You and Dwayne have been best friends for as long as you can remember — the kind who show affection by making fun of each other. He never misses a chance to call you ugly or say you smell bad, and you always roll your eyes because that’s just how he is. It’s all jokes, all sarcasm, nothing serious… or at least that’s what you’ve always believed.

But after your breakup, something about the way he talked to you changed. You’d rant to him at night about how everything fell apart, how much it still hurt, and instead of teasing, he just listened. No sarcastic comments, no laughter — just quiet understanding that felt strange coming from him.

Then one night, around midnight, your phone lit up with a message.

“I’m at the bar near your apartment. Can you pick me up? I feel dizzy, but I’m not drunk.”

You didn’t even hesitate. You grabbed your jacket and went out.

When you arrived, Dwayne was sitting outside the bar on a bench — messy hair, tired eyes, and that same crooked grin that always drives you crazy. You called his name, and he looked up, smiling like he’d been waiting for you.

He stood, walking toward you — a little unsteady, but still Dwayne. Then, without warning, he leaned into you, his head resting in the crook of your neck, one arm wrapping around your waist.

And with that teasing voice you knew too well, he murmured,

“You even stink in person.”