good night

umhdurum·:

( 1.52 ) i feel like you’ve said that about everyone you’ve ever been with ( 1.53 ) remember those 3 days you were obsessed with levi 😭 ( 1.53 ) speaking of.. how’s it going over there with your 🤩⭐🌟boyfriend🤩⭐🌟 callie? ( 1.54 ) i’ve been spending time with xuanyu and alex.. just, y’know ( 1.55 ) nate and i have been 🍆😻 since the yule ball so i’ve been around him bit more ( 1.55 ) i doubt they’re missing me much.. ( 1.56 ) but i miss you guys 🥺🥺🥺

( 16.51 ) Hmmmm I don’t know Callie ( 16.51 ) Actually brb I need to reflect on this one  ( 16.57 ) Okay ( 16.58 ) I miss u guys too xmas is shitty without u 👎🏼 stop having boyfriends and boy toys or whatever without me 👎🏼 ( 16.58 ) Anyway I’ve been thinkin ( 16.58 ) Like I was trying to imagine spending my life with isaac just to see how that could potentially be, not saying it means anything!!! But like ( 16.59 ) He did everything right, he proposed to me, married me, and we had three babies!! He was such an amazing father to them all. I even saw u guys in my imagination! We were all pregnant at the same time, can u guys believe it? Unfortunately I didn’t sense through my wonderful, fantastic, always correct seer abilities who had knocked u guys up but it was so much fun!! We had a joint baby shower and everything!!  ( 17.00 ) Oh but back to isaac though, u guys wanna know what the best thing was? We achieved soulmate level telepathy!! Like woah!!!!!!  ( 17.00 ) Oh wait ( 17.00 ) Fuck

umhdurum·:

( 1.44 ) i can’t believe you didn’t know.. i thought you did but just didn’t want to date him or something 😭 ( 1.44 ) you should tell us how the confession made you feel!   ( 1.45 ) maybe you’ll understand your feelings more if you talk to us about it? ( 1.45 ) but well nate kept me up and then dotty texted ( 1.46 ) ok technically i kept him up… if you catch my drift 😼 ( 1.46 ) but it’s okay! i’m not tired yet hehe

( 16.44 ) UHMM NO I DIDN’T KNOW? HOW DID YOU KNOW? ( 16.46 ) I don’t know… It made me feel kinda weird? Like it was unexpected and overwhelming but I also didn’t think like oh ew not him u know? Well might have been weird if I’d had that reaction since we’ve had sex several times ( 16.46 ) He’s like one of the best ones I’ve ever been with by the way I know I already mentioned some things last year but Merlin is he good ( 16.47 ) Also I thought you were staying behind to spend time with Alex and xuanyu and then you’re spending time with nate?? What’s that about ( 16.47 ) But also let’s get back to the topic at hand which is helping me figure out what to do about this whole thing

( 16.36 ) HOW IS THAT NOT CRAZY??? ( 16.36 ) Uh pretty sure I’ve got eyes but I’ve never seen him bein more than my FRIEND ( 16.36 ) Well until we kissed and all that last year but like that was still just us being friendly…..  ( 16.37 ) This year he’s been so insistent on trying to talk to me though like he made it sound so serious so I’ve been tryin to avoid that cos idk it sounds scary 😭 ( 16.37 ) But today my distractions did not work and he managed to start talking to me anyway… 😰 ( 16.38 ) Ok just realised no one asked for a full detail of all that happened which I think u should have cos it was crazy… Anyways  ( 16.38 ) I didn’t really know what to tell him cos I don’t know… What I feel?? Do I feel anything??? I don’t know!!! It’s just scary  ( 16.38 ) He said he wanted to give me some time so he’d leave me alone and then he just left so I honestly got no idea what’s going on here 😭

umhdurum​:

( 16.27 ) i told you to never use that name 😭 ( 16.27 ) i’m still awake but it’s arse o’clock here 😭 ( 16.28 ) what’s going on? are you okay?

( 16.28 ) WELL I needed the dramatic effect of full names so you’re just goin to have to deal with it ( 16.28 ) ANYWAY ( 16.28 ) I’m????????????? ( 16.30 ) Ok brain short circuited for a second there  ( 16.30 ) AM I OKAY? I DON’T KNOW ( 16.30 ) What I do know is I really wish I wasn’t here alone this xmas like I don’t blame u kirby I know u wanted to spend it with alex and xuanyu but I am freakingggg out right now

[ outgoing owlet → super smash sisters, 29.12.20 ] ( @umhdurum & @reposingminds )

( 16.24 ) GIRLS ( 16.24 ) KIRKLEY ( 16.24 ) CALLIOPE ( 16.24 ) 999 ( 16.24 ) HUGE EMERGENCY ( 16.25 ) KIRBY I KNOW IT’S LIKE 1AM OVER THERE RIGHT NOW BUT YOU BETTER NOT BE ASLEEP

it’s the kinda ending you don’t wanna see... w/ nate, 14/12/2020 ( @naweyn )

she had to wonder if this was a good idea. though at this point, it was probably too late to be asking herself that. standing outside of delphine’s shop, callie actually found herself debating whether or not to go on ahead inside — a predicament that has oddly never occurred to her before until today. normally, the junior would be able to walk into the store with no problem at all, almost as if it had become another home to her; and in a way, it did, especially with how many times she frequented the shop the past year to either help delphine out or just coming by to see nate himself. with that in mind, there’s absolutely no reason for callie to have so much hesitation going in. then again, that was back when everything was normal. 

it has been weeks since she had seen nate last. properly, at least. sure, she still saw him around on campus between classes and quidditch, but it just wasn’t the same as before. things have definitely changed. ‘how’ or ‘why’ they changed, she wasn’t sure. but if callie had to be honest with herself, she knew she didn’t like it. no, she definitely doesn’t like it. and whatever this feeling was that was sitting in the pit of her stomach, she couldn’t even begin to find the words to explain it. however, the one thing she does know is that she needed to see him.

so there she was, still standing outside the shop in the same predicament she was just moments ago. there was a wrapped gift tucked underneath her coat, an attempt she made to keep the christmas present dry from the sloshy snow and icicle droplets that threatened to fall from the tiled roofs above her. she took a deep breath and exhaled. she didn’t know why she was so nervous, but it was truly now or never. after taking one moment more, she finally garnered the courage to step into the shop.

she just couldn’t wrap her head around it.

they did everything right up to this point. everyone showed up to practice, committing hours a day to prepare for every match. they ran every drill and play they know; and still, suseong had another humiliating defeat. she just couldn’t figure out what were they doing so wrong.

callie berated herself as soon as the match was called, cheers erupting from the stands as levi had once again caught the snitch. it was his comeback. he deserved it. callie knew that and she wanted that for him. he took the sport more seriously than anyone she’s ever met and has trained much harder for it too. and regardless of how she feels, she was happy for him. but there was something about losing almost three times consecutively that the junior captain herself just couldn’t get over.

was it her? was she the reason why suseong just couldn’t pull ahead? it had to be because their quidditch team has never had a losing streak this bad in the last three years she has been here. was it the way she was leading? was she being too soft, too hard? was she not being committed to her team enough? thousands of questions plagued her mind, but all the answers still pointed to one thing:

she was the variable. she was the problem. she wasn’t pulling her weight. she didn’t deserve to be captain. that’s all there was to it.

‘i wouldn’t miss our day for the world… i thought you knew that.’

“i thought i knew that, too. but what do you want me to think?” his tone of voice is harsher than he’s intending it to be, but it’s obvious he’s exasperated. it’s a stark contrast to the way she’s talking to him — so quiet and frail, so unlike her — and that makes him feel even worse. he doesn’t think he’s ever upset callie like this before. not on purpose, of course not, and any time he’d done so unknowingly he’d been quick to gather her into his arms the minute he figured it out, suffocating her with his warmth until she’d relented.

he can’t do that now and it’s driving him crazy.

“we haven’t spent any time together lately. not like before.”

is before gone now? just like that? had they… had they made a mistake when they decided to cross that line, right after they’d promised each other to not let it fuck up their friendship? because that’s the only thing that’s different about them this year, isn’t it? things aren’t supposed to be this complicated. he doesn’t even know why it’s so complicated. why can’t they just stop acting like this. why can’t he just stop acting like he’s—

“i’m not—” jealous. he doesn’t bother to finish that sentence, because it’s absurd. isn’t it? there’s nothing for him to be jealous of. callie is his—his best friend, his best girl.

isn’t she?

“i just— i don’t understand why you have to spend all your time with him when…” that used to be me. us. but he doesn’t know how to tell her this without… without what, exactly? there’s a lump in his throat he has no idea how to get rid of, as if preventing him from telling her how he’s feeling. he should be able to tell her. he’s never not been able to tell her everything. but levi can’t seem to find the words to express himself and he doesn’t understand why. none of this makes sense to him anymore.

what are you feeling? that’s the worst part of it all: he can’t give this a name because he’s never experienced this. it’s anger, most of all. quite a bit of frustration. he’s so damn irritated as of late, every time he has to watch callie show interest in someone that isn’t him. it hadn’t ever bothered him before, not like this. he used to damn well congratulate her for getting laid, for fuck’s sake. tease her about her endeavors the same she did him. and now? now he can’t stand the fucking thought of someone that isn’t him touching her. what the hell’s that supposed to mean?

‘are you really that jealous of hyunwoo…’

is he? is that what this is?

“you’re not dating him again—” as soon as the words leave his mouth, it feels as if a heavy weight settles into his stomach. because fuck. what if she is? no. of course not. she would’ve told him if she was, right? yeah. but that doesn’t stop him from looking at her as though he’s suddenly seeing her in a new (and not exactly positive) light, his tone accusatory despite the fact he has absolutely no reason to be—has absolutely no right to be. “are you?”

‘we haven’t spent any time together lately. not like before.’

a heavy sigh escaped her lips. callie knew the truth to that. it was her own fault for allowing herself to become so distant from levi, not that she wanted to. but their relationship-- it had become so incredibly intense so fast, she felt the need to put a break on everything. especially when it started to bleed into their lives outside of whatever they were. it was consuming them both and for them to start having unnatural expectations of one another that weren’t meant for ‘just friends,’ it made them confusing and this new change to their relationship even more alarming.

“you, what?” with every struggle the male voiced out, callie felt herself growing more restless. she was anticipating any clue, answer, or excuse he can give her, having every urge to fill in the blanks that levi was leaving out. but she knew better than to get her hopes up. she shouldn’t even consider the possibility. still, she wished he’d just say something to make all of this go away. or at least, tell her something that would desperately make her want to stay.

‘you’re not dating him again— are you?’

“...excuse me?”

she was at a loss for words. did he really just ask her if she was dating hyunwoo again? did it even count as him asking when his own words sounded so certain and accusatory? levi really believed that she was the one in the wrong here and for some reason, that bothered callie a lot. and before she could even begin to think as to why, her own mouth already began shooting off much to her own shock.

“no, i am not dating hyunwoo.” her words were quick and sharp, almost as if she knew if she’d stopped speaking now, she’ll never get to say what’s really bothering her. and in turn, levi would never really know what was wrong. “and even if i were, do you really think i have to answer to you about everything i do? half the time, you don’t even tell me what you’re doing much less who you’re screwing around with. I always have to find out some other way and pretend i’m okay with it -- or, somehow, pretend that i already knew!”

with every word callie spoke, she felt her voice raising louder and higher -- something she never did with levi before. she was never the one to get mad or upset, always understanding and supportive even if there were thousands of reasons for her not to be. honestly, callie really believed -- no, she wanted to believe-- that none of this had ever bothered her. but here she is now, beyond confused and distressed, and revealing everything she had been carrying inside all this time. 

“i really can’t believe how you’re such a hypocrite! you can date, fuck around, and string along as many people as you want when it suits you. but the moment there’s someone who’s interested in me, i don’t get to have the option of deciding whether i want to date them or not?” she was practically fuming at this point, her face red from either her embarrassment or from just pure exasperation. and maybe it was because she was exhausted from this fight or just this entire situation in general, but she can practically feel tears threatening to form out of frustration, alerting herself to try and keep it together -- although she can also feel herself failing that the longer this drags out. 

but she wasn’t done, not yet. she still had a lot more to say despite both the tightness in her throat and the heaviness in her chest telling her to stop. 

“this really isn’t even fair. how can you come up to me and judge me for even entertaining the idea that for once, i may have someone who likes me, someone who wants to date me? and so what if it happens to be my ex-boyfriend? honestly, if this is some type of jealousy or possession thing -- please grow up, levi!” 

god, how she felt so much like a huffy child just then. why did she have to plead her case to someone who was supposed to be her best friend? she couldn’t understand it at all and now, the both of them were so close to having one huge meltdown over something that could have probably been avoided in the first place. but they were both so stupid, so dumb. they really dug a hole for themselves over their reckless decisions and are now just grasping at each other and any reason for some sort of way out. they were both desperate to find a solution, but at what cost exactly?

a goldfish adventure.

nate isn’t surprised callie goes along with the pure white lie, even playing a much better part than him. that part about the puppy? absolute stroke of genius. not that he would call callie a liar — god no, definitely not — but he himself is definitely too honest to ever come up with some way to turn this lie more elaborate. and so he resigns himself to playing his part of a loving and supportive boyfriend, letting callie take charge of the situation. which is — heh — usually how things go between the two of them, anyway.

which seems like a good idea until she hits him with the very familiar term of endearment. well, okay, it still is a good idea, he’s just… hahhh! had it not been for the part he’s trying to play, he would definitely have side eyed the younger just about now, as callie knows what that word does to him. and while she’s been known to throw it around accidentally at times, this time it feels like it’s on purpose, especially with the way it’s emphasized.

still, he must play his part, so he does his best to keep himself together, though he’s sure there’s at least a light, pink flush in his cheeks. “two seems like a perfect idea,” he agrees, and honestly, yeah, it kind of is. he hadn’t really considered that the one fish might get lonely. at least this way the fish will have a friend. “then we can name one each!” he can’t help but grin excitedly at the idea. “i already know what i’m naming mine.” nemo, of course, after his favorite movie of all time — he’s thought about this.

the store owner is quick to accommodate callie’s request. “of course you can have a look around! please, be my guest, and let me know if you need any help at all. i’ll leave you be for now.”

with a smile passed at the woman, nate once again takes hold of callie’s hand, and moves towards the fish tanks, away from the owner. despite her promise to leave them alone for the time being, he can practically feel her gaze on them, as she’s clearly still keeping an eye on them. better not drop the act completely, then. but — surely she can’t hear them if they talk in hushed voices.

“callie,” he murmurs quietly, though he somehow still manages to sound whiny. “you’re so mean to me, you know that, right?” now it’s his turn to pout. “i know you did that on purpose. you’re evil.”

callie smiled at the store owner pleasantly after she and nate were given the go ahead to explore the store at their convenience. expressing a quick word of thanks towards the older woman, the junior was quickly led over to the fish displays by the geumseong captain, her hand taken back into his. it was obvious that he wanted to keep up the act a little bit longer, especially with the store owner still carefully watching them like a hawk. however, when they finally received a moment to themselves, callie felt herself biting back an amused grin. she knew she had caused a slip up just moments before and with the way nate was already whining to her, she knew it was already too late for her to take it back.

“it wasn’t on purpose, i swear.” she whispers back to him though it was clear that she found the situation hilarious regardless. obviously, this wasn’t the first time she made a mistake like this so the fact that the older of the two still managed to become flustered by the term of endearment accident or not, it only encouraged callie to be more obvious about it. but then again, she wasn’t mean or evil for that matter. she had to at least prove nate wrong in that aspect. “it honestly just slipped out! it was a completely, innocent mistake.”

eyes flickering over to the store owner once again, callie decided to put on the playful girlfriend act once again. with how small the store was and with how glanced over they are, the two definitely weren’t going to get a breather any time soon. they might as well make the most of it, right? so callie gets on her tip toes and presses a peck against nate’s lips, partially out of apology for being careless before and partially because, well… why not? they were supposed to be acting like a couple anyway so what’s a few takes in initiative to act like it?

the realization he shouldn’t have opened his damn mouth had been there before he’d even said anything — but it didn’t truly hit levi until he saw the abrupt change of her demeanor right in front of him. his throat immediately goes dry, closing up on him. his lips are parted as if to say something, but nothing’s coming out and he’s just staring at her. before he can even think of an apology of some kind, she’s turned on her heels and fled the bakery even quicker than she’d arrived, and that’s when the panic starts to rise up.

had he ruined it— had he just ruined them? all because of his own pettiness?

shit. shit. shit. “callie— callie, wait.” but she’s already left and he’s so fucking stupid. “i’m sorry!” he abandons the booth and leaves his drink behind, hurries after her. “could you just— shit, sorry— callie?” he’d straight up knocked someone onto the ground when they tried to come into the shop just as he ran out, giving them a quick apology but not bothering to help them up because he’s too frantic. too bothered by the fact his best friend, his— his callie won’t even look back at him or give him any kind of response.

he shouldn’t have said that. he’d already been aware of this and yet. part of him had wanted to be an asshole, for his words to hit her like a slap to the face, to make her feel as confused and irritated like he’d been the past few days. weeks. he doesn’t even know when this started anymore. but he’d never seen that expression on her face before and that’s what throws him off most. not knowing how to place what she’s feeling. it scares him because he doesn’t know that means.

and that, in turn, angers him. he’s so confused it pisses him off, because this isn’t them. he doesn’t snark at her like this, she doesn’t ignore him. it’s not about hyunwoo. or— or maybe it is, but not about him specifically. it could’ve been anyone, if they’d threatened levi’s presence in callie’s life enough. because that’s what this boils down to, doesn’t it? she’s so close to someone who’s not him, as if she’s trying to replace him.

‘i do want you, so be with me.’ isn’t that what she’d told him, back in that classroom? she’s not supposed to want anyone else—

his head’s reeling. he raises his voice.

“lee kahee!” the streets are mostly abandoned, but they could’ve been crowded and levi still wouldn’t have cared about anyone else around them at this point. “stop. talk to me.”

this wasn’t her. she wasn’t the one to run off when things became hard. no matter how difficult things got for her or levi, callie was always the one to stand her ground and made sure things worked out in the end. she knew that she was wrong for running away from him because the real callie wouldn’t. the callie the both of them knew would have stayed and pretended that everything was normal or at least tried to prove that his assumption wrong. but when his bitter words reached her ears, it felt as if her heart had frozen over and sunk hard to the pit of her stomach. 

she has definitely never felt this kind of ache before.

she didn’t know where she was going, but she can hear the shouts of her name growing louder by the second. it was only a matter of time before levi would catch up to her, she knew that. but she couldn’t find the courage to face him, not after that. she was desperate -- desperate to hide, desperate to disappear. all she had to do was get back to her dorm and then--

‘lee kahee!’

callie stopped in her tracks instantly, much too her own dread. her breathing was uneven, shaky, her heart pounding rapidly against her chest from both the sprint she just did and the uncertainty she was feeling. she stood there still, unsure whether she should stay exactly how she was or turn to face him. she knew the correct answer, of course, but actually forcing herself to actually meet his eyes at this moment? she couldn’t do it. she didn’t have the strength to.

‘talk to me.’

slowly, callie reluctantly turned around, her eyes downcast as she stared down at the stony walkway beneath them rather than levi himself. she didn’t even know what to say to him or what he wanted to hear exactly. it was obvious to her how he felt. or rather, it was getting obvious for her to see that he was beginning to see her as someone else; and maybe, she was beginning to see levi as someone else too because this this wasn’t them. and the fact that callie had to keep telling herself, reminding herself of that only helped raise her anxiety, her fear that maybe… maybe, this wouldn’t work.

maybe... there is no them anymore.

that thought alone was enough to shatter her heart into a million pieces.

“i wouldn’t miss our day for the world…” her words came out weak, fragile as if she was trying so hard to just keep herself together -- just long enough to get herself through this confrontation. “i was late, but i would never miss it. you know that, levi. I-- thought you knew that...”

crossing her arms, she continued to stare down at the road for another moment or two before her eyes slowly began to glance up towards the man in front of her. she felt nervous, hurt, and overwhelmed, and her body language probably showed that as well. but with every word that she spoke, callie felt herself become a little bit more braver -- her own ire stirring this pot of emotions and confusion boiling between the two of them. she knew this was going to get out of hand, she can feel it. but knowing the both of them, they’re both going be too much in their feelings to try and stop it.

“are you really that jealous of hyunwoo that you would have to throw out his name every time you’re disappointed with me? is that how we’re going to do things now?”

a goldfish adventure.

“oh! what a lovely couple!”

huh? well, that’s definitely not the reaction nate expects when walking into a pet store, of all places. though, he supposes he gets what the… store owner, he assumes? means, considering how close callie and him are, their hands linked together. a smile is given in response to the employee, though it’s a distracted one, as he’s mostly focused on callie’s gesturing towards the direction of what they’re looking for — the goldfish.

before they even get the chance to begin heading over to the displays, though, the owner? (actually, yeah, he’s just gonna assume owner from here on), continues talking to them. which might be expected if she’s, y’know, helping them with a purchase, but… that’s not really what she ends up talking about.

“you two remind me of me and my husband.” there’s a longing in her eyes, it seems almost sad, and nate nearly thinks she’s about to deliver the sob story of the century to two unsuspecting customers. “he had to attend a meeting, so he couldn’t be here today,” oh. apparently not — no sob story, then, “but it really warms my heart seeing couples come in today. oh, and someone as beautiful and in love as you two!”

in love? well, nate doesn’t know about that. sure, he loves callie — she’s one of his closest friends, someone he knows he always can rely on. and sure, they often do act very affectionate, even occasionally sleeping together, but in love? as in, romantic love? nah, they’re… not. it’s not like that.

he’s about to say as much, his mouth open, ready to speak, when— “you two say you’re looking for fish, yes? just for today, i’ll offer up a very special discount for couples only! well, you’re the only couple that has visited so far, so it kind of is only for you two. but you seem so sweet, and i’m in a good mood, so! any fish you want, 50% off.”

a discount? well, now they’re talking. nate isn’t about to say no to that. “oh. yeah! definitely! we’re very much in love.” he lets go of callie’s hand, instead putting his arm around around her waist. the younger is pulled closer to him, his hand laid gently across her waist.

“my girlfriend and i are looking for a fish, yes. a goldfish, to be more specific. isn’t that right, babe?” he asks, turning his head towards callie, pressing a brief kiss to her temple.

well, this was an unexpected turn of events. who knew they would come across such an opportunity? not that callie would normally look for a way to get a discount from any sort of store clerk, but the fact that it was basically being handed to her and nate – it was too good to pass up. it shouldn’t be that hard to pass off as an actual couple, right?

so callie put on the works, flashing a loving smile towards the man besides her while allowing nate to pull them closer together. her hand rests on his chest as she hugs his side, getting nice and cozy in his hold.

“mhm, we were actually thinking about getting a puppy together first. but because it’s our first pet together, we thought it would be safer to start of with a goldfish or two.” callie explains with a laugh as if it was some inside joke she was letting the older woman on. the store owner seemed appreciative of the little details much to the junior’s surprise. it did make callie feel a little bad that they were basically feeding the older woman’s imagination over their fake relationship. at least she seemed more than happy to indulge in whatever they told her. what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her, right? yeah, at least her day was made a little bit brighter.

“baby, should we get two goldfish then? that way the other doesn’t get lonely back at home when we’re gone?” callie gives nate her best pout, pressing into him as her chin rests edgily against his arm as she looks up at him. she cracks another smile as she hears the store owner laughing at her antics, clearly enjoying the sight of the couple being lovey-dovey.

removing herself from her ‘boyfriend’s’ side briefly, callie turns her attention to the older woman, putting on her best excited expression – not that it was hard, of course. callie was genuinely excited. she couldn’t wait to see all of the different varieties of fish. but they couldn’t go yet, not until they politely excused themselves from the store owner first.

unorthodox methods

nate had missed callie over the summer. with just how close they had gotten over the spring semester, it had been hard not to. and after a summer of endless teasing, and — uh — other things, he’s excited to finally see her again. so excited, in fact, that he’d been counting down the days for the past month or so. 

what he doesn’t expect, though, is for their first meeting after months of not being able to see each other, touch each other, to be quite like this. if he’s being honest, he had expected for them to meet up in either of their dorm rooms (preferably his, actually, considering who callie shares a dorm with — kirby’s sister is terrifying), clothes strewn across the floor after barely getting a greeting in. but instead they’re here, at his mother’s house, with callie nagging at him the same way delphine moon has been doing for weeks already. 

seems like there’s no getting out of it this time, either. nate is quick to initiate something a bit more intimate than packing books he’s never read the moment they’re alone, but to no avail. with callie pressed against his bedroom door, hands gripping her ass as he holds her up, they only exchanged a few kisses, barely even getting started, when callie put a stop to it. “but callieeeeee,” he’s quick to protest, voice coming out in a whine, but she—

well. callie had gotten what she wanted, with a proposal it had been impossible to say no to. the two of them are out of the house within minutes, instead of the hours (or possibly even days) packing usually would have taken him. nate is in such a hurry he even forgets the usual parting peck on his mother’s cheek, merely throwing a quick “goodbye” at her with a wave over his shoulder instead, with no time to wait around for a response.

once they’re finally at their destination, the cardboard boxes he’d been carrying are quickly dropped to the floor — he’ll deal with those later. then, with a loud, over-dramatic sigh, he flops down on his bed, head buried in his pillows to give off the image of exhaustion. at her words, a mere grunt is given in response, until she approaches him, and—

oh, he’s been caught. nate turns his head around to face her, a playful smile on his lips. “hmmm,” he hums as he lies there, taking the time to drag his gaze up her body — it’s obvious that he’s checking her out — before finally settling on her face. she looks good like this, all casual, a little sweaty from carrying boxes in the late summer heat. 

“i still have some energy,” he starts, slightly shifting his body as his hand reaches out, grabbing the belt hoops of callie’s shorts to drag her into bed with him. she ends up on top of him, with nate on his back looking up at her. exactly where he’d wanted her. “though,” as he speaks, his hands find their way under her shirt, lightly stroking the skin of her back, “that energy is only reserved for very specific purposes.” his expression appears as innocent as possible, though his hand has already started unhooking her bra, making his intentions obvious. 

their eyes met briefly and it was clear that the senior was busy checking her out much to her disbelief. there wasn’t much to stare at, of course. she was just… callie. dressed in the most casual outfit consisting of denim shorts and a thin tee to help her stay cool from the summer heat. her hair is still short from the haircut she pulled the previous semester, but is now tied back into a small half ponytail as the remainder of her loose locks stuck out of place and were tucked behind her ears. she was more than sure she hasn’t changed over the summer physically so the fact that nate still made it a point to linger his gaze over her body, the gesture makes her feel that perhaps, maybe, there was something worth looking at — even if it was an unintentional sentiment, but she digresses.

she wasn’t at all surprised by his actual intentions. not in the slightest. the moment he reached out for the belt loops of her shorts, she knew what he wanted and she was more than willing to comply. so she allows him to take the initiative, maneuvering herself at his coaxing as she finds herself now straddling his torso, her hands pressed against his chest as she steadies herself. she watches him carefully, knowingly, as his hands began tracing her skin underneath the soft material of her shirt, his touch welcomed and familiar. 

“oh, really...?” her words trail off as she doesn’t wait to lean into him, her lips already hastily capturing his. and then she hears a small click, the male’s fingers easily unhooking her bra which now hung loosely on her shoulders. he was already working fast, but callie didn’t mind as she felt herself trying to catch up as well. her own hands were eagerly tugging at the looseness of his shirt wanting to remove it just as much as he wanted to remove hers. 

she missed this. she missed his touch. she missed being with him. and it certainly didn’t help the fact that they spent this whole entire summer just teasing each other, building up to this very moment. 

freeing the bottom of his shirt from underneath her thighs, she finally managed to get her hands to come into contact with his warm skin, feeling the familiar ripples of his abdomen as she slowly began riding up the piece of clothing further and further upwards. 

hello stranger.

at honeydews’ bakery & sweets with callie. @reposingminds (06/11/20)

he’s jittery.

it’s not because of the already half-empty iced coffee he’d ordered with a tight-lipped smile, nodding stiffly when honeydews’ owner recognized him and asked if he’d like to get the usual. he’d shrugged when she’d asked, ‘oh, where’s your friend?’ because he’d already been expecting that knowing look in her eyes when she puts the emphasis on friend, like it’s some inside joke the three of them shared. today, he doesn’t want to acknowledge it. he just wants to sit here in this damn booth, eat his damn treat and be done with this damn day. ‘she’ll be here,‘ he’d said. she always is.

except callie isn’t. not yet, and that’s what’s causing his foot to tap on the floor like a vexed customer. she’s late. barely, but late. and callie’s never late, at least not without letting him know. but he’d checked his phone a minute ago and she hasn’t sent him a message, so. where is—

oh. there she is.

when he sees her walk inside the shop, there’s a swoop in levi’s stomach. it’s similar to that feeling you experience when you’ve been waiting at the top of the rollercoaster, the brief moment of exhilaration before you realize you’re about to plummet down — and then actually do. it’s been happening more and more around calie: he’s so incredibly relieved, confused and irritated all at once simply at the sight of her, and levi has no idea which one he’s supposed to express. and it bothers him. it bothers him to the point where it feels like an itch under his skin, something he can’t quite get rid of no matter how or where he tries to scratch it. he needs it to stop. how does he make it stop?

he doesn’t say hello and the smile on his face can barely be called one. “i didn’t think you’d show up.” it’s said so airily, as if it’s an off-handed remark, as if he doesn’t mean anything by it. as if things haven’t been weird and he can tease her like he always does — or at least that’s what he’s trying to pass it off as. except there’s nothing about the tone of his voice that implies it was a joke, and levi knows it. well, irritation it is. he doesn’t want to be an ass, not on today of all days, but he’s so god damn annoyed that it’s obvious he’s just spewing word vomit for the sake of being an ass.

don’t say it, don’t say it, don’t— “did you get lost on your ex-boyfriend’s dick while on your way here?” …and he said it.

crap. crap!

she knew she was running late, and the anxiety that was eating away at her stomach only made the situation worse. okay, so maybe she shouldn’t have left her dorm later than usual; and maybe, she shouldn’t have been trying to limit her time with levi, of all people, in the first place. but things have been weird between them lately and its grown to the point where no matter how hard either of them try to fix it, it only made things worse. especially when almost every conversation between them always ends up with them arguing over one person in particular: her ex-boyfriend, hyunwoo.

levi never showed interest in whoever callie was seeing before. sure, he made his remarks -- but they were always offhanded jokes about how callie could do better or how they better treat her right. he has never shown disdain towards any of her relationships outside of theirs until hyunwoo was mentioned. that was when the under-handed comments began.

‘do you have to dress up for him in front of me?’

’you know he’s just going to hurt you in the end.’

’why does it have to be you? he has other people he can see.’

and honestly? she knew he was right. but it didn’t help the agitation that was seeping into their already tense relationship. callie thought some distance would help improve things; but obviously, she had never been so wrong.

she was ten minutes late when she finally reached the store front, slightly out of breath with her face flushed. she had been running to try and make it on time for their monthly get together, a tradition they kept since the first day they met. she was already feeling apologetic that she was late. after all, callie was never late when it came to levi. however, after seeing him sitting alone in their usual booth waiting on her, it was more than enough for the guilt already inside her to multiply tenfold.

taking a deep breath, she approaches the other carefully, her hands clenching onto the strap of her bag. she offered levi a small, rueful smile hoping that he wasn’t too upset. maybe if she can crack some sort of joke, the tension would ease a little. however, before she could even get a single word in, levi had already beat her to the punch.

if words could knock the wind out of a person, callie should have been ko'd right then and there. and in a sense, she was. her expression changed and if she looks anything like how she felt, she knew she had to leave. immediately.

she couldn’t do this anymore.

she couldn’t talk to levi knowing he’s going to be like this the entire time.

she couldn’t fight with him again, especially when it was supposed to be their day.

so without a word, she turned and walked right back out from the bakery with every intention of leaving levi behind. she could feel her face burning, but whether it was from the anger or the unfairness from the situation that was bubbling inside of her, she couldn’t exactly tell. all she knew was that if she had stayed, she would have probably said something she would end up regretting.

a goldfish adventure.

a trip to busan with callie, 10/10/20. ( @reposingminds )

“okay, so it should be here somewhere…” nate squints at his phone screen, before looking up, taking in their surroundings. map reading isn’t exactly his strong suit, and turns out — it’s not callie’s either. he doesn’t know how long they’ve spent aimlessly wondering — but if he has to guess, probably around an hour — but they finally seem to be getting somewhere. hopefully.

a quick glance back down on the map tells him they should be no more than a few hundred meters away, but at this point, he doesn’t know if he completely trusts this thing. man, this city confuses him still, despite his many visits in the years he’s lived in mokseong. he misses chicago, where he pretty much knows where everything is, but— busan is fine, he supposes. could be worse. now if only they could find this damn—

oh. it’s there! “callie!” he comes to a halt in front of their (hopefully right this time) final destination, grabbing her arm to make her pause in her tracks, too. “that’s it, right?” his phone is brought up in front of them both, with a picture of the pet store open, to compare it to the real thing. this has to be the right place — either that, or he’s blind.

“yeah,” he nods decisively, “that has to be it. let’s go inside!”

maybe they should have brought someone who could read map. callie found herself musing this very thought at least every few minutes since they had left the train station. now callie wouldn’t exactly call them terrible navigators, but from trying to share the screen of nate’s phone to also trying to make sure not to accidentally bump into any of the locals, with what should have been a fifteen minute walk at most, it somehow turned itself into almost a full hour expedition instead. that’s not to say that she wasn’t having fun, of course.

with every wrong turn they made or them realizing just how turned around they actually were, callie found herself in fits of amused laughter, her hold on the male’s arm growing tighter at some points because she just couldn’t keep it together. she was excited, thrilled at the prospect of an off-campus adventure. and for what exactly? pet goldfish, of course. probably one of the most normal, every day things she can think of.

“i think we’ve been here before–” the scenery became familiar. she was sure they walked by that same post box twice now. and there was that convenience store at the corner of the street too when they were taking a break there twenty minutes ago. suddenly, callie was stopped her her tracks, a firm arm preventing her from walking any further. she blinked in confusion until she realized the store front in front of them was exactly the one they’ve been searching for all this time.