A week had gone by since Nick and Arthur's long-awaited reunion. Their days were filled with stolen kisses, whispered "I love you's," and the warmth of waking up next to each other again. It felt as if they were making up for all the missed time, experiencing their love as if it were fresh and new.
However, there were still matters that needed to be settled—loose ends that neither of them could ignore.
Nick realized that before he could fully move forward with Arthur, he had to confront the past one last time. This meant facing Tyler.
He found Tyler at a café near the campus, sitting alone at a corner table with a cup of coffee. Seeing him brought back a rush of emotions—anger, betrayal, and hurt. But beneath it all, Nick saw someone who looked lost, tormented by remorse.
Tyler looked up as Nick approached, his expression shifting from astonishment to discomfort.
"Nick," Tyler murmured, his voice wary. "What are you doing here?"
Nick sat down across from him, his gaze calm. "We need to talk."
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The air between them was heavy with tension, the weight of everything that had happened lingering.
Finally, Nick broke the stillness.
"I know what you did," he continued, his voice firm. "I know you drugged Arthur and set him up to make it look like he cheated on me."
Tyler's face paled, and he looked down at his coffee, his hands trembling.
"I didn't mean for it to go this far," Tyler replied, his voice barely above a whisper. "I just… I wanted Arthur to see that you weren't good for him. I thought if I could make you doubt him, he'd finally let you go."
Nick's jaw tensed, but he kept his voice steady. "You had no right to interfere in our relationship. You hurt him, Tyler. You harmed both of us."
Tyler looked up, his eyes filled with regret. "I know," he said. "And I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt him like that. I was just… jealous. I wanted him to see me the way he saw you."
Nick took a deep breath, his anger giving way to something softer. He could see the guilt in Tyler's eyes, a genuine remorse.
"I'm not here to fight you," Nick said. "I need to move on, and I can't do that without knowing you understand what you did was wrong."
Tyler nodded, his shoulders sagging. "I do," he said. "And I'm sorry. I truly am, Nick. I never should have done what I did. I was selfish and I hurt people I care about."
Nick regarded him for a moment, then nodded. "Apology accepted," he said. "But you need to apologize to Arthur too. He deserves to hear it from you."
Tyler stared down, his hands clenching into fists. "I will," he said. "I'll talk to him. I owe him that much."
After settling things with Tyler, Nick returned to Arthur, who was busy arranging books in their new flat.
Nick leaned against the doorframe, watching Arthur with a warm smile. "You're still organizing?"
Arthur turned and grinned. "I just want everything to be perfect."
Nick stepped over and wrapped his arms around Arthur's waist from behind. "It already is."
Arthur leaned back into Nick, letting out a satisfied sigh. "Are you okay?"
Nick nodded. "Yeah. I talked to Tyler. He knows he messed up."
Arthur was silent for a moment before nodding. "I'm not ready to face him yet, but… maybe one day."
Nick pressed a kiss to Arthur's temple. "Whenever you're ready."
Arthur twisted in Nick's arms, cradling his face. "Thank you for always standing by me."
Nick grinned, leaning his forehead against Arthur's. "Always."
With everything slowly falling into place, Nick and Arthur returned to university together. Walking through the familiar campus side by side felt strange.
Mia and Pim were waiting for them at the library. As soon as they saw Arthur and Nick, their faces lit up.
"There they are!" Pim called, grinning.
Arthur and Nick exchanged pleased glances before joining their friends.
"It's so good to see you both like this again," Mia said, playfully shoving Nick. "Took you long enough."
Nick chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. I know."
Pim clapped her hands together. "Well, since we're all here, we have something to tell you."
Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
Mia and Pim exchanged looks before Mia took a deep breath. "We're dating."
Arthur's eyes widened. "Wait, seriously?"
Pim nodded, her cheeks slightly flushed. "Yeah. We've been… seeing each other for a while now."
Arthur grinned. "That's amazing! I'm so happy for you both!"
Nick teased Mia. "And here I thought you'd always be too busy with work to date."
Mia rolled her eyes. "Well, Pim is pretty irresistible."
Pim laughed. "You say that like you're any better."
Arthur shook his head fondly. "You two are perfect for each other."
Nick threw an arm around Arthur's waist, pulling him close. "Looks like love is in the air."
Mia smirked. "Yeah, and we all deserve it."
As they stood there laughing and teasing each other, Arthur felt an overwhelming sense of serenity.
This was their fresh start.
And this time, they weren't letting go.A week had gone by since Nick and Arthur's long-awaited reunion. Their days were filled with stolen kisses, whispered "I love you's," and the warmth of waking up next to each other again. It felt as if they were making up for all the missed time, experiencing their love as if it were fresh and new.
However, there were still matters that needed to be settled—loose ends that neither of them could ignore.
Nick realized that before he could fully move forward with Arthur, he had to confront the past one last time. This meant facing Tyler.
He found Tyler at a café near the campus, sitting alone at a corner table with a cup of coffee. Seeing him brought back a rush of emotions—anger, betrayal, and hurt. But beneath it all, Nick saw someone who looked lost, tormented by remorse.
Tyler looked up as Nick approached, his expression shifting from astonishment to discomfort.
"Nick," Tyler murmured, his voice wary. "What are you doing here?"
Nick sat down across from him, his gaze calm. "We need to talk."
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The air between them was heavy with tension, the weight of everything that had happened lingering.
Finally, Nick broke the stillness.
"I know what you did," he continued, his voice firm. "I know you drugged Arthur and set him up to make it look like he cheated on me."
Tyler's face paled, and he looked down at his coffee, his hands trembling.
"I didn't mean for it to go this far," Tyler replied, his voice barely above a whisper. "I just… I wanted Arthur to see that you weren't good for him. I thought if I could make you doubt him, he'd finally let you go."
Nick's jaw tensed, but he kept his voice steady. "You had no right to interfere in our relationship. You hurt him, Tyler. You harmed both of us."
Tyler looked up, his eyes filled with regret. "I know," he said. "And I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt him like that. I was just… jealous. I wanted him to see me the way he saw you."
Nick took a deep breath, his anger giving way to something softer. He could see the guilt in Tyler's eyes, a genuine remorse.
"I'm not here to fight you," Nick said. "I need to move on, and I can't do that without knowing you understand what you did was wrong."
Tyler nodded, his shoulders sagging. "I do," he said. "And I'm sorry. I truly am, Nick. I never should have done what I did. I was selfish and I hurt people I care about."
Nick regarded him for a moment, then nodded. "Apology accepted," he said. "But you need to apologize to Arthur too. He deserves to hear it from you."
Tyler stared down, his hands clenching into fists. "I will," he said. "I'll talk to him. I owe him that much."
After settling things with Tyler, Nick returned to Arthur, who was busy arranging books in their new flat.
Nick leaned against the doorframe, watching Arthur with a warm smile. "You're still organizing?"
Arthur turned and grinned. "I just want everything to be perfect."
Nick stepped over and wrapped his arms around Arthur's waist from behind. "It already is."
Arthur leaned back into Nick, letting out a satisfied sigh. "Are you okay?"
Nick nodded. "Yeah. I talked to Tyler. He knows he messed up."
Arthur was silent for a moment before nodding. "I'm not ready to face him yet, but… maybe one day."
Nick pressed a kiss to Arthur's temple. "Whenever you're ready."
Arthur twisted in Nick's arms, cradling his face. "Thank you for always standing by me."
Nick grinned, leaning his forehead against Arthur's. "Always."
With everything slowly falling into place, Nick and Arthur returned to university together. Walking through the familiar campus side by side felt strange.
Mia and Pim were waiting for them at the library. As soon as they saw Arthur and Nick, their faces lit up.
"There they are!" Pim called, grinning.
Arthur and Nick exchanged pleased glances before joining their friends.
"It's so good to see you both like this again," Mia said, playfully shoving Nick. "Took you long enough."
Nick chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. I know."
Pim clapped her hands together. "Well, since we're all here, we have something to tell you."
Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
Mia and Pim exchanged looks before Mia took a deep breath. "We're dating."
Arthur's eyes widened. "Wait, seriously?"
Pim nodded, her cheeks slightly flushed. "Yeah. We've been… seeing each other for a while now."
Arthur grinned. "That's amazing! I'm so happy for you both!"
Nick teased Mia. "And here I thought you'd always be too busy with work to date."
Mia rolled her eyes. "Well, Pim is pretty irresistible."
Pim laughed. "You say that like you're any better."
Arthur shook his head fondly. "You two are perfect for each other."
Nick threw an arm around Arthur's waist, pulling him close. "Looks like love is in the air."
Mia smirked. "Yeah, and we all deserve it."
As they stood there laughing and teasing each other, Arthur felt an overwhelming sense of serenity.
This was their fresh start.
And this time, they weren't letting go.