My brother, Leo, got into a car accident and woke up insisting he was a time traveler from the future. This would have been fine, if he hadn't stormed into my office, pointed at my ice-cold, intimidating boss, and yelled, “Brother-in-law!” My blood ran cold. I had just been chewed out by Kian for a work mistake. If Leo pissed him off, I wouldn't just be embarrassed; I'd be unemployed. I tried to drag Leo out of the building, but he did the unthinkable. He grabbed Kian by the waistband. “Dude, you haven't asked her out yet? Are you a monk?!” Leo shouted. “You’ve already got my sister’s name tattooed on your lower back! What the hell are you waiting for?” The kid was spouting pure, weapons-grade insanity. I didn't understand a word. Kian looked like he was about to short-circuit. His face was beet-red. That night, I sat at my laptop, mournfully drafting my resignation letter, when I accidentally saw a chat window open. It was Leo's account, and Kian had just messaged him. “How many kids do we have in the future?” “Do they look like her or me?” “A divorce crisis?!” “Is someone hitting on her? WHO IS THE BASTARD?!” 1 I had just walked out of my boss’s office, still stinging from the lecture, when my mom called. “Mom, is Leo awake?” Leo’s my little brother, a high school senior. He was riding his bike home late from school two nights ago and got hit by a car. He’d been unconscious for two days. If I hadn't been so worried about him, I probably wouldn’t have sent a text meant for a client directly to my boss, earning me that 30-minute dressing-down. “He’s awake! He’s awake!” Mom sounded relieved. “The doctors are checking him now.” “How is he?” I pressed. “Can he see? Can he hear? Does he recognize you?” Mom paused for two long seconds. I panicked. “Is he blind? Is he deaf?!” “No, neither,” she said slowly. “He’s just… saying the weirdest things.” I heard a commotion in the background. It was Leo, shouting triumphantly, “I knew it! I’m the chosen one!” “Mom! Is that Chloe?! Put her on the phone! PUT ME ON!” A few seconds of rustling, then: “Chloe! You won’t believe this! I’m from 2035! I time-traveled! Listen to me, I can make us rich…!” I hung up, my face completely blank. Does that little idiot think I have time for this? Our company, Apex Solutions, was having cash-flow problems. Our boss was in a foul mood, and a storm cloud hung over the entire office. When I walked back to my desk, my colleagues gave me looks of pity. “Chloe, you okay?” one of them whispered. “Yeah, I’m fine.” She gave me a thumbs-up. “You’ve got guts. 'The Ice King' reamed you out for half an hour and you look totally unfazed.” "The Ice King." That's what we called our boss, Kian. As she said it, her eyes darted to something behind me and she immediately shut her mouth. Kian was walking out of his office. He was tall, with broad shoulders and long legs, and features so sharp they looked precision-cut. He was wearing a boring gray suit, but on him, it somehow looked intimidatingly attractive. He was on the phone as he walked into the elevator. The moment the doors closed, the office vibe instantly relaxed. “Looks like the Ice King solved the cash-flow problem.” “He’s intense, man.” “Tell me about it. He doesn’t just work us to the bone; he works himself to the bone.” “Hey, Chloe, didn’t you go to the same college as Kian? Wasn't he a senior when you were a freshman?” The topic suddenly veered to me. I nodded. “Was he like this back then, too?” I blinked. “Like what?” My coworker searched for the word. “So… inhuman.” 2 Kian was my senior in college. He was the president of the Volunteer Committee I joined. We didn't interact much, and I definitely wouldn't call us "friends." I didn't feel comfortable gossiping about his past. I just laughed and dodged the question, heading to the breakroom. The chatter continued behind me, but my mind drifted. The answer to her question had actually popped into my head immediately. Was Kian inhuman in college? I didn't think so. Not then… and not now. I glanced around the breakroom. Our company was a startup, new and scrappy. But this room was always stocked. After an intern almost fainted from low blood sugar, a special basket of chocolates and candies appeared and was never allowed to empty. The women's restroom was always stocked with emergency tampons and pads. When it came to client dinners, Kian always went himself. If he absolutely couldn't, he’d only ask the guys on the team to go… They were small things. So small, nobody really noticed. Kian was actually trying his best to carry all the pressure himself. 3 Kian returned just before 5 PM, looking relaxed. My coworker whispered, “He fixed it. We don't have to work late tonight.” We didn't just get to avoid overtime. A moment later, a company-wide email landed: “Project secured. Please take tomorrow as a paid day off.” The office was silent for two seconds, then erupted. “I LOVE THIS COMPANY!” “I LOVE APEX SOLUTIONS!” “I LOVE THE ICE KING!” The last shout rang out just as Kian walked out of his office. The guy who yelled it froze, then slowly buried his head in a stack of files. Kian didn't even get mad. He just gave us a mild look. “Go home early.” His gaze lingered on me for a second. I nodded quickly. “Yes, boss.” If the boss was leaving, what were we wage-slaves sticking around for? I started packing my bag immediately. I was standing behind Kian waiting for the elevator when my mom called again. “Your brother’s been discharged. He said he’s going to your office to pick you up. This kid…” “Pick me up?” I frowned. “Where is he now?” “He must be close. He snuck out while I was handling the paperwork.” My vision went black for a second. “Okay, I got it. I’ll bring him home.” I hung up just as the elevator arrived. I followed Kian inside. The elevator was small. We stood on opposite corners, as far apart as possible, but it still felt cramped. I was staring at the back of his head when he suddenly spoke. “Is… your boyfriend picking you up?” Boyfriend? I blinked, then realized what he'd overheard. “Oh! No. That was my mom. It’s my brother.” Kian’s brow, which had been slightly furrowed, visibly relaxed. “Ah. My mistake.” Silence again. I watched the floor numbers creep down to 1. The doors opened, and I immediately spotted a guy with a bandaged head, looking lost in the lobby. “Leo!” I hurried over. “What are you doing here?!” “Chloe! Chloe!” Leo looked ecstatic. “It’s so weird seeing you this young again!” I stared at him. “…Are you high?” “Sis, I have to tell you a secret.” He leaned in conspiratorially. “I’m from the year 2035.” I studied him seriously. “Did the doctor not recommend a psych evaluation?” They just let him walk out? When he saw I didn't believe him, he started getting agitated. His eyes scanned the lobby and landed on Kian, who was talking to the receptionist. Leo’s eyes lit up. “Wait… isn’t that…?” He pointed at Kian, stammering. I grabbed his hand. “Don’t point. That’s my boss!” My words were drowned out by the loudest shout I’d ever heard. “BROTHER-IN-LAW!” Leo ripped his arm from my grasp and ran at Kian. He threw his arms around my boss and slapped him on the back several times. “Kian! We got in the crash together! Did you time-travel back to 2025 with me?!” “I was so scared, man! Thank God you’re here!” And then, Leo cupped Kian’s face and planted a loud, wet kiss on his cheek. I turned to stone. My coworkers, who had just gotten off the next elevator, also turned to stone. Kian looked stunned. He looked at Leo, then at me. He finally shoved Leo off. Maintaining the last shred of his dignity, he ground out, “Can you please tell me who you are?” “It’s me! Leo!” Leo pointed back at me. “Your wife’s brother! Your favorite brother-in-law!” Every single person in that lobby turned to stare at me. 4 My face was burning as I grabbed the back of Leo’s hospital gown and tried to drag him away. But he’s seventeen and a lot stronger than me. He broke free, sat down on the floor, and wrapped his arms around Kian’s legs. My coworkers’ jaws were on the floor. A few had their phones out, filming. I'd had enough. “Leo! What the hell is wrong with you?!” “You don’t get it!” he yelled back, his eyes actually turning red. He looked more victimized than I did. “I get sent back in time, three months before finals! Do you think I understand any of that crap anymore?! They want me to take tests! It’s killing me!” “Mom doesn’t believe me! You don’t believe me! Nobody believes me!” “You have no idea how much I’m freaking out!” Leo wailed, then turned back to Kian. “Brother-in-law, you really don't recognize me? How come we were in the same crash, but I’m the only one who time-traveled?” Kian finally seemed to piece together what was happening. He looked at me, then at Leo, his expression unreadable. Then he asked the one question everyone in the lobby was thinking. “What… did you call me?” “Brother-in-law,” Leo said. “You and Chloe get married in 2031. Your daughter, Kayla, is born in 2032. Oh, man, speaking of Kayla, that little demon is… mmmph!” I slapped my hand over his mouth. “Shut up. If you say one more word, we’re both dying here.” Leo shut up. Apparently, the will to live was stronger than his desire to rant. I felt like I was losing my mind. I mumbled a frantic apology to Kian and turned to leave. Leo scrambled up to follow me. He must have been dizzy from the accident, because he stumbled and grabbed the closest thing to steady himself— Kian’s belt. He also managed to rip Kian’s dress shirt out of his pants.
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