Unwritten Melodies

Chapter 15

Offroad lay awake in bed, the events of the night replaying in his mind. It was well past midnight, but sleep seemed difficult to obtain. The quiet of his apartment felt heavier than usual, pressing down on him as he let his thoughts drift back to the theater, the dinner that followed, and every moment that had passed between him and Daou.

A week ago, he'd sworn he needed space, and yet here he was, caught in a mix of confusion and something dangerously close to hope. Tonight had felt different from the start—from Daou's warm smile when he'd opened the passenger door, to the way he'd listened, genuinely interested, as Offroad shared stories about his years of modeling.

It was as if the years apart had only been a brief pause, and now they were slowly resuming something that had once meant everything to him.

He sighed, turning onto his side, trying to convince himself that it was only nostalgia, a longing for simpler times. A soft chime interrupted his thoughts, his phone lighting up on the bedside table.

He reached for it, his heart skipping as he saw Daou's name on the screen.

"I had a great time tonight. Thank you for coming with me. Let's do it again sometime... if you're up for it."

A smile crept onto Offroad's face despite the chaos his heart's been feeling.

For a long moment, he stared at the message, his fingers hovering over the keyboard, debating whether he should reply immediately or leave it until morning. His instincts told him to wait, to let things cool off. But he found himself typing before he could second-guess.

"Me too. Tonight was nice. Thanks for inviting me."

He hesitated, then added, "And yeah, let's do it again."

He set his phone down, his heartbeat steady but with a slight tremor. Maybe this was the beginning of something, or maybe it was nothing more than the past resurfacing for a fleeting moment. 

Sighing, he reached for his phone again, opening instagram out of habit to scroll mindlessly to ease the restless energy. As soon as the app opened, he saw, at the story section that Daou is live. Offroad froze, thumb hovering over the screen, debating. Should he watch? Would Daou know he was there? He couldn't remember if instagram lives showed viewers in real-time. Still, an almost inexplicable pull urged him forward. So he closed his eyes letting his thumb press the circle.

When the screen loaded, he heard Daou's familiar voice, light-hearted and playful. 

"Laika... come here. The fans want to see you, come hereee," he coaxed in a soft tone, a hint of laughter in his voice. Offroad opened his eyes, and there she was—Laika, Daou's beloved cat, padding into the frame, her bright eyes and soft fur capturing the attention of viewers.

A smile crept onto Offroad's face, a warmth spreading through him as he watched Daou cooing at Laika, his voice gentle and full of affection. 

She's grown so much, he thought.

"She's really big now," he murmured to himself, feeling a strange sense of familiarity.

But before he could get too comfortable, the comments section began to explode in real-time, viewers flooding the screen with excited messages:

"OMG!!! Offroad is watching!!"

"DAOU! Offroad is watching!"

"Offroad is here! He is here!!! Ahhh!"

The shock hit him instantly, his heart skipping a beat. 

Great, he thought, trying not to laugh at himself.