It was the summer of his junior year of college, and Isaac was sitting on a bench outside of a clothing store, a can of cola in hand, typing on his phone with a small, relaxed smile, the warm summer air sticking lightly to his skin.
- [Aria: How's work going???? (｡◕‿‿◕｡)]
- [Isaac: Same as always. The new kids are running around like crazy lolol.]
- [Aria: Have fun! \(^o^)/ I'll come pick you up latr!]
- [Isaac: Alr, what do you want for dinner?]
- [Aria: You decide!]
He chuckled at her messages, thumbs tapping quickly.
Their back-and-forth was second nature now.
Aria had a way of making him feel at ease even on a chaotic day like this.
"Isaac, we'll need you back in here in a minute." A manager's voice broke through, pulling him from the small daydream.
"Alright."
- [Isaac: I'll just decide when I'm home then, my breaks almost over so i'll ttyl <3]
- [Aria: Bye-bye! <3333 (• ◡•)つ]
He tossed the empty can into the bin and headed back into the store, taking a mental note to thank Aria later for always checking in on him.
••✦ ♡ ✦•••
Honk-honk!
"Isaac! Over here!" Aria waved, sticking her head out of the window.
He squinted through the sun, waving back as Aria came into view.
"Yes, yes, I see you," he replied, sliding into the passenger seat.
"Did everything go well?" she asked, balancing a paper cup between her knees.
"One of the interns spilt coffee on a model, you should've seen his face, but besides that, everything went fine," Isaac said, smirking at the memory.
"Mmm, okay! Here, I bought this for you on the way."
She pointed to a cup in the drink compartment.
"Oh! Thanks, Aria," he said, grateful.
"You're welcome, you can repay the favour by making some good food, I'm starving," she teased.
"I'll try my best," he replied, shaking his head with a slight grin.
The drive back was warm and lazy; the streets were bustling, everyone wearing summer tees and shorts, showing the seasonal change.
Isaac found it comforting, a soothing sight after a long day of work.
••✦ ♡ ✦•••
Once they arrived at their apartment, Isaac dumped his bag and jacket on the sofa before making his way to the kitchen.
"Let's see…" He muttered aloud as he looked through the cupboards and fridge, looking for inspiration.
Aria picked up the things he'd thrown onto the couch and put them in his room, humming softly before hopping onto the counter next to him, swinging her legs back and forth.
"What are the options, Chef?"
"Hmm… Meatballs, bolognese or mac and cheese. We need to get through some of this pasta you bought," he said as he grabbed one of the many bags of pasta lying in the cupboard.
"I want meatballs!" Aria shouted.
"Yes, sir," He replied, tying his hair back and rolling up his sleeves. "I'll take it that you wanna watch?"
"Yep!"
"Just be careful."
Isaac took the apron from the hanger and threw it over his head, tying it roughly at the back.
"That apron really suits you," she said with a grin.
Isaac glanced down.
It was the bright pink frilly apron that Aria had given him for his birthday, a gift she clearly found hilarious when he had first opened it.
"Yeah, thanks for the amazing gift," he replied sarcastically, though he was unable to hide his smile.
Aria watched him cook intently, not missing a single action.
There was something comforting in the way she observed, as if she trusted him to create something good, yet also trusted the process itself.
"Hey, Isaac, what are your plans for after you graduate?" She asked, tilting her head.
"Never really thought about it, maybe go full-time with modelling? I'm not sure."
"Fair enough."
"What about you?" he asked.
"I haven't really thought about it to be honest, I could just become a stay-at-home wife," She joked.
Isaac snorted at her words.
"Stay-at-home wife for who? You can hardly even clean on your own."
Aria pouted but grinned.
"I can learn, you know."
"Yeah, of course you can. I'll believe it when you don't beg me to cook every day."
Talking like this reminded Isaac of the reason they first began living together in the first place.
– Hey, Isaac, can you cook…?
– Somewhat.
– Can you do chores…?
– Yep.
Aria had approached him carefully, aware of his circumstances to some extent, and offered a solution that benefited them both.
– …Do you want to live together?
At the time, he had almost choked on his drink and had a heart attack from the shock of her words, but after hearing her out, he had been convinced.
– I'll cover the rent if you do the chores, so please move in with me!
In some way, she had saved him, and all she asked for in return was that he do chores; he couldn't imagine a better friend than Aria.
"Well, it's done. Shall we eat?" He said with a warm smile.
"Mhm!"
••✦ ♡ ✦•••
Monday morning arrived with their usual struggle.
"Ughhh… I can't be bothered…" Aria groaned as she stumbled out of the car, swaying slightly.
"You're the one who chose this course, maybe you should've thought about it more," Isaac said, trying not to sound too annoyed. "Ah! Don't forget your bag, idiot!"
As usual, when they had early lectures, Isaac had been up from the crack of dawn, trying to wake Aria, and was already exhausted.
"Seriously, how can you still not wake up on your own? You're turning 21 this year…" He said, exasperated.
She rolled her eyes.
"I was comfy… and don't remind me!"
"At this point, wouldn't you just be better off dropping out?" he joked.
"Can't… Dad would get pissed," she said with a half-hearted shrug.
"Ah… right. Speaking of, has he still not said anything about you living with a guy?"
"He did… so, so many times…" Her face clouded over as the memories resurfaced.
"Sorry."
"No, it's fine. Don't worry about what he says, I won't let you get kicked out."
"Thanks, Aria," Isaac said sincerely.
"Of course, bestie!"
They navigated the crowded campus, students greeting each other in groups, some glancing at the pair of them with knowing smiles, whispers following them.
– There they are again, they're always together, aren't they?
– What a cute couple… Why can't I find something like that, sigh…
– Ugh, show-offs.
It was a frequent occurrence as they were almost always by each other's sides from the moment they started college until now, but neither of them was bothered by such gossip.
"Don't they get bored of whispering all of the time?" Aria asked, sighing.
"Who knows, not like there's much else going on here," Isaac replied.
"Yeah, but they could at least get their facts right, I mean, we've never even dated…"
"Well, at least it keeps weirdos away, right?" Isaac said, smirking.
"True," Aria said with a smile.
Thanks to the misunderstandings, both Isaac and Aria had been marked as taken, which had helped keep away individuals with bad intentions for both parties.
Their bond had always been their shield; rumours might swirl, but neither really cared.
Their friendship was perfect; they knew when to tease, when to joke, and when to offer quiet support.
Isaac often thought about how lucky he was to have Aria as a friend.
••✦ ♡ ✦•••
""It's finally over."" They said in unison, stretching their bodies.
"Public speaking lectures always suck… seriously, why did you choose this course?" Aria groaned.
"It looked easy…" Isaac muttered.
"Ugh, whatever, well I'm going to the bathroom, so you can wait in the car if you want."
"Alright," he said, gathering his belongings.
They both left the lecture hall, splitting ways at some point.
On his way back to the car, a girl approached, running slightly to catch up.
At first, he had just kept walking, thinking that they were just going in the direction he had come from, but…
"Isaaaaccc—! Huff… huff…" she called.
"Huh?" He slowed, glancing at her unfamiliar face.
It was rare for him to be spoken to by anyone other than Aria since they were always together.
"Uhm… can we talk?" she asked hesitantly.
"Sorry, but I'm waiting for someone," Isaac replied, trying to move past.
He had never met the girl before, so he tried to escape the conversation, but she didn't take the hint.
"You… Aria, right? It's fine! It'll only take a couple of minutes." Her eyes glimmered oddly, too intense for someone whom he didn't even know.
Isaac hesitated at the tearful expression she wore, and in that split second, the girl took action, grabbing his hand.
"Pretty please?"
"...Fine," he muttered, pulling out his phone to text Aria.
[Isaac: I'll be a bit late. Someone wants to talk.]
[Aria: Is something wrong? (ó﹏ò｡)]
[Isaac: Nah, just a quick convo, ttyl <3]
After walking for a little while, the girl finally stopped in a secluded area.
Her cheeks were flushed, her hands trembling.
It was only then that Isaac picked up on what was about to happen and wore an awkward expression.
"Uhm…" She fidgeted with her hands, her face flushed. "Isaac… I really like you… I mean it, uhm… I know we haven't spoken before, but I promise I love you more than anyone else… so please go out with me..!"
Isaac rubbed his neck as his eyes wandered as he thought of a way to reject her.
"Listen, as you said, we've never spoken before today. There's no reason for me to say yes here. I'm sorry, but I can't accept."
He turned to leave.
Grab
"Can we start as friends then? I don't mind waiting! Just give me a chance!"
"I'm sorry." He said firmly, pulling his hand away.
"Is it because of Aria?" she asked, tilting her head.
Isaac stopped.
"Huh? No?"
"But you live together, right? Are you scared about getting kicked out?"
'What is this girl on about?' Isaac thought, alarmed but trying to stay polite.
"How do you–? Wait, actually, what are you saying?"
"If she does, you can always live with me, I have my own place and there's plenty of room—"
"—Sorry, I'm not interested." He cut her off, walking away.
"She's—" the girl muttered to herself, her tone faintly venomous, as Isaac disappeared from sight.
After walking away, Isaac didn't turn back immediately; he kept his pace measured, pretending to check his phone, but his mind was running through the encounter over and over.
'Too eager… too rehearsed,' he thought.
The way she had approached him when Aria wasn't around, the sudden tearfulness at his refusal, the almost manipulative insistence.
It didn't add up; something felt off, like she had planned this, but Isaac couldn't understand why.
Aria's laugh rang out from across the campus as she spotted Isaac, and he felt a wave of relief.
Seeing her so naturally herself reminded him why he trusted her completely.
The contrast between Aria's warmth and the girl's intensity made the unease settle heavier in his chest.
Isaac smiled faintly, shoving his phone into his pocket. Aria's presence always made the world seem steadier, safer.
He glanced back once more.
The girl was watching him from a distance, still lingering near the building's corner.
The eerie look in her eyes gave Isaac the creeps.
By the time he reached Aria, her smile was as bright as ever.
She waved him over, oblivious to the undercurrent that had just passed.
"Took you long enough," she said. "If you took any longer, I would've drunk yours too."
Isaac laughed softly as he took the cup from her hand, the tension easing slightly.
"If you did, I wouldn't have cooked for you tonight," he teased, dropping into the passenger seat of the car.
Aria pouted dramatically.
"You'd better be grateful."
"I am," he muttered sincerely. "More than you know."
As they drove back towards their apartment, Isaac's thoughts lingered on the girl.
He didn't know why she had acted in such a way, but the encounter had left a mark.
His instinct told him that something could happen if he let her go unchecked, and yet Aria's steady presence beside him drove those thoughts away.
Still, a small part of him couldn't help but glance in the rearview mirror every now and then, half-expecting the girl to appear again, but the street remained empty.
Aria's voice broke through his thoughts as the light ahead turned red.
"So what happened? Why did you take so long?"
————「❤︎」————