Nik doesn’t even have the time to feel bad about hanging up on Sumi so suddenly before Finn is rambling, words spilling out of his mouth faster than Nik can catch.

“-and so we’ll need to find a way to get you across town,” Finn finishes, moving across the living room and sitting down on the couch. He unbuttons the front of his suit jacket and lets out a breath as if he’s been holding it in all day. 

“I- what?” Nik blinks at Finn hugs the pillow against his chest closer, before realizing how rude that is. He sets the pillow beside him and fluffs it before pooling all his thoughts together. “Um… sorry, I didn’t hear anything you just said.”

Finn laughs and then waves his hand in the air, as if he was brushing something away. “Right, sorry,” he begins, scooting closer to Nik on the couch. “I’m not exactly used to casually talking to people, if I’m honest. It’s always usually either business talk or flirting.”

He reaches towards his shoulders and slides his suit jacket off before tossing it on the ottoman. A piece of Nik wants to immediately pick it up and hang it on a hanger, appalled that Finn would so loosely handle his- no doubt- expensive garments. The other half of him is screaming at the close contact of him with the other man.

“So, Balthazar called me today, during a meeting of course, but that man has never had any sense of time. Anyways, he’s told me that your suit will be ready for pickup tomorrow,” Finn kicks off his shoes and leans back on the couch, bringing his arms behind his head to rest on. “I had planned on going back to the shop with you, but unfortunately, I’m going to be working late shifts for the rest of this week.”

He sighs. “You’re going to have to go by yourself to Balthazar’s shop sometime this week to pick up your suit.” When Nik looks over at Finn, he looks apologetic, like a sad puppy who’s been left in the rain. “I feel awful, but there’s no way I can get out of work.”

It’s not the worst news Nik could have gotten. The way that Finn was looking at him now, he would’ve thought his non-existent dog had died. But this doesn’t seem too bad- right?

“I think… I can do that,” Nik says, reaching his hand up and pulling the hair tie out of his braid. He begins to thumb through it, idly thinking that he needs to wash it, it’s gotten oily. 

Nik sighs and bunches up his hair and in the back and puts it in a bunch, glancing up at Finn who’s just staring at him. When they make eye contact, Finn seems to come to life. 

“There’s a station near the shop, but it is a bit of a walk,” Finn leans over and braces his elbows on his knees, his button-down hugging his back to the point Nik can see his spine. “I’d offer to let you borrow my car, but unfortunately HR wants me to do some business at some place outside of town.” He rolls his eyes, “I swear, if I had known the kind of tasks outside of my contract they would have me do, I would’ve searched for a different job.”

He laughs and gets up from the couch. “I’m going to get a scotch. Want anything?” He makes his way towards the kitchen and soon Nik can hear bottles clinking before Nik can even answer. He wants to decline the offer; it feels rude to take an offer for someone when he hasn’t even done any cleaning. 

He hasn’t worked, hasn’t cleaned, hasn’t organized anything. He let time slip from him while talking to his sister. When Finn comes out with two glasses of whiskey, Nik feels sick to his stomach.