#choose your own adventure re: tadej and jonas's past relationship and also jonas and matteo's future relationship

[etapereine]

oh, we could've had that (and so much more)

tour de france fanwork classification, stage 17: au -> fake dating (178 words)

also on ao3.

the music at the after-party is loud, the kind of loud that thumps deep in jonas's chest and makes him wonder why he even agreed to come. tadej looking at him across the table, all pleading eyes and half-drunk smile, doesn't help matters.

last year this time it would have been different. last year this time, tadej's mere presence would have given jonas butterflies, back before they flew too close to the sun and broke each other's hearts. tadej inches his hand closer to jonas's on the table; he's never known how to give up a fight.

a body slides in next to jonas, surprising but no less comforting, one hand around his waist and the other pressing a glass of water toward him. jonas takes it gratefully, glad for something to do with his hands. tadej eyes the way matteo's fingers fit through jonas's belt loop.

"ready to head back to my place?" matteo asks, mostly to jonas but loud enough for tadej to hear. tadej blinks, and jonas leans into the wrong assumption.

"whenever you are."