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violetleaves · 2 years ago

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season one break:day ?? aka wes’ 23rd birthday location: wes’ house time: 4:56pm inspired by: never ask by shayhan for: @thursdaygrl

wish it was temporary ( can’t contain what’s said ) wish it was easy ( can’t contain -- obey ) is there a possible way? ( got to be a way ) to leave your feelings ( there’s got to be a way )

wes is by no means a birthday hater, but he’s never exactly looked forward to his own. if he isn’t busy filming on the big day, his mother would have something big planned. something publicized, to boast their wealth and status. these events are never actually catered to celebrate wes’ birthday; they’ve never been full of his friends or cast mates ( not like he’s ever had any friends or cast mates he’s gotten along with to come anyway ) -- in fact most of the time they’re filled with people twice his age with names he doesn’t know or care to, just like tonight. there are nearly a hundred people, not including the staff, filling the nichols home for the first time in practically a year and wes can name all of the people he knows here on one hand.

autumn, of course, there’s no way she would miss the twenty third birthday of her her “ boyfriend. ” his mother, obviously, because it’s her party after all -- wes honestly isn’t sure if most of the guests are even aware that this is actually his birthday party. and emilia, a wildcard guest who wasn’t exactly picked by wes to attend, but he’s glad she’s here nonetheless. his gaze has landed on emilia pretty much anytime he’s looked up from his phone when he’s not playing brickbreaker, which he happens to be doing right now, sitting all lonely-like on a bench beneath the staircase, nearly out of sight from most party guests. emilia has spotted him though, and despite the fact that he’s made himself appear unapproachable, she still decides to saunter up to him and lean against the staircase, blocking view of him completely from anyone else who might be passing by.

“figured i should come say happy birthday.” emilia says, inspiring wes to look up from his phone and see an awkward smile on her face as she stirs her drink with the little red bar straw. “you don’t uh, really seem like you’re having that good of a time? isn’t it your party?” an eyebrow raises and she laughs a little. “i mean, cry if you want to, by all means, but like what’s your deal?”

“i mean, emilia, come on. when have you ever seen me look excited to be somewhere?” he counters playfully, which causes emilia to roll her eyes and take a seat beside him. pushing on his arm a little, she continues to press: “okay, fair. but like, for real: i feel like i haven’t even seen you bring out the fake charm like once tonight. what gives?” he tilts his head towards her, wearing a skeptical look, unsure if he wants to explain himself. but emilia is trustworthy -- she’s always been trustworthy. she’s had months of opportunities to spill about himself and charlotte, about the autumn ordeal, and she’s kept it to herself. she’s getting a little tired of waiting, clicking her tongue and adding: “look, i know i’m not lottie, the only person you like to open up to apparently, but i’m the closest thing you’ve got, so... what’s. up.”

wes hides a laugh and shakes his head, giving in and telling her what she wants to hear. “it’s a combination of the fact that i don’t know anyone here and that this is not exactly my dream choice for a birthday celebration.”

“yeah right, you totally know people here.” emilia argues, looking over her shoulder and glancing around the party to see if even she can name drop a few faces.

“nah, just you. and...” he sighs, pointing across the room at autumn, who is currently leaning against his grand piano, swinging her drink around carelessly and nearly spilling its contents onto the shiny black surface. “autumn, obviously. and i mean, you’re only here because of autumn, really.” wes elaborates, “my mom said i could invite one person, and autumn said it could be you, so...” he looks back at emilia, biting his lip as he realizes that may have come off as a little rude. “not that i don’t want you here,” he rushes to add, “i’m actually really glad you are.”

“i’m sure you’d much rather have lottie here.” emilia smirks, but she notices the look on wes’ face and the way he opens his mouth to give her more than one reason why she couldn’t be. “i know, i know, autumn would never let it happen. she’s not the biggest charlotte washington fan i’ve noticed... i’m guessing it has to do with... you?” her head cocks to the side and an eyebrow raises inquisitively.

“she thinks there’s something going on between us.” wes says quietly.

“uh, yeah, probably because there is!” emilia laughs, but wes waves his hand seriously to stop her.

“we really, really, cannot be talking about this here.” he mumbles, aware that absolutely anyone could be listening to them right now. he’s picked a secluded spot, but that doesn’t stop the people who want to hear gossip from finding a way to listen. emilia drops it, and the two sit quietly for a second before wes decides to change the topic entirely. “god, any minute now my mom is gonna call me over and insist i play chopin or grimuad to show off to her guests and i’m gonna wanna pull my fucking hair out.” wes complains, leaning forward and resting his face in his palms. emilia looks around for a second, almost embarrassed for wes and his little pity party.

“okay, so... let’s ditch before she has a chance?” emilia suggests, but wes just groans in his hands and shakes his head.

“ditch where, i can’t leave the party.” he moans -- but then it hits him, and he springs back up again, jumping to his feet and holding his hand out to emilia. “actually, wait, you wanna see something cool?”

hesitating at first, emilia leaves her hand hovering above wes’ for a second as she eyes him suspiciously, “define cool?” but she does give in, and wes drags her through the party to the back of his home, towards the elevator. “jesus christ, you have an elevator?” emilia scoffs, incredulously staring at him for a second before reaching out to push the button, but wes grabs her wrist.

“yeah, but we’re not taking it. someone might notice the doors open and follow us down.” wes leads her down the stairwell into the basement, down to the recording studio that is now a hub of memories of charlotte.

“oh my god, as if i couldn’t get any more impressed. this house has a goddamn recording studio?” emilia is looking around like she’s about to pull something down off the wall and play it, but wes is beckoning her over to one of the swivel chairs and holding out a pair of headphones.

“listen...” wes lowers his voice to a whisper, even though there’s zero chance of anyone hearing them down here. even the sound of the party above them has been quieted by the sound proofed walls. “charlotte’s agent might kill me for letting you listen to this, but...” as soon as emilia slips the headphones onto her head wes is enthusiastically tapping the spacebar to allow the song that he and charlotte have created

this is probably the thousandth time wes has listened to it. other than charlotte and her agent, he’s the only person that has access to it at the moment and he’s almost reveling in the fact that right now, it’s just theirs. but he doesn’t mind sharing it with emilia, and he’s sure charlotte would approve of her ears getting a taste of the song they’ve put together. he relaxes in the chair, eyes closing as he takes in every note of the song. charlotte’s voice fills the two sets of headphones and wes doesn’t even bother to look to see what the look on emilia’s face is like. he’s too deep in his head, reliving the sweetest moments of the day when they’d recorded this song. he can see everything so clearly, the look of joy charlotte showed when they’d finished the song, the passion in her eyes as she sang into the microphone ... her sitting on his lap at his keyboard. all of it. it’s why he’s listened so many times -- it’s the quickest way to relive every second of that day.

when the song ends, the two of them remove their headphones and wes eagerly waits to hear what she thinks of the song... however the words that come out of her mouth are not words of encouragement about the track, in fact the question she asks comes entirely out of left field:

“so like...” emilia spins around in her chair, raising an eyebrow as wes meets her gaze. “how in love with lottie are you, exactly?”

his face must be as red as a tomato, and he’s frozen in shock wishing he were looking anywhere other than emilia but he’s stuck staring at her like a deer in headlights, not even sort of expecting those words to be coming out of her mouth. “i’m sorry... wh-what?” he finally stammers after ten seconds too long of trying to figure out if she’s really just asked him that.

“come on, wes! she wrote a song about how you basically broke her heart and your response was: let me produce and mix it for you.” she rolls her eyes, spinning around in the chair once again. “and if you think i didn’t see the look on your face just now when we were listening, you’re sadly mistaken. i know the eyes of a lovesick puppy when i see them.” emilia accuses, and while her tone is playful and friendly, and wes knows that all emilia has ever been is trustworthy, wes feels absolutely mortified. he shrinks in his chair, leaning back and trying to spin away slowly but emilia places her hand on the arm to stop him, forcing him to turn back and look at least in her direction. “i know you think everyone is out to get you or whatever, but i’m not everyone. i love lottie, and i care about you too. not just because of her, because we’re friends.” she must notice the look of skepticism on his face, because emilia smirks, rolling her eyes. “i know i can be hard on you sometimes but it’s only when you deserve it. and even after all of the times i’ve seen you be a dick to lottie i’m still rooting for you guys so...” sighing, she releases the chair from her grasp and leans back in her own. “i just want you to know i’m here for you, if you wanna gush about her. because i get it, she’s fucking incredible. and what you tell me is in confidence because i am your friend, wes nichols. i may be autumn’s choice as your only guest tonight but i think you would’ve picked me anyway.”

“speaking of her we should get back up there before she thinks something is going on between us too.” wes grumbles, pointing at the ceiling in disappointment. it’s a way out of answering the question, which emilia recognizes and doesn’t push him any further to answer. wes isn’t about to tell emilia how in love he is with her best friend, not because he isn't ( he absolutely fucking is ), but he wants the first person to know to be the girl in question. i’ve never loved anything more than i love charlotte, is what he would tell emilia, but he’d rather say: i’ve never loved anything more than i love you first much, much more.

they return back up to the party, and thankfully no one has noticed their disappearance for the most part, other than his mother, who grabs his arm the first chance she gets and says: “i’ve been looking for you everywhere, weston!” she squeezes him tightly, as if to scold him for not being more accessible, but she grins wide as there are people watching, and begins to escort him over towards the grand piano that wes is surprised isn’t covered in autumn’s cocktail. “everyone has been dying to hear you play grimaud.” his eyes flicker to emilia, not too far off, and she flashes him a sympathetic look, well aware that this is exactly what he was trying to avoid happening.

but wes must play. he must entertain. it’s all he’s ever done, and maybe all he’ll ever get to do.

another birthday goes down the drain, and as wes performs for the crowd of strangers, he wonders if he’s a step closer to the freedom he’s been craving for years now. if twenty-three will finally be the year he breaks the chains that lock him to the woman who forces him entertain -- to constantly and willingly obey.

with charlotte as his motivator, he think it may very well be.

#{wes & charlotte}#thursdaygrl

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