Painted With Your Smile | Lim Jaebeom & Lee Donghyuck

Final (goodbye lol)

   The emerald eyes, she so desperately was trying to keep dry, fixed themselves on the onyx ones, staring her right back. It was so persistent, Danny's stare, as if she actually believed her steady orbs could actually speak their worry. Failing her mission, Mariji felt the heavy drops forming, and then slowly carressing each of her cheecks.

   Danny made to take another step down the stairs, before Mariji's words cut it short.

 -"Is Ivy home yet?", her lightly painted eyelids covered the two small pools, sending droplets to the fluffy yellow carpet below.

 -"No, not yet.", Danny's body stood, frozen as a statue.

 -"All right then.", a giggle escaped her lips, as she patted her tears dry with the back of her hand. Step after step she approached Danny and placed that same hand on her friend's shoulder, "I'm okay Dan, really. I'm taking a bath before Ivy returns, okay?", leaving her behind before she had a chance to say something back.

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   Her back feeling heavier than usual, Mariji fell flat on her bed with a thud, starfish formation. The wet, almost white-looking, strands of her hair were engulfing her face, cooling it down from the unbearable summer heat. 

   'Love the way you're posing when we're painting, yeah, looking at you I can't control it, yeah, everybody betting that we don't make it, guess we gotta leave it up to luck now..', Mariji closed her eyes and started singing, a practice that always brought her peace and comfort.

   As Ten's lyrics were softly escaping her mouth, she heard a soft knock coming from her door. Now on her feet, she tightened her bathrobe tighter and opened it. 

 -"Hey there.", Danny's eyes scanned her face.

 -"Why the long face dearest? I told you, you don't have to worry about me-"

 -"I know, I bellieve you, really. That's not what I'm here for.", she interrupted Mariji's sentence, taking her by surprise.

 -"Then what is it? Everything okay?"

 -"Yes, I... uhm, I wanted to give you this.", Danny extended her hand, holding a piece of paper in it.

   Mariji accepted it and started unfolding it, Danny's hands stopping her before she could actually see anything.

 -"Mar, you have to promise me, to not open it until, you're back home. I worked really hard on this so... please don't judge me too harshly, okay? I am not really sure how we can make this happen, damn I don't even know when the next time I'll see you again is, but still, I wanted you to have it."

 -"Wait wha-"

 -"Just, please, trust me with this one. I'd feel terrible if you'd open it here. I feel pretty weird giving it to you in the first place, to be honest. But it belongs with you, that's all you gotta know."

   Mariji sighed. She simply nodded and whispered and 'okay', an understanding smile forming on her lips. She knew all too well where Danny was coming from. Being friends all these years, had taught her how private and unsure she felt about the things she created, especially the ones that meant something to her. She remembered how badly and for how long she had begged her to play something for her, in the beggining, when all they'd talk about was music. They would exchange opinions or recommendations on groups and bands, talk about the projects they were working on, Danny with her guitar, and Mariji with her voice, but, whenever the latter would ask to see even a sneak peak of what her friend's work was actually like, she would find a way to avoid it.