His Muse

An average display of public nudity

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Nic had classes until three the next day, but by that point Sav had texted Leo. Silently, he was dreading his drawing studio course that would come the following day, but for now... he just had to deal with this flimsy plan they had going. They barely had half of it together and it was already in motion. They hardly even had the staring roll—okay, so maybe they didn't have the staring roll at all.

Which was why Nic was meeting Milo at Starbucks and treating him to a coffee where they could talk to Kieran from over the espresso machine.

"So your roommate, who is... also an RA..." Milo started, and Nic nodded along with him. Kieran glimpsed over at them as he rinsed out a cup in the nearby sink. "... Doesn't think Sav is valid and to validate her in his eyes... you want me—me—to stalk her."

"It sounds like a shit plan but I think it might work," Kieran said, though scowled as he looked at Nic, "Though I still think we should have kidnapped Leo."

"As if that would blow over well," he scoffed.

"As if stalking someone will blow over well?" Milo laughed nervously. "I may have been in theatre in high school, but I'm not even sure my acting skills are up for any Oscars when it comes to playing the part of a stalker. Look, I'm sure Sav is a nice girl and all, but I really think if you just talked to your roommate—"

"Been there done that. It's like getting in an argument with your Republican parents about liberal ideals," Nic confessed with a sigh. "But this isn't nearly as dramatic, trust me. Leo means well. He's just... stubborn. I guess."

"But stalking? Seriously?" Milo complained, looking uncomfortable. "I don't want to have sexual assault charges on my record, man."

"Dude, Sav knows the plan and she knows you're a nice guy. She won't press charges on you, God. That's why we're discussing the plan first," Nic explained rapidly. "And we're still figuring out the details, but hopefully Leo will see that Sav is uncomfortable about shit like that, and boom! we're golden."

"'Figuring out the details' is an understatement," he whined, scratching the back of his head. He hissed out his breath through his teeth. "And I mean, anyone would be uncomfortable being stalked, not just Sav. You'd have to have it, like... more personal, you know? Like, an accidental date scenario."

"Accidental date? With Leo? That would be a disaster. And he has a girlfriend," Kieran commented as he snuck over to them again to slide a drink onto the counter. After he called the name of the customer, he turned to them and said, "But if you had an accidental double-date scenario...?"

Nic considered the idea. He glanced momentarily at Milo, who shrugged and murmured, "I dunno. Seems like a more positive option depending on which way this is gonna go." Kieran agreed with him, and recommended they stop loitering around before his boss came to kick his ass. Nic fist-bumped him from across the counter before walking off with Milo towards the exit.

Nic was almost certain that this was a task set for someone other than him. Who was he to know what was best for Sav? And since she seemed more or less indifferent about "winning back" Leo, it was just him and Kieran and Milo against the ignorant. Well, at least she agreed to trying, so it wasn't like they were forcing her to re-befriend Leo against her will. In all honesty, Nic was starting to become furious with not just her, but Leo as well. Lately he hardly felt like holding up a decent conversation with his own roommate. Half the time Nic ended up too exhausted to finish what they were talking about, and just collapsed onto the couch in a blanket burrito because the heating still refused to work, and the cold shriveled up any motivation he had left.