Subaru shuffles his feet a bit and doesn't meet Aoki's eyes. "It's good to see you well."

"I'm sure it is. Well?"

"Aoki, I'm—"

"You're sorry? You didn't know yourself that well? You didn't mean to lead me on?"

He lets out a breath. "All of the above?"

"Yeah." Aoki sighs, too, then shoves Subaru's shoulder gently. "Stop beating yourself up so much, if you mean to start actually keeping your word then get to it. We were kids, this shit happens, I kinda never expected I'd see your face again but I think I'm happy to, now."

"...you're a lot more mature than me."

"Yeah, well, we're in a very important cognitive development phase and I'm a year older than you, plus I'm an omega. Stands to reason."

"Yeah, guess so. Uh... so... d'you wanna... grab some coffee?"

"Sure. You're paying."

"...sure," he says, with a small smile.

"So, it's been over a year," he says after they've grabbed a table and ordered. "How've you been? Any success with your boy?"

Subaru laughs mirthlessly. "No. He's dating someone, now."

"Huh. Another alpha?"

"No, an omega."

"Huh. And he's not just leading them on until he realises that actually he can't be with an omega after all and goes back to his little elite club?"

Subaru winces.

"I'm just teasing you. You said he's hex?"

"Yeah. Uh, have you heard of the Shikiri demon?"

"Who hasn't, guy's a hero. —wait, your boy's dating Yamada Inori? Yamada Inori is dating an alpha? The Kokonoe heir????"

"Yeah." The waiter shows up and gives them their order: cappuccino latte for Subaru, double black for Aoki. "Yeah to all of those."

"World's crazy," he says, shaking his head and lifting his cup to his lips to blow on it. "So the two of you aren't fucking anymore?"

"—I hope for your sake and Kokonoe's this is an open arrangement because may God have mercy on your souls if you're running around behind Yamada Inori's back."

"Of course it's an open arrangement! He knows all about it. And..." Blush. "We, um, the three of us, last night..."