cherry wine

"what is going on leyla? it feels like i'm suddenly on an island. alone. and not the bright kind with all of the fish and the plants and the mermaids who will teach me how to fall in love. it feels like the bad kind like in all of those sunday morning comics," was tate's immediate reply. because things had been off for weeks. that's what it had felt like at least. he wasn't sure exactly when it began. not the precise moment. unfortunately for tate, she wasn't great with time and being aware of the moment. in it? yes. aware of it? hard no. but they were insanely aware of the fact that their best friend had been avoiding them for far too long. at first it was maybe just leyla's own busy schedule. but that tone. the way she spoke to him? it cut like a knife. "did i...did i do something wrong? it's never been my intention to hurt you. unless we played dodgeball and even then that's fake, not real pain. what did i do? what's going on?"

LEYLA HAD HOPED SHE'D BEEN MORE inconspicuous with how she was acting, even if she knew that she really hadn't. It was hard, sue her. Seeing Tate kissing someone, her Tate, it felt like she'd been gutted. Even now just looking at them made Leyla feel like her stomach was in knots, this entire ordeal made her feel incredibly pathetic. It shouldn't matter who Tate had kissed, they were not a couple. Leyla had clearly missed her chance and honestly she just needed to get over it. The question made her feel even worse because she didn't want Tate thinking those things. In Leyla's mind Tate can do no wrong, she is perfect in every aspect of the word. "It's nothing." She says, wincing at how unhappy the tone of her voice came out. She's never been a good liar. "You didn't do anything wrong, I just haven't been feeling myself lately." It's better to tell a little bit of truth when you lie, especially for Leyla, it makes it sound more believable. Though 'not feeling herself' was putting her feelings mildly. She felt like she'd been lost in a fog since the kiss had happened, felt her heart splinter in her ribs. Every night when she fell asleep she could picture Tate in her dreams and just as she reaches out to touch them......they vanish. It's a never ending torture. All she can say is, "there's nothing going on."

" i don't know. i'd argue that i'm the lucky one. i was literally just getting ready to leave, because no one answered when i knocked, " he joked as he looked into her eyes. easing a step or two closer to her in the hallway, it's clear just how much he's enjoying the time they spent together. when he's close enough, his hands are reaching out towards her midsection and he's tugging her nearer to him, wanting to feel her soft body molding up against his own. head cocks to the side just a little bit, a cocky little smirk on his face as he looks at her. " i think i like flattering you. you get this rosy little tint on your face. it's adorable, " he teased and then leaned in to close the gap between them. " how was work? not too rough on you, i hope. "

THERE IS A FEELING OF GUILT THAT bubbles in her gut each time Garrett says something sweet. She briefly wonders if he means the words he tells her or if he’s testing her to see how much she knew. Her constant need to have the latest scoop has soured plenty of relationships before, and it has allowed this one to be built on a lie. Athena has noticed how much more difficult it is to lie to him, that fact alone scares her. Her arms drape over his shoulders as he pulls her close, she can smell the faint scent of his aftershave and she is aware just how hard her heart is racing the closer they get. She returns his smirk, thought it quickly morphs into a full blown smile. “Shut up, I just have a natural glow to my cheeks,” she lied with a laugh. The mention of work only reminds her of how she’s trying to prove who he is, she desperately does not want to talk about it. “Nothing too exciting, still just gathering some information for my next piece. I’m sure your day is much more exiting. What did you do?”

There was a stark contrast between the Peter that had asked her out first and the Peter that she had been with the night before; and still she found herself liking every aspect of both of them as distinct as they were. "That does sound fun." Maggie's hand reached for his, her fingers interlocking with his, pulling his hand onto her lap and giggling softly. "Then later, maybe we can have some fun again." There was evident lust on her tone, like after the night before, she couldn't possibly get enough of him. "Cause I would very much love to repeat last night." it was different and Maggie liked it, even if she hadn't expected, she liked giving up control into someone else's hands, specially someone as soft and mindful as Peter.

PETER FELT HIS FACE BURN WHEN SHE took his hand in her’s. It was taking all of his strength to not fold and pound her into the mattress like he’d done the night before. He could still hear her faint moans, feel how good it felt to finally be inside of her. Though Peter didn’t want to come off as obsessed or anything, he just knew that he was truly enamored by Maggie from the moment he had met her. His eyes look down at their hands, how perfect their hands seemed to be as they held each other. Like they were meant to be. “Really?!” he asked, a bit too eagerly. The thought of repeating last night was making him so excited that he could hardly stand it. “Really? You think you could take it?” He teased, giving her hand a squeeze. “Because I‘ll admit, I may not have been giving my best last night. I just didn’t want to hurt you,” he admitted sheepishly.

well jiwoon worked out ─ frequently to look flawless but when it came to fighting and defending himself ? taesung would definitely get the upper hand , in a blink of an eye even . so it would be best to calm down , and sit for now ─ maybe put the vase away , close enough to function as a weapon once needed but far from posing a threat to taesung now . he stood behind the couch ; dangerous , because there happened to be a window behind him that'd send him down to his doom . jiwoon swallowed , and tried to smile a little . a breathy laugh , shaking his head as he scratched his bare shoulder with one hand . ‘ ah no . i was just - it's dark i didn't see that it's you ! hi ! haha . ‘ not akin to a dramatic reunion of lovers , no , actually jiwoon just stood there awkwardly . for a few seconds , before deciding it was safe to come closer and wrap his arms around taesung's neck in a half hearted attempt to hug him . not a satisfying one , nowhere near the intimacy of those breathless nights that jiwoon could only call his name .

TAESUNG'S DARK EYES FOLLOWED JIWOON as he moved across the room, not daring to take them off of the object of his obsession. He never liked that word, obsession, because that would mean that Taesung could not live or breathe without Jiwoon. He'd been forced to live without him while incarcerated, and while he had thought about seeing Jiwoon every day while they had been separated it wasn't an all consuming feeling. "Did you bet you'd never see me again?" He asked, tension was clearly in his voice as he spoke. For someone so adamant that he was not obsessed with Jiwoon, the feeling that bloomed in his chest would say otherwise. He could feel how tense Jiwoon was the moment his arms were wrapped around Taesung's neck but he did not care. He wrapped his arms around Jiwoon's waist, tugging him until their bodies were flush against each other. It was almost like it was designed by fate how perfectly their bodies molded together, reminding him of all the nights the two were practically one body and soul. "You had a lot of nerve, thinking you could just ghost me while I was gone," his grip tightened as he spoke, "I ought to break your legs so you can't escape me ever again."

boredom is a tidy excuse, she tells herself while his palm settles at the small of her back. faces at these balls blurred into one mask. ambition glazed with perfume, so predictable she can foresee every smile before it blooms. yet his is a map she has never studied. the music pours over them, a slow cascade of violins and flutes. their bodies align. she glides because she must—because every inch of marble floor is a chessboard and movement is strategy. yet inside, thought flickers like a restless candle. who was he really? a minor lord? no. the posture fits, but the smile is too unfettered, almost wicked with possibility. and those eyes—there was something behind them. “i catalog every person in this room within the first four minutes. after that, the nights repeat themselves. and patterns bore me.” a smile ghosts her mouth. “but surprise me, and i swear my attention is yours.” spin. their hands break, rejoin. laughter continues nearby. "tell me, where did a man like you learn to dance so faultlessly? courts of the south? or was it somewhere… less gilded?” the note of curiosity curls like smoke, masking sharper intent. against her better judgment, she finds herself leaning inward, chasing the secret current behind that unroyal grin.

EACH STEP FELT LIKE A DEADLY game of cat and mouse between the two of them. One wrong move and everything could come crashing down around them, and oh how glorious the destruction would be. Wulf has seen his fair share of kingdoms fall due to his actions, each one merely lighting the path behind him as her burned each to the ground. None of them have quite captured his attention like she has, almost like a cruel string of fate was toying with each of them. Wulf did not believe in things liek that, always believing that your own path needed to be forged rather than wait for one to be created for you. As he spun Catarina across the floor Wulf gave her a confident smile, tugging her a bit closer to him until they were inches apart. "A repeated pattern of the same type individual over and over, even I would wish for something more exciting." He mused as he spun her around once again. Her question has Wulf grinning from ear to ear as he leaned forward and brushed his lips against her ear. "If I told you that then i'd have to kill you," he teased.

rayna looked at her best friend in silence for a moment, before giving in and letting out a deep sigh. “you’re right, i should stop thinking about him.” maybe not the most responsible thing for a girlfriend to do, but her boyfriend disappearing without even a text was rather rude as well. again, she shoved her worries aside, and chose to redirect her attention on the person who’s now by her side. “maybe i should just stop dating for a while. put an end to the disappointment and all.” she said with a self deprecating humour and a light shrug. “so, how’ve you been? it’s been a while.” she asked, curiosity dancing within her eyes. she’s just been so busy with her work and then her boyfriend’s band returned, meaning that most of her time was spent on that ungrateful bastard who wouldn’t even pick up the phone now. “i’ve missed you.”

THERE IS A SMALL SNAP inside of Aryan’s mind, like a mouse trap that has caught its prey. Rayna’s response was what he wanted, just another root that he has buried deep within her without her knowledge. It’s easy to manipulate people if you know what you’re doing, anyone will easily believe what you say when you say it in a polite way. His mother used to say that Aryan has kind eyes, a trait that he has used to his advantage more than once. “Well let’s not be too rash, you’re a pretty girl Rayna, there are plenty of guys who would trip over themselves to date you.” Aryan wouldn’t say that he would trip over himself, obviously he is willing to do far worse. “I’ve been getting back into shape lately, been lifting heavy weights,” he said with a light shrug. Not really weights but the unconscious body of her boyfriend but hey, a workout is a workout. He reaches out his hand and places it on top of her’s, giving it a small squeeze. “I’ve missed you too, I’m glad we’re going to be spending more time together.”