The morning air was crisp, carrying the scent of potential chaos and fresh cardboard. Outside the apartment complex, the Great Switch was in full swing. It looked less like a professional relocation and more like a high-speed game of Tetris played by people who had consumed far too much caffeine. Isaac, Eva, Caleb, and Gabriel were all drafted into service, acting as the unofficial moving crew for Grace and Gabriel.

In the elevator, Eva and Isaac were helping Grace carry the last of her "fragile" boxes—which mostly contained an alarming amount of skincare products and at least three different hair dryers.

"I still feel like I’m trapped in a very strange, very organized dream," Isaac said, bracing a box with his chin. "Grace is actually shifting. The era of late-night snack raids is over."

Grace adjusted her grip on a vanity mirror. "Oh, do you miss me already, Isaac? I knew you’d realize my worth once I was gone."

Isaac snorted. "Of course I’ll miss you. But what really surprises me is that you’re settling down with Caleb. I mean, I’ve watched you for years, Grace. I thought you’d never settle for just one guy. I’ve seen you admire everyone from airline pilots on the news to the security guard downstairs. Finding one person to actually live with? That’s not a move; that’s a miracle."

Grace didn't hesitate. She swung her designer handbag with the precision of a seasoned fencer, delivering a sharp thwack to Isaac’s shoulder.

"Ow! Hey!" Isaac pretended to stumble back in agony, though the mischievous glint in his eye gave him away. "Violence is not the answer to the truth, Grace! But tell me, have you ever considered that I am handsome? Did you ever admire me in my prime?"

Grace looked him up and down with the kind of expression one usually reserves for a soggy piece of bread. "Ew. No."

"Yes, me!" Isaac insisted, grinning.

"I answered your question," Grace countered, stepping out of the lift as the doors chimed. "I’ve always maintained that Mia must have some sort of rare eye condition to have chosen you. It’s the only logical explanation."

The three of them burst into laughter as they reached the lobby, where Caleb and Gabriel were waiting by a mountain of suitcases.

"Final package?" Caleb asked, checking off a mental list.

"Not really," Grace said, pointing back toward the building. "I have a few things left in the pantry and the bathroom. Gabriel, do not touch that room yet. I’ll come back for the rest later."

Gabriel leaned against a stack of boxes, looking remarkably relaxed for a man who had just moved his entire life. "Don't worry, Grace. I have no intention of using that room immediately." He turned his gaze toward Eva and gave her a slow, deliberate wink. "I have other plans for my time."

Eva felt the heat rush to her cheeks, her heart doing a quick flutter. She looked away, pretending to be very interested in the label on a box of kitchenware.

After the final trip, everyone was officially settled. Caleb and Grace were busy arguing over where to put the oversized floor lamp, so Eva and Gabriel retreated to their new shared space. The silence of the apartment felt heavy and sweet.

Gabriel closed the door and turned to Eva, his eyes softening. "Finally," he whispered, stepping into her space. "No more sneaking around, no more separate buildings. Just us."

He reached out, his hands framing her face, and began to lean in. The moment was perfect—romantic, quiet, and—

"Ahem!"

Gabriel froze, his lips inches from Eva’s. They both turned to see Isaac standing in the doorway, which hadn't quite clicked shut. He was leaning against the frame with his arms crossed, looking entirely too pleased with himself.

"Isaac," Gabriel groaned, dropping his hands. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, don't mind me," Isaac said airily. "I just wanted to say how great it is that you’ve moved here. Truly."

Gabriel sighed, trying to regain his composure. He looked at Eva and then back at Isaac. "See, Eva? This is how you should treat your team members. With warmth and neighbourly affection."

"Not so soon, Sir," Isaac interrupted, his smile turning wicked. "I haven't taken my revenge yet. Remember how you treated me in the beginning? The extra reports? The 'denied' leave requests? The way you looked at me like I was a bug under a microscope?"

Gabriel blinked. "That was... professional discipline."

"That was torture," Isaac corrected. "And now, you are my neighbour. Which means you are within range. Just as a purely hypothetical instance... if you were to lose your favourite pair of branded Italian leather loafers, and you happened to find them later near the security dog’s kennel in a shredded, unrecognizable condition... you might want to think of me."

He gave them a bright, terrifyingly cheerful wave and vanished into the hallway.

Gabriel stood in stunned shock. Eva let out a repressed giggle, nudging him with her elbow. "So... this is how you should treat your teammate, right? With 'warmth'?"

"I'm buying a deadbolt," Gabriel muttered. "And a shoe safe."

The group decided to walk to the office together, a tradition that was quickly becoming the highlight of their day. They were halfway there when Grace suddenly lunged forward and hugged Eva, nearly knocking her over.

"Eva! I missed you already!" Grace wailed. "I’ve had a horrible morning. I already fought with Caleb."

Eva steadied her friend. "What? Grace, you’ve been living together for exactly one hour. How is that even possible?"

"Do you know what I found in the hot water kettle?" Grace asked, her voice rising in indignation. "A tie! A silk, navy blue tie!"

Eva and Isaac spoke in perfect, shocked unison: "A tie?"

Gabriel, who had been walking a few paces behind, suddenly perk up. "Oh my god! I was searching for that! So that’s where it was. In the kettle!"

The entire group stopped dead. Everyone turned to look at Gabriel with varying levels of disbelief. Only Caleb looked vindicated.

"See!" Caleb shouted, gesturing wildly at Gabriel. "I told you I didn't own a navy tie! I spent twenty minutes defending my honour while Grace accused me of being a 'kettle-ruiner.' Gabriel, please collect your valuable neckwear. It is actively ruining my relationship."

Isaac and Eva bent over double, laughing so hard they were gasping for air.

"Gabriel," Eva managed to choke out, "why on earth was your tie in the kettle?"

"I was steaming it!" Gabriel defended himself, though he looked slightly sheepish. "The iron was broken, and I thought the steam from the boiling water would get the wrinkles out. I must have... dropped it in and forgotten."

Grace threw her hands up. "Oh my god, these boys are unbelievable! They are a menace to society and small appliances!"

She turned and began walking fast toward the office, her heels clicking angrily on the pavement. Eva and Isaac followed her, still howling with laughter, while Caleb hurried to catch up, still grumbling about the "kettle incident." Gabriel followed slowly at the back, looking like a man who was reconsidering his life choices.

As they reached the office lobby, the mood shifted. Delilah was waiting near the elevators, her eyes scanning the entrance. The moment she spotted Gabriel, she smoothed her skirt and stepped forward, ignoring the rest of the group.

"Hey, Gabriel! I was waiting for you," she said, her voice dropping into that familiar, honeyed tone.

Gabriel didn't show anger—he was in a public space, after all—but his face went completely blank. He didn't even slow his pace. "What is it, Delilah?"

"We’re going for lunch today, remember?" she said, scurrying to keep up with him.

"Yes, the team lunch the team-building lunch Judy ordered." Gabriel corrected coldly.

"Right, right," Delilah said, brushing a stray hair from her face. "Since we’re all going, can I come in your car? I didn't bring mine today."

"I didn't bring mine either," Gabriel replied without looking at her. "We’ve arranged cabs for everyone. We’re leaving at 12:00 PM sharp. We’ll see you there."

He stepped into the elevator and pressed the button before she could respond, leaving her standing in the lobby.

At noon, the cabs arrived. The seating arrangement quickly became a tactical battlefield.

Grace immediately grabbed Eva’s arm. "Sit with me, Eva! I am not sitting with the Kettle-King." She pulled Eva into the first cab.

Gabriel, seeing an opportunity to avoid a certain someone, grabbed Caleb’s shoulder. "You sit with me, Caleb. Grace is clearly still mad, so stay away from her for a bit."

Caleb looked at him, confused. "But shouldn't I try to apologize?"

"Not while she's hungry," Gabriel whispered. "Also, Delilah wants to sit with me. Save me."

Caleb sighed and climbed in. Delilah, arriving a moment later, saw Caleb sitting in the spot she had staked out. She gave him a look that could have curdled milk and turned toward the second cab.

Inside the second cab, Phoebe and Samuel were already seated together, discussing a database schema. Theo and Philip were in the third. That left Isaac, who was sitting alone in the back of the final cab.

Delilah adjusted her sunglasses and slid in next to him, her voice turning flirty. "Hey, Isaac. I realized we haven't really talked. How is everything going with your team members? I’d love to hear some... inside details."

Isaac didn't even look at her. He suddenly gripped the door handle and began to sway slightly.

"Oh... oh no," Isaac groaned, his voice dropping an octave. "I have terrible motion sickness, Delilah. It’s the smell of... well, perfume and leather. You better move to the front or the back seat. I might even vomit."

To emphasize his point, he made a loud, wet, retching noise in the back of his throat.

Delilah’s eyes went wide. She backed out of the cab so fast she nearly tripped over the curb. "Ugh! Disgusting!"

As she stormed off to find a seat in the front of Theo’s cab, the rest of the team—who had been watching from the other cars—erupted into a symphony of laughter. Isaac sat back, perfectly fine, and gave a cheerful thumbs-up through the window.

"The things I do for this team," he muttered, smiling, leaning back as the car pulled away.