A/N

How are you liking this story so far? I hope the characters are not OOC!

Now we get onto the double juicy stuff.

Enjoy <3.

✿✿✿

The apartment door slammed shut with a thud that sent chills down his spine. His back arched like a scared cat and he turned to his video game, pretending not to notice.

"Lloyd!"

He heard his name and hid under the blanket. He wouldn't be surprised if she was holding a sword in her hand.

Her steps came closer. His breath hitched. The door to his room slammed shut.

She yanked the blanket off of him, her face red as could be; whether it be from embarrassment or anger, he couldn't tell. He gulped so heavily he almost choked on his spit.

"Lloyd," she said in a calmer yet scarier tone. "What did you do?"

He raised his hands in the air. "Okay, before you say anything, it slipped! They were the ones asking questions!"

"My parents always ask questions!" She grabbed his pillow and smacked him with it. "You told them I have a boyfriend!"

"Hey, I didn't name Jay—"

"Yes, you said Sparky! You said I'm dating someone with a dog's name!"

He grabbed another pillow and smacked her back. "They were asking about your mum's birthday party and if they should expect a plus one for us! I told them about Sky, then about my plus zero, then they asked about you!"

"What did you tell them?"

His face paled. "I hung up. But then they called again and assured me they wouldn't tell Kai yet, so that's good for you!"

She fell back onto the bed and groaned. "I don't care about what my brother or my mum or my dad think. I just didn't want them knowing yet." She took the pillow in her arms, that time hugging it over her torso. "It's not like anything will happen anyway."

"Don't say that. I saw him at my uncle's tea shop a few hours ago, he looked all giddy."

She raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you supposed to be working at said teashop right now?"

"My dad came along and they needed to have a private talk, so... Uncle Wu sent me home," he said. "But that's besides the point. You've got nothing to lose by going out once."

"But Stiix—"

"Can't you just quit?"

"I'm not quitting the biggest opportunity of my career!"

"Fair... But why wait a couple months for something you can do now?" He closed his eyes, stroking a fake beard. "Don't put off for tomorrow what can be achieved today."

She laughed. "Wu is rubbing off on you." She sat up on the bed to face him. "Maybe you should get into psychology."

"Yeah, maybe I can solve your love drama then."

"It's neither love nor drama!" she exclaimed. "It's just an acquaintance I've known for a week—"

"And have been drawing for the past few months..." His smirk made her cheeks puff slightly. He swore her ears would've erupted with smoke if they could.

"Okay, maybe I do want to be closer with him. And... maybe I do find him cute," she said. "But how can I know if we're compatible? And even if we are, wouldn't it be selfish for me to start a relationship knowing I won't be there for the first six months of it?"

"You never know if you don't try," said Lloyd with a shrug. He smiled proudly at himself. "Hey, maybe I should study couple's counselling."

"If the shoe fits," she said. "If my parents call again, don't tell them a thing about Jay."

She blushed at the mere thought of something embarrassing happening again. Her mother calling her rambling about her 'new boyfriend' in front of Jay... What if her phone was on speaker? What if she was talking loudly? Did Jay hear it?

Her phone dinged. Lloyd grabbed it, putting in the correct password. She wrestled him to get it back.

He admitted defeat. "Okay, okay! It's from Sparky, anyway."

She opened the message immediately. She didn't know what she was really hoping for, but she was satisfied with what she got: a photo of Wisp loosely wearing the orange scarf she had given him. Wisp didn't seem that eager about it, but nevertheless enjoyed the fabric's warmth. Below it the message read: "Guess I found one use for it."

She smiled to herself, beginning to type away. And as she did, Lloyd got up, left the room, and made his way to the kitchen. Stop the table he found a cup of coffee and an uneaten bagel. He grabbed the latter and took a bite, rolling his eyes at the laughter that was coming from the other room.

Nevertheless, he smiled as well.

✿✿✿

Sunday night meant no work for him: one of the few times where Skylor agreed to close the shop early and let everyone return home.

He plopped down on one of the empty tables in Chen's Noodle House, spotting Skylor mopping the place in the distance. He sighed and got up with a huff.

He tapped her shoulder from behind. "Need any help?"

She wiped sweat from her forehead, turning her trail the other way. "I can handle myself," she said. "Come to think of it, I might just take you up on that roller skating offer."

He cracked a smile. "Duh, I told you it's the best idea ever. Imagine us zooming around the tables on roller skates, dishes being delivered at light speed—" He was sure to add exaggerated movements and sound effects as he described his grand plan.

He got a laugh out of her. "I'm glad you're moving onto bigger things, but I'm gonna miss your face around here." She put the mop away, now wiping the tables. "If you're ever in need of lunch at BorgCorp, you know who to call."

He winked. "Of course I'll advertise it to everyone there," he said. "Though Kai may have already gotten on that..."

"I wouldn't be surprised."

"Hey, maybe when I quit he can take my job. Make a little extra bread for you guys. I'm sure he'd get plenty of tips with his face."

Her tone was more serious, yet puzzled. "Kai makes more than me," she said.

His head tilted to the side, and he swore he could feel his eye twitch. "What?" He sounded more freaked out than he would've liked.

"Yeah, I mean, he runs all our restaurant accounts on social media and has done some modelling gigs. You never seen a perfume commercial?"

"I thought those were a celebrity thing only..." He shook his head. "But that's besides the point. You work so hard in this restaurant and you make less than Kai's modeling gigs? Not implying that he doesn't work hard, but..."

"Oh, he's definitely the harder worker. He worked two full-time jobs last year to help with savings. He deserves a bit of a break."

Without thinking, he sat on top of the just-cleaned counter, swinging his legs in the air as he spoke. "Didn't he find anything in his major?"

"He didn't go to college."

"No way," he said. "How come I never knew that?"

"Just didn't come up," she said. "He has a younger sister who got into university on a partial scholarship. He offered his parents to delay college for himself so they could focus on paying the rest of his sister's tuition. His family was struggling, but... they're better off now."

His shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry," he said. "He could try again then, right?"

"If he wanted to. But he's doing just fine for himself, so no reason to rush into things," she said. "And, you know, his sister has some connections through her college professors and a friend's uncle and father. She has connections with everyone, basically. I should introduce you sometime."

The tone of her voice made blood rush to his face. He opened his mouth, unsure of whether to tell her his current situation... Come to think of it, maybe she would offer some solid advice. Better advice than Kai would, at least.

The bell above the door rang when it swung open. Both their lips zipped shut.

Kai strolled across the shop, leaning against the counter Jay was sitting on. "Am I interrupting something?"

Skylor rested her cheek on her palm, a smirk growing on her face. "Just talking to him about your sister."

He looked Jay up and down. "No."

Ouch.

"Come on, look at him. He's the same nerd in a different filter." She turned to Jay. "In the good sense, of course."

"He's not her type!"

Jay gave them an awkward smile. "Uh... thank you. I'm just not in the mood for relationships now. You know, with the BorgCorp interview and caring for Wisp and all—"

"I get it." Skylor laughed, walking towards the kitchen. "Give me five to close up the shop and we'll be on our way."

"Are the others meeting us there?" Kai called after her.

"Yeah," she yelled from the other room. "Can we make a stop by our house? I forgot my wallet."

"Sure thing, babe."

Jay cleared his throat. "Uh... Does your car have a charger port by any means? I'm kinda out of battery..."

Kai scowled at him, then chuckled. He threw his arm over his shoulder, patting him. "Sure thing, babe."

Jay laughed along.

✿✿✿

Skylor was taking an unusually long time to get down from their condo. Kai was in the driver's seat fiddling with the radio, leaving Jay to fiddle with his seatbelt in the back. His phone was charging in the front, stashed into the car's pocket above the radio. He tried to pluck up the courage to ask for it, but didn't open his mouth in the end.

He was glad to have brought a second pair of clothes, but at that point, he wished he had just listened to Cole and made a stop by their home so they could leave together. It didn't matter that he was seeing Kai in a new light, their shared silence remained awkward as ever.

His phone dinged. He arched his back to take a look, then leaned forward to grab it.

But Kai had already reached it, already frowning at the screen. "Who's Blossom with a heart emoji?"

His skin lost its colour. "No one. Can I have that back, please?"

"You are bad at keeping secrets, Walker," he said. "Is that why you didn't want Sky to set you up?"

"She's not my girlfriend," he blurted out. "Just... chatting. A friend."

His smile was genuine as he stared at the screen. "A friend you want to ask out?"

"I don't know. Maybe... Yes. But it's more complicated than that."

"Really? To me it looks really simple." With that, Kai unplugged the phone and handed it back. He watched Jay's expression eagerly as he read the message:

Blossom🌸♥️: Hi. Do you want to hang out sometime this week?

He cleared his throat, not falling for Kai's amusement. "That could mean anything." He readjusted himself on the seat. "Hanging out doesn't mean a date."

And as if the universe wanted to prove him wrong right then and there, another message popped right after.

Blossom🌸♥️: Like a date?

His heart pounded so loudly he was sure Kai had heard it. He laughed at his embarrassment.

"Well, I think she's made herself very clear," he said. "Go on, text her back."

"I... I think I'll respond after the bar. It's gonna be raining all week and I need time to think where to take her." He went to put the phone in his pocket, but Kai stopped him.

"You're just gonna leave her on read? Even I haven't done that!"

"I mean, I don't know how to respond—"

He groaned, snatching the phone away. "Give me that."

"Hey!"

Jay's eyes were glued to the keyboard, making sure he didn't send anything stupid as Kai typed away whatever crossed his mind.

Kai read it out loud, proud of his work. "Hey, I'm free on (and this is where you write a day), movie night at my place? It's gonna save us the trouble with the rain and all."

But just before he could press send, Jay reclaimed the phone. He held it close to his chest, his eyes wide. "I can't invite her to my place on the first date!" he exclaimed.

"Why not?"

"Because it's creepy! It gives off the wrong intentions—"

"You said it yourself, it's gonna rain all week."

"But first dates need to be more romantic! A stroll on the beach or a picnic..."

"How are you going to do that in a thunderstorm, genius? Think!" he said. "You want to be romantic, make her a candle-lit dinner at your place. Besides, your dog will be there to break the ice. Frisk?"

"Wisp," he corrected him. "Wisp adores her and she adores Wisp. I just don't think this is the best idea."

"Are you going to listen to the one who's engaged or yourself?"

He groaned.

"Groans won't help you decide."

With a huff and great reluctance, he chose Thursday as his day of choice. Internally, he cursed himself for picking the possible day of his interview. But, at the same time, he couldn't think of any other day where he would be that mentally prepared.

Send, he pressed.

Kai reached to pat him on the back. "See, I'm proud of you."

He sighed.

✿✿✿

Jay nodded his head along to the sound of the slow music of the bar. Cole apparently knew the owner, Dareth, and was able to get them a table in a short notice. He was the first one there, singing a not-so-flattering rendition of 'Shiny Little Glow Worm' on stage. When he, Kai, and Skylor arrived, he finally stopped.

Zane and Pixal joined them an hour later. While Nya's message hadn't left his mind, he left his phone on silent, focusing on enjoying some precious time with the rest. He laughed at Cole's terrible karaoke, awed at Zane's surprisingly great performance of 'Hello, My Baby' (though Pixal was more enamoured) and joined Skylor in multiple games of tic-tac-toe. While no one had gotten drunk, he admitted that he did feel like a bit of an outsider. Dareth's face when he asked for chocolate milk at the counter was one that his friends would not make him forget for the next few weeks, he was sure.

In the middle of the night, Kai scooted next to him. "What did she say?" he whispered.

"I don't know," he admitted. "I haven't looked."

"Dude!"

"I know! But even if she says yes, I'm just too nervous about it all. I mean, I've been waiting for this moment for months, but now it's here and I feel more anxious than in middle school."

"Okay, time to teach you the Kai way." He turned on his barstool so he was facing him fully. "You're gonna go buy a nice suit and make yourself look presentable. I'll give you some of my men's cologne from a commercial I did."

"You don't have to..."

"You're gonna go and buy a nice bottle of wine for you two. It's perfect for easing up your nerves."

"Kai, I don't drink."

"I'm not telling you to get drunk! Just a bit so you can calm down."

He turned away. "I'll see."

"The Kai method is proven." He got up, spotting Skylor nearby. "It got me a fiancée, you know."

As he walked away, Jay couldn't help but check.

Blossom🌸♥️: Sure! Is seven okay?

He smiled, holding the phone close to his thumping heart.