Archive of Our Own

Nicholas has a routine.

Every Friday night, he stays at the studio late working on his fashion designs and then usually somewhere between the hours of two to four AM, when his hunger grows strong enough to break his concentration, he heads to the konbini down the street for a (slightly past) midnight snack.

The Lawson is technically closer, but Nicholas walks straight past it and crosses to the other side of the road for the Family Mart.

Throughout his time in Tokyo, he's slowly learned the hierarchy of konbini fried chicken and it's basically unanimous that FamiChiki is far superior to Lawson's Karaage-kun. Not to mention, Family Mart reminds him a bit of home since it was his go-to even back then. Obviously, the stores back in Taiwan aren't quite the same, but if he closes his eyes and listens to the jingle, sometimes he can imagine he's back in Taipei.

Still, there's another reason he prefers this specific Family Mart that he would never reveal to anyone else.

When he walks through the doors and hears the little jingle play, he's relieved to be greeted by a familiar face.

That is, familiar only in the sense that Nicholas has seen his face a lot, always working the Friday night shifts and thus becoming ingrained into Nicholas's routine. Aside from this, Nicholas knows close to nothing about him.

He's not particularly chatty, having only ever muttered a few words to Nicholas during checkout—the obligatory "Would you like a bag for three yen?" or sometimes "Would you like me to heat that up for you?" and nothing more.

Still, from those short interactions, Nicholas was able to learn that the man has a deep voice that he finds inexplicably soothing. Maybe it's the fact that Nicholas only ever sees him in the dead of night, but it's a voice that he can easily imagine lulling him to sleep.

Maybe it's weird to think about the guy who works the night shift at the konbini as often as he does, especially considering the other man probably doesn't even know who he is, but Nicholas can't help it.

It feels nice to let his imagination run wild with a silly crush, even knowing nothing will ever come of it. Sometimes he just needs a distraction.

Especially on a day like today, when he's desperately trying to take his mind off the fact that his ex-situationship just sent him a wedding invitation.

Well, it's a little more complicated than that.

It feels wrong to refer to what he had with Euijoo as a situationship, but he's not quite sure what else to call it.

Euijoo is his best friend. Euijoo is the person he relied on most after moving to Japan, one of the only people who he felt could understand him—two outsiders, struggling to speak the same language, but somehow forging an unspoken bond all the same.

Euijoo is the person he once thought he could marry.

If Nicholas is being really honest, a small part of him still thinks that. Wants that.

But Euijoo is marrying someone else in three months, and Nicholas is trying to delude himself with fantasies of a hot cashier who doesn't even know his name.

So while Nicholas would usually reach for the carton of strawberry milk to accompany his meal, today he lingers on a different section of the store. He sees the little sticker that signifies a new flavor and falls straight into the trap of the advertisement, picking up a can of the Stawberry & Vanilla Horoyoi to add to his basket.

Nicholas isn't much of a drinker and has been made fun of by Yuma for having a stupidly weak tolerance, but today feels like the right kind of day for it and he's curious about the flavor. He walks over to the counter to pay before he has the chance to think better of it.

"You're here early today," the konbini worker says.

Nicholas's eyes widen in surprise.

At Nicholas's silence, the man chuckles awkwardly. "Sorry, I guess that's a bit weird of me to say."

"No, no, it's okay," Nicholas quickly reassures once the initial shock passes. "I just—I didn't think you knew who I was."

"You come in every week. Sometimes multiple times a week."

"I figured a lot of people do."

"Other than the drunk salary men, the night shift can be pretty slow. And no one who comes in, especially at this hour, looks like they could be dressed for the runway the way you always are."

Nicholas flushes with embarrassment. He's not usually one to shy away from attention towards his outfits, proud when someone notices the time that went into styling, but the comment catches him off guard. "I work in fashion," he says like he's trying to justify it.

"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I meant it as a compliment."

"You just surprised me, but you didn't make me uncomfortable. Thank you, um—" Nicholas squints at the man's name tag, trying to remember how those kanji are supposed to be pronounced in Japanese instead of Mandarin, but his mind blanks.

"Murata. Murata Fuma," the man offers.

"Thank you, Murata-san."

He laughs, a low chuckle that warms Nicholas's cheeks. He starts scanning items from the basket and pauses when he picks up the Horoyoi. "Well, this is new. No strawberry milk today?"

"Y-yeah, I guess it's been a rough day," Nicholas says, shocked that Fuma remembers him enough to notice the swap.

"Ah, I'm sorry to hear that," he answers with a sympathetic look. Then, like a switch has been flipped, his professional side turns back on. "And can I see an ID?"

Nicholas doesn't mean to scoff, but he can't help it. "Do I look like a teenager to you?"

Fuma shrugs. "Sorry, it's protocol. I take my job very seriously," he says with mock gravity.

Nicholas laughs, fishing through his wallet for his residence card. "I'm sure you do."

Fuma glances at the card, scanning for what feels like too long just to check his age and suddenly Nicholas starts to feel self-conscious about the ID photo that he'd haphazardly taken, not thinking much of it at the time.

His hair was still blond back then and he wonders if Fuma is the type to write him off as some delinquent because of it. He hopes not. Not that it matters either way.

"Perfect, thank you," Fuma eventually says as he goes back to scanning the last few items. "Do you need chopsticks for this, Wang-san?" he asks, gesturing to the bento.

Nicholas's face scrunches out of habit. "Just Nicholas is fine," he quickly corrects, never having gotten used to the way his name sounds morphed by katakana. Then, he pauses, stunned for a moment. "Wait, when did you—?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to peek, but I happened to see it when I checked your ID," Fuma explains, though the mischievous smile on his face brings the apology into question. Somehow, it doesn't feel like much of an accident anymore. "Anyway, chopsticks?"

"Oh, um, yeah, that would be great," he manages to answer, stumbling over his words. His brain is still too preoccupied with the fact that the hot konbini worker not only recognizes him and remembers his usual orders, but now also knows his name.

Something in his brain short circuits and before he can think better of it, he quickly adds, "Actually, could you heat it up too? I think I'll eat here today."

Part of it is wanting to take advantage of the abnormally chatty mood his crush seems to be in today, but it helps that Nicholas isn't particularly in a rush to get back to his apartment today. Opening the door to a dark, empty room always makes him feel lonely.

He supposes he should be used to it by now. It's been a long time since Euijoo moved out, after all.

The apartment is small, really never meant for more than one person, but the two of them had made it work back then. Fresh out of university with minimal savings, it was the best they could do.

It should've felt cramped and unbearable to share such a small space together, but neither of them minded. It'd felt like home.

If someone visited Nicholas now, they wouldn't think the place seemed empty at all—a size perfectly fit for one person.

But when Nicholas looks around, all he sees is the absence of Euijoo's things, the rows of skincare that used to line the entire edge of the bathroom counter, constantly in danger of falling, the clothes that once overflowed from the closet. Once the clutter was cleared, instead of feeling clean, Nicholas thinks the entire place just looks barren.

"Careful, it's a bit hot," Fuma says as he hands over Nicholas's katsudon, snapping him back to the present.

Their fingers brush ever so slightly as he takes it and Nicholas tries not to let himself think too much of it.

It's already sad enough that he's about to eat dinner alone at a konbini while lamenting the fact that the best friend he's been in love with for years is getting married to someone else. He really doesn't need to add more delusional fantasies of a hot stranger to his list of things to be embarrassed about.

He thanks Fuma and makes his way over to the dining area. This store has the tables hidden in the back of the store, away from the eyes through the windows. Nicholas is grateful for that at least, that his misery won't be put on full display for passerby to see.

Before he takes a bite of his food, he cracks open the Horoyoi, taking a large gulp. The sweet strawberry flavor coats his tongue first, the vanilla subtle but lingering long afterwards.

A chuckle sounds from behind him. Nicholas turns around to see Fuma approaching the area.

"How is it? I thought the flavor sounded interesting when I was restocking earlier."

"Oh, I think it's nice. I like sweet drinks," Nicholas says after getting over the initial surprise. He's been coming here for months and Fuma has never been this chatty—or at all, really.

The corner of Fuma's lips turn upwards in a knowing smirk. "I could tell."

Nicholas feels a blush rising to his cheeks at the comment. His friends always tease him for having the palate of a five-year-old and he never pays it any mind, but it's different when it's a hot stranger pointing out his childish tastes instead.

Fuma walks closer and for a second, Nicholas is almost convinced that he's coming to sit down with him. Of course, what he actually does is walk right past Nicholas to the empty row of tables behind him. Nicholas doesn't know why he expected anything else, but he finds it hard not to be disappointed nonetheless.

"Don't mind me," Fuma says. "I just didn't get a chance to wipe down these tables earlier. I'm not trying to rush you or anything."

Nicholas smiles. "It's okay, the company is honestly kinda nice."

The words sound more pathetic out loud than they did in his head. He can't believe he just admitted out loud that he's so lonely that he's comforted by the mere presence of the convenience store employee who's just doing his job, literally being paid to be here.

But miraculously, Fuma doesn't appear to be judging him.

"Likewise," he says simply. "I told you, the night shift gets boring."

"What do you usually do to pass the time then?" Nicholas asks.

"This is just something I do on the side. My main job is as a mangaka, so I'm usually outlining or sometimes even sketching if there are no customers."

"A mangaka?" Nicholas wonders if he's ever read anything Fuma wrote, though the name hadn't rung any bells when he introduced himself earlier. Still, that could also be the work of a pen name.

"Nothing that you would know, at least not yet," Fuma says, as if reading Nicholas's mind. "I'm still starting out, hence the reason for a second job. It's really not too bad though because the manager here is fine with me working on my manga in my downtime and sometimes I get inspiration from the people who come in."

"That's still so cool. Tell me what magazine you get published in. I'll definitely buy it!"

Fuma laughs, a gummy smile spreading across his face. "Thank you, Nicholas-san."

Nicholas looks down into his bowl of katsudon, filling his mouth with a large bite before he gets the chance to say something stupid.

His interactions with Fuma up until today had always been quick and efficient, but he always found the aloof coldness strangely attractive. It cloaked him in an air of mystery that drew Nicholas's curiosity.

But now, he's suddenly seeing a new side to his favorite konbini cashier, one that makes him feel inexplicably warm. The sudden rise in temperature is almost dizzying, the way it makes his thoughts race.

Then again, that could also be the alcohol. He considers the possibility as he takes another sip.

"Are you okay, Nicholas-san?" Fuma asks.

"Hm?" Nicholas looks up to find Fuma right in front of him, his cheeks reddening from the proximity. "O-oh, I'm fine. I think the drink might be getting to me a little."

Fuma lets out a light chuckle, an amused smile spreading across his face as he looks back and forth between Nicholas and his choice of drink.

"What?" Nicholas asks, slightly defensive.

"Nothing, it's just—those are like three percent. It's not every day I see someone so affected by half a Horoyoi."

"Hey! I drank most of it!" Nicholas huffs. He knows it's a lie when he picks up the can and feels the weight of it, but he takes a long chug to try and destroy the remaining evidence anyway.

Fuma laughs, without holding back this time. The sound echoes throughout the empty store. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it in a bad way. It's just really cute."

Nicholas feels heat rise to his cheeks, unsure if it's from the alcohol or the compliment.

"Really though, I'm sorry for overstepping," Fuma says. The smile on his face schools itself back into its usual professionalism. "I'll leave you to finish your meal."

"Wait!" Nicholas says, a little too urgently.

Fuma pauses, looking at him curiously.

"I, um—I didn't mind. Please stay. If you want to."

Fuma glances at the door, then smiles and pulls out a chair. "Well, there's no other customers right now, so I don't see a problem with that."

Nicholas doesn't know why he invited Fuma to stay. Not that he wanted him to go, but now that Fuma's actively here, giving him his undivided attention, Nicholas doesn't know what to do.

"You said you had a rough day earlier," Fuma brings up. "I've been told I'm a good listener, if it'd help to get some things off your chest."

"I wouldn't want to bore you."

"I really don't mind. Whatever it is, I'm sure it's better than listening to drunk salarymen squabble over nothing."

"That's not a high bar."

"I never said it was."

Fuma looks at him expectantly, with a kind and patient smile. Something about it puts Nicholas at ease, the words starting to spill out before he knows it.

"My best friend is getting married soon. I got the invitation today."

"I'd say congratulations, but you don't seem too excited about it."

"I'm happy for him, I really am. It's just—complicated," Nicholas sighs. He's not sure he'd be able to fully articulate the years of unspoken tension between him and Euijoo even in Mandarin, so trying to find the words in Japanese feels near impossible.

"You're in love with him?" Fuma guesses.

Nicholas looks up at him, mouth falling open in shock. "How…?"

Fuma offers him a wry smile. "In this type of situation, I can think of two main explanations. Either you hate the fiancé, or you're in love with the friend. I took a fifty-fifty shot."

"I was in love with him, for a long time. At one point, I'm pretty sure it was mutual, but he didn't want to risk our friendship by giving it a chance and I didn't want to risk it by pushing him to either," Nicholas explains. It's much oversimplified, but he doesn't think Fuma wants to hear his whole life story. He doesn't even know why he's bothering him with this at all. "Anyway, there's not much more to say. He met someone else and they hit it off. His fiancé is a great guy and I'm happy for them."

"Nicholas-san, I'm not going to pry and obviously you don't have to say anything you don't want to, but I don't know any of these people and I have no reason to judge. You don't have to lie out of concern for your friend's feelings. It's just me right now."

Nicholas almost feels embarrassed by how easily Fuma can see through him. "I mean, it isn't a complete lie. Yudai is really nice and I can see how good of a fit they are for each other. I want Euijoo to be happy and he is right now," he says, repeating the words he's told himself over and over in his head the past year. Then, he catches a glimpse of Fuma's expression, patient with not a hint of judgment to be found, and something in Nicholas breaks down. His voice impossibly small, Nicholas finally admits, "I've always wanted him to be happy, but for a long time, I thought it would be with me. Part of me doesn't know how to let that go."

Suddenly, Nicholas can't stop the tears that stream down his face. He's always been an ugly crier and this is the last thing he wanted to show Fuma. Not that it matters now that he's revealed to him just how pathetic and selfish he is for thinking like this in the first place.

Fuma stands up and Nicholas thinks it's only right. He's sufficiently scared him off now.

Nicholas tries to quiet his sniffles even as he mourns the loss of this konbini. He'll just have to go to the Lawson from now on.

But then, for some reason, Fuma comes back. He awkwardly holds out a packet of tissues towards Nicholas; it's bright pink, with Hello Kitty printed across the front. "Sorry, this is all we have in the store for some reason."

Nicholas takes a tissue, quickly trying to wipe his tears. "Thank you. Sorry, how much are the tissues? I'll pay you back."

"Don't be silly. This is nothing. Besides, I feel slightly responsible for this."

Nicholas sniffles. "What? Why?"

"I shouldn't have forced you to talk about something you didn't want to."

"It's not your fault, Murata-san. I should have learned to get over this by now. At this rate, I don't even know how I'll be able to show my face at the wedding."

"Still, I apologize for overstepping."

"No, it's—" Nicholas hesitates, but he supposes he's already humiliated himself to the point of no return. A little more won't make a difference. "You were right. It feels nice to be able to talk about it with someone who isn't directly involved. My friends have all been walking on eggshells around the topic and I know they mean well, but it gets suffocating."

Nicholas doesn't know what he's doing, spilling his guts to the hot konbini worker, admitting that he has no one better to talk to than a stranger.

But even though it'd be perfectly reasonable for Fuma to ignore him, instead he sends Nicholas a warm smile, one that makes something in his stomach churn.

"In that case, I'm glad I could be of help. Really, if you ever need a listening ear, you know where to find me."

Nicholas knows that he shouldn't, but there's something about the way Fuma looks at him that makes the offer terribly tempting. Maybe it's the calmness in his expression that Nicholas feels is instantly grounding, that makes him feel safe.

"Thank you," Nicholas says, more for the events of today than the offer he tells himself he won't take.

Still, when he eventually returns to his empty apartment and sees the wedding invitation where he'd left it on the counter, he longs for the comfort of that calm smile once more.

Nicholas does avoid the Family Mart for a few days, getting his midnight snack from the Lawson instead.

The Karaage-kun tastes even more mediocre than he remembers, though maybe that's also the guilt of betrayal souring its taste. He knows that to Fuma, he's probably just another customer and it won't matter to him, but Nicholas has been loyal to the same store location for months now and it feels wrong.

But at the same time, he doesn't quite know how to face Fuma after what happened last time. It was embarrassing enough to get drunk—off a Horoyoi, at that—in front of him, but he just had to force him to listen as he cried about his pathetic love life on top of that too.

When the memories of that night came back to him as he woke up the next day, he knew he could never show his face there ever again. He spent that whole day mourning the fantasy of Murata Fuma, the hot konbini worker, that he singlehandedly destroyed with just one measly can of 3% alcohol.

He vows never to drink again.

But he also vows never to go back to that Family Mart again, a vow which is quickly broken.

He only lasts a little over a week before he caves, the craving for FamiChiki too loud to ignore after a long night of working on designs in his studio, and his feet too tired after a long day of work to walk over to the next one a few more blocks further.

Nicholas doesn't know whether to be disappointed or relieved when it's not Fuma, but someone else who stands behind the counter this time. He offers the girl a polite nod and then quickly disappears into the aisles.

He came here for a meal, not to see his crush who he completely embarrassed himself in front of. He'd been actively avoiding this place so he wouldn't see him.

So why does his heart feel like it's sinking?

He wanders aimlessly, nothing on the shelves particularly appealing to him even though his stomach growls for some sort of sustenance.

Nicholas ends up choosing an onigiri and is about to head to the counter to pay, but walks right into someone instead.

"I'm so sorry, I should've paid attention to where I was going," he says, immediately bowing his head down in apology.

"Nicholas-san?"

At the sound of the familiar voice, he abruptly looks up and is met with none other than Fuma. "Oh! Murata-san, I thought you weren't working today."

Fuma's eyes spark with a teasing glint. "Were you looking for me?"

"No!" Nicholas denies, because that's weird, right? People come to konbinis for convenience, not in search of specific employees.

But then Fuma frowns. "Ah, that's too bad then."

He sounds disappointed, which makes Nicholas's head spin. Does that mean Fuma wasn't creeped out by the idea of Nicholas looking for him? Did he want him to be?

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like—I was just a little embarrassed. After last time."

"I figured it was something like that when you suddenly stopped coming by," Fuma says. "But for the record, I really don't think you have anything to be embarrassed about."

"Wait, you noticed?"

"Of course I noticed." A cheeky grin spreads across his face. "It's been lonely without my favorite customer."

Nicholas can't tell if Fuma is being sincere or if he's just saying that to mess with him. Regardless, a blush rises to his cheeks at the words.

"Am I only your favorite because the competition is a bunch of old salary men?" he jokes, trying to play along.

Fuma laughs, "Well, it's no secret that you're far better company than they are."

"What about your new coworker?"

"Ah, she just started a few days ago. I'm not going to be taking as many shifts from now on because I got a job as an assisstant for a popular mangaka, so we're trying to transition over right now."

"Oh, congratulations! That's great!" he says, remembering what Fuma said last time about struggling to get a consistent publication deal. It's definitely something to be happy about, but Nicholas can't help but feel it's a bit bittersweet. He just hopes the disappointment doesn't show too obviously on his face. "So does that mean I won't see you here anymore?"

Fuma smiles like he's caught Nicholas red-handed. "So you were looking for me," he points out with a smug grin.

Nicholas splutters, indeed having gotten caught. "I just—coming here has become part of my routine. I'll miss the familiar face."

Fuma chuckles, looking far too amused by Nicholas's excuses. "It's odd hours and I'm still just starting out, so I'll probably pick up a few shifts here and there. It just won't be as consistent." He hesitates for a moment, like he's debating whether or not to say something. "Actually, that's why I was hoping you'd come back. So I could tell you that."

Nicholas blinks, frozen in surprise. Fuma was waiting for him? He wanted to tell him that personally?

At Nicholas's silence, Fuma seems to get nervous, his gaze averting to the shelves of onigiri. "I know it's probably not a big deal to you either way, but it felt weird to leave things off like that. I didn't want you to think I just disappeared without a word."

"No, I'm glad you told me," Nicholas reassures. "You're right, I was a little sad when it was someone else at the register today. You're my favorite konbini worker too."

Fuma smiles at him. "Hold on, I have something for you."

Before Nicholas can say anything, Fuma runs off into the back of the store.

Now that Nicholas has a moment to himself to process, he regrets the stupid vow he made not to come back to this store. He regrets missing out on all of those days where he could've been seeing Fuma now that those days are about to come to an end.

It doesn't make sense for him to care this much when he barely even knows Fuma, but even if it was all in his own head, the one-sided friendship he developed with Fuma has unknowingly become a big support for him—he's sad to lose it.

When he hears footsteps approaching again, he forces a smile back onto his face as he turns to Fuma. The first thing he notices is the thing in his hands, being held out towards Nicholas.

"Here, I saved this for you," Fuma says.

A strawberry cream puff, from the new line of seasonal strawberry desserts.

"For me?" Nicholas asks as he accepts the gift.

Fuma offers him a shy smile. "Well, I know you like strawberry, but you hadn't been coming in and it was selling out fast because it was so popular. I hid it in the back to save in case you showed up."

"T-thank you." Nicholas doesn't know what more to say, too touched by the gesture to form his thoughts properly.

"Come on, I'll check you out."

Nicholas nods, not trusting his voice to speak. Fuma gestures to his coworker to go take a break as he takes over the register.

Nicholas feels like he should say something, anything to prolong the transaction so that he doesn't have to let go of this just quite yet, but he draws a blank.

He thanks Fuma as he moves to take his items, but at the last second, Fuma stops him.

"Wait, Nicholas-san."

Nicholas tilts his head in question. "Hm?"

Fuma quickly scribbles something on the back of his receipt and then offers it to Nicholas. "Uh, you can just throw it away if you don't want it, but I meant what I said last time. If you still want a listening ear, I'll be here," he says with a smile. "I mean, not here in this store maybe, but metaphorically here. There. Wherever."

Nicholas laughs, finding himself endeared by how flustered Fuma seems all of a sudden. "Thank you, Murata-san. I really may take you up on that offer again soon."

"Please, call me Fuma. I think my favorite customer has earned that right by now."

Nicholas beams. "I'll see you around then, Fuma-kun."

Later that night, Nicholas picks up the receipt from where he'd left it on the table when he got home. He didn't want to seem too eager by messaging Fuma too soon, but now he's deemed that an adequate amount of time has passed.

He searches up Fuma's Line ID and adds him, wondering why such a simple action is making his heart beat so fast.

Nicholas almost drops his phone when it immediately buzzes with a message notification.

A single sticker from Fuma, from one of the Pokemon sets—an Eevee waving hello.

It makes Nicholas smile, giddy as he tries to think of how to respond. It's late, but they end up messaging back and forth for a while.

Nicholas feels a little like a high schooler experiencing a first love, eagerly anticipating each response, kicking his feet excitedly when the message finally comes. He doesn't remember the last time he felt like this.

When his eyelids start to get a little too heavy, the messages slowing down on both ends, he figures it's time to call it a night.

The last thing Nicholas sees before he falls asleep is the sticker Fuma sends of a sleepy Pikachu wishing him good night.

It had only taken a week for Nicholas to break his vow not to visit the Family Mart again, so it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that his other vow doesn't last long either.

This time, he's not the one to blame though.

"It's just a lemon sour, it won't kill you," Yuma says, pushing the can towards him. "It'll be fun."

It's harder to explain why he's suddenly become extra resistant to drinking without revealing the whole story. He hasn't told any of his friends about Fuma out of fear of what they might think.

The reason Yuma dragged him out today was because he's been avoiding all of them. He doesn't want them to feel hurt if they find out he's been choosing the company of a konbini employee over his closest friends.

Still, Nicholas has been freshly reminded of the fact that alcohol and him do not make a great combination.

"For you, maybe," Nicholas accuses. "You know how much of a lightweight I am."

"Exactly, so you just need a few sips," Yuma reasons. "Come on, it'll help take your mind off things. You've been weird since the wedding invitations were sent out."

Nicholas tries not to flinch at the mention of it.

Most of their friends tiptoe around the mention of the wedding, of Euijoo and Yudai entirely, but Yuma's never been one to sugarcoat anything.

Nicholas appreciates the honesty just as much as he resents it. He likes not having to pretend he's okay, but that doesn't mean he enjoys having to admit that he's not either.

Nicholas lets out an indignant huff. "Define weird."

Yuma just rolls his eyes. "Sad, mopey, avoidant. Should I go on?"

"I'm not mopey."

"So you admit to being sad and avoidant then?"

"I didn't say that."

"Just drink it," Yuma says, holding the can towards Nicholas again. Then, a little softer, "You need to relax. It'll help."

It's the sincerity, the genuine concern that shines through Yuma's usual biting remarks that crumbles the last of Nicholas's resolve. He takes the drink that's offerred to him and takes a sip.

It's good, sweet. Yuma knows his taste well.

He told himself that he'd be careful to pace himself this time, but he curses Yuma for choosing a drink that masks the alcohol so well that he forgets what it is he's drinking. Before he knows it, he's almost done with the whole can.

Yuma's been wearing an annoying smirk on his face the whole time, definitely having planned this.

"That was more than a few sips," Nicholas accuses, his words slurring together slightly. "Why didn't you stop me?"

Yuma just laughs. "You looked like you were enjoying it."

"You should quit your job and become a spam artist."

That makes Yuma burst into laughter for some reason that Nicholas's alcohol-addled brain can't quite follow.

"I think you mean a scam artist," he corrects, amidst his snickering.

Oh.

"S-shut up. Japanese is hard."

"God, that was even easier than I thought it'd be," Yuma chuckles to himself. "So Nico, do you finally wanna share what you've been so busy with that you haven't hung out with any of us in ages?"

"I told you. I've been staying late at the studio a lot, working on my portfolio."

"And since when did you become such a workaholic? I thought you liked your current job."

Nicholas works for a small start-up brand and it's good experience, but he's always dreamed bigger. For now, he rents out a studio to use at night and is slowly building up his portfolio for when he's ready to start his own brand.

He doesn't anticipate that happening anytime soon, but Yuma doesn't have to know that.

"I mean, it's good stability for now, but you never know what might happen. Opportunities come and go fast in this industry. I should be prepared."

Yuma squints at him, scrutinizing his expression. "You've never been the type to think that far ahead. You prefer going with the flow."

It's true. Euijoo had always been the one to point those things out, to steer Nicholas on the right track when Nicholas was too busy looking at the sights in front of him to notice what was coming up ahead.

But that was back when the two of them were practically joined at the hip, when Euijoo was still looking out for Nicholas. Now that Nicholas has been actively avoiding Euijoo, he can't exactly claim that as an excuse anymore.

He's never been a good liar, but people say the best lies are rooted in truth. He sure hopes those people are right.

"I decided to take a friend's advice. Not a big deal."

"You don't have friends besides us and you haven't been talking to us," Yuma says. He's not trying to be mean, it's just fact.

Nicholas has plenty of acquaintances, but few people he would really call his friends. Yuma's right that, other than their group, there's no one Nicholas would go to for advice and actually listen to it.

But recently, he thinks that might be changing.

"I do. You just dont know him," Nicholas says, praying Yuma won't try to dig any further even though he knows it's futile.

This sends Yuma on alert, like a cat that's just caught eye of a mouse, getting ready to pounce.

"Who is it then? Why haven't you ever mentioned this mysterious friend?"

"I-I only met him recently. At the konbini near my studio that I always go to." The best lies are rooted in truth, he reminds himself. "He's really nice and a good listener and we get along really well."

Suddenly, Yuma leans in impossibly close, staring Nicholas down straight in the eye. He feels like he's being interrogated—in a way, he is.

"Y-Yuma, what—"

Yuma shushes him and continues to examine him like some sort of specimen under a microscope while all Nicholas can do is wait for the verdict on whatever it is Yuma is trying to figure out by staring into his soul.

After what feels like forever, Yuma gasps and backs away. Nicholas doesn't know what conclusion Yuma has drawn from that, but he seems excited about it.

"Oh my god," Yuma says. "It's not just a friend, is it?"

"What?"

"Don't even try to lie, you're a terrible liar anyway," Yuma says.

Nicholas pouts, feeling slightly offended even if he knows it's true. "What gives you that idea in the first place?"

"You had this look on your face when you were talking about him. It's the same expression that you used to look at Euijoo-kun with."

Nicholas's eyes widen.

He knows he's never been good at hiding his emotions, an open book even when—especially when—he desperately doesn't want to be. His love for Euijoo was always obvious to anyone who bothered to look.

But for Yuma to suggest that he was directing that same expression towards Fuma…

Sure, Fuma is hot. But that's just an objective fact.

He's kind. He had patiently listened to Nicholas ramble on, comforted him despite being a complete stranger to him.

He has a nice smile and an even nicer laugh. Nicholas likes the sound of it.

But Nicholas hasn't liked anyone in a long time, not since Euijoo. He hasn't loved anyone but Euijoo.

He groans, head reeling from trying to make sense of it. He grips the edge of the table for support, suddenly feeling dizzy.

"Woah, woah, are you okay?" Yuma asks. He holds out a glass of water towards him. "I'm sorry I let you drink so much. I forgot just how bad your tolerance was."

"Hey!" Nicholas swats at Yuma, but misses entirely. So maybe Yuma has a point about his tolerance. "I'm okay, though."

"Finish that water," Yuma says. "Do you need me to call your mysterious boyfriend to come pick you up?"

"You can't call Fuma-kun!"

"Ha! I got you! You didn't deny that he was your boyfriend!"

Somehow Nicholas was too preoccupied with the fear that Yuma might really call Fuma that he hadn't even registered that part.

Their developing friendship through casual messages isn't ready for drunken phone calls quite yet.

"Fuma, huh? What's his last name?" Yuma has already pulled out his phone to begin typing away. "Is this him?"

Nicholas makes grabby hands at Yuma's phone, but he expertly dodges them. (Actually, the dodges are nothing special, it's just that Nicholas's attempts are comically bad.)

"No, it's not. Now, can you stop?" Nicholas whines.

"Not until you show me a picture. I can't believe you kept it a secret that you started dating someone."

Nicholas should correct him before this sprials into something bigger.

But then again, even if this wasn't his intention, it could work in his favor.

It'd help explain why he's been a little preoccupied lately and he doesn't even have to worry everyone by telling them the truth that he'd been locking himself in his studio in a feeble attempt to ignore his feelings until they went away, food and sleep becoming unfortunate casualties as a result.

"I didn't mean to keep it a secret. It's just really new and I'm trying to be careful."

Luckily, Yuma seems to buy it, finally calming down. "Fine. But you should still introduce him to us."

"I will, one day. But we just started dating and I don't want to mess it up."

"What? Do you think we'd scare him off?" Yuma scoffs, offended.

"Maybe! You guys can be intense."

"Well, if he gets scared off that easily, then maybe he's not good enough for you anyway."

"Don't say that. If anything, it's the other way around."

Even if Nicholas really wanted to pursue Fuma seriously like that, there's no way Fuma would like him back after everything that's happened. Their first real conversation was Nicholas crying pathetically about an unrequited love. Someone like Fuma, someone calm and mature and levelheaded, could never want him after that.

Yuma's eyes sharpen, mouth settling into a frown. "I've decided I don't like him."

"What? Why?"

"Because he's making you doubt his feelings for you."

"Yuma, that's not fair. I told you, I'm just nervous because it's still so new," Nicholas lies. "But he's really nice and he's been so good to me." Not a lie, technically.

"Then, prove me wrong. Introduce us. Bring him to the wedding."

Nicholas's eyes widen. "The wedding? Yuma, that's insane. We're not even—I mean, uh, we just started dating."

"Yeah, but it seems like you're serious about him. And if he's serious about you, then there shouldn't be a problem."

"I just don't want to put too much pressure on a relationship that's just starting out. He won't know anyone and it might be awkward and—"

"Introduce him to us first then. Then, he'll have some familiar faces at least."

Nicholas needs to find a way out of the hole he's dug himself into, but he fears there's no way out. Yuma might be the most stubborn person he knows and now that the idea has been planted into his head, there's pretty much no chance of him letting it go.

"I guess… you're right," Nicholas begrudgingly admits, silently resigning himself to his fate. He's actively digging his own grave, but what else can he do?

"Great! I can't wait to meet him," Yuma says, though his smile is a little too mischevious to be reassuring.

"Just, don't tell the others yet," Nicholas asks. "I should check with Fuma-kun first. Make sure he's free that day."

But what he really has to check is whether Fuma would be willing to put on this crazy charade with him in the first place, even though he still barely knows Nicholas and has absolutely no incentive to help.

Thankfully, Yuma agrees to that part without argument.

"I'm happy for you though," Yuma says. "We were all worried about you. Especially Euijoo-kun."

Nicholas knows it comes from a good place, but Yuma's words have the opposite effect. It always hurts to be reminded of how much Euijoo still cares.

In fact, Nicholas thinks all of this might have been easier if Euijoo cared less. Because when Euijoo looks at Nicholas now, all of that care morphs into guilt.

He couldn't stand Euijoo looking at him like that. So he's had no choice but to stay away.

"Sorry I've been avoiding you guys. I didn't really mean to. Sometimes it was just—hard, being there."

"You don't have to explain yourself, Nico. No one's mad or anything like that. We were trying to give you space, but it does get worrying when all we get from you is complete radio silence." Yuma hits Nicholas's arm playfully. "At least react to something in the group chat every once in a while so we know you're alive."

Nicholas laughs. "Okay, okay. I'll try to respond a bit more."

Yuma smiles. "You do seem happier today though. If this Fuma guy is responsible for that, then I guess he can't be that bad."

The comment makes Nicholas stop to think. Recently, instead of drowning himself in work to try and distract himself from thinking about the wedding, he's found that he hasn't thought about it much at all and a lot of that has been thanks to Fuma.

"He's good. Really good," Nicholas says and he means it wholeheartedly. Whoever ends up winning Fuma's heart in the end better know just how lucky they are.

"You deserve nothing less. You know that, right?"

Nicholas doesn't know if that's true, but he's not particularly in the mood to get into an endless fight with Yuma about it, so he holds his tongue.

For now, he should be focusing his energy on how on Earth he's going to convince Fuma to play along with all of this.

Nicholas ultimately decides that this is a conversation better done in person than over text.

Despite Nicholas's cryptic invitation, Fuma miraculously agrees to meet him for coffee after work.

Nicholas has become pretty well acquainted with all the cafes near his studio recently, needing something to keep him awake while he works through the night. He may hate the bitter taste of coffee, but sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures and considering how bad of a combination sleep deprivation and sewing needles are, he'd call his situation pretty dire.

He takes Fuma to his favorite one that he's come across, a cute little shop with all kinds of flavored lattes so sweet they almost make him forget the bitter coffee that they're meant to be a vessel for.

Nicholas orders himself a creme brulee latte and then gestures for Fuma to order with him.

"Ah, Nicholas-san, it's okay."

"No, I insist. I'm the one who dragged you here, so it's on me," Nicholas says. It's the least he can do considering the monumental favor he's about to ask him for. In fact, he's probably going to need to offer a bribe much bigger than just a cup of coffee to make Fuma even consider it.

Fuma reluctantly agrees, quickly relaying his order. He still seems to want to protest even as Nicholas pays, but Nicholas sends him a glare as if to say "don't even think about it," to which Fuma laughs and holds his hands up in mock surrender.

It's not until they sit down with their drinks that Nicholas looks over at Fuma's cup and actually registers what he ordered.

"Ugh, how do you drink that?" Nicholas tries and fails to hide the disgust on his face as Fuma sips his black coffee.

"It's actually really good. Not bitter at all," Fuma answers. He holds out the cup towards Nicholas. "Wanna try?"

Nicholas's instinct is to immediately deny the offer, but he doesn't want to be rude. He's about to ask Fuma something ridiculous, so he shouldn't do anything to offend him.

It's been years since he's tried real coffee that wasn't diluted with more than half its weight in milk and sugar. Maybe it's not as bad as he remembers.

Nicholas accepts the cup and takes a small sip only to immediately grimace.

Fuma laughs, loud and unabashedly, not at all like the low chuckles Nicholas has heard from him before. Nicholas might be more offended at getting made fun of if not for the fact that he really likes the sound.

"Sorry, your face was too funny just now," Fuma says, amused smile still wide across his face.

"Well, I'm glad one of us got something out of that experience," Nicholas huffs. "You're such a liar. That was so bitter. If you told me it was poison, I would believe you."

Fuma just takes another sip and shrugs. "Maybe I'd like poison then." He nods towards Nicholas's own cup. "How's your cup of sugar?"

"Delicious. Not like poison at all."

"Cute," Fuma says. His smile has softened, but his gaze feels strangely intense. Nicholas instinctually shies away, choosing to stare into the depths of the creamy topping of his drink instead of meeting Fuma's eyes.

"I'm not cute," he says. He hates being called cute.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

When Nicholas looks back at Fuma, he genuinely looks apologetic, worried that he's offended Nicholas. Now it's his own turn to feel bad because that wasn't his intention.

"It's fine," Nicholas quickly amends. "I'm not upset, I'm just—not cute."

Fuma seems to relax again, letting out a light chuckle. "Got it, not cute at all."

It still kind of feels like Fuma is teasing him, but Nicholas can't find it in himself to mind very much.

He clears his throat, suddenly remembering his actual purpose for calling Fuma here. "So about the favor I mentioned…"

"Oh yeah, is something wrong?"

"I'm not entirely sure how to explain this and I know it's a crazy request, so I don't expect you to actually say yes or anything. But also if you say no, I don't know what else I can do, so please don't say no."

"Nicholas-san, breathe. What exactly is it that I'm saying yes or no to?"

"Right, sorry. It's kind of a long story, but do you remember that wedding I mentioned?"

"Your best friend who you used to be in love with and still have complicated feelings for?"

Nicholas doesn't know whether to be relieved that he doesn't have to explain the situation again or embarrassed that Fuma still remembers that so clearly. "Y-yeah, that one," Nicholas confirms. "So it's kinda funny. One of our other friends was basically trying to get me to tell him why I've been avoiding all of them and I kind of didn't want to admit that I still do have those slightly complicated feelings and then one thing led to another and, um—" He takes a deep breath. "Imight'veaccidentallytoldhimthatyou'remyboyfriendandthatI'dbringyoutothewedding."

Fuma blinks slowly. "Um. Can you say that last part again?"

Nicholas really doesn't want to. He sighs, closing his eyes as if it's any less scary that way. "I accidentally told him that you're my boyfriend and that I'd bring you to the wedding."

There's a long pause, each second of silence eating Nicholas alive from the inside. Then, after what feels like a lifetime, Fuma slowly speaks, "So just to be clear, you're asking me to pretend to be your boyfriend at your friend's wedding?"

Nicholas winces. "Yes, that is what I'm asking."

Fuma doesn't say anything back, silence falling over them once more. Well, if you don't count the nervous tapping of Nicholas's foot against the edge of the table, that is.

It only takes about ten seconds total for Nicholas to decide that he'd rather suffer the pitying looks from his friends when they find out the truth than endure any more of this.

"Sorry, I don't know why I actually asked you. You probably think I'm crazy now. I take it back. You can ignore everything I just said. Sorry." Nicholas stares down at his feet, too scared to meet Fuma's eyes, to see what he thinks of him now after this ridiculous request.

Then, Fuma opens his mouth, but it's not the refusal that Nicholas was expecting that comes out.

"Sure, I'll do it."

Nicholas's head shoots up so fast it almost makes him dizzy. "What?"

"I said I'll do it. I'll be your pretend date for the wedding."

Nicholas stares blankly at Fuma, mouth falling in open in shock. "What?"

Fuma laughs. "Do you not want me to anymore?"

"No, I do! You'd be saving my life. I'm grateful!" Nicholas says. "But I'm also confused. This was a crazy thing to ask and there's nothing in it for you and you barely know me, so why would you agree to help me so easily?"

"The perks of being a favorite customer go a long way."

"I'm serious. I'm asking for way too much."

"You bought me coffee."

"Huh?"

"You said there's nothing in it for me, but that's not true. I got a free coffee out of it."

"That's not a fair trade at all."

"Okay, fine. Keep buying me coffees until it feels fair."

Not that Nicholas is unwilling to do that, but he doesn't think even a lifetime of coffees would be enough to repay this debt.

Obviously, he wanted Fuma to say yes, needed him to. But that happened way too easily and he doesn't understand how or why.

"Really though, I'll do whatever I can to return the favor. Whatever it is, as long as it's within my means, I'll do it," Nicholas says.

Fuma shakes his head. "Honestly, I don't need anything else in return. It sounds like it could be interesting and I've been looking for ways to get more inspiration for my manga. I was told I should try being more adventurous."

Nicholas supposes that makes a little more sense, but he can't help but still be doubtful. "Are you really sure?"

"Don't worry, I'm not the type of person to back out after agreeing to something," Fuma says.

"I—" Nicholas doesn't even know what to say. "This really isn't how I expected this conversation to go."

"How did you think it'd go?"

"Honestly? I thought you'd call me insane and leave. At best, politely decline and then never speak to me again."

"And you still decided to ask me anyway?"

Nicholas's head drops down in embarrassment. "I was desperate."

When he looks back up, he's met with the calm smile that's become so comforting to him. "Well, I don't know if I'll do a good job, but this seems important to you, so I'll do my best not to disappoint."

"Thank you. Seriously, thank you," Nicholas says. "I don't know how I can make it up to you, but I'll try my best to."

Fuma pushes his now empty glass towards Nicholas with a teasing smile. "How's this for a start?"

Nicholas thinks Fuma is being unecessarily difficult right now.

They'd decided to meet over dinner to discuss the details of the arrangement, come up with a backstory of how they got together, and prepare for any questions his nosy friends might have.

Though Nicholas has a habit of letting time slip away, he'd made sure he was on schedule today so he wouldn't keep Fuma waiting. He sprinted to make his train transfer and miraculously weaved through the crowds of people to squeeze through the doors.

Much to his chagrin, Fuma apparently has a penchant for being ridiculously early, so he still apologized profusely for making him wait, but Fuma brushed it off easily.

It's a small udon shop, the kind that's probably been running the same way for decades. There's only a few seats left, so they should hurry up and order so they can claim one of the tables.

Except they can't do that because they're currently at a standstill in front of the ticket vending machine.

Before Nicholas got a chance to even take his wallet out, Fuma had already inserted 5000 yen into the machine and then turned to Nicholas to ask what he wanted.

"Wait! I was supposed to pay!" Nicholas argues.

"When exactly did we decide that?" Fuma asks.

"We're here because you're doing me a favor—a huge, ridiculous, monumental favor—so obviously I should be the one paying!"

"I agreed to let you buy me coffee. Does this," Fuma points to the machine, "look like coffee to you?"

"Stop being ridiculous!" Nicholas huffs, reaching over Fuma towards the button that will spit the money back out.

But Fuma blocks his attempt, instead pressing the button for tempura udon. "Your turn," he says. "Hurry up or I'll choose for you."

"You don't even know what I want."

Fuma laughs. "I've seen enough of what you buy at the konbini to have a pretty good idea of your taste."

Nicholas wants to protest more, but there's another group of people who just entered behind them and he doesn't want to hold up the line. Begrudingly, he places his order of niku udon and takes both of their tickets to the counter to hand to the chef as Fuma gathers his change.

"For the record," Fuma says, "That was what I guessed you would order."

Nicholas scoffs. "You're such a liar."

They make their way over to the last empty table. Nicholas figures there's no rush, so they just chat a bit while waiting for the food. Nicholas tells Fuma about a cute cat that he keeps seeing on his way home from work, also making a mental note to himself to pick up some treats to have on hand for next time.

Not long after, their orders are ready and the conversation pauses so they can savor their meal. Planning can wait until after they've sufficiently filled their stomachs. Nicholas never thinks well when he's hungry anyway.

Still, despite how delicious the udon is, Nicholas realizes this might not be the greatest location for a strategy meeting. It's a fast-paced establishment, meant for quick, efficient meals rather than long chats. He'd feel terrible hogging the table for any longer considering there's still a line of people waiting for a seat.

Fuma agrees so they quickly finish their meal and head out, resolving to find a cafe for dessert instead to spend a little more time in.

After a bit of searching, they settle on a nearby cafe that's not too far of a walk and start making their way over.

It should be just around the block, but Nicholas stops in his tracks when he suddenly hears his name called from behind.

"Nico-chan!"

He turns around to find his friends rapidly approaching. "Harua? Maki?"

"What a coincidence running into you here," Harua says, beaming. "It feels like we haven't seen you in forever."

"Yeah, Nico, it's been a while," Maki adds.

"Sorry about that. I've been a bit busy," Nicholas says.

He watches as Harua and Maki's gazes slowly shift towards Fuma now that they've properly greeted Nicholas and dread fills his stomach.

He curses himself for not getting to the point and working out their cover story as soon as they sat down. The food should've waited because now his plan is crumbling before it even got a chance to start.

But then, Fuma puts an arm around his shoulder and leans in. He's so close that it tickles Nicholas's ear when he speaks. "Friends of yours?" he asks, his voice soft and strangely intimate for such a simple inquiry.

"Y-yeah," Nicholas answers, trying his best to act natural despite how flustered he feels. "This is Harua and this is Maki." He turns to his friends, trying to gauge their expressions. "And um, this is Fuma-kun."

Harua's face lights up with recognition. "Ah, so this is the famed Fuma."

Nicholas nearly chokes. "What do you mean famed? Yuma wasn't supposed to say anything yet!"

"Actually, it was Euijoo-kun who snitched first," Maki explains. "Well, more like he just asked if any of us knew someone named Fuma since you listed him as your plus one and then Yuma-kun snickered so we forced him to tell us what he knew. It honestly didn't take much because it seemed like he was dying to reveal it anyway."

"Hmm? What have you been telling your friends about me, Nico?" Fuma teases.

"N-nothing!"

"It's true though, he hasn't told us anything," Maki chimes in.

Meanwhile, Harua has taken to examining Fuma, looking him fully up and down before finally nodding in approval. "Where'd you find him?"

Nicholas rolls his eyes. "Don't talk about Fuma-kun like he's some stray cat I found off the street."

"Yeah, I'm definitely more of a bunny," Fuma says with mock seriousness.

"I like him," Harua decides with a laugh. "Definitely keep him."

"Seriously though, how did you guys meet? Nico, after ghosting us for months, you gotta tell us at least that much."

"I wasn't ghosting—" Nicholas stops his protest at the sight of Harua's sharp glare. "—I wasn't intentionally ghosting you."

Fuma takes the chance to step in. "I suppose I'm the one to blame for that. Sorry for hogging Nicholas all to myself."

Maki sighs. "Well, since Nico refuses to tell us, do you wanna share the story instead?"

Nicholas starts to panic at the suggestion. They hadn't had time to discuss at all what they were going to say and he doesn't want to push the burden onto Fuma.

But before he can do anything, Fuma's already started.

"Ah, it's not that interesting. I work night shifts at the Family Mart near Nicholas's studio and he would always come in for late night snacks," Fuma explains. "We didn't talk at first, but I would secretly look forward to seeing what he'd pick. It took me a long time to work up the courage to actually talk to him."

"Aww, that's so sweet," Harua coos. "So you were the one chasing after our Nico-chan?"

Nicholas is about to deny it, but Fuma's quicker. "Yeah. It's kind of embarrassing to admit, but I had a pretty big crush on him despite not even knowing his name," he chuckles, sounding far too composed to be as embarrassed as he claims.

Even though Nicholas knows it's all just a bluff, Fuma clearly a natural at playing the part in front of his friends, he can't help but blush. He knows it was obviously the opposite—Nicholas was the one with the embarrassing crush—but the fantasy makes him feel giddy anyway.

"Then, one day, Nico forgot his wallet and I had to run after him to give it back. I probably could've gotten fired for leaving the store unattended like that, but I didn't want to miss my chance," Fuma recounts. "I didn't have the courage to ask in person, but I slipped my number into his wallet before I gave it back." He turns to Nicholas. "Right, babe?"

Nicholas's blush only grows harder at the sudden use of the pet name. "Y-yeah, my savior," he manages to choke out.

"Who knew Nico's forgetfulness could earn him a boyfriend?" Maki jokes.

"Hey! How do you know I didn't leave it on purpose?"

"That's a pretty risky method of flirting."

"High risk, high reward," Nicholas answers. It's not entirely wrong either; the situation he's dragged them both into is definitely high risk. He's just not sure if there will be any reward at the end.

He glances over at Fuma, curious about what might be going through his head. Even if it was out of his control and even if Fuma's been doing a great job handling all of it—a better job than Nicholas, to be honest—he still worries that he's placed too heavy of a burden on him right from the start.

To Nicholas's surprise, he turns his head to find that Fuma is already looking at him. He meets Nicholas's eyes with a small smile.

For a moment, Nicholas forgets they have company.

Harua clears his throat, immediately bringing Nicholas back to reality. "We should probably get going," he says, sounding amused, though Nicholas has no clue by what.

"Yeah, we'll leave you to your date," Maki adds.

Nicholas almost instinctually denies that it's a date, but Fuma's arm that's still wrapped around him suddenly pulls him in tighter and the action flusters him enough that he forgets how to speak.

"But I'm glad we bumped into you guys. Yuma-kun's gonna be so mad that we ended up meeting you first," Harua giggles.

Nicholas shudders. It's true, Yuma will not like that at all.

"It was nice meeting you, Fuma-san," Maki says. "We'll see you at the wedding?"

Fuma smiles politely and nods. "At the wedding," he confirms.

When they're gone, Nicholas breathes out a sigh of relief.

"Nico-chan?" Fuma teases.

"That's just Harua being Harua," he argues. "Most of my friends just call me Nico."

"I hope it's okay that I called you that just now too." Fuma looks oddly nervous, considering how confidently he just pulled off that entire stunt. "I know we hadn't talked about it, but I didn't want your friends to be suspicious if I was too formal with you."

"No, no, it's fine. That was perfect. You can call me anything."

Fuma smiles. "That went pretty well though, don't you think?"

"Yeah, you were a natural. If you ever want to switch careers, I think acting might be your secret calling."

Fuma chuckles. "I'm flattered, but I don't think I'd do well under all the lights and cameras. I'm not particularly photogenic."

Nicholas stares at him incredulously. "Please tell me that's also part of your acting because you can't actually believe that. Have you even seen yourself?"

Fuma seems genuinely surprised by Nicholas's outburst. "Sorry?"

"Speaking of which," Nicholas continues. "It was really impressive that you came up with that story on the spot like that, but you could've made it more believable. How are we gonna convince people that you were chasing after me?"

"I don't follow. Why would that be hard to believe?"

Nicholas groans. How can Fuma not be aware of how objectively hot he is? Even the dorky Family Mart uniform wasn't enough to conceal it. He'll never forget the time he happened across Fuma when he was restocking some top shelves, the sleeve of his t-shirt slipping to reveal the expanse of muscle beneath—Nicholas had almost dropped his shopping basket at the sight.

"It's fine, you just don't get it," he sighs. "Come on, let's go to the cafe to figure out the rest of the details of our story."

"Do you think we'll make it there without more of your friends ambushing us?" Fuma jokes.

Nicholas rolls his eyes. "Please don't jinx it. I don't think I can handle that again, at least not before I've had some sugar."

Fuma laughs. "Okay, let's get you something sweet then." He reaches out his hand for Nicholas to take as he leads him towards their destination.

It's not until after they've arrived that Nicholas realizes that after Harua and Maki left, there was no real reason to hold hands.

The thing about Nicholas is that he puts his all into everything he does.

And apparently, bringing a fake date to his best friend's wedding is not immune to that.

His friends know him too well to be able to do this half-heartedly. Their act has to be perfect.

So maybe it's overkill to force Fuma to hang out with him consistently up until the wedding, making sure they both have photos to document it just in case someone accidentally stumbles across either of their camera rolls, but Nicholas would rather be safe than sorry.

Nicholas has also taken to quizzing Fuma about himself, just to make sure they seem like they know each other sufficiently. Because what kind of boyfriend wouldn't know his favorite color?

"Pink," Fuma answers easily.

"Correct. Oh! What's my birthday?"

This one Fuma has to think about for a second before he hesitantly answers, "July 9th?"

Nicholas nods proudly. "Good. Now, you quiz me."

Fuma laughs. "Is this really necessary?"

"Yes! Who's gonna believe we're dating if we don't even know the basics about each other!"

"What counts as basics?"

"Birthdays, likes, dislikes. You've barely told me anything about you," Nicholas pouts. It's not even just about the act anymore. It feels like Fuma knows so much more about Nicholas than he knows about Fuma.

Fuma had so many more chances to observe Nicholas, from what he wore on his late night konbini runs to what snacks he picked out. But Nicholas on the other hand, only ever got to see Fuma in his Family Mart uniform, acting professionally and never saying more than what was necessary. It feels like he's at a disadvantage.

And Nicholas is curious. Every new fact he learns about Fuma makes him interested to learn more.

"Well, my birthday is June 29th, but I'm not really into celebrating much."

"What? Why not?"

Fuma shrugs. "I just dont like making a fuss about it. I treat it like any other day."

Nicholas frowns. He loves birthdays. Even more than his own, he likes celebrating his loved ones' birthdays, the chance to shower them in the love they deserve.

Both of their birthdays will fall long after the wedding. Nicholas wonders if they'll still be friends by then, if Fuma will grant him the honor of letting him celebrate with him.

But Nicholas wants to. Maybe it's a ridiculous thought because he still barely knows him, only just learned his birthday a few seconds ago, but Nicholas wants to be there.

"I'll still remember it," Nicholas decides. Even past their arrangement, even if they stop talking by then, he's going to wish Fuma happy birthday.

"What else do you want to know?" Fuma asks. "I like gaming. I like Pokemon."

"Oh! What's your favorite?" Nicholas isn't the most well-versed, but Fuma seems like the type of person who'd like a strong Pokemon, the ones with good stats that people use in competitions.

"Eevee," Fuma answers.

Nicholas blinks. "Isn't that the little bunny one? That can transform into a bunch of different types or something?"

Fuma laughs. "Evolve," he corrects, " but yeah, that one."

"Why?" Nicholas asks. It feels unexpected. Maybe there's some hidden fact that only true fans know about why Eevee is actually super powerful.

"Because it's cute," Fuma answers simply. No further elaboration, just a fond smile on his face.

Nicholas's heart flutters.

It's been a while since Nicholas has seen Fuma at the Family Mart, though he's still been seeing him fairly often, sometimes for dinner, other times at a cafe, or even one of their apartments.

Nicholas still thinks they should get to know each other better to pull off the act well enough to convince his friends at the wedding. Euijoo knows him far too well to be fooled by something insincere.

Earlier today, Fuma had texted to say that he's scheduled for the night shift today, so even though he hadn't originally been planning on it, Nicholas heads to his studio after work to buy time until then.

It feels a little silly, considering he and Fuma are more or less friends now and he could easily text him if he wanted to see him rather than wait hours just to bombard him at work.

But there's something about the konbini shelves that feel special—it's where they met after all.

"Ah, my favorite customer," Fuma says as Nicholas walks inside.

Nicholas laughs, coming up to the register to greet him.

"So what's on the menu for today?" Fuma asks.

"I don't know. Today was a busy day, so I skipped lunch," Nicholas says.

Fuma frowns. "Do you skip lunch often?"

"I mean, not often. But maybe also not not often…"

"Nicholas, you can't just skip meals like that," Fuma says. He sounds so concerned that Nicholas genuinely feels bad.

"I promise I'll be more careful."

"Good. Now, what do you want to eat? It's on me."

"What? No, I can't let you do that."

"Unfortunately for you, I'm the one who works the register, so you don't really have the ability to stop me."

"This is not fair play," Nicholas pouts.

"I never said it was."

In the end, Nicholas picks out a simple bento, not really in the mood for anything specific.

When Fuma scans his things, there's an extra pack of chocolates that he didn't pick out.

"I noticed you have a bit of a sweet tooth. I figured you might want dessert," Fuma explains when he notices Nicholas eyeing it.

"T-thank you. But you didn't have to, really, the bento is already more than enough."

"Nonsense. I just want to make sure you're eating properly."

Nicholas laughs. "And chocolate is eating properly?"

"Yes, and you should trust me because I studied food science in university."

"You did?"

"No, but it's cute that you believed me."

Nicholas scoffs. "I should've known. Liar."

"Just eat your dinner," Fuma laughs, handing him the bento and a pair of chopsticks.

He lets Fuma go back to checking inventory or whatever he was doing before Nicholas interrupted.

He's hungrier than he thought because he devours the whole thing quickly. That is, except for the two pieces of broccoli that were snuck in the corner.

"Hey, finish your vegetables," Fuma says when he walks over and notices.

"No, they don't taste good."

"You're like a little kid," Fuma laughs.

It's not mean-spirited at all—in fact, it sounds more fond than anything else—but Nicholas can't help but feel embarrassed. He doesn't want Fuma to see him as a kid.

"Fine," he says, bracing himself and then stuffing the broccoli in his mouth before he can think better of it. He grimaces as he swallows it down.

Fuma just laughs harder and Nicholas is about to retort, but when he looks back up, Fuma's holding out the bag of chocolates to him with the brightest smile. "Here, your reward."

The scowl on his face melts away into a smile to match.

When Fuma told Nicholas, with only two weeks left until the wedding, that he didn't have anything to wear, Nicholas only mildly freaked out.

That is, Fuma had casually mentioned that he still had to go suit shopping and Nicholas proceeded to yell, "What? Why didn't you tell me sooner!?" and immediately dragged him towards the door.

"Where are we going?" Fuma asks, though to his credit, he lets himself be led without much resistance.

"To find you a suit!" Nicholas rolls his eyes. "Obviously."

"Now?"

"Yes, now!"

So Nicholas quickly looks up the route to one of his favorite thrift shops, which luckily isn't too far from Fuma's apartment. There's a few others in the area that he also likes, just in case they don't find anything.

"Is it really that big of a deal?" Fuma asks after Nicholas pulls him onto the train. "I was just going to go to the mall and pick out the most reasonably priced option."

Nicholas shoots him an incredulous look. "I can't believe this."

Fuma chuckles, even though this is clearly no time to be laughing. "Sorry," he says, smiling far too brightly to look apologetic.

Nicholas glares at him. Finding a suit that fits well is more difficult than people think and he will not let his (pretend) boyfriend walk into a wedding wearing anything short of perfect.

Luckily, if they find something today, Nicholas still has some time to make adjustments and tailor it properly. It also doesn't hurt that Fuma looks good in pretty much anything he wears.

Once they reach the stop, the shop is not too far from the station. After a quick walk, they arrive at the familiar storefront, tucked in between unsuspecting buildings. Most people walk right past it, but Nicholas knows this place can be home to plenty of treasures.

"I've had pretty good luck with this place, but if we don't find anything here, I have a few other places in mind too," Nicholas says. "Now, what are you waiting for? Go!"

But instead of rushing towards the rows of clothing racks, Fuma stays put.

"Um, what exactly should I be looking for?"

Nicholas should've known better. Since spending more time with Fuma, he's come to find out that Fuma's wardrobe consists of mostly Pokemon merchandise.

He sighs. "Nevermind, just follow me," he says, dragging Fuma towards one of the racks. "Just stand here."

One by one, Nicholas sifts through the hangers. When he stumbles across something that he thinks might work—the size is right and the threads don't look too worn—he takes it off the rack and holds it up against Fuma's frame.

He makes Fuma hang onto a few options to try on and they head over to the fitting room.

"How's this one?" Fuma asks, after putting the first one on and stepping out to show Nicholas.

"I want to know what you think first," Nicholas says.

"I think it's fine? Come on, you're the expert here."

"I'm not an expert."

"This is your field. Your opinion is worth a lot more than mine."

He shakes his head. "Let's try the next one."

Nicholas wants Fuma to feel good in the suit that he chooses. Despite what Fuma may think, Nicholas believes that the only opinion that really matters is the person wearing the clothes.

He makes Fuma try on suit after suit, but none of them are quite right. Fuma's response is always the same, saying it's just fine.

Fuma sighs when Nicholas sends him back to the fitting room once again with yet another stack of things to try on.

"I suppose this is my fate as the boyfriend of a fashion designer, huh?"

Nicholas knows the "fake" is implied and he desperately tries to remind himself of this, but the blush that rises to his cheeks betrays him nonetheless.

"J-just hurry up and try those on. We're running out of time."

As he waits for Fuma to get changed, he starts looking up the route to the next store just in case. They might have to rush a bit, but they should be able to make it there with enough time before closing.

But this time, when Fuma walks out of the dressing room, something is different.

Nicholas tries not to look to eager when he asks again, "How does this one feel?"

"It's nice," Fuma says, which is the most positive comment he's given to any of the options thus far. Instead of turning straight to Nicholas to ask his opinion,he walks over to the full-length mirror to get a closer look. "I—I look good."

He's right about that. The pattern is subtle, a light houndstooth pattern that only reveals itself upon closer look. The suit hugs Fuma's frame in all the right places, accentuating his physique. There's a few details that Nicholas will have to alter, but just simple fixes.

Fuma has always been handsome, but the suit highlights all his best features—he looks breathtaking.

"You do," Nicholas agrees. "See? If you had just chosen the first one you tried on, you never would've found this one."

"And would that have been the end of the world? For you to show up with a terribly dressed date?"

Nicholas rolls his eyes. "None of them were terrible. If you can make a konbini uniform look good, then there's nothing that you could wear to look bad."

"You think I look good in my silly uniform?" Fuma asks with a teasing smirk.

"I-I mean—" Nicholas's first instinct is to deny it, but it's too late. Instead, he tries a different angle, trying to act casual about. "Obviously. It was just an objective observation."

Fuma laughs, but ultimately puts Nicholas out of his misery and drops the teasing. "So if that was your conclusion, then why'd you make me try on like a hundred different suits?"

"It was only, like seven."

"Eight."

"Fine, eight," Nicholas concedes. "But that's besides the point. I've always thought that fashion isn't about wearing what looks good to other people, it's about wearing what makes you feel good. If I'm going to be a real designer one day, those are the kinds of clothes I want to make—clothes that people can feel good about wearing."

Fuma doesn't say anything for a moment, just looks at Nicholas.

Nicholas has to avert his eyes slightly, embarrassed by the intense gaze. "W-what?"

"I think that's really admirable," Fuma says, watching Nicholas with a soft smile.

"R-really?" Nicholas feels slightly taken aback at the sincerity.

Even though his family supports his career now, they didn't always feel that way. They had initially been opposed, worried that it was unstable, that he'd face too many difficulties.

Nicholas has met plenty of people who don't necessarily understand why he would choose such an uncertain path and, even when not intended, it always comes with the sting of the knowledge that they don't believe he can do it.

Perhaps that's why Fuma's sincerity hits him even harder.

"Yeah," Fuma nods. "Your expression changes when you talk about fashion. It's obvious how passionate you are and I think that's really cool."

"Thank you. It means a lot to hear that," Nicholas says, unsure of how to fully express his gratitude. It's always times like these when he finds that his second language fails him, leaving him unable to convey the extent of the feeling he wants to.

Still, when he meets Fuma's eyes, the kind and gentle gaze, Nicholas thinks maybe the message did get across after all.

Nicholas finds himself at Fuma's apartment, something that's becoming a fairly frequent occurrence.

At first, it was just a more convenient place to meet when restaurants and cafes could be too loud or crowded to talk about the details of the plan. But now, it's different.

Hanging out with Fuma is nice. He listens to Nicholas ramble on about the mundane happenings of his day.

Nicholas may have been purposely avoiding his friends, but just because it was his own doing doesn't mean it was any less lonely.

As the wedding draws closer, Nicholas wonders if these moments will continue even after their original purpose is fulfilled. He thinks that they've started to develop something that surpasses the favor Nicholas asked of Fuma, but he has no way of knowing if that feeling is reciprocated.

Nicholas has fully considered the possibility that Fuma is counting the days until their arrangement is over so he can cut ties. Sure, he could do that right now and probably wouldn't invite Nicholas into his home if he thought that way, but the possibility can't be entirely ruled out. Fuma is kind and a man of his word—it could easily amount to nothing more than that.

And if that's the case, Nicholas has decided that he has to make the most of the time he has.

Even if it makes him a terrible person.

Because if it wasn't bad enough to drag Fuma into his mess, now he's taking advantage of the situation for his own selfish gain on top of that.

"Fuma-kun, how do you feel about physical affection?"

Fuma looks up from his phone to stare at Nicholas in confusion. "Um. Depends?"

"I just think maybe we should talk about it before the wedding. For the act, you know?" Nicholas clarifies. He doesn't mention the fact that he's caught himself staring at Fuma's lips far too many times, in moments completely unrelated to the wedding.

Fuma sets his phone down and turns towards Nicholas, giving him his full attention now. He hums in consideration. "Do you think it's necessary to really sell it?"

"I don't want to do anything you're not comfortable with!" Nicholas assures.

Fuma shakes his head. "It's not that I'm uncomfortable, but how far would you want to go to show people?"

"Well, um, I think I can be pretty touchy, even with just my friends. They might think it's weird if we don't do that at all."

"Like holding hands?"

"Yeah. Or leaning on you. Stuff like that."

Fuma nods. "Wanna try now?" He offers it so casually, as if Nicholas's heart isn't already beating ridiculously fast.

"Now?"

"Well, it might look unnatural if the first time we try it is at the wedding, no?"

"Y-yeah, that's a good point," Nicholas agrees. Even though he's the one who brought up the idea, he's starting to regret it. He didn't think he'd actually get this far.

Nicholas scooches closer to Fuma on the couch and leans his head on his shoulder. Like this, he can feel the firm muscle that hides under the sleeves of Fuma's shirt.

"Is something like this okay?" Nicholas asks.

"Yeah," Fuma says. He lets Nicholas stay there for a moment, then, "Do you want me to touch you too?"

Even though he knows he doesn't mean it like that, the question makes heat rise to Nicholas's cheeks. "Uh, yeah. Just do whatever feels natural. Except I don't really like it when people touch my hair."

"Got it." Fuma moves his arm to wrap around Nicholas and then squeeze at his waist. "What about this?"

Nicholas doesn't trust his voice to speak, so he just nods and lets himself be pulled closer. Fuma's other hand is free, so Nicholas reaches over to grab it, idly playing with his fingers. Meanwhile, the hand that was around Nicholas's waist begins to roam, as if exploring the limits of what he's allowed to touch.

When Fuma's hand settles on Nicholas's hip, he feels strangely emboldened. Nicholas lets the instrusive thoughts win as his hand moves to Fuma's thigh. He squeezes.

Fuma laughs. "Is that what you're planning on doing at the wedding? Feeling me up under the table?"

"S-sorry. I don't know why I did that."

"I wouldn't mind," Fuma says and before Nicholas can even begin to figure out what he means by that, Fuma lifts him and pulls him onto his lap. When Nicholas's eyes widen in surprise, all he says is, "This position is easier."

Easier for what, Nicholas has no clue.

He thinks it's the opposite—now it's infinitely more difficult to resist the desires that have becoming more and more loud in his head.

"It's better to be prepared for any scenario even if it's unlikely, right?" Nicholas asks.

"Yeah, I'd say it can't hurt."

"Then, can we practice—" Nicholas doesn't know how to ask when he already feels like he's pushed too far. But his body has a mind of its own it seems, his hands naturally coming up to cup Fuma's face. "Can I?"

Fuma nods and then his hand comes around Nicholas's neck to pull him in closer.

Suddenly, Nicholas is kissing Fuma. Or maybe Fuma is kissing him. He's not actually sure who was the one to lean in first.

At first, the kiss is hesitant. Nicholas's brain is still catching up.

But Nicholas doesn't want Fuma to think he's a bad kisser, so when he feels him start to pull away, Nicholas chases his lips, catching him before he can fully retreat.

For a moment, he forgets about where they are and what they're doing—all he thinks about is how Fuma's lips feel against his.

Nicholas's hands naturally tangle themselves in Fuma's hair as he deepens the kiss. If Fuma has any objections, he doesn't make them known, simply letting himself be pulled into Nicholas's whims.

Nicholas vaguely registers the sound of a whine, embarrassment rising to his cheeks when he realizes that he himself was the source.

Fuma eventually breaks the kiss, panting, but doesn't move far. He leans his forehead against Nicholas's as he catches his breath.

"Not bad for practice," Fuma says.

Nicholas huffs. After all that, the review he gets is "not bad?"

"That's not good enough. To pull this off, it has to be perfect," Nicholas says, even though he's not entirely sure what they're trying to pull off. It's not like his friends are going to want to watch them make out as proof of anything.

He doesn't know what he's trying to prove, or to whom he's trying to prove it. But what he does know is now that he's gotten a taste of Fuma's lips, he's greedy for more.

Nicholas takes the flimsy excuse and runs. "We should practice more," he says. "To make it look natural. Believable."

Fuma smiles, already leaning back in. "Then, what are we waiting for?"

Nicholas hasn't talked to Fuma since they made out last time. Well, practiced making out, whatever that means.

The aftermath was somewhat uneventful.

By some miracle, Nicholas had eventually come to his senses and climbed off of Fuma's lap. He'd mumbled something about how it was good practice and that was the last thing that was said on the topic.

But just because they haven't talked about it doesn't mean Nicholas hasn't thought about it. In fact, it's basically all he's thought about since.

He doesnt know how hes going to survive a three hour car ride—and that's only if they don't hit any traffic—alone with him without letting his mind drift back to it.

Nicholas checks the time and realizes he doesn't have long before Fuma's scheduled to pick him up. The wedding venue is a little far, some small town along the coast in Chiba, and they need to check into the hotel and get ready after they arrive.

Fuma had offerred to drive them back no matter how late they got out, but Nicholas couldn't let him do that. He's already asked for too much from him, the least he can do is let Fuma actually enjoy the festivities. Most of his friends are also staying at the hotel, expecting to celebrate until late into the night, so it was really the only option that made sense.

Nicholas checks to make sure he has all his things one last time before waiting near the door. As if on cue, Fuma shows up exactly five minutes before the time they agreed upon.

"Hi, sorry, I'm a little early," he says apologetically when Nicholas opens the door.

Nicholas chuckles. "It's okay, I expected you to be."

Fuma flashes him a crooked grin. "Am I that obvious?"

"You're consistent."

"Not you, this time though. I see you woke up with no trouble for once."

"Hey! I'm not that bad," Nicholas argues. He regrets telling Fuma about that the one time he overslept through their brunch plans because it's become a source of endless teasing since. Then again, if they're dating, it'd be weird for Fuma not to know about his distaste for mornings.

"Sure," Fuma chuckles. "Did you sleep okay though?"

Nicholas sighs. Fuma has become incredibly good at reading him even through the whole charade. "No, not really. I've been antsy since three days ago."

Three was the magic number where Nicholas could no longer pretend the day wasn't approaching rapidly. There's a pit of dread that's been growing in his stomach ever since.

It'd be one thing if it were just about his past with Euijoo. Even if he's gotten over those feelings, their friendship hasn't been the same for a long time. He's terrified of somehow growing even further apart.

And then, there's Fuma.

The reason they've been spending so much time together and getting closer was because of this dumb favor Nicholas asked of him. Once it all ends, Nicholas isn't even sure Fuma will want anything to do with him anymore.

He'd like to think Fuma has come to think of him as a real friend, despite the reasons for most of their meetups being fake, but Fuma has proven himself to be a skilled actor. It could all be part of the act for him.

He's honestly not sure which thought scares him more, completely losing Euijoo or Fuma. Both are terrifying in their own right, but if both of them happen together? Nicholas doesn't know how he'd overcome that.

He thinks Fuma can sense his unease, but he doesn't comment. Instead, he silently reaches for Nicholas's bag. "Come on, we've got a long drive. Get some rest in the car."

Nicholas follows. He tries to take his bag back, but Fuma brushes him off easily and ushers him into the passenger seat.

"Sorry in advance if my driving is a little shaky," Fuma warns. "It's been a while."

"It's not like I have any right to judge when I never even learned to drive." There's never been any need to when he's always lived in big cities.

"Still, I sold my car when I moved up to Tokyo, so I don't get much practice."

"Wait, so this isn't—"

"It's a rental," Fuma finishes. "I just have to return it by tomorrow night, so there's no rush."

"You should've told me! I would've covered the cost. How much was it?"

"I'll tell you if you tell me how much the hotel was."

Nicholas pouts. "That's not fair."

Fuma has been almost obnoxiously gracious about this whole thing, staying true to his original word of not letting Nicholas treat him to anything worth more than a coffee. Booking the hotel without telling him was his one win.

"I think it's perfectly fair. Equivalent exchange."

"Did you just quote Fullmetal Alchemist at me? Nerd," Nicholas teases.

"And what does that make you for recognizing it immediately?"

"You're so unfair."

Fuma snorts. "You're just sulky when you don't get what you want."

"I'm not sulky."

"You are." Fuma steals a glance at him when they stop at a traffic light. "It's cute."

Nicholas tries his best to control his expression and will blame any hint of color on his face on the red traffic light above. Screw the laws of physics—it's clearly just the light reflecting.

He must be silent for a moment too long because Fuma laughs. "I win."

Nicholas just groans. It's too early in the morning for this, though his face burns as if it's under the mercy of the midday sun.

"Do you wanna sleep a bit more?" Fuma asks, noticing Nicholas trying to stifle a yawn.

"No, I'll be okay. I think I'll be groggy if I do fall asleep."

"Should we stop by a konbini? I know you don't like coffee, but we can get you something else. Did you eat breakfast?"

"Fuma-kun, I'm fine, really."

"That's a no, then."

Before Nicholas can protest, Fuma's pulling the car into the next konbini on their route and dragging him out of the car.

"We didn't have to stop just for me," Nicholas says, even if his stomach was threatening to growl. He hadn't had much of an appetite when he first woke up, but his hunger had started to grow after stepping into the car.

"Who said this was for you? I needed more coffee," Fuma says.

He's clearly lying, but Nicholas doesn't call him out on it this time. He's grateful for the way Fuma does things like this without making a big deal of it.

Fuma picks up a black coffee and a few bags of gummies for himself, a bit of a peculiar combination but it somehow suits him. Nicholas grabs himself an onigiri and a few other snacks for the road.

This time, Nicholas reaches the register first, blocking Fuma from the machine. He glares, daring Fuma to try and argue. "It's coffee. You said I can buy you coffee."

Fuma laughs, putting his hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay. Thank you, Nicholas."

Before long, they're back on the road. Fuma puts on a playlist so Nicholas just sits back and listens as he eats his breakfast.

"Nico, can you do me a favor?"

Nicholas looks over in surprise. "Yeah, of course."

"Do you think you could open the gummies for me?"

"Oh, uh, yeah." Nicholas fumbles with the bag for a second, struggling to tear open the plastic, much to his embarrassment. When he finally gets it open, he realizes it won't be enough to just hand Fuma the open bag when he doesn't have any free hands—Nicholas has no choice but to feed him.

At the very least, he's glad Fuma has to focus on the road because maybe it means he won't notice the blush on Nicholas's cheeks. He takes a small gummy between his fingers and brings it to Fuma's lips.

For the first time in his life, Nicholas hopes that the bag is filled mostly with air because he doesnt know how many more times he can do this without losing his mind.

Fuma's lips keep accidentally grazing his fingers more and more with each gummy he feeds him. If he didnt know any better, he might even think it was on purpose, like Fuma is actively trying to take a bite out of his fingers.

Suddenly, he thinks back to that day, when Fuma's lips were on his, the way he'd nibbled at Nicholas's bottom lip.

He shuns the memory as soon as it enters his brain. Especially now that he's in an enclosed space with Fuma, with absolutely no way to run and hide, the imagery is completely off limits.

"Ah, this is the last one," Nicholas says, bringing the candy to Fuma's mouth one final time. He hopes his sigh of relief isn't too noticable.

"Thank you, Nico."

Luckily, Fuma seems satisfied with the one bag and doesn't ask for more. If he had to go through that again, Nicholas's heart might explode before they even make it to the wedding.

Time passes quickly as they chat about nothing in particular, catching each other up on the mundane happenings of their weeks. Fuma starts telling stories of the interesting customers he's encountered, some of which Nicholas suspects aren't fully truthful, but he laughs along all the same.

But as the destination grows nearer, Nicholas's reactions become more muted. Clearly, his mind is elsewhere.

It doesn't go unnoticed by Fuma either. "How are you feeling?" he prompts gently.

The wording strikes him. "You're asking like it's my wedding day," Nicholas jokes, though his voice comes out a lot more nervous than he intended. It doesn't sound much like a joke anymore.

"Sorry, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," Fuma assures. "But I thought it might help to get your mind off things before we get there."

Nicholas sighs. Was it really that obvious?

Still, as much as he'd love to deny it, he knows Fuma is right. Bottling it up hasn't served him well.

"Look, it's… weird," Nicholas says. "I don't love him anymore, not like that anyway. And I'm happy for them both, I really, really am. But there's still this weird feeling that just won't go away and it's bothering me."

"Hmm. Is it a bad feeling?"

Nicholas stops to consider the question.

He cycles through negative emotions, trying to see if any of them match what he's feeling. Jealousy. Anger. Sadness. Regret.

None of them fit quite right.

"I don't think it's bad," Nicholas decides. "But it is.. heavy? I'm not sure how to explain it."

"That's okay too, you know? Not everything needs to be named. It's still just as real regardless."

"It just feels like it'd be easier if I could put a name to it though. It might feel less scary that way."

"Then, let's give it a name," Fuma says easily. Before Nicholas can ask what that means, Fuma continues, "How about Tanaka-san?"

It takes a second for the words to register. Then, Nicholas feels laughter bubble through him. It grows, overflowing from his lungs until he's keeled over and his cheekbones hurt from laughing too hard.

Fuma glances over at him with an amused smile. "Was it that funny?"

Nicholas hasn't caught his breath enough to answer, but he thinks the way he continues to wheeze for air should suffice as one anyway.

When he finally recovers from his laughing fit, he takes a deep breath. He feels much lighter than he did before. "Thank you, Fuma-kun. I do feel better."

"Then, I'm glad I could be of help. Great timing too, because we're almost there."

Fuma's focus goes back to the road as they turn off the highway and he actually has to pay attention to the street signs lest he miss a turn. Although Nicholas wouldn't mind if he did—he wouldn't say no to a few extra minutes of this.

But unfortunately, Fuma's good at following the map and before long, he's pulling into the hotel.

"Thanks again for driving, Fuma-kun. I'll go get us checked in," Nicholas says, hopping out of the car while Fuma finds a spot to park.

He heads over to the front desk in a hurry. They have plenty of time, but they still have to get ready and he's hoping to lie down for a bit to recharge before the night really gets started.

"Ah, you're here with the wedding, yes?" the receptionist asks when she pulls up the reservation.

Nicholas nods confirmation. "Yes, Byun Euijoo and Koga Yudai's wedding."

"Well, congratulations! It seems like Koga-san has upgraded your room to a suite."

"W-what? No, it's okay. The normal room will be fine," Nicholas says, shocked.

"Don't worry, the upgrade is already fully paid for. The couple insisted," she says.

Nicholas does his best to feign excitement. "T-thank you. I just wasn't expecting this at all."

The woman smiles brightly at him. "You have very generous friends."

"Yeah," Nicholas says. Perhaps too generous. He thanks her as she hands him the keys to their room and turns around to see Fuma walk into the lobby, perfectly timed.

"Wait, let me carry those," Nicholas says, noticing that Fuma has taken both of their bags from the car.

Fuma shakes his head. "I got it."

"No, you must be tired from the drive. Let me." When Fuma doesn't budge, Nicholas tries to compromise, "At least let me take my own."

But Fuma isn't convinced and easily fends off Nicholas's attempts to grab the bags out of his hand.

Nicholas rolls his eyes. "You're always so difficult."

"Sorry," Fuma says, smiling like he's not at all sorry.

The elevator arrives and both of them step inside. When the door closes and the two of them are alone, Nicholas remembers he still has to break the news to Fuma.

"There's, um, something I need to tell you about the room," Nicholas says, staring way too hard at the advertisement for the hotel breakfast on the elevator wall. It's hard to avoid eye contact with someone when you're alone in such a small space.

"Is something wrong?"

"No! Well, maybe it's not… ideal… but basically—so the situation is just that—" He should've thought about how to say this before.

"Hey, whatever it is, we'll figure it out, okay?" Fuma says. His voice is so gentle, like trying not to scare away a stray cat.

Nicholas takes a deep breath. "Right so, I did originally book us a room with two beds, but Yudai upgraded us—well not just us, probably everyone—to a suite. I'm not really sure what the bed situation will be, but I assume… well…" He gestures vaguely with his hands.

"Ah, it's fine," Fuma says. "If there's a couch or something, I can sleep there instead. It's not a big deal."

"What? No, if anyone's gonna take the couch it should be me. I'm the one who dragged us here. And you drove!"

Fuma sighs. "Let's just see the room first and then we can talk about it, yeah?"

"Fine." Nicholas doesn't think there's much to talk about because he will not, under any circumstances, let Fuma take the couch, but he agrees for now.

The room, at first glance, is gorgeous. It's definitely way more than Nicholas has ever been willing to splurge on for a hotel.

He'll fall asleep almost anywhere if he's tired enough and he's always been the type on vacations to want to see as much as he can to make the most of his time—which generally meant that hotel expenses were a lower priority on his budget.

But as he walks into the room—full floor to ceiling windows facing the ocean, the sunlight shining through making everything in the room look like it's sparkling—he starts to think that maybe he should reconsider that in the future.

"This is… nice," Fuma says, eyes wide as he glances around the room. As he steps further in, his gaze settles on the couch.

It's one of those decorative couches, the type that looks stunning in pictures, but is definitely not comfortable to actually lie down on.

"Absolutely not," Nicholas says. "Move away from the couch."

Fuma laughs, raising his hands in mock surrender. "I was just looking."

"No, you were thinking it." Nicholas jabs an accusatory finger at Fuma's chest. "I know you were thinking it."

"Okay, fine." Fuma reaches out a hand towards the couch and pokes it, testing the fabric and then frowning in disapproval. "Then, let's agree neither of us are sleeping on this thing."

"But—"

"Deal?" Fuma interupts.

Nicholas takes another look at the decorative showpiece masquerading as a couch and sighs. "Deal," he begrdugingly agrees.

But if neither of them are sleeping on the couch, that means both of them have to share the bed.

Nicholas gulps at the thought.

He turns around to actually inspect the bed for the first time.

It's huge—and also currently littered with flower petals. If someone had told him this was actually the newlywed suite, he would fully believe it. But there's no way the hotel staff could make that big of a mistake. Right?

"Are you sure this is okay, though?" Nicholas asks, gesturing to the bed while doing everything in his power to avoid Fuma's eyes.

"I'm fine. But I don't want to make you uncomfortable, so I really am okay with sleeping on the couch if you feel weird about sharing a bed."

"I'm not uncomfortable!" Nicholas says, sounding very stiff and uncomfortable. "I'm just—worried that I'll make you feel uncomfortable."

Maybe it's silly that he's getting so worked up over sharing a bed that could probably fit at least four grown adults when he and Fuma have already done more than that physically. But that's also precisely why Nicholas is getting worked up.

It's specifically because of the fact that he has the memory of how Fuma's lips taste, how solid his chest feels under Nicholas's touch, that he doesn't know how he's going to fall asleep next to him without letting his imagination run wild.

And if he makes a mistake—if he lets the extent of his desire seep through—then that's what really might make Fuma uncomfortable.

Because at the end of the day, all they're doing here is playing pretend. Even if Fuma is a good sport about it—unbelievably so, sometimes—Nicholas has to remind himself that it all comes to an end after tonight.

"Nico," Fuma calls gently. "Whatever it is you're spiraling about in your head, don't worry about me. If I wasn't okay with any of this, I would've said so." He waits until Nicholas raises his head to finally meet his eyes to continue. "Can I ask you to do the same?"

"What?"

"You have to tell me if something is too much for you, okay?"

"I'm the one who's asking you to do all these crazy things. Why would it be too much for me?"

"Nicholas, I'm serious," Fuma says.

There's a firmness in his voice that Nicholas should not find as attractive as he does. If even this is too much for Nicholas to act normal, he doesn't know how he's going to make it through the night.

But Fuma's still watching him expectantly, so Nicholas lies through his teeth. "Okay, yeah. Promise."

Fuma smiles. "Great. So should we start getting ready?"

"Y-yeah, I think we have at least another hour or so before we need to start heading down."

They'd agreed that it was probably a better idea to try and get to the hotel earlier and get ready here than wake up extra early just for their clothes to wrinkle and hairspray to succumb to gravity throughout the long car ride.

But the remaining hour passes unfairly fast as Nicholas tries to get his hair to cooperate. One specific strand of baby hair simply refuses to stay put.

By the time he's finished, he feels like he's about to go insane, but with one last check in the mirror, he deems himself acceptable.

"I'm good to go now," he announces to Fuma.

Nicholas had been so focused that he hadn't paid much attention to Fuma. He's just scrolling on his phone—probably bored out of his mind waiting ages for Nicholas to be done—but looks up at the sound of his voice.

Fuma stands to meet him halfway, giving Nicholas his first full glimpse of his look for the day.

Obviously, Nicholas has seen the suit before having helped choose it and done a few alterations on it since then, but it feels different now. Fuma's chosen to style his hair up, his forehead that's usually hidden behind his bangs peeking through for once.

To put it simply—because Nicholas's brain is currently malfunctioning and can't handle big words—he's really hot.

"S-sorry I took so long," Nicholas says, trying very hard to be normal about how insanely attractive Fuma looks. "You look—good."

"Well, you're basically the one who dressed me, so I have you to thank for that," Fuma laughs. "You look great too. In fact, you look stunning enough that you might be able to steal Euijoo-san back. You might even tempt Yudai-san. Now, that would make for a fun story."

Nicholas splutters. "That's not what I'm trying to do! We're not here to crash the wedding, we're here because—"

Wait. Why are they here again? Because Yuma assumed and Nicholas was too much of a coward to correct him? Because he didn't want to admit to his friends that he was heartbroken instead of happy for Euijoo? Because he didn't want them to see how pathetic he really is?

"I'm kidding," Fuma says, gentle, like he knows Nicholas is spiraling again. "Sorry, that joke was in poor taste."

"No, no, it's fine. I'm just, nervous," Nicholas sighs. "I mean, today's obviously not even about me, so I don't know why that is, but—"

"Hey, we talked about this," Fuma reminds. "It's okay to feel."

"Right." Nicholas takes a deep breath.

Playfully, Fuma adds, "Don't be rude to Tanaka-san."

Right. The name Fuma gave his weird Euijoo-based feelings.

Instantly, Nicholas finds himself smiling, the butterflies settling down in his stomach. "You're ridiculous."

Fuma shoots him a toothy grin, exaggerated and silly. He's beautiful. "Thank you, I try."

"Well, as much as I enjoy it, please don't bring up Tanaka-san once we're down there. I'd rather not interrupt the wedding by dying in a fit of laughter."

"That would put a damper on things. The wedding flowers would have to be repurposed as funeral flowers."

"Come on, let's go before we're late," Nicholas laughs. Luckily, the ceremony is happening just behind the hotel so it'll be quick to get to.

Fuma holds out his hand and Nicholas eagerly takes it. Despite the strangenes of the situation and the fact that the charade ends tomorrow, more than anything else, Nicholas is just glad he doesn't have to face today alone.

Since getting ready took longer than Nicholas thought, they make it to the ceremony just in time and scramble to find seats.

Luckily, it means there's not much time to mingle, so Nicholas can hide from his friends' enslaught of questions for at least a little bit longer, even if he can't fully hide from their gazes. He knows they've been glancing over, but he does his best to avoid eye contact with them by talking to Fuma instead.

He does feel a little bad for ignoring them, but there will be time for all of that later—for now, he's focused on just getting through this ceremony.

If he's being honest, the whole thing passes in somewhat of a blur. He claps and cheers at the right times, but he's just following the cues of the people around him while his brain lags a little behind.

As Euijoo makes his way down the aisle, Yudai's face lights up instantly. It's the same expression he makes every time Euijoo walks into a room.

But when Euijoo reaches the alter and Yudai takes his hand, Nicholas sees Euijoo brighten in a way he never has before.

It's a bittersweet feeling, knowing that he never could've made Euijoo smile quite like that.

Still, it's strange. There's a comfort in being able to see with his own eyes that this, truly, was the only way things could have ended up—that this is right, that Euijoo was always meant for Yudai.

But it does make Nicholas wonder, if that means he was wrong for loving Euijoo for so long.

He tries to listen to the vows, but the words don't quite register in his head. Instead, he reads them from their faces, through the smiles and tears.

Euijoo cries, his round eyes wet with tears.

Nicholas already knows he'll complain about how it shows up in the pictures, in which case Nicholas will hopefully be there to roll his eyes at him and tell him to shut up because Euijoo's always been an unfairly pretty crier.

Yudai cries a little less gracefully, but Taki comes to the rescue, running over with a handkerchief. He nearly trips in the process and that too is far from graceful, but it's sweet nonetheless.

Nicholas doesn't even notice that he's crying himself. That is, until he feels Fuma gently wipe a tear from the corner of his eye.

When he turns his head in surprise, Fuma just smiles at him. Fuma's other hand, still intertwined with his own, gives him a tight squeeze, reassuring.

Then, finally, when Euijoo and Yudai's tears are finally dry enough, for now at least, the ceremony continues.

When they kiss, even from afar, Nicholas can see that Yudai cups Euijoo's cheek like he's holding the most precious thing in the world.

Euijoo smiles into the kiss like he simply can't contain his happiness any longer, it spills out of his expression, in the way his fingers tremble with excitement.

They're in love, plain for anyone with eyes to see. And Nicholas couldn't be happier for them.

He only wishes he had been looking sooner.

Euijoo was his best friend, someone he was inseparable from for years. He regrets missing out on such an important part of his life, on this happiness of his.

Nicholas had never meant to distance himself quite that much. At first, he just wanted a little space so he could heal. He'd tried for a while, especially for birthdays and group hangouts, to try and act normal, but it was exhausting to pretend to be okay and frustrating because he knew he wasn't even fooling anyone.

Staying away wasn't easy, but it was easier.

But one month became two and a few months became a year and suddenly he was hearing about Euijoo's perfect new relationship and he didn't know if there was any room for him left to go back.

He remembers meeting Yudai for the first time, how Euijoo had nervously called Nicholas, telling him there was someone he wanted him to meet. But even then, throughout that whole dinner, Nicholas hadn't really been looking at them—had been afraid to. It felt like he was intruding on something that wasn't his to witness.

But he's glad Euijoo invited him again anyway. He's glad he wasn't too much of a coward to show up today, even if he had to drag Fuma to hold his hand through it. He's glad that he finally got to see what Euijoo looks like when he gives into love.

And finally, Nicholas smiles. The weird feeling in his stomach doesn't just settle, it dissipates completely.

As Euijoo and Yudai make their exit, Euijoo's eyes find his as he scans the crowd. Nicholas beams at him and Euijoo's eyes widen slightly in surprise and then further in delight.

"You okay?" Fuma asks, gently wiping Nicholas's cheek for any remnants of tears.

Nicholas nods. "Never better."

This time, he genuinely means it.

Dinner is a bit of a blur.

Most of the wedding receptions Nicholas has gone to since moving to Japan, mainly just coworkers or acquaintances, have been stuffy with rigid schedules. Luckily, this one doesn't seem to be the same case.

They've opted for a buffet style rather than a course meal and the whole affair is much more casual than Nicholas has become used to seeing here. He's glad for it because Euijoo would probably combust if it was scheduled down to the minute like it normally is—probably why Yudai wouldn't have let that happen.

It feels like they've gone straight into the nijikai, which Nicholas isn't complaining about.

Nicholas and Fuma don't even have time to look for their seats before they're ambushed.

"Fuma-san, it's nice to see you again!" Maki waves at them excitedly from across the room.

"You're at our table," Harua adds. For some reason, Nicholas feels slightly threatened by the seemingly innocent smile on his face.

Before Nicholas can say anything to that, Yuma comes out of nowhere to practically tackle him.

"I'm mad at you," he says, jabbing a finger at his chest.

"What did I do?"

"How could you introduce your new boyfriend to Harua and Maki before me? You wouldn't even have admitted he existed without me. I'm basically the reason he's here!"

Somehow Nicholas almost forgot that that's true. Yuma is the sole reason he's in this mess in the first place.

"It was a coincidence! They just happened to run into us!" he argues, trying to defend himself against Yuma's mini punches.

"Yeah, we caught them on a date," Maki says. Then, dramatically he adds, "They were holding hands."

Nicholas laughs and rolls his eyes. "We're not five years old."

Through it all, Fuma just watches from a step behind. When Nicholas turns back to look at him, his eyes crinkle in a warm smile.

"Your friends are fun."

"Just wait until they start drinking."

Fuma laughs. "And what about you? Are you planning on drinking today?"

Nicholas pouts, not liking what he's implying. "Why? Because you think I can't handle it?"

"I'm just trying to assess whether or not I'll end up having to carry you back up to our room."

"That will not be necessary," Nicholas huffs. He'll have a glass of celebratory champagne—it's a wedding, after all—but he's not trying to get wasted at Euijoo's wedding. He'd never live it down.

Soon after, Jo and Taki find them too and with everyone assembled, Nicholas finally goes through the formal introductions with Fuma.

He lets Fuma recite the story he'd made up for Harua and Maki last time, chiming in at the appropriate times to give his side.

Somehow, their friends seem to be believing it. It's going better than he expected.

It helps that Fuma's a really good actor. He'd gotten a sneak peek of it that day, but now that it's really showtime, he's making sure it's his best performance.

He's being extra attentive to Nicholas, slipping food onto his plate when it's starting to look empty. When Nicholas turns to reach for a napkin, Fuma already has one in hand, like he's been watching all along and knew he would ask.

"You two are so sweet," Harua coos. "You better treat our Nico-chan well, Fuma-san."

Fuma chuckles. "Don't worry, I will."

"Are you sure you can handle him though?" Yuma chimes in. "He can be a handful."

"Oh, believe me, I know," Fuma says, glancing over at Nicholas.

Nicholas turns to him, affronted. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Do you really wanna play this game?" he taunts.

And Nicholas stupidly takes the bait. "You're on."

"Remember the time you got drunk at the konbini? Off of one Horoyoi?"

"I was tipsy at best! And I was completely fine afterwards."

Yuma laughs. "Yeah, right. I bet Fuma-san had to carry you home. Your tolerance sucks."

"Hey!"

"Was something wrong though?" Taki asks, suddenly concerned. "Nico rarely drinks unless he's really down or something big happens."

Nicholas didn't expect Taki to hone in on such a small detail. He scrambles to think of something to say, but he's still getting over the shock of just how easily he was seen through.

In the end, he doesn't have to because Fuma's faster. "Sorry, I'm the one to blame for that. He was helping me celebrate when I first got offered my new job," he says. Then, with a chuckle that sounds far too fond, "I should've known better when he told me he wasn't much of a drinker, but I didn't realize he was quite that bad."

This seems to appease Taki, the worry melting away as quickly as it had come. "If it's the Nico I know, he probably insisted he could handle it anyway."

"I feel like I'm being ganged up on here," Nicholas whines.

"Well, maybe you should've brought Fuma-san around earlier," Harua says. "You hid him for so long that we have no choice but to do this all at once now."

"I'm curious, Fuma-san, does he also try to bite your head off if you wake him up in the morning?" Maki asks.

"Yah!" Nicholas protests.

Fuma just laughs. "Definitely. Learned that the hard way when I almost lost a finger the first time I tried."

Nicholas punches his arm. "That did not happen."

"I believe it," Yuma snorts.

Nicholas should probably be happy that Yuma is so clearly buying into their act, but that doesn't mean he'll put up with this teasing either, so he sticks his tongue out at him in retaliation.

Nicholas crosses his arms and turns away from Fuma. "If I'm so difficult, then why are you even dating me?"

He's being childish, he knows. Considering Fuma is only going along with all of this as a favor to him, he shouldn't put him in a weird position by asking him that.

It should be a good thing that Fuma is getting along with his friends so well, but Nicholas can't help but be annoyed that he was so quick to join forces with them to work against him.

"Come on, baby, don't be like that," Fuma says. Nicholas tries not to flinch at the use of the pet name, but he knows his ears are getting redder by the second.

Suddenly, strong arms wrap around his shoulders to pull him back closer and Fuma leans in to place a kiss on his cheek. The skin where his lips touch erupts with warmth.

"So maybe you can't hold your alcohol well and maybe you're not a morning person," Fuma says—a horrible start, Nicholas thinks. But then, Fuma takes hold of his hand and squeezes, not letting go even as he continues. "But it doesnt matter because you're so pretty even with your worst bedhead."

"That's it? You like me for my looks?" Nicholas scoffs, desperately trying to hide just how much he likes hearing Fuma call him pretty.

"I have to admit that's what I noticed first when you walked into the konbini, stomping down the aisles in your platform boots. But that was before I got to talk to you, before I learned how blinding your smile is, and how you're the type of person who buys premium cat treats for the strays that you sometimes happen across even though you're allergic."

Nicholas, who was pettily facing away, finally turns to meet Fuma's eyes. They hold far too much sincerity for the words of make-believe that spew from his lips.

"You give your all to everything you do and you worry that sometimes it's too much for others, but it's not. Not to me."

"F-Fuma-kun…"

It sounds so much like a confession, not just the words themselves, but the adoration in Fuma's voice.

If Nicholas didn't know any better, he might be tricked into thinking it's real. He almost lets himself be fooled anyway if the way his heart beats wildly is any indication.

"Kiss, kiss, kiss," Yuma chants, suddenly breaking Nicholas out of his daze and reminding him that they have an audience—of course, because why else would Fuma put on a performance like that if not to show them.

Nicholas groans, glaring at each of his friends one by one. Except Jo who's been quietly observing the whole time, though Nicholas did still catch him chuckling at his expense, so he's on thin ice too.

Luckily, after that his friends decide to lay off for a bit, so they can all actually eat their dinner.

It's not until everyone else is on their second round of drinks that Nicholas finally sees Euijoo and Yudai reemerge from whatever photos and other wedding day obligations held them up.

When the newlywed couple finally make it over to their table after greeting all the family, the rest of his friends swarm them first. Nicholas stays a few steps behind, waiting.

Then, finally, Euijoo hesitantly takes a step towards him, Yudai right behind him.

Nicholas smiles at them. "Congratulations, Juju. Both of you."

"Thanks, Nichol. I'm really glad you could make it." There's a slight hesitance, a pause where the unspoken awkwardness remains.

"Of course. Juju, you know there's no universe where I wouldn't be at your wedding."

In the past, Nicholas might've wondered about the other universes. He has no doubt that in all of them, he would be at this wedding, but would there be any where he's the one up at the alter instead of just a guest?

But now, it's clear as day that this universe has turned out exactly the way it's meant to be. Just a quick glance at the beaming smiles on both Euijoo and Yudai's faces during the ceremony was more than enough to tell him that.

Euijoo smiles softly, a little sadly. With how distant Nicholas has been, he probably did consider the possibility that Nicholas might not come.

The thought makes Nicholas's heart squeeze painfully. He can't believe he let his best friend think that, that he missed out on so much of this.

He promises himself that after all of this is over, he'll talk to him. He'll put in the time to fix what he broke by neglecting it for too long.

Nicholas pulls Euijoo into a tight hug. It's not the right time to tackle all of that quite yet, but he hopes his feelings are conveyed nonetheless. He and Euijoo used to be able to communicate with just a look—if any of that remains in tact, Euijoo will know what he means.

When they let go, the smile Euijoo offers him makes Nicholas think that he understands. Then, slowly his gaze drifts beside Nicholas, to Fuma.

"Ah, right. This is Fuma-kun, my b-boyfriend." He hopes his stutter doesn't give him away. Nicholas can't help but be a little nervous when he knows Euijoo will be the hardest one to fool—he's always seen through Nicholas a little too easily.

Fuma steps forward, bowing his head. "It's a pleasure to meet both of you. Congratulations and thank you for having me today. The ceremony was beautiful."

The couple thanks him, but there's not much time for small talk. They have plenty of other people to greet, so they take their leave with a promise to talk more later.

Nicholas can't help but breathe out a sigh of relief.

"Everything okay?" Fuma asks.

Nicholas nods. "I think I can finally relax now."

And so when his friends order their third round of drinks, Nicholas decides, in the spirit of celebration, that he can have a little too. He orders something light, an ume soda, just to soothe his remaining nerves.

It's nice catching up with all his friends. He'd felt it a little when Yuma reached out and then again when they'd run into Harua and Maki, but he really has missed them.

Sometimes Fuma sits back and just listens, quietly watching Nicholas ramble on with the rest of them. Sometimes he chimes in with stories of his own, some about Nicholas, some true and some entirely made up.

He blends fact with fiction so easily that it's starting to confuse even Nicholas, especially as his cheeks become tinted with the warmth from the alcohol.

Fuma describes a fantasy, a love that blossoms between the two of them, of such a beautiful scene that Nicholas almost wishes he could leave reality to jump straight into it.

He's barely halfway finished with his drink when the others are somehow already on round four, maybe even five. He's starting to lose count.

While the others are distracted with something else, Fuma leans in close, whispering into his ear. "How are you feeling?"

"Good," Nicholas mumbles. Everything feels a little slowed from the alcohol, but in a way that's nice and comforting. "Feel good. Happy."

Fuma smiles, squeezing his hand gently in answer.

The rest of the night passes in a blur of smiles and laughter. By the end, his friends are bouncing off the walls, while he's leaning further and further into Fuma, growing too tired to hold himself up.

"Hey," Fuma nudges him gently. "Wanna go up to the room?"

Nicholas ponders the question for a second. He looks around at his friends who still have way too much energy and then back at Fuma's gentle, concerned smile. He nods.

It's the only cue Fuma needs to somehow pull Nicholas up to his feet, strong arms supporting his weight.

He bids goodbye to the rest of them and vaguely registers some threats that he better show up to the next hang out. He sends a thumbs up in response. (Or at least, he tries too—it might be more of a hand wave.)

Right as they're on their way out, someone stops them, gently tapping on his shoulder.

"Hey, are you heading out?" Euijoo asks, eyes darting between Nicholas and Fuma.

"Juju!" Nicholas hasn't seen him all night since earlier. The excitement cuts through his tiredness just for a moment and he jumps forward to hug him, arms wrapping tightly around his neck.

"Woah there," Euijoo laughs, but his hands loop around Nicholas's back to stabilize him.

"I missed you, Juju."

"I missed you too, Nichol."

There's a moment, an understanding that flows through the silence. He doesn't know when they'll talk about it yet, but he knows they will.

Then, right when Nicholas's knees feel like they might buckle, he feels Fuma's arms wrap around him once more, pulling Nicholas back to his side.

He probably shouldn't enjoy being manhandled quite as much as he does, but his brain dwells for a second too long on the strong grip of Fuma's hands as he pried him off of Euijoo.

"Sorry about that," Fuma apologizes on his behalf.

Euijoo just laughs. "How much has he had?"

"Hmm, maybe like five or six?"

Euijoo's eyes widen comically large. Nicholas would tease him for it if he had the strength. "Five glasses? Of what?"

"Five sips. Of ume soda."

"Yeah, that sounds more like it."

Nicholas thinks he hears Euijoo say something else, but as his body grows more and more tired, he melts further into Fuma with his ear squished against his shoulder and the sounds become muffled. He can't quite make out the rest of the conversation.

At some point, he thinks Fuma's grip on him tightens. Is he losing that much balance that Fuma needs more strength to keep him upright?

Eventually, he thinks he hears what sounds like a goodbye and then they're on the move again.

Getting up to their room is more of an ordeal than it should be since Nicholas slumps against the elevator wall and accidentally hits the buttons for the three floors below them.

But Fuma, instead of getting annoyed, just gently loops Nicholas's arm around his neck and shifts his body weight to lean into him even more.

"We're almost there, okay?" he whispers into Nicholas's ear.

Nicholas isn't necessarily trying to be difficult, but the alcohol is definitely making him a little slow. His legs aren't moving the way he's telling them to. He takes a step and somehow loses balances, nearly slipping out of Fuma's grasp entirely.

Still, Fuma apparently has fast reflexes and pulls him back up before he can fall. He sighs, though Nicholas thinks and hopes it sounds more fond than it does frustrated, and lifts Nicholas bridal style into his arms.

The movement shakes Nicholas a bit more awake. "F-Fuma-kun?"

"It's easier this way," Fuma offers as an explanation.

And sure, Nicholas's legs are proving to be a little useless right now, but he's still a solid 179 cm tall adult man—picking him up shouldn't be easy.

Luckily, they make it to their room soon after and Fuma sets Nicholas back on the ground before he spontaneously combusts in Fuma's arms.

"T-thank you."

"It was nothing."

But it really wasn't. It's far from nothing. Fuma has been going above and beyond for every part of his stupid request, now even going as far as carrying him just because he lost his balance a few times.

"No, seriously," Nicholas says, "Not just helping me get upstairs, I mean thank you for all of it. I owe you, a lot."

"You don't owe me anything, Nicholas," Fuma says. "And you shouldn't be so quick to thank me. I had my own selfish reasons too."

"Selfish? That doesn't even make sense, you're not getting anything out of this."

Fuma chuckles. There's something hidden behind his eyes, locked behind his cryptic smile.

Nicholas doesn't know what it is, but for some reason it makes his cheeks feel warm.

Or maybe that's still the alcohol.

"Don't worry your pretty little head about it," Fuma says.

It's not the point Nicholas should be focusing on, but all he can think is, "You think my head is pretty?"

"I think all of you is pretty," Fuma answers. Then, muttered to himself, "God, maybe I'm drunk too."

Nicholas's brain is too fuzzy to process that. The room has started to sway again too.

"It's not the room, it's you," Fuma says gently.

Did he say that out loud?

Regardless, Fuma steadies him again and guides him to sit down on the edge of the bed before walking away.

Nicholas only closes his eyes for a moment, but he yelps and jumps back up when something cold is suddenly pressed against his forehead.

When he looks up, he sees Fuma standing in front of him, a water bottle from the fridge held out in front of him.

"Drink," he orders "At least half, but ideally the whole thing."

Part of Nicholas wants to argue, but he's too tired. He relaxes back into the bed and slowly sips until he's almost done with the bottle. Each gulp feels like it's restores him bit by bit.

By the time he's finished it, he almost feels like a real person again. At the very least, his head is a little clearer and he thinks he can stand up without falling over immediately.

Fuma who had gone to get changed in the meantime comes back in his Eevee pajamas to see Nicholas with the empty bottle clasped in his hands and smiles. He takes the bottle in exchange for a pat on the head. "Good boy."

Nicholas hopes he's drunk enough to forget that tomorrow because he doesn't think he can survive having that soundbite stored in his brain.

Fuma nods to the bathroom. "Now, go get ready for bed. I'll be waiting."

Fuck. He's so hot Nicholas is going to die.

Suddenly, Fuma's ears turn pink, his eyes wide.

Nicholas really needs to stop saying things out loud. He scurries into the bathroom before the embarrassment eats him alive.

He splashes his face with cold water, hoping it'll sober him up enough to at least stop voicing all of his inner thoughts. Or at least all of his Fuma-based inner thoughts. (Not that the distinction is all that useful when Fuma occupies a good majority of those thoughts either way.)

By the time he's brushed his teeth and changed, Fuma is already under the covers, playing some game on his phone.

Nicholas approaches, but hesitates by the edge of the bed.

"Sorry, I didn't know what side of the bed you wanted. Do you wanna switch?" Fuma asks when he notices.

"No, no, I don't care about stuff like that." Quickly, he scrambles to get on the bed, praying the blush on his face isn't too obvious.

He still can't believe they have to share a bed. Suddenly, he resents Yudai, not for anything to do with Euijoo, but for putting him in this situation.

And it's not that Nicholas doesn't want to share a bed with Fuma, who is very attractive and whom Nicholas has started to develop real feelings for somehow over the course of this whole charade, but he doesn't think it's right to do it when Fuma doesn't actually reciprocate those feelings. He can't help but think he's taking advantage of the situation too much, taking advantage of Fuma.

"Hey," Fuma says, turning his body to face Nicholas. "If you feel weird about this, I'll move to the couch."

"No!" Nicholas says. Before he can think better of it, he grabs Fuma's arm and tugs it closer. "S-stay. Please."

"Okay."

Nicholas looks up at the ceiling because he can't look at Fuma right now. If he turns his head, they'll be face to face.

And if they're face to face, Nicholas doesn't know if he'll be able to resist leaning in for a kiss.

Which he wants to do so badly…

But he can't! Because he's not actually dating Fuma and their whole reason for pretending ended about an hour ago.

He just hopes his body has mercy on him and lets him fall asleep quickly today despite how fast his heart is beating. The sooner he's unconsious, the sooner he can stop thinking about Fuma and how unfairly attractive he is and the fact that he's so close that Nicholas could just reach out and touch and—

No.

Sleep.

Nicholas needs to sleep.

"I'm turning off the light," he announces.

Vaguely he hears Fuma hum in agreement and then feels a shift in the bed as he adjusts his position to get comfortable. "Good night, Nico."

"G-good night."

Nicholas squeezes his eyes shut and prays for sleep to put him out of his misery.

When Nicholas wakes up, it's warm and cozy and he never wants to move from this spot.

Before he opens his eyes, he almost forgets where he is. The bed is soft, softer than usual even, and his arms are wrapped around his favorite cat plushie, except the plushie is significantly firmer than usual.

Wait.

Something's not right.

The first thing he sees is Fuma. In fact, he doesn't see anything but Fuma, because he's currently snuggled into his side, clinging onto his arm to hold him close.

As soon as he realizes, he lets go, quickly sitting up on the bed.

Fuma looks up, surprised. "Oh, you're awake. Good morning."

"I'm sorry about that," Nicholas says, looking away. He's too embarrassed to meet his eyes.

"Don't worry about it."

"Did I, um, do that all night?"

Fuma chuckles. "Yeah, you shifted around a bit before you fell asleep, like you couldn't get comfortable, until you, uh, grabbed onto me. It was fine though, really. I didn't mind."

"No, I'm really sorry. I should've warned you, I—I usually sleep hugging a stuffed animal but I forgot to pack one. I guess I just did it out of habit."

The truth is he'd spent a good ten minutes debating if he should pack it, but had decided not to. He didn't want Fuma to think he was weird for being a grown man who still liked to sleep with a stuffed animal. But maybe he should've because this is even more mortifying.

"It's really okay, Nico. And I get it, here I was wondering if my Pokemon plushies were okay at home without me." His teasing grin widens as he looks at Nicholas. "We're such bad parents, leaving our children at home all alone."

Nicholas smiles. He's not sure if Fuma is just saying it to make him feel less embarrassed, but he appreciates it nonetheless.

"I guess we should hurry up and get back to them then," Nicholas says. It feels like the logical progression of the joke, but he regrets the words as soon as he says them.

He doesn't want to go home. He doesn't want this fantasy to end.

They might run into someone in the lobby on their way out and Fuma might put an arm around his shoulder again, but once they're out the door, everything will be over.

Nicholas will have no excuse to call Fuma to get dinner or to text him about some mundane thing that his coworker said because there's no longer anyone to pretend for.

There will be no more reason for Nicholas to see him except for the one real reason that he wants to.

But he doesn't know if he's willing to admit that because there's also the very real possibility that Fuma doesn't.

And Nicholas can't trust himself to pretend to be okay if that's the case.

Still, he might as well make the most of the little time they have left of this arrangement.

They have to check out soon, so Nicholas rushes to get ready alongside Fuma. Apparently, in his sleep, he'd clung onto the older's arm so hard that he couldn't pull away. If not for that, Fuma probably would've been ready ages ago.

Nicholas doesn't know if he should thank or curse his unconscious self for that now that he's stuck brushing his teeth next to Fuma, side by side. The scene feels awfully domestic in a way that makes Nicholas wish this was his morning routine every day.

He doesn't know if it's his mind playing tricks on him, but he thinks Fuma keeps stealing glances at him through the mirror. It's hard to tell when Nicholas is busy avoiding his eyes.

Nicholas does, unfortunately, remember most of what happened last night, including all the embarrassing admissions he'd apparently said aloud. While Nicholas is pretty sure Fuma won't bring them up, knowing that he heard them at all is enough to make Nicholas shy away, feeling completely bare under Fuma's gaze now that his inner thoughts have been revealed.

Then, after packing away his pajamas and glancing around the room to make sure he didn't miss anything else, they're basically set to go, though Nicholas still feels reluctant to.

"Ready?" Fuma asks after finishing his last check of the room too.

Nicholas forces his best smile. He doesn't know if he ever will be, so he supposes this is as close as he'll get. "Let's go."

They don't end up running into any of Nicholas's friends in the lobby and the checkout takes about ten seconds total. He tries not to feel too disappointed about it.

Still, Fuma takes the bag from Nicholas's hand and their fingers graze each other in the process. He walks right next to Nicholas, so close that their shoulders brush together.

Once their bags are in the car, they set off, but not before Fuma adds the closest Family Mart as a stop.

"Do you feel a sense of loyalty now?" Nicholas teases.

"I wouldn't go that far," Fuma laughs. "But it's convenient, to know what's popular and what to choose."

"It's my favorite. Back in Taiwan too, it was the one closest to my house growing up."

"Do the stores there look the same?"

"Kind of?" Nicholas thinks back to the last time he visited home. "On the outside, they look almost identical. Sometimes when I feel homesick, I imagine they're the same, but the illusion breaks if I look too closely at the shelves."

"What do you miss the most?"

"The tea eggs, no question."

"I'm curious. I'd love to try them."

Nicholas nods enthusiastically. "You should! The ham and cheese scallion pancakes aren't bad either. But actually, if you really do go to Taiwan, you should eat the real thing and not just the FamiMa version."

Fuma chuckles, glancing over at Nicholas as he pulls into the convenience store parking lot. His gaze lingers for a moment too long and Nicholas feels his cheeks warm. "I-is there something on my face?"

"No, sorry. You just got really excited talking about home. It was cute." He shuts off the engine and begins to gather his things, casually, like he didn't just call Nicholas cute even though the pretense for doing so should've ended by now. "Taiwan sounds lovely though."

"O-oh, yeah, it is," Nicholas says. He's too busy freaking out over the fact that Fuma called him cute to properly advertise his home country the way it deserves.

He should hate being called "cute." He always has. And yet, when the word falls from Fuma's lips, for some reason, Nicholas can't say that he dislikes it.

Luckily, he's distracted enough by trying to choose what to get for breakfast that he can't dwell on it too much more.

They're in and out of the store quickly, Fuma just grabbing coffee and an onigiri while Nicholas opts for a tamago sando this time.

"Do you miss it?" Fuma asks, continuing their conversation from before as they start the drive back.

"Sometimes. I mostly miss my family, but I try to visit for holidays. They've come here a few times too," he explains. "But I like it here too. I have good friends."

"They seemed very nice. Fun."

"You can just say they're loud. I won't get offended."

Fuma laughs. "Well, maybe a little. But still, I liked them."

"I think they liked you too," Nicholas says. By the end of the night, they had really seemed to take a liking to him. "They'll probably be disappointed when you're not around anymore."

At this Fuma pauses. "Where am I going?"

Nicholas blinks. "I mean, I just thought—I figured you'd want to stop pretending. Now that the wedding's over."

A coldness enters Fuma's voice. "Were you planning on being strangers after this?"

The change in tone is subtle but it sends shivers down Nicholas's spine all the same. "No! I just, it might be weird continuing to lie to them. I'm not sure how to get around that part."

"I'm sure we can figure something out," Fuma says. "I'm pretty decent at improvising."

"I noticed." It's also a severe understatement considering some of those improvisations had Nicholas's heart beating faster than ever before.

The rest of the drive feels normal, Fuma's strange coldness from before dissipating just as quickly as it had appeared.

Nicholas tries not to think too hard about what comes after this.

But for some reason the drive back feels far shorter than the drive there. It's over far too soon and Nicholas wonders if he should've thought more about how to make the moment last longer.

He doesn't know how things will change from here.

When Fuma drops him off at his apartment, it's with a soft smile. "Don't be a stranger, okay?"

Nicholas doesn't want to be strangers, far from it. But he doesn't know if he can have what he truly wants.

Regardless, he nods. "Of course. I'll see you soon, Fuma-kun."

"See you soon, Nico."

It's been a little over a week since the wedding.

Which also means it's been a week since Nicholas has seen Fuma. He hasn't even texted him.

He knows he should. He must look like an asshole in Fuma's eyes right now, using him for his own personal gain and then never contacting him again.

But that was never Nicholas's intention.

The amount of times he's opened his Line app and clicked on Fuma's chat today alone is probably in the hundreds. It's just that every time he starts typing, he deletes it, not knowing what exactly he should say.

It was easier before, when he had an excuse. Even when he was just sending him mundane updates, he could say it was to build up a chat log in case any of his friends happened to glance at his phone.

Even then, it was a silly excuse but a silly excuse was still better than no excuse at all.

Now, if he wants to see Fuma, he can't pretend it's to prepare for the wedding.

Now, if he wants to see Fuma, he has to reveal that it's because he misses him, he genuinely just wants to spend time with him.

He'd listen to Fuma talk about Pokemon for hours, just so he can see the giddy smile on his face as he does. He'd gladly make a fool out of himself again, just to hear Fuma's incredulous laugh. Nicholas would do anything to see Fuma again.

Except tell him all of that.

Because that sounds a little too much like a confession, doesn't it?

And, secretly, maybe there were times when Nicholas thought there was a chance his crush wasn't so one-sided. Little moments here and there where he caught Fuma glancing his way, when his touch lingered for longer than needed, blush tinting his cheeks.

It's not like Nicholas hasn't considered the possibility that this thing between them could be real.

But to find out if he's right would require him to be completely honest, to stop hiding behind pretenses, to offer his heart even when he knows it might break.

And Nicholas is scared. Because the last time he bared his soul like that, the last time he put his all into that sliver of hope… it didn't exactly turn out well.

He laughs bitterly to himself. Of course. Somehow it always circles back to Byun Euijoo.

So with a sigh of resignation, he exits out of Fuma's chat and scrolls further down to the one that used to always remain at the top, but has since been buried under other messages.

nichol

hey how was the honeymoon

we shud talk soon

juju

Are you free tomorrow?

"Hey, come in," Euijoo says when he opens the door for Nicholas. "I'm glad you texted."

"I meant to do it ages ago, but…" He trails off awkwardly. They'll get to that today, just not quite yet. "Right, um, how was Jeju?" Nicholas asks.

"It was good! We were worried about the weather forecast, but it actually cleared up as soon as we got there."

Nicholas nods, wondering how they got to a point where they're exchanging pleasantries and talking about the weather.

"Oh!" Euijoo says, running into his room as Nicholas gets settled on the couch. He comes back out holding a box, which he then presents to Nicholas. "Here, we got these from Jeju."

"Euijoo," Nicholas chuckles. "I don't think you need to bring omiyage from your honeymoon."

Euijoo rolls his eyes. "Shut up, it's not like that. I just, they were good, and I wanted to share."

"Thank you, but this box is way too big. Share them with the others too."

"No, no, it's okay. There's more," Euijoo says, making Nicholas wonder if they brought a whole suitcase full of mikan cookies back. "Besides, you can share with Fuma-san. And, uh, please tell him sorry for me."

Nicholas blinks, wondering if he heard that right. "Huh?"

At this, Euijoo bows his head. "I'm sorry. You were probably too out of it by then, but I think I said something to him at the wedding to upset him. So just, tell him I'm sorry, please?"

Somewhere in his mind, he remembers Euijoo and Fuma talking while he was too sleepy to decipher the words they were saying. Now, he regrets not trying a little bit harder to listen.

"Juju, you can't just dangle the carrot in front of my face like that and not elaborate."

"You don't even like carrots!"

"That's clearly not the point! Now, spill!"

The banter feels familiar, though Nicholas aches with how long it's been. He's missed this.

"I just—I asked him to take care of you and he told me it wasn't my place to ask that."

Nicholas's eyes widen. "He did?"

"Yeah, and he was right. And I know it's way too late, but I'm sorry, Nico, for what I did to you."

This is too much to process all at once, but he latches onto one thing in particular that needs to be tackled first. "Hold on, back up for a second. What exactly did you do to me, Juju?"

Euijoo looks down at the floor. "I hurt you."

"What? Because you rejected me when I confessed?" Nicholas asks. "You shouldn't apologize for my feelings."

Euijoo winces. "No, it's more about—I don't think I was honest back then. With you or with myself."

"What do you mean?"

"I liked you too. I probably liked you before you even liked me, when we were younger."

Nicholas stays quiet. It's not that big of a revelation; deep down, he always sort of knew.

"But when you confessed to me," Euijoo continues. "Instead of being happy, I was scared. Our friendship was so important to me and the thought of something changing terrified me. I didn't want to risk it. And then I was too much of a coward to tell you the truth, so I lied and told you I didn't feel the same instead."

"I think I knew," Nicholas admits. Then, with as much teasing as he can muster, "You're not a very good liar, Juju."

Euijoo rolls his eyes. Then, he sighs and meets Nicholas's eyes. "Why didn't you call me out? If you had, I might've caved. You could've changed my mind, if you tried."

"I knew that too," Nicholas says. He shoots a playful glare at Euijoo. "Stop underestimating me."

"Since when were you this supposedly all-knowing being?" he scoffs.

Nicholas laughs. "I'm not all-knowing. But back then, I think I was Euijoo-knowing. Wouldn't you say the same about me?"

Euijoo smiles at the ground, probably peeking into some distant memory. "Yeah. I'd like to think so."

"Look," Nicholas says, "I wasn't going to force you to date me. I decided to confess because I thought you liked me back, but as soon as the words left my mouth, I could tell—you did, it just wasn't enough."

"It's not that you weren't enough," Euijoo quickly denies. "I was just too much of a coward."

The semantics of it honestly aren't important to Nicholas. He has too many languages mixing around in his brain to contemplate the nuance of wording it one way over the other.

The fact of the matter is that Euijoo's fear of change was stronger than whatever feelings he had for Nicholas. It's a fact that used to sting, but over time has scabbed over—only a faint scar remains.

"You're not anymore though," Nicholas says.

"Huh?"

He practically pounces on Euijoo's shoulder, like a wolf latching onto its prey, because he's really missed teasing his best friend. "I heard you were the one who proposed? And you hadn't even been dating that long."

Euijoo's ears instantly grow three shades redder. "I—uh, yeah. Nine months, not even a full year. I honestly didn't know how he'd react. I was probably being reckless and stupid, and I was terrified, but—" he stops himself, looks down at the wedding ring on his finger like he still can't believe it,"—but he said yes."

"Byun Euijoo, the one who used to say it was reckless to get married so quickly, who said you should date for minimum three years before proposing or else you couldn't be sure—that Byun Euijoo is now married to someone he proposed to after nine months." Then, with an affectionate nudge to his shoulder, "Doesn't sound at all like a coward to me."

The Euijoo in front of him is so different than the one he used to know, the one he used to be in love with.

He does regret missing so much of the transformation and he'll make sure to catch up on all the details eventually, but right now, Nicholas watches this Euijoo with admiration and pride.

"He makes me brave," Euijoo says.

Nicholas fake gags, successfully fulfilling his role as an annoying best friend. He's been neglecting those responsibilities for a while, but that just means he has to tease Euijoo extra to make up for lost time.

"You've changed, Juju. You're so sappy now."

Euijoo hits his arm. "Shut up. You're the one who asked me to start talking about my husband right after our honeymoon."

"Yes, I know he's your husband, I was at the wedding, remember?" he scoffs. "So rude, just rubbing your happy married life in my face."

"Again, you asked," Euijoo says. "Besides, what are the chances that you and Fuma are next?"

"What? Euijoo, don't be ridiculous."

"Oh, come on. You should've seen the way he was gripping you when I asked about you. I couldn't tell if he was being protective because you'd told him about me or if he's just that possessive all the time."

Nicholas doesn't know what to make of that. Was Fuma really that commited to the act?

His face must fall because Euijoo notices. "Sorry, did I say something wrong?"

"No, no. It's just—things are a bit complicated."

The way Euijoo reacts, the devastation on his face at just the prospect of them fighting, would make anyone think there's a problem in his own relationship rather than Nicholas's.

"Complicated how?"

Nicholas forces a laugh, trying to brush it off. "Don't worry about it. I'm a big boy now, Euijoo. I'll figure something out."

"No, seriously. Let me help." He holds up his left hand like it's some sort of badge and if it weren't putting Nicholas in such a difficult position, it'd be cute how proud he looks. "Clearly, I did something right, so you should take my advice."

Nicholas sighs. When he meets Euijoo's eyes, he looks far too determined. He's not going to let this go.

How is Nicholas supposed to get out of this?

It's like what happened with Yuma all over again, except the opposite. If that conversation with Yuma had basically been digging his own grave, then this is probably akin to him gathering the dirt to bury himself alive.

After all this trouble of going through with the act, all the excuses he came up with, it'd be stupid to come clean now and make it all for nothing.

But somehow, against all odds, the prospect is tempting anyway.

Nicholas is tired of keeping secrets. He's tired of running and hiding from his best friend.

"Look, if I tell you this, you have to promise to hear me out fully and not to judge me."

"Nico, I wouldn't do that to you."

"Euijoo, I'm serious. Promise me."

"Okay, I promise."

Nicholas takes a deep breath.

Honestly, he's surprised he even got his far with his lie, though most of that is probably thanks to Fuma and his bizarrely good acting skills.

But even so, he knows it's time. All that's left to do is rip the bandaid off and live with the shame.

"I lied. Fuma was never my boyfriend, I just asked him to pretend so I could have a plus one," he admits. "I never meant to avoid everyone for so long, I really just wanted space at first, just for a little while. But then everything with Yudai happened so fast and he fit right in with everyone and by the time I thought I might be ready to come back, I—I didn't know if there was a place for me anymore."

"Nicholas, I'm—"

"But it wasn't even my idea, I swear! Yuma made me drink so I wasn't thinking straight and then when I mentioned another friend, he just assumed we were dating and he wouldn't believe me when I tried to correct him and then it just—spiraled, I don't know."

Nicholas is too scared to look at Euijoo's reaction, so he continues to stare at his hands in his lap and keeps rambling. "It's so stupid. I'm so stupid. Because Fuma's amazing and now I caught feelings and I have to go back to being normal with him and I don't know how. I was playing with fire because now I know what it feels like to have him hold me, but it was all fake, and now I don't know what to do because I want it for real."

It's a bit cathartic to get it all off his chest. For a moment, he feels relieved, before he remembers Euijoo is right there.

And then Euijoo does the one thing Nicholas would never expect of him.

He laughs.

Nicholas used to tell people that Euijoo was mean and no one ever believed him because apparently Nicholas is the only one he would tease relentlessly like that. But even then, it was only ever a joke.

Because Euijoo has never been cruel. Nicholas didn't think he ever could be. But this?

"Bad Juju," he whispers, trying to masquerade it as a joke, but failing to hide the hurt that slips through anyway.

Euijoo's eyes widen and he quickly grabs Nicholas's arm. "Wait, no. I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that."

"You promised you wouldn't judge."

"I'm not judging you, Nico," Euijoo says. "Look at me. Let me explain. Please?"

Nicholas meets his gaze, trying to assess. He sighs.

Stupid Euijoo and his stupid sincere eyes.

"Fine."

"I'm sorry. For laughing, but also for making you feel like you couldn't come back. I never wanted that," Euijoo says. He looks like he might cry. "I—I missed you a lot, we all did, but I thought I was giving you space. I thought that's what you wanted. And I love Yudai, with all my heart, but you're my best friend. There's always a place for you."

"You're my best friend too, Juju," Nicholas sniffles. "But I can't believe you laughed at me."

"I said I'm sorry. I wasn't laughing about any of that, I swear. I just—I can't believe you actually think Fuma doesn't like you."

"I told you, it was all fake. We'd barely even spoken twice by the time I asked him."

"And he still agreed?" Euijoo looks at him like he's insane and Nicholas huffs in indignation.

"Well, he's just… really nice! Plus I bought him coffee!"

Euijoo groans in frustration. "And you really think, that he went along with this ridiculous plan of yours, because he was that desperate for a single coffee?"

"Hey!" Nicholas protests. "It was more than once…"

"Nicholas, I think the man can afford his own coffee. Which means, obviously, there was another reason he said yes."

Fuma did say that night that he had selfish reasons, but Nicholas still doesn't understand what he meant by that.

"I don't get it."

"You're so stupid."

"Hey."

"I met the man briefly, once, and even I can see that he's in love with you."

"Euijoo, he's not—"

"No, listen to me. Even if he had a reason to go that far to pretend—which he did not because coffee is not a good enough reason—he'd have to be a professional actor to pull off a performance like that," Euijoo practically yells. He takes a deep breath and then his voice softens, "Nico, seriously. I saw the way he looked at you, like you were the most dazzling thing in the world, like he was mesmerized by just the sight of you. There's no faking that."

Nicholas thinks back to all the moments that didn't make sense. The times when he wondered why Fuma would go so far just for a favor to a near-stranger. The times when he would catch Fuma acting even when there was no audience.

"You really think—?"

"Oh my god, yes," Euijoo says. Showing off his wedding ring again, "And clearly I have good intuition about these things."

"Oh, shut up. You just told me you were scared he would say no."

"But I did it anyway," Euijoo reminds. With a light punch to his shoulder, "So now it's your turn again."

Nicholas grabs his shoulder, pretending to actually be wounded. "You're so mean. I hate you."

Euijoo laughs, bright and warm and familiar. "I missed you, Nichol."

Nicholas turns away to hide his smile.

He's glad to have his best friend back.

It's a ridiculous idea, Nicholas knows it is.

He doesn't even know if Fuma will be working tonight since he's been picking up fewer and fewer shifts.

But for some reason, Nicholas has a good feeling about today. (Also, Euijoo threatened that if he didn't hurry up and do something, that he would reach out to Fuma himself, so he has to at least try.)

When he steps into the store, the jingle welcomes him in. Nicholas immediately spots Fuma at the cash register and sighs in relief. He didn't really have a Plan B. He barely even has a Plan A.

"Nicholas?" Fuma says. His eyes are wide with surprise, like Nicholas is the last person he expected to walk through the doors.

"Hey. You're working today," Nicholas says. "I wasn't sure if you would be."

"Yeah, uh, I wasn't actually supposed to, but the manager called and asked for a last minute favor," Fuma explains.

Nicholas smiles, walking closer to the counter. "I got lucky then."

Fuma gives him a strange look, like he's trying to figure him out. "You could've just asked. Assuming you didn't delete my number."

"I didn't. I wouldn't," Nicholas denies immediately, wincing at the accusation. Regret floods through him as he thinks back to all the times he was about to text Fuma, but chickened out at the last second. "Sorry, I've just… been busy."

Fuma smiles, the small polite one he usually directs towards other customers. Nicholas knows he probably deserves it, but he can't help but feel hurt anyway. It feels like he's been demoted.

"What brings you here then?" Fuma asks. "Craving a late night FamiChiki?"

"No, I—actually, that does sound kinda good right now."

"Got it." Fuma quickly picks out a piece of chicken from the rack and tapes the bag shut with practiced ease. "Will that be all?"

It's not like Fuma's being particularly rude to him, but there's something about the way he speaks to Nicholas now that feels hurtful nonetheless. Suddenly, it feels like they've gone back in time, to when they were nothing more than strangers.

It makes Nicholas wonder if his worst fear really did end up being true. For Fuma, the past few months were nothing more than an act.

"Yeah, that's all," Nicholas says.

Except he doesn't want it to be. He doesn't want for this to be the end.

Even if Fuma wants nothing to do with him after this, Nicholas will never forgive himself if he doesn't try something.

He takes his wallet out from his pocket, fumbling around to find the right coins.

Fuma nods and takes the exact change from the tray. The register clicks open and the machine whirrs as his receipt gets printed.

"Thanks," Nicholas says as he gathers his things. Except when he goes to slide his wallet in his pocket, he purposely misses, letting it fall to the ground instead. It's quiet enough in the store that the sound it makes when it drops is clearly audible to both of them, but Nicholas pretends not to notice and scurries to the door.

"Wait, Nicholas," Fuma shouts, but he ignores it and keeps walking.

His feet carry him faster and faster away from the store, so that his brain doesn't have a chance to catch up and realize how terrible of an idea this was.

Over the past week, he'd been thinking back to the story Fuma made up for Harua and Maki about how they first met. Part of him began to wonder how things might've turned out if that really was how they first talked, instead of Nicholas's drunken ramblings and the elaborate charade that he just had to drag him into.

The more he thought about that fantasy, the more desperately he wished for it to be reality.

But reality doesn't have second chances like that. Life's not a game he can just reset and start over from the beginning. Nicholas knows that.

And yet, knowing how bad of an idea it was apparently didn't stop him from going through with it anyway.

Nicholas doesn't really know where he's going, just letting his legs carry him forward without looking back. He's already walked two blocks away from the Family Mart by the time a hand catches his shoulder and pulls him back.

"Nicholas," Fuma pants, exasperated and out of breath. "I called your name like twenty times."

Nicholas's eyes widen in shock. "I—I didn't hear you."

Fuma lets out a sigh that somehow evolves into a laugh. "I can't believe you actually made me run for it. You're really something else, you know?"

He feels a blush creep up his neck. "Sorry." He stares down at his feet, afraid to meet Fuma's gaze.

"Here, you dropped this," Fuma says, voice teasing as he holds out Nicholas's wallet.

Nicholas takes it from him, still too embarrassed to look up at him. "Thank you. Sorry, for making you run."

He expects Fuma to leave, having accomplished his mission. He's fulfilled his duty as a good samaritan by returning Nicholas's wallet, so there's no more obligations keeping him here.

But he stays. Fuma doesn't move a single step.

Nicholas finally raises his head, curiosity getting the better of him. He finds Fuma watching him expectantly.

His heartbeat starts to quicken as he remembers how the rest of the story was supposed to go.

With trembling fingers, he opens his wallet and watches a receipt slip out, fluttering to the ground. He scrambles to catch it.

When Nicholas turns it over, a familar set of numbers are scribbled across the back.

"I thought I'd stay truthful to the story," Fuma explains. "Besides, it felt like you could use a reminder."

"I'm sorry," Nicholas finally says. "I should've texted you sooner. I wanted to so many times, I had the messages typed out and everything. But I was always too scared to hit send."

When Nicholas meets Fuma's eyes, they look sad. His chest twists painfully with guilt.

"I was starting to think you weren't coming back," he admits.

"It's not because I didn't want to, I swear," Nicholas says, praying Fuma believes him. "You may have noticed from the way I isolated myself from my closest friends for months and came up with a stupid lie to avoid telling them the truth that I have a habit of running away from my feelings."

Fuma offers him a small smile. It feels uncharacteristically shy and just the slightest bit hopeful. "Oh? Can I ask what feelings you were running from this time?"

Nicholas's heart pounds with adrenaline. He's honestly still scared to finally be honest, knowing his heart is on the line, knowing it's been broken like this before.

But Fuma has always made him feel safe, so he takes a deep breath and decides to take the leap.

"Fuma-kun, I really like you," Nicholas confesses. "Even before all of this, I had the biggest crush on you. At first, it was just something silly, but the more I got to know you, the more I really started to fall for you. Pretending to date you was the easiest and hardest thing I've ever done. Easy because I wanted it so bad. Hard because I kept having to remind myself that I couldn't have it for real."

Fuma's expression is frustratingly hard to read. He's listening intently, but his face doesn't give away any of his reactions.

Nicholas feels it's unfair when he's here pouring his heart out. Still, he is the one who ghosted Fuma first, so maybe he deserves that.

And Fuma deserves to hear his honest feelings regardless of whether or not they'll be returned.

Nicholas squeezes his eyes shut and keeps going. "I'm really sorry for avoiding you until now. I didn't know how to talk to you without giving away how I really felt and I was scared what you would think. I was too scared to risk being honest." He pauses, trying to gather the courage to meet Fuma's eyes. Because he needs Fuma to know he's serious about this. "But I realized I was being stupid because you're worth the risk. I more than like you, Fuma-kun. I like you so much that it's driving me crazy and I know I've only shown you the ugly sides of me, but if you're willing to just give me a chance, I swear—"

"You're wrong," Fuma says.

Nicholas flinches at the words, but Fuma's voice is not unkind. Nicholas watches with wide eyes as Fuma takes a step closer.

Fuma's hand carefully cups his cheek and he smiles. "Everything I've seen of you is beautiful."

"Don't lie," Nicholas says. "The first time we talked, I was sobbing about my pathetic love life."

"Is it weird if I say that made me more interested in you?" Fuma chuckles. "You're cute when you cry."

Nicholas hopes he means that because he feels tears pricking at the corners of his eyes now too, even as he laughs. "Yes, that's weird. What's wrong with you?"

"A lot, when it comes to you," Fuma admits through a wry smile. "Nicholas, you don't understand what you do to me. I can't think straight anymore because of you."

"I could say the same about you." Suddenly, he remembers all the times he made a fool of himself in front of Fuma and blushes. "But you probably knew that."

"Well… you did let some things slip after the wedding, when you were drunk. Even before then, I could sort of tell—your face is very expressive," Fuma adds with a chuckle. "By the end of it, I was pretty confident that we had… something, and that whatever it was wouldn't end. Or at least that's what I had hoped."

Fuma sighs, running a hand through his hair. "But then I didn't hear from you at all and I started to wonder if I had misread it completely. And I know I could've texted you too, but I didn't know if I had any place to." He offers Nicholas a sheepish smile. "I guess I was scared too."

Nicholas freezes, feeling a little dumbfounded. Everything that he had hoped for, everything that he had been doing his best to stop hoping for—Fuma's telling him that he had been feeling the exact same way.

"I like you too, Nicholas. And if you'll let me, I'd like to take you on a real date."

Nicholas feels like crying again, too overwhelmed to speak. Instead, he nods his head so fast it almost makes him dizzy. "Please."

Fuma chuckles, bringing his hands to cup Nicholas's cheeks. "Can I?" he asks, timid, as if there's any chance Nicholas would say no. His fingertips hover over his skin, as if Fuma's afraid to fully lay hands on him.

"I'll be very upset if you don't kiss me within the next three seconds," Nicholas says, placing his own hands over Fuma's and guiding them to pull him closer.

Nicholas cuts off Fuma mid-laugh when he presses their lips together. He holds back a chuckle of his own because as giddy as he feels, the need to kiss Fuma outweighs anything else right now.

Fuma doesn't seem to mind, quickly deepening the kiss. Nicholas parts his lips eagerly for him, sighing into his mouth.

It feels different from last time, now that Nicholas knows this is real. When he had kissed Fuma before, for 'practice,' it had felt like something stolen. The whole time, he had been acutely aware that he was taking something he wasn't meant to have.

But this time, Nicholas can take whatever he wants. All of it, the sound of Fuma's moans, the feeling of hands gripping at his waist, the taste of his lips, he doesn't have to lock this away in some forbidden part of his memory—it's fully his to have and to keep.

Nicholas whines in disappointment when Fuma pulls away, looking up at him with a pout.

But Fuma ignores his silent plea, offering only an apologetic smile instead. "Nico, as much as I would love to continue this—and believe me, I do want that—I am technically still on the clock."

Somehow, Nicholas had completely forgotten about that. "Oh. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. You know as well as me that it's not busy at this time of night anyway, but I still shouldn't risk it any longer than this," he says.

It's not like Nicholas doesn't understand, but that doesn't mean he has to be happy about it. He lets out an exaggerated sigh and petulantly turns his head away. "Fine. If you must."

Fuma laughs and then suddenly he feels Fuma plant a chaste kiss right on his turned cheek. "Unfortunately, I really must. I'd ask you to come with me, but there are some things I'd rather not get caught on the security footage," he jokes. "But I'll come see you tomorrow?"

Nicholas considers it, but shakes his head. "That's too far away." He knows he's being childishly unreasonable, but he can't seem to help himself. There's something about Fuma that renders him dangerously honest, defenseless to his deepest desires, the ones that he hides even from himself.

He expects Fuma to tease him for it and then gently coax him into reason. They'll both be tired. A few hours apart won't kill him. Nicholas lowers his head in resignation preemptively.

But when Fuma speaks again, he quickly looks up in surprise.

"Do you want me to come right after my shift then? Will you even be able to stay awake?"

Nicholas nods his head excitedly, smiling so hard his cheeks hurt. "You know I sleep late. And besides, my heart is beating so fast, I don't think I'd be able to sleep even if I wanted to."

"Okay, then after my shift. Your place?"

"I already can't wait," Nicholas says. He quickly leans forward to steal one last kiss from Fuma's lips.

Fuma smiles and turns to head back to the store. Nicholas is tempted to follow him, but he knows better. He's probably already jeopardized Fuma's job enough for one night.

For now, he slowly makes his way back to his own apartment and waits.

Fuma's shift has just ended, according to the text Nicholas just received, so he should be here in about twenty minutes.

Ever since he got home, Nicholas has alternated between pacing around his bedroom and flopping down on the bed so he can kick his legs excitedly at the memory of a few hours ago.

Nicholas wasn't lying when he told Fuma was there was no way he was falling asleep. He sees no reason to when the fantasy that's been haunting his dreams has come to life anyway.

He keeps glancing at his phone to check for updates on Fuma's whereabouts. When he hears even the slightest noise from outside, he looks towards the door in anticipation. It makes him wonder if this is how pets feel when waiting for their owners to come home from work.

Finally, after what feels like hours, there's a knock on the door.

Nicholas nearly trips over himself rushing to the door. He swings the door open with so much force it creates a gust of wind that rattles the cheap coatrack next to it.

He's met with Fuma's surprised face that melts into a soft smile at the sight of him. "Hi," he says simply with a little wave.

"Hi," Nicholas answers back, looking at Fuma as if to make sure he's real.

"Uh, can I come in?" Fuma asks with an awkward chuckle.

"Oh. Yeah, of course. Sorry." Nicholas scrambles to get out of the way so Fuma can squeeze into his tiny genkan. "How was the rest of your shift?"

"Boring," Fuma says, carefully slipping out of his shoes and lining them up near the door. "I kept thinking about you. I think I ended up putting things on the wrong shelves because I was so distracted."

Nicholas laughs. "I thought the point of you sending me away was so that you wouldn't get fired. If you get fired anyway, then what was the point of making me wait so long?"

Fuma leans in a little too close, his voice breathy against Nicholas's ear. "Sorry, forgot how impatient you are."

Nicholas huffs, but can't hold back his smile when Fuma rests his head on his shoulder, delighted by the closeness.

Still, he must be tired after his long shift. Suddenly, Nicholas feels a bit guilty for making him come all the way here.

Nicholas pulls away, guiding Fuma to sit down on the couch. Fuma must notice the way his face falls because he grows a frown to match. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asks, gently cupping Nicholas's cheek.

Nicholas instinctually leans into the touch. "Nothing, it's just—I'm sorry. You're probably tired and wanted to sleep after your shift, but I was being selfish and made you come to me instead."

The hand that had just been holding his cheek so gently suddenly moves. Then, Fuma is pinching the soft flesh between his fingers, not enough to be painful, but definitely enough for Nicholas to shoot him a glare. "Wha' are you doin'?"

"You're being silly," Fuma says simply, as if that's enough justification for treating Nicholas's face like a stress ball. He lets go, but not before poking at Nicholas's cheek one more time for good measure. "All I've been thinking about since you left earlier—no, since the wedding, actually—is how much I wanted to see you again. I didn't want to wait any longer either."

It should reassure him, but it only makes Nicholas's heart squeeze with guilt again. "I'm sorry for that too."

"Hey," Fuma scolds. His hand shifts to the back of Nicholas's neck, angling him to look straight at Fuma and holding him in place—it kind of feels like he's being scruffed like a cat and Nicholas probably shouldn't find it as hot as he does. "No more apologizing. I could've texted you just as easily. Maybe we both wasted time from being scared, but we're not gonna waste more time from being sorry. Okay?"

Nicholas nods, a little teary. "Yeah, okay."

Fuma smiles at him, releasing his grip on Nicholas's neck. He immediately misses the touch, wanting nothing more than for Fuma to hold him—he's far too greedy to be picky about where or how.

"So, you mentioned earlier that you had a crush on me?" Fuma asks, a teasing glint in his eyes.

Nicholas immediately feels the blush rushing to his face. "I, uh, I don't know why I said that."

"Was it a lie, then?"

"No! I just, I didn't mean to admit to it. It's embarrassing," Nicholas huffs.

Fuma chuckles. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm pretty sure I had a crush on you first."

Nicholas eyes him suspiciously. "That's not possible. You're lying again."

"I'm serious," Fuma says, taking Nicholas's hand to place a gentle kiss there. "Promise."

"Since when?"

"Well, maybe not the first time you came in, although you definitely caught my eye." He pauses to consider. "The story I told your friends when we ran into them, you told me it was unrealistic, but that part wasn't a lie. The more you came in, the more I noticed you. It went from that to hoping you'd come, getting excited when you did, even if I never had the courage to say much."

"You were always so curt with me, so professional," Nicholas points out.

"You make me nervous. I didn't want to risk saying something weird and scaring you off for good."

"I make you nervous?" Nicholas scoffs. "That should be my line! When you asked me to feed you gummies in the car, my heart was beating so fast I nearly died!"

Fuma lets out a bark of laughter at that. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was a matter of life and death."

"Your lips kept touching my fingers, I was trying so hard not to go insane," Nicholas whines. With an accusatory glare, "You were doing that on purpose, weren't you?"

"I don't know what you mean," Fuma says, though he pulls Nicholas's hand towards him once more, letting his lips graze ever so lightly across Nicholas's skin.

Once again, he feels his heart begin to race and he knows his face must be a dark shade of pink right now. "Fuma-kun…" Nicholas means for it to be a complaint, but his voice leaves in a whimper.

"I know I said it before, but I'd like to say it again, properly. Nicholas, I like you a lot. I'd really like to be your real boyfriend this time instead of your fake boyfriend. If you'll have me."

"Of course, there's nothing in the world I want more," Nicholas says. "And it wasn't fake for me. The whole time, I was wishing it was real."

"Me too." Fuma leans in to kiss his forehead. "And now your wish came true."

Nicholas giggles, "Are you implying that you're the genie who grants my wishes?"

Fuma laughs, but then schools his expression into something more serious and nods. "That was your first wish. You have two remaining."

"Ehh? I only get three wishes? You're so stingy," Nicholas whines.

Fuma chuckles fondly. "I don't decide the quotas, I just enforce them. Now, what's your second wish?"

Nicholas hums, pretending to be deep in thought. Then, he brings his pointer finger to tap at his lips. "I want a kiss."

"Just one?"

"Wait, no, ten kisses! A hundred kisses!"

Fuma shakes his head. "Sorry, no redos. You asked for one."

Nicholas pouts. "That's not fair. Then, why'd you even ask agai—?"

Fuma doesn't even let him finish the question before he dives in to capture Nicholas's lips. He takes advantage of Nicholas having been mid-word to easily slip his tongue inside.

If Fuma plans to stay true to his claim that he's only giving Nicholas one kiss, then he sure seems to be making it count.

Nicholas gasps into Fuma's mouth as the older nibbles on his bottom lip, something that Nicholas is slowly learning he's very fond of doing. He tilts Nicholas's chin towards him to give himself a better angle.

With the way Fuma kisses him, like he's trying to devour him, Nicholas starts to wonder if this is still fulfilling his own wish or if this is Fuma's instead.

But then again, maybe it's a testament to how easily Fuma can read him that he understands Nicholas's true desire so well.

He wants nothing more than to fall apart at Fuma's hands, with each gaze, each brush of fingers against his skin, each press of lips against his own.

Nicholas doesn't know how long it's been by the time Fuma pulls away. Long enough that the feeling of air in his lungs feels foreign. The noise that escapes him doesn't sound like his own.

Vaguely, in his dazed state, he registers Fuma's low chuckle. "That was your second wish."

Nicholas blinks a few times. He forgot they were playing this game.

"Sleepy?" Fuma asks when Nicholas doesn't say anything in response.

Nicholas shakes his head, but he's sure it's not very convincing when he barely has the energy to move, boneless in Fuma's arms. He can't seem to find his voice anymore.

Fuma smiles and scoops Nicholas into his arms to carry him to his bed. Nicholas is glad he decided to tidy up a bit while waiting for Fuma, just in case.

He sets Nicholas down on the bed gently and Nicholas tugs on Fuma's sleeve until he falls right next to him. "You can borrow some clothes. I think there's stuff in the top drawer over there that should fit you."

"Are you sure?"

Nicholas squints his eyes at him. "Don't even think about going anywhere tonight."

Fuma chuckles, which is admittedly not the reaction Nicholas intended with his threatening glare. "I'm just saying, we don't have to rush. There's no time limit anymore. We have all the time in the world."

"I'll use my third wish if I have to," Nicholas says.

Fuma's eyes twinkle with amusement. "It's your last wish. Are you sure you want to use it so hastily?"

Nicholas shakes his head. "I know what I want. I'm sure of it."

"Alright, then. Name your desire."

Nicholas wraps his arms around Fuma's neck and looks straight into his eyes. "Will you stay? Will you be mine? Today and tomorrow and for forever, if I'm allowed to wish for that."

Fuma leans in and kisses him, pressing their lips together. He lets himself linger there and Nicholas shivers from the feeling of Fuma's breath on his skin.

"Consider your wish granted."

Nicholas has a routine.

Friday nights are his day off from his studio after his friends implemented a system of mandatory weekly hangouts.

Well, they're not really mandatory for anyone else, but Nicholas has accrued what they've decided to call "hangout debt" by avoiding them for so long that none of them will let him miss it even once.

Nicholas doesn't mind much though, despite how much he grumbles about it. He missed times like these.

Fuma tags along when he can, though sometimes he has to sit out for an upcoming manuscript deadline.

Still, Nicholas is delighted when Fuma blends into the group effortlessly. In fact, his friends are so fond of him that sometimes Nicholas has to personally fend off grabby hands and steal his boyfriend back for himself.

Nicholas will leave to have one conversation with Euijoo and somehow come back to Yuma being all over Fuma, cooing over his muscles under the guise of asking for workout tips. It's unbelievable.

But if Nicholas ever calls him out on it, Yuma just says some variation of, "Without me, you two would never have gotten together in the first place, so I'm just collecting my payment."

Nicholas really regrets revealing the full truth to him. He has plenty of objections, but they've squabbled over it enough already. He can be the bigger person.

(It also helps that he's discovered if he plays his cards right, he can use it against Fuma once they're alone together.)

More often than not, dinner is followed by drinks and sometimes even karaoke, lasting until the late hours of the night when they finally part with promises to see each other next week—or in Nicholas's case, threats.

Then, somewhere between the hours of two to four AM, Nicholas and Fuma always stop at a Family Mart on their way home, no matter whose apartment they're heading to.

Fuma no longer works there at all these days, but it's still the only option that feels right.

They walk through the doors to the comforting sound of the jingle they've come to know so well.

Strangely, it feels like coming home.