think my moral compass is on a vacation

cole could tell that mia was having a difficult time staying in the moment, and he could tell that her head was drifting off to thoughts of the past and time spent being shoved away from the spotlight. he wished she would understand how much she deserved the attention now – to be front and center. he smirked a little as he started taking photos again, trying different angles and lighting as he did so. “trying to stay professional here, mia – though if you wanna change outfits for me later, i wouldn’t say no to taking some more private photos,” cole teased, shooting her a playful wink. “these are turning out a lot better though, yeah. tilt your head a little towards me? and look at the camera instead?” he requested, camera flashing as she did so. “yeah – yeah, good.”

“i’m always professional, nicky,” she says, voice still teasing as the old nickname easily slides off her tongue, “and changing outfits is the least i could do to thank you. don’t forget to charge your camera.” she was grateful they were mostly alone, her manager had wandered off about twenty minutes into the shoot, otherwise she wouldn’t be teasing him so much. she grows serious again as she follows his directions, starting to relax a little more as he says the photos are coming out better, just wanting to get the shoot over with. “promise you’ll make me look pretty when you edit these?” 

diana gives the other a less-than-impressed look, letting her head fall to the side just a bit. “yes, mia, i’ve had a pimple before — but i’ve also had a dermatologist on call since i was ten years old, so it’s not exactly something that PLAGUES me, thankfully.” she crosses one long leg neatly over the other before finally giving mia her actual, full attention. “well, what are the options? you know you can count on me for an honest opinion.”

“what i’m trying to say is that you look fine, more than fine, gorgeous,” she knew diana didn’t need the compliments, she had enough self-confidence, but she’d never miss a chance to hype up her friends. “um, there’s a few,” she says, reaching for her phone and starting to scroll through her notes app, “falling for boys, seventeen, what a time... any of these sound good?” 

— OPEN. 

“UGH, plane travel is so bad for my skin,” diana whined, peering at her blemish-free skin in her little compact mirror. “it’s going to take at least a week to re-hydrate my skin.” she snapped the compact shut, turning a vaguely disinterested eye on the other person. “—anyway, what were you saying?” as if she really cared.

mia can’t help but roll her eyes at diana’s comment, eyes scanning the other’s flawless complexion. “always so dramatic,” she teases, “do you even know what a pimple feels like?” she sighs, falling back against the couch, “i was saying that we’re supposed to be starting promotion for the album in a few weeks and i haven’t decided on a name yet.” 

despite having no idea where his relationship, or lack thereof, with mia stood – cole was enjoying how things between them had been since the vacation. they hadn’t talked about what changed or shifted between them, but there was an unspoken feeling lingering in the air every time they were in a room together now. he found himself cuddled up in her bed more and more each night through the week, almost becoming a routine for them to fall asleep wrapped in each other’s arms. things were good, peaceful, and yet – full of an immense amount of tension at the same time. he was currently in the studio with her, taking photos for her soon to be released album art. he was doing his best to stay focused, in the zone, and professional as he found the right angles and lighting for her. sitting back on his heels, he sighed, waving mia over. “you’re not making weird faces, mi, just – i mean this with all the love in the world, but you gotta stop thinking so much and trying so hard,” he said encouragingly, looking over at her with a supportive smile as he allowed her to see the few recent photos he’d taken. “i know you feel like you have a lot to prove with this being your first solo album, but you need to just … show them who you are, now. show them mia,” he smiled gently, nodding back over towards where she was previously posing. “try again? and just – pretend i’m taking these for fun. just for me.”

mia was trying her best to stay professional, but that was hard to do around cole. she pouted as she looked at the photos, unable to stop herself from lightly rolling her eyes at his words. he was right, of course, she had been trying to hard to pose- but she wasn’t exactly used to this. jimmy was front and center of every shoot they’d done before, with mia happily blending in with everyone else. now that the attention was all on her, with cole on the other side of the camera, she felt awkward. she dropped back down to the spot she’d gotten up from, an evil grin on her lips at his instruction, “just for you, huh? last time we did that i was in a very different outfit,” she laughed softly as she settled in, eyes flicking back up to the camera as she posed, “any better?” 

things between mia and cole had been... a little strange since they got home from vacation. every night, like clockwork, cole seemed to climb into her bed and stay there until morning, neither of them talking about their nights tangled up in each other. their apartment was full of quiet laughs and shy smiles, a contrast from the argument they’d had after the rooftop party. it was nice, spending so much time together, and mia was afraid to bring anything up and pop their bubble. now, they found themselves on set, working on the photographs for her album and trying to keep things as professional as possible. mia looked up at cole as she watched his camera flash, frowning as she sat up from the position she was laying in, “can i see those? i feel like i’m making a weird face.” 

Send “%” for a CURIOUS text.

mia: this is random but

mia: what kind of shampoo do you use? 

mia: your hair is literally always so shiny i need to know

Send “✘” for a HATEFUL text.

mia: look, i thought we had some sort of connection at the party, but i know you kissed cole right after

Send “%” for a CURIOUS text.

mia: so is being a ballerina fun or does it secretly suck

mia: because like it was my dream job as a kid

mia: and i kinda just wanna know 

Send “ツ” for an EXCITED text.

mia: scout!!! 

mia: my label gave me two tickets to your show tonight!! 

Send “✆” for a MORNING text.

mia: good morning!!! good luck on your exam! 

mia: i know you’re gonna kill it, angel <3 

mia: coffee after class? 

Send “ツ” for an EXCITED text.

mia: DIA 

mia: I JUST GOT A TEXT FROM LORDE HERSELF 

Send “⁇” for a DRUNK text.

mia: leo leo leo 

mia: bello leo 

05: What is your relationship status?

It’s complicated. 

19: Would you go back in time if you were given the chance?

Answered here!

21: What are your plans for this weekend?

After last weekend? Sleep. 

25: Do you miss anyone from your past?

I miss my ex sometimes, honestly. Not dating him or anything, but having him in my life. 

30: What’s irritating you right now?

01: Do you have a good relationship with your parents?

Yes and no. All depends on the day. 

02: Who did you last say “I love you” to?

Dia @csvnchez

03: Do you regret anything?

Lots of things. Next.

68: Who’s the last person you had a deep conversation with?

Cole @colefm

69: Do you believe in soulmates?

Absolutely not.

70: Is there anyone you would die for?

04: Are you insecure?

Yeah, I am. But I’m working on it.

19: Would you go back in time if you were given the chance?

Of course I would, I think everyone would if they had the chance.

28: Have you ever been cheated on?

I don’t think so, no. 

64: Would it be hard to kiss the last person you kissed?

No, it wouldn’t be. Maybe a little complicated. 

66: Do you have a friend of the opposite sex who you can act your complete self around?

Yes! Leo. I feel like he really gets me. 

cole stared at mia with a softness in his eyes, his hand coming to tenderly run through her hair. a small grin peeked at his lips at her words, and he found himself standing, holding his hands out to help her up. “i think we can, too. better to be safe than sorry, right?” he laughed, swooping down to kiss her yet again. he then moved to grab his guitar and his bowl, holding his free hand out for mia to take. 

she let him help her up, folding the blanket they were sitting on and brushing the sand off of herself. “yes, definitely,” she grinned, letting him pull her in for another kiss. she took his hand, squeezing it gently as they made their way to their room. “someone call TMZ, some people would pay really good money to see this,” she teased, looking over at him, “even though you already set off the stans with your instagram post.” 

“Mia…” he started, looking down at her under his arm. “What kind of chef would I be if I couldn’t cook for a vegetarian? How difficult is it to cook vegetables?” he replied with a wink. “Do you cook? I can teach you some recipes to make for your… roommate. Impress the hell out of him,” he smiled, though he still wasn’t sure if he liked this roommate guy or not. He hadn’t fully understood the issue between them, nor who the bad guy was in this situation.

“You’d be surprised,” she sighs, wincing as she thinks back to some of the... creations she’d been forced to eat, “My ex used to try and cook for me and- lets just say I found good take out places pretty quickly.” She shakes her head with a grin, elbowing him in the ribs lightly, “I’m a decent cook, but I’m always down to learn some new recipes. For myself thank you very much.”