𝕾𝖑𝖔𝖜 𝕭𝖑𝖔𝖔𝖒

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ lizeth selene via tiktok .

── "i'm outside your door." this is the first contact they've had in over two weeks. it's stupid, and she knows it's stupid; it can be heard in the tone of her voice, in the way she says the words. exasperated, humiliated, frustrated. but here she is anyway, standing idly in the hallway outside their room, waiting to be let in. "...i could really use some company." a distraction, that's what she actually means. a band-aid.

"just, give me a minute." phone is pulled away from their ear, slipped back into their pocket as they stand at the closed door. angel is so aware of the fact that they're a second option, the person that kaia ran to when her relationship was on the rocks. and yet, the thoughts didn't stop them from opening the door, pulling it wide enough to leave space for her to enter. "what happened this time?" the question hangs in the air as angel gestures for her to enter the apartment. they didn't need to know the answer, the inquiry mostly a fomality at this point.

mariela’s eyes furrow from current to departing customer, her expression of disapproval couldn’t escape anyone’s gaze. she’s usually better at hiding her dismay, but today has been unusually difficult. she really did enjoy her job, how fast-paced it was, and most of the time the customers were pleasant. today was one of those rare days when all the bad apples decided to show up. “i think it’s just one of those days. everyone’s been off,” she admitted to the woman, whom she connected with right away based on age alone. mariela keeps things professional with older customers because one slip up and the next thing she knew hr would be calling her for a ‘bad’ look. “it’s not always this crazy, i swear,” mariela sighed and continued ringing up the array of snack jas laid out. “it seems like you’ll be having a better night than me. going to the movies?” she inquired.

"off is definitely a word for whatever that was." a soft chuckle escapes at her own words. jasmine didn’t have the displeasure of ever having to work a retail job, but the horror stories that proceeded the career haunted those around her that had the displeasure. "you don't have to sugar coat it for me, i promise i won't hunt down your manager." hair is tossed over her shoulder as she laughs at herself again before shaking her head. "i wish my night was that exciting." a sheepish look takes over her features. "i've just got a boring night in planned, less movies more self care and snacks."

"ouch  —  would  it  kill  you  to  be  a  little  gentle?"  zach  complains,  wincing  against  the  cotton  swab  soaked  in  alcohol.  he  knows  he  doesn't  deserve  it  —  another  fight  on  the  ice,  head  pounding  and  sure  he's  suffered  a  concussion  after  being  thrown  onto  the  ice.  but  he'd  still  tell  you  he'd  won,  that  it  was  his  hand  pushing  the  other  team's  player  into  the  glass  before  the  two  were  promptly  broken  up.  and  he  didn't  plan  on  apologizing  for  it,  why  would  he?  he  hadn't  started  it  —  at  least  not  verbally.  had  never  taken  much  to  set  the  hockey  player  off,  fit  of  rage  landing  him  a  one  game  suspension  in  the  process.  his  eyes  glance  up  for  a  moment,  scanning  the  features  of  their  face.  "i  know  that  look  too  well  by  now." / @slcwblooms

"this is gentle." she's trying her best to be careful, skilled fingers dabbing disinfectant against his forehead. frustrated words swim through her brain, fighting desperately to escape past the filter of her bedside manner. the furrow of her brow was harder to disguise, the upset written all over her face as she tended to his injuries. there's a sigh in response to his words, unable to contain the roll of her eyes this once. "maybe you wouldn't know it so well if you stopped putting yourself into situations that earn you the look." words biting as leela drops her hands to her sides. "i don't think you get how exhausting it is to see you like this every single time."

khadijha red thunder via instagram.

⠀⠀ᯓ  ๋⠀✦⠀⠀❛ ... something tells me that you — we — will be really mature about this, yeah ? ❜ there's a wet smile that paints the assistant's features as the words linger between the four walls — one that fails to fully reach the corner of slightly narrowed eyes as she attempts to keep nervousness at bay. eyes roam around in search of something, anything they could fixate on in the meantime so as to avoid making contact with theirs, and she settles with staring daggers at the pair of robes laid on top of white duvet — right ... that was also part of the package. everything felt like an awful reminder from the universe of their embarrassing predicament. ❛  this was booked ages ago, so that explains the ... y'know. ❜ hands gesture vaguely towards the very middle of the room — she's referring to the couple's bed, looking extremely inviting after hours of exhausting flights, yet arabella doesn't allow herself to even merely sit at its edge just yet ; not out of courtesy or anything of the sort, but out of sheer hesitation as she fidgeted under the other's silent, intense gaze. god, may the ceramic tiles of this expensive place swallow her whole already. ❛ if anything, i can sleep on the ground ! this is a 5 - star place after all, so the carpets should be clean. ❜

"i know how to be mature." words shot back as eyes flicker around the suite. it was beautiful, especially after spending the last three weeks stuffed into a tour bus with the the sweatiest band she had ever met. this should have been the vacation that april had been dreaming about when the booking had gone through, and yet the feeling of relief wasn't setting in like it normally would. instead she stands, invisible force field keeping her from stepping to far into the hotel room, from even thinking about stepping near the bed in the center that she'd been trying to ignore until arabella brought it to attention. she fidgets with the handle of her suitcase, still held tightly in her grasp as if it were to bring comfort to the awkward situation. "that's not necessary. the bed's big enough for the two of us." the words less of a kindness and more of an attempt to prove that she was in fact, handling this maturely while not sacrificing her own comfort. ( a month straight of bus bunks would make the most selfless man demand a real bed; selfless she was not ). "we can get extra pillows to stack in the middle if it's that serious. unless you can't handle a few days being that close."

her  mother’s  voice  calls  for  her  from  somewhere  behind  them  and  naeun  finally  glances  away,  already  knowing  what  is  expected  of  her  before  another  word  is  even  said.  for  a  brief  second,  she  feels  the  familiar  weight  of  it  settling  back  onto  her  shoulders.  the  careful  daughter.  the  obedient  one.  still,  she  smooths  it  over  easily  like  she  always  does.  “ i  need  to  help  my  mom, ”  she  says,  though  her  eyes  linger  on  him  for  another  second  before  she  starts  to  step  away.  then  she  pauses  again,  stealing  back  one  more  moment  for  herself.  “ find  me  if  you  need  anything. ”  her  gaze  flickers  briefly  toward  the  dining  table  before  returning  to  him,  the  corner  of  her  mouth  lifting  slightly.  “ there’s  an  empty  seat  next  to  me at the table,  by  the  way.  in  case  you  know  someone  who  still  doesn’t  have  a  place  to  sit. ”

her name is called, breaking the spell that had settled over them. a nod, though he's reluctant to watch her walk away. just once he'd like to see her disobey, not come when she's called. it's not the time nor place for that now. he knows that and so he doesn't do much but watch her step away. "i guess i should pick out my seat before they fill up completely then." lips quirk upwards, his own feet turning towards the dining table, zeroing in on the aforementioned empty seat with intent to claim. head tilts, a glance tossed over his shoulder in an attempt to keep her for only a few moments longer. "i hope you won't keep me waiting too long." words tease. "some of us haven't eaten all day, saving room for the main event."

HE HAD BEEN HEARING RUMORS THAT A CERTAIN SOMEONE WAS BACK. eddie had overheard some of the parents talking about them at pick up that afternoon. normally they did their best to tune it all out ⏤ eddie hated how easily they could talk about other people (and each other) but in a way they understood. there wasn't much else to do around here. but as soon as their name had been mentioned eddie couldn't help but listen. while he knew it was just talk he couldn't help but feel the sting of being out of the loop. of not knowing ⏤ the realization that if it was true, they hadn't reached out to them. eddie stayed late, prepping for the following week, if only to keep his mind occupied. by the time he leaves and pulls up in front of his grandmother's home ⏤ the one he's 'inherited', the one he can barely afford, the one that feels like it's falling apart around him ⏤ it's dark, but he can make out the shape of them on the stoop. eddie hesitates before he kills the engine, eyes adjusting to the dark as he approaches the house. "heard you were back," there's a sharpness to it, almost accusatory. heard you were back, but didn't hear it from you.

but it was time, time to show his face to the one person that had believed in him more than anything. aaron knew it was wrong, taking so long to even let eddie know that he was coming home. it was the only thought that gnawed at his mind as he sat on porch steps, waiting for them to arrive home. even more so when he did, the stab of his words on approach. aaron flinches for a moment before scrambling to his feet, meeting him with a half step foreward. "i deserved that." an awkward, involuntary chuckle attempts to break the ice. "it hasn't been for long, i mean." words string together without much filter or thought. "i wanted to tell you earlier it just didn't feel right."