Friendships Desires and Secrets

A Conclusion to This System of Things

The next few days had rolled by much as they had every day. Alex and Tara spent their time after work with either Amy or the guys. That Saturday, Namjoon had a photoshoot at the park that surrounded North Tower. Alex had ridden with him and watched his creative process. Namjoon guided each step to create the art he wanted. The way the light hit him, the colors he chose for each backdrop whether it be the green fields of flowers or the clear sky or a copes of trees. She was by his side, looking at the screen and watching how he changed positions, and emitted emotion.

Namjoon jogged back to her, and the director scrolled through each shot from the roll they just took. "Something is missing. Even with the black and white ones there is just something off."
 

"Try a sepia tone." Alex suggested, "Or tone out some of the color. They are too perfect, too colorful."

Namjoon nodded and head-to-head with the director, they played with the tones and color in the shots. Namjoon had a huge grin on his face. "Perfect! That's great. Ok, last shot of the day. Let's go down to that little hill we saw on the way up. The flowers going up the hill as a backdrop will look amazing." When he walked by Alex, who was admiring him from a chair, he kissed the top of her head. "Thankyou."

"For?"

"Your sexy brain. Come on, lets walk down the hill. It will be a minute before the sun is right for these shots."

They walked hand-in-hand down the steep hill, the whole time Alex was afraid of falling and kept squeezing his hand. He wore a soft smile as he watched her cling to his hand like a lifeline. They reached the bottom of the hill, almost as out of breath as if they had climbed it. Namjoon pulled her in. There was no one around. Alex let herself be pulled in, laying her head on his chest and listening to the steady beating. It should be slowing, but she would have sworn that it was speeding up to match hers.

She moved away quickly as the carts full of supplies and equipment, rolled up next to the vast green space. Namjoon sighed but didn't hold onto her. The next set was simple, just him and the flowery grass hill. His stylist refixed his hair, patted his face and fixed his foundation then reapplied tinted gloss to his lower lip. The crew was efficient and ready. The shoot wrapped up after a few debates about things that could be edited. Namjoon walked over to Alex, who was sitting a few paces away from the crew. They packed and were gone after a few moments, leaving no trace that they were ever there. Namjoon lay back in the tall grass next to her.

The light played softly across his features. Alex turned towards him and slid her thumb slowly up the bridge of his nose. Her fingertips traced the barely visible lines across his forehead. A swell of emotion rose to fill her chest, making the next breath painful. She curved her hand around the crescent of his cheek as tears welled. His eyes opened languidly, and his expression turned from contentment to concern. She withdrew her hand baling it up in her lap.

"What is it Bepeu?"

"I...I'm terrified." She blurted. She panicked as soon as it burst out.

"Of what Alex?

That pain in her chest began to squeeze, trying to crush sobs from her body. "Of losing all this."

"The art contract?"

"No." she half laughed half scoffed and rose to walk away. He was quickly behind her.

"Alex?"

"Namjoonssi, please don't. I haven't the energy to explain." she said with her back to him.

He lifted his hand to reach for her but dropped it, feeling defeated. "I can't help then?"

She could hear irritation in his voice. "No, I guess not." She made to move away again.

He froze. He wanted an explanation. Alex had been his friend for over a year now, and he was sick of her closing him out like this. She was slowly moving away from him again, withdrawing. He was torn. Let her go, because fuck it. Let her go because she needed space for whatever woman thing this was that she wouldn't share with him. Go get her, because he was done with this shit. The hot and cold. He took a step towards her.