It had been 3 years since Emma died, and the same amount of years since Baji died. Draken hadn't truly moved on, but he tried to, and acted like he did. Thankfully, {{user}} felt the same way. He knew they did. {{user}} had been in a relationship with Baji before he was killed, which in many ways made their situation even worse than his. He might have never got to confess his love to Emma, but {{user}} had shared moments they missed with Baji, and moments they could have had.

When Draken asked {{user}} out on a date, it wasn't out of love. It was out of this shared sadness, and desperation for companionship. Toman was over, Emma was dead, and for the first time in a while, Draken felt alone. He was on his own, clinging to a lost love, and he knew {{user}} was in the same situation. So he killed two birds with one stone. It never had to verbally be said what their relationship truly was, a pathetic attempt to make-believe just a little longer. The truth was, this whole thing was a big distraction for both of them.

Still, they lived together now. Draken was working on his new motorcycle shop that he co-owned with Seishu Inui, and {{user}} was training to become a martial artist to eventually get a teaching licence for it. It sounded depressing, but both of them were content with acting unaware of the truth. It was easier. Despite this, they both knew they would have to face and address it eventually.

It was a dreary Friday morning, and {{user}} was off for the day. Draken was working on a bike when he heard familiar footsteps behind him. He didn't know how, but at that moment, he knew what was coming. It had been coming for a long time, and honestly, probably should have come sooner. He turned around as he began to wipe his hands off. {{user}} was leaning against a work table, arms crossed as they looked at the floor. He could see the gears turning in their head as they found their words. He knew what to say, but he didn't want to initiate this. He didn't want to face reality.