* 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋 ╱ 𝐀𝐋𝐌𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐘 !

it’s   playful   chatter   of   this   sort   that   assissts   a   great   deal   in   keeping   his   loneliness   at   a   safe   distance   ,   therefore   he   has   no   choice   but   to   indulge   in   the   blonde’s   company   ,   not   necessarily   complaining   about   it   either   ,   seeing   as   things   could   certainly   be   much   worse   than   they   are   right   this   moment   .   a   hand   raises   to   snatch   the   promised   salmon   and   cream   cheese   bagel   off   her   hands   ,   drawing   it   closer   for   a   good   sniff   ,   before   taking   a   small   bite   .   ‘   i’ve   had   better   bagels   in   my   life   ,   but   it’s   not   half   bad   .   won’t   be   seeing   the   catering   company   in   court   any   time   soon   .   ’   he   muses   ,   brows   tilting   at   the   sound   of   her   inquiry   .   ‘   i   don’t   let   people   eat   in   my   studio   ,   can’t   have   them   throwing   up   left   and   right   when   i   make   them   practice   for   three   hours   straight   .   tell   you   what   ,   next   time   i   perform   ,   i’ll   bring   you   along   to   judge   what   they’ll   have   prepared   for   me   .   ’

          going  to  a  club  had  never  been  rosie’s  idea  of  fun  to  begin  with  ,  only  ever  agreeing  when  she  was  coerced  into  going  .  her  ideal  night  would’ve  definitely  not  entailed  this  but  with  the  addition  of  the  other’s  company  ,  it  wasn’t  so  bad  of  a  night  .  “  hey  if  we  leave  now  ,  i  own  a  place  where  we  can  get  whatever  we  want  before  they  close  up  for  the  night  .  what  do  ya  say  ?  ”

“  yeah …  thanks  ,  ”  she  looks  down  for  a  moment  before  catching  the  fellow  blonde’s  gaze  again  ,  offering  her  a  soft  smile  .  “   uh  ..  it  shouldn’t  be  that  long  of  a  meeting  .  i  had  some  errands  i  wanted  to  do  after  this  ,  too  ,  if  you  maybe  wanted  to  tag  along  .  it’s  mostly  shopping  ,  ”   the    blonde  chuckled  lightly  .  she  took  a  step  closer  to  orion  &  handed   her  phone  to  the  girl  .  “  here  ,  put  your  number  in  my  phone  .  i  can  like   ,  call  you  after  i’m  done  or  if  you  wanna  wait  . ”

alex’s eyes began to widen, feigning shock as he began to look around him, “we are?!” he gasps slightly, unable to hold back a slight chuckle as he spoke, “well, that explains why the drivers drive in a funny way here with switched seats, then.” he steals a glance at her as they walk, and she had a bit of point – in a more literal sense, it was very refreshing to be out in the open (well… at least as refreshing as it gets in the streets of new york) rather than inside that cramped up, dark space. but he’s quickly coming to realize just how easy the conversation seems to flow between the two, and how comfortable he felt speaking and making jokes around her. it’s getting harder and harder to find such people out there today, and it definitely was very refreshing. “well, my expectations for the quality of people i’d meet tonight was definitely very low… it’s refreshing, because i wasn’t expecting you.” he smiles at her, giving her a slight shrug. he scoffs at her remark of him being like a santa of some sorts, “you got me there – i’m just trying to bring the spirit of christmas closer to us, since we’re nearing the holidays.” as she tells him about her weird encounters with the people back at the club, they’d finally made it to the small convenience store at the gas station. he opens the door for her to walk through as he replies, “the night is still pretty young, orion. you could still come to the conclusion that i’m an even more odd of a guy — you still have time to run for the hills.” he teases her, feeling the warmth from inside the store hit him, compared to the chilly night outside. he says hello to the man behind the counter, known to make his stops here for a late-night sugar rush after a night of drinking at the bars around the block, where they had just come from. as they make their way to the machine in the back, he grabs the plastic cup and turns to face orion, “may i make a life-changing suggestion before you take your pick of a flavor?” he asks, raising a brow in question.

 it  did  not  take  long  for  her  to  realise  that  he  was  one  of  those  type  of  charmers,  the  type  whom  had  a  way  of  making  the  company  they  surround  themselves  with  feel  definite  and  notable;  whether  he  did  it  to  everyone  or  not,  she  could  bask  in  it  all  day.  a  city  so  colossally  capacious  did  not  leave  immense  room  for  the  average  citizen  to  make  their  mark  on  the  lives  of  those  they  pass  by  in  the  daily.  and,  yet,  he  still  managed  to  give  her  his  unwieldy  attentiveness,  so  much  so  that  one  would  feel  like  they  had  an  impact,  even  if  they  hadn’t—  her  own  self  very  much  included.  “  i  can’t  exactly  blame  you.  i  mean,  i  doubt  many  expect  to  meet  a  half—assed  regina  george  on  their  typical  friday  evening.  “  her  own  curiosity  had  left  her  directionless  in  her  daze,  blinking  once  when  the  realisation  settled  that  they  had  come  to  their  destination.  graciously,  her  own  cranium  lowered  into  a  curtious  nod  as  a  silent  ‘  thank  you  ‘  prior  to  her  physique  now  being  blanketed  by  the  mellow  interior.  instinctively,  slender  limbs  crossed  across  her  torso  in  response  to  the  change  in  commodious  dwelling,  taking  note  of  the  amiable  greeting  exchanged  between  alex  and  one  of  the  only  other  presences  in  their  vicinity;  if  it  was  a  mirroring  of  her  own  experiences,  it  meant  that  he  had  definitely  spent  a  fair  share  of  nights  here.  “  we’ll  see,  alex.  the  bar  is  pretty  low  right  now,  i  can’t  lie  to  you.  “  a  further  linger  ensued,  trailing  behind  him  before  nimble  extremities  followed  his  lead,  taking  hold  of  her  own  plastic  cup  after.  halting  in  her  stride  as  he  spun  to  face  her,  a  single  brow  lifted  in  bemusement.  “  i’m  always  down  to  have  my  life  changed.  by  all  means,  hit  me  with  it.  “

alex’s smile grew even wider at what she said, just confirming what he already thought of her, “damn, i thought i recognized a faint accent,” but with the thumping of the music, it wasn’t as clear and he didn’t want to assume. but now that they were out of there and there wasn’t anymore bass in their ears, he could hear it much more clearly – and it was rare, to find another brit in this huge city, so did that make her seem a lot more attractive to alex’s eyes? maybe; it’s a piece of home, after all. “well now it’s even lovelier to meet you, orion. i was getting pretty sick and tired of these americans in my daily life, anyway.” he teases, turning to look at her with a small grin. “so, you’re like a breath of fresh air.” he wasn’t lying, either – she was a breath of fresh air, in more ways than one. he didn’t think he’d ever tell a girl to leave a club with him to go for slushies instead of back to his apartment, but here they were. and he wasn’t sure he regrets it, either. “that’s pretty much the only reason i hang around clubs. i just try to scout the ones that don’t look like they’re enjoying their time, and offer them a cup of ice cold blue happiness. or red, if that’s what you prefer.” he says, his lips still formed into a smile as he speaks to her. he notices the chill in the air, and closes his eyes to enjoy it for a brief second. there’s nothing alex loved more than cold weather, and it was quite nice to walk out into the crisp air after being in there for so long; it felt way too stuffy. “and what about you? do you make a habit out of accepting offers of sugary beverages from strangers? did they not tell you not to take candy from a stranger? that’s like… the very first life lesson you get, orion, and it seems like you’re failing so far.” he raises a brow at her, giving her a smug look paired with a grin. 

 she  found  her  nose  scrunching  upward  in  slight  distaste,  knowing  damn  well  her  accent  was  nowhere  near  as  eminent  as  his,  considering  his  elocution  glided  off  the  syllables  like  honey.  a  combination  of  relocation  and  having  had  to  adjust  to  many  an  intonation  for  her  work  had  left  her  only  slightly  envious,  but  at  least  she  could  bask  in  his  articulations  for  as  long  as  their  late  night  endeavour  would  last  —  and  she  was  hoping  it  would  last  just  a  little  while,  at  least.  “  i  felt  that.  it’s  almost  like  we’re  in  america,  or  something.  “  a  feigned  gasp  accompanied  stupefaction,  before  she  hummed  in  a  brief  ponder.  “  a  breath  of  fresh  air,  huh?  you  might  just  be  projecting  the  fact  that  we  can  actually  breathe  out  here  than  back  there.  “  a  jutted  thumb  hovered  over  her  shoulder  as  she  pointed  in  the  direction  in  which  they  came  without  looking  backward,  for  her  whole  attention  was  on  her  newfound  syrup  and  ice  provider—  or  acquaintance,  in  lucid  terms.  his  presence  was  endearing,  and  she  felt  the  most  tranquil  than  she  had  all  night;  mentally,  she  thanked  him  for  that.  “  ah,  right.  so  you’re  like  .  .  .  a  santa,  of  some  sorts.  “  the  cognitive  red  and  green  notion  she  had  conjured  of  him  meant  that  the  simper  remained  firmly  glued  to  tiers,  lingering  even  though  he  very  much  had  a  point.  “  well,  you  got  me  there.  i  was  never  really  good  at  life  lessons  .  .  .  plus,  you’re  not  offering  candy,  you’re  offering  a  slushie.  “  theoretically,  they  were  the  same  thing,  but  it  made  more  sense  upon  the  next  quip—  “  and,  well,  some  guy  smelled  my  hair  in  there  earlier,  so  i  figured  that  it  can  only  go  up,  right?  “  club  encounters  were  monotonous,  tedious  in  nature,  and  it  gets  old  after  a  while.  though  the  current  state  of  affairs  was  anomalous,  it  was  a  lot  more  winsome,  and  she  appreciated  that.

it   usually   takes   a   lot   of   effort   and   patience   on   behalf   of   both   parties   for   minho   to   properly   open   up   to   someone   ,   which   in   retrospect   seems   to   be   a   rare   occurance   these   days   ,   but   for   the   time   being   friendships   ,   riddled   with   a   snarky   remark   or   two   will   have   to   suffice   .   while   the   pair   follows   the   path   she’s   leading   them   down   ,   the   man   repays   the   blonde’s   sharp   glare   with   one   of   his   own   ,   a   specialty   acquired   over   plenty   of   practice   on   some   of   the   many   people   at   the   top   of   his   black   list   .   ‘   salmon   and   cream   cheese   for   me   ,   who   wants   to   be   a   basic   bitch   with   egg   and   bacon   anyway   ?   ’   the   inquire   falls   from   his   lips   effortlessly   ,   not   neccessarily   expecting   an   answer   ,   while   fingers   proceed   to   run   through   curly   ,   raven   colored   hair   .   ‘   that   salmon   better   be   fresh   or   else   i’m   suing   .   ’

“  awe  ,  well  thank  you  .  that’s  sweet  ,  ”  she  smiled  softly  ,  looking  down  at  her  feet  minute  as  she  tried  to  continue  to  ignore  the  anxious  feelings  .  not   because  of  orion  ,  but  her  own  anxieties  coming   into  play   ,  it  could  be  frustrating  a  lot  of  time  .  the  blonde  constantly  wished  she  could  just  feel   normal  again  ,  but  she  knew  she  just  had  to  figure  out  ways  to  cope  ,   good  or  bad  .  alanna  offered  orion  a  sweet  smile  at   her  offer  ,  taking  a  moment  before  she  speaks  again  .  “  fuck  ,  i  wish  i  could  right  now  ,  but  i  have  another  meeting  in  like  …  five  minutes  ,  ”  she   pouts  softly  while  checking  the  time  on  her  phone  .  “  but  i  could  like  ,  after  ,  probably  .  or  we  can  set  up  another  time  .  i’d  love  to  catch  up  more  ,  ”   she  mentions  softly  .

          “  unless  he’s  just  got  a  really  good  sense  of  smell  ,  which  is  weird  in  any  case  but  still  ,  ”  perking  up  at  the  sight  of  her  drink  ,  nimble  fingers  wrap  around  the  glass  ,  playing  around  with  the  straw  as  she  too  ,  mindlessly  daydreams  about  a  vacation  away  from  this  place  and  the  people  ,  “  sun  ,  sea  and  cute  people  ,  that’s  the  dream  right  there  .  then  you  come  back  to  reality  and  realise  we’re  in  this  stuffy  room  surrounded  by  grossly  drunk  people  …  wanna’  get  out  of  here  after  these  drinks  ?   i’m  kinda’  hungry  for  something  fried  .  ”

          “  now  that’s  weird  ,  how  close  was  this  guy  if  he  knew  how  your  hair  smelled  ?  ”  she  quizzes  with  perked  up  brows  ,  unable  to  comprehend  what  anyone’s  thought  process  is  when  they  go  to  do  something  weird  especially  with  a  stranger  .  “  a  tropical  paradise  sounds  pretty  good  right  about  now  .  you  and  i  would  be  on  the  beach  ,  ice  cold  drinks  by  our  side  and  there’s  be  no  weird  people  smelling  our  hair  or  friends  that  ditch  us  .  instead  we’d  have  ditched  them  .  ”

an   exaggerated   sigh   falls   from   the   man’s   lips   at   the   sound   of   her   sarcastic   remarks   ,   pausing   for   just   a   second   to   consider   what   it   would   be   like   if   he   didn’t   keep   people   at   arm’s   length   and   allowed   them   to   see   a   side   to   him   that   is   unfiltered   .   the   pair’s   dynamic   would   differ   a   lot   to   its   current   state   and   their   balance   would   be   way   off   ,   but   that   is   a   thought   too   deep   to   process   for   the   time   being   .   ‘   i   am   pleasantly   annoying   ,   but   that’s   exactly   what   makes   me   so   interesting   .   ’   a   brow   raises   as   he   nods   gently   ,   before   shooting   a   narrow   eyed   gaze   towards   the   blonde   .   ‘   get   out   of   here   and   let   you   get   a   post   -   shooting   bagel   all   on   your   own   ?   that   would   be   too   rude   of   me   .   i’ll   also   get   to   pass   judgement   on   this   place’s   snacks   ,   two   for   one   .   ’   minho   muses   in   a   playful   tone   as   he   nudges   her   side   to   move   along   .

“that’s fine, don’t stress about it.” hayes said as he let out a light cough. “people tend to forget about my injury pretty often so don’t worry, you’re not the only one.” the blonde offered the other a soft smile. “the minute i can surf again you’re coming with me on a plane to la. you have no choice but to agree.” he shrugged playfully as he kept his eyes on her. he knew she didn’t mean to make things awkward, not that he thought she made it awkward anyway. “well you might be here in new york, but you’re not here here.” he said as his eyes looked her up and down. he definitely said the first thing that came to his mind, not giving it a second of thought. “well, i don’t miss most people. so even a little bit makes you so damn special.” his tone turned soft as he leaned forward, placing his elbows on his thighs. 

alanna  couldn’t  help  but  chuckle  lightly  at  orion’s  next  words  ,  her  thoughts  flashing  back  to  the  memories  of  the  two  of  them  while  they  were  in  high  school  ,  doing  idiotic  but  also  fun  shit  .  like  sneaking  into  clubs  &  drinking  ,  among  many  other   things  .  “  yeah  …  for  sure  ,  ”    she  nods  ,  glancling  down  at  the   floor  again  before  back  up  at  the  blonde  .  “  we  sure  had  a  lot  of  fun  ,  though  ,   ”   she  mentions  ,  a  light  laugh  leaving  her  lips  .  her  expression  turns  into  a  soft  smile  when  orion  mentions  she’s   been  listening  to  alanna’s  music  .  “  really  ?  well  ,   thanks  .  that  really   means  a  lot  to  me  .  i  hope  you  like  it  ,  ”   she  adds  ,   another  soft  chuckle  escaping  from  her  lips  .  “  what  do  you  mean  ?  no  ,  that  sounds amazing  !   ”