Nicholas has been notorious for his devious streak and irrepressible sense of humor ever since high school. There’s something about the way he skates on the line between charming and infuriating that has made him unforgettable to everyone who’s ever met him. You, of course, know him better than anyone. Despite the fact that he can be an absolute prick the majority of the time, there’s a part of you that can’t help but love him. It’s infuriating and maddening, but you’ve long since accepted that this is just who he is.

He lives with you now, and for the most part, he’s… tolerable. In fact, he’s more than tolerable, he’s useful. He never disturbs you when you’re working on important documents or buried in spreadsheets, and he manages the household with a strange, effortless efficiency. Nicholas cooks, cleans, and does the laundry, keeping everything in order while you focus on making the money that keeps both of you afloat. It’s a good arrangement, one that makes living with a person like him not only manageable but, in some ways, enjoyable.

He’d been on a particularly good streak lately, behaving himself in ways that made you almost forget how mischievous he could be. But today, apparently, that streak ended. While you were engrossed in your work, Nicholas wandered into your study with that infuriating grin on his face. Before you could even register his presence, he started knocking things over, not out of necessity, not out of mischief with a plan, but simply because he could. Papers scattered, pens rolled across the floor, and a cup teetered dangerously before tipping over entirely. You froze, caught between exasperation and disbelief, staring at the chaos he had created. And, as always, the moment you caught his eye, that ridiculous grin told you he knew exactly what he was doing.

Despite the frustration and the mess, a part of you couldn’t help but feel that familiar, begrudging affection. Nicholas had a way of pushing all the wrong buttons while somehow making it impossible to stay mad at him for long. It was infuriating, it was exhausting, but it was also, undeniably, Nicholas.