to be fair , naji's not really a happy anything. he's always felt too much or too little , and even tonight he leans towards the former , awkward andĀ messyĀ in a way that he's hoping she won't find pathetic. the word mopey sticks with him , but he's simply amused , the feeling tugging his lips into a reluctant, lopsided smile he has no business letting mabel see. he swears it's the first time he's smiled all night , but hey , she's always carried a kind of warmth with her that's bled into his gloom. " i'm not grumpy all the time ā " i'm definitely not grumpy around you. " ā and , believe it or not , the eeyore commentĀ is unoriginal. " naji stares at her reflection for a beat longer than he should , alcohol addled senses fixating his gaze there. he swallows , hard.Ā tentativeĀ fingers drift to the door handle , rough thumbs brushing over it beforeĀ the cold metalĀ finally snaps him out of it, najiās blinking hard like heās trying to shake off the fog. " maybe i'll get you that shot when you're done. " before he's encouraged to sayĀ another drunken word , he pulls the door closed between them , letting the latch click softly into place before he leans against it. the heels of his palms press into his eyes , the pressure sending his vision dark and filled with sprinklings of stars. he's hoping that now ā now thatĀ mabel's behind a door, where he canāt see her ā he might finally be able to get a grip.Ā
inĀ herĀ ownĀ defense,Ā mabelĀ isn'tĀ completelyĀ sureĀ thatĀ herĀ poutsĀ workĀ onĀ najiĀ ;Ā there'sĀ theĀ sneakingĀ suspicion,Ā yes,Ā andĀ maybeĀ sheĀ weaponizesĀ itĀ aĀ lotĀ becauseĀ sheĀ knowsĀ it'llĀ work,Ā yes,Ā butĀ she'sĀ neverĀ beenĀ sure.Ā alwaysĀ theĀ gnawingĀ feelingĀ thatĀ maybeĀ he'sĀ justĀ humoringĀ her,Ā insecurityĀ personifiedĀ andĀ speakingĀ inĀ theĀ mostĀ irritatingĀ littleĀ voiceĀ inĀ herĀ headĀ āĀ ifĀ mabelĀ thinksĀ aboutĀ itĀ tooĀ muchĀ herĀ stomachĀ hurts.Ā cheeksĀ goĀ pinkĀ whenĀ sheĀ looksĀ atĀ himĀ likeĀ this,Ā enoughĀ toĀ makeĀ herĀ freezeĀ forĀ aĀ sputteringĀ momentĀ beforeĀ givingĀ upĀ andĀ duckingĀ underĀ hisĀ armĀ toĀ getĀ in.Ā pushĀ pastĀ himĀ (Ā ignoreĀ theĀ stumbling,Ā sheĀ didn'tĀ claimĀ toĀ beĀ soberĀ )Ā andĀ sheĀ won'tĀ haveĀ toĀ lookĀ tooĀ long.Ā "Ā iĀ don'tĀ evenĀ haveĀ attitude,Ā you'reĀ justĀ soĀ grumpyĀ allĀ theĀ time.Ā thoughtĀ you'dĀ beĀ aĀ happyĀ drunk,Ā youĀ know.Ā "Ā confidenceĀ isĀ restoredĀ andĀ herĀ toneĀ evensĀ out,Ā gainsĀ theĀ littleĀ liltĀ typicalĀ ofĀ her.Ā mabel'sĀ evenĀ braveĀ enoughĀ toĀ grinĀ atĀ himĀ fromĀ theĀ mirror,Ā "Ā awww,Ā you'reĀ beingĀ soĀ sweet.Ā f'iĀ knewĀ you'dĀ beĀ likeĀ thisĀ iĀ would'veĀ askedĀ youĀ forĀ aĀ shotĀ earlier.Ā "Ā mabelĀ contemplatesĀ kickingĀ himĀ out,Ā feelsĀ theĀ nervesĀ inĀ wavesĀ ;Ā naji'sĀ auraĀ wasĀ quiteĀ blueĀ (Ā orĀ maybeĀ purpleĀ ?Ā )Ā rightĀ now,Ā sheĀ wondersĀ ifĀ heĀ notices.Ā "Ā mmĀ āĀ actually,Ā i'mĀ fineĀ !Ā areĀ youĀ okay,Ā thoughĀ ?Ā youĀ lookĀ soĀ ...Ā mopey.Ā likeĀ eeyore.Ā "Ā ouch.
he noticed the staring long ago. how could he not ? it's as brazen as everything else the woman does ā sharp , like a silent dare , a challenge in the air like she's looking just to see if he'll offer his gaze back. ( he doesn't. ) instead , naji ignores her for the time being , shadow falling behind flickering lights , half - swallowed by the dark and half - swathed in neon pink. a cigarette burns low between his fingers ā should he go outside ? he's deciding ā but it does nothing to fight the perpetual scowl that is twisted onto his lips , even as he lifts it up again to take a drag. he's got an air about him that screams leave me alone , and , on a normal day , most people catch on quick. ( it is important to note , then , that he knows juno zhang is not 'most people'. ) her gaze sticks like static , and so does his bleary memory of last night , the wild woman on his doorstep and asking to stay like he's her last resort. less than twenty - four hours ago was when naji learned he can't say no to her , and , already it's proving to make things difficult. he knows this even as she approaches , brash and barefoot , bringing all her wit and audacity with her. the scowl twists deeper at her tone , eyebrows knitting together. the teasing otherwise rolls off his shoulders , but it does something strange , somewhere deep , just enough to make him wonder why she cares to notice what he's doing at all. his eyes fixate somewhere to her left , and he leans back further agains the wall. don't look chaos in the eye , that's not good for you. " hmm. " a noncommital grunt , like he isn't buying into her taunt. " where the fuck did you leave your shoes ? " he pauses again. " you wanna talk about being 'lost', yeah? " the implications of that are clear , but he's not insolent enough to bring up the night before. " or just here for a cigarette ? "
šššššš ššššššš šš šššš ššššššš, @najiikarim ! šššššššš : major's stinky loft.
theĀ loudĀ and shitty musicĀ blastingĀ fromĀ theĀ jankyĀ speakersĀ andĀ sweatyĀ bodiesĀ slammingĀ againstĀ herĀ absurdlyĀ furryĀ exteriorĀ arenātĀ enoughĀ toĀ pullĀ herĀ stabbingĀ gazeĀ away fromĀ himĀ ; meticulous examinationĀ madeĀ allĀ theĀ moreĀ obviousĀ byĀ theĀ hazeĀ coatingĀ herĀ inebriatedĀ brain.Ā yes,Ā junoāsĀ neverĀ beenĀ āĀ andĀ neverĀ willĀ beĀ āĀ someoneĀ whoāsĀ subtleĀ (Ā becauseĀ fuckĀ thatĀ ),Ā butĀ rightĀ now,Ā sheāsĀ doingĀ absolutelyĀ nothingĀ toĀ hideĀ theĀ factĀ thatĀ sheāsĀ beenĀ staring,Ā staringĀ andĀ staringĀ someĀ more.Ā heĀ seemsĀ lonely.Ā heĀ savedĀ youĀ lastĀ night.Ā justĀ move.Ā and, likeĀ everythingĀ sheĀ everĀ doesĀ inĀ life,Ā sheĀ followsĀ theĀ firstĀ impulseĀ thatĀ jerksĀ atĀ herĀ bruisedĀ heart.Ā wantsĀ toĀ thankĀ him,Ā needsĀ to ā itāsĀ beenĀ aĀ gnawingĀ itchĀ that sheĀ hasnātĀ beenĀ ableĀ toĀ scratchĀ sinceĀ steppingĀ outĀ ofĀ hisĀ homeĀ thisĀ morning.Ā theĀ altoids tinĀ boxĀ that she filledĀ withĀ four hand - rolled joints burning herĀ pocket, a symbol of unspoken gratitude. she canāt stomach the thought of not repaying him ... for some reason. kindness for the sake of being kind is a myth, after all. nakedĀ feetĀ āĀ sheĀ ditchedĀ herĀ heelsĀ aĀ whileĀ backĀ andĀ didnāt botherĀ lookingĀ forĀ them ā carryĀ herĀ towardĀ him in all of her messy glory,Ā an inevitable curse. excitementĀ pulsesĀ throughĀ herĀ veins;Ā thisĀ isĀ theĀ closestĀ herĀ pryingĀ eyesĀ haveĀ beenĀ toĀ himĀ theĀ entireĀ night. what a thrill. ā lookināĀ aĀ littleĀ lostĀ there ⦠āĀ sheĀ says,Ā notĀ meaningĀ toĀ mock,Ā butĀ herĀ wordsĀ stillĀ haveĀ aĀ sharpĀ edgeĀ toĀ them.Ā āĀ neverĀ beenĀ toĀ aĀ partyĀ before,Ā roadieĀ ?Ā noĀ oneāsĀ gonna jumpĀ you.Ā ā
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