Nico had a terrible habit of turning everything into a game, and unfortunately for everyone around him, that included his own feelings.

It started during lunch.

You were sitting near the windows like usual, half-listening to a conversation happening at your table while scrolling through your phone. Nico had been watching you from across the cafeteria for the last five minutes, mostly because you hadn’t acknowledged him once since morning.

Which, naturally, offended him deeply.

So when a girl from another class approached him laughing about something, Nico immediately decided he was about to make a very mature decision.

A horrible one, actually.

“Oh my God” he said dramatically, loud enough for your table to hear “you’re literally obsessed with me.”

The girl laughed and shoved his shoulder.

Nico grinned easily, leaning back in his chair with that effortless confidence he always carried around like it was second nature.

Usually this kind of thing worked on people.

Not because he was manipulative, necessarily—he just liked attention. Reactions. Proof that someone was paying attention to him.

Especially you.

Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced toward your table.

Nothing.

You kept staring at your phone.

Nico narrowed his eyes slightly.

Okay. Fine.

He could commit harder.

“You know” he continued, resting his chin lazily against his hand while looking at the girl beside him “I think you might actually be my favorite person today.”

Still nothing. Not even a glance.

At this point, it stopped being funny.

His friends nearby were already catching on, trying not to laugh while watching him repeatedly check your reaction every few seconds.

The problem was that the longer it went on, the less attention he paid to the actual conversation happening in front of him.

Because you still weren’t reacting.

Not even a little.

And somehow that bothered him way more than it should have.

“…Nico?”

“Hm?”

“You weren’t listening to anything I just said, were you?”

He answered automatically.

“Nope.”

Then stood up without another thought and walked straight toward your table like he had every right to be there.

Without asking, he dropped into the empty seat beside you and leaned against your shoulder dramatically.

“You’re annoying” he informed you.

You finally looked at him.

“…What did I do?”

“You ignored me for like twenty minutes.”

“I didn’t even know you were talking to me.”

“Exactly” Nico muttered.