The incident at the town happened 2 days after we left to go find the crystals.
Those 2 days quickly turned into a week.
And it's honestly amazing how much you get to know a person by spending every waking hour with him.
For 7 days straight.

I sighed as I squatted in front of the pile of wood L had dropped in front of me a few minutes ago before he wandered back into the woods. I stretched my hand out over it and lit it on fire, feeling the warmth envelope me immediately.
It's been a week.
We've been away from everyone for a whole week.
But for some reason, it didn't feel like a week to me.
It actually felt....shorter.

"If you lean in any further, you're gonna catch on fire," L's head appeared beside mine. I landed flat on my with a screech.
"L, you ! You wanna not scare me like that?"
"Last time I checked, I was giving you a friendly piece of advice," he smirked as he sat down next to me. "Don't want you to fall in and burn yourself."
"You are sooooo thoughtful," I replied, my voice dripping with sarcasm. From the corner of my eye, I could see L lower his head and smile to himself.
"Why do you always do that?" I looked over at him and asked.
He lifted his head and stared at me, his eyes reflecting the light of the fire. "Do what?"
"You know," I demonstrated by lowering my head until it touched my knees, "This."
He tilted his head and gave me a weird look. "Since when do I do that?"
"Whenever you smile."
"I so do not."
"You so do."
"You're seeing things."
"Then I must hallucinate a lot," I turned my head so I could look at him.

Our eyes met.
And unlike before, we each held our gaze, looking at each other in comfortable silence until a weird feeling in my chest made me look away.
I turned around so that my back was facing him and rubbed the spot over my heart.
Something felt like it was suffocating me but with an added sting.
And on top of that, the butterflies whirling around in my stomach wasn't helping.

Wait....butterflies.
You only get butterflies in your stomach if your nervous....or if you like somone.
But I can't like L.
He's a celebrity and I'm just come random girl he met online. Literally.
Plus he's been such a douche to me....

"You ok?" L asked. I could hear him inch his way over to me, but I didn't know how close he actually was until I turned around.
His face was literally an inch away from mine.
"Sorry," he quickly leaned away and moved over a little.
I shook myself out of my daze, "No...it's ok."

I quickly casted my eyes downwards, which didn't really help, considering I was now looking at his lips.
And memories of our "kissing" accident were now starting to flood back.
"I'm fine," I said quietly, waiting for him to get up and walk away.
Before this trip, he'd walk away every time he was even remotely close to me. If I got hurt, he'd blame it on me and call me stupid or something, and even if one of the Infinite members got hurt, it was always my fault in his eyes.
We were strangers,  a ticking time bomb waiting to explode, two chemicals not meant to react together.

But after what happened at the town, we talk all the time.
Maybe it's cause there's really no one else to talk to.
Maybe he felt bad that I almost got killed because of our agrument that day.
But he came and saved me...
Which basically cancels out the feeling bad option.
Ugh.
I don't know.
This is too confusing.

"I'm gonna go get some more wood," he got up slowly, looking at the fire that was quickly going out.

Call me crazy but I didn't want him to go.

"Wait," I reached my hand out and grabbed his sleeve. He turned his head around and looked at me. "You still didn't answer my question."
"What question?"
"You know....why you always hid your face when you smile."

L sat back down and stared at the fire, "Force of habit I guess."
"Force of habit?"
He nodded. "Back in Korea, I have an image to maintain since I'm a celebrity. My company basically told me to play the part of an ice prince."
"I thought you were the visual.."
"That too. Actually, being the visual makes it harder for me cause I'm the face of the group," he kicked some dead leaves into the fire, making it glow brighter for a second, "So whenever I smile too much, the rest of the group gets punished. Hence why I hide my face whenever I do. Force of habit."
I looked into the almost nonexistent fire, "Must be hard...not being to smile when you want to."
"Yeah...according to my fans, I turn into my alter ego whenever I smile."
"You have an alter ego?"
"You didn't think my parents actually named me 'L' did you?"

Thank goodness the fire was almost gone, otherwise he would've seen my tomato red face.
"Uhhhhh....no?"
He chuckled then pushed my head gently with his finger. "Pabo. My stage name is L. My real name is...."
"Is what?" I leaned in closer, just in case he whispers it.
"None of your business."
"Awwww c'mon," I poked his side, making him flinch sideways, "you still don't trust me? Even after being travel buddies for a whole week?"
"That sounds so freakin corny."
"Tell meeeee"
"No."
"Tell me!"
"I'm gonna go get more wood," he got up quickly and tried to escape but I beat him to it.

"TELL ME!" I yelled as I tackled him to the ground, tickling his sides. L melted into a fit of uncontrollable laughter, gasping for air as he tried to form words.
"Tell me your real name and I'll stop."
"Fine, I'll tell you!" He gasped out, "Just get off of me!"

I rolled off him and laid in the grass beside him, "If it makes you feel better, I'll tell you my real name too."
"Seriously?"
"After you tell me your's."

There was a small pause before I faintly heard his voice from beside me.
"Kim Myungsoo," he mumbled, turning his body so that his back was facing me. I turned myself around to face it then tapped his shoulder.
"I know, it's a weird name..." he grumbled.
"No," I smiled as he turned back around, his face just inches away from mine. "It's a cute name. I like it."
"So you think my name's cute?" he raised an eyebrow at me, making it my turn to roll my eyes.
"Don't push it buddy."

"Your turn," he said, tucking his arm under his head.
"Do I have to?"
"You're the one who offered, dummy."
"Yeah but-"
"Tell me..."
"You really don't have to know.."
"Tell me!" he was suddenly on top of me, poking at my sides. I was laughing so hard that tears were spilling out of my eyes.
"Ok fine!" I yelled, feeling his hands leave my side. He put them on the ground beside my head, trapping me between his arms. "You ...using my own trick against me."
"One, tickling has been invented before you were even born,  so I'm pretty sure it's not just your trick," he replied, "And two, it's called revenge, . Now spill."
"Fine," I turned my head to avoid his eyes, "my name's actually _______________."
"See? That wasn't so hard."

I scoffed, "Yeah...coming from the person I had to tickle first to get his name from him."
"I had to tickle you too."
"Yeah but you're older."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"Shouldn't you be like a 'good example' or something?"
"That's not how it works, smart one."
"Enlighten me then," I looked up him, getting drawn into his eyes. Even in the dim light, I could still see his face so clearly.

I extended my arm and reached for his face with my hand, touching it gently with my fingers before I felt his hand hold it against his face.
"And how do I do that?" he voice came out in a low whisper as he leaned in closer and closer. The fire behind us had completely gone out by this point.
"Use your imagination," I replied, feeling his forehead touch mine.

I don't know why I'm not fighting him or trying to throw him off me.
I don't know why I'm not telling him to get off me or to get his hand off my own.
I don't know why I was letting him get closer and closer to my face.

Is it even possible to start liking someone after going through everything L and I have gone through?
Is it even natural to have feelings for him after hating him since the beginning?

The answer was obvious and painfully clear.
No.

"Wait," I pulled my hand back and put it on his chest before his lips could touch mine. "We can't."
"Can't what?" He pushed himself up, finally giving me room to sit up.
"This," I motioned at us while avoiding his stare, "It...doesn't make any sense."
"Us being together?"
"Us doing anything remotely romantic," I said, trying to hold back tears. "Think about it L. We've hated each other since we met. How the hell would any romantic feelings make sense right now?"

"I guess they don't."

Author's Note

long update for you guys :)
i'm trying to stretch this story out if you guys didn't realize it by now lol xD i was going through my other stories and felt that i kinda rush into the relationship sometimes so i wanna make the "chasing" period a little longer than usual xD as weird as that sounds lol

about the title: "let’s do this the easy way, let’s be honest"~As Good As It Gets