off limits ✧ zb1 applyfic

✧ thirty eight

For the past few years, Taerae's morning routine had been undisturbed. Wake up at five, take a shower, dress in less than a minute, eat a balanced breakfast, prepare sandwiches for Narae, drop her off at the subway station, and last but not least, go straight to college. That was until today.

The first two steps had gone pefectly fine, but when he was about to slip his pants on, his phone had started ringing. He hadn't expected Audrey to be the caller, at such an early hour. She'd asked to meet for coffee before they would both go to university, and, in a predictable turn of events, Taerae had accepted. That meant he had to turn his schedule around a bit. He'd woken Narae up before her alarm, skipped on breakfast, and had dropped her off at the station about twenty minutes earlier than usual, despite her complaints.

He was barely breathing anymore when he finally reached the coffee shop Audrey was waiting for him at. That morning rush was definitely not something he ever wanted to experience again. It felt too much like high school.

Without surprise, Audrey seemed to be in a much better shape. Taerae could only wonder how she never had bags under her eyes. Either she was a heavy, healthy sleeper, or she had a flawless skincare routine. A bit of both, he assumed. His voice a bit rough, he greeted her, and sat down opposite her.

"Good morning Taerae," she replied, her voice small. She pushed a steaming cup of coffee to his side of the table. "I just ordered this for you."

He thanked her and brought the cup up to his lips, so he could blow on the scalding liquid. His eyes never once left her, and something immediately felt off. She seemed... Nervous. Her doe eyes drifting all around the place, she rubbed her hands together mindlessly, her lips pinched together. Her state was contagious: Taerae felt himself tense up as he took a sip of his coffee. He wasn't sure why she seemed to be feeling this antsy, but that certainly didn't help him stay calm either. And if she had something to say, sooner rather than later would definitely be better. The clock was ticking, and as much as he enjoyed Audrey's company, he wasn't very keen on being late to class.

Finally, Audrey took a deep breath, but she still did not meet his gaze. "Listen, Taerae," she spoke up, her voice strained with anxiety. "I have something very important to tell you."

"You—" Taerae attempted to speak, but she continued quickly.

"I don't know how you're going to take it, and I know it's coming out of nowhere, but... I need to ask you before I lose my courage."

Taerae felt his heart bang against his ribcage, as he registered her slow, sincere words. Could it be... No, Taerae couldn't believe it. Was Audrey about to confess to him? That thought seemed too good to be true, but there was no mistaking the slight blush on her cheeks, the frantic movements of her hands, the hesitancy in her words. When she'd invited him to get coffee, he never would've thought things would take such a turn. But maybe Audrey felt the same, maybe his feelings weren't so unrequited after all... He'd planned on confessing first, when he would be ready, but he was certainly not going to run away from something he'd wished for, so many times. Delightfully painful flutters in his stomach, Taerae bit his lip, ready to hear the words she was struggling to get out.

Audrey's lips parted as she looked up at him for the first time, and he clenched his hands into fists. He was so tense he was starting to feel a bit dizzy.

"Will you participate in a runway for me?"

The question dropped like an anvil on Taerae's head. He blinked slowly, unmoving, trying to process what she'd just said. She stared at him with wide, expectant eyes, but Taerae couldn't muster up a single word. The fluttering feeling in his stomach was gone, for it had sunk so low it would find petrol were it to dig any deeper. This... Wasn't what he'd expected. Again. A bit of a double twist.