Joel Hokka / Blind Channel - ENEMIES WITH BENEFITS (English)

21 - so much more than that

"Hey sleepyhead. I was just about to check on you, it's already pretty late." Aleksi commented when I stepped out my room the next morning. I was forced to squint at the sight of the bright sunlight that was shining through the large windows. "Yes I know, I just didn't get a lot of sleep the past couple days. What are you looking at?" Pointing at Aleksi's phone that he was holding in one hand, I let out a big yawn and stretched my body. Twelve hours were a lot of sleep indeed.

"Joonas suggested that we try out this new burger place that opened up a couple of days ago before hitting the studio. It's not very far from here. Do you wanna come too?" He asked expectantly and almost looked pleadingly at me from below with his bright puppy eyes. I mean how could I say no when he was looking at me like that. "Sure, yeah." I gave the dark haired one a big thumbs up and smiled.

It was so nice that we were able to have these types of conversations again, it was almost too good to be true. "Then hurry, we're leaving in ten."

Being under pressure of time was nothing new to me, it took me exactly ten minutes to throw on an outfit and get ready. For that short amount of time I even thought I looked pretty decent.

It was a beautiful, sunny day in Oulu, yet it was still a little cold outside. I was glad Aleksi had convinced me to put on a jacket but overall the weather was really nice.

"I can't believe that everybody made it on time." Aleksi started laughing im amazement once the two of us spotted the five band members from afar. Since they were all dressed in black the band was not easy to miss. "Finally, Aleksi and Naomi are here. I am starving!" Tommi greeted us and rubbed his belly. "Hey there it's nice to see you too Tommi." I laughed and pulled the tall one into a friendly hug. I never noticed how tall the talented drummer actually was until now. My face was barely reaching that man's chest.

"Hey there." Niko gave me a big hug, followed by Olli and Joonas. It felt good to see them again, especially because the last time we had all been together left a bitter aftertaste, caused by the fight between Aleksi and Joel.

Speaking of Joel. He was standing to my left, his hands placed in the pocket of his jeans. I couldn't really see the looks he must have been giving me the whole time because he was wearing a big black sunglasses that covered his eyes. But I was certain his looks were of the most arrogant kind.

Why was this man so sinfully handsome looking? The blonde long hair that framed his face perfectly, that tight leather top that stuck to his skin like it was a part of his body, that black leather jacket and those tight black jeans that emphasized his long legs.

He was the literal embodiment of that one guy everyone warns you about. And I was the literal embodiment of that one girl that was stupid enough to fall for guys exactly like him, how tragic.

Something in me wanted to fight the urge to pull the blonde haired one into a hug. I wanted him to know that he shouldn't expect having an easy time with me, that all my words weren't for nothing. He already took nothing serious I was saying but if I would make it easy for him to get inside my head again now, he would probably lose all the respect for me he had left.
Then again it would have looked weird and suspicious if I hugged everyone but him and I wasn't in the mood for being interrogated.

"Hi." I said very dry and closed my arms around Joel's torso.

I hated how the innocent act of our bodies touching each other while hugging brought all those memories of feeling his hands on me and kissing him back to light.

I closed my eyes and inhaled the older ones manly, hypnotic scent. He smelled like black leather, a little bit of cologne and something I couldn't quite identify with my insensitive nose.