haley beams at her phone screen like a love sick puppy. in part of her mind, she can’t believe someone has the power to affect her like this but she knows that she’s save with kiha. in the last handful of years, he’s proved that to her over and over again. as he does now, greeting her as if she’s the most perfect person to ever exist. (when does the honeymoon phase end again?) haley doesn’t blush much anymore or get embarrassed, although she probably would if taeha were around to hear her.
“sounds busy,” haley replies, giving him a once over. he looks good and that’s kind of rude, considering they’re communicating over pixels. “did you have a chance to eat? and keep hydrated?” she says with a little smile, poking fun at the texts she receives from him daily to eat and drink water (which in his defense, are things she regularly forgets). “you better remember or i’ll call the cops, yoo kiha. the food and water cops. that exists right?”
“oh, what game are you playing?” she watches as he pans down to the resident evil 4’s start menu. haley makes a face. “blech, no genshin impact? you gotta work on your builds so you can start to carry me. but say hi to your man crush, leon, for me.”
haley smiles at the compliment, rolling her eyes a little. “you’re cheesy. my day was okay… just training and playing games. i dyed my hair, did you notice? taeha helped me… well, she just watched because i don’t trust her clumsy little fingers. she probably would have made it turn out like bright orange somehow!” haley laughs.
the first six months of haley and kiha’s relationship hadn’t panned out exactly how they intended. but in a way, it felt like a lot longer than six months— and it had been— years. he couldn’t deny that he had loved haley, although very privately and quietly, since the age of seventeen. despite the challenges they are met with regarding their relationship, and their status as trainees within an industry that favoured finances and parasocial relationships— kiha knows there will come a time within this universe in which he and haley will be together. it was only a matter of time.
“don’t worry, i ate earlier.” he hums back to haley with a smile. it was very kiha of kiha to text her throughout the day— periodic reminders that she eats and stays hydrated. otherwise it would be too easy for haley to forget. he appreciates the sentiment of her attempting to remind him. "and look—” kiha reaches over the side of the bed and pulls his abnormally large water bottle from his bedside, holding it in front of the phone. “water on hand. did you eat and drink yet?” he asks her, putting the bottle back down again. “if not, it won’t be the food and water cops, it’ll be me.”
although kiha had a genshin account and a cast of rather sought after characters, he lacked the drive that haley did when it came to absorbing himself into the game. she knew the lore and the world and the characters back to front— like the back of her hand. it always kind of amazed him. she was kind of amazing anyways. “uh, you gotta work on my builds for me is what you meant to say.” kiha smirks, fiddling with the fine silver chain around his neck. he rolls his eyes at her leon comment. he very much did not have a man crush on leon kennedy. “i just finished playing the remake. i’ll be back to my regular programming shortly.”
“i did notice— i like it.” he had noticed her dark hair immediately, although haley was beautiful to kiha, regardless of what colour hair she had coming from his head. he feels like she’s had light coloured hair most of the time they’ve known each other, contrasting to kiha’s natural hair which had never been touched by dye in it’s life. “not that my opinion should warrant what colour you have your hair.” he says honestly. he chuckles to himself at the mention of haley’s roommate. “it must be a taeha thing. sounds entirely like another taeha i know.” kiha was referring to his baby sister, of course— seventeen year old yoo taeha who was still harassing her older brother over when she was going to meet the esteemed li haley who she had heard so much about.
“and i’m not cheesy, just observant. telling you the truth.” kiha sighs, leaning back into his pillows a little more. “i miss you so much right now.” seeing haley through pixels on his phone was enough, but it sure didn’t take away that feeling of longing that followed him around day to day. he wanted to be with her.