasn’t it? ❞ His voice was low, a little rough, like he was trying to sound casual but failing spectacularly. It was either she was busy with Jonathan or since his big love confession still they were more distant from one another. It was always Nancy to him. ❝ So yeah, we should definitely… spend some time. Catch up. Make it… normal-ish, at least. ❞ He rubbed the back of his neck, looking away for just a second before meeting her eyes again. ❝ You’ve got plans, or… uh, you just wanna, like… wing it? ❞ Even as he spoke, part of him couldn’t ignore the flutter in his stomach, that little pulse of hope that maybe today could fix… a lot of things. Or at least start to.