#buT ILYSM DEL SORRY I RAMBLED HKDFHK

[nvghtingale]

𝐔𝐒𝐄  𝐌𝐄  .

     ── from @cathartidie​ .

part  i.  jealousy

the two of them arrived together at the gala, standing side by side. arms linked, they smile at each other like two parts of the happiest couple ── happy couple, famous couple, picture perfect fucking couple in their coordinated outfits. the two of them are giving interviews before the awards begin. they’ve had their picture taken again, and again, and again ── it would almost inspire jealousy within isabele, if she cared about overshadowing them. in truth, she’s been keeping her distance. she is not one of the stars to be gazed upon tonight, hers is a different portion of the night sky. he’s been invited, of course ── one of his movies was nominated, after all, and who was he going to bring to the event but his partner ? famed director meets them and falls for them, the famed composer, what a beautiful love story ── the papers have been eating it up for a while now, haven’t they ? after all, it’s how she found out about the two of them.

she can almost hear it, the haunting whisper in the back of her mind in a the nondescript voice of a fellow guest: ah, how did that one song go, the one released in 1991 ? the duet ? maybe they’ll play it tonight ! it must have been written about the two of them, sweet of isabele de azevedo to have performed it ──

part  ii.  utility

her grip on roje’s arm tightens at the thought of a certain song by a certain composer being played for the world to hear ( again ) , and they look at her with a frown.

❛ what’s wrong, isa ? ❜

it isn’t anything that they deserve to be burdened with. ❛ nothing, dear. ❜ she gives roje a halfhearted smile, gently rubs the spot on his bicep that she’d unintentionally held onto a little too tightly. ❛ just a little tense. i’m sorry, i should be more careful. ❜

they return her smile, except the kindness within it is amplified by a hundred, a thousand ── they’re one of the kindest people she’s known, someone so genuinely sweet and tender. she’s lucky to have them beside her ── acquiring her own invitation was not easy and had taken some careful maneuvering, especially when isabele was bold enough to request a plus one.

who do you intend to bring with you ?

a date. his name is roje lai.

she was met with a look of surprise ── for all of isabele’s bold flirtation, she’d never been seen with another in public. perhaps this is why her request had been met with approval, inevitable source of gossip. from the moment she dropped their name, isabele could sense it ── the turning of gears in journalists’ heads as they sought to put two and two together. to find said roje lai and track his movements to draw conclusions of his character. what could they glean from the way he moves, the clothes he wears or the way he smiles ?

❛ it’s okay, ❜ they answer, ❛ i’m glad you’re alright. ❜

from the corner of her eye, isabele spots a pair of paparazzi looking in their direction ── not one to waste an opportunity, she brings her hand to gingerly cradle roje’s face and tilts her head to the side so that hair spills down her back rather than over her shoulder, giving the cameras perfect view of the smile she’s painted on ── just giddy enough to depict a blooming romance, just sweet enough to carry reality. 

❛ certain. ❜ and a camera clicks, flash going off and momentarily blinding her. isabele much prefers the critics. but that may be because she’s well aware of how much they love her ── the cameras are more instantaneous, and it feels inelegant. abrupt. a click, and a story is half - written already. thus, let her spell out the other half for them.

this they know: isabele de azevedo unexpectedly shows up to the golden eye awards, and even more unexpectedly, she does so on the arm of a stranger.

this they don’t: isabele de azevedo and roje lai have an odd relationship, carved out of conflict but made soft to the touch by shared peace offerings. she still recalls the feeling of flying when he’d pushed her on the swing, the sliver of joy they’d granted her in the respite they’d both sought.

this they won’t: roje lai was not really selected as a plus one because of his kindness, gentleness or attractiveness. roje lai is also called vulture. vulture is strong and cannot be killed. vulture doesn’t immediately catch onto some things, and somehow, neither did their team ── she’s isolated them and kept them as a bodyguard while the rest of her team carries on with their plans. it hadn’t been easy, yet somehow, it had all worked out. it’s using them, yes … but it’s survival. and until they part, at least she and roje can have a nice time together. she does enjoy their company ── finds them beautiful in so many ways. 

huh. she hasn’t told them.

part  iii.  sincerity

they’re walking arm in arm down a hallway, as are others ahead of them, all making their way to an elevator at the end of the hall. the next part of the event is starting soon, after all ── but there’s no need to be punctual, is there ? there is such a thing as being fashionably late, in the end. but they’re too sweet to let that happen, so he’s started walking a little faster to catch the elevator in time, until ──

❛ i like you, roje. ❜ it’s spoken out of the blue, just loud enough that they’ll hear before they rush off too far. sure enough, the admission makes them freeze in their tracks, and the elevator leaves without them ── it’s only them in the hallway now.

❛ you do ? like … like - like ? ❜

god, he’s cute. she can’t help but giggle, cross the distance between them. in truth ── maybe it wasn’t just the inkling of jealousy that led her to suggest roje as her guest to the rest of magpie’s team; maybe it wasn’t just the pro of having a bodyguard she could easily hypnotise at her side. maybe there’s that genuine endearment. maybe she was happy to propose him and argue in her own favour before the rest of her team, convincing them that this was the only option for a date. maybe the best way to answer roje’s question isn’t with words, but by pulling him down and pressing her lips to his.

maybe she isn’t fully using them, after all.