#( 🌙 GRAND THEFT AUTO V! THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT OVER VESPUCCI. ✨ )

[romancemoving]

✨ ❝gossip.❞ 🌙 zora & vi.

✨ @escapedartgeek asked 🌙 🌜 for a late night text. meme. still accepting!

( TXT. | 🌊 zorabstract. ) omg omg omg ~___~ you gotta answer my texties lol like i know it’s late but come on you gotta chat with me, because i really gotta tell someone about this si-tu-aaaaation lolololololololol.

( TXT. | 🌊 zorabstract. ) it’s so stupid, zora. you know that girl you’ll see with me sometimes on set? my stylist? she got herself into a fucking entanglement but it’s the dumbest shit i’ve seen in my life. like playing 4D chess but wearing a blindfold and drowning underwater during it all.

( TXT. | 🌊 zorabstract. ) it’s a tale of lust, khaki shorts wearing douche i consider a good friend of mine, his hoochie mama wife that just got caught getting boned by her tennis coach, and a woman that needs to learn how to keep business and personal feelings separately. it’s sooooo much lol... do you want me to start from the beginning or no...

( TXT. | 🌊 zorabstract. ) grab a snack by the way. it’s a doozy!

[romancemoon]

✨ ❝thundershowers.❞ 🌙 trevor & vi.

✨ @maximuses asked 🌙 a kiss on that space where jaw connects. meme. still accepting!

Sometimes, they took their sweet, sweet time. Sometimes, they didn't. Sometimes, Trevor would pin Virote down by the back of his neck, spend a couple of moments prepping him, and then pound him with reckless abandon. But, on the flipside, sometimes Virote would take Trevor into his mouth for all but five minutes before positioning himself to straddle and ride him. It depended on their schedules—Virote was usually the busier one between the two. Trevor was mostly just impatient and too horny to keep himself contained. But, this evening was different.

It was raining when they left the gas station right down the road from the trailer, hands bundled with bags of food and drinks, and Trevor put his arm around Virote as they ran madcap to his place. Once there, they held onto each other on the bed for a long, long time. Groping, undressing. Virote felt and smelled the rain soaked into Trevor's skin, felt his arms encircling, and remembered, with relief, how extraordinary scents and rain and love and life could be. He had not been with a man in a very long time before they got together, and, understanding this, Trevor was kind and gentle and utterly loving when they weren't in a rush to get down to business.

Trevor had Virote held against the mattress by his hips, rutting against him, the both of them unclothed, as the mattress started creaking in protest. It was quiet at first other than the radio playing whatever the dj had in the mix, but the sound of moaning flooded the tiny bedroom, the nightstand rattling. Virote uttered rhythmically, mm, mm, mm, and with every movement, Trevor became more fervent in frotting, humping him. His lips met the bareness of Virote's neck, up to his jaw. Right on the bone, where it connected. His efforts didn’t go unrewarded. Virote let out a groan—he was frustrated. Frustrated, in love, smitten, completely taken, et cetera. Trevor looked nice in the dim lighting.

❝T—re—Trevor, please...❞ He sounded pitiful. A sweaty, begging, shaking mess. The thunder outside  almost carried his voice away. ❝Stop teasing... Be nice to me.❞

[romancemoved]

✨❝warmth.❞ 🌙 niko & vi.

✨ @emptyvictory asked 🌙 [ PULL ] : sender pulls the receiver close against them as they kiss them. meme. still accepting!

The Galileo Observatory. That Galileo Observatory was where they crept into at night, sleuthing beyond security cameras. The moon was bright, and the cold wind was like a slap in the face. Amid the emptiness of the area, under the sky full of stars, they exchanged a short kiss while overlooking the cityscape of Los Santos. The only noise around them was a whoosh from December winds. While lonely in another context, Virote cherished that sound. It was peaceful. This moment was a beautiful one.

Virote leaned against the banister, watching the cityscape below. Twinkling lights. Millions of them. He’d seen this a billion times, but being with Niko made it the prettiest display he ever witnessed in his entire life. Being in love made everything romantic, didin’t it? Los Santos wasn’t anything special, at this point. But, with Niko, it was magic. Especially from the view of the observatory. The lights below looked like a sea.

❝It's chilly out here, isn't it?❞ He drew himself closer, Niko reciprocated by pulling him in. Arm around the waist, a gentle tug. They kissed, after that. Endlessly, delicately. Without shame, of course; no one else was around. Niko lifted Virote’s chin and kissed him more and more. Twice, three times—Niko’s light kisses were like a ripple and Virote felt his knees almost buckle. But, he managed to lean against him and deepen the kiss in return, breath almost hitching in his throat. ❝I love you. I’ve loved you for so long,❞ he carelessly admitted. It was like he was talking about the weather. Lackadaisically. ❝Don’t worry about saying it back. I love you. I just want you to know.❞ Being held by Niko felt wonderful.

[sailorvinus]

❓

✨ @emptyvictory. meme. still accepting!

Does my muse trust yours? ❝Of course! You know, I really think Niko's a lovely person. I trust him. I don't think there's any reason to think he'll ever throw me under the bus. Considering my line of work, I've pretty much been steamrolled by every bus in the entire city and then some.❞

Does my muse dislike yours? ❝That's a really, really, really silly question.❞

Would my muse kill someone for yours? ❝If I really had to. Let's say, uh. I dunno, like, Niko was captured by someone. Pirates. Let's say, for some reason Los Santos was invaded by pirates. I would absolutely give Captain Hook the fuckin' business to save Niko! But, y'know, like, I feel like Niko can handle his own. He doesn't need anyone to save him like that, right? He's not Princess Peach.❞ He reached into his bag for his phone, opening Niko's contact to change his name: Niko Peach. We love to have fun here!

Would my muse kill your muse? ❝On the dance floor, only.❞

Would my muse save yours? ❝Refer to my earlier answer about the pirates, please.❞

Does my muse find your muse attractive? ❝Niko Bellic is really beautiful... I like his accent. A lot. I like when he says my name, it sounds like a magic spell. But, uh. In terms of looks, he's really got it. Pretty eyes. A little sad and forlorn and tired, but they're pretty. Never seen someone wear earth tones the way he does, he’s a bit like a handsome tree. Bone structure to die for. I wanna draw hijm in my sketchbook... Wow, he’s hot. That’s a revelation I didn’t have ‘til now. Good for me. Breakthroughs, breakthroughs. We make them when we level up in life.❞

Is my muse disgusted by yours? ❝Forrealsies and fer sure, I'm just disgusted by how much I like his accent. I never thought of Eastern European accents like that, but we’re always discovering new things about ourselves as we live through the days, right?❞

Would my muse go on a date with your muse? ❝I wouldn't oppose. Like, if he was all like, do you wanna go get coffee or something, I'd be like... Oh! Special attention? For me? You shouldn't have.❞ A pause. He's lookin' awfully shifty n’ suspicious. ❝I'd go on a date with him.❞

Would my muse kiss yours? ❝ He's tall and I'd have to make an effort, so I wouldn't make the first move. But, if he kissed me first, that'd definitely be a BETCHA BY GOLLY, WOW moment for the books, I feel. He's probably a good kisser. I’d kiss Niko. If he kissed me, I’d like it.❞

would my muse betray yours? ❝Only in Uno. I'm loyal to no one and I will absolutely double four-plus cards someone unprovoked.❞

My muse’s favorite thing about yours is ____ ... ❝Niko is really calming to be around. His energy, his aura... Very pretty. I'm trying not to center what I really like about him around myself, because that's a little selfish, but, I just think he's got this energy that's nice to be around. I don't have to force myself to smile or anything. Relief approaches us in the disguise of other people, sometimes.❞

The thing my muse dislikes about yours is_____ ... ❝The circumstances of his life are painful to listen to and it's hard keeping cool about it. I want to hug him. No one deserves what he's been through, I wouldn't even wish it on someone I hate. No one deserves what he’s seen. And, I do feel silly telling him about my problems due to how... You know, little they are, in comparison. Anyway, whatever little breadcrumb trail he leaves for me to see about his past, it’s always a chore to process. Or, maybe I’m just hypersensitive. Who knows.❞

[romancemoon]

✨❝eventide.❞ 🌙 trevor & vi.

✨ @maximuses​ asked 🌙 ۵ . meme. still accepting!

Virote sat by bay window, the late, late day sun warm at the side of his face. A tome was parted open in his hands. Revisiting philosophy had lately seemed like a noble means of self-improvement over the uselessness of his well-meaning therapist, an antidote to being in front of a camera for uncomfortable lengths at a time, a diversion from his fully stocked alcohol cabinet with its lacquer exterior and liquor interior. Virote needed to occupy his brain with something other than all of this Vinewood bullshit. But he quickly found that he couldn’t understand Foucault without some Marx, and he couldn’t digest Marx without getting to Hegel, and so on and so forth, all the way back to the Greeks. When he realized that he couldn’t understand the Greeks, he bought a Cambridge Companion, which he was currently absorbed in, wondering if there existed a companion to the Companion. He returned to the introduction. Compare the following two questions, he read, for the fifth time, both of which greatly exercised ancient Greek and Roman thinkers:

What is a good human life?

Why isn’t the earth falling?

He was puzzling over the former when he felt a strong hand grasp at his right shoulder and familiar lips pressed against the side of his neck, Trevor leaning in from out of the blue. Like he didn’t even use the door to get in, like he came in with magic. It was a lingering-for-way-more-than-intended kind of kiss that turned into a series of nips and tracing of teeth with self-satisfied hums. Then, another kiss aimed specifically where his pulse was. If Trevor wasn’t knocking at the door, he was making his presence known by smooching Virote from behind. Sometimes his hands wandered, sometimes they didn’t. Virote closed the book and let it fall from his hands. Whether or not it hit the floor wasn’t his concern. Trevor had him where he wanted him, completely surrendering.

❝I thought you'd be getting here in the evening. Aren’t you here a little early? You said you had a busy morning,❞ he finally said. But, as he turned his head towards his view of Vespucci, the sun was starting to sink behind the ocean, twinkling away against gold and purple before making way for the moon. The lights neon of Del Perro started turning on. Ferris wheel first, then the rollercoaster. A different crowd, mostly teenagers, started filling the beach. Night was just beginning to set in ( and, then he realized he probably had been sitting there for at least four hours. ) Virote slid from his seat and stood—he was a little unbalanced for a couple of seconds, but he found the strength to straighten his posture. 

Trevor met him with a kiss on the mouth this time, muttering a sweet, husky little I missed ya, beautiful. Virote kissed him in return. Less fervent, but no less affectionate than the one he received.

❝I missed you, too... Let’s stay in tonight. I wanna watch a documentary. Aaaand, who knows what we can do after that? Or, before that? Like, right now?❞ 

[romancemoved]

✨❝comfort.❞ 🌙 niko & vi.

✨ @emptyvictory asked 🌙 ‘ everything okay? ’ meme. still accepting!

The Los Santos sky was brilliant with rays from the setting sun, and the subtle wash of its colors was reflected with infinite clarity in the rows of windows that covered the buildings, as vividly as if they were mirrors. Beautfiul evening. It was right around the time when people get out of work, and a crowd of men dressed in suits and office ladies who had changed out of their uniforms into the livelier variety of their everyday clothes had gathered at the crosswalk, waiting for the light to change. The spring-like breeze that was blowing and the expressions on people’s faces seemed slightly tired, tired in precisely the same way. The only kind of tired you could find in this particular city.

The workers kept chatting back and forth and they all had these really ambiguous smiles on their faces that made it hard to tell whether or not they had places to go from here. The faces of the few men and women who were standing silently on their own seemed listlessly bored over anything else.

Then, there was Virote. A sudden bout of panic seizing him in a tight grip, a lump forming in his throat as he froze in place, Niko's hand in his own. Why was he having a panic attack, now? Why now, of all times? They were just going down the street to a patisserie they frequented on the weekends. Today was supposed to be normal. Why now? A wave of nausea turned his stomach inside-out and he suddenly ripped his hand away from Niko’s with a whimper that could barely be heard over the white noise of the city. It was mostly out of reflex.

                           ‘ Everything okay? ’

Niko’s voice sounded so distant, despite him standing right there. Not even a foot away. People kept walking around them, going wherever. They paid no mind to Virote whose sudden chest pains caused him to sink to his knees, sweaty palms pressed to the sidewalk, grime and all. It was cold and dirty, but grounding. He raised his head and looked beyond the dozens of legs moving past him and saw the sign of the patisserie. They were almost there, and yet...

❝I’m fine. This happens.❞ That’s all he could say, for now. Another pang of nausea hit and he dry heaved, sharply inhaling whatever air he could to stabilize himself. People kept walking and ignoring. He was kind of thankful for that. It felt less humiliating to be ignored. ❝I’ll be fine... Just let me be here for a couple more minutes. I’m sorry—I didn’t mean to—Niko, don’t think any less of me because of this. Do you still like me?❞

[romancemoved]

؟

✨ @emptyvictory. meme. still accepting!

It was midday. From the sandy sprawl of Vespucci Beach, they could hear the shouts of people playing frisbee in the spring-like weather. The plants near the window, enveloped in the gentle sunbeams, sparkled bright green from a fresh watering; far off in the pale sky, thin clouds gently flowed, suspended. It was a warm, lazy afternoon. Winter was a nonfactor. He couldn’t have dreamed of this weeks—hell, months and years ago—this scene of having a late lunch at the penthouse with someone he loved on a day where he didn’t have anything going on in Vinewood, and it felt very strange. There they were, eating leftovers from the past couple of days, all sorts of dishes spread on the table. The sunlight shone through their cups and their cold green tea reflected prettily against the floor.

Savoring the sweet taste of the rice porridge, Virote looked down through the window at the increasingly bustling beach, watching a small child chase a kite, and felt... Untroubled. At peace. Then, he looked to Niko. Virote’s gaze lingered, unmoving. And, he could feel his own heartbeat reverberating throughout his entire body. They’d been together for a while, but Niko still made him shy.

For a moment, he wondered if that kid ever caught their kite.

His eyes stayed fixed on Niko ( though he tried not to be ‘ creepy ’ about it. ); his hands and his eyes and his cheekbones. Like the plants, the sunlight made him sparkle, too. 

                       ‘ I wanna do this every single day, for the rest of my life. But, just with him. Only Niko. I hope, one day, he’ll feel the same.  ’

Finally, he remembered to speak up. ❝I wanna go to the Galileo Observatory, tonight. The Geminids Meteor Shower is happening! It's gonna be great. It's one of the best meteor showers to see this time of year, producing up to 120 multicolored meteors per hour at its peak. It's caused by debris left behind by an asteroid known as 3200 Phaethon and—I'm talking too much. Anyway, we should go. We can go to Little Seoul to that one little yakitori joint we hit up last weekend, too. How ‘bout it?❞

[romancemoved]

"Dear person I had a crush on"

✨ @emptyvictory ft. our fave cranky bank robber michael de santa @maximuses because omg closure. meme. still accepting!

Dear you, the one that let me unearth my own capacity to love,

I’m sorry for all of that commotion that happened back then, I really am. I know it was probably awkward for you. It was awkward for me. Still love you, though; but, in a best friend kind of way. You know, I actually don’t regret a single thing. At first, I did regret meeting you. Not because of your fault, but because of my own. I should’ve been more vigilante of my own emotions. But, I wasn’t. This will never reach you, I’m going to rip this up and place the pieces into the sea.

So, I guess I’ll vent here. This more for me than anything else.

This is my official ‘ what in the hell was I thinking? ’  moment. I’ll let myself have that.

Other than the obvious incompatibility, loving you wasn't easy. You’re so prone to being reckless and selfish and out of control. You did dumb shit, so I lost a lot of sleep. Got yourself into trouble, got other people roped up in it. Sometimes, you were shitty to everyone around you. Your temper really did get the best of you, too. Still, you were the sweetest person I’d ever met. The good in you outweighed the bad. Despite that, I don’t envy your ex-wife. I don’t know what I saw in you in a romantic way, but I also... Do. Haha! My preferences are avant-garde.

There’s always a bright side to these things. Like, for example, I figured out that I was able to take a dive back towards romantic love. A type of love that had been stripped away from me when I was younger. I was guarded for a very, very long time. As if I was too scared to open my heart. It’s open, now. I’m happy about it. I met someone.

He’s very, very beautiful. Pretty eyes and strong hands and dresses like a dweeb. Quiet. He never says a lot. He says what he has to, so he doesn’t mince words. I appreciate that. I’ll never know what’s going on in his head and that’s okay. I’m just glad that he likes me. I guess what I’m trying to say is... Thank you, for lending me the courage to find him. You were practice, in a way. I was once too paralyzed with fear to pursue happiness. Frozen over.

You unfrosted the bud, now I’m blooming. Thank you. I hope you find someone, too.

Say, you should meet him. You two can bond over robbing banks.

Just don’t... Rob a bank. Ever again. I’ll whoop his ass and then I’ll whoop your ass. At the same time. I’m 5′0”, but I’m mighty and fighty.

♡ Virote.

[romancemoved]

What’s the deal with Andreas? I thought you hated FIB garbage

✨ anonymous ft. @vendettacanons b his bodyguard. meme. still accepting!

❝I'm a complete hypocrite. Straight up. I will go against myself in a Top 10 Anime Betrayals style in a heartbeat, I am absolutely a liar, a con, and I backtrack faster than you can say Vespucci Coochie. If there's one thing you guarantee should with me, it's being completely, utterly, horribly inconsistent. It is truly fucked up how fast I can heel-turn. My sense of loyalty to myself is zero. Do not count on me unless you plan on counting backwards. Watch me say one thing and then follow none of it. If every single broken promise I made to myself was a moving hand on a clock, that clock would look like a ceiling fan.❞

You get the picture. ❝I know I hate the FIB. They're fucking corrupt, especially that waste of semen and fertilized egg, Steve Haines. I don't know much about the other branches they're beefing with, but fuck them, too. However, Andreas... His dreamy eyes, his cute smile, his. Uh. Really nice butt, which I think is a really key feature to him, all really nice. Super nice—! And, I honestly think he's a beautiful person just trying to make it in the world. His life wasn't easy. I don't blame him for getting caught up with the FIB.❞ As much as he hated it, he just couldn't hold it over him. Andreas saw a way out and took it. Some people turn to street crime, some people join the military, and some people just end up working for the feds. That's the way of life! Especially out here in Los Santos.

❝Regardless of my feelings about the people that pay him, I truly, utterly adore Andreas Sanchez. That's my partner in crime, right there. Besides, it's been fun dragging him along with my bullshit! He's come out of his shell. I hope he can bring some of that to work. I have a lot of complicated feelings about Andreas working for the FIB, but I try to not mull over them for too long. Makes my head hurt. I just, like... Wish he didn't have to answer to Haines, yeah? Like, I think I'd feel a bit better if he didn't answer to him.❞ Anyway, enough of that. Didn't need to talk in circles about the subject. He'd said enough.

❝I'm in awe of Andreas... He's incredible. Everything I could ever want out of someone. Prime marriage material. Hopefully, uh. He finds a new career path. He should become my bodyguard, honestly. I think that'd be sexy and cinematic.❞

[romancemoved]

✨❝inlove.❞ 🌙 niko & vi.

✨ @emptyvictory asked 🌙 29. kisses in which, we've already said goodbye but can't help stealing another one. meme. still accepting!

Kissing Niko was wonderful. More wonderful than anything he had ever known. And, kissing Niko was also sad. It was one of the saddest moments he'd ever known. As he was kissing him, Virote thought to himself, I just wish life would've treated him better. Knowing that their relationship was probably the first sign of warmth experienced in Los Santos was a heavy cross to carry. Virote never thought of himself as someone to bring joy—outside of the context of being a microcelebrity or whatever; that was superficial, anyway. The irony over Niko being the first man to treat him so genuinely kind wasn’t lost on him, either. Life treated him like a punching bag, too. The different levels of severity of their pasts aside, they were similar in the worst ways but...

He didn’t have time to dwell on any of that. But, he’d return to it later.

They stood outside of a small recording studio on the edge of Mirror Park, the sun finally ducking to make room for the moon. He had work to do. Though, Virote was committed to holding on to Niko. Underneath the obnoxious, flickering, yellow-orange streetlight hanging above them. They stayed like that for a long time, holding each other’s shoulder and waist tightly. People passed by, as did a couple of stray cats. Niko’s lips grazed Virote's cheek. Virote, pulling Niko down a little, planted a light kiss on his neck.

❝I'm too tired for this shit... I wanna go home,❞ he finally said, pulling away. That was a hard thing to do. He just wanted to be in Niko's arms until he went to sleep. Not sitting in a studio with his recently-reunited-with groupmates—as much as he adored them—and producers that he didn't even halfway like. Before taking a few steps back, Virote reached out for Niko’s left hand and pressed a kiss to the top, along his knuckles. Just one more kiss, even if it wasn’t on the lips.

I love you, he wanted to say. It was too early for that. Too public, as well. Another time, maybe. Under the right conditions. Instead of following the urge to tell Niko he loved him, Virote opted for a casual bye, I’ll call you when I wanna be picked up. He started towards the studio, glancing over his shoulder to get one more look at Niko before disappearing inside.

[romancemoved]

✨❝eveningtide.❞ 🌙 niko & vi.

✨ @emptyvictory​ for a gta v starter!!!

When Virote looked at the weather forecast around sunset, it had showed that the temperature in Los Santos was almost ten degrees separated from that in Paleto Bay. The line dividing the cold of a few hours ago from this semi-warm air must have moved over the place where he was now, midway between those two filming locations. The daytime had been freezing cold and the wind strong enough to knock over the bicycles parked in near the hiking trails, but the evening air was very mild. It kept getting colder, though. It’d be no different from the morning up in the countryside. Niko was sitting with him near catering during his break, both hands held. That warmed him up nicely.

Virote explained that he was filming for an independent web series loosely based around a Japanese comic. Slice of life. College students all in the same artsy circles, romance, angst, self-love, friendship. Basic premise, but he liked the source material enough to accept the role. Nothing too major, but he had plenty of camera time. He’d been on set for days. And, even while in high spirits, he was obviously overcome with exhaustion.

They were finishing up setting up the next scene. A house party, something like that. Interesting to watch, but not that interesting. All of his attention was on Niko. ❝Thank you for keeping me company. Shooting doesn't start for another hour or so. I know this whole... Vinewood thing isn’t your thing, but I’m glad you made it.❞ Shivering. Freezing, almost—all thanks to his poor body heat regulation. ❝Look, they made me blond! Do you like it?❞

[romancemoved]

“Oh are we telling jokes? I’ve got a good one for you, mi amor. One I know will make you laugh.” This better be good, Andreas. “What’s the difference between Steve Haines and a sea slug? One is slimy little garbage-eating bottom-feeding freeloader, and the other is a slug!”

✨ @vendettacanons ur getting left in the middle of a department store, andreas.

❝Andreas Sanchez... When you go missing, I'm gonna tell the FIB that I don't know what happened to you. Don’t mi amor me. I’m gonna kick you in the spleen.❞ Andreas, you really had to put a screeching halt to the conversation. You did it right in front of Vi’s poke bowl dinner, too! HOWEVER... It was funny. Hilarious! Virote tried to poker face his way through the joke, though. No laughter, no smiling, nothing. Don’t show any sort of weakness. Look at how far Andreas had come! A somewhat shy, walking-straight-on-the-line agent letting loose. Though, sometimes, Virote found his humor to be a bit too much.

Which is exactly why he wanted to bite him. In an unsexy way. 

Think rabid chihuahua.

Virote placed his chopsticks down and leaned forward, electric tealight flickering across his face. ❝You’re lucky I think you’re hot.❞ How dare Andreas put beloved slugs and Steve Haines in the same sentence... Criminal.

[romancemoved]

✨❝7am.❞ 🌙 niko & vi.

✨ @emptyvictory. meme. still accepting!

🕰️ an early morning text.

🗑️ a text that wasn’t sent.

Virote sure was high as balls on a weekday morning, also hungover as shit and listening to Tina Marie, the sound of ♫ Portuguese love, won't you say it to me, say it to me, say you love me, baby ♫ crackling through the penthouse from the record player in the living room, but not enough to drown out a traffic jam happening outside the confines of his Vespucci penthouse. He sat up in bed, phone gripped in hand and head dizzied. A lone, mostly smoked blunt was smashed on an ashtray at his bedside.

He was getting blown up with text messages about an interview he had at 3pm.

Something something, producers. Something something, magazine.

It wasn’t much of an issue ignoring those. Poking Niko, of course, was more important.

( TXT. | 💗 niko niko niiiii! ) omg wow i feel like shit. i lit one up the moment i was awake but hey hey hey hey heeeey that’s the stress of the biz! did u sleep??? -_- i get worried when you don’t sleep honeypieeeeeee. i want you to be well rested heeee heehee. 

( TXT. | 💗 niko niko niiiii! ) what are we doing tonight? i wanna sneak into the observatory again. security almost got us last time but lolzzz. anyway. i hope you have a good day niko.

( TXT. | 💗 niko niko niiiii! ) i love you more than anything. <3

( TXT. | 💗 niko niko niiiii! ) you make me the dumbest person in the universe and that makes me happy.

[romancemoved]

✨❝kitchen.❞ 🌙 niko & vi.

✨ @emptyvictory 🌙 asked Niko liked cats. Truly. He liked the independence and they tended to mesh well with his rather stand-offish nature. Yet, Vi's cat was something else, eyes out of one of those antique paintings he came across every now and then. A piercing stare that was trained on him for an uncomfortable amount of time. He wasn't sure if she wanted a treat or if she was weighing his worth in that moment. Kikimara, she fit her name. At least from whatever little beat up folklore book his aunt had from long ago. Thankfully, he'd never been superstitious, religious or otherwise.

"Does she do this to everybody?"

Virote was mostly too busy to pay attention to what was happening at the table, cooking up what was probably the biggest spread they'd eat over the course of the week. Deep-fried tofu, steamed greens, bean thread with chicken ( each with their various sauces ), kajmak, grilled pork, karađorđeva šnicla, steamed dumplings, prebranac . . . It was a cross-cultural smörgåsbord, but they'd enjoy it until they couldn't eat any more. There'd be enough leftovers to last for a while.

He finally turned his head to catch a glimpse of Niko at the table, Kiki practically in his face with her full moon-shaped, unblinking eyes. Wide and yellow, fixed on him without any signs of looking away. Everyone that ever encountered her called her creepy; it was an accustion that caused Virote to become defensive and irritable. She was just different—! Full of love, but different.

❝She just really likes you, I swear. Like, that's how she bonds with people! She probably wants attention, too. Just pet her a little and she’ll back off.❞ He returned to cleaning the counter, getting rid of some of the clutter and trash. ❝Kiki's the sweetest cat in the world... Trust me. She saved my life. I wouldn't even be here without her. She was my only stability. For years.❞ Niko heard the story, before. The mental hospital, rehab, being in a catatonic state. The pain of his early twenties. ❝Anyway. Whenever you leave, she always stays at the door and meows for a few minutes. She really misses you, sometimes. I think she might have a few, uh. Attachment issues.❞

[romancemoved]

✨❝9:30pm.❞ | niko & vi.

✨ @emptyvictory come on down, mr. niko bellic! ( gta v verse starter. )

              ( txt. | niko niko niiiiiiiiii! ) ^ ^ mr. bellic!! would you like to come down to vespucci beach w. me? jupiter’s at opposition so we can see it in the sky with the right equipment. i brought a pair of binoculars and a telescope.

             ( txt. | niko niko niiiiiiiiii! ) also ummmmmmmmmm can you bring drinks, i really like those hard lemonades lately. ∩(︶▽︶)∩

            ( txt. | niko niko niiiiiiiiii! ) i already have snacks so dont even worry about it. have u ever had taiwanese pineapple cake? it’s amazing, youll love ittttt. ☆

And, of course, Virote was all smiles when Niko showed up, but he stayed seated on his blanket, sorting through a couple bags filled with goods he brought from a local bakery in Little Seoul. Pork buns, pineapple cake, egg tarts, red bean puffs, lotus seed buns, sausage buns, sponge cake, et cetera. He definitely bought too much, but at least they could carry leftovers home.

Virote waved Niko over with a pair of ( dumb fucking expensive ) binoculars with one hand, the other hand pointed up towards the sky. The sun was gone, clouds cleared. Beautiful. ❝Soooo... This is the best time to view and photograph Jupiter and its moons. A medium-sized telescope should be able to show you some of the details in Jupiter's cloud bands. A good pair of binoculars should allow you to see Jupiter's four largest moons, appearing as bright dots on either side. Cool, right? So, what do you want? Binoculars or telescope?❞

[romancemoved]

✨❝9:26pm.❞ 🌙 niko & vi.

✨ @emptyvictory asked 🌙 “ you make me happier. “ meme. still accepting!

The rain-covered streets of Little Seoul were totally still. Quite possibly, Virote thought, this part of the city was more quiet than others even when it wasn’t raining. From time to time, they heard a roll of thunder coming from the direction of what was most likely Vespucci. The sound was like heaviness itself. The torrential downpour, one of many in the past couple of weeks, sucked away all warmth from the air. The temperature of the houses, the trees, the utility poles, the asphalt, the air, the night, all went on falling. But, there was nothing but warmth between Virote and Niko as they enjoyed hot pot at a small spot. That was mostly empty, too. The only thing keeping them company was the staff, an elderly gentleman at his own booth, and Röyksopp playing from the radio.

Niko never had hot pot before, but Virote was good at loosely explaining the concept to him. Just drop some stuff in a soup base of your choice, swirl it around, dip it, eat it, et cetera. They had everything they needed. Enoki, tofu, lotus root, beef, pork, lamb, leafy greens, shellfish. All that good stuff. But, eventually, the lessons in hot pot etiquette and useful Chinese for ordering food came to an end. They had enough to stop for a moment.

Hands were held from across the table, Virote too shy to speak. Something about Niko’s eyes; those eyes made him timid. Thankfully, Niko took it upon himself to break the ice.

                        ' You make me happier. ’

Virote felt his face get a teensy bit heated and he cast his gaze aside to the window, peeking out into mostly nothing. It was too covered by fog to discern much except raindrops. And, lights. Building lights, traffic lights, street lights, and car lights. They all melted into bokeh, anyway. Eventually, he was able to meet Niko’s gaze and smile. It was that kind of cheek-aching, megawatt grin he’d been doing more often in recent days. ❝It's been nice, hasn’t it? Doesn’t all of this just feel... Right?❞ It certainly felt right for him.

❝Everything feels good, now.❞ What he meant to say was that everything felt like healing, but that was a touch too sappy to say out loud. Hopefully, Niko got it without it needing to be said.  ❝I'm... Glad I have the privilege of witnessing you become happier. Your smile's pretty, so I like when you do it. Do it all the time, 'kay? I'll smile for you, too. Because, I want to smile back. You've earned that. What I've given you, you've given me.❞ Niko's hands felt so nice. He didn't want to let go.

So, he probably wouldn't. They had a whole night of handholding to do. ❝I kinda wanna get some sweets from the counter in the front and leave. Can we? I'm tired and I have a looooong day ahead of me for tomorrow. Let's go back to your place. I feel like cuddlin’ and watching tv, now.❞