working you out;

Name: Yasemin Temel (Yaz-ee-min Teh-mel) Age: 27 Birthday: May 12th Nickname: Yas, ‘Minnie’ by parents only or very very special people. Birth Place: Bradford Springs, Colorado Occupation: Staff @ The Post Office Sexual Orientation: Demisexual / Ace Positive traits: Integrity, Observational, Caring Negative traits: Low Self Esteem, Troubles socializing, Blunt Lives: Downtown

more: cw: autism diagnosis, bullying

starter for: @marikaxtemel​

;

“So you didn’t make it to the new breakfast place?” Yasemin doubled checked as her finger hovered over the contact button because she preferred to go to places that the people closest to her had been before. She trusted both of her moms to be able to scout what it’d be like for her and there’d be no horrible surprises. “Maybe you should call them?” she asked and slid the phone across the kitchen island with a cheeky grin, because she hated unnecessary calls too. “And just ask how busy it is around this time? Oh and if we can sit somewhere near a window and how close together the tables are because I really don’t want to hear somebody eating when I’m trying to enjoy something.”

•

Emira sticks out her tongue at her sister, a warm smile following as she finishes up the dish. Turning off the stove, she reached up to grab some plates and listens as Yasemin explains about Ruben. “I didn’t say anything, Yas,” she holds up her hands, shrugging, “you’re an adult.” Even though she feels incredibly protective over her sister, she’s never tried to suffocate her. She’s proud of Yas for making her own way in the world, of course she is, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t worry or have thoughts, or wouldn’t be there to comfort her if things went sideways. “I’m sure he’s fine. We haven’t really talked.” Though she doubts talking will win her over. She doesn’t dislike Ruben. She doesn’t know him. She just thinks her sister can do better than a guy who throws rocks through windows. Rolling her eyes at the moniker, she plates up for the both of them, bringing them to the kitchen table. “They’re not exactly healthy snacks. I’m swimming more now that it’s getting warmer.” she explains, as though that’s the only reason. “If you want them, though, I’ll be sure to grab some next time.” Emira offers casually, gesturing at her sister to take a seat and dig in. 

;

Yasemin quietly huffs, not particularly at her sister but more the topic. One thing about how her mind worked was pointing out injustices, or unfairness so Yas’ hand moved to her hip. “I am, and so are you which is why I’m not that mean about Danny.” she shrugged because she wasn’t welcoming either. Maybe Emira and Yas really were cut from the same cloth, even though she hated that phrase because why would anybody cut a cloth? “He’s quiet.” Yas then mentioned before she laughed, because she wasn’t used to being more energetic than somebody before. “Which is odd, I think he’s insecure. Which is also odd because doesn’t society say men who look like him are meant to be...what others want to be? Or something stupid like that. And his brother sounds awful, so I feel bad for him. I don’t think he knows what it’s like to have someone who cares.” Yas shrugged but she didn’t only like Ruben out of pity. She did as she was silently told to move to her seat and begin eating but she also didn’t believe Emira for one second. “I’ve never eaten those snacks, there’s only been one person who eats those snacks and it’s not any of us. Or Atlas. And I don’t even know Ruben’s favorite snacks yet. Oh wait no. He likes fruit loops at 9pm.”

“Oh I got plenty of bad ones, just you wait.” Ruben laughed and then turned away from Yas, dropping his smile because my God that sounded so fucking weird. She obviously knew he had no idea what he was looking for so he nodded a thanks when she directed him to the sink. “I meant like…my life. I make dumb choices.” Ru coughed as he made his return to her. Nope, still sounded weird. “This is cute, right? Domestic fifth date?” he laughed, prying open the bag so she could dump the glass in it. “Maybe without the stone…window thing.” Ru added and then sighed about his brother. “Yeah um, Nix is like that. He was banned from borrowing my car but talked me into it, and I said just come collect me when I was done at the fi…” Another cough. “At a friends house but he didn’t, and I was a dumbass and left all my shit in there because I thought he’d stick to his word.”

;

Yas had no idea what Ruben meant until he explained, so she laughed awkwardly with a nod. “Right...funnily enough, I can see that.” she grinned, moving her eyes to the glass she was cleaning up as if it wasn’t already obvious. She was more focused on tipping the shards into the bag he opened for her to notice what he said and like always she took him literally at first. “I’d rather not count this as a date, Ruben. I was about to do an attack with a new dark elf fire build and I had to bail last minute, so now my friends probably think I don’t appreciate any of their builds which isn’t true. Sarah built an entire healer for us all, and she prefers to be mele.” Yasemin rambled before she noted Ruben’s chuckle, making her realize he was just joking. “Oh, well...maybe our fifth date can be a rage room or something. So then you can...smash windows without having to pay. Well, the entry fee obviously...but not for the window.” Her attempts at jokes weren’t quite as funny so she blinked at him instead, happy for the change of subject. It seemed sad to have a sibling you couldn’t trust but instead of comforting him, she moved to the kitchen to dump the bag into the trash. “So he lied? Or do you think something happened? If he lied then I think you should probably never believe anything he says again.”

•

Emira nods, sorting some plates while things cooked on the stove. “You’re welcome. I got too excited and got brain freeze,” she laughs, indicating her half-drunk smoothie beside the fruit bowl on the counter. She’s always thinking of her sister, unable to shut off that part of her that cares too much, even if she does her best to play it off. The mention of the window tests this resolve as she presses her lips together, shrugging. “Well at least he’s paying to fix it. That’s something.” Even though they could’ve handled it just fine it annoys Emira. Mostly because she doesn’t think this guy is good enough for her sister but also because she knows she has no ground to stand on. Well…had. At least now she’s not being hypocritical in her judgement? So that’s a silver lining. As she returns her attention to the cilbir, Emira raises a brow, glancing back at Yas and the neat line of snacks. “Who?” Like she hasn’t only been seeing the same person the past few months, unofficially of course. 

;

“Rookie mistake.” she teased Emira with a wide grin and a chuckle, taking a few sips of her own smoothie. Yas wasn’t the best at reading awkward silences, or when people were pausing to think but she knew her sister well. Emira liked to keep her opinions to herself, mostly, especially if she thought they might upset her sister. So, Yas took an elongated sigh. “He’s not a bad person.” she said, not a mind-reader but a pattern noticer. “He’s worked at the post office for a while now, so I know him for more than just..four dates.” Yas shrugged, as if that would make it any better. She ended up laughing though at Emira’s coyness, pointing to the snacks as if the answer was right there. “Well, Owl Temel.” she started with a grin. “There’s finally no beef jerky or twizzlers here.” Not that she had been praying for the downfall of whatever Danny and Emira...weren’t. But she definitely disliked him. Which proved that stubbornness and hypocrisy ran in the family.

Leave it to Ru to forget Yas had a sister, an over protective one at that. He knew Emira well from the high school days and her and Danny Anderson’s relationship. He wasn’t friends with either of them and that was probably why he should have been nicer when he was younger. How was he supposed to know that Danny’s girlfriend had a beautiful sister? “Sorry…Emira. Left it at home.” he called up at her, hands on his hips as he wondered if he should even go inside. He laughed when Yas appeared, giving a small wave. “My phone is in the car too. Great, right?” he flapped his arms, before nodding and hearing the click of the door so he could come up. Seeing the damage from the inside of the apartment wasn’t much better and he grimaced while watching Yas clean. “Can I help?” he asked, taking a few timid steps closer. “I er…don’t think this was my best idea.”

;

Yas chuckled when she heard Ru enter, watching him for a moment and his goofy awkwardness. It always seemed like he was holding back who he really was, but Yasemin didn’t think there’d ever be the right time to mention that. “If this is a good idea, I hope I never see one of your bad ones.” she laughed, sweeping up the rest of the glass carefully. “You can get a trash bag? That would help.” she smiled at him as she stood up with the dustpan and brush before realizing he’d not have a clue where anything was. “Oh, under the sink.” she pointed, a few shards of glass dropping out with the movement. “Shoot.” she mumbled, kneeling back down to sweep them up all over again. “So, you were just wandering Downtown without any of your things? Or...did your brother take them?” That didn’t seem very nice if he did.

-

“I don’t know, sweetie. Maybe if he offered the second he put through the window.” Naomi smiled, walking through the living room to get her phone from her purse. “Four!?” she jolted, always forgetting that her girls were adults now and had a life of their own. Even when Emira was in New York, Naomi thought she knew everything that was happening. “Sorry, Yas honey. That sounds lovely.” she corrected herself, flipping through her contacts to find somebody that could fix up a window as soon as possible. “You mind if it’s Big John? He did your bedroom windows when we made them a crescent moon shape. Remember?” she asked, wanting permission to who was invited into Yas’ safe place. Then Naomi thought about the tall man, knowing Ruben Gray immediately just because of Emira’s taste for Danny Anderson. Where did it all go wrong? “Oh…well, color me surprised. And does this tall glass-smasher treat you better than he treats windows?” she tried to sound happy for Yas and she was, along side being concerned. Naomi glanced back to the window when her daughter called it sweet, trying to make sure she didn’t say the wrong thing. “That’s…one word for it.”

;

“He did.” Yasemin confirmed, nodding her head as she counted in her mind. “He said, shit. Yas, it’s me. I was trying to do the cute...sh- from the movies. I’ll pay for that.” she stated it almost word for word in a matter of fact tone. She didn’t know why Omi seemed so shocked, was four a bad number of dates? Were you meant to have more? But how were you supposed to fit in that many? She needed her routine as untouched as possible. “Um...yes, four. The Phoenix, Art Gallery, Drive in and then the dinner but I didn’t like that one very much because they made all the food touch on the plate.” Yasemin rambled and then nodded with a smile. “John is great, he was fun.” she chuckled, remembering the way he let her line up all his tools for him and pass them when he needed them. “Well, Ru is very sweet he’s kind of awkward and quiet but he’s nice. I think he’s a little self conscious but I’ve not said that because you’ve told me that’d be rude to point out.” she clasped her hands together. “At least it was a small stone?”

ruben-gray​:

location: outside yasemin’s apartment

@yaseminxtemel​

Ruben should have known better than to finally agree for Nixon to take his car because now he was stranded. His house keys with his brother too and his wallet on the passenger seat because like a dumbass he trusted Nix would keep his word to get him from the fight. He had enough cash to get to Downtown but the walk to Southside was proving too much. It wasn’t weird to show up to the girl’s apartment that you went on a few dates with? Four now? Early days. But he remembered Yasemin saying she never answered to the buzzer, so Ruben, like a dumbass threw the first stone he picked up…a little bit too harshly as the window smashed upon impact. Just a perfect stone sized hole where the glass used to be. “Shit.” he stood there like an idiot, people watching in the street like they were witnessing the worst breaking and entering ever. “Yas, it’s me. I’m sorry, I was just trying to do…I don’t know, the cute shit they do in movies.” he called out, hoping she was home. “I’ll pay for that.”

Emira isn’t one to judge (openly) but she’s has no qualms about it now. Atlas is barking like crazy at something in the living room but her sister’s in her room so Emira goes to inspect and attempt to leash her overgrown dog. She walks in just in time to witness the window shattering. “Fuck!” Emira jumps as Atlas yelps and she stomps across the room, glass crunching underfoot to give whomever it was a piece of her mind. She feels justified in all the judgment she’s reserved for Ruben Gray when she leans out the window. “What the fuck, dude?” What an absolute idiot. “Yas, that guy’s here!” she calls over her shoulder to her sister (full well knowing his name) before turning and giving Ruben a scathing look. “You’re missing your fucking boom box.” And with that, she turns, ushering Atlas away from the room and mumbling a “be careful with the glass” to Yas as she passes her sister. When she exits the walk up and sees Ruben still there, she tugs Atlas away with a narrow-eyed gaze. “We’ll send you an invoice.” @yaseminxtemel​

;

Her headphones could only cancel out so much noise so when she heard Atlas barking, her sister’s voice and shattering glass, Yas obviously rushed to see what was happening. “Oh my God.” she muttered, wanting to laugh at Emira’s scolding of the mysterious stone thrower.  She removed her headphones to get a better idea on what was going on, carefully walking to the window and peeping out at the same time as her sister. Noticing it was Ruben made Yas want to laugh. “Well, that wasn’t very cute.” she called back plainly, watching as Emira moved away. “I haven’t changed my number, you could have text.” Yas then said, because she’d had the same number since her first ever phone plan. “Wait, I’ll unlock it.” Yas said, not wanting to keep shouting because she had been blissful in her quietness for hours. She moved from the window to let Ru in, rolling her eyes at Emira as she passed. “I’ll clean that up.”

+ YASEMIN  TEMEL APARTMENT

“Hey lady,” Emira greets her sister as she ambles out of her bedroom. The older Temel is busy at the stove, hair tossed up into a messy bun after her run earlier that day. “I’m making çilbir – want some? Got some smoothies on my way back too,” she gestures to the one she’d set on the counter for Yas. She’d taken it out of the fridge when she heard her sister moving around, making sure it wasn’t brain-freeze level cold. As she chops up some parsley, she thinks that she hasn’t had such a productive morning in a while. It’s only been a few days since she last saw Danny but she wasn’t going to cry about it. She’s not even upset. It wasn’t anything. And she was just fine. Perfect, even. She had plenty to do between her podcast and freelancing and taking care of her big idiot of a dog. Who had time to dwell? Not Emira. Nope, definitely not her. “I can make you pancakes if you prefer. I did groceries yesterday. Got you some stuff too.” She nods to the brown bag sat on the counter with some of Yas’ favorite snacks. @yaseminxtemel​

;

Greeting her sister with a big smile, Yas rubbed her hands together as she got to the kitchen. “Urgh yes please, it smells so good.” she sniffed the air and then sat up onto the counter to grab the smoothie. Yas smiled immediately, feeling that the coldness had settled and she looked at Emira. “Thank you.” she said, more than just a thanks for the smoothie itself. From the counter she could see the hole in the window which Omi had covered with protective sheeting until it could get fixed and Yas started laughing. “No, no, çilbir is perfect.” she replied before gesturing her head to the window. “He could’ve waited until it was warmer so we had free AC.” she uttered, jumping down from the counter with excitement to take a look at all the snacks. She quickly put them all in order from the unhealthiest to the healthiest, lining them up. “You’re the best.” she grinned, before noticing the lack of snacks Emira would usually get if Danny was staying over. Curious. “Is he busy?” she blurted out but she didn’t know a universe in which Danny Anderson could have something important to do. 

at: yasemin’s apartment @yaseminxtemel​

-

“Well, it’s not the worst thing a man has ever done in the history of things men have done.” Naomi said, hand on her daughter’s back as they both surveyed the hole in the window and the stone that was still resting on the floor. She took a few steps forward and bent down to retrieve it, offering it out to Yasemin on the flat of her palm. “So every time I’ve been asking what’s new with you, you didn’t think a guy willing to put a hole in the glass was worth mentioning?” she teased with a light laugh. “It’s easily fixed, baby.” Omi then added, pressing a kiss to Yas’ cheek. “And while I do that, you gotta tell me all about him and why he thought an 80s romcom was gonna work on you.”

;

Yasemin didn’t really know who else to call, she figured her mama would know the best people to get a window fixed. “Does it help that he’s going to pay for it?” she flopped her head to the side, impressed at how the stone seemed to be perfectly thrown in the center of the window. She gave Naomi a wry smirk, knowing she hadn’t been forthcoming with Ruben’s existence. “I didn’t think it was worth mentioning, because it’s just been four dates.” she shrugged. “He’s the tall one that works at the post office.” Yas added, reluctantly giving the information over because she knew Omi had seen him when she came to collect her for coffee. “He wasn’t trying to do a romcom, don’t worry. He left his phone and wallet and keys in his car and his brother took off. And then he knew I hate the...” she pointed at the door. “The noise the thing makes.” Yas chuckled. “So it is kind of sweet?”

•

Apart from college, Emira can’t remember a time when she hasn’t been her sister’s keeper in some way. Even now, she can’t lay that part of her to rest, seeking out a means by which to make Yas feel more comfortable and at ease with herself and their environment. It comes naturally to Emira who has never been the least bit maternal to anyone apart from her baby sister. She grins when Yas exclaims happily and nods. “And if they do we can say we were here first anyway. Sorry it’s a little cold, though.” Emira grabs her gloves from her coat pocket, slipping them on before helping her sister make a little nest for the both of them. 

“It’s like when we used to build forts and hide until Mom and Mama called us for dinner.” They’d sneak under blankets tied around chairs and tucked behind pillows, Emira telling stories as Yas added to them. The two of them a perfectly contented duo. She lets Yas tug her down, pressing a kiss to her sister’s hand affectionately before huddling close, bringing the second blanket up around their shoulders. But then she bursts out laughing at Yas’ comment and request not to tell Danny. “Please, you think Danny would appreciate how cool this room is? Why would I tell him?” She shakes her head, “and those were only rumors. At least from my end. I wouldn’t put it past him to have dicked around with Elliot, printing off butts.” Emira glances at Yas, holding out a glove-clad pinky finger, “but I promise not to.” And she means it sincerely. 

; 

“I doubt anybody would want to hide away like we do, for some reason everyone is a people person.” Yas shrugged and laughed. Sometimes, she worried that Emira was a glass child because of her. That people peered through Emira because of her differences but Emira never once made Yasemin feel like a burden. “I don’t mind that it’s cold, I got all sweaty and gross when I was in the gym because it was so busy. Are you warm enough?” she tapped her sister’s forehead with the back of her hand, but a little harsher so it was a playful smack as she laughed.

It was hard to know what life would be like if Yasemin didn’t have Emira. She was her protector in many ways, even when Yasemin went through difficult phases of wanting to demand independence she never wanted to be independent from Emira though. “I loved it when they let us eat in the fort.” she chuckled, wiggling under the covers as her feet rubbed against one another like a happy cricket. “I don’t know why someone doesn’t open a blanket fort restaurant. All the seats are under blanket forts and fairy lights. But I think people would...probably not do much eating.” Yas rambled, staring at the ceiling and letting herself enjoy the new calmness. “You’re right, he’d probably hot box this room and make it smell weird.” she laughed with her sister. “Oh, I have another date with Ruben.” she blurted out, just because they were on the topic of strange guys they liked. “We’re going to the gallery, that’s a normal second date, right? I think.”

@yaseminxtemel​ at: the phoenix

-

“Oh sweet, you made it!” Fox exclaimed with his usual energetic bounce to the bar. He always extended an invite to Yasemin even though she was beginning to show up to every one anyways, he just hated the thought of her thinking he didn’t want her there. Which certainly wasn’t true. He helped himself to the free barstool beside her after gently touching her shoulder to greet her with a little pat. “Your uh…I guess date? I saw him here a few weeks back before you got here. He seems…cool.” He didn’t, actually. Fox hadn’t disliked a person so quickly before. Well, except for when Angel told him a few things about Nixon. And when Marcellus thought leaving Bowie was a good idea. Maybe Fox wasn’t as nice as he thought he was? Because he definitely had people on the Non-Christmas card list. “But, before we talk about anything else, look what I got.” he threw his rucksack from his shoulder to the bartop with a loud clang of metal pins and badges. “Shit, my bad. You have your ear thingies?” he then asked, trying to peer at Yas’ ears to see if she’d come prepared. Then he lightly smacked his head. “Urgh what am I saying. That’s exactly what I got you cause you kept forgetting them.” Fox corrected himself as he zipped open the bag quickly and revealed a rather unimpressive looking box. It was what was in it that mattered, some earplugs that looked like ladybugs. “If you hate them, it’s fine. Because I might keep them. I’m finally realizing that wearing ear plugs to live shows is like…a good idea. I can barely hear anything. Or maybe it’s my hair blocking everything out. Do you hate them? Honestly, you can say.”

;

“I did!” Yas laughed, a little confused what Fox meant because she was becoming a frequent Phoenix-er all by herself which she never thought would happen. If it wasn’t for meeting Fox and then River and Trix and Bowie, it probably wouldn’t have. “Oh, Ruben. Yeah, he’s nice. He’s a little quiet though which is funny, because I’ve never been the louder person before when I know someone.” she laughed and watched as Fox began disappearing into his own focus. She cringed a little at the scraping noise of all the badges on the bartop but she laughed soon after. “I don’t have them, they were on the side table and I forg-” she stopped again because Fox barely took a breath when he talked. As soon as he revealed the earplugs she smiled widely, taking the box happily as her legs wiggled quickly. “Oh my God, I love them! Thank you! You know what we should do, is ask Stevie to keep these ones here because if I take them home, I’ll probably forget them too and they’re way too cute to be forgotten.” Yas said as she poked the ladybug shapes on them. “The cool thing about ladybugs that I learned is that one ladybug can eat like 5,000 insects in it’s lifetime. Can you imagine that? They must be eating all the time.” she giggled and then analyzed Fox’s hair for a moment, taking his statement literally. “It might be your hair, but I doubt it. You probably have been around loud music too often. You should get some and then I wouldn’t feel so weird about having to wear mine.”

Ruben should have been expecting the famous Yas directness that he found so endearing, but it still caught him off guard. “I can see why it looks that way.” he agreed with a heartfelt smile. “I’m sorry, genuinely. My brother is er…” How did anyone explain Nixon? Troubled was an understatement and selfish was too vague. “It’ll probably sound like an excuse but my brother does better when I’m keeping an eye on him. I get a little too wrapped up in making sure he’s good, I forget what I should be doing.” he admitted, because it felt easier to be direct and honest to someone like Yas. “Anyways, that’s the first time I’m glad the weather is so shitty.” he smiled, glancing down to their linked arms. “So, art was the winning choice. Do I get another strike against my name if I say I know nothing about art?”

; 

Yasemin listened closely as she nodded, wondering if that’s how Emira ever felt about being her big sister. Did she forget what she should be doing too? “Family is more important, though.” Yas shrugged simply, not checking her tone. “If Emira needed something I’d probably forget to text you. Actually I’d probably not come at all and just apologize afterwards. But then again, it’s only a second date. If something was more serious, maybe I’d text. Or, call. Relationships are strange like that. Because really, we’re the same people we would be if it was serious but just because we haven’t reached that title, the rules are different. It’s stupid, really. So many rules for things which change.” Yasemin rambled as she took the lead to try and pull Ruben towards the art that caught her eye while she was waiting for him. She laughed as she looked up at him and shook her head. “You don’t need to know anything about art to enjoy it, silly. You don’t even need to understand what the art is about to like it either.”

•

Emira nods, “if I can’t find them in five minutes, I’ll just bring him and put him on the opposite side of the room.” She says it matter-of-factly so Yas has the reassurance of a plan and a back up if the first doesn’t work. Thankfully, she locates and promises several cups of coffee on her if Laurie watches Atlas and only once he’s been handed off to her cousin does Emira make her way back to her sister, a small pile of blankets in hand. “Ready?” she asks, already knowing the answer as they amble down the familiar hallways. “You can probably start using it even when it’s charging. Maybe let it get to like…30 percent or something,” Emira encourages.

 “Anyway, I have an idea.” They’re walking past several classrooms that are open for people to stay in until Emira pushes open the door to a smaller room. “Ah-ha!”, she grins at Yas triumphantly, and gestures to a revolving door against the far wall. “Dark room.” She’d spent plenty of time here in her amateur photography days. “It doesn’t need to be completely dark since we’re not actually trying to develop anything. And it might be cold but,” that’s what the blankets are for. “And I’ve got some more snacks,” Emira adds, patting her tote bag. “Does that work? I’m sure there’s an outlet inside too.” But it seems like the quietest place in the school to be right now.

;

“Okay, okay that’s good.” Yas mumbled as she ran her hands back and forth on her jeans. Emira was possibly the best person to be around whenever she got like this. Whenever she became paralyzed with overthinking, or the world seemed too loud, her sister was like the perfect shield. Emira could always solve things. “Yeah...that’s true but then it’s a bit laggy.” she thought out loud, following with Emira instantly. 

Sometimes Yasemin wondered what her sister was up to, because Emira had this way about her that she was always a few steps ahead with a trick up her sleeve. “Oh no...what it is?” Yas laughed, predicting that Emira had probably shouted at the Sheriff to get a sensory room organized and managed to do it in five minutes exactly. Less actually. Emira’s idea was better actually and Yasemin gasped happily, throwing some blankets on the floor to sit on. “It’s perfect, and nobody will think to come in here either. It’s like a hideout.” she laughed, pulling some more blankets over her and then grabbing Emira’s hand to join her. Suddenly the Switch charging didn’t matter as much anymore. “Promise not to tell Danny about this because didn’t you two already accidentally scan your butts on the printer in the library? I remember a few people talking about that.”

gallery 115

@yaseminxtemel​

Not a great start to a second date. His dumbass of a brother was to blame, along with the way Ruben could never quite give Nix the right amount of tough love. As soon as he saw Yasemin, Ruben’s hands came together in a silent prayer as he approached her in the gallery. “I am so sorry.” he began, knowing that it certainly wasn’t acceptable to not shoot a heads up text. Maybe being a waste of space ran in the Gray bloodline. “I had to give my brother a ride ‘cause he was late and I just…” Didn’t think? That didn’t sound good. “I’m a jerk but I absolutely promise, I’ll make sure we have fun. Or, you can never talk to me again and we can ignore each other at work and it’ll be awkward but I’ll deserve it and I’d never complain, just quietly wonder what could’ve been for the rest of my life.”

;

Yas could hear her sister’s voice telling her to just leave if someone didn’t have the decency to let her know they were running late. But Yas decided to be stubborn as she waited in the gallery, part of her wanting to tell Ruben to his face that he was rude because it felt better being honest and direct. As soon as she saw him, her eyebrow quirked and a less than impressed grin tweaked the corner of her mouth. She let him ramble before she laughed slightly. “You didn’t think texting to let me know was important enough. Don’t worry, it’s noted.” she said plainly, but Ru’s dramatic humour made her laugh again. “Well, according to you I already ignore you at work so it probably won’t be much different, hm?” she linked her arm through his suddenly. “You’re lucky it’s cold outside or I would have walked back home.”