The Fallen |BxB| ✓

32 | Afterglow

↞[Ken]↠

"I can't believe you're forcing me to do this. It's borderline abusive!" With an exasperated sigh, I looked back at Yuuri's slightly pixelated frowning face on my phone's screen. Scruffed pastel-pink hair messily falling onto half of his forehead, the peach matching his lips as they drooped lower, deepening his frown.

"You're obligated to help me as my friend!" Releasing my hair from the potential bun, I ran my hand through the roots, slightly tugging them. Is it too late to get a haircut?

"And I fucking did!" A groan rumbled through the phone speakers. "Dude, you look acceptable. Just tie that fucking nest, and you're good to go."

Acceptable. Staring at my reflection, weariness coursed through me. My worn-out shoulders slagged inside the black tuxedo that was hanging open, scrunched at the seam. The white dress-shirt underneath was thin and tucked under the trousers, edges forming unsightly triangular patches. "I look like you."

"What—"

"Delinquent." I fastened the tuxedo's button, but that didn't help either. Maybe it was my hair, which Yuuri did just call a nest. Patting down on the fuzzy mop wasn't helping. They kept reaching inside my collar, tickling my neck.

Weird noise from the speaker made me look back to Yuuri, now lost from the video, a bit of his pink hair peeking from the bottom of the frame. "You're so mean," he mumbled. His curls flopped before his head returned to view. "Bruh, you're wearing a tux. You'll blend in fine with the crowd. Put on that bowtie and get out of here."

"W-what if this contrasts with Luke's clothes?" I said as all the air left my lungs. This wasn't only about "mixing with the crowd," I had to look at least worth standing beside Luke. Then there was the whole dance... A tired grumble left my mouth as I unfastened the tux's button, feeling lightweight again.

"UGH! You're wearing black and white—the universal color. It goes with anything!" Yuuri slumped lower on his chair, the backrest making a small squeaking noise as he pushed further back. "Or text him what he's wearing if you're so worried about 'color-coordination.'" He air quoted the words with his fingers.

A slight knot tied in my chest. "He... He hasn't called. I think he's busy," I said in a small voice, my fingers tugging the tux button. "His last text was that he'd meet me directly at the venue."

"Bro, what the fuck?" Yuuri's voice went a few octaves higher, as he propped himself on the chair, back straightening, picking up his phone and moving it closer to his face. "You're okay with that? If he stands-up on you, I'll beat his face into strawberry pulp."

I snorted at Yuuri's statement, partially because his affectionate side was cute and otherwise how Luke was allergic to strawberries. "He won't," I claimed with a smile. We had spent half of yesterday getting back to Chesterfield. Then the other half at Luke's place, leaving us barely enough time to get prepared for prom. The whole time, he had been anxious about telling his father the truth.