“Friendship bracelets, really?” Raven commented. Deimos looked up from Mira and his wrists to Raven who had magically popped out of nowhere. She peered down on them, two almost fully grown adults curled up in blankets watching Voltron and admiring the bracelets they bought a few days ago.

Deimos’ heart sped up and instinctively hid his wrist from Raven. However, before he could bury his hands into the blankets, Mira laced their hands together and stared at him. With one look, she was able to make his nerves disappear.

Proudly, Mira lifted up their hands and flaunted their cheap but cute gold-chained friendship bracelet. Deimos got half of a pink heart that said “best” and Mira got the other half that said “friends.”

“We’re so cute, aren’t we,” she snickered. “I’m never taking this off.”

Raven raised an eyebrow and sat on the edge of the couch. “We never got friendship bracelets.”

“That’s because I didn’t love you as much as Deimos,” Mira sneered, hugging him tightly. Deimos felt his face burn as Raven smirked at them.

“You guys are so cute,” she snickered.

“I know we are,” Mira bragged, kissing the side of Deimos’ head. His heart did flips. “We also got some space jewelry.”

“Oh no,” Raven laughed. “Deimos, how much money did you spend? You know this animal is nuts for space.”

He laughed nervously. “She paid for her own shit, I didn’t try to judge.” This conversation made his head dizzy. He expected Raven to be fine with him liking jewelry, she was Mira’s (second) best friend, but didn’t expect her to just…not care? She was so relaxed and chill with the whole situation.

“We got matching planet bracelets,” Mira said excitedly. She showed off her other wrist, which dangled a leather bracelet with a small Mars pendant. “Deimos got Venus because he’s the Goddess of Love and Beauty.”

He blushed and showed off his other wrist, which indeed was identical to Mira’s for the exception of the Venus pendant.

“And Mira got Mars, God of War, because she’s always picking fights,” he laughed nervously. Raven giggled and Mira shot finger guns.

“You got me,” Mira sniggered. “Hey, Raven, remember when we made those woven bracelets in middle school?”

Raven rolled her eyes. “Oh god, don’t remind me of middle school.”

“Do you remember how to make them? We should totally make them again!” Mira bounced up and down excitedly. “I totally have string from a previous sculpture project lying around here.”

Raven and Deimos exchanged looks.

“I’ll probably remember how to make some if we look at video tutorials,” Raven shrugged. She rolled up her sleeves. “I was the bracelet-making master back in the day.”

“Oh my god, you’re kidding,” Deimos laughed.

“I’m not,” Raven smiled. She got up and wandered around to find her laptop. Meanwhile, Mira rolled out of the little nest they made and looked for string. After some shouting and laughs, all three bordering adults were sitting on the ground in front of the coffee table making woven bracelets. String, scissors and beads cluttered the table, as well as a few cans of beer and chips. Raven wasn’t kidding she was the master at weaving bracelets and she pumped out three beautiful multicoloured bracelets in one episode of Voltron while Mira and Deimos were struggling to make one. Deimos’ first two were really shitty, but Mira was a hoarder and took them happily in exchange of a pastel rainbow one with three little pearls in it. It was cute and Deimos was going to reluctantly treasure it. It gave him new vigor and passion to make a black and white one for Mira with a little pink crystal bead at the end. She wore it immediately. They actually finished Voltron in the process of making a bunch of bracelets and Mira laughed at Deimos’ rage at the ending. (It was a cliff hanger!)

Raven egged them to watch Stranger Things, Deimos this time in a position of power since he’s already watched the season while Mira was all new to this. She yelped in surprise and clung onto him in the opening scene, and shouted obscenities after the one decent character, the Chef who helped Eleven, died (spoiler alert). After they finished episode 3, all three of them had made an unreasonably large amount of bracelets. Deimos was able to make a bracelet with the colours of the bisexual flag, Mira made one with the colours of the pansexual flag, as well as receiving a godly gift of a pink intricately braided bracelet made by the master herself, Raven.

By the time Sophie, Annie and Daniel came home, the three of them had made seven each and Mira gladly gave hers away to her friends. Daniel and Annie joined them on the ground to make some bracelets while Sophie stole some beers to chug away. Eventually, it got to the point where it turned into a full-on slumber party with hair braiding and manicures when Dani, Renee and Micheal, Renee’s boyfriend, came home. Renee was a part-time nail artist, another master, and proudly showed off her vast collection of nail polishes to the group. Apparently Micheal was the usual muse and showed off his long, multi-chrome nails.

Somehow, Deimos ended up curled up on a single-seated couch with Mira painting his nails black and accent finger shimmery grey. Everyone was happily chatting and joking around with Renee’s nail polish doing each other’s nails or makeup. Mira was extra concentrated on making Deimos’ nails perfect, her tongue sticking out and eyebrows furrowed as she painted his nails. Deimos smiled a little, amused at her concentration face as she gently held his hands and fingers. Beside him, Daniel was being attacked by his drunken girlfriend as she tried her best to paint his toenails, but ended up just laughing hard as she tickled his feet. Micheal was painting Raven’s fingers with careful precision while Renee did Sophie’s.

Everything felt so…normal. It was like all the puzzle pieces fit together and Deimos was supposed to end up here. All the shit he’s gone through has led him up to this perfect moment when he’s inches away from the girl he’s absolutely in love with, her hands in his, their bodies pressing against each other, and surrounded by people he can call his friends.

Deimos wanted to kiss Mira. He wanted to be with Mira. God, the emotions that welled up inside him were overwhelming, almost taking him whole. He wanted to cry, he wanted to laugh, and he wanted to kiss the shit out of her. She was such a source of his every day happiness it scared him. He just wanted her. He wanted to be able to kiss Mira like Annie and Daniel do. He wanted to look at her the way Renee and Micheal do. He wanted to laugh and hug her the way Gabriel and Mira do.

“There, done,” Mira finally exclaimed, her face bright and smiley. “Now we match.” She had the inverted colour scheme on her hands: shimmery grey with her accented nail black. Happily, she pressed their palms together, a cute gesture to show how big Deimos’ hands were compared to hers, and Deimos couldn’t help but lace their hands together.

“Comfortable with this?” Mira asked, referring to his nails painted.

“Yeah,” he mumbled. “I could get used to this.” Not referring to his nails painted.

“I’ll learn from Renee’s magical skills to do cooler designs,” she said happily.

“Thanks,” Deimos chuckled. He stared at her and she stared back. Slowly, Deimos kissed her cheek. When he pulled back, Mira’s smile dropped and her face was red.