THE VOID

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕣𝕖𝕖

((Alex looks over to Alice and offers the small space next to him, she takes it))

Hero: ((turns and smiles at the beautiful blonde sitting next to him)) "I said my name that day..did you forget it or?"

Josephine: "I must not have heard you, but anyway what's wrong with Bob. Your friends seem to like it" ((she replies mockingly))

Alice: ((jolts her eyes to the boy sitting next to her best friend)) "Wait a minute..Bob. British Bob? Robot Bob?" ((her eyes fall back down realising she shouldn't have added the last bit))

Alex: "Robot" ((he asks, confused))

((Everyone else, also questions the robot bit and they all turn to look at Josephine))

Josephine: "Thank you for that Alice. Well, you see when Hero and I met our conversation was about feelings..or his lack of. So when telling Alice about him I made a joke that.." ((she stops talking sensing the group has already put everything together))

Hero: "Right. It's no biggie" ((he replies, everyone now staring at him))

Josephine: "You're not upset?" ((she asks feeling very awkward))

((The group is completely silent and the air is thick with tension, but in the background the pub is still lively with partiers))

Hero: "Upset? Right, that is when a human feels sadness. As a robot I escape this feeling..well all human feelings actually" ((he responds, trying to do the most robotic voice he can))

Felix: ((breaks the silence)) "That was your robot voice? Really?"

Alex: "Yeah, that was really weak bro!"

Mel: "Agreed!" ((She adds, in her robotic voice))

((Jack jumps straight in after offering his version and then so does the rest of the group. All talking to each other in robot voices. Alice joins in with them, Hero and Josephine being the only silent ones in awe of their friends))

Hero: ((looks away from the group and straight at Jo)) "So, what brings you to London?"

((Josephine looks up confused, she had assumed he would be offended by her comment. She would have been. She feels the overwhelming need to say sorry. However she decides it might make the situation awkward))

Josephine: "I came for work" ((she finally replies))

Hero: "That's cool. How long will you be here for?" ((he asks, trying not to sound too excited))

Josephine: "For six months, I will be living with Alice for the duration of the time. I still can't believe it" ((she adds, staring up at hero))

Hero: "Yeah, moving is hard and six months. That's a long time to be away from family"

Josephine: ((smiles up at him before replying)) "I didn't mean moving. I meant I can't believe I bumped into you.."

((Hero goes to reply but the rest of the group begins to get up and he realises the bar is closing. Before he knows it Jo is up and moving also. He joins making sure to stay right behind her. They reach outside and the cool air hits them, slowly sobering them up))

Alex: "Hey, we're all going back to mine and Hero's place. You two are welcome to join"

Mel: "Yeah, please join us! Finally nice to have some girls in this group" ((she adds with a huge grin on her face))

Felix: "Mel, you are literally the one that scares girls off" ((he adds, shooting her a glare))

Alex: "No she's not! She's usually the one that gets sent in to say sorry after one of you's has done something stupid" ((he comes to Mel's defence))

Jack: "Think the only boy in this group that hasn't scared a girl off is Hero, so don't get too cocky Alex" ((he adds smirking))

((Hero looks up at the sound of his name, he had been distracted talking to Jo. Before anyone else can jump in Alice and Jo agree to joining them. So they order an Uber, they have to order two since there is too many of them.
The car ride goes quickly and Hero and Josephine spend the whole time firing jokes back and fourth. Both of them being overly sarcastic about everything))

Alex: "Welcome, to our humble abode" ((he says while everyone enters))

Hero: "You can sit over on the couch, do you fancy a drink?"

Josephine: "Would it be completely lame if I just go for water?" ((She asks shyly))

Hero: "Not at all, that's what I'm having as well" ((he adds, easing her))

((Everyone else has moved over to the kitchen, while Hero takes two glasses over to Jo in the living room. He takes a seat next to her and hands her, her water))

Josephine: "Thank you, and erm happy birthday. Forgot to say it earlier" ((she says raising her glass))

Hero: "That's okay" ((he replies, also raising his glass as they toast))

Josephine: "So when we met and you said you had a party to go to..you meant your own birthday party?" ((She asks with a light smirk on her face))

Hero: "Yes, that was a very awkward moment. Did you actually have somewhere to be?"

Josephine: "Yeah, I was meeting Alice to drop her off at the airport. I actually needed to go the same way you went but I thought it might be too awkward to walk along with you. So I walked around the park for a while and then finally left" ((she replies covering her face))

Hero: "I can just imagine you strolling around the park waiting, frantic and cute" ((he adds, removing her hands from her face))

((As he takes in her face, something comes over him and he moves his face forward and their lips meet. He takes her face into his hands as she begins to kiss back. He slowly moves his hands through her hair before pulling away from the kiss, as he does this Josephine lightly bites his bottom lip before also retreating from the kiss))

Josephine: "That was.." ((she stops mid sentence confused by the events that have just taken place))

Hero: ((looks over at the girl he has been fixating over for the past three years. That first meeting those years ago changed everything, it only took one look at her and he knew that she was special. And now here she is all this time later and he will doing everything in his power to never let her go again)) "I think I could kiss those lips everyday for the rest of my life" ((he takes a huge gulp, realising he has just said that out loud..))