Chapter Text
You're going to delete Adam’s number. Or at least try to. Your thumb hovers over the delete button, wavering as memories and emotions flood your mind. You hesitate, unable to bring yourself to sever the connection completely. The frustration builds within you, a mix of anger at your own weakness and the persistent hold Adam has over you.
As if on cue, your scroll buzzes with another notification from Adam. You grit your teeth, feeling the familiar surge of frustration. It’s a trivial message, something about knocking over his drink and having to clean it up. It’s ridiculous how even the smallest interactions from him make you yearn for more.
Your grip tightens on the scroll, the urge to throw it almost overwhelming. But you manage to restrain yourself, taking a deep breath instead. Defeated, you exit out of Adam’s contact, avoiding his texts. Instead, you scroll through your contacts until you find the one person who can help you through this mess.
Aeson.
Sure, yeah, okay—maybe you should talk to Adam. Maybe you should let him know you need some space if you want to continue this friendship. But deep down, you don’t want just a friendship. You want more, and that’s the terrifying part. Adam isn’t a kind person. He’s brash and unfiltered, and you have a gnawing feeling that if you revealed your romantic interest, he’d laugh in your face, call you a few crude names, bed you, and then vanish, never to be seen again. As much as you loathe to admit it, you’d rather suffer in silence than never see Adam again. The thought of losing even the fractured connection you have with him is unbearable.
You shake your head, trying to dispel the swirling thoughts. Your fingers hover over Aeson’s name on your scroll, your thumb poised to send a message. It’s time to get some perspective, to talk to someone who won’t make you feel like a fool for your feelings. You need Aeson’s level-headedness to help you navigate this mess. With a deep breath, you tap on his name and start typing a message, hoping that your friend can offer the clarity you desperately need.
YOU
Hey, are you free tomorrow
AESON
Duh
Wanna get food on our lunch break
YOU
Please
I need your advice
AESON
Change your name and run away
YOU
What
AESON
That’s my advice
You roll your eyes at Aeson’s attempt at a joke, but it at least makes you feel a little better. For a moment, you’re almost tempted to text Adam back, especially when you feel another notification buzz from him. But you resist. You’re going to be strong and independent. Besides, he’s probably already screwing someone new—some girl at the bar, or maybe even a sexy pool boy.
You push that thought aside, ignoring the sick feeling it brings to your stomach, and focus on getting ready for bed. You go through your typical routine. You brush your teeth, and Adam texts you. You wash your face, and Adam texts you again. You change into pajamas, and Adam texts you twice more. You ignore them all.
As you lay down, you hear your scroll buzz with yet another notification. Letting out a heavy sigh, you turn off the scroll, plunging your room into silence.
—
It’s the next day, and work’s been hell. You made three drinks wrong, their overly complicated recipes confusing you. While usually, customers are understanding, this one was not. He laid into you, practically yelling at you for your incompetence. The sting of his words lingered long after he stormed out.
What bothered you more, though, was the incessant buzzing in your pocket. Adam was still texting you. After the customer left, you couldn't take it anymore. You pulled out your scroll and shoved it into a cubby, deciding you needed to focus on work and not the incessant texts.
Even as you tried to focus, your mind kept drifting back to the scroll. The buzzing had stopped, but the urge to check it hadn't. You felt a mix of frustration and longing, knowing that as much as you wanted and craved Adam’s attention, it was no good for moving on.
The day drags on, with each passing hour feeling slower than the last. There are no other eventful interactions, just a series of mundane tasks and occasional sympathetic glances from your coworkers when they think you’re not looking. But whatever. You’re a big kid, and you can handle yourself. You tell yourself this repeatedly, trying to muster up some semblance of strength.
Finally, your lunch break arrives. You grab your scroll from the cubby, and your heart lifts a little when you see the message from Aeson. He’s waiting for you in front of your favorite promenade restaurant. The thought fills you with a wave of fondness; Aeson definitely chose that spot on purpose. You love Aeson—he’s such a great friend.
You trek over to where Aeson is stationed, politely declining the free samples offered by the various food vendors. Normally, you’d indulge, but today you’re a person on a mission.
When you get close, you spot Aeson sitting at one of the tables, his head thrown back in laughter. You can't make out much of the scene, considering the table is mostly hidden behind a decorative, somewhat creepy cherub statue that makes you shudder. You assume Aeson is watching a funny video on his phone or maybe found something amusing on social media.
However, as you veer closer, the real reason for Aeson's laughter becomes clear. Originally hidden by the cherub statue, sitting right across from him, is Adam.
Your heart skips a beat, and your steps falter for a moment. Adam's presence here is unexpected and, frankly, unwelcome. The sight of him laughing and getting along with Aeson feels like a punch to the gut. What world are you in?
Aeson notices you first and waves you over enthusiastically. You approach, trying to mask your discomfort at seeing Adam there. When Adam notices you, he perks up and flashes a smile, which catches you off guard because you’ve been ignoring him.
“Hey! Adam’s just sharing some stuff about his band. Grab a chair!” Aeson says, his tone cheerful as ever.
You inwardly groan at the thought of joining them, but you go through the motions anyway. As you near an empty chair, it’s pulled out from under you, and you turn to see Adam holding it. He puts the chair at the table and pulls it out for you, gesturing for you to sit. Aeson snickers at the exchange, clearly amused by the situation. You feel a mix of irritation and embarrassment, but you play nice and thank Adam. He winks at you, a gesture that both flusters you and annoys you further, and you reluctantly take a seat. As you settle into your seat, you can't help but shoot Adam a pointed glare, your eyes narrowing with suspicion.
"What are you doing?" you demand, your tone tinged with annoyance.
Adam raises an eyebrow, feigning innocence as he shrugs nonchalantly. "Uhhh, getting you a seat?" he quips, his smirk betraying his amusement at your obvious agitation.
You resist the urge to roll your eyes, frustration bubbling up inside you. "No, Adam, what are you doing with Aeson?" you press, your voice laced with incredulity. "I thought you hated him."
At your blunt admission, you steal a quick glance at Aeson, expecting to see him taken aback or offended by your words. To your surprise, however, he remains unfazed, offering Adam a reassuring smile that speaks volumes about his genuine kindness and patience.
Damn your kindness, Aeson
"Well, even though I told you not to hang out with my band," Adam begins, his tone surprisingly even as he meets your gaze, "you did. And you got along. I figured I should make an effort to get along with your friends. Or uh, friend."
You're taken aback by his admission, surprised by the genuine effort he's making to bridge the gap between your worlds. It's a weirdly sweet gesture, especially coming from Adam, and for a moment, you feel like you're soaring on cloud nine.
But then reality comes crashing back down on you, and you're reminded once again that you're trying to get over him. You mentally slap yourself, the rush of excitement quickly dampened by the weight of your own resolve. You can't let yourself get swept away by Adam's charm, not when you're determined to move on and find happiness without him.
"Oh, well. Thanks," you lamely respond, feeling a bit awkward under the spotlight. Even Aeson chuckles at your expense, earning himself a quick glare from you which only seems to amuse him further.
“So!” Aeson starts, clapping his hands together eagerly. “What were you wanting to talk about?”
Adam. Adam is what you were wanting to talk about. And unfortunately, Adam is right there, sitting across from you.
At the hesitant expression on your face, you watch as the gears in Aeson's mind start turning. "Ah. We can talk about it later," he says, sensing your discomfort.
"What?!" Adam protests, his voice rising with a hint of impatience. "But I want to know! That’s not fair!"
You scramble to come up with a quick excuse, anything to divert the conversation away from the real reason you wanted to talk. "Oh, I uh… Already told you about this," you lie, hoping it sounds convincing enough.
Adam seems to buy it, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, of course you would, babe," he says with a reassuring smile, and you can't help but cringe inwardly at the endearment.
Adam’s scroll, which was sitting atop the table, begins to vibrate with an influx of texts, causing your stomach to drop with anxiety. You can't help but fear that it's someone else he's seeing, and the thought sends a pang of jealousy coursing through you.
However, Adam seems unfazed by the messages as he glances at his scroll. He stands from the table, stretching his arms wide before using his fingered claw to pick at his mask's teeth. “Welp! I gotta go– that was my boss. She’s a real bitch,” he says casually, his tone laced with disdain.
A pang of recognition hits you at the mention of his boss. "Sera?" you blurt out before you can stop yourself.
Adam's laughter rings out, echoing through the promenade as he snorts in amusement. "Wow! I can't believe you recognized who it was just because I called her a bitch! That's pure fucking gold!"
Embarrassment floods your cheeks as you stumble over your words, trying to explain yourself. "Oh, no, I didn't mean it like— you had said at my house— I—"
"I'm just teasing, baby," Adam interrupts with a gentle smile, his eyes warm as he reassures you. "Just so you know, I won't be 'in town' tomorrow, if you catch my drift." You're momentarily puzzled by his cryptic words, but before you can ask for clarification, he adds, "I'm on a 'work trip.' Wink."
You still have no idea what he's implying. Does he have a fling scheduled for tomorrow? The thought makes your chest hurt. However, you wave a polite goodbye as he takes off. Aeson, as soon as Adam is out of earshot, leans across the table. "So, I'm guessing the advice is for him?"