#replacing friends

Lost Little Tart.

The baker, Arian, stared at the wall for quite a bit as the soft ticks from the clock filled his senses. In all honesty, he missed Cipher. She was his friend, his saving grace, his muse. The one person who understood his struggles and the one he fell in love with all those years ago.

She used to be his everything.

But now, here he was. Waiting for his partner who wasn’t her. It was upsetting to know ( at least he thought he knew ) that she didn’t love him the way he loved her. It retrospect, he was being dramatic. They haven’t spoken for a week and it was upsetting for the both of them. Arian wouldn’t know until she wanted to speak to him again.

“…I’m fucking dumb.”

The baker cussed quietly, his eyes darting towards the apartment door for his partner in hopes that they’d come home. Sure, he’d been thinking of them like they were her. But they weren’t Cipher. They weren’t ever going to be Cipher. Not at all…

He tapped his foot quietly, closing his eyes slightly as he exhaled. It was dumb, this was stupid and ignorant. Right? He was being ignorant to her needs that Arian so desperately wanted to satisfy.

Suddenly, he’s snapped out of his thoughts by the kitchen timer blaring through the room. It made him groan as he stood and turned it off, walking over to the kitchen and slipping his oven mitts on. He wasn’t thinking, not at all. But Cipher hadn’t come home in awhile. After all, they shared this apartment. The hacker was probably staying at Cosgrove’s house at the edge of the city.

Hell, he should call.

He pulled out the tray of cupcakes, piercing each with a toothpick to see how much more time they needed, if any. But of course, they were perfect. Pink and plush like soft pillows. His partner’s ( and subsequently Cipher’s ) favorite flavor. Pink strawberry… the cupcakes that brought her and Arian together.

He wanted to throw up.

It made him nauseous how much he missed her, her laugh, her eyes, her hands, everything. Every little fucking thing. It kind of made him cringe since, well, he wasn’t one for romance. Hell, it was usually just a fuck and go. But now? Arian was down bad. And god did he want to be hers… now he had replaced her with someone else who was just a cut and dry copy her.

Then, bang. The door swung open.

“Arian.”

There stood Cipher, her eyes puffy from crying and her hair all disheveled. His brows furrowed as he finished placing the cupcakes on the tray and rushed over.

“Holy shit, what’s wrong Phi?”

That nickname, that damn name slid out in habit. He wanted to cringe and shrink in on himself until he felt her lips crash into his. His eyes widening as she kissed him in a fit of tears.

And at that moment?…