"He offered to keep on helping me," I said, not even looking up from my keyboard as I typed away at my Wednesday report that I'd been working on.

Asahi let out a bewildered gasp.

"Even though you got him filthy, harbored him over-night against his will, almost gave him bronchitis from the smoke off your terrible cooking, and preyed on him like he was a piece of fresh meat?"

The statement was enough to tear my eyes away from my keyboard to stare evilly at the long-haired man. Asahi let out a small chuckle which made me involuntarily soften my glare, I couldn't stay serious around him for too long. He was a gentle giant and in all honesty, he was asking the questions that I was asking myself.

But as I moved my eyes away from Asahi, they momentarily traveled down to his desk. Instantly, I took notice of the array of photographs that were spread out all around it. The cubicle walls, the surface of the desk itself, all of it consisted of mosaic type memories.

My eyes scanned over Asahi's high school pictures and Shoyou's crayon pictures but gravitated more towards his pictures of him and Yuu.

I would never admit it to either of the men but I was extremely envious. Obviously not because I ever have had or ever will have a thing for either one of them but more because they had something that I have never had.

It was something that really went beyond the luxury of being defined using the English language, solely because it wants something that could even really be explained in general.

It was complex.

It was a dance between two people and even though I had been friends with both of them before their relationship even started, I was never able to pick up the choreography.

For Asahi, it was all jokes. He didn't know how it felt to go home to a house that held nothing but the memory of what could have been because there wasn't 'could have' in his vocabulary. For him, everything just was.

In the corner of my eye, I could see Asahi's mouth moving, but it was all static.

I had never necessarily thought about any of this before. Asahi's cubical had been the same for years, with the exceptional additions here and there. But now, after all this time of not having someone of romantic interest in my life, these were the things that crossed my mind.

Constantly reminding myself that I always tried to reach for things that were just too far out of my grasp.

Tobio's mom.

Koushi.

God, I should have never got involved with him. Everything would have gone so much more normal, better, in my life if I had just left the crush I had alone.

But instead, I had to push it.

I had to-

My thoughts were, thankfully, cut off by an abrupt vibration against my thigh. I swiftly pulled out my phone and read the message displayed on my home screen.

'So, I was thinking of stopping by the supermarket after work to pick up stuff for dinner Friday and Saturday, what were you thinking meal wise?'

I read over the message and then read over it again. 'Friday and Saturday'? We had only talked about dinner for one day.

My thumbs hesitantly hovered over the keyboard but before I could type anything out he sent another message.

'Also, I was thinking that I could just spend the night again maybe? Then I could also help out with breakfast since you obviously need help in that area too. If you don't want me too that's fine, just let me know.'

Maybe, just maybe, things might be different for me. Before responding, I glanced back over at Asahi.

" Do you think Tobio could spend the night at your house on Friday?"

-

The rest of the week ran smoothly.

I suddenly flirted with Koushi every chance that I got. Sliding little things in while I was picking Tobio up and when we were texting. But now, Friday had finally arrived.

I picked up Tobio as usual and then parted ways to let Koushi go to his house to pack an overnight bag. I hadn't yet told him that Tobio would be spending the night at Shoyou's, just for the sheer fact that I didn't want to come off as a creep. I didn't want him to think that I was intentionally trying to have private time with him even though that was exactly what I was getting at.

Tobio had packed his bag the day that I told him and had it waiting by the door, even though he denied multiple times that he was excited.

And when the doorbell rang, he instantly shot up from his spot on the floor and ran over to the front door. I could hear his disappointed groan from the kitchen followed by an angelic chuckle.

"I'm wounded, Tobio. Am I not who you expected to see?"

Tobio let out a small, dramatic sigh and started walking towards the kitchen.

"Sorry, I'm happy to see you, but I was waiting for Shoyou." The small boy explained, melancholy present in his voice and he plopped back on the floor.

Koushi just continued chuckling at Tobio as he hauled the groceries he got into the kitchen, setting them on the counter and putting his overnight bag on the ground.

I watched him as he rolled up the sleeves on his jumper and walked over to the sink to wash his hands. I leaned my back between one of the inner corners of the counter, mentally swooning. This was my third time seeing Koushi out of standard work clothes and it was my new religion. He was so cute. It felt odd to think that and not try to take it back.

As he finished washing, he turned to me and flicked the remaining water from his hands onto me.

"Maybe you should stop staring and start getting to work," he said smugly.

I mocked a military salute and exclaimed: "Yes, captain!" And with that, both of us got cooking, joking around as we did.

It wasn't long into it though that there was another knock at the door.

Tobio did just as he did when Koushi had arrived and sprinted to the door. I heard him excitedly swing open the door and excitedly start to call Shoyou's name, but his voice slowly drifted off right in the middle of saying it.

"Mom?" Tobio's questioning voice echoed.