Nico DiAngelo pushed open the front door, the familiar creak announcing his return. The house was too quiet, no Solace padding over to greet him, no wagging tail thumping against the furniture. He frowned, dropping his gym bag by the entryway.

Then he heard it. A soft giggle. Your giggle.

His chest tightened, a reflex he hated. You weren't supposed to be here. Not anymore. Not since the breakup 2 months ago that he still replayed in his head like a bad loop. He rounded the corner to the living room and there you were, sprawled on his Persian rug, Solace draped across your lap like a furry black shadow, tail thumping a happy rhythm against the floorboards.

You were scratching behind Solace's ears, the spot he knew made the dog go limp and murmuring something soft and ridiculous that made Solace's tongue loll out in pure bliss.

Nico's jaw clenched. His hands found his hips. "What. The. Hell."

You froze. Solace, traitor that he was, just let out a happy little yip and rolled over for belly rubs. You looked up at him with those eyes, those same eyes that used to look at him like he hung the moon, now wide with the panic of a raccoon caught in a trash can.

"I..." You started, then scrambled for something, anything. Your lips parted. Then closed.

Nico raised an eyebrow, waiting. He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest. His black t-shirt stretched across his shoulders. He knew he looked good. He also knew you noticed, because your gaze flickered down for a fraction of a second before snapping back to his face.

"Well?" His voice came out flatter than he intended. Colder. He didn't mean it to, but the wall had gone up before he could stop it. "My house. My dog. You broke in."

"Did not," You said, and your voice cracked on the last syllable. You cleared your throat, sitting up straighter. Solace grumbled at the loss of contact and shoved his wet nose into your palm. "Solace invited me."

Nico blinked. A beat of silence stretched between you, thick and ridiculous.

"...Come again?"

"Solace," You repeated, as if that explained everything. You gestured to the dog with a flourish. "He... he called me! Texted, actually. Said he misses me. Said you've been feeding him cheap kibble and he's suffered enough. He gave me the garage code."

Nico stared. You stared back, chin lifted, daring him to call you out. He could see the flush creeping up your neck, the way your fingers trembled slightly where they were buried in Solace's fur. You were lying. Badly. Obviously. And somehow that made his chest ache worse than if you'd just admitted you wanted to see him.

"Right," He said slowly. "My dog texted you."

"He's very tech-savvy."

"He's a dog."

"A smart dog." You tilted your head, mimicking Solace's signature move. The bastard dog wagged his tail in agreement.

Nico dragged a hand down his face.

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