✱ BLOWING UP / THE SUNSHINE.

          “   really   ?   it’s booze that gets your creative juices flowing again   ?   ”   the brunet merely quirked his brows, as if surprised by the other’s statement. his own experiences with alcohol were perhaps typified by worse experiences than a sudden impulse of muse.   “   what’re you working on, anyway   ?   ”

AXEL: wait who is karrueche tran

          “   that’s for sure one you just made up. that can’t be in there,   ”   axel muttered in utter surprise, his chocolate brown hues flickering towards the magazine that she had just tossed aside. with narrowed eyes.   “   that’s outrageous. even for them.   ”   he nodded over at the magazine, as if hinting at the fact that her words were even crazier than some of the things they would sometimes write.

AXEL: maybe the drive outside of los angeles is worth it on a clear night. i bet the peace and quiet of the outer city is also nice.

          when lily mentioned that reaching out was at least worth considering, axel sighed. he had. plenty of times. he sometimes wondered what would happen if he decided to ring the phone number of his younger brother, in the hopes he still used it. would he answer   ?   that was the very first question at hand. and even if he did, was there a chance that he wouldn’t want to talk   ?   whereas he left, in order to pursue his dreams and aspirations, he left something different that was important to him. more specifically, multiple people that were important to him. he wouldn’t blame them if they had decided that they did not want to hear his side of the story.   “   you think so   ?   ”   he didn’t know why he questioned her advice. he just did not think it was that easy.   “   and what if they do not want to talk to me   ?   what if it just ends up making things worse, because i really don’t want that to happen.   ”   pursing his lips, he merely averted his gaze to the table, where his index finger tapped against the surface.   “   the surprise single tactic works surprisingly well. i can speak from experience. maybe you should try that.   ”

          the glare that the blond shot his way was one he grew more than familiar with over the years they spent together when they were younger. georgia never gave in easily, and her glares were just one of the ways to prove herself right.   “   i don’t need people to believe it.   ”   he simply shrugged his shoulders. there was a different side to success, one that he didn’t quite like as much. proclaiming himself a star would mean just as well that he would have many eyes on him, following his every move. something he wasn’t necessarily interested in.   “   look, maybe. i just wasn’t feeling it, okay   ?   ”   of course georgia saw right through his excuses. he never really managed to get her off his back, the blonde always sharp enough to catch the little white lies he would sneak into his stories to justify himself.   “   who says i believed them   ?   i’m just saying, with how much attention they’re paying to your personal life, you do deserve a goddamn break. even just a break from having those stories about you reach the headlines   —   whether they’re true or not.   ”

(   for @lutherwu, @lilyissms  &  @hcrvy, i’m continuing ours because of what we’ve been plotting for it :’)  )

          axel preferred nights like these to any nights that he would consider typical for his current life   —   the life of an up and coming rock star, the life in la, the life of someone who started to attract the attention of everyone around him. the more he found his own face plastered in the music magazines in the store, the more he craved to spend time with someone he considered a friend. and so he found his features displaying a small smile as he caught sight again of harvey, who settled into the spot next to him on the couch.   “   mhm, they barely make anything,   ”   he confirmed once more, his eyes flickering to the screen to see how a man was trying to have his shot at winging a couple tens of thousands.   “   well, can you imagine   ?   going from being just another face on the street to someone who might have millions. people are greedy, and that’s just the start of it.   ”

          axel could not stifle a small scoff as he heard the female’s sigh and comment that followed; a mocking scoff, however. whereas georgia must not have been surprised that he avoided the scene at all costs, he was not surprised that she was out to hear the best stories.   “   hmph, first of all i am not yet some kind of rock star,   ”   the brunet muttered, reaching out with his hand to jab her upper arm.   “   besides, why can’t rock stars leave parties early   ?   i felt entirely out of place there, i barely knew anyone.   ”   he pursed his lips together. perhaps it wasn’t a proper excuse   (   parties were for mingling, weren’t they   )   but it was his excuse. once georgia enlightened him about her own night, the male’s eyes narrowed slightly, tilting his head as he glanced in her direction.   “   really   ?   that’s unexpected, coming from you. god knows what kind of shit you’ve been involved with recently, according to the media. guess you kind of deserved a quiet night.   ”

          “   i don’t know what i’m saying,   ”   were the muttered words of axel, as he rested his elbow on the table and allowed his fingers to run through dark locks of hair,  “   maybe i do miss them, but it’s not like there’s anything to do about this. i made my decision, didn’t i   ?   ”   he was referring to the only people in his life he would have had to miss. his family. in this moment, he supposed he had everything he could wish for   —   everything he needed to hold on, to make it through every day with a smile at the very least. he had everything he needed to be happy, yet that did not stop the tug at his heart. nonetheless, it had been at least five years, if not longer, that they had not said a word to each other, that he had not seen them, that he hadn’t reached out. he made the decision five years ago to cut loose from the ties to his family. he had his reasons, he even had multiple, however never had he considered that his siblings would be included in the equation. his imminent focus on his own needs had caused him to fail to see how he’d be leaving his younger siblings without another word. and he didn’t realize it now, until the same imminent focus on his own needs made him realized he missed them.   “   i’m sorry for this. we didn’t meet for me to dump this all on you.   ”   he threw the blonde a forced, yet apologetic smile.   “   what’ve you been up to   ?   feel like i haven’t heard of the iconic lily caine in a while.   ”   @lilyissms.

guys, we’re in for a treat   &   we have the boys of renegade to thank. late last night, renegade’s axel leitch and riley parker streamed live on instagram, and quickly attracted a huge audience. must’ve been their recent single, paper wings, that got the fans so eager to tune in   &   listen to what their favourite band had to say. the two first expressed their gratitude for the unexpected success of their single, and most of all the insane response it had gotten from their fanbase. they answered some questions from the chat next   &   quite obviously so, were drowned in questions about the upcoming album. they might’ve let it slip, though, that the album might be a little more of a wait, but that there’s something else on the way for us   !   way to get us curious, boys. leitch even added that this certain something would definitely be worth looking out for. fans have come with various conclusions   —   are the boys releasing their paper wings music video  ?  most fans, however, are convinced of the fact that the band is releasing another single before dropping the album. either way, we’re keeping our eyes and ears open for any sign of this surprise planned for us   !    with: @viralgossip, @prkcr.

          after lifting the last bag into the trunk of the car, axel moved towards the driver’s seat where he sat down. luther soon enough joined him at his side.   “   are you absolutely sure we’ve got everything   ?   ”   both wishing for some surroundings that did not move as fast as los angeles seemed to do, the two of them had decided to head out of the city for just a few days   —   as if it would help them gather their thoughts, escape the intensity of their professional lives altogether. axel figured it was worth a shot, at least.   @lutherwu.

          axel tilted his head to the side, his hues carrying a glimpse of surprise once looking down at the kitchen counter.   “   i don’t think this is right,   ”   he then concluded, running the whisk through the cake batter that didn’t appear of the right consistency.   “   are you sure we’ve been reading the instructions right   ?   ”   the brunet glanced over his shoulder to sneak a peek at the female, nodding over towards the laptop that displayed the recipe.   @6vbez.

         axel recognized that look in her eyes   —   it was impossible not to, the glimpse of mischief easy to read.   “   what have you done this time   ?   ”   he did not yet hold the answer to that question, perhaps her bad decision had only been a minor one this time, or perhaps the regret after impulsive behaviour hadn’t settled in just yet.   “   and don’t tell me you don’t know what i am talking about, i just know.   ”   @celestedxsche.

          “   is this normal to you   ?   ”   a pair of chocolate brown hues narrowed as he glanced towards to the opposite side of the street they were walking past. he caught a few people with their mobile phones out, not even attempting to hide their quest to snap a shot of most likely the female at his side.   “   how do you manage   ?   ”   @xcheryl.

          dani’s words drew nothing more than an unimpressed facial expression  from axel, his neutral glance at the television screen remaining unchanged.   “   if only i could. when does american politics ever make sense to anyone   ?   ”   perhaps his own opinions were a bit biased by his own personal experiences, and highly coloured by his own personal opinions.   “   sometimes i wonder how this country is still functioning.   ”

          with ease, axel’s figure filled the space that jett left empty for him. he sat close enough to feel their knees touching, his fingertips darting to find jett’s beneath the table to not yet entwine their hands, but to simply brush his own fingertips along the other’s. he does offer a glance to the waitress that did approach them briefly, offering them two menus before leaving them alone with a smile that could only be described as gentle. in stark contrast to his companion, axel’s shoulders tensed at the presence of others, at the possibility of someone catching how he couldn’t help himself from reaching out for the faintest of touches. axel didn’t even look at the menu, let alone reach out to open it. his interest piqued less so by the thought of a late night snack, and more so by the many questions that were still left unanswered in his mind.   “   are you okay   ?   ”   axel asked, his voice nothing more than a mutter that must have been only audible by the man that sat by his side. with no questions asked, axel had traded his night of sleep for his current activities, yet that did not mean that he didn’t wonder, that he didn’t worry.   “   i’m glad you called me, but   —   ”   he didn’t know what to say. he had never been particularly good wording his thoughts, let alone when his thoughts were still running through his mind.   “   i don’t know, i guess. i just want to make sure you’re okay.   ”