Chapter Five: First Date Disaster

Leo never thought he'd spend a Friday evening fake-dating the most chaotic person he'd ever met, but there he was: waiting outside a diner, tapping his foot nervously as Adrian sauntered toward him.

Adrian, of course, looked completely unbothered. His hands were shoved into the pockets of a black leather jacket, his smirk as infuriating as ever.

"You're late," Leo said as Adrian reached him.

"Fashionably," Adrian replied, opening the door to the diner with an exaggerated flourish. "After you, darling."

Leo shot him a look but stepped inside, feeling all eyes in the small diner turn toward them.

"This is ridiculous," Leo muttered as they walked to a booth in the corner.

"Relax," Adrian said, sliding into the seat across from him. "You wanted this to look convincing, right? People are definitely watching now."

Leo sighed, picking up a menu to avoid looking at Adrian's annoyingly smug face.

The waitress arrived a moment later, and Adrian wasted no time turning on the charm. "We'll start with two milkshakes—strawberry for him, chocolate for me—and then we'll see where the night takes us."

Leo groaned, but the waitress smiled, clearly amused. As she walked away, Leo glared at Adrian. "Strawberry? Really?"

Adrian shrugged. "You look like a strawberry guy."

Before Leo could retort, the diner door jingled, and his heart sank as he saw Ethan and Kai walk in together.

"Oh no," Leo muttered, sinking into his seat.

"What's the matter, lover boy?" Adrian asked, following Leo's gaze. His smirk widened when he saw the pair. "Well, this just got interesting."

Kai's eyes locked onto them almost immediately, his expression darkening. Ethan, however, beamed and waved enthusiastically.

"Leo! Adrian!" Ethan called, dragging Kai over to their booth. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Just having a romantic evening," Adrian replied smoothly, draping an arm over the back of the booth.

Leo froze, heat rising to his face. "It's… it's not what it looks like!" he stammered.

Adrian turned to him, his expression mock-hurt. "Not what it looks like? Are you denying us, Leo?"

Leo's face burned. "I—what—no!"

Ethan laughed, clearly delighted. "You two are dating? That's awesome!"

Kai, on the other hand, looked like he'd just bitten into a lemon. "This is a joke," he said flatly.

Adrian leaned forward, his smirk turning razor-sharp. "Jealous, Kai?"

Kai scoffed. "Of you? Please."

Ethan nudged Kai, frowning. "Don't be rude. If they're happy, we should be happy for them."

"Exactly," Adrian said, giving Kai a pointed look. "Thanks for your support, Ethan. It means a lot."

Kai crossed his arms but didn't say anything else.

"Do you want to join us?" Ethan asked, oblivious to the tension.

"No!" Leo blurted, then quickly backtracked. "I mean, uh, we're kind of on a date…"

Ethan's face lit up. "Right, of course! We'll let you two have your time alone. See you later!" He pulled Kai away, though Kai kept throwing suspicious glances over his shoulder as they left.

The moment they were out of earshot, Leo slumped forward, groaning. "This is a disaster."

Adrian chuckled, taking a sip of his milkshake as it arrived. "I think it went great. Kai's already fuming, and Ethan didn't suspect a thing."

Leo glared at him. "This isn't a game, Adrian."

"Of course it is," Adrian said, leaning back with a grin. "And I'm winning."

The rest of the "date" didn't go much better. Adrian teased Leo relentlessly, from the way he held his fork to the shade of his shirt. Leo tried to ignore him, but Adrian's ability to get under his skin was unparalleled.

When the check came, Adrian snatched it up before Leo could react.

"Don't even think about it," Adrian said when Leo protested. "What kind of fake boyfriend would I be if I made you pay?"

Leo rolled his eyes but didn't argue.

As they left the diner, the cool evening air hit them, and for a moment, they walked in silence.

"Thanks," Leo said finally, his voice quieter than he expected.

Adrian glanced at him. "For what?"

"For helping me with… this whole mess," Leo said, gesturing vaguely. "Even if you're an annoying jerk most of the time."

Adrian chuckled. "You're welcome, new kid. But don't get used to the nice guy act."

Leo smiled despite himself. "I wouldn't dream of it."

As they reached the parking lot, Adrian paused, turning to face him. "So, how'd I do? Convincing enough?"

Leo hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah. You were… convincing."

Adrian's smirk returned, but there was a flicker of something else in his eyes—something softer.

"Good," Adrian said. "Because this is just the beginning."

Leo wasn't sure if that was a promise or a threat, but either way, he knew he was in for a wild ride.