Desolation

Tami

"Thank you. Is Jake in?" Mino asked again after finding a couch by the fire place to sit on.
"Yeah, he is. He's taking a shower, he'll be down in a minute."

"Thanks."

She nodded at him smiling and left him alone with his thoughts.
Why was he acting so nervous? He needed to calm down.

A few minutes later, a bubbly Jake came trotting down the stairs.
"If it isn't the hermit." Jake smirked as he walked up to his best friend and gave him a friendly handshake and then a shoulder bump.
Mino sighed under his breath at the nickname he thought he'd outgrown.
"Would you stop calling me that, please?"

Jake plopped on the couch opposite him. "Nope."

"You'll always be a hermit to me, Mino."
Mino sighed, this time, audibly.

"I see you're still a bully." Tami came from where Mino knew was the kitchen holding a tray in her hands and placed it in front of Mino. It contained a mug of coffee with sugar and a jar of milk by the side.
"I didn't know how you like your coffee, so here you go," Tami chirped.

"T-Thank you." Mino didn't know how many times he'd said 'Thank you' since he entered their home, Tami was a kind person.

She nodded and went to her younger brother and pinched his cheeks and then released it. "Ouch! What did I do?!"

"Don't be mean to your friend." She grinned and left Jake rubbing his reddened cheeks. Mino's eyes unconsciously followed her as she climbed the stairs.

Jake narrowed his eyes as he saw where Mino was looking.
"What are you staring at?" Jake interrogated, crossing his arms.

Mino's eyes widened as he turned to him. "What?"

"Don't even think about it."

Mino tried to play it cool. "What are you even talking abou-"

"I know you like my sister, Mino."

Mino's lips drew into a thin line and then he bit his lip at having been figured out. "And?"

"You're my best friend, but I can't trust you with my sister."

Jake stared at Mino levelly.

"Besides, she's already engaged."

Mino's eyes widened and his heart clenched, it was almost as if his heart was being squeezed tightly.

"You're a good guy but-"
"I got it," Mino cut him off swiftly. "I'm not good enough for her, I get it." Mino looked Jake in the eye.

Jake looked like he wanted to say something but he didn't let him.
"I've been calling your phone but it didn't go through. I came here to check up on you," Mino changed the topic.

"I lost my phone a few days ago that's why you couldn't reach me. I just got a new one today." Jake brought out his new phone and they exchanged contacts.

"How's Alyssa?" Mino asked knowing she was already at Harvard studying Law.

Jake smiled.
"She's doing fine. I've been able to connect back with her."

"What about Tegah and Claudia?" Jake asked. Claudia had left for Oxford University in England a few days ago and Tegah was still in Uron University at Michigan.

"They're both fine, too."
It was only Jake and Mino that hadn't resumed University yet. They were to resume August, which was next month.

"It sucks," Jake let out as he leaned into the brown leathered couch.
"Being without the gang, you know? Being apart."