To Put On An Act [bxb]

Chapter 17 - YOU LOOK GOOD COVERED IN RED

When Alex had dropped off Youngbin back at his house last night, somehow long past midnight, he'd promised him that he'd be back again, just the next day, and pick him up a second time.

Naturally, Alex had kept his promise, and he drove Lani's car down Youngbin's clean and proper neighbourhood, a bag of newly bought hair dye lying on the backseat. They'd planned to get a drink at Neverland, then drive by Alex' place and do unspeakable horrors to Youngbin's beautifully healthy hair. Alex, in all honesty, had never been more excited for anything in his life.

He'd done Margo's hair before, had in fact been dying her hair neon pink for ages, he'd done the dark blue money pieces in Lani's hair, and one time, long ago, he'd also given Leia a platinum blonde streak, though she'd gone over that with cheap black box dye a couple of months ago.

However, there was something about dying Youngbin's hair specifically. Maybe he'd gain a little more confidence with a fresh coat of paint, and that thought, Youngbin feeling happy in his skin, was worth more than anything else.

Or maybe, the truth was that Alex had been yearning to touch Youngbin's soft, fluffy, wavy hair for a little too long now, and now he'd finally get the chance to do so. A selfish reason, maybe, but when was Alex not acting selfish?

Last night's storm had left large puddles on the side of the road, dirty cars, drowning plants in stone front yards, and a sky that was still cloudy, grey, and rather depressing to most people. Alex wasn't bothered. He was above letting the colour of the clouds dictate his mood.

Plus, Neverland was always the kind of place that looked sunny. He'd been there during the deepest darkest winter and still walked out refreshed and awake. Maybe it was the warm lights and pastel colours, maybe the fact that the windows were always covered up with curtains to shut out storm, weather and the end of the world, or perhaps the trio of absolute sunshines that ran this place were at fault.

Either way, Neverland was quite literally a safe space, and Alex was weirdly giddy about bringing Youngbin there once more.

Of course, they'd been there before, on the very same day they had met. Almost a full month ago. A month. How fast the time had gone by. How much they had changed. Together, that was, as a duo, as fake boyfriends, as friends. When they had met up at Neverland that day, it was to discuss their plans and their boundaries and their expectations. Their acting. And now? Alex just wanted to have a good time with him. That was it. Alex had simply invited Youngbin because he wanted to spend time with his friend.

He had to repeat that word in his head a little more lately. So he wouldn't get any strange ideas. To Alex' dismay, the little fly that was a silly meaningless crush was still circling his head, day and night, with a buzz that could become awfully loud at times. So, he told himself again and again, the two really were just friends, no matter what they were pretending to be in front of everyone else. And it'd stay that way. It had to. Because last time he'd let this crushing on a friend bullshit get to his head, Leia happened. And it was not going to be like this with Youngbin. He wouldn't let that happen.

Maybe a silly little afternoon tea date and a subsequent strangely intimate hair dying session wasn't the greatest way to not let anything happen though. Alex sighed, and parked his car regardless, this time right in front of Youngbin's house. He got out, brushed some dust he wasn't sure actually existed from his jeans, then made his way along the neatly kept front lawn towards the front door.

He rang the doorbell, and nearly instantly, the door opened. In front of him wasn't Youngbin, but rather someone equally, if not more excited. A large smile with a tooth gap welcomed him, along with an excited giggle.