I CRIED AT THE OLD ME MV. our boys have come a long way my heart is melting 🥺
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*・。*゜・。・o゜・。*゜・。・o*゜・。・o*
"That's why you're so familiar!" Kyle muttered out loud while they were quietly assembling cameras the next day at nine in the morning which ultimately caused Theo to slightly jump and her heart race for a second. "You're the girl that trended right after they're discovered, yeah?"
She huffs, "I guess so." As she remembers how tiresome it was back in the day wherein the boys' fans were half-hearted into having some girl be included in the lives of their favorite band. Theo faced different kinds of hates just by casually seeing her with the boys anywhere they go, even as go about and ship her to the four consecutively just by a picture someone posted. She didn't want to fuel the hate anymore so they agreed to keep Luke and Theo's relationship as a secret and let the fans make hundreds of theories about her and 5 Seconds of Summer.
"Thanks for letting me in on the secret, Theo. Promise I'll keep it." He winked which caused her to shook her head.
"Make damn sure." Theo told Kyle last night over at the diner all he needs to know about everything—maybe not the whole lot—maybe not entirely the whole truth but she told him what he needs to know and that's good enough for her. She didn't need anyone else knowing that something manages to strike and destroy the life she had worked for so hard to keep. That she had to let go of things just to keep it from breaking. Theo just wanted to protect him, and that's what she's going to do in three months.
Protect Luke from the truth.
It didn't take long before Theo and Kyle finished setting up the cameras they need for the photo shoot today and the others for the tour itself. Kyle excused himself to grab a smoke break before it starts so she was left all to her thoughts—until a knock came out of the blue and she hurried to get the door for it might be the makeup artist and the stylist. They were going to shoot for the first poster so they had to make sure at the very least they look good there.
Retro but punk.
But boy was she surely unlucky when it wasn't either of the two, but someone who's unexpectedly early. "Theo." He greeted monotonously as if there's nothing more to it than a name. No sweet music or melody coming along with it.
"Hey, Luke. You're early." Theo managed to blurt out even if her hold on the camera tightens every minute. "Nothing's ready yet... Except us." Luke looked at her as if he's thinking but before she could even speak again, he replied.
"Oh, I'll just hang out then. I thought the stylist would be early." He checks his wristwatch and made his way inside, not minding whether he accidentally brushes her shoulders. At the other hand, Theo is screaming inside. This couldn't be happening, this couldn't be really happening.
He sat down on one of the couch and set aside the guitar he's holding while Theo steals glances towards the boy whose eyes in his phone. She couldn't help but dart her eyes towards a distinct mark on the guitar case she knew all too well. It sure left a mark there that easily says it's been there since day one, and she knew that because a sticker was once there and it's a wacky photo of hers that he cannot get over with.
It took her back years ago after the successful release of the band's second album when they were all incredibly sloshed, Luke had a bright idea of taking a photo of Theo with whipped cream on the nose, sporting the wackiest tongue out and eyes crossed picture—immediately regretting the next day when much to her chagrin, she sees the photo stuck in his guitar while all of them were laughing their asses off.
Theo brushes it off and started opening the lights on the studio, setting up everything and hearing the door opened once again—this time, it's the artist and the stylist, together with the rest of the boys whose surely surprised Luke was just casually sitting on the couch unbothered while Theo did some practice shots on the objects around her.
Kyle appeared minutes later when the boys were being tended to, raising his brow up and down playfully. "I beg you to behave." She whispered as soon as Kyle got closer and he chuckled.
"Only if you stop looking at him like that." Theo scrunches his brows. "What look?" She asks, "That." Kyle did his best to mimic the look she's doing but he couldn't do it exactly. His eyes couldn't justify it. "Just don't look at him like a lovesick ten-year-old." Her eyes widen and suddenly, looked away. Not believing what her partner just said about her—and not believing it was that obvious.
She heaves a sigh right after and several minutes later, Theo could almost swear Luke's laughter had her stopping all the same. He never really changed. Nothing changed about him. Not one thing at all. "5SOS! Nice to have you here today. Thank you for reining us with your presence." Kyle started, glancing at Theo with the look. "What we're gonna do first are a couple of group shot and solo shots from each of you." Theo remembered she gotta learn how to be really professional when in front of her ex. Most specially when they'll be close to each other for three damn months.
But that proved it impossible over and over again every damn time he smiles. It was a distraction from what she was trying to do but she managed to snap photos of them while keeping the feelings buried in her chest for two and a half years. Theo almost thought the shoot would never end but when Kyle finally says, "and we're done for the day, boys!" She let out a fucking breath. One that she'd been holding ever since Theo saw his beautiful face.
"You tried." Kyle whispered beside her which made her confused. "You tried to keep it in." He tries the look he's been doing a while ago, "This was trying and failing but at least you did." He taps her shoulders as she shoved him away and turned to work, tidying up just so they could be finally done for the day.
And Theo almost did it flawlessly—until Luke started strumming and humming on the background.
She wouldn't deny not listening to their recent songs twenty-four seven, because it was that fucking good and addicting. But hearing it right now being hummed by the vocalist brought her years back. The way they lie down next to each other and do nothing, foot with the others while hands intertwined, eyes gleaming at each other while Luke hums her favorite song. He's making her weak to the knees and she was far from liking it.
Theo couldn't just stand here and not remember anything when the very same man from her memories is sitting a few feet away from her.
But she bit the end of her tongue to stop herself from sobbing and continued to do the work twice as fast, finishing the very last pack and closing the studio lights friskly, making her way towards the door without another look even if Kyle kept calling her.
The fact that she's still so damn in love with a man who's probably light years away from feeling the same with her is so fucking foolish.
