𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘵... helli i really love ur skins yes yes yes

.I broke ur 67 message yes thank me /silly annnyyywwaaaayysss i loveeee how u shade ur skins! soo kyuut and pretty;! have a good one oke?

cute happy fanfic not angst okeh-- noli marries silly they make out the end "Wow moon 10/10!......." heh ik im goated.....

TAP INTO THE NOLI PHONK!!!

A KING IN YELLOW COS??!!?!? OHMYGOD.. I NEED TO DO A DELORD3 ONE SOOOO BAD EEKK I LOVEIT SOOO PEAK TWIN

I give ap

-Last part in ch2- But the ache in his chest wasn’t imaginary. The dread gnawing at him wasn’t made up. It was sitting heavy and real, right beneath his ribs. He picked up his phone again. Instagram. Courtina’s story refreshed. His finger hovered. He tapped it. A boomerang played: a hand holding a heart-shaped pastry, another hand gently feeding her a bite. Only the sleeve of the person next to her was visible, dark fabric, a pattern Silly recognized. His blood ran ice-cold. That was Noli’s jacket. The camera shifted slightly, and Silly saw just the corner of a familiar smile beside her cheek. He froze. The world tilted. Everything inside him went silent. He replayed the story. Zoomed in. His breath stuttered. That’s him. That’s him. That’s him. His pulse roared. His fingers trembled as he locked his phone and set it face down, as if the screen itself might burn him if he looked again. 4:33 PM — Bedroom Silly sat curled against the headboard, pillow in his lap again, but this time he couldn’t hold himself still. Tears blurred his vision before he could stop them. He didn’t sob. It wasn’t loud. It was quiet, the kind of crying that came from trying too hard not to. It might not be what it looks like. Maybe that’s not his hand. It could be a coincidence. He knew every lie he told himself by heart. His bracelet felt too tight around his wrist. 5:04 PM — Apartment, Living Room Floor He moved to the floor, sitting with his back against the couch, knees pulled to his chest. The apartment around him felt unfamiliar. Like a place he only thought was safe. He closed his eyes and whispered: “…I don’t want to lose him.” His voice cracked. Silence answered. 5:52 PM — Bedroom, Nightstand Drawer Silly opened the drawer. Not to snoop, there was nothing inside of Noli’s today. But he felt the weight of possibility pressing down on him. He couldn’t ignore it anymore. 007n7 hadn’t been joking. Noli had been hiding something, and Silly’s heart told him it was real. The drawer closed with a soft click, but his resolve didn’t falter. Not tonight. But soon. He wiped his face with his sleeve, took a shaky breath, and straightened. Tomorrow… he will confront Noli. No more doubts. No more waiting. He needed the truth. 2.8k words End of Chapter 2 ⋆. 𐙚 ˚

-Still Part 2- 1:22 PM — Apartment, Bedroom Home again. The silence seemed louder now. He sat cross-legged on the bed, Noli’s pillow beside him still faintly scented with his cologne. Silly dragged it onto his lap, hugging it close. His hands shook. He shouldn’t pry. He shouldn’t snoop. It was wrong. He was better than that. … Wasn’t he? His gaze fell to the nightstand drawer, where Noli sometimes left his phone when he showered or napped. Silly stared at it. The drawer felt like a locked chest in a story, glowing ominously, whispering promises and danger. His breath caught. Don’t. If you check his phone, it means you don’t trust him. His fingers curled in the fabric of the pillow. If you don’t check, and he is cheating… you’ll look like a fool. Both choices hurt. Silly leaned back against the headboard and forced himself to breathe slowly. He needed clarity, not panic. He needed proof that it wasn't even the right word. He needed reassurance. A notification buzzed on his phone, making him jump. It was just a meme from a friend. He ignored it. Instead, he opened Instagram. There was a search bar staring back at him. Courtina. His thumb hovered. He started typing: c-o-u-r— Two accounts popped up before he even finished the name. One private. One public. The public one had a username with sparkles and pastel emojis. The profile picture showed soft curls, glossy lips, and eyes that seemed to stare straight through the screen. Silly clicked it. The grid is loaded. Pastel. Cafés. Mirror selfies. Nail art. The kind of page that felt curated, soft, and… pretty. Pretty in a way that made Silly’s stomach twist with insecurity. He scrolled. Every picture was aesthetically perfect. Captions were short and dreamy, like someone who never had to try too hard to be liked. Silly swallowed against the dryness in his throat. Why would Noli ever look at someone like her? He kept scrolling. Past trips to the mall. Matcha lattes. Soft smiles at sunset. Silly was halfway through the girl's highlights before his vision blurred slightly. He blinked quickly, rubbing his eye with the heel of his palm. Scrolling wouldn't tell him anything. He needed a connection. He needed to know if Noli followed her. He tapped the following list. He typed: n-o-l— Noli’s account appeared. Silly’s stomach dropped. Noli followed her. He closed the app so quickly his finger almost slipped. His pulse rushed in his ears. 2:09 PM — Bathroom Sink Silly splashed cold water onto his face, gripping the counter as if it were the only thing keeping him upright. He stared at himself in the mirror, water droplets slipping down his cheeks like tears he refused to shed. He looked scared. He hated that. “This doesn’t mean anything,” he whispered to his reflection. “People follow each other all the time. It’s normal. It’s— it’s nothing.” His voice broke on that last word. Then why does it feel like everything? 3:03 PM — Bedroom He sat on the bed again, but this time he was hunched over, elbows on knees, hands tangled in his hair. He needed… one more piece of reassurance. Just one. Something that would prove he was overthinking. Noli’s phone wasn’t here today, of course it wasn’t. He’d taken it with him. Silly stared at that empty nightstand drawer like it had betrayed him. Maybe I should talk to him. No. Not yet. If he’s innocent, I’ll look paranoid. If he’s guilty… I’m not ready to hear him say it. Silly pressed his palms to his eyes. He wasn’t just scared of the truth. He was scared of how much it would break him. 3:57 PM — Kitchen Table A notebook lay open on the table. Silly picked up a pen. If he was going to investigate, he needed to do it properly. Calmly. Logically. He wrote at the top of the page: Case File: Operation “Don’t Freak Out” He stared at it, then crossed it out with a scribble. New title: Case File: Project Courtina? He tapped the pen. Then, more carefully, he wrote: Suspected Subject: “Courtina” Connection to Noli: Unknown Evidence so far: • Name mentioned by 007n7 • Noli did not deny • Both follow each other on Instagram He stared at the bullet points, wishing they felt less sharp. New section: Possible Explanations: A) She’s a friend. B) She’s a coworker. C) She’s a past friend reconnecting. D) 007n7 sick joke??? E) Worst-case scenario. Silly didn’t write out what E was. The word tasted like poison. His handwriting wavered. He put the pen down and covered his face with both hands. He felt ridiculous. Like a caricature of a jealous partner. Like someone who made drama out of nothing.

-Continuation- He placed the lunchbox on Noli’s usual desk, setting the bracelet beside it with care. His fingers lingered on the surface. He’ll see this and laugh it off. He’ll text me a thank-you. We’ll be fine. We’re fine. We’re— A soft click of the door cut through the moment. Silly turned. 007n7 stood in the doorway, hoodie half-zipped, headphones around his neck, raising a brow like he’d just walked in on something mildly suspicious. “…Silly?” he blinked. “You uh, breaking in to leave romantic offerings? That’s kinda poetic of you.” Great. Exactly who Silly didn’t want to see. “Oh. Hey.” Silly straightened too fast, almost knocking over an empty can. “I was just… dropping off Noli’s lunch. And, uh, the bracelet. He forgot.” “Typical,” 007n7 snorted, tossing his backpack onto a chair. “Dude forgets his own brain half the time.” Silly forced a small laugh and began edging toward the exit. “Well, I should go—” “You hear anything weird yesterday?” Silly froze mid-step. Don’t. Don’t ask. Don’t talk. Not now. “W-Weird?” he echoed, staring at the dusty floor like it might swallow him. 007n7 flopped into his desk chair, spinning once. “Noli’s been… off. Like, big off. And you didn’t ask where he went last night?” Silly’s heart thudded painfully. He swallowed. “No. I trust him,” he said quickly, too quickly. “I don’t need to track his every move.” 007n7 raised a brow. “Respect, but… if my partner dipped three nights in a row, I’d at least pretend to be nosy.” Silly stayed silent. 007n7 spun again, slower this time. “You know he’s been talking to someone, right?” His voice was casual, too casual. Like he was sharing the latest gossip, not a grenade. Silly’s breath caught. His pulse spiked. His palms went cold. Please don’t say it. Please don’t confirm it. Please— “What?” Silly forced out, voice thin. 007n7 shrugged and crossed his arms. “Look, I thought you knew. Noli didn’t tell you about Courtina?” The name hit Silly like a slap. His chest tightened, stomach dropping to the floor. Courtina. So it wasn’t just a misunderstanding. It wasn’t a joke. It’s real. “I—um… no,” Silly said, voice barely a whisper. “He didn’t.” 007n7 blinked, surprised. “Oh. Crap. I thought he told you already. My bad.” He winced, rubbing the back of his neck like he suddenly regretted opening his mouth. “Forget I said anything, alright? I’m not trying to stir drama.” But the damage was already done. Courtina. He didn’t tell me because there’s something to hide. Why didn’t he tell me? Why didn’t he— Silly forced a smile so brittle it could’ve shattered. “No, it’s fine. Thanks for telling me.” “…You sure?” “Yeah. Totally.” It was a lie. It hurts to say it. It tasted like betrayal. He stepped back, gripping the door handle. “I should go.” 007n7 didn’t stop him this time. “If you need to talk or like, throw hands at someone, don’t pick me, okay? I bruise easily.” Silly let out a weak breath that could almost be mistaken for a laugh. Then he walked out, each step heavier than the last. 12:17 PM — Convenience Store Near the Tech Building He bought a drink he didn’t actually want and sat at a small outdoor table. The condensation on the bottle pooled under his thumb, cold and wet. His mind kept looping the same thought. Courtina. He typed the name into the search bar on his phone. Then deleted it. Then typed it again. Then locked his phone. Then unlocked it. Then finally whispered to himself, barely audible: “…I just want to know who she is.” He sighed shakily. But searching for a name blindly would lead nowhere. If she was real. If she was actually involved with Noli. If he wasn’t reading too deeply into what he heard. Maybe 007n7 was joking. Maybe I’m stupid for letting it get to me. Silly rubbed at his eye roughly, as if scrubbing away the doubt. 12:52 PM — City Bus, Window Seat On the bus ride home, Silly rested his forehead against the window. The glass was cool against his skin. His reflection stared back at him, distorted by sunlight. He didn’t like what he saw, anxiety twisting his features into someone unfamiliar. He normally trusted Noli. He did. They had built something together, soft mornings, late-night talks, ugly-crying during a movie marathon, laughter on the kitchen floor when the smoke alarm went off. But trust wasn’t the same as blindness. And something in his gut whispered that the version of their relationship he had been holding onto wasn’t matching reality anymore. A group of teens laughed loudly across the aisle, and Silly closed his eyes, just for a moment, just long enough to steady himself. If I find nothing, I’ll feel stupid. If I find something… I don’t know what I’ll do.

Chapter 2 ⋆. 𐙚 ˚ “Detective Silly on the Case” 10:12 AM — Silly & Noli’s Apartment, Living Room The silence of the apartment pressed strangely against the walls, as if it were holding its breath. Silly stood in the middle of the living room with the spray bottle still in one hand and a microfiber cloth dangling from the other. The faint citrus scent of the surface cleaner no longer felt comforting. It clung to the air too sharply, like it was trying to cover up something sour underneath. The morning had started almost normally, almost. He’d made breakfast like he always did: scrambled eggs (Noli liked them soft), toast with a little too much butter, and two mugs of coffee. They’d eaten together, and Silly had laughed about something stupid Noli said about the neighbor’s cat. The kind of small, domestic moment that used to make Silly’s heart feel full. But it had been different. Noli’s smile hadn’t reached his eyes. His “mm, thanks babe,” had been softer, more distracted, like his mind was chewing on something he wasn’t saying. He’d left in a rush, forgetting his packed lunch. Forgetting their matching bracelet. Silly now stared at the tiny leather band resting on the coffee table. The twin to the one tied securely around his own wrist. Noli never forgot it. The bracelets had been a small promise between them, a silly one, really. If one forgot to wear it, the other owed a kiss on the forehead, a “you’re mine,” whispered in return. It was childish and romantic and theirs. Silly swallowed around the lump forming in his throat. He just forgot. People forget things. Stop being dramatic, Silly. He placed the bracelet gently into his pocket, just next to the lunchbox. He could return both. Act normal. Smile. Because nothing was wrong. Except… something was. The echo of the voices he had overheard at the abandoned tech room, Noli and 007n7 talking, had been playing like a broken record in his mind since stepping back inside the apartment. “So when are you gonna tell Silly about this relationship you have with this Courtina girl?” The way 007n7 had asked it so casually, almost laughing… and the way Noli hadn’t answered. The guilt that had settled across Noli’s face, Silly had seen that expression only once before. When Noli had accidentally broken Silly’s favorite mug and hid the pieces behind the toaster for three days. But this wasn’t a broken mug. Silly tugged at the hem of his hoodie, grounding himself. “Okay,” he whispered to the empty room. “You are not going to jump to conclusions. You are going to… observe. Collect data. Like a detective. A smart detective. A calm detective.” His voice trembled on that last word. Detectives don’t panic. They gather their evidence first. Silly inhaled, deep and slow, then reached for his phone and keys. There was a familiar tug in his chest urging him to go, to see Noli again even if he wasn’t ready for answers. He stepped out the door. 10:34 AM — Apartment Hallway The hallway lights flickered as he locked the apartment behind him. He flinched—not at the electricity, but at his own nerves. Why am I like this? Why does my brain go to the worst possible thing? Because the image of Noli’s guilty face wouldn’t leave. Because 007n7 sounded so sure. Courtina. A name Silly had never heard before this morning. He pulled his hoodie sleeves over his hands and started walking. Each step was heavy, like the floor might crack if he pressed too hard. Noli wouldn’t cheat. He wouldn’t. Right? 11:08 AM — City Street, Walking The sun was bright, almost offensively cheerful. The world outside looked so annoyingly normal, cars passed, birds chirped, and people lived their lives without spiraling. Silly clutched the lunchbox tighter against his chest. Maybe Courtina is just a friend. A coworker. A… nickname? Who names their kid Courtina in 2025 anyway? He blinked at a stranger who glanced his way and forced himself to unclench his jaw. He needed to keep it together. He wasn’t going to accuse Noli of anything without proof. He wasn’t that kind of partner. But he also couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted beneath his feet. Like the ground he’d been standing on for months wasn’t as solid as he thought. 11:41 AM — The Hangout Spot (Old Storage Room, Tech Building) The metal door let out a long, ugly creak as Silly nudged it open with his shoulder. The familiar smell hit him first, cold dust, solder burns, and way too many energy drink cans that had been “thrown away” but never made it to an actual trash bin. Old computer fans whirred in the background like tired insects. He stepped inside, clutching Noli’s lunch and the forgotten bracelet like they were fragile glass. The room looked exactly the same as always, two mismatched monitors, wires snaking across the floor, and the beat-up couch Silly had accidentally drooled on once during a nap. Normally, that memory would make him smile. Today, it just stung.

Title: The Things We Leave Broken The rain hadn’t stopped for hours. It beat softly against the glass windows, like it was trying to drown out the silence that hung between Silly and Noli. Silly sat on the edge of their shared bed no, his bed now clutching the wedding ring that used to mean forever. His hands trembled as if the gold band burned his skin. “Tell me it isn’t true,” Silly whispered, his voice breaking in half. “Please, Noli. Just tell me it’s not true.” Noli stood by the door, soaked from the rain, eyes red and swollen. He didn’t answer. The silence was his confession. “It was Courtlyn, wasn’t it?” Silly’s voice cracked, tears spilling down his cheeks. “You promised me you’d never hurt me like this.” Noli’s chest heaved. “I didn’t mean for it to happen,” he said, almost choking on the words. “It was one mistake-” “One mistake?” Silly laughed bitterly. “You don’t ‘accidentally’ fall in love with someone else, Noli.” He looked up, eyes hollow. “Do you even love me anymore?” Noli opened his mouth, but no sound came out. The answer was written in his hesitation. Silly stood, every step toward the door feeling like walking through glass. “Then you should go to Courtlyn,” he said, voice trembling. “Because the person who loved you is gone now.” Noli reached out, desperate, but Silly stepped back. “Don’t,” he whispered. “You already chose him.” And just like that, Silly walked out into the rain cold, heartbroken, but free. Behind him, Noli fell to his knees, the echoes of their love still clinging to the walls like ghosts that refused to leave. That night, Silly cried until the storm ended. When the morning sun finally broke through the clouds, he promised himself he would learn to love again this time, without breaking. End of chapter one.

Hope you enjoy gang I have more soon ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

-Still chapter 1 btw- The air felt like it snapped. Silly’s hands tightened around the strap of their bag. Courtina? They weren’t supposed to hear that. They shouldn’t have. But they did. Every word carved itself into their mind like ink sinking deep into paper. Their heartbeat climbed fast, an uneven drum against their ribs. Maybe it was some kind of joke. Maybe 007n7 was just messing around like always. Noli would’ve laughed, denied it, said something stupid like, “you’re just jealous of my swag.” But he didn’t. He just stayed quiet. A guilty quiet. Their stomach twisted. They didn’t walk back in. They didn’t say goodbye. They just turned around, pulled their hood up, and left. The hallway blurred around them, colors too bright, sounds too sharp. Their fingers brushed the fabric of their hoodie where Noli’s hand used to rest, warm and steady. Now it felt cold. Outside, the city kept moving like nothing had happened. People passed by, cars honked, someone laughed too loudly near a café. Silly stood on the cracked sidewalk, the warmth of the lunchbox still fading from their fingertips, and felt… small. By the time they got back home, the world had quieted again. Not soft like in the morning. Just quiet. They dropped their bag onto the couch. It landed with a dull thud. They didn’t even take off the hoodie. Their mind kept replaying the moment in that room. 007n7’s voice. “So when are you gonna tell Silly about this relationship you have with this Courtina girl?” And Noli’s silence. They squeezed their eyes shut. “No,” they muttered under their breath. “He wouldn’t.” But the image of his face. Guilty, frozen, burned behind their eyelids. The clock ticked. They sat on the couch with their knees pulled up to their chest, staring at nothing. Their hands fiddled with their own bracelet, thumb running over the tiny engraving they’d gotten together: “Us against the world.” Their chest ached in a way that wasn’t sharp, but dull and slow, like a bruise spreading under the skin. They wanted to believe this was just a misunderstanding. A dumb joke. Something easily explained. But a small voice at the back of their head whispered, Then why didn’t he deny it? The hours passed. Silly eventually got up, made themself some tea they didn’t drink, and opened their phone only to close it again. Notifications from Noli stacked up. A text. Another. A missed call. They stared at his name glowing on the screen, their thumb hovering over the accept button. They didn’t answer. They couldn’t, not yet. The thought of hearing his voice right now made something inside them crack a little more. It was nighttime when they finally crawled into bed. Same hoodie. Same pillow. But this time, it didn’t smell warm. It smelled like a memory. They pressed the heel of their palm to their chest, trying to quiet the restless thudding beneath. Maybe tomorrow it’ll make sense. Maybe they’ll wake up, and he’ll have an explanation. Maybe everything will go back to their ordinary routine. But for the first time, “ordinary” didn’t feel safe. It felt fragile. Like a glass about to shatter. They turned on their side, facing the window. The city lights flickered outside, distant and uncaring. The bracelet on their wrist glinted faintly in the dark. “Courtina…” they whispered to no one. And the silence answered back. 2.2k words End of Chapter 1 ⋆. 𐙚 ˚

By the time he pushed open the creaky door to their hangout, he heard the familiar tapping of keyboards and the low hum of computers. 007n7 was slouched on a beanbag with a laptop on his knees, while Noli sat at the main desk, head tilted down at his screen, hair slightly messy from running his hands through it. “Boo,” Silly whispered. 007n7 looked up first. “Oh, hey. It’s the wifey.” Noli turned around, surprised, then smiled that half-drowsy grin of his. “You’re early.” “You,” Silly said, waving the lunch box in front of his face, “forgot this.” His face lit up. “Ah—shit. I did. You’re a lifesaver babe.” They stuck their tongue out, trying to look annoyed but failing. They set the box on his desk. “Also,” they said, reaching into their pocket, “you forgot this.” The silver bracelet dangled between their fingers. Noli froze for a second. Then quietly reached for it. “Oh.” “Yeah. ‘Oh,’” Silly teased lightly, but inside they felt the faintest sting of something. That bracelet wasn’t just a trinket. They’d gotten them at a night market on their first anniversary. He never took it off before. He used to wear that bracelet like a badge. Every day. He slipped it on carefully. “Thanks.” “You better,” they said, poking his shoulder, “or I’m charging you interest.” 007n7 groaned dramatically. “God, you two are disgusting.” Silly shot him a grin. “Jealous?” “Yeah,” he deadpanned, “of your bad cooking skills.” “Excuse me,” Silly gasped, clutching their chest like they’d been shot. “My fried rice is divine.” “Divinely mid,” 007n7 countered, typing something on his laptop. “I had it once. My stomach almost filed a lawsuit.” Noli chuckled under his breath, shaking his head. “You’re gonna get shot one day.” “With a gun,” Silly added sweetly. “No shit, Sherlock. How else can someone shoot you if not with a gun?” 007n7 retorted, clearly annoyed at being ganged up on by the lovers. “I don’t know, maybe a bow and arrow? Or a crossbow?” Silly said. “Hoe, this isn’t Minecraft. What kind of shit are you on about?” 007n7 shot back. For a moment, the three just stared at each other. Then it cracked. A snort slipped out of Noli, Silly tried to hold it in but failed, and 007n7 ended up laughing too. Their voices tangled together, filling the space with that kind of dumb, contagious laughter that comes out of nowhere and refuses to stop. They talked for a while. Silly leaned against the doorframe while Noli typed lines of code at inhuman speed. They tossed small comments at him. He tossed them back. It was easy. Familiar. “You know,” Silly said at one point, watching him squint at the screen, “you look so serious right now. It’s kinda weird.” He raised an eyebrow without looking up. “Weird?” “Yeah. Like you actually have your life together.” 007n7 snorted so hard his laptop almost slipped off his lap. “They’ve got you there.” “Shut up,” Noli said, but his grin gave him away. Silly laughed softly. “I missed this.” His hands paused on the keyboard for half a second. Then he said quietly, “Me too.” As they talked, 007n7 started whining about the new update breaking their systems again. “Bro,” he said, pointing at Noli’s screen, “if this code doesn’t run after the third patch, I’m literally setting the server on fire.” “You say that every week,” Noli muttered. “And I mean it every week,” 007n7 replied with all the dramatics of a soap opera star. “This code is my mortal enemy. My final boss.” Silly snorted, covering their mouth. “You two are clowns.” “Excuse me,” 007n7 said, offended, “I’m a professional clown. I get paid.” “No you don’t,” Noli said. “Shh,” 007n7 whispered, tapping away again. “Let me live my delusion.” The laughter that filled the room was soft. Familiar. Like mornings used to be before the quiet started feeling sharp. Silly had already slung their bag over their shoulder, tossing a casual wave behind them as they headed for the door. “Alright losers see you guys tomorrow!” they chirped, stepping out into the cool air. But just as they reached the doorstep, a voice slipped through the barely-closed door. 007n7’s. They hesitated. Curiosity nipped at their heels. Instead of walking away, they shifted back, pressing themself against the wall just outside, hidden from sight. They didn’t stay long, just leaned close enough to hear them bickering over some line of code Silly couldn’t make sense of. It was normal. It was comfortable. Then it happened. “…So when are you gonna tell Silly about this relationship you have with this Courtina girl?” 007n7 asked, voice half-teasing, half-curious. Silly froze. The words sank into their ears like cold water. Inside, Noli didn’t answer right away. The soft clicks of his keyboard stilled. The silence that followed stretched out, thick and heavy. Then 007n7 gave a low laugh. “Bro. Don’t tell me you’re gonna keep it a secret forever.” Noli’s voice came out quiet, almost unsure. “…I don’t… know.”

Chapter 1 ⋆. 𐙚 ˚ “Ordinary Routine..?” The world was soft when he opened his eyes. Sunlight slipped through the thin curtains like golden threads, spilling across the messy floor and catching the dust floating lazily in the air. The sound of traffic outside was muffled, like someone had turned down the volume of the city just for them. For a moment, Silly lay still on the mattress, face half-buried in the pillow Noli had probably drooled on last night. It still smelled like him: faint citrus from his shampoo and the warmth of home. His hand reached to the other side of the bed. Cold. Noli had already left for work. Typical. “Ugh,” he groaned, pulling himself upright, hair sticking up in odd directions. They squinted at the clock hanging slightly crooked on the wall. 8:03 a.m. A bit late, but they didn’t mind. This was their routine. Wake up. Cook. Eat breakfast together, if Noli didn’t leave too early. Clean up the apartment. Repeat. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was theirs. Silly shuffled into the kitchen wearing one of Noli’s oversized hoodies, the black one with the cracked “VOID” print across the front. Their socks slid on the cool floor, making them nearly trip on a plastic bag that neither of them had thrown out. He snorted to himself. “Bro left me the trash as a love letter. How romantic.” They opened the fridge. It wasn’t much, just eggs, a carton of milk, leftover fried rice, and some random condiment bottles that probably expired three weeks ago. But they could make something out of it. They always did. Pan. Oil. Egg. Rice. A soft sizzle filled the air. Their thoughts drifted the way they always did while cooking. To Noli. They’d been together for almost two years now, long enough that his toothbrush had a permanent spot in Noli’s cup, and Noli’s shirts lived in Silly’s closet. He wasn’t exactly… perfect. He’d forget stuff, mess up dates, sleep through alarms. But he made them laugh. He’d hold their hand like it fit there. And when things got loud in their head, he’d be there, steady like gravity. The rice crackled, the smell of garlic filling the room. He tossed it all together with practiced ease. “Breakfast for champions,” he muttered. By 8:30, Silly was sitting at their tiny dining table, two mismatched chairs and a stack of old Exploiting Guide for Pros Noli swore he’d “totally read again.” His plate was still there from last night, crumbs scattered like evidence of a midnight snack. They stared at his empty seat. He always left before they woke up. Always in a rush. Always forgetting something. They reached into their pocket, fingers brushing against the cool silver of their matching bracelets. His was missing from its usual place on the shelf by the door. Of course it was. A tiny frown tugged at their mouth. “Dumbass.” They slipped his bracelet into their hoodie pocket with a soft sigh. One more thing to return to him. Just like the lunch box Silly was already packing, a habit that stuck from their broke-student days. It wasn’t even fancy. Just rice, fried chicken, and a note with a doodle of themself making a dramatic pose. Noli used to say it was the best part of his day. After breakfast, they tidied the place. Dishes clinked softly in the sink. A mop swished across the floor. They hummed some dumb pop song under their breath, off key, because why not. Their hair was tied messily now, sleeves pushed up, the world just quiet enough that they could lose themself in the rhythm of chores. Halfway through scrubbing the counter, he paused. A small square lunch box stared up at him from the kitchen island. “...He forgot it. Again.” They leaned their forehead against the counter with an exaggerated groan. “Bro I swear. I’m dating a goldfish.” But the thought made them smile. He grabbed his jacket, slipped the lunch box and bracelet into his bag, and locked the door behind him. Noli worked in a tiny, slightly shady office at the edge of the city, though “office” might’ve been too generous. It was more like a hacker cave: cracked monitors, tangled wires, and one dangerously old coffee machine that should’ve been arrested for attempted murder. He and 007n7 basically lived in that space, surviving off instant ramen and chaos. Silly had been there plenty of times. They could already picture it, the glow of screens reflecting off their tired faces, music playing too loud, 007n7 making some questionable jokes while Noli pretended to be focused. He walked fast, hoodie hood up against the morning breeze. Their brain wandered as they crossed the street. It wasn’t unusual for Noli to forget things, but lately… he’d been forgetting more than usual. Dates. Calls. Silly’s favorite snacks he never missed before. Not a big deal, they told themself. People get busy. No reason to spiral. Still. Something small and sharp tugged at the back of their chest.