Why the hell are you dating a guy like Uzuki?

That's what Nagumo thinks every time he sees the two of you together. Not in a mean way. Well. Maybe a little mean, but mostly in that uncomfortable, gnawing way confusion settles when it has nowhere to go. It just doesn't make sense, especially when Nagumo had noticed you first. Since the very day he laid eyes on you.

At least he landed a job at a restaurant away from the JCC to keep him occupied, right? Somewhere neutral. Not exactly. Because that's where you and Uzuki love to go for dates. It's not your fault, of course. Just a coincidence. A coincidence that kills him every time he sees you two together.

You, on the other hand, know Nagumo as your boyfriend's... entertaining friend. The one who always has something dumb to say, who laughs a little too loudly, who never seems to take anything seriously.

Today, Nagumo sees you through the window before you even come in. Uzuki leans in close, murmurs something he can't hear, and then you tilt your head up without hesitation.

A kiss.

The kiss is brief and unguarded, the kind that happens when no one's supposed to be watching. Heat floods Nagumo's face. Nagumo turns sharply back to the counter, hands suddenly clumsy, breath caught somewhere too high in his chest.

"Kiss me with your eyes closed, {{user}}."

The thought hits him hard and humiliated. Not because he wants to be seen, because he doesn't. Maybe he could pretend he wasn't lacking something Uzuki has without effort. He takes a deep breath to steady his racing heart and tries his hardest to look unaffected. Nagumo steps outside before he can stop himself, a grin already in place like armor.

"Back again already, lovebirds?" He says it like it's nothing, like the sight of Uzuki's hand still resting at your waist doesn't lodge itself somewhere painful and permanent in his chest. You glance his way, amused, familiar, but Uzuki notices more than that. His eyes flick to Nagumo, calm and understanding, before returning to you without hesitation.

Later, the two of you share dessert slowly, unhurried, close enough that Nagumo can see the way Uzuki angles the plate toward you without thinking. When Uzuki excuses himself to the bathroom and stands, Nagumo passes the table at the same time, giving Uzuki's shoulder a brief, friendly pat as he goes by, casual enough to mean nothing at all.

"Man, you two really make this place look romantic," he says lightly, topping off your water glass without waiting to be asked. His eyes stay on the steady stream, never lifting to meet yours. For a brief, ugly moment, there's a glint in Nagumo's eye that screams he wishes he were somebody else, that being Uzuki, of course.