#🍇 ⠀ ⠀ CHARLIE ⠀ ﹕ ⠀ THREAD ft. ZOYA .

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status : closed / ( @wcrstbehaviior ) location : a random restaurant

               his   indiscretions   at   crest   fest   had   landed   him   scorching   hot   water   with   tiny.   becoming   her   errand   boy   was   the   tamest   of   the   punishments   he   could   have   gotten   so   he   stood   in   the   line,   waiting   for   their   pick   up   order.   the   chime   of   the   door   opening   made   him   lift   his   head   up   and   watch   as   zoya   walked   in   to   stand   in   the   same   line.   it   couldn't   be   any   more   awkward   than   their   first   encounter   so   he   as   he   did   the   first   time,   he   opened   his   mouth   unprovoked.   ❝   having   a   cheeky   night   in   with   greyson   are   you   ?   ❞   he   offered   a   smile.   ❝   didn't   take   him   as   much   of   a   kochi   fan,   just   doesn't   seem   that   adventurous   though   i   guess   that   could   be   your   influence.   ❞

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               her   laughter   isn't   shared   in   totality,   but   he   does   offer   a   scoff   of   one   for   reasons   only   he   understands.   getting   in   trouble   with   tiny   once   was   enough   for   him,   he   was   going   to   be   careful   about   what   he   said   moving   forward.   ❝   that's   good.   takes   a   lot   of   energy   to   keep   up   with   you.   i'm   glad   he   seems   to   be   getting   the   hang   of   it   just   fine.   ❞

"as she should," zoya couldn't help but laugh as she responded. she likely wouldn't admit it, but there was a part of her that was glad to hear charlie was in a relationship. "thank you," she smiled, "he's slowly recovering," she paused, "but he'll be back to normal soon."

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status : closed / ( @wcrstbehaviior​​​ ) location : outside a random coffee shop

     charlie had stopped looking for zoya in every stranger he walked past on campus nearly a year after they broke up. each time he left the house he’d run scenarios in his head on the way he’d make it better. his usual air of pessimism hadn’t had the chance to clog his lungs and make it impossible to believe in hope. despite the break up being his fault, he couldn’t stop himself from looking for her soft smile, and brown eyes in every body dipped in pink that he passed on the way to class. he believed that he could make it better. but the longer he went without seeing them, the more he realized he didn’t want to make it better. zoya had been, and always would be, the embodiment of a life he would never have. it wasn’t their fault, but every success for hers was just another way he was failing himself. once that bitterness settled within him, he didn’t feel the need to search for her in the halls and on crosswalks. he almost didn’t spare them a second glance as they collided outside a local coffee shop. there was clattering that followed, some of his own things meeting with the concrete. “ i guess this is why you’re encouraged to pack light in this city. ” he spoke as he knelt to pick them he noticed the wide array of pastel colored and heart shaped items landed right beside his. charlie hadn’t thought of zoya in years. that wasn’t entirely true. he only thought of them on nights where he was made up of more scotch than water, when his apartment was only illuminated by the city lights, and the wonder of what he could’ve been if he was strong enough to walk away from the comforts he’s grown with found its way to the forefront of his mind. but it was hard not to think of her then. “ let me guess your favorite color is... green ? getting a green vibe from ━━━ ” the items he had picked up for the other clattered back to the ground as the shock settled in him, eyebrows raising as he took in her features for the first time in years. “ holy shit, zoya ? ”

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status : closed / ( @wcrstbehaviior ) continued from : here .

it didn't surprise charlie that he could solicit such a reaction from zoya. the woman in front of him was uselessly so kind no matter what. delivered sweet words and a smile to everyone but it felt especially true for those who didn't deserve it ( she did date him, after all ). however, charlie had made her look foolish for extending such a sweetness to him. constantly at war with himself, zoya had been a sad casualty. an outcome he liked to think was inevitable because being honest with her would come at his own detriment. charlie didn't think himself a selfish man, but when it came to protecting his heart ( surprisingly fragile and always tinkering on the edge ) he was ruthless. ❝ take it that's going well, then ? ❞ he questioned, he pretended not to know about her name on a playbill, what show she was in, where the theater was. it was easier not to think back on her if she hated him. ❝ yeah, yeah. i do. ❞ he nodded, looking down to his feet and then over to the door and back to her. ❝ are you going inside ? or was this just a very unfortunate coincidence ? ❞

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               ❝   and   she   is   sure   not   to   let   anyone   forget   it.   ❞   he   remarks   in   a   loving   tone,   even   though   the   motivation   behind   it   was   anything   but.   ❝   that's   great   to   hear,   really   great.   i'm   happy   for   you   guys.   ❞   charlie   let   a   moment   of   silence   pass   before   speaking   up   again.   ❝   greyson   is   a   really   good   bloke.   did   he   recover   from   the   festival   alright   ?   i   know   it   drained   the   life   out   of   him   poor   lad.   ❞

zoya wasn't entirely sure what a kinder egg was, but she decided it probably wasn't something worth dwelling on. so she opted to laugh in response to charlie's question. not to mention, she wasn't exactly rearing to share details of her relationship with an ex-boyfriend. "well, she has good taste," zoya responded with a smile, "yes, we definitely do," she agreed.

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         with   as   much   trouble   as   he's   been   in   the   last   week,   the   last   thing   charlie   was   looking   for   was   to   stir   up   even   more.   his   last   encounter   with   zoya   was   one   filled   with   discomfort,   drudging   up   a   past   he   much   rather   left   buried,   considering   his   friendship   with   greyson   it   wasn't   looking   like   it   could.   at   the   very   least,   he   could   be   polite.   ❝   your   own   little   kinder   egg   how   cute.   is   that   a   pet   name   you   guys   share   ?   i   think   it   should   be.   ❞   or   at   least   try.   and   he   swears   he   was   trying.   ❝   not   so   much   me,   my   girlfriend.   tiny.   so,   i   guess   it's   my   favorite   now.   as   long   as   she's   happy,   i'm   happy.   i'm   sure   you   and   greyson   must   feel   the   same   way   about   each   other.   ❞

after their previous run-in, there was a tiny part of zoya that had been hoping to see charlie again. but she'd also gone out of her way to ignore that particular part of her subconscious, having decided that was a can of worms best left unopened. but it seemed the universe had other ideas. at least, it was a setting that provided an easy exit, in the event she needed one. "something like that," she smiled, choosing to ignore how charlie knew about greyson. "i guess he's just full of surprises," she smiled, opting to once again ignore the fact that charlie was entirely right. she wasn't quite ready to give him that satisfaction. "and you? big kochi fan?"

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          with  her  appearance  came  a  quick  switch  in  demeanor.  his  relaxed  shoulders  grew  stiff  and  amused  smile  fell  into  a  tight,  uncomfortable  line.  his  tempered  movements  became  hasty  as  he  worked  to  shove  his  journals,  his  books,  his  wallet  back  into  his  bag.  any  of  her  items  picked  up  in  the  panic,  quickly  returned  to  her  before  they  lifted  up  from  the  ground.  at  first  he  didn't  speak,  too  stunned  by  a  body  from  his  past  that  didn't  stay  buried  to  speak.  he  nodded  as  if  he  needed  to  make  sure  he  was  still  who  he  thought  he  was  too.  ❝  live  and  in  technicolor.  ��  the  light  taught  finally  pushed  its  way  through  his  dry  throat  as  he  tore  his  gaze  away  from  her,  trying  to  find  anything  to  look  at  that  wasn't  her.  ❝  didn't  know  you  were  still  in  new  york.  insane  how  small  this  place  is...━━  do  you  have  all  your  things  ?  ❞

if only she had stayed home - then zoya would’ve avoided what was shaping up to be the worst day ever. it had been one bad thing after another - starting with sleeping through her alarm and most recently discovering the redline was undergoing planned service. well, that was until she found herself colliding with another person. fortunately, she was able to collect herself rather quickly, all things considered. she even laughed as she reached for her belongings, though that might just have been a sign of her finally breaking down. “it’s pink actually,” she responded with a laugh, as she lifted her head only to come face to face with just about the last person she thought she’d see. “charlie?” she gasped, her eyes growing wide as she took a step back.