A/N:

wangzifan: Amber’s reaction about the whole “wife” thing on Henry’s weibo, and she is also the reason for him deleting his recent half- photo.

lcphne: Henry is desperately trying to make Amber jealous but she’s too busy getting wet and dancing in the shower.

“You actually have that.” A female friend saw a llama hat, a pink one which was surprising to see that Amber owned a llama hat in that color, worn on one of stuffed toys. Amber loved stuffed toys since her apartment was full of those. “Yeah.” Amber was busy munching a sandwich she made. There was a bowl of salad in front of her and a bowl of instant noodles. Her cooking skills were limited to preparing those three.

“A pink one? How cute.” “A fan gave it to me.” “Oh. That explains it.” “I buy pink things.” “Highly doubt it.” “I do. I have two pink shirts.” “That you rarely wear.” “My underwear right now is color pink.” “TMI. Too much information, Amber.”

“What about this dog hat?” “My dogs do not have hats.” “I am talking about that.” The same friend pointed at the other hat on one of stuffed toys. “Oh, that one.” Amber grabbed a fork for her salad as she put down her half eaten sandwich. “I got it from the concert.” “That’s why it looks familiar. Does it remind you someone?” “Shut up.” “Excuse me.” “I know what you are trying to do.” “What? If I am trying that, why am I here keeping you company instead of calling him for you guys to “just hang out” which in your vocab means “go out on a date”?” “But you being here doesn’t stop you from asking me about you know who.” “Who?” “Don’t make me say it.” “Say what? Who exactly are we talking about?” Her friend really wanted for Amber to say Henry. “ you.” “Do you kiss him with that mouth?”

-x-

Her friends saw Amber knelt down to put on her shoes. “Where are you going?” “Out.” “Wearing that?” One of her friends pointing at her pants. Her female friend questioning Amber’s fashion sense. “And only that?” Amber was wearing long sleeved top. “Fine.” Amber went back to her room and when she was again at the front door, she was wearing a sweatshirt, and had a scarf, and now the pink llama hat was not on a stuffed toy but on her head. “There. Am I allowed to go out of my own apartment?” “No. Not without us.” “I am just going to buy some stuff.” “It is in the middle of the night.” “Can’t sleep.” “We can’t too.” “Fine. Let’s go.” She opened the door. “Wait. I need to find my beanie.” Her male friend said. “I will be downstairs. Don’t forget to bring the keys this time. I don’t want to not to be able to go inside my apartment that wasn’t even the reason why I can’t get in.”

-x-

They were at the nearest supermarket they know which was still opened at that hour. “Well, that was a cold walk here. Very cold walk.” Amber dusted off the snow on her llama hat and smiled at the cashier looking at her since she was wearing a pink llama hat that didn’t match the rest of her outfit. And sneezed, covering her nose with her scarf. “Bless you. And that is what you get when you plan to get out “to buy stuff” at this hour.” “Stop repeating and putting air quotes on what I said.” Amber wiped her nose with her scarf.

“What are you going to buy?” Her male friend asked, removing his gloves. Amber was checking if she brought her wallet. “! I forget my wallet. Didn’t you guy bring any money?” “No.” “Nah-ah.” “Then there’s nothing to do here.” Amber said. The three walked towards the exit.

“We should have a picture of what just happened.” They were walking back to Amber’s apartment. “Let’s call it, ‘Too stupid, I mean sleepy to bring money. It is all Llama’s fault. Blame her that we are out in the cold and empty handed.’” Amber threw a snow ball at her friend. So instead of a pictures, they ended taking a lot of pictures and even videos.

-x-

“Well, that was fun.” Amber said when they returned from their little and failed adventure. “I am going to make me a sandwich. Do you girls want one?” The male friend was walking towards the kitchen. “I want one.” Her female friend and only for tonight housemate raised her hand. “Good luck with that. Why do you think I was going out for?” “Damn it! Then let’s call it night.”

“Good night guys” Amber walked to the guest room. She was wearing the dog hat and already in her pajamas. The two placed the cushions of her sofa and used it as a mattress for her male friend while the other was the one on the bed. “Good night Amber.” Her friends said. “Just admit that you miss him.” Her female friend teased. “Shut up.” And closed the door.

-x-

“What is up with the ‘wives’?” Amber spoke out of the blue. They had talked almost anything that come to mind. But why all of a sudden his wife wanted to talk about his other ‘wives’. “Excuse me.” Henry said. “Don’t act like you don’t know what I am talking about.” “What about it? Are you bothered by it?” “No. I am just asking.” “You are bothered.” “If you already know, why ask? I am. A bit.” 

“Wow.” “What is so shocking about that?” “That you are actually bothered by it. Are you jealous? Because you don’t usually get jealous. I really don’t know if you are jealous or not. So are you or are you not? And should I be scared or not?” “I am not that bothered like it is a problem, a really bad one. Why of all terms, you choose to call them that. You have so many wives then. You’ll be like ‘doing something with my wives’ whatever that is. Or you know, something like, ‘how are my wives today?’ Or like ‘Good morning to all my wives’.” “You are even coming up with examples.” He found this amusing. “Yeah. To prove a point. And this isn’t a laughing matter, Henry. So stop smiling. Am I smiling?”

“I am doing that for my fans. I am their ‘husband’. So I call them as my ‘wives’. I am ‘married’ to each female fan. And that I love them and my ‘wives’ love me back. It is that simple. If it bothers you, I will not call them ‘wives’ all the time.” “Don’t. I just don’t understand the whole thing yet.”

“My male fans see might see me as someone they look up to like ‘I want to be like Henry.’ I inspire them or something. My female fans, they see me as, let me think, let me think, their… dream boy, whatever fans used these days. They wanted someone like me as their boyfriend or husband or if they are really lucky one of them will really be my future girlfriend and wife.” “We’ll see about that. If ever that happens, I will steal you from her or him.” “Well, I have the same problem with your fans. Boys and especially girls are after you. You are too hot, handsome and beautiful.”

“And what is up with that half picture? As if you sleep shirtless. You might a cold you know. I can’t always be there to take care of you even if I want to.” He thought this conversation was over. He was wrong. “Did you post that for your wives?” “A wife.” He said to himself but she heard it. She stood up and wanted to walk away, scared for his arm or shin. “I am kidding.” He held her hand. She was about to sit down again when, “Or not.” She finally walked away. “Amber!” Henry was just a feet or two away.

She was ignoring him. He walked beside her, finally she got tired from running. Now, he knew why Amber has fit legs. “Her thighs! Focus, Henry. Focus. She’s mad at you. Look sad. Not . You are not right now. You are not right now. Focus.” His mind telling what was the right thing to do at that moment. “Look later. Stop it! This is serious.” He was having a conversation with his thoughts.

“Amber” His index finger touching her shoulder, more like gently poking it repeatedly as he says her name until she decided to talk to him again. “I will delete it.” Amber stood still. Hands inside her pockets for warmth. “No.” “If it is a problem between us, I’ll delete it.” “Don’t delete it because I asked about it. I was just asking. You can do whatever you want with and for your fans. You may post whatever you want it is your account, not mine, not ours. It got me thinking. I get it now. I shouldn’t be bothered in the first place.” Henry lessen the gap between, sharing the warmth they both needed. This was a moment that reminds them why they love each other; that they made them realize that they fell in love with the right person.

He cherished his fans so much. Like all idols should be. However, he made sure to make an extra effort to lessen the gap between fans and their idols. He wanted to make them feel that he didn’t want to be just their idol but their friend. That they could approach him when he was out with friends or he was out doing something alone, and ask for picture or an autograph, even better if both. He stood close to them, put a hand over their shoulder when they take picture with him. Though the half- picture was crossing the line already. It was too much. It was already inappropriate.

“Lesson learned.” His guarantee after Amber told him what realized. “I will only share to you pictures of me half-.” She pushed him. “I’m kidding. But I did learn something. Don’t post pictures like that. And wow, my arm still hurts.” He moved his arm. “Well, I have been working out.” She bragged. 

“Speaking of what should be posted online, the shower video.” “Shower? Stop making things up, Henry.” They were walking to Henry’s studio. It was on the way. They didn’t realized they walked quite far from they were earlier. No wonder, they both felt tired. He looked around. He started dancing. The steps he saw in the video. “Oh my God! Stop dancing. Please.”

She felt embarrassed for both of them. People might see him an idol dancing like a girl out in the open. “I won’t until you admit it.” “Fine. I know about the shower video. I was in it.” “So that is what you do when you go to America, among others things.” “Someone’s updated. Too updated.” “Look who’s talking. I bet you even saved my picture on your phone so you could look at my body when you miss me. And I know you always miss me.”

“So what if I did sing and danced in a shower?” “It supposed to be funny and all. But it was hot. You danced ily. I like it. A lot. More videos like that, okay? But send it only to me. Or send it to me first then post it.” 

“Nah. I won’t. I am too busy to do that. You are too busy too doing other stuff like going to the beach without me.” “I thought you are going to talk about my half photo again. It was fun going to beach and taking pictures there. The beach reminded me of you since you said you like going to the beach so I enjoyed my time there for you and me. Next time, we’ll go to the beach. To any beach you like. If you want to go to the same beach, we’ll go there.”

“If we are not too busy anymore.” “Hopefully, soon. We are too busy that we don’t talk online anymore, teasing each other. We used to do that. I was really expecting for you to tease me so I could tease you back.” “I am online. I just don’t post anything not as much as you do. That is why I spit out the milk tea I was drinking when I saw that half- picture of yours. I was already sleepy but when I saw that, I wasn’t anymore because of shock.” Henry started singing one of f(x)’s song. “And I noticed you were having fun there. Good for you. At least, you are not bored.” “I miss this the most. Us going out. Doing whatever we want.” “Me too.”

But all of those didn’t happen. The two of them talking. Hanging out. She only hoped that happened. She does miss him. A lot. She just couldn’t let anyone hear her say it and though she knew they noticed that was why her closest friends were keeping her company. Taking her out to restaurants, to clubs. She enjoys being around them as much as she enjoys being with him. She guessed that was why she misses him.

“Does he misses me?”

Being with them were all too familiar. The things she does with her friends reminded her of the things she and Henry used to do. She and Henry were having fun together, now she was having with her friends, without him as he was having fun with someone else, without her. Not even a call. Not even a text message.

The last text message she received from him was four months ago, an apology since he made mistake. The text was for someone else. And she replied with “it’s okay :)” It was okay since it was a simple mistake though she wasn’t okay and she wasn’t smiling.  

They have common friends. She could see them, posting pictures with Henry. Busy working with him, making music. Hanging out. Having fun. The things she used to do with him. She just minded her own business and have fun with her friends. That was what she decided to do since she couldn’t do anything about her and her best friend.

“Are we still best friends?”

-x-