augustdh

[augustdh]

     —— └ᴠᴀᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴs ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴀ ғᴏʀᴇɪɢɴ ᴄᴏɴᴄᴇᴘᴛ. she’d started working at the age of fifteen and couldn’t actually recall ever having more than two days off in a row to herself.       ‘     taking time off makes me feel guilty. i don’t even know what to do with myself anyways.      ’      the admission felt odd to say aloud, her mouth snapping shut as soon as the words were out and she vainly wanted to snatch them back. it made her sound pathetic and she hated that.      ‘     oh, come on. you should know all about parties. i know you rich boys. i used to clean up after you all when i was in high school.      ’     hearing him reminisce as if these events were decades ago rather than just a hops worth of time from the present was funny, endearing to an extent as she scrunched her nose up and smiled at him. part of her paid attention to the red alarms that always went off around him when she idly thought about the fact that she could listen to him forever.

        ‘     are you sure that you want that?      ’      somehow, the idea of being the first person to hear what he was working on felt weighted. she didn’t know anything about music past what she thought sounded good and her small dabbling in writing, but only because she liked poetry. whether or not she was a good judge with any actual credentials was up in the air. her opinion was, admittedly, biased. if she showed her anything, she’d tell him it was good.      ‘    i mean like, are you sure you don’t want like someone… better than me to hear it first?      ’

         her shoulders lifted in a noncommittal shrug. whether or not his observation was true was not for her to contest. she’d never been a fan of elysia talbott and everyone knew it, but luz was her best friend and she loved his kids to death.      ‘     you say that as if you never have anything to do. please, you’re ALWAYS busy.     ’     trying to be calm and easy was a challenge when he had to go and be so fucking cute. groaning she half-heartedly threw a pillow in his direction, sure she’d miss with her lack of coordination.     ‘      you can’t say shit like that. it makes things all serious and like makes me feel like i’m not gonna want you to go back to your own place or leave at all. it’s just …. never mind.      ’

“it shouldn’t make you feel guilty. you should vacation with me sometime.” he offered, hoping she would take him up on it. it would be a fun time, plus maybe she would actually relax for once. august was a quiet guy, who definitely didn’t define him by his parties. but he was defined by his father’s parties. well, in fact, august didn’t really know what to define himself as. “hey, we’re not all the same. you were definitely cleaning up after my brother and sisters. that’s not on me.” he chuckled, though it kind of hit him how different the two had grown up. one with it all, and one working hard with to achieve what they got. it seemed unfair. august was here on his second album, part due to a girl, and mostly due to the position he’d been given in life. 

bringing himself back to reality, he nodded at her question. “yea, i mean you’re not gonna like drag it through hell right? because i get that enough from my producers and critics.” it was nerve-wracking. he couldn’t show his first album to aliyah, but he knew that she heard it, and he hoped she loved it. “like, the important people have heard it, they’ve been there the whole process. but you’ll be the first who actually matters to me.” he shrugged, not trying to make a big deal out of this. 

he feigned offense. “busy? this comes from miss i never take a break or vacation.” he nudged her slightly, but honestly knew his schedule was always packed. plus there was the definite tour coming up...something he had been meaning to talk to juni about but didn’t really want to think about it. “it’s just what? i mean i don’t really have to go...” 

[augustdh]

!! —— .*. ‘       LIKE MY PALE ASS NEEDS to burn in some tropical sun. i barely survive out here as is.     ��’       she quipped, long legs pulling up to her chest as she watched him. her cheek came to rest on her knees, fondness etching itself into the soft crinkle at the corner of her eyes and the short upturned curve of the corners of her lips. listening to august was like taking a warm bath; everything was soothing and nice. it was a distraction from the ache in her joints or the fact that she’d cried for twenty minutes this morning because she couldn’t even get her hands to work well enough to open a jar of sun dried tomatoes.       ‘     i hope it goes well. or i’ve failed my job. i don’t know, do you know anything about parties, nerd boy?      ’  

           SCOFFING, THE BRUNETTE tried her best to fake nonchalance despite the fact that she was too curious as to just what he’d written about. august never shared much with her in the relation of his songs. she never asked, in his defense, but now she was and the idea of a sneak peek was enough for her greedy mind.      ‘       it’s a date.       ’       thinking back to the first time that she’d muttered the same words to him was almost laughable; the surprisingly easy date that had started off as a joke was something that she clung to in a pathetic attempt to remind herself that he did like her; that she was good enough for someone.

        ‘       UHM, I DON’T KNOW what your definition of exciting is. i went through six shirts yesterday because javi kept throwing up on me. luz had me babysitting while he crawled up sia’s ass for the night. my… sister came over.       ’       calling vega by her actual title felt uncomfortable, but she’d rather acknowledge their tense relationship than let august know that most of her past weeks had been spent in and out of doctors’ offices. worrying him wouldn’t do any good to his music.      ‘      other than that, my life was filled with the sad crooning of binx because he misses you when you go. he thinks you should be here more often.      ’

“just thought you’d enjoy a bit of a vacation yourself.” august mused, she could definitely benefit from one. plus august wouldn’t mind spending time relaxing on a beach, or a yacht out on the water with her. that sounded like an ideal day. she seemed so overworked recently that august thought about doing something nice for her, a time of relaxation. “me? parties?” he scoffed shaking his head. “unfortunately, i do. my dad’s threw them all too often. leaving me in a stuffy suit when all i wanted to do was play cod or something. or those dirty frat houses. those were some parties back in the day” he talked as if he went to college over twenty years ago, not three. 

he shrugged, wondering what she would actually think of it all. everyone around him was saying how good the songs were and how great it was going to be - but it wasn’t the same. not that it had to be, or that it was bad. august was just in uncharted territory at this point. “you’ll be one of the first to hear alright?” he nodded. 

“ah, well. i bet you’re a good babysitter and that sia and luz appreciate it.” august shrugged, his older brother had a few kids that august loved immensely, but kids were definitely not in his future for a long time. “that sounds like a pretty exciting day though, you had things to do.” he added lightly, glancing down at binx to give him a nice scratch on the head. “well if binx says i should be here more, than maybe i should.” he smiled turning his attention back to juni, admiring how beautiful she was. what she saw in him, august had no idea. he was just a shy little nerd boy, while she was this adventurous, confident woman. “i miss you too.” he added softly. 

[augustdh]

!! —— .*. TEETH WORRYING HER bottom lip, juni let out an uneasy laugh. ‘ i’m okay. just been working from home today. uhm, my boss is on vacation in barbados right now, so i’m just answering emails and setting out her schedule for when she comes back i’ve also got to walk this venue tomorrow because she’s having a charity party in a few weeks and i have to make sure the space is big enough - figure out any regulations that need to be aware of and such since i’m… basically planning this party alone. ’

          SLENDER FINGERS NERVOUSLY tapped out an uncoordinated beat against her thigh as she made room for him, looked around pathetically as she tried to find the courage to say the words she’d been practising for a week. feigning a boldness not truly possessed, juni reached for his hand and pulled him over to her couch where she’d set up food and drinks for them. ‘ come sit. ’ she urged, tugging on the sleeve of his shirt.

        ’ I WANT TO hear about your session. ’ her fingers laced with his, something soft and easy to focus on rather than the nerves gathering in her stomach. ‘ do i get to hear any of these songs, or are they all a secret until you release them? ’

“barbados? she should’ve given you the invite.” he listened, following juni further into the apartment he was becoming more at home in, despite the all-white decor that still made him nervous that he was going to stain something and she’d dump him. not that august actually thought she would, but he still worried. “if you’re planning it, then it’s gonna be killer. anyway i could help?” he offered, even if it just meant to get her ice cream or something, he liked helped where he could. 

a small smile spread across his face and her hand slipped into his and lead him toward the couch. if you had asked him a few months ago that he would be dating juniper, he would’ve thought it was too wild to happen, but it did and august was falling for her a little bit more each day. 

settling into the couch, he shifted to leave room for juni to lean against if she so desired, he enjoyed being close to her. “possibly, maybe.” he chuckled and giving a vague shrug. “they still need a lot of work first though, but i might give you a sneak peek sometime.” the thought of sharing new music was terrifying though, what if the songs weren’t as good as his first album and he failed? “what about you? besides party planning, anything exciting happen today?”

[augustdh]

originally august had thought he would leave the music industry after his first album. it was in honor of aliyah, she had started this project and encouraged him so he had to finish it for her. so when the record released and did better than he expected - though he shouldn’t be surprised considering who his dad’s were - august kind of thought it was over for him. 

expect it wasn’t really, because people wanted a tour, and then others wanted to collaborate, and he realized there was no way he could leave now. this was a new door for him, plus he didn’t want to leave la, or the people in it, particularly one person, in order to go pursue lab work like he had originally planned after college. 

so that day he had spent in the studio, working on new material inspired by a new girl in his life. not that someone could erase aliyah or what she meant to him, but juni complimented him in a different way. she was bringing him out of his shell again, helping see life for what it could be again, and honestly it was giving him more than enough to work with both personally and for his work. 

august made the familiar route to her apartment, excited to spend the evening with her. it had been a minute since the two got a moment like this together, with their demanding jobs. she had seemed different a bit lately, though he just thought it was stress and that it would pass soon. his knuckles wrapped against the door and it wasn’t long until it opened up, revealing a beautiful girl that august couldn’t help up smile at. 

“hey.” he replied, stepping into the apartment, part of him wanted to lean in and kiss her, but he was still unsure of where they stood exactly, he just knew how she made him feel. “something like that.” he chuckled, shaking his head. “but we’ve got some stuff coming along nicely i would say.” he added, glancing around. “uh, so how are you? how was your day?”

❛ | AUGUST ]

!! —— .*. LYING TO AUGUST was competitively taking its toll on her body; the physical manifestation of uneasiness and guilt churning the brunette’s stomach in a way that made her want to crawl into a hole and hide until the feeling subsided. lying in general was a cardinal no for the twenty-one year old. secrets were forbidden. the truth was all she ever asked for from anyone else, and above all she knew that she should tell her BOYFRIEND what was wrong  —— if they were even at a point where she could comfortably claim him as hers in such a way.

            HE LIKED HER. even if they hadn’t said it specifically in so many words, she knew in the way they kissed, how he held her hand, the fact that they’d spent christmas and new years eve together; texted through the night and stole any bits of time they could between busy schedules. the moments when she was with him, she felt more comfortable in her own skin than with anyone else, even her ex. the only souring part of time with august was the worry she knew that he held because she wouldn’t explain her mood shifts, her lack of energy, why she pulled cinderella stunts and left without an explanation.

           FIDGETING THROUGHOUT HER kitchen, binks slipping between her legs and pressing his arched back to her calves in a search for attention, juniper tried to settle her nerves by preparing a cup of tea. dull aching began from the s t r e t c h of tendons in her hands up her forearm making the simple task one that caused the girl to grit her teeth and bear through the pain. nearly dropping the cup she’d spent far too long making at the sound of a knock on her front door, juni took a deep breath and told herself this was the right thing to do. 

           TIGHT SMILE, SHEEPISH and forced, she looked up at august, heart hammering in a staccato beat that she’d grown to like. ‘ hey…. so uhm, yeah. ’ smooth, she ridiculed silently wanting to roll her eyes. ‘ how was your session? write a bunch of songs about how great i am yet? ’ 

[augustdh]

| ◤° [ THERE WAS A twitch to her eye at the word tomato, gaze drawing over her pristine all white decor, but juni reminded herself it was just stuff and could be replaced. this was sweet. no one had ever done this for her, not even her own father. ‘ i’m always in and out of the hospital. it’s not a big deal. they even sent me off with a lollipop. come on, we can sit and watch some tv and you can tell me about how awful it was having to be without me. ’

“i mean...you don’t have to take it if you don’t want to. i just felt weird coming empty-handed.” august added with a nervous laugh, god he really was great at ruining things. he’d only been in one serious relationship before, and it ended tragically. “uh, well i definitely didn’t have anyone insulting me for a good amount of town.” he teased, placing the thermos on the counter and following her. 

[augustdh]

| ◤° [ ‘ WHEN AM I not judging you? ’ she countered, side stepping as he made his way in. the question was a loaded on, but juniper only shrugged it off. ‘ i’m fine. vega’s been around taking care of me. i think i’ve just gotten some sort of 24 hour thing. nothing major. ’ there was some small part of her that felt bad for lying ,but at the same time, juni didn’t like having anyone worry - and august had worrier tattooed on his forehead.

“good question, it seems like always is the answer.” he laughed, glancing around her place briefly. he had heard once that someone’s bedroom said a lot about them, and he wondered what juni’s said about her. not that he was thinking about getting to her bedroom or anything. “okay, good, just sucks you had to go there and everything.” he shrugged, holding out the thermos to her. “it’s homemade tomato, my grandma’s recipe.”

[augustdh]

“talking about the paps? they’ll do anything for a good pic and a slick buck. i’ve noticed it all my life.” august sighed, hating that flashing cameras and crowded streets just as much as the next person. 

         – &&. ❝ HOW MANY FUCKIN’ times do I have to tell them to hop off my DICK. ❞ Tone was sour, laced with scathing irritation as ice-colored eyes lingered on the article glaring up at him from his phone-screen. A mild scoff followed his words, a muted CLICK causing the illuminated screen to go dark before the rapper pocketed the device. ❝ If they listened, they wouldn’t HAVE to post articles about me flipping them off in the FIRST PLACE. ❞

[augustdh]

“didn’t say it was, but congrats to you.” august smiled, knowing that he hated when people made a big deal about his love life as well. “sounds like a gentleman though, what’s his name if i may ask?”

❛I had a date, it’s not a big deal.❜ It is. In fact, she hadn’t date anyone since she broke up with April’s father a few years ago. It was quite an adventure but she wasn’t sure if she was ready to start going out with different men who clearly wanted to have sex with her in the end. The girl sighs.  ❛We had a couple of drinks, he paid the bill. I tried to tell him I had my own money but…he insisted.❜    The singers shrugs. Not caring much about the situation.

[augustdh]

“new york is definitely a great time when you visit, but anyone can say that about any city.” august shrugged, knowing some had said similar things about new orleans and la. “not really though, it’s so quiet and boring around here.”

  ‘ new york is amazing but it’s also just as crazy, i honestly don’t get how people LIVE there .. ’ she supposed the people there said the same thing about l.a. though. ‘anyway, i’m glad to be back home. did i miss anything crazy while i was away ? ’

[augustdh]

coming home had been an ordeal. she hated having to rely on vega to help her to menial tasks like open her own front door because the pain in her hands was too prevalent pre-hospital stay. she hadn’t lied to august - there was an issue with a faint feeling, but it wasn’t really her interest to tell him everything about her health so soon. her cat answered the door before she could, head poking out to see who was there and what food they had as juni revealed august, though her eyes were trained on what he had in his hand. ‘ i feel like i’m in the 90s all over again. a thermos, dude? really? ’

“don’t judge me, it’s all i had, plus this soup is bomb.” august nodded, walking through the door and giving juniper a smile. he wasn’t exactly sure what he was doing, but he did enjoy spending time with her, it made him feel almost at home again. “so, uh, how are you doing?”

[augustdh]

as promised, august made his way over to juniper’s. her text had been a bit concerning, and she always played it off like it was no big deal, but august couldn’t help but be at least a little bit worried. he’d brought some soup in a thermos, not entirely sure what to bring but figured it was better than nothing. walking up to her door, and knocked a few times and waited, a little nervous and anticipating where this was going to lead. of course they weren’t just friends, but was it too soon to label her as a girlfriend? -- @jvnipers

[augustdh]

— ❛ imessage ft.「 OPEN 」❜

JUNI: i promise. just come over tonight.

AUGUST: okay, i will

[augustdh]

— ❛ imessage ft.「 OPEN 」❜

JUNI: it's not a big deal. pinky promise.

JUNI: yes, either way you're stuck with me.

AUGUST: you promise? cause like

AUGUST: i care about you

AUGUST: i don't mind.

[augustdh]

— ❛ imessage ft.「 OPEN 」❜

JUNI: i'm not sick, you know that right? you're going to come over and i'm going to be completely find and you're going to feel silly for worrying so much.

JUNI: it's cute, but like it's not necessary. just come over and watching chewing gum with me.

AUGUST: yea, but idk. hospital's freak me out

AUGUST: so either way i'm coming over right?

[augustdh]

— ❛ imessage ft.「 OPEN 」❜

JUNI: i got faint. i said that.i just had to sit here and get better. stop making this a bigger deal than it is.

JUNI: no, it's fine. i'm leaving tonight anyways. i'll be home.

AUGUST: do u need me to come over?

AUGUST: i can bring soup which is better than hospital food

[augustdh]

| ◤° [ ‘ I KNOW. I’VE got to get better taste or something, bro. ’  she chuckled, head ducking and hiding behind the curtain her hair created. ‘ uhm, so like. what you want me to hang out with you and your FAMILY? ’

“i think you’re doing just fine. though i am way out of my league.” he smiled, moving a little closer to juniper and reaching a hand toward her. “i guess, i mean if you don’t want to. but i do just like hanging with you.”

[augustdh]

— ❛ imessage ft.「 OPEN 」❜

JUNI: august. i'm fine.

AUGUST: then what really happened?

AUGUST: im free right now, need a visitor?