(TW for this chapter: Panic attack)
Harvey's POV
I was sitting on my phone at my breakfast table, a plate of waffles in front of me. They had a drizzle of maple syrup and a bit of whipped cream on top of a melting slab of butter in the center.
When Riley walked in, their eyes immediately lit up, their grey eyes sparkling like crystals.
They immediately pulled out a chair, sitting down. I handed them the bottle of maple syrup I had bought a few days ago, just for this occasion. They poured the syrup all over their waffles, which gave me diabetes just looking at it, put a small slab of butter in the middle, and squirted whipped cream all over.
"You're going to get diabetes someday if you eat that much sugar." I said to them as they shoveled syrup-drenched waffles into their mouth.
"Mro eh whon." Riley said with their mouth full.
"What?" I laughed as they tried to swallow their food.
"No I won't." They repeated, mouth now mostly clear of waffle.
"Whatever you say." I smiled fondly at them as I picked up my knife and fork to cut my waffles.
We ate in comfortable silence, they had slowed down their eating and we were both now on our phones. "Did you know our star signs are compatible?" I asked, looking up to see Riley's reaction. They kept their face blank, on purpose or not, I didn't know.
"Huh." Is all that they said.
That's it?
Riley's POV
Our star signs are compatible.
I fought to keep my face blank.
Holy shit.
Why would he bring that up? Maybe he just thought it was a cool fact. Yeah that's it. But what if- What if he was hinting at something. Maybe he likes me back? Maybe he's trying to hint that he likes me? Maybe he- Maybe he- Maybe- I'm hyperventilating.
I have to get away from Harvey.
Just for a minute.
Just to get my thoughts together.
"I need to go to the bathroom." I said, getting up, causing him to look up from his meal. "Alright. Down the hall to the right." He said and I nodded, glad it was at least a bit far from the table.
I followed his directions to the bathroom, while trying to calm my breathing.
When I made it to the bathroom, I closed the door and locked it. Taking a seat on the lid of the toilet, my head in my hands, I took deep, steady, breaths, trying to calm myself before I started to hyperventilate.
It was a fairly large bathroom, so I slid to the floor, sitting on my legs. Tears pricked at my eyes.
I don't even know why.
I don't even know why I'm getting so worked up about this.
It was just a little fun fact and I had to let it go to my head.
Of course it did.
At this point I'm full on sobbing.
I don't know what to do.
I can't stay in Harvey's bathroom forever.
3rd Person POV
Riley's breath was coming out in short gasps, tears streaming down their face and clinging to their chin. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
"Riley??" Harvey asked, his voice laced with worry as to why they were sobbing on his bathroom floor. "Riley, are you alright?" He asked, worrying over why Riley could be crying.
All Riley could do was rake out sobs, their chest heaving.
"Riley, please open the door. What's wrong?" Harvey asked, trying to open the door only to find it locked. "Please, let me in. Let me help you." He begged.
They finally gave in and rose a shaking hand to the lock, clicking it open.
The door burst open, and Harvey stood in the doorway with extreme worry and concern written all over his face.
"Hey, hey, hey. What's wrong? Talk to me. Please." He kneeled in front of Riley, begging them to let him know why they were shaking with sobs on his bathroom floor.
"I-" They gasped, struggling to find enough breath to breathe evenly, let alone speak. "I-I can't-" They sobbed, head staring down at their tear-ridden hands in their lap. "Hey, look at me." Harvey said softly, one hand lightly gripping Riley's shoulder.
Riley kept their head down, suddenly fascinated with the tears on their hands, not wanting to face Harvey. "Look at me." Harvey said more firmly. His spare hand found one of Riley's hands, intertwining their fingers as he gave their shoulder a small squeeze.
Riley's POV
I looked up, my puffy, red, dull grey eyes boring into Harvey's bright, perfect, sage-green ones. My face was wet with tears as my sobs turned into small noises escaping from my trembling lips.
"You're gonna be okay. I'm right here. I won't let anything hurt you." Harvey comforted softly, staring directly into my eyes.
We sat there for a moment, my wet, dull eyes locked with his mesmerizing, bright ones. We sat together in semi-silent comfort. Aside from my sob-induced hiccups, and a few other small noises and whimpers that escaped from my lips, it was comfortingly quiet.
I sniffled.
That's when Harvey wrapped his arms around me, blanketing me into a warm embrace.
I rested my head on his shoulder, sniffling quietly, a small smile rested across my features.
There was a long moment where he just held me, rubbing circles into my back, whispering quiet nothings into my ear. I couldn't help but melt into his arms, calmed by how much he cared about me.
Then my stomach rumbled.
Aaaaand...moment ruined. Great. Thanks stomach.
"Could we go finish our waffles? All that crying made me hungry and I'm feeling good enough to go back outside." I joked pathetically.
Harvey chuckled softly. "If you're up for it." He said. I nodded into his shoulder.
Harvey dropped his arms from our embrace and stood up from off the ground. He reached out an arm to me, offering to help me stand. I gripped his hand, hoisting myself up.
Before I could get my bearings, Harvey pulled me into him, embracing me in a reassuring hug once again.
"Thank you." I mumbled into the top of his silky raven black hair. I thought I saw him shudder, but I guess my mind was playing tricks on me in the messy state I'm in.
"Of course. You're my best friend. I'd do anything for you." He said into my chest. I smiled into his hair, until I realized what he said, and my heart broke a little.
Best friend. That's all I am to him. Damn. Just got friendzoned after a mental breakdown because I thought he was implying that we could be more than friends. Ha. How ironic. I thought bitterly, pulling away from the hug.
"Well uh, let's go get back to those waffles, then. Haha." I said awkwardly.
"Sure, I'll get you a glass of water too so you don't get too dehydrated from crying." He said, nodding, just as awkward. He looked a bit confused as to why I pulled away from the hug, but he seemed to simply shrug it off.
— — — — — — —
Harvey turned on the TV as I sat down, my last remaining waffle still miraculously warm. As I started to dig into my precious waffle, Harvey went to sit down as well, but before he did, he placed a glass of water near my plate.
I grinned up to him with cheeks full with waffle bits.
"Fanks, Harfey!" I said as I swallowed my food, washing it down with a big chug of water.
Harvey's POV
"Fanks, Harfey." Riley said with a big grin on their face.
'Thanks, Harvey!' They said.
That smile.
I almost physically clutched my chest because of how fast my heart was beating.
I sat down quickly, begging the world to let my face not be as red as it felt.
"N-no problem." I smiled back at them, stuttering.
I rub the redness from my face as I finish breakfast, hoping, begging, that Riley didn't notice my face.
"Are you hot? Your face was really red." Riley asked, tilting their head in the most adorable way.
My face heated right back up.
What a day.
Thanks, world.
"Y-yeah! I'm fine- I'll be fine. Uh- since we're uh- since we're both done with breakfast a-and stuff, do you wanna just sit on the couch and watch TV or something? O-or we could go somewhere- I-if you want..." I stumbled my way through my sentence, my voice trailing off at the end when I realized that could technically be considered as a date.
Aghhh. I'm such a mess today. My brain isn't functioning properly or something. I thought to myself.
Riley contemplated my offer for a second, then gasped. Their eyes were lit up, their grey irises sparkling like crystals.
"Is there an arcade somewhere close?" They asked excitedly, getting up from their chair.
I stood up as well.
"Yeah, there's one about a 10 minute drive from here." I said, running my hand through my dull black hair.
Riley gasped again, a large smile sat upon their perfect face. They were bouncing up and down like a little kid who just got told they were getting ice cream.
"Can we go?!?" They asked.
"An arcade does sound fun." I said with a smile. And besides, I couldn't say no to them.
Riley hugged me and rushed towards the front door. They had first put their shoes there when they walked in. "I'll get my shoes on!" They yelled, grabbing their neon orange Converse.
I stood there for a moment, processing that Riley had just hugged me, then rationalized that it was just a regular thing that regular friends do.
I laughed, following them. I grabbed my wallet, then I grabbed my own shoes, they're Converse as well, but instead of neon orange-colored, they were a plain black color.
We got our shoes on and hopped into the car, me at the wheel, and them in the passenger seat, bouncing childishly. It was quite cute actually.
— — — — — — —
I parked outside of the arcade, grabbing my wallet out of my back pocket. Riley was bouncing up and down in their seat, and was grinning from ear to ear.
"I'm warning you now, we're not spending all day here." I tried to sound stern, but it came out lovingly exasperated.
We both knew that was a lie.
Riley raised an eyebrow. "Knowing us, we'd probably somehow get locked in the arcade after hours." They laughed as they opened the passenger door and got out of the car. I laughed along and got out as well, as I discreetly smiled lovingly. I shut the car door and locked it.
I'm not getting robbed today, thank you.
We met on the sidewalk outside the door of the arcade, as nostalgia hit me as I remembered the days when I would come here as a kid. I smiled fondly at the memories. Some of the few good memories I had with my parents. My mom in particular.
I shook those thoughts from my head.
No bad thoughts today, brain.
Only happy, perfect, Riley-filled-ones, today.
"Stop staring at the arcade sign, Harvey. We have an agenda that needs completing!" Riley said. "Come onnn. Let's go inside already." They mock whined down at me. I blushed a little at the contact but I went along.
"Alright, alright." I laughed and went inside with them.
As soon as Riley and I stepped into the arcade, we were hit with the noise of beeps, boops, and blips, the chatter of friends eating pizza together at the tables, the neon fluorescent lights of all the games, the smell of junk food, and the bright and oddly aesthetic carpet.
Riley's eyes were wide with excitement and the arcade of the arcade made them absolutely glow.
My breath caught.
I smiled because even though there were so many sounds, sights, and smells, that could be overwhelming, I felt oddly comfortable.
I felt like I'd be home anywhere Riley was.