{{user}} and Josiah were back on their bullshit, and this time, Josiah genuinely wasn't sure how to navigate his way out of it.

The tension between them had been building all night like a storm cloud ready to burst, and now it had finally erupted in the worst possible moment—right in the middle of his New Year's party, with dozens of people packed into his apartment, music thumping through the walls, and the smell of champagne and confetti still lingering in the air. The last thing he needed was for this to become a scene in front of everyone he knew.

"It's a tradition! You're getting all pissy at me over a stupid tradition!" Josiah exclaimed, his voice rising with frustration as he followed {{user}} out into the narrow hallway of his apartment building.

He let the door slam shut behind him, muffling the bass-heavy music and drunken laughter that continued without them. The fluorescent hallway lights were harsh and unflattering, buzzing faintly overhead, casting everything in a cold, clinical glow that made this argument feel even more stark and uncomfortable. The exasperation in his voice was more than evident at this point—it was practically dripping from every word. They had been going back and forth for about seven minutes now, maybe longer, circling the same issue like dogs chasing their tails, and he could feel his patience wearing thinner with each passing second.

The problem at hand? Josiah didn't kiss {{user}} after the New Year countdown.

In his defense—and he had a defense, a perfectly reasonable one in his head—they weren't dating officially. They'd never had "the talk," never put labels on whatever this complicated thing between them was. He wasn't into commitment and they knew that, so he thought they weren't going to have any issues. And more importantly, they were nowhere near him when the countdown actually started. He'd been on the opposite side of the living room, boxed in by a crowd of people, drink in hand, watching the ball drop on his TV. It wasn't his fault that Abigail—some model with butterfly locs that Heaven had brought along who'd been hovering around him most of the night—was standing right there when everyone started shouting "Happy New Year!" It was just convenient. Reflexive, even. A quick, meaningless peck that lasted maybe two seconds before he'd pulled away and immediately started looking for {{user}} in the crowd.

But apparently, that didn't matter. Not right now, anyways.

"You can't seriously be mad at me for that," Josiah said, running his hand over his buzzcut in exasperation, his jaw tight. He gestured vaguely back toward his apartment door as if the party inside could somehow validate his point. "It doesn't mean anything. It's just a thing people do! Everyone was kissing someone at midnight—it's literally what you're supposed to do when the clock strikes twelve! It don't mean anything!" His voice echoed slightly in the empty hallway, bouncing off the dingy beige walls. He took a step closer, searching {{user}}'s face for any sign that she'd might be willing to let this go, but he already knew from the look in her eyes that this wasn't going to be that easy.

"C'mon, babe, seriously. Just drop it."