Opening The Door Had Seemed To Welcome In The Scent Of Alcohol , And It's Heavy Enough To Make Naji's
opening the door had seemed to welcome in the scent of alcohol , and it's heavy enough to make naji's stomach churn. he's already regretting his last drink — and the cigarette that went with it — and now he’s greeted with a familiar face , as well as the sight of blood staining the white of leo’s t - shirt. for a moment, he just stands there , blinking , as if his intrusion is some kind of joke the universe decided to play on him tonight. the other man seems quite drawn to those anyway ( jokes , he means ) and naji's half tempted to roll his eyes at him as he takes in the scene. but he's always been the protective type , and warmth wins out before annoyance can as he ushers leo in through the door . naji kicks it closed again behind them , only after offering the long line outside nothing but a brusque " wait a little longer. " " god , martinez , what are you smiling for ? and what the hell did you do to yourself ? " the fluorescent light flickers again as he dips down to rummage under the sink. it takes him a minute to find and grab the half - busted first - aid kit from under the sink , brown eyes flickering up to look at leo as he straightens himself to his full height again. he wrote off leo as the type to pull stunts like this long ago — it grates on him , but as he pulls out gauze and disinfectant , his usual exasperation sounds like something closer to concern. he tilts his head, gesturing for leo to take a seat somewhere. " whatever. sit still. gotta clean that shit up. "
this was inevitable. he'd been baited into doing a poor man's interpretation of missy elliot's 1,2 step when he'd tripped on his untied shoelaces and went arm-first into one of those ugly, glass coffee tables. it definitely could've been worse. if he hadn't caught himself, he could have cut his face, which as his mother always said, was his moneymaker. instead, he had a thin, but fairly deep, cut on his left forearm. he hadn't even noticed the blood at first. it wasn't until one of the others, white-faced and voice tinged with worry, pointed it out that he felt the warm trail of it down his arm. "shit," he'd said, ruining one of his favorite t-shirts to try and staunch the bleeding and immediately hustled down the hallway to the bathroom.
he cut the line with a few apologies and when he got any complaints, leo simply held up his cradled arm, white t-shirt darkening with each passing second. at least it didn't hurt. he was drunk enough for that, apparently. when he reached the bathroom door, he knocked quickly in rhythm and waited a thirty count before trying again.
when the door does open, leo blinks in surprise at a familiar face and wordlessly holds up his injured arm with a toothy smile. he figures it's a good enough reason to pound on the bathroom door.
More Posts from Najiikarim and Others
✦ . ── WANTED ! ( ft. song titles as inspo . )
you're gonna go far — noah kahan
the relationship naji has with this person has grown into something undeniably familial. he misses his brother often , and maybe that's why he sought out someone who could understand him just as well . i'm envisioning a sibling bond built and a rare , easy connection that doesn't need much explaining . they're likely one of the few people who can get naji to laugh or smile often , and maybe even the person in static avenue who understands him best . he'd honestly do anything for them ( and maybe they'd return that loyalty right back ) .
the vibes are : teasing nicknames & we take care of each other & stealing fries off of each others' plates & unspoken loyalty & you came? you called & always knowing when the other is upset & easy laughter & fiercely defensive of each other & crashing on the others' couch & borrowed clothes & making pacts & pinky promises.
reckless driving — lizzy mcalpine
careful , careful naji doesn't do relationships , but there's something about this person that keeps him circling back . maybe it's because they know more about him than he cares to admit , or maybe because they're so different from each other—where he's quiet and withdrawn , this person is likely to be at least a little bit more open and expressive than he is . they don't hate each other , really , but i'm thinking there's some undeniable tension , the kind that lingers and makes it clear that there are some intense feelings being swept under the rug . this doesn't have to go anywhere , that's fully dependent on chemistry , but i'd at least love some eventual understanding !
the vibes are : fights that feel like a confession & intense eye contact & sharing earbuds & everyone can see it but them & stolen glances turn into eyerolls & shared cigarettes under the stars & "accidental" touches & sitting in silence but feeling understood.
heading south — zach bryan
naji’s relationship with this person has evolved from envy to a begrudging sense of respect. this person always seemed to have it all figured out ( at least , according to naji ) seeming to have the perfect life and a particular charm to go along with it . to naji , they represented everything he felt he lacked , starting a likely one-sided rivalry completely fueled by jealousy. maybe they're not as perfect as naji thought , and now he has to see them around , often in the same spaces because of the band . maybe he can sense their vulnerability right now , or maybe they're sick of his judgements , but somehow they're slowly trying to work around whatever tensions still exist .
the vibes are : sighing and rolling eyes at one another & usually avoiding working together too closely & awkward conversations & asking others what their opinion is & trying to remain professional instead of vindictive & keeping interactions as short as possible & trying to get along because it's what's best for the band & never really losing that competitive edge .
misc things !
past fling that ended on good terms ; decided they're better off as friends?
that one person who always comes to him when they need literally anything fixed
one of the artists please teach him your instrument ; he's a fast learner
any and all other plots welcome !
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 and messy 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 — " i'm definitely not grumpy around you. " — and , believe it or not , the eeyore comment is unoriginal. " naji stares at her reflection for a beat longer than he should , alcohol addled senses fixating his gaze there. he swallows , hard. tentative fingers drift to the door handle , rough thumbs brushing over it before the cold metal finally snaps him out of it, naji’s blinking hard like he’s trying to shake off the fog. " maybe i'll get you that shot when you're done. " before he's encouraged to say 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 — now that mabel's behind a door, where he can’t see her — he might finally be able to get a grip.
in her own defense, mabel isn't completely sure that her pouts work on naji ; there's the sneaking suspicion, yes, and maybe she weaponizes it a lot because she knows it'll work, yes, but she's never been sure. always the gnawing feeling that maybe he's just humoring her, insecurity personified and speaking in the most irritating little voice in her head — if mabel thinks about it too much her stomach hurts. cheeks go pink when she looks at him like this, enough to make her freeze for a sputtering moment before giving up and ducking under his arm to get in. push past him ( ignore the stumbling, she didn't claim to be sober ) and she won't have to look too long. " i don't even have attitude, you're just so grumpy all the time. thought you'd be a happy drunk, you know. " confidence is restored and her tone evens out, gains the little lilt typical of her. mabel's even brave enough to grin at him from the mirror, " awww, you're being so sweet. f'i knew you'd be like this i would've asked you for a shot earlier. " mabel contemplates kicking him out, feels the nerves in waves ; naji's aura was quite blue ( or maybe purple ? ) right now, she wonders if he notices. " mm — actually, i'm fine ! are you okay, though ? you look so ... mopey. like eeyore. " ouch.
you know what? Fuck you. *turns your strong and stoic and serious character into a crying, traumatized, whimpering, curled up mess in the floor*
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najiikarim reblogged this · 6 months ago
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najiikarim reblogged this · 6 months ago
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najiikarim reblogged this · 6 months ago
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najiikarim reblogged this · 6 months ago
