NIKKI & JOE, CASUALLY | updates every monday

27: and I go back to bumble. or not

            'Next time I say that being aromantic don't mean I can't have kids, shoot me in the head.'

Though Daisy's Halloween Friday consisted of preparing for actual Halloween with her kids and obviously no alcohol, I reckon she's most tired of all of us. Burritoed in a blanket, she collapses onto the sofa beside Rishi, having finally got Leslie to sleep. Sachiko looks over them in the kitchen while she prepares us lunch.

'Don't worry, I'd shoot you no criteria needed,' Caleb responds. He groans into the sofa cushion crammed over his face. 'I'm never drinking again. Until next weekend when we go that ball in Liverpool.'

Though Caleb and Daisy are both Japanese-Ethiopian, their mums each wanted to be pregnant once and they've not got much physical resemblance. No one who's ever been in a room with both of them could ever question that they're siblings, though, not with the way they bicker. Their heads slump against the sofa's backrest at identical angles. They both yawn into the folds of their elbows and rub their eyes with their knuckles.

Caleb invited us all over to his mum's—Sachiko's, now that Behati has officially moved out—to nurse our hangovers. I might've not drunk owt but I did only get home at half five so I'm completely done in: we've been here for over an hour and I've no clue what the series playing on the telly is.

All our phones ping, the cacophony of notifications followed by groaning. Because I don't have the energy to dig out my own phone, I peer over Allan's shoulder to see his. He angles the screen so I can see better.

Jolopeño: I couldn't do it. I don't know, I panicked! 😫😫😫

I have to read the previous message Caleb sent after the rest of us arrived to understand, asking her how "it" went. Joe left Spectrum with Mistress Ching last night—which I have no sort of feelings about cause it's got nowt to do with me. He sends another now.

Calabari: Come over!!!! We're all at my mums' :p

Calabari: Mum's*

Too tired to type the address, he shares his location.

Calabari: You have no excuse if you're not having morning sex XD

Rishi di Mare: It's three in the afternoon.

Calabari: STFU!! >:@ That is morning

The pair continue arguing about it in the chat, either too hungover to use their voices or too hungover to notice they're sitting beside each other on the sofa.

I lift my focus from Allan's screen to his face. 'Why've you got such weird contact names?'

He laughs. 'The first time I got a phone, it autocorrected "Ollie" to "olives" so now everyone is foodstuffs.'

I'm about to ask what my name is when Harper runs in, squealing in a way that grates even my non-hungover brain. They're overwhelmed by all the people they find, which only makes them more excitable and they run back and forth in front of the telly before they clamber onto Daisy. 'Mummy! Mummy! Come play!'

'Harper, Mummy is knackered. I need a kip. Is it okay if I play with you after lunch?' She nods at Caleb. 'I think your Uncle well wants to play.'

Caleb has only started to gather his groan when I stand from the floor. 'I'll play.' After a lazy morning– afternoon, I don't feel too bad and Harper gets distracted so easily, it won't be ten minutes till they'll wanna do summat else.

Daisy reaches a hand from the depths of her blanket to squeeze my shoulder. 'I love you so much, Nicolás. You're my best friend.'

Caleb smacks her with a cushion. 'Get your own best friend.' I've ushered Harper out of the room when the thwack of Daisy's retaliation echoes behind us. Caleb gasps. 'You're not allowed to hit me, I'm disabled! I'll cancel you on Twitter.'