Alistair observed Micah's life from a distance as one might a friend on the outskirts of the group. After dinner at Presley's, Alistair wasn't all that interested in social affairs and therefore, missed all of the usual chaos that came with Spring Break. Traffic was made worse by the oncoming tourist season, and that was all that mattered to Alistair, because it annoyed him the most.

He was lucky Micah's entire friend group posted enough to make up for Micah's lack of interest posting himself. Kennedy shared a tasteful and detailed catalogue of their three nights at a vineyard in Italy. It was Micah's first time abroad and, according to Benny's post, he'd spent the entire time jet-lagged, but enjoying the nightlife.

Alistair suspected Micah was not only jet-lagged, but so thoroughly pissed off that the others didn't know what to do with him.

Hunter had been on the trip.

Only after they returned from Italy did Alistair agree to Wednesday Brunch at an outdoor cafe near the park.

"Why is he here," Micah said, having stopped ten paces away from their table upon arrival.

Kennedy slapped her hands down. "'Cause why the fuck not? He's part of the group."

"Yeah, he's slept with half the table," Benny said.

"If that's the only condition to join Wednesday Brunch—" Micah started, close enough now that Kennedy could slap him. He swatted her back and took a seat. "What? It's not like Hunter's here."

Benny frowned at him. Wednesday Brunches would continue sans Hunter now that Micah's no-Hunter-in-the-apartment no longer applied.

Alistair took a sip of his martini and reassured, "I'm not making a habit of joining anyway. I'm just curious how traveling abroad went."

Micah's eyes were on his menu as Benny indulged the question with glee. There'd been a wedding ceremony at the venue and Micah, beloved by one of the groomsmen, had attended as an impromptu plus one.

"You idiots could've gone too if you were single," Micah said, not looking up from his menu.

"Do you even speak Italian?"

"Lasagna, fettuccine, gnocchi—"

"I know how to speak Italian," Kennedy interjected.

"Yeah, you really knew how to curse that one lady out," Benny snorted.

"I thought I was being polite!"

"Why didn't you go to a vineyard in France?" Alistair said. "Micah knows French."

"I know how to ask where the bathroom is," Micah sighed. "And they'd probably kick me out of the bathroom for the way I pronounce it."

Kennedy went on to declare their next international affair—one she desperately wanted Presley to endorse: a trip to Japan.

Benny and Micah winced at the idea.

"That idea didn't go over so well with Erika last time..." Benny said, delicately.

"Yeah, you guys sorta broke up over that," Micah said.

"It'd just be for, like, two days," she said.

"Which I'd spend sleeping."

"Sounds like a you problem," Alistair said, and sipped his martini so Micah would feel violent at the sight of Alistair's grin.

"We don't have to think about it now," Kennedy insisted. "We just need to think about it in vague terms."

Benny gasped, pointed, and said, "Manifestation. I like it."

"Oh my God," Micah groaned.

The waitress returned to take their orders, and Micah ordered nothing but a tall gin and tonic. Kennedy supplemented this by ordering food on his behalf. Once the waitress left with their orders, Benny stood up to go to the restroom.

The moment he was gone, Alistair asked, "How was Hunter on the trip."

"Awful," Micah said.

"He didn't spark delight, that's for sure," Kennedy sighed, rubbing a hand over her forehead. "He's not much of a sun and fun person, and we got a lot of both."

Alistair squinted. "Wouldn't you know that by now after Cancun?"

"Uh, yeah, you'd think," Micah said.

"You weren't even there. He was fine then."

"Oh, so he's just a bitch when I'm around," Micah concluded. He looked at Alistair then—the first he'd looked at Alistair since arriving at the table—and said, "And guess who had the room closest to them. Me. And he made it very obvious what they were doing."

"Asserting dominance?" Alistair suggested.

"He was asserting something alright."

"But this is good!" Kennedy insisted.

"How the fuck is that good? I'm telling you, we're feral cats. You can't keep us in the same room for long."

"No, I just mean that was the most time you've ever spent with Hunter," Kennedy insisted. "And you survived!"

Judging by the haunted look on Micah's face, his soul had descended before his body ever returned to American soil.

"At least Hunter won't be involved in the bachelor party," Micah said.

"I thought you refused to be in the wedding party," Alistair said.

"I do, but Benny's still inviting me to the bachelor party."

"I'm sure that's going over swimmingly with Hunter."

Micah glanced at Kennedy.

Kennedy's lips pursed. "You know. I don't think the discussion has come up."

It was then that Benny returned from the bathroom with an epiphany. He sat down, smiling ear-to-ear, and looking at Micah, and then Alistair, and back again. He then proceeded to collect his napkin and set it back on his lap without saying a word.

"Okay, you can't just look at them like that and not explain yourself," Kennedy said.

"No, don't let him explain himself," Micah interjected. "I don't want to know what's going through his head."

"I was just thinking—" Benny started, and Micah covered his eyes. "I just think it's really nice that Micah's boyfriends get invited to Wednesday Brunch."

"We aren't dating," they said in unison.

"We can't use the 'D' or 'B' word lest one of them run into oncoming traffic," Kennedy chided, swatting her hand about. "Like a dog with a word opposite to 'T-R-E-A-T'."

"V-E-T," Alistair offered.

"I just think it's really nice. That's all," Benny said. "Micah never has partners, so this is exciting. First Rory and now—"

"Can't we just say I was invited purely because we're, oh, I don't know, brothers?"

"No, that's not as fun," Benny said.

Micah had yet to use his eyes again, elbow to the armrest, hand to the face. He dragged his hand down along his cheek and settled with staring at Kennedy for help.

"Since you two aren't dating, then what are you guys doing now," Kennedy said, which was hardly the topic shift they were hoping for.

Alistair crossed his arms, set his martini aside, and said, "Yeah Micah, what are we doing?"

Micah drummed his hands on the table, glaring. "What we're doing... isn't your business—either one of you."

"Aw! C'mon!" Benny cried.

"Foiled again," Kennedy said.

"When can we see your apartment!"

"Never."

"Is it 'cause you have no furniture? It's okay if you don't have furniture."

"Yeah, we didn't get a couch until August! And that's only 'cause Alistair felt like being a sugar daddy," Benny said.

"I mean, I have a mattress," Micah said.

"Without a frame? No headboard?" Kennedy said, horrified.

"Less to break," Alistair said, which put Benny into stitches.

"Let's go furniture shopping!"

"Where, around NYU's campus? People are moving out now, we could probably find a couch. Maybe some nightstands," Micah said.

The idea felt a lot like if someone had swished their hand through sewage and shoved it down Alistair's throat. "You are not picking up a used college student couch."

Micah eyed him meaningfully and said nothing as Benny said, "Come on! It's a super affordable option, and he can clean it so it's fine. Vacuum it a little."

"Couches hold everything. Everything," Alistair insisted.

"I knew a girl who got a yeast infection on a couch she picked up from Facebook Marketplace," Kennedy said.

Alistair's entire body seized up in horror. He couldn't put his hand on his face, though he desperately wanted to shield himself from the impending headache.

"I gotta wait for the next payday," Micah said. "I'm kinda into the idea of sitting on the floor. When you spend three years sitting on the floor, ya kinda get used to it."

"I do miss sitting on the floor. Sometimes I sit on the floor just to remember the good ol' days," Benny agreed.

Kennedy crossed her arms. "I'm surprised Uncle Cass is just... fine with you living in a place with nothing but a mattress."

"He offered. I declined," Micah said. "And the realtor left behind the stools they used for staging, so I just eat at the counter."

"You're really worrying me," Kennedy groaned, lolling her head back.

As the discussion on Micah's furniture continued, Alistair knew that buying furniture himself was out of the question. Benny was more graceful accepting gifts, so the couch was a manageable middle-ground for disguising Alistair's want to buy things for Micah.

It's like if he isn't suffering, he has no reason to act humble, Alistair thought. Pride certainly had a role to play in this abysmal lack of consent for furniture bought by his friends.

"So your lack of furniture is the reason you won't let people over," Alistair concluded.

Micah's ears turned pink. This was all Alistair needed to see to know he was right. And then a glance at Kennedy confirmed she was already scheming, furiously, on her phone.