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

"I've stayed because I believed in what we have, in us. I meant what I said before, you're the only man in my life I ever cared this much for, loved so much that words couldn't describe."he mused with a small smile. Their relationship wasn't an easy one, with Isaiah staying in the dark about his true self while Enzo was very open about it. It hurt, keeping things hidden, but he stayed because he had hope and believed things would change. And now that they came to almost a breaking point, something had to happen and even though he was very aware of how much stress and anxiety it brough to his boyfriend Enzo knew deep down it would be worth it in the end. "The only way for me to walk away is if you push me away, tell me to leave. But you love me too much for that."he couldn't help but tease him lightly. "Not everything will change, but they will still happen. But you got me right beside you, and I'll hold your hand through it all and we'll battle whatever is ahead together, alright?"he mused and kissed Isaiah's cheek. "You want me to order us some food, maybe? Maybe run you a bath so you can relax a little?"he offered, wanting to take care of him.

Isaiah's throat tightened as he listened, every word settling somewhere deep in his chest where all of his fear had been sitting for days. A shaky breath slipped past his lips before he leaned forward, resting his forehead against Enzo's for a moment. His eyes fluttered shut, simply existing in the quiet reassurance that his boyfriend was still here. His hand found Enzo's again, intertwining their fingers instinctively before giving them a gentle squeeze. "I could never tell you to leave." His voice was quiet, but unwavering. "I don't think I'd know how. Even when I'm scared out of my mind, even when I think everything's about to fall apart," He swallowed hard before meeting Enzo's eyes again. You're where I feel safest." Isaiah brushed his thumb over Enzo's knuckles, his expression softening with every promise spoken. "I believe you," he admitted. "I know it won't magically fix everything overnight. My parents are still my parents, my family is still my family. But," He exhaled slowly, "small steps." He smiled a little more genuinely then, leaning over to steal another brief kiss before resting his forehead against Enzo's once more. "And thank you for staying." His voice barely rose above a whisper. "For believing in us when I kept giving you reasons not to." At the mention of food and a bath, Isaiah let out a tired chuckle, finally feeling some of the tension leave his shoulders. His smile turned playful for the first time in what felt like hours. "And, I'll agree to the bath." He paused just long enough to grin. "But only if we're sharing it. I'm not letting you take care of me from the other side of the bathroom. If I'm relaxing, you're relaxing with me." Isaiah pushed himself to his feet, keeping hold of Enzo's hand as a small smile tugged at his lips, giving it a gentle pull in silent invitation.

"Damn. Both of them are such hard decisions and good ideas all at the same time," Lorelai giggled, shaking her head dramatically as though the choice carried the weight of a life-changing decision rather than a fun holiday debate. Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she fell into step beside Cleo, following her toward the entrance of the building with an energetic bounce in her stride. The lobby was pleasantly cool after the warmth outside, and Lorelai wandered up to the reception desk, flashing a friendly smile as she accepted the key card from the receptionist with an appreciative nod. Turning it over between her fingers, she inspected every side of it before spinning it effortlessly around one finger, clearly amused by the simple piece of plastic. "Floor two," she announced triumphantly, glancing over at Cleo with a crooked grin. "Not too shabby if we're drunk and the lift isn't working, we can make two floors." She laughed at the thought, already imagining them stumbling up a single flight of stairs while trying not to wake the rest of the hotel. Her excitement quickly got the better of her, and she reached over to grab Cleo's hand without hesitation. "Let's go up to the room!" she beamed.

Cleo looked around the lobby with wide, curious eyes, taking in every little detail with the kind of excitement that made even checking into a hotel feel like part of the adventure. It wasn't just the destination that had her buzzing, it was getting to experience all of it with Lorelai. The moment Lorelai announced their room was on the second floor, Cleo clapped her hands together. "Oh, that's perfect!" she chirped. "See? The universe is looking out for us already." Her nose scrunched as she laughed at the image Lorelai painted. "We'd absolutely make it up two flights." She nudged her shoulder playfully against her friend's. "Might take us twenty minutes because we'd stop to laugh every three steps but we'd get there." The instant Lorelai grabbed her hand, Cleo's face lit up even more, if that were possible. She squeezed it eagerly before practically bouncing toward the lifts alongside her. "I'm so excited," she admitted, unable to stop smiling. "This already feels like the best holiday, and we haven't even opened the room door yet." Cleo suddenly let out a delighted gasp before darting toward the staircase, still laughing, taking the steps two at a time before slowing just enough to trail her fingers along the polished handrail. "Wait, just this staircase is gorgeous!" she exclaimed, looking around with genuine admiration. "Just look at the bannister! I love this place already!"

luna stared at easton for a long moment before letting out a dramatic sigh. "you hear yourself, right? you say all of that out loud and somehow still think i'm the annoying one." she fold her arms, though somehow couldn't quite hide the laugh threatening to escape. "because you really just stood there and listed all the reasons why you think you're some sort of saint for putting up with me." she then proceeded to let out a giant scoff. "newsflash, easton, you don't let me do anything—you stick around because you like arguing with me just as much as i like telling you that you're wrong." she stepped a little closer again, tipping her head with a smug smile. "besides, if i was really that unbearable, you would've walked away ages ago. hell, you might've avoided me from the beginning," luna then gestured lazily between them, like it was simply no big deal. "instead, here you are... still keeping your mental tally, still running your mouth, and still finding excuses to be wherever i am. what do you have to say about that?" of course, she would never admit that she secretly liked it—this game of cat and mouse they could never seem to stop playing when they were in each other's orbit. luna's smile widened into something triumphant. "because to me, it sounds a lot less like generosity and more like you enjoy my company, easton. that's got to be rather embarrassing for you."

Easton let out a low chuckle, shaking his head like she'd reached the most ridiculous conclusion imaginable. One hand disappeared into his pocket while the other lazily rubbed at his jaw, making a show of considering her argument before looking back at her with an amused grin. "That's your big revelation?" he asked, brows lifting. "Luna, you've spent all that time talking just to tell me I enjoy winding you up." He clicked his tongue. "Congratulations. You finally caught up." His shoulders rose in an easy shrug as he took the last step between them, refusing to give her the satisfaction of seeing him flustered. "Course I stick around. It's entertaining." His smile only grew. "You give me endless material. Every time you tell me I'm wrong, I get another chance to prove I'm right. It's a hobby at this point." He pointed at her for a second, unable to hide the smugness creeping into his expression. "And don't flatter yourself thinking I'm following you around. You're just incredibly good at ending up wherever the interesting people are." At her comment about it being embarrassing, he barked out a laugh, looking genuinely amused. "Embarrassing?" he echoed. "Please." His gaze flicked over her folded arms before settling back on her face. "I'll admit you're funny, on the off chance. You've got confidence, I'll give you that. Bit loud. Wrong most of the time." He paused deliberately, letting the silence hang for a beat. "Does that mean I like your company?" Another shrug. "Maybe I just like annoying you." A smug smirk settled across his face as he leaned in just enough to be irritatingly close. "Besides," he murmured, "if you weren't secretly enjoying this just as much as I am, you would've stopped trying to get the last word months ago. Yet here you are. Shame you keep picking the wrong opponent."

Carson let out a quiet laugh at her comparison, leaning his forearms against the railing for a moment as he looked back over the crowd. "Yeah it does, doesn't it? Feels like everyone's got some storyline they're trying to drag everyone else into." He shook his head with an amused smile. "I can't keep up with half of it." Her comment about her friends earned another chuckle, though he pulled a face. "Well, good luck to them, I guess. I'd warn them to be wary of who they're hooking up with though. I wouldn't trust most of the people downstairs, they lie a lot." When she turned the question on him, Carson shrugged one shoulder, as if the answer wasn't all that interesting. "Nah. People always assume I love all this because I know a lot of them." He glanced back towards the music before looking at Alyssa again. "Truth is, I don't mind people. I just don't really care for whatever's going on down there." He gestured vaguely toward the party. "Too much gossip, too much drama, everyone trying to outdo each other. It's exhausting. Not my scene." He gave a small, easy smile. "I'd rather have an actual conversation with someone than spend the night pretending." His gaze drifted back over the balcony for a second before landing on her again, curiosity slipping into his expression. "So," he began casually, "if this isn't really your scene either, what convinced you to come spend your night here?"

Siena's smile softened the second his words left his mouth, her teasing expression melting into something impossibly fond. A quiet laugh escaped her, warm and airy, shaking her head. "I'm making it difficult?" she echoed, her brows lifting in innocent disbelief. "Jess, I'm just, I don't know, existing." The corners of her lips curled into a grin that only made her argument weaker. "I can't help having the face that I have." She tilted her head, studying him with open curiosity instead of fear or awkwardness. "I drape myself all over you because you're comfortable," she admitted with an easy shrug. "You're like one of those giant grumpy bears that pretends they don't like hugs but secretly lets people lean on them anyway." She searched his face for a second, her expression softening again. "But," she started quietly, "if it's genuinely making things harder for you, you can tell me. I don't want you feeling like you have to fight me off every five minutes to distract yourself." A playful smile returned almost immediately, impossible for her to keep seriousness around for long. Siena noticed his gaze lingering on the ground, and with a small, curious smile, she leaned forward, ducking her head just enough to slip back into his line of sight. She searched his face with those same soft eyes he'd just accused her of weaponising, trying to catch whatever expression he was hiding. "Hey," she murmured, her voice light and affectionate. "Don't hide your gaze from me." A smile tugging at her lips the second she managed to steal his attention. "That's exactly why I think you're sweet." She tilted her head, her expression impossibly fond. "You're this big, tough guy who acts like nothing gets to him and you can't even look me in the eyes after admitting you've been fighting the urge to kiss me." A quiet laugh escaped her. "That's kind of adorable, Jess."

Enzo took in a soft breath as the kiss broke, enjoying the closeness of his boyfriend. It always felt good to hear him say how much he loved him back, and today with the nature of this conversation, it was said over and over again. And he could understand he was scared, he was, too. And those looks will happen, it would be hard to deal with but Eno would be there for him through it all, and could hope it would make it easier for the other, because Enzo had no one when he came out to everyone around him, he could only wish he had a man in his life like Isaiah who'm he loved so much to make it somewhat better. "I like the sound of that - our future."Enzo mused, and leaned in to kiss his cheek where the tear was, essentially wiping it away like that. "I will not let go, don't you worry. I've always been patient with you and I will stay like that, I will stand by your side and hold your hand tightly."he reassured him. "And you can do anything, baby, with me or without me. But I get what you mean - together we are stronger, powerful, dare I say unstoppable?"he chuckled softly and pecked his lips real quick.

Isaiah let out a shaky laugh through the emotion clogging his throat, the corners of his lips lifting despite the tears that still lingered in his eyes. He leaned into the kiss against his cheek instinctively, his eyes fluttering closed for a moment as if Enzo had somehow managed to kiss away a piece of the fear sitting on his shoulders. A quiet smile settled on his face as his forehead rested against Enzo's once more. His thumb stroked lazily over Enzo's hand before he intertwined their fingers, giving them a gentle squeeze. "I know you won't let go." His voice was steadier now, filled with complete certainty. "You've never given me a reason to doubt you. Even when I made it difficult, even when I was scared and trying to figure myself out, you stayed through everything." He smiled to himself, shaking his head faintly. "I don't think I'll ever stop being grateful for that. A lot of people would've just walked away and not looked back." Isaiah's smile softened, a quiet breath escaped him before he looked back up, vulnerability returning to his expression."I just really hope it goes well," he admitted quietly. "For you. For me. For my family." He swallowed, giving a small, hopeful smile. "I know I can't control how everyone reacts but I'd really like to believe this doesn't have to change everything."

“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."