*Nee-Naw* *Nee-Naw* *Nee-Naw*

“Germ soup? Is that what we’re calling it now?” Lorelai giggled, scrunching her nose in playful disgust, though the phrase alone was enough to make her second-guess whatever plan Cleo had convinced her to agree to. She shook her head lightly, still smiling, as the car rolled to a smooth stop outside the resort, her curiosity quickly overpowering any lingering hesitation. Without waiting, Lorelai pushed the door open and stepped out first, immediately lifting her face toward the sky as warm sunlight spilled over her skin. “The sun is beating down, C!” she called out brightly, spinning slightly as if to soak it all in. “Not a cloud in sight.” Her mood lifted instantly, the earlier joke already forgotten as she took in the polished entrance and relaxed atmosphere around them. When a staff member approached and greeted them with a welcoming smile before reaching for their suitcases, Lorelai blinked in surprise, then let out a soft laugh. “Damn,” she said, glancing back at Cleo with amused disbelief, “I didn’t know we booked a hotel where they literally take your luggage up to your room for you.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, already impressed, her excitement bubbling up again as she wondered what else this place had in store for them.

Cleo couldn't help the laugh that slipped out at Lorelai's reaction, a grin stretching across her face as she climbed out after her. Her gaze followed the staff member collecting their bags, completely unfazed by it. "Get used to it. For the next few days, your biggest responsibility is deciding whether you're lying by the pool or want to go out shopping." She hooked her arm through Lorelai's without much thought, giving it an affectionate squeeze as she started guiding her toward the entrance. Her eyes wandered over the elegant lobby through the glass doors before she looked back at Lorelai's wide-eyed expression, chuckling under her breath. "C'mon," she teased warmly. "You've only seen the front entrance right now. Wait until you see our room."

The car took them to a very beautiful house with a pool. Tony held onto Asher as he handed over the keys to him. "You're a good friend, you seem like a good friend, friend...!" He hiccupped as he looked around. "This is my house... I live here with..." His tone changed again and he looked down. "He would have scolded me for getting drunk outside..."

Asher accepted the keys from Tony and unlocked the door, stepping inside first before holding it open for him. "Friends look after each other. That's kind of the whole point." As Tony's mood shifted, the change wasn't hard to miss. One second he was giggling, and the next his gaze had fallen to the ground. Asher closed the door behind them and turned toward him, his expression softening. "Maybe," he said quietly. "Or maybe he'd just be relieved you got home safe." His voice carried no judgment, only sincerity. Asher gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze before glancing around the entryway. "How about we get you some water before you declare war on your stomach tomorrow morning?"

lennon feels another annoying rush of warmth when easton's thumb brushes her knuckles, biting back a smile. " wow, such a gentleman. " she teased, rolling her eyes up at the male, her hand still firmly intertwined with his. " really? those are the important things you must know? " she laughed, the genuine sound spilling past her lips and into the night air. " okay matching christmas pajamas is a yes, but only because my mom makes us wear them every year so i'm used to it. " she started, and somehow the ridiculousness of the entire conversation was doing wonders to sooth her ever present nerves from the party down the street they were headed towards. " and i absolutely sleep away from the door. i need those three extra seconds if someone breaks in. " it's her turn now to return the gentle squeeze, glancing at him with a soft smile. " i'll keep that in mind. let's see how you do as a fake boyfriend first before we graduate you to the next level. " the brunette chuckled, nudging her shoulder gently against him. " blushy? um excuse me, i do not get blushy. " god, he was right.. she did get blushy. just him caressing her hand made her flush a soft pink and she wasn't sure how she was going to survive a whole night of them appearing to be all coupled up without giving herself away constantly. " well i'll be very impressed if you can make pretending to be hopelessly in love with me look that easy. so impressed i'll write a letter to the oscars on your behalf. "

Easton's grin only widened as she called him a gentleman. He dipped his head in a small, exaggerated nod, completely accepting the title. "Finally. The recognition I deserve." His thumb lazily brushed across her knuckles again as they walked, entirely too comfortable holding her hand for someone who was supposedly just filling a temporary position. "Of course those are important things. You think I can commit to a fake relationship without knowing your stance on Christmas pajamas? That's reckless." A laugh escaped him when she explained her reasoning for sleeping furthest from the door. "See, now that's strategy. Survival instincts. I respect it." When she mentioned evaluating his fake-boyfriend performance first, Easton pressed a hand dramatically against his chest. "Wow. A probationary period?" He shook his head, looking wounded for all of two seconds. The shoulder bump earned an immediate one in return, lighter than hers but just as playful. Then came the denial. Easton stopped walking for half a beat and turned his head toward her with the kind of look that said he wasn't buying a single word. "Lennon." His smile softened at the edges as he caught the faint pink coloring her cheeks. " I'd argue you're getting blushy right now." There wasn't an ounce of teasing cruelty behind it, just amusement and a warmth that seemed reserved entirely for her. As they continued toward the party, he gave her hand another squeeze. "And for the record, pretending to be hopelessly in love with you isn't the challenging part." His gaze flickered toward hers, playful confidence settling comfortably into his features. "The challenging part is gonna be convincing everyone it isn't fake." A crooked smile tugged at the corner of his mouth before he looked ahead again. "I can pretend to fancy you." The words came out far too casually for the effect they carried. "You're pretty to look at." His gaze flicked over her face for a second before returning to the path ahead, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "That part won't be hard."

Asher's expression softened immediately at the shift in Tony's voice. The drunken giggle was one thing, but the fear underneath it was something else entirely. He stepped closer without hesitation, reaching out to steady Tony by the shoulders. "Hey. Hey, look at me." His voice was calm, gentle. "You're not gonna be by yourself, alright? I've got you." Asher searched his face for a moment, concern written plainly across his own. One of his hands moved to the back of Tony's neck, grounding him. "And you're not gonna kill yourself. You're drunk, you're hurting, and you're scared, but you're not dealing with any of that alone tonight."

lennon tries to fight back the smile that wants to spread across her lips at his dramatic display, rolling her eyes affectionately with a sigh. " it was hardly flawless. very much bare minimum effort. " her nose scrunches in playful teasing. " i'm not trying to sell anything, i'm just really trying to avoid making a complete fool out of myself. " she wasn't sure why but his faith in her made her chest warm, how certain he was that they could pull this off already made her feel better, not that she was jumping to admit that. as easton holds out his hand to her, lennon hesitates for a moment, looking at it skeptically. " do i really have to? " the brunette asked, slightly more dramatic than necessary, lashes dusting along her cheekbones as she pretends to contemplate before reaching her own hand out to intertwine with his. a soft smile pulls at her lips, the physical contact enough to calm her down some already. " think this makes us engaged now, actually. guess you're stuck with me. "

Easton let out an offended gasp at her assessment of his performance, immediately pressing a hand to his chest. He shook his head as if deeply wounded by the criticism. "No appreciation for greatness. That's my curse." The grin threatening his mouth ruined any attempt at looking genuinely upset. When she finally slipped her hand into his, his expression brightened instantly. He gave their joined hands a little swing between them, pleased with himself. "See? Look at that. Natural." At her comment about being engaged, Easton's eyes widened. "Whoa." He looked down at their hands, then back at her. "You should've led with that. I would've at least bought you dinner first." His thumb brushed playfully across her knuckles. "Actually, hold on." He straightened up. "If we're engaged now, I need to know some important things. Things like: What's your stance on matching Christmas pajamas? Do you sleep near the door or away from the door?" He gave her hand another gentle squeeze. "Could be worse. You've got yourself a pretty decent fake fiancé in me." Then, with a mischievous grin returning, he nodded toward wherever they were headed. "Oh, and fair warning." He pointed at her with his free hand, already fighting a laugh. "Don't go getting all blushy on me if I'm suddenly all up in your space." His shoulders lifted in an innocent shrug that was anything but innocent. "I'm committing to the role, that's all. Method acting." A beat passed before he added with a teasing smirk, "Gotta make it look convincing, right? Like I'm completely, hopelessly in love with you."

Enzo knew it wasn't an easy decision, he's been there before. But, he had hope that with him by Isaiah's side, it will go smoother. He could only hope that the rest would be seen. But the fact his love wanted to fight for them and their future, that he wanted to come out and be truthful to who he really is meant the world to him. Right now, though, it was all about Isaiah and making him feel as relaxed as possible. Holding him tightly in his embrace, he didn't mind one bit that his shirt was getting all wrinkled underneath his firm grip, anything for his boyfriend to feel at least a bit secure and steady. "That's probably because i'm the calm one right now."Enzo said with a light chuckle, about making it sound so easy, when he knew it really wasn't. "But you do, baby, you do got this. Just by saying you are willing to do it, you are already taking control."he mused softly. As Isaiah finally lifted his gaze to look at him, Enzo offered him a small, sympathetic smile, it did hurt him to see this distraught, but it would get better with time and his support. He let him speak, Enzo's eyes starting to glisten as well as his heart swell with love and adoration towards him. "Words can't describe enough how happy all of this is making me - that you want this, us, and to live your truth. I'm happy for both of us, but mostly you. It'll be alright, okay? I love you."he murmured and let his lips connect with Isaiah's, a gentle and loving one in hope it'll calm down his nerves further.

Isaiah melted into the kiss almost immediately. Not because it magically made the fear disappear, but because it was Enzo. Because somehow, every time the world felt too big, too complicated, too overwhelming, Enzo had this way of making it feel manageable again. His eyes slipped closed as he kissed him back, one hand coming up to cup the side of his face. He lingered there for a moment after the kiss broke, forehead resting against Enzo's, unwilling to put even an inch of distance between them. A shaky breath left him. "I love you too." The words came easily. They always did when it was Enzo. Isaiah brushed his thumb across his cheek, looking at him like he was something precious. "God, I love you so much." he admitted quietly. His eyes glistened as he laughed softly at himself. "That's the thing." He swallowed. "I'm scared of disappointing people. Scared of the conversations. Scared of seeing looks on people's faces that I can't take back once they know." His gaze dropped briefly before finding Enzo's again. "But, every time I think about hiding forever, or acting like you aren't the person I love," His voice caught. "That scares me more." He reached for both of Enzo's hands, intertwining their fingers and holding them tightly between them. "I don't want a life where I have to pretend you don't matter to me." A tear escaped despite his best efforts, but he smiled through it. "Because you matter more than anybody." His thumb stroked over Enzo's knuckles. "You've been patient with me. You've stood beside me through every bit of this. I want our future more than I want my fear." The confession sat between them for a moment before Isaiah's forehead settled against his once more. "Just," he whispered. "Don't let go of my hand when we get there, okay?" His eyes closed, a small smile appearing. "I think I can do anything if you're standing next to me."

"

Eddie let out a short laugh, shaking his head as he settled back in the chair beside Buck's bed. "Yeah? Well, good thing I wasn't growing it for you." There was an easy warmth behind the words, the kind that came naturally between them. His eyes flicked over Buck, taking in the oxygen cannula and the hospital gown before settling on his face again. "Besides, Christopher said I looked distinguished." He lifted a shoulder. "Hard to argue with that kind of endorsement from a kid." A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Although now that you've compared me to somebody's grandpa, I'm starting to rethink some things." Eddie leaned forward slightly, resting his forearms on his knees. "How long have you been sitting here coming up with mustache jokes?" The concern he'd walked into the room carrying was still there, tucked beneath the teasing, but Buck was awake, talking, smiling. That made it easier to breathe. "Seriously, though," he added, voice softening a fraction, "you okay?" His eyes searched Buck's face. "Or are you pretending you're fine because you're already trying to figure out how fast you can get discharged?"

luna barked out a laugh, shaking her head as she looked him up and down. "looking good is a stretch, easton. let's not get carried away now." still, she didn't move when he stepped closer, stubbornly holding her ground. it was the one thing she could do that didn't immediately make her feel like her pride was about to slip through the cracks. "and for the record, i have opinions because you say the dumbest things i've ever heard in my life. somebody has to correct you." luna poked a finger against his chest, with much less force this time. "the fact that you've apparently got a tally sheet dedicated to me is a lot more concerning that anything i've ever done. you're seriously one notebook away from becoming a stalker." her lips twitched up into a smirk at the thought. "but thanks for just admitting you pay that much attention to me."

Easton's grin only widened the second he caught that twitch of a smirk. "Stretch?" he repeated, looking down at himself before glancing back up at her. "Damn. That's rough. Good thing I don't rely on your opinion for validation." The lie rolled off his tongue smoothly enough. Mostly because they both knew he was going to keep fishing for her opinion anyway. When her finger poked his chest, he looked down at it like she'd personally offended him. "First of all, rude." His hand came up, catching her wrist for half a second before letting it go again. "Second, I do not have a tally sheet." A beat. "It's a mental tally sheet." Easton flashed her a shameless grin. "Which is way less creepy." It absolutely wasn't. "Besides, Luna, paying attention to you isn't exactly difficult." The cocky grin softened into something almost genuine before he covered it up again. "You make a lot of noise. Kind of impossible to miss." Easton clicked his tongue and shook his head like he was carrying some terrible burden. "You know, I don't think you appreciate how good you've really got it." His grin pulled wider. "I let you stand here and talk this much. Anybody else would've walked away twenty minutes ago." He folded his arms across his chest, looking entirely too pleased with himself. "Most people would think you're annoying when you get going like this." The jab was delivered lightly, his eyes bright with amusement. "Me? I'm generous. I stand here, listen to all your opinions, let you correct me every five seconds, and somehow still manage to be nice to you." Easton nodded to himself. "Honestly, you're welcome."

“I always get scared about getting into pools because you don’t know how dirty the other people are who are also in the water,” Lorelai admitted with a soft chuckle, the sound half-amused, half-genuine. She knew, logically, that most people showered, that chlorine did its job, that public pools weren’t the swirling chaos of germs her imagination sometimes insisted they were, but that didn’t stop the thoughts from creeping in anyway. Her mind had a way of latching onto the smallest, most unlikely details and stretching them into something far bigger than they needed to be. It wasn’t that she thought people were gross exactly; it was more that she couldn’t quite switch off the awareness of shared space, of invisible things she couldn’t control. Still, she glanced at Cleo, catching the look on her face, and smiled, letting out a small sigh as she gently nudged her back in playful surrender. “Fine,” she said, her tone softening, “we can go in for a little bit together.” There was a note of compromise there, but also trust, the kind that made her willing to push past her own hesitation. “I’ll buy one or two of those floaties with the drink holders,” she added, a hint of brightness returning as she latched onto the more appealing part of the plan. “That way we don’t have to leave our alcohol unattended.”

Cleo couldn't help but laugh, shaking her head affectionately as Lorelai explained her reasoning. "If you keep thinking about everything that could possibly be in a pool, you'll never get in one again." Her tone was teasing rather than dismissive, her smile warm as she looked over at her. "Besides, that's what the chlorine is for. It basically works overtime because people are gross." She scrunched her nose dramatically before laughing again. The playful nudge earned an immediate grin from Cleo. The moment Lorelai agreed, Cleo's face lit up. When the floaties were mentioned, however, Cleo immediately pointed at her. "Now that is the best idea you've had all day." Her eyes widened dramatically. "The drink-holder floaties are non-negotiable." She leaned back in her chair, already picturing it. "Us floating around, drinks in hand, doing absolutely nothing productive." A beat passed before she looked back at Lorelai with a soft smile. "Actually, that sounds kind of perfect." Cleo reached over and took her hand. "And for the record, I think it's cute that you're willing to brave the terrifying germ soup for me." Her grin returned immediately afterward. "Very brave. Very heroic." She squeezed her hand gently. "I'll make sure your sacrifice isn't forgotten." Then, after a moment, her expression softened again. "Drinks on me."

Cleo laughed softly at that, already knowing Lorelai wasn't wrong. By the time they got a few drinks in them, the cocktail names didn't really matter as long as they tasted good. "That's the spirit," she teased. "Just point at the menu and hope for the best." The thought of spending the day doing absolutely nothing productive sounded perfect. No rushing around. No responsibilities. Just sun, water, and good company. At the mention of the pool, Cleo's eyes lit up immediately. "Oh, I'm getting in regardless," she informed her with a grin. "Could be freezing, could be bathwater, I'm swimming." She had always loved the water. Pools, lakes, the ocean, it didn't really matter. The second she saw water, she wanted to be in it. "If it's cold, I'll be the brave one who tests it first." Cleo nudged her shoulder lightly. "And then I'll come back with a full report while you're safely wrapped in a towel judging my life choices." Her smile softened. "But if it's warm, you're coming in with me. At least for a little bit." Cleo tilted her head toward her. "Besides, floating around with a drink sounds way more fun than leaving me in there by myself." Her grin returned. "You can't make me be social with strangers. That's what I brought you for."

"Yeah, something like that," he said to the bartender with an appreciative nod. "Thanks for calling an uber for him." The moment Tony wobbled again, Asher stepped forward and caught him before gravity could make another argument. He carefully pulled one of Tony's arms over his shoulders, keeping a steady grip around his waist. "Come on. The party's over." Keeping a firm hold on him, he guided him toward the door, matching his pace to Tony's unsteady steps. "You know," he started, adjusting his grip slightly. "You don't have to drink away your feelings, right?" His voice was gentle, lacking any judgment. "You can talk to people." Asher's gaze lingered on him for a second before shifting back to the pavement ahead. "To your friends. To me."