Chapter Text
"We should date."
Nace looked up at Bojan with a quizzical look after a second's silence, the book in his hands all but forgotten as he raised an eyebrow.
"I mean, fake dating. If you want. You know. My parents won't get off my ass about not finding a partner yet, especially since I'm getting old now."
"You call yourself old? You've clearly never been my age," Nace joked, but his smile didn't quite reach his eyes, and his voice didn't quite carry the amount of mirth it usually did. Not that Bojan knew exactly how much that was. "But what made you resort to an old man like me?"
Bojan frowned. "It's not 'resorting'. Out of the options I have, you're truly the best one. I mean, you put up with my bullshit the most. And you give the best hugs." He barely gave Nace a second to register the words before he pounced onto Nace, knocking his book out of his hands. Nace laughed, squeezing Bojan tight, and Bojan was pleased to see that his smile looked a little more genuine now.
"I don't mind, if that's really what you want. But you really couldn't think of anything else?"
"Thank you, babe, I really appreciate it." Bojan scrunched his nose up at the word; he'd meant for it to be sarcastic, but it'd turned out a bit more sincere that he'd intended. "We can just pretend for a week or so, then I can act like I'm too heartbroken from this break-up to find love again anytime soon. That'll make my parents stop fussing for a while, at least." It seemed weird to plan a break-up even before their relationship had really officially started, and Bojan was sure Nace felt the same, what with the way he was suddenly avoiding Bojan's gaze.
"Yeah. Sounds good to me," Nace mumbled, and Bojan so desperately wished for his smile from earlier to return. He planted his face into Nace's shoulder, not really sure what he was doing. It worked, anyway, and Nace rested his hand in Bojan's hair, stroking it almost lovingly.
"Really, though, Nace, thank you for agreeing," Bojan muttered, his words muffled by Nace's shoulder still right in his face. "I know this is a very weird thing to ask of you."
"It's okay, Bojan; like you said, I put up with your bullshit the most." Bojan finally dared to look up, and was relieved to find Nace's smile back on his face. "So, is this just for your parents, or do we tell—"
"Hey, guys!" Jure walked into the room, his arms full with a big bag full of stuff. Bojan didn't even want to know what the hell Jure had managed to fit in there now.
"What's up, Jure. Nace and I are dating now," Bojan declared rather tactlessly.
The bag dropped from Jure's hands. Something inside shattered.
"What?!"