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bellatrixobsessed1 · 7 years ago

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The Fishbone and The Firelily (Part 21)

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Sokka asked again when they found themselves in the shadow of the boat a few days after.

“Have I ever been the type of person to flee a battle?” Azula asked.

“This isn’t a battle—” He started only to be cut off by the princess.

“It is a battle. Between me and the cave spirit.” She paused, “at the very least it’s a battle against the nightmares that won’t let me truly leave that cave.”

“Are we bringing the whole crew?” Sokka asked, “I would feel safer if we did.”

“All of them and Zuko, he’s been dying to meet the spirit who made me cry. He’s a big fan.” Azula replied.

“It’ll be interesting to see Suki again.” Sokka noted. Toph was the first to arrive, she took her time though, opting to chat it up with Iroh before actually boarding the ship. This left Katara and Aang to ascend the ramp first. Suki was the last to trail up, she brought TyLee along with her, leaving Azula to admit that she wasn’t prepared for that particular reunion. Of course the girl flung herself into Azula’s arms.

“You can’t hold a grudge like Mai can.” Azula assessed as TyLee rubbed her head against her neck.

“I can’t hold a grudge at all.” She confessed. “How have you been!? I’ve heard that you’ve been through a lot?”

“You’ve heard correct.” Azula replied. She spent a good duration elaborating. At times Sokka would offer his perspective on the tale. “I suppose it was worth the struggle, knowing what I have now.” She finished.

“Hmm.” TyLee rubbed her chin “You and Sokka. He doesn’t seem like your type.”

“I still talk to you, don’t I?” Azula asked.

“You do!” She exclaimed, a look of knowing lighting her face. She hummed to her self again before saying, “you two are kinda cute.”

“Well now that I have your permission…” Hit with a sudden wave of dizziness, Azula trailed off. “I’m going to take a seat, feel free to join me.” She found herself a chair. Gazing at the passing waves, she wondered of she was more anxious than she anticipated.

“You alright?” TyLee asked.

“I will be. Just give me a moment.”

Sokka filled the chair next to her and Suki, the one next to his. “So what’s our plan?” He inquired.

“Well it would be a good start to find the mangrove, after we do that it should be easy; while we go find the heart pool again, the jungle will be prepped for our wedding ceremony.” She drummed her fingers on the table. “Ideally, it will be ready for us when we get back.” She added. “It will take us a few day s to get to the cave, I can’t imagine that things won’t be in order by then.”

“I can’t say that I’m eager to go back there.” Suki shuddered.

“Hogoseki seemed to like you about as much as he likes me.” Azula said.

“Why do you want to go back there? He wants you dead.” She asked. The princess was beginning to gather that any leftover animosity had been dwindled away by distance and time. Or maybe it was that she’d simply found a problem where one had never been.

“I need the nightmares to stop. I need my bending. At least one would be enough.” Azula replied.

“Alright.” Katara spoke as she closed the distance between herself and the others. “I’ve picked out a few things, that I think we’ll need. This time I packed some food for us.”

“That should move things along quicker.” Azula noted. “Did you gather a change of clothes?”

“Two changes. Toph and Aang are ready too.”

“And you two?” Azula asked.

“Just about.” Sokka answered.

“And Zu-Zu?” She paused and added quietly to herself, “is probably not ready.”

“He still has a bit of work to do.” Katara confirmed, “I’ll get him moving.”

“Please do.” Azula turned to TyLee, “are you coming along?”

TyLee toyed with her braid. “I was actually hoping to help out with the wedding, I really like planning parties. I think I have a few neat ideas already.” She smiled.

“I’ll leave you in charge of it, how does that sound?”

In response, TyLee snuggled the princess again. Azula almost wanted to say that the acrobat found the entire affair to be more joyous than she and Sokka did. The chipper woman always did have an affection for all things romantic. She felt rather secure in leaving her in charge.

.oOo.

Being back in the Forgetful Valley and near the mangrove brought a messy tangle of feelings—some of them pleasant and others far less so. Sokka hoped that they could see more of the optimistic parts of the first trip. He couldn’t imagine that it could be any worse than their first adventure, especially with Azula in an infinitely sturdier frame of mind. The former firebender seemed to be in very high spirits as of late—in general the team morale seemed optimal for another journey. The only tension he could discern was the underlying anxious anticipation that seemed to ebb off of all of them, Azula in particular. Sokka watched her give a few final instructions and wedding must-have’s to TyLee before she came to stand with the rest of them, leaving the acrobat to skip off and start giving commands of her own.

“It’s a beautiful day.” Suki noted.

“Considering the storm we went through last time, it better stay that way.” Katara muttered.

The duration of their travels proved to be every bit as uneventful as Sokka had hoped. Three days in they were met with a small sprinkle. It was a welcomed rain as the day had been nearly unbearably humid. A soft mist rolled along the ground as dusk set in. It was Suki’s idea to go for a swim; they were getting wet anyhow so they might as well. They all had changes of clothes so no one had any qualms about sacrificing one pair. Before long they became immersed in friendly competition. Zuko and Azula facing Katara and Sokka, seeing who could knock who off of whose shoulders first. The winner faced Suki and Toph with Aang as a spectator. Sokka could always count on his fiancé to get much too invested in it. They found that she and Zuko made a ridiculously powerful team. Sokka liked to believe that, that was why their father had been so hellbent on pitting the two against one another. No less, by the time they dragged themselves back to shore the only one still in a hyper mood was the avatar. That night brought another dusting of rain, so instead of sleeping under the stars, Toph crafted a cluster of tents. Granted it had taken a small degree of bribery.

The next day set them back into their regular routine; trek the jungle, hunt, sleep, and resume the hike. This left Sokka with an ample amount of time to quietly reminisce. To look forward at Azula and see how comfortable she had become in conversing with the others. To hear her joke about how Muzuko would be the best man at their wedding. It was just as well for him to notice how Suki had changed. She was speaking of a new relationship with a man named Oato, a man whom TyLee introduced her to. She was very much the same feisty woman he’d fallen for so long ago, but she’d let go of a lot of the stubbornness that made her tricky to work with. In a sense she and Azula had much in common. He considered that, that may have been exactly why the two had clashed in the first place and why they so easily resumed a friendship he thought they’d lost.

The mood grew grimmer, though, when they stood at the entrance of the mountain cave. A host of foul memories resurfaced. Zuko, unaware of just how dismal the cave was, seemed to feed off of this energy and despite his lack of experience, found himself rather reluctant to press forward. Especially when faced with Azula’s subtle hesitance. The cave itself took time to navigate. It had changed some since their first encounter with it. The stairs were less stable, making an already tedious task even more so. It helped some that Zuko and Aang could light the way; Aang in the back and Zuko in the front with Azula. Ideally Azula would have been in the middle with her own flame.

Azula still had her uses, however altered the cave was, she navigated it with considerable effortlessness. And when they at last came to the passageway, Sokka took special care not to get himself tangled in the stalactites.

.oOo.

The chamber was wrapped in a daunting hush. Azula took a few careful steps towards the middle of it, her fingers brushing over Sokka’s as she released his hand. Her footsteps rebounded off of the walls, intermingling with the rhythmic pulsing of the heart. She let it lure her closer until she was as close as she could manage without falling into the water. As it were the last few times, the water remained undisturbed—a sheet of liquid glass with an otherworldly luminescence. Azula lowered herself. This time she managed a closer inspection of the organ emitting the light. It was a deal larger than she initially thought; and she thought it to be quite enormous the first time she’d seen it. The arrangement of corals and kelps had only doubled since the last time she’d been in its company, perhaps tripled. Along it’s array of veins, grew a light fuzz of sea moss. The veins themselves seemed to have grown in some places and eroded in others. Very close to the mass of the heart, she spied a nest of sorts. A place where a fish had chosen to tuck its eggs; the faint red hue of them was wildly overpowered by the heart’s on radiance. It was a good ward against predators. She brought her gaze to the surface of the water, her reflection appeared undisturbed by ripples. For a passing few seconds, she could clearly visualize the last version of herself that had been mirrored in those waters. The ravaged, agonized version, Hogoseki had forced her to see. This faded into the foreground of her mind’s eye, to be replaced by the sight of herself as she was in present.

A peculiar curiosity overtook Azula, and she indulged it. Removing her top, she dropped herself into the heart pool. Sokka may have spoken some sort of protest, but she was to fixated on her newfound goal. The water lapped against her back, it was hotter than she initially expected, nearly at the temperature of a hot spring. She could almost forget that she was walled into enemy territory and treading in very dangerous waters. Against her better judgement—and it was boundlessly better—she plunged beneath the surface. The heart cast a purple outline over her body, giving her the appearance of a spirit. She sunk lower still, she could now observe a collection of tiny purple quartz fixed into the stone and sparkling the sand below. As she descended the heart’s rhythm grew in intensity until she could hear nothing over it’s steady pounding.

She dared to brush a hand over the heart. It made sense then, why she couldn’t penetrate it. Instead of squishy and venerable flesh, she found her fingers brushing over quite jagged crystal. Crystal that only bore two diagonal gashes. She ran a finger over one of them, before resurfacing for some well needed air. Azula dived back under, unsure of exactly what she was looking for. Perhaps it was the sense of comfort that was slowly setting in. The soft purple haze that once unsettled her beyond all compare, felt rather welcoming…forgiving. Her focus fell on the scratches again—they weren’t all that deep, but were very prominent considering how smooth the rest the heart’s surface was.

“That was your fault.” A harsh voice cut through the serenity, with all of the resentment the heart itself lacked.

Azula found herself choking not just on the fear roused by the voice, but on the reminder of her own wrong doings.

“This is twice that you’ve come into my cave, after being warned not to. And you have the audacity to swim in my heart pool.” His spindly hand came to rise from the sand below. The way the quartz glinted off of his arm reminded her much of the deceiving light of a puffer angelfish. She watched a cloud of sand puff around as he extended his arm. “The first time you chose to test me was a mistake.”

The playing field was horrifically uneven, if she opened her mouth to protest it would inevitably fill with water. So she was forced to remain in the silence that seemed to vex Hogoseki so. Or maybe, he’d chosen this time to attack so he wouldn’t have to listen to her explanations.

Azula had a vague sense of what was to come. Her lungs were growing uncomfortable—before the interruption she was set on resurfacing. She would still try, but she had a very strong feeling that she wouldn’t be permitted.

Regardless she kicked off of the bottom, taking care to avoid the heart or any of its many veins. Not unexpectedly, she felt jagged stone snake around her ankles, dragging her closer to the bottom of the pool. She made a rather sturdy attempt to shake his hand away, but his grip was as firm as the material of his hand. Already her vision was growing fuzzy.

“I see you can move again, not that it’s doing you much good.” He observed, trailing his other finger over her cheek. He made a point of sweeping it across the scar he’d given her, and with none of the affection Sokka did. “You can move and the first thing you decide to do is walk back here.”

How she longed to snap that she had waited somewhere around eight years to do so; eight years of doing various other things. She closed her eyes, pretending that she was floating deep in her dream pool, where breaths still came easy and her crystal pulsed it’s vibrant teal-blue. Where Sokka held her hand.

“Was it worth it? Just to irk me?” He rose in full, slouching over her; a dark silhouette with a tangle of seaweed dangling off of his arms. He seemed somehow frailer, as if he were at last crumbling. She was already in as deep as she possibly could be so Azula smirked to herself. If she was going to drown, she was satisfied to do it knowing that he was nearing his end…whatever that meant for a spirit. He had her by the throat, lifting her up some, but taking the care not to raise her above the water. Her hair flowed into her face, obscuring her view. “I knew you would be back, I was waiting.” He parted her bangs and fixed his slit eyes on hers, content to watch their light steadily dim. With few other options, she let herself go limp, deciding that it did no good to waste energy that was growing sparse. He tilted her head back up, leaving her to fight to keep her expression wholly passive.

Growing bored with their current state, he dropped the princess, watching her body sink. Starved so completely of oxygen, Azula could feel herself slipping away. Her back found the bottom of the pool, the panic that had swell so big burst open, deflating into the bliss of coming release. She curled her body around the heart, feeling it throb against her ear.

She could see a face some feet away—a waterbender—likely the product of a brain on its last breaths. And yet, the water exploded, tossing her up and to the surface, and to the ground in a slow and graceful, painless arc. She fell into a vicious fit of coughs as she fought to purge the remaining water from her body. In such a desperate state, the face was a miniscule detail left behind in the pool.

“Azula!” Two voices hollered. Sokka and Zuko from the sound of it. She pulled herself upright and looked for the source. Hogoseki had them securely latched onto the wall, all except Aang. The boy had his power to him, but even he couldn’t seem to best a spirit. He lie in a heap on the floor, the side of his head well and bloodied. Such would explain Katara’s look of absolute horror. Toph was also out cold, her earthbending, a clear threat.

“You’re okay.” Suki uttered.

“I don’t…” Azula panted. “Know if that’s…the right…word.” She scarcely had time to recover before the ground split open in front of her. From the crack, her nemesis clawed his way up emitting an air of more fury than ever. The heart, she realized, had sided against him. But the heart was no longer a viable alley, being as it was rooted deep within the water. Despite the spirit plunging upon her, Azula stood in full. If she was going to meet her end, she would do it with the dignity she was known for. The dignity that Hogoseki despised to see on her. She met his stare with a snide smile. “Just so we’re clear, paying you a visit was a pretty low priority. I’d been thinking about it for a while but other things got in the way.”

In place of sheer and raw furry, Azula found a trace of amusement lighting his face. “I gather it’s true what is said of firebenders. You can tear their flame right out, but they still have fire.” He chuckled. “You are a true delight, princess.” His rapid shifts from pure rage to mild entertainment unsettled Azula more than anything about him. “No matter what I do to you, you just don’t break, do you? Just when I thought I’d stolen all of your pride…”

Azula interrupted “You’ll find that I have an infinite supply, sometimes it just needs time to replenish.”

Zuko cringed as the spirit knocked her to the floor. She had only enough time to catch herself, sending a painful vibration up her arm. She heard a soft pop and winced.

“You have an infinite ability to deceive, that’s what you have.” Hogoseki noted stoically. He clasped his hands behind his back and bent over her. “The truth is, you’ve lost a good portion of you’re pride and you’re trying to get it back.” He stooped in lower, meeting her at eye level. For a hefty length of time he peered deeply into her eyes. She could smell the eight years he’d spent beneath the water, it wafted off of him potently. He carried the same scent as the seafood that always had her stomach reeling. She fought to keep the nausea at bay. “You’re afraid. Small.” He elongated himself further, making her feel more so. “I haunt you. And you want to get rid of that.” Crumbling and cracking or not, Hogoseki retained the one thing that truly terrified the princess to her core; his uncanny ability to read her. Read her in just the way she had read others. “That’s why you’re here. Not to get your bending back, a fool’s quest that would be. Not that you aren’t still on one.”

He poised himself to bring his fist down upon her. From the look of it, he would offer a rather crushing blow.

“Perhaps you’re right.” Azula agreed quietly, still not entirely ready to admit it to everyone else.

He seemed to hesitate. “You confirm so only in the face of death and you expect me to take your word for it?”

Azula shrugged. “I won’t need dignity if I’m dead, sounds like a good time to confess.”

“You have a reputation for your lies.”

“That’s correct.” Again, Azula agreed. “But you don’t want to see the truth when I tell it.”

“So pray tell, what is your truth, princess?”

“You would have me dead because I tried to wreck your forest and I’m pure evil. Because I’m incapable of love or something akin to that.” She paused. “But I’m not and I can.” She held her silence just long enough for it to seep in and just short enough to ensure she wouldn’t be cut off. “And I have. I suppose I can be as caring as anyone. Just as well, you don’t want to see me that way. But you have seen it. It doesn’t matter though, because you need someone to fuel your rage, it’s all you have. Without it you’ll crumble away. So, go on, ignore what you know is true.”

For a grand and fleeting time, she was certain that she had him convinced. That he would let it go…let her go. She could see the tension leave the faces of her companions. But she proved to be every bit as correct in her assessment as he was in his regards to her character. If anything, she’d incensed him on a grander scale. He let a few rocks clatter off of his hand until it was sculpted to an impressive point.

“Don’t!” Sokka growled.

“You really are eager to suffer with her, aren’t you?” He scowled. “So do it then.” He threw Sokka at his feet.

Azula heard Katara scream as her brother crashed to the floor with a sickening thud. “I’m eager to stop you.” Sokka persisted.

Hogoseki hissed. “You think you can.” He threw his arm down as Azula threw herself in front of the tribesman. The jagged end of the rock jabbed into her middle, grazing the delicate skin beneath. She glared up at the spirit eyes intense with such vicious wrath that it bordered on feral. It stayed only in passing though, before falling away into the familiar helplessness that always came when in the heart chamber. Hogoseki held his weaponized hand there for some time. She watched a bead or two of blood trickle from the nicked skin. She swallowed, a single tear pushed its way through despite how well she fought to keep it from doing so. She let out a shuddering breath, bracing herself for the spirit to ram the sharp rock into her stomach. Sokka gripped her hand harder than he ever had before. This time the stone withdrew altogether, Hogoseki’s expression changing considerably. Feeling well and spent, Azula fell back. She could feel a warm trail of crimson dripping in a line over her side. Her relief, however premature, came with a dizzying wave.

“You make things undeniable, princess.” Hogoseki noted, “you’d die for him?”

Azula didn’t answer, content to feel Sokka squeezing her tightly.

As much as he loathed to admit it, he considered—not for the first time—that he had been sorely mistaken in his treatment of the fire princess. “I’m a spirit of my word.” He called back words from a time seemingly so far gone. His tone was smooth and level again. “I must admit, you’ve exceeded my expectations.” There came the sound of rock dragging on rock as he took to pacing about the room as he tried to pick out exactly what it was about her aura that had been altered so drastically. The answer came to him. It, coupled with her willingness to give up all that she had for the Water Tribe human, forced him to admit to himself that he had been wrong. Wrong and blinded by a need to protect what was left of his dear Moaki. Maybe not during their first encounter, but after that…

“Even if I still wanted to kill you, I couldn’t possibly.”

“Why’s that?” She brought herself to ask.

His touch, with the smoother of his hands, was on her belly again. His expression, as limited as it was, became almost tender. He withdrew.

Her hand came to rest where Hogoseki’s had been, understanding set in.

#Azula #Sokka #Sokkla #Aang #Toph #Katara #Suki #Zuko #Avatar #fanfiction

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madmadmilk · 5 years ago

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One After The One PART 1 | Tom Holland x Reader

Pairing: Tom Holland x Reader

Summary: What does one in a million even mean? Does it mean you’re the first of many or the fucking last? Does it mean that you’re somewhere in the middle? And what happens to the poor baby who ends up being the 999,999th one? Or worse, the one after The One? There ought to be some kind of prize for second to last, and second runner up. Especially when being #2 is your specific talent.

Warnings: Cursing, Suspicion, some Hard to Swallow Pills, and a million blurry pics

Word Count: 6.7K swipes left

Special Shoutout: Thank you @hypnotized-so-mesmerized for being a BETA for this chapter and for you lovely input!

“I can’t fucking believe you’ve got me fifth wheeling for this….” you sigh, as you blow strands of your hair away from your face. You walk briskly atop of the shifting sand behind your leggy friend.

All 5 foot 10 inches of her shakes with laughter as she watches you trip over yourself. She shrugs, “The more the merrier?”

You roll your eyes, resigning to a smile as she waves back for your hand to hold. You reach out and accept her offer loosely, allowing yourself to be pulled along.

“Come on, the boys are waiting.”

Right.

You watch the festival lights cast a warm glow at the edges of her silhouette. She smiles at you, bronzed, beautiful–– taken.

Over the past year, all your best friends started fucking dating each other.

Leaving you single, alone, and second best.

It wasn’t weird, it wasn’t unnatural–– but it quite literally happened over night. “This” is just your “new normal.”

You all still hung out, together, mismatched or separately. Nothing has stopped them from asking you to hang out, but there are times where you feel… The Line.

It was Common Sense tingling and telling you that certain occasions were more of a “date-night” rather than friendly get together. And the last thing you wanted to be was a cockblock to your own goddamn friends.

Like tonight, you were tagging along to the late-night-end-of-the-summer beach bar hop bash, with your two pairs of your closest friends. Sam and Ry, short for Ryan. And Liza and K, short for Erik.

Then there’s you, of course.

The three boys were waiting with drinks in hand, while you and Liza took your sweet time climbing the sandy stairs. This was the usual ritual, but you stood alone when you reached the guys. They paired off, easily, naturally, sweetly.

The vibrating radio-centric music drowned out the sounds of the lapping ocean, the conversation you walked into was near unintelligible, and the crowd was excited about something.

God, I wish that were me.

There wasn’t anything wrong with going to this year’s beach bash, as you go to it as a group every year–– it’s just that this time they were holding hands and you were holding a drink. It’s more sour than you’d like.

You were fine coming out “alone,” but who wants to be alone?

You greet one another with warm hugs and Liza immediately dives into a rant about officially moving in with K, and about how he doesn’t wanna mix his laundry with hers–– all those new domestic nuances.

Sam rolls his eyes and exclaims, “Ry is the same fucking way–– like, it’s just cloth, babe.”

“Easy for you to say when all you wear is black––“ Ry retorts, pushing his boyfriend’s shoulder.

Everyone starts with a snickering laugh, clinking beer bottles and recanting similar experiences.

Tonight you just don’t feel like it.

Living alone and sleeping alone is one of your specific talents. It’s been nice to have your own fucking bed, your own fucking room, your own fucking space–– all of it to just BE your own fucking self, by your fucking self. You’ve been this way for twenty-odd years now (kind of, you know what i mean). Love and friends are welcome to hang out, but at the end of the day, the place is all yours. And yours alone. That’s what home means to you.

“–– But living together hasn’t been as bad as I thought it would be,” Liza smacks her lips, looking down in short embarrassment. She leans back against K, “There are good things too.”

Sam is quick to point out their PDA, and you take another sip of your drink. You would have spoken up to contribute about your own experiences, once upon a time. But that’s a sore topic you’re not willing to relive on this breezy night.

Instead, you laugh along, crossing your arms while propping your elbow on the bar. You’ll let tonight be as rosy as it can be with no time to dwell. Your drink is near empty, consumed faster than you remember. Someone taps your shoulder.

“Hey.”

You blink dryly, resurfacing. “Hm?”

K is rubbing the side of your arm, those hazel eyes darkened in the low light. His dark brows were raised high, “You good?”

“Yeah, yeah. Of course,” you answer easily. You hold up your drink, making a smug face and down it to his bemusement. You shake the empty bottle, setting it back on the table. “Always good.”

He nods slowly, looking over at the other three still gossiping amongst themselves. You couldn’t hear their conversation, but you can only imagining Sam and Liza were poking at each other by the way that Ry was smiling.

K swings his head back to you, “Wanna dance?”

“Sure.”

And you follow him, aware that, no, he didn’t want to dance. He wanted to talk.

You walk away with him, unnoticed by the others and tracing your finger across a brick wall. He stops, leaning against it and you do too. Looking over him, neat clothes and nervous face, you raise a brow.

“Sorry––“ he starts slowly, scratching the back of his neck.

“For what?” You laugh, scrunching your brows as you nod your head to the muffled music.

“This. It’s weird, right? Us. All of us, dating. That last year we were the ones single and you were––“ he sighs, pulling his lip to the side, “Last year was totally different. And now we’re all here, still together. Together-together.”

“Mhm, it was going to happen sooner or later,” you muse. K has loved Liza since Day One. And you and him have both known it, and what it means to him now. His dreams become reality every second that passes.

“Shut up,” he swats at your arm. You see the curl of his smile behind the embarrassment, “Nah. No. But this must be awkward for you, huh?”

You shrug. “Little bit. I’ll get over it, you guys are still my friends.”

His eyes search yours for the real truth. They were all so worried that them coupling up would ruin something, between themselves and with you. Ha. You told they they were stupid for thinking that. You believe in seizing the opportunities, in taking leaps and following your partner around the world–– in theory, at least.

They confided in you individually and you told them all the same thing. Tailored to their personalities, but in the same conceptual vein.

“If it works, it works. If it doesn’t, then at least you tried and you don't have to spend another day wondering ‘what if..?’”

And they bought it. Now, that being said, you already knew that they all fucking liked each other so–– push her and push him and push him and him, and things will fall into place.

It’s just that… the new thing is that you’re the one out out of the loop. You used to be the first to know but now you’re last to find out. And that is strange.

You’re not their number 1 anymore. And there’s nothing you can say about it.

“You’re still my best friend, got it?” K leans his shoulder on yours and you rest yourself against him too.

“Yeah, yeah, I know.”

Today, but not tomorrow.

It’s hard not to be bitter, and it’s horrible that there’s no remedy for it. FOMO is a new-age disease, after all. No science to sort it out yet, no justification to satiate it.

“So…. You talkin’ to anyone? Looking?” He asks too casually for a question he knew you hated. He bumps elbows with you and shake along with it.

“Nope,” your mouth pops at the “p.”

He raises his brows again, and argh you hate that. There was always someone you were talking to, or someone you’ve been with. But not these days. These days you felt too tired to be someone’s ideal anything.

“There are some cute guys around, looking at you,” his eyes twinkle a little too brightly for a straight guy with horrible taste. (Facts backed up by Sam, Ry, Liza, AND personal experience) “Plenty of fish, yeah?”

You shake your head, not interested. Sex could come and go, infatuation could come and go–– but you’re kinda tired of the short stuff. But not exactly ready for a whole-ass relationship either. You don’t need to explain yourself–– you just know you wouldn’t last the night.

“Not in the mood,” you huff.

“Tonight,” he says suggestively, wiggling his shoulders.

You both laugh, you a little bit dryly. You try to direct his attention back to Liza and their budding romance, as the trio finds you guys again. At first they didn’t immediately stand coupled, Ry handing you a drink and Sam going to talk to K. Liza smoothed out her clothes and you all talked about some new plans. It was an honest good time. Ry spilled his drink on Sam, and complained about the laundry again–– Liza got waaaay too drunk and you and K were holding her in your arms while she staggered like Bambi.

It was nice and warm, and a lot like old times.

I missed that.

You felt yourself smile and let loose–– not thinking of old ex’s or new flings. Just about the friends before you and how safe they made you feel, and how happy you are to see them happy. That’s love, right?

“Oh my god, look!” someone exclaimed, pointing a finger at the sky. You hear a loud clap.

As the night faded and grew colder, fireworks erupted into the sky with a loud crackle. You guys squealed and ran to the top of a sand dune, tripping and tumbling to see the dying summer sights. The fizzing calmed your calls. It’s funny how loud fiery skies filled you with the same awe every time. How it quieted you and made you feel small.

The couples soon held each other, soft embraces with their necks craned upwards. Their eyes twinkled from bursts of lights, smiling at the sharp crackles of sound.

Tonight was the one of many nights they would be able to spend in each other’s arms, so far away and close to you all at once.

This was the line you were cautious about–– you couldn’t talk to them when they were like this, out of courtesy. Out of honoring their moment.

You stood back, watching their excited faces instead of the bursting sky. You felt it. Not jealousy or bitterness, but the awful choke of curiousity and selfishness. The “what if that were me?”

It’s been a while since you’ve had arms wrap over your shoulders and kissed your hair. Enough time has passed for you to forget what that felt like. Too long? What was that like again?

The finale of fireworks struck across the inky, dark sky. You inhaled the smell of chalky smoke, tasting the salt in the air. Lights and colors fill your eyes, unblinking.

You suck in your cheeks as it quiets and you can hear the ocean again.

And you let yourself think, I want that again.

So with a new pulse, you went home and did the only logical thing in finding the next Love of Your Life.

You downloaded Tinder.

You avoided “serious” dating and being a “serious” anything to anyone, but seeing that “seriousness” in your friends made you wonder if you could be anything like them. If you were ready to open your heart to the possibility of loving and being loved.

Seriously. Sincerely. No bullshit.

This time.

At least, that’s what you told yourself as you messed around setting up a profile on Tinder. Regretfully spending way too long shuffling through old selfies that were engaging and enticing. You sigh as you pick through the lot, frustrated at the mind games that have already started.

It’s tiring.

And that’s probably why you end up cracking a few days later and end up telling Sam and Ryan. It was a short two word text, “Tinder. Help?” And you got a speedy reply from both of them (even when you knew they were most likely sat right next to each other). They were at your place in less than an hour.

Sam applauds your efforts, but is only there for moral support more or less. He’s an ace at the dating game, but has no patience to explain his ways.

“Typical,” You and Ry hum, as Sam rifles through your pantry instead.

Ryan, quiet as he is, sat with you and looked through the photos you choose. He broke down the psychology of it all; about the aloofness and whatever–– which you understood. You need to try hard, but not look like you are. Effortlessness, funny, chic, digestible, likeable––

“Performative.” He says flatly, “But this is fast and simple.”

And you have to agree, looking at your phone in his hands.

You blink as you reflect.

This is so much easier in fiction, in those movies where people go on a million dates in one week and match with the hottest fucking dudes ever. Where the protagonist has the perfect amount of self-confidence to keep her moving forward, endless chances to mess up and and still get the guy… God, it’s so easy on paper. There’s no dignity to lose. But here? In the “real” world, even on an app you could delete at anytime–– to put yourself out there? Mortifying.

But, at least you’re bored enough to try.

So, what the fuck, right?

“Did you tell Liza and K yet?”

“No, they would definitely try to set me up with someone real,” you laugh, leaning back on the couch. You wriggle your toes and tilt your head away.

Ry leans back with you with a brow raised, “Isn’t that… the point?”

Yeah, like, true. They have lots of friends they’re always trying to peddle your way, which is cool and all but… it’s a lot harder to pick and choose and ghost someone when you have mutual contacts.

He read the look on your face and nodded slowly, “Got it, got it.” He laughed to himself, perceptive and cautious. He extends his thoughts, “But you gotta tell us if you actually go and meet anyone. K would kill us if you didn’t say anything.”

“I won’t get into any trouble,” you squint, looking away from him mischievously.

“Uh-huh,” Ry affirms plainly as he swipes right on a few cute boys.

Your experience with dating apps was limited–– you made a joke account a while ago and never really did much with it. Then you had a more “real” account that you never tried sincerely with. You had real people you dated at the time–– uhm. But now, now that you’re actually on here looking… it is bleak.

It’s a Saturday night and you’re winding down with a glass of wine swiping through your options. People you actually knew showed up, and you swiped that shit away so fast you almost chucked your phone with it. You flipped through people who looked fake for real, some older dudes, and plenty of people with vibes you didn’t like–– the pool is so wide you almost didn’t know where to start. And you could afford to be picky, sure. It’s just, who knew that “too many options” would actually be a problem.

You spend the next few days idling checking and chatting, not getting any viable catches. You felt like you were just peering into small windows, head in and head out. Nothing caught your attention long enough for you to want to look in further.

You even start poking at things you never wanted to acknowledge as real, like the impact of cheesy bios, and deciphering who was who in group pics, and the thrilling amount of dudes holding up fish.

Pretty wack.

You felt yourself grow tired of it again. The adrenaline was waning, burnt to the stump. Good thing you didn’t try too hard. Pfft.

You sleepily swipe away on your phone, too late into the night. You blink hard as you snuggle into your covers, muttering,

“Just one more.”

Ah.

>> check out the whole bio here <<

“T, 23. Friendly, neighborhood romantic,” you whisper to yourself. You crack a small smile.

After countless swipes left, and (1) accidental swipe right, you match with a blurry boy–– super sus, I know. You don’t know how it happened tbh–– there’s nothing to “look” at, but your eyes fell on this one. Maybe because you just watched “Far From Home,” and enjoyed this spidey reference. Or you’re just innately drawn to the word “romantic.” Could be either, easily.

“It’s a match!”

Shit. You mumble, your profile photos floating together. You take a second to look through his meager collection. They were all obscure and blurry and not exactly in the artsy way.

You couldn’t decipher much, only that he had fair skin (?), with dark hair and dark eyes, but even that was questionable.

You’re pretty sure you matched with a bot or some old dude, or worse, a kid. You can hardly see his face in the pictures, blurry or cropped or covered.

Okay...

Is that his real name? Probably not. Is he actually 23? Doubt it. Is this going to go anywhere? Let’s hope not.

But whatever, it’s the first “match” that has seemed interesting in the past few days, solely on your pickiness. And this random bastards only gets you out of dumb luck.

You rub your eyes, and set down your phone, resigning to your stupidity.

You’ll deal with it in the morning.

Good night.

And the gears were set in motion as you slept.

You had a new message on tinder waiting for you, but you didn’t check the app until much later. You go through your Sunday morning routine, only opening your phone after a light breakfast and stretch.

“Oh god,” you blink as you catch the red notification. You look around the room, preparing yourself for what could be anything. You take a deep breath and open the chat.

T: Hey

Oh. You stare at it, so bare with no personality to pick at. You wonder if you should even reply, but by the grips of boredom, you do.

You: Hey!

You set your phone down, trying to swallow the short thrill. You walk away for a moment. A reply comes within minutes.

And it’s a goddamn mess.

T: Sorry, i’ve never done this before.

Strike one. You suck in your cheeks. While you’re fairly new at this too, you… don’t know how much time you want to invest it in. Here again, you debate replying back–– but he beats you to it.

T: I’m trying to get over my ex

UHM? Strike two, you almost have to laugh. This is just testing your patience. Your jaw wriggles as you see he has more to say…

T: And you look a lot like her.

Damn. Strike three, he’s out. He’s got to know that would put anyone off, right? Why would you even admit that straight out? T? Come on, man.

You: i’m not sure if that’s a compliment or an insult.

T: it’s an apology now, i didn’t know what to say

You: you could have complimented my killer smile or the pic of me with a dog. Anything but that

T: Right, right. I’m such a dickhead. Sorry, it’s nice to meet you though.

You hold your phone away, debating whether or not you should just delete the entire goddamn thing because this was just too stupid–– but it’s Sunday morning and what do you have left to lose.

You chew on the side of your lip, deciding to entertain “T,” but don’t spare him any soft words. You’d rather get straight to the point.

You: So… you go by “T?” And don’t have any real pics of your face? Are you even real???

T: Yeah, just private

You: kinda defeats the purpose of putting yourself out there though, right? Lol

T: It’s too easy if i put my face out there

You: oh, ha ha ha. So you’re saying you’re too hot to show your face? Love the confidence dude

And this is where you start actually laughing out loud. You wipe away tears at the side of your eyes, cackling at this display of internet confidence. It’s a tiny piece of amusement from a stranger you have 0 feelings for, and you’re not going to be mean to him… but you’ll definitely poke fun to see how far you can get.

Besides, he’s still replying back right? That’s almost hilarious in itself.

T: Hey, confidence is sexy, right?

You: yeah, more in person than online! 😂 (Laughing emoji)

You take a second to scroll back through his photos, and check to see if he has a link to instagram, twitter, anything. But he doesn’t. You try to pull up any evidence you can–– and at the very least, these blurry pics all look like they’re taken of the same person.

Slight build with dark curled hair–– rippable from any ambiguous online “hot boy” mood board though.

You’re wary.

You spot a picture with his smile, crinkled eye and lifted lip. You could swear he looked familiar… but maybe that’s because you’ve seen that same white boy/model on Pinterest.

Maybe.

T: wanna meet up and see for yourself?

You: maybe if you show me your face first

T: can’t do that quite yet, but I’d love to keep talking to you

You furrow your brows as you read his words. He would be down to meeting up with you upfront, but hesitates to send you a picture beforehand? That’s definitely a red flag, right? Right?

(Yes. Yes it is.)

You pull yourself back and let out a deep sigh. You’re probably the only person he’s talking to, especially with those purposeful (?) blurry pics and cryptic everything. Ugh.

It’s not playing yourself if you know it’s fake right? You can step out of this at anytime.

You: as long as you can hold my attention :)

T: I’ll try my very best ✌🏼 (peace sign emoji)

–– and with some very, very loose banter…. you end up exchanging numbers. You’ve put the whole Tinder thing on pause for now–– all four days of it. All for one stranger with no tact.

Unknown Number: hey, this is t (smiley face)

You: pfffft, I’m going to call you Blurry Boy. Since your name obviously isn’t T

BB: that’s fine with me :) mind if i call you darling?

You: ew

BB: o come on. It’s cute

You: please tell me you’re actually 23 or i swear to god I’m going to fucking lose it

BB: I swear 🤞🏼 (fingers crossed emoji)

You: ok. Prove it. Send me a pic of you–– you face or whatever

Ok. That’s a leap. He could rip a picture from anywhere but let’s see how fast he could do it. If it takes too long, then he probably did just rip it from the internet.

And if he makes a mistake and actually sends you a clear pic of himself? Well, that could only be seen as a win.

BB:

But you are ruthless.

You: ok. Send me another one.

And he could stop if he wanted to.

Only, he doesn’t. In a short moment, he sends another picture.

BB:

Same room, same face, same glasses. I guess you could believe him… for now. No matter how shitty the photos have end up....

But he could also be one of those people with folders full of stock photos… you never know.

But putting paranoia aside, you decide to turn off the heat a lil. You grab your coffee and sit on your couch, sliding into a comfy position. You turn on some YouTube videos on your laptop, watching the first few seconds as you lean your cheek against the couch cushions.

Phew.

You: thanks…. sorry I’m so paranoid. But you truly have the worst pictures of yourself put up there. Potato quality.

BB: nah, i know. I get it. Haha it’s alright, a pretty girl like you needs to protect herself

You: oh BOY that doesn’t make me feel any better 😂(laughing emoji)

BB: fuck, sorry. Ugh that is fuckin creepy. Shit. I’m terrible at texting

You: no, no. It’s alright. Actually, great job with taking those photos so fast. Most people would have taken sooooo much longer. You get a few points for not holding back

BB: babe, i told you. I’m gorgeous. I don’t gotta worry about it 😂😂💕 (laughing emojis)

You: right, right blurry boy. Great job with all those fuzzy ass photos. 🙄 (Eye roll emoji) haha are you really looking for someone out here or…?

BB: sort of. I’m testing out the waters and… you’re really pretty

You have to blink back and roll your eye, you’re unable to digest this conversation as real. They’re flowery words given to you, for sure, but your suspicion is much stronger. Your guard will not let down or be appeased by some blurry ass dude calling you “pretty.”

He replies before you have the chance.

BB: i dont wanna get into the messy details but yeah. Company sounds great right about now

You: yeah, i feel that

It’s a real and valid reply, but it’s a terrible one. It’s so hard for someone to reply back to that–– but you’re testing his perseverance. If he finds something to say back, it might just prove one more thing to you. That he might actually be interested, and someone worth talking to.

BB: sorry i lead with my baggage, I’m a fucking mess

You: *a confident fucking mess

BB: thank you 😇 (angel emoji)

You: don’t worry about it, I’ve seen worse

You laugh darkly to yourself. I’ve been worse.

BB: hahahaha thanks. Ok. But all that aside… real talk now. Can I ask you about the dog in your photo now?

You hate to admit that your lips curled into a smile, as you hastily type back.

Your coffee was half drank and cold by now. The YouTube video you were supposed to be watching has moved onto part two.

You eyes are still scanning your text screen, waiting to see those three bouncing dots at the bottom left hand corner.

He’s not the worst–– and at most, even if this turns out to be fake, this is just your Sunday morning entertainment. Nothing more and nothing less. These are just insignificant texts that will probably lead to a few lost days, or mediocre sex at best.

So, whatever, right?

MONDAY MORNING

BB: good morning! ☀️ (sun emoji)

You: well you sure get up early. Good morning

BB: Haha, I like to start the week as soon as i can. Do you drink coffee or tea in the morning?

You: coffee most days. You?

BB: i drink tea, darling

You: yeah that’s probably better for you haha. Less expensive too.

BB: mhm, definitely cheaper if you come over and i make you a cup

You: wow, the flirting starts the second the sun is up, huh?

BB: what, still too early?

You: never too early

BB: do you brew the coffee yourself?

You: some mornings. I usually pop into XX Cafe midday if i can.

BB: catch you there? 😂 (laughing emoji) nah, i’ll have to check the place out. I don’t know this area too well.

You: i guess if you can find me! I’m usually in and out pretty fast. Got places to be you know? Hm, did you just move here?

BB: yeah, i got settled in about a week ago

You: staying long?

BB: long enough

You: oh ha ha. Seriously not suspicious at all

BB: yeah I’m in town for a month or two. I’m getting away from work and stress for a minute

You: and you chose here?

BB: quiet enough for me. 😌 (smiley face) and you’re here so that’s a plus

You: relentless

BB: and nothing less.

MONDAY EVENING

BB: you haven’t seen that series? You’re crazy

You: whaaat! It’s not my thing. AND i don’t have time for it

BB: it’s a masterpiece, come on! Who doesn’t like laughing? It’s funny! You’ll like it

You: you’re gonna owe me a drink if don’t like it

BB: I’ll gladly buy you one right now if that’s what it takes to get you to watch it

You: ugh, i guess if you recommend it i can tryyyy…

BB: you won’t regret it!

You: ugh you are so annoying. What are you up to right now?

BB: reading emails and talking to you

You: haha what’s so important that you’re reading an email at like 11. Gotta turn on that “do not disturb” dude

BB: I can’t mute the work stuff, unfortunately

You: so if i called you over tonight you wouldn’t be able to? “Because of work?”

BB: you serious? I’m only taking serious offers right now

You: No! It’s monday. Can’t indulge you that early in the week

BB: what a shame. I’d drop it in a heartbeat for you

You: Nice to know

BB: I’ve got a feeling that I shouldn’t have told you that (laughing emoji)

You: 😈 (devil emoji)

TUESDAY MORNING

BB: good morning!

You: hey! I remembered I had some tea back at my apartment so… just wanted to let you know you had an impact on my day 🙄😊 (eye roll emoji and smiley face emoji)

BB: I could still make a better cup for you 😘 (kissy face emoji)

You: right. What do you have planned today?

BB: hmm, I’m heading out to the gym. Then I might explore the city a bit. Bump into me?

You: well, I don’t know if I could recognize you even if i wanted to

BB: you’ll recognize me

You: haha, okay? Wait, do I know you? –– if this is a prank…

BB: it’s not!

You: .. that wouldn’t be cool.

BB: it’s not a prank! There’s just a lot of things I can’t tell you just yet. It’d be a lot easier if we were able to meet up in person.

You: why?

BB: I’m pretty private. It’s really hard for me to just… share certain things with you. But I want to! SO badly! I just can’t send you a whole picture of my face. It’s complicated.

You: Sorry? I don’t get it.

BB: Ahhhh. This is going to sound so bad. I trust you, like as a person. But also I can’t trust you. If you meet me–– you’ll understand why. I’m sorry.

You: Okay…? And you have to understand that this sounds absolutely batshit to me, right? Like it’s pretty hard to trust you like this.

BB: yeah I know. I’m sorry. I don’t blame you if you don’t believe me. But honestly, it’s nice to be able to talk to you like this and I hope we can continue to chat. I really do like you.

You: … That is really unfair.

BB: I know! I’m sorry. Give me another day or two–– i have a few things to figure out but, I SWEAR i’m not lying to you. I promise it’ll make sense soon

You: well, if you promise you’re not a creep….

BB: I’m not!

You: and that you’re not using me as a replacement for your ex

BB: I won’t!

You: you are SO lucky i’m patient

BB: and kind. And beautiful. And amazing.

You: you’re pushing it, blurry boy. I just need you to realize how unfair this is.

BB: I do. And I know. I’m sorry.

You: what are you looking for here? With me or with anyone you would have met from the app?

BB: a home away from home

You: yeah i read that in your bio. What does that mean?

BB: I’m looking for someone I can spend time with and trust with my whole heart

You: ha ha

BB: I’m serious. It’s hard to find.

You: you’re a real romantic, that’s for sure

TUESDAY EVENING

You: you have a DOG and you didn’t tell me?

BB: what, you’re not interested in the fact that I have younger twin brothers and another 8 years younger than me? ‘Always about Tessa

You: obviously! Send a pic!

BB:

You: is this from right now?

BB: nah, something I took ages ago. I had to leave her back home with my family.

You: aww, that’s too bad.

BB: would you come over if she were here?

You: Duh! And I guess you’d have to make me a cup.

BB: sounds lovely. Let’s make it a date

You: ha ha. You miss home?

BB: More than you know. I travel A LOT

You: well, call back often! They would be happy to know you miss them! Loneliness is not a great feeling.

BB: I do, all the time! And definitely not a good feeling. So, it’s really nice to talk to you. Thank you.

You: Sorry, I’m not a very great conversational partner. But still happy to hear that

BB: You are. You’re still here

You: You are too.

BB: You already mean a lot to me

You: Have you been in many relationships? (Or hookups idk)

BB: No, and not really. I’ve only been in a handful of long-term relationships

You: Interesting

BB: What?

You: Just wondering if you are really catching feelings for me

BB: Guilty. You?

You: I don’t think I know enough about you to catch anything. No offense 😬😅(cringe emoji, laughing emoji)

BB: Ha, no. I meant if you’ve been in many relationships?

You: Oh! Sorry. A few of either. Did long-term once. Didn’t work out, obviously–– so here I am. That’s that.

BB: Guess we both have a past to bury

You: Please don’t say anything about “burying yourself into my pussy to feel better”

BB: WHAT. I wasn’t even thinking about that. That’s all you 👀

You: Hey, you’ve been pretty quick all the other times, bud.

BB: If I tell you I want more than just sex, does that make you feel better?

You: It makes me think about the fact that you still want to have sex with me

BB: And I can’t deny that 😊 (smiley blushy face emoji)

WEDNESDAY MORNING:

BB: Good morning!

You: Morning! Little later than usual–– sleeping in?

BB: Yeah, since I can afford to. You replied quicker than usual. Were you waiting for me? 😉 (wink emoji)

You: Haha, you wish. I was already on my phone, stud.

BB: Right, right. I can tell you like to play hard to get

You: No I don’t!

BB: 😂 (laughing emoji)

You: I don’t!

BB: Wow, feels great to finally have something to hold over you

You: I hate you 🙄 (eye roll emoji)

BB: Have a nice day, love 😊🌈(smiley face, rainbow emoji)

PING!

“BB? Who is bb?” Liza asks you on Wednesday evening after seeing a notification pop up on your phone. She grabs it off the sticky cafe table and looks at you with her pretty head tilted.

Oh––

You wiggle your jaw, and raise your brows,

“No one important.”

You take your phone back and open the message discreetly. It’s nothing special, you’re sure, but you have to look.

BB: so have you seen the last episode yet????? Hello??

“I didn’t know you were seeing anyone!” She pleads, putting down the drink in her hands. You were at the mall, idly walking and taking a short break. She looks at you pointedly, eyes darting around your face for any spot of weakness, as she quietly whines, “You didn’t tell us anything about this…”

“It’s because I’m not––” You offer, nodding. You flip your phone upside down as the message lights up again. “–– seeing anyone.”

She gives you a squinted look of total disbelief.

You’ve been messaging “Blurry Boy” nonstop for the past few days. First you talked about nothing, and now you’re asking each other about how your day was going and what you’re doing now, and what you’re doing later.

You always find something. Your phone is constantly by your side, sound on.

And there’s a layer of real time now, now that you’ve gotten to know him and his schedule better.

You learn that he has his own cute dog name Tessa and that his family fosters dogs back home, and that he’s the oldest, with twin brothers and a younger one he’s been trying desperately to relate to. You find out that his favorite color is black and that he’s in deep shit for stealing his best friend’s fav hoodie. All of this makes him feel like someone you know, someone you could call a friend.

He feels like more than just some guy you’ve talked to waaaay too long from Tinder.

And what’s worse, is that he knows certain things about you too. He knows that you don’t like sleeping in the dark and that you’re borderline addicted to iced coffee. That you like rewatching old romcoms and classic spooky movies… That your back hurts from work and that you have a fucking dentist appointment on Thursday.

You know a lot more about each other than less. And that’s kinda really fucking weird.

“You’re always smiling at your phone,” Liza says flatly, picking her drink back up to take a long and loud sip. Major side-eye. “‘Fess up.”

“No, I’m not!” You say through your teeth, trying to not smile. But under her stare you melt and crack under pressure.

You keep telling yourself that you’ll stop replying–– that he’s super sus and this isn’t going anywhere. But… you just keep texting him back.

“It’s nothing, seriously.”

“Let me see,” she pouts. “Pleeeease.” She flaps her hands at you, wriggling her fingers.

“No!”

Even though you know that it’s a losing game with her, you try to put up a fight, turning away and holding your phone tightly. You have onlookers now from the squealing, kicking and creaking chairs.

You give in after a minute.

You hand your phone in defeat as you readjust yourselves. You clear your throat.

“Okay, okay. But this is like, not serious at all, okay.” You rationalize as you show her the pictures you had screenshot and saved from him. “I barely know him.”

Barely! You’ve chanted that in your head over and over. Not enough to know if you want to get to know him, or what to drop him. That’s the purgatory you’ve been living in.

Liza is uncharacteristically quiet as she scrolls up and down the chats and flips through the pictures. Her hair covers whatever expression she’s making.

That makes you nervous, and you start babbling.

“Yeah, I mean. I don’t think he’s real or anything–– It’s just for fun and it’s whatever. I don’t even care.”

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

She freezes on a picture of him. The one where you can see a part of his smile and a crinkled eye. She zooms in and pauses again.

“Babe?” Her voice is cautious and slow. God. You don’t want to hear what she has to say next with this tone of voice…

“Hm?” You attempt to perk up, hiding the fact that you just gulped with nerves. It feels like you’re holding something sour in your mouth.

I don’t like this...

“So, he seems like a super nice guy and all but…” She speaks gingerly and wide eyed.

“But what?” You feel yourself recoil.

As much as you talk a big game… it would still hurt to have this illusion shattered. This self-inflicted fantasy. You don’t want her to keep going.

But you can guess what’s coming next.

...

“I… I think he’s using pictures of Tom Holland.”

…

Wait…...

What?!

A.N: WAH! she’s back!! well, as much as she can be. haha i know i have a million things always running at the same time but... i really will just ride the wave of inspiration as it comes.... that’s all i can do. anyway, hope you like this series! it’s going to be an exploration of starting new relationships in your young adulthood–– and how to handle be “The one” after “The One.” it’ll be a good time.

Thank you guys for reading! Please like, comment and reblog :) You’re all amazing.

Much Love,

Madmadmilk 💫

** i do NOT keep up with a taglist. track #one after the one to keep up with the updates, or check out my masterlist! thanks!

#WAH #i'm laughing at the photos bro lol i might change them but i don't have time right now hahahaha #one after the one #tom holland #tom holland fic #tom holland imagine #tom holland blurb #tom holland x reader #tom holland x you #tom holland reader #tom holland you #tom holland fics #tom holland fluff #tom holland angst #tom holland imagines #tom holland writing #tom holland story #madmadmilk #OATO

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