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Mk was not a party animal and you could sense it. She never bothered to accept invitations from her fellow friends to their parties, never been to a club or even a bar. She didn't see the point, aside from a perfect location for pickpocketing, it was just one big mess. So how the hell did she let Julia talk her into going to one of the biggest clubs in town for her birthday? She had no clue.
"Mk, can you please drag your ass here and help me?" Julia's voice echoed across her apartment where they were getting ready for a "night out", as Julia called it.
Mk stepped into the bathroom with slight hesitation, hoping Julia was decent. Not that she would complain if she wasn't. It was painfully obvious to everyone except Julia that Mk had a huge crush on her. After season 2 aired and Julia couldn't get over her hair getting ripped out, the kleptomaniac would often comfort her. They kept contact, texted each other regularly and, at some point, started hanging out. To Mk's surprise, they lived relatively near each other, so coming over became their dailiness. Usually, Julia would just scroll through her phone while Mk played her usual video games, but besides that, they talked a lot. At first, it was mainly about the show, dragging other contestants and looking them up on Instagram or TikTok, making fun of them, and so on, but as time passed, they took their convos to another level, learning more about one another and opening to each other about things none of them said out loud before.
Mk admired Julia. As much as she resented her for getting her out of the game in season one, she didn't hold grudges. Watching the rest of the season, she realized how smart, strong, and insidious Julia was. She knew her game and it was surprisingly enjoyable to watch. So when she had to come back to this god-awful show, she decided to risk it and start an alliance with the blonde. She thought highly of her, and teaming up could increase her chances of getting further into the game. It didn't take long before Mk and Julia got closer, and as much as she didn't expect it, she developed some sort of attachment towards the blonde. Was it friendship? She wasn't sure at first, as all her so-called friends were just people she could stand being around. She never bonded with them, definitely not like she did with Julia. It made her feel uneasy, but as time passed by and Julia started getting more comfortable around her, Mk realized that there was, in fact, nothing wrong with it. She could feel Julia also started caring about her, showing signs of empathy towards Mk when she sabotaged her in the cooking challenge and got her voted out.
Reuniting in the finale was a weirdly pleasuring experience. She liked being around Julia, as she would be her authentic self around Mk, not feeling the need to pretend or hide her feelings when she needed to let them out.
The turning point was the tragic ending, as Wayne won and Julia not only lost her prize but also half of her hair. She couldn't handle it, not by herself, as much as she hated to admit it. Mk knew that and she felt the need to be around Julia, allowing her to grieve over the money, the hair, her reputation, and pretty much everything else.
She never saw her as pathetic or weak at that time, which was unusual for Mk, a cold-hearted, judgemental type of person. She only saw Julia, a teenage influencer afraid of everything she worked so hard for falling apart, along with being left behind and eventually forgotten.
And Mk would not let that happen.
And now, half a year passing by, Julia's hair was trimmed into a bouncy wolfcut, the ends curled outside and her bangs slightly pointing out, she never looked better. At least in Mk's eyes, Julia would constantly complain about wanting her silky long hair back. It didn't really matter to her, Julia could wear a bag straight out of a garbage can and she would still be in awe for her.
"What seems to be the problem your majesty," Mk asked, her raspy voice catching Julia's attention, as she turned around to face the shorter girl. She was wearing a black cowl neck top, tight around her slim waist. It was short enough to expose her navel piercing, a small circle with purple cubic zirconia, the shade perfectly matching her eyes. The bottom of the outfit was way more spectacular, a short, silver skirt covered in sequins, thin tights topping her long, lean legs, and high black boots on her feet. Her makeup was flawless as always, shiny and detailed, her eyelids completely covered in white, sparkly eyeshadow.
"Damn, I didn't know you were going all out. I know it's my birthday but I didn't expect that kind of gift" the shorter one joked, scanning Julia with her dark eyes.
"You wish, loser. Here, help me with this earring, I'm losing my mind" she hurried Mk, aggressively gesturing with her hands. "Jesus Christ Mk, can you like, try for once in your life? We're going out, can't you wear something that doesn't look like taken out of a trashcan?"
Mk looked at herself, examining the outfit - plain white t-shirt and her usual baggy jeans paired with red Converse - and then back at Julia with confusion. She proceeded to help the taller one clip her hoop earring.
"And what exactly is wrong with my pick of clothing?"
"Everything, to be precise. Follow me" Julia ordered, storming out of the bathroom, her boots clackering on the wooden panels. Mk shrugged to herself and followed, as she knew arguing with Julia wouldn't make any sense. It always ended with Mk admitting Julia was right, since the blonde couldn't handle apologizing or being in the wrong in general.
Julia began to search through her closet, she took a few things out and examined them with cautiousness. After a few seconds, she threw some on the bed, opening another drawer, searching for god knows what. Mk didn't bother to ask, at least till the blonde closed the wardrobe, picked up the clothes lying on the bed, and pushed them into Mk's hands.
"Wear this."
Mk giggled, but when she saw the serious look on Julia's face, her smile faded
"Jules please, you're like a size zero, I bet I can't even fit my leg into one of these. I'll just tear them apart"
"Oh don't brag, I know my body is perfect, but so is yours. Just wear it, trust me, you'll be the star of the show. Not as big of a star as me, of course"
Mk sighed and examined the fabrics in her hands. A tight-fitting, burgundy short sleeve and what appeared to be a denim skirt, paired with a big, black belt. There was no way Mk would go anywhere dressed like that. But at the same time, she didn't want to disappoint Julia, who was now looking at her with anticipation.
"I can wear the top, but I'm staying loyal to my jeans"
"Whatever, I guess I can live with that" Julia rolled her eyes and proceeded to search through one of her jewelry boxes, not minding Mk anymore.
Mk went to change. She looked at herself in the bathroom mirror, her hair tied up in a voluminous ponytail, bangs framing her forehead (Julia took care of her hair of course, or as she called it, her "rat nest"), cheeks covered in reddish blush, eyes painted with black eyeshadow, lashes coated with mascara. She usually didn't do makeup, as she found it unnecessary, but Julia was so excited about this whole evening that Mk decided to let her put some on her face. It felt weird, but somewhat pleasant, especially when Julia got closer to her face, and Mk could admire her beautiful, amethyst-like eyes.
And her lips. She only took a few glances though.
"My god what am I doing" she thought, smiling awkwardly to herself and leaving the bathroom. Julia was waiting next to the door, applying an extra coat of her pink lipgloss.
"See, you don't look homeless anymore. That's a start" she commented, scanning Mk, who was now tucking her hands into her pockets, looking away with embarrassment.
"The sleeves are so god damn itchy, how can you even wear things like this?"
"It might surprise you Mk, but clothes are meant to fit you, not hang on your shoulders"
"I really don't know, does it even look good?"
Julia frowned, took Mk's hand, and dragged her in front of a body-sized mirror placed in the middle of the living room. She stood behind her, quickly fixed Mk's hair, and grabbed her by both sides of her shoulders.
"Just look how great you look. The waist, the hips, you have potential. Fix your posture and you'll be good, trust me"
Mk wasn't sure whether what Julia said was true. She never formed an opinion about her body, but seeing Julia's perfect hourglass figure, she couldn't help but feel self-conscious. Would Julia ever find her attractive? She couldn't tell. She knew she wasn't ugly or anything, but at the same time, it felt like the blonde was way out of her league.
"Let's say I believe you" The shorter one sighed, as Julia's face relaxed. She let go of Mk's shoulders and delved into the purse she was carrying with her the entire time.
"Here, wear this" She handed her a small necklace with a silver star-shaped pendant. Mk's eyes widened as she took it and put it on
"Are you sure you wanna lend it to me? It looks goddamn expensive, and you know me. I'll either lose in an hour or I'll steal it" Mk grinned, but Julia's expression didn't change one bit.
"It's your present. Happy birthday, butknuckle. No idea if it's your style, you can sell it if u want"
Oh wow, now Mk was touched.
"You're too nice, Jules. Thanks" Mk smiled at the taller girl, gratitude painted on her face. It was a gesture that meant a lot to her, even if it didn't mean anything to Julia herself. She knew she would cherish the necklace from now on, even if it wasn't something she would typically wear.
"Yeah yeah, it's your day after all" Julia smiled back, her expression softening "Now come on, there is no time to waste. Let's go!"
•••
It was a fairly cold evening, lanterns shining bright, multiple cars passing by as Julia and Mk headed to the club. There was a queue in front of it, not surprising since it was Saturday, and students from the area of the town they lived in would usually spend their weekends pouring alcohol into their throats and wasting themselves. They stood outside for a while, some people getting kicked out by the bodyguards, groups of already drunk girls leaving with way older guys, and someone vomiting in the corner of the alley. So gross, Mk couldn't understand why so many people enjoyed this type of lifestyle. Sure, she did drink sometimes, as in her home country underage drinking was a pretty common case, but it wasn't as great of an experience as everyone described it. Julia on the other hand seemed unphased and hyped, stomping her feet on the ground with visible impatience.
As it was their turn, Julia shoved their fake IDs in the bodyguard's face, he looked them up and down and eventually let them in. "Well, that was easy," Mk thought. She didn't expect anyone to buy this bullshit, but here they are, in the middle of a crowded dance floor, music blasting through the speakers, people jumping in places, doing shots at the bar and making out, lights flickering and constantly changing colors. Mk felt somewhat uncomfortable, not because she wasn't used to the volume or the crowd, but because she wasn't looking like her normal self, and she would catch random guys checking her out, which didn't usually happen. Julia noticed the discomfort of her friend and dragged her into the corner of the club, giggling under her breath
"Why don't we ease ourselves a little?" She asked, opening her silver bag and taking out a bottle of vodka, which Mk had no idea how she managed to stuff in there.
"I gotta admit, you keep surprising me!" she grinned at Julia, as the taller one smiled with pride and ran her fingers through her hair.
"I know, I'm awesome. Let's go to the bathroom real quick"
And so they did, the bathroom was small, tiles covering the floor dirty to the point where you couldn't really tell what color they originally were. The line to the bathroom stalls was huge, the sinks were crowded as well. Some chicks were comforting a girl crying her eyes out in the corner, mumbling something about how she misses her ex, and on the other side, another group was rolling a joint. Julia opened the bottle as soon as they entered the bathroom, taking a big sip, and pulling a face from the unpleasant taste.
"Not so fast princess, no one's gonna take it away from you" Mk joked as Julia passed the bottle to her. She took a sip, a bit smaller than Julia, feeling a weird sensation in her throat. God, it tasted awful, but who cares about that when the main point is to get drunk?
"I wanna get drunk as fast as I can, it's literally impossible to have fun sober when such shitty music is playing" Julia shouted, as the conversations happening around them and the muted music muffled her voice.
They drank half of a bottle, Julia being more eager than Mk. They decided to save the rest for "later", which meant like ten minutes from now since Julia was the type of drinker who would complain about "not feeling anything" and then getting hit the hardest in the group, always ending up with the worst hangover. They went out to dance, as the crowd thinned out a little bit. 2000's hits were playing, which made Julia jump with joy, shouting something like "It's my favorite!" Each time another song echoed around the club. Mk had no idea how to dance, she didn't move much, but as the alcohol got to her, her chest warm, mind hazy, she didn't focus on it, looking at Julia, deep into her big, violet eyes, as she jumped from one leg to another, swinging her hips with confidence, rising her hands into the air. A few guys, not so bad-looking, came up to them and asked for Julia's number, but she declined each time. She took the bottle out of her purse and drank almost half of what was left, her eyes watery from the flavor on her tongue.
At this moment, mesmerized by Julia's charms, her bright face, perfectly styled hair, cheeks rosy from the vodka, Mk couldn't handle herself and came closer to Julia holding out her hand in front of the blonde.
"Wanna dance?" She asked, super confident, most likely because of the alcohol getting to her head.
"With you? Always" Julia laughed as she pulled Mk closer and took control of their moves. The music was blasting into their ears, blurred vision and heads heavy, Julia spun Mk around and laughed as she watched the shorter one trying to strike a balance. They were both extremely carefree, already drunk, since the air in the club was super stuffy. Mk's eyes were constantly locked on Julia, her perfect body, perfect hair, and perfect face. She couldn't find the words to describe how astonishing Julia looked, it was driving her insane, she wanted to tell the taller one how she felt for a while now, and the alcohol thriving in her blood wasn't helping to ease the urge.
An hour passed, fewer people in the club, Julia and Mk were now sitting at a bar, drinking coke(with the leftover vodka poured into it) and talking about the most random things they could imagine, still not achieving the state of sobriety Mk would like.
"And then he grabbed me by the waist, so I slapped him suuuper hard" Julia exclaimed, invested in the story she was telling. Mk would nod, her eyes wandering around the room, her mind continuously filled with unwanted thoughts. Well, maybe not unwanted, but for sure not decent.
"Jesus, guys are such jerks. I would treat you a hundred times better than that bitch" Mk spit out before she could even think about it. To her surprise, Julia's eyelids dropped and the corners of her mouth turned up.
"Oh, I'm sure you would. You look like you know how to please a woman"
Jesus Christ, did she really say that or Mk was just imagining things?
"Hold your horses, Jules, we're in public" she chuckled, fighting the blush flushing her cheeks. She could just blame it on the vodka, but at the same time didn't want to give Julia the satisfaction of her words affecting her.
"Jeez Mk, you have such a dirty mind" Julia rolled her eyes, grinning "I meant like, you know, that you're way more understanding and stuff. And ten times more interesting those boring tryhards"
"Well of course I am, not everyone has a crime record as long as I do" Julia chuckled at the joke, Mk admiring her smile, finishing the drink she was holding in one gulp.
As Julia continued telling the story, a tall guy with curly hair came up to them, smiling, the corner of his eyes crinkled. He leaned over at Mk and looked her in the eyes.
"Hey there, mind if I tag along?"
Julia and Mk looked at each other, one with confusion written on her face, the other one just as surprised. Their eyes told each other what they needed to know. Julia frowned and faced the guy, who was obliviously checking her out.
"We do, actually. In the middle of a super important conversation, thanks"
But the guy didn't move, his stupid expression not changing one bit.
"Come on, you don't have to be so shy. I'm sure we will have fun together. My names-"
Before the guy could finish up the sentence, Mk bent herself in half and let out a harsh groan. Julia looked at her concerned, but as the shorter one winked at her, she immediately understood and played along.
"Oh god, I'm gonna throw up. Right now. Everywhere, on your fancy shoes as well" She pointed to the guy's feet, letting out another super loud, super overdone whine"
"Jeez girlfriend, I told ya not to mix these drinks. Sorry dude, super urgent as you see, gotta evacuate this one to the bathroom" Before the guy could react, they quickly got up from their seats and ran into the crowd, laughing stupidly, looking at each other with satisfaction and amusement.
Just as they were able to blend in with the crowd, Mk poked Julia in her waist and showed her a wallet that didn't belong to either of them. She took it from that weird guy, as a form of punishment for not taking a hint. Julia's eyes widened, she looked at Mk and then grinned with contentment.
"Wow, I'm impressed. You're a piece of work, Mk"
"What can I say, I'm always underestimated" Mk smiled back, her eyes flickering with self-satisfaction.
The girls understood each other perfectly, without the need to use words, their body language well known to one another. Being around Julia made Mk feel at ease, knowing she could be as straightforward and shameless as she pleased, and the blonde would never judge her for it, but rather add fuel to the fire or say something way worse. But she loved her for that, it was what made her fall for the blonde. Her cunning attitude, how she knew her worth and would never let anyone take her pride away from her. She could be annoying sometimes, but her rough personality made her even more fascinating, which led to Mk's feelings growing even stronger. Her heart was burning, partly from the alcohol and tiredness slowly taking over her body, but also because Julia was holding her hand tight, their shoulders bumping into each other as they ran in the middle of the dancefloor.
"I cannot believe I'm saying this, but I'm having so much fun" Mk shouted into Julia's ear, standing on her toes and covering the ear with her palms.
"I told ya clubbing wasn't so bad!" Julia shouted back, a hiccup and a giggle following it, she locked her eyes with Mk and smiled "You look so fucking good today"
Mk's eyebrows rose in surprise "Do I?" As Julia nodded with a serious expression, Mk added "Well It's only thanks to you, so you're basically glazing yourself"
"Shut upp" Julia laughed, her eyes closed, nose crinkled, she looked absolutely beautiful. Mk couldn't take her eyes away from the blonde, no matter how hard she tried, her thoughts constantly wandered back to her, she really wanted to hold her and kiss her, but despite her being drunk, there was a hint of fear stopping her from doing it.
Julia pulled her close as another song started playing, they danced for a bit before the blonde leaned towards Mk with a smirk painted on her face
"Tell me Mk, did you ever made out with a girl?"
Now that was a question she didn't expect to hear. It was obviously driven by Julia's state, since she normally wouldn't ask her something like this, right?
"No ma'am" She answered, her eyes shifting towards the side out of embarrassment. Mk knew she liked women ever since middle school, but her love life, well, didn't exist. She was sure Julia was a dating expert with her gorgeous appearance and popularity, but she couldn't figure out whether she was into girls as well. She looked painfully "straight", that's for sure, but there were times when Julia would tease the kleptomaniac or even, if she was brave enough, flirt with her. But Mk took it as a joke since she didn't want to get her hopes high, as she accepted that nothing serious would actually happen between them.
"Me neither," Julia said, snatching Mk away from her thoughts. Just as the black-haired girl thought the conversation was over, Julia continued "Would you like to kiss a girl?"
After a moment of silence between them, music roaring into their ears, Mk took a breath at muttered "I admit I thought about it before"
As another song started playing, Julia grabbed Mk by her waist, which sent shivers down her spine, and pulled Mk closer, their faces only inches away from each other. They both smiled, Julia with satisfaction, while Mk rather with embarrassment caused by the other's confidence.
"Would you like to kiss me?"
Mk must have misheard her, right? Because there was no way Julia, the girl of her dreams just asked her that.
She stared at the blonde with hesitation, looked down at her feet, and replied silently "Would YOU like to kiss ME?"
Julia took Mk's chin into her hand, locking their eyes together, her pupils shining in the dark, Julia's makeup slightly messed up due to warmth, Mk was hooked. No matter how hard she tried not to look at Julia's pink, glossy lips, her eyes would wander at them, as her thoughts were so loud she couldn't overcome them. If there was a chance for her to kiss Julia, even this once, she would take it.
The blonde brought Mk back into reality with a short, unexpected answer.
"I never wanted anything more"
Was she drunk enough to imagine things? There was no way, she didn't drink enough for that to happen. It must've been the reality, and not to brag, but it felt like a dream come true.
"Stop playing with me, Jules"
"I'm not, really. I say what I think"
"But.. people will stare at you, at us" Mk had doubt written all over her face, afraid that this decision could change everything between them once and forever. But Julia didn't seem to care, as she put her hand on the back of Mk's head, pulled her even closer, their noses almost touching, and whispered so that only Mk could hear her.
"Let them"
When the lights flickered, changing into a beautiful, purple shade, perfectly matching Julia's eyes, Mk squeezed her eyes shut and closed the distance between them with a playful kiss, holding The blonde's cheek with her sweaty hand. She felt all of her emotions becoming one, making her stomach turn, and her heart pounding so fast she was sure it would explode any second now. That was something completely new to her, as she never kissed anyone before, and she did not expect it to feel so good. Julia's lips were soft, plump, a bit sticky from the lipgloss she was constantly reapplying, her skin smooth and warm under Mk's palm, the smell of her fruity-flowery perfumes filling up the shorter's nostrils. She couldn't contain herself. It was truly the weirdest experience of the day, as not of her entire life, and she had to admit she enjoyed it.
Just as she was about to pull back from the kiss, Julia's hands tightened around her waist and deepened the embrace, their teeth clanking at one another, but they didn't seem to care, focused only on themselves and what they were doing. It felt truly magical, especially when Julia's hands tracked Mk's back, their lips fighting for dominance, the kiss getting more and more passionate with each passing second, none of them wanted to let go. They started treating it as some sort of competition, Julia forcing Mk to bend down under her weight, her tongue slipping in Mk's mouth, which made the kleptomaniac's eyes widen in surprise, but not discomfort. She enjoyed what Julia was doing to her, and loved her dominating side she would so often show when there was just the two of them. The music remained muted, as their minds focused entirely on one another and the moment they shared. It felt like heaven, Mk could say, but even that word couldn't precisely explain what she thought of it, feeling carefree, happy, shocked, and safe all at once. She loved the fact that Julia considered her desirable, HER out of all people, no matter how much more attractive they were, because right now it was her Julia was kissing, not intending to pull back, even when they were slowly getting out of their breath.
The rest of the evening, Mk didn't remember quite as vividly as the actions before. After the kiss, they both hesitated as to what to do not to make the situation awkward, but as Mk broke into laughter, Julia's expression softened and she burst out laughing as well. They stayed in the club for another hour, Julia taking thousands of pictures, their dancing interrupted by a few short kisses they shared. The girls didn't talk about the reasons behind it, but Mk could read from Julia's eyes and her sincere expression that she felt the same way. It made her the happiest woman alive, even though she wasn't sure if she's gonna remember any of that the next day.
They got out of the club by 3 a.m., bumping into one another, laughing at everything they found remotely funny. Julia gathered up the rest of her consciousness and ordered an Uber, which took them to her apartment, where they were supposed to stay for the night. The first thing Julia did after stepping into the door was running towards the bathroom and throwing up, not a surprise to Mk since the blonde drank way more than her. She decided to let her be and not confront her in the moment, since Julia would most likely die out of embarrassment. It took her a while to get a grip, after that she roughly removed her makeup and did her 6-step super detailed skincare routine, which amused Mk, who didn't even have the strength to get up from the bed she was lying at.
It didn't take long before the two of them fell asleep, tangled in the bedsheets, Julia's feet poking out, Mk's head almost fully covered by a silky, pink duvet, their arms embracing each other, making them both feel secure and relaxed. The next morning surely wasn't as fun as the previous night, Julia groaning in pain, hangover not letting go even after Mk prepared a cup of hot tea and a number of painkillers for her to take. It took a while before the two got themselves together, letting their bodies and minds rest, watching some random reality show airing on tv, and eating takeout Julia ordered them for dinner.
Mk was afraid the events from the previous night would make things awkward between them, but they didn't. Julia acted the same around the black-haired girl, still witty as usual, which made Mk feel at ease. They eventually talked it out, leading the conversation in several different directions, each of them honest and serious in their words. As hard as it was for Julia to come through and confess her real feelings, she knew Mk would never shame or mock her for it. They both knew nothing would stay the same now, but as time passed, they slowly accepted it and realized that just because their relationship changed didn't mean it would change something between them. They were still the same Mk and Julia, just true to their feelings and more understanding towards one another.
Everything would be okay.