thanks to cutethulu and mongoosingisme for the proofreading!
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Work of Art [J.JH] - seventy-two | we’ve all done stupid shit for 6’2”
You stood from the low stone wall you were sitting on and waved as Jaehyun opened the door and walked out. You smiled as he walked over, and he smiled back as he zipped up his jacket to protect himself from the winter cold. You sat back where you had been sitting on the wall, the stone somewhat warmer from your body heat.
“Wait,” you said as you moved over. “Take my spot.”
You pointed at him to sit until he finally did.
“Why?” He asked with a laugh.
“You just came outside, you probably feel colder.”
“I don’t think I do...”
You tried to fix your scarf so the wind would stop going down your jacket, but it was stuck in your jacket zipper. “Fucking--”
Jaehyun watched you for a second before gently patting your hands with his own to make you stop. “You’ve gotten the tag of the scarf caught and the teeth of the zipper are chewing on it.”
Something about the way he phrased his statement made perfect sense to you, and yet it was... strange. You’ve never heard him speak that way before.
“--Oh.”
“You couldn’t have seen it from that angle.”
“Oh... I didn’t.”
He pulled the tag out of the zipper and fixed your jacket for you, and then adjusted your scarf so it was higher up around your neck. His fingers brushed your skin and you wondered if you even needed the scarf anymore.
“Thanks.”
He smiled at you awkwardly for a moment before looking down at the floor and you both went silent.
“Uh...”
He looked up.
“How’s your Valentine's Day been? Get any Valentines?” You asked and raised your eyebrows at him in a cheesy manner.
He laughed. “Not yet.”
“So... yesterday was fucking weird, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you think we should mention it to Johnny?”
“I already did.”
“And?”
“I didn’t spell it out, but he didn’t seem to notice any of it.”
You rolled your eyes. “When did he get so dense?”
“Uh-- if I can make a suggestion?” Jaehyun asked, and you looked at him. “She might-- uh-- have him ‘whipped’?”
You looked at him for a moment, confused, before realizing what he meant. “OH. Yeah. That’ll do it.”
Jaehyun nodded.
“As the old saying goes, ‘We’ve all done stupid shit for 6’2”.’”
He chuckled. “I can’t say I’ve heard that one.”
You nodded with a laugh. “I saw someone say it after Ariana Grande broke up with Pete Whatshisname.”
He nodded.
You sighed, mildly despondent at the state of things.
“How’s Anna?”
“She’s great. She’s taken up macrame this week and made me a plant hanger.”
“I didn’t know you had plants.”
“I don’t. She said she’s going to buy a plant for me.” You laughed.
He laughed and sighed. “It’s a good thing we never told her about our plan, I guess. She might have ended up crushed.”
“Yeah. It’s a good thing.”
You sat in silence for a few moments. Perhaps he was also thinking about what was going on with Johnny and Luna - as you were - but it was possibly the both of you were just enjoying each other’s company. You remembered why you called him out.
“Oh, your present!”
“I was going to ask since it seemed like you forgot, but I didn’t want to be rude and have it seem like I was hoping for one.” He laughed.
You laughed and pulled the small present out of your jacket. “I mean, I might have forgotten. I’m sort of all over the place lately what with Luna’s weirdness and the paintings I’m working on.”
“You’re working even during the break?”
You nodded. “I had some stuff I wanted to finish up from last semester and I emailed a couple of my professors for the upcoming semester to ask if I could get a head start on things, so they sent me some of the assignments.”
“Wow, you’re diligent.”
“I try to be. Anyway, I got you this. I don’t know if you’ll like it, but I saw it when we were at the mall and it sort of reminded me of you, so I went back to get it.” You handed him the present.
He turned it over and unwrapped it, revealing a small book. “Poetry?”
“I saw it when we went past the bookstore and Luna wanted to go try on more clothes. It’s poems about dancing and when I looked through it, it sort of reminded me of when you danced for me.”
He looked at you for a second and opened it, skimming a few pages. “Wow.”
“Yeah,” you laughed, embarrassed. “It’s a little dramatic.”
“Well, what good poetry isn’t?”
You laughed again. No embarrassment this time.
“Wow… This one is like-- everything I feel when I’m dancing.” You nodded and watched his eyes move across the page as he read the poem. He looked up at you again. “I love it, thank you.”
You nodded awkwardly and felt your cheeks heat up. You readjusted your scarf so it covered more of your face.
“I feel bad now, because I didn’t get you anything for your birthday.”
“You already paid for the party for everyone. Just count that as also being my present.”
“But it wasn’t,” he laughed.
You shook your head.
“And you took the heat off of me when Luna tried to get me to eat the cake, so I definitely owe you for that.”
“No you don’t.”
“Yes I do.”
“No you don’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because, like… she’s… fuck, I don’t want to say mean shit about a girl that Johnny seems to genuinely like--” You sighed and looked away.
Jaehyun shrugged. “I won’t tell him if you won’t.”
You turned back and chuckled. “I don’t like to call women ‘crazy,’ because I’ve been called crazy and it’s just horseshit like… nine out of ten times when a guy says it, right? I’ve noticed that when most men call women crazy, the woman in question was acting the way she was because the guy was treating her like shit in some way and it’s just her reaction of not being able to take it anymore…” You looked to him for some kind of affirmation that he knew what you meant.
He nodded.
“But like... I think Luna might actually be bananas. Like... why was she trying to flirt with you while Johnny was right there? And the whole day at the mall?” You tsk’ed. “That was a rough day, dude. That girl was hardcore trying to do something and I didn’t like a single second of it. But, I’m glad you brought me because if she tried to pin something on you at least I was a witness.”
Jaehyun nodded again.
“I know I seem biased because I didn’t like her from the jump, but it’s because I got a bad feeling from her like, the second we met. And I doubt saying anything to him would help at all.”
Jaehyun crumpled up the wrapping paper from the book and shoved it in his pocket. “Yeah, it wouldn’t go over well.”
“I guess we just need to wait until she gets bored of him or until he realizes what’s going on.”
Jaehyun nodded. “I’m going to make up for the lack of a birthday party or any presents for you.”
“Please don’t.”
“You did something nice for me, I can’t do something nice for you?”
“Ah-- okay, you got me there… I’m just-- I’m really not used to it.”
“Why not?”
You sighed. “Can I say ‘shitty family and bad relationships’ and not have to answer?”
“You can.”
“Thank you.”
“But I also think you should get used to it because you’re here with all of us and we’re not like that. I’m going to do something nice for you.”
“I can’t stop you, huh?”
He stood. “Not at all.”
You sighed and stood.
He smiled.
“Don’t use that dimple attack on me, you sneaky beaky boy.”
He laughed. “You’ll have fun. I promise.” He held out his hand for you to shake.
You looked at his hand and then clasped it with your own. “If I don’t, Imma be real pissed.”
hey i am so Not Normal about this comic. Leah and Elliot make the best friends ever i LOVE them together, Penny's gentle conversation with Shane was gut-wrenching but necessary, and seeing Shane and Emily joking with each other is healing to the soul.
i love the romance of course, but seeing how you play with the other relationships with the main pair is really excellent. thanks for putting such care into showing all types of connections.
OMGG thank you I love all of them so damn much 🥹💛
They're such fun dolls to play with! It's so relaxing to have all this premade character available for use, I feel like it frees up brain space for me to really go all in on the banter! So glad you're enjoying it :))
#project hail mary
#lana del rey
#photography
#azzi fudd
#heated rivalry
