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At the look on my face, Nikolai’s face fell.

“Did I say something wrong? It was a dumb joke, I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t apologise. It’s just… nobody has ever teased me. And maybe that is stupid of me to admit. But it felt…nice. Being teased by a friend.“ My voice shook with emotion.

“Oh, Jules. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay, Bunny. Please don’t worry about me.”

“Did you just call me Bunny?” Nikolai blurted out into the moment of silence.

Twenty

Nikolai

Julesblushedcrimson,whichwas still the oddest fucking thing in the world. A magical creature, older than many trees in the forest around me, blushed because he called meBunny.

“The first time we met, and you saw that I had changed, you looked like a bunny before a snake. So that’s what I’ve been calling you in my mind, Bunny.”

Laughter bubbled out of my mouth, and once it started, I couldn’t keep it contained.

Jules regarded me with curiosity as I wheezed and snorted and tears leaked out from under my eyelids.

“Sorry,” I cried, hiccupping slightly to get myself back under control. “But, Jules…Bunny?” My renewed laughter echoed in the library, and I was sure this ancient creature had no idea what to do with an ignorant human like me.

“I apologise if you don’t like that name. I thought it was nice to have a name for you that isn’t your own. Isn’t that something humans do for their…friends? Forgive me if I got that custom wrong.”

“Oh Jules, I’m so sorry.” Wiping my wet cheeks on my shirt, I finally managed to get a grip on myself. He looked downcast. “Hey, that’s not what I meant.”

I strode over to where he perched on his desk. I barely resisted the urge to hug him. Instead, I evaluated the solid wood desk, decided it looked sturdy enough for both of us, and sat next to him.

“I wasn’t laughing at you, Jules.“

He gave me a doubting look, his mouth in a pout.

God, he is so pretty.

I wanted to lean in and kiss that pout off his face.

“Listen, Jules. My team has about 20 different nicknames for me, ranging from ‘German Thor’ to ‘Frosty Fortress’.” A tiny grin tugged on his lips.Good.“You got that right, okay? Friends have nicknames for each other, yes. ‘Bunny’ just wasn’t a nickname I expected to be called.” His face dropped to my mouth when I bit my lip to stop my grin.

“I had a few tests scheduled.” No idea why I told him this, but it felt relevant. These emotional outbursts, like tears or laughter when they seemed inappropriate, had been an ADHD trait I found during my research. I wanted to explain it to him so he could understand me better.

“Tests?” His voice was wooden, maybe even a little scared. “With a doctor? Are you sick, Nikolai?”

The thing lacing his voice was definitely fear.

Oh, Jules.

“No, I’m not. I told you when we first met that I was going through some shit.” Jules nodded. “I have been seeing a doctor, but he is a doctor for my brain, basically.”

“You’ve been seeing a therapist?” Of course he knew that word.He lives in a forest, Nik, not under a rock.

“Yes, my doctor is a neuropsychiatrist. He can prescribe medication and everything. And he guessed what was up with me and scheduled me for some tests. I have ADHD.”

Jules tilted his head to the side, his gleaming ginger hair falling over his shoulder.

“I am sorry, I don’t know what that is. Can you explain it to me? Science was never a topic I was too interested in.” His rueful smile warmed me to the core. Even if Jules and I would never be more than friends, I counted myself very fortunate to have him in my life.