you are my oldest friend, but also my worst friend. but also my best friend. em + dex
For a second, he just stands there, blinking at her like she’s said something in a foreign language. Oldest friend. Worst friend. Best friend. It loops in his head, knocking around like an echo in an empty room. He exhales, shaking his head, a half-laugh slipping out. Not a happy one, not really, but something tired, something Dexter.
“ Right. Okay. That’s . . . a lot to take in, ” he says, dragging a hand through his hair. “ I mean, I get best friend, obviously. That one’s a given. The worst friend bit? I suppose I deserve that. Actually, no— I definitely deserve that. ” He huffs out another breath, shifting on his feet like he can’t quite stand still. “ But oldest friend? Em, come on. Tilly Killick would have a bloody fit if she heard you say that. ”
It’s meant to be a joke, something to break the weight of whatever this is, but it doesn’t quite land. Not properly. Because when he looks at her — really looks at her — there’s something behind her eyes that knocks the wind out of him. That familiar mix of frustration & affection, exhaustion & something else. Something he’s never quite had the guts to name.
His throat feels tight. He swallows. “ I know I make it hard sometimes, ” he admits, softer now, his voice rough at the edges. “ I know I— ” A pause. A shake of his head, like even he doesn’t know how to untangle the mess of himself. “ God, I know I’ve been a nightmare. But you— ” He stops, exhales sharply, tries again. “ You’ve always been there. Even when you shouldn’t have been. Even when I’ve been selfish & awful & just . . . me. ” A beat.
“ I think that’s why you’re my best friend, ” he says, almost like he’s realizing it as he speaks. “ Because you know exactly the kind of person I am & somehow, for some reason, you still bother with me. ” His mouth quirks, but there’s no cockiness in it, no bravado— just something unsteady, something unsure. “ Even when I’m being the worst. ”
Another beat. He rubs the back of his neck, glancing away, then back at her. “ So, yeah. Maybe I’m not your oldest friend & maybe I am your worst friend. ” His voice drops, quieter now. “ But I really hope I never stop being your best one. ”












