╔═════════════════════════════╗
in which the morning after resulted in
the best and the worst !╚═════════════════════════════╝
╭────────────────────────╮
THE PRESENT: MARCH 17, 2021
╰────────────────────────╯
adelaide let the early morning greet her, drifting upon calm seas whilst at ease with the fluidity of time. the brunette returned in the moment, embraced by birds bringing sweet high notes. filling her lungs with fresh air, she permit her world come into focus as she nuzzled the side of her face further into the pillow she laid on, pressing her cheek deeper into the soft fabric to regain comfortableness in bed before her skin brushed against something firmer than the cushion of a feathered pillow. fluttering her eyelids open, the chestnut haired girl let her jaw grow lax as she exhaled a yawn before lifting her head from the bed, beholding the sight of a grey cotton t-shirt that looked more than familiar.
"hm?" the girl quizzed aloud, flickering her focus onto her palm that laid amongst the cotton fabric below her. adelaide picked up her head until she properly sat up along the soft the mattress, pressing her hand deeper onto the t-shirt until she recognized that she laid on a sleeping alex.
with a palm remaining on his chest, adelaide perched upright for a moment just to take in the sight. slowly adjusting her tired eyes to the sun radiance peeking through the closed window shades beside her, she kept her focus fixated on the gentle rise and fall of alex's sternum, basking in the way his soft breaths indicated his own peace and serenity in the early morning. with a closed smile, adelaide lowered her attention to her hips, where alex tightly wrapped both of his arms around her waist despite his sleeping being. keeping her eyes fixated on his unwavering limbs, adelaide rose the hand she previously had on alex's chest to profusely rub her half-lidded eyes—rubbing her eye sockets to assume she wasn't dreaming of this perfect morning.
adelaide quickly inhaled a sharp breath when she acknowledged what she had to do—that she had to execute the inevitable. gradually lowering her hands, the girl ever so gently grasped alex's arms, keeping her touch feather light to ensure that she wouldn't awake her ex-lover. cautiously moving his limbs away from her hips, adelaide slowly tore his arms away from her waist before she heard a noise of protest. "nu uh," alex huskily mumbled below her, keeping his eyelids shut as he swiftly tightened the tender yet iron grip around adelaide's waist.
the girl snapped her focus upwards, where she lifted her gaze from alex's secured arms and sought the face of a sleeping boy in spite of the clear consonants that just escaped his lips. "p- pardon?" adelaide puzzled, slightly tilting her head to the side out of confusion.
"i said..." alex began in a low tone, barely opening his eyelids just a tad to see his ex-lover lean her head further in curiosity. the black haired boy had to bite his tongue to refrain from chuckling, trying his best to not split into a smile from the adorable sight. "i said 'nu uh', do i need to repeat myself?"
pursing her lips outwards, adelaide groggily remarked, "alex, let go. i have to-" but before she could finish her sentence, the black haired boy made his grasp slightly tighter, making adelaide halt in her verbal directions as her breath hitched to his rough yet merciful grip. the girl darted her awareness from the ivory limbs swaddling her hips and onto the porcelain skin of her ex-lover, where she barely saw the corner of alex's lips curl upwards into a smirk despite his eyelids still being closed shut. adelaide huffed out a heavy breath, knowing well enough that the boy was just pretending to sleep to toy with her. deciding to play along, the girl methodically laid her hands back on alex's chest below her before letting her voice go incredibly soft, "alex... please."
it was breathy at most, almost as if the last syllables merely died unsaid on her tongue with the way she pronounced alex's name like the exhalation of a sigh. with her delicate tone that was purely to fragile to ignore, the boy dropped his act whilst he snapped his eyelids open to behold a grinning adelaide. melting to the sight of the pearly whites that made his heart race, alex was almost positive that his ex-lover could feel his organ ferociously pound under the dainty hand placed on his chest. "y- yeah?" the boy probed shakily, letting his heart and mind go into overdrive.
the chestnut haired girl rolled her shoulders back as she straightened her neck, permitting the tight muscle from her deep slumber to grow loose. "your- your hands," adelaide whispered as an answer, allowing the curl of her lips to go impossibly upwards; in which alex questioned if her cheeks burned from the way she upheld such a bright grin.
as the boy adored how adelaide's genuine smile shone brighter than the morning sun beaming through his bedroom window, alex's tone grew unimaginably lower through his sleepy state. "what about my hands?" the black haired boy playfully lilted, perfectly displaying the taunt that was laced in his voice. amongst his teasing banter, alex simultaneously slithered his hands inwards to prop them along adelaide's waist, rubbing small reassuring circles all along the way.
alex's touch was enough to make sparks fly. adelaide trailed her tongue over her teeth as she shook her head softly, in which no one but the most observant would notice the faint glimmer of fervor in her irises—but alex was more than analytical. with the boy's cheeks waning into a flushed pink colour and the girl's racing pulse pounding like a rabbit's, the body warmth between them grew electric. the heat was immense along each other, making the electricity between them strike harder than a lightning bolt.
the boy felt his stomach turn upside down, tying his intestines into a knot whilst he sat unprepared and bracing himself for the unraveling adelaide was about to heckle him with. "you need to lift them," the girl piped up, breaking the silence.
"hm?" alex mused back, ardorous fuzz coloring the edges of his brain as he laid distracted with the way his own palms perfectly molded against adelaide's hips, almost as if his tender touch was destined to be there.
adelaide hummed, almost as if she purred in admoration for the gawked expression plastered across her ex-lover's face. the coat of rosy pigment against his ivory cheeks only fueled the flame of egotistical fire adelaide was portraying. straightening her posture, the girl smugly answered, "lift your hands—your arms, alex. i need to make us breakfast."
the black haired boy let out a sharp exhale, but the sly grin that grew along his lips contradicted the vainglorious of it all. pushing his palms deeper into the divots of adelaide's hips, he continued to flash his pearly whites as he boldly challenged, "who said i wanted to let go of you?"
the girl let out a scoff, rolling her tongue amongst the inside of her cheek all the way through. she shook her head softly in denial, tearing her vision away from alex for her own composure. placing her own hands along the boy's palms, adelaide tried to pry her ex-lover's grasp off her waist as she playfully threatened, "alex, you better let go of me or else i will-"
"or what?" the boy taunted, cutting his ex-lover off as the fuzziness of fervor only grew around the corners of his mind. alex merely lit up with smugness as he made his grip go impossibly tighter along her hips, executing an iron grip that was barely soft enough to not bruise. "go ahead, try to leave," alex ribbed lowly, allowing his sudden radiance of dominance speak faster than his tried mind could comprehend.
however, despite the underlying taunt in his words, adelaide sat unwavering. the girl was quick in restricting her temptation to rub that sly smile off of her ex-lover's face and make alex eat his own damn words. as a result, adelaide just batted her eyelashes innocently, staring down at alex with such vehemence that her flaming ego radiated off of her chest. "try to?" she heckled right back, her own audacious expression emerging across her face. instantaneously, adelaide innocently leaned downwards, removing her hands from alex's own to place a gentle palm on alex's chest once again.
the boy flicked his focus from his ex-lover's enticing stare and down onto the perfect hand spread so delicately amongst his sternum. with his breath already faltering from the intimate sight, alex choked on his words as he breathily uttered, "i dare you to," lifting the back of his head off of his pillow as he cheekily proposed such a challenge.
adelaide knew well enough that only two words hung over them, two words and two syllables that would only break the growing, flaming tension between them—yet it was only a matter of it the girl had the guts to say them or not. the duo consistently stared at one another under the emerging sunrise, absorbing one another's intensity under the others zealous stare. however, alex's gaze stood menacingly, almost as if he was daring adelaide to say the teasing phrase right here and now. despite the heated friction that was evident between the pair, the ex-lovers were on thin ice, debating if their blazing tension should be one to shatter the skimpy frost below them. lucky enough for adelaide, she was never one to think twice or back twice from a challenge—and alex knew that—therefore, the girl decided to smash the thin ice below them and allowed the two, taunting words to fall.
darting her tongue over her lips, adelaide didn't hesitate to lean further, breaking the distance between her and her ex-lover. with her face only centimeters away from alex's own, the girl pressed her palm deeper into the grey fabric of the boy's t-shirt as the pairs lips barely grazed one another. with a radiance of power merely spitting off of her tongue, adelaide snickered, "make me."
the black haired boy tilted his head back into the pillow behind him in smugness before scanning his ex-lover up and down, dramatizing the entire movement until adelaide merely squirmed under his strict gaze. "oh, a- adel," alex sputtered, taken aback by her sudden yet predicted sneer as his cheeks grew even redder. "and if i do?"
immediately softening his grip along adelaide's hips from surprise, the girl took advantage of his loose grasp as she snaked out of her ex-lover's arms and rose the hand she previously had on his chest. the chestnut haired girl flung her legs off of the mattress before flashing her head over her shoulder. letting her caramel coloured locks fall behind her, adelaide parted with a playful wink before leaving the bed to interrupt alex and quip, "how do banana pancakes sound for breakfast?"
alex let his jaw go unhinged, permitting his mouth to fall agape to emit a response, but his ex-lover was already out of the bedroom. the boy shook his head with a grin; these were the mornings he missed after three years, the interactions he desired after so much lost time, the simple bond he desperately wanted to rekindle after so long. alex wanted to bask in this moment just a little while longer, hoping to indulge in this dream he was living in. "coming!" he chirped, goofily grinning as he happily hoisted himself out of bed.
whilst alex turned the corner into the living room, he found his ex-lover in an oversized black hoodie and mesmerized by the vinyl player on a corner shelf, adoring the turntable as she traced her index finger along the tonearm, gawking at the way her padded fingerprint lifted the needle. "like it?" alex suddenly queried, breaking the silence.
adelaide immediately snapped her head upwards to tear her focus away from the record player. "love it. it's just like the record player i have back home in mexico," the girl observed with a soft smile.
"wait until you see what vinyl this airbnb has," the boy quipped, sauntering toward the sound system alongside his ex-lover. "look," alex directed as he picked up a vintage vinyl from a nearby crate that was filled with records.
the girl took the record cautiously, taking the huge disk out of its paper barrier before letting her jaw drop. "holy shit, 'all of my love'... the original?" adelaide giddily puzzled, her expression lighting up like a child in a candy store.
"the original—the original led zepplin track and all," alex simply replied with a slight nod and grin of his own.
"it seems like the same exact-" the girl began before the boy finished the sentence for her.
"the same exact song we danced to—yeah. the same track as our first dance at prom," the black haired boy finished.
"let me spin it," adelaide gloated, easily displaying her excitement as she methodically placed the black vinyl along the record player. carefully picking up the tonearm, the girl warily let the needle fall amongst the spinning record as the slow rock song began to play.
should i fall out of love, my fire in the light
alex leaned in to prop his chin amongst adelaide's shoulder, rubbing his porcelain skin along the thick fabric laying on her shoulderblade. snapping his attention to the fleece below him, a small smirk portrayed amongst his lips as he tugged on the soft, black cotton his ex-lover wore. pinching the fleece with his index finger and thumb, he questioned, "is- is this mine?"
to chase a feather in the wind
but before the girl could respond with an answer, alex's hand quickly darted to her waist; in which the boy hastily spun his ex-lover around to face him. picking up the bright orange hoodie strings that laid amongst her chest, the boy opened his mouth to speak but adelaide admitted, "yes, yes this hoodie is yours."
within the glow that weaves a cloak of delight
"it's- it's my merch," alex analyzed breathily, playing with the orange string of the sweatshirt, twirling and twisting them between his fingers.
there moves a thread that has no end
"sorry, i- i can give it back if you want. it was the first jacket i saw so-" adelaide defended, rambling in a sense to testify her reasoning for stealing such a thing.
for many hours and days that pass ever soon
"no, no," the boy cut off, finally tearing his vision away from his hoodie and back onto the eyes he always melted in. "wear it, keep it even. it looks better—cuter—on you anyway."
the tides have caused the flame to dim
adelaide put her head down in flusteredness, staring at the carpeted living room floor whilst feeling an immediate wave of heat rush to her cheeks. "alex... you can't say-"
at last the arm is straight, the hand to the loom
"shh. c'mon, adel. can i have this dance?" alex politely asked, holding his hand out as his tone was laced with honey—so sweet and saccharine that one could never deny such a request.
is this to end or just begin?
"it'd be an honor," the girl chimed, giggling as she watched her ex-lover dramatically bow before her as she lifted her head and placed her hand in his.
alex's palm stayed resting on adelaide's waist, but the other stayed interlaced amongst her own as they shot their linked hands outwards. the girl took a step back first, allowing alex to mirror her movement as he puzzled, "are you alright?"
adelaide settled her head on alex's shoulder, basking in the way her cheek sunk comfortably into the cotton of his t-shirt. "yes?" she vacillated, the singular syllable coming out more as a question of her own than an answer to alex's concern. "why?"
all of my love, all of my love
the boy squeezed the hand that he held, compressing adelaide's palm in his as a sign of endearment as the pair swayed in each other's arms. "i mean actually okay... after samuel and all. i would only want the best for you and despite the fact that i'm not speaking from experience, i know it must be hard to-"
the pair was performing box steps, holding one another under the morning daylight as if it was the only thing to do in the world. however, adelaide lifted her face from alex's shoulder to reprimand, "cállate [shut up]."
"i know you don't want to talk about it." alex slowly lifted his hand, allowing the girl's own to do the same when under his grasp. with their hands intertwined above their heads, the boy gently spun adelaide with the soft rock song filling the space between them. "but i just want to know you're alright," alex concluded.
the girl let out a heavy sigh as she turned back to face the boy, resting her head amongst alex's shoulder once again like a defensive strategy. "i don't want to think about him—ever again. i just want to leave him behind, leave everything behind. i don't even want to hear his name anymore—hell, i wish i could just erase him from my memory," she vented.
all of my love to you, oh
if alex knew anything about his ex-lover, it was that adelaide's coping mechanism consisted of shoving her emotions down until she burst—it was unhealthy. the boy hopelessly wished to help, but he thoroughly understood that it was best to solely be a shoulder to lean on—literally and figuratively. "i get it," he mumbled, rubbing reassuring circles into her hip with his free hand. comfortable silence grew between the duo as they swayed back and forth, indulging in one another's intimate presence until alex broke it. "i've—uh—i've missed you," the boy confessed.
"stop," adelaide began, keeping her chin propped on his shoulder but halting in her footsteps to stop the affinity of their slow dancing. the led zeppelin song was background noise now, especially since the racing hearts between the pair emitted a ferocious drum beat of its own. "you- you don't get to say that—not after all this time, not when you were the one to ruin us in the first place."
all of my love, all of my love, oh
"i know," the boy admitted with a soft sigh, heavily accepting his underlying guilt but letting adelaide feel his hot breath against her neck to ease all her tension away. "but if it makes you feel any better, i know you better than he does—more than he ever will."
"oh, really?" adelaide quizzed, nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck. "i don't believe that one bit, alex. it has been three years since you've known me."
"i remember a lot," the boy professed whilst adelaide could hear the prominent smile he was portraying from his lively tone.
"like what? remember what?" the girl inquired with evident curiosity laced in her tone, tucking her lower lip under her teeth to refrain from grinning so wide.
all of my love to you
"i remember how you always liked to be tickled here," alex proposed before his fingertips brushed her upper hip, barely grazing against the high dip of her waist to make adelaide squirm just the slightest.
letting a giggle escape her lips from the sensitive touch, adelaide quickly suppressed the remains of her guffaws before testifying, "that's not fair, tickle spots never change."
the cup is raised, the toast is made yet again
"okay, well... i remember how you always liked my hands in your hair," the boy added, then his free hand darted to the back of adelaide's neck—ever so slowly, ever so softly—resting his palm on the electric skin of her neck to make the girl exhale a light sigh against his neck. without hesitation, he tangled his calloused fingertips through her chestnut colored locks, running his hand through the back of her head like it was a comb that belonged there.
one voice is clear above the din
alex was gentle, more than tender. nonetheless, adelaide couldn't do anything but let breathy sighs escape her lips. it felt so wrong and right all at once. the girl simply wanted to close her eyes and remember what could have been, what their past consisted of. let alone, their previous love consisted of this—this tenderness in his touch, this sincerity laced in his tone, this overall endearment in every inch of his body. as a matter of fact, this was what adelaide fell in love with back in highschool. this was the feeling that she yearned after three years. the chestnut haired girl wanted to let go, fully permit alex into taking her back to the place she hasn't dared to crawl back to in three years.
but when something feels so familiar and foreign all at once... what is a girl supposed to do when her familiar past and foreign future threaten to collide instantaneously? was adelaide supposed to give into such temptations that set her skin ablaze or run like hell and never turn back?
"i- i remember every detail—every little thing about you," alex quipped huskily as adelaide leaned her head backwards to indulge in his tender graze just a little while longer. after his fingertips met her split ends, he dragged his strong palm down the small of her back until he met her hip once again—both hands holding their grip on her waist. "with someone like you, adel, it's quite hard to forget. so tell me... do i know you better than he does?"
proud arianne one word, my will to sustain
the girl clicked her tongue, ticking her jaw to fight the growing temptation of impulse in her stomach; the butterflies were growing overwhelming, the feeling of cartwheels being performed in her stomach. barely catching her breath from incredulity, adelaide probed, "then, wha- what's my favorite color?"
alex chuckled to the question, almost as if the simple answer to her interrogation was second nature. "easy, blue—navy—navy blue, the deep blue like my lafd beanie back home," the boy rebutted with a soft smile.
for me, the cloth once more to spin, oh
adelaide buried her head deeper onto her ex-lover's shoulder, nodding her face against his neck as a response—however, alex feeling her smile against his heated, ivory skin was enough of an award for answering the question correctly by itself. "when's my birthday?" adelaide additionally quizzed.
"may 16th. you're a taurus—whatever the hell that means," alex easily responded, quick to answer.
she chuckled at his, allowing alex feel her warm breath fan against his already aflame skin. "what about a memory from high school? wha- what was my favorite class back in the day?"
"bad question," alex trumpeted, adelaide merely hearing his lips curl into a predatory grin that only made a cold shiver run down her spine. "too easy, psychology with mr. sanchez... why else would you pursue a major in psychology?"
"that- that's fa-" adelaide began as she raised her head to look at alex face to face.
"fair?" the boy finished rasping, immediately concluding the unfinished thought for his ex-lover. "i can keep going—ramble about you for hours, i mean."
all of my love, all of my love, oh
adelaide furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, and alex only grinned wider at the sight. the boy swiftly lowered his forehead to meet her own. with their lips barely brushing one another, alex opened his mouth and leaned impossibly closer, making adelaide's breath falter as she fought the dying temptation to close her eyelids and kiss him. "you prefer watching the sunrise over the sunset, but if anyone asks—you tell them you love the sunset more because you think your opinion is controversial. but, you solely adore the sunrise because it always portrays a bright orange hue amongst the horizon, which is why orange is your second favorite color. you hate tomatoes, but not for the taste, only the texture. you-"
"i don't believe it," adelaide replied—breathy—her words being professed like a heavy sigh.
"believe it, believe me," the boy bragged almost too confidently, his ego burning on the tip of his tongue. "he- he would never take the time to know the things i do, huh? to really take the time and patience to understand every..." alex paused mid-sentence to inhale a sharp breath, making adelaide question his sudden halt until she felt small circles being rubbed into her hip. "...every inch and thought of yours like i do."
all of my love to you
adelaide could feel her pulse racing against her neck, overwhelmed by her heartbeat, her thoughts, her impulse, and her overall overridden emotions for her ex-lover. "alex, that doesn't mean-"
"mean what? because the last time i checked, a blonde girl was the last thing on his mind," alex grumbled huskily, rolling his chocolate beaded irises in disgust.
adelaide faltered for only a second, as this was the moment she realized she'd not only misinterpreted alex's words—but his actions—his selfishness for so many years. it was in this moment that her words stopped and died on her tongue. it was in this moment that her brain circuited to an automatic conclusion. it was in this moment that her heart broke, the type of heartbreak that led to a wave of grief rushing over her.
"wha- what did you just say?" the girl queried, hoping that alex would repeat himself to ensure that she wasn't imagining his previous statement.
"samu— he would never take the time to know you like i did, especially with the blonde girl you caught him with, right?" the boy recited, pinching his own eyebrows together as he watched shock emerge across adelaide's face.
"b- blonde girl?" adelaide questioned, her voice a pitch higher as she interrogated her ex-lover.
alex knit his eyebrows further. "yea- yeah? isn't that who he-"
"alex, i never told you that samuel cheated on me with a blonde girl," adelaide boomed, retracting the arms around alex's neck and drawing her hands into her own space like a shield of defense. "i never said that, i- i never told you such a thing. how- how did you know that—that samuel cheated on me with a blonde?"
the boy's eyes widened, his coffee beaded irises dilating until they merely popped out of its socket. "i- i just assumed," alex spat, lying right through his teeth as a pit of regret in his stomach grew deeper. "adel, i don't know why this matters if-"
"alex!" adelaide snapped, her voice unwavering and strict for once—her tone completely altering the previous soft, intimate mood of the room. the girl let out a hard scoff, disbelief coursing through her veins. "did- did you know?"
"k- know what?" alex flicked his focus somewhere else—anywhere else. overanalyzing the grey living room walls behind his ex-lover and hyperfixating on the selective black and white painting that hung against the drywall. staring at the airbnb portrait as a hopeless distraction, the boy avoided locking his eyes with adelaide as he spit lies.
"alex!" the girl yelled from fury, forcefully pushing alex's shoulder back with her palm. she was burning with rage now, but tears stood on the brink of falling down her rounded cheeks. "you- you knew? are you lying? you can't lie to me, i know when you're ly-"
before adelaide could jump into such conclusions, alex let the wave of guilt take over—letting himself come clean. "yes... yes i knew," alex murmured as adelaide's eyes widened in such dubiety. "i- i knew the night we went out—the night we met up and went on a grocery run. i—um—outside of your apartment complex, i saw him. i found him kissing a blonde."
adelaide took a shallow breath, desperately trying to compose herself despite her overriding emotions. "so- so you kept it from me? the whole night? you- you didn't tell me? not one muscle in your body told you to tell me the truth? you just lied to me, easily bluffed the entire evening?" the girl jabbered, a singular tear trickling down her heated cheek.
"adel, i did it for your own good-" alex elaborated, his own eyes growing watery as he pleaded his case. the boy's eyes were begging to be pardoned, his deep irises mirroring mere prayer hands to ask for forgiveness; in which the sight only made adelaide's heart break into two.
"my own good, my own good?!" the girl yelped, raising voice in shock as she immediately wiped her watering eyes with her wrists. "you don't get to decide what's good for me! you- you can't say you know what's best for me when you lie in front of my fucking face!"
"adel, please. just calm down, please-" the boy rambled, trying his best to defended himself as he lifted his hands to reach out toward his ex-lover.
adelaide instantly dodged his touch, and her reaction was the reason why alex's sobs finally rushed down his ivory skin. "i cannot believe you. i- i genuinely cannot wrap my head around you sometimes. i'm- i'm leaving," the girl murmured, her throat burning from yelling and suppressing their weeping.
"wait! adel, please-" alex begged, swiftly reaching out once more to grab adelaide's hand before she could resist. the second her hand was in his own, he covered his palm on top of hers in such a desperate manner that even his touch was imploring her to not leave.
nonetheless, adelaide swiftly tore her hand away from alex's own as tears uncontrollably flooded down her face. "you walked away on me once, you- you weren't happy for me back then... h- happy for me three years ago... yet you simply could not learn your lesson and be happy for me now, huh?" the girl consistently sputtered and choked on her sobs, yet the simple sight was enough to have alex's heart shatter into a million pieces. "i cannot believe i found myself in this predicament once again. you- you selfish bastard! you only think of yourself, huh? fuck off."
"adel-" alex insisted, his vulnerable self rising to the most depressing tidings, the weeping of his growing louder despite his intention to keep them quiet and desolate.
but this was a scene they both knew two well, a situation that identically mirrored an incident from merely three years ago.
"adel, no. it's nothing like that i promise-" alex wept, but before he could finish his sentence, his front door slammed shut.
a/n:
LETS GOOO, ANOTHER 5.2k+ word chap bc i'm INSANE:DD !
but adel++alex arguing breaks my heart legitimately into two<//3
plus, if you haven't listened to "all my love" by led zeppelin before—PLEASE DO ! it matches this chap so well, the happy&&sad parts, so listen to it if you can:'D but also, i ADORE this chap, it's my fav piece of writing SO FAR ! so idcidc if you hate it, i love it w/all my heart.
otherwise! how do we feel about today's chap? how's everybody doing? remember that ily:')
-a<33333