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Becky Blackbell was about to explode.
Seated in the elegant Postdam café she had chosen for her monthly lunch with Anya, she watched her best friend with a mixture of disbelief and exasperation that she had perfected over nearly two decades of friendship.
"Let me get this straight," said Becky, setting her teacup down with more force than necessary. "Are you telling me that Damian Desmond, the man you live with, share a bed with, and are clearly completely intertwined with, is just your 'best friend and roommate'?"
Anya nodded enthusiastically, her green eyes shining with the same bewildering innocence that had characterized her childhood.
"Exactly! Sy-on Boy is my best friend. Well, you're my best friend too, Becky, but you know what I mean. He's like... my best friend who lives with me."
"Anya." Becky pinched the bridge of her nose. "Sweetheart. Love of my life. Densest person in the known universe. You sleep in the same bed."
"Because it's more comfortable!" Anya protested, stealing a piece of Becky's cake with her fork. "Besides, Bond sleeps with us sometimes. Does that mean I'm dating Bond?"
"Don't drag the poor dog into this," Becky grumbled. "And what about the fact that you bathe together?"
Anya's face flushed slightly.
"Well, it's... it saves water. And time. We're very efficient."
"Efficient." Becky repeated the word as if it were poison. "Anya Forger, I swear on all the romantic dramas I've ever watched, if you don't admit you're in a relationship with that man, I'm going to—"
"Good morning, Blackbell!" Damian's voice interrupted Becky's threat.
Both women turned to see Damian Desmond approaching their table, his lawyer's briefcase in one hand and two takeaway coffee cups in the other. He looked impeccable in his dark gray suit, though there was a small wrinkle in his tie that Becky noticed immediately.
"Sy-on Boy!" Anya lit up like a Christmas tree. "What are you doing here?"
"I had a meeting nearby and thought I'd bring you your favorite coffee," said Damian, placing one of the cups in front of Anya with a soft smile that Becky recognized as the expression the man reserved exclusively for Anya. "Double shot of espresso with hazelnut milk and three sugars, exactly how you like it."
"You're the best!" Anya took the cup with both hands, practically purring with happiness.
Damian leaned down and, with the naturalness of someone who had done the same gesture a thousand times, kissed the top of Anya's head.
"See you at home for dinner. Don't be late again or I'll eat all the peanut cake I bought."
"Don't you dare, you villain!" Anya exclaimed, but she was already smiling.
Damian nodded a farewell to Becky and left, leaving a trail of domestic warmth so thick Becky could have cut it with a knife.
There was a silence.
"Anya," Becky said with terrifying calm. "That. What just happened. Explain it to me."
"What thing?" Anya drank her coffee happily. "Oh, you mean him bringing me coffee. He knows I always forget to eat a proper breakfast, so—"
"He kissed you."
"It was just a little kiss on the head!" Anya protested. "Friends do that all the time!"
"No, they do not." Becky leaned forward, eyes narrowed. "Anya. Love. Tell me the truth. Do you have sex?"
The silence that followed was so long and charged that Becky knew she had hit the nail on the head.
Anya's face turned the color of her hair.
"Well... yes... but..."
"BUT?!" Becky's shout made several other customers turn to look at them. "You have sex and you still think you're just friends?!"
"It's complicated!" Anya buried her face in her hands. "We've been living together for three years, you know? And one night it just... happened. But it doesn't change anything. We're still best friends who share an apartment and sometimes... you know... do other things."
Becky stared at her for several seconds.
"Anya Forger," she said finally. "I need you to listen to me very carefully. What you just described is called 'being in a relationship.' Specifically, a romantic and sexual relationship with your partner, who in this case is Damian Desmond."
"But we've never talked about it," Anya murmured, her cheeks still burning. "I mean, I know he... well, he's always been very tsundere with me since we were kids, but he's never directly said to me 'Anya, you're my girlfriend' or anything like that."
"Because he probably assumes you already are," said Becky, exasperated. "My god, Anya. Has he dated anyone else since you've lived together?"
Anya frowned, thoughtful.
"No... now that you mention it, he turned down that associate from his firm who was clearly interested. He told her he already had 'someone at home waiting for him.'"
"That was you. You were that person."
"But we're roommates!"
"You are not!" Becky was practically pulling her hair out. "Roommates don't kiss. Roommates don't have sex. Roommates don't bring each other coffee and say 'see you at home' in that disgustingly sweet voice—"
"His voice is not disgusting," Anya immediately defended, pouting. "He has a very nice voice. Especially when he reads to me before bed, or when he whispers things in the morning, or when—"
She stopped abruptly, her brain finally processing her own words.
Becky smirked smugly.
"Do go on."
"Oh." Anya blinked slowly. "Oh no."
"Is it getting through? Is it finally penetrating that thick head of yours?"
"Oh no." Anya covered her face with both hands. "Becky. Becky, I've been... we've been... for years..."
"Three years, from what you said."
"Three years," Anya repeated, her voice choked. "I've been in a relationship with Sy-on Boy for three years and I never realized it."
"Correct."
"I called him my 'roommate' in front of Emile and Ewen last week."
"Oh, god."
"I told Dad he was my 'best friend I split expenses with.'" Anya looked up, horrified. "Do you think Dad knew all this time?"
"Anya, everyone knew all this time except you," Becky said mercilessly. "Emile and Ewen have been taking bets on when you'd figure it out. Your father probably ran a full background check on him when you started living together. Hell, even I assumed you'd made things official years ago."
Anya fell silent, processing. Becky could practically see the gears turning in her head, re-examining three years of "friendly cohabitation" in a new light.
The mornings waking up tangled in the sheets.
The home-cooked dinners Damian made for her.
The way he memorized her hospital schedule.
How he always knew when she'd had a nightmare,even before she did.
The silver ring she wore on her necklace,the one he'd given her with trembling hands and blushing cheeks.
All the times they'd made love and then stayed in each other's arms,whispering sweet nothings in the dark.
"Oh god," Anya murmured. "I'm the stupidest person on the planet."
"Correct again."
"How did I not realize?" Anya looked up at Becky, her eyes wide. "How could I be so dense?"
Becky shrugged.
"It's a special talent of yours, darling. Remember when we were sixteen and you didn't realize that boy, Tertius, had asked you on a date until Damian almost punched him for 'trying to steal his favorite person'?"
"I thought he was just being protective as a friend."
"Anya."
"Okay, okay!" Anya buried her face in her hands again. "What do I do now? Do I say something? How do I even start that conversation? 'Hey, Sy-on Boy, did you know we've apparently been dating for three years?'"
"You could start by calling him your boyfriend instead of your roommate," Becky suggested dryly. "That would be a good first step."
Anya looked up, and there was something wonderful and terrifying in her eyes.
"My boyfriend," she tested the word, and a slow smile spread across her face. "Damian is my boyfriend."
"Yes, darling. That's the concept."
"Damian is my boyfriend," Anya repeated, louder this time, and suddenly she was grinning like an idiot. "I have a boyfriend! And it's Damian!"
"Are you okay?"
"Becky!" Anya shot to her feet, grabbing Becky by the shoulders. "I have to tell him!"
"Technically, he already knows—"
"I have to tell him that I know!" Anya was already gathering her things, practically bouncing in place. "I have to go home right now and say 'Hello, my boyfriend, I'm sorry I've been an idiot for three years but now I know you're my boyfriend and I'm very happy about that.'"
"Well, at least you're enthusiastic about it now," Becky murmured.
"This is amazing!" Anya spun in place, her eyes shining. "All this time I've had a super handsome, attentive boyfriend and I didn't know it!"
"That is literally what I've been saying for the last hour."
"I have to tell everyone!" Anya pulled out her phone. "Dad, Mom, Uncle Yuri—"
"Wait, maybe not Uncle Yuri until you're in a secure location."
But Anya was no longer listening. She was frantically texting, a huge smile plastered on her face. Becky sighed and ordered another cup of tea. This was going to be a long day.
Damian was in his office, reviewing a particularly complicated immigration contract, when his phone exploded with notifications.
Anya ❤️ (14:32): I HAVE TO TELL YOU SOMETHING IMPORTANT
Anya ❤️ (14:32): ARE YOU SITTING DOWN???
Anya ❤️ (14:33): IT'S VERY IMPORTANT
Anya ❤️ (14:33): I'M ON MY WAY**
Damian frowned, worried. Had something happened to her? Was she okay? He was about to call her when his door burst open.
Anya stormed into his office like a pink whirlwind, her cheeks flushed and her eyes blazing. His colleagues behind her looked bewildered by the small woman who had swept in as if she owned the place.
"Anya, what—?"
"You're my boyfriend!" Anya announced, pointing at him dramatically.
Damian blinked.
"... Yes?"
"And I'm your girlfriend!"
"... Yes." Damian glanced at Ewen, who was peeking through the door with an expression of absolute amusement. "Are you... okay?"
"I'm perfect!" Anya marched up to his desk, planting both hands on it. "You just confirmed that I'm your girlfriend!"
"Anya." Damian set his pen down carefully. "Haven't you... always been?"
There was a silence.
"Define 'always,'" Anya said weakly.
"Since we started living together, obviously." Damian looked at her with concern. "Did you hit your head? Do I need to call someone?"
"No, I... wait." Anya processed his words. "You thought we were a couple since we started living together?"
"Of course." Damian stood up, circling the desk to feel her forehead. "Anya, you're worrying me. What happened?"
"I..." Anya felt her face getting redder and redder. "I thought we were just roommates."
The silence that followed was absolute.
Until Ewen burst out laughing from the doorway.
"I knew it!" he yelled. "Emile! You owe me fifty marks! She really didn't know!"
"Roommates?" Damian repeated slowly, his expression a mix of disbelief and amusement. "You thought we were roommates?"
"In my defense, we never had 'the talk'!" Anya protested. "You never officially asked me to be your girlfriend."
"Anya." Damian took her by the shoulders, looking directly into her eyes. "I told you 'I love you' the day we moved in together."
"I thought it was platonic love!"
"We had sex literally that night."
"I thought we were friends with benefits!"
Damian looked at her for a long moment. Then, slowly, he started to laugh. It was a deep, genuine laugh, the kind that made his shoulders shake.
"My god," he said between laughs. "You're incredible. You are absolutely incredible."
"Don't laugh at me!" Anya tapped his chest, but she was smiling too. "I was confused!"
"For three years," said Damian, still laughing. "You've been my girlfriend for three years and you didn't know."
"Well, now I know!" Anya lifted her chin defiantly. "And now that I know, I'm going to make the most of it. I'm going to tell everyone you're my boyfriend."
"Please do." Damian pulled her closer, a soft smile on his face. "I've been waiting three years for you to stop introducing me as your 'roomie'.
"I have a lot of lost time to make up for," Anya declared solemnly. "Get ready, Sy-on Boy. From now on, I'm not going to stop showing you off."
"That sounds terrifying."
"It should." Anya stood on her tiptoes to kiss him, not caring that Damian's entire office was watching. "Because you're my boyfriend and the world needs to know."
Damian smiled against her lips.
"I always have been, Peanut Brain."
"Shut up and kiss me, my super handsome boyfriend."
And he did.
One Week Later.
Group Chat: Eden Academy Survivors
Becky (10:15): Guys. You need to know that I've created a monster.
Emile (10:16): What did you do now?
Becky (10:17): I told Anya that Damian was her boyfriend.
Ewen (10:17): WAIT SHE DIDN'T KNOW?
Becky (10:18): No. For THREE YEARS she thought they were just "roommates."
Emile (10:18): LMAOOOOOO
Ewen (10:19): I OWE EMILE MONEY!
Becky (10:19): The problem is that now that she knows, she won't stop talking about it.
Becky (10:20): [Image attached: Anya showing her phone with a picture of Damian as the wallpaper that says "MY BOYFRIEND ❤️"]
Emile (10:21): Oh no.
Ewen (10:21): Oh yes.
Becky (10:22): Yesterday I heard her telling a patient 'excuse me, I have to take this call, it's my BOYFRIEND.'
Becky (10:23): She emphasized the word 'boyfriend.'
Becky (10:24): Three times.
Emile (10:25): Does Damian know?
Becky (10:26): He's just as happy. Yesterday I saw him wearing a shirt Anya clearly got him with a badly drawn penguin on it.
Ewen (10:27): God, they're perfect for each other.
Becky (10:28): They're idiots is what they are.
Becky (10:29): Idiots in love.
Emile (10:30): The best kind of idiots.
Ewen (10:31): How long do you think it'll take him to propose now that she finally accepts they're a couple?
Emile (10:32): Knowing him, he probably already bought the ring.
Becky (10:33): God help us all.
That Night Anya walked into the apartment with a bag of groceries, still wearing her doctor's coat. Damian was in the kitchen making dinner, and Bond was dozing on his bed near the balcony.
"My boyfriend, I'm home!" Anya announced cheerfully, dropping the bag on the counter.
Damian smiled without turning around.
"Welcome home, my girlfriend."
Anya walked over and hugged him from behind, burying her face in his back.
"You know? I've been thinking."
"That's dangerous."
"Shut up." Anya gave him a light tap. "I was thinking about all the time we lost because I was an idiot."
"You weren't an idiot." Damian turned to look at her, cupping her face in his hands. "Well, you were, but you were my idiot."
"Very romantic." Anya rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.
"What I mean," Damian continued, kissing her forehead, "is that we didn't lose anything. Every day with you has been exactly what I wanted, no matter what we called it."
"But it's better now," Anya insisted, standing on her toes to kiss him. "Because now I can tell the whole world you're mine."
"And that's important to you?"
"Very much." Anya smiled against his lips. "I spent my whole childhood spying on you for Operation Strix, and my whole adulthood in love with you without realizing it. Now that I finally get it, I want everyone to know."
Damian looked at her with those golden eyes that had followed her all her life, from those days at Eden until now.
"Then shout it from the rooftops, Peanut Brain. Tell the whole world that Damian Desmond is yours."
"And you are mine," Anya corrected.
"Yours," Damian confirmed. "I always have been."
And as Bond started barking for his dinner, and the smell of burning food filled the apartment because they were both too busy kissing to notice, Anya thought there was no better way to describe their relationship than this:
Chaotic, ridiculous, and absolutely perfect.
Just like it had always been.
Only now, she finally knew it.