𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐞 / ꜰᴀᴅᴇᴅ.

he turns back toward the espresso machine, getting the coffee brewing, carefully steaming the milk before pouring it into the cup, his tongue poking slightly against the inside of his cheek as he concentrates. once the foam settles, he grabs a small pick and starts shaping the design, brow furrowing as he works. every so often his gaze would flicker towards the picture he had displayed on his phone, moving carefully as he attempted to replicate it. when he finally slides the cup toward quinn, his expression immediately shifts into an apologetic smile. the bonsai is...well, technically there. it looks more like a squiggly tree with a few birds flying away from it instead of leaves, but the effort is there. “okay, maybe a week was overly ambitious of me,” he confesses, glancing up at him. “but it’s still damn good coffee.”

          “ wow, this, ” quinn starts, trying to keep a straight face as he studies the latte art. “ — looks like one of those rorschach tests, no? ” he laughs softly, glancing up at emmett before looking at the foam art once more. “ gold star for effort, at least? ” quinn offers, producing his phone and taking a couple of pictures. “ you know what, if i look at it long enough, it looks like a swamp tree. sick. ” this time, he picks up the cup and takes a few sips. “ that’s excellent coffee, yeah. ” it’s strong just the way he likes it, with a touch of cream, and perfectly balanced. “ i’m dropping by the women’s shelter later today to get their costco shopping list. wouldn’t call it exciting, but productive. ” with school starting for the kids, both youth hockey and surf club are on different schedules now.

          “ and you — working the entire day and then off to your side quest? ” quinn teases, referring to emmett’s community service.

As Obi-wan faced off with General grievous on screen, Felipe took another drink of the dragon fruit mocktail Quinn had brought to round out their simple lunch. "Refrescante. You're gonna have to shoot me the recipe for this one, Lightning." When it came to the drive in, Felipe always packed a small lunch carrier with snacks, in this case chips and five steak sandwiches to share. He dropped one off to Joe, the senior projector technician, in exchange for a portable FM radio to be able to tune in to the sound. Any meal and movie was enjoyed sitting on the tailgate of his truck, of which he had what was essentially outdoor furniture seat cushions to make it more comfortable. All in all, a very serious set up that hadn't changed over the years. Turning back to the movie, he posed his fellow star wars fan the age old question, "Which character would you choose to be, if you had to pick? Doesn't have to be one from Revenge," he gave a nod towards the screen, "can be from any of 'em."

garrett graham + his blue letterman jacket OFF CAMPUS 01.01 'The Deal'

+

early morning brews had finally settled into one of its quieter stretches, the line from the morning rush long gone and replaced by the occasional customer wandering in to escape the florida heat. emmett stood behind the counter with his phone in hand, swiping through a small album of photos he’d started collecting over the past couple of weeks. somewhere between learning how to steam milk properly and remembering everyone’s orders, he’d gotten a little obsessed with latte art. some of it actually looked decent. some of it…well, he liked to think it had character.

when the bell above the door chimed, he looked up with an easy smile before turning his phone around so the screen faced them. “at no extra cost,” he said, scrolling through pictures of little hearts, tulips, leaves, a bear that was only mostly recognizable, and something that had accidentally ended up looking like a ghost, “you can pick one of these designs if you feel like getting fancy with your coffee today.” he shrugged, the grin tugging a little wider at the corner of his mouth. “gives me an excuse to keep practicing.” slipping the phone back into his apron pocket, he rested his hands on the counter. “so…what can i get for you? the usual, or are we branching out today?”

           “ can you swap the whole milk for almond milk? ” he wonders while he drops the money in the tip jar. “ like is it gonna affect the foam? if so, let’s stick to whole milk then. ” no oat milk for quinn — that’s not his thing. flashing emmett a smile, quinn pays for his coffee and playfully snaps his fingers. “ bonsai art — i get that pick, yeah? i want that one, please. ”

    ›    STATUS    :    open.  (  @palmviewstarters  )     ›    LOCATION    :    flower arranging class  @  atelier bloom     ›    FEATURING    :    astrid  &  your muse. 

Alex stepped out of the bathroom, freshly showered and changed out of everything from the performance. No glitter, no perfectly styled hair, no dramatic costumes. Just comfortable sweats, one of Quinn's shirts, and damp curls that refused to cooperate no matter how many times he ran his fingers through them. He should have been tired. After everything, the lights, the music, the crowd, the adrenaline that always came with stepping onto a stage, he should have been completely exhausted. How could he be? It had been an incredible night, like a dream come true. Part of him was also still processing that now Quinn knew about this part of him. But instead of feeling exhausted, or nervous, there was this strange sense of calm settling over him as he made his way into the kitchen.

For a moment, he didn't say anything. He leaned against the frame of the wall as he watched Quinn. There was something so comforting about seeing him there. Something that made him want this to be a regular occurrence. And maybe that was what caught him off guard. Because somehow, standing there in Quinn McKenna's home, wearing borrowed comfort and ending the night with him, it didn't feel unfamiliar. It didn't feel like he was intruding or stepping into a place that wasn't meant for him. It felt like a puzzle piece finally finding the perfect slot it had been looking for all along. And that piece was Quinn.

"Hey," he said softly, the word carrying more warmth than it needed to. He comes up behind the other, slipping his arms around Quinn from behind, pulling him into a brief hug. It was easy and familiar, his chin resting near Quinn's shoulder for a moment before he pressed a gentle kiss there. "Already it smells amazing, cariño," he murmured, the smile evident in his voice. After another second, he let him go, stepping aside and leaning back against the counter beside him. He looked over at Quinn with that same quiet smile, "so," he said, "what can I help you with?"

          “ hey. ” he greets, turning his head and smiling at alejandro. it feels good, what they’re doing right now. a little reminiscent of what they were, but even better. “ glad to hear you approve, babe. ” quinn responds, briefly pressing back against alejandro. he switches off the stove and grabs a clean serving plate. “ i was thinking you could make the avocado salad for us. ” he tells alejandro as he transfers the sausages to the plate. “ everything’s prepped. ” the bowl’s sitting on the breakfast counter, bright and colorful thanks to the avocado and tomatoes. “ they just need some tossing — and taste it for me, will you? gotta make sure i properly seasoned it. ” will alejandro know it’s the same recipe he taught quinn years ago? he’s about to find out.

          “ so i got us zero alcohol peroni for our meal. it’s perfect, trust me — i’m italian. ” typically, one will pair cacio e pepe with wine, but pairing it with italian beer is even better. it’s something his grandparents and moms have taught him. “ when you’re done there, then we can eat. ” quinn says, approaching alejandro and kissing his cheek.

“𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗞𝗡𝗢𝗪, 𝗬𝗢𝗨’𝗥𝗘 𝗕𝗘𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗢 𝗠𝗔𝗞𝗘 𝗠𝗘 𝗦𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗 𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗘 𝗔 𝗖𝗥𝗔𝗭𝗬 𝗚𝗜𝗥𝗟𝗙𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗗 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗦𝗘 𝗩𝗢𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗠𝗔𝗜𝗟𝗦 𝗜’𝗠 𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗩𝗜𝗡𝗚.” trey spoke into the receiver, wandering slowly along the path toward quinn’s house. it had felt like a long time since he’d seen his best friend, though in reality it had only been three days, less, even, since he’d actually heard from him. “i thought i was supposed to be the bad texter here! i miss you, pookie. come home. i’m about to start throwing rocks at your window.” his voice dipped into something softer and cuter before he broke into a chuckle at the thought. it wasn’t half a bad idea. while he knew quinn’s schedule was often busy, he also knew he was dealing with his own things, too, and this was trey’s own weird way of showing he cared and checking in.

“anyway, i think i see your light on. if it’s you, answer the door, and if not—” before he could finish, the beep signaling that his time for leaving a voicemail was up cut him off. “well, let’s hope it’s not a burglar,” he muttered to himself as he headed toward the front door.

          “ hey there, pookie, ” quinn greets, his tone sugary sweet and light. it’s their thing — the petname. “ don’t you look extra handsome tonight, ” he teases, giving trey a quick hug before ushering him inside. “ i got us specialty rolls and our usual sushi rolls, too. ” mace, his black german shepherd lightly pads towards trey, gives trey’s knee a light nudge with his muzzle as a form of hi before padding away. quinn leads them to the kitchen and then opens the fridge. “ what can i get you? beer or wine? a mocktail? ”

    ∎∎∎     the laugh that vibrates from charlie’s throat is unavoidable.   they bask in quinn’s reaction at the sight of the shoebox,  even more when he realizes what’s inside,  and a soft nod comes before their verbal answer.   “   of course i kept them;  how could i not ?   ”   the smile that follows the words is gentle and small,  but it’s there,  and it’s absolutely sincere,  something charlie’s smiles often aren’t. they shift on the bed when quinn takes the stack of post-its from their hands,  and a new laugh,  this time softer,  hits the walls of the place when he finally manages to recall the story behind them.   “   that is unhinged,  i never knew you wrote all these actually on the bus,  as it was happening.   ”   they take the stack back,  place them carefully inside the shoebox,  and the smile they offer this time has a sprinkle of melancholy on top.   “   i can’t remember all the stuff we talked either,  that’s why i keep all of this,   ”   they clarify,  not embarrassed in the slightest.   they would be,  though,  if it were someone else,  but not with quinn.   they muse the question for a second then,  and return their attention to the box to look for the first letter they received from him all those years ago.   “   you should have the first one because i started our …  correspondence,  but this is the answer,   ”   charlie hands him a colorful envelope made of different types of paper.   “   i told you about a girl i kissed on the back of my first car,  and how just then my first car felt like my car.   do you remember ?   i was kind of insane about it.   ”

          “ and your writing was — ” he halts, trying to think of the proper description. “ you know how when you write and you’re pressing down too firmly on the paper? it was like that with your letter; you were making me see that moment? i swear i wasn’t trying to sound like a voyeur. ” quinn turns over the pretty envelope, still smiling. “ i kept all our letters in two shoeboxes. but they’re the limited edition reebok ones. ” maybe next time he’ll bring them over. “ i’ll take a picture of the boxes tonight; you’ll see. ”

gratefully, she took the towel from his hands, immediately wrapping it around herself as she began to grow chilly. "cool downs are important, i know." she sighed, wanting nothing more than to flop face-first onto the nearby lounge chair. her legs felt like sticks of gelatin. "swimming is good for working glutes, right? might have to add a swim day into my rotation." she hobbled over to the nearby chair, at least sitting down and massaging her legs while she waited for quinn to call out stretches.

          “ alright, ready? calf stretch first, and then quad stretch, yeah? ” quinn instructs, taking the towel from arin and draping it on the chair. “ hold for twenty seconds for each leg. i’ll do the count, ready? ” lower body cool down first, and then upper body since the former did most of the work and the latter is the support. “ these are basic cool downs after a swim, but once your body’s used to swimming, you don’t even need ‘em. ”

    ›    STATUS    :    closed.  (  @br1llare  )     ›    LOCATION    :    scoreboard     ›    FEATURING    :    avery  &  quinn.