JieMi snuggled tapped and burrowed his hands into her jeans, nibbled at her ears and lightly chomped on her skin. She allowed him, but the hint of frustration bled into irritation and he redrew to stare at her one day. Cogs swirling in his head, clicking in place the longer he stared. Hikaru had taken her hand and frowned when the gold didn't flare just as much for his liking, lips curled when her veins seeped with muted trails.
It was all fine the next day. Damn it, but the perceptive eyes that trailed behind her ass didn't stop.
MinJae's displeasure unfurled when the flowers that blossomed in her hair wasn't the right shade of purple. He'd stared at it, spent too long at the table arranging the flowers and wondering why something was off about her flowers. He seemed to eventually decide it was her that was making things wrong, and he'd spent a night massaging her feet with a frown between his brow.
It helped just for that night.
Sieon's unhappiness exploded when the rose on her finger wasn't big enough. He sulked and kissed her so hard, she'd forgotten momentarily and so they grew back to normal. It didn't last long as her mood dipped, and her soul wavered. Casper's confusion jumped in the tic of his jaw when her eyes remained a single solid colour. He described it as dull muted hues that didn't hold the pastel glows he loved.
Oliver's mouth would turn down when he squinted at the top of her head and pondered. His sign was working just fine, she'd assured him. It scribbled begging notes for her to just get the words out of her soul. Amber was thankful that he didn't seem to be able to see tattoos on her skin just yet. He would find out easily if he could read her thoughts.
Yeah, she took too long to tell them.
She realised eventually that there was no right time when you had the world's most important news to tell. And it was about damn time that they knew. Because if she waited any longer, she would be taking that information to the grave. And fuck she was not going to do what those two crazy bitches wanted her to do.
She told them when enough time had passed. When she felt numb inside, exhausted from overthinking, tired of holding it all in, desperate and needy to be free with the help of those she loved.
"How do you know Claudia?" she asked through a mouthful of eggs, looking at Oliver as he peered at the newspaper.
She scraped her plate clean, gratefully taking the glass of caramel macchiato JieMi had just poured for her. He was amazing at brewing coffee, awfully good at pouring coffee at the right temperature with the perfect amount of milk, and the most exquisite concoction of cinnamon, vanilla syrup and caramel. He'd started brewing for his ex, he'd admitted after a while, but now he studied coffee for his family.
Oliver blinked glancing up at her as he sipped on his banana milk, adorable as his eyes widened into bright, glittering circles of energized happiness. One small mouthful and the rest of his carton was snatched by a lurking JieMi who gulped it down mercilessly with a smack of his lips. They were sharing because the younger male had already drunk three cartons and demanded for more. Those now-not-so-happy eyes twitched, glaring at the younger male.
JieMi was a banana milk addict.
The bunny also didn't get fat due to a high metabolism so nobody could stop him; he was just mildly lactose intolerant so the third bathroom down the hall was going to be all his that morning. A fact that he'd moan about later after stinking up the hallway. He loved her enough to not touch her stash, or at least that was what he said. She was pretty sure he was still drinking her stash, just stocking it up fast enough to hide it.
"The fan?" Oliver asked, setting down the paper to swat JieMi with it.
He folded it, putting it down in its collective stack. They would use it later to clean the mirrors and soak up the mess from eating chicken on the kitchen table. They would also use it to kill bugs that dared crawl into their home, a job reserved for the more agile, sports enthusiastic bunny.
"The investor?"
MinJae echoed strutting in, naked waist up, dusky rose nipples glittering with bejewelled studs. He sashayed, hips swaying as he moved. He pounced on her, kissing her cheek with a loud wet smooch that made her giggle and smile.
Flowers curled to life on his head and he plucked them out dumping beautiful lilacs in the glass vase on the counter. Then he sat himself down, cheek propped on hand to simper at her face while scratching his ass. She tried not to look at his nipples, ignoring the desire that never seemed to end and the fizz of chemistry that burned thick in the room like pollen in summer.
The longing never left, it was just not acknowledged when things got serious.
"Casper's cousin?" JieMi chirped. "Isn't she Cora?"
The boys exchanged looks for a moment, considering his words as if they weren't sure what her name was. It surprised her, the blatant lack of connection they had towards her greatest enemy. But it was a pleasant surprise, and so she smiled.
"You're not friends?" Amber asked, the smile on her face grew.
Jesus Christ, all that panic for nothing. She'd prepared herself for someone's 'ex-girlfriend' or even 'ex-fiancée' just in case. She didn't expect the less than acquaintances status. But she should have known, they always treated their fans like close friends.
"She was an old fan. She used to be the master of my fansite. I've met her a few times at events. So I remember her face," Oliver smiled, giving her a funny look as he buttered his toast. "I was shocked when I found out she was a distant cousin of Casper."
She popped a cheese sleeked bagel into MinJae's mouth as she listened. But her eyes narrowed when he nibbled her fingers as they grazed his mouth, tongue placed at the corner of his lips. She slapped the next biscuit to his lips and he giggled, a hand to his lips, coy and seductive as always. He transformed the laughter into a sexual narrow of his eyes, pupils dilating as he peered at her practically screaming for more.
Horny soulmate.
"She was a fan?" Casper noisily stalked in straight to the coffee machine, it stuttered as he fiddled with the buttons. He cursed when it clanked and made an awkward farting sound that had a few of her men laughing as they ambled in crowding the kitchen. "Guys, I did not fart—I don't remember seeing her."
"Idiot, you slapped palms with her a few times," Oliver chuckled as he pointed the men to the fried eggs in the pan. She would have been distracted by the number of shirtless chests on a better day, but the beginning of a conversation she'd spent too long dreading had her jittering on her seat. "Even JieMi remembers her."
"Just the face, not the name," JieMi nodded, blankly starring off into the void. He snapped out of it for a moment, metaphorical bubble popping, he scowled, adorable and beautiful. "Coletta?"
"No, Claudia—I—Fuck," Casper rubbed his cheek, thumb brushing the formation of a stubble. "That's surreal. I seriously can't remember." Amber smiled to herself. Thank fuck she waited. She would have blown the situation out of proportion if she didn't. "She seemed a little too friendly when she talked to me," Casper admitted as he grabbed a bowl. "Strange for someone I haven't seen since I was 10."
"Odd coming from someone engaged to her," Amber drawled, sipping on her coffee with a smooth hum as her men took a seat at the counter. "Said you weren't clumsy and I was fucking around when I said you were."