- ` 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙚𝙣 .

It had been a minute since Atlas had seen Suki, and even longer since he’d seen her in the daylight, both of them preferring the comfort of each other late at night when no one else was around. When the woman had spoken to Atlas about the aquarium, and explained to him just how much she loved it, he kind of couldn’t say no to the idea. Besides, it would be nice to hang out like normal, not nocturnal human beings for once, and maybe not be obnoxious or sarcastic to each other for a few hours. Although that idea was thrown out the window with the greeting he was met with as he arrived. He wasn’t that late so he didn’t know why she was so sour about it. “Wild,” the pink haired male deadpanned, bringing his vape up to his lips as he approached his friend, blowing the obnoxious cloud of smoke in her direction with a raise of his eyebrows. “Now I am,” he added with a chuckle, putting both his vape and his hands into his jacket pockets with a shrug, shaking his head to move some of his long hair out of his eyes. “So, what d’you want to see first?”

      her features fell flat, her mind remembering the reason she usually avoided atlas unless she needed him in the late hours of the night. as the smoke floated in her direction, her features fell flat - her eyes darting holes into the boy and she was sure he could tell how annoyed she was. “we’re around a lot of water. if you do that again, i’ll drown you.” her tone was so flat - as usual - before her body turned away from his as her attention landed on the entrance into the exhibits. “i don’t know,” she started, feet leading her rather excitedly towards the large, colorful arch that would float by above them as they walked through. “they have the jellyfish exhibit here for a short time. which is weird... it’s an aquarium, i thought they always had jellyfish. but, nonetheless. i’d like to find it.” suki’s dark hues instantly settled upon the waves of blue that now flooded the area around them, moving slowly as the water in the large tanks shifted around them. “it’s so pretty.” she whispered softly, taking steps up to a tank to observe whatever it was that swam within it. “wait, unless...” tucking strands of hair behind her ear, her attention turned back to atlas, “you wanted to see something first? or we can just walk around and find whatever we find.” she suggested, a soft shrug of her shoulders falling as a soft smile took over her lips.

aiden could only shake his head at her dainty little movements in the confine space of his car, there was only enough space his supercar can offer for two adults, especially a guy his size. he kept on stealing glances at the gorgeous girl next to him whilst he was driving- how could he not? suki was one of the prettiest girl he has ever had in his car, one could say that she was even more exquisite than the vehicle they were riding at the moment.”it’s one of those days where i’ve had enough of my studio, would rather look at something else, honestly.” aiden let out an exaggerated sigh after he muttered out his words of despair. 

princess? aiden thought to himself, how fucking dare he- if he let himself, he would be bursting into anger, who the fuck does he think he is calling his girl princess just like that? just the image of charlie calling suki by that pet name was making aiden see red. he stayed silent though, but the hand on the wheel was gripped tight. if it was on suki’s flesh, he was sure he would be leaving bruises. did he care? absolutely fucking not, everyone needed to know he has claimed what was his. when he voiced out again this time, his voice is eerily calm and collected. “he really needs to know boundaries at work, why has no one taken any actions on him. what a fucking dickhead.”

he remained silent, mostly because he was still trying to calm himself down. he was fucking pissed at charlie, he didn’t want to venture too much into why he was mad- all he knew was that that asshole was being rude and inappropriate to his pretty little girl and that was not acceptable. aiden’s anger didn’t stay long- it washed away like it was nothing when the girl next to him whined out his name. “fuck”. he cursed under his breath. “we can go to my place, god knows you don’t ever want to leave my couch the moment you sink yourself into it.” he teased her fondly, mind already wandering to how suki would just stripped into nothing but her undergarments and then ‘borrowed’ his shirt, or hoodie, anything that she would fancy at that time. “we can order in. and thor? again? we watched that a few weeks ago.” a sigh accompanied his words- but he turned his face to casually kiss the tip of suki’s nose before focusing on the road again, only to pull up to his driveway and putting his car to a stop. 

      the way he spoke, with such a calm tone absent of anger or jealousy sort of drove suki crazy. no, she didn’t tell him these thing in hopes of him getting upset over it and showing some sort of mutual interest in the girl. but it would’ve been nice. how twisted, suki thought of herself, head shaking the thoughts before they effected her. “i don’t know how he hasn’t been fired. or killed.” her eyes veered away, the frustration in her so recurrent that she didn’t even know how to act upon it or release it anymore. and that’s where aiden came in. it was sad how much suki leaned on him to feel better, but there was truly no other one person that could do what he did for her. she deemed herself lucky, in a sense, that he even gave her any of his attention. she had seen how he was with others - both in his studio and in general - and could see that he was different with her. either that was true, or she was just so delusional and filled with high hopes that she was some sort of game changer for him.

      suki couldn’t help but chuckle at his words, hand shoving him gently before she readjusted in her seat. “your couch is sent from heaven above, i love it more than i do you.” she teased, eyes looking out the window at the familiar surroundings - knowing they’d be arriving at his place rather quickly. “thor is amazing. to look at.” she elaborated, head nodding along lowly with her words. “i’d do anything to have him throw me into bad and use his hammer on me, fuck.” she mused, looking over to aiden with a sweet smile, hand reaching to pinch his cheek for a few seconds as she continued, “you’re cute, too.” she said in a baby voice, only meaning to teas the boy - the evident as she pulled away and giggled at the red spot she left upon his skin. a soft smile settled upon his lips at his action, head tilting to the side as she watched him for a few more seconds. “fine. you can pick the movie this time. but if we watch thor, i’d be very grateful.” the way suki leaned closer to aiden practically left her in his lap as he pulled into the driveway, her hand setting upon his thigh and the other one on his shoulder as her lips settled only a small space away from his. 

‘ oh, ’  he mouths, a little dumbfounded. she always had that wit about her he could never quite pin down. it always seemed like suki was five steps ahead of him, something he didn’t really mind, and, he guesses, something he thinks she did. teddy stumbles back a few steps when she pushes him playfully, reaching down instinctively with his hand to grab her wrist for balance. once he gets his footing again, he lets her go, albeit a little reluctantly, and apologizes.  ‘ yeah, i know, ’  he mumbles,  ‘ you wouldn’t be intruding though. ’  after another pause he nods, respecting her wishes,  ‘ okay … but, like i said, you can come by whenever you want. we’re still friends, yeah ? ’ 

‘ oh c’mon, ’ he laughs,  ‘ it’s not like there’s any THANKSGIVING songs they can play, and a lot of people begin thinking about what to buy for christmas pretty early now. my marketing prof talked about it a little this semester. ’ he leads them to turn the corner, nodding in agreement,  ‘ yeah, we’re beating the crowds ! a little later and we’d have to deal with families and their kiddos being out because of school break – not that kiddos aren’t great, but I want to enjoy the decorations, not be squished in a crowd. ’  teddy’s eyes meet hers, lips curling up in a smile when she looks away.  ‘ yeah, i’d love to, suki. ’

      his words caused a small sting in her chest, a small huff of air slipping past her lips as she took a moment to answer. were they still friends? it seemed at times, suki was still so wrapped up in teddy, but other times she felt so distant from him. either way, she couldn’t pinpoint a time when they felt like friends in between it all. of course, suki was positive it was all her. being stuck in her own head about teddy causing her to take longer to answer than she meant to, keeping quiet before she forced herself to mentally shake the thoughts away. “yeah,” she said rather flatly, avoiding his eyes as she continued. “still friends.” more monotone words as she desperately wanted to avoid thinking any longer on it.

suki’s overly sweet voice blares through his car speakers instead of his phone and it only makes aiden frowned even more than before. but he kept his mouth shut, if the girl wanted him to know, she would. and knowing her? she wouldn’t keep it long, especially when she’s annoyed at her coworkers. the pretty little girl wouldn’t miss a chance on whining about everything and nothing to aiden- and well, the boy would be lying if he said he didn’t like it. he loved it, loved every second of it even. he hummed under his breath as a response when the girl admitted that she was irritated and with a small smile tugging on the corner of his lips, he replies with a soft “i’ll be there in ten, see you.” 

the day was still too early for aiden to be here, but here he was, pulling up at entrance of suki’s office lobby. he smiled and waved at the guards’ recognition- she was right, he frequents here a lot that everyone that knew suki would know who he is by now. this wasn’t his first time picking her up, he even joined as the girl’s plus one during office events. not something that aiden enjoyed, but what suki wants, suki usually gets. that is just how it works around here, he didn’t make the rules. aiden groaned out a curse as his eyes raked along the girl’s petite body and the little outfit that she wore, he was sure that it wasn’t office appropriate but fuck didn’t she look good enough for aiden to devour. 

clearing his throat and schooling his face into something neutral, he flashed her a toothy grin when she finally settled in his car. “hey.” he unconsciously leaned in to the girl’s kiss with a small laugh before he started driving again. “and nah, i needed to go out of my studio anyway, couldn’t get anything done.”  his eyes may be on the road but he one of his hand on suki’s bare thigh, squeezing it once. then as if like clockwork, aiden slotted his long slender fingers with hers and bringing their joined hands to his mouth. only to brush his lips along the girl’s knuckles before resting them on his own thigh. “what got you so mad, hm?”

      “mm, okay.” she replied with, words still sounding pretty somber as they slipped softly past her lips. “a lot on your mind? couldn’t come up with anything? just didn’t wanna be there?” her ring of questions rang out one after the other, eyes traveling to watch as her hand was now to the boy’s lips, her own wearing a tinge of a smirk as she watched them. it was shameful how much suki enjoyed the feeling of her hand in aiden’s. and the way his hand graced the skin of her thigh. and how happy she was that his style of car didn’t have too much space, meaning she’d be closer to him. managing to do so, she crossed one leg over the other, leaving her hand in his as the other laid upon her knee. her body shifted in a way so that she could face the boy, eyes catching glimpses of his profile that was just beautiful to suki. 

      she scoffed at his words, eyes rolling away and settling on anything other than aiden. “do you really have to ask?” she questioned, attitude laced through her words as she reached for the note the man had left on the pile of work he had given her. “princess? seriously?” attention turning back to aiden, she continued on, voice carrying an evident annoyance that she couldn’t shake. “can you believe he added more work to my work pile, that i had already finished, because i didn’t make him a fucking cup of coffee like he demanded? asshole. and then leaving this note on it? he’s lucky i don’t burn his house down.” another scoff, eyes turning to look out of her own window next to her.

      suki stood in the lobby of the aquarium, eyes scanning a map and descriptions and announcements of the place as she waited for the boy. it was rare to be meeting atlas in a place, especially during the day. it was always late night calls, reaching out to lead to the only thing they really knew how to do together. that, or nights spent sitting spaces away from each other with banter going back and forth between them. either way, daytime activities were never really anything they did together - until now, apparently. a soft huff slipped past her lips, hand playing with the hem of her dress as she waited for atlas to appear. her eyes scanned the space around her, a sort of excitement growing as she waited patiently to enjoy the exhibits they’d see. one thing was for sure, this was one of suki’s favorite places. she hated seeing the animals in confinement, sure, but seeing them up close was fascinating and sh’ed always silently pray that they’d be free in the wild and where they should be. of course, that was something she’d hope for in her mind. she didn't need anyone to know she had an actual heart. another sigh as her body tuned around, finally seeing the boy make an appearance and out an end to the patience that was starting to grow thin. “took you long enough.” she told him with a scoff, arms crossing over her chest before a small smile mad an appearance. “ready?”

aiden has been in a slump for the past few hours. nothing was working out for him, his beats and melodies are all mixed up. he couldn’t seem to fit the lyrics and the harmony into one. and to think that he had a productive and amazing morning? pft. he was being too cocky, but that is not news, not for the producer of all of his staffs. sighing to himself, he raked his fingers through his hair out of frustration before he finally, finally let himself take off his headphones. “fuck.” he mumbled more to himself than anything as he leaned back against his chair, head tilting up with the back of his hands rubbing his exhausted eyes. even without looking around, he knew most of his staffs weren’t around, nobody would want to be around him when he was at this murderous state. 

taking a deep breath and puffing out his cheeks when he exhaled, he decided that it was time to call it a day. without thinking, the black haired boy switched off the things that needed to be and when he was about to leave his studio- his phone rang and the name “suki” with a little fire and heart emoji appeared on his screen, as well as a photo of the girl in one of his many hoodies that he knew she had stolen from him. looking at the time, he immediately had a frown creasing his face, it was still suki’s working hours, why would she be calling him at this time? usually it would be the other way around, aiden would be the one who will be calling the girl at this hour. he’s needy when it comes to suki, time probably doesn’t really exist whenever he’s with her or more like he doesn’t care about time at all when he wants to call her or when he wants her around. good morning calls and fuck hours at night are not strangers to them, aiden gets sleepless when his brain is thinking of music and who else would he call but suki to calm himself down? 

stepping out of the building, aiden answered the call with a cheery “heeey.” but his mouth turned downwards into a frown when he heard her tone. he knew something is up just from one breath suki uttered. “baby?” he doesn’t call her pet names often because, well, because of his pride and all. but in situation like these, he sometimes couldn’t help himself and it is something that they never bring up, ever. “i’m about to leave my studio.” a pause. “i can pick you up from work and we can grab dinner if you want.” he let his question hang for a little bit longer but he was already in his car and heading towards suki’s office while he wait for her response. 

      “i’m okay.” she whispered through the phone sweetly, the pet name signaling that he figured something was up. but typical suki would act as if it were nothing, as if she were perfectly fine and nothing was bothering her. even if her chest starting to hurt from the multiple deep breaths in a row, she knew better than to make the boy worry. the asshole in her office was nowhere near it. at his words, her eyes turned to look at the clock that sat at the corner of her desk. it wasn’t even close to being the end of the day for her, but... fuck it. her frustrations would only lead her to half ass the work, meaning she’d start it over and do it again because suki never turned in anything half assed. getting things done as close to perfect as possible was what she aimed for and she succeeded every time. and no mater who’s work it was, or who forced her to get it done, she couldn’t turn in anything less than her standards if her name was written on it.

      “yeah,” she started, another soft sigh past cherry lip, eyes staring down at a blank notepad that she scribbled patterns across. “we can do that. i probably shouldn’t be leaving this early, but. i’m so irritated.” so much for trying to hide her frustrations from the boy. “i’ll meet you downstairs, just pull in front. the guard knows your car by now, i’m sure he won’t make you move it.” she chuckled out lightly. “i’ll see you in a few. be careful, please.” and with that, she ended the call, one last deep breath into the air before she stood from her seat. she grabbed her bag and placed her phone within it, adding her wallet and lipstick for touch ups. she grabbed the jacket she wore in today and threw it over the small outfit she wore that day. maybe not work appropriate, but oh well. it’s not like they’d fire the one brain they had in the place. so grabbing the small note charlie left her, she slipped it into her pocket before heading to her supervisor's office.

his eyes widen, wondering if he had accidentally put his foot in his mouth. suki was always so independent and was more than capable of handling herself – it’s one of the many qualities teddy admires in her – so he chews on the inside of his cheek and stutters through an apology.  ‘ n - no ! the opposite of that. ’  he brings up a hand to rub the back of his neck,  ‘ it’s just, i don’t know, what if it took me a while to get down because i was looking for my phone ? or - or if it started raining and you didn’t bring an umbrella ? plus, i don’t want you to think you’re not welcome to come in — y’know ? ’

nodding his head, the shakes off whatever weird energy he had before leading the way.  ‘ yeah ! ’  he says, considerably more excited than he had been before,  ‘ it’s like when malls start playing christmas music right after halloween. it gets people in the mood — also it gives people more opportunity to see it. ’  he gives her a bright smile,  ‘ me too ! i usually go alone though, so i’m glad you could come with me this time. ’

      suki giggled softly, head cocking to the side as she watched teddy stumble over his words as if this were his first time talking to her. had he always done this? stumble on his words? suki couldn’t remember. but now, in front of her as he did it, she couldn’t help but laugh. “teddy, it’s fine. i’m only kidding.” she reassuring, hand pushing on hi shoulder lightly. “i always check the weather before i leave the the house, you know that. and besides, i didn’t wanna intrude. i haven’t been up there in a while.” her tone softened as her eyes looked up to the building, eventually pulling back to give her attention to him. “i didn’t mind the short wait. it’s nice to be out of the office, so. i’ll take waiting outside as a good thing.” more reassuring words, a soft smile gracing her features adoringly. 

      impossible. suki had finished every folder that sat on her desk, but shortly after a quick bathroom break, there were more? she stood in disbelief as her eyes stared upon the new pile, a note sitting stuck to the top page that she dreaded to read. she knew well enough where this was coming from. she knew that even after hours spent on the work and design she busted her ass for, she’d end up having to file or fax or sort or code whatever it was sitting in front of her. and she knew exactly who to blame for it. taking a few steps, her fingers annoyingly played with the hem of her skirt, taking a look down at the note that she knew would ruin her whole day. 

      ‘take care for this for me, will you, princess? -charlie’

      it was a whole new sort of rage the girl could feel bubbling inside of her. but, taking a seat at her desk, she took a deep breath and let it flow out slowly. did it calm her? no chance in hell. but it did give her a moment to think before she stormed into the other’s office and threw a punch. “asshole.” she mumbled to herself, a fingers running a frustrated path through the length of her dark hair. another sigh. this was ridiculous. if anything, she could ditch it and play it off as if it was given to her late. it’s not like anyone had this on a time stamp, right?

      a few more minutes of contemplating lead suki to reach for her phone, clocking on the first name that always sat at the top of her recent calls. aiden. maybe she shouldn't be reaching out for him, knowing he could’ve very well have been busy or spending his time wisely. but it was hard not to wanna reach out to him. it was aiden. suki wouldn’t dare be as needy for anyone else as much as she was for the boy. he was the person she ran to when stuff like this went down. she ranted to him on bad days, hung all over him on the good days and, hell, even called him in the middle of the night new marvel news that anyone else would've hung up on her for. he washer go-to so why would this be any different?