Be The Exception;

truth told, asher was surprised when genevive responded to him at all. he wasn't in his right mind, otherwise he'd have known all he should expect was a swift rebuke and block. it's what he deserved, really. her responses didn't give him much comfort though. asher slipped down from the couch and slid to the floor, covering his face with his hands and pressing his back to the foot of the furniture. letting out an exasperated sigh and ignoring the friend poking at his side, asher pulled himself together just long enough to send off a few quick, reckless texts again.

Now, there was no way that Genevieve should be surprised that Asher responded. This was how it always went with him. And she knows better -- and when someone knows better, they should do better. Yet, here she was; Facing an impulsion of interacting with him. Her heart weighed down heavy and a frown settled on her face as she perused over his recent messages.

She stood up from where she had been working at her desk, his texts left on "read" for now. As Genevieve pondered on what her next actions should be, she slowly paced in front of her desk, back and forth while holding the phone in both of her hands. Maybe... she cared too much about him still - even if she was refusing to admit it. A sigh took flight from her lips when she decided to finally reply to his texts.

[ text ]: i don't hate you. [ text ]: but you still need to stop with the dramatics, ash. [ text ]: i don't get you, sometimes. [ text ]: ugh, i'm gonna call you. just answer it.

Harvey’s hands rested at her waist as she leaned into him, a rare, genuine smile tugging at his lips. He wasn’t the type to get sentimental or throw around empty cliches, but tonight? Tonight, he felt like indulging.

"Isn’t that what we always say?" he mused, his voice rich with amusement. "Another year, another promise to ourselves that this one will be different... and here we are again, right back in the same spot."

He paused, a flicker of something deeper in his eyes. "But you and I both know, Genevieve, we don’t need a New Year to go after what we want. We do that every damn day."

When she mentioned the lip gloss again, a slow, knowing smile spread across Harvey’s face. He couldn’t resist. "Hmm, I'm not quite sure," he said, his voice low with the hint of a challenge. "Let me have another taste."

Oh, Genevieve honestly couldn't be too surprised about the confidence that seeped away from Harvey. Over the years, his way of being had absolutely grown on her. And even on this night, it was a bit refreshing to hear him remind her of their mutual ambitions. Harvey just had a way about him.

The clock ticked down, the seconds slipping away as Harvey watched Genevieve with a knowing smirk. Time may have been merciless, but in that moment, nothing else mattered.

"Honeycomb Heaven," he murmured, his voice almost a purr, his eyes lingering on her lips. "A new year, a new taste."

He didn’t wait for her to answer. With a smooth, practiced motion, he closed the distance between them, his hand finding the back of her neck, pulling her gently toward him. His lips brushed hers softly at first—just a tease—then deeper, more certain, as if marking the moment. The kiss was a promise, a shared breath, a declaration that neither of them needed to speak the words.

When they pulled apart, the world around them seemed to pause, the sound of the clock fading into the background.

All that talk about time not stopping for anyone, yet a moment held still. A moment that truly did not feel fleeting. Her eyes went half-lidded as their lips smoothed in a delicate dance. In a desperate attempt to keep herself grounded, Genevieve settled each of her palms against his chest.

A celebratory popping of fireworks could not outshine the thumping of her own heart. Sounds were deafened in this prolonged moment until their display of affection had ceased. She blinked her eyes a couple of times, but her gaze was fixed up to him. What a way to bring in this new year.

With a beaming smile and warm cheeks, she felt a bit giddy while sharing this experience with him. Nothing wrong with cutting loose and enjoying life - especially on days like this.

if anyone could read asher's internal monologue in this moment, it would be saying one thing over and over: i should put my phone away. i should put my phone away. he was fucked up. there wasn't a pretty way to describe it. every part of his body was inflamed and his eyes practically felt like they were buzzing. when he'd embarked on this acid trip with his friends, he knew the very first thing he should do is hide his phone from himself. yet, he didn't. wiping sweat from his forehead that wasn't even there, asher unlocked his phone and fired off several texts: