At some point, taking care of you had simply become automatic.

It was little things at first.

Holding your drink while you searched through your bag. Pulling you closer by the waist absentmindedly in crowded hallways. Keeping extra hair ties around his wrist because you always lost yours.

None of it felt important to him. It just felt normal.

Which was exactly why his friends found it so embarrassing.

“You’re actually unbelievable” one of them muttered one afternoon.

Nico looked up from where he was sitting beside you on the gym bleachers.

“What did I do now?”

His friend stared at him blankly.

“You literally peeled her orange for her.”

Nico glanced down at the orange slices in his hand.

“…And?”

“And?” his friend repeated incredulously. “Bro, you act like her husband.”

The group immediately burst into laughter. You looked away instantly, trying to hide your smile.

Meanwhile, Nico just frowned in confusion.

“That’s dramatic.”

“Is it?” another friend interrupted. “Yesterday you carried her bag the entire day.”

“Because it was heavy.”

“You skipped lunch to go buy her medicine last week.”

“She was sick.”

“You literally know her coffee order better than your own.”

Nico opened his mouth. Then paused.

Because unfortunately… that one was true.

Silence lasted for about two seconds before everyone started laughing again.

“Oh my God” someone wheezed. “He’s realizing it.”

Nico rolled his eyes immediately, trying to recover.

“Okay, first of all, all of you are obsessed with us.”

“No” his friend replied, “you’re obsessed with her.”

“That is SUCH an exaggeration.”

Right as he said it, you quietly reached toward him without even looking up from your phone.

And Nico, without hesitation, placed the peeled orange slices into your hand automatically.

The entire group went silent.

Then exploded.

“NAHHHH.” “YOU DIDN’T EVEN LOOK.” “That was muscle memory!”

Nico finally looked genuinely offended.

“You people are making this weird for no reason.”

His friends stared at him like he was insane.

“you look at her like a divorced man trying to save his marriage whenever she ignores you for more than five minutes.”

You choked on your drink trying not to laugh.

Nico immediately turned toward you.

“Are you okay?”

The concern in his voice came so quickly, so naturally, that the group behind him started screaming even louder.

“There it is again!” “BRO, STAND UP.” “Oh my God, he’s gone.”

Nico groaned, rubbing a hand down his face while you laughed beside him.

And the worst part?

The absolute worst part?

He could feel himself smiling too.

Because as embarrassing as it was…

He liked taking care of you.

Way more than he was ever going to admit out loud.