The next morning, Nico’s apartment was quiet in the fragile way it only managed before Jamie woke up and started broadcasting his internal monologue at full volume.

Nico stood at the kitchen counter in his T‑shirt and comfy shorts, fingers wrapped around a mug of coffee that had stopped steaming a few minutes ago. His phone lay on the counter, screen lit up with the last message in his thread with Ben.

There was still no reply under it, only the small, empty space where one might appear. Nico told himself that was normal. People had lives. They slept. They did not spend all night staring at their phones, waiting for volunteers to text back. He checked the screen again.

A door opened with a loud creak. Jamie shuffled out in underwear and with a chaotic halo. He made a beeline for the coffee machine, then stopped mid‑trajectory when he clocked Nico’s face.

"Are you ok?" Jamie said, squinting at him. "Did you go back for seconds with Mr. Gym Body?"

Nico blinked and locked his phone. "What? No."

Jamie’s eyebrows climbed, his sleepiness evaporating. "What about the cat man?" he asked. "Are we juggling?"

Nico rolled his eyes and took an unnecessarily careful sip of lukewarm coffee.

"There is no juggling," he said. "I haven't even seen that guy at the gym anymore. There is a man who takes care of cats and texted me about lost property. That’s it. I guess he is charming, though."

"Uh‑huh," Jamie replied, pouring himself coffee. "Okay, fine. You're out here living your best messy life. I guess I can at least apply for that job Romy mentioned."

Nico blinked. "You’re actually going to do it?"

"I am a man of action," Jamie said. "Also a man who desperately needs more money. Can I use your laptop?"

He grabbed the computer, opened the browser and started typing. Nico watched the familiar energy settle into something sharper, more focused.

"If you get this job, does that mean I get my place back?" Nico asked.

"Bold of you to assume I won't immediately become too exhausted to move," Jamie replied. "But hey. One crisis at a time."

Nico snorted, the knot of anxious energy in his chest loosening a notch. Until his phone buzzed softly against the counter.

Both of them froze. Then, as if compelled by some unspoken law of their friendship, they looked at the phone at the same time.

"If that's a client email, ignore it," Jamie said. "If it's a man, read it out loud."

Nico shot him a look but reached for his phone anyway.

Of course. Glad the sketchbook can make it back to its rightful owner.

Ben’s reply sat there. Under it, another bubble popped up as Nico watched.

Also, your drawings are fantastic. Would be a tragedy to lose those.

Something fizzed quietly in his chest. Rather than the jolt of gym adrenaline from the other day, all sharp edges and ego, this time it was... easy. The kind of easy that made you want to lean into it.

"Well?" Jamie demanded. "Is it at least mildly flirtatious?"

"It's..." Nico hesitated, then decided to keep this one mostly for himself. "It's nice."

Jamie groaned. "Useless. Completely useless. Hand that phone over to me and let me manage your love life."

"Absolutely not," Nico said, taking a sip of his coffee. It was cold and tasted horrible by now, but he kept smiling anyway. "Go apply for your job."

***

Later that day, Nico arrived at the shelter not only to clean litter boxes, but also to reclaim his sketchbook.

Ben was at the reception desk. At the sound of the bell, he looked up, and the way his face shifted from surprise to that soft recognition completely derailed Nico’s attempt at feigned indifference.

"Safe and sound," Ben said, holding up the sketchbook. "I hoped it was okay I got your number from the volunteer form. Just wanted to make sure you knew it was safe."

Nico took it, his fingers brushing Ben’s. "No, that was... so thoughtful. Thank you."

"I wanted to make sure it didn't get lost," Ben said. "And not just because Prunya would never forgive us."

Nico laughed. "Fair. I did immortalize her."

They moved into the catio, settling on the floor. Prunya immediately claimed the spot between them. A white cat, larger than Prunya, lay down beside her.

"So," Nico said, petting both cats. "I was telling my friends about the shelter. My friend Jamie is convinced you’re a saint. Yani thinks you’re a serial killer who uses cats to lure victims."

Ben laughed. "Well, I’m probably somewhere in the middle."

Nico looked at him, distracted by the size of his hands as he gently scratched a nearby ginger cat’s chin. The silly joke sat between them, but under it, something steadier hummed along. He had known this man for a handful of days, but it already felt dangerously easy to imagine whole weeks arranged around these quiet shifts.

Buzzing in Nico's pocket. The NJRY group chat pinged to life.

Romy: Board game night at my place Friday? David’s gone and I'm itching to break out some new games.

Jamie: YES. I need to channel my post‑breakup rage into something with a rulebook.

Yani: I’ll bring popcorn.

Nico stared at the screen. A board game night at Romy’s was standard procedure. The idea that arrived on the back of it, though, made his stomach swoop.

He glanced up. Ben was across the room. He looked up at the same time, catching Nico’s gaze. For a second, Nico almost looked away. He could keep the shelter and his friends in two neat, separate boxes. Low risk. Minimal chaos. Instead, he heard himself say, "Hey, Ben?"

Ben walked over, brushing his hands on his jeans. "Yeah?"

"This is super random," Nico started, "but my friends are having a board game night on Friday. And I remember you said you like board games." He could hear his own voice speeding up. "So, um. No pressure, obviously, but... would you want to come?"

The question hung there between them, fragile and very, very real. Prunya, sprawled nearby, opened one eye, as if even she knew this was important.