don't ruin the fantasy

Wyatt met his eyes after a beat and he started to laugh again, “I wouldn’t know what to ask for if you offered. A new brain– a second brain? Can you find me one of those?” After less than a minute of slow clicks around his screen, Wyatt closed his laptop and rose to his feet to stretch. “Okay, two beers and a plate of nachos comin’ up. You can dice an onion, right? Tomatoes?” He asked, eyeing his oldest friend with playful skepticism.

“ nothing is impossible, you know. ” he hums softly, pressing his lips into a tight line. “ who do I look like martha stewart? of course I don’t know how to dice an onion. ” gordon folded his arms across his chest, cocking his head with a smirk. “ this is why they invented mandolins. ” unfolding his arms to reach out and grip tightly at wyatt's shoulder. " I'll do what I do best and oversee the process though." 

“Your timing couldn’t be better, I think I’m about to lose my mind.” Wyatt had been working all day but was now shifting gears from the business side of the comic to the creative and his brain didn’t seem to be functioning normally anymore. “Can I get you anything? Coffee? Beer? Nachos?” he chuckled. “Anything to get my mind off work for a bit.”

“ can I get you anything? ” gordon asked, his brows raised with exaggerated wonder. if his friend needed something to take the edge off, he would help without question. “ I’ll take a beer for now though. ”

“It’s still light out,” Kirby started, looking away because she could feel the awkward tingle rise up the back of her neck, “it’d be more romantic after dark anyway.” Were they ever going to get any less ridiculous, and also adorable? Probably not. “Oh, you know we’re building a sand palace fit for a sand queen. I wouldn’t expect anything less from us.”

slater covers the lower half of his face with his free hand until he mirrors her action and looks away, he can’t help but occasionally throw quick little glances her way in between sipping his drink. why did she have to be so pretty? “ this is why you’re my favorite person. you get me. ” he starts, his smile wide and genuine before he nudged her shoulder to urge a smile. he was no stranger to this feeling, he was well aware of what it was like to be attracted to someone, and a part of him was enamored by kirby. she was someone he truly cared for. and the more they spent time together, this thing between them that they both shared, he didn't want to lose nor did he want to lose kirby." you also can't be mad at me if any castles are sloppy or if I end up taking a bunch of bathroom breaks. those frose sneak up on you." 

“You’re on a roll.” Dario held up her drink in a mock cheers before finishing off the rest of it, unable to stop herself from grimacing shortly after. “Then it looks like we’re in this together for the next few hours. If I miss out on the chance to yell World Star at someone I don’t think I could forgive myself. It’s been my drunken goal since… probably since I started drinking in the first place.”

“ oh ? well we’re definitely going to make it happen tonight one way or another then because I’ll feel pretty crummy if you don't achieve it. ” slater nodded, sending a smile her way just before he fastens his feet, taking a few steps with his long legs. “ are you having a good time though? ”

“Then this is really a win-win for  you.”  Dario shrugged, moving  to take a sip of her drink before she thought better and held it out to him instead. “But if you decide to wait on someone else to laugh at I’m pretty sure I saw a few frat boys  who were talking about going body  sledding. It’s  only a matter of time before one of them start fucking that up and hit the ground face first.”

“ thank you, but I should pace myself. I’ve already had three and I haven’t even been here for ten minutes. ” his small, almost constant smile he wears stretches just a tiny bit wider just before he scratches his temple. “ It’s like a domino effect! when one messes up, they all start messing up, ” slater murmurs, eyes crinkling in amusement.“ And on that note, I can’t miss out on seeing that. ” 

“If you think happy thoughts maybe it’ll work out for  you. Worst case scenario I’ll  be here to record it for future reference  unless you plan on biting the bullet and paying me off.”

“ something tells me I’d want a copy of it though. ”  stepping away from the fence to get a better look at the girl, slater can’t help but chuckle at the thought. “ apart from friends and food, I like to think it’s embarrassing pictures and videos that make a good cheer me up. so the idea is really tempting now.”

“It’s okay, you can jog beside me,” Kirby piped up, taking his hand if only for the excuse to touch him as she put a new drink in it. Whoever had decided on the frosés, the shade of pink perfectly matching her swimsuit… her new best friend. “We can go make some sandcastles if watching this is too painful for you.”

once kirby arrives, slater can’t do much more but stare at her attire with a smile creeping onto his face. “ wow, u-um you ? thank you,” his cheeks grow warm and he’s happy that he has a drink in his hand so he can sip to calm himself down a bit. “ but ponies...” he practically whines, but depsite his teasing, he’s more than happy to do something else. “ as long as we both agree that mini castles are out the question. we have to go all out. ”

“ and i assume you’re here to be said company? ” mariela asked with a playful scoff. she’d had plenty of run-in’s with guys like the one next to her. most of them starting and ending with her letting them know to fuck off, but she hadn’t had one of these encounters in a while. so why not enjoy it? “ oh, i’m great. ” mariela nodded. “ couldn’t be better. are you good? ” she laughed. “ nah, it’s nothing too juicy. it’s more like boyfriend got upset with me and he’s out enjoying himself… so i decided to do so as well. ”

“ I can be whatever you want me to be. ”  his eyes crinkled at the corners right before he smiled against his glass. gordon wouldn’t be gordon if he didn’t plan on having a little innocent fun with whatever piece for the night. “ trouble in paradise, huh? ” he asked. it reminded him of why he kept things so lighthearted with people, especially with lark.  “ well I’m happy that you’re not texting him off the hook and giving him a taste of his own medicine, ” gordon clinked her glass with his. " and don't disappoint me an text him later. he's gotta come to you. " 

“Before you ask me, this definitely isn’t going to be my last one.” Mariela let the bartender at Katz know, as she wanted to have fun. Everyone around her was just having a blast, so why shouldn’t she join in? Why did she have to be the responsible one? Fuck that. 

“ looks like you need some company,” gordon slid into the seat next to her before he finished off his drink and waved to the bartender to get him another. “ you good? I promise I won’t charge you for the first hour. Unless it’s something super juicy then...we can negotiate. ”

“Care to help a girl in need?” Lark asked as her eyes caught a passerby in the library, pointing a manicured finger at a book on the very top shelf. “See that book up there? The red one? I need it. And before you make a comment about my height, just know that some of these books are awfully heavy and I’m not afraid to retaliate.”

“ this was your “emergency”? ” he scoffed playfully. “ you’d think with all the shoes you have, you’d have a pair for this situation. ” he teased her as he grabbed the book she needed, easily. 

“Have you seen the new Rick & Morty episode? That shit is…legit. I even smoked some pickle Rick like right before I watched it and it was like that much better.” 

“ after the ants in my eyes episode, I couldn’t get my self to watch any more. ” gordon shook his head, laughed. “ kind of freaked me out, you know? ”