POV: Mark

I was sitting in my gaming chair, while watching some TikToks on my phone, when suddenly my best friend Toby came into the room, screaming my name. "MARK!" I looked up to see his beautiful, greyish-blue eyes, his cute little nose and his chubby, slightly pink cheeks. I couldn't help, but smile. "You alright?" I asked.

"No, I'm not! I want to ask my crush out on a date, but I don't know where to go or what to do!", he yelled in a panicking tone. My smile vanished and a cold, icy pain started to freeze my chest. I had loved Toby since we moved together. I never really cared about it, but hearing that he has a crush, which is most likely to be not me, hurt.

It hurt a lot actually.

"You really have no idea where to go with them?" I questioned. "Well... I do want to go to some sort of restaurant or Café, but I'm not sure if that's a good idea" he answered. "I think that's a great idea!" I said. I wasn't lying. As much as it hurt, I wanted to support him as much as possible. I wanted him to be happy. "What abou we go into the city and look around? Maybe we'll find a good place." I forced a smile. "Really? Then why are you still sitting here? Let's go!"

{Don't mind me, it's just a tiny little time skip}

We've been walking around the city for about two hours now when Toby wanted to take a break. We both were hungry so we decided to go into the next Café we came across. It was very small compared to all the other restaurants and Cafés we have seen, but it looked a lot more comfortable and was painted in a pastel colour scheme. When we entered I immediately felt save and warm. It smelled like sweet hot chocolate and cinnamon. A good combination. The Tables where made out of dark wood and there was beautiful decoration carved into it. The chairs were made out of the same wood and on the seat where pastel green pillows.

We sat down at a free table. The chairs were really comfortable and the woodcarvings in the table showed all kinds of flowers. Mostly roses. In the middle of the table were two cards. Toby snatched both before I could read them, but I assume that one of them must've been for the drinks and the other one for the foods.

I watched my friend studying the cards. I couldn't help but smile at how he slightly shook his head while thinking about which drinks he wanted to drink.

Suddently a waitress apperaed beside me. "Sir?" I flinched and looked up to her. "Sorry, I wasn't listening. What did you say?" I asked, turning red out of embarrassment. "I asked if I could get your order" The woman kindly repeated what she had said before. I looked over at Toby, who was still looking at the cards. "I didn't get to see the cards yet. This might take some more time." I answered quietly. "Alright, then I'll come back to you later." And then she left.

"Toby?" I leaned over the table to lay my hand on the brunette's shoulder. He lifted his head and looked me in the eyes. "hm?" "Can I see the cards?" I asked him. His cheeks turned bright pink as he realised how long he has been going through the drinks and foods. "I'm sorry. Of course you can. I've already picked something." I took the cards and sat back again. But before I could start reading the waitress was back at our table. "May I take your order please?" she said softly. Toby looked at me and I nodded. "I'll take a cup of hot chocolate and a chocolate chip muffin." he ordered.

The woman wrote it down on a small notebook. "And what about you, Sir?" she asked me. "umm.. I- I'll take the same.." I mumbled quietly. Surprisingly the waitress had actually understood me and left after scribbling a '2x' on the same paper she had noted Toby's order on.

"So.. uhh.. besides finding a good Café I uhhh.. I need to practice maybe?" Toby slowly began to explain. "Practice what?" I asked. He blushed a little and replied: "ehh... flirting skills? Confessing my feelings? I don't know.." I couldn't hold back a laughter. "Oh, shut up! I mean.. let's.. let's pretend we're lovers. Just for now. Even if you don't actually love me-" I zoned out. How could he be serious? Subconsciously I started to talk: "That's just not true" I quickly realised that I must've said something, because Toby was quiet now. "So.. our entire friendship was.. was a lie?" I looked at him in confusion. Then he yelled: "Honestly, FUCK YOU! YOU'RE THE ONE I WANTED TO ASK OUT AND NOW YOU'RE TELLING ME OUR FRIENDSHIP WASN'T REAL!? DO I EVEN MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU?" People were staring at us. Toby stood up and ran out of the Café. I followed him.

Toby was in fact a fast runner, but I managed to catch up to him. I grabbed his arm, but he pulled it away. "Please, let me explain- I.. You misunderstood this." "NO! FUCK YOU!" He yelled. I couldn't get him to listen, so I did the only thing I could think of. I took his face in my hands, leaned down and kissed Toby. On the lips. They we're soft and warm. Just like the feeling that started to grow in my chest. Sadly it ended soon, because Toby pushed me away.

He looked at me shocked. "what?" "I.. I need you to listen. Please. After you said to pretend to be lovers, even if I don't love you, I zoned out. I meant that it's not true, that I don't love you, because... because I do love you, Toby. I just didn't realise that you were talking about something different. I- I'm sorry." He stood there like frozen. I started to realise that I had totally ruined our friendship. "Mark?" He looked me straight into my eyes. I was waiting for him to continue while this whole situation got more and more uncomfortable and awkward. But the Toby kneeled down on one of his knees and asked me: "Will you be my boyfriend?"

I've been going through this scenario in my head so many times, but I never actually thought it would become reality. And I never thought it would happen like this. It must've looked hilarious, since Toby already was about a foot shorter than me and now kneeling down he was just tiny. I couldn't help, but smile. "Yes. I'd- I'd love that actually" I replied.

{And then they hold hands. Into the sunset. Okay no, sorry.}