strangers.
It doesn’t take long until Audrey sneaks out of the party, slipping to the outer balcony through one of the backdoors; sighing in relief as she breathes in the night air. Althea, her best friend was — as expected — busy with a litany of new friends.
Not that Audrey minded, she much preferred finding ways to run away from people she didn’t know.
“God the city’s gorgeous.” Audrey mumbles to herself, cigarette in her mouth as she lights it, eyes stuck on the view of city lights littering the night sky.
She breaths out the smokey air with another relieved huff, shrugging off her earphones that had been silent for a while now. Despite being in a city that never really feels quiet, there was a silent type of comfort that came with hearing all the bustling life, even if it was already night time. The paradoxical comfort of being surrounded with constant noise.
For a while it was just her and the wind, puffing the toxic air out every few minutes as she took drag after drag of the cancer stick — there was something addictive about the harmful substance being one of the things making her feel alive.
Maybe that was why she always agreed to go along with Althea, arriving at these stupid parties with the hope of feeling humane surrounded by a sea of humans. So far, though, it hasn’t had any effect.
Audrey’s daydream was abruptly cut as the sound of a door opening startled her, whipping her head around and coming face to face with some guy sheepishly looking at her.
“Shit,” she thought to herself at the sight of him, “he’s literally gorgeous what the fuck?”
“Sorry.” The guy piped up, hands rubbing his neck, obvious embarrassment on his reddish cheeks. “Thought the balcony was empty.” He admitted, bringing a chuckle out of Audrey at his admission.
She shrugs, pointing towards the cement half-wall where she was leaning with a small smile. “It’s not my balcony, so knock yourself out.” She assures him, holding in a laugh at his tentative steps beside her.
There wasn’t much space on the balcony, not small enough to make her stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him, but enough for his scent to waft into her nose uninvited.
“Huh, I’ve never met a guy that smelled soft before.” She though to herself, trying not to make it obvious as she tried to smell his perfume again. “It’s almost like baby powder.”
It’s quiet as Audrey continues with smoking and the guy was now just staring off into the city lights, both of them oddly feeling comfy in the elongated silence.
Now leaning on the half-wall with a casual stance, the guy glances at her curiously, coughing to break the silence as he grins when Audrey turns to send him a questioning look.
“I didn’t know you smoked.” He says, as if she wasn’t a stranger.
Audrey laughed, blowing out the smoke. “You don’t even know me.”
“I’m guessing by physical reasons only.” He shrugs, gesturing towards her with a sly grin. “Guessing by your appearance, I didn’t know you smoked.”
“Neither does my family, so if they know I’ll assume you’re a chatter mouth.” Audrey teases, hiding a pleased grin as he barks a laugh, obviously just as pleased she decided to play along.
“Handsome and humorous,” she thinks to herself, “dangerous combo.”
“Feisty.” He retorts, wiggling his eyebrows.
She grimaces and shoots him a baffled look. “Ew. Absolutely not, shut up.”
He laughs at the disgust in her face, raising his hands in surrender, glancing back at the city lights before turning to look at her. “You’re not into parties?” The guy questions, amused grin at her shrug.
“The dude isn’t my favorite.” Audrey says, thinking back to how annoying the party thrower was.
The guy watches her for a beat longer before chuckling, glancing away from her quizzing look. “I have a feeling any dude isn’t your favorite.” He says, tone teasing but serious all the same.
Audrey nods, taking another drag of her cigarette, looking away from his piercing gaze. “And you would be right.” She affirms, trying not to let the sound of his laugh surround her.
It’s quiet again for a few moments, that comfortable silence enveloping two strangers, the twinkling city lights accompanying them.
Audrey glances back at the guy, taking in his spiky black hair and slightly oversized t-shirt, the hoodie tied around his waist and those light wash jeans giving him a grungy look with the worn-out sneakers. She hasn’t been on earth for that long, but she’s never met a guy that was exactly her type. It was terrifying to realize.
She coughs a bit to break the silence, gesturing towards the guy as he glances at her. “Why are you outside?” Audrey questions, the guy merely shrugs.
“Honestly, I was gonna have a smoke.” He starts, looking at her all sheepish. “But I forgot to bring it.” He admits, bringing another laugh out of Audrey at his honest embarrassment.
Audrey cocks her head at him, leaning off the wall as she turns to face the guy. “Is this a way to get one of mine?” She teases, trying her best to hold in a grin at his exasperated face. It was unfairly cute to see.
He looks away momentarily before staring right back at her, subtly glaring at her smug smile. “Should I beg and say pretty please?” He sarcastically offers, face breaking into a grin at her grimace.
“No, weirdo.” Audrey mumbles, rummaging into her pockets to bring out the pack of cigarettes, handing it over to him with a shrug. “Here, hope you don’t mind Marlboro.”
He takes the pack into his hand with gentle movements, carefully taking one out and putting it in his mouth, turning over the pack in his hand with an impressed nod. “The gold one, nice touch.” He says, grinning at her pleased grin.
“Was out of berry ones.” She admits, once again rummaging for her lighter, yanking it out and handing it over to the guy with a shrug. “Here, I got a lighter.”
Audrey watches quizzically as the guy just stares at her lighter in his hand for a moment, thumb rubbing over the acrylic case. He looks up at her with an amused smile, spreading all over his face as she just gets even more confused at the sight.
“There’s bunnies on your lighter.” He points out, looking back down to the case in hand before glancing back up at her. “Balancing the emo and coquette aspects?” The guy teases, barking a laugh as she rolls her eyes.
“Fuck you.” Audrey says, grin threatening to show on her face, nodding towards the case with a casual shrug. “It’s an acrylic case for the lighter, so people won’t take it.”
He flips around the case in his hand, flicking it on then off a few times, glancing back at her. “I dunno, I think they might want to take it even more after seeing the bunnies.” The guy admits.
“It kind of sounds like you want the bunnies.” Audrey bluntly says, rolling her eyes as he laughs, it was so stupid the way he’s charmingly funny.
The guy finally lights his cigarette, too focused on inhaling the smoke to notice Audrey watching him intently, she wasn’t immune to hot dudes seeming hotter with a cig. “Guilty as charged.” He replies, handing her the lighter back, both of them avoiding the odd sensation when their fingers touched, the guy gestures the cigarette with a smile. “Thanks for the puff.”
Audrey just nods, letting him enjoy the drag of it as he looks back out to the city lights. Something about him kept pulling her to look, to watch, to observe. Like she wanted to know every detail, every curve of his face, remember it in exact precision from memory.
So, she looked away. Audrey Lovejoy was many things; but someone with feelings wasn’t one of them. Sadly, despite swearing off intimacy in any humane form was something she could with repressing emotions, she was still a human; not immune to feeling things.
She glances back to the city lights, watching every twinkle of them with tired eyes. Sometimes she wished someone would crave the need to know everything about her, to have the incessant urge to be so insatiably curious about her, to need every detail of her engraved in their memory.
It killed her that she was surrounded by love, all the while feeling like an unlovable monster all the same.
“You look pretty sad for a happy girl.” The guy says, startling Audrey as she’s yanked out of her head, seeing him facing her with a questionable gaze.
Audrey grins in return, choosing to calmly shrug, lighting another cigarette before turning towards him as well. “My sorrow has dimensions.” She dramatically says, grin teasing on her lips at the sight of his laugh. It was a dangerous thing, that laugh.
“Damn.” He says, shaking his head. “Didn’t know I was smoking with Shakespeare.”
Audrey groans at his teasing, momentarily thinking of flinging the lighter case at his amused face. “Oh, shut up.” She mumbles, taking another drag and looking away from those eyes. Dangerous, dangerous eyes.
He leans back on the half-wall, she glances and notices the drop of his shoulders — like it was taking everything in him to not just slump away, melting into a pool of exhaustion.
“You seem pretty tired for an energetic dude.” Audrey retorts, cocking her eyebrows as he gazes at her, far too intently for mere strangers. She doesn’t look away. Can’t look away.
He grins, shrugging his shoulder lazily, nodding towards her. “My energy has dimensions.” The guy says, teasing her, cackling as Audrey groans in annoyance.
“Oh, shut up.” Audrey bemoans, genuinely thinking about hitting him this time.
(She doesn’t, the thought of touching him makes her far more nervous than she should for a stranger.)
The soft silence surrounds them again, both of them lost in their thoughts, heads swimming with whatever drowns them when the sun disappears.
Audrey glances back at him, taking a long drag and blowing the smoke out after letting it reside in his mouth, she wonders if he genuinely loves the cigarette or loves the self-sabotage aspect of it all.
“How’d you know the dude throwing the party?” Audrey pipes up, once again breaking the silence, stopping her brain from trying to dissect him even further.
The guy shrugs as he momentarily glances back at the ongoing party, as if forgetting it even happened. “Ah, one of my friends knows him, tagged along.” He answers, nodding towards her with questioning eyes. “How ‘bout you, Shakespeare?”
Audrey rolls her eyes at the nickname, trying (read: and failing) to not notice his happy little grin. “Same, my best friend knows his friend of something, and got invited.” She explains, blowing out the smoke in her mouth, shaking her head at the thought of Althea. “Quite literally dragged my limp body here, so.”
“She sounds terrifying.” He laughs, smiling wider as Audrey agreeably nods.
“Oh, she fucking is.” Audrey confirms, small smile on her lips at the thought of her best friend. “Love her to death for it.” She says, fondness seeping into her tone, looking up to see the guy smiling at her. Dangerous.
“Childhood friends?” He asks.
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Audrey shakes her head. “Nah, met her in college.” She says, grinning at how he seemed waiting for her to continue. “The classic friendship, literature kid and socio-politics nerd.” Audrey snorts, grinning at the sound of him cackling along.
“I’m guessing you’re the literature kid?” He asks, smugly nodding as she hums in affirmation, grinning undeterred at the sight of Audrey rolling her eyes. “The emo Shakespeare vibe gave it off.” He informs her, cackling as she flips him off.
Audrey shrugs after a beat, blowing out smoke before turning towards him, looking with playful eyes. “Well, I can’t do shit but I can recite sappy poems, so.” She boasts, knowing that he saw through her teasing by the way his gaze softened. Dangerous, dangerous man.
He nods in understanding, letting her look away without taking his gaze off of her. “The blues of graduating.” The guy says, tone genuine instead of condescending. “Life crisis at its best.” He says, grinning as he sees Audrey nod vigorously.
“Don’t need weed or drugs to get high when confusion hits you like a trainwreck.” Audrey admits, glancing at the cancer stick in her hand.
“She says while smoking nicotine.” He deadpans, playfully shrugging when Audrey rolls her eyes.
“Oh, shut up.” She mumbles, wondering if she should actually hit him.
He takes another drag of his cigarette, letting the smoke blow out of his mouth gently, head tilted back as he looked upwards. Audrey watched until she had to look away, forcing herself to stare at the city lights until every twinkle seemed twitchy.
“I’m a fresh graduate too, so the confusion is mutual.” He says, assures even judging by the kind gaze. Audrey looks away again.
“Oh yeah? What major?” She questions.
He grins, wiggling eyebrows as he looks at her. “Business management.” The guy answers, cackling at Audrey’s shocked expression.
“Holy shit, I did not expect you to be a finance bro.” Audrey whisper-yells, genuinely shocked as he looks offended.
“Excuse you, I take offense to that.” He mumbles. “And it’s a backup plan; I’m a choreographer actually.” He admits, once again laughing at her relieved sigh.
Audrey slowly nods. “Ok yeah, I can see you as a choreographer.” She turns to glance at him, internally startled to find him already staring intently. “Is it bad that I’m relieved you’re not a finance bro?” She questions, slightly wincing.
“Fuck no.” He vigorously shakes his head. “My mom hates finance bros.”
“Holy shit is he a mama’s boy?” Audrey thinks, trying her damn best to not let her thoughts visibly show.
She gently coughs, glancing at him as casual as she could be. “Ah, so a mama’s boy?” Audrey asks, feeling idiotic as soon as the words leave her mouth.
“Hopefully in a good way.” He genuinely admits, catching her aback with the honest tone. “My mom is emotionally intelligent instead of emotionally incestuous, so no bad vibes there honestly.” The guy explains, shrugging casually, definitely not noticing how the gears in Audrey’s head were turning.
She questioningly cocks her head towards him. “I have a feeling you have a psychology major friend; with the way you just said that whole sentence.” Audrey admits, grinning at the sight of him being shocked. “Aha spot on.” She smugly says.
“Holy shit, you’re a seer.” He says, baffled.
Audrey throws her head back and laughs, not knowing how mesmerized he looked watching her. She glances back at him with a grin, cheeks red from the movement.
“Or maybe, you’re just predictable.” She suggests.
He hums in consideration, looking back at her questioningly. “In a good way or bad way?” He tries to affirm; she just shrugs instead.
“An idiotic way, how ‘bout that?” She concludes, grinning at his suddenly cheesy grin.
“I could be your idiot?” He slyly says, smiling at her baffled scoff.
“Slow down mister.” Audrey scolds him, paying no mind to his wide grin. “You don’t even know my name.” She reminds him, momentarily blanking at the thought that she didn’t even know his name.
He shrugs, glancing at her intently. “I dunno, maybe I like referring to you as ‘the gorgeous woman’ in my head.” The guy teases, the fact that he sounds far too genuine to be teasing is something Audrey is willing to ignore, for her own sanity.
Audrey rolls her eyes, his incessant flirting so obvious it made her once again contemplate hitting him. “Is the requirement for being a choreographer to be a major flirt?” She sarcastically asks, tone biting as he merely grins with a shrug.
“Only if I’m flirting with a cute literature emo kid.” He states, quietly laughing at her annoyed groan.
“Oh, shut up I’m not emo.” Audrey whines, glaring at him as he grins innocently.
They let their gaze fester, watching one another with intent eyes, drinking in every detail they could as the soft breeze gently caresses their faces. There was something addictive with the way they were looking at one another, like they could always dwindle away from the world to just find a home in each other’s gaze — like they found solace in the comfort of a stranger’s eyes.
“I’m Malcolm.” He says, breaking the silence with soft words, gaze still intent on her as he watches Audrey take in what he just said. “Malcolm Ryder.” Malcom continues, cigarette warm in his hand but something about her dark brown eyes making him feel even warmer.
Audrey cocks her head in confusion, looking at him questioningly. “Wait — Ryder like, like the Tangled dude?” She asks, baffled as he shrugs.
“I mean yeah, except that I’m hotter.” Malcolm quickly retorts.
Audrey lets out a snort, eyes rolling at his audacity. “I sincerely doubt that.” She says, sticking her tongue out at his offended look.
“Oi, rude.” He grumbles, furrowed eyes melting away at her soft laugh.
“I’m Audrey.” She says, small smile blooming on her face as he visibly perks up. “Last name, however, to be further unlocked.” Audrey teases, laughing at his groan.
“Ah, a mystery girl.” Malcolm defeatedly nods, glancing back up at her, the smile on her face contagious as he grins. “Very Audrey Hepburn of you.” He says, laughing at her vigorous nod.
“See, now that’s a compliment that pleases a girl.” She approvingly says, pleased grin evident.
Malcolm playfully scoffs. “You won’t give me your last name, but you’ll tell me what compliments you like?”
Audrey nods, inhaling the smoke before blowing it out, the tip of her cigarette hovering over her lips as she grins at him. “The mystery is a mystery for a reason, my friend.” She teases.
“Very Carrie Bradshaw of you to call me your friend like that.” Malcolm points out, laughing as he notices the shocked expression on Audrey’s face. “What? What’s the face for?” He questions in between laughs.
Audrey points at him, half-accusing and half-impressed. “How the hell do you know Carrie Bradshaw?” She questions, baffled.
“What type of boring ass people have you been talking to that don’t know Carrie Bradshaw?” Malcolm retorts, stopping her in her tracks as she seems to mull it over, inviting a laugh out of him at the sight of her visibly thinking about it.
“Shit, touché.” Audrey grumbles.
Malcolm takes another drag of his cigarette to stop is hand from pinching her cheeks, glancing at her far too fond for a stranger. “My mom loved Sex and The City.” He explains, watching her light up with a low laugh. “She bought this edited PG version without the sex scenes, put it on a DVD and pretty much had it playing a lot when I was growing up.”
“Your mom sounds iconic.” Audrey exclaims, genuinely looking amazed judging by how doe-eyed she was right now, Malcolm could only fondly grin at the sight. Far too fond for a stranger.
“Yeah she is.” He agrees, nodding. “She owns this non-alcoholic bar thing, very chic.”
Audrey looks at him, mouth agape in amazement. “Holy shit I love your mom.” She breathes out, drawing another amused laugh from him.
“Thought you loved me, Hepburn?” Malcolm pouts, holding in a laugh at her rolling her eyes in annoyance.
Audrey shakes her head. “When the hell did I say that, Ryder.” She exclaims, tone slightly exasperated.
“Touché.” He replies, tone teasing.
The two of them laugh as they meet eyes, no longer complete strangers now; she knew he liked flirting and he found out that she thinks his mom is cool. Pretty big developments for two strangers that coincidentally fled the party at the same time.
Malcolm pulls out his phone, tapping it for a few seconds before shyly gesturing it towards Audrey, embarrassed as he chuckles at her confusion. “Give me your number, Hepburn?” He asks, albeit timidly.
“And what do I get?” She teases him, despite already taking the phone from his hands.
Malcolm pretends to contemplate for a bit, glancing back at her with a grin. “I’ll tell my mom that I met this cool girl that loves Sex and The City too?” He offers, grinning at her teasingly thinking about it.
“Alright deal.” She hums in agreement, typing in her phone number, he watches intently until she carefully hands the device back to him. “Here you go, weirdo.” She teases.
Malcolm tips an invisible hat as he slightly bows. “Flattered to be your weirdo, Ma’am.”
“Never said you were mine.” Audrey reminds him, grinning as he faux groans in pain.
“Ouch, Hepburn.” Malcolm groans, clutching his chest dramatically. “You wound me.”
Audrey rolls her eyes. “Boo-Hoo Ryder.” She teases, sticking her tongue out at him as he glares at her.
As they go their separate ways later on that night, the smell of smoke and the sound of their teasing laughs haunt their minds till the morning. Each of them trying to rid of the fondness that seems to be festering in their chests, fondness that’s far too incessant for strangers.
Strangers that found a home in one another, a few moments of solace surrounded by the twinkling city lights and the softness that caresses them in a way they wished they could caress one another.
