Blatantly Obvious

Playing Pretend

Pick feels oddly nervous about the entire plan. Would it be convincing enough considering that Rome and he have spent the past year denying the fact that they would never be more than close friends? Ugh, now they'd have to eat their own words and Pick's not looking forward to the I-told-you-so(s) coming his way, especially from Porshe and Yihwa. They're not going to let him get away with it, those bastards.

''Are you sure this is going to work?'' Pick asks for the nth time as he walks Rome to the Arts faculty building.

''Will you stop asking me that, P'? Now you're making me nervous, and you know I usually have to go to the toilet once I get nervous.'' Rome complains, and on a whim, he curls his arm around Pick's in an overly affectionate gesture. It's something which he does naturally, but this time, he tries to make it seem less platonic and more...flirty, if that even makes sense. ''We'll still be our usual selves, just more...boyfriend-ish.''

Pick sucks in a breath and exhales slowly, trying his best to sort out his thoughts.

Rome's right. This is nothing new.

He finally relaxes his shoulders and Rome graces him with a warm smile, still happily clinging onto Pick's arm as they make their way towards the building. It's almost second nature for Pick to slide his arm around his best friend's shoulders instead, and he does it at just the right timing when Porshe and Yihwa come into into their line of sight. The two are hunched close together, laughing loudly at something they're watching on Porshe's phone.

Well, guess they're not the only pair acting all chummy then. Yihwa and Porshe would actually surprisingly, look great together if only they'd stop arguing long enough to get along with each other.

Well, here goes nothing.

As soon as they're close enough to Porshe and Yihwa, Pick raises his tone enough for the other two to hear him, ''Text me after your class ends.'' In a way, it's not odd or anything for him to say something like that since it's what he always asks Rome to do once he's done for the day.

Huh, maybe this is why the people around them are always assuming that they're dating. Even when Pick was dating, he rarely made any effort to remember his partner's schedule, assuming that they'd always seem him out first. Probably why he always ends up getting dumped. Shitty boyfriend of the year award right there for his taking.

Pick's going to have to do something else for Porshe and Yihwa to really take notice of them and not pass it off as them being their usual chummy selves.

''Wait.'' On impulse, Pick tugs at the sleeve of Rome's uniform shirt, startling the other. ''Your hair's all messy.'' It's just an excuse for him to touch the younger male's hair, running his fingers through the already perfectly styled strands.

Perhaps Pick hasn't really noticed it before, or he has (but paid no mind to it), but he realizes just how stark the height difference between them is. Rome stands perfectly still, catching on to Pick's plan immediately. Yet, Pick isn't discreetly checking to see if he's managed to draw Porshe's and Yihwa's attention towards. He's filled with a strangely... odd feeling that starts somewhere in the pit of his belly and making its way upwards to where his chest is.

''There. All done. See you later.'' Pick says gruffly, pretending that he hadn't just spent the last two minutes staring at his best friend.

''See you, P'Pick.''

It must have worked because as soon as Rome walks away, Yihwa's on him like a fucking bat and Porshe's eyeing him like he's got a million and one question to ask. Pick plays it cool, waiting until both Rome and Yihwa out of his sight before turning to Porshe.