The café Adrian chooses is expensive.

Elias knows this the moment he walks in and sees white tablecloths and waiters in pressed uniforms. He tugs at his jacket, suddenly aware of how cheap it looks compared to everything around him.

Adrian sits in a corner booth, already waiting. He's not wearing a suit today. Just dark jeans and a fitted shirt.

Their eyes meet across the room.

Elias forces himself to walk over, ignoring the way his heart speeds up.

"Thank you for coming," Adrian says, standing. He gestures to the seat across from him. "Please, sit."

Elias slides into the booth. A waiter appears immediately, pouring water into crystal glasses.

"Would you like anything?" Adrian asks. "Coffee? Food?"

"I'm fine."

"You should eat something." It's not a suggestion. Adrian signals the waiter. "Two of the breakfast specials, please."

The waiter nods and disappears.

Elias bristles slightly. "I said I was fine."

"I know." Adrian's expression is calm. "But you look like you haven't eaten in days. Humor me."

They sit in silence for a moment. Elias fidgets with his water glass, unsure what to say.

"So," he starts finally. "The internship."

"Yes." Adrian leans back, studying him. "I wanted to tell you personally that you got it."

Elias blinks. "What?"

"The position is yours if you want it. You can start Monday."

"But I just applied last night. You haven't even read the other applications yet."

"I don't need to." Adrian's gaze is steady. "I read yours. That was enough."

Something about this feels wrong. Too easy. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why me?" Elias leans forward. "I wasn't even paying attention in your lecture. My essay was probably terrible. So why?"

Adrian is quiet for a moment. When he speaks, his voice is softer. "Because I know what grief looks like. And I know what it's like to try holding yourself together when everything inside is breaking."

The words hit Elias like a punch. His throat tightens.

“What?”

“I know you're going through a lot”

"I don't need your pity."

"It's not pity." Adrian's eyes don't leave his. "I lost someone too. A long time ago. I remember how it felt. Like drowning on dry land."

Elias looks away, blinking hard. He won't cry. Not here, not in front of this man.

The food arrives. Eggs, toast, fresh fruit. It smells good. Elias's stomach clenches with sudden hunger.

"Eat," Adrian says gently.

Elias does. The first bite tastes like the best thing he's had in weeks. He didn't realize how hungry he was until now.

They eat in silence. It's not uncomfortable. Adrian doesn't push conversation.

Finally, Elias sets down his fork. "Thank you. For the food. And the internship."

"You earned it."

"Did I?"

Adrian's jaw tightens slightly. "You're a scholarship student with a strong academic record who just lost his mother and is still showing up. That tells me more about your character than any interview could."

"You looked into me."

"I did my research, yes." Adrian doesn't apologize for it. "That's what good businessmen do."

Elias should feel invaded. Instead, he feels seen.

"When do I start?"

"Monday, 8 a.m." Adrian pulls out a folder and slides it across the table. "Contract, building access, your assignments. It's all there."

Elias opens the folder. His eyes widen at the salary listed. "This is... this is too much."

"well you'll get used to it, it's standard for that position"

"No, it's not." Elias has researched internships. This is double what most companies pay. "Why are you doing this?"

Adrian meets his gaze. For a moment, something flickers in those gray eyes.

"Because I can," Adrian says finally. "And because you need it. Is that so wrong?"

Elias doesn't know how to answer that.

The first day at Cross Enterprises passes in a blur.

The building is all glass and steel. Elias's cubicle is small but has a window. His coworkers are polite but distant, clearly wondering how a university student landed this position.

Adrian's office is on the top floor. Elias catches glimpses of him throughout the day, always in motion.

At 6 p.m., most people leave. Elias stays, working through the reports Adrian assigned him. He needs to prove he deserves this, that it wasn't just charity.

At 9 p.m., his eyes starts to blur. He rubs them, trying to focus.

"Still here?"

Elias jumps. Adrian stands in the doorway of his cubicle, jacket off, sleeves rolled up.

"I wanted to finish this."

Adrian glances at Elias's screen, then at his face. "You're exhausted."

"I'm fine."

"Stop saying that." Adrian's voice is firm. "You're not fine. And that's okay."

The kindness breaks something in Elias. His eyes sting.

"I just need to keep busy," he whispers. "If I stop, if I go home to that empty apartment, I'll…"

He can't finish. His voice cracks.

Adrian is quiet for a moment. Then, "Let me drive you home."

"You don't have to…"

"I know." Adrian's expression is unreadable. "But I'm going to anyway."

Adrian's car is as expensive as everything else about him.

They drive in silence.

When they reach Elias's building, Adrian parks but doesn't unlock the doors.

"This is me," Elias says.

Adrian looks at the building. It's old, paint peeling, trash on the sidewalk. His jaw tightens.

"You shouldn't be alone tonight."

Elias laughs, bitter. "I'm always alone now. That's kind of the point of being an orphan."

"Come to my place."

The words hang in the air between them.

Elias turns to stare at Adrian. "What?"

"My place It has guest rooms. You can sleep there tonight. Somewhere that doesn't…" Adrian stops himself.

"Somewhere that doesn't remind me she's dead?" Elias finishes.

"Yes."

Elias should say no. This is his boss. This is inappropriate. This is crossing lines that shouldn't be crossed.

But the thought of walking into that empty apartment, seeing her coffee mug still in the sink, her sweater still on the couch...

"Okay,"

Adrian's penthouse is everything Elias expected and more. Floor-to-ceiling windows, expensive furniture, art on the walls that probably costs more than Elias's entire life.

"Guest room is down the hall," Adrian says, setting his keys on the counter. "Or would you like a drink first?"

"A drink." The words come out before Elias can stop them.

Adrian pours two glasses of whiskey. They sit on the couch, the city spread out below them like stars.

"Thank you," Elias says quietly. "For today. For all of this."

"You don't need to thank me."

"Yes, I do." Elias takes a sip. The whiskey burns. "You barely know me."

"I know enough."

Their eyes meet. The air between them shifts, becomes charged.

"Adrian…"

"You should know something." Adrian's voice is low. "This internship is real. Your position is earned. But my reasons for offering it..." He pauses. "They're not entirely professional."

Elias's heart pounds. "What do you mean?"

Adrian sets down his glass. He turns to face Elias fully. "I mean that from the moment I saw you in that lecture hall, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you."

The confession hangs between them.

Elias should leave or run.

But all he can think about is how empty he's felt for weeks. How numb. How desperate to feel anything other than grief.

"I shouldn't want this," Elias whispers.

"Neither should I."

They move at the same time.

Their lips meet and Elias tastes whiskey. Adrian's hands cup his face, gentle despite the intensity in his kiss. Elias's fingers grip Adrian's shirt, pulling him closer, needing more.

Adrian breaks away, breathing hard. "Elias, wait. If we do this…"

"Please." Elias's voice cracks. "I need to feel something other than this pain."

Adrian's eyes search his face. Whatever he sees there makes his resolve crumble.

He lifts Elias from the couch. Elias wraps his legs around Adrian's waist, burying his face in his neck as Adrian carries him toward the bedroom.

The door closes behind them.