[ Fabian probably should get a new best friend for a whole host of reasons, Riz is aware, but it's not like he's going to tell the guy that after he'd spent the past year and a half more or less goading, tricking, cajoling, and otherwise conning him into taking the role (the role that Riz himself is still a little surprised that Fabian's taken to, even months in the future, and one he's not particularly inclined to jeopardize), so he just ducks his head and smiles instead, even ignoring the way Fabian's knuckles bounce off his shoulder.

(It's a little reassuring to know the future. That things get fucked up, and school is probably hard, and apparently they have to chase after the Night Yorb in between now and surviving their Junior Year, but no friendships have been irrevocably fucked up. That's a win. Sometimes Riz still can't quite believe how much he lucked out in Freshman Year.) ]

You know that's not what I'm saying, [ he protests. ] No takebacksies.

[ Which isn't how this sort of thing is supposed to work, but Fabian can pry their friendship necklaces out of his cold, dead hands. And then he'd probably haunt the shit out of him, or something. It's feels stupid, immature, weird to still care about shit that happened in fucking middle school (a time he's certain that his parents never actually look back on themselves as the well-adjusted adults that Riz is hoping to emulate), but sometimes he still doesn't know what to do when Fabian turns off the rich-kid act in favour of easy acceptance, thoughtless kindness. ]

...c'mon. Let's go get something to eat, and then I'll take the rest of this down. Deal?