#faniisms

     ladled with a handful of shopping bags, han surveyed the surroundings of the bellavita as he walked a few steps behind his charge. his black mask covered the scowl that naturally made his way on his face. no one seemed to be bothering aeri, but he was still on high alert in such a public place. though, thanks to his all black attire, exposed tattoo sleeve from the short sleeves, and his combat boots — he gave a clear aura that warned people to stay away. “ do you even need all of this shit ? ” he complained sullenly, quiet enough for only the blonde to hear. at the end of the day, it was down to her. if she wanted to shop until it was dark, it was his job to keep her safe and alleviate the burden. that didn’t mean he had to make it easier for her. he never did, much like she didn’t for him. 

     spotting stefani alone without a mass of people around her was a surprising sight, but an exciting one indeed. jinnie had always admired the older woman as an artist in this industry but she found it very difficult to voice whenever they were actually face-to-face. she got way too giddy and obsessive at the idea of making a good impression on the other. a part of her wanted to duck her head and make a beeline in the opposite direction. but before she could, she stopped herself. this was a rare chance for one on one time. shouldn’t she try to make the most of it, even if it ended up being fleeting ? you can do it. you can do it. jinnie kept repeating the words in her head like a mantra, a bright smile in place as she began to approach. 

      “ hi ! ” she greeted sweetly, dipping into a big bow. “ i just wanted to say you were really really good at last night’s show. ”

     damn, he wanted a drink. 

     if he wasn’t on duty, he would have actually been tempted to look through the alcohol section for the first time in years. but he wouldn’t. he couldn’t. instead, han held a bag filled with snacks and items for his charge as he headed back to her hotel room, head shaking to rid his hair of the rain droplets. after that disaster of a fucking elevator ride, he’d finally been released to finish his initial task — grabbing essentials for aeri at the convenience store next door. now, nearly an hour later, he arrived back to his post, knocking on the door firmly before he used the spare key to open the door.

           “ the power went out. got stuck in an elevator. ” he explained his delay, holding at the bag towards her. he wasn’t in the mood to speak much. “ that should be everything. ”

     even though he was off duty, it was difficult not to keep a watchful eye on aeri. this was a night of fun and of course, haneul would allow her that — but he also wanted to make sure she wasn’t getting up to anything stupid either. the best way he knew how was to make sure she didn’t get too wasted. a bit hypocritical of him, honestly, when he was already a couple of whiskeys in. “ hey, trainwreck. ” he greeted the blonde, speaking loud enough to be heard over the music. with a raise of his eyebrow, he held up a bottle of water that he’d bought from the bar and offered it over to aeri. “ drink up. ”

      when was the last time nell had been alone with aeri? it was hard to say. the last time they had been alone nell got so nervous that she simply couldn’t just shut up. this verbal case of diarrhea ended with the blonde telling the soloist about how her hamster passed away when she was eight and her nanny had tried to get her a new one but it wasn’t the same color. the tension could’ve been cut with a knife and she had excused herself after both realized the conversation was dead on arrival. 

         she just wanted to be liked by aeri, that was the truth of it. she was a little too eager to be liked, to be friends, and had probably came off as a complete weirdo. now was finally her moment to be normal, to say something not completely deranged. “your hair looks amazing, i just have to say.” okay, maybe still a bit too eager but definitely much more appropriate for complete strangers to discuss. “did you see that they have fresh strawberries at the catering table?” she pivoted the conversation, hoping aeri was as big a fan of the delicious fruit. “they’re nearly the size of my hand and so sweet.”