Summary:

“Ah,” Ilya said, grinning, going for the joke. Shane looked up, curious. “So being boring is genetic?” He expected laughter. Or the way Shane would roll his eyes even as he melted, the way that made the teasing feel welcome. Instead, Shane’s smile disappeared completely. It wasn’t dramatic. It just… went. Like a light switched off. “Yeah,” Shane said, clearing his throat, forcing the word out before it could crack. “I guess so.” He took a step back, creating space that felt suddenly necessary, like he might suffocate if he drifted any closer. Every instinct in him screamed to leave. To put distance between himself and this feeling and the source of it before it swallowed him whole