Of course, it wasn’t like he hadn’t expected another ridiculous request involving Asher sooner or later. Still, that didn’t make it any less irritating.

If anything, the system seemed to be deliberately messing with him at this point, dropping tasks into his lap with the worst possible timing, like it was watching him struggle and finding it amusing.

’The day after tomorrow I already have a date with Myles... and I’m definitely not canceling that.’

Blake clicked his tongue softly, irritation flickering across his expression before smoothing out just as quickly.

That meant one thing. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

He had two days.

Two days to get into Asher’s house, complete the mission, and get out without it turning into something unnecessarily complicated.

Not impossible.

Actually, if he was being honest, it probably wouldn’t even be that hard.

Blake’s gaze drifted back down to the table in front of him, where a strange pink substance sat in a shallow dish.

It had a glossy, semi-translucent texture, like something halfway between gel and melted plastic. When he nudged the edge of the dish, it quivered slightly, holding its shape in a way that didn’t feel entirely natural.

He tapped it lightly with a metal tool, watching it ripple.

"In your last research," Blake asked, voice casual, almost bored, "what did you write about?"

Asher looked up from where he’d been sorting through a set of instruments, one brow lifting slightly.

"My last research?"

"Yeah."

There was a brief pause as Asher considered the question. Then he leaned back against the edge of the table, folding his arms loosely.

"I focused on adaptive robotics," he said. "More specifically, modular autonomous systems."

"Ah."

Asher, taking the silence as interest, continued.

"The idea is to create machines that aren’t locked into a single structural configuration," he explained. "Instead of designing a robot for one specific function, you develop a core system that can physically and computationally reconfigure itself depending on the situation."

He gestured lightly with his hands as he spoke, his tone gaining a quiet energy.

"For example, if a unit is navigating an urban environment and encounters an obstacle it can’t bypass with its current structure, it could redistribute its components, extend limbs, shift its center of gravity, or even change its method of movement entirely."

Blake blinked once, slowly.

"Right."

"The main challenge is maintaining stability during transformation," Asher went on. "Too much flexibility creates inefficiencies, lag in processing, structural weaknesses. So the balance comes from predictive modeling."

He paused briefly, then added, "I’ve been working on integrating anticipatory algorithms. Systems that don’t just react, but predict environmental changes and adapt before they happen."

Blake stared at him for a second.

It’s not like he wasn’t impressed.

Just, not surprised, since he had already expected this.

Asher being ridiculously smart wasn’t exactly new information. If anything, this just confirmed it in a more detailed, slightly exhausting way.

And honestly Blake couldn’t even contribute much to the conversation, most of what Asher was saying went over his head.

"Sounds complicated," Blake said, resting his cheek against his palm.

Asher opened his mouth to respond, but a low, unmistakable rumble cut through the air.

Both of them froze.

Asher’s eyes widened slightly before he immediately brought a hand to his stomach, then his mouth, his face flushing faintly.

"...Sorry," he muttered, clearly embarrassed. "I didn’t mean to—"

Blake waved it off without a second thought.

"It’s fine," he said, a small, easy smile forming. "I like listening to you talk about this stuff."

That made Asher pause.

"Really?" he asked, lowering his hand a little.

"Yeah," Blake replied. "Even if I don’t understand half of it, it’s still interesting."

Asher shifted his weight, fidgeting slightly, but there was a noticeable softness in his expression now.

"I’m glad," he said quietly. "Usually, it’s just Anthony who listens when I go on about things like this."

Blake huffed a quiet laugh.

"Well, we’re friends, right?" he said. "That’s kind of the point. You explain your world, I explain mine, and somewhere in the middle we figure things out."

Asher looked at him for a moment before smiling shyly.

"That’s really nice," he said. "It’s nice to know you care."

Blake pushed himself upright, closing the distance between them without hesitation. He slung an arm over Asher’s shoulders in a casual, familiar way, pulling him just slightly closer.

Exactly the kind of atmosphere where people didn’t question things too much.

Perfect timing.

"Hey," Blake said lightly, tilting his head. "Are you free this afternoon? After we’re done here?"

Asher blinked, looking up at him.

"...Yeah, I think so," he said. "Why?"

Blake smiled.

"I want to hear more about your research," he said. "Properly this time. So I was thinking, why not go to your place? We can sit down, go through everything. Maybe Anthony can join us."

For a second, Asher just stared at him, then his face lit up.

"Really?" he asked, almost incredulous. "You’d want to?"

"Of course I would."

Blake didn’t even hesitate.

And in a way, it was true.

Just... not for the reasons Asher thought.

Asher’s smile widened, bright and completely unguarded.

"Then yeah," he said. "Let’s go."

Blake nodded, his arm still loosely around his shoulders.

In his mind, though, there wasn’t much guilt, just a faint curiosity.

Is he really this easy to lead along? Still, he didn’t dwell on it, since he had no time.

Besides, in the end, it worked in his favor, and that was enough.

***

By the time they left the school, the afternoon had settled into a soft, golden warmth. The air felt lighter, quieter, as if the day itself was winding down.

They walked to the bus stop together, conversation drifting between small comments and comfortable silence.

When the bus arrived, they climbed on and found seats near the back.

Blake leaned against the window, watching the city pass by in blurred motion.

"So," he said after a moment, glancing at Asher, "it’s really okay if I come over like this? Anthony’s parents won’t mind?"

Asher shook his head immediately.

"It’s fine," he said. "They actually like it when people visit."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," Asher nodded. "They’ll probably be happy about it."

He hesitated, then added, a bit more quietly...

"Anthony and I have mentioned you before."

Blake paused, then he scratched the back of his head, letting out a short, awkward laugh.

"Oh."

That was unexpected.

"Hope you didn’t say anything weird," he muttered.

Asher smiled faintly.

"Only good things."

Blake didn’t respond to that.

He just turned his gaze back to the window, hiding the brief flicker of discomfort that crossed his face.

***

When they got off the bus, Blake noticed it immediately.

The house.

It stood a short distance from the stop, clean and well-kept, larger than he’d expected. Not extravagant, but definitely comfortable, solid in a way that suggested stability.

Very different from Blake’s place.

"...Huh," he murmured under his breath.

Asher didn’t seem to notice, already heading toward the door.

"Come on."

Blake followed and, the moment he stepped inside, he felt it.

Warmth.

Not just the temperature, but the atmosphere. Lived-in, welcoming, almost overwhelmingly so.

"You’re back!"

Two voices greeted them almost instantly.

Anthony’s parents appeared from further inside, their expressions lighting up the moment they saw Asher, and then shifting to Blake with immediate warmth.

"Oh! You must be Blake," the father said.

"It’s so nice to meet you, I’m Melinda," the mother added.

Blake straightened slightly, caught off guard.

"Yeah, ah, nice to meet you too. I’m Blake."

"You should’ve told us you were bringing someone," she continued, pulling Asher’s nose. "We would’ve prepared something."

"It’s really fine," Blake said quickly. "I didn’t want to impose."

"Nonsense," they replied, smiling. "You’re always welcome here."

Blake let out a small, awkward laugh.

Asher hadn’t been exaggerating. If anything, he’d downplayed it.

Before the moment could stretch further, footsteps echoed from down the hall.

Anthony appeared, and froze.

"...Blake?"

Then his face lit up instantly.

"What are you doing here?"

Blake grinned.

"Thought I’d surprise you."

Anthony didn’t question it for even a second.

"That’s awesome," he said, already moving toward them. "Come on, come on, let’s go to my room."

He grabbed both of them without hesitation and dragged them down the hallway.

Blake let himself be pulled along, amused.

When they entered the room, he paused.

It was big.

Not just spacious, but filled. Shelves lined with books, scattered tools, mechanical parts, notebooks stacked in uneven piles. Diagrams pinned to the walls, half-finished projects sitting on desks.

It was... very them.

Blake walked further in, dropping onto the bed with a soft bounce.

"You guys share this?" he asked, glancing between them.

Anthony shrugged.

"Yeah."

"There’s enough space," Asher added.

Blake nodded slowly, leaning back on his hands as he looked around.

"Right."

His gaze lingered on the clutter, the organized chaos of it all.

Then, slowly, a faint smirk pulled at his lips.

Yeah, this was going to be interesting.

And this time, Blake stretched slightly, settling in more comfortably.

He wasn’t just here to play along, but to take a closer look and dig deeper, finding exactly what he needed.