"Maybe Axel is gay."
The sentence should have bounced off him.
It doesn't.
He doesn't react outwardly.
He's good at that.
But something inside him shifts.
He has never dated anyone.
Never chased anyone.
Never felt urgency in that direction.
At least not in a way he acknowledged.
But does that automatically mean something about him?
He isn't offended.
He just doesn't like how quickly the room tries to categorize absence.
Maybe he's just not the romantic type.
Maybe he doesn't prioritize it.
Maybe he prefers stability over intensity.
The conversation continues around him.
Zane still arguing statistical viability.
Sunny trying to shut Amelia down.
Theo watching like it's entertainment.
Laura is quiet.
Observing.
Axel glances at her.
She doesn't look embarrassed.
She looks curious.
Like she's studying a language she hasn't learned yet.
He cares about her.
More than he articulates.
That part isn't confusing.
What's confusing is the rest.
Watching her try things.
Daring to experiment.
Sitting with discomfort and still swallowing it.
He feels—
Pride.
Because she's trying.
Hesitation.
Because change alters dynamics.
Guilt.
Because he never questioned her lack of preference before.
Protectiveness.
Because the idea of her being overwhelmed again tightens something in his chest.
Her therapist encouraged her to keep experimenting.
Small steps.
Small choices.
See if something registers.
The dark chocolate with sea salt had registered.
Barely.
But it had.
Out of everything they tried—
The sour.
The spicy.
The sweet.
The absurdly strong—
His suggestion lingered.
That detail sits quietly in his mind.
He doesn't assume meaning.
He doesn't romanticize it.
But he can't ignore it either.
Why that?
Why not the strawberry?
Why not the orange fizz?
Why not the dramatic heat?
Why something simple?
Dark.
Balanced.
Understated.
He watches her break off another small piece the next day.
She lets it rest longer this time.
There's a pause before she swallows.
Amelia watches them both with far too much interest.
Sunny pretends not to.
Zane smirks.
Axel looks away first.
He tells himself it doesn't mean anything.
Maybe the flavor is just stronger.
Maybe it's coincidence.
Maybe she imagined it.
But the thought lingers anyway.
If she's learning to choose—
What does that mean for him?
And why does that question feel heavier than the joke ever did?