Part 8: One Week Later

"Reece!"

Nothing. Not even a glance up from his phone where he lounged in Ti's barber chair after hours, smoke curling from his lips. The shop was empty except for them, Chicago streetlights casting shadows through the windows.

Ti rolled his eyes, knowing exactly what game this man was playing. "Reece, I'm talking to you."

Still nothing, just another slow exhale of smoke, though Ti caught the slight curve at the corner of his mouth.

"Aight then, pa," Ti said, watching satisfaction flicker across Reece's face. "You gonna keep ignoring me?"

"Depends," Reece finally looked up, eyes heavy-lidded. "You gonna keep calling me out my name?"

Ti moved closer, plucking the blunt from between Reece's fingers.

It had been like this all week - stolen moments in the shop after hours, late night texts, Reece showing up with food "just passing by." Always with that hard exterior in public, but softening just for Ti when they were alone.

"Z been asking when you coming back over," Reece said, watching Ti take a hit. "Boy ain't shut up about them pancakes."

"Just Z asking?" Ti raised an eyebrow, holding the smoke.

Reece's eyes darkened as Ti leaned down, shotgunning the hit into his waiting mouth. When they parted, Reece's fingers were tight on Ti's shirt.

"You know what you doing," he accused, voice rough.

"Always," Ti grinned. "Question is, what you gonna do about it, pa?"

The way Reece's breath caught at the name had Ti's head spinning more than the weed. But before either of them could act on it, Reece's phone buzzed - business calling.

"Got some shit to handle," Reece straightened up, walls sliding back into place. But his eyes stayed soft when they met Ti's. "Come through later?"

"After Z's bedtime?"

"Bet." Reece stood, already typing on his phone. At the door he paused, that familiar smoke smell trailing him. "And Ti?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't keep me waiting."

Ti watched him disappear into the night, already counting the hours. "Wouldn't dream of it, pa," he murmured to the empty shop.

The nickname sat right on his tongue, sweet like the smoke they shared. Later, he'd get to see those walls come down again, get to watch Reece melt under his hands. But for now, he had a shop to close and hours to kill, thinking about everything that waited for him on the other side of the city.