#wangyico

[nobully]

@nicawlette continued from here - babe pls im still clinically depressed

It'd be nice if he could keep sleeping forever, but life never gives him what he wants. Meeting up with Eiden three days ago and panicking over his injury had been the last time he'd really felt anything. After that every emotion had slipped away with the hours and days, slowly leeching out of him until he was...

Was what?

Was back to what he'd always been, before he tried to be something he wasn't. Senses had dulled in the darkened room, leaving him mired in the center of a placid pond. It was peaceful here, if quiet. So, so quiet. He'd barely heard the commotion at the entrance until Nicolette brought it to his doorstep. First comes light, then the kick to the mattress. The second one finally jolts his eyelashes open as he looks blankly at the figure wreathed in the doorway.

What are you doing here?

He opens his mouth, but no sound comes out.

' ......? '

Curiosity dies as quickly as his attempt to speak before Wang Yi shuts his eyes and turns toward the walls.

Too bright...

[nicawlette]

i gotchu fam wangyico

SEND NAMES OR SHIPS FOR TEXT POSTS THAT REMIND ME OF THEM » ACCEPTING

[nicawlette]

Sorry bab 😔 nicolette & Wang Yi

SEND NAMES OR SHIPS FOR TEXT POSTS THAT REMIND ME OF THEM » ACCEPTING

[nicawlette]

Happy Birthday, @nobully Teehee

April 1st, a day that most spent playing practical jokes and causing trouble, Nicolette chooses to spend another way entirely.

In the privacy of her bedroom, she brushes through long, silky strands of hair; taking extra care in added curls and intricate braids, mauvine tresses arrange themselves into a complex, eye-catching style, a pink bow clipping shining locks at the back of her head.

Fluffy brushes apply blush to fair cheeks and full lips, painted petal pink, pull into a barely-there smile as soft brown lines and colored powder frame two-tone eyes. Sitting before a mahogany vanity, Nicolette admires her reflection in the mirror, fine features complimented by soft, pink shades.

While not the usual style of sensual reds and sharp black liner, Nicolette appears satisfied by the end result. After all, she wants to look cute today.

She dresses without any particular rush. Smooth fabric spills across her skin in pretty pink shades, the chiffon skirt light and flouncy where it reaches mid-calf. Wandering hands drag over its semi-structured bodice, where the v-shaped neckline and off-shoulder sleeves allow prominent collarbones to breathe. Dainty strings of pearls are then fastened around her pale neck: one set a comfortable choker, the other nestling just above the slope of her breasts, while more delicate pearls dangle from a wrist and hang from each ear.

A pair of mary janes call to her from the closet, slipping on like a pair of gloves— snow white like the fur collar of the red jacket she rests around her shoulders. The one she stole and never gave back. Its twin exists somewhere else outside the city. She wonders if it's being shown the same love, the same dedicated use.

Looking towards the floor-length mirror beside her door, Nicolette smiles back at her deceptively soft appearance. Pretty and sweet. Would he blush? Would his heart race? Would he think her cute-- the only one who'd ever called her such and seemed to sincerely believe it? The idea is enough to make butterflies flutter in her stomach, though they quickly squirm and die along with the fierce ache in her chest when she remembers: a daydream is just a daydream.

Shaking her head as if to will away the bitter thoughts, scarred fingers reach out to pluck a pair of pilot sunglasses from a shelf, baby pink and recently repaired. As they slide into place atop her head, she recalls the exact pattern of the crack in the left lens. Gone, as if it had never even existed.

When she steps outside, there's only a brief pause ( a deep breath, a slight hesitation ), before she's on her way. Nicolette walks with a confident determination— a set path in mind she has no plan of straying from. From a cozy coffee shop in Golden Ward she orders a single pastry and from a local convenience store, a candle. One taxi ride later, she stands before the Boardwalk, and turns away to wander towards the beach on foot.

By the time Nicolette reaches the spot, the sun hangs low in the sky, casting the familiar scene is golden light. This part of the shore is devoid of inhabitance, too far from the attractions and more secluded. It looks the same as she remembers, and it settles something in her gut to find it empty.

Gazing upon the sparkling water that seems to extend forever, Nicolette slips off both shoes and steps barefoot into the warm sand. About halfway down the shore, she stops and sinks to both knees. Pink chiffon pools around her lone form, a solitary flower. She gets to work, tearing the sticker logo from the pastry box and removes the lid. Pulling it from the container, she sets it upon her lap and inserts the stripped birthday candle into a layer of white icing. It's silent, save for the quiet ❛ flick, flick ❜ of a lighter, and then her forlorn expression is illuminated by the soft glow of a flame.

Nicolette holds the slice of red velvet cake in both hands, lifting it toward her face. The artificial red of each layer makes her grin— she figures he'd appreciate the implication. Red, like blood. Red, like her longing heart. It's lonely on this day, without him. The second birthday they could not celebrate together, but this time, the enemy is distance, rather than forgotten memories.

❝ Wang Yi... ❞ His name is spoken as a whisper, wistful, but entirely precious. ❝ I'm sorry I couldn't give you this in person. ❞ Because he was gone. She had lost him, as he warned might happen, and yet she could not blame him.

❝ Happy Birthday, Wang Yi... try and celebrate the next one with me, yeah? ❞ There's more she wants to say— so much more— and yet the words do not come. She cannot speak them, not when her heart clings to the chance that she might one day tell him everything in person. Until then, Nicolette will swallow them all.

Because he had lost her, first.

Although her life goes on without him here, she misses him. Terribly. She does not regret giving him that which remains lost. I'd rather have you, than not at all. ❜— she had promised to never mourn the decision. Those pieces of her guarded heart will not return, and there's little she can do but accept it. That was their agreement; although it does not make the absence hurt any less, she wouldn't have made a different choice. It was always going to hurt, regardless.

They say the heart can only grow fonder.

With the sun dipping at the endless horizon, Nicolette closes her eyes and makes a silent wish, blowing out the candle. Whether a smile sits upon her lips or tears wet her cheeks, the absence of light makes it impossible to tell.

[nobully]

"God, why can't she leave me alone?"

"Even her memories are stalking me now?!"

Wang Yi stared down the small floating mote of light in the air before him. No way in hell he wanted to touch the thing, but images were already flickering into his mind's eye as he kept a healthy distance away. He couldn't get much out of it besides flashes of blood and something suspiciously like despair, but the glimpses he saw of her face was enough to make him wary.

I don't want to get involved... He thought of backing off, but noticed other people in the streets going around collecting memory motes like harvest season and hesitated.

It...didn't seem right to let a stranger handle Nicolette's memories. Not that they were actual friends or whatever, but at least he knew her name. Besides, aside from cursing him out and stalking him, she was...okay? A crybaby even, and honestly he couldn't fault anyone who knew how to cry.

A memory sweeper started heading his way, eyes on the Nicolette mote. Wang Yi watched until he was almost within reach before reaching out to snatch the thing with his own bare hands, ignoring the arched eyebrow directed his way.

Shit, why'd I do that... And thoughts voice faded away as the actual memory started to take over his surroundings.

@nicawlette - i only ever loved the best of you in the worst of you babe even if you're stressing me out right now sorry

[nobully]

In hindsight, things had been going a little too well.

He'd dumped a weirdo stalker, gave Zhilan a precious memory, resolved an argument with Sun, and ignored the strange aching in his chest by telling himself it didn't matter as long as he was alive and hanging in there in a strange place. Sao Ling had given him odd looks but didn't comment, while Wang Yi himself lacked any urgency to get back what he never remembered missing.

Maybe his mind was trying to block out what his heart craved because it'd eat him up otherwise. But waking up this morning, the realization hit him like a truck smashing through his forehead. Actually regaining his memories had been painless, even gentle; it was sifting through them again to make sense of what he lost (gained) that cut him to the bone.

They diED, all of them that was last night and HYPOCRITE but I'll do it for you, he says, soft and aching sweetly inside (what a strange new emotion that was) until gET OUT because you don't care (not true, he knows this but accepts it, it's what he deserves) and then trying to drown in it, the guilt and the confusion, but she came for him and dragged him out and I'm yours because you're mine and oh, god.

Gods, what had he done to Nicolette.

He hadn't seen her after the cafe row—she never texted or called him again, and he was supposed to be glad for it, even though he kept checking his phone to wonder when. Then he'd picked up her memories and kept it safe—yeah, safe like shit since it's gone back to its owner now—and lived his life like some la-de-la guy without a care in the world. Shithead doesn't come close to describing him, and he's the one who starts texting Nicolette back, then calling her when she doesn't reply.

"Dammit."

Yeah, why would she answer him when he'd told her to scram?

He's dressed and out the door in five minutes flat, hair a mess and red jacket haphazardly tugged over his shoulders—that cuts him like a knife too, and he wondered whether she'd kept his hers–then running to catch the next ride to Golden. At the doors of her apartment he starts knocking, then pounding to get her attention.

"Nicolette!" Shit, is she even home?

"Nicolette, it's me! It's—" What does he say? Your friend? The bastard who dumped you in public? Local backstabber come to twist the knife in your body again?

Does she even want to see him after his last stunt?

Fuck it, she can kill him if she wants, he needs to see her face right now to check if she's okay.

"If you don't open up I'll call the cops!"

@nicawlette

[nobully]

theendcaller: Ooo, suffocation~ How romantic. Might I recommend my favorite spot at the Ground Level of the Fibonacci Ward.

' Uhhh... '

' I don't think she'd be into that after seeing the upper floors already. '

Privacy was important but so were aesthetics? Besides, he hears it's dark down there. The point is to see her as he—

Whoops, too public for those thoughts.

[nobully]

[ LIFT ] she's just showing off how fucking STRONG and COOL she is 💪😎

ACTIONS MEME ⟶ [ LIFT ] for the sender to lift the receiver up!

It starts like any other day. Wang Yi runs into Nicolette, who smirks as he snaps, until they end up insulting each other nonstop for the next three blocks.

"God, don't you ever get sick of your own shit, Yi-Yi? You're so full of yourself."

'Yeah well, who's to blame for force-feeding crap into my ears for the last ten minutes?'

"Oh come on, you know you just eat it all up~" She suddenly spins to block his way forward, one hand resting suggestively on his shoulder. "Admit it. I'm a shining spark in your dull, boring life."

'How shocking. That's the first time I've heard of it.' He arches a brow as he brushes her hand aside, but it just slides down his shoulders and around his back until suddenly—

Whoosh!

Gravity disappears as the world tilts, and before Wang Yi knows it he's...off the ground and cradled in Nicolette's arms...again?

'What the hell?!' Wang Yi glares at her before looking around frantically. 'What are you doing?'

Nicolette smiles a little too cheerfully back. "I just swept you off your feet and that's all you have to say to me?"

'You lunatic, we're in public!'

'Put me down!'

He thrashes in her grip, but her slender arms belie a monstrous strength that holds him fast. He suddenly understands how she managed to get him out of the ocean and into the woods while still running, but that didn't mean he wanted to relive the experience.

"I could, but I'd have to throw you for insulting me," she taunts, and he makes a frustrated noise in his throat. For five seconds, he seriously considers just punching her in the chest but uh, you couldn't really hit a lady above the belt without looking like a jerk.

What lady, his brain scoffs, she's probably not even human, tch.

When she resumes strolling with him in her arms, Wang Yi really starts to panic. 'Wait, no—why are you walking?'

"What, you want me to stand there carrying you forever? We've got places to be, sweetie."

'I never agreed to go with you?'

"That's why I'm taking you myself."

'You're such a—' Whatever expletive breaks off as a child's voice interrupts them.

"Mommy, look! It's a princess!"

Wang Yi doesn't want to look. But he does anyways, and sees a little girl with her mother walking on the sidewalk across the street.

"What are you talking about, dear?" the woman bends down to listen to her child.

"Over there!" And the girl points at them openly. "A pink haired princess! The prince is carrying her!"

"Oh honey..."

Whatever the mother says is drowned out by Wang Yi's internal screaming as he buries his face in his hands.

Nicolette snickers and jostles him slightly. "Feeling shy, princess?"

'Shut. Up.'

(And so, they lived happily ever after. In theory.)

[nobully]

Steer + kiss. ( pretend to be shocked )

nonverbal starters | steer place a hand under their chin to make them look up; kiss a kiss on the cheek, knuckles, forehead, in their hair - you’ll get your playlist but im shuffling the songs :)

Days had passed since their last kiss, and life was...slow. But it was the kind of pace that neither of them minded. They ate, they slept, they lounged around. Nicolette suggested they get books so Wang Yi took a trip to the library and back but found he couldn't read them without straining his voice. That was okay, she read them to him instead, both of them huddled up together under the covers at night.

Sometimes he nodded off first, and she'd keep reading just to feel his head on her shoulders and soft breaths tickling her chest. Sometimes she fell asleep before him, only to wake up later in the night to find herself all tucked in, the book set aside, and him asleep by her with one arm draped over her torso. She preferred the latter better, because it meant she could scoot closer by turning towards him and feel his arm following along until he cradled her close.

There were movie marathons where they watched fearlessly as monsters chased after hapless victims (horror didn't really phase them as much as it should and for some reason Nicolette found them funny?), quietly debated in whispers over the murderer (mysteries were nice but they'd read all the books and knew half the plots), and suffered through crappy romance flicks where Nicolette snorted and criticized everything on screen while Wang Yi numbly sipped on his drink and fed her popcorn between speech breaks.

It was kind of like a vacation and a dream rolled all into one, where they shut out the rest of the world and just withdrew into themselves for a while. There was an interlude where Wang Yi met up with Zhilan to get his birthday present, but then he'd came right back to Nicolette waiting for him by the door, kissed her on the cheek, and showed her a few of his neater tricks before setting his new basketball in a corner of her room. That night he'd made longevity noodles and they shared Zhilan's cake and that was it, because it was getting near bedtime by then and obviously that meant going the hell to sleep.

By the second week Nicolette had proposed reading a chapter book for bed and Wang Yi had agreed, not minding one way or another. Except she ends up choosing a collection of love stories of all things, which means he's stuck questioning the motives of the characters and what they'd do for their feelings every other page.

Also, why the hell was everyone so sappy all the time! Nobody acted like that in real life!!

(Getting transmigrated into novels with the same tropes didn't count as real life either!)

"Wait," he finally spoke up one night, voice softer than usual but much better than before—his vocal chords were healing along nicely. "That part, right—I don't get it, he raised her chin and she starts blushing? It says she likes it, but isn't that more like assault?"

"It's super romantic!" Nicolette huffs back. "I mean, imagine if someone lifted you up by the chin..."

"Yeah, I felt super attacked and embarrassed, which I figured was kind of the point?" Wang Yi nods. "When I did it to someone else, I was goading them to bite me. Didn't work, though..."

"Ok, what," Nicolette blinks, but shakes her head and decides not to ask. "It'll make more sense when someone you like does it to you instead."

"Show me, then?" Wang Yi turns to her expectantly.

And as warm as the unspoken hint of I like you feels, Nicolette still smacks him. "Not when you're expecting it! It has to be a surprise."

"What, there's so many rules..." Wang Yi mumbles, but shuts up when Nicolette starts reading again. Of course he nods off in the middle of the couple's heartfelt confession and Nicolette starts to question her choice of literature because she's not getting the he dozes off later and tucks me in treatment but whatever, at least his forehead's free at this angle to steal all the kisses she wants.

One for I like you, two for sweet dreams, and three for please, stay with me.

—

“When are we going to do it?” Wang Yi asks first thing next morning as he’s serving up breakfast.

“Do what?” Nicolette asks, sipping her orange juice and browsing her phone for the latest Spinstagram updates.

“The chin thing.”

Nicolette stops scrolling to arch her brows at him. “Yiyi, not now.” She told him already, it has to be a surprise move!

“Nini, why not?” he asks, mimicking her tone exactly.

“You—oh! Did you just call me Nini…!”

“Why, what’s wrong?” he creases his brows.

“You barely call me any nicknames, Wangyyyyy!!”

He looks at her and blinks. “That’s not true, you used to be ‘demoness’ in my phone.”

“God, don’t ruin the moment,” Nicolette gets up and all but leans across the table. “Say it again.”

“You’re making it embarrassing…”

“Yiyi, come onnnn~” she pleas. “It’s only fair!”

“Ugh, fine…” Wang Yi puts up a resigned face, but his small smile gives him away. “…Nini?”

“What about some other ones?”

The smile slips. “You want more?!”

“Why not! I have at least two for you!”

“I guess…” Wang Yi trails off to think. “Letty? Nico? Colette…? Uhh…I guess Coco works too…”

They’re not all spectacular, but it’s fun to see him try.

“And your favorite one?” she urges on, excited to see what he’ll pick.

“…Nicolette.”

She sits back in her chair with a sigh. “You’re such a moodkiller, Wang Yi.”

“So, the chin thing…”

“You’re not getting any!”

“All right, all right…”

Nicolette waits for the inevitable backtracking—because it’s common knowledge that the less you get, the more you want, right? But Wang Yi actually drops the subject and goes right on eating his eggs while browsing his phone too. She takes a peek: he’s on his own account on Spitter, scrolling past a timeline that’s a mix of weird science facts and sports videos.

With a private huff, she gets her own phone to take a picture of her yet-untouched plate (thoughtfully arranging a few of the garnishes for aesthetics), fiddles with the filters, and posts it to her Spinstagram with the caption:

nicawlette: bf made me breakfast ❤️ #personalchef #malewife

Annnnnnd post.

Seconds later, Wang Yi’s phone dings without fail, and she has to suppress her satisfied smirk as he clicks on the notification and tabs to her account.

"...Nicolette, it's just eggs and tomato on toast."

"But you made it," she crows. "For me."

"Also for myself?"

"Take a compliment when I give it," she huffs back and picks up her toast for a munch. "Mmm, delicious~"

"What's a malewife?"

"Another nickname," she replies back easily. "Aren't you going to like my post?"

"Yeah, yeah..." he presses the heart and she eagerly refreshes the page, checking for his username in the list of likes...

Besides her usual friends and commenters, all she sees at the bottom is a very unobtrusive heart from the username "crcl3." It doesn't even have a profile picture besides the default blank avatar for new users.

"...Yiyi, why are you still using a burner account for Spinstagram?"

Wang Yi blinks at her, then flushes slightly. "I don't have any other ones. I just made that one to follow you...like, way back."

Okay, fair, and she's weirdly flattered that he's still doing it now that they're long past their stalker-victim accusations. "Why'd you make yourself sound like a bot?"

"Huh?"

"Your username!" she shakes her phone at him. "It's just a bunch of letters and a number!"

"What are you talking about?" he scoffs back. "That's the chemical formula for chromic chloride."

"Wangy, in English please."

Instead, he just gulps down his orange juice and looks evasive. "It was just a spur of the moment thing. I chose it because it makes the brightest purple I know..."

Purple? Unexpectedly, warmth floods her chest at the statement. "Was it..." She's almost afraid to ask, but she has to know. "Did you pick it...because of me?"

Wang Yi concentrates on the phone screen in his lap. "A shitton of stuff happened to us the first time we met. I can't name all the details, but I did remember your hair. And your eyes? Three shades of purple aren't easy to forget. Well, and the attitude. So I used that to find you online..."

"You mean the same damned attitude that saved your life?" Nicolette retorts, though there's no real heat in it.

"I know." He pauses, then murmurs, "You kept me from going under this time, too."

He's still looking at his lap, and suddenly Nicolette has an overwhelming urge to see his face. She circles around the table (ignoring the wince she makes when she moves a little too quickly) until she claims the spot in front of his chair, wraps her arms around his shoulders, and kisses his hair, still soft and sweet with the scent of her shampoo.

His hands move to cling to her even as Nicolette croons, "Of course I did."

"Nicolette..."

"Because I wasn't going to lose what's mine?"

She hears him exhale with enough intensity that can only mean a raging blush, and giggles to herself.

"I—" Wang Yi begins, but never gets farther than that.

Because Nicolette's gotten him by the chin and steers his head up gently until they're looking eye-to-eye. He blinks at her, bright red and a little panicked, but doesn't try to turn away. It's a little endearing how he always looks like someone facing his crush for the first time, every time. Still grinning, Nicolette asks, "Are you feeling attacked?"

With the tiniest of movements, he shakes his head.

"What about embarrassed?"

A slightly bigger nod.

"Are you going to bite me?"

He side-eyes her (or rather, the teeth marks still peeking out from her collar) before croaking out, "Only if you want me to?"

"Not this time," Nicolette whispers. "It's different, isn't it?"

"...yeah," Wang Yi breathes, and his hands begin moving up her chest and over her shoulders until they're hooking around her neck. "But I still don't like this chin thing."

"Ohhh?" she lets him embrace her, fingers still caressing his jawline as she teases. "Why not?"

"It keeps you too far away."

He turns to take her thumb into his mouth even as he pulls the rest of her into his lap, like a persistent puppy leading its owner home. When she collapses onto his legs, he lets go to rain soft kisses on her nose, cheeks, and forehead. Laughing, Nicolette lets him take the lead for awhile before seizing the win by stealing his lips for the day.

—

"There are still things I don't understand," Wang Yi whispers to her when they're done.

"That's okay," she murmurs back. "I'll show you what they mean, one by one."

Until he gets it. Until he feels it. Until what starts as like can grow and turn to love.

She thinks, now that we've promised ourselves to each other, we have all the time in the world.

(They go to bed holding hands and wake up next to each other as strangers.)

[nicawlette]

RELATIONSHIP BUILDING ( old as fuck )

@nobully asked: 😙 yeah sure when pigs fly

( yeah... lmao... no way, right?? )

😙 for my muse’s reaction to yours being super affectionate.

The first one goes down with a single punch and it'd almost be embarrassing if she hadn't made sure to strike hard enough the first time. The second manages to get a lucky hit in, fist grazing her chin before Nicolette turns out of the way and kicks a leg out, heel slamming into his jaw. Once he hits the ground, neither of them make any move to get up.

❝ Oooi, is that really it? ❞ She scoffs, stepping close before squatting down beside a head. She leans over his face, inspecting the broken nose gushing blood down grimacing mouth. It's at that moment that the man on the ground coughs, sputtering around the fluid and effectively spewing it into her face. ❝ What the Hell?! ❞ She shrieks, standing up quickly and backing away as scarred hands scrub at her eyes. ❝ That is so fucking gross! Ew! EW!! ❞ It's not the first time she's been covered in blood, but she's usually more prepared for it. Being coughed on is so not cool or sexy!

It must be obvious that she's about to start throwing a fit, because Wang Yi decides to move closer from where he'd been watching, invading her space. Bemoaning ceases as he takes hold of her face, wonderfully tender in the way his palms cradle both cheeks. ❝ Wangyyy, ❞ The familiar pet name spoken with a pitiful whine as Nicolette relaxes into the touch, ❝ get it off— hurry, please! It tastes gross! ❞ Lips are practically dyed crimson, stained by a drop dipping past cupid's bow.

❝ Yeah yeah, I'm working on it. Be good and sit still, I'll handle it. ❞ It sounds like a scold, but the corners of Wang Yi's mouth curl up with something like fondness, or perhaps amusement, as his eyes grow dark with interest. He's always liked the sight of her dressed in blood.

Two-tone hues are both pleading and intense boring into his own before she obediently closes them. He runs his thumbs gently through long lashes and over flushed cheekbones, smearing the evidence across her fair skin. She feels one brush slowly over delicate cupid's bow and seam of her lips, and they part slightly as if on command. When her eyes flutter open, Nicolette finds— to her immense satisfaction— that Wang Yi's attention seems to be directed elsewhere. The pad of his thumb rests at the corner of her mouth as it upturns into a smile, and surely he feels the movement, just as he can see it happening.

❝ What are you looking at so hard? ❞ She asks, voice quiet in the space between them while Wang Yi tracks plush lips forming around the words. The silence might as well be an answer. The smile grows, eyes crinkling slightly at the corners— a telltale sign of its sincerity. ❝ Am I pretty, Yiyi? ❞

His instinctual response has him arching a brow, eyes rolling at her fishing. ❝ Obviously, ❞ he answers, but then Wang Yi looks at her— really looks, and seems enraptured all over again. ❝ You look beautiful like this... ❞ A compliment she's used to hearing, but spoken without a hint of irony from one whose sole focus she always aims to capture— Nicolette can't help the way heart jumps and blush darkens, crawling towards her ears.

❝ Like what? ❞ And it's accompanied by the hint of laughter. A barely there giggle, like an exhale. ❝ Covered in blood or smiling? ❞

❝ Both. ❞ He doesn't even have to think about it, but his cheeks grow warm with his overt honesty, anyway. He traces over her bottom lip, reveling in the plush softness as he drags it down slightly. ❝ And, yes, all the time, too— before you ask. ❞ Because he knows her well enough to guess exactly what she's thinking when her lips part wider to speak.

Nicolette preens, shortening the distance as she leans in a little closer, peering up at him with imploring eyes. ❝ You're supposed to be helping me wipe it off, remember? ❞ It lacks all displeasure, and Nicolette contradicts her own suggestion by allowing pink tongue to dart out and lick the pad of his thumb clean. ❝ It still tastes bad, ❞ a complaint, ❝ won't you give me something else to taste, Wang Yi~? ❞ And an invitation.

Wang Yi hardly appears put off by the idea. ❝ Oh yeah? And how do you suggest I do that? ❞ He returns her teasing without missing a beat, digging thumb further into the curled corner of her mouth. His other hand prods at the bruise on her chin before tucking a strand of violet hair behind an ear. Her responding pout only encourages him, and he eliminates the distance between them just enough to press his lips to the tip of her nose.

There's a fluttering in her stomach as Nicolette releases a soft sigh, drowning in the warm affection that still feels new and addicting every time it's exchanged. It leaves her unsteady and high, spoiled enough to always seek out more. ❝ Come on... that's the wrong spot. ❞ With a murmur she tilts her head up, breath ghosting over his face with each word as they share the same air. ❝ If I'm gonna taste blood, I'd rather it be yours, anyway. ❞

The sentiment is shared, but it pleases him all the same. Wang Yi uses his sleeve to finish the job, hands falling way from her face only once he's satisfied. One slides to the bare expanse of her nape while the other fits into the curve of Nicolette's waist. ❝ There— perfect, good as new. Would've been quicker if you were patient. ❞ They both know he's full of shit.

She giggles when Wang Yi bends slightly to brush the curve of his nose and lips against her temple to her hairline, head tilting to match his movements while she grabs for him: scarred fingers wrapping around a wrist and arm encircling his neck. ❝ Stop being mean to me, ❞ says a voice wavering with giddiness. ❝ Heartless man. ❞

❝ So spoiled. ❞ Chastises her cruel lover at the same time he gifts an open-mouthed kiss to blooming bruise. But he must be feeling impatient too, because Wang Yi submits to her insistent tugs closer and finally wipes the grin off her face, replacing every taste with that of his own.

[nobully]

Deep inside my heart I have questions. Live and wonder to find the answer Can I see the sky tomorrow? I do not know anything, but it’s okay. I cannot feel it, but something is blooming. By loving you This is the moment. I know it, but I didn’t regret it. If that’s you That must be happiness

[nobully]

👁 👂 I ALREADY SENT 2 U DONT HAVE TO ANSWER THESE BUT ALSO... I caved. No impulse control

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐄𝐒

👁️  …the way your muse looks.

' Oh, I got this. '

' She's sexy. ' There it is, the perfect answer. Huh, is there more to say?

' Uhh... I mean what else do you expect from a nice-looking woman? She has uh...the legs. The waist? The chest...oh but she's different in that she has scars all over. The three across her left eye are pretty neat? '

Shit, he's just listing body parts now.

' ...I think she'd look really good murdering someone, actually. Well, not the actual murder, maybe like just a little bit so you know it. Sticks. Oh, um. If that's a crime maybe I can let her sort of murder me? Because you know, there'll be blood and she honestly looks great in red, on principle. Also I'd get the best view that way? '

' Though I think I'd prefer if we switched roles in that case. Do you think she actually gets hurt if she gets stabbed with her own blood... '

' W-wait! I just remembered, she has hair too. She uh, the hair is good too! It's soft. Yeah, soft is good, right? '

👂  …the way your muse sounds.

' It's not high or low, it's kinda in the middle. '

' Like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, the porridge that's just right? Or the chair? The bed too... '

No. No, he has to try again.

' Ok, so it's like when you're slicing bread and you find the perfect angle so the knife goes in just clean without all the crumbly bits attached? But the bread is also buttered. '

' O-or like when you throw a hammer just right so it smashes through a pane of glass on the ground, that satisfaction when the whole thing cracks? Or um, wiping blood off a sword with a cloth—silk of course, in one try... '

' It's just smooth and mellow with uh...an accent at the end. Like baked tilapia. But with lemon. '

[nobully]

❛ do you mind if i sleep here tonight? ❜

𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬.

'Don't you have your own place?' Wang Yi blurts out before realizing that's probably not why Nicolette's asking. In the wake of her suddenly-too-cheerful smile, he folds without a murmur.

'I-I mean, sure...if you don't mind squeezing in with a bunch of guys.' Technically, one of his roommates is a turtle or something, but he's pretty sure the dude's male too. 'We have a spare room...'

On the other side of the condo, now that he thinks about it, and down the hall from a weird dude with heterochromia he's not sure he should poke. He gets Wang Yi's villain radar pinging on odd days, which is pretty suspect already.

'...actually, on second thought, you can just take my room. It's more furnished and, uh, I can change the sheets and stuff...'

Suddenly everything's turned domestic and Wang Yi's not sure how to deal, except to think about the practicalities.

'Do you need a toothbrush? I think I have a spare. Shit, what about facewash stuff and pajamas, uhh...'

"Yiyi, you make it sound like I'm moving in," Nicolette points out after she's had her fill of him ranting.

'You technically are, for a night,' he retorts.

"It's fineeee. I brought most of the things, see?" Nicolette turns around, magically takes out a Ziploc bag, and shows off her toiletries and toothbrush all in one place.

'Oh, that's good,' Wang Yi relaxes before he suddenly tenses again. 'Wait, did you plan this ahead of time?!'

"I wasn't sure if it'd be with you," Nicolette begins, but—

'You mean I could've refused and you would've tried somewhere else?' Wang Yi interrupts before she can finish.

"What kind of question is that?!"

'The common sense kind?'

"Are you saying you don't actually want me to stay over? You could've admitted that from the start, Wangy!"

'I didn't say that—'

"But you thought it, didn't you?!"

'I don't think!' Wang Yi finally snaps back. 'Not about...stuff like this. Dammit Nicolette, it's not like I have friends coming to sleep over every week! Sun only comes once a month and he's, I don't know, a monkey who can sleep upside down if he wants and you're different, I have to make sure you're comfortable and welcome so—shit, why are you looking at me like that?'

Because Nicolette's stopped fuming, but her bright smile is just as intimidating, especially when she corners him on the couch. "No, go on. I want to hear the rest."

'There isn't any more!' Wang Yi grabs a pillow to act as a shield. Nicolette just leans on it like an armrest, effectively pinning him down.

"No? But you were just getting to the good part? 'Comfortable and welcome' so what?"

Wang Yi only rolls his eyes. 'So you don't kill me in my sleep, what else?'

He's only joking about that part. Maybe.

In any case, Nicolette relents while whining about what a killjoy he is before he shoos her off in the interest of preparing his room. Of course she insists on tagging along, if only to see what he's up to as he tidies the place up.

Luckily, Wang Yi's used to keeping his quarters neat. They're also pretty plain, having no decoration beyond the default furniture. There is a mini-fridge in the room though, which Nicolette finds interesting since there's a communal one in the kitchen. While Wang Yi's changing the sheets, she opens the doors for a peek. The freezer contains packs upon packs of frozen anchovies—for his cat, she guessed, though she'd only heard of him a couple times—while the bottom had two pretty familiar presents.

Huh. Weren't these the Valentine's chocolates from her and Zhilan? She recognized that star-shaped chocopop at a glance, and the other fancy box was definitely her booze candy.

"You haven't eaten these yet?" she called out to the guy who was now fluffing up fresh pillows.

'What?' Wang Yi glanced back, saw her at the fridge, and shrugged. 'Oh. They're gifts, so I want to keep them.'

"You know these have an expiration date, right?"

'Yeah? They'll last for a bit though.'

"But they taste better if you eat them fresh!" Already, Nicolette's taking out her own present from the fridge—she'll leave Zhilan's untouched, of course. "Come on, let's have some now!"

'No, I want to save it.'

"Well, I want to eat it!"

'Tch, it's my gift,' Wang Yi points out.

"Yeah, and I bought it for you? That means dibs for me too."

'That's not how it works—'

"Besides, if you like these so much, I'll tell you where to buy them."

'I'm not going to buy myself a box.'

"Oh, so you want me to gift you another one instead?" Nicolette arches her eyebrows, reveling in the sight of Wang Yi left momentarily tongue-tied. "Or did you just not like my gift, Yiyi?"

She's getting better at navigating his highs and lows; as expected, whenever it was something that could hurt her—or anyone's—feelings, he always backtracked.

'No, I just...I just wanted to save it for later...'

"That just sounds like you just don't want to eat them."

'It's not that!!'

When he panics, she knows she's got him.

—

They end up finishing half the box, though she insists on Wang Yi eating most of the chocolates since it's his present. Sadly, there's hardly enough alcohol in them to get him close to drunk. Instead, Nicolette finds something else in his room to entertain them: fairy tale books for kids.

'They're for Sun,' Wang Yi explains when she holds up one with a questioning look. 'He can't really read so I...read to him when he stays over.'

"Oh really? I didn't think you were the type." Nicolette's eyes are shining with mirth as she sits in his bed, dressed in an oversized sweatshirt (his) and shorts (hers). "Can you read me one too?"

'Uhh...but can't you read just fine?'

"It's not the same! Come on, Wangy? Pretty please~"

'Ugh, I'll do it if you stop talking in that tone of voice.'

Another point taken: Wang Yi's more likely to do something if he has an excuse for it first. Honestly, she's pretty sure she can read him like a book by now.

"What are we reading tonight?" Nicolette asks, milking this for all it's worth as she sits expectantly on the bed.

'Uh, The Princess and the Pea,' Wang Yi grabs the first book off the pile. 'Pfft...oh yeah, she reminds me of you.'

"What, because she's royalty?"

'Because she ends up sleeping in some random guy's house.'

She throws a pillow at him. "Well then, you're the pea because you're being a pain!"

'If you know the story already, we can read another one...'

"No, this one's fine," Nicolette stops him before he can replace the book. "Besides, aren't you supposed to keep reading until I fall asleep?"

'You can't be serious.'

"Or I can talk your ear off."

'Okay, okay, I'll read, I'll read...'

She doesn't expect him to do as she says, but Wang Yi's surprisingly docile tonight. He finishes the first book and picks up the second, going through it at a steady pace. Although he doesn't bother acting out any of the scenes or changing to different voices for the characters, there's a soothing steadiness to his diction, more than enough to put her at ease. Though that just puzzles Nicolette some more.

Was he...always this easygoing?

Their dynamic has always been more push and pull, but today he's stepping completely to the beat of her drum. He's not wholly relaxed either—there's a tenseness in his body that tightens up whenever she gets too close, like he's wary of something.

It's really fucking weird, but it'd be weirder to call him out on it, so she'd poked and prodded and ended up literally having story time like a kid.

...wait, story's not going on anymore.

Nicolette looks over and sees that Wang Yi's actually nodding off. She immediately stops moving, watching as his head bobs up and down before he finally knocks out on the bed, head sprawled over her stomach under the sheets. She gently plucks the latest book from his fingers and glances at the cover; ironically, it's Sleeping Beauty.

He is the pretty type, isn't he? His eyelashes are long enough and the pink hair speaks for itself. She wonders whether she should wake him and reaches out to poke his cheek...

Wang Yi stirs.

Faster than the speed of light, Nicolette lies down and pretends to be asleep herself. She hears rustling before the sharp scrape of a chair—that would be Wang Yi pushing himself back from the bed—and then a creak as he gets up and tiptoes to the bed and mutters to himself.

'Shit—did I fall sleep first? Or did we doze off together? Uhh...where's the book...'

She'd placed Sleeping Beauty by the window, which means Wang Yi has to reach across the bed to get it back. He does so gingerly, and that's when she has the brilliant idea to roll over in the bed just to screw with him. Nicolette can pinpoint the exact second he freezes mid-grab just to make sure she's still sleeping. When he recovers enough to readjust himself, she rolls back on her back and draws up her knees, knocking into Wang Yi enough that he almost crashes into her with a muttered oath.

Oh no, this is more fun than she thought.

So of course when Wang Yi does snatch the book and tries to make a speedy retreat, she lunges upright and grabs him.

"Boo!"

'YAGHH!'

They collide in a mess on the mattress, her arms and legs trapping him against her torso and damn, she's never seen Wang Yi this red-faced in his life.

"Oh my god," she chortles in mock astonishment. "You're not a pea, Yiyi. You're a freakin' tomato."

'And you're a fucking heart attack!'

Now this is the tempo she recognizes. "Says the guy trying to climb into my bed?"

She doesn't think it's possible, but Wang Yi turns even redder and starts sputtering excuses which while cute as they are, don't really help his case.

"I mean all right, so it's technically your bed. Since you're halfway on it already, why not climb in all the way?"

'What—no, I—aargh!' Summoning strength from nowhere, Wang Yi finally breaks free and runs for the hallway. 'Dammit, go put yourself to sleep!'

In hindsight, Nicolette realizes she probably pushed him too far for that last bit. But well, it was a learning experience!

Next time she'd get him for sure.

[nobully]

@nicawlette:

Brring brring!

A brand new bicycle sidles up next to Nicolette on the sidewalk before Wang Yi squeezes the brakes.

'Hey.'

He's actually looking at the buildings behind her, not at her, but the general direction's the same.

'I just got this bike and I'm preeeetty sure I can mind control traffic for the next 30 minutes so...'

'You wanna ride home? Or are you going to walk the whole way like a loser?'

[nobully]

There's no way in Hell she could possibly handle doing this face-to-face. Gift giving for reasons other than manipulation is an entirely unfamiliar act! Having received his gift early that morning, she had laughed at the sneaking suspicion that they were handmade after spotting a few errors... and then promptly freaked out when it suddenly hit her how much the thought of that, meant.

By that afternoon, a sleek, white box featuring the gold lettering of an expensive brand etched across the top was left in front of Wang Yi's door along with a note tucked under the red ribbon wrapped perfectly around it. Inside are an array of colorful alcoholic bonbons of varying shapes and designs.

The note reads: ❛ It's not handmade, because I'm not a magician, but I hope you like them anyway. I know you said you weren't drinking anymore, but we both know that's total bullshit. Anyway, happy love day or whatever ♥ ❜ and strangely, sprawled at the corner of the card as if added last minute, ❛ P.S. Thanks for the strawberries. They're delicious. ❜

'That—seriously, even after I told her I'd stop!'

Sigh.

'...they do look pretty good though.'

He'd returned from his trip around the wards and a lunch break to see a beautiful box sitting gorgeously outside his room. Internal yelling aside, Wang Yi had snatched it up and ran inside before anyone else came down the hallway, feeling unsurprised but no less anxious when he saw that she was the sender.

'Is, is she saying I'm a magician for dipping some fruit in chocolate? Wait, how'd she find out in the first place...?! Did they taste off or something?'

He frets over her note, but of course it gives no clues. It doesn't seem to be a bad thing since she'd called the strawberries "delicious" as well, but Wang Yi can't help but wonder.

He's been...wondering a lot about her these days, actually.

Sometimes it feels like walking on a tightrope; other times like they're two peas in a pod. He thinks he can guess her perfectly, but then she'll suddenly switch gears and he's lying on the dirt wincing from her latest verbal punch in the gut.

His eyes trail over to the open box of chocolates, their fun shapes and packaging perfectly concealing their true natures. Bonbon bombs in ball dresses, his brain suggests, and if that didn't describe Nicolette to a T. A sweet and pretty exterior, but hiding potent liquid within. Red wine, he thinks, but it's so easy to confuse that with blood and well, both taste intense...

His vision swims. Shit.

'What am I feeling right now?'

'What do...I want?'

Is it because they're both not normal? Even that isn't the right word.

He means "boring," probably. Or predictable. Same. Safe.

Nicolette has never been any of those things. Even when she was carting him away from certain death, there was always the cold, hard uncertainty of whether they'd make it past the next wave, or sand dune, or copse of trees. Her moods could be a crapshoot on a regular day too—his gauge for measuring others always seemed to backfire for her. In the end she was a drop of ink in his blank, white heart, dyeing it in all the darker colors he'd tried to mute in his head.

The night that swallows the moon. The rain that drenches the sun. The kiss that—no, that one doesn't count, because there were no feelings behind it.

It'd been exciting sure, but it was never physical contact that tempted him and to his relief, they'd left it at that. Whatever his body experienced didn't really translate into long-term emotions. Rather, it was watching the reactions of others and seeing them feel what he couldn't that drew him in.

Prodding them. Provoking them. Making them subm—

Wang Yi bangs his shins against the table as he straightens his legs with a start.

'...fuck.'

The pain clears his thoughts, but his face is still turning scarlet as he turns to look at the chocolates. Suddenly they seem way too vibrant, as if the colors themselves are laughing at him for not realizing it sooner.

'I'm...not a weirdo. I'm not...'

But all he can see is that red, red wine, and the amethyst of Nicolette's eyes and hair, scarlet and purple mixing together so smoothly, so seamlessly, to create an incredible hue all their own.

Like ink.

[nobully]

🍿    :   watch a rom-com with my muse. lmao

(     *     VALENTINE’S DAY PROMPTS   ! | 🍿    :   watch a rom-com with my muse.

"What do you mean you've never seen a romcom before?"

'I mean, they're not exactly my go-to genre.'

"Well, what about with friends? What did you guys watch together?"

'Uhhh...action films, mostly? Also, basketball games and crime documentaries...'

'Besides, it's just a movie. Who cares what you watch if you're entertained?'

"Ugh, no wonder you're so clueless!" Nicolette grabbed Wang Yi by the arm and started dragging him to the theaters. "Come on, we're going to watch one right now!"

'What, why?!'

"Because your romance-deficient brain's gonna bite you in the ass one day."

'That doesn't even make anatomical sense...'

"Just shut up and pay for the popcorn!"

'Fine, fine...sheesh.'

So they bought the tickets and a giant bucket of popcorn with two drinks. Wang Yi's not sure why the usher winked at him when he collected their stubs, but when he entered their theater and saw the audience inside, he started to have an inkling.

'Valentine's coming up, huh...'

"What, thinking of nice gifts?" Nicolette teased, and okay that was definitely blatant enough that he got the hint and squirreled it away for later.

'No, just thinking how out of place we are in this room full of couples,' Wang Yi muttered under his breath. That "Sizzle, Pop, and Couple's Cups" snack deal should've clued him in, but he was too happy about saving money at the time to pay it closer attention.

In response, Nicolette just hooked her arm around his and pulled him close on purpose. "We are a couple. Of friends. Who the hell cares what they think?"

'Yeah but, look at them all cuddling and stuff...' Wang Yi side-eyed a couple where the boyfriend was feeding his girlfriend popcorn. 'We stick out like a sore thumb.'

"Ohhhh, so you want me to feed you popcorn too?"

'No!'

"All right, calm down. I'll behave. Besides, the point is to watch the movie, not get frisky like a pair of teenagers." Nicolette's grip tightened on Wang Yi as she dragged them to their seats. "Come sit. It's not like you'll die from being seen with me, right?"

There was a high note in her voice that Wang Yi had learned to recognize as a giveaway: if he kept on complaining, she'd probably feel hurt. So he tactfully shut up and settled down on one of the big plush recliners. 'Anyways, just don't hog all the popcorn.'

Nicolette broke into gleeful laughter.

Eventually the lights dimmed and the movie began: some fun-filled romp about a woman chasing after her ex who was now engaged to another girl. Halfway through Wang Yi realized they could've solved everything just by sitting down and talking and quickly lost interest. Instead, his eyes wandered over the other audience members. There was a couple near the front row with their foreheads touching, not interested in the movie at all. Another had the girl leaning her head on her lover's shoulder. And the couple a few seats down from them...

Wang Yi had to squint to see clearly, but it looked like they'd graduated from hand-feeding each other popcorn to passing it back and forth between their mouths with kisses. He was still debating whether to feel embarrassed for their sake when a voice whispered by his ear.

"What are you looking at?"

His head whipped back to catch Nicolette's innocent grin as she sipped from her straw.

"Something more interesting than the movie?"

The couple a few seats down giggled; Wang Yi's 99% sure Nicolette can see them too since everyone's got their seats down for the film. He rolled his eyes at her and mumbled,

'...it's not that.'

'I'm just surprised people actually do that stuff in public.'

As predicted, Nicolette dropped her act once the jig was up, but her words aren't any less stimulating. "I don't know, I think they're pretty tame compared to what you did that night in my apartment."

He could feel his face heating up in the dark. 'Will you let that drop?'

"I mean, it was pretty unforgettable." Strangely enough, she sounded pretty genuine. "Enough that I'm still a mix of fucking mad and awestruck that you actually pulled it off."

'Okay? But I swear it was an accident.'

"There are no accidents in romcoms."

'You think we're living in a romantic comedy right now?'

"I don't know about the romance part, but you're pretty hilarious on a regular day, Yiyi."

'...thanks, I guess?'

They end up being shushed and shut up for the rest of the movie, which played out as expected and ended with a kiss, proposal, and marriage. When the two finally rose to leave, it was to see most of the couples stay behind and continue being lovey-dovey through the credits. Escaping it was almost a relief.

"What did you think of the movie?" Nicolette asked as soon as their footsteps hit the sidewalk outside.

'It was all right, I guess? A little illogical, but I guess that's romance for you.' Wang Yi was ready to end it there, but seeing Nicolette's expectant look, tried for a little more. 'Also...there really wasn't a villain character? Kinda lacking, yeah?'

He got a disgruntled noise in response. "Not every romcom needs an actual villain."

'But there's no real conflict without one.' Those petty arguments and staged misunderstandings that took its place didn't really draw him in.

"Yes there is. The romance, Wang Yi? The fricking feelings of pining plaguing both sides? I mean I know some guys don't go for that kind of stuff, but you can still feel it, right?"

'Uhh...I don't, actually.' Like literally, what was emotion.

Nicolette stopped walking to place her hands on her hips. "If you hated the movie that much, you can just say it outright."

Oh um, she misunderstood. 'I don't hate it,' Wang Yi corrected hastily, 'I just...don't feel anything about it.'

Nicolette blinked before she leaned in, incredulous. "No? Nothing?"

'I mean, I can get an idea from most of the scenes, but I have to think about it first.'

"What about the scene where the couple met as childhood friends and he gave her a flower ring as a promise token?"

'I was debating whether she made a replacement or stored it in a freezer to keep it fresh 25 years later.'

"Or the one where the guy finally confesses his love, only for the girl to leave him because he was still wearing his engagement ring?"

'He probably could have called her to reschedule and try again.'

"How about in the end, when they got together despite everything and floated away in their log cabin with hot air balloons?"

'That part reminded me of a Pizar movie, actually. I wonder if they bought the copyrights to Above? Also, no way the plumbing would have worked in that house.'

"You're missing the point!"

'I thought movies were up to personal interpretation...'

"Did you even interpret anything? You're just picking out problems and thinking of weird solutions to them!"

'You're the one who asked...'

"Oh, so it's my fault now, is it?!"

'Uh, do you want me to buy you ice cream or something...you're looking kinda heated.'

"Kind of? Wang Yi, you're so dense!" Nicolette fumed. Or at least, she looked like she was fuming, with her red face, angular brows, and intense stare. He wanted to check just how taut her expression was, but she turned away before he could look closer. "What kind of idiot eats ice cream in winter?!"

'So I guess that's a no?'

"Gods, stop asking if you already know the answer!"

'I mean, it's not like I can read your mind.'

"Are you seriously pissing me off on purpose right now?!"

Wang Yi scrunched his eyebrows and stopped in place as Nicolette stalked off. He didn't get why, but everything he said seemed to be pushing her buttons today. But they weren't any different from his usual lines?

'Wait,' he scrambled and chased after her. 'Are you like, PMSing or someth—'

"What?!" Nicolette turned, absolutely livid; Wang Yi didn't stop in time and slammed face-first into her elbow as she swung her arm backwards.

—

Hours later saw Wang Yi sprawled over the couch in his condo, cradling an ice pack to his fresh black eye as Nicolette poured them drinks (water, not wine).

"Hey, can you see?" she asked after setting their cups on the table.

'Kinda hard to tell when my eyelid's swollen shut.'

'I can try to pry it open.'

"Don't touch it!" she hissed and rushed over, only to see that he had one arm draped over the sofa and the other firmly gripping his ice, not his face. "Dammit, Yiyi!"

Wang Yi was surprised too. He blinked at her with his one good eye before trying a smile. 'Sorry, I didn't actually mean that.'

"You don't mean half the things that come out of your mouth," she huffed at him and sat back down.

'Right,' he admitted. When there was no comment after that, Wang Yi tried, 'Um...so what are we going to tell Zhilan?'

"That you ran into my elbow, what else?"

'I mean, this time the truth's gonna sound like a lie and he might think we fought for real. Which—to be fair—we kinda did?'

"Arguing isn't fighting, it's literally how we talk," Nicolette countered.

'Yeah, but to the rest of world we're—'

"Why do you care so much about public opinion?" she snapped. "What about what I think? Or—or Zhilan, or any of your other friends?"

'Weren't we just talking about Zhilan?'

"I mean in general," Nicolette sighed. "I swear, Wang Yi. It's like sometimes you only hear half of what I say, while other times you read me like a book and forget everything by the end of the day."

'It comes off that way, huh?' Wang Yi genuinely wondered. 'Maybe I'm just grasping at things I know.'

"Oh sure, like how you always catch me lying because you're a hopeless liar yourself?"

'Basically?'

Nicolette was genuinely getting sick of this. "What else are you incapable of? Besides telling the truth, apparently."

'Well,' And Wang Yi swallowed, strangely grateful that he's stuck staring at the ceiling instead of her face. 'I don't think I actually feel—'

*+:｡.｡𝄞 어느 작별이 이보다 완벽할까 Love me only till this spring... ~♪ ｡.｡:+*

Both of them turned to look at the table where Nicolette's phone was going off. Then she yelped and picked it up.

"Hellooooo, Lanlan! Mm-hmm, uh-huh...oh of course, you're so sweet~" Nicolette glanced up from her phone and nudged Wang Yi's leg with her foot. "Zhilan wants to know what we want for takeout tonight, pizza or Italian?"

Wang Yi lifted his head to stare at her blearily. 'Pizza is Italian.'

"Shut up, it's a whole new world for him."

'Whatever's fine...you pick.'

"You're so boring?"

'Thanks, I try.' He meant it too, but Nicolette just made a face at him and went back to talking to Zhilan.

"Hello? Yes Lanlan, apparently Yiyi can't tell the difference between either choice so anything goes! Hm, me? Oh no, I think it'd be more fun if you chose..." She chattered on happily while he flopped back against the couch, content to be ignored.

"...by the way, I gave him a black eye with my elbow."

Wang Yi jolted up, nearly concussing his eyeball against his ice pack.

"No, no we didn't fight...this time it was an accident, promise...yes, he's fine, but preparing more ice isn't a bad idea, Lanlan!" Nicolette caught his movement out of the corner of her eye and mouthed a super obvious "I told you so" with her lips.

"Mhm, all right! See you tonight! Byeeeeee~"

Click.

She tossed her phone on the couch this time and plopped down next to him.

"If you have to lie, don't do it to Lanlan of all people."

'A little too late for that, don't you think?'

"Don't do it any more than you have to?" Nicolette poked him in the side. "Besides, I explained everything already. He gets it."

'He gets what we show him, you mean.'

"Wow, is this how honesty looks on you, Wangy? Because you sound fucking depressing."

‘Blame the brain damage.’ Wang Yi shifted his ice pack around to block more of Nicolette from sight. It's melting though...he should get a new one soon.

“Nice try, but I didn’t hit you that hard.” But Nicolette started to drag him off the couch anyways. “Let’s go.”

‘We don't need to meet Zhilan until two hours later…’

“Uh-huh, and the nearest clinic closes in one? We’re going to get your eye checked out. And your brain too, if you want.”

‘Sounds like a pain.’

“That’s par for the course, you pain in the ass. Besides,” Nicolette added, “All lying shit aside, I know you hate making him worry. So you can show up on Game Night with a nice little doctor’s note or stare at Zhilan’s sad puppy eyes all evening, but I won’t let you ruin things for me too.”

She was trying to egg him on, but Wang Yi gave in before he took the bait. He always did, and she always knew he would, so the two of them stumbled out and hailed a taxi with surprising harmony.

'By the way, you're paying, right?'

"Dream on. It's 50-50."

'When it was your elbow that hit my eye?!'

"More like your head that rammed itself into my elbow in the first place?!"

Wang Yi started to sputter and fume. Snickering, Nicolette rummaged through her pockets. "Wait, I want a picture of this."

'Don't you dare—'

"Oh shit."

'What?'

"...I think I left my phone on your couch."

'What?!' Wang Yi looked out the window where they were weaving effortlessly through the city streets, far away from Condo 408.

"Wangy...Yiyi...I'll pay you back later?"

'What the hell, we can just turn back!'

"And pay double the taxi fare? Are you stupid?"

'It's not stupid if it's your Dust too!'

"Excuse me?! When were you such a selfish prick?"

'Me selfish? What about the time you—'

Ringringring!

Wang Yi dug out his own phone before falling silent. 'It's Zhilan.'

Nicolette quietly bit back her latest insult. "So answer it."

Press.

"Hello?" Zhilan's bright voice came over the call. "Hi Wang Yi, I heard about your injury...are you doing all right?"

'Uh yeah, Nicolette's taking me to the clinic right now for a check-up. Don't worry, I'll be fine.'

"Oh, that's good! Actually, I just wanted to call and make sure: did you get two black eyes or one?"

'...just one.'

"All right, then I should have enough ice for you and the drinks! We can take it easy tonight and just talk if it'll make you feel better."

'Nah, it's fine. Besides, I still want to beat Nicolette at Mon*poly. Again.'

"Oh! Then I'll make sure to have that out. See you later?"

'Later. Thanks.'

Click.

As expected, Wang Yi hung up to see Nicolette glaring at him.

'What? Last week I won fair and square.'

"Yeah, after you fucking lost at YUNO the week before?"

'YUNO's luck, but Mon*poly's a skill game.'

"Oh, like it's hard to roll two die to get exactly the numbers you want?"

'You mean you can't?'

"What the hell—"

And on and on they went, bickering back and forth, all the way to the doctor's office.