Jamie sat on the edge of the couch in Diego's apartment, his hands animated as he finished his story.

"...so the venue for the concert finally caved! And with the price we got, it means we can actually afford decent lighting, not only sad lamps that look like they belong in an interrogation room." Jamie laughed, waiting for the reaction.

Diego didn’t laugh. He was staring at the blank wall opposite the couch, his posture slumped. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days, his shirt wrinkled, his energy completely drained.

Jamie’s smile faltered. The silence stretched, uncomfortable and sharp. "Hey," he said, his voice softening. "Did you hear any of that?"

Diego didn’t look at him. "Yeah. That's... nice."

The word "nice" landed with a thud. Jamie shifted closer, putting a hand on Diego’s arm. He expected Diego to lean in, or pull away, any reaction. But Diego just sat there still.

"Talk to me, Diego," Jamie whispered, feeling a cold weight settle on him. "What’s wrong?"

"It's..." Diego’s voice was flat, devoid of the spark Jamie had fallen for. "One of those days."

Jamie took a long look at him. The Diego who had spun him around on the dance floor, who had made him feel electric, was not the one sitting next to him. Jamie could see him, but he couldn’t reach him. The atmosphere was heavy like the air before a storm that refuses to break.

***

At the beach, the breeze felt nothing like a storm. It was light, carrying only the scent of salt. The sunset was doing its best to be romantic, painting the sky in shades of gold and pink. The kind of lighting fit for a fragrance commercial or a marriage proposal, neither of which was in Nico's plans that day.

He was, however, prepared for ice cream with Ben.

"You’re kidding," Nico said, licking a rogue drip of peach from his cone. "Your sister really named her cat ‘Sir Reginald Fluffenstuff’?"

Ben laughed, a hearty, easy sound that blended perfectly with the rhythm of the waves. "And she expects me to use the full title. Every time. If I only say 'Reginald,' she corrects me. It’s a whole thing."

They strolled along the shoreline, Ben in his sandals, Nico barefoot with his sneakers dangling from one hand. The knot of anxiety that had been living in Nico’s stomach since the party incident was finally loosening. He had spent the morning rehearsing conversation topics in the mirror, terrified of awkward silences, but the quiet here felt comfortable. The view helped. And not just the sunset. Ben walked beside him, his shirt unbuttoned to the breeze. Nico tried to focus on the horizon, but his gaze kept drifting to the way Ben's shorts strained against his thighs, making the cargo pockets forgivable.

They sat down on the sand, watching the sun dip lower. Nico self-consciously adjusted his own linen shirt, suddenly grateful he’d decided to leave the top three buttons undone. He caught Ben’s gaze dropping to his exposed skin before flickering back up with a small, appreciative smirk. Maybe the "effortless slutty" look Jamie had recommended was working.

"I’m really glad we’re doing this, Nico," Ben said, turning to him. His expression was sincere, stripped of the guardedness he’d worn at the park. "A real date."

"Me too," Nico admitted, shifting slightly to face him. "Trying not to freeze or overthink."

"How’s that going?"

"Mixed results," Nico smiled. "But I kind of like the quiet." He took a breath. "What does quiet sound like to you?"

Ben looked out at the water, considering the question seriously. "Wet soil. Leaves rustling after rain." He turned back to Nico, his eyes catching the last of the light. "You?"

"Pencil on paper," Nico said softly. "The scratchy kind. And a cat purring. That low vibrating rumble."

Ben nodded. "Want to make our own quiet?"

Nico’s smile reached his eyes. He reached out, his pinky finger tentatively hooking around Ben’s. "I’m out of practice at this."

"Me too."

"Want to be bad at it together?"

"Yeah."

Both leaned in. It wasn't a tentative, testing-the-waters kind of kiss. Ben’s hand came up to the back of Nico’s neck, his fingers rough against the skin, pulling him in with a gentle firmness. There was a grounding pressure as their lips met. Nico's own hand reached behind Ben’s neck, deepening the contact. It tasted of salt and peach, but mostly it felt like an anchor dropping.

A resonant vibration settled in Nico, but for once, the familiar panic didn't come. Just presence. Just being here. Okay, this is real. I can do this.

By the time Nico got home, he was practically floating. He unlocked the door, humming an upbeat tune, and breezed into the living room.

"Hey!" Nico announced, beaming.

Jamie was on the sofa, staring at his phone. He looked up, forcing a smile. "Hey. How was it?"

Nico flopped onto the couch, still buzzing. "It was… perfect. Simple. Easy. Is that weird? I kept waiting for the disaster, but it never happened."

Jamie shook his head. "No. That’s exactly what you deserve."

Nico’s smile faded slightly as he actually registered Jamie’s expression. The usual spark was missing.

"Everything okay with you?" Nico asked, leaning forward. "And Diego?"

Jamie took a deep breath, the mask of forced happiness dropping completely. "It was the opposite of easy. It felt like I was talking to a brick wall. A sad, handsome brick wall."

"Oh, Jamie," Nico said softly.

"I don't know," Jamie sighed, rubbing his face. "Maybe he's just going through something. I want to help, but I feel like I'm annoying him with my existence."

They sat in silence for a while.

Later, Jamie lay in the dark. His phone was in his hand, the screen black. He tapped it, just to check. No notifications. No Goodnight. No Sorry I was weird.

He stared at the screen for a long time before finally turning over, pulling the bed sheet up to his chin, and closing his eyes against the silence.

In the next bedroom, Nico lay in bed, the sheets cool against his skin. His phone buzzed on the nightstand.

Ben: Goodnight :)

A simple text with a smiley face. Nico grinned at the ceiling, a warmth spread through his chest that had nothing to do with the temperature. He typed back a quick reply, set the phone down, and closed his eyes, the sound of the ocean still playing in his head.