When your alarm sounded the next morning, Angel was already up and dressed in his hero outfit, sitting pretty on the edge of your bed. His face was barely a foot away and sporting a light blush that only deepened as he registered you'd woken up. Reeling away from you, he radiated a soft, embarrassment-triggered glow that made you chuckle amusedly.

"Angel," you groggily addressed him. "Were you watching me sleep? How long have you been staring at me?"

His face managed to turn redder, and he stuttered out his innocent explanation. "No, I- Megistos got up early to discuss a plan with me! And I just- so I came back to wake you but you looked so- so pretty! Like normal of course, but you couldn't get mad at me for staring or try to hide your face cause you weren't awake! And now your alarm went off and so I- I'm sorry!"

"It's okay, I'm not mad. I was just teasing," you consoled him, reaching out to ruffle his hair. You dropped your hand as you processed his words, wearing a suspicious frown. "What plan are you talking about though? And more importantly, do I actually get a say in it this time?"

"Um, Megistos kinda already planned it..." he admitted apologetically. "Don't worry too much- we all had your best interests at heart! Megistos left earlier though, so I guess it's on me to fill you in."

"Oh, he left without saying bye?"

"Uh... maybe he sent you a text?"

You weren't too confident in his hypothesis, but you still checked your phone in case he- [no new notifications]. You shook off any hurt feelings that you might've felt at the silent treatment and masked your disappointment, smiling back at Angel. "So what's this plan?"

"Are you upset?" he asked, unconvinced by your act. He reached to cup your cheek. "You know you can tell me any-"

"It's fine, Angel," you insisted, immediately regretting how harsh it came across but still unable to stop yourself from pushing his hand away. He looked hurt by the action, but you didn't know how to explain the complex reasoning behind your coldness to him, so you dismissed the entire interaction. "So, the plan?"

"Right, sorry..." he responded unsurely before attempting to perk back up. "So, um, the Commission contacted Megistos last night after we went to bed, and his PR Team decided on your- well, your 'cover story,' you could call it, I guess! They're saying that your shop provided flowers to our Commission office, and that you guys have an- I think their wording called it an 'amiable and exclusively professional relationship' if I'm remembering correctly... Megistos' accounts already released a statement this morning if you wanna see what they actually said, and the Commission is gonna release a similar one today too. You don't have to post anything if you don't wanna, though!"

"I think I'll log off for a while, actually. But that's what I should tell the press if they come to the shop? That it's just a business relationship?" you asked with a pout.

It was somewhat true- James had secured you a regular job supplying his office flowers ever since you took ownership of Francesca's. Still, it didn't feel great to know that you would need to publicly reduce one of your closest and most intimate relationships to a simple business partnership. Would it have killed him to just say you were friends?

"Oh, that's another thing! I'm not gonna let any press inside the store, and if any do manage to get to you you don't need to tell them anything at all- I'm gonna protect your privacy since I'm your personal hero! But if you do decide you want to talk to them or if you wanna make a statement at all online or something, that's what Megistos wants you to say."

"Okay. How are we gonna deal with any insane fans that show up? If any end up coming at all," you added offhandedly. "I still have regulars and I want them to be able to shop without a huge crowd trampling my store."

"I've got you covered there too, precious! We decided on only ten guests in the store at a time for fifteen-minute intervals, unless you can think of a better time frame. That was actually your other friend's idea! She seemed to-"

"Wait, what other friend?" you cut in, no longer tracking with him. "I thought it's just you and I here..."

"What? Oh!" he exclaimed, bringing a hand to his neck in embarrassment. "I forgot to tell you- and I forgot her name... Aw man, uh... the lady who looks- well she actually kind of looks like Megistos without a mask now that I think about it. And her husband's here too!"

You realized exactly who he was referring to, because you only knew one woman who would put her (and her husband's) life on hold so easily to offer you in-person support. "Sarah!"

You ripped off your covers clumsily, nearly plowing over Angel to get to your door. You yanked it open to reveal the back of your best friend's head as she leaned over your kitchen counter, chatting with Benny who was sipping from one of your mugs. Just seeing them exist so familiarly in your apartment, looking as comfortable as they might in their own home, had a fuzzy warmth erupting throughout your body. Sarah's head whipped around to face you, but you collided with her back in a tight embrace before she could fully turn to face you.

"Sarah, oh my god- why are you guys here? Wait," you pulled back a bit from the hug to look between your dear friends quizzically, Sarah finally able to turn in your hold. "How are you guys here? You both have some of the least flexible jobs I've ever seen..."

"Hey, babes," she greeted you through her entertained chuckles.

"What's up, loser?" Benny teased, a similarly tickled yet fond smile on his face as he watched you cling to his wife.

"Here how?" you repeated ever so eloquently in your contented haze.

"Well, you could say I might've told the station you agreed to give me an exclusive statement," Sarah began slowly, your betrayed gasp renewing her chuckles. "But! You don't need to give me anything. I'm respected enough by now that if I come back empty handed it's no big deal, really. I hope. It'll be fine. It wasn't meant to be a surprise though, Benny texted you... he texted you, right?"

"...no."

"Why am I not surprised?" she sighed.

"Woah, there. I'm pretty sure I did," Benny argued.

"You definitely did not," you disagreed dryly. "Either way, how are you able to be here? Don't you have clients to work with?"

"Not today actually! But I did have to reschedule my retwist," he admitted sorely, tugging softly at one of his short locs before shooting you another crooked smile. "And I'd do it again, 'cause you need all the moral support you can get after what's happened. I mean- you have two world-famous supers fighting over you. People are gonna be so jealous, it's a given. I'd be distraught if I were you."

"Please." You rolled your eyes playfully. "You'd live for the drama-"

"Um, they're not in love with her!" Angel declared from your doorway, despite no one having said anything about anyone being in love. It was a little bit awkward, honestly.

Still in her arms, you caught Sarah giving you a look as if to ask 'is he into you?' You shook your head in clarification, though you could tell she wasn't entirely convinced.

"Right? You told me they're not in love with you, precious," Angel continued to press as he moved further out of your room, his pet name usage prompting Benny to give you a similar glance as his wife's, but before you could respond to his wordless inquiry, Angel was flipping you around so your focus was solely on his large, pleading eyes.

You weren't sure why he was so eager to be reassured about how unwanted you were, but you wanted to reassure him nonetheless. "Right, sunshine. Megistos isn't-" Benny sighed loudly, but you pointedly ignored him, "-and I've talked to Rowan once- well, maybe twice- so at most he's got a tiny crush on me. Nothing serious to worry about- nothing at all, really."

Why he'd be worried you really didn't know, but satisfied with your answer, Angel spun you around again to face your other friends. He didn't let you slip back into Sarah's embrace, though, his arms fastening around your midsection as his cheek rested against your head. You tried to maintain your composure at the intimate embrace, but you were still relatively new to the abundant touchiness of the man and entirely new to experiencing it in front of Sarah and Benny, who 1) had never seen you so physical with a guy before, and 2) had suspicions concerning the nature of your relationship with said guy.

And confirming your fears, Benny, who had come around to your side of the counter sometime during Angel's mini freak out, shared a look with Sarah before shooting you a more devious one. It was mortifying, and yet you didn't have any serious intentions of removing yourself from the man's hold. You wouldn't admit to any of them, at least not today, but you were starting to get hooked on the comfort of human touch.

"So you guys met Angel," you began with a wobbly grin, ready to move on. "Were you here before Megistos left?"

"Yeah, we met Angel an hour ago when we got here," Sarah replied. "Megistos was still here."

Benny nodded. "Yeah, we helped him with the plan that your uh- friend here told you about."

"Oh, that brings up a question I have," Angel piped up. "How do you guys know Megistos? Wait- you never really told me how you know Megistos either, (Y/n)!"

"Sarah and I knew him when we were little kids, and we all kinda grew up together," you answered almost automatically, a product of being asked variations of the same questions since James' rise in acclaim. "We're pretty much each other's day ones."

"And?" Benny prompted you, expectant of his own heartfelt introduction.

"And Benny is a more recent addition since he married her, but he's equally loved and equally bullied despite being more of a newcomer," you finished, sending him a wry grin as he and Sarah laughed at the light jab.

"Oh, that's... nice! Wait-" Angel gasped, spinning you around to look you in the eyes again. "So, you guys know his real identity beneath the mask? I thought you were friends with the hero, not the actual person!"

"Well, we do," you chuckled awkwardly. "I guess that's kinda not something the general public is meant to know, so if you could keep that info under wraps it would be-"

"So we have a secret now? We really are best friends!" Content, he spun you back around again to resume his prior hold on you, and despite your glad invitation of his embraces, you were starting to grow tired of being tossed around so frequently.

"Don't get it twisted- I'm still number one, and Jamie is number two," Sarah teasingly reminded him.

"What? Who's Jamie?"

"James- her brother! He lives around here, but I doubt you'll see him. He's kinda a recluse and stays holed up in his apartment," you replied hastily, not used to this deviation from the normal short conversations you permitted about your relationship with the masked hero. And technically, what you said wasn't a total lie, nor something that would reveal James' identity, so it was fine!

"Yeah. He's a real loser and a bit of a dick," Sarah added. Also not a total lie, at least as of late.

"Sorta a coward and a little bitch," Benny finished, boasting an outright grin, sharing another newfound partial truth. If James liked you, that was, which you didn't really believe. But hey! You were in a 'slander James' kind of mood lately, so you suspended your disbelief to welcome the couple's unconventional, verbally aggressive allyship to you with open arms.

Your claim was far more objectively truthful than theirs, though, anti-James mode or not. It was rare for him to leave his apartment as James- most instances he did so limited to him staying over with you, visiting Sarah, or running simple errands. His rationale was that the more appearances he made as himself, the easier it would be for more intense super-fans (stalkers, essentially) to spot and recognize him as the man beneath the mask. Megistos still made frequent appearances at certain high-profile events though, such as charities, movie premieres, and even celebrity award shows on occasion. Basically, James was a recluse and Megistos was not.

"You guys are really close then, huh?" Angel asked, and while you couldn't see his facial expression, you could hear the pout in his voice.

Even though your reasoning was likely different than his, you ended up feeling similarly dejected as you considered his question "Yeah... I mean we are, it's just he's kinda been a bit weird lately. I don't know..."

"He's been a dick," the married couple declared in unison, their comically straight faces allowing you to momentarily forget your woes as you giggled with them.

"I mean, you're not wrong." You glanced at your kitchen clock that read 6:19, sobering up as you brought your attention back to Sarah and Benny. "Okay, time to actually start our day. What was the damage down there? I kinda doubt that many people are actually gonna show up, especially if Megistos' account made an official statement saying not to or whatever."

Benny kissed his teeth. "Well..."

"Ah," you replied, watching the couple share a pitying glance and you felt Angel's hold tense up around your waist. "I'm sure it's fine, guys, right? Or how bad is it?"

"I mean, you only have to deal with ten people at a time, so let's just go with that," Benny said dismissively, only pushing you to fear the worst.

Rather than shutting down and wallowing in your dread like you were beginning to feel inclined to, you instead removed yourself from Angel's arms and trudged to your bedroom, a woman on a mission. You carried out your morning routine in record time, showering, getting dressed, and fixing your face and hair all in under twenty minutes. Your Gran Gran would've been so impressed, and that thought alone planted a determined, wobbly smile on your lips as you finally exited your bedroom and faced your friends.

"I've got this," you stated with a small nod.

"You do," Sarah smiled back. "And we're with you the whole time, no matter what shit goes down today."

With that, your emotional support team and appointed bodyguard followed you downstairs dutifully, and what awaited you was utter madness. Inside Francesca's was obviously empty, but even at the early hour you couldn't see past the sea of cameras and people outside the storefront. Thankfully, no one seemed to expect you to appear from already inside the shop, so the crowd's attention wasn't focused on your bodies near where you all stood in the back of the fortunately unlit store.

"So... how did Megistos manage to get past all these people when he left? And how did you guys get up here?" you asked softly, trying to hide your body behind Angel's larger one so that if any of the terrifyingly endless pairs of eyes focused on the shop's interior, they wouldn't be able to actually spot you. This was more nerve-racking than you anticipated. Significantly more.

"He left through the back entrance!" Angel answered cheerfully, oblivious of your current inner turmoil until he peered over his shoulder at you. You felt like you could physically see his mental battle against his urge to fawn over your cowering form- a battle he lost soon after when his arms wrapped tightly around you. "Aw, precious- don't look so scared! It's all gonna be okay! Remember how super strong I am? I'm gonna protect you today!"

"Not to break the lovefest up, but we should probably exit through the back as well and then re-enter through the front," Sarah suggested. "People could put together that you live upstairs more easily if they don't see you enter the normal way, and that'll only make your life more insane."

You all hummed in agreement, making your way through the back. The walk behind the line of shops and through the back alley to the other side was quiet and tense, but Sarah held your hand tightly and Benny hooked his arm around your free one in a silent show of support. Angel followed you all from behind watchfully, and though you couldn't see him, his protective and authoritative aura was still extremely present over you. All in all, your entourage instilled in you a quiet confidence that you doubted you would've felt on your lonesome that you were endlessly appreciative of.

As you finally exited the backroad and rounded the block to face the crowd, there were somehow even more people on the street than you anticipated. There seemed to hardly be a square inch of empty sidewalk on either side of the street all the way from the intersection you were stood at to the intersection on the other side of the road Francesca's was on, so you made a quick mental note to send apology bouquets to your small business neighbor's who would also be forced to navigate the insanity.

You realized anxiously that you were stuck on the opposite end of the block with essentially no hope of moving through the crowd to get to your storefront. Turning towards Angel, you prayed he'd also clocked the issue and had a plan to get inside, and as his practiced smile shifted to a warm one when you caught his eye, you felt the tiniest wave of relief. With a quick wink, he walked ahead of you and the couple, extending his wings as a means to tell the crowd to make way for your party of four. Unable to find your voice due to nerves, you silently mouthed a small thank you to him just before he faced forward again, resuming his steady walk towards your destination.

Unfortunately, his confidence could only do so much for you, and as onlookers' eyes began to fall on you, you began to tremble involuntarily, wanting nothing more than to scream at the unwanted visitors to go away. To be clear, you didn't have a problem with most super-fans, and in a highly populated city like yours that was home to some of the most popular superheroes in the world, you had met many! Lots of them were close-ish in age to you, like Tony, and were relatively normal about their appreciation for heroes as they would be for any other non-powered celebrity. They were all perfectly fine, and you could understand their appreciation due to your own, albeit different, admiration of James.

The super-fans you couldn't get behind were the ones who were obsessed. The invasive, parasocial ones. The ones who would harass a random civilian online just because they had a loose connection to their favorite super. The ones who would show up at that same civilian's place of work and complicate their life in some strange expression of devotion. The ones you were being forced to walk through now. And even though you'd gotten a taste of these unhinged fans last night online, you were still taken aback by just how many there actually were here now, in the flesh.

As people began to really look at your group and spot you, you watched their expressions quickly shift from recognition into burning jealousy. Sarah and Benny must've noticed it too, both of their holds on you tightening protectively. How you were recognized from your tiny profile pic was beyond any of you, but then- true to his name- Angel managed to sweep in and save you yet again. The crowd's envious glares shifted again, this time into googly-eyed, awed smiles as their sights fixed on the hero's tall, muscular form in front of you. It was like you'd entirely disappeared from their sights and minds, and you couldn't even blame them- Angel had an ethereal type of beauty only exacerbated by his currently extended wings.

With most eyes off of you, the rest of the walk to the storefront wasn't quite as emotionally taxing, and you were faced with your next obstacle: the news outlets that had secured the space closest to the shop door. A few stations appeared to be interviewing excited fans, but as soon as spotted your group they immediately switched focus and were on you. Unlike the regular civilians, the newscasters sported chummy smiles and warmer demeanors as they called out your name, likely an attempt at disarming you and getting your guard down for the juiciest possible interviews.

One news station, however, didn't pay you any mind at all, remaining focused on the fan they were interviewing. You had no real interest in their conversation, but seeing as they were right in front of the door that would reprieve you from the chaos outside, you were forced to listen in as you drew closer to them. As you caught snippets of the broadcaster's conversation with a tall, dark-haired subject whose back was facing you, when you eventually registered his low and suave voice, something about it you couldn't quite place instinctively had you rolling your eyes.

"-know her already, and frankly I'm already vying to win her heart over those supers," the man finished, turning his head and briefly revealing to you an infuriatingly gorgeous side profile.

Dear God. Why was that obnoxious Oakley guy here, and on such an already trifling day? Before the interviewer could egg him on for more potentially disastrous content, you shoved your store key into Sarah's free hand and broke away from your friends to yank Oakley away from the very confused reporter. Sarah, always on your same mental wavelength, quickly unlocked the shop and held the door open for you as you dragged the tall man inside. Benny and Sarah followed, but Angel stayed outside after the door was shut to try to instill some order amongst the crowd and inform everyone of the shop's newly implemented rules.

You turned to your unwanted guest with a scowl, releasing his arm aggressively as though you were repulsed by the physical contact (you were!). "What the actual fuck were you saying out there? Are you trying to make things even worse for me? You just- you can't talk about 'vying for my heart' or whatever! Not when you look like that! People are gonna just- they'll eat it up, and I do not need to deal with even more speculation about my love life."

"When I look like 'that?'" he repeated, grinning at you deviously. "Do explain what 'that' means, Miss (Y/n)."

"You're the worst," you mumbled defeatedly. "I swear, I'm- I'm gonna-"

"You're gonna what?" he goaded. "Hurt me? I doubt it, but you can certainly try! I think it'd be just darling to watch."

Benny stepped forward, putting himself between you both. "Hey man, (Y/n) here obviously isn't into you and seems pretty uncomfortable, so you gotta cool it with the advances and respect that clear boundary, or you can see yourself out. We good?"

You never appreciated Benny's habitual combining of therapist jargon and everyday speech more than at that moment. And normally it would make you laugh, but unfortunately, you just couldn't seem to find the joy in any situation that involved this asshole Oakley, so your grimace remained planted on your face as you peered at him over your friend's shoulder.

"You don't need to worry about me and (Y/n), 'man.'" Oakley replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I know for a fact that she will be mine, so-"

Benny remained silent, likely flabbergasted by the man's audacity and delusion, so you let out an exasperated sigh and shoved him aside to face Oakley again. "C'mon, man. You seriously sound like a lame-ass cartoon villain with the whole 'she will be mine' thing. And actually, while we're on the topic- are you Rowan?"

Hmm, okay... so, you could admit that might've been just a bit too blunt of a way to sus out the man's true identity. Who would admit so easily to being such an infamous, highly wanted villain just like that? Oh well, you could blame your tactlessness on the stress of the day.

"Wait- this is that guy you told me about?" a very lost, very concerned Sarah questioned, pulling you away from the man cautiously. "He is vaguely Rowan-esque..."

He didn't drop his little smirk, chuckling at the exchange. "You think I'm the supervillain aiming to steal your heart? That's quite a thought."

You gaped at him. "You're not gonna even try to deny it? I'll call up Megistos right now and he'll beat your ass."

"I'll admit, my being some crazed, lovesick supervillain is an amusing thought, but a rather stupid one too, I'm afraid. Don't worry, I won't think less of you for your moment of idiocracy. I find it so endearing." He winked at you provocatively, and Benny and Sarah preventively held on to you tighter, lest you lunge at the man.

"Why's it so stupid? You both piss me off, and you both are so bitch-less I find it almost impossible to believe that there could be two people as hopeless. I mean, who calls the person they supposedly like 'stupid'? Either way, I'm beyond uninterested in the both of you, and you need to get out of my store- especially if you're a literal supervillain murderer. I never want to see you again."

"Well, damn," Sarah whispered as Oakley's smirk satisfyingly dropped.

"I... I'm sorry," he murmured guiltily, his apology taking you all by surprise. "I've not treated you with the respect I should've, and can I see why you would be... well, apprehensive in your interactions with me. But I promise you that I'm not some nefarious villain and I just... I didn't know how to approach you."

"You haven't spoken to many women who weren't interested in you have you?" you asked dryly, though you genuinely were trying to get a better sense of him with the question.

"...no," he admitted, averting his eyes in embarrassment. "No women at all, actually. Not for a long time, anyways."

The softest (although maybe susceptible was more accurate) part of your heart stirred at his newfound vulnerability, and you uttered multiple profanities at yourself as you felt yourself being swayed by his seemingly genuine tone and earnest expression. Still, this guy had been a massive dick, and his apology wasn't quite enough for you to entirely write of his potential villainhood, so you weren't about to jump in his arms and make out with him or anything.

"He is bitchless," Benny whispered to Sarah behind you, though it was still plenty loud enough for Oakley to hear in your quiet shop.

"Zero bitches," Sarah agreed with her full voice, not even bothering to fake politeness as she sent Oakley a glare. "(Y/n) is always on the head with these things."

Clearly, neither of them were feeling as receptive to the man's apology as you were, though you could understand their hesitancy. Even you hadn't been able to suppress a small smile at the way the once proud man seemed to deflate at their humbling jabs.

"Listen, I'm a firm believer of second chances for almost everyone," you began, remembering how well giving Angel his own second chance in your relationship had worked out for you both. Oakley perked up at your words, but you weren't finished. "That being said, I hate Rowan. Truly. I mean, he's a senseless murderer, and I just- well, I obviously can't get behind that. The possibility that you're him... it's just too large for me to ignore. So I'm sorry, but you still need to go, and I'd like for you to stay away from me for here on out. If you really are a good guy, then you should be able to respect that wish."

"This won't do..." he muttered, looking absolutely crestfallen before a new resolve seemed to ignite within him. "If I could prove that I'm not him- without a shadow of a doubt- then you'll give me a second chance? Me, as in Oakley? If I got a photo with the both of us in it- or some other concrete proof. You'd let me back in, yes?"

"Uh..." you hesitated, looking to your friends doubtfully. They shrugged at you, likely not feeling they had enough context to properly advise you. "I don't know... assuming you could just be an innocent civilian, I'm not going to ask you to become a villain attack chaser or anything looking for him, just so you can prove your innocence. It's too dangerous. Also, I don't feel, um... that way about you. So if you're looking for a partner or something, maybe you should just let it go? There are plenty of lovely people to pursue that won't require you to put your literal life on the line for them, so..."

"That's where you're wrong," he began with a wry grin. "No, there's no one lovely as you. Anywhere. So I'm going to do this and I'm going to win you over. Not that damned hero and not anyone else- it'll be me."

Satisfied with such an intense vow to you, he made his exit through the front doors, and you watched him until he was swallowed into the crowd. You really did not understand that man...

"Hey! So... what the fuck was that?" Benny asked, drawing you from your thoughts as you turned to face him and Sarah, both of which were visibly still flabbergasted. "Because that was insane! I can see where James is coming from, cause you're way too casual around potential murderers. Speaking of him, how have things been James since we talked? And while we're on the topic, what's actually going on between you and Angel?"

You groaned at his questioning and turned to Sarah for support, but she only blinked at you expectantly waiting for an explanation.

"No! I don't need grown up Tony and Eloise right now berating me about a bunch of men who don't even have real feelings for me. The only one who has confessed is Oakley, the guy who was just here, and even then there's no way his feelings are serious because we have literally only spoken twice now, people. Twice."

"Uh-huh," Sarah nodded with the tiniest, nearly imperceptible roll of her eyes,

"No," you repeated more exasperatedly, taking a deep breath to ground yourself and get back on task. "Whatever. We have a crowd to face and a shop to run, and after whatever that was we're running late. I'm gonna text Montell and give him the day off since I have you two here. This crowd wouldn't be good for his heart. One of you tell Angel to let people in here in five, the other one help me start setting up. And also, I don't know if you two ravaged my fridge earlier- which would be fine, of course- but I've yet to have coffee or breakfast, and I will lose my mind without, so can someone cover that, please? Thank you, and let's go."

They voiced their affirmations, and you three spared no time as you began your tasks. As stressful as circumstances were, you all worked like a well-oiled machine, and by the time the doors were open the store looked good, you were well fed, and caffeine was coursing through your veins.

The day itself went by in a blur. A few regulars showed up out throughout the day providing slower, easier pockets of time, but for the most part, you were dealing with crazed fans. Some tried fruitlessly to act like normal civilians happening on Francesca's by chance, but if the large crowd outside preventing anyone from accidentally stopping by didn't give them away, then the not-so-subtle flashes coming from their phone cameras and their Megistos merch did. Others were more... overt, you could say, in their approaches. You were bombarded with more questions, photo requests, and wandering hands than you could count, your saving grace when things got to be too much being Sarah's assertiveness and Benny's de-escalation tactics. This was less successful in defending against the slew of insults and heckling you received, but you learned quickly enough to ignore such unpleasantries.

As rough as it was, Rowan didn't show up and no one tried to seriously you out of jealousy, the two things you had most hoped to avoid. Additionally, the @megistosofficial social accounts all posted encouraging anyone who stopped to make the trip worthwhile by purchasing a bouquet, resulting in a great day for the store financially. Because of this, by the time you, Angel, Sarah, and Benny were inside the store and locking up, you were able to ultimately regard the long day as a net positive one.

"That was insane," you commented as you flipped the open sign over, much to the disappointment of the still substantial number of fans outside. You didn't pay them any mind, turning to your makeshift support group with a tired grin. "I can't thank you guys enough for everything. Both the physical help and the mental reinforcements. It's nice to know I have people I can rely on."

They smiled back, and Sarah tugged you into a bear hug. Spending the day with her and Benny had you realizing just how much you missed them both as you thought back on your many shared memories- many of which featured James as well, in turn causing you to miss him too. As much as you appreciated and understood why Angel was the one assigned to watch over you, a part of you wished that James had also stuck around. Then again, with how off things had been between you two recently, maybe his presence would've only added to the stress of the day.

Still, you pulled out your phone for the first time since the morning to see if he had checked in with you at all. There were countless new notifications from your socials you'd to log out of, a few texts from your student employees, and a single text from James sent in the morning.

6:58 - the greatest!!!l

- Hey. Had to take off before you woke and just remembered to text. Please don't entertain the dating and relationship rumors- even friendship ones. I love you and call me later. Stay safe.

You stared at your phone in disbelief. That was the advice he'd decided to leave you with in regard to the day? You'd have preferred a generic 'Good luck!' or 'You've got this!' but instead you received another reminder of James' reluctance to be in any way attached to you.

Before you could release the floodgates that were the tears welling up in your eyes, you shook your head resolutely and pocketed your phone. You'd text him tomorrow about seeing Oakley again like you'd promised you would, but no shot you'd be calling him anytime soon. You looked up to find three worried faces at your new, sullen demeanor, but you could only bring yourself to fully meet Sarah's knowing gaze. Since she was closest to you with her arm still draped over your shoulders, she'd likely seen the message. You didn't wait for her to ask if you were alright in that gentle voice that always rendered you a teary mess, managing a genuine smile by focusing on the three people surrounding you who even in the face of the day's madness, had no qualms being your friend in the open.

"Dinner on me as a thank you," you declared, prompting Angel to join in on the hug with Benny in tow.

The rest of the night was filled with greasy takeout, laughter, card games, and snuggles with Sarah- life as it was intended. Angel and Benny both moped about their normal cuddle partners being taken, jokingly cuddling themselves in a failed attempt to make you two jealous. Eventually, Angel ended up not being able to get Benny off of him, however, sending you and your best friend into snickering fits. (Benny'd repeatedly emphasized how comfy he was as the blond tried to pry him off, and while you made fun of him with Sarah, secretly, you couldn't have understood him more.)

Benny eventually managed to detach Sarah from you, announcing they both still had work in the morning and needed to make the hours-long drive as soon as it was getting late. And you all shared your melancholic goodbyes, but they somehow only ended up leaving another solid hour after they announced their departure.

"You know, I can stay over again if you want me to- for the job, of course..." Angel tried once you two were alone in your kitchen.

"I shouldn't keep you here every night, sunshine. As cozy as you are, you gotta miss sleeping in your own bed, and I'd be selfish to keep asking you to stay," you replied honestly. Besides, as much as you enjoyed sleeping entwined with your human-sized teddy bear, you could feel your social battery depleting and you wanted to spend some time alone. "Hey, I'll see you again tomorrow! My super strong, super comfy, personal hero, right?"

"Right," he pouted. "I'll miss waking up to my little cutie pie's face, though!"

"Aw, that-" you were cut off when he proceeded to grab your cheeks and pepper countless kisses across your face before quickly slipping out of your apartment with a satisfied smile.

You stood frozen for a moment, effectively frazzled having never expected him to actually make good on his request to kiss you like that. Maybe you shouldn't have given him face kissing rights, cause that was so intimate that even you were feeling confused. You didn't want him to further mesh friendships with relationships, so you reminded yourself to have a talk with him again about the differences. Still, with how often he proudly mentioned your best friendship, you didn't doubt the platonic nature of his feelings.

Your nighttime routine commenced quickly after he left, and try as you might to avoid dwelling on it, all you could seem to dwell on was the way that there seemed to be a gaping hole by your side left by James. Well, maybe it just wasn't his place to hold anymore, and maybe it was time for you to pour more into your other relationships like you had today. The idea didn't sound too bad honestly, and while you weren't gonna just drop James over one fight or anything crazy like that, you realized that maybe other people could also be enough for you when he wasn't around.