“Oh, my god.”

Adrian turned to see Haruka put her phone down and give an exasperated sigh.

“You two couldn’t be any more awkward with each other, you know? Like I’m pretty sure I’ve seen middle schoolers interact with more flow, and middle schoolers are like the personified version of train wrecks.”

There was something that flickered in Haruka’s eyes then that Adrian caught, and although he wasn’t sure why he caught it, it made his senses go on alert. And yet… it was Dante that broke their awkward silence first with his own little icebreaker.

“Sorry Haruka… you will have to forgive me from time to time, I am still learning how to get on your level.”

“Well learn quickly chum, it’s a tough world out there. I have no hope for Adrian, but you? Nah uh, I’m not giving up on you.”

Adrian felt his eyes roll out of habit and a sigh escape his lips out of exhaustion. Haruka may have been a demon, but she surely was a savior in terms of socializing. Without missing a beat, he spoke next. “What was it that you were trying to show me, Haruka? You know, I would like to go home sometime.”

“Ah- oh yeah, right!” Haruka snapped her fingers, looking as though she was disappointed with herself for forgetting something as essential as whatever she had been trying to show Adrian.

Dante spoke then before Adrian could comment on Haruka’s forgetful nature, and when Adrian looked at him, the other man was holding his phone. “Alright well it’s time for me to leave, I have other things to do…” Dante smiled partially and again Adrian felt that flutter.

“Aw, so soon? Wanna hang tomorrow?” This from Haruka who was pouting like a child.

“Most definitely.”

“Yes!”

Adrian watched as Haruka got a little too excited and came rushing towards Dante, and Adrian knew this little charade, knew that Haruka was about to give the man a good-bye hug because that was the type of person that she was, but as she got closer and opened her arms to attack the man, Dante flinched so badly that Haruka stopped and hovered, obviously startled herself.

“S-sorry.. Haruka…” Adrian had never seen someone evade a hug so efficiently, and within maybe the time that it took the other man to apologize, he was already a safe distance away from Haruka and damn near halfway out of the door. “I have to go. Nice meeting you Adrian, see you later Haruka!”

And with that, Dante was gone.

Haruka slowly turned back to face Adrian, arms still in position to hug and Adrian would have probably laughed had he not been so taken aback and startled by the other man’s flighty reaction at a hug.

“….Do you think I scared him away?” Haruka’s voice sounded small, she was obviously offended and it was truthfully a bit overdramatic.

“Yes…. Or maybe he doesn’t like hugs like that Haruka….”

“Oh…” She waddled closed to Adrian then, arms still outstretched and Adrian knew where this was going.

He resigned with a slightly exasperated sigh.

“…Just do it.”

And within the next instance he felt himself being hugged, Haruka’s cheek smushed against his chest because that’s just where she landed in the grand scheme of things with their height difference.

Adrian looked off to the side and patted her messy hair. “…. Haruka…. You’re so weird…”

“No shit. What calculations did you have to do to come to that conclusion?” Her voice was muffled as she was talking into his shirt now for a reason that Arian could not comprehend.

He pursed his lips. “Oh, not many. It was as simple as 1+1=2. Now… are you going to show me that unnamed thing that you wanted to show me or are you just going to sit here and transfer your body heat?”

“Both…”

“Both?” Adrian furrowed his eyebrows and looked down at Haruka, or more so her messy bun. “You can’t be getting this sad over the fact that he didn’t accept your hug, Haruka come on now.”

“Oh, but I can.”

Haruka abruptly let go then and when she did, Adrian was met with pretty features that had arranged themselves into a pout that rivaled that of a toddler. “The thing I wanted to show you is over here. Follow me.”