🍒why so sexy if so dumb?🍒

Elisha cocked his head at the other man, small smile blooming on his lips. “What?” He asked. “Opinions are subjective, Beau… I think you’re gorgeous. I don’t see what you see – you don’t see what I see. I tried to capture it.” He gestured then to the canvas, shaking his head at Beau’s assertion that one side of his face was better than the other. “You are your own worst critic.” He look sat the scar, one eyebrow curving. “And if all the world were perfect, wouldn’t that be boring? What happened?” He asked of the mark, his gaze falling to the other’s mouth despite himself, another grin pulling at his lips when Beau was speaking again. “I love junk food – that’s, like, the way to my heart. Let’s go.”

Beau never knew what to do with compliments because they always felt like they belonged to someone else, not him. Years of doubting himself had made praise uncomfortable, leaving him convinced he hadn't done enough to deserve kind words, no matter how genuine they were. When Elisha called him gorgeous and ran his fingers gently down his face, a faint flush crept into Beau's cheeks, his eyes dropping for a moment as a shy smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. The simple touch softened him in a way very little else could, and he instinctively reached up, running his hand over his freshly shaved head with quiet self-consciousness. "I think what you have done looks real good." He confessed. His voice was sincere, warm with admiration as he met Elisha's eyes again before adding with an awkward but heartfelt smile, "What do you fancy eating, Elisha? It's on me."

"Let's do it!" She stood up, tugging Nevaeh up with her before hooking her arm though her friend's. Elara was beyond excited to spend the evening with the blonde. She'd already made up her mind for the evening. Her entire focus would be on Nevaeh; it wouldn't be hard. Her best friend had a magnetic effect on Elara. "I'll order some food for delivery, too, so we're not drinking on an empty stomach."

Nevaeh pointed at Elara with a bright, knowing grin, clearly delighted by her admission. “I like that idea. This is why we are close. Brains and beauty you are,” she teased, her playful tone carrying effortless warmth. As the moment settled, she absent-mindedly hooked her keys around one finger, swinging them in a slow, lazy circle and watching the metal glint as it spun.

Aspen hadn’t realized Isaiah felt left behind, left out. It was funny, in a sense, because that was exactly how she felt overall at the party. There was so much happening, so many conversations and sounds that she hardly knew how to process it. Sure, she could hear, but given all the noise, it was just chaos for her. She caught bits and pieces of words spoken to her, but a fair majority, she was left to lip read. She was decent at it, but not exceptional by any means. Pressing her lips together, Aspen was realizing that she’d messed up in the conversation with Aidan. It hadn’t been intentional. She was overwhelmed, and it was clear Aidan had noticed, giving her a break. That was why he hadn’t even used his voice, not that Aspen realized it. Exhaling at herself, she glanced down, “I said I was sorry, Isaiah, I can’t change it. All I can do is promise I’ll do better next time. Aidan’s hearing, he’s studying to be an interpreter,” she explained even though she was worried that would make it all worse. “I really wasn’t trying to leave you out or hurt you. I was overwhelmed, that’s all.” It was clear that she hated to admit it, that she hated to confess how hard the environment was on her, but she did. It was her way of making an effort, extending that level of trust to him with something fragile, something she was struggling to accept and manage. Eyes slowly lifted to him, “I’m sorry,” she repeated, unsure what else she could do to fix it.

Isaiah lowered his gaze to his lap as Aspen apologised again, the words settling between them with a weight that somehow still felt too light. He knew she meant them, and he knew she was telling the truth when she said she couldn't change what had already happened, but the apology felt unfinished when it ended there. It wasn't that he expected her to turn back time or somehow erase the evening; he wasn't asking for the impossible. What he wanted was for her to understand why it had hurt in the first place. Slipping his hand into his pocket, he found the familiar edge of his keys and absentmindedly ran his thumb across the jagged metal, focusing on the rough texture beneath his fingertips to keep himself grounded. The repetitive motion gave him something to do while he searched for words that never came easily when his emotions were involved. His shoulders slumped as he stared down, the silence stretching for a few moments before he finally spoke. "I just feel dismissed," he muttered quietly, his voice carrying far more disappointment than anger. The confession sat heavily in the room because it was the simplest way he knew how to describe the ache in his chest. "I thought you and me were like an us against the world couple. It just didn't feel right tonight." His eyes remained fixed on his lap as he admitted it, afraid that looking directly at her might make the vulnerability even harder to bear. Isaiah wasn't trying to make her feel guilty, nor was he pretending the evening could somehow be undone. He simply needed her to understand where his heart had been.

In most situations, most circumstances, Ella was on her guard. It didn’t always show, but her mind was always focused, making sure there weren’t hidden threats. Her bodyguards were the same, never turning it off, never allowed to be distracted. It was the kind of thing that could get one of them killed in the wrong situation so it was the sort of thing drilled into them from the start. But here, now, she was letting that slip away, letting herself relax the longer she was hanging out with Huddy. It was easier than she expected, calmer. When he spoke, she smirked, not letting herself laugh. She felt far from normal. She knew most kids didn’t spend time learning to fight, to shoot, to use weapons, and once she was a little older, to make deals. “You don’t know me well,” she tossed back, the words soft and slightly playful, but also meant with a hint of seriousness. “Normal is boring,” she added. The fact was she didn’t care either way. Her life was her life. It was the only one she knew so it was normal for her. One thing she was glad for was that he kept his words to where she could follow. Now and then, people threw in idioms or words she hadn’t heard, leaving her confused. And sometimes, well, she attempted to use an idiom and got it wrong. It was one of those things that nearly always made her twin sister laugh.

Huddy glanced across the kitchen towards Ella just in time to catch her laughing at him, and he couldn't stop the grin that spread across his face. "Wow. You won't even admit they're good. What a cow," he teased, shaking his head in exaggerated disbelief as though he'd just suffered the greatest betrayal imaginable. Leaning back against the kitchen counter, he folded his arms loosely across his chest, wearing the smug sort of expression that said he was far too pleased with himself to care whether she truly liked the food or not. The warmth of the room, mixed with the easy rhythm of their conversation, made everything feel comfortable, and he found himself enjoying the familiar back-and-forth more than he cared to admit. When Ella finally offered the smallest compliment imaginable, he tipped his head back with an amused laugh that echoed softly around the kitchen. "I'll take the small compliment," he said, flashing her an appreciative smile despite the obvious reluctance behind her praise. "I can't see another one coming out much better." There wasn't an ounce of offence in his voice; if anything, he found her stubbornness entertaining. Reaching for his bottle of water, Huddy twisted the cap loose and took a slow drink, letting the cool water settle his throat before replacing the lid with a quiet click.

A slight nod is given at explanation. “That’s cool. It’s nice you guys were catching up,” Juliette responds to try and keep up an air of indifference towards the matter, not wanting to come off as snippy or upset. She hears the question and she gives a slight shrug. “I don’t know.. I didn’t think it mattered. We’ve got our own stuff going on,” she laughs a bit to play it off. It’s not like that was a lie. They both had their own lives and plans for the future. You don’t have to tell the guy you occasionally sleep around with every aspect of your life. But she knew that wasn’t entirely true because they did talk about that stuff. That was the problem, it all felt like so much more for what it was.

Dallas and Juliette had been sneaking around together for so long that he could barely remember when it had started. It had become second nature, hidden moments stolen whenever they could, conversations that blurred into lingering touches, kisses that always seemed to mean more than either of them admitted aloud. The one thing they never spoke about was feelings. That line remained uncrossed, carefully avoided every time it threatened to surface. Dallas carried the weight of those unspoken words every day because the truth was simple and terrifying all at once: he liked Juliette far more than he had ever let on. Hell, she occupied his thoughts from the moment he woke until he finally managed to fall asleep. Every song reminded him of her, every empty moment invited thoughts of her smile, her laugh, the way she always seemed to fit beside him. Yet he refused to tell her because he couldn't bear the possibility of ruining what they already had. If confessing his heart meant she would disappear from his life, then silence felt like the safer choice. "We can talk. You can talk to me. Don't deaf me out."

He tilted his head further, giving Beau full access

“Let them stare,” Patrick murmured, thumb brushing along Beau’s jaw. “They’re just jealous they don’t get to kiss the grumpy one with the soft mouth. You looked way too happy for someone who’s supposedly so private about this stuff.”

Beau’s lips curved into a faint, reluctant smile as Patrick brushed a gentle kiss across his mouth, the tenderness pulling warmth from behind the walls he so carefully kept around himself. The moment was interrupted by the familiar tug at his hair, earning a quiet noise of protest before Beau dropped his hand onto Patrick’s thigh with a light slap. “You keep teasing me. Stop it,” he warned, though the softness in his voice dulled any real threat.

Emma trusted Finn, and that was significant for her. She didn’t trust easily, not truly, not deep down. Sure, she had her naivetés, and didn’t always question what someone said, if they were believable – meaning the hard part was she could be tricked. She had been tricked in the past. But that wasn’t the same as trusting, at least, not in her mind. Eyes drew up to her husband, still finding it hard to believe they were married – that he’d even wanted to marry her. She hadn’t even realized she wanted to get married until Finn. The thing that sometimes scared her, in the very back of her mind, was that he might, one day, find her to be too much. She’d expressed that to him when they got engaged and were planning the wedding. More than once. And she trusted that he’d talk to her if her past, her struggles ever felt overwhelming. It was something she asked him to promise her. In her mind, she was the one with problems, and issues, and he was nearly perfect. Of course, she loved him so that helped, plus she still had that mindset that whomever she was in relationship with – she belonged to him, he was the one in charge, her owner, so to speak. It was one of the things she struggled to shift, internally.

Finn had never viewed his relationship with Emma through the lens of one person being in control while the other simply followed. That dynamic had never made sense to him because, in his mind, a healthy relationship was built on two people standing beside each other. He had always been protective of Emma, and that instinct was something he carried with pride. He took the idea of being the person who looked after her seriously, not because he thought she was incapable of handling herself, but because he wanted her to know that she never had to face anything alone. If there was something he could do to make her life easier, safer, or happier, he would do it without hesitation. As Emma’s fingers gently traced down his chest, Finn watched the small movement carefully, his expression softening. He looked into her eyes and smiled because, more than anything, he wanted to share moments like that with her. He wanted the quiet conversations where words weren’t always necessary, where a touch, a glance, or a simple gesture could communicate everything they needed to say. Emma didn’t have to ask for permission to be herself around him. She didn’t have to filter her emotions or hide parts of who she was. Finn wanted her to feel comfortable enough to exist exactly as she was.

Aurora knew this was a lot. Simply telling him about their daughter, Nyla, was a lot, but adding in her family, her father, that could tip anybody well past overwhelm. Then again, she wasn’t fully certain that Bryn understood what she was saying. Her father, her family name, it was the kind of name that most people did know. She purposefully drove out of the way, to this area simply for the off chance of not being known or recognized. Then again, she didn’t use her actual last name here – and she tipped the bartender very well to keep it quiet because he had recognized her, much to her surprise. She didn’t see him now, though, unsure if he still worked there. A smile graced her lips, leaning forward slightly, a hand moving to offer his arm a squeeze, "It's one of the things I liked about you – you had no idea about my father or me,” she admitted. “You like me, not my name,” she shrugged before drawing back. They barely knew each other and it was so strangely easy to feel comfortable with him. For her, it felt like they did know each other, and she’d felt that way that night. It was still a scary feeling, in a sense. “It’s complicated – my family, but my dad’s a good guy. Overprotective, for sure, a little old fashioned, but he’d do anything for his family,” she assured, hoping maybe that would help in some way. Sure, she had her issues with him, but deep down, she was also always looking for his approval.

Bryn looked at Aurora for a moment and shook his head gently, because he knew so little about her past, her family, or the life she had lived before they met. None of that changed how he felt about the woman sitting in front of him. He had grown interested in her because of the small pieces of herself she had allowed him to see. He liked her personality, the way she carried herself, and the connection that had formed between them. He was attracted to her, but it had never been about money, status, or where she came from. Whether she had grown up surrounded by wealth or had struggled through life, it would not have changed the way he saw her. What mattered to Bryn was chemistry, the feeling of being understood, and the effort someone made to truly know him. When they had first crossed that line between friendship and something more, he remembered feeling like Aurora was one of the few people who actually tried to understand him. That had meant more to him than anything else. A small smile tugged at his lips as he leaned slightly closer, curiosity replacing some of the heaviness of the conversation. “So who are you?” he asked, his tone playful. “Do you have a secret identity like Clark Kent or something?” he teased.

Her breath hitched as his hand slowly trailed down her arm towards her wrist before his fingers laced with hers. He was so much different than his best friend. He was confident in a way that most people weren't. He carried it with him easily, wearing it as naturally as one could. "So, what? I'm just supposed to break up with him and be with you immediately?" Rhiannon didn't pull away from the hold on her hand. "People will talk. And I don't want anyone to be mad at me or think that we were messing around behind his back or...whatever it is people will think."

Greyson’s confidence had never been an act. He was genuinely happy with who he was, carrying himself with an easy self-assurance that most people noticed the moment they met him. In his mind, he really was God’s gift to women, and he saw no reason to pretend otherwise. When she seemed hesitant, he smirked and shook his head slightly. “I’m not asking you to break up with him. We’re not dating,” he pointed out, his tone calm and teasing rather than pushy. The corner of his mouth lifted as he held her gaze. “I’m asking for a couple minutes of your time where I can shower you in attention. Does that sound bad to you?” His confidence made the question sound almost rhetorical. As he spoke, his finger gently brushed along her cheekbone, the touch surprisingly soft and affectionate. Looking at her expression, he let out a quiet laugh and tilted his head. “You worry too much,” he murmured.

closed for @brokensbcys

Imogen watched as Sable extended her hand towards her and giggled. Without a moment's hesitation, Imogen reached out to take her fingers, a bright smile spreading across her face as excitement flickered in her eyes. She nodded once before glancing back at Conrad with a teasing grin, offering him her free hand as if inviting him into the moment just as naturally. "I'll follow your lead," she giggled before looking back at Conrad and extending her hand towards him. "Can't be leaving you out, can we?" She teased cheekily.

"It wasn't a question," Millie instantly replied. "I'll figure out something and you won't be able to say no." There was another smile that crept on her lips. She wouldn't take no for an answer, and even if he tried to continue it, she would find a way to show how grateful she was for having him as a friend. Even if she had to wait it out a little bit and randomly treat him to something, it would be her way of paying him back. As she listened to him, her smile only grew. She liked the fact that he had a plan on what he wanted to do after he graduated. "I believe that you had good karma on you, and you will end up getting that apartment." If anyone deserves something good to happen to them, it would definitely be Hayes. "And I like how you're focused on the correct things. Sure, a new car would be nice, but why get rid of something if it's still working? It's better to put your focus on something else, something more... practical I guess?" She felt like the correct words weren't coming to her. Especially with how crazy the night had been already. Her mind was close to shutting down before Hayes came in for the rescue. "Besides that.. do you have any other plans for after graduating?"

Hayes never expected anything from Millie in return for the things he did for her. Having her close, being able to spend time with her and share moments like this, was more than enough for him. That was what he valued most, and it always would be. When she mentioned good karma coming his way, he let out a warm chuckle and flashed her a grin, amused by her confidence. “I hope so,” he replied. “I’m so eager to get it. I’m actually looking forward to it.” There was a lightness in his voice that made it clear he was joking, but part of him genuinely hoped life would throw him a few good surprises after everything. As he continued driving, he shifted slightly in his seat, noticing the warmth building inside the car. Reaching over, he rolled his window down a little further, immediately welcoming the cooler air that rushed in and brushed against his skin. The breeze helped, and after a moment he glanced across at Millie before returning his attention to the road. “I want to get into an apprenticeship or work pretty much right away,” he admitted, speaking honestly about the future that had been on his mind lately. “I want to start earning.” He paused briefly, shrugging one shoulder. “I can’t even lie, I’m not someone who enjoys studying.” A small laugh escaped him at the understatement. School had never been something that excited him, and he doubted that would ever change. “But to get into the work that I want to do, I need a foundation at least. I know I can’t just skip everything and expect to walk straight into it. If putting in some effort now gets me where I want to be later, then it’s worth doing.”