Love Is a Closed Door || ONC 2025

'Not you again.' Those were the words that ran through Liam's mind the moment he opened the door, but thankfully, he didn't say them aloud. "Gavin," was what he actually said.

"Do you have time for a consultation?" the strange man from last week asked, though the way he glanced over the blond's shoulder made it clear he'd already pictured himself inside, regardless of Liam's answer.

"Of course." Liam stepped aside, allowing him to enter.

Gavin stopped a few steps in, his attention drawn to the glowing sign on the wall. "Hey, you changed the quote on the message board," he said, pointing at it.

Liam glanced at the board, even though he already knew what it said. The words "Where there is love, there is life" taunted him each time he walked by.

"We change it every day," he explained to Gavin.

"Are there really that many quotes about love?" The tall man raised an eyebrow, his tone clearly not one of delight, but rather one of disbelief, as though the idea struck him as absurd.

"People love love," Liam replied. "We use quotes from books, movies, celebrities, and even from our clients. When someone finds love through us, they can leave us their own quote."

It was a tradition his aunt had introduced and took great pride in. Until recently, Liam had adored it too, but now, with his heart still aching from a tough breakup, he had no interest in words about fated love.

Gavin shook his head at his answer, still in disbelief at how seriously people took love, clearly not understanding the beauty of it like the usual clients of Cupid, Inc.

Liam knew it would be better to wrap up this conversation and get to the point of the man's visit. "We can move to my office," he suggested to Gavin, then, without waiting for a response, he headed in that direction.

Just like last week, they took the same positions. Liam sat behind his desk, and Gavin sat across from him.

Before the blond could ask a question, however, the tall man beat him to it. "I just realized you didn't introduce yourself last time," Gavin said.

Liam's eyebrows shot up. He wasn't the only one who hadn't introduced himself. Gavin had come in, demanding help, and hadn't even shared his name; Liam must have read it off his application. Clearly, the strange man had forgotten that detail.

"My name is Liam Cooper, I'm the co-owner of Cupid, Inc.," he introduced himself simply instead of saying anything he truly thought.

"Gavin Johnson," the man replied, despite Liam already knowing his name.

"Nice to meet you," Liam said out of politeness. "So... how are you feeling after your date?" He cut to the chase before Gavin could ask anything else and change the subject again.

However, he certainly hadn't expected an answer in such a dramatic tone. "It was boring." Gavin leaned back in his chair, as if the weight of his words was pressing down on him.

"How so?" Liam tried to maintain a professional attitude and refrain from drawing conclusions before hearing the whole story.

"Every time I asked her something, she gave me a one-word answer. I almost started clapping when she finally answered me with two words," Gavin began to explain, folding his arms across his chest.

"Did she ask about you?" Liam asked.

"With one word?" Gavin raised an eyebrow.

"You?" Liam suggested as an example.

"Touché." Gavin nodded, surprised by the blond's clever response. "She asked me something like that a couple of times, I think. I stopped listening to her after a while since I didn't learn anything worth hearing anyway."