𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨 | a²
If Alex were being honest, he tried to forget all about New Years’. He might’ve had a bit to drink, but he remembered all about the kiss on his cheek. He still didn’t know what that meant, and he dared not to ask. Always afraid that Ariana would answer honestly, and that frightened him the most. Best to forget that it happened and continue with his day. And that’s what he did. At least until the trip.
Balancing his luggage on his wrist, Alex unlocked the door with his key and slipped it back into his pocket. One quick glance around the room assured him that no one else was in the room. The common living space was empty and no bags were laying around to indicate that anyone else had stepped foot inside. Surely his roommates were off shopping or possibly elsewhere in the resort. Unbothered, Alex walked to one of the bedrooms, hoping that he’d claim a bed when he spotted the singer.
Somehow, his words got caught in his throat, and he seemed to forget how to gather a sentence together. How long ago had New Years’ been? Time always seemed to get away from him. And if he were being honest, he tried his best to avoid Ariana at all costs. Not so much that he didn’t like it, but because she often fogged his mind.
Taking a deep breath, Alex let out a deep sigh and found his smile creeping on his face. “Guess life likes to continue to surprise me.” He should’ve checked who his roommates were going to be, but he figured that he wanted to keep everything a surprise. Letting out a soft chuckle, he leaned his shoulder on the doorframe and glanced at her belongings on the foot of the bed. “Guess this room is occupied.” He shrugged. “But lucky for you, I’m one of your roommates. Don’t worry, though. I’ll be sure to stay out of your hair.”
Ariana didn’t know what to make of Alex standing there. She was frozen in some sort of starstruck trance that she couldn’t quite gather, tongue poking out briefly between her lips as she scrambled for some type of words. She couldn’t just stand there, saying nothing. The brunette was grateful for the smile slipping onto the actor’s features, a subtle inkling that he didn’t totally loathe her after the awkward mess she could only assume she’d made of herself on New Year’s Eve.
“It’s..” she licked across her lips, “definitely a surprise, yeah.” One that she wasn’t particularly bothered with, though all behaviors and words would insist otherwise. Ariana’s eyes followed Alex as he seemed to settle a bit, his frame resting against the architecture of the entryway, and her own body followed suit, muscles growing a little less tense and heart rate beginning to slow to a pace that was more regular as opposed to alarmingly abnormal. She’d chalk up the change in pace to nothing more than someone startling her as she began to unpack her things, even if she knew that likely wasn’t everything it all meant --- but, she didn’t know what it meant, so there was nothing else to explain.
Guess this room is occupied. She suddenly felt self-conscious, like she was taking up too much space. “Oh, did you want to be here..?” Ariana eventually asked, nervous ticks starting to become visuals as she picked at the ends of her hair. She began to reach for her bag and sling the strap over her shoulder. “I can move, no biggie. If you want to be here, I’ll just go to..” The room farthest away, she thought, but she didn’t want to sound so rude --- even if it was Alex, and that was part of the way they communicated. “Lucky me,” she muttered shyly, the comment sarcastic but without the facial expression to match as the singer could feel her cheeks grow warm. “I’ll just... I’ll leave you be, yeah? You know where to find me, if you want..” She shrugged. “I think we could be decent roommates, you know.”
