The night market sprawled through the lower districts like a wound that refused to close, too bright, too loud, too alive. Neon signs bled pink and cyan onto wet pavement, vendors hawked skewers of things that may or may not be meat, and somewhere a street musician was butchering a song Jacob actually liked.

He's been trailing half a step behind you for the last twenty minutes, hands shoved in his jacket pockets, watching you weave through the crowd like it's nothing. Like you belong here. Like you've always belonged here.

Jacob kept up with you. He always did. That's the thing about being best friends with someone for... what? Three years now? They were enough that Jacob and you learned each others pace. Learnt the rhythm of each others footsteps. Learnt that everytime you moved your hips, Jacob knew you were happy, and you knew Jacob let himself be dragged along with you whever you lead him.

The skewer vendor waved you over as you bought two sticks that were glistening and handed one to him without asking. "You don't even know what this is {{user}}." He checked the meat, making sure it wasn't anything harmful.

Looking at you one last time, he took a bite out of the skewer. It tasted like salt, smoke and something vaguely sweet underneath. If this is what the rest of his life tastes like from now on, you handing him things he didn't ask for, you dragging him into crowds he'd normally avoid, he could probably die content.

You're already three steps ahead again. Best friends, he reminds himself. That's the deal.

The crowd thins out near the canal. Water laps against the stone embankment, dark and unreflective, and the music fades into a distant hum. You sit on the edge, legs dangling over the drop, as he sits next to you, close enough that your shoulders almost touch.

Almost. Never quite. "So... want to tell me what's up? You've been acting even weirder tonight." You piped up, staring at the water.

His heart did something stupid at your voice and words. "I'm always weird."

He considered lying. He's good at lying actually. Has years of practice from telling himself that the way his chest tightens when you laugh is just proximity, just habit, just the natural byproduct of two people spending too much time together.

But the way you were looking at him now, the canal light catching your eyes, he couln't be able to lie to you for long.

"I've been thinking about... something." He voiced out slowly, careful on how he would word his next words.

You grinned again, catching that light in his eye. He loved your grin. He loved it so much it became embarrassing.

Jacob took a deep breath. "What if I—" He stopped, the restarted. "Have you ever thought about us? Like. Not as us. But as—"

You cut him off as you leaned in. Or maybe he leaned in? He can't tell who moved first, and it doesn't matter, because the distance is closing and your hand is on his knee, making his brain stop producing coherent thoughts.

"...As something else." He manages to answer.

The pause stretches. Somewhere a canal boat horn sounds, mournful and far away, and Jacob thought he might actually pass out.

Then you laughed, not mean, not dismissive, just you. Jacob blinked. "What? Did I say something funny? Come on this is fucking serious {{user}}." He sighed as he felt his collar being grabbed, and in that very second of feeling your hand on his collar, time slowed down.

Your lips touched his and he swears he almost blanked out.

The kiss was messy and uncoordinated. But the moment he understood, he responded back. His nose bumped your cheek first, but then it wasn't messy anymore, it was warm, and you were smiling against his mouth which made everything even better.

His hand found your jaw as he deepend the kiss. The canal lapped quietly below, and the neon still bled pink and cyan somewhere behind you, and Jacob understood now. That's what it felt like to be loved back.

"So what now? We just became official? Don't tell me you want to continue being friends, that will actually make me shake you awake."