WHEN SHE SEES HIM HER FIRST THOUGHT is, irrationally, that she should hide. if he were to ask she'd have nothing to show for her five years roaming around restlessly on some other continent, but upon gazing at her brother birdie knows none of that matters to banks, and it never will when it comes to her. five long years with barely any contact at all — birdie suddenly aches with guilt and remorse and longing. and then the amount of love she has for him seeps through and the thought of running the opposite direction is long gone. he still hasn't noticed her ( why would he when the perfect view of the tyrrhenian sea is right in front of him ) and despite the fact that her hair is damp with salt water and she's wearing an i ❤️ roma t - shirt she got in a tourist shop after a seagull shat on her she still makes her way over to him. to anyone watching she must look like a lost girl looking to scam him of money. banks is the vision of the perfect businessman, and it makes birdie sad for the time they've lost. it takes everything in her to not charge directly at him and embrace him so hard he might never hug her again, but instead she approaches him where he sits slowly, arms crossing in front of her chest as she clears her throat. « well well well, banks donovan. i'm afraid this town ain't big enough for the both of us. »

@invcntions.

SOME THINGS STILL HAVEN'T CHANGED, and esma seems to be one of them. it's no surprising revelation that she is a sight in her long champagne satin dress, high slit revealing tanned legs, and that the entire hotel has been shut down for this very occasion. birdie can admit that it's all very beautiful, albeit way too much, and so she's retreated to the now empty lounge area and bribed the bartender to leave her and a bottle of white wine alone. her legs are draped over the arm of the chair she's sitting in, skirt of her lilac dress riding slightly higher up than esma would probably like which is why birdie makes no effort to shift into a more appropriate position. it's only when the groom – to – be wanders in that she sits up straight — her and esma may not get along, but there are boundaries girls don't cross regardless. « ah, mr. kahveci, » she chirps jokingly, raising the bottle as if to toast. « congratulations. i've heard ... close to nothing about you, » she admits, and she knows that goes for the vast majority of the attendees of this party. the engagement announcement had come like lightning from a clear sky. « i'm birdie. banks' sister. »

@invcntions.

❛ ✖︎  —  closed  starter  —  @invcntions. °

     MORNING  COMES  WITH  A  VENGEANCE,  harsh  sunlight  disrupting  their  serene  sleep.  daehyun  feels  heavy  as  he  opens  his  eyes,  banks  already  sitting  on  the  edge  of  the  bed.  muscle  memory  makes  dae  reach  out  to  touch  the  other  man’s  bare  back,  fingers  trailing  down  his  spine  gently  as  he  scoots  closer  to  him.  he  should  be  able  to  enjoy  this:  feeling  a  lover’s  warmth  close  to  his  own,  having  another  being  tangled  with  his  own.  but  with  every  passing  second  there’s  an  anxious  knot  building  in  dae’s  stomach.  time  is  running  out  —  it  never  stops  running.

     he  sits  up,  his  chest  now  touching  banks’  back,  and  for  a  moment  dae  allows  himself  to  soak  it  all  up.  how  wonderfully  lucky  he  is  to  have  it  all,  and  how  cruel  it  is  to  have  it  taken  away  from  him  time  and  time  again.  «  stay,  »  he  begs  softly,  planting  a  kiss  on  banks’  naked  shoulder.  «  just  for  another  minute.  please.  »