5:04 - the greatest!!!

- Who's coming, (Y/n)?

- Am I Megistos or James? I'm so confused.

Curled up in one of the plush chairs decorating James' building's lobby, you stared at the man's texts feeling slightly guilty. Not because of what you'd done, exactly, but rather because the messages were sent before you and Piper had even left Francesa's, yet you'd only just now seen it more than half an hour later. You'd wanted to surprise James, not stress him out for the better part of an hour.

5:42 - you

- we're here >:)

- and uh

- you're both...

- you'll see!!!

- just come down please

5:43 - the greatest!!!

- I'll be down in five then.

- :(

"Oh my God, he sent me an emoticon..." you noted.

"An emoticon? What an old man," Piper snorted across from you.

"You shouldn't make fun of him. At least he can drive," you grumbled, alluding to a certain tumultuous ride over.

Back at Francesca's, after changing quickly into loungewear and closing up shop, Piper had taken you up on your carpool offer. You'd made a grave mistake then, giving in when he'd insisted on being the one to drive. The ride was a terrifying combination of the man blasting music, yapping a million miles a second, and nearly killing you both multiple times with his risky decisions on the road. When you finally made it alive to the building's valet, you clambered out of his vehicle on wobbly legs and nearly kissed the ground, you were so thankful to be safe.

"Please, I'm a fantastic driver. Although, maybe you're right- I should take one out of his book, 'cause I'd like to live on his old man salary too," he said as he took in the impressive lobby. "Or I guess on his hero sal-"

"Shut up!" you whispered harshly, eyes darting around the lobby that was luckily empty. You fixed your glare back on Piper. "Just because you somehow figured out who Megistos is, doesn't mean you need to alert the world. I still don't really get how you knew anyways. I don't remember him using his powers intentionally by the time you met him. He was still a kid, but he'd learned self-control"

"Are you kidding? I, at five years old, was better at not activating my powers than he was at nine. He's lucky that the Commission doesn't crack down hard on kids." You tilted your head down at him skeptically. "C'mon (N/n)- he was always zooming around or trying to see how many heavy flower pots he could hold just so you and Sarah would be impressed. You thought that he was moving and acting with inhumane power while not using his super abilities? You're still as dense as the day we met."

You scowled at the insult, but the more you thought back, the more you recognized the truth behind his words. The very first day you met James he'd outed himself as a superhuman by accidentally flying in front of you, whereas you'd somehow only learned years after the fact that Piper also had super abilities.

"You may be right," you conceded grumpily. "That's probably part of why his parents homeschooled him- he wasn't always the best at hiding his powers. But, I mean, whatever."

Piper smiled at his mini-victory- a smile you quickly recognized to be the one he wore right before he was about to tease you. Your lips tightened into a straight line as you braced yourself.

"So, if I had used my powers around you back then would you have liked me too?" he goaded, clearly seeking your embarrassment more than your genuine answer. And embarrass you, he had.

"Piper!" You anxiously glanced to the elevator behind the man, fearing James might've arrived without your knowledge, and heard the incriminating statement. "You can't just talk about that here! He still doesn't know! Only Sarah and her husband do, and now you, unfortunately, but-"

"Wait, Sarah's married?" Piper cried, sitting up straight. "And to a man?"

"Who's married to a man?"

At the sudden sound of his unamused voice, your attention fell on James where he stood beside Piper's seat. Piper jumped out of the chair to giddily face the man, and James shrunk back a bit, visibly shaken up by his vigor. You watched in anticipation as he took in the man from your shared past's form before his eyes flashed first with recognition and then... oh boy... and then, with disgust.

"(Y/n)," James addressed you, though his narrowed eyes remained trained on Piper. "This is not an old 'friend.'"

You stood up stiffly and cleared your throat, both men turning to face you. "I mean he was your old friend, right? Or acquaintance, at least? He was a little mean to me, but-"

"Tch. Just because he followed me around everywhere doesn't mean he was my friend." He sent Piper an irate side-eye. "Especially when all he ever did was talk bad about you. Definitely not a friend. To either of us."

Piper's smile faltered. "I'm still not understanding the 'Piper was a bully' agenda, I nev-"

"C'mon, hon," James cut him off, curling his arm around your shoulders as he guided you to the elevator. He motioned with obvious reluctance for Piper to follow as he leaned down to whisper in your ear. "Why would you invite him over, (Y/n)? Don't you remember how rude he was to you? We'll discuss more once we're upstairs, but I'm really struggling to understand you these days."

Your group of three entered the elevator, James inserting himself between you and Piper with his arms crossed firmly over his chest. You couldn't help but feel similar to a child chided for drawing on the wall with crayons, having been found guilty without fully understanding your crime. James' previous warmth and sweetness had all but disappeared since he'd called, and you found yourself questioning your choice to invite Piper more and more.

You balled up the bottom of your shirt in tight fists, the storm surrounding James beginning to consume you as well. Your gaze fell abashedly on your shoes, but you felt a slight tug at your hair that caused you to peek warily at James. He felt your eyes on him, peering at you for a short moment before looking forward again with a huff. It wasn't him, so... you shifted your weight on your heels to look across James' back, meeting Piper's stare.

'Everything good?' he mouthed, worry lines creasing his forehead.

Your lips parted in surprise. Where was the beratement? The snide remark? Unless he really was just genuinely checking in with you... strange. You mustered up a weak, unconvincing smile before standing straight and staring at your feet again, mind back to fixating on the tension hanging in the air.

The elevator stopped after what felt like a lifetime, and James scanned his card. He gestured for you to walk ahead of him before following directly after you, effectively cutting off Piper. Despite them both being behind you, the pressure of your best friend's stark disdain towards the other man still weighed heavily upon you.

"I'll be right back," you dismissed yourself quietly, wanting to get away even just for a moment.

You ended up making your way to James' bathroom, and you placed both hands shakily on the counter, staring blankly at your reflection as you attempted to ready yourself for what was sure to be an incredibly draining dinner. Why did you have to invite Piper? If you were so nervous about seeing James, then you shouldn't have come at all. But you had, and now you were facing the consequences of your decisions.

You allowed yourself a couple more minutes to better collect yourself before making your way to the dining and kitchen space where the two men stood. You paused at the entryway, catching only the end of their conversation.

"-problem then, and, well, certainly not now, man," Piper concluded, voice somewhat unsure yet adamant.

As curious as you were about the heated conversation, you knew better than to pry after having pushed James so far already. Instead, you ventured wordlessly towards the stove where he was plating dinner, standing beside him meekly.

Unsure what to say to breach your shared silence, you eyed the pot of food, gasping in delight at what you saw. "You actually made my favorite?"

The corners of his mouth lifted, just barely. "Mhm."

"It looks so good, Jamie. Thank you."

He finally met your eyes and smiled at you appreciatively- genuinely- and you sighed in relief. He didn't seem extremely upset with you specifically, and that was more than you'd hoped for.

"Think of it as an apology for being so distant," he said softly, just for you to hear. "This whole Rowan thing took a lot out of me, and I was... I'm just glad it's over now and that you're safe- well, safer."

"I am," you agreed with a gentle squeeze of his arm before carrying your and Piper's plates towards the bar table where you usually ate when you came over.

You and Piper both muttered more 'thank you's to the chef before taking your seats, James exclusively acknowledging yours as he sat on your other side, sandwiching you between the two men. You willed yourself to ignore their unspoken feud and began to eat, savoring the flavor of the dish and feeling your earlier stress slowly ebb away.

"So, Greene- I see that despite your grown age you still dress like a rebellious preteen," James said after taking a few bites, breaking the comfortable silence. "Some things never change, but it looks like your attitude towards (Y/n) has."

And just like that, you felt yourself tense up again. You dryly swallowed the food in your mouth before laughing awkwardly. "Oakley said something similar today! Maybe it's time for a wardrobe change."

"Hey, I only dress like this since it's hot outside," Piper quipped back, seemingly unaffected by James' coldness. "Come Autumn and Winter, I'll be looking super adult and academic, trust."

He was so inexplicably chill at all times, something you envied greatly. Beyond that, you envied the little power that James' displeasure seemed to hold over him, although you supposed your deep-seated desire for your best friend's approval was perhaps not sold separately from loving him, like an unstated statute outlining your dynamic. It was only lately you'd begun to notice how draining this obligation was for you to fulfill, especially with James' recent distance both emotionally and-

"Wait, why were you around Oakley and him today?" James asked you, quickly pulling you from the slippery slope that was your thought process. "Why's he even with you in the first place? I thought he'd moved away for good when we were younger."

Shit. How could you forget to tell James about your new hires yet? It wasn't entirely your fault, him having just admitted to his own fault in being distant, but still. You knew he was gonna chew you out for this.

You timidly looked at him through the corner of your eye to find he'd stopped eating, giving you his entire, preemptively displeased attention. Yeah, okay- your eyes found your much less intimidating plate once again as you answered him.

"Oh! Um. I hired them," you practically squeaked- quick and fast and with the hope he'd just... move on, maybe? Unfortunately, this was James, so he did not.

"What?"

"I hired them," you tried again at a louder volume, and he grabbed your shoulder so that you'd face him fully.

"You hired them," he repeated, dumbstruck. "Why, (Y/n)? I- I just don't get why. Why are you inviting all these- these children into your life? Angel first, now Greene and-"

"No way you're gonna claim that Oakley is childish," Piper snorted. "If anything, that's a grumpy ass seventy-five-year-old trapped in a disproportionately hot younger man's body."

You chuckled at Piper's strangely accurate remark, thankful he was reducing the tension. If it were intentional, and you highly doubted it was, it would've almost been noble- the way he drew James' frustration with you onto himself with his god-awful jokes. God-awful jokes you couldn't seem to stop yourself from laughing at, though... you were so off your game tonight.

James actually laughed too, although the sound was bitter and noticeably void of any amusement. "No, I guess not. He's not a child but he's certainly not a man either, he's-

"A third, more sinister thing?" Piper mused, wry grin barely concealed on his lips.

"What else is there that's more sinister?" you questioned, biting back your own smile as you gave in to his antics.

"He's an asshole, nothing more to-" James tried before Piper interjected again.

"A woman."

"Piper!" you gasped, lightly smacking his arm in fake offense as you openly laughed (against your will, obviously!) at his newest questionable attempt at comedy.

James scoffed, and whether it was directed at the joke itself or at your fraternizing with Piper you were uncertain, but it quickly sobered you up and forced a sorry expression back on your face.

"Really, Greene? You're childish as ever, just like I said. Most people mature with age, but you seem to have remained just as annoying. I mean, why are you even taking a part-time job when you're the same age as (Y/n)? Shouldn't you have a real job like the rest of us adults?"

"James Bartell!" you scolded him, extremely embarrassed by his impolite and intrusive line of questioning. "That's not an okay thing to ask. Everyone has a different financial situation and you don't know Piper's life situation as a whole at all." James' glare faltered as his lips opened to respond, but you turned to face Piper before he could get anything out. "I'm so sorry, that was extremely uncool of him to say. I'm sure he doesn't mean it, but seriously, I'm so sorry-"

"Woah, it's okay, (N/n)," he graciously cut in with a bright smile, still somehow unaffected by James' incivility. "Besides, I don't mind explaining my life choices to some old friends. I actually already have another job, but I've wanted to work at Francesca's ever since I became close with your grandmother so I thought to apply. Plus, the cost of living's mad expensive, so extra income is always helpful."

"Real," you nodded. "So why apply now and not earlier?"

"Yeah, so since I moved away in middle school I obviously couldn't work there in high school like I'm guessing you did?"

"Mhm, Sarah too."

"Right, so, then I was going to come back to the city for university, seeing as there's a shit ton of great schools and programs here, but then I got an offer for my top choice overseas. I couldn't exactly work at the shop during undergrad-"

"Wait, what were you studying?" you accidentally cut him off, forever fascinated by the 'college experience'.

Since you hadn't taken the conventional track post your high school graduation, you'd always lived vicariously through other students and their experiences like Sarah, who'd spent a rather chaotic four years at a large, local school in the city. You didn't regret your choice to bypass getting your bachelor's, exactly- especially not after suffering through countless of your friend's 3 AM uni emergencies as she fought to receive hers- but missing out had resulted in your intense intrigue regarding higher education and all it entailed.

"Tsk tsk, (N/n)- ever the interrupter," Piper teased. "I studied ethics. I loved it, especially my program. It was a bit broad and unconventional- a lot of basic philosophy- but it was a perfect introduction to high learning for me, I think. Oh, and I also minored in Psychology, but that was kinda an accident actually."

He chuckled to himself and you smiled along, though you were at a slight loss for words. You hadn't expected that answer at all. Not because Piper's clothing choices and vibe screamed pretentious art, film, and/or music major (although they did, you just knew better than to believe such stereotypes to always be true), but because genuinely caring about things like ethics and philosophy required a certain degree of empathy and maturity that you were struggling to attribute to the guy you still largely perceived as your childhood bully. Maybe you needed to let up on that internal narrative...

"Anyways, did that for five years, which was great, and I got my undergrad and my masters. Impressive for most, but for perfect Piper Greene it was just another thing to do," he shrugged.

"Oh my god." You rolled your eyes playfully at the obvious joke, hardly even noticing James' annoyed grunt from your other side. "Why are you here now, though?"

"Y'know, if you'd just let me get there, I'd tell you. Anyway, my fifth year I applied for a couple of PhD programs back here in the city and got accepted to my top choice! The price was steep, but they offered me a position lecturing for their undergrad students to help supplement the costs. It pays enough for the actual degree and a comfortable enough lifestyle, but I've still got debt from my time studying overseas that I'll have to pay eventually. That's why I applied now- it's the perfect time before my current program kicks my ass, and this has been my dream job since I was a kid. The only thing missing is Miss Francesca- not that I think you're a bad boss or anything, but... well, I'm sure you get it."

"I do," you smiled sadly, and you meant it. You were far from offended by his words, instead you appreciated them as they honored the legacy Gran Gran had left behind. Not even the people closest to you seemed to really understand the paradox of emotions you felt surrounding your new ownership of the shop, so you felt vindicated by his simple statement in a way he probably didn't even realize.

Also- what the hell? Piper Greene grew up and turned smart? Sure, he'd gotten quite artful in his insults as a kid, but now he was like... a full-blown academic? In such emotionally mature fields, too?

That would explain why he wasn't a total dick anymore, you finally allowed yourself to acknowledge. He was almost admirable, even- but you could never tell him that. Grown as he now seemed to be, he still had a sharp edge to him, and you knew that if you let anything resembling a compliment slip, he'd weaponize it against you in his playful taunts. You couldn't give him back that upper hand.

"So you're not a male-manipulator-film-bro-amateur-guitarist then," you shrugged as nonchalantly as you could manage, relishing in his immediate appalled gape. "I stand corrected in my assumptions."

"That's the most diabolical thing you could say to me. Did you seriously think that?"

"..."

"(N/n)..." he groaned, hands pulling despairingly at his face.

"Listen, I'll say is that you look a lot like a song by The Smiths personified, and also that I wouldn't have been surprised if you tried to corner me and play Wonderwall today on your break."

"Next time just stab me with a blunt knife. It'd hurt less."

You giggled at his plight, gearing up to tease him some more when James reminded you of his presence with a pointed clearing of his throat. You turned to him with wide eyes, trying to recall the last time you were in James' company and not entirely focused on him. Just now, it had pretty much felt like it was just you and Piper in the room.

A strange sense of guilt began to build in your chest. As silly as it was, you felt like you'd been caught cheating on James. Not that you were dating him, and certainly not that you would ever cheat on him if you were (especially not with Piper Greene, c'mon.) Still- it was odd.

"Looks like you're done with your food, Greene," James pointed out flatly. "You can head on out."

You looked from Piper's barely half-eaten plate and back to James in bewilderment, but his eyes were zeroed in on the other man. Piper was still smiling, though, for the first time in the night, it looked a bit strained.

"Yeah, okay. I get it, I'll get out of your hair," he eased, speaking slowly- cautiously. " But uh- I drove (N/n) over so she's gotta go too, then."

"I'm sure I can figure something out," James replied, almost smugly. "Maybe I'll have her stay the night, maybe I'll fly her back home- things you couldn't do if you wanted. You should remember that."

You looked at James, aghast by his now-blatant disrespect. "Why are you being so rude? Apologize, Jamie."

"No, no- I get it. He's- I'll go," Piper cut in as he moved to stand. You also stood, hesitant to stick around the person that James was being tonight any longer. "You stay, (N/n)- he's got his reasons for disliking me, and... well, you should talk it out. I'll see you our next shift, okay?"

"Okay," you responded softly, not nearly the apology you felt he deserved in the moment, but he smiled kindly at you, and James nodded sternly.

"I have to come with you for you to leave- keycards and shit," he mumbled gruffly as both men left the room and made their way to the elevator.

Even once you heard the elevator doors shut behind them, you remained frozen as you sat and stared at your food. You were so confused by all you'd felt over the course of the meal. You never thought you'd feel sorry for Piper, but you certainly were now, after having unintentionally dragged him to a dinner with an 'old friend' who wanted nothing to do with him. You'd also never felt this... off-put by James, but he was so uncharacteristically unpleasant all night.

You were idly playing with your food when James reentered the room, lifting your eyes to see him staring at you silently with an unreadable expression. So many things felt unreadable with him lately. You missed when you knew what he was thinking- when you knew what he wanted from you.

"What was up with you tonight, Jamie? I've never-"

"Seriously? You think I need to give you an explanation?" he snapped at you, shutting you up easily. "You're the one who invited someone to my apartment without any warning. Someone who's also a total dick. But you're the one who needs an explanation? What's up with you tonight? You're never this inconsiderate."

Guilt curled up in your chest- James was right. He'd only invited you, and yet you took the initiative to bring someone else with you essentially unannounced. And while you'd come to realize that Piper wasn't necessarily a 'dick' anymore, it was unfair to ask James to come to the same conclusion on such short notice. It wasn't like you were any less cold and distrustful towards Piper the day you'd hired him, and it also wasn't like you'd been able to entirely look past his history yet, either.

You averted your eyes shamefully. "You're right, Jamie. I'm really, really sorry. Inviting Piper without you knowing was a shitty thing for me to do... I had just, well- I just thought-"

What had you thought? That bringing in another party would make things less awkward with your best friend? That he would be happy to reconnect with the kid who made fun of you- the person he hated seeing upset more than anything- relentlessly? You were so stupid, sometimes.

"I'm not mad at you, hon," he sighed. "I just... I don't like seeing you hurt. You know that. Physically or emotionally. So when you're telling me you hired your bully and a man who practically sexually harassed you... it worries me. It's like the threat of Rowan went off your radar, so you thought to add two more."

You brought your eyes to face again, glad he didn't look angry anymore. Just upset and worried, like he'd confessed to you.

"I can see why you'd think I'm being dumb or something," you admitted. "But I can handle them, and I want to help them, too. But Piper's not really a bully anymore, I don't think. I don't know if he ever even was one. He was just a kid who teased me, and, I mean, you tease me too..."

"He most certainly was," James argued. "He said awful things about you to me all the time, he didn't-"

"What things, though, Jamie? Looking back, you never told me what vile things the five-year-old was saying, so I'm just a little bit confused."

"He wasn't only five. We grew up alongside him just like we grew up together. He got worse, and he..." he paused, confliction drawing his brows together. "... I don't want your head full of the things he's said. Regardless, you're too forgiving. You see good in people that just isn't there, and it's going hurt you in the long run. Did Piper genuinely admit to how he treated you back then and apologize? Has Oakley stopped hitting on you even though you turned him down?"

You stayed silent, knowing they hadn't. Were you too forgiving? Were you being too naive and asking for trouble down the line? You were new to this- new to allowing multiple people into your life- and you were beginning to wonder if James was right, and if you were going about things all wrong.

You wished that Sarah was there to weigh in on the situation. Benny as well, so he could offer some of his therapy wisdom. Angel's soothing touch would've been appreciated, too, as your thoughts turned progressively more negative. Instead, you had a disappointed James offering no such comfort.

You shook the foreign, bitter feeling away. You should be thankful. James was enough. He'd always been enough.

"I'll think about what you're saying," you began softly. "I guess maybe I've been a bit reckless lately. But I am sorry, Jamie, truly. For tonight."

A warm smile blossomed on his lips again. "Don't beat yourself up, we all fuck up. I can't stay mad at my sweet little best friend, anyway. Let's just forget it for now and try to salvage the night, yeah?"

You blinked at him for a moment, waiting for the expected pang that accompanied his casual friend-zonings. You were seriously off tonight.

"Yeah," you finally replied, patting his seat expectantly. "Come finish your food, it's probably cold."

He complied and sat back beside you, lips pulling into a handsome grin that had your heart racing, much to your relief. At least that was still normal. As you ate in comfortable silence, you glanced at Piper's empty sea and chuckled absentmindedly as you recalled his unfunny jokes again.

James raised a confused brow in your direction as he took a bite. "Hmm?"

You waved him off, taking your own bite of food as he gave your hair a light ruffle. You melted into his touch, resolving to relish the moment better. You hadn't had one-on-one crush time in ages, so you needed to push away all thoughts irrelevant to James.

"So, the case closed today?" you asked, shifting in your seat to face him better.

He mirrored the movement attentively. "Yep, thank God. I had to work with the head of the Commission's son, and he was a total pain in my ass. Such a weird guy. No personality and all business."

"You're kinda similar when you're in hero mode, Jamie," you chuckled.

"I so am not," he disagreed flippantly. "Well anyway, the last thing to do is to pay condolences to Rowan's family, but that's not really part of the investigation, per se. Did you see he just had a kid?"

You frowned. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, I'm surprised you didn't know. It's all anyone's talking about online."

"Oh. I haven't really been keeping up," you admitted sheepishly. "And I deleted my socials, so..."

"Good thing you'd got me then, huh?" James mused with a smile.

"Sure," you humored him. "Go on."

"Right, well, he had a wife and a pretty young kid. Sad stuff, but she said that he'd been pretty distant and cold even when they first got married. Had multiple affairs too, so he probably saw you as a shiny toy to add to his collection. Disgusting, but not surprising."

You grimaced at this new information. Being that flirty as a married man... Rowan was an even shittier person than you'd thought.

"I'd like to send her a bouquet. His wife, I mean," you decided aloud, pursing your lips in thought. "Anonymously would be best, probably. Doubt she'd want one of her husband's past interests sending condolence flowers. But that's really upsetting for her. Fuck. Rowan was such an asshole."

"He was. But you don't have to worry about anything like that anymore, I've made sure of it," he smiled at you comfortingly. "So, want me to fly you home, or do you wanna spend the night? I know that you, uh... you can sleep in my bed if you want."

You stared at him, confused. "Why aren't you sleeping in your bed?"

"No, I will be. I meant you could also sleep in it. As in, with me...?"

You were gaping at him now, unsure you were hearing him correctly. "What? Why?"

"You like cuddling with Angel," he began, uncharacteristically shy as his cheeks began to flush. "So... if that's something you like... then we can, y'know... also do that. If you wanted to."

"Oh! Oh, yeah I understand." You did not understand! "Sure...? We don't need to cuddle though, just cause that's a little weird. Right?"

"Is it?" he asked, studying your expression closely.

"...yes? I'm just, uh, I'm gonna grab a shirt and get dressed for bed," you announced hastily as you stood up and dashed to his bathroom.

You were in such a rush you didn't even think to put your dishes in the sink, but you couldn't risk sticking around longer and being pressured to reveal to him why his suggestion was actually more than a 'little weird.' What would you even say? Because the honest truth ('Sorry, Jamie, I don't want to cuddle with you under platonic pretenses because I'm desperately in love with you!') felt like a bit more than you were prepared to drop on him tonight.

Once safely in the bathroom, you pulled on your makeshift pajamas- one of James' old tees that came around mid-thigh on you, that oversized motherfucker... You then brushed your teeth and washed up with the duplicates that James housed for you, taking extra time to complete each step in an attempt to delay facing James after his mortifying cuddling proposition.

Still freaking out the slightest bit upon finishing your nighttime routine, you opted to check your almost-dead phone. You smiled as you unlocked it, seeing multiple texts from Angel in the notification center waiting so kindly to aid in your stalling attempts.

6:22 - sunshine ☀️

- hi precious!!!!!!!!

- i miss you so much 😢😢😢

- sleepover when??????????

- i want my cuddle bug 🐞 back in my arms 🫂

- it's like you have no time for me anymore haha but i get it

- i just get so sad when i'm not with you 🙁

You frowned, feeling guilty for the umpteenth time that night as you stared at the last few messages. You hadn't meant to, but it seemed you'd accidentally been pushing Angel aside lately. You still texted him daily when you had the time, but you hadn't seen him in person since the day you'd hired Piper and Oakley.

6:34 - you

- hey sunshine :)

- i'm sorry for being so distant

- when's your next day off?

- let's do something then, even if you just come hang at the shop

Unsurprisingly, his response was immediate, which ended up making you feel even guiltier.

6:35 - sunshine ☀️

- (y/n)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

- aw

- even just texting you makes me feel better💘

- not quite enough, but almost!!!

- im not off for a while 😞

- but maybe i'll stop by after an early morning shift?

- and we can have a sleepover?

6:35 - you

- sure :) just let me know when!

- okay goodnight ang <3

6:37 - sunshine ☀️

- oh?? so early 😮

- nighty night my cutie pie!

- sweetest dreams🌙☁️💫

- don't you go cuddling with another man while im gone 😡😡😡

- jk i know you would never!!!!!!!!!!

- okay goodnight for real 💓💗💖💘💕💞💝

Your phone shut off before you could respond, but you didn't think much of it. You'd both said your 'goodnights,' and Angel seemed happier now that you'd solidified plans with him. You were relieved too by his reassurance, because while you admired his tender heart, sometimes Angel's sensitive nature made your friendship difficult to tend to adequately. Knowing he felt good had you feeling good too. You took a deep breath as you exited the bathroom, riding your high with Angel as you faced James again.

Unbeknownst to you, Angel had actually sent you one final text before your phone died, now left perpetually on read until you charged your phone and powered it on in the morning. It was arguably the most important text he'd sent that night, too- three simple words that you would've undoubtedly reciprocated, had you seen them. You hadn't seen them, of course, but regardless of the slight's unintentionality, soon you'd find it to be far from inconsequential.