Kevin and Nicole met Fall Quarter, 2012, at the University of California, Irvine. Nicole was a junior at the time and Kevin had just transferred from his hometown of South San Francisco. Prior to them meeting, Nicole, a Public Health major, spent most of her time working at the Infant Toddler Center or editing for an online publication, HerCampus. Kevin, a Chemistry major, was very active in his Filipino dance and culture community at Skyline College. Their shared curiosity and love for their culture led them to joining the Pilipino Pre-Health Undergraduate Student Organization, PUSO for short. That year, they were serendipitously placed in each other's PUSO-Family, a program that connected students together to encourage studying and community building. They rode together the entire way to their first after event and sat across from each other at Guppy's Tea House in Irvine. Nicole recalls them talking the entire night. Kevin recalls spilling chocolate sauce on the crotch of his khaki pants. They became fast friends. Just friends. From there, they built a strong friendship - one based on laughter, adventure, and a little Disney magic. The winter of 2013, they were inseparable. They would carpool every Thursday to do high school outreach in Santa Ana. In the evening, they would be studying with their friends or trying new food in the area. During the workweek, Nicole would have a missed call on her phone after every shift - usually because Kevin wanted to hang out. Weird, right? But once again, just friends. Kevin had a knack for bringing people together. Through their friendship, Nicole became a social butterfly - meeting people, socializing, and finally building a community for herself at UC Irvine. Nicole met many of her lifelong friends as a result. Kevin was never too far away, probably planning the next adventure together (and with their friends!) In the Fall of 2013, Kevin and Nicole found themselves stepping into leadership roles at PUSO. As a result, they spent even more time together, arriving to parties together, and going to Disney together - almost always before meetings on Tuesday night. Their friend, Meagan, would often say they argued like an old married couple. But once again - just friends. After a few hard conversations, Kevin and Nicole both decided they valued their friendship too much and would much rather stay friends than potentially lose what they've built. Nicole focused on finishing her time at UC Irvine with her girlfriends. She tried the apps for a little while. She graduated alongside her best friends. It was a great year. Kevin and Nicole stayed good friends the remainder of her senior year. However, it was apparent to many that they were distant. In that distance, Kevin realized he was going to miss her. Nicole had plans of moving back to San Diego at the end of the summer. The missed calls and texts returned, and once again, they were inseparable. By August of 2014, they officially started dating. (Funnily enough, many people thought they were dating the entire time, but once again - just friends!) In the decade they've been "officially" together, Kevin and Nicole have navigated so many things. From long distance, to making ends meet, to first jobs, graduations, meeting each other's families, moving in, raising dogs, buying a home, grief, and major loss - Kevin and Nicole made it a point to tackle all the highs and lows the only way they knew how, together. Being "just friends" became their biggest strength - a steadfast love rooted in deep friendship and admiration for one another. And lots of dog hair. This Fall, they are finally getting married!