Fukase had an empty plate in his hand and no clue what to do. They had arrived at Rin and Len's birthday party not half an hour ago and Oliver had already left. Well. Oliver was physically there of course, touchable and everything, but he stood with all the presence of a store mannequin. His vacant expression had not budged once in the last five minutes.

Rin was excitedly sharing a story across from them at the fondue table and clearly hadn't noticed. As Fukase couldn't tear his attention away from Oliver, it led to a completely pointless and unproductive conversation in which no one was aware of anything outside of his or her own brain.

The doorbell rang. Rin's obliviousness continued even as she interrupted her story to dash to the front hall. When they were alone, Fukase placed his hand on Oliver's shoulder.

"Oliver? You there?"

No response. Oliver stared into space like a soulless robot.

Fairy lights were strung across all the walls and scattered tastefully on every free surface. In a room so bright the dark windows became mirrors, Oliver was an obscured corner where the light couldn't reach.

Fukase swallowed nervously. He tried again and angled his body between Oliver and the other people in the bustling room. Though it wasn't like any of them paid attention to what was outside their brains either.

"Oliver." Fukase gently rubbed Oliver's arm. "Please, snap out of it—"

"That's so crazy!" Oliver's face lit up with a smile. Fukase jumped and Oliver gave a little laugh. "Who knew—"

Fukase could see the realization click in Oliver's eyes.

"Wait, where did Rin go?" he asked.

"Oliver..."

"Oh." Oliver stared over the other partygoers. "Oh." He laughed again, this one slower and sheepish. "Looks like I zoned out a little there."

Fukase couldn't respond. His worry and frustration tied knots in his stomach.

"I won't do it again, I promise." Oliver held his hand next to his face, fingers straight in an apologetic gesture. A casual, implied "I'm sorry" that Fukase would not accept.

Zoned out a little? A little? He opened his mouth. That is not a little! You're scaring me—

Oliver gasped, and Fukase started.

"What? What is it?"

"You, your nose..." Oliver trailed off and pointed at Fukase's face. He began to dig in his pockets frantically. "Tissue, tissue."

"Tissue?" Fukase pressed his hand to his upper lip and found bright red wetting his fingers. "What the...?"

"Piko! Where are you? Whatever you're doing, stop it. You're going to break something!"

An ungodly shriek of twisting, shredding metal ripped through the air, and Fukase and Oliver clamped thei

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"Do you ever think people might try to turn us against each other?" Oliver asked as he and Fukase climbed the porch steps. Muffled music could be heard through the door.

"What do you mean by that?" Fukase asked. Unknown enemies trying to sabotage their relationship wasn't something he expected to be thinking about that night.

Oliver had pressed his fingers to his temple like he was trying to open the door with his mind. The tiny gift bag on his wrist swung with the motion.

"Like, if some crazy and weird chain of events leads to me being kissed by someone else," Oliver said, "You wouldn't let it be like a bad romcom and storm off, not allowing me to explain and letting our relationship fall apart due to stupid miscommunication?"

"That's a really specific situation," Fukase said, impressed. He rang the doorbell. "Did you steal that from a movie?"

"1 m34n

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Fondue. Len had never thought of it as something a good party could be centered around, but here it was, spread out across two tables, proving him wrong.

When his twin sister Rin had opted for a joint party for their shared birthday, he was skeptical. They hadn't done that since they were in their single digits. But seeing her vision spread throughout the lower level of their house purged any regrets he might've had. She really was a party planner extraordinaire.

Everyone from the bowling club was there, along with some acquaintances they'd brought along and a couple old friends who went to different high schools.

And there he was.

Oliver.

Len would never admit it, but there was only one reason he agreed to throwing a big party with Rin. And his birthday was not it.

Oliver had put down his cup so he could text with both thumbs. Len picked up Oliver's cup with one hand, pulling his other hand from his pocket with casual, small movements. Movements made not to draw attention to himself, the cup, or anything else inappropriate to draw attention to.

Looking over Oliver's shoulder, Len caught a glance of his text before Oliver closed the messaging app.

Where ru?? Its boring here alone

"Hey." Len stepped around in front of Oliver, holding out his cup. "You shouldn't put this down. There seems to be a serial drink snatcher around here."

"Thanks," Oliver said, accepting the cup. He smiled. "Happy birthday, by the way. I didn't see you when I came in."

"That's okay," Len chuckled. It wasn't like it was his fault an acceptable moment refused to arrive until that second. "This is more of Rin's thing anyway. I'd rather blast music and have a video game tournament."

"Same."

Oliver lifted his soda to take a sip, and found it plucked from his hands.

"A serial drunk snatcher, huh?"A pale girl with pin straight hair poured the contents of Oliver's drink into her own (wtf?) and tossed the empty cup into the nearest garbage can with perfect aim. "I wouldn't know anything about that."

"Ia!" Oliver's eyes popped and his mouth fell open.

"Hey Ollie, what's up?" She gave a little salute, and her blue eyes sparkled with the self-satisfaction of an undefeatable champion. "Miss me?"

"You have no idea." Oliver looked at her like she held all the answers of the universe.

Len felt there was something important going in front of him, but couldn't put his finger on what.

"Are you one of Rin's friends?" he asked, verbally elbowing into the reunion. "I don't think we've met before."

"You don't remember me?" Ia huffed in faux offense. "We've known each other for what, nine years now?"

"Nine years?" Len repeated, baffled. He couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth. Who was this girl? He was undeniably sure that he had never seen her before. "Sorry I don't remember you?"

"Anyway, I really need to talk to Oliver." She steered said boy away, and added over her shoulder, "Happy birthday, Len. I hope you get everything you deserve."

Len tried to come up with an excuse but fell flat. He stood with his mouth open as he tried to place this random girl. Tried to think of what to do next. He found he couldn't move. It was like his script had been ripped away from him.

What?

What's happening?

What's going on here?

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I found a w4y for us to meet 0uts1de of a scen3.
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Between ch4pt3rs? That's cr4zy, there's n0thing th3re!
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Th4nks to Piko, ther3 is n0w.
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Printed rules hung off the edge of the fondue table, and even though "NO DOUBLE DIPPING" blared in caps lock, Oliver had stuck to the trays of little chocolate covered treats. Each one was better than the last, and he interrupted Fukase's chat with Rin holding a particularly tasty finding.

"Try this. It's so good." Oliver lifted the chocolate strawberry and Fukase took a small bite, his hand on Oliver's wrist to steady it.

"Mmm." Fukase savored it, swallowed, and smiled. "Knowing you like it makes it taste even better."

Rin gave a little chuckle. "The way you guys act, people might think you're a couple."

Oliver and Fukase shared a glance.

"We are... a couple?"

"You are?" Rin's face turned white and she grabbed both of the boys by the arm and yanked them close. "Why didn't you tell me that?" she asked in a quiet hiss. "You need to tell me this kind of stuff!"

"Well, now you know," Oliver said, wiggling out of her grip. "I didn't think—"

"I thought you were single!" she exclaimed, letting go of Fukase to double her grip on Oliver. "I told someone I would try to set up a date with you." She shot a look at Fukase. "But I'm not going to now, obviously."

"Someone wants to go on a date me?" Oliver's eyebrows flew up.

Fukase froze at this sudden revelation. Someone else liked Oliver? Enough to try asking Rin to be a matchmaker? Strangely enough, he didn't feel jealous. Oliver was a social butterfly. Popular and easygoing. Fukase had expected to hear about something like this much sooner.

"Oh man, why couldn't you have told me this earlier?" Rin clapped her hands to her cheeks twice, slapping herself. "No, I'm sorry. It's my fault. I'm just gonna break it to him easy. It's alright. Don't worry about it." She punched Oliver in the arm. "But tell me about these things! Geez! How long have you guys been an item?"

Oliver appeared to be counting on his fingers before Fukase saved him. "Close to a year," he said.

"That long and I didn't know? Just how oblivious am I?" Rin grinned, flapping her hands awkwardly. "I'm happy for you guys! Forget what I said, I'll take care of it."

She promptly noticed another guest over Fukase's shoulder and went to start a new conversation.

"That was weird," Oliver said after she left.

"Yeah," agreed Fukase. "I wonder who it was."

"Are you jealous?"

"No, I just want someone to gush about you behind your back with."

"Aww, you can't do that to my face?" Oliver tapped Fukase's chest playfully. Fukase blushed and Oliver grinned at his reaction. "Or are you that bashful?"

"I'm really happy," Fukase mumbled.

"That someone else likes me? What, were you beginning to think you were crazy for choosing me?"

"No, no."

There were more people, their gazes lingering. Fukase tugged at his bangs.

"I never really thought going to parties was much fun," he said. I feel like I'm invisible but at the same time everyone is staring at me. "But being dragged along by you... It's different. I don't know. I'm just really happy."

"Hmmm," Oliver linked arms with Fukase before answering, a grin on his face. "Then I'm really happy too."

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'Seriously, why is it always fondue?'
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"Do you have something against cheese?"
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'It's not even that good...'
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As more and more people arrived, the party got hotter and louder, so Fukase and Oliver had found refuge on the back porch. Oliver had taken the opportunity to get nice and cozy, his head resting on Fukase's shoulder. Their legs dangled off the edge of the porch.

The screen door clattered loudly. Oliver straightened and both he and Fukase looked over their shoulders.

It was Flower, her eyes unnaturally shiny. "Boys are the worst," she mumbled.

Fukase and Oliver both said, "Hey."

"I'm not talking about you," she bit out through gritted teeth. She flopped down on the porch, her tulle skirt poofing out like a pale purple cloud. Her brows scrunched and her lip trembled.

"What happened?" said Oliver as Fukase asked, "Are you okay?"

"He invited me to this stupid party—" The tears in Flower's eyes broke free from their watery barrier and she finished with a sob, "He invited me as a joke."

"Who did?" Fukase exclaimed, shocked.

Oliver leapt to his feet and spilled Fukase's cup. "Aim me towards him."

Fukase scooted closer to comfort the weeping Flower after giving Oliver's pant leg a sharp tug. Oliver ignored the silent warning and clenched his hands into angry fists. "I'll deck him, just say his name."

"I'm not a punchline!" Flower cried.

"I'm so sorry," Fukase said as he put his arm around Flower. She wiped her face and accepted the hug, shoulders heaving. The fact that anyone would ask someone out as a joke made Fukase mad, but the fact that whoever did this asked Flower of all people? His heart gave a pang. "You don't have to go back in there. Stay out here with us."

"Who said that to you?" Oliver stressed.

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"This party is pretty boring," Fukase commented.

"I know," said Oliver. "Where's Len?"

"Over there, by the fondue, next to..."

There was a guy with choppy white hair talking to their friend. Len looked vaguely uncomfortable, like he didn't know who the guy was, or even what he was doing in the house. For some reason Fukase felt the stranger looked familiar, but couldn't place him either.

Oliver held out his drink to Fukase. "Hold this."

Fukase jolted from his thoughts and accepted the cup. "Why?"

His blood mutated into what felt like water in a storm cloud before it became hail.

Oliver's face was a solid mask. He stalked across the room with purposeful strides, grabbed Len's shoulder, whirled him around, and punched him.

Fukase dropped their drinks.