THE DEVIL IN I.

                             ever was standing there   ,                 waiting patiently as she watched they move around the room with an air of purpose   .                 despite the late hour   ,                 she looked bright &. refreshed in her pajamas   ,                 a smile on her lips as the brunette leaned her hip against a nearby countertop   .                 as her eyes met theirs   ,                 however   ,                 her expression shifted slightly   ,                 a hint of concern in her expression   .       ‘       you’re here   ,       ’                 ever said softly   ,                 her voice carrying with it the weight of her worry   ,       ‘       so stay   .                 talk to me   .       ’                 she walked over to them   ,                 her steps light &. careful   .                 as ever reached out to touch their arm   ,                 her fingers trailed lightly over their skin   ,                 &. her brow furrowed slightly as she felt the tension emanating from their form   .       ‘       no   ,                 this won’t do at all   ,       ’                 murmured   ,                 shaking her head in mild disapproval   ,       ‘       whatever is weighing on your mind   ,                 you can talk to me about it   .                 i won’t judge or condemn you   ,                 i promise   .                 i just want to help you carry the burden   ,                 even if just a little   .       ’

AMBROSE'S movements stilled as ever’s soft words enveloped him. he turned to face her fully, his eyes locking onto hers, absorbing the concern etched so deeply in her expression. the tension in his posture began to unravel under her delicate touch. “ever,” he murmured, his voice a rich, quiet timbre filled with unspoken turmoil, “i never wanted to worry you. there's just. . . so much chaos, and i don’t even know where to begin.” && * a heavy sigh escaped his lips as he raked a hand through his hair, a gesture of palpable frustration. “but seeing you here, calm and willing to listen, it's like a balm. more than you could possibly imagine.” he stepped closer, his hand enveloping hers, which still rested on his arm. “but i just. . . i can't. you don't deserve for me to burden you with my troubles.” his gaze softened, a flicker of relief dancing in his eyes as he allowed a sliver of vulnerability to show. “but thank you, ever. for being here. for caring.”

                             ‘       you want us to be a team   ,                 you say   ,                 to rebuild &. communicate better   .                 how         .   .   .         touching   .                 sounds like you wanna be the builder who’s gonna make sure our relationship’s stronger than the wall that stands between us   .                 i guess you’re ALL set to lay down that foundation of communication we need         .   .   .       ’                 jewel gives a caustic eye roll   .       ‘       oh   ,                 wait   .                 it’s a wonder you can even rebuild anything when you’re so busy building up walls instead of bridges   ,       ’                       her tone suddenly became gloomy   ,                 all playfulness gone   .                 jewel meets layla’s gaze   ,                 her eyes cutting   ,       ‘       how about we start by working on your sense of humor   ,                 because it’s about as groggy &. as beaten as our duo   ,                 &. while you’re at it   ,                 maybe lay down a foundation for truth   ,                 too   .       ’                              ‘       look at you pulling out all the stops   .                 layin’ it on thick as well as cheesy   .                 you’re really sellin’ yourself here   ,                 cutey   .                 you want a chance   ,                 you want to earn my trust?                 you really think some nice promises &. puppy dog eyes are gonna work?       ’                       a scoff   ,                 a chuckle         .   .   .         jewel does her best to brush off layla’s words   ,                 but within   ,                 feels like she’s getting weaker with each word   ,                 &. every attempt to attempt fault   ,                 even a trivial one   ,                 in layla’s acknowledgement   .                 words?                 just words   .                 

taking another step closer, layla's eyes softened some. “i’m not perfect. far from it. but i’m here, and i want to make this work. not with promises and pretty words, but with actions that show i mean what i say. will you give me that chance?”

"I'm going to prune." The words end in a yawn, but blue eyes are half-lidded as full lips set in a pout. "Help me out? There's a towel on the hanger behind the door." She'd honestly rather sleep with her face burrowed in fresh linens than in a makeshift death trap. Even in small measures, water could still be a formidable threat.

once she was standing on the plush bathroom mat, he began to gently dry her off, the towel absorbing the water from her skin. ──── he met her half-lidded blue eyes with a smile. “let's get you into something cozy and warm, and then you can sleep to your heart's content.”

her eyes remained on the blonde, a small shake of her head in attempts to hide the soft smile that threatened her lips. “you weren’t that careful this morning…” she pointed out, taking note that the two hadn’t even been fully certain the others girlfriend, freya’s roommate had been gone enough before clothes were flying, moans echoing off the apartment walls. “you seemed to like how loud i get,” she stepped closer to the femme, fingers trailed down the others arm as she leaned forward, lips pressed against her ear. “especially when it’s your name i’m screaming.” the statement left in a hushed, breathy tone. brows slightly lifted as she took a single step back. “better hope not, cause she very well may beat the shit out of both of us.”

when the brunette stepped back, fallon opened her eyes and met her gaze, her grin widening. “i can't deny it,” she admitted, “hearing you scream my name like that. . . it's addictive.” she took a step forward, closing the distance between them again. “as for you know who,” she whispered, “we'll just have to be more careful next time. besides, a little risk makes it all the more exciting, don't you think?” she winked, her fingers brushing the freya's cheek. “but don’t worry. i won’t let her lay a hand on you. if we get burned, we get burned together.”

"whatever you say, cupcake." he replied in a nonchalant tone. quick to wet his lips, his eyes glanced over in her direction as a smirk danced on his lips. "cute, but that only works on the sad excuse for guys you typically entertain. not me." his hushed tone was muffled as he brought the bottle of beer to his lips. "anyway... what?"

“oh? you’re different, huh?” she raised her brows, a sly smile gracing her features. if anything, he was entertaining her. his demeanor was too pretentious, but amusing nonetheless. “anyway, care to go out to a bar with me?” she plucked her carton of cigs & lighter from the pocket of her leather jacket ; placing the stick between her wet lips, igniting her life line. “i could use a drink, or three.”

❛ what do you mean by that? ❜ the question slipped past her lips before she had even fully given herself time to think about how would be the correct way to word it. as she leaned back against the concrete wall, her soft gaze slowly moved up his body before finding his face. a gentle smile soon brightened her features before she broke the eye contact between them that felt her stomach in knots. ❛ i do what i can.. like to think that i'm a good person who does what she can to make a change for the better. ❜

elias took a moment to gather his thoughts, his eyes never leaving hers. “what i mean is, everyone has their own way of making a difference,” he noticed the way her gaze moved up his body, & the soft smile that etched it's way onto her features made his heart skip a beat. ──── “i have a feeling that you're a good person,” he continued, “i can tell.” he leaned against the wall beside her, their shoulders almost touching. “don’t underestimate the power of your kindness & efforts.” his eyes softened. “i'm sure you’re making a change for the better. & it doesn't go unnoticed.”

regulus leans in and he whispers. the alien prince kept on looking at the others time device. what was it called? a watch. “ you earthlings don’t know it but you already are being invaded by a race of alien slugs.” he says, the dark haired prince titled his head. a small sigh escaped his lips.

he glanced around, ensuring no one was eavesdropping, before looking back at the other. "start from the beginning. why are you here, & what do we need to know to stop these. . . slugs?"

      donning the same smile as the day they met, one so carefully rehearsed in front of a bathroom mirror, enough to give off a convincing err of innocence and charm. " dunno. just missed you. is that so wrong of me ? "

she crossed her arms tighter, as if holding herself together. “do you have any idea what it's been like? every time you leave, it feels like i'm being torn apart. & then you come back, & for what? to start the cycle all over again?” ──── & selene turned away for a moment, running a hand through her hair, trying to compose herself. when she faced celeste again, her eyes were glistening with unshed tears. “you can't keep doing this, celeste. you can't keep breaking me & then expect me to be whole when you decide to come back. so, tell me—what is it that you really missed? because i need to know if it's worth it anymore.”

her final words played on repeat like a broken record in his mind. left momentarily speechless, his digits combed through his thick locks before giving her a small nod. “ when do i not have a fully stocked stash? ” inquiring filled with pure curiosity, “ thought you were going to take a t break. what happened there? ”

his mock curiosity didn’t help her irritation, but she decided to play along. “yeah, well, life happens, coleman. plans change. maybe i just needed a reminder of why I was taking a break in the first place.” she uncrossed her arms and took a step closer, her eyes locking onto his. “but don’t get too comfortable. this doesn’t mean i’m back for good. it just means i’ve got unfinished business to handle.” she means about filling her lungs with smoke. it was one of her worst vices.

with two small strides towards him, the blonde quickly closed the gap of space between the two. a sweet chuckle tickled the back of her throat as she raised her thin brow. "stay too long and i might just have fun with you." a sensual whisper slipped through her alluring lips. her gaze burned with. intensity as she remained fixed on the much taller man, deciding not to be the one to break their intense eye contact.

“is that a promise?” he took a step closer, closing the gap even further, his presence towering over her, mischievous. & he leaned in slightly, his breath warm against her ear. “because i’d hate to miss out on any fun,” breaking eye contact, rory let his eyes trail down her form, taking in every curve with deliberate slowness. he let the moment stretch, savoring the anticipation that hung in the air between them. his gaze flicked back up, finally settling on her lips, his smirk widening with the promise of what was to come.