#「 ⛸️ 」 SHE COULD NEVER SAY ANYTHING WRONG » INTERACTIONS.

[postergrl]

february 24th ! @mconwrites

if one were to ask kamala, she would swear that february twenty-fourth was an international holiday. it was to her, at least. it was the day her best friend in the whole world was born. so, of course she was taking advantage of the spare key he'd given her to decorate his apartment while he was out. kamala knew her window was going to be short, so she had to have a game plan going in. and, it was not easy. river's ceilings were quite tall, and even standing on the counter she could barely reach. she's placed the streamers, put out the cake, stacked his presents on the coffee table-- all that were left were a few balloons to blow up and tie. as she's tying, she hears his key in the door. "WAIT, STOP !!" is all she manages as the door cracks open. "i'm not ready yet... could you just give me a moment ?"

[postergrl]

"a back and forth?! i never thought i'd live to see the day!" kamala's parents had always been a bit... distant from the johnson family. which was hard, considering how much kamala was going to need to stay with the johnsons during competition season. she'd had to beg and beg for them to get together once a month to have dinner. her dad was the first to come around, but, for the first three years of their partnership, kamala's mother simply referred to river as kamala's 'skating friend.' "well, hopefully i won't have to lie to her. i have faith that you did a great job!" she flashes him a bright smile in hopes to ease his nerves.

kamala is all too eager to grab his hand as she follows him up to his place. she's oblivious to the possible implications of the candles set about, and is immediately reacting to the scents that greet her. "hey, doesn't smell too bad in here! that must mean you've done something right," she jokes with a nudge of her elbow. she slips her jacket off and places it in his hand before going over to inspect her new diy gift basket. "all this? for me?" kamala picks up the flower and moves the stem between her thumb and pointer finger as she eyes the rest of the basket. "is this my early christmas present? you could've at least put a bow on it." another opportunity to tease river. "i'm just kidding. am i teasing too much? i haven't even had a drink yet!"

it doesn't matter the reaction, what she's doing. there's a smile on his face as he watches her. it seems almost impossible to be anything other than happy in the presence of the girl who knows him better than he knows himself. " i did, and she did. there was a few back and forth, actually. i was a little shocked too. " he hopes it means there is at least a little warmth there. he doesn't know in what capacity exactly, but he does know her parents will be part of his life for the long-haul, just as kamala will. his best friend being a huge part of his future is perhaps the only thing he is absolutely, wholeheartedly certain of. he nods in agreement, laughter flowing. " yes, i agree. this may end up being the one and only time i encourage you to lie to your mother. i hate the idea of letting her down when she was such a big help. " he's out of the car in seconds, making his way around to open up her door, extends his hand out in offer. closing it behind her before he leads her up to his apartment that she's stepped foot in at least a few hundred times over the last few years. yet tonight feels different. he's . . . nervous. opens the door to reveal his set up, the smell of spices instantly filling the space. there's candles, currently unlit of course, littered around to set a mood he wasn't even aware he was trying to set. and on the coffee table there's a small hamper he's made up, contains everything she may need for a night at his. and of course, there's a few of her favourite things added in there too. a single flower he'd picked on his walk back from the store earlier in the day, despite the fact he gave her a full bouquet that same morning. " oh, that's for you. um, you know you're here often, i just thought it'd be nice if you had a few essentials. here, let me take your jacket, " he offers, ready and waiting.

[postergrl]

@mconwrites // continued from here.

“well, if you insist. i’d hate to leave your parents thinking i’ve died, or something.” a smile lines her lips, even as she jokes about an untimely demise. “how are they doing, anyway? i haven’t seen them in awhile.” not that kamala was regularly meeting up with river’s parents, much less without river. still, thirteen years of history with river also meant thirteen years with benjamin and eliza. while she could never be sure how they felt about her, she always saw them as a second set of parents. “oh, it’s just a habit now? habit seems like such a… mean word to describe a daily GOOD MORNING.” perhaps kamala is just used ‘habit’ usually being accompanied by the word BAD. “i think tradition is a kinder word, wouldn’t you agree?” it’s all light-hearted. it always is with river. she’ll happily be his habit, his tradition, whatever he wanted her to be. luckily for her, he always seemed happy with kamala just being kamala. she’ll never know how she got so lucky with river as a best friend. she’s always joked that fate didn’t know just what it was doing when his mother stopped her after her first skate. or maybe it knew exactly what it was doing. “a bottle of wine? river johnson, you’re really trying to WINE AND DINE me, aren’t you? i will say, i don’t know if wine actually is supposed to be good. sometimes i wonder if that’s just something we’re led to believe by the mysteriousness of adulthood.” if it were possible, her smile would grow as she’s handed the bouquet of flowers. she takes this as her chance to reveal the rose she’d picked for river and offer it out to him. “sorry it’s no bouquet, but, it would’ve been hard to hide from you. plus, i’d imagine my arm would get quite tired holding a whole bouquet behind my back.” she quickly looks over her bouquet and gives it a quick hug before looking back up at river. “thank you, by the way. this shall make a wonderful centerpiece for our dinner tonight.” although, if kamala knew the two of them, they’d probably be eating together on the couch as they watched whatever movie they picked out.

[postergrl]

𝐊𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐋𝐀 𝐑𝐀𝐉𝐀𝐍𝐈 – tag dump!

[postergrl]

the second she'd gotten her plea out, kamala began blowing air as fast as she possibly could into the balloon in her hand. since he was here, she figured three more would be fine. so, as he speaks, she blows up three balloons and tosses them onto the floor. each balloon a different color, strewn all over the place. would it be annoying to clean them up later? probably. what mattered now was that they currently looked like large confetti scattered about. "oh, well, you know how burglars are such fresh fruit fanatics..." kamala jokes as she looks everything over one last time.

once she's pleased, she scoots over to the door and opens the crack ever so slightly. "i'll help you bring everything in," she tells river as she collects the varying bags from his hands. "as long as you promise to close your eyes when you walk inside. i don't have a proper blindfold, and i'd do it myself, but, well..." she gestures ( well, as best she can with her hands full ) between the two of them. "you have to promise me you won't peak!"

his day had started like it always did— with a walk into town, coffee in one hand and bagel in the other as he wandered around. visited all his usual spots: the bookstore, a few of his favourite thrift spots before making his way through the market, always keen to pick up some fresh produce. tried to support local businesses as often as he could. only today there’s a difference, and that’s the fact that his phone is constantly ringing. family and friends keen to wish him a happy birthday, his mother eager to get in there first. little does she know, kamala beat her to it with their daily morning interactions. in all the years he’s known her, saying good morning is always first priority.

ends the call with his brother, juggles his shopping in one hand as he digs into pockets for his key. surprised when he hears a voice from the other side just as he begins to push it open. heart swells, grin quick to grow and already it aches his cheeks. “ you should know that i’m armed, ” jokes softly, remains on the other side of the door as per her demand. “ not with anything remotely dangerous. unless you’re a burglar with a weakness for fresh fruit. ” river feels himself fidget with anticipation, and it’s less about what she has in store for his birthday and more about setting his eyes on her. because spending time with her is all he truly wants. “ what are you up to, rajani ? ”

[postergrl]

kamala tries her best to ignore the flutters in her stomach as river links his pink with hers. at this point, she just associates river's touch with flutters. his hugs, the kisses he places on top of her head, especially his nose boops. no one else has ever made her feel the way river does, but kamala tells herself it's because she doesn't know anyone as long as she's known river. this feeling is thirteen years of friendship and nothing more. because, what would something more look like? it'd likely be COMFORTABLE and EASY, but is that what love is supposed to be? every grand love story seemed to go through some trials and tribulations-- including her parents. besides, how many times had river's mom lectured them about how figure skaters should never fall in love with their partners. she never directly said 'DON'T FALL IN LOVE WITH EACH OTHER,' but it felt heavily implied.

"yes! that sounds like so much fun. matching pajamas and hot chocolate are a definite must for that." kamala rests her head back against the seat before immediately springing back up and turning towards river. "you... texted my mum? and she texted back?" if anything, the fact that her mom even answered his texts was more surprising than the fact that river had messaged her in the first place. usually, when river texts her mom, kamala gets a text asking her why he's doing so. "your efforts must have meant a lot to my mum for her to keep it a secret," kamala teases. "so, no matter the outcome, i'll be sure to tell her it was incredible." when his lips meet her cheeks, the feeling begins again. "absolutely."

" oh ! okay, well that does make more sense. sparkling juice i can absolutely do. " he laughs angelically, reaching out on pure instinct to wrap his pinky around hers like they've done so many times before. there's an odd moment that comes next, and he swears when she mentions family pyjamas it's like he has a glimpse of a life with her that involves more people than just the two of them. it stalls him for a moment, lips parted in surprise before he shakes his head. you weren't supposed to picture starting an actual family with your best friend — were you ? then again, there isn't much river can imagine himself doing without her. " no, i actually think that'd be sweet. and there is no official rule that says we can't wear holiday pyjamas all year round. i think we should do it. speaking of, um, i was thinking next weekend we could take a little drive around, find one of those neighbourhoods that go all out with the christmas decorations. i know you like the lights, and i think it could be fun. is that something you'd want to do ? "

he nods slowly, glances in her direction with a smile that only seems to come out for her. it's the same as his normal smile: bright and warm like sunshine, soft. but there's a glimmer behind his eyes — some might even call it the look of love. " i did. i ... may have texted your mother at least a couple of hundred times, so don't be surprised when she asks you to tell me to delete her number the next time you talk. i just thought it might be nice to celebrate your culture a little. i can only hope i haven't made a complete disaster of it. " it was important to him that she knew her background was important to him. she was, essentially, the single most important person in his life. " we have. and you do a great job. always know exactly what to say. " a quick lean across, he presses a kiss to her cheek, smiling as he does. then he's pulling over, parked outside of his home. " you all set ? "

[postergrl]

"i could never! it's a sparkling juice! no alcohol involved, pinky promise," she assures him, sticking her pinky out. "yes! i thought you did-- i'm glad i was right. at this point, i'm wondering why i even have pajamas that you don't have. like, what's the point? at this rate, we should get those FOR THE FAMILY pajama sets they sell at old navy. they're mostly holiday themed, but if we're just at your place or mine, what does it matter if we're wearing christmas pajamas?" kamala didn't even really celebrate christmas. at least, not with her family. however, she loved the colorful lights and always made sure to buy river a christmas present.

kamala is about to share the same sentiment -- that she, too, is glad river's past relationship hadn't worked out. that the idea of going from his number one to his number two made her nauseous. that the new of his previous hook-up left her numb for a whole week. however, before she gets the opportunity, river has changed the topic. "did you?!" when kamala moved to america, she had given up a lot of her favorite foods since her parents were no longer there to make them for her. indian restaurants could be pretty good, but she was always worried about the palettes of those who accompanied her to restaurants. if anything, she would get takeout for one and eat it at home, or facetime her parents as they gave her instructions to make her favorite dishes. she'd always worried about sharing her favorite foods with river, because, well, he was just such a white boy. she wasn't sure he'd be able to handle it. the thought of toning it down with milk had never occurred to her until now. "honest and easy on you. i think i've lived our whole lives like that, wouldn't you say? that shouldn't be too hard."

“ that sounds like a productive day. ” his smile can’t help but to grow, brow slightly raising. he isn’t so sure he’ll even finish a full glass of wine let alone half the bottle, but he appreciates her picking something out and he knows he’ll go out of his way to try it. “ sparkling cider ? kamala rajani are you trying to get me drunk ? because i fear it might be an easy thing to do. ” soft laughter, his eyes light up as he looks across at her. she brings him so much joy he can hardly contain it. is surprised he doesn’t have permanent cheek-ache from how much she makes him smile. when she asks about her pyjamas, he finds himself with a slight blush. he finds it deeply unfair that she always manages to look so effortlessly beautiful. “ i do have that pair. I’ll put them on as soon as we get hom— as soon as we get to my place.” quick to correct himself with a chuckle, shake of his head. it would make so much sense for them to live together and he knows it, constantly wonders why he had never suggested it upon moving to colorado. a true regret. “ you look so cute. seriously, it baffles me everyday that someone hasn’t swept you off your feet yet. but selfishly I’m a little glad… i don’t know how I’d cope with having to spend less time with you. ” surprised by his own honesty, he clears his throat, casts his gaze back on the road. tries to change the subject. “ okay so i may have made Indian food for the first time today — i think it went, but i want you to be both honest and easy on me when you try it, please. i’m always on board for some constructive criticism. ”

[postergrl]

kamala does all she can to suppress a sigh as river talks about his hopes for love. their parents couldn't be more different if they tried-- his father finding his mother after losing another great love of his and growing a family of their own. her parents were introduced by their families with the expectation of a wedding. it seemed to work out for the two of them though. over time, avi and vidya found love in their shared interests and grew together. kamala was an only child, which made it easier for her to pick up on the love they had for each other. they were never overly touchy feely ( at least in front of her ), but they showed their love in other ways ( mainly through acts of service ). if it could work out for them, kamala had huge hopes for finding love for herself. "whoever you end up with must be committed to you for life. if not, i guess i'll just have to fight them," she tells him with a shrug. looking over at him is a distraction from the feeling within her stomach as she pictures his life with someone else. she knew the two would grow up and have their own families and eventually lead separate lives, but the idea of not being a prominent part of river's future made her feel a bit queasy.

"you should be! i should have you arrested for claims such as those..." her eyes light up as he instantly seems to agree with her costume and says "yes, EXACTLY!" however, it's not until after she's said this that she realizes he's said flynn rider instead of pascal. could she take it back? he seemed very into the idea of flynn and rapunzel, and if kamala is being honest, flynn does make more sense for river than pascal. they've done a lot of DUO costumes, but does she dare mention that she believes this is their first pair that is canonically a couple? she chooses not to. "if you think i can pull of rapunzel, i'm one hundred percent sure you could pull off flynn. i'm sure you in a vest could get people swooning."

"i fear for our image if we get out more. not that being out would ruin our reputations or anything, but people will learn that we are ABSOLUTELY boring shut-ins who don't have, what most people consider for people in their mid-twenties, fun. could you imagine the two of us in a club together?" kamala had gone clubbing a few times with some of her friends, but she almost always ended up at river's apartment. she felt out of place going out like that, and she can't even imagine river at a club. the idea makes her want to laugh. "oh no, how ever will i go on being spoiled with gifts?" she's teasing. "you know, you don't have to do any of it. unless it's, like, my birthday or a major holiday. then i'll definitely be expecting flowers or something." kamala offers her pinky to river. "you picking me up at seven sounds great!"

river knows that no matter what happens in his life, he has the best person he could ever wish for in his corner. it was so difficult to describe his relationship with kamala because often referring to her as his best friend felt like far too little. she was so much more than that. she was the only one who knew all of his secrets, his fears, his hopes and dreams. it was sometimes difficult to express his gratitude when they shared a bond that not many people seemed lucky enough to have in their lifetime. "yeah... i'm sure it's fine. i just... want them to be happy, you know ? whatever that means for them. it makes me a little sad, though-- to think that love might not be something that last forever. it probably sounds incredibly cheesy, but i hope when i find my person, it lasts for the rest of my life." could it be the reason he was so scared to admit what his heart knew ? because river johnson wasn't looking for that special someone, what was the point ? his heart knew she was standing tight in front of him. his head was just taking it's time to catch up.

laughter bubbles, eyes dancing as they drink up the sight of her smile. the giddiness that hits him is intoxicating. sometimes it feels like her smile is the only drug he ever needs ( minus the anxiety medication. ) "sacrilege, i know ! i'm sorry i ever doubted you." a hand raises to his chest, pearly whites on full display. at her suggestions he nods, agreeing with her idea. and while usually he opts to be the friend of her chosen character, this year that thought doesn't enter his mind. "you'll make an excellent rapunzel. and that works for me, i think i can pull off flynn rider. i mean, i already have the hair, right ? kind of. " a slow hand reaches up to comb though his locks. "we can look up some inspo photos tonight. plan it out."

"oh," his smile only grows at the idea of how clueless he is. "yeah... you might be right, we should definitely get out more." a playful brow raised, he opts to tease. "you know if your make this a thing it only means i have to keep going bigger and better, right ? prepare to be showered in gifts, miss rajani." though he knows he needs no excuse for that. it's one of his favourite things to do. never over the top, always an attempt to be sentimental. he simply can't help himself. "shall we say seven ? i can pick you up if you want, just let me know."

[postergrl]

kamala places a comforting hand on his back, rubbing up and down. she couldn't be any more sure what was going on with his parents than river was, but she feels bad. it was hard for kamala to not have all the answers for him. "well, i guess for now you can just believe them. but, if you ever want to talk... well, you know where to find me." she hopes that river knows he could go to kamala with anything. she'd listen to his random shower thoughts with as much interest as his deepest and darkest secrets.

she can't help but laugh as river is quick to clarify what he means by the word. she knows he'd never do anything to hurt her. at least, not on purpose. it was rare she was ever hurt by any of river's actions. "tradition makes us sound like put together adults, i think. which, honestly, i think we need." kamala, compared to her cousin, felt very juvenile. she had done so much with her life, and kamala had been focused on just one thing. it was hard to not feel inferior or less cool. but kamala was comfortable with what she was doing. she would definitely fear switching places with her cousin. "you're right, i haven't!" she places a hand to her chest and feigns shock and offense. "do you realize what you're accusing me of? i could never! in fact, i think i've come up with the perfect idea for you and me." which, was hard considering they had many years of costumes to look back on. "i would really like to be rapunzel this year..." and who was rapunzel's best friend? PASCAL, of course! and she's sure river will connect the dots.

"you of all people know i'm no alcohol expert, but i don't think you're supposed to mix with wine... but, hey, this all goes back to the PUT TOGETHER ADULT thing we lack," she jokes. kamala was confident she could roleplay as a sophisticated adult. well, maybe less confident seeing how her partner was going to be river, and he knew just how to make her feel comfortable as herself. all thoughts of wine leave her brain once she present river his rose, her smile matching his. she briefly closes her eyes and he plants a kiss atop her head, shaking her head. "oh, no, i have plenty of years and bouquets to catch up on. we can consider this a start." she definitely didn't spoil river as much as he spoiled her, and perhaps it was time for her to start. "a blanket fort sounds absolutely PERFECT."

he chuckles softly at her joke, though he can't help but to think that, if anything was to happen to her, he would follow closely behind. sometimes it felt like their souls were intertwined, tied together by an invisible string. she truly was part of him. "uh, they're fine, i think. i tend to see them a lot separately now, but every time i ask if anything is going on, they tell me they're just busy." he hopes that's the case and that there is nothing serious underlaying, but at the end of the day all he wants is them to be happy, together or apart. "what ?! no. it's a good habit. nothing with you could ever be bad to me. but if it makes you feel better about it, we can say tradition instead. i like tradition." no matter his mood each morning, receiving a text back from her always put a smile on his face. made his heart flutter. river was constantly reminded that, no matter how bad things seemed, there would always be a light in his life thanks to her. kamala made even the darkest of days feel like sunshine. "though speaking of traditions, you haven't told me your plan for halloween yet. you're not thinking of a solo costume this year, are you ? " he wasn't a big drinker, never had been. stemmed from watching his father lose himself to it, become a monster. but with kamala he feels comfortable, knows it won't turn aggressive. with her, he's safe. "oh— should i buy some mixers, would that make it taste better ? " he doesn't have too much time to think about it, however, as the moment she hands him a single rose it takes everything he has not to melt into a puddle before he. it's a a sweet gesture, warms his heart. " for me ? you didn't have to do that." his smile is undeniable as he shakes his head, steps forward to lean down and press a kiss to the top of her head. he feels giddy, more than one should at the idea of having dinner with a friend. "see, i was thinking more blanket fort in front of the television vibes— what do you think about that ? "

[postergrl]

kamala is about ninety percent sure she's told river she's fully capable of climbing into his car all on her own, but that has never stopped him from assisting. she smooths her pants out as she waits for him to sit himself down in the driver's seat. "but it felt like a lifetime," she jokes. "i've been busy, don't worry. took a shower, washed my sheets and such... oh! and i got us a nice sparkling cider, just in case we... you know, finish our wine." she doesn't want to admit they probably won't finish the bottle, mainly because it seemed like river had put a lot of effort into getting it for the night. plus, it was the thought that counts. it was always the thought with river. she looks over at him, and finds herself just smiling. she's supposed to be speaking, for sure, but she takes a few extra beats of silence to just take him in. "so, uh, what do you think of my pajamas? i tried to pick a good pair-- one i think you also have a set of. you have this pair, right?"

// @postergrl

it’s second nature, the way he moves quickly to open up the passenger side door for her. ever the gentleman. and despite the fact they only parted ways a few hours ago, he still smiles like he hasn’t seen her in several weeks. because it doesn’t really matter, does it — how long it’s been ? there’s always the same happiness felt at being back in her presence. “ watch your step, ” he reminds her, one hand taking hers as the other rests on her back, an attempt to help her up into the jeep. content when she’s in safely, warm inside the heated space, he jogs round to take his place back behind the wheel. “ so… what have you been upto in the— what, six hours ? since I last saw you ? ” a hearty chuckle, eyes glancing from to road, to her, and back again. there’s something so wistful about the way the street lights illuminate her every time they pass one. a longing sigh escaping his mouth, confused as it meets his ears. it almost begs him to wake up and see the truth that’s right before his very eyes. a simple truth made up of four little letters: l o v e.