The familiar 'ping' went off. Biting her lip, she opened the message. 

tok1932: Hey Nova 

Heart pounding, she quickly responded. 

novaworld555: hey. what're you into today? 

tok1932: well... I just got a new hair color 

novaworld555: ooh. Lemme see. 

PHOTO 

novaworld555: I like it. You still have that mask on though. After all this time. 

tok1932: I wanna keep you guessing.

novaworld555: rude ass. 

tok1932: Don't be like that. Be nice. 

novaworld555: no. I don't want to be nice. 

tok1932: brat. 

She giggled like a little girl and ran fingers through her braids. A couple of months had passed since they'd been talking. They'd taken things real slow and steady, she opening up to him a little here and he there. Soon, it was like they were texting every night. She couldn't stop thinking about him and he expressed the same. Nebula had told her to be careful... way too many catfishes and scammers out there. But... she didn't doubt it for a second. He was very real.  

Over the course of about five months, he'd sent her videos... him going to the store. Him sitting in the library. Panning the camera to show her Seoul as he was out and about. Returning the favor, she'd sent him a video now and again. Her on her way to the tennis court. Or shopping. Even making funny faces as she sat in her college classes. She enjoyed the mental and emotional intimacy he provided to her. She hadn't been aware that she'd been lacking it...but since Bunny had left her, she felt alone. It felt nice to have someone to talk to... someone to vibe with. 

tok1932: I have something kinda serious to tell you 

She sat up as those dots popped up. 

tok1932: The reason I wear my mask all the time 

novaworld555: yeah? what's the reason? 

... 

... 

tok1932: I can't just show my face. For a lot of reasons. 

novaworld555: like what? I'm still waiting for that part. 

tok1932: If I tell you, you have to promise not to run. 

tok1932: or block me. I'll be devastated. 

novaworld555: okay now I'm concerned. 

... 

... 

... 

... 

tok1932: have you heard of kpop? 

novaworld555:...yeah...

tok1932: so... um. I'm actually an idol. 

Her stomach crashed into her feet and she stared at the phone screen for a good couple seconds. 

tok1932: Nova? 

novaworld555: yeah, I'm here. Just... just surprised. shocked is more the word. 

tok1932: I've been holding that in for a little while now. I wanted to tell you but for obvious reasons I've been scared shitless. 

Licking her lips, she turned to lay on her side. 

novaworld555: can we video call? 

... 

... 

tok1932: give me a minute. 

She shot up and ran into the bathroom. Running frantic fingers across her face, she checked her appearance. Damn, maybe she should change. Wearing a pink lounge set, she briefly wondered about the crop top and fuzzy pink shorts. A little tease won't hurt. Hastily putting her braids up in a high pony, she dove back towards the bed. 

tok1932 is calling you 

Her heart slammed into her throat and butterflies danced in her belly but she accepted the call. Their eyes met and they both were lock-jawed it seemed. Staring at each other, it was quiet for the longest time. Mon dieu....he was real... it was real. Oh God.... He shifted the camera a bit and she took a deep breath. 

"um... hi." 

"annyeong." His voice was really low and she struggled to hear it clearly. Wherever he was, it was busy. She could hear people talking close by. He had to be quiet. 

"So... uh... HB right?" His blue eyes smiled cutely. 

"Yeah." 

"Nice to meet you face to face... kinda." 

"Mmhm." She felt hot as his eyes drifted down her body. She'd lifted the camera enough that he could see her belly button and the top of her shorts. 

"Sorry if it's too much. I really didn't wanna get changed." 

"Don't be sorry." His voice sent shivers down her spine. Licking her lips, she took a shaky breath. 

"Jesus. You're unreal." She heard him say under his breath before looking up. He didn't seem all that comfortable... maybe too many eyes. 

"You're working right now?" His eyes drifted back down and met hers. 

"Mmhm."

"What time is it there?" 

"Mm....ah, ne. ne. Kamsamnida." The focus of the lens shifted and it was black for a little bit before he reappeared. 

"Sorry." 

"Don't be." There again they stared at each other in silence. 

"You're really an idol? Like real talk?" 

"Real talk Nova." The way he said her name was insane and she pinched her thighs together. She forgot he could see the tops of them and blushed as his eyes narrowed slightly. 

"Um..." 

"Look at me." She couldn't help it, the way his eyes drew her in. 

"Be honest with me."

"About what?" 

"You wore that on purpose didn't you?" Taking a shaky breath, she shifted on the bed, bringing the lens up a little more towards her face. 

"You put that on with intentions." He was whispering now but his eyes spoke loud and clear. Biting her lip, she nodded a little bit. 

"I thought you'd like it." He didn't say anything, just lifted his eyebrow. 

"Such a brat." He hushed into the phone, making her hips wiggle. 

"Maybe now you won't worry so much about me running." His eyebrow lifted again and the noises and voices around him grew louder, hustle and bustle. 

"It's been really nice messaging you. Even nicer to finally see you." 

"Me too." His eyes lifted up once more. 

"I have to go." She sighed. 

"Message me later?" 

"Mmhm." 

"Kay." 

"Bye pretty girl." Blushing, she gave a smile. 

"Bye." He winked at her before ending the call. Taking a deep shaky breath, she dropped her phone and covered her face with her hands. Turning, she screamed into the pillow. 

*** 

Sweat slid down his temples and he panted for air as the routine came to an end for the tenth time. Stooping, he closed his eyes and tried to inhale from his nose. 

"You're going especially hard today hyung." I.H observed, his cheeks just as red as his. 

"You should dance harder too." The kid grinned, turning to go annoy someone else. He inhaled deeply... slowly closing his eyes again. He was pushing through it... it was suffering through it. Opening his eyes, he got in formation and the song started over again. 

He'd been doing better. Better than he was a few months ago. He wasn't self-mutilating himself as much. Of course, the nights it got so bad he did it just to take the pain away. He wasn't getting high as much either. 

"Good! And Aera.... Yes, good!" His mind was clearer. Sharper. And it was all because of her. His angel. She'd been his everything. His motivator. His encourager. His cheerleader. 

"...And done!" Popping sharply, they waited until the music ended to break and he fell back against the floor. 

"Save your energy Bonnie. It's gonna be one of those nights." Swallowing thickly, he pushed himself to get up and soon they started again. 

*** 

Hissing, he lowered himself into the bath of ice. Fuck. Blowing out breaths, he breathed in and out from his nose deeply. Eyes closed, he leaned his head back against the rim of the tub. Every muscle hurt....it was gonna be a bitch to get up later. With only a few hours allotted to sleep, he flexed his fingers, gripping and letting go of the sides. Just a little more. In a little bit, he'd be able to get a break. Licking his lips, he opened his eyes and looked up at the ceiling. With their newest concept approaching, he knew that he wouldn't have much time after that. 

He needed to see her, touch her, hug, hold and have her. A quiet chuckle sprung up, followed by a sharp hiss. His naughty angel baby. She had looked like a sweet little edible...all that delicious brown skin and those fucking eyes of hers. Licking his lips, he slowly relaxed as the cold began to take the ache and pain away. Not the weak kind. The two-bites-and you're-fucked-up kind. He wanted to get high on her, inhale and taste the sugary sweet potency between her legs. Nibble away until the whole of her was gone. 

Lifting a hand from the bath, he slid icy fingers through his hair and slowly stood. Truthfully, he'd been erect from the minute he saw her and it had been rough making it through 19 fucking hours of practice. The bastard always managed to pop back up throughout the whole time. Even now, it was stiff and unrelenting. Biting his lip, he stroked his shaft a couple of times, reaching up to put pressure against his head. A soft groan filled the room and he let his head fall back against his shoulders. Just a little bit. Enough that he could try to sleep. Stroking faster, his breath caught in his throat as he came, a spurt or two shooting up across his chest. Breathing a sigh, he opened sleepy eyes and quietly cleaned himself. Getting out of the bath, he drained the water and collapsed in bed. Nova was going to fucking kill him. 

*** 

She slowly roused from sleep, groaning against her pillow. The bright autumn sun sprinkled in across her and kissed her skin good morning. Sighing, she opened her eyes, blinking and rubbing the sleep away. Yawning, she stretched and plopped back down on her bed. Today was gonna be a busy one and she was not looking forward to it. Reaching for her phone, she unlocked it to see 2 messages from HB. Smiling softly, she pressed it. 

tok1932: good morning halo. I just got up myself. 

PHOTO 

Opening it, her heart melted into a puddle of goo. He was so freaking cute. He had snapped a picture of him outside rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. 

tok1932: Today's the big day huh? Kick ass on the court. Message me later. 

PHOTO 

Seeing it made her laugh and she rolled her eyes. He was stupid. Cheeks warm, she pressed a smile into the comforter. He laid on a bed, a single light on, and posed silly with his hands. Two peace signs. One in the air. And another...her eyes grew wide and she was not in the least bit ashamed of how she zoomed in. This was the only picture she'd ever seen of him without a mask on. But he'd placed his other hand directly in front of his face with the other peace sign. He had his leg lifted and propped up on the wall and had put some heart emojis above his head. 

Typing, she replied. 

novaworld555: good morning. Or...good night now? Yeah... today's the match. I'm lowkey stressing. It's not about winning but...I still want to. Ya know? Anyway, thanks for the morning text. And pictures. You're a complete idiot. 

... 

tok1932: don't stress out sweetheart. You can do it. 

novaworld555: are we upgrading from halo to sweetheart? 

tok1932: we've been upgraded. In my mind at least. 

novaworld555: oh? 

tok1932: we've been playing games for what is it now...five months? six?

novaworld555: it's been a game to you? 

tok1932: don't twist what I'm saying. 

novaworld555: it sounds like you have something you want to say. 

novaworld555: something serious again. 

tok1932: I want us to be official. No more games. 

Her eyes bugged out of her head and she shot up. 

novaworld555: are...are you asking me out? 

tok1932: yeah that's how it reads. 

novaworld555: don't get smart HB. It's too early for your shenanigans. 

He sent laughing emojis and then a tongue sticking out emoji. 

tok1932: You're skirting around things that make you uncomfortable again Nova. 

novaworld555: No I'm not. 

...

...

novaworld555: Okay...

tok1932: okay what?

novaworld555: we can make it official. Between us. 

tok1932: thank god. I was sweating over here. 

novaworld555: don't. please. 

tok1932: now I can call you all those other names in my mind. 

novaworld555: oh God... that sounds perverted. 

tok1932: not gonna lie some of them are. 

novaworld555: you're disgusting. 

tok1932: you won't be calling me disgusting when you're on a plane. 

Her eyes bugged near out her head. 

novaworld555: e-excuse me? Say that now? 

tok1932: I'm flying you out here to Seoul. In a few weeks.

novaworld555: wait... wait wait wait. hold UP. 

tok1932: no? 

novaworld555: what if I have plans and stuff? 

tok1932: cancel them. 

novaworld555: b-but...

tok1932: please? Hoping that works so I don't come off like I'm ordering you around. 

novaworld555: That's exactly what you're doing. 

... 

novaworld555: and.... um... I kinda like it? Oh my God... *embarrassed* 

tok1932: listen. don't start with me right now sweetheart. It's late and I'm still trying to recover from our last video call. 

tok1932: don't be embarrassed. nothing to be embarrassed about. 

novaworld555: you're a bully. 

tok1932: you're a brat. 

Rolling her eyes, she grinned. 

novaworld555: Fine. I'll...I'll come. 

tok1932: My company is giving us a small vacation for the christmas season. I can't wait to see you... for real this time. 

tok1932: I'm thinking dinner and a movie? No masks this time. 

Her heart pounded against her chest.

novaworld555: t-that sounds nice. 

tok1932: cool. I'll send you the information on hotel check-in and flight time later. Oh... and I'll have someone pick you up from the airport. To be safe. 

novaworld555: You sound very well versed in flying girls out sir. 

tok1932: You, ma'am, aren't some little star-struck groupie.

tok1932: I've always been honest with you right? I've had flings before. I won't lie to you. 

tok1932: You're not a fling or a hookup to me and I want you to know that right off the rip. 

Oh God... was he serious? 

tok1932: You deserve to be spoiled. So, when you get here, be prepared. I'll take care of you. 

She felt her eyes well up with tears and she pressed her face into her covers. He was saying all the right stuff...everything she wanted to hear... and... and she wanted to believe him. She wanted to believe in him. 

novaworld555: You're saying all the right things but...

novaworld555: I'm scared... 

Popping her head up, she began to sniffle seeing his request to video call. Please God... things like this don't happen.... they're not real... Accepting, she pressed her face against the comforter. 

"I know you're scared sweetheart." His voice was really low again but she heard him much more clearer this time than before. She sniffled some more, trying to hold back her tears. 

"I'm just as scared as you are." 

"No...no you're...you're not." Lifting her face, she looked up at soft gentle eyes. 

"You have nothing to lose...but everything to gain." 

"Nova," 

"No....I...I want to trust you but... I'm so freaking scared." 

"We have to have trust if we're gonna make this work. You know that babe." 

"...yeah..."

"I'm risking my career for this. I want you to know that." Too late, the tears started to slip down her cheeks. 

"Idols aren't allowed to date. Idols aren't allowed to breathe, think, or be human. We're like robots... puppets. They have us on strings and whichever way they want us to go, we go." 

"HB..."

"I'm scared too. Scared that I'll be punished for opening up my heart to you; for following my heart. I'm scared that we'll be discovered. I'm scared of crazy fans, management...that's so many things to be afraid of Nova." Lifting her fingers, she wiped away her tears. She could hear the anxiety in his voice. She could hear the fear. 

"Look at me halo," Sniffling, she lifted her eyes and their gazes met. 

"I want this enough to risk it all. I want you enough to put it on the line." 

"I can't let you ruin your career..."

"You're not going to 'let' me do anything. I'm a big enough boy to make my own decisions." Covering her face with her hands, she took some deep breaths. 

"God... this is so crazy..." Letting her hand fall away from her face, she sighed. 

"You deserve this Nova. I deserve this. I deserve us. I can't be the man I want to be to you if you won't trust me. We might as well end things now." 

"That's...not fair....don't put this on me..."

"Make a choice. I don't have long. I have to back to practice." 

"HB..." 

"I don't have long Nova..." She clenched her jaw and answered...softly. 

"I'll come see you." He breathed a sigh of audible relief. 

"Okay. I'll send you everything later." 

"O-okay..." 

"See you soon halo," 

"See you soon," 

***

Laying on her bed for the longest, she stared up at the ceiling. It was wild that in five months, she felt like she'd known him for so much longer. It wasn't normal to feel the way she felt about him in such a short time. But... she...she couldn't deny or lie to herself anymore. She'd live with whatever happened. But, she had to find out for herself.