just a lil filler

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"Are you actually—actually sure about what you're going to do?"

"Now that I think about it..."

"Kyle!"

"Theo!"

The two of us are arguing outside somewhere in the city in front of a shop because apparently, my partner right here, think it's a good idea to spend the day getting a tattoo. In London. Of all the place in the world he could get it to, of all the times, and chances he'll have after tour. He wanted to do it—right now. Just because—"Did you see that girl?! The tattoo on her neck? It was so cool!"

"It's a commitment." I say, agreeing. "But what are you even gonna get?" The boy looked at me then, as if thinking that made me shake my head. This was just plainly unbelievable.

"What about you? Do you even have a tattoo?" I smirked at his question, the bright boy he was knowing instantly the answer to his question. "What?! Where?" My hands fumbled on the neckline of my shirt and lowered it a bit down, his eyes bulging at the sight until he caught the black tattoo lined over my lower left chest, the infamous... five tally mark.

"Luke dared me to get a tattoo of the tally mark when we played spin the bottle that one time and well, yeah, that's the endgame of being young and drunk. My brother was livid to see me have a tattoo that none of my family knew about. Except the boys." He laughs as I covered it all the way, smiling at myself from the memory of me drunkly masking the pain with laughing too much I was already crying in front of my asshole boyfriend. "But the tattoo means a lot to me so you have to be sure you're gonna put something that means a lot to you, too!"

"Well..."

I was not surprised at all when Kyle got something I fully expected from him—I mean, I was rooting for something different. But it's no surprise anymore as soon as the stencil was on his forearm, and as soon as the minimalist drawing of a camera was going to be inked on his arm forever. "Is it fine? Does it look weird? Will it hurt?" He asks, for the tenth time around while lying down on the chair, about to get tattooed by a woman with hot pink hair.

"No, it doesn't! And for the last time, Kyle. You're going to be fine." I was not a witness to my own pain when I was drunk on mine. I just remembered crying so much from laughing all while Luke held on my hand, also laughing at my drunk ass. "Just stay calm—and don't pass out or I'm gonna leave you marooned here in London." He rolled his eyes, flipping me off that I laugh. Filming all his demise as soon as the girl started. "Don't be a baby! It's a small piece!" I chuckled, my hand shaking from all the laughter I was keeping inside just so I could encourage him to go through it.

"I'm kind of regretting it now." He says, holding on to my other hand tight that I kept laughing. "I'm regretting it, Theo. What do I do?!"

"Suck it up!"

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Three hours and a little touch ups later, we ventured more around the touristy parts of the city with the constant nagging of my partner who could not stop asking if his tattoo was ugly or not. "Kyle, it's really good, I swear. I kinda wanna get it myself but only when I'm not chickening the hell out of my ass all while trying—and visibly failing to flirt with the tattoo artist." He elbowed me which I instantly dodged away from, reminding him how he was turned down by a brit in the most british accent ever. 'Oh, I have a boyfriend, silly!'. That's gotta hurt.

"I tried, okay? But you ruined it for me!"

"I ruined—Kyle, you were holding on to my hand with face as red as a freaking tomato! You ruined it!" He finally laughed, realizing his stupidity and merely shrugged. "So, where are going next?"

"I don't know. Shopping?" We looked at an establishment in front of us, a shopping mall with a lot of staple brands more expensive than I can ever afford. "Or window shopping. Let's just go!" He knew I was reluctant to look around expensive places but it's that or food and god knows how full I am already from the number of dessert places we've been to before landing on the tattoo shop.

Though my first observation dropped at the fact that there's so many people around the place. It's a wonder if the brits are just generally rich or I'm just being frugal. Whatever it is, surely my eyes are envious from the places I've always wanted to splurge to. "God, how I would love to have ten red bottoms in this life." I mumbled, drooling over the heels I'll never wear but would love to look at twenty-four seven.

"I've never seen you wear heels." Kyle muttered, "In fact, I can't even see you wearing heels. You don't look like the type."

I snorted, "Maybe on my wedding day, I might. You'll never know!" My own self laugh at the insinuation while Kyle looked at me, smiling like that for some reason. Like there was a reason behind it I can't point out.

"Come on." To my surprise, he pulled me inside the place I would've thought twice on entering in plain clothes. But his grip was tight and there's no looking back as soon as we entered a yellow-lit place that looked as if I was transported back in the time of royalties and I'm a princess out of a fairytale book.

"Kyle. What are we doing here!" He pulled me along the sea of red where it had shelves full of heels I've been glossing over for the longest time.

"You can try out some if you like." Kyle shrugged, finally letting me go while I stood there dumbfounded about the whole thing. "It's okay. No one's gonna judge you." I sighed, setting myself down on a plush black chair looking at his encouraging nod. But knowing he's right. I'm somewhere in London far away from home, surrounded by strangers who I'll never see again, and I'm just trying it out. Who knows, right?

I might convince myself enough to buy one.

"Fine." He grinned, helping me up as he took the comforts of the chair and while I stood there, smiling ear to ear from seeing all the collections right in front of me.

I started picking up one by one, trying my best not to form a price on my head because it's probably really expensive and I don't wanna get attached to anything. One by one while I kept asking Kyle if he's fine—but it didn't seem to bother him and I start wondering what the hell has got into him. I could remember he kept needing a cigarette break at two in the afternoon, right on the clock, yet it's already way past two and he's still as a statue. "You're bugging me out, Kyle Jimenez. Is it the tattoo? Are you gonna pass out?"

He furrowed his brows. "What?"

"You're a smoker following a strict timeframe for your addiction. You should've been pulling me away now to take a smoke. And you're not. So? Are you close to passing out or?"

He laughed then, as I stood wearing a high heeled red bottom with a sheer design. As if I was wearing a glass slipper littered with lavish gems and spikes. "I'm not gonna pass out, Theodora." I rolled my eyes at the mention of my full name, walking back to the mirror and heaving in content as I watched how it looked so good even if I was wearing jeans! I don't doubt it'll look good everywhere. "It's entertaining watching you get heart eyes from shoes. I thought it's all gonna be for Luke, you know?"

His name reminded me of how much I already missed him even if we're not even miles apart. He's just somewhere with the band, hoping he's thinking of me, too.

Wow. That's the most teenager thing I've said in years.

"You like that, don't you?" Kyle quipped, pulling me back from reality that I sighed again.

"Yeah, I do. It's too pretty." I sat down beside him, finally over from the day and putting back the last Louboutin in the stand before turning back to him. "I can save up for it if 5SOS still gives me a job after tour."

"Oh, no doubt. Those boys couldn't even last a day without you!" I chuckled at the thought, "And how come you have the same size as the display?! We never even have to ask for assistance."

"I have small feet. It's the pros."

Kyle hauled me away from the boutique and we ventured farther on the mall. Stopping for window shopping along the way, until he found a shoe store and I think we've spent—thirty minutes longer than I did on the boutique before he stood in front of me carrying a big bag of shoes. "You know? You surprise me sometimes."

"How?"

"He asked, dumbfoundedly. With a brand new tattoo and two pair of branded shoes." I reiterated sassily while pointing at his arm and the bag, making him laugh.

"Oh—well, I kinda saved up for London. It's on my bucketlist. To spend as much money I could in the City of Dreams." He winked, my eyes rolling at him as I finally pulled him away and walked with the sea of people around us getting fewer as the day slowly pass.

"My bucketlist is halfway filled—oh, sorry!" My shoulder bumped with a figure while I was stupidly fumbling on my bag, about to call Luke and ask how he's doing. My head leveled up, finding voice to apologize again when I stopped and furrow my brows at the sight of the person in front of me. "Ash!" Instantly, I brightened at the fact that their holding the band day near and Luke was going to be around, too.

I do admit already missing his face so much. "Theo?!" He looked taken aback that Kyle even widened his eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"Uhh... hello to you, too. And Kyle and I are just window shopping. By Kyle I meant—me. How about you? Where's the three? Luke?" We were along more expensive boutiques of jewelry and my head scoured against each person, thinking if my attention span missed my boyfriend by chance when Ash stood right in front of me with a big smile on his face.

"Theo! What do you say we go to this restaurant the boys and I found a while ago. It's called Wild Honey. You and Kyle should go first to save us seats while I gather the rest? We'll meet there!" I opened my mouth to say something when Kyle was already holding on to my arm, "We won't be long! Promise!" We took the escalator down that I turned back, catching Calum's figure going out of a boutique before Kyle fully gathered all my attention.

"Are you excited to see Prince Charming again?" I nodded, smiling, albeit feeling a little weird about that meeting.

"Hey, do you think Ash is acting a little weird a while ago?"

"What weird?" He asked, offering a hand down as we walk towards the concierge.

"I don't know... like he's hiding something from me." Kyle chuckled at that, looking at him as he pat on my shoulders encouragingly.

"You're just overthinking it, Theo. I think he's just surprised to find you in the same place. I'm sure it's nothing."

Though that wasn't what my nagging gut was telling me. It's... gotta be something.

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patience is a virtue