- ɴᴏᴛᴏʀɪᴇᴛʏ.

taking  care  of  business  ,  as  usual  .  a  response  that  wasn't  abnormal  ,  something  that  wouldn't  cause  most  to  bat  an  eyelid  but  it  summoned  an  enormous  rage  from  deep  within  her  .  what  a  cliche  thing  to  say  .    (    even  if  it  was  true    )    .    deciding  not  to  be  sidelined  by  the  emotions  that  begged  to  be  released  like  the  lava  streams  of  hell  ,  she  raises  her  shoulders  in  a  shrug  ,  "  oh  no  ,  not  really  ,  "  which  was  rather  vague  considering  how  much  she  loved  to  talk  about  her  own  successes  .  there  was  absolutely  no  way  she  was  going  to  bring  up  her  new  relationship  in  front  of  joshua  ,  the  horror  or  charlie's  behaviour  too  much  for  her  right  now  and  pretending  to  love  him  making  her  want  to  gauge  her  own  eyes  out  .  loving  anyone  seemed  like  a  travesty  but  pretending  to  love  charlie  hastings  was  beyond  her  pay  grade  in  that  moment  .  "  i'm  just  taking  care  of  business  too  .  we're  just  two  very  busy  business  people  ,  it's  no  surprise  we  haven't  seen  each  other  in  a  while  ,  "  although  she  knew  exactly  why  that  was  .  it  was  an  interesting  talent  to  have  such  a  high  level  of  self  awareness  yet  be  able  to  completely  ignore  your  own  wrong  doings  ,  forever  projecting  her  own  cut  and  run  stance  on  relationships  onto  the  other  person  .  it  was  only  realistic  josh  would  have  turned  out  to  be  as  disappointing  as  everyone  else  .  why  stay  to  find  out  ?

the awkward tension that hung heavily in the air was something that joshua didn't really understand. he knew that as exes, they weren't ever really going to be one hundred percent comfortable around each other again, but in his eyes, there was no need for the aura and vibe of their interactions to be so hostile. he raised an eyebrow up at her, staying silent for several seconds before he nodded his head. "mhmm. very busy business people. hopefully you've been handling your business well." it wasn't like tiny to not brag about the things she's accomplished or succeeded in, which made him wonder if the relationship he'd heard about her being in was all that great. he figured most people who were in happy, fulfilling relationships would be more vocal about them. and since tiny seemingly wanted to make their encounter as painful as possible, joshua was more than willing to play along and make things even more awkward. "hopefully you being so busy doesn't bother charlie too much."

               nevaeh   was   a   little   sister   to   her   core.   pestering,   nagging,   and   forcibly   making   change   to   get   what   she   wanted   came   like   a   second   nature.   at   least   it   did   when   it   came   to   those   she   cared   about.   nevaeh   had   always   been   better   about   taking   care   of   those   around   her,   but   never   herself.   in   a   selfish   way   she   couldn't   think   about,   it   was   like   she   was   trying   to   convince   herself   that   she   was   capable   of   making   herself   happy   and   giving   herself   the   love   and   care   she   poured   into   other   people.   so   every   time   she   failed   to   make   a   substantial   change   in   the   life   of   someone   else,   it   was   like   she   was   failing   herself   and   she'd   have   to   dust   herself   off   and   try   again.   and   again.   (   and   in   joshua's   case,   again   and   again   ).   ❝   okay   i   know   you   think   you   just   sounded   so   cool   and   business   man   like   right   now,   but   i'm   not   putting   that   on   your   tinder   bio.   you'll   scare   off   all   your   potential   suitors.   they'll   find   you   too   intense...━━━   even   i   find   you   too   intense.   ❞   she   commented,   her   mind   already   thinking   of   how   to   rephrase   it   so   he   seemed   like   a   responsible   business   man   with   a   heart   of   gold   instead   of   like   ebenezer   scrooge.   ❝   there's   a   microwave   in   here   ?   ❞   she   questioned   soon   after,   her   head   whipping   around   the   room   in   search   and   her   body   having   to   turn   as   well   until   she   spotted   it.   ❝   oh...━━━   why   is   it   hidden   ?   anyway,   you'll   have   two.   one   that's   easier   for   me   to   find   since   i'm   the   one   feeding   you   anyway.   ❞

being the eldest of his siblings, it was typical of joshua to not really pay attention to his own needs and wants. after his parents had passed away, he had practically raised his siblings, putting all of their needs ahead of his own. it was like second nature to disregard himself by that point, and even though he knew that it would only cause him more harm than good eventually, he had come to terms with the fact that he would just deal with that when the time came. he had too much on his plate to be concerned with that in present day. "i don't need you setting up any kind of profile for me, on any kind of dating website. i don't want any suitors, and even if i did, they should know what kind of person i am from the jump. i'm not changing myself or my work habits any time soon, so there's no need to set them up for disappointment." the last thing that josh needed in his life was anything romantic. besides, he was still young. he had more than enough time to find someone - when he was ready to find someone, that is. and he wasn't sure when that would be. "didn't i just tell you to stop wasting unnecessary money? why would you buy another microwave when i told you i already have one?"

"sure," nicolaus said, shrugging, "but even in those games there's always something to learn, right?" at the other's comment, he laughed in return. then, he raised his left hand and jokingly put his right over his heart, and said, "oluyemi, let it be known here, if it was unclear before, that if i start to hate on you, it will not be behind your back. i will invite you to sit front and center as i monologue." he picked his drink back up, throat already parched in the heat. "so, speaking of games, how's all that going? is it training season now or are you about to ramp up with actual matches?"

"there's something to learn from every game - both good and bad." yemi was the type of person that believed that everything could be made into a learning experience. now it was just the battle of whether or not he would pay attention to what he had learned and actually take it into consideration for his future decision making. which he did - most of the time, specifically when it came to soccer. now in other instances, he was a little bit more stubborn. "oh, wow. i really appreciate that. you're such a good person for being upfront about your hating qualities." he jokingly rolled his eyes at him. "we're playing actual matches now. we've still got a few more months to go - soccer season doesn't end until october. and it's been going pretty good, if i do say so myself. we've won every game we've played."

"i'll be sure to do that," jack responded with a laugh, though he did mean it. he wasn't exactly known for keeping a schedule, but maybe he'd start one for the purpose of blocking off time to play soccer. "internship," jack muttered, "thank god it's nearly over," he stopped the ball with his foot before juggling it between his feet. "and you? what has the great yemi been up to?"

"ah," yemi hummed in understanding. although it was more out of sympathy than empathy. he'd never had to deal with an internship before, and the way that jack spoke about it made him glad he never had to experience it. "they're really putting you through the wringer, huh?" he asked, frowning a bit. then he smiled. "oh you know - the usual; kicking ass on the field. we won the last game we had. are you going to show up at one of our matches or what?"

your  ex  trying  to  cheer  you  up  about  your  fantasy  relationship  that  never  really  existed  no  longer  not  existing  was  something  else  .  luckily  kellan  was  living  on  another  planet  where  he  didn't  concern  himself  over  the  nuances  of  connection  .  leaning  their  head  back  against  the  sun  lounger  ,  they  just  seem  to  sigh  ,  "  there  are  no  words  to  speak  of  her  ,  yemi  …  i  just  have  to  let  her  go  .  like  a  bird  that  needs  to  spread  its  wings  and  fly  away  into  the  sun  ,  homing  somewhere  far  away  …  she's  gone  now  …  "  on  tour  …  but  it  was  basically  the  same  thing  .

anyone who wasn't familiar with kellan would more than likely be confused and a little lost when it came to the riddles and verbiage that they spoke in; but by that point in time, yemi considered himself to be an expert at decoding the things that kellan said. "i know that people say if you love something, you'll let it go... but i've never been one to really believe that. you realize that you have wings yourself, right?" he asked, gently nudging the other. "spread 'em and fly on after her."

        the  current  tense  relationship  with  her  father remained carefully hidden, any attention would only lead to questions she'd prefer would never arise, and it didn't impact her desire to see her family's company, despite her distance from it, succeed. becoming friends with joshua a simple task. one that so far was fairly enjoyable.  she glanced over at the shirt again, trying to imagine what it would look like when he wore it.   ❝ definitely. but you can't know for sure if you don't give it a try. ❞

joshua wasn't fully on board with the idea of becoming friendly with yujin when it was first presented to him, but after spending some time with her, he came to the realization that she wasn't bad company to keep. in fact, her company was quite enjoyable. which made him all the more willing to carve out free time to hang out. "hm, i guess i could give it a shot.." he took the shirt and disappeared into the nearest fitting room, exiting a moment later with the shirt on. "i don't know.. do you think it's a little.. loud?" he asked, adjusting the bright colored fabric against his chest.

"  i  feel  like  you  are  not  even  listening  to  me  …  i'm  trying  to  tell  you  something  very  important  .  "

joshua stopped typing on his phone mid email, glancing over at alessandro. "i'm listening, man. you have to give my multitasking skills more credit. go on, finish telling me."

          she  hands  him  his  drink  before  waving  her  hand  dismissively  .  “  see  i  would  like  to  believe  that  some  form  of  skill  is  involved  ,  y’know  ?  this  isn’t  my  first  or  last  time  at  a  music  festival  so  you  ,  my  dear  ,  need  to  have  a  little  more  FAITH  in  me  ,  ”  she’ll  jest  ,  playfully  sticking  her  tongue  out  a  joshua  .  “  you’re  lucky  i  said  to  leave  the  walkie  talkies  back  home  ,  ”  says  this  in  a  serious  tone  .  “  last  year’s  festival  was  alright  .  smaller  crowd  .  felt  a  little  more  intimate  .  i’m  not  mad  about  that  .  but  i  think  they  went  all  out  with  the  setlist  .  they  literally  got  illenium  !  ”  starts  leading  the  two  of  them  over  to  the  stage  .  “  and  swedish  house  mafia  .  can  you  believe  that  ?  ”

his hand reached out to accept the drink offered to him, bringing it up to his lips to take a quick sip from it. "oh, i'm terribly sorry. i didn't know that the great and all powerful juno had a magical tracking device implanted in her frontal lobe during music festivals." joshua rolled his eyes at her, shaking his head, although the smile on his face gave away how amused he was. "thank god you did. i'd look like a complete idiot using a walkie talkie in the middle of a festival." he followed her towards the stage, humming under his breath. "a smaller crowd sounds like it'd be a lot more fun than this.. large congregation of people. illenium and swedish house mafia? oh, they pulled out all the big guns last year. i'm starting to regret missing out."

kellan  was  still  in  recovery  after  the  loss  of  their  beloved  fantasy  dream  girl  but  they  realised  life  must  go  on  .  and  so  must  the  show  .  not  that  they  ever  related  those  things  together  .  on  the  sun  lounger  ,  soeaking  in  rays  as  their  lips  part  and  they  express  ,  "  even  the  umbreallas  in  these  cocktails  look  different  now  that  she's  gone  .  "

"aw, kell..." yemi frowned slightly, sipping at his own fruity drink as he enjoyed the feeling of the sun's rays on his skin. he didn't like the fact that kellan was so down in the dumps - which was why he had dragged them out there, hoping to help lift their spirits a bit. "do you want to talk about it?" he asked, shifting in his seat so he could get a better look at them.

        after  the  music  festival,  nate  could've locked himself in his studio for a week and had every intention of doing so, needing to recover from the endless crowds and cameras . . . only to be dragged out of his solitude. he reluctantly trailed after the other person, impatience growing with each step.   ❝ if you aren't going to tell me where we're going and what we're doing then i'm going back home. ❞

yemi couldn't help but snort at nate's declaration, a chuckle bubbling up in his chest as he turned to look at him. "c'mon bro, don't be like that. you can't stay holed up in your house all the time. you're young and in the prime of your life. what's wrong with having a little bit of fun?" he held out his arms in a questioning gesture, before dropping them back to his sides. "we're almost there anyway. just a little farther."

                    luciana  really  had  been  ,           (      in  her  opinion     )           going  through  a  bit  of  a  𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐀𝐋  .  she  was  trying  to  act  as  normal  as  possible  but  with  everything  that  was  happening  in  her  life  back  to  back  it  was  a  𝐋𝐎𝐓  .  that  being  said  ,  yemi  was  a  good  escape  for  her  .  there  was  something  about  spending  time  with  him  .  as  well  as  the  way  they  were  able  to  let  off  steam  together  .  it  was  one  way  to  put  it  .            ⏤          eyes  fluttered  open  as  she  pushed  herself  up  onto  her  elbow  a  little  to  look  around  .  realizing  that  yemi  wasn't  in  the  bed  anymore  .  there  was  a  small  moment  where  she  felt  disheartened  by  his  absence  .  not  wanting  to  be  alone  in  any  given  moment  .  despite  them  just  being  friends  with  benefits  .  but  that  quickly  𝐅𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐃  once  she  started  smelling  the  food  .  rubbing  at  her  eyes  a  little  ,  she  streched  before  getting  up  and  throwing  on  her  robe  .  as  she  made  her  way  down  to  the  kitchen  ,  a  smile  curled  on  her  lips  when  seeing  the  male  in  the  kitchen  .  the  small  hums  being  heard  before  yemi  turned  to  look  at  her  .          ❛      you  made  me  breakfast  ?     ❜          she  questioned  ,  a  look  of  playful  shock  .  although  she  didn't  need  an  answer  ,  already  knowing  as  she  moved  closer  .  the  smile  never  leaving  her  lips  as  she  made  her  way  over  to  yemi  .  arms  snaking  up  and  wrapping  around  the  back  of  his  neck  .  head  tilted  back  as  she  looked  up  at  him  .  they  were  just  friends  ,  she  knew  that  but  she  could  be  a  handsy  person  when  she  wanted  and  she  was  comfortable  around  yemi  .          ❛      you're  adorable  ,     ❜          unwrapping  her  arms  ,  she  brushed  her  thumb  against  his  cheek  before  stepping  back  and  glancing  over  his  shoulder  to  see  what  he  was  cooking  .          ❛     what's  on  the  menu  ?  i'm  ready  to  be  impressed  ,  woo'ed  even  .     ❜            she  smiled  ,  scrunching  her  nose  a  little  at  the  other  .

everyone who knew yemi well enough, and even those he knew him to a lesser extent, knew that he was an affectionate person. it was nothing to see him hugging his friends, holding hands with them, or outwardly showing them how much he cared for them in any way, shape or form. he just had a lot of love to give, as he would say. so when he felt her arms snake around the back of his neck, it was almost instinctual for him to turn his head and place a kiss against the inside of luci's wrist, letting the peck linger for a few seconds longer than necessary before he pulled back. "don't act so surprised." he playfully rolled his eyes at her question, scoffing under his breath. "figured breakfast was the least i could do after the meal you gave me last night." he smirked at his own crude joke, his eyes focusing back in on the food he was preparing for the two of them. "and you're beautiful," he responded back without missing a beat, turning off the stove. "something my big sister used to make me for breakfast all the time when we were kids ; fried plantains with yams and eggs. nothing special, but i had a taste for it."

                     laughing  ,  greyson  gave  the  other  male  a  nod  before  taking  a  much  smaller  sip  of  his  drink  than  yemi  did  .  maybe  if  greyson  was  anyone  else  .           (      maybe  if  he  was  someone  that  didn't  mind  poking  into  other  people's  lives  .     )          even  those  who  were  his  𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐒  friends  or  in  this  case  ,  a  new  friend  .  he  wasn't  going  to  say  𝐀𝐍𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆  about  the  little  note  he  took  internally  when  yemi  practically  downed  his  whole  drink  in  one  sitting  .  besides  ,  he  could've  been  jumping  to  conclusions  in  his  own  head  .  but  ,  he'd  been  there  . . .  if  what  he  was  thinking  was  the  case  .  either  way  ,  he  didn't  have  much  reaction  to  it  .  instead  carrying  on  with  their  conversation  and  drinking  their  drinks  .           ❛      hmm  ,  i  feel  like  that's  what  someone  that's  trying  to  badly  influence  someone  else  would  say  .  trying  to  hack  all  the  inside  scoop  out  of  me  by  loosening  me  up  .     ❜         a  joke  as  he  continued  to  smile  ,  a  shake  of  his  head  following  his  words  .  it  being  known  that  he  wasn't  taking  any  of  it  𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐋𝐘  .

"i don't have a clue what you're talking about, my guy. we're just two bros out having some drinks and talking. it definitely wouldn't be my fault if you got a little tipsy and decided to give me the inside scoop on what you're working on while the alcohol's got your lips a little loose." he shrugged his shoulders, mischief twinkling in his eyes as he brought his glass back to his lips, effectively finishing off the rest of his drink. he gestured with his hand for the waiter to come back, tapping a finger against his glass. "can i get a refill on this? and you can circle back in a bit just in case i need another." yemi returned his gaze back to greyson. "but really though, if you can't talk about it, i won't force you... but if you can, then by all means, i'm all ears."

        ❝  something  catch  your  eye?  ❞   yujin  came to a halt beside her companion, smiling shining. shopping never failed at putting her in a good mood; it was even better when she had someone to shop with. her gaze drifted toward the object in question, assessing it quickly, before returning to the other's face.   ❝ it's cute! ❞

shopping had never been high up on joshua's list of favorite things to do. he wasn't completely opposed to the idea of shopping, but it was something he didn't dedicate a lot of his time to. but he knew that he needed a few new things in his wardrobe, so when yujin asked him to tag along, he agreed without much hesitation. "hm.. i don't know." he looked at the shirt he had picked up. it was quite different from the usual neutral colored things he wore. "are you sure i can pull this off?"

                    nia   glides   through   the   dimly   lit   underground   bar   ,   drawn   to   the   corner   where   a   vintage   arcade   machine   stood   ,   its   flashing   lights   and   nostalgic   tunes   beckoning   to   them   .       with   a   playful   grin   ,   she   slides   a   coin   into   the   slot   and   turns   to   [   your   muse   ]   .       “   you   up   for   a   friendly   competition   ?       loser   buys   a   round   of   tequila   shots   !   ”

with a few drinks already buzzing in his system, it was no surprise that yemi's competitive side had been awoken by the challenge presented by nia. without missing a beat, he saddled up closer to the vintage arcade machine, nodding his head. "you had me at tequila shots, pretty lady. let's do it!"

               ❝   bourbon   for   the   private   recaps   the   next   day,   you're   absolutely   right.   ❞   a   tradition   the   two   had   become   well   acquainted   with.   even   during   their   brief   party   stints   in   spain,   the   pair   had   managed   to   make   time   for   lunch   where   they   drank   some   more   and   rehashed   the   events   of   the   previous   night.   with   how   the   two   tended   to   party,   a   recap   was   the   only   way   to   ensure   that   neither   of   them   had   missed   anything.   it   was   one   of   his   favorite   parts   of   their   insane   nights   out.   ❝   i've   been   thinking   about   getting   one   of   those   margarita   machines.   ❞   the   excitement   is   clear   even   as   he   continues   rearranging   bottles   on   the   shelf.   ❝   can   you   imagine   what   a   game   changer   that'll   be,   especially   during   the   summer   ?   it   would   need   to   be   as   easy   access   as   possible   though   which   is   the   part   i'm   struggling   with.   ❞

some people might say that charlie and yemi drank too much. that they spent too much time partying and indulging in vices. however yemi liked to think that they were just two guys that liked to have a lot of fun. they were still in their prime years and had access to wealth that the majority of the world could only dream of having ; who wouldn't take advantage of that? "exactly, now you're getting it." he downed the drink that he made for himself without so much as flinching at the strong burn it left in his chest. without thinking twice about it, he poured himself another, then reached for a second glass to fill up for charlie. "bro, that'd be lit! we should definitely do that. frozen margaritas are always a hit." he slid the glass towards his roommate, excitement twinkling in his eyes. "a total game changer. we can always set it up by the pool? i was thinking about getting a bar put out there anyway, so people won't have to keep coming in and out for drinks. speaking of the pool, i set up the pool cleaning appointment for tomorrow. it'll be all prepped and ready to go for our next shindig."