Zerkaa [sidemen]

The Friendzone

You weren't typically the plan-maker amongst your group of pals, but admittedly, ever since you'd developed quite the crush on your best friend you'd gone out of your way to be with him, like, all of the time. So, while sitting on his couch watching the footy match with him, his housemate Simon and your other close friend Tobi, you suggested bravely, "I think we should all definitely go out tonight."

Tobi looked at you curiously, only for a second, before returning his attention to the television. "Y/n, none of us here are particularly the going-out type, you know."

From beside you, where you were buried–casually, very casually–beneath Josh's arm tossed over the back of the couch, his melodic trenor drifted, "Innit? Every time we try to go out Simon has one drink, feigns illness, and then Tobi's got to take him home."

Tobi laughed loudly from the other end of the couch, and from the armchair, Simon grumbled, "Oi, fuck off."

"Allow him," you said over the chorus of chuckles. "We don't have to go drinking. We can just go out for a nice dinner or something."

"I feel like you've been trying to get us to go out for a 'nice dinner' for weeks," Simon told you, amused.

"They're... nice."

"Yeah, maybe when you're in a relationship," Tobi responded, distracted still by the play on the TV. "If you're suggesting that Simon and I third- and fourth-wheel you and Josh you're gonna be disappointed with my response."

Simon laughed, agreeing, and Josh shifted beside you with discomfort so blatant that you wanted to pass out. "Fuck off," you said. "Friends can go out for nice dinners together sometimes!"

Tobi cut his eyes in your direction once again, but this time his gaze was over your head; he was eyeing Josh hesitantly. After an awkwardly long moment of this, and an equally as awkward throat-clearing from Josh, he looked back at the TV. "I've got to edit tonight, anyways. Sorry love, maybe another time?"

You weren't too disappointed by this; it meant that Tobi would be leaving soon, which meant one less person to interrupt what little, precious alone time you ever got with Josh. To be fair, you were alone with Josh a lot because you were his best friend, and he yours, but you had never truly been confident enough to straightforwardly cue him in to how you felt about him. So, in vain, you figured putting yourself in more romantic settings with him would strike something inside of you.

But suddenly, before you could even attempt planning anything else, Josh slipped his arm out from around you and was pushing himself off of the couch. You were chilled immediately by the loss of his body heat, his nearness to you.

"I've got to go make a call," he announced, quite stiffly. "Let me know how the game goes." And with that, he turned and disappeared up the stairs, just as the first half of the game to a close.

You almost didn't notice the tense silence that overwhelmed the living room once Josh had gone because you were too preoccupied with wondering who he could be calling. A friend you didn't know? A girlfriend? He hadn't mentioned anything like that to you. You glanced toward your friends, prepared to ask them if they knew anything even though you knew you'd sound pathetic, but Simon cut through the quiet first.

He snorted, catching Tobi's eye off to your right. "He's trying so hard."

Tobi laughed, so Simon laughed, which prompted you to ask a bit pathetically, "He's trying to what?"

Simon eyed you and then shared another laugh with Tobi, who'd begun channel-surfing. Annoyed, you grumbled, "Fine. All three of you can fuck off, honestly. I don't give a shit,"