PLAY WITH FIRE ;

He all but stumbled through the door once Maggie had opened it wider, the warmth of her home a stark contrast to the storm raging outside. Rhys shook his wet jacket from his shoulders, bunching it into his fist as he paced back and forth for a silent moment. He could feel her eyes on him, watching his every movement, waiting for an answer from him. But his mind was still scrambled, still trying to wrap his head around what he had heard, and what it could mean. He wasn't sure if it would change everything, or nothing at all...

A part of Ozan was wondering if he was trying to create tension between them. He'd always thought that Aiyla deserved better than him, this was the reason behind not making a move on her despite knowing how he felt about her for a long time now. The past few weeks had been the closest thing to bliss that Ozan had ever felt. Despite not knowing exactly where they stood, they'd discovered a new side of their relationship, no matter how hard they both seemed to still hold onto the word friendship. Drew though, was everything that Ozan had never and would never be. They were actually complete opposites and Ozan couldn't help but realize that the other man could be good for Aiyla. That he could offer her a life without her even having to worry about his addictions, his pain, of having to wonder when he'd relapse again.

Aiyla slowed her gait, until the pair had come to a gentle halt. Her hand dropped from his arm as she turned to face Ozan, but quickly found his hand where her fingers loosely clung onto his. The mention of Drew caused her stomach to plunge, a soft frown burrowing upon her features. Deep down, Aiyla knew that if Ozan shared an ex who was as close to him as Drew was to her, it would cause unease to grow from within. It would sink its claws into her mind, spewing doubt into every word Ozan did or didn't say, and every inch he would move. Perhaps Aiyla should have considered that herself, but... She and Ozan had jump head first into their bubble that she hadn't thought to look down.

the other had a point but still, she was an intern and she needed to live her life before she graduated and really got tangled up with all of this. alejandro wasn't going to tell her that though. she didn't seem interested in taking his advice and if he were being honest, the fact that she worked so hard was ultimately going to be what got her a permanent position, if that was what she wanted. he watched her as she leaned forward and he chuckled, "none of my girlfriends liked how dedicated i am to the job. they couldn't handle the late nights." he replied, his arms landing on his desk as he peered over at her. "and you? are men just intimidated?"

"Maybe you're looking in the wrong places for a girlfriend." she suggested lightly with a shrug of her shoulders. It seemed to be a simple solution in Mia's head, at least. If there was one thing she had learned from studying law, was that there was always a solution, a loophole. "You need a woman who is equally as dedicated to the job, so when you're working late on a Friday night, she's also working late." screw opposites attract, lawyers were a very specific niche of human. "My exes never understood why I'm more dedicated to my career than I am to their needs. Besides, I don't think right now I'm a commitment type of woman. My commitment is to my job, everywhere else in my life? I need freedom."

closed starter for @sinncrsx (ozan bulut x aiyla demirci)

Unfortunately, Aiyla's dating history had always been rather bleak. She seemed to have quite the knack for falling fast and hard, and staying longer than what was perhaps healthy for her. She was a hopeless romantic, and believed that fate would allow things to fall into place. However, she was quickly learning that men came like buses. She had waited and waited, and suddenly they all arrived at once. She had always been close with Drew, perhaps too close for an ex, some may have observed. Aiyla had struggled to unblur the line in their friendship, and was always there when he called. But then there was Ozan, and well... Their past had been tumultuous and yet they had always ebbed and flowed perfectly in sync with one another, even without having to say a word. Perhaps that was the stark difference between the two men. Aiyla felt like she had always been pushing and pulling with Drew, like trying to get blood from a stone. But Ozan, he was like coming up for fresh air and remembering how to breathe again.

"I don't think I could mistake you for anyone else," Sofia said, taking in his distinctive appearance. "And for the record, I enjoyed the music. You guys put on a great show." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her gaze lingering on his face. "I'm Sofia, by the way. It's nice to meet you." She extended her hand, offering a friendly handshake. As they stood there, her curiosity grew. She wondered what had inspired him to pursue music. There had to be a reason, right? "So, how long have you been playing with the band?" she asked.

Harry glanced upwards, his vision blurred by his own plumes of smoke as his lips curved into a quiet smirk. He was no stranger to women flirting with him, but it was always something he would relish in. "I'd hope not, you have been starin' at me for the past hour." he reminded her teasingly. "Harrison- or Harry, whichever you prefer." he reached forwards to shake her hand, the gesture itself awfully formal for Harry. "Professionally? A couple of years." he confessed as he leant his body against the brick wall behind him. "It started out as something we did in high school in my dad's garage but then we realised we were actually pretty good at it and figured we'd try and do a couple shows here and there."

Levi chuckled at Lola's fiery reaction, finding it oddly endearing. "You know me better than that. I wouldn't come all this way just to return a water bottle," he said with a playful smirk. "I wanted to see you, make sure you're doing alright." Despite their tumultuous past, a part of him still cared deeply for her. "That's great to hear. I'm happy for you, truly," he meant it—even if a small part of him wished he could still be a part of her success.

The muscles in her jaw tightened at Levi's honesty, although she couldn't stop herself from doubting if it was genuine. Was he here because he genuinely wanted to see her and make sure she was okay, or was he here to just be Levi and prod at the wound he had left gaping? "You could have done that over a text." Lola explained stubbornly, because as much as she wanted to see if he was alright too, she knew that seeing each other like this was only making the recovery process even worse. "And what if I'm not doing alright, Levi?" she pushed, wondering what his plan would have been if she hadn't faked how well she was doing.

alejandro couldn't help but let out a chuckle, "we both know i work too much. if i had a girlfriend, my phone would be blowing up this time of night." but, that wasn't the case. his phone was relatively quiet after business hours, which he was thankful for. it was nice to be able to get some work done in the quietness of the after work hours. a smile played on his lips as she spoke, "i'll give you that much but again, you did mention young. you should be living your life to its fullest, not working as late as you do."

"You can't critique me for something you do yourself." she reminded him jokingly, a smile upon her lips. "I mean, you're also here on a Friday night." it was clear they were both slaves to their careers, but there was something about lawyers that were just built differently. They tirelessly worked for justice, and that was perhaps something only another lawyer could understand and justify. "So what is it?" Mia mused, pressing her elbows onto the table and she leaned forwards. "Are the demands of the job too much for a girlfriend?" she pushed, her eyebrow raising lightly. "Or is it the girlfriend who can't meet the demands of the lawyer?"

Bar crawling wasn't her usual scene—typically preferring to stay home with a good book at this hour. But having declined their invitations three times already, she figured it was time to join them. She’d seen a few of the acts and during one of the breaks, Rachel texted Sofia asking her to come outside and guide her to their table. While waiting, she scrolled through her phone until the man spoke to her.

He plucked the lighter from her hand, using it to light the cigarette between his lips. He waited, puffing on it to make sure it was fully lit before handing it back. Harry almost sighed with pleasure at the nicotine rush as it was his first smoke post-show, and boy did he need it. "Well now, that depends, doesn't it?" he teased with a knowing smirk. "If you liked their music then yeah, that was me. If you thought they were shit then... Nah you've got me mistaken for someone else."

Perhaps he shouldn’t be here, but this time he actually had a legit reason to be. Levi was here to return Lola’s water bottle. In retrospect, maybe he shouldn’t have done this—text her when he'd already arrived. Not like she couldn’t replace a tumbler, but hey he couldn't judge, maybe this was an important bottle... "Before you start up, I’m here with this.” He dangled the metal water bottle in her face. 

"Are you serious right now?" her hand reached upwards, snatching the bottle from his hand. Angrily, Lola folded her arms across her chest, the stupid water bottle tucked under her arm. "Then why are you here, huh? Because I'm pretty sure this could've gone in the trash." she smiled sarcastically, waving the bottle in the air between them.

alejandro couldn't help but chuckle in response to the other's words, "that's flattering. you know, that you assume that i have a partner. i think we both know i work entirely too much to maintain a relationship. after all, like you said, they're hard to keep." and he assumed that was also her way of telling him that she were available. not that it mattered anyways. he shouldn't even be considering crossing the line but as much as he tried not to, it was basically impossible. "if you're not careful, you're going to end up like me. is that really what you want?" he asked, leaning back in his seat as he gave the woman in front of him his full attention.

"You? Single? I'm shocked." she teased lightly, a quiet smirk in the corner of her eyes as she dared to glance up from her paperwork. She could understand the attraction of a successful man who was passionate about his work, after all, that was the type of man Mia would choose for herself. It was difficult for her to focus on the words in front of her when she could feel the intensity of his blue eyes watching her every movement. And so she leant back in her chair, her own gaze challenging his. "You mean young, successful, and pretty much every woman's dream? Yeah, sounds like hell."

CLOSED STARTER FOR @sinncrsx FT. ALEJANDRO & MIA

Mia's career was her reason for everything she did. She had always been goal driven, even as a kid. She aspired to the best in her class at almost everything, and that determination had only accelerated through school and college. Becoming a lawyer had been her dream for years now, even if it meant long nights and little sleep. "I could ask you the same question." she mused as she moved around the table to drop her files down. Mia sat down, nudging in her chair as she began organising the papers. "A boyfriend who doesn't get mad at me for spending more time at work than I do at home?" she teased, quirking an eyebrow upwards. "They're pretty hard to find, and even harder to keep." she was quick to remind him.