𝔽.𝕌.

     “  all  i  heard  was  that  i  won,  right  ??  ”  a  bewitching  smirk  twitches  at  glossed  lips,  steps  lighter  as  she’s  humming  the  tune  to  ‘we  are  the  champions’.  the  intoxicated  pair  traveled  further  down  the  streets,  occasionally  bumping  shoulders  and  pointing  out  funnily  dressed  mannequins  in  window  shops.  selene  seemed  to  slow  while  passing  a  nearby  park.  swiveling  on  foot,  dark  hues  glistened  with  nostalgia.  innocence  took  hold  of  her  movements  as  she  wandered  closer  to  a  merry-go-round.  if  there’s  any  objections,  selene  doesn’t  hear  them,  both  enamored  and  sorrowful  by  the  memories  of  she  and  uriah  spending  countless  hours  with  old,  forgotten  friends  here.  little  one  gives  the  toy  a  push,  clumsily  boarding  and  lying  down.  behind  closed  eyes  were  those  faces,  vivid,  sad,  purposeless.  then,  they  open  up  to  the  sky.  “  oh,  oh,  ji  …  look  !!  you  can  see  the  stars  from  here.  ”  she  sounds  like  a  giddy  kid  as  finger  points,  a  vast  contrast  from  usual  polished  perfectionist  reputation.  “  c’mere,  come  make  a  wish  !!  ”

“only this time,” ji-hun rolled his brown hues knowing the female would forget by morning. at least he wouldn’t have to deal with it tomorrow. denton was quiet as they strolled down the sidewalk. here and there they’d see stray dogs or cats run by chasing whatever each other. ji’s mind was completely blank as he followed his company to wherever she was taking them. it felt good to not have a single thought. a thick brow raised when selene started detouring toward a park. instead of objecting he happily followed. the park was well lit for something that looked a little run down. ji’s eyes never left selene as they walked. when she finally stopped in front of a merry go round a grin stretched upon his features. it was like a movie scene watching the over confident strong willed female be child like. hands in his pockets he adoringly watched her lay back. brows perk up her request made him chuckle. “ok, ok,” quickly laying beside her he looked up to the sky before closing his eyes. what should he wish for? happiness. that was his wish. opening his eyes ji turns his gaze to selene grinning. “done. your turn,”

    “  oh,  the  trouble  we’d  cause,  ”  hana  giggles,  imagining  that  pair  would  never  allow  theo  a  moment  of  peace.  bottom  lip  pops  a  bit,  missing  yoona  even  more  than  when  she  first  brought  her  up.  pushing  that  aside  for  now,  a  bit  confused  that  they’ve  stopped  until  he  offers  his  jacket.  she  receives  it  with  a  gracious  smile.  “  you’re  lucky,  then.  i  dislike  this  time  of  year  the  most.  everything  dies  and  you  feel  so  sleepy  it’s  impossible  to  get  anything  done.  ”  like  painting,  a  favorite  pastime  of  hers.  there  have  been  plenty  of  times  little  one  would  stand  in  front  of  the  easel  and  stare,  stare,  stare  until  going  cross  eyed.  then  crawl  into  bed  and  sleep,  sleep,  sleep.  there’s  not  even  flowers  or  green  forests  to  mimic.  as  they  began  their  journey  again,  she  tossed  the  item  over  shoulders,  hit  with  the  smells  of  fresh  detergent,  personal  cologne  and  an  earthy  scent  underlying.  brunette  sighed  in  content,  wrapping  the  long  sleeves  around  features  like  a  scarf  in  order  to  take  more  of  the  comforting  smell  in.  delighted  grin  slowly  falters  as  theo  guesses  just  what  her  parents’  intent  was.  “  theo  …  you’re  my  friend.  i  don’t  want  to  lie  to  you.  ”  biting  lip  nervously.  “  i  don’t  want  to  marry  him.  i’m  terrified  of  the  thought.  ”    

theo chuckled he forgot humans didn’t have the same radiating heat as hybrids so the winters would be hard. he just didn’t heal as fast as other Hybrids which was always brought up by other knights. “winter can be beautiful though. I love the snow,” his panther loved the snow. they passed trees upon trees. Shifting here and there to keep on the trail. theo slowly nodded understanding the situation was not ideal. yet he also understood the royal court was not very keen on just having anyone as a queen. he was certain dal would find a mate even if it wasn’t his destined mate. Stupid hybrids and their mating thing. Just thinking about he was becoming highly aware of how close Hana was. Pushing it down once more as they made it to the clearing. There sat a nice sized cottage with a gorgeous waterfall behind it. It might be the reason theo picked this spot. coming to a halt he turns back to Hana with a soft smile. “then don’t. dals a great guy but he deserves his mate. I’m not saying that’s not you,” but it’s not. “just see how it goes. if he’s not the one then tell him,” smirking theo gets down holding out a hand for her. “He’s not the big bad wolf I promise.”

      𝓤riah  hums  low,  nodding  his  head  as  she  complimented  him.  “  Truuuuue.  Ah,  it’s  almost  a  curse  sometimes  to  be  this  handsome.  ”  Adding  a  flick  of  the  hair  in  his  eyes  for  dramatic  effect  before  shooting  a  smug  glance  her  way.  [ … ]  Suddenly,  she  was  watching  him   …   touching  him  …  “  W –  What’re  you  doing  ??  ”  His  eyes  so  wide  they  might  pop  out  the  sockets,  skin  burning  from  beneath  her  small  hand.  He  couldn’t  imagine  why  his  best  friend  acted  out  so  much  tonight  …  ah,  head  jolted  from  all  that’s  being  said  and  heart  violently  striking  against  its  cage  like  an  imprisoned  animal.  She’s  being  so  careless  with  her  words,  he  thought,  miserable.  When  her  face  lit  up,  he  believed,  like  always,  that  it  was  all  a  joke.  Poor  fool,  even  smiled  back  to  save  face.  “  Anyways,  Hungry  Hungry  Hippo,  let’s  hurry  and  go  in.  I  can’t  believe  you’re  not  sick  of  this  place  yet.  ”  Still  teasing  her  as  he’s  getting  out,  making  sure  to  fix  his  stunned  features.    

Molan might have been a bit transfixed while she openly flirted. it was hard to tell though when the poor girl was serious or not. Mainly because the twos relationship always tested boundaries. “I’m touching you isn’t that obvious,” her eyes rolled as she pulled her hands away. Seeing uriahs shocked face had her smirking knowing her effect on him. “Did you honestly just call me a hippo?” A fake gasp escaped plush pink lips. Her hand now over her heart in fake hurt. “I’m ordering extra beef for my broccoli beef now,” her tongue stuck out as if she was a child again. mocking him in a child like way before giggling. “Says the one who eats mc Donald’s almost every day. I still don’t see how,” linking arms with her best friend mo practically dragged him towards the door. “Ohhh we could go get milkshakes though after this”

     saw  that.  selene  smiled  to  herself,  utterly  elated  (  for  some  reason  ???  )  as  jihun  curves  one  of  the  girls.  she’d  been  watching  over  the  stranger’s  shoulder  as  he  chatted  her  up.  it  was  hilarious,  to  say  the  least.  ‘ god,  you  have  a  beautiful  smile  ’  oblivious  company  was  just  saying.  “  i’m  …  sorry.  what  did  you  say  ??  ”  she  replied,  blinking  several  times.  it  was  then  they  were  joined  by  none  other  than  aforementioned  homme.  he  held  onto  her  (  the  nerve  )  and  whined  like  a  wounded  puppy  (  the  gall  )  into  ear.  so  now  it  was  up  to  her  to  clear  up  the  confusion  poor  victim  displayed.  “  he’s  a  friend.  a  very,  very,  veryveryveryvery  touchy  friend.  it’s  his  love  language  when  he  gets  this  drunk  …  ha  …  ha  ????  ”  says  the  one  half  a  shot  away  from  shrieking  some  christina  aguilera  bop  into  a  beer  nozzle.  really,  she  considered  it  about  ten  minutes  ago.  the  other  nodded  slowly.

    “  right  …  well  you  should  make  sure  he  gets  home  safe.  and  —  and  you  too,  of  course.  ”  lovely  smile,  kind  eyes.  “  you  have  my  number,  right  ??  call  me  when  you  have  some  free  time.  ”  max,  that  was  his  name.  she  only  remembers  now.  like  you  would  name  a  golden  retriever.  they  said  their  goodbyes,  selene  swiveling  on  foot  to  face  jihun.

    “   c’mon,  casanova,  let’s  go.  i  don’t  think  we’re  gonna  get  a  lift  this  late.  ”  glancing  at  the  time  on  her  phone  before  leading  him  towards  the  exit.  honestly,  raven-haired  beauty  liked  to  take  a  walk  after  getting  this  plastered.  one  night,  she’d  sat  in  the  middle  of  traffic-less  road  just  to  observe  the  stars.  they  couldn’t  be  seen  in  town  but  in  the  countryside,  it  was  perfect.  

     that  same  peace  was  felt  tonight,  the  town  asleep  and  streets  quiet.  they  were  bathed  in  the  glow  from  lamp  posts,  steps  matching  after  awhile.  “  sooooo,  how’d  ya  do  ??  i  don’t  …  i  can’t  remember,  to  be  fucking  honest.  ”

ji-hun was utterly pleased with himself as his arms released her waist. only to have an arm wrap around her shoulders. “very touchy friend hm?” leaning in close his teeth graze against selene’s earlobe. “a very touchy friend indeed,” chuckling ji pulls away watching as the blonde she was talking to walks away glaring. “yeah, yeah we can walk i’m not that drunk. maybe buzzed. those girls sobered me up real quick,” the two girls who tried to kiss him made him roll his hues. maybe if he’d been plastered he’d let them have a chance at a one night stand with him. probably not. But he was for certain he couldn’t drive.

The cold breeze hit his skin as they exited the bar. The lights of the town all but out except a few clubs that hadn’t closed yet. He moved his arms to his side. Sliding his hands into his pockets. He would pick up his car in the morning. “Hmm I got a few numbers but not too many drinks. I think you beat me,”

    so  cool.  silver  poking  out  from  bottom  lip  glinted  from  the  sunlight,  and  she  realizes  probably  too  late  that  she’d  been  staring.  brunette  tresses  sweep  across  shoulders  as  head  shakes,  retrieving  the  sweet  fruit  with  a  thankful  smile.  hasn’t  really  paid  all  that  attention  to  young  prince  since  arriving.  maybe  that’s  because  she  wanted  to  forget  that  this  was  happening.  curl  into  a  ball  and  hide.  that  wasn’t  realistic,  though,  not  when  her  mother  was  a  romantic.  unfortunately,  the  woman  was  meticulous  at  planning.  there  lied  another  striking  difference  between  pair.  hana  enjoyed  the  ebb  and  flow  of   a  day,  without  the  unnecessary  preparations.  

      he’s  nervous.  “  you  can  call  me  hana.  please,  call  me  hana,  ”  she  replied  kindly,  punctuated  with  a  soft  smile.  if  first  impressions  truly  mattered,  then  she  didn’t  make  a  very  good  one  last  night.  there’d  been  a  reticent  coolness  to  her  tone  and  a  stick  up  her  …  well,  needless  to  say,  guilt  ate  at  the  lovely  femme,  especially  after  observing  dal  for  the  rest  of  the  evening.  he’d  been  polite,  courteous  and  welcoming  to  her  family.  theon  also  admired  him  enough  to  sing  high  praises,  so  maybe  her  guard  could  assuage  a  little  ??  

    “  i  hope  you  don’t  mind  me  asking:  do  you  enjoy  sailing  like  this  normally  ??  ”  

dal couldn’t help but grin when she offered to keep it casual with their names. of course theo had helped him out before their “blind date.” the wolf hyrbid was highly aware this was not easy for either of them. dal’s parents where pushing for him to find a princess. he wasn’t fully sure it would be hana, but he still had to try. “then please call me dal and this is zeus,” his eyes changed a light yellow as his wolf snuck a glance. zeus let out a deep chuck before dal’s hues turned back dark brown. “but you probably wont see a lot of him,” easing into the seat next to her he waved over the staff. “leo my man, can you bring out the finest wine, and the lunch if you don’t mind. i had chef make something light so we don’t get sea sick. can you tell the captain we’re ready to set sail?” dal flashed a polite smile as his butler nodded before walking off.  turning back to hana dal tilted his head. “i honestly prefer hunting. i’m pretty good with a bow, but i do like visiting the neighboring islands. i hope you don’t mind,” 

            𝒮elene  busied  herself  at  the  pool  table,  shouting  something  about  how  much  she  loved  a  song  that  had  just  started  reverberating  throughout  the  bar.  For  the  past  hour,  she’d  been  pretending  not  to  know  how  to  play  pool,  letting  men  ‘impress’  her  as  she  sat  atop  the  table,  slender  legs  glistening  as  they  swung  casually  underneath  the  lights.  a  gentle  touch  of  the  cheek  here,  a  toss  of  long,  dark  hair  behind  her  shoulder  there  and  the  shots  poured  in.  Unfortunately,  she’d  forgotten  to  keep  track,  the  warm  liquor  making  her  usually  intellectual  mind  go  fuzzy  four  shots  in.  Now  it  wasn’t  an  act  as  she  slid  down,  tossing  her  shoes  aside  and  running  into  the  crowd  of  people  dancing  in  the  middle  of  the  floor.  Little  one  whines  her  delicate  figure,  turning  in  circles  and  singing  her  heart  out,  thankfully  drowned  out  by  laughter,  loud  conversations  and  of  course,  the  music.  

           Truthfully,  it  all  started  an  hour  ago.  Wandering  into  the  bar  finally,  in  no  mood  to  entertain  stupid,  little  boys  tonight.  But  the  sight  of  two  girls  on  either  side  of  Jihun  already,  for  some  reason,  sent  everything  into  motion.  It  was  a  slippery  slope  from  there.  Sure,  she  was  having  fun,  now,  but  couldn’t  help  feeling  that  none  of  these  men  would  be  able  to  hold  an  intelligent  debate  sober,  much  less  drunk.  She  kind  of  missed  that  passionate  opposition.  Missed  Ji.  Another  shot  is  sent  her  way,  causing  adored  femme  to  pause  and  glance  at  its  sender.  A  tall,  blonde-haired  man  leaning  up  against  the  bar  with  an  attractive  smirk.  Those  doe  eyes  wandered  from  him  to  Jihun,  leading  a  couple  girls  to  the  dance  floor.  Bump.  Heart  sinking  into  the  pit  of  her  stomach.  God,  what  the  fuck  is  wrong  with  her  ??  It’s  a  game,  stupid.  She  flashed  a  pretty  smile  at  the  stranger  making  his  way  over.  

ji-hun was letting himself go as he danced with the two girls who had him sandwich between them. that was until one tried to lean in to kiss him. woah. he was not that drunk. his expression darkened. expertly slipping out from between them a humorless chuckle escaped his lips. “sorry babe. parties over,” he left the two girls stunned standing in the middle of the floor. maybe it was time to end their game. he got a few numbers tucked in his pocket, and enough drinks to make him buzzed. which was slowly wearing off. ji walked back to the bar so he could try to spot selene. he smirked watching her with some tall blonde. longer fingers ran through his dark locks. weaving in and out of bodies was a bit challenging with how small the dance floor was. before the guy could get another word in ji’s arms slipped around selene’s waist as his head came to rest on her shoulder. “seleneee,” letting her name come out slurred. “game over can we leave now?” puppy dog eyes aligned with a pout  as the blonde now looked between them confused. 

    ℋana  threw  up  her  hands.  “  I  concede,  Oh-Strong-One,  ”  she  laughed,  enjoying  the  back  and  forth  between  them.  Their  first  encounter  played  like  a  movie  in  her  head.  It  wasn’t  as  lighthearted  as  their  present  exchange  by  any  means.  In  fact,  if  memory  serves  correct  —  and  she  has  excellent  memory  —  there’d  been  a  couple  of  petty,  childish  pranks  that  led  them  both  in  hot  water.  You  can  bet  that  by  the  time  it  came  for  Theo  to  depart,  however,  she  wasn’t  necessarily  ready  to  watch  him  go.  It  wasn’t  longing  …  but,  she  had  hoped  he  would  write  in  all  that  time.  He  never  did,  for  whatever  reason. 

         “  I  have  so  many  questions.  What  have  you  been  up  to  ??  How  long  do  you  plan  to  stay  this  time  ??  Why  didn’t  you  bring  Yoona  ??  Where  are  you  taking  us ??  ”  Hana  couldn’t  help  but  pry,  weaving  her  arms  around  his  trim  waist  and  lacing  fingers  together  as  Midnight  started  to  tread  across  the  terrain.  Her  hair  billowed  out  from  behind  them  and  she  was  grateful  for  both  a  coat  and  the  warmth  radiating  off  Theon.  Lip  poking  out  from  between  teeth  before  nestling  cheek  against  his  back,  shivering  body  pacifying  slightly.  Bup,  bup,  bup,  bup,  his  heart  spoke  against  her  ear.  If  it  weren’t  for  the  hooves  striking  the  hard  ground  that  caused  pair  to  jolt  rhythmically,  she’d  have  long  fallen  asleep.

“hana you know i live here i’m not going anywhere unless dal gets stationed somewhere. i go where he goes,” the silver haired man chuckled. he may be cold to just about everyone else, but he couldn’t bring himself to be with her. “yoona will be appointed a lady in waiting. you never know she might be yours,” his eyes gleaming mischievously in the night.  at her last question he just smirked. always so curious. ”you’ll find out soon,” theo turned his head to glance at her. he brought the horse to a stop so he could pull his jacket off. he handed it to her. “here. don’t want you to freeze to death. my hybrid genes keep me warm,” his eyes flashed a gold before turning back hazel. “it shouldn’t be so cold once we reach our destination,” his little cottage wasn’t to far from the kingdom. he had the king agree to building him his own home. even if he wouldn’t use it much. it was mainly a place for his panther to roam unbothered. when they started riding again. “so why are you here? interested in being the queen?” 

     𝒰riah’s  cheeks  burned  while  walking  alongside  the  other,  unable  to  meet  the  gaze  of  those  girls  and  honestly  never  intending  to  in  the  first  place.  He  was  an  attractive  man  and  managed  to  garner  attention  at  the  diner  where  he  works  … er  …  worked.  Many  times  he’d  find  the  tip  jar  full  of  phone  numbers  scribbled  on  receipts.  And  suggestive  notes  as  well.  All  thrown  away.  All  weren’t  her.  To  even  be  shacking  up  with  Daph  weighed  heavily  on  his  heart.  It  wasn’t  cheating  if  they  were  both  two  perfectly  single  people.  Still,  it’s  grimy  and  the  dark-haired  male  knows  that.  It  would  upset  Mo,  no  doubt.  But  only  because  he’d  kept  it  a  secret,  right  ??  As  they  passed,  he  heard  dirty  whispers  and  felt  pointed  glares.  Quickly,  the  arm  round  hers  tightened  because  there’s  just  no  way  they’d  come  out  unscathed.  His  best  friend  was  a  beast,  one  of  her  many  charming  qualities.  

       He  grimaced,  annoyed  that  those  thoughts  intruded  again.  What  kind  of  spell  was  this,  where  every  day,  every  damned  moment,  he  was  infatuated  just  by  thinking  of  her  ??  Igniting  the  car,  he  glanced  over  at  said  femme,  irritation  ebbing  away  as  he  couldn’t  help  but  laugh.  “  You’re  a  freak,  Mo.  Are  you  gonna  keep  me  on  your  living  room  couch  for  the  rest  of  my  life,  old,  ugly  and  alone  ??  Good  in  bed  ???  The  least  you  could  do  is  mean  what  you  say,  ”  licking  lips  as  he  taunts  her,  pulling  away  from  the  parking  lot  and  going  back  and  forth  with  her  as  they  made  their  way  to  Panda  Express. 

her brown hues gleamed with absolute mischief as she sat in the passengers seat. her own cheeks now a rosey color from the cold. uriah’s face was a nice red color that matched a tomato sadly. his words though. those words made her eyes widen. then a smirk settled upon plush pink lips before she ran her tongue over them. “a freak hm?,” she just repeated his words. she was highly aware she was. "alone? please you’re to handsome for that,” doe like eyes glanced over at him her smirk turning into a shy smile. as they pulled into panda express she contemplated retaliating to his last statement. did she really have to make the first move? then again molan was the one who turned him down before. turning to her best friend she reached out letting her hand cup his cheek. “do you want me to mean what i said ?” her tone low and a bit challenging. her lip slipped in between her teeth while her thumb slowly ran over his bottom lip. she grinned, “at least let me eat first,” 

         the  loss  of  his  hand,  of  his  comfort,  wasn’t  unexpected,  but  damn,  did  it  hurt  still.  as  did  the  way  he  spoke  so  callously  now.  though  they  weren’t  together,  they  were  still  friends  and  the  only  reason  she  dragged  him  here  was  to  forget  about  problems,  not  cause  more.  “   oh  i  wanted  to  …  ”  just  hang  out  with  you.  just  wanted  a  friend  tonight  …  but  silly  girl,  not  everything’s  about  you.  that  was   maybe  one  of  selene’s  worst  vices … pretending  she  didn’t  need  people  but  wanting  so  badly  to  lean  on  them.  collect  yourself,  quick.  regretful  eyes  lower  to  purse  as  she  takes  out  some  lipstick  and  applies  it  in  the  rearview  mirror,  masking  disappointment  while  pretending  to  play  along  with  his  charades.  “  alright,  alright   —-  i’m  just  evening  the  playing  field  real  quick.  ”  atta  girl,  even  her  laugh  after  teasing  sounded  so  genuine.  sticking  her  head  out  the  window,  “  maybe  you  should  go  ahead  ??  if  we  walk  into  together  people  are  bound  to  assume  something.  then  our  bet  won’t  work,  right  ??  ”  in  the  middle  of  this,  she’s  stripping  the  turtleneck  underneath  her  satin  dress,  tossing  it  to  the  backseat.  without  that,  the  fabric  hugged  her  curves  in  all  the  right  spots.  fine,  if  jihun  wanted  to  do  this,  she'd  just  have  to  do  it  better.  

the male nodded turning to enter the bar. his dark locks covering his eyes so he looked a little more mysterious. women loved the mysterious men, and ji-hun loved pretending he was one. playing this game was going to be fun. finding his way to the bar the tall male took a seat on the stool. the women around him already staring. the bartender recognized him, and sat a shot of whiskey in front of him. maybe they came here a little too often. while waiting on selene to make her grand entrance two women had already come to sit by him. he faked a boxy grin while pretending to listen to what they said. shots of whiskey and tequila now empty in front of him. “thank you ladies for the drinks. how about a dance?” he glanced at selene who was most likely tipsy, and of course almost in some dudes lap. it took everything in him not to glare. stupid stupid ji.

          “  i  know  that  you  know  how  much  of  a  pain  in  my  ass  you  are,  right  ???  ”  exasperated  homme  grits  through  teeth,  though  there’s  a  hint  of  laughter  underlying  wry  prose.  after  the  coerced  apology  and  due  to  his  oh  so  sympathetic  heart,  uriah  releases  his  best  friend,   chuckling  as  he  fixes  pieces  of  hair  that  fell  from  her  bun  when  upside  down.  fingertips  lightly  trace  cheek,  hues  adoring  her  soft  features  before  they  boop  nose  and  he’s  turning  away  to  snatch  his  old  jacket  from  the  back  of  the  couch  and  shrug  into  it.  he  wasn’t  dressed  for  anything  extravagant,  actually  far  from  it,  but  he  knows  that  mo  doesn’t  care  about  that  stuff.  they  always  manage  to  have  a  good  time  anyway.  “  lucky  you’re  cute  —-  what  d’ya  wanna  eat  ??  ”  takes  the  keys  from  her  as  they  make  their  way  to  the  car.

“don’t act like you don’t like it,” her nose scrunches at his boop. she fixes her dangling belly ring shaking her head. “remind me to get you a new jacket,” mo teases before throwing her own leather one over her shoulders. she sets a finger on her chin as if in deep thought. what did she want to eat? “is panda express open this late? if not burgers will do. maybe a mclfurry?” boxing really worked up an appetite for her. her arm hooked through his as they walked across the parking lot. she laid her head on his shoulder as they walked. her head swirled with what ifs if she had chosen uriah over jae. the man beside her was her best friend and took care of her so much. as they passed a few neighbors they eyed them. the females acting as teens gushing over her best friend. “don’t worry girls he’s good in bed too,” molan flashed them a wolfish grin before letting his warmth slip from her so she could get into his car. glancing at uriah she bursts out laughing. “come on lover before the girls steal you away,”