We Don't Talk Anymore- Zelo

Small Practice Stories

Song- We don't talk anymore by Charlie Puth

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Zelo looked at the pictures on his phone. Two years later and he still has them in a special album, too precious to him to delete. Every one, no matter how dumb or meaningless, was saved and looked at at least once a week.

 He clicked on one that he took on their first date. It took him months to ask you out, months of planning and worrying. But it was worth it when you looked up at him, curled a piece of hair behind your ear, and said yes with the biggest smile. After a nerve wrecking week he finally took you out to the beach. It started awkwardly, shy conversation and long pauses, but warmed up like the weather that day. By the end you both were holding hands and watching the sunset together, quiet and comfortable. He took the picture when your head was resting on his shoulder and you both had soft smiles illuminated by the orange glow of the fiery sunset.

The next was on your six month anniversary. Because he was an idol, it was hard to go out and go on dates, but you never complained. You told him that you had made plans so not to worry, but he still did. You were the first girl he liked that much, the first he had a serious enough relationship with. He fretted for days, asking his hyungs what would be the best thing to get you, wondering if he is doing enough for you. Eventually he showed up and his nerves vanished when he saw the dinner and effort you had put in for it. The picture was taken on your couch, with the gentle flickering of candles and the movie they were watching. He had just given you his present, chosen with help from Yongguk and Himchan. It was promise rings, a symbol of only wanting to be with each other. Of promising to be together for a very long time. The picture this time was of bright smiles that seemed too big to be real, but they were. 

Before he clicked the next one there was a knock on his door.
"Zelo your girlfriend is here, do you want me to let her in here?" Yongguk asked.
"No thanks I'll be right out." Zelo replied and when Yongguk left, he clicked on the last photo. 

It was one that he probably clicked on the most. It was from a date sometime around your one year anniversary. He showed up that day tired from practice and constant schedules. Mentally and physically exhausted, he walked into your apartment like a zombie. You both had agreed, not very enthusiastically, to meet that day. He looked for you in the living room, the room where you and him had spent countless times together, watching dramas and movies, or cuddling up close in the winter, or more recently spent the time sitting next to each other, falling asleep or reading.

 The next place he looked was the kitchen. The memories there was of cooking together, cleaning together, you scolding him out of the kitchen because he was too big for the small kitchen only to ask him back because you couldn't reach something on the top shelf. In the sink was a plate from that morning, where you made him some toast and eggs before leaving for work. No note, no face made in the food like you usually did. 

 The last place he went to look in was the bedroom. That place was where you both had spent many nights clinging to each other, waking up the next morning tangled together. It was where you two had stumbled in, hair a mess, clothes rumpled, whispering drunken 'I love you's' full of meaning. Waking up the next day with massive hangovers but content feelings despite aching limbs. It more recently had memories of Zelo coming in during the early morning hours and spending the few hours asleep before you woke up. While you no longer slept as close as possible, sleeping on the opposite side and then waking up silently and leaving like a phantom. 

It was there he found you. Calmly putting clothes in a suitcase.
"Jagi? What's wrong?" He asked. 

You turned around and not looking him in the eyes, " we are breaking up." You shifted awkwardly.

"What?! Why?" Zelo couldn't believe his ears.

You shrugged, "I can't do this anymore. We are too busy all the time, we never talk, we don't see each other and when we do its for a few minutes." Now you looked him in the eyes, noticing not for the first time how tired he was. "It's for the best Junhong, it was just a matter of time." You finished putting the clothes in the suitcase, and handed it to him.

Zelo stared, "Is this it?" 

"You can come get the rest later, please go." You knew what he was asking, and it wasn't about the stuff. Months of love, happiness, fun, and much more. All washed away with a few words and a suitcase.

He looked at you one last time, trying to memorize the details of you. Even though it was like looking at a shell he could still detect bits of you from before. The way your mouth was permanently in a frown, but in an instant could grow into his favorite smile. The freckles he believed were angel kisses and loved despite you hating them. And so much more. All hollowed out now. And an empty look in eyes that were once full of love. He turned and left. But before he walked away he took a picture of your door. It was the last time he would leave through it. Never to come back to the place of so many memories.

He closed the photos app. He knew he needed to move on, but he couldn't bring himself to delete them.

Groaning and stretching he got up slowly. He looked at his mirror, wondering if anything will be the same. Sure he was happy, who couldn't be when doing what they loved? He had fans all over the world and spent everyday with five of the coolest guys ever. He had a sweet girlfriend who loved him, and he was happy. But there was something missing. And that something was the same thing keeping him from deleting that album. 

Getting up he went out of his room, immediately he was wrapped in a hug by his girlfriend. It felt nice but he couldn't help but compare it to hugs he got before.

"Oppa! The others already left for the party? Can we go now?" She asked, pouting. His current girlfriend was impatient, always wanting to move to the next thing. While his ex never hurried, you was always on time, perfectly planning everything so you didn't have to rush. 

"Yeah, let's go." Zelo said. He didn't really want to go. But every year there was a huge party for all celebrities to thank them for their hard work. He had managed to miss the last two, pretending to be sick. But that excuse was ruined by his hyungs, so he had to go.

The whole way there his girlfriend talked to fill up space. It wasn't unpleasant, but he missed how his ex used to leave the space there. You would just stare out the window or at him, not feeling the need to be constantly talking during the ride. You were normally talkative but as soon as you were in a car you were quiet.

Arriving there he was bombarded with shots from fans and paparazzi.  Waving and smiling he made his way in, holding his girlfriend close by the waist. He dropped his arm when they got in, but she clung to him. All smiles. They made their way to the rest of B.A.P. and sat down, all talking.

It was Daehyun who first saw you. Both that night and in life. He was first to meet you, on a photoshoot set, and you both became friends. Even remaining that despite your and Zelo's breakup. So it was natural for Daehyun to greet you, which led you to come greet them all. Zelo looked away, he couldn't face you after all these years. After such a relationship that ended in nothing but heartache. He could hear a males voice. He knew you were dating someone, it was in the press. But he couldn't bring himself to look. He didn't want to see any of it. He didn't want to see you holding onto him like you used to do with himself. He couldn't bear to see you dressed up for someone else. It was two years and despite having a loving girlfriend he couldn't stop himself from feeling this way. 
"Zelo! At least say hello and smile politely. It's been forever, lots has changed." Jongup whispered to him. Zelo finally tore his gaze from the ground and looked. 

You was still the same, the only difference is that your freckles were gone and your hair had highlights. You were still stunning though. A blue dress the color of the sea, your favorite place as he remembered, clung to your  body and made your legs look longer, something you used to complain about.

"Hello Junhong," You said, "nice to see you again." You  still called him Junhong, never by his stage name like many did.

"Likewise," He said. It was only a few words and one look but he could feel himself slipping back. As he was thinking you already moved on, gone to the next people. He spent the rest of the party only slightly paying attention to his girlfriend, mostly just watching his ex as you made your way around. Occasionally your eyes would meet, only for a second, before you both looked away. But his eyes would follow you again and the cycle repeated. 

Finally the party was over and with one last look he left. After dropping off his girlfriend he just drove around, not yet wanting to go back to the dorms. He parked eventually and opened up his phone. Going back to the album, he clicked on one that killed him every time.

It wasn't one from a meaningful time, it was just a random night. He had gotten to your apartment at a decent time, actually getting to eat dinner with her. You two got ready and went to bed, cuddling together. It must of been when he was asleep. You had grabbed his phone and taken a picture with him. The picture was dark, you could barely see any faces. All that was obvious was the words on the picture and the love in your eyes. You wrote on the picture, "life is a search in the dark for light, and I found mine in you." Simple words but they meant everything to him. 

He looked at the picture for a long time. Finally he put it away and started up his car, driving home. He didn't pay attention though, and somehow ended up at your apartment building. Parking the car, he looked up, instinctively finding your balcony, which was still full of the plants you loved so much. 

Before he realized it, he was already in the elevator heading up to your floor. He went up to your door, staring at it. Should he knock? Is that even a question? He shouldn't be here. You ha a boyfriend and he had a girlfriend. You two had both been broken up for years. He knocked. He almost ran, he felt like throwing up.

You opened the door, peering out to see who it was. 

"Hey." Zelo said.

"Hey yourself." You said back. After a minute you spoke again, " would you like to come in?"

Zelo looked back at the elevator, the rational choice would to leave. But his head nodded and in he went. 

It looked almost the same as years ago. The only change was how neat it all was. When they were together there was always something laying around, a blanket left out from late night cuddles, shoes recklessly thrown by the door, just stuff that showed someone lived there. Now it was the same but almost sterile. The bare minimum of pillows decorate the couch, everything had a place and looked like, if disturbed slightly, it would let out a disapproving sigh and move back to its symmetrical placement. 

You offer him a place on the cold seats and leave to the kitchen, which was no doubt just as immaculate. When he sat he could feel the cushions try to adjust back to where they were once before, trying to remember him, who had sat there countless times before.

You came back and softly put the tray with drinks on it down, "I made coffee."

He picked up the cup, " I don't like coffee."

"I know." You took a sip and stared into the black liquid, " Why are you here?"

Zelo just looked at you, collecting his thoughts, trying to come up with something, "I don't know," he confessed, " I never thought we would end up like this, and I miss you."

You looked at him, " It has been two years, you know? A lot has changed, we both have moved on and we don't talk anymore."

"Not like we used to do. And it may have been two years but I haven't moved on, I still love you." Zelo stared, trying to see in your eyes any reaction. 

You stood up and turned to leave, it had been two years and you were just now slowly forgetting him. You couldn't deal with him coming back and professing love. It was love that would come to nothing, love that would fall apart due to the busy lives of both of you. You had a boyfriend who loved you and saw you often, and while you would never love him like you loved Zelo at least you weren't unhappy. Now he comes back and with only a few sentences you feel yourself falling back into him. And quite literally as he grasps your wrist, softly, to pull you back from leaving.

"Don't just walk away." He pulled you closer, not willing to just let go yet. It had been too long and the time away made him realize how much you mean to him. He wrapped his other arm around your waist, moved his hand from your wrist to your upper back. He closed the space between your bodies and looked down into your eyes.

"I have a boyfriend."

He smiled, " And I have a girlfriend." He lowered his face to yours, gently touching his lips to yours and waiting for you to respond. And with the gentle push back he felt your lips doing he smiled. Two years and he finally had what he missed the most. You two may not talk anymore like you used to, but maybe it's a good thing, gives the opportunity to change what happened before. And though it may be rocky for a while, at least he has more chances to add to the photos he loves so much.

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