hazalyildizs

[hazalyildizs]

Hazal knew her own dating history had been sparse—she'd always prioritized her career over romance until Lincoln came along. Even then, she hated him as soon as he opened his mouth. Her best friend's dating stories made her glad she'd been too busy with work to deal with that drama. "I know and get it. Getting the good ones is not easy," she mused, amused at how she'd stumbled into romance with Lincoln while her friend had actually put in the dating work. The prospect of meeting this Miles guy intrigued her. Anyone who could make her best friend this happy deserved a proper investigation. "Just tell him we're like a package deal. Your best friends need to approve, it's basically law," she teased. "And, if he turns out to have a secret collection of garden gnomes or something equally weird, I'll help you make a swift exit."

"Yeah well that's because I haven't really met a guy around Wilmington that makes me this excited. You know better than anyone that my track record has been less than ideal." Her history with guys around town wasn't all that great, but with Miles making his grand and surprise entrance into her life that all seemed to be changing (at least she hoped it was). The idea of him meeting her friends didn't scare her. In fact, she looked forward to them meeting him because she felt like there was no need to make any excuses where he was concerned. Miles was a great guy. If anything, Sofia was waiting for the other shoe to drop and for him to reveal some not so appealing character trait. "I'll let him know that you guys are interested in meeting with him. We'll see how he responds."

[hazalyildizs]

Hazal was glad that Shivani got the hint and let the police topic drop. She truly just didn’t want to keep thinking about the same topic, and her best friend made everything so much easier by not pushing the topic. The conversation about relationships felt like a breath of fresh air, especially since she'd been drowning in stress lately. A smile tugged at her lips as she listened to her friend talk about Axel. It must be nice, she mused, to have that foundation of friendship before dating. Her own situation with Lincoln had been really rough at the start, to say the least. "Yeah, I get that about knowing each other first—makes everything less awkward," she said, glad to hear how the other’s relationship had evolved so naturally. The holiday suggestion made her fidget with discomfort. Her parents had been asking when they'd meet Lincoln, but the timing never seemed right. "Not yet. My parents are in Philly and with things going on, I never got a chance to introduce them. One day though..." 

Shivani obviously wanted to push Hazal to actually do something about this situation but she knew when she was fighting a losing battle and so she remained quiet. If her friend truly felt like she could handle it—Shivani would remain on the sidelines, there to support her if she needed it. But she was allowing the shift to happen and hoped it gave Hazal a good reprieve from whatever she was currently dealing with. “Yeah of course that makes sense,” she smiled at her friend before letting out a smile. “I mean really even Axel and I are technically still in the early dating phase too but I think the years of knowing each other kind of jolted us ahead almost,” she said with an earnest laugh before nodding at the other’s words. “Yeah I’m hoping it’ll go over really easily but who knows really with parents.” She heard Hazal’s words and chuckled at her mention about introducing Lincoln to her parents. “Wait—have you already done it or you’re planning on it soon? The holidays should be a good time, don’t you think?” 

[hazalyildizs]

Hazal took in Lincoln's words, each word making her defenses crumble a little more. She'd been playing the tough girl act, pretending everything was fine when it clearly wasn't. "I'm not trying to push you away," she said, looking down at her hands. "I just need time to process everything. And with everything going on with your dad…" She paused, knowing she was making excuses. But the nightmares about Marcus kept coming, Her nights were now a horror show she couldn't escape. She wanted to share that with him, to tell him how scared she still was, but his family drama was already overwhelming. "I don't want to add to your stress," she said quietly, shrugging her shoulders. "I’m not trying to shut you out. It's just hard letting someone see me like this." The words felt like a confession she wasn't ready to make, but needed to anyway.

Lincoln looked at Hazal, his eyes wondering over her features. It wasn't hard to pick up on the fact that she was not okay. Nor did either of them know exactly when she would be. He nodded, "Yeah." He glanced down at his hands on the table, a small silent fell between them before he spoke up once again. "I know things have been a little weird, rightfully so. And I know you wanna deal with this on your own, as much as possible, but I am here to remind you that I am here to help in any way you need, Haz." He told her, "So, please don't shut me out because that seems the right thing to you. I don't want that."

[hazalyildizs]

Hazal bit back a smile at Atlas's dramatic response about being the most helpful neighbor. The whole situation felt surreal—here she was, actually enjoying a conversation with the guy who used to drive her up the wall. His mock offense at being called useless made her want to roll her eyes, but in an affectionate way she hadn't expected. The mention of Jazz's world-famous hugs struck her as particularly funny, considering how the dog had practically ignored her earlier. This lighter side of him was... different. Not awful. Maybe even nice. "Well, don't let it get to your head. Jazz is still the star of this show," she said, surprising herself with how easy the banter felt. A part of her wondered if they'd been ridiculous all this time, fighting over stupid things when they could've been like this instead. "And for the record, I said you weren't completely useless. That's basically a compliment coming from me."

Atlas watched in shock as Hazal's smile turned their usually awful talks into something kind of nice. Because she wasn't mad at Jazz for being a terrible guard dog, he didn't feel compelled to defend his furry buddy, even though she had a point about the hugs. Her thank you gave him this weird happy feeling in his stomach, which never happened when they usually talked. Her laugh at his stupid o'clock made him feel like less of an asshole neighbor, like maybe they didn't have to hate each other anymore. Then she said that thing about him not being completely worthless. "Look at me being the most helpful neighbor ever … checking your locks like a pro and offering Jazz's world-famous hugs, and you're calling me useless? You're breaking my heart over here." But he wasn't really upset. This new joking around felt way better than their usual fighting - like maybe they could stop being those annoying people who shared a wall and yelled about parking spots, and start being actual friends who hung out and stuff.

[hazalyildizs]

Samira's words about parenting decisions hit harder than expected, making Hazal's cuisine dilemma seem trivial in comparison. "God, you're right, I'm here stressing about dinner when actual parents have to make life-altering choices daily." The reality of potential motherhood crashed over her, but instead of feeling overwhelmed, she found herself looking forward to it. She was sure she was born to be a mother. "Maybe I should take you up on that babysitting offer. At least with Maya, the worst decision I'd have to make is whether to let her have ice cream before dinner." Her mind drifted to Lincoln, wondering how he'd handle those bigger decisions—would he be the strict parent or the pushover? She caught herself smiling at the mental image. "Though knowing my luck, the moment I have Maya over for a test run, she'll be on her absolute best behavior, and then Lincoln and I will think parenting is a breeze." The idea of using her friend's daughter as a parenting litmus test seemed both genius and slightly devious, but she had to admit it beat having an awkward conversation over pasta or pad thai. "You know what? Let's do it. Set up the babysitting thing. But first, I should probably figure out tonight's dinner plans before Lincoln thinks I've ghosted him. So I'll catch you later..."

COMPLETED

Samira chuckled at Hazal’s agreement about Maya not pitching in if she did end up getting her a pup. It was honestly the only reason she was determined to make her daughter wait it out a bit more. Still they both began speaking about the dilemma that Hazal was dealing with and it got Samira thinking about how her situation could’ve turned out if she and her ex had actually discussed it a little before getting engaged. “Yeah I mean…she can be pretty extreme depending on the situation," she chuckled at her friend’s suggestion before nodding along about how she could be a great way to help the other two approach the conversation. “Honestly it’s better if she’s in one of her moods that way you can both get an honest reaction of how you’d be together as a unit,” she smiled at the other before chuckling at Hazal’s words. “You can’t decide between two cuisines? Yikes babe…that’s the least of your worries if you’re serious about becoming a mother…the decisions you’ll have to make are going to be much more extreme from really the moment you have your first appointment.” Still she gave the other a smile before continuing, "but yes--have your dinner and then let me know how it goes, or if you'd rather take Maya for the evening and go from there."

[hazalyildizs]

Hazal felt like she might burst from her sister's obvious joy. Clearly there was something about Feyza that was incredible to make Alara glow like this. "Saturday it is. I'll book somewhere fun—casual but still nice. We can hang out and chat," she said, already mentally listing questions she'd ask during lunch. Being protective came naturally, especially when it involved her twin's happiness. "And you know I have to check her out properly. Pretty sure that's written in the twin sister contract, along with the part about raiding each other's closets whenever we want."

it felt like forever since the last time she'd been this happy and she couldn't wait to see where things landed between both her and feyza. after all, things were already going so well. "that would be amazing. i can't wait for you to meet her and if i'm being honest, i don't really want to wait any longer." she admitted with a light laugh. she shook her head, a smile resting over her lips. "you don't have to do all that but i can't say i'll hate you for it."

[hazalyildizs]

Hazal soaked in Kimberly's support, grateful someone understood the whole situation. Lincoln's training style brought out parts of him she'd never imagined existed. "He does get into these moods, but I think he’s just trying to make sure I could take care of myself," she said. That was how he showed love. She had to bite back a laugh whenever she pictured his face scrunching up at her form. Everyone close to him was right about his dramatic side. However, what used to drive her crazy now made her smile, especially when he got all worked up over the smallest details. It still tickled her the way how their relationship evolved into something she never saw coming.

"I'm glad you understand about taking things slow," she told Kim, feeling validated in her choice to set clear limits. Her friend probably did the same with Benji too. As for her, after everything she'd been through, caution made sense, but with Lincoln, each day brought something fresh and exciting. "I want to do this right, you know? No rushing, no pressure. Just us figuring things out at our own pace." She took a moment, searching for the right words to explain herself. "Besides, taking our time makes everything so much sweeter, don't you think?"

“And for the better.” concluded Kimberly with a knowing smile. She knew how serious Lincoln was when it came to those that he cared about. Therefore, the amount of time and effort he was putting into teaching Hazal to protect herself showed immensely and she was happy for the both of them as it looked like they were going strong. “Ugh, trust me once he gets into a mood there’s no going back.” Growing up with him and Peyton, she had gotten used to his demeanour and if anything, she tended to feed off of it just to get under his skin like a younger sister would. 

“Yeah…” she confidently replied with a bright smile. Kimberly was navigating her relationship with Benji the way she wanted to and with patience, love and care. In truth, she grew fond of him with each passing day that went by and with or without the incident, she would have stood by her strong feelings about him. As Hazal answered Kim’s inquiry about her relationship, the heiress nodded in understanding and supported her reasoning from the get-go. “That’s fair, so as long as you’re both happy, accepting and on the same page, then that’s all that matters. It’s both your relationships at the end of the day and your love trumps everything and everyone else.”

[hazalyildizs]

Relief washed over her at Shivani's understanding about the police situation—she'd worried her friend might push harder on that front. The last thing she needed was another person pressuring her about the police. Dealing with the stalker’s threats was stressful enough without well-meaning friends getting involved. The shift to discussing Alara's dating life had eased the knot in her stomach. She was actually really happy for her sister. Her twin deserved every bit of happiness coming her way, even if she stayed coy about the details. “I’m sure she will. Right now, she’s on the early dating phase. I’m letting her be.” As much as she wanted to know, she wasn’t one to push her sister for all the details. "That's amazing! Your parents already know him as your friend, which makes it so much better. It'll be way less awkward than when I introduced Lincoln to my parents. My baba will probably spend the first hour interrogating him about his intentions. At least yours already like Axel, that's half the battle won!"

For Shivani it was interesting because she hadn’t had to find Axel, but mostly she had to really accept the love they shared for what it meant. It was a very interesting situation to be in but she adored it all the same. Never had she thought she’d find a love like this, and with someone she called a friend. She heard Hazal choosing to downplay it or not give it the importance her situation needed and while in any other situation, Shivani might’ve pushed it—she figured if Hazal was comfortable this way and Lincoln clearly wasn’t putting that pressure on the police, she needed to hold back and so she allowed the conversation to die as she didn’t want to make her friend feel like she was being too intrusive right now. "Whatever feels right for you I guess." The topic of Alara’s love life was definitely a more pleasant one that she happily smiled about. “That’s so cute though—I’m glad she’s found someone she’s enjoying spending her time with. I can’t wait to hear more about it, whenever she’s comfortable to share that is,” she chuckled softly before looking back at her friend with a fond smile. “Oh did I tell you? I’m taking Axe to my parents place soon—I feel like it’s time they meet him as my partner and not just as my friend. I’m almost nervous but they already love him so it should be good—right?”

[hazalyildizs]

Hazal had grinned at Samira’s quip about Maya’s short-lived interest. “Sounds about right,” she said, fully aware of how kids operated. They were all in for the fun parts but conveniently disappeared when the real work kicked in. The mental image of Samira managing both a kid and a puppy was enough to keep her amused for a moment, though she didn’t envy her friend’s potential chaos. Still, as the conversation shifted, She found herself thinking on her friend’s suggestion. Babysitting as a trial run? That was actually kind of genius. It wasn’t like she could just sit Lincoln down and say, “So, kids—yay or nay?” without it feeling like a pop quiz. But this? This felt less like a spotlight interrogation and more like a casual way to gauge where he stood.  Then her phone buzzed, and she almost rolled her eyes at the timing. Of course, Lincoln would text right as they were dissecting her relationship. “Babysitting Maya wouldn’t be a problem. She’s probably less of a handful than Mungo when he’s in one of his moods, so that’s saying something.” But she knew she couldn’t keep dodging the topic forever. “Yeah, maybe tonight’s the night. I can’t keep stalling.” She peered down at her phone again, debating. “Italian or Thai... I hate deciding about food. I can never make a choice.”

“Maya would help for maybe five minutes, and then I’d be on my own,” which was truly something Samira was quite used to at this point in life but while looking after her daughter was one thing—she didn’t want to add a pet to the equation until Maya was a bit older. “But we’ll see,” she mused with a smile as she took a sip from her coffee before letting the conversation shift over to more serious topics. She could absolutely sense the apprehension that Hazal felt but knew that it was a very important conversation she needed to have with Lincoln. Because it could truly make or break a relationship and she didn’t want her friend to suffer at all the way she had. “I get that—but maybe even bring up babysitting someone for a night and see how he takes that? It helps to see what someone else thinks of kids when they even have to devote one evening to them,” she said with a compassionate smile before seeing her friend pull out her phone. “There you go—maybe you should try that out tonight? Or start with the babysitting approach to get a better understanding of his feelings and go from there? You could always babysit Maya. She’s not as much of a handful as she was even five years ago.”

[hazalyildizs]

"Come on, you have to admit, that's a mastermind move." Hazal had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing outright. Ava’s confidence was something else—borderline theatrical if she was being honest. Silver tongue was right. The woman could probably sell sand to a beach. Watching her pop the cork like she’d just won the lottery made Hazal feel like she was in the middle of some ridiculous heist movie. She accepted the glass with a smile, shaking her head at the other’s self-cheers. “On-command tears? You make it sound like I’ve got some Oscar-worthy acting career on the side,” she teased, taking a sip. But, honestly, she wasn’t sure where that little trick came from. It just sort of… happened. Maybe it was all those dramatic Turkish soap operas her mom used to watch. “I don’t know,” she admitted with a shrug, a smile on her lips. “It’s just a talent, I guess. Comes in handy for moments like this.”

"A mastermind, you say?" It's extremely easy to inflate Ava's already large to begin with ego. And without a moment of hesitation, her hands were on the bottle. One moving to pull it forth, the other working on maneuvering the cork out with a loud pop noise that made her burst into laughter. "Cheers to your acting skills and my... silver tongue." She had almost pressed her lips around the bottle entirely, though realizing she had just met this woman, the blonde chose decency--a rare sight to see--as she poured out two glasses of the bubbles. "Well I can't reveal all my secrets upfront. Now, can I? What kind of naive mastermind do you take me for?" Taking one flute into each hand, Ava performed a cheers to herself with a satisfactory shrug before offering one up to the brunette. "I believe I should be asking you that question. On command tears is quite the talent, darlin'."

[hazalyildizs]

Hazal couldn’t stop laughing. Wynne’s excitement had this way of steamrolling everything. It made even terrible ideas sound possible. “You’re right, this’ll be a story worth telling, assuming we survive,” she said, trying not to picture them screaming like fools. Actually, that’d probably happen, and that was fine. The mention of hot chocolate, though? That locked it in. “Exactly, that’s the deal for freezing our butts off doing this,” she said, smiling despite herself. The absurdity was too much to pass up. “Let’s just call it a tradition from now on,” she added, already sure they’d do this again.

wynne loved this time of year, especially when it came to halloween. she was always curious to see how others would show off their creativity or ideas with their costumes. "we'll definitely be screaming in unison but you know, it'll be a memory that we can both look back on." the thought of it all made her laugh along with her friend but these were moments and memories that she loved to look back on. "i won't say no to that. you can't go wrong with hot chocolate, especially when i don't think either of us are dressed to deal with this cool weather."

[hazalyildizs]

Hazal gave him a smile that barely tried to sell itself as real. It was the kind of smile she’d been handing out like business cards lately—just enough to say “I’m fine” without actually meaning it. “About the same,” she said, though there was no hiding the thread of honesty that slipped through. Sleeping better? Yeah, right. Every time she shut her eyes, she half-expected to open them and find herself back at Marcus’ place, his fingers wrapped around her neck, trying to squeeze the lift out of her. The thought alone made her stomach churn, but unloading all of that on Lincoln wasn’t an option. He had his own chaos to deal with. “At least I’m consistent, right?” she added, trying to toss a joke to smooth things over.

TO: @hazalyildizs

It hadn't been a smooth month by any means. Hazal was still dealing with the after math of her stalker, and he was still trying to figure out his new living arrangements with a teenager and a convict. Things had been even somewhat rough between him and Hazal since. He didn't want to overwhelm her, but he also wanted to make sure she knew that he was there and he wasn't going anywhere. Giving her a small smile, he shifted in the booth, resting his arms on the table top, leaning forward. "How are you feeling today?" He asked softy, "Are you sleeping any better?"

[hazalyildizs]

Hazal hadn’t expected to find herself smiling at Atlas’s jokes, yet there she was, caught off guard by his comment. It was disarming—like the guy had suddenly decided to be human instead of just the guy who got on her nerves on the regular. She didn’t know what to make of it. When he said Jazz gave hugs instead of protection, it almost made her laugh. Almost. “Thanks. Jazz might give better hugs than protection, but I’ll take what I can get,” she said, even though her worry about the stalker still lingered. Asking him to check her place felt like a gamble, but his agreement made her feel less ridiculous for asking.  When he came back with the all-clear, she nodded, feeling a strange mix of relief and gratitude. His offer to help anytime—even at stupid o’clock—pulled a laugh out of her. “Thanks. You’re not so useless after all.” She was clearly joking now. 

Atlas couldn’t believe it, Hazal was actually smiling at his jokes! It was like something out of a dream. Her changed tone made him question everything he thought he knew about their neighbor relationship. When she mentioned Jazz’s hugs, he had to bite back a grin - his oversized puppy had that effect on people. The request to check her place brought out his protective side, but he kept his FBI-trained brain in check. “Sure thing.” He did a quick check while Jazz bounced around like the world’s worst guard dog. Nothing looked wrong, but he made mental notes about better locks and security cameras for later. “All good here,” he told her afterward. “But I mean it about calling whenever. Even at stupid o’clock in the morning. Jazz and I are usually up anyway ... me at the piano, her judging my playing skills.” The goofy dog wagging her tail seemed to agree, which made things less scary.

[hazalyildizs]

Hazal couldn’t shake the heaviness in her chest as Alara spoke. Her sister’s anger felt justified, but it also stung in a way she couldn’t quite explain. Staying with Alara sounded safe, but it also felt like running—like admitting she couldn’t handle her own life. And Lincoln… he didn’t deserve the blame. He’d been trying, hadn’t he? Protecting her, even when she made it hard. She swallowed hard, her voice trembling as she spoke. “No, please don’t blame him for this. He’s been keeping me safe. I went to Marcus’ place. It was supposed to be a gathering. But well…” Her words trailed off, the rest too painful to say out loud again.

alara hated that her twin was having to go through this. she wanted nothing more than to take her pain away and erase the memories of what she'd been through. "i'm glad they caught him. a dirt bad like this should never been out in public with everyone else." she let out a puff of air. it was a miracle that she got out of there before he took them to barcelona. "maybe you should stay with me for a while. lincoln was supposed to have your back and i don't like that this happened to you under his watch."

[hazalyildizs]

She understood what Shivani meant about taking chances in relationships. Life with Lincoln had proven that good things came from stepping outside her comfort zone. "You're right. We did find people worth the risk," Hazal said, thinking about how far she'd come from being that guarded person who kept any romantic possibilities at a distance. The stalker situation made her uneasy, especially when her friend brought up using connections to pressure the police. She knew it came from a place of caring, but it still gave her pause. "The police know, but they say there isn't enough evidence to do anything yet. And I don't want to cause more trouble by pushing too hard." She preferred handling things by the book, even if it meant waiting longer for results. The topic of Alara's love life brightened her mood—seeing her sister happy made everything else seem manageable. "Yeah. I think she's just being modest. But she's definitely seeing someone."

It was good to hear her friend agree with her thought process. Even if Hazal didn’t agree, it wouldn’t change anything between the girls. If anything it would allow Shivani to see an understand another point of view. But for now, she found herself nodding at Hazal’s words with a smile. “It’s very scary indeed, but I think we’ve luckily both found people who are…worth that risk.” She said with a fond smile, thinking back on how Axel had proved this to her time and time again during the course of not only their friendship but even this budding relationship. When the other spoke about her stalker, Shivani found herself shaking her head and sighing, she couldn’t imagine how the other was faring. “Remind me again—have you spoken to the police? I could—I know it sounds bad and I’m sure Lincoln has done this—but we could add a little incentive for them actually taking care of the issue.” She murmured softly, hoping her friend understood what she was saying. This was the benefit of having Axel again around now too—he could do these sorts of things and no one would bat an eye. However when Hazal mentioned love being in the air for Alara, she couldn’t help the smile on her face as she raised a brow. “Oh yeah? She never said anything to me but ee I’m excited for her—I hope it works out.” 

[hazalyildizs]

Hazal found herself nodding along to Elena's words about societal pressures. "God, those timelines are such nonsense. Like we're all supposed to follow some magical checklist or something," she said, rolling her eyes at the absurdity of it all. She understood that pressure all too well—especially being Turkish where marriage was treated like a deadline. "I mean, look at me. I went from swearing I'd rather eat dirt than date my boss to actually dating him. Life's weird like that." She let out a small laugh at how her own path had twisted. "And yes to coffee dates. We should make this a weekly thing—same time next week?" When Elena agreed, she grabbed her purse, ready to head out. "Text me if you need anything before then, okay?" With a wave, she went on her way.

COMPLETED

“I believe that,” Elena said quickly knowing that especially in the dynamic she’d been raised in—having a proper partner, an acceptable partner was a very big deal. It was something that had been almost ingrained in her since a young age. But she never agreed with it. All those supposed milestones that you were supposed to hit were all bullshit to her and she’d made that fact very well known. It didn’t mean she shied away from good relationships of course but she was never basing her life on a timeline—until now. “I appreciate you saying that Hazal,” she said with a soft chuckle before nodding, “then we’ll have to keep doing this random caffeine dates—deal?” 

[hazalyildizs]

The stalker situation sucked, but Hazal refused to let it consume her thoughts right now. She needed this moment with her friend, especially seeing Sofia this happy about a guy. It was a rare feat. "I've never seen you this excited about a guy before," she said, a bright smile accompanying her comment. Dating had been such a rollercoaster for both of them lately, it seemed. "And hey, I'm just being a responsible best friend by vetting him. It's in the job description, right between provide emergency ice cream and hide the body if needed." The way the other lit up when talking about this guy gave her hope—good guys weren't extinct after all. "Fine, fine… I promise to be nice. But only because you seem so happy. And because he's ridiculously attractive—which, let's be real, doesn't hurt his case at all."

Sofia knew they were just joking, but she was genuinely concerned about her friend's safety now after what she just learned. She hoped that whoever it was scaring her like this was caught as soon as possible. In the meantime she was happy to offer up a cheery distraction as she recounted her first date with Miles. "Isn't he?" Sofia grinning from ear to ear as she took the phone back and gave the photo one last glance before setting it down on the table. "Boyfriend. Manfriend. Whatever floats your boat. I'll be sure to give Miles a proper heads up though that he's going to be observed whenever I bring him around. He's great though. I don't know how you wouldn't like him honestly."