we just need to survive

𝐈'𝐌 𝐌𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐒.

𝐈'𝐌 𝐌𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐒.

𝐈'𝐌 𝐌𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐒.

"wow. calling your best friend a charity case? that's low, even for you, callie," rae teased as she started closing up the register, checking her totals against what the computer displayed. "wait, are you serious? you actually got leyla to come out tonight? we better move fast before she changes her mind and packs it in for the night." honestly, a girl's night sounded amazing and what better way to celebrate the end of the week than with her two best friends. though rae would never admit it out loud, she secretly hoped things might become more between the three of them.

"i just call it like i see it," she quips back with a grin over her shoulder. it doesn't take long to get things organized - not when rae tended to maintain such a tidy shop as it was. laughing, her head dips into a nod. callie wouldn't blame leyla for not wanting to go out ; not when her days off seemed far and few in between and most were spent working at the bar the trio tended to frequent. "that i did. it took bribing her with the promise of going out for drunchies later. i think she specifically requested the fries from that one vendor." not that callie could blame her - they were mouthwateringly good. "alright, lets hurry then. lord knows she's already there and counting the minutes she's alone as an excuse to leave us."

the only one delusional here was here, but stefan hardly felt like bickering back and forth with her endlessly about it. "don't act so surprised that someone might be genuinely interested in me," he chuckles, still firmly under the belief that while they had a seemingly hate-filled relationship, no sane person would enter into their little bet without come sort of ulterior motive. "here i was thinking you stalked my social media on the regular - consider me shocked. i am seeing someone." casually. very casually. extremely casually actually. but those were the nitty gritty details he only need skate around. "seven months and counting." monica had made it more than clear she wasn't interested in anything serious. "fairly certain every time you see me, you lean in, not away, so it can't be that my taste in cologne is that bad."

knows it's a lot cause. there's nothing he can say to change her mind. he still tries, tough. "yeah," murmurs quietly. doesn't flinch as she wipes the cut, but his jaw clenches a little tighter. not from pain, but from the closeness of them, from everything he can't say. he's never been good at this, at voicing the parts of him that feel too exposed. but when it comes to her, words tend to claw their way out wether he wants them to or not. "you care," he mutters, "you see the worst in people and you still try to something good. me ? i gave up on that a long time ago."

if she weren't so close to him, she might have missed the little telltale signs of discomfort. they're enough for send softly spoken apologies dropping from her lips - ones leyla is certain he'll brush away. blowing out a breath, she takes half a step back, tilting his head so he's forced to look up at her as she continues to blot away at the little cuts and forming bruises. "i'm not better," she murmurs, brow furrowing as she looks at him. "not by a long shot. and oh please. do you know how many people would call me foolish for that? tell me that i give too much of myself to people who don't deserve it? to some its a positive, others a negative. besides, you care about people plenty."

once, ophelia had thought he moved like a predator - steps sure, silent and stalking. it was the sort of thing that had turned her spine to steel and caused muscles to bunch in anticipation. only time and familiarity had worn away at such reactions. glancing up at him from beneath her lashes to catch the ghost of a smile that threatens to curl at his lips - small as it may be - ophelia considers it a victory. satisfaction curls around her expression, impossible to hide as she shoots him a knowing look before returning to her task. "or i simply have grown so familiar with you that i've come to recognize the pattern of your footfalls," she quips back with a gentle hum.

dark hues track after the other man as he moves through the space. others would never have spotted anything wrong - this was often just how asher was, but he and winnie? the signs and symptoms were there. releasing a sigh, his attention turns back to their girl with a quirk of his lips. lighter than he feels. "good. surprising it got quiet so early, but guess you had us out and causing trouble elsewhere," he teases softly. "he'll be fine. just a tough night - prospect caused more trouble than they were worth with a rival. had to clean up the mess and it... wasn't pleasant." usually these sorts of things didn't bother either man to this extent, but roman suspected the kid reminded asher of himself at that age.

this couldn’t be it, could it? was she just stuck here until she passed on? was there any way to contact the outside world? would she ever see her family again? rae’s thoughts spiraled, a whirlwind of questions and dread that made it hard to focus. the male’s voice faded into the background as she got lost in her own head, panic dulling her senses. "i guess i’ll go with you since you’re already a familiar face." she still had no idea what was going on, but sticking close to someone who seemed to understand this place felt like the safest option. "i’m guessing everyone has a job to do around here? what use do you guys have for someone who owns a bookstore?"

even if he were unable to see it, aleksei knew what came next. the woman across from him would either bow to the potential of this new reality and agree to hide away somewhere until morning, or she'd resist, stay out after dark fell and no one would see her again. despite the number of times he's watched it transpire, there is still a feeling of relief when she agrees. shoulders raise into a shrug at the question - pushing his empty plate away and raising to stand. calling out his thanks to the waitress and cook alike, aleksei tilts his head back toward the front of the diner and leads the woman outside. "you're thinking two dimensionally. bookstore owner and that's it. but that comes with all sorts of skills, doesn't it? we try to find things that play on someones strengths. and hey, you could always start a book club."

CLOSED STARTER ( @isolatednights ) — based on this

palms against the hood as she leans back slightly to bask in the creeping warmth of spring, hues watch the gates with curiosity. its been years since they've seen one another and she'd heard about his incarceration by sheer chance. perhaps it's the lingering feelings of youth that led her to dig into the reasons of why and how long - and while she'd initially had no intentions of showing up today, it had been a spur of the moment decision. zelda wasn't even sure he'd recognize her - and if someone else had been in the parking lot waiting for him, she would have gotten back in her car and driven away without a second look.