A/N

Lots of second-hand embarrassment in this one, get ready.

And as remedy for not posting last week, you get an extra long one.

Enjoy <3

✿✿✿

Jay shook the interviewer's hand frantically. "Thank you so much for the opportunity." His voice was louder than intended.

The interviewer smiled.

He walked towards the door, facing them the entire time. He almost tripped over a chair. "Sorry!" He quickly rose to his feet, waving a last goodbye before closing the door.

He leaned against the wall, taking a deep, heavy breath. People around him were working, going on about their day. Some were bored, some chatting, some too focused on their work to care.

There was a chance he was romanticising the place; after all, it was simply another job. But to him, it was an opportunity he had longed. He didn't work for a scholarship to use his knowledge nowhere.

He took the stairs instead of the elevator to ease his nerves. His knees were ready to buckle from anxiety, giving him a miniature heart attack with every step. He made it to the lobby, panting and in a cold sweat.

Two strong arms pulled him in a crushing hug. He looked over the person's shoulder to see Pixal in her work uniform, sending an email of sorts. Beside her was Zane, carrying a heavy stack of documents. It didn't take him long to realise that the arms belonged to Cole.

"I thought you were working today?" Jay said as they pulled away.

Cole snickered. "Boss asked me to move my shift to the afternoon and I agreed so I could make sure you didn't faint from stress."

Jay chuckled. "Thanks."

Cole's voice lowered and he wiggled his eyebrows. "Plus, so you'll get some alone time with your date tonight."

He groaned, his face flushed so red even Zane and Pixal noticed. He punched Cole's bicep, grabbing his own forehead to make sure he was still alive. "As if I needed to be more anxious today."

"Take it easy, just be you. She likes you."

He was right. And, as much as he hated to admit it, he had Kai's advice as well.

"How did you and Kai get along, by the way? I mean, he's an acquaintance, sure, but I didn't have him as the type to get along with you."

"Gee, thanks," he said. "But, uh... I guess we clicked. I don't know him well either but I think you'd get along. You barely talked to him at Laughy's."

He was about to answer when Pixal got off her phone, stepping between them. "How did the interview go?"

"Oh, uh, well, I guess. I think they liked me."

She laughed at his sheepish smile. She pinched his cheek. "Of course they will."

"I knew you'd do well the moment we were preparing your resume together," said Zane. "I'm sure your charm will shine through."

"Not just to the interviewer," Cole said with a grin that was undeniably mischievous. Jay gasped at his audacity.

"Are we discussing Jay's love life again?" Zane asked innocently.

"When are we meeting her?" Pixal followed.

Jay rushed out of the building, his friends' muffled laughs following him the entire way.

Still, he smiled.

✿✿✿

The bowl of dark chocolate remained stiff in Nya's grasp. Though not a sweet tooth by any means, she savoured them one by one while scrolling on her phone.

She smiled at every photo she scrolled by, feeling a sort of guilty pleasure for looking through them all. After she finished the bowl, she leaned back onto the sofa, lazily huddled between her pillows.

Most of his photos consisted of Wisp. And the ones that included him also included her. Hiking, camping, inventing, building a model train... Wisp was always there to join the ride.

With each picture, she sank further into her blanket. Blood rushed to her cheeks with the countless sports he posted doing with Cole. His body, his face, the muscles she never noticed-

"Are you gonna keep drooling over his Chirp photos?" Lloyd's voice broke her thoughts. She held the phone to her chest as to hide the screen.

"I found him in my suggested accounts. Skylor follows him since he works at Chen's," she quickly explained.

He pushed his blond locks away from his face, leaning against the couch. "Think he knows Kai?"

"Hope he doesn't. I want to keep this private."

"I thought you shared everything with Kai."

Her body relaxed. She gazed at her photo while she spoke, her thumb awkwardly trailing over the screen. "Well, I want to be sure before I bring him up. My parents weren't supposed to know either..."

"Yeah, sorry about that." A devilish idea entered his mind. "And I'm sorry for this."

"For what?"

Before she knew it, his finger jolted towards the screen, placing a like on his picture before running away.

Her head snapped towards the picture: him building a giant sandcastle at the beach. She didn't know whether to be impressed by his physique or the sheer size of the palace.

She snapped out of it. She fumed. "He'll get notified!" she yelled after him.

"That's the point!"

She grabbed a pillow from the sofa, chasing after him in the next room.

✿✿✿

He had never tried to search for Nya's Chirp account, surprisingly enough. The thought never crossed his mind, yet it seemed so obvious.

But Nya had found his account. She had liked his picture. One from last summer, of him posing next to the sandcastle he had built with Cole. Having an architect assist you in a building challenge proved useful, at the very least.

When Cole left for work, he began the preparations: took a long shower, tried to tame his usually messy hair, practiced his words in front of the mirror.

Admittedly, he had overdressed. The black tuxedo was one he hadn't worn since his graduation; he made sure to add a touch of blue with his bow tie, at the very least.

He debated on what to do with the rest of his look. A little concealer over his freckles, a pencil to cover the notch on his eyebrow-but he knew she loved all that about his face, and his thoughts were put to rest.

While the pasta was boiling in the pot, he ran around the house to organise the rest. Wisp was following him the entire time.

He brushed his teeth, chewed a mint (not that he had many hopes for a first date), and finally pulled out the 'men's cologne' Kai had gifted him the next day at Chen's.

He tilted his head, trying to wrap his head around the scent on the label. He rolled up his sleeve, spraying it on his wrist.

The smell was quite intense. He pulled away, his face scrunching in disgust. 'Absolutely not,' he thought.

He waited and waited for the sauce to cook. The dish's scent was already a good sign. Having nothing else to do, he fetched the bottle of wine from the cabinet and poured himself a glass.

He had a few hours until Nya arrived. But did she even drink? He didn't drink. He hadn't drank in his entire life. Would Nya like that brand of wine? He had to taste it to make sure. What if it was expired?

He took a sip. He frowned. It wasn't that bad. Then again, Kai did say it would help his nerves...

Bracing himself, he gulped it down all in one go. He stuck his tongue out in disgust, a burning feeling within his throat.

Maybe it wasn't enough. One more wouldn't hurt. He had time. Just for his nerves. Nothing else.

He poured himself a bigger glass, taking it in slower than last time.

✿✿✿

His body felt... loose. But not in the way he imagined it would feel. He couldn't go any further than the two glasses. He couldn't deny that it had done something. Even if the taste wasn't the best, part of him finally felt... relaxed. Along with that feeling came a splitting headache, an annoyance he couldn't get rid of. He patted his head, trying to think straight.

Nya would be there soon. The pasta had long finished boiling. Before combining it with the sauce, someone scooted him. He looked down at Wisp, who was staring up at him expectedly.

He smiled, giving her a strand of pasta to enjoy.

His phone started ringing. He jumped, fumbling to answer. It was a videocall.

"Jaybear, how did it go?" His mum's voice blared through the other side. By her side was his dad, though he didn't fully fit into the frame.

Teaching them how to video chat was neither a blessing nor a curse... But in a time like that, he was happy to see their faces.

He balanced his phone on a toaster so he could prepare his pasta freely while still in view. "What went well?" he asked.

"Your interview! Today, right?"

"Ma, I can hear you, no need to be so loud." He covered his ears, finally turning down the volume of his phone. It was hard to tell whether the headache was caused by the alcohol or his dad's loud voice. "The interview went... well, I think. Pixal told me I'll probably hear back in a week or so."

"Oh, that's wonderful!" she said, turning to her husband. "Ooh, Ed, do ya think we can pay him a visit to celebrate?"

Ed smiled. "That car of ours still needs some fixin', but we can make it work."

"We'll prepare your favourite soup," she told Jay. Curiosity appeared on her expression, and she put on her glasses to take a closer look at the screen. "Whatcha making?"

"And whatcha wearing?" his father added.

He hoped his blush wouldn't be visible on the other side. "Just... dinner."

"Dinner for who?"

He put down the plate with a clank. "Ma!"

"Ya didn't tell us about that," she said. She chuckled with Ed. "Guess we have another reason to visit, eh?"

"Give him a break, Edna. Remember how anxious I was on our first date?"

Jay fumed. "How do you know this is a date and not a business meeting or something?"

Edna laughed. "You haven't combed your hair this well since your first day of kindergarten."

He opened his mouth to dish out his counterpoints when entrance bell rang. He rushed to open the lobby door. He had some time before she reached his apartment.

"Ooh, is that her?" Edna said. "Do we know her name?"

"Nya, I've gotta go."

"Put on some nice music," Ed said. "Take her dancin' like I took your ma."

"I'll keep that in mind!"

Without thinking, he turned off his phone. He turned around, another nauseating feeling overtaking him. He stood straight, looking at Wisp.

Giving her a treat and plenty of water, he led her to the bedroom and closed her inside. He had a bad feeling, and just hearing her on the other side made his heart sink... But he couldn't let her jump all over Nya for the entire night. Maybe later, after getting comfortable on the sofa... What was he thinking?

The sound of knocking startled him. He rushed to open it.

She looked beautiful as ever. A simple blue sweater and white pants didn't seem like much at first, but an additional layer of warm coats, scarves, and gloves solidified the rest of the outfit.

His place wasn't the warmest, but judging by her relief it was enough to rid her of her cotton prisons.

She was looking at him... strangely. Not like anyone had ever looked at him before. She stared him up and down, her eyes slightly wide. His face grew hot, whether from her gaze or his drowsiness. Was hers red too? He held himself back. It was probably from the cold.

"I may have overdressed," he said awkwardly, fiddling with his sleeve.

"No, it's okay. You look really... nice." She thought of a million other words in her head, but couldn't get them out. She cursed herself internally. Nevertheless, he smiled.

"You can leave your stuff here," he said, gesturing at the hanger.

One by one, she removed her coat, gloves, and scarf, hanging them. "I left my umbrella in the lobby. Good thing we live so close, it's raining dragons outside."

Curious, he opened the curtains. The sky had already gone dark, but through the street lights alone the heavy rain was apparent. He sighed. At least they didn't have to deal with that now.

"Where's Wisp?" she asked. Her smile was already making him nervous, feeling butterflies building up in his stomach.

"Oh, just taking a nap in the other room. She'll wake up eventually!" 'Lame excuse,' he thought.

She seemed to believe him.

He pulled a chair out for her to sit. Albeit their table was small, he tried to get everything on there. The pasta, the salad, the wine... He looked at the bottle and his stomach turned. 'Just a bit more,' he told himself.

"Oh, wow," she said. "If it hadn't been for the rain, I would have dropped by a bakery to grab something sweet... Sorry."

"My house, my treat." He cringed at himself and his goofy smile, but her chuckle comforted him at least a little.

He leaned forward to offer her the glass of wine when her nose scrunched up. She sneezed. His face paled. Was the wine that bad?

She pushed his hand away gently, cupping one of her cheeks. They were turning pink, but that time she didn't look as flustered.

"Everything okay?" he said.

"Um, yeah... Are you wearing perfume by any chance?"

His face flushed red. He quickly put down her glass and lifted up his sleeve. "It was supposed to be men's cologne... But, yeah. Just a bit on my wrist. Is it that bad?"

"No, no! I'm just... severely allergic. It won't kill me or anything since it's such a small amount, but-"

"I can wash it off, it's okay!" He hurried off to the bathroom with no second thoughts, washing his wrist beneath the sink like there was no tomorrow.

Part of him wanted to stay there, but he knew he couldn't avoid the inevitable.

The occasional joke or pun would break the awkward silence as they ate. She was enjoying the food, at the very least.

All the while, he couldn't take a bite. His stomach turned just looking at it. His nausea had yet to go away. Instead, he took a big sip of his wine, frowning at the taste.

She was looking at him. When he looked at her, his head began to spin again.

"Did you end up having that interview?" she asked him. He nodded. "That's great! How did it go?"

"Uh... well. I guess." He grasped his forehead, his eyes squinting. He tried to put on a smile. "Yeah, just fine." The rest was a vague blur.

Her face showed concern. She got up from her chair, watching him as he opened the window with a slight stumble on his step.

He tensed when she grabbed her shoulders. "Hey, do you need to lie down?"

He couldn't look her in the eye. "Uh... maybe."

"Okay..." She led him to the sofa, sitting beside him. "Are you sick?"

"I think so. I... I don't know."

His words were slightly slurred, setting off alarms in her mind. "Are you drunk?" she asked cautiously.

He chuckled awkwardly as if she were telling a joke. "I don't know."

"How much wine did you drink?"

"I had two more before you came." He panicked, exclaiming: "But, I'm not a drinker, I swear! I just wanted to impress you."

Drunk or not, his words made her heart flutter. She reminded herself that it was nothing more than drunken blabber. She didn't know how to feel. Lloyd did tell her to call him if anything happened... But he didn't look dangerous. Just helpless.

"Impress... me?" she ended up saying. He nodded. "But I look so-"

"Fantastic."

She grasped one of the sofa pillows. Under normal circumstances, she would have thrown it at the person's face. But with Jay it was difficult. Sober or not, his words were genuine. And although his gaze on her was nothing sort of lovestruck, she didn't want to believe it. That only happened in books and movies.

She heard scratching coming from the other door. Carefully, she approached it, opening it-

Wisp charged at her, jumping from joy and wagging her tail. She smiled, trying to calm her down.

She ran to Jay, who was now laying down on the sofa, jumping on top of him. He gasped, petting her slowly.

Nya crouched beside them, a sorry look on her face.

"Wisp," he groaned, gently pushing her face away. He looked at the ceiling. "I'm so sorry Blossom, I wanted everything to be perfect and I ruined it by listening to stupid advice." He threw his arms in the air. "I don't even like alcohol!"

She tilted her head. "Who's Blossom?"

He looked at her as if she was supposed to know. "It's your code name. Because you always sit under a cherry blossom looking pretty and smart and drawing stuff."

"Oh." Maybe being drunk wasn't the worst. She felt embarrassed herself, however. "Your code name is Sparky."

He laughed. "I like Sparky."

"I had been looking at you too. And Wisp."

"The city isn't as good as I wanted..." She couldn't tell whether he was rambling to himself. "You made the park a little prettier."

She decided to play along. "A little?"

His tone was dead serious. "Well, there's trash everywhere, you can't fully fix that. But you made my day prettier."

Before she could respond, his eyes began to water. "And now everything is ruined and I'll become a crazy dog man until I'm old."

She gathered up all her strength as not to laugh. Her expression softened when a defeated look appeared on his face.

She hesitated at first. Eventually, she took his hand, intertwining her fingers with his. Sitting down on the carpet, she stroked his palm with her thumb. He shuddered at the gesture, though his breathing was slowing down at last.

"I feel bad," he said.

Her voice lowered. "It's okay. I know." She leaned in closer. "Did you really do all this for me?"

"I swear! I took some friend's advice but then it backfired and now you hate me too."

"I don't hate you," she said. She chewed on her lip, figuring out that he wouldn't remember it anyway. "I've never had a crush before. At least, it wasn't the same feeling that I got when hanging out with you. I don't think I can hate you."

"Yay," he whispered. That time, she didn't contain her laughter.

She wouldn't have another opportunity to tell him without shame and guilt. It was just a job, after all. She had to be honest. "I just don't know if I can-"

"I love you," he said as a last attempt. His words came out slurred. She smiled, stirring hope within him.

"Yes, I love blue too. It's my favourite colour as you know."

Maybe she would tell him another time.

Maybe he would tell her again another time.

His eyes were blue. She couldn't help but stare into them while speaking.

She snapped out of her fantasy. He was looking at her curiously.

She grabbed a blanket from the armchair, draping it over him and Wisp. She gave Wisp one last pet and Jay a reassuring stroke. He apologised once more.

She stayed with him another hour. Seeing as it was getting late, she waited for him to fall asleep, and left.

✿✿✿

His head was pounding.

But last night was unmatched. Him and Nya on a date, cuddling on the couch while watching a movie... He felt a weight on top of him. If he looked down, she would see her curled up sleeping on his chest. A blanket was draped over them.

When he looked, he was faced with Wisp. She began to pick his face. He jumped.

Nya was nowhere to be seen. It was nothing more than a dream. He looked at the leftover glasses and plates on the table, and suddenly everything came back to him. He wanted to punch himself.

Cole was sleeping in the bedroom. He got back to the sofa, finding a note tangled between the creases of the blanket.

"Thank you for the nice date.
Feel better soon :)

Sincerely, Nya"

He groaned, going back to sleep.