Archive of Our Own

Nicholas had one dollar in his pocket.

It’s not all the money he had, luckily. Most of his cash was stowed away in his wallet, which was tucked away somewhere in his backpack. Unfortunately, said backpack was getting more and more soaked with every passing second under the rain. He had no clue how his money was holding up. Hopefully it hadn’t disintegrated in the downpour.

Speaking of which, his bag was getting heavy. He’d consider himself decently strong, but man, when you’d walked halfway across the city with a soggy tail and a backpack the size of a small boulder, even breathing started to feel like a chore. The idea of taking a break was tempting, but Nicholas had spotted a few eyes peeking from the shadows of the dimly lit streets. He wasn’t taking any chances.

The neon lights of Kabukicho scattered a disarray of colours across the empty roads. For all its dazzle and glamour, the streets themselves were eerily quiet. Glancing to his side, Nicholas darted across the road. His shoe caught on the curb, and he cursed as he tripped and barely caught himself. God. He really needed to find shelter soon. The usual 24 hour places that Nicholas would go to were either packed to the brim or swarmed with people he was trying to avoid. All the same, he couldn’t stay out here. The weather had forecast that the temperatures would drop sharply overnight, and Tokyo winters were nothing to scoff at. He shivered and tugged the hood of his jacket over his ears.

Being out in the rain was bad enough. He had no clue how he was going to dry off his clothes, but that was the least of his problems. If he fell sick, it would be over. He wouldn’t be let in anywhere. Already he could feel the cold seep into his bones, an electric chill that was inching closer and closer to the center of his chest.

Shit.

He ran down a few more streets before ducking into a random lobby. Squeezing the water out of his hair, he dumped his bag on the floor and tried not to sneeze. The knots in his tail were already grating and irritating him, but there was no time to smooth them out. He glanced around him and tried to assess his surroundings.

The building he’d ended up in was some kind of apartment complex, the type with carpeted flooring and crystal chandeliers on the ceiling. There was a lift lobby, and a receptionist at the counter right in front of it who was currently glaring at Nicholas. He glanced down at himself and winced. Yikes. Maybe dripping water all over fancy carpeting and dragging mud in wasn’t the most welcome sight. He bowed lightly to the receptionist and took a step to the side. If he didn’t block anyone, maybe he could hide out here until the rain slowed down. The lobby had a heater on, too; hopefully his clothes would dry a little before he left. He flopped down on a nearby bench, tipped his head back, and closed his eyes. The darkness swam before him, an inky pool of cotton that dulled the noise around him and made the world go quiet.

A loud thud cut through his peace, followed by a sharp yelp.

Nicholas shot up. A man, umbrella in hand and suit jacket slung around one arm, was gripping his chest and heaving. His eyes, wide and unblinking, were glued to the floor. Nicholas followed his gaze and jumped to his feet.

“Oh my god,” He babbled as he rushed forward. “I’m so sorry. That’s my bag, I’ll take it away — are you alright?”

“Oh!” The other man shook his head. He released his grip on his shirt, moving his hand up to adjust the frameless glasses slipping off his nose. Up close, Nicholas could make out the tiny droplets of rain that caught on his hair, and the dark eye bags that had been faintly covered by concealer. There was the faintest hint of stubble peeking out from his chin, but Nicholas tore his eyes away before he stared for too long. “No, don’t worry about it. I’m okay.”

“I’m really sorry.” Nicholas crouched down next to his backpack, which had toppled over and scattered his belongings all over the welcome mat. Hurriedly, he began stuffing everything back into the bag. Heat began to crawl up his neck, a burning contrast to the freezing cold that still rocked him to the core. “Uh, I’ll — let me move to the side, sorry — I’ll get out soon, don’t worry —”

A shadow cast over him. “In this rain?” The man frowned. “It’s raining so heavily, and all the trains have stopped. Where are you gonna go?”

“There’s a shelter three minutes from here, I think,” Nicholas pressed down on his belongings, trying to shove them all in. Why didn’t they fit? He didn’t have the time or pride to repack everything now. He still had that roll of duct tape, right? Maybe he could strap everything together with that. “They’ll hopefully still have space, but I’ll probably have to run. Bye.”

“Hold on, wait,” A hand reached out to grab his shoulder before he could bolt. Nicholas tampered down his tail before it could bat at the man. “The homeless shelter? That one’s always swarming with really shady hybrids, you know.”

Shrugging off his hand, Nicholas hefted his bag over his shoulder. “Well, I certainly don’t live here, do I?” Maybe his words were a little sharp, but he didn’t care. There was a growing panic in the back of his mind, one that nagged at him to find a place to rest before it grew too late. The shelter would close any minute, and he had to lug himself and his stuff all the way there. This human man, with his crisp suit and perfectly styled hair, wouldn’t get it. “I’m a hybrid, anyway. One of them, am I right?”

The weak smile he shot the other man seemed to do nothing but make him frown harder. “That’s not what I’m saying at all. I just mean, it’s dangerous to go there. Human or hybrid. Isn’t there anywhere else you can go?”

“Nope.” Nicholas reached out and wrapped his fingers around the handle of the glass door. One push, and he would be out. He readied his feet to start running. “See you.”

“Stay with me for the night.”

Nicholas had the door halfway open before the words registered in his mind. “Sorry, what?”

“Stay over at my place.” The man had his arms crossed, though his eyes were warm with concern. “I have an extra room. Stay over for the night, get some rest, and if you really want to leave tomorrow you can go. You’ll need a change of clothes anyway if you don’t wanna fall sick. Deal?”

Nicholas weighed the options out in his head. Going to the shelter would be a surefire way to start a fight. He knew the groups of hybrids that hung around that area, and as much as he hated to admit it, the man was right. They were dangerous types, and crafty at that. Nicholas tried not to involve himself with them as much as possible, but this late in the night, he was running out of choices. Besides, the staff at the place weren’t the biggest fans of him — or maybe they just hated their job. Both things could exist at once.

This man, on the other hand, was a complete mystery. He was surely rich, if he could afford a place in central Tokyo, but the worst people were those who lived in abundance. Nicholas had learnt that the hard way. But he’d been nice enough to ask about Nicholas’ well-being, and had offered to let a scraggly hybrid like him in unprompted. Nicholas was well aware of how he looked at that moment — most people would have crossed the street to avoid him. Heck, even the receptionist looked relieved to see him go.

But he’d asked. And he’d offered.

Maybe this was a trap. Maybe the man wanted something out of him. But Nicholas was so tired, and so cold, and honestly, if this was how he went out, it wouldn’t be too bad. At least he’d get a good night’s sleep out of it.

So he lifted his head, turned to face the man, and nodded. “Fine. Deal.”

What the man — Fuma, if his keycard was anything to go off of — had failed to mention was that he had a roommate. A glaring, hackles raised dog hybrid roommate.

“Oh, Nicholas, this is my friend,” Fuma nodded to the man sitting at the dining table, whose long ears were pinned back. “He’s Euijoo, and we stay here together — Euijoo, this is Nicholas, he’ll be staying with us tonight. Do you know where the spare futon is?”

“In the main cupboard, lower shelf.” Euijoo’s round eyes, somehow menacing and sharp, refused to leave Nicholas. “I washed it recently, so it should still be good.”

Fuma beamed. Either he was blind to Euijoo’s death stare, or he simply didn’t care. “I’ll go set it up. Euijoo, could you help him get settled? He’ll need to dry his things and take a bath.”

As Fuma walked away, humming, Euijoo stood up, chair scraping the floor as he approached Nicholas. His steps were light and measured, stalking closer with every echo of his feet against the hardwood floor. For all his cute, round features, this dog knew how to hunt down its prey. There was an acidic look in his eyes that made Nicholas’ brain scream run, now. He swallowed and pulled his bag closer to his chest.

“So,” Euijoo stopped a few meters away. His body was stiff, barely moving as he stood there and crossed his arms. “What do you want with Fuma?”

“With Fuma?” Nicholas’ tail swished back and forth. He could feel his ears start to flatten against his head, and he frowned. “Nothing, honestly. He offered, and I needed a place to stay the night. I’ll get out as soon as possible.”

Scoffing, Euijoo turned his head to the side. “And there was nowhere else you could’ve gone?”

Nicholas sighed and dropped his bag on the floor. It landed with a soggy little plop before folding over. “I was gonna go to the shelter nearby, you know, the one with the hybrids…” He paused as he took in Euijoo’s face, nose scrunched up in confusion. “Wait. You don’t know what that is? You’re literally a hybrid too. How do you not know where that is?”

He watched as Euijoo took a step back, face flushing a rosy hue. “It’s not —! I know of shelters, of course I do, I just… look, fine, you can stay for the night, but don’t try anything! I have my eye on you, street cat. Don’t pull any tricks on me.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, nepo-dog.” Nicholas rolled his eyes. What sort of hybrid didn’t know of the shelters? That dog must’ve lived a truly privileged life if he hadn’t needed to memorize the layout of the shelters around the city. Probably a trust-fund baby, the type who sucked on silver spoons instead of pacifiers. Nicholas resisted the urge to gag. “Now, where are your showers? I don’t wanna track any more mud into your house.”

“Nepo - what — never mind. Just follow me.” Euijoo sighed and began walking down the hall. Bending down, Nicholas picked up his bag and ran to catch up. Water dripped from the base of his spine down the length of his tail, pooling into a trail that tracked across the floor as they turned the corner into a large bathroom. “You can wash up here. Leave your clothes in the basket over there, and I’ll get you a change and put it outside the door.” He held out his hand. “Pass me your bag, too. I’ll dry your things off.”

Nicholas clutched his bag tighter and glared at him. “You’re just trying to go through my stuff.”

Euijoo paused for a moment too long. “No, I just… well, maybe a little. But your things need to be dried out, too. What if they’re damaged?”

He had a point. There were some things in his bag that were a little delicate. He hated the idea of anyone rifling through his bag, but if that was what it took to get a shelter for the night, so be it. He shoved his dripping, dirty backpack into Euijoo’s chest, and relished in the bark of disgust that escaped the other boy. “Help yourself. Just don’t throw anything away.”

He didn’t wait to see Euijoo’s response. Turning around, he stepped into the bathroom and shut the door with a firm click. The room was crafted of sleek marble and glossy counters. Even the shower tiles were that special black, stone-like bumpy texture. That was rich people stuff, right? It was the sort of thing that he’d only ever seen in hotels. What kind of normal household had dedicated, perfumed hand soap? Heck, even the toilet paper was patterned. And three-ply. Three. That was a status indicator if he’d ever seen one.

It was a little overwhelmingly fancy. The more that Nicholas stood there, the smaller he felt. He glanced down at himself and grimaced. Against the clean, pristine bathroom, his dirty clothes felt like an offense. He stripped them off as fast as he could, folding them up and dropping them as neatly as possible into the basket. Even then, his skin felt disgusting. The fur on his tail was still matted and soaked, his hair felt like there was bits of grime in it, and the rain had gotten so far into his ears that everything sounded a little like it was underwater. There was a chill that still stubbornly remained, even in the warm bathroom. With one final sigh, he stepped into the shower and pulled the handle.

As the warm water washed over him, he let his head sag down. It’d been a while since he’d had a moment of peace to collect his thoughts. Usually, he’d pride himself on his judgment of character, but he was too exhausted to fully decipher Fuma and Euijoo. In the first place, no person in their right mind would invite a stray into their home, especially not one who looked as menacing as Nicholas. He was fairly certain that he’d been staring blankly at Fuma back in the lobby, and enough people had told him that even that looked terrifying. It wasn’t a bad thing. It’d stopped some pranksters from messing with him before. Still, it was just far too abnormal that someone as polished and put-together as Fuma would agree to help a charity case like Nicholas out.

Euijoo was another problem entirely. Nicholas couldn’t blame him for being wary — after all, who wouldn’t be? — but he was such an odd hybrid. So cautious, yet so oblivious to basic hybrid issues. A puppy-turned-guard-dog when it came to Fuma. What even was their relationship, anyway? Hybrids couldn’t own property, so this place had to be in Fuma’s name. Oh god, was Fuma a hybrid owner? Did he want Nicholas to be next?

Exhaling shakily, Nicholas began to scrub at his skin. The soap, some brand-name bottle because of course it was, lathered up between his palms and soothed his irritated skin. It’d been a long time since he’d been allowed to indulge, so he took his time. He washed his hair, once, twice, until the water finally ran clean. By the end of it, his skin was as red as a lobster, but his tail had never felt lighter. A soft purr escaped him and echoed throughout the bathroom.

A knock on the door cut through his daydreams. “Clothes are outside,” Euijoo’s voice, sharp and forceful, had Nicholas hastily grabbing a towel to cover himself. “Open the door. I need to get your clothes too. Unless you’re still showering?”

Face flushed, Nicholas twisted the latch and cracked the door open. A hand shot through the gap, a stack of clothes balanced on it. Silently, Nicholas took the bundle, offering the handle of the basket in return. Their fingers brushed as they passed, and Euijoo’s arm jerked back hurriedly, as if burned. Nicholas tried not to take it personally. It stung anyway.

He’d let himself be spoiled for too long. With quick movements, he dried himself off and pulled on the clothes. The pants were a little too long for him, but they were warm. That was all that mattered. Instinctively, his nose sniffed. Underneath the crisp smell of fresh laundry was the unmistakable scent of fluffy dog, the type of soft, sunny smell that came from running around under the mid-afternoon sun. It wasn’t bad, but he was a cat. Any hybrid within a two meter radius was going to smell dog on him and have many, many questions to ask. Oh well. Beggars couldn’t be choosers, and hybrids couldn’t pick and choose the fights they got into. He gave his damp hair one last squeeze and stepped out of the bathroom.

Fuma was squatting in the living room, hovering over a large towel laid out on the floor. They’d taken out each and every one of his items from his bag and placed them on the cloth, and now the man was holding a hair dryer in hand as he skimmed the hot air over the mat. His brow was furrowed as he picked up a bottle and slowly turned it over. Nicholas swallowed. It was a little jarring to watch a grown, buff man be so cautious about a bunch of random junk, but it was more than a little uncomfortable to watch, because it was his junk. He coughed lightly.

“Oh!” Fuma raised his head. “Hey, you’re done? That was fast. Thought you’d take longer.” He gestured to the items on the floor. “We were trying to dry them, but it’ll take a while. Sorry.”

“Oh, uh, it’s okay.” Nicholas shifted on the balls of his feet. “Didn’t want to run out the hot water, that’s all.”

Fuma blinked. “Run out… what?”

“…Nevermind.”

“Your bag’s with Euijoo,” Fuma continued, turning to start the hair dryer again. Nicholas had to step closer to hear him over the whir of the machine. “He’s fixing it up, because we accidentally tore it a little. He’s much better at mending things than me, don’t worry.” He chuckled to himself, as if laughing at an inside joke that Nicholas wasn’t privy to. Nicholas didn’t care. All he could feel was his blood running cold.

He’d hoped the warm bath would have helped him to acclimatize to this whole new world. Instead he felt more out of place than ever. Every step on the heated tiles felt like an intrusion. Fuma’s generosity, going beyond any reasonable means. Even Euijoo’s, despite his stand-offishness. It was the same feeling as walking into a opulent museum — so in awe of the world and the art around you, yet incredibly self-aware of how small you were, how nothing you became in the presence of the great. In the face of someone who had it all, what did he even have, really?

“Uh, you don’t have to do this,” Nicholas laughed. It came out strained. “I can handle it, don’t worry. It’s a lot of stuff, you know, and I —”

Fuma frowned, and Nicholas snapped his mouth shut. “Not at all. It’s kind of fun, really.” Still squatting, he waddled to the side and smiled. “It’s comfortable pretending to be a crab. Do you want to try? I can grab you another hair dryer — oh your hair’s still dripping. Want me to dry it for you?”

Instantly, the fur on Nicholas’ tail stood completely on end.

“Okay, I get it, no worries,” Fuma laughed as Nicholas flushed and scooted back. He turned the handle away and extended his arm towards him. “You can dry it yourself. Use this one, it’s much better on fur… or so Euijoo says. Something about the heat being gentler?”

Tentatively, Nicholas took the hair dryer from his hand and slowly stepped towards the couch. With one final smile, Fuma left, presumably to find the other hair dryer. As Nicholas sat down at one corner of the sofa, back ramrod straight as he drifted the dryer over his fur, he sighed. He’d been rolling the idea of leaving around in his mind, but maybe… maybe staying wasn’t such a bad idea? It certainly wouldn’t be for long, anyway. He’d sleep a little and head off before the other two woke up. The idea of a warm floor to sleep on was too tempting for him to let go. It’d be a huge improvement from the icy concrete of half-finished buildings, for sure.

The chill seeped out of his ears as he ran the hair dryer over it, and he had to press down on a purr that threatened to burst out of his throat. Euijoo had been right. Nicholas would’ve scoffed at the idea of a luxury hair dryer, because what kind of stupid marketing gimmick was that? For a device that blew hot air? But he’d been proven so wrong. It was hot, but not burning. The air felt gentle yet powerful. Was the fur on his tail smoother, too? Maybe that last one was placebo, but it felt good.

All the same, by the time Fuma returned with a second dryer and his bag, Nicholas made sure that he was focused on drying his things instead. There was a little shame in the idea of Fuma watching Nicholas enjoy something like a hair dryer so much. He squatted down next to him, shoulders a hair’s breath away from touching. Nicholas scooted away.

“Alright, that should be good enough,” Fuma announced, finally putting the dryers aside. “I’ll help you pack your things. Could you ask Euijoo to take out the spare futon? I moved it to his room earlier. Just ask him to help you pull it out.”

Nodding, Nicholas stood up and walked over to Euijoo’s doorway. He held his hand up, before pausing. “Uh, do I just — what do I —”

Fuma gestured at him carelessly. “Just knock. He’ll open the door.” Lifting his head, he called out. “Euijoo! Open your door for a bit!”

“Wait, uh, you don’t have to —” But it was too late. Euijoo, bright eyed and tail wagging, opened his door.

The moment he caught a glimpse of Nicholas, his smile dropped. “You again?”

“Look, I wouldn’t bother you if I could. Not like I wanted to talk to you more, anyways.” With a scowl, Nicholas took a step into the room. Euijoo didn’t budge, though his ears pulled back a little. “But Fuma asked me to get the futon from your room?”

Euijoo scowled. On his round, full-cheeked face, it looked more like a pout. He stepped aside and let Nicholas approach the neatly folded futon before returning to his seat at his desk. Nicholas stared at him. “Are you…” He gestured at the futon, before doing a small lifting motion. “Am I supposed to… are you not gonna…”

In response, Euijoo staunchly turned away.

Well. Okay then. Nicholas scoffed as he lifted the futon and tucked it under his arm. A little bulky, but nothing he couldn’t handle. “You’re such a child, seriously.”

“A child?” Euijoo swiveled in his chair, stopping once he faced Nicholas. Whatever protest he was trying to make died down the second his eyes landed on Nicholas. Raising an eyebrow, Nicholas followed his line of sight, down to his arms, biceps flexing as he held the futon.

He smirked. “Euijoo, eyes up here.”

It was almost comical, the speed at which Euijoo’s eyes snapped up. A red flush blossomed across his face. “I — ugh, give me that!” He stormed over, gaze pointedly refusing to meet Nicholas’. Nicholas pressed his lips together in an effort not to laugh, and resisted the urge to lift his arms higher. Without waiting, Euijoo reached out and snatched the futon from his grip. It sprung open, nearly knocking them both over. With a small bark of surprise, Euijoo turned away, hands fisted uselessly into one end of the futon. He tried to pull it out of the doorway. It barely budged.

Smiling, Nicholas took a hold of the other end and pushed. It slid out of the room like butter. A laugh escaped his lips, but he quickly clamped down on him the second Euijoo shot him a dirty look. “Sorry. Uh, one, two…”

A few minutes later, they had managed to heave the futon into the living room. Truthfully, Nicholas could have done it in a fraction of the time alone, but there was something endearing about watching Euijoo try his best to contribute with his little pulls. It certainly hadn’t contributed much, and Nicholas would go so far as to say that it was hindering their progress, but watching a self-satisfied smile curl onto Euijoo’s lips once they were done was a delight to witness. He turned away before Euijoo could notice him watching.

Unfortunately, Fuma had somehow created another problem.

“Dude,” Nicholas hissed as he stormed over. His bag was still open, with his odds and ends jutting out in an unsightly mess. “Have you never packed a bag before? What is this?”

Fuma smiled sheepishly. “Well, shouldn’t everything be upright? That’s the best way to keep them, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, if you want to waste what little space you have in your bag.” Nicholas sat down and began taking everything out. “Think of it as a puzzle. Slot the pieces together. Not all things have to be perfectly organized. If you have to disassemble them to fit them, then so be it.”

With a curious gaze, Fuma sat down and watched him work. “I could just give you another bag, you know?”

Nicholas laughed before he could stop himself. “Another bag? Yeah, right. Try running with a shoulder bag weighing you down. You’ll be in pain and irritated in a few hours.” A pause, and then he was whipping his head up, eyes wide. “Uh, sorry, I just meant that I —”

Fuma laughed, a loud, hearty. sound that echoed across the walls. Nicholas sat there, tail stiff. “No, no! It’s good! It’s great. You should keep telling me! Then I can learn.” Before Nicholas could even comprehend his words, he was crossing his legs and picking up another two items. “So, do I slot them together? Would that work?”

“No, give me that.” Nicholas fiddled with the pieces until they locked into place. “So you twist it a little, and then move it up…”

It took them almost an hour to re-pack everything into Nicholas’ bag. In hindsight, all Fuma did was stare at him and watch as Nicholas rearranged his stuff, explaining as best he could the whole time. In theory, it might’ve been intimidating, but there was something about Fuma’s wide eyed wonder at him folding a shirt that lowered Nicholas’ guard. Maybe he really was a man who had grown up privileged, but at least he was trying to learn now. That was better than nothing, right?

Well, it wasn’t any of Nicholas’ concern anymore. When the next day dawned, he declined their offer to get breakfast together and left. As he stepped onto the streets of Kabukicho, ground still damp from the previous day’s rain, he hummed a little tune. It might have been the best sleep of his life, and maybe spending a single night in their house had left him feeling cleaner and fresher than ever, but it was over now. A pit stop, a temporary layover. They lived in two separate worlds. As lovely and as kind as Fuma and Euijoo might’ve been, he would never know for sure. Their paths would never cross again.

Nicholas had no idea how he’d ended up at this cafe.

“Ooh, the creme brulee croffle looks good,” Fuma tapped a finger on the menu, before angling it towards Euijoo. “Look, they even have seasonal cakes. There’s an orange coffee cake; that sounds like something you might like.”

“Hmm.” Euijoo hummed noncommittally, before turning to face Nicholas. “How about you? Anything interesting that you’d like?”

The cafe they were sitting in was all glass windows and natural light. Slender vases of delicate flowers were artfully arranged across the tables and counter, just enough to feel fresh and airy without getting in anyone’s way. The air was perfumed with a hint of lemon acidity. Even the table they were sitting at was a gorgeously carved wooden masterpiece, the base crafted to look just like a twisting tree root. Nicholas shifted in his plush velvet chair, back perfectly straight and tail pressed beneath his thighs.

They weren’t the only ones there. A few other patrons were scattered across the other tables. Maybe that should’ve made Nicholas feel a little more reassured, but all it really did was make the lump in his throat expand further. Everyone else carried themselves with such elegance, such poise. Starched shirts and summery dresses. Sleek laptops and leather purses. Even Euijoo, the only other hybrid there, seemed perfectly at home as he thumbed aimlessly through the menu. Nicholas glanced at his loose t-shirt and torn jeans and winced.

If this cafe’s concept was clean nature — a sanitised, bright version of the outdoors and summertime — Nicholas was its antithesis. He was the grotesque, disgusting part they tried to ignore, the scum on the bottom of the shoe of the city. His idea of cleaning up was using the last of his good soap to scrub himself at the public bath before he’d come here. And yet he’d stepped in with so much audacity, so much false confidence that he could handle one meet up with Fuma and Euijoo —

The second he’d laid eyes on the interior, his heart had sank.

“Uh, hello?” A hand waved in front of his face. Stunned, Nicholas scooted back slightly. “Earth to cat? We’re gonna order soon. Choose what you want, or I'll order you a fishcake.”

Nicholas scowled at Euijoo, who looked a little too smug after making fun of him. “Shut up, puppy. You’d be happy with my leftover chicken bones, I bet.” Ignoring the dog’s indignant glare, he turned to Fuma and plastered on his brightest smile. “I’m not that hungry, so I’ll just have a water. It’s fine.”

Fuma studied him for a moment before flipping the menu open again. “Will you share with me, then? There’s a bunch of things I want to try, but I’m not that hungry, either.”

“Uh, sure?” It was Fuma’s money anyway. Who was he to tell him what to do with it? “I’ll sample a bit. Not much, though.”

Nodding, Fuma waved the waiter over. Nicholas pointedly refused to look up as Fuma and Euijoo rattled off their orders, though he could still feel the weight of the staff’s glare pinned on him. Well, nothing new, he supposed. It was almost a relief that people were consistent, no matter where he went. There was a sick sense of resigned calm to knowing exactly how he was perceived. That way, he’d always know exactly what was coming. He let himself wallow in it for a bit, like warm water lapping at his ankles. “So why’d you guys invite me out, anyway?”

When he looked up, Fuma and Euijoo were exchanging glances, a silent conversation brewing between them. Fuma’s lips were pressed into a tight line, while Euijoo’s brow was furrowed, mouth moving sharply as it formed silent words. Nicholas sighed softly and let his head tip back. “You know, if you don’t wanna answer, that’s okay. I just asked because I didn’t know how else to start a conversation.”

Euijoo shook his head. “I mean, the answer isn’t very logical, is all. This idiot,” he jabbed a finger in Fuma’s direction, “Just kept talking about seeing you again, so we asked. He wanted this.” He folded his arms. “Don’t get it wrong, though. I still think you’re a weird, soggy cat. Annoying as hell, too.”

“Thank you, it’s my greatest achievement.” Nicholas struck a mock bow. Honestly, Euijoo being wary of him was a good thing. That way, whenever the illusion of redeemability that they’d concocted about Nicholas inevitably shattered, there would be a much shorter distance to fall. It was hard to disappoint someone who’d never had faith in you in the first place. “I just hoping this isn’t taking up too much of your time. Isn’t midday of a weekday usually office hours?”

“Our jobs are flexible. As long as we get the work done on time, it’s no problem at all.” Fuma took a sip of his water. His gaze was fixed on a point behind Nicholas. For a moment, the look in his eyes hardened into something cold. Nicholas craned his neck back to catch a glimpse, but a pointed cough from Euijoo had his head snapping back to face them before he could figure it out. “Though Euijoo isn’t quite right. There was a reason I wanted to invite you out.”

Euijoo’s head whipped around to face Fuma. “Huh?”

“You see, Nico,” Fuma leaned forward, as if he hadn’t heard Euijoo. “As we can both tell, our dear friend here,” He nodded his head in Euijoo’s direction. “Doesn’t have a lot of friends. He doesn’t meet people, he doesn’t do anything except work from home, and when he does go out, he either goes alone or with me. Plus, I’m not a hybrid. I’m just an ignorant human. So I propose this — you two become friends and hang out. How about that?”

There was silence for a moment, before all hell broke loose.

Nicholas jumped up from his chair, scoffing in disbelief, while Euijoo leaned forward to grasp Fuma by the shoulders and shake him. “I don’t need someone like him! I’m doing just fine; I don’t need to be hanging out with a street cat like him!”

“Wow, I feel so much love,” Nicholas shot back drily. “No, but seriously, how am I the best candidate? You do know that I’m, like, a runaway, right? That’s not usually top-choice resume stuff. Wow, Euijoo, you must seriously be shit at this.”

“Shut up!” The hiss that escaped Euijoo came out a little like a snarl. “I don’t — I can make friends! I just don’t want to!”

Fuma raised an eyebrow. “And when’s the last time you did that?”

Sinking down into his seat, Euijoo’s mouth twisted into a pout. They were saved from any rebuttal he had by the waiter coming over with their food. As they dug in, Nicholas glanced up occasionally. Euijoo’s eyes were still downcast, but he seemed somewhat soothed by his orange cake, if the speed at which he chowed it down was any indicator. Fuma, on the other hand, had a playful gleam in his eyes. He caught Nicholas’ gaze and winked. Nicholas forced himself to turn away, and hoped that the heat spreading up his cheeks wasn’t too obvious.

“Anyway,” Nicholas started, once he’d taken the bite of food that Fuma had offered. He kept trying to load Nicholas’ plate with more, but he’d refused. Wasn’t it bad manners for him to accept too much? This wasn’t even his meal. Fuma was asking out of courtesy, so the least he could do was say no. Who cares if it was the most luscious, silky-smooth, luxurious strawberry waffle he’d ever taste in his life? He swallowed back the saliva pooling in his mouth. “Like, I appreciate the vote of confidence, really, but I think you should find someone better. I’m sure there are plenty of more suitable people around you.”

Without a word, Euijoo got up from his seat, chair screeching as it moved. He stalked off towards the back of the cafe. Nicholas watched him go. “Is he okay? I didn’t insult him by accident, did I?”

Fuma shook his head. “Not your fault. But our situation is a little tricky. I’m specifically trying to find someone who isn’t like us. Someone who can help Euijoo loosen up, break the rules a little. He’s so used to living his life by strict guidelines, and I’m scared that if I bring in any old snobbish person, they’ll just make things worse.” He absentmindedly sliced a piece of his waffle, the sauce spilling over and seeping into the crevasses. “I know he hasn’t been the kindest to you, but I promise that if you get to know him, he’s really sweet and kind.”

“Is that the only reason?”

“The only reason?” Fuma echoed, tilting his head slowly as he stared off into the distance. “Oh, no. I’m interested in you, too.”

Nicholas nearly choked on his water. “Sorry, what?”

“I’m serious.” Fuma grinned, warm and bright. “You’re a really fun guy to be around! All the people I meet at work are just stuffy businessmen who never know how to take a joke. I’ve never had someone scold me over packing before. It’s fun!”

“Maybe I should be scared of you, you weirdo,” Nicholas muttered, but there was no bite to it. Fuma might have questionable tastes, but Nicholas couldn’t sense any malice from him. Only pure, unbridled sincerity, strong enough to knock out a horse. Maybe the arrangement he’d proposed wasn’t such a bad idea. What did he have to lose, anyway? It’s not like he had anything better to do. And if he could get his hands on anything as good as the strawberry waffle he just had, that would be an amazing win. “Okay, sure. Just text me if you need anything?”

Fuma nodded. “Give me a moment. I’ll go check in on Joo.”

Nicholas followed his figure as he disappeared around the corner. Even from behind, he held himself with so much poise and grace, the sort of confidence that could command a room he’d just walked in and no one would bat an eye. Everything, from his muscular build to his sharp features, must have been crafted in a lab to produce someone as elegant as that. And yet he was being so kind to Nicholas. No matter how hard he wracked his brain, he had no idea what he was playing at.

Now that he was alone, he glanced around the cafe once more. Some of the customers barely spared him a glance, but there were some hushed whispers filling the air. He caught the eye of a man staring blatantly and smiled as politely as he could. Instantly, the man turned away. Nicholas’ smile dropped.

“Excuse me, sir,” A tap on his shoulder had him whirling around, hands reaching for his bag to clutch it a little tighter. “Sorry to interrupt your… session, but this cafe does not allow hybrids in the premise.”

Nicholas sighed and turned his body to fully face the staff. Up close, he could see his badge. Manager. Shit. Okay. It was best to play along. “I’m really sorry about that. I didn’t know about that policy. Let me just inform my friends and I’ll be on my way?”

He made to walk to the back, where Fuma and Euijoo presumably were, but the manager took a step to the side to block his path. “My apologies, but you must leave now.”

“Oh? But see, one of my friends is a hybrid too,” Nicholas let a catlike grin stretch across his face. Euijoo would probably kill him for calling them friends, but he really wanted to shock the manager just a little. “I should let him know about this new rule, shouldn’t I?”

The manager paused. Nicholas watched as his eyes darted around. He’d purposely raised his voice a little, just so that everyone else could listen in. Maybe that was a little petty of him, but he didn’t care. “We will… let your friend know once he comes back.”

“Oh, but I —”

“Leave. Now.” The manager’s foot was tapping impatiently on the floor now. “We will inform them when they come out, but you cannot stay on the premises any longer.”

Sighing, Nicholas raised his hands in surrender. No use pissing him off and starting a fight. He’d just lose at the end of the day, and Fuma and Euijoo might get banned from the cafe, too. “Chill, I’ll go now. Don’t worry.”

For a moment, he contemplated telling the other two about it. He quickly scrapped the idea. Perhaps they were the sort to uphold justice, but why would they do that for something as trivial as this? It would be such a hassle to confront the staff about something as menial as Nicholas. In any case, they weren’t completely wrong; Nicholas didn’t belong in a place like that. Maybe it was for the best, after all.

He grabbed his bag and walked out, the manager holding the door open as he left.

“So? Did you tell Fuma about it?”

Swirling the last of his water in his bottle, Nicholas shrugged absentmindedly. “I just told him that I needed to run. No use in making a big deal out of it.”

Sitting opposite him, Kei sighed and leaned back in his plastic chair. The center they were in had never been well-funded or maintained, but it was still a hotspot for runaways like him. Kei in particular usually stayed in this area, on the outskirts of the city. It was certainly a little inconvenient to reach, but there were fewer people. Kei and him could sit in the center for as long as they liked and no one would bat an eye.

Nicholas couldn’t recall how he’d met Kei. It’d probably been pretty early on, when Nicholas had just come to Tokyo and Kei was not yet the established name it now was. He’d taken him in, guided him around and told him how to navigate the streets. In return, Nicholas made the connections and negotiations and gave Kei more contacts for his medicine dealing business. He’d only realised it when he’d started hanging around Kei, but the people on the streets really liked medicine. Whether it was for actually treating illnesses or downing a cup to feel something, Nicholas didn’t know. All he understood was that there was a market for this stuff, and Kei was the primary provider. It’d given them a decent influx of cash to keep them going, so he didn’t question it either. Beggars and choosers, and all that.

“Honestly, I’d like to meet that guy one day,” Kei’s eyes were closed, but a smile still graced his face. “Isn’t he so interesting? First he takes you in for a day — which, by the way, I’m still angry about that. You couldn’t shoot me a message? I could’ve picked you up.”

Nicholas groaned. “Kei, it was late, and I was really far. Like, other side of the city type of far. It would’ve been a mess for you to come fetch me.”

“And I’m saying I would’ve done it, you stupid cat.” With a tip of the chair, Kei rocked forward once again, the force of the movement propelling him until his elbows rested on the table. He glared at Nicholas, eyes narrowing. “How long have we been friends, huh? Doing this doesn’t bother me.” He began rising from his chair, long legs towering as the flickering LED light cast a yawning shadow over him. “Do I have to squeeze it into your skull?”

Nicholas choked on a startled laugh as Kei approached, menacing. “No! I get it, I promise!”

“Do you?” Kei pinned him with a stare. “Because I mean it. And I need you to know that I mean it. You and I, we joke around a lot, and that’s fun and all, but if you’re in trouble I had better be the first one you call. Got it?”

The thing about Kei was that he was a pendulum — some days he was a playful, immature child, pulling pranks and messing things up for fun. On other days he was cold and firm, almost irrationally stern as he nitpicked over every inane detail. It’d led to a great many fights between them, but they’d always made up in the end. Nicholas had a very bad habit of being unable to leave things until they were complete, and he’d hunted Kei down until they’d sorted things out. They’d been close friends since.

Still, Kei was somewhat mysterious to him. For all the years they’d known each other, Nicholas had no clue what his real name was. Since the beginning, he’d only ever referred to himself as Kei. No one knew where he’d come from, or why someone as smart as him was here, but everyone knew better than to question the most reliable medicine dealer in the area. Well, it wasn’t like Nicholas was any better. He’d never offered up his own real name, and he was smart enough not to. A single piece of private information might be enough to get him identified and dragged back against his will. It wasn’t for a lack of trust in Kei, only a necessity to survive.

Kei’s stare was growing more intense by the second. Blinking, Nicholas laughed, strained, and turned away. There was a nagging itch in his leg that made it tap, tap, tap on the dirty tiled floor. The sound that rang up was rhythmic and clear. “I got it. I’ll call you next time it happens.”

“In an ideal world, it never happens again,” Kei grumbled, but there was no heat behind it. They both knew that it would absolutely happen again, no matter how hard they tried to avoid it. It was just the life they’d resigned to live. “Anyways — that Fuma guy, lets you sleep over, invites you out to a cafe, and proposes to make you his hybrid’s playmate. Did I cover everything?”

“Basically, yeah.”

“And you said yes?”

“Well, look, it’s not like I don’t know the risks,” Nicholas scowled. “But I think the reward could outweigh it. You know, free meals that don’t taste like cardboard. I’ll even sneak some for you.”

“I should crash your date,” Kei hummed as he ignored Nicholas’ cry of protest. “Check his vibes for myself, you know? Ooh, maybe I can do the whole meet-the-friends thing, where I interrogate him and his intentions. See what he wants with my pretty Nico.”

The corners of Nicholas’ mouth curled down even further. “I’m not pretty. I’m scary. And I’m sure none of them want to date me, so you can stop projecting your weird fantasies.”

“Liar, liar.” Kei lifted his head and wagged his finger at him. For a second, the vision of biting his finger off flashed through Nicholas’ head. He shut down that intrusive thought as quickly as it came. “Do you know how many people have approached me for your number? It’s been great for business, don’t get me wrong, but you underestimate how much people like you. Give it a chance. You’re young and handsome; go out there and date around a bit.”

Living on the streets had taken its toll on him. Nicholas would be a liar if he said that it hadn’t hurt the first time he was called homeless. He had dreams and ambitions too, just like regular people. He just had a longer way to go than others. So why did all his effort feel so futile? Why did it feel like no matter what he did, he would never be wanted anywhere? To that end the idea that people liked him felt foreign. What was there to like about someone with nothing to give?

Nicholas did not say any of this to Kei. Instead he asked a question in return. “You’re not even that much older than me. Why don’t you do it, too?”

Kei hummed, eyes crinkling into crescents. “I’m waiting it out.”

“Okay, so you’re just lying out of your ass again.” Nicholas groaned and stood up. Grabbing his bag, he reached out, palm open. “I’m gonna run. There’s someone I have to meet tonight. Could you pass me back my phone? Thanks for lending me your charger, by the way.”

“No problem,” Kei tossed him the device. Nicholas caught it mid-air. “But seriously, you need to be careful if you keep going out with Fuma and Euijoo. People are always watching, you know. If they find out that you hang around a bunch of wealthy people, they might target you.

Rolling his eyes, Nicholas grinned at Kei. “Got it. Don’t worry, I won’t get too attached. I’ll be careful.”

“I just came here to say,” Euijoo started, in lieu of a greeting, “To stay away from Fuma.”

“Wow, good afternoon, yes I’m doing great too, thanks for asking.” Shooting him an odd grin, Nicholas sat down on the empty space next to him. “And I came all the way here to hang out with you, so let’s try to be friendly. Yeah?”

“I don’t know what you’re up to,” Wow. Euijoo had really ignored everything he’d said, huh? His ears were pinned back, hand tightening into a vice grip around his wallet. “But if you have something you want, deal it with me. Don’t involve Fuma. He’s busy enough as it is.”

Things were starting to make a bit more sense. When Nicholas had first received the invitation from Euijoo, a stiff, formal message that had perfect paragraphing and punctuation, he’d burst out laughing. It’d seemed a little too on the nose that Euijoo wanted to meet at an open-air park known for its dog play fields. He’d wondered amusedly to himself if Euijoo expected them to get to know each other by running around and playing ball. As stupid as the notion had been, Nicholas couldn’t shake the possibility. He had to make sure that he won if they raced. So he’d worn his best running shorts and top, and had even tied his shoelaces extra tight, making sure to tuck the frayed bits away as neatly as possible.

Now that it was here, everything fell into place. Euijoo didn’t choose the park because he wanted to play; he’d chosen it because it was outdoors and in public. Nicholas couldn’t pull anything fishy without at least ten people noticing.

Sighing, Nicholas tossed his backpack to the ground. It landed on the grass with a hefty thud. “Look, Euijoo, this is a bit unfair to me. I don’t know what impression you’ve got in your mind, but I’m really not expecting everything from you or Fuma. I’m just here because I have nothing better to do, and you seem like someone who could be a fun friend.”

Euijoo narrowed his eyes. “You’re just here to make friends with me? Bullshit.”

“Now that’s just insulting to bulls.” Nicholas twisted his body so that he was fully facing Euijoo. “What’s so offensive about that? You asked if I wanted to go out; I said yes because I wanted to get to know you. I thought it could be fun. Look, I even wore this,” He gestured to his clothes, “In case you wanted to race. Y’know, being a dog at a park near a dog field and — nevermind.”

There was a long pause. Euijoo’s eyes, round and dark, refused to leave Nicholas. His gaze sharpened into something intense, as if studying and scrutinising Nicholas as much as he could. Under the microscope, all Nicholas could do was wait as he was prodded and pulled by Euijoo’s invisible prongs. Honestly, it was getting a little annoying, being constantly questioned and watched with a wary eye. He understood why Euijoo would be cautious, but really, it got to a point. He had nothing to gain except for a free meal or two. He had nothing to hide.

Whatever Euijoo was looking for, he certainly didn’t find in Nicholas. With a final huff, he tore his gaze away and crossed his legs. “I just don’t know what you want from me.”

“And I don’t know what you two want from me, either, but we’re going to get nowhere if we keep going like this. It’s an endless circle.” Nicholas ignored Euijoo’s disgusted expression as he propped his feet up on his bag. “Let’s just call it even. We get to know each other as two random strangers. I’ll even make up a scenario for us.”

Euijoo coughed, before hastily composing himself. “Fine. Give it your best shot.”

Nicholas closed his eyes and clasped his hands together, a picture of peace and tranquility… he hoped. Was this the pose that people did when they meditated? He had no idea. If he’d ever tried shutting his eyes at one of the shelters, he’d probably be robbed blind. He squeezed his eyes shut a little tighter, trying to block out the screams of laughter in the background. “Let’s say I’m… a stray cat.”

“Wow. Imaginative.”

“Give it a chance, Juju. You’re too impatient.” Ignoring the kick to his left shin, Nicholas continued. “Once upon a time, a cat, sick of the life it’d been chained up to live, ran into a beautiful garden because it was so beautiful and full of life. But once he came here, he realised that it was full of… wait for it…” He paused for dramatic effect. “Dogs.”

An unenthusiastic gasp. “How horrific.”

Nicholas couldn’t help the snort that escaped him. “You have to commit to the magic, Euijoo. There were terrifying dogs, snapping and growling at this poor little cat, who only had a small bag and a few dollars to his name. So the cat ran and ran and ran, and he made a few friends along the way. But still there was no place to call home. So, he finally ran to a park, where he was terrified of the dogs. But then he saw the cutest puppy ever, sitting on a bench. With the fluffiest ears and the waggiest tail and the roundest eyes…”

A small huff. And then, through the noise, Nicholas heard the smallest hint of a giggle.

It was a tiny thing, a mere vibration from the back of Euijoo’s throat. In a split second it was drowned out by the din of the park, but Nicholas’ ears pricked up the second he heard it. His eyes flew open. “You laughed.”

Euijoo looked as equally shocked. One hand slapped over his mouth, his voice came out muffled. “I… didn’t. I… no, Nico, stop smiling like that — okay, fine, maybe a bit. You’re just so full of shit, you know?” He complained, but the corners of his lips were twitching. “Fine. So what does the cat do after he sees the dog?”

Nicholas paused. Truthfully, Euijoo was right — he’d been making things up as he went. He hadn’t expected such a warm reaction from Euijoo. But now that the gates had swung right open, no more barrier in the way, it was time to show Euijoo what he was truly made of. The full force of Nicholas Wang, if he did say so himself.

“Well, the cat comes up to the puppy,” Nicholas smiled, reaching down to grab his backpack before leaning closer to Euijoo. At this distance he could see every strand of fur on Euijoo’s ears, each and every eyelash that fluttered with every blink of his round eyes. He watched as his eyes tracked across Nicholas’ face, circling around until it finally met his gaze head-on. A small red flush began creeping up the base of his neck. Nicholas grinned. “And he gives a very simple challenge.”

Euijoo’s throat bobbed. “…What?”

“He says…” He let a finger trail up Euijoo’s arm here, watching with satisfaction as goosebumps rose up on his skin like waves on a shore. There was a small noise, before Euijoo clamped his teeth down on his bottom lip and went eerily still. Nicholas glanced up to match Euijoo’s gaze, letting the silence between them linger and stretch.

With one final exhale, Nicholas leaned towards the side of Euijoo’s head. He let his breath ghost his ear. From the corner of his eye, he watched as Euijoo’s hands curled into a fist, clawing at the soft material of his pants. The fabric crinkled and crumpled under the motion. “He says… last person to the end of the park is a loser.”

Jumping up from his seat, Nicholas took off. As he slung his backpack over his shoulder, he turned to glance at Euijoo, who was still stock still in his seat. He spun around to face him and threw his arms wide open. “What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue?”

With a start, Euijoo leapt up from his seat. His honey brown skin was now fully stained red. “What — you stupid cat, Nico, that’s not fair!”

Nicholas cackled as he took off once again. He could hear the thud of footsteps coming closer with every step behind him, and he quickened his pace. The warmth of the sunburnt ground wrapped around his feet, pieces of soil flying as he pushed himself to go faster, faster, faster. The summer heat beat down on them, relentless in its fiery intensity. Yet for a split second, as he turned his head and saw Euijoo bounding right beside him, it felt like the world around him was so light, so full of air. For a moment he was flying, free-falling, so weightless and alive as he let himself feel. Like a key in a lock, like a puzzle piece in the final hole. The moment of freedom clicked in his heart, a crevasse buried so deep that even the sun had only ever barely brushed it once.

He tipped his head back and laughed.

Fuma-san

how did you even get euijoo so dirty

did you roll him through grass?

N

howd u know

Fuma-san

i asked him for the selfie

to make sure he was actually hanging out with you

truthfully i thought he’d run away

N

i mean hr tried

*he

Fuma-san

haha

but i’m glad the two of you hung out

N

u shdve come alonf

wldve been fun

Fuma-san

haha

i don’t know if i would’ve been any fun

i usually just sit at the side while euijoo runs

N

i mean if u hv legs u can run

sorry that felt a bit snarky

Fuma-san

haha no offence taken

you’re right, i should run more

but thank you for hanging out with euijoo

i hope you had fun too

i’ve never seen him so tired from going out

N

i had fun dw

he shd get out and run more

u too

u shd join us next timr

Fuma-san

i’ll see when my schedule allows

you should invite your friends too

N

ur rly kind

but my friends not like

yk

Fuma-san

not the running type?

N

o no he luvs running

its js like

diff crowd ykyk

Fuma-san

it’ll be outdoors

i’m sure it’ll be fine

N

u shd join first and then well see how it gors

Fuma-san

haha

we’ll see how it goes

maybe i’ll crash your party if i’m free

N

nothinh 2 crash

wld be more fun with u here

so

Fuma-san

ah, also

next time let euijoo treat you to dinner before you go

i was wondering why he’d brought food back instead of eating out with you

N

had 2 run

ill pay 4 my own tho its ok

Fuma-san

he always eats at home though

i’m trying to get him to go out more

so if you accompany him

think of it as me paying you back for taking up your time

N

well see if he wanrs to go out w me again

Fuma-san

he will, don’t worry

today was fun for him too

he kept talking about you over dinner

but don’t tell him i said that haha

N

will do

cya next time

Fuma-san

i’ll try :)

N

so i heard u were talkimg abt me

juju

When?

You’re hallucinating.

Not everyone is obsessed with you Nicholas.

N

wow fully spelt name n all

someone told me u were talking abt me thru dinner

im so touched juju

we r besties

juju

Fuma you big mouthed

I didn’t.

He’s exaggerating; I just told him about our outing.

N

wow

juju

What?

N

idt ive ever seen a ; used in a txt msg before

idk what its even callrd

juju

A semicolon?

N

ig?

do u ever txt anyone

juju is typing…

N

not fuma

LMAO THE WAY U STOPPED TYPINH

juju

Shut up!

N

Shut up!

ok here ill teach u

no uppercase no punctuation

easy rules right

u try

juju

like this?

*like this

N

wow! so fast

see ur a pro

juju

I don’t like it though.

Do I have to use it?

N

i mean rn u sound like a boomer lowkey

one finger typing while squinting thru eyeglasses type shit

like if yw sound more friendly

juju

okay i’ll try

was that correct?

N

ykw close enough

well get there

look so many benefits to beinh friends w me

juju

i’m doing charity work with you

being friends with someone slower at running than me

N

WDYMMM I WONN

WE BOTH SAW

I RCHED THE END 1ST

juju

whatever helps you sleep at night

haha

N

WHAT

long leg boss

hey

hey

nico

heyy nicooo

stop texting ur boytoy

N

k wtf

long leg boss

got ur attention :p

N

boytoy?????

long leg boss

yeah

you go out on one date

suddenly you don’t reply my messages

N

my phones dyinf

long leg boss

go buy a charger

you keep borrowing mine

i’ll give you money for it

N

nah isok

ill find a plug

long leg boss

okay then just listen to what i have to say

a few people saw you at the park with euijoo

they sent me pics too

[2 images attached]

be careful when you meet with him

or fuma

both of them look like they have money

people are getting suspicious

be careful

nico?

nico are you there?

did your phone die again…

“To be honest,” Fuma swirled the liquid in his cup. “When you said you knew a place, I did not expect… this.”

To his side, Nicholas laughed. The red plastic stool scraped against the gravel as he leaned back. “Not used to street food, fancy guy?”

The roadside stand they were sitting at was a little corner stained with oil and grease. Set up on a small little street away from the main road, it’d been an accidental gem that Nicholas had stumbled on while trying to find shelter once. The actual stand, with the stoves and cooking, was terribly small, but the area they were sitting at was covered with a large plastic tarp above their heads. Electric blue and gaudy, one end flapped in the wind as a corner slid out from under a sandbag. Nicholas stretched out his leg and kicked it back in place. In his rickity plastic seat, Fuma sat as still as possible, back pin straight and shoulders stiff.

Nicholas took a sip of his water. “Loosen up. The more you think about it, the more you’ll stand out. Everyone here can already tell you’re not a regular, anyway.”

With a sigh, Fuma’s shoulders slumped. “Is it really that obvious?”

“Like a beacon.” Nicholas smiled sweetly at Fuma. As he shifted in his seat, Nicholas continued. “There’s a feel to regular people that you don’t have. Something about you commands attention, you know?”

There was something deeply satisfying about watching a man usually so composed struggle in such a casual setting. It felt like Nicholas was gaining the upper hand, for once. Winning. What exactly he was winning, he wasn’t yet sure, but it filled Nicholas with a smug joy.

“By the way, I asked you to wear your most casual clothing.” Nicholas continued. “So what is… this?”

When Nicholas had suggested the dinner place, he’d also warned Fuma and Euijoo to wear their most casual clothing. Already their very presence stood out among the locals. The last thing they wanted to do was draw more attention to themselves. Something you can get dirty, Nicholas had told them. Something that you wouldn’t mind if it got trashed. As it turned out, Fuma had interpreted that as a compression shirt and basketball shorts. Which was technically what Nicholas had asked, but now he stood out for different reasons. Nicholas had to tear his eyes away from the bulging biceps accentuated by the tight shirt.

Fuma shrugged. “It’s an old shirt I haven’t worn in a year. It won’t be missed.” As if to taunt Nicholas, he pulled the shirt away from his stomach and let go, letting the fabric slap back on his skin. Damn. For a moment Nicholas could even see the outline of his abs. He really was like one of those fictional CEOs who was rich beyond belief and still found time to work out regularly. Nicholas didn’t know if he wanted him or wanted to be him.

Wait, what?

“Euijoo will be here soon, and then you can judge our clothes.” Fuma was still talking. Nicholas coughed and shook his own thoughts away. “He’s got… an interesting sense of fashion. Someone like you might get a heart attack.” He chuckled lightly, as if laughing at an inside joke.

Nicholas frowned. “Someone like me?”

If Fuma noticed the suspicion in his tone, he didn’t show it. “Yeah. You like clothes, right? And fashion. You always put in a lot of care and effort into your outfit. I think you’d get a kick out of seeing Euijoo’s wardrobe.”

And well. What is Nicholas even supposed to say about that?

In the first place, he hadn’t even realised that Fuma had been looking. He was definitely caring, for sure, and had a sharp eye at that; but Nicholas was a nobody. He’d just turned up at his door and slept on the floor for one night. And yeah, they’d messaged a few times before, but it’d mostly been about Euijoo. Nicholas had thought their relationship was a little like a parent and a tutor — just status updates as he went.

But now Fuma had admitted that he’d been looking at Nicholas. Not just any looking, either, but seeing. Really seeing.

Nicholas didn’t know how to feel about that.

It’d been long engrained in him that attention only brought trouble. Being famous among the other runaways brought more trouble than it was worth. Even for Kei, who ran his little medicine dealings, his notoriety nearly had the police busting open their operation a few times. Nicholas had long since associated any eyes on him with danger.

The problem was that Fuma, with all his wide eyed wonder and kind hands, was just so sincere. He was a liar through and through, but most of it was done in jest. When it came to things that mattered, important things, Fuma was dead serious every time. Everything he said came from the heart. Nicholas hadn’t even thought that anyone would ever notice his subtle outfit choices — after all, a well-dressed homeless hybrid was still a homeless hybrid. No one would think twice. But now Fuma had, and Nicholas couldn’t tell if the stuttering of his heartbeat was from fear or joy.

“Well,” Nicholas laughed, hoping that the strain in his voice wasn’t all that obvious. “How bad are we talking? Like, socks with slippers?”

“He does do that sometimes,” Fuma mulled it over. Nicholas tried not to let the disgust show on his face. “But most of the time he just likes to buy these really… weird shirts. Nothing offensive, except to the eyes, maybe. I don’t even know where he gets them.”

“What do you mean —”

“Sorry I’m late!” Came a call from across the road. Turning his head, Nicholas watched in still horror as Euijoo darted between the passing cars and walked towards them. “I had to finish up some last minute work — why are you looking at me like that?”

Fuma laughed and shifted to the side. “Come take a seat, Euijoo. See, Nico? This is what I was talking about.”

Nicholas opened and closed his mouth a few times. Worked his jaw. Said, “Euijoo, what the fuck are you wearing?”

When Fuma had said weird, Nicholas had thought he’d meant colours. An odd mix between gray and green, perhaps. Some kind of swamp brown. He’d thought — no, hoped that it’d be something as trivial as that. But the shirt that Euijoo had chosen was a nightmare come to life. A picture of a dog’s face covered the entire shirt from top to bottom. Its tongue was lolling out and mouth mid-bark, frozen forever on the dye of the threads. Its eyes bore down on Nicholas, as if tracking his every move. He shivered at the thought.

Was this what the rich did with their money? Or was it some kind of sick power play from Euijoo? A dog hybrid wearing a dog shirt. Maybe this was some kind of 3D chess play that Nicholas wasn’t privy to. He almost hoped that was the case, otherwise there would be no good reason for that shirt to even exist.

“What?” Euijoo had the audacity to look confused. He plucked at his shirt. “You said casual. I wore casual.”

“What kind of ‘casual’ did you people have in mind?” Nicholas groaned. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “No. You know what? Euijoo, I hate your shirt more, but somehow you’re still blending in a little better than Fuma. I can give you credit for that.”

“Yes!” Euijoo’s ears perked up. Behind him, his tail started wagging. It hit the floor a few times — thump, thump, thump — before it stopped abruptly. “Wait. What do you mean, you hate it more? Is it because you hate dogs? That’s discrimination, Nico, you can’t say that —”

“Euijoo, I think even dogs would hate your shirt.”

“Fuma, you absolute traitor — ”

As the two of them began bickering in front of him, Nicholas busied himself by drinking more water. God. What was taking the owner so long? Normally he’d have approached them to take their order by now. They were the only customers at this time, too; what could be the hold-up?

He peered in the direction of the kitchen. The owner was stacking dishes on a large tray, as if to serve someone. He caught his eye and grinned. Nicholas felt his eyes widen. No way. No way that whole tray was for —

“Sorry to keep all of you waiting!” The owner announced cheerily as he approached them. “Here’s the food you ordered in advance. Enjoy!”

Fuma and Euijoo bowed lightly and stared eagerly at the food. Dazed, Nicholas followed suit. He was pretty sure that neither Fuma nor Euijoo had even set foot in this neighbourhood before, and he certainly hadn’t made an advanced order. He did a quick scan of the food. It was all his favourite dishes — all meat, no veggies. As if it was catered to him and him alone.

“Nico?” A soft call of his name. Slowly, Nicholas opened his eyes. Euijoo was staring at him, all floppy-eared and wide eyed. “What’s wrong? Should we dig in?”

There was only one other person who’d known where he was going today. Someone who’d pestered him on the phone until he’d relented and told him the exact details of the meet-up. Someone who he’d eaten with before at this stall. Someone who, as Nicholas’ ears perked up, was approaching them slowly, footsteps light and easy on the asphalt.

“Hi!” Kei called as he walked over, hands in pockets. Nicholas pressed his fingers to his temple. He could feel his head throbbing behind his skull. “Woah, so many friends of Nico’s! But yes, please dig in. I ordered it for all of you, after all. Let’s eat!”

Fuma’s eyes narrowed as Kei dragged over a stool and plopped himself down next to Nicholas. “I wasn't aware that Nico was inviting anyone.”

“Oh, you know Nico. So mysterious and brooding.” Kei waved his hand flippantly. He grabbed a skewer off the tray and took a bite. “Woah! This stuff’s as good as the last time we came here. Nico, try some. Say ah?”

Nicholas batted away his attempts at airplaning before sighing again. He seemed to be doing that quite a lot in the time they’d sat down. There was no shaking Kei off once he’d made up his mind, unfortunately, and Nicholas knew that he’d lost the battle the second that Kei had made himself comfortable at the table. There was no getting rid of him. “Fuma and Euijoo, this is Kei. My friend. Kei, you know who they are.”

In response, Kei waved his half eaten skewer at them and smiled, cheeks bulging. Fuma sat up a little straighter in his chair. Euijoo’s eyes were trained on Kei, tail stiff and raised. Nicholas just wanted to go home.

Lifting one hand, he slapped Kei on the back. As the taller man choked and sputtered, Nicholas huffed out a breath and turned back to the duo. “Sorry about him. He’s usually like that. But please, enjoy the food. I promise it’s good.” To prove his point, he speared a piece of crispy pork on his fork and took a bite. “Eat it while it’s hot.”

Warily, Euijoo followed suit, with Fuma right behind him. Nicholas watched with muted relief as their suspicion melted away into wonder. “Woah,” Euijoo mumbled, chewing a little quicker. He swallowed before he spoke. “I didn’t expect this place to have such good yakitori.”

“Right?” Nicholas latched on to the change in topic as fast as possible. “It’s super well done. And for the price too? Such a steal. I come here when I want to treat myself sometimes.”

“It’s… smokey,” Fuma pondered, “While not losing the sweetness of the meat and sauce. A nice balance. I see the appeal.”

“Ooh, we’ve got ourselves a food connoisseur here,” Kei leaned forward, elbow resting on his knee. His eyes glinted as he studied Fuma. “Like eating, big guy? I can take you around instead. Nico doesn’t know where the good stuff is. Come with me instead!”

“No, thanks.”

“Besides, we’re here for Nico,” Euijoo covered his mouth and swallowed before speaking. “It wouldn’t be polite to go off without him. And, uh, sorry if this is a little rude, but we don’t know you.”

“But I know so much about you two!” Kei tapped his skewer stick on the edge of the table. It left behind a dot of brown sauce. “My Nico tells me everything, you know. I heard about how you two abandoned him at that cafe?”

Euijoo frowned. “What do you mean? Nicholas left before we came back.”

Nicholas knew where this was going. He bit back a groan. “Kei, please don’t —”

“Oh? Sorry, my mistake.” The smile that stretched across Kei’s face was sickeningly sweet. “You’re right; Nico was kicked out, wasn’t he? Silly me. By the manager, too! And you call him your… friend. What kind of friend patrons a place that hates their friend?”

Across the table, the other two froze. Nicholas tried to focus on eating his skewer and ignored the stares pinned on him. “Nico,” Fuma started slowly. “Is that true?”

Lifting his fingers to his mouth, Nicholas lapped up the excess sauce running down them.

“Nico.”

“Well, I mean, it wasn’t that important.” Nicholas sighed as he finally lifted his eyes. “It’s just a small thing. Plenty of other places do it, too. It’s not a big deal.”

Euijoo’s spine was stiff upright as he spoke. “But important enough to tell Kei?”

Nicholas swallowed. “Uh, he asked?”

There was a long silence.

The thing about Fuma and Euijoo, eccentricities aside, was that they were in such a different world from him. Leagues above, in a tax bracket and level of luxury he could never dream of grazing with his fingertips. And yes, Nicholas could admit it: he was envious. He wanted to live the way they did, to have no fear of how they would be perceived wherever they went, to sit in a cafe and not worry that they would be booted at any given moment. What use would they have with someone so far away from them? He’d kept his mouth shut, because at the end of the day, there was no use complaining about things past. This was his boulder to bear.

He tried to break the silence by laughing instead. “Don’t worry! It’s over. Let’s enjoy the food in front of us instead. I bet the cafe wouldn’t know how to grill meat this well, anyway.”

Kei lifted his skewer in mock cheers. “Of course. No crying over spilt milk. What’s done is done! We should eat well! Nico, eat up, okay? You haven’t been eating well the past few days.”

Slowly, Fuma and Euijoo started eating again. It was tense at first, but as Nicholas and Kei kept chatting, bit by bit the ice melted. First Fuma would interject with random questions, and slowly, Euijoo began responding with small noises between bites of his food. It wasn't perfect, but it was a start.

By the time they’d polished off all the food Kei had ordered, as well as a second round from Fuma, Nicholas was stuffed. It’d been a long time since he’d eaten enough to feel as full as he did then. Normally, he’d be cautious about leaving himself so vulnerable. A full stomach could make him sleepy and unalert. But something about that dinner and hanging out with the three of them made Nicholas want to set his guard down. In that speckle of time, when all they were doing was stacking skewer sticks into a tower to see how high it could go, when Euijoo managed to spill water all over himself and Nico, when Kei and Fuma had battled at the counter to see who paid and had ended up splitting the bill — in that freeze-frame of time, Nicholas let himself rest. Let himself let go, if only for a second. Breathed.

“That’s dangerous, Nico.” Kei remarked as they walked back to Kei’s clinic together, having said goodbye to the other two minutes prior. “They may be nice people, but that just means you have to be more careful than ever.”

A scowl stretched across Nicholas’ face. “But you liked them.”

“Yes,” There was an unreadable look on Kei’s face. The shadows of the flickering streetlight shrouded his expression as he spoke. “I did. That makes them all the more terrifying.”

The next time he runs into Euijoo, it’s on accident. One that he’d hoped would never happen.

It was difficult to explain to people where he got his money from. At most, he’d say that he was a delivery boy for Kei, but then they would ask him what kind of business Kei ran, and typically, the words ‘homeless’ and ‘medicine dealer’ left an unpleasant taste in people’s mouths. Most people assumed it was drugs, and Nicholas never bothered to correct them, because they didn’t seem like people worth correcting. Sometimes, though, people would ask him where Kei got his goods, drugs or medicine or otherwise, and Nicholas would have to say nothing to that, too. It wouldn’t do him much good to rat Kei out and say that he’d been stealing most of his goods, right?

He’d been trying his best to keep all of this from Fuma and Euijoo, because… well, they were worlds apart. As kind as they were, would they understand? Nicholas didn’t want to find out. Because as much as he griped about their ignorance and silver spoons and million dollar apartment, he liked hanging out with them. Not for money. Just for the company.

“That’s not a very good reason, you know.” Kei frowned as he set his bag on the ground. Unzipping it, he took out a few small glass bottles and began arranging them. “If you wanted company, you could just come to me! I’m here always.”

Nicholas watched as Kei picked up a bottle and examined it. “Yeah, but it’s different. Everyone’s a different vibe. I don’t want to lose that just because of my work.”

“If you lose them because you’re trying to survive, they weren’t very good friends in the first place.” With one final squint, Kei began handing the bottles over to Nicholas. “Here’s the medicine for the next guy. The park with the running track, 8 P.M. sharp. Cough syrup and a bunch of painkillers. He usually tries to underpay, but I trust that you know what to do.”

Nicholas gave him a mock salute and dodged the kick that came his way, snickering. “No problem, boss.”

He had nothing else to do at that time, so he decided to head to the park early and find a nice place to get comfortable. As he sat down at a bench, he let his mind wander. Wow. This felt really familiar. He hadn’t been to the park ever since he’d met up with Euijoo that other time, so maybe all his memories of the place were tinged with him. Unlike last time, though, the park was much quieter at night. Not many people thought of playing catch when it was dark out. Would Fuma and Euijoo enjoy catch? Or maybe frisbee? That felt like a very dog sport. Maybe Euijoo would be down.

“Nicholas!” A voice called from afar. Nicholas whipped his head in the direction of the sound. “Nico, what are you doing here?”

Speak of the devil. Nicholas couldn’t help the smile that stretched across his face. “Euijoo!” He laughed as the dog boy came closer. “What are you doing here? It’s so late.”

A pout curled on Euijoo’s lips. “Well, I could ask you the same thing. What’re you doing here?”

Nicholas shrugged. He hoped it looked nonchalant. “Oh, you know. Just hanging around.” He nudged Euijoo playfully. “I’m surprised to see you outside, though. A rare appearance! Oh, Euijoo, I’m so proud!”

Euijoo’s face flushed an adorable shade of red. “Well, I… Of course I go out! Sometimes!”

With a laugh, Nicholas slung his arm across Euijoo’s shoulders. “Of course, of course. You’re improving os much already. Who knows, next time you’ll even know where the hybrid shelter is.”

“Hey!”

Teasing Euijoo was fun. There was something disarming about a dog who flustered at the smallest things. Nicholas loved pressing his buttons and seeing how he’d react. Even Fuma had started to join in, making small jokes and blunt observations that made heat rise to Euijoo’s face. Euijoo had claimed to hate it and wanted nothing to do with them, but his wagging tail gave him away.

“I didn’t expect you here so late, though,” Euijoo checked his watch. Nicholas rolled his eyes fondly. Honestly, who carried a watch in this day and area? Unless it complimented the outfit, a phone would do just fine. “It’s like, what? Eight? What’s there to do at a park at eight?”

Nicholas paused. “Wait. What time is it?”

Euijoo blinked. “Eight? In a minute, anyway.”

Shit. In the blink of an eye, the atmosphere turned from warm to freezing cold. Nicholas could hear the blood rushing through his ears as he began to shove Euijoo away. “Shit, uh, Euijoo. You have to go now.”

“Go?” Euijoo’s long ears flopped over to the side as he tilted his head. “Go where? I just got here.”

“No, Euijoo, I don’t have time to explain,” Nicholas began pushing with a little more urgency. The customer would be here any second. If they caught a glimpse of Euijoo, he would be in danger. Kei’s warning echoed in his ears. “You need to hide. Or leave. Now!”

He didn’t wait to see what Euijoo responded with. With one last shove, Nicholas turned and ran. This customer always met him at the same corner of the park, dark and isolated. If he was fast enough Euijoo wouldn’t be able to catch up with him.

As he ducked into the underbrush, he was greeted with his customer, tapping his foot impatiently. He straightened his back, letting his work persona fall over him. Scary and intimidating. “Sorry for the hold-up. Do you have the money?”

By some stroke of luck, the customer hadn’t tried to push back too much this time. He got loud when Nicholas had withheld the goods before receiving the full amount, and Nicholas had to remind him that we’re in a public place, do you want to get caught? The man had enough sense to shut up afterwards.

As the final transaction was made, the man finally left, cursing as he went. Nicholas sighed as he counted the bills. Everything seemed in order. Now all he had to do was go back to Kei and —

“What the hell was that?”

Heart sinking, Nicholas watched as Euijoo stepped into the little area. His lips were pressed tight. “Euijoo, whatever you think it is, it’s not that, I promise.”

Euijoo folded his arms. “Then explain.”

Clumsily, Nicholas tried his best to speak. “It’s just medicine, and I’m handling the transactions, and helping Kei to be his delivery —”

“Kei?” Euijoo’s voice rose an octave. “So Kei put you up to this?”

“Hey, he was just trying to give me a job to help me stay afloat—”

“I knew I couldn’t trust him,” Euijoo muttered, more to himself than to Nicholas. “He was so possessive of you, and sly, and he couldn’t… I have to tell Fuma, he —”

Nicholas didn’t think. He lunged forward and grabbed Euijoo by the shoulders. Euijoo stilled. “Don’t talk about Kei like that. He’s just trying to survive. We all are. But you wouldn’t know anything about that, right? So privileged and rich. You’ve never had to fight to stay alive like we do. How can you judge us so easily?”

A silence. Nicholas watched as Euijoo’s eyes slowly filled with tears. When he next spoke his voice was small. “Is that how you see me?”

Regret curled in his stomach. “Euijoo, I…”

“I’m still a hybrid, you know,” Euijoo barrelled on, voice cracking. “I don’t know what it’s like to be you, but you’ve never once tried to be me, either. What would you know about my survival?”

A sharp pang of horror shot up his spine. Nicholas tried to reach forward, but Euijoo curled away. One step back, then another. “I really want to get to know you, Nico. That’s why I followed you. And I don’t really care if it’s medicine or drugs, but I was scared,” A thick swallow. “Scared that you’d be in danger. That’s why I asked. But you don’t care about that, do you? Everything’s okay if you get to live.”

Frozen, Nicholas watched as Euijoo turned away. “I can’t be friends with someone who won’t care for themselves, Nico. I can’t watch you die and you not care as you go. Don’t talk to me until you find a way to live for yourself. I don’t want to see someone I care about dead.”

With one last duck into the shadows, he was gone.

Nicholas didn’t hear from him or Fuma for a long while.

Maybe he was right the first time. He’d had his fun, but it was time to part ways. He was never meant to come close the top of the mountain, anyway.

Nicholas will chalk it up to it being a rainy night again.

It’d been a sudden downpour that the weather forecast hadn’t predicted. The cool and fresh night air had taken a turn for the worse, and now Nicholas was sprinting in the rain, trying to make it to Kei’s clinic before it closed for the night. If he was fast enough, Kei would let him in before the police patrol rounds started.

Turning the corner, he skidded to a stop as he nearly crashed into a figure. He almost toppled over trying to dodge them. “Urk — shit, sorry,” He panted. “You good? Okay.”

He gripped the strap of his newly gifted bag (an old one, Fuma had claimed, that Euijoo no longer used) and watched as more figures rounded the corner. As if melting from the shadows, they slunk onto the street, cornering him in the narrow alley. Nicholas glanced around. No easy way out. Shit.

It wasn’t like this was the first time something like this had happened. as Kei’s runner, he’d been through his own share of skirmishes. People who wanted more medicine than they’d paid for, people who wanted to use him to blackmail Kei, and some who thought they could take over his job. He’d scoffed every time. Kei was playful, but most of all he was smart, and he’d made sure Nicholas was, too, before allowing him to even touch a single package of his. He’d drilled him on every client, each piece of terminology, and how to negotiate. If a random runt off the streets thoughts they could replace him without a second thought, they had a real shock coming for them.

Still, it was odd that they were cornering him at this time. There had been no high-profile clients recently, or any suspicious new activity in the area. Most of his recent visits had been to their regulars. Nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, Nicholas had been doing fewer runs than usual, because he’d been spending time with Fuma and Euijoo, but now that they were out of the picture there was nothing. What could they possibly be here about?

“Nicholas!” One of the figures stormed their way to the front. The others parted the way as they marched straight up, stopping only a foot away from him. “Nice meeting you again. It’s been a while, huh?”

He bit back a groan. “What do you want? I don’t have any meds on me right now, and you know Kei won’t give you any.”

The boy scowled. “Don’t care about that. You’ve been M.I.A. a lot lately, haven’t you? But we’ve caught you. We know what you’re up to.”

Mentally, Nicholas ran through his past weeks in his head. Nothing special, as far as he was concerned. Kei had dragged him to an arcade to cheer up, which was a rare treat, but no one was going to take notice of him absolutely trashing Kei at arcade basketball and Dance Dance Revolution. “I literally have no idea what you’re talking about.”

The figures inched closer. Wow. There were more of them than Nicholas had thought. This was going to be tricky to get out of. “Don’t act stupid. We saw you with those two men. The rich ones, yeah? Looked like they were loaded. Tell me how you managed to bag them.”

“For the last time, I didn’t —”

“Liar.” The boy at the front swung his fist. Nicholas stepped back and watched him miss. “We can see your new bag. You don’t have that kind of brand-name money. How’d you get into their pocket, huh?”

Someone from the back laughed. “Probably the same way he became Kei’s favourite. Used his pretty face and got on his knees.”

Nicholas stilled. “What?”

“Yeah.” The boy turned his head to laugh, too. “C’mon now, Nico. Everyone knows that Kei likes you too much. Everyone can see it. Put your skills to good use, I guess?” He punctuated his statement with a wiggle of his eyebrows. “Always running your mouth. Don’t know when to shut up. Guess even rich guys like stupid hybrids who are good at sucking di—”

Nicholas didn’t wait for him to finish his sentence. Without warning, he swung his fist. It connected with the boy’s cheek, and he went flying. Rifling in his pocket, he tapped at his cracked phone screen until the messaging app finally opened.

His brain started running at the speed of light. Euijoo was definitely mad at him, and might not even answer. Fuma was still at work. Kei was the best choice, but he hated having to rely on Kei for so many things. There was always a deep reluctance in him to burden Kei more than he’d already had. He had been so endlessly gracious to him. Nicholas didn’t want to fuck that up.

A memory resurfaced. Kei, at the community center. If you’re in trouble I had better be the first one you call. Got it?

 Fuck. Fuck, he was out of options, wasn’t he? He said a silent apology to Kei as he dropped his live location in his chat, before pressing the call button.

A crackly noise sounded through the phone. “Nico?” Kei’s voice, soft and sleepy, echoed through the alleyway. “Wha’re you calling so late for? Hello?”

“Called your backup, didn’t you?” A glint of metal. Nicholas stumbled back before the knife could slice his skin. “Fuckin’ coward. Boys, get him!”

“Kei,” Nicholas quickly began rambling as the swarm of people approached. “Surrounded. Sent you live location. Come —”

His phone clattered to the ground as the first fist swung, and he ducked to land a quick jab on their torso. The person rolled away, moaning in pain. But there were too many. Nicholas took a deep breath as he braced himself.

Hurry up, Kei, he silently prayed. Come quickly.

When he next came to, he was on the ground. His eyes traced the grout of the pavement.

“Nico — hey, Nico,” There was a voice calling. He tried to open his eyes, but he only managed to widen them a sliver more before he squeezed them shut again. They felt too puffy and tender. “Nico, I need you to unlock your phone for me.”

He blindly pawed at the space in front of him until another hand clasped his in theirs. “Kei,” he rasped. “Wha’?”

“Bad fight. We need to get you somewhere safe now.” He could feel the warmth seeping from Kei’s hand. He tried to shuffle a little closer, but almost immediately a series of sharp pains shot up his stomach. On instinct, he curled his tail around himself. “Focus, now. What’s your phone password?”

Nicholas tried to focus on breathing. Even that was difficult. A heavy weight, or some kind of force, felt like it was pressing down on his lungs. He could feel the caked-up blood in his nose. Everything ached, like he was stuck in a pressure cooker. Pain stabbing him from all around. “Your bir’day. 2-1-1-0.”

A long pause. A sharp inhale. Nicholas’ eyes stayed shut. Finally, the sound of a dial tone rang out, before Euijoo’s voice sounded. His words were snippy and sharp. “Nico. I thought I told you not to —”

“This is Kei, not Nico. Shut up for a second, this is an emergency.” Kei was using the voice he had when they were dealing with difficult clients. In the back of his delirious mind, Nicholas laughed as he imagined how shell-shocked Euijoo must’ve looked. Would his eyes be full circles? How much more fish-like could he get? The corners of his lips quirked up. “Nico is injured, and I need a safe place for him to stay. Where’s your house?”

“Nicholas?” Euijoo’s voice was softer now, with a hint of panic. “What happened? Where are you —”

“Euijoo, address. Now!” Kei barked back. “I have no time to tell you bedtime stories. Where’s your apartment?”

Nicholas could feel his head swirling again. Somewhere in the background, Euijoo was rattling off a string of words that he couldn’t make out. Everything felt like soup. Soup. What he wouldn’t give for a nice, hot bowl of soup right now. He hadn’t even eaten dinner yet. Couldn’t the boys have waited until he was nice and full to jump him? Now he was soup-less and miserable, and probably bleeding out. Maybe. He didn’t know anymore.

“Nico?” Kei’s voice was back, more urgent this time. “Nico, just hold on, okay? We’ll get you to Euijoo’s house, so don’t pass out on m—”

He couldn’t help it. Curling into a ball, he passed out.

There was a rabbit in front of him.

Long eared, well-built. It looked soft and cute, but Nicholas was pretty sure that it was strong enough to fling him across a room, too. Nicholas watched as the gate between them swung open. “——, what… Neko? …okay?”

“————,” Someone responded from below him. Looking down, Nicholas found his limbs wrapped around a really, really tall cow. His head was tucked into the crook of its neck. “Put down… let —— rest.”

They stepped forward, and suddenly a path appeared. It wound around and finally opened up into a large living room. A dog was sitting on the couch, and it jumped up. “——? Is he okay?”

“… take my bed for the time…” Came the rabbit’s response. It had a shockingly low voice. Nicholas hadn’t expected such a tone from a fluffy bunny, but it didn’t sound too bad. “——, you too. Stay…”

The world began to bleed, sweeping Nicholas along with it.

Wherever he was, it was the softest place he’d been in years.

His back was pressed flat against something thick and pillowy. Around him was a warm, enveloping velvet, airy as it tucked him in lightly. The world was still a swirling mess of inky blackness, but as he focused, he could almost feel the tips of his fingers twitch.

He pushed a little harder. The vision before his eyes shifted, giving way as sensation slowly returned to his body, then his face, then his brain. It pressed against his skull in a dull ache. Nicholas tried not to wince as he sunk deeper into the cloud he was lying on.

A breath. Then another. His lungs slowly began heaving, a conscious motion now that Nicholas was starting to come to. In and out, and then in again. The air rushing in was warm and wet. Nicholas tried not to choke as he opened his eyes.

The first thing he thought of was Hey, that’s a familiar dog.

The cloud he’d assumed he was lying on was a bed. Large mattress, fluffy duvet, pillowy… pillow. Nicholas’ brain was mush. All he could think of was that it was soft, it was comfortable, and he didn’t want to get up. He didn’t exactly recognise the room he was in, but it seemed familiar. Something about the air about it felt comforting, in a déjà vu type of way. Nicholas couldn’t put his finger on it, but he let himself bask in it nonetheless.

Really, the only thing he immediately recognised on sight was Euijoo, sitting at the edge of his bed.

He blinked. Maybe his poor eyesight was playing tricks on him. He opened his mouth and croaked out, “Joo?”

Euijoo’s ears shot up. Wide eyed, he whipped around to face Nicholas, before immediately rushing closer. “Nico? Wait here, I’ll get Fuma —”

His face was puffy and blotchy. Nicholas could make out a faint rim of red around his eyes. He frowned. “Wha’ happ’ned?”

“Nothing,” Euijoo replied, before turning away. It was too quick. His face had stiffened in a matter of seconds, as if trying to school it into something inconspicuous. Truly the worst liar of all time. “Just rest, and I’ll go call Kei or Fuma to get you —”

“Euijoo.”

There was a long pause. Euijoo’s expression, a deer in headlights, remained plastered on his face. He worked his jaw for a few seconds. Nicholas’ eyes traced the movement, circling his cheek as the shadows shifted to and fro. Under the fading light of the world beyond the window, the the complexion of his skin looked sallow. Still, he remained silent. Nicholas waited.

Finally, he tipped his head back, sighed, and turned to face Nicholas. There was a suspicious shine to his eyes. “Why didn’t you call me?”

“Didn’t Kei call you?” Nicholas frowned. “Well, I guess I could’ve hallucinated that, too —”

“No!” The cry that burst out of Euijoo was sharp and explosive. “I mean, why didn’t you call me? I was so close by. You had my number. I could’ve…” He swallowed harshly. “I could’ve gotten there, before all of this happened.”

In a much smaller voice, more watery now, he whispered, “Was it because of what I said?”

It took Nicholas’ mind a few seconds to catch up. By the time clarity hit him, Euijoo was sniffling and turning away, making to get up from the bed. “Juju, wait no — it’s really not like that.” He paused. “Well, maybe a little. I just didn’t want to bother you.”

It was a wonder how Euijoo’s expression could change in a blink of an eye. One moment he was close to dissolving into tears, the next he was advancing with fire in his eyes. “Bother? You avoided calling me so that you wouldn’t bother me? You think I’d prefer you turn up at my door half dead?”

Nicholas glanced away. “Uh, sorry, I won’t crash your house so suddenly again, I promise.”

“You fucking idiot.” The curse slipped out of Euijoo’s mouth, a little clumsy but with force. “I want you to bother me, you stupid cat. You infuriating, annoying, irritating —”

A pillow came up and smacked Nicholas in the face. He sputtered as he tried to dodge it. “I — ugh, stop hitting injured people, you’re being a shit caretaker, you — Fuma! Kei!”

“They’re out now, settling some paperwork.” With one last hit, Euijoo finally set the pillow down on Nicholas’ legs before sitting back down beside him. “So. What’s your great reason for not calling me?”

Nicholas felt his brain get floaty again, before he forced himself to focus. Wherever he was — presumably Euijoo’s room, since he was here — he had a really, really nice bed. It smelt good, too. Something warm and woodsy, like an indoor fireplace. Suitable for the oncoming wintertime, too. Nicholas would be pretty contented to curl up in a blanket of his and let the scent lull him to sleep. “Uh. I mean, one, you were angry… which was my fault!” He quickly added as Euijoo reached for the pillow again. “My bad, I shouldn’t have doubted… yeah. But also I was up against people on the streets. They’d fought other people before. Kei would’ve known how to handle the situation best, and he wouldn’t let himself get beat up too badly.”

“So you didn’t think I’d be strong enough to fend them off.”

“Well…no.”

Euijoo’s shoulders slumped. He began picking at the tufts on the blanket, fingernails scraping the soft cotton. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but snapped it shut just as quickly. The movements of his hands began brushing patterns onto the covers. Nicholas traced them as he followed.

Finally, Euijoo stopped. His hands came up to grip the blanket next to Nicholas’ arm. “I’m sorry I was so mean to you when we first met.”

“Are you really?”

Euijoo shot him a look.

“Sorry. Shutting up now.”

“It was my first time meeting a hybrid in a while,” Euijoo was facing away from him, but Nicholas could hear every word loud and clear. “Actually, it was my first time meeting anyone for a long time. I don’t go out, and I didn’t talk to anyone except Fuma. Which is bad, but I’ve just never known otherwise, I guess. Does that make any sense?”

Nicholas shifted slightly. “Uh… not really. I mean, how have you survived so far?”

“Prized hybrid.”

“What?”

“See, some people have a lot of money to throw around,” Euijoo barked out a laugh. There was no humour in it. “And they keep hybrids around to show them off. Like a trophy, I guess. Fuma’s family liked that I was well-trained and good at being what people wanted to see, so they kept me around to entice their business partners and collaborators. Fuma was my only friends; and when he came of age to live by himself he took me along. He’s been nothing but kind to me. But I don’t know how to…” His voice cracked. “Live, freely. Even if I can, now. And then you came along, and you were so easygoing and knew so much, and I felt really stupid but also envious, and that was stupid, too, because I was so privileged already and yet I wanted what you had.”

Nicholas let out a low exhale. His eyes stilled on Euijoo’s trembling fist, still gripping the blanket. “Shit. Euijoo…”

“I didn’t tell you that for you to pity me,” Euijoo’s voice was low now. “I’m — better. Now. Kinda. But I know you’ve thought of me as weird, which isn’t wrong, because I am. And I don’t know how to be better. I think I was just born with something wrong inside me, that’s all. But I really, really wanted to be someone you could rely on, and when Kei brought you in all beaten up and barely breathing, I just— ” He shrugged, the movement jerky. “I don’t know. I didn’t like that all I could do was sit there and watch.”

With one sharp movement, Nicholas brought his hand down on Euijoo’s tail.

“I just — Ow!” Startling, Euijoo whipped his head over to stare at Nicholas. “Nico, what the hell?”

“Hey.” Reaching up his hands as far as they could go, Nicholas grabbed Euijoo’s collar and yanked him down until they were face to face. “If you wanna talk shit about anyone, sure. But you’re my friend, and I know you. And if you talk shit about my friend, I’m going to beat you up.”

Euijoo choked. It sounded suspiciously wet. “You can’t beat me up. You’re still injured.”

Nicholas raised an eyebrow as far up as he could manage. “Wanna bet, puppy boy?”

“No thanks!” Euijoo squeaked out. “Maybe I’ll take your word for it, haha…”

With one last shake, Nicholas released his hold on him and flopped back down on the bed. He stared at the ceiling, dazed. He knew he’d just woken up, but still, the world felt so heavy around him. Already he could feel the aches in his back and the tell-tale dull throbbing in his leg. He hadn’t yet taken a good look at himself, but it surely wasn’t pretty. Maybe it would be a good idea to check it out? He made to get up.

“Woah, wait, Nichol, don’t move so quickly.” A palm pressed against his back and his chest, slowly raising him into an upright position. “Come on, lean on me for a bit — okay, slowly now —”

With his arm slung around Euijoo’s shoulders, he slowly hobbled towards the bathroom. As they stumbled into the small space, Euijoo bumped his knee on the doorframe. He hissed as he hopped on one foot. “Urgh, ow…”

Nicholas braced himself against the sink and looked up into the mirror. His breath caught in his throat.

Whatever he’d imagined himself to look like, it was so much worse. His neck was mottled, spiderwebs of blood vessels prominent underneath the thin skin. The fur of his ears were clumped together, and as Nicholas picked at it, flecks of dried blood flaked off onto his hands. One eye was still black and bruised, swollen so much that it looked like he was squinting. No wonder it’d been such a struggle to open them earlier. He lifted one hand tentatively, gently tracing the tender flesh.

“Wow,” He looked at Euijoo through the mirror, who had taken out his phone and was now tapping the screen rapidly. “I look like shit.”

Euijoo glanced up, lips quirking into a smile. “Right? You looked worse when you first arrived. Kei and Fuma are gonna be back soon, so,” A towel was flung in Nicholas’ direction. “Wash up, before they come back. We’ve got a lot of things to discuss.”

When Euijoo had said a lot of things to discuss, Nicholas had been hoping for a casual conversation. Yeah, maybe him getting jumped was a little concerning, but it wasn’t anything special! People got beat up all the time. So what if he took a few hits? Kei would back him up. It was nothing to be worried about. He’d reassure them that he’d be back on his feet and out of their hair in no time.

Reality was a little less kind.

“What the hell do you mean I’m not allowed to work anymore?” Nicholas tried to jump to his feet, tripped, and caught himself instead. His hands had a vice grip around the edge of the table as he scoffed. “Over this? Over one small mishap? You’re fucking kidding me.”

Kei’s mouth twisted. “I don’t care. I’m not bringing you back out there. I’ve discussed with Fuma, and we’ve agreed that you should continue to stay with them. They have the space, and we’ll help you move all your stuff in with them —”

“That’s not the point!” Nicholas cursed. “I — I can go back. Soon, I mean. Give me a week. I’ll be all good again. You won’t even have to find anyone else to replace me. I —”

“The answer is still no.” Kei sighed and stood up. “I’m not going to risk your life anymore. It was already iffy enough, sending you into those situations, but I’m not doing it anymore.”

Nicholas could feel his pulse spiking. His hands were shaking. Whether it was from his injured wrist or the hot slash of anger that struck through him, he couldn’t tell. “So you’re leaving me. Is that it?”

Kei opened his mouth. Closed it. “Nico…”

“No, that’s it, isn’t it?” His eye twitched. “You think that the best way to keep me safe, whatever that means — you think that protecting me means leaving me behind. Well, tough luck, Kei! I’m just going to hunt you down again. Too bad!”

He watched as Kei’s jaw tightened. “Can you not be so difficult for just one second? You’re always so reckless, oh my god. You just love jumping the gun, don’t you? Sit down and just be quiet for once, you —”

“Okay!” Euijoo laughed nervously. “Okay, maybe we should take a break. Take a breather. Let’s all just calm down —”

“No, you listen to me,” Nicholas snapped. “If you leave, if you decide to cut me off, I’m never going to talk to you again. I’ll run off and disappear. Is that the safe option? Is that the best you got? Because I will outdo you, Kei. No matter what stupid shit you pull I’ll be even worse.”

Kei lunged.

In a split second, Nicholas found himself knocked off his feet. He stumbled back, knees hitting the edge of the sofa as he fell onto it. A shadow loomed over him, and he rolled to the side just in time for Kei’s hand to slam down on the place his shoulder was a second ago. He cursed and kicked his legs up blindly. It connected with something soft, and he heard a brief grunt of pain from Kei before he tumbled off the cushioned seat.

“Enough!” Fuma’s voice boomed across the room. Kei was yanked away from Nicholas, and he squinted as Fuma came to stand between them. “Euijoo, take Kei to your room. I’ll talk to Nico, and then, once we’ve all calmed down, we can have a civil and peaceful conversation.” The words were stressed through gritted teeth. Hoisting Nicholas to his feet, Fuma set him on the couch. Honestly, with how easygoing and peaceful Fuma was, Nicholas had forgotten how strong he actually was. Being yanked around whichever way Fuma pulled him was kind of fun. As Kei stalked away, Euijoo ushering him, Fuma sat down next to him. “So? Talk to me. What’s going on in your head?”

Nicholas pressed his lips together and turned away.

The soft cushion of the sofa dipped. “Nicholas.”

How was he supposed to explain the complexities behind his and Kei’s relationship? They were business colleagues, he supposed; but it surely went beyond that when they’d started to text each other regularly and go out of their way to meet each other, even when there was no work involved. And maybe Nicholas was being delusional, but he’d thought they’d gotten to know each other somewhat. He’d been confident that Kei wouldn’t replace him. Not because he was just that good at what he did, but because Kei wanted him around. He wanted Nicholas. He’d been so sure of it. No matter what came their way, he’d at least have Kei.

And now Kei was going to leave him.

“Kei isn’t trying to leave you, no,” A voice began beside him. With a start, Nicholas realised that he’d said his thoughts out loud. “And you’re not wrong. Kei cares. He’s doing this because he cares.”

Nicholas scowled. “Fuma, what would you even know about him? You two just met.”

“Maybe nothing,” Fuma shrugged. “Maybe he’s lying to all of us and he’s secretly an evil mastermind who is trying to kill us all. Who knows? But I look at actions. Someone who didn’t love you would not have begged me to pull strings and get you legal documentation.”

His tail thumped on the sofa with a loud thud. “What?”

“Yep.” Fuma shrugged nonchalantly. He stared at Nicholas, eyes seemingly indifferent. “We were — or, well, I was, I don’t know if he planned to stick around — going to tell you once all the paperwork was processed. Apparently he’d made notes on all your legal information over the years? Which was a little concerning that he had on hand, but he seemed desperate. Said that he’d work for me if needed. He just wanted you to have all your papers in order, and registered under my name.”

“But why?”

“Why?” Fuma looked genuinely surprised. He blinked, wide eyed. “I mean, isn’t it obvious? He wanted you to have a chance at a normal life. No more living on the streets and scraping by and getting beat up. Maybe get a job, go outside and try new hobbies. Take a vacation sometime. It’s what we all want for you.”

This was all too much. Just a second ago he’d convinced himself that Kei wanted nothing to do with him ever again, and now he was being told that it was all for his own sake. Something in his stomach began to twist. Like a ravenous animal, trying to claw its way out. “But you — but he —” He swallowed harshly. “I don’t get it. You two. What the hell’s your problem?”

Fuma had the gall to look innocently astonished, again. He pointed at himself. “Me?”

“Yes you, you’re the worst of them all!” His gut felt like a mess of shreds, heart thumping painfully against his ribs. “I don’t get you! First you pick me up off the streets randomly and let me stay over for the night. Fucking dangerous decision, by the way, what if I’d killed you or something, or been some kind of thief or… or… I don’t know!” Mortifyingly, he could feel his face start to grow hot. He blinked back the moisture from his eyes. “And then you keep inviting me out. You ask me to get close to Euijoo, who we both know isn’t built to defend himself. And then now you go along with Kei’s plan on a whim and do all — this!” He gestured around, frustrated. “Like, what’s your big plan, huh? What’s the strategy? I have nothing to give. A friend for Euijoo? Don’t make me laugh. You could’ve gotten anyone else. Was it pity? Are all of you just pitying me now?”

“Nico, it’s not —”

“But it wouldn’t even make sense if it was pity. I don’t understand what you’re playing at.” Nicholas steamrolled over Fuma’s protest. “If it was pity you would’ve — there has to be a limit — this is too much for pity,” he continued, the words now swift and fast. “It’s like, what do you even get from this? Some weird philanthropist ego? Does it make you feel better to be the savior to some random homeless hybrid?”

He’d been throwing out words and ideas at random, but Nicholas watched as Fuma flinched slightly at the last statement. The older man glanced away for a brief second, eyes pinched. Nicholas slammed his mouth shut. He’d been angry, yes; but angry at Kei, not Fuma. Fuma had been nice. Fuma had been kind. And yet Nicholas had lashed out at him anyway. He swallowed.

Maybe Kei had had a point. Nicholas wasn’t someone who knew restraint well enough. How to stop, how to pause. His headfirst diving left him no time to react when he’d realised he’d gone too far. He would sink to the bottom of the ocean before he realised he was drowning.

A long silence stretched between them. Nicholas refused to look over. His tail tapped on the floor in a rhythm. Thump. Thump. Thump.

“I think,” Fuma’s voice started, low and tentative. “You’re maybe… I don’t know. Half-right, maybe. Something like that. It’s a weird thing to put into words.” He laughed hollowly. “I know I’m privileged. I know I’m out of touch in a lot of ways. That isn’t a good feeling. And as much as I can’t help how I was raised or the experiences I’ve had, it does feel like… like I’ve been guilty from the moment I was born, I guess.”

There was a lump in Nicholas’ throat. “I didn’t mean…”

“Maybe not, but it doesn’t change the fact, does it?” There was a strained smile on Fuma’s face as he spoke. “Euijoo sees me as his idol, his leader. And I love him, really I do, but sometimes people will call me his owner and I’ll feel so sick but when you look at us, what else is there to think? And I wanted to try and maybe, see if I could help you just because I was actually in a position to, but clearly I haven’t done it right if you think of me as a saviour of some sort.”

Nicholas stared at the floor. For the longest time, he’d seen Fuma as someone who was so far away, so put together that he couldn’t possibly understand Nicholas. Like a figure at the top of the mountain, a silhouette as it stared down at Nicholas. Maybe he could sympathise, because that was the kind of person he was, but surely Fuma would know nothing about trying to become something good. Trying to reach beyond simple survival, to move beyond the limbo in the in-between.

But maybe that was the problem, wasn’t it?

Nicholas swallowed. “I think… I don’t know about being rich or privileged or anything. I only know as much as I’ve talked to you. But I think… I think you’re a good person. To me. You’re kind when you don’t have to be. That’s already so much.”

Maybe none of them were quite where they wanted to be. There were dreams buried in the back of Nicholas’ mind that he’d long since shoved down, declared dead from neglect. But perhaps the point of it all was not to be everything they’d ever wanted, but instead to just try. To face every new day and try to be compassionate, to be better, in spite of it all. To love, even when there seemed to be no point in doing so. Nicholas knew just how much a simple act of kindness could change a person.

Fuma smiled, strained. “Even if it’s just for my ‘philanthropist ego’?”

“Sure,” Nicholas turned to look him dead in the eye as he spoke. Fuma was trying to get away by playing it off as a joke, Nicholas knew it, because he would’ve done the same. But he needed his words to reach Fuma, to tell him that he finally understood that maybe, they were next to each other on the mountainside. “You’re trying. Isn’t that all we can do? Just try.”

There was a long pause. “To try,” Fuma finally spoke. His eyes were unreadable, but not cold. Never cold. “I think I can do that.”

Nicholas woke up to the smell of bacon.

Instantly, he frowned. That was odd. Among the people in the house, only Nicholas and Fuma set foot in that place. Euijoo had tried, allegedly, but had been banned ever since. If the bacon was being fried up by Euijoo’s hands, it would have set off the smoke alarms by now.

Next to him, something shifted, warm. His hackles rose, and he whipped his head over. Tail thumping, he peeled back the sheets. Fuma lay curled up next to him, snoring away softly.

He swallowed.

Last night had been a mess. He hadn’t caught a glimpse of Euijoo or Kei ever since Fuma had separated them. After their talk on the couch, they’d decided to call it a night. Nicholas had offered to sleep on the floor, but Fuma wouldn’t take no for an answer, and he’d argued that going to Euijoo’s room to get the spare futon might interrupt the other duo’s conversation. In the end, they’d settled on taking a side of the bed each. Fuma had promised, swore on his life even, that he wouldn’t touch a hair of Nicholas’ tail. He’d stay on his half of the mattress.

Liar, Nicholas thought fondly. His hand skimmed the blanket that tucked him in, before he sat up. Shuffling to the kitchen, he blinked wearily. “Who…?”

Standing by the stove, spatula in hand, Kei turned. They stared at each other in silence.

Shit. Nicholas hadn’t thought of what to say to Kei. They’d ended on a pretty bad note, hadn’t they? He might’ve cleared things up with Fuma, but Kei was a bigger task to tackle. He shifted his weight, nervous.

The worst part was, if you’d asked him a few days ago, he would’ve confidently said that he was the closest to Kei. If there was anyone who knew him best, knew him the longest, it would’ve been him. Kei had been there for him for so many years that he could barely picture a life in Japan without him. Kei, who taught him the language and the ways to survive, who had pressed a used phone into his hands and added his contact to it, who had dropped everything to come to his rescue at a moment’s notice. Maybe that was why Nicholas had reacted so badly when Kei had said that he was leaving. He cleared his throat and opened his mouth to speak.

Kei beat him to the punch. “I didn’t expect you to be awake.”

A small chuckle, strained, burst out of him. “Well, me neither. But I smelled bacon. I haven’t had that in a while.” He paused, then added, “Smells good. You cook?”

“Mm.” Kei turned back to watch the pan, bacon sizzling in its own fat. “A little. Simple stuff. But Euijoo said that none of the three of you really cook, and I thought that was a waste, so I wanted to make something before everyone woke up.”

Nicholas worked his jaw. The fur behind his ear itched, though he didn’t dare scratch it for fear of opening the wound by accident. “I… Are you going to go? After this?”

“I don’t know.” Kei was pointedly looking away from Nicholas. “Like, either way, I’m going to have to go back for my stuff at some point, but… I don’t know what happens after this.”

There was a gnawing ache in his gut, growing with every passing second. Nicholas tried to tell himself that it was his hunger, but he couldn’t lie. The thought of losing Kei, of Kei turning his back and walking out of the door and never coming back, had gripped his heart with such fear. His hand trembled as he hid it behind his back.

“You could stay.” Nicholas blurted out. He gulped as Kei’s eyes turned to meet his again. “You could — Fuma said he’d be okay with you. Staying. We could find room.”

With a sigh, Kei put down the spatula. “Nicholas, I told you, it’s not as simple as this. I can’t just want to stay and then…” He waved his hand around. “Stay. I’d be eating into the space. I can’t ask them to house someone they barely know —”

“They said yes to me, though —”

“Because they know you, Nico.” Kei’s tone was growing more weary by the second. “They like you. It’s so obvious. They’d let you do anything because they both like you, so much. Me, though? I’m competition. And I get that.” He barked out a laugh, but it held no humour. “As nice as they are to me, I’m still a threat. Not that it means anything anymore.”

The words weren’t registering in Nicholas’ brain. There was something in the way Kei spoke, his exhausted posture of sluched shoulders and heavy eyebags, that made Nicholas suspect that there was something that he was missing. A threat? What did that even mean? Kei had never felt dangerous to him. He was capable of becoming so, sure, but he’d always chosen to be friendly to Nicholas. Nicholas couldn’t imagine him as the rotten person he was making himself out to be.

Screw it. Screw it. Nicholas was so tired of watching people walk away. Of holding people at arm’s length. Losing Kei would be like rolling back all the way down the hill, alone and crushed. How many times would Nicholas have to lose what he loved before it became all too much? He didn’t know if he would have the strength to get back up again. Maybe they deserved happiness, too. Maybe he deserved to be selfish this time.

He scowled. “But I want you to stay.” He gestured to the space around them. “Like, look. All this is really nice and comfortable, I get it. They’re stupid rich. Heck, they have three-ply toilet paper. But not having you around would feel worse. I want you here. You. So stay.”

The soft sizzle of the bacon filled the silence. Nicholas watched, chest heaving slightly, as he waited.

With a quick flip, Kei transferred the crispy pieces to a plate and reached for a carton of eggs. “I talked to Euijoo yesterday.”

The frown on Nicholas’ face deepened. “Kei, don’t divert —”

“I have a point, I promise.” Four quick taps, and the eggs were bubbling away on the frying pan. “He told me that long ago, Fuma had asked him a similar question. If he wanted to be let free, to go out in the world as his own person, away from Fuma. It became a huge fight, and at the end of it, Euijoo told him that the best thing he could do for him was to stay by his side. So, like, I get it. Kind of. But I don’t know if they want me here.”

“Who gives a shit?”

Kei blinked. “Eh?”

“Like, look, I think you’re overthinking this.” Nicholas ran his finger through his hair and winced. The back of his head still hurt, even after sleeping so much. He’d hoped it would have made the injuries heal a little faster. Guess not. “I don’t care about whatever competition or hierarchy or self-sacrificial thing you have going on. But they’re okay with you staying, and if they aren’t, they’ll have a problem with me. I’m going to cling onto you no matter what. You can’t get away from me, Kei… uh, I don’t know your full name, actually. That might be good for me to know for the future.”

The corners of Kei’s lips quirked up. “You’re seriously such a clingy cat.”

On a normal day, Nicholas would scowl back. Bite back at the way Kei was poking fun at him. Today, however, he lifted his chin. “Yeah. So what? I’m your problem to deal with.”

It’d always been the two of them. Kei and Nicholas, side by side. And while Nicholas wants Fuma and Euijoo now, too, it’d always been Kei first. He wasn’t going to let him go without a fight.

Finally, Kei let out a huff of laughter. “Alright, I’ll stay for today. I can’t guarantee I’ll stay permanently, but I’ll talk to Fuma and Euijoo. Maybe they’ll be okay with it.”

The tension seeped from Nicholas’ body. “Okay. Great. I’ll be there if you need backup.” He turned to leave the kitchen.

“Wait.”

Nicholas paused in his footsteps. “Yeah?”

“Koga Yudai,” Kei spoke. His back was turned, but Nicholas still heard every word clear as day. Sunlight streamed through the window. “My full name. You can call me Yudai.”

4ply tissue paper

[nico has changed the group name from ‘group chat’ to ‘4ply tissue paper’]

juju

is anyone home for dinner?

nico

U

COME HERE

IM GNA FIRHT U

yudai

nico there’s like 4 people here you gotta be specific

am i on the chopping block

nico

not u

o how was the interview btw

yudai

went pretty well

i dont think they had much else to ask after i said fuma recc’d me

i love nepotism

fuma just asked if it’s really nepotism

juju

absolutely.

yudai

hes driving so im typing for him

nico

yes

but back to me

can u ask fuma why he got me a new phone

i told u any functioning one wldve worked fine

yudai

he said it’s not new

nico

righttt

because second hand phones come in the box and the bag from the flagship shop

yeahhhh love when they started doinh that

fooma

@juju did i not tell you to take it out of the box

why’d you give him the whole thing

nico

why r u texting while driving

fooma

red light

juju

i have the box that you wanted though?

nico

LMAOOO IS THAT WHY U ASKED FOR THE BOX BACK AFTERWARDS

was so confused when euijoo was like oh i need the box back

yudai

euijoo please

juju

was that not what i was supposed to do?

fooma

euijoo oh my god

nico

HAHAHAHAHHAHA

juju

i have a feeling that i messed up somewhere…

nico

yeah maybe a little

its ok our cute puppy jujuu~

juju

i’m the same age as you?

are you a kitten then?

nico

no im older

fooma

toddlers please do not fight

yudai

fetuses please do not argue

nico

old man

fooma

old man

juju

old man (sorry if that’s rude)

wait, so is anyone coming back for dinner?

hello?

if no one replies i’m going to try cooking dinner.

nico

IM HERE DONT COOK

ILL BE BACK FOR DINNER

DONT MOVE

yudai

fuma and i are on our way back

we’ll pack back dinner

euijoo please do not act without adult supervision

juju

i’m an adult though :(

i’m going to fry an egg.

fooma

@nico how fast can you get home

nico

wtf how long is ur red ligjt

literally sprinting

5min

juju

do none of you trust me?

yudai

yeah

tell him he doesnt have a very good track record - fuma

juju

but i want to try!

part of learning new things is trying, right?

yudai

well yes

but can you learn new things 5 minutes from now instead

juju

but i could do it now

yudai

orrrr you could arrange our shoe rack

for luck!

wouldn’t that be so fun euijoo

[voice call started by nico]

[voice call ended]

nico

sorry im trying to get used to tjis phone

anyway @juju let mei n

juju?

fuck our house is gna blow up

rip my 3ply tissue paper

yudai

why are you mourning the tissue paper

fooma

yeah there are so many better things to save

yudai

the moisturiser is much more important

fooma

like our passports and documents and

oh

i see our priorities are not in alignment

nico

no srsly how long is this red light

yudai

wait is that why the group name is 4 ply tissue paper

i kinda get it though

nico

RIGHT rich ppl r crazyy

wait

@juju wru i dont think the receptionist likes me

i think they rmb me

juju

sorry! i was sorting our shoe cabinet.

you can come up now.

nico

wait can u come down

the bags r super heavy

i cant carry it all up

juju

ok sure!

does kei-hyung have so much stuff?

it’s not drugs is it?

yudai

for the last time i was not a drug dealer

it was medicine

fooma

that’s kind of a drug though

yudai

PAY ATTENTION TO THE ROAD

nico

also no this is cloth i bought

to try sewing again

hope ur sewing machine is still usable

yudai

we have a sewing machine? - fuma

juju

yeah, nico and i found it in the storeroom.

i don’t think we’ve ever touched it, though.

but we’re gonna test it out.

ok nico i’m coming down now!

yudai

okay have fun

we’ll be back soon

nico

ok cyaa

“You know,” Yudai folded his arms. “If we just came here to see snow, we could’ve stayed in Tokyo.”

When Fuma had first suggested they take a trip together, the response had been a resounding no. Nicholas had just received his passport, and personally, he wasn’t yet keen on testing out its limits. In any case, they’d only been living together for a little while. Who knew what new problems they’d discover about each other if they were forced into a new environment together? But Fuma and Euijoo had insisted, and they’d finally compromised. A few months later, they were bundled up on a plane to Hokkaido.

It wasn’t as terrible as Nicholas had feared. Yudai still spent an inordinate amount of time in the shower, and they’d assigned Euijoo the job of banging on the bathroom door to tell him to get out. Nicholas still flinched slightly in crowded areas. Euijoo and Fuma stuck out like sore thumbs amidst the people of the countryside. But it was peaceful, and it was fun. They’d been exploring different places on the map, and Nicholas had spent most of his time taking photos of the nature around them.

The field they were in now was covered in white, punctuated only by a singular evergreen tree sticking out a few feet from them. When Nicholas had added this to their itinerary, he hadn’t thought much about it. He’d just copied a list of pretty photo spots in the area. An alarm at 8 A.M. and two hours of driving later, he was starting to wonder if he’d made a mistake.

Fuma shrugged. “Well, it’s not too bad. The nature is nice, at least.” He turned to Nicholas. “You said you wanted to take photos here, right? With the tree?”

He hoped the red on his cheeks could be attributed to the cold. “Uh, yeah…”

“Oh!” Euijoo perked up, tail wagging. “Do you need a photographer? I’ve been getting better.”

When Nicholas had started to work on his sewing and clothes, Euijoo had begun to take an interest in photography. He’d bought a nice, small digicam, which he brought with him everywhere he went. Yudai had joked that Euijoo was trailing after Nicholas like a lost puppy, sometimes. When Nicholas started taking more pictures, so did Euijoo. In response, Euijoo sulked for so long that Yudai had to buy him a basket of oranges as an apology.

Nicholas pondered Euijoo’s offer for a second before shaking his head. “No, it’s okay. Fuma, you asked me to teach you, right? I’ll guide you. This photo should be pretty simple, anyway.”

He pretended not to see Euijoo’s ears droop. Instead, he handed the phone to Fuma and swiped the screen. “So, you align the grid… you see the nine grid? Yeah, just put the tree here, in this third…”

To the side, Yudai laughed. He clapped Euijoo on the back, and the boy stumbled forward slightly. “Aw, Euijoo, don’t pout! There’s more than enough Nico to go around. Let Fuma take this pic this time. You still have me!”

Scowling, Euijoo dusted the snow off his ears. “Don’t be stupid! I’m just saying, I think I take better pics. I just thought Nico would like that, ‘cause he’s always so particular about them.”

Yudai and Euijoo were an interesting combination. Nicholas had been worried that they’d clash, what with their respective stubborness, but it’d somehow turned into Yudai being really playful with Euijoo at every turn. Beyond the initial aggressive facade, Euijoo was really just a shy, soft guy. And, as Nicholas was slowly finding out, Yudai had his own brand of gentle that paired well with him. They hadn’t quite reached the point of fully opening up to each other, but it would happen. Nicholas was sure of it.

Fuma laughed, even as his eyes were glued to Nicholas’ screen. “It’s okay, Joo. We all take turns. We all get Nico at some point!”

“You guys know I’m right here, right?”

“Well, you can have him.” Euijoo tossed Yudai’s arm off him and crossed his arms. His scarf fluttered in the wind. “I just thought he’d want the better photographer, that’s all.”

Nicholas knew what was going to happen before it had even come to life. Almost as if in slow motion, he watched Yudai tip himself over, falling backwards from the force of Euijoo knocking his arm away. He stifled a giggle. Yudai had faced straight punches without batting an eye. No way he’d been knocked over by Euijoo’s little nudge. This drama queen.

In front of him, Euijoo whirled back. “Oh my goodness — Kei, I’m so sorry,” He babbled, crouching down to dust the flakes of white off Kei’s coat. “I didn’t mean to push that hard — does it hurt, oh no…”

With a loud, fake sob, Yudai pretended to struggle to his feet. Exaggerating his heaving breaths, he glanced up at Euijoo, teary eyed. “Fuma, I can’t believe Euijoo hates me. He wants me dead!”

“Literally no one said that, Yudai.”

“I guess there’s only one things for me to do,” Yudai sighed, ignoring Nicholas’ retort. He rose up to his full height, glancing down to face Euijoo. The dog’s eyes were blown wide, staring shakily as Yudai smirked and approached him menacingly. Euijoo took a small step back, and Kei grinned. “I guess… I’ll just have to catch you!”

Yudai lunged. With a shriek, Euijoo took off, stumbling through the snow as he tried his best to sprit away. “Kei, what the hell — I’m the dog hybrid, I’m supposed to be faster…how are you so fast, oh my god! Nico! Fuma! I’m scared!”

As Euijoo’s voice disappeared into the distance, Yudai hot on his heels, Fuma lifted Nicholas’ phone and snapped a photo. He grinned as he showed it to Nicholas. “Good photo?”

Nicholas leaned in and laughed. Even the graininess of the photo couldn’t conceal the fear in Euijoo’s round eyes. A few paces behind him, Yudai’s figure was a blurry motion. “Perfect. Should we be worried about them, though?”

Fuma waved dismissively. “They’ll be fine. Euijoo’s been wanting to exercise more, anyway.” He gestured to the evergreen tree. “Should we take your photos now, then?”

The snowfall was light all around them. A single snowflake, puffy and bright, drifted down and landed on the edge on Fuma’s beanie. It was a simple grey one, but Nicholas felt a streak of pride rush through him as he saw it. It’d been one of the first things he’d successfully made when Fuma had announced that they were going on a trip together. He’d been skeptical when he’d given the beanie as a gift to Fuma at first. Surely someone with so much money had much better ones to choose from? But Fuma had made sure to pack it into his luggage, and had been wearing it over the course of their trip. The sight filled Nicholas with a giddy happiness.

Without thinking, Nicholas reached his hand up to dust it away. With one delicate swipe of his fingers, the white snow decorating the garment fell to the ground. “Okay, ready.”

Fuma was staring at him blankly.

“What?”

“Nothing,” Fuma shook himself out of his stupor and pointed the camera up. “Okay, go there, and I’ll take a few test shots. Yes. Great! Turn your head a little more… okay, now pretend that I threw a cucumber at you!”

Nicholas nearly choked. “Fuma, what?”

Fuma may have tried to block his grin with his phone, but Nicholas could still make out the edges of a smile. “It’s something I saw online! If you give cats a cucumber, they freak out. Oh, is that why you have vegetables so much? Our cool neko-chan, defeated by a cucumber.”

With a yowl, Nicholas pounced forward, but Fuma was too quick. He sprinted away, laughing as he went. Not one to admit defeat, Nicholas gave chase, bounding after him as fast as his legs could carry him. When he finally caught up with him, he watched Kei, just a stone’s throw away, tackling Euijoo into the snow. He laughed and threw himself at Fuma. Both of them went down in a flurry of white.

They spent a long time in the snow, tussling and throwing snowballs at each other until their noses went red. By the time they decided to head back to the hotel, all four of them were worn, coats heavy with all the added frost. Nicholas could feel his tail curling, the cold seeping in. His hair was mussed and untidy. There was probably some snow stuck in his ears. It felt like every inch of him had been coated and rolled in freezing ice, biting at the tips of his limbs.

And yet, as Euijoo offers him a hand up while Yudai and Fuma wait for him a few steps away, Nicholas doesn’t think he’s ever felt so warm.