The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, and Kasteil stepped out first, glancing over his shoulder as Holland followed close behind him. The hallway was quiet, the kind of quiet that only came late at night when most of the building had emptied out and the lights felt too bright for the silence they were illuminating. Their footsteps echoed faintly on the polished floor as they walked side by side toward the exit.
Kasteil slowed his pace slightly, tilting his head as he looked at Holland with a playful glint in his eyes.
"You're not going to kiss me?" Kasteil asked casually, though the teasing warmth in his voice made it clear he wasn't entirely joking.
Holland's reaction was immediate. His face flushed a deep shade of red that spread from his cheeks to the tips of his ears, and he quickly glanced around the hallway as if someone might suddenly appear from nowhere.
"Not in public," Holland replied, lowering his voice even though there was no one around.
