Munch Munch.

Haroon's eye twitched, his body tensing in annoyance as he lifted the pen from the paper. Silence followed soon after. The cafe had quieted to a small murmur of voices, fingers pressing against keyboards, the soft laughter of sweetheart couples, and the churning grind of coffee beans. 

Within the dimly lit room, the strong scent of coffee and baked goods wafted in the air, the favoring American drink being delightedly sipped on by customers. Dark as chocolate tiles covered the floor in gleaming shades of caramel and white, crystal clear glass displaying the delicacies of the cafe a couple feet away. 

Nicholas sat in the small cafe with Dina's older brothers, deciding to focus on his studies instead of his traitorous mind. A waitress had brought three cups of coffee for the boys as they struggled to study for their finals, however, Humaid decided to be the special snowflake and bought a blueberry muffin with his coffee. The tables near the boys were large enough for only four people, antique chairs cushioned with ebony comfort. 

Munch Munch. 

A pen slammed to the table, light brown eyes blazing with irritation. Another eye twitch followed, but Humaid hid the smirk off his lips, innocently shrugging as he chewed on his muffin. Nicholas suppressed a grin, noticing Humaid's ability to get under his twin's skin like it was a second nature to him, but nonetheless, Nicholas remained silent. 

Munch Munch. 

The thin line of patience had been cut. "Seriously, dude? You have to chew that loudly?" questioned Haroon, arms crossing over his chest. "What is wrong with you?"

Humaid merely shrugged, not caring about the disturbance that he caused. "Chewing is an art. Let me live my life."

"It is most certainly not an art!"

"It most certainly is! Look at the muffin, Haroon. Tell me you don't want to eat it," he demanded, pushing the half-eaten dessert towards his brother. 

Haroon gave him a blank stare. "You need Allah in your life, brother."

"I do!"

Nicholas chuckled, unable to help himself. A wave of euphoria entered through his veins, his deep chuckle attracting the two boys away from their small bicker and into the heart of Nicholas's relaxed posture, his laugh a surprise to both. 

Haroon raised a brow. 

"Sorry, it's just that you got so triggered by a couple of munches," smiled Nicholas. "By far it was the highlight of my day."

"Don't tell me that you commend this type of behavior, Nick."

An arm went around Nicholas's shoulders, pulling him into a hard chest as fingers ruffled his blonde hair. "Hey!" he protested.

"My man, Nick, always comes through for me," joked Humaid. "He doesn't side with muffin traitors."

Pushing Humaid's heavy arm off, Nicholas threaded his fingers through his hair, tousling it into the original style that he came in with. "I didn't take a side," he said, grumbling under his breath. "Look what you did. You've messed up my hair."

"I think you look better this way," grinned Humaid, plucking a chunk of his muffin and plopping it into his mouth. "Haroon is so uptight these days. He doesn't understand the art of eating a muffin."

"Muffins only have art in baking not in eating. Get your facts straight."

"I'm pretty sure you're both wrong. It's a muffin. There is nothing special about muffins. You eat it, digest it, and then let nature take its course. It's just a muffin," said Nicholas casually as he continued to skim the passage he was supposed to read. 

Humaid gasped, a hand clawing at his chest. "Oh Lord, what is this pain I feel? Is this what we call betrayal? Is this heartbreak?"

"Give it a rest," said Nicholas, rolling his eyes. He pondered the discussion of muffins for a bit. Humaid's passion for the dessert was unmatched, and he wondered if Dina learned her overly dramatic personality from him. "Why do you like muffins so much anyway?" he asked instead, genuinely curious.

"It's because he thinks they're like cupcakes without icing," retorted Haroon, leaning against the palm of his hand. A mischievous glint entered his light brown eyes, lips twitching into a smirk as he lazily glanced at his brother. "He doesn't know the difference between a muffin and a cupcake. He's too dense for that."

Humaid choked, blubbering as he chugged down his coffee, the fervor of the drink and conversation burning his tongue. Hissing in pain, he punched Haroon in the arm, who laughed at his twin's pain, eyes twinkling in amusement. Students in the tables surrounding them glanced at the Younes twins, some in admiration while others in annoyance. 

Some people really can't take jokes, he thought. Suddenly, another thought occurred to Nicholas. I used to be just like those stuck-up students. I thought I didn't need friends. Was I that ignorant?

"You're such an ass!" yelled Humaid, before scoffing in his seat. "I know the difference between a cupcake and a muffin, you jerk. Cupcakes without icing are diet cupcakes."

This time it was Nicholas's turn to scoff in disbelief. "Diet cupcakes? It's exactly the same thing except without the extra sugar."

"Precisely," boasted Humaid proudly. "They are diet cupcakes not muffins."

Haroon adjusted the black beanie on his head, readjusting his hair to fit his desired look. "Nah, bro. You're just dense," he grinned. 

Standing up, Humaid grabbed Nicholas. 

"What are-" began Nicholas, but was abruptly cut off. 

"We're going to the gym because someone is unappreciative to his twin and is being a bully," emphasized Humaid, pulling Nicholas out of his chair. 

"Send me postcards!" hollered Haroon, not rueful at all.

Nicholas was at loss for words. "Hey! I didn't agree to this!" he yelled in a desperate plea. "Haroon, help!"

"I think I'm good."

"Haroon!" 

"Play nice, Humaid," he commented absentmindedly. "I'll watch your stuff, Nick."

Defeated, Nicholas slowly accepted his fate. Humaid didn't even bat an eyelash as he dragged Nicholas out of the door, his ears deaf from the constant whining and protests, but eventually, all of that ceased. Nicholas didn't know why he was allowing the Younes twins to drag him through everything that he feared. 

He didn't know the overwhelming sense of brotherhood he felt around them. He didn't know the odd comfort he felt when they spoke. He didn't know how fun college could be when he opened his eyes to the world around him. Somehow, Nicholas found himself smiling the entire time. 

----

When your AP exams are less than a month away *cries*

Funny how life can be so stressful with school and expectations. Real talk though, the biggest reason I don't tell people about my books is because a lot of people my age shut it down like it's worthless.

My books deserve more than that.

Life is more than about school and grades. Being a Muslim is more than about just saying "haram."

Anyway, that was too deep. Why do you think Humaid is taking Nemo to the gym?

Don't forget to vote, comment, and follow!