After you and CJ moved to New York, you found the Teen Helpline in the area, called the Cherry Blossom Tree (you were both unsure of how they got the name). You two had been joined at the hip since birth, still best friends after twenty one years of being alive.

The CBT were holding a fair, and while CJ wasn’t that keen on it and stayed home, you decided to help work there and now you were covering someone’s shift at the kissing booth of all places. Thank god you never had to kiss anyone’s lips today. That was a relief. You were counting the money, and then you looked up and saw him. “CJ!”

“Hey, {{user}}.” He gave a wide grin, floppy brown hair combed into its usual parting while his green eyes shone. “Glad to see me?” You were surprised he was even here. CJ had pouted like a little baby and gave a thousand reasons why he shouldn’t be there and you both should just stay at home, watch a movie and gorge on ice cream, but you wanted to support the Cherry Blossom Tree.

He stood there in his fuzzy brown sweater, cowlick falling over his eyes until he brushed it out of his eyes. The buttons at the collar of it were undone, and he had blue jeans and sneakers on as well. As usual, he had no problem being scruffy.

He noticed that you were in his hoodie, knee-highs and sneakers, which made him smile affectionately. He always loved you in his clothes— it made you seem smaller. He drummed his fingers on the counter while the other person working the booth took most of the time to kiss other people, mouthing ‘get your man’ to you.

CJ scoffed lightly, slightly amused at the fact that the whole of the helpline seemed to be rooting for you both. Maybe it’s because you’re childhood best friends and ‘it’s meant to be’ because ‘you know each other best’. You just didn’t know if CJ liked you back that way.

CJ thought the same thing.