this shit is bananas!

a pleased, smug smile pulls on elias' lips as the confession falls from monty's lips. he gasps as he's pushed backwards, feet willingly following the guidance of monty's hand ( they'd go wherever monty wanted - - to the ends of the earth if he so much as asked ). there's a sharp inhale, the tables have turned and now monty has the upper hand, and elias can smell the familiar cologne on him - - the cologne that fills his every dream. gaze lingers on monty's lips and elias shamelessly nods his head, "i did. i need your fucking attention." he places his hands on monty's chest, fists gently curling into his shirt, before he purrs, "you know no one else matters. it's only you...it's always going to be you."

                    perhaps physically monty was a little more in control in this situation, but as per usual, elias had him totally mesmerized and wrapped around his pinky. enough to heedlessly take the bait and fall right into the trap, willingly and eager. " really? " he doesn't sound convinced. hands reach up to hold onto the other's wrists, pull them off of his chest, and keep them locked in between them. " you sure weren't acting like that with your date. saw him fawn all over you, and you didn't even stop him. " torso leans forward, trying very desperately and to no avail not to be distracted by how good he smells, how soft his skin is beneath his fingertips, how much he wants to devour him completely; lips linger right by his ear, so close, so far. " should i bring my own date next time? fuck around and have fun like you? "

brows   snap   together   ,   then   inch   up   his   forehead   ,   and   he   has   to   physically   control   his   expression   from   looking   too   elated   .   "   don't   tease   me   ,   you   know   i'll   book   the   tickets   right   now   and   they   won't   be   refundable   .   "   okay   ,   maybe   they   would   be   but   he   isn't   opposed   to   lying   if   it   meant   that   he   went   along   with   it   .   it's   ridiculous   :   he   knows   it   ,   the   universe   knows   it   ,   the   walls   of   this   damn   hotel   room   know   it   .   yet   ,   there's   a   bubble   of   excitement   growing   bigger   and   bigger   in   his   gut   .   "   if   you   think   that   you   being   good   at   something   will   deter   me   from   fucking   you   ,   then   you   have   no   idea   who   you're   talking   to   .   i   think   it'd   be   sexy   watching   you   ski   circles   around   me   .   might   make   me   fuck   you   harder   ,   actually   .   "   the   grin   on   his   face   is   downright   giddy   and   it's   deplorable   that   they're   entertaining   this   ,   that   his   thumb   is   itching   to   pull   up   tickets   and   start   hunting   down   airbnbs   in   the   mountains   .   but   who   is   he   kidding   ?   the   moment   they   hung   up   this   call   it'll   be   the   first   thing   on   his   to   -   do   list   ,   far   ahead   getting   some   much   needed   sleep   .   would   catch   his   beauty   rest   on   the   plane   ride   over   to   see   him   .   "   what   can   i   say   ,   i   like   seeing   your   name   in   my   DM's   .   it's   much   prettier   than   all   the   rest   .   "   can   tell   that   he's   thoroughly   stroked   his   ego   and   he'll   do   it   again   ,   doesn't   care   — even   if   it's   totally   against   the   whole   just   sex   rule   that   exists   between   them   .   admittedly   ,   nothing   they've   spoke   about   on   this   facetime   has   remotely   been   no   strings   attached   worthy   .   especially   inviting   him   along   to   an   away   game   .   grin   widens   ,   teeth   scraping   along   his   lesser   ,   "   being   a   bad   boy   and   faking   an   illness   all   for   me   ?   must   be   my   lucky   day   .   "   oh   ,   he's   going   to   eat   him   alive   tomorrow   .   "   can't   have   you   checking   out   the   other   goalie   — need   your   eyes   on   me   to   guarantee   a   win   .   you   know   ,   to   reap   all   those   rewards   you're   gonna   give   me   .   "

                    " what makes you think i'm joking? i was going to break into my parents' garage to steal my skis later today before work. " timbre reflects it, too: light, but devoid of the usual lilt it was steeped in whenever he was teasing him, riling him up just for an excuse to assuage him after. hell of a sign of commitment between two people who weren't supposed to be all that committed whatsoever. finn wouldn't even go back to his parents' house for his possessions, impractically just bought new ones, but he'd go for a bed buddy. normal and mundane. expression softens like he's just heard the most heartwarming things he's ever heard. maybe it was. " guess you better start getting your body ready now, then. i was the tyrant of the black diamond three winters in a row. that was after i was tyrant of the bunny hill, but that doesn't really count, i was just pushing kids out of my way. " grin is a little vague, like he could be joking about the poor kids he deemed took too long to go over a silly speed bump. he wasn't. perhaps it was frivolous, feeling his heart somersault over and over again so ferociously over the mere concept of some bizarre romantic getaway taken just because. it was definitely frivolous to beam at being called pretty by a hookup. too bad he couldn't stop it. doesn't think he cared enough to be aloof about it, either. he makes a mental note to blow up his DMs after the next picture, comment a ludicrous plethora of eggplant, tongue and heart emojis underneath his next post. " don't you see enough of me already? we talk every day. even at the ass crack of dawn. " hides how the vague grin morphs into something more sentimental, pressing it against the covers instead. thankfully he doesn't have to dwell on it too long. " i don't think that's a fair moniker. you called me the opposite of that endlessly last time. " he'd have to doubly prove how good he was tomorrow. " you won't get performance anxiety? i'll be looking at you the whole time. "

“  how  would  i  know?  you  haven’t  exactly  introduced  us.  ”    biting  back  was  easier  than  attaching  hope  to  the  idea  she  was  the  only  one.  willa  wouldn’t  allow  herself  to  get  burned  like  that,  even  if  rory  had  proven  consistently  he  wasn’t  that  kinda  man.  but  it  was  never  simple  to  force  yourself  to  be  vulnerable  like  that.  he  might  have  nestled  himself  into  her  mind,  made  her  grow  addicted  to  his  touch  and  lips  as  much  as  his  company.  but  never  had  either  of  them  admitted  to  such.  not  in  words  at  least.  because  the  way  she  craned  her  neck  to  look  at  him,  as  his  fingers  brushed  strands  of  hair  from  her  face,  made  it  loud  and  clear  how  she  really  felt.    “  and  then  what, genius?  spend  the  entire  evening  avoiding  each  other  because  my  brother  is  on  the  other  side  of  the  room?  ”    she  hadn’t  wanted  to  come  with  boring  brian.  but  boring  brian  was  the  exact  reason  her  brother  didn’t  seem  to  pay  her  any  mind now,  knowing  the  boy  wouldn’t  even dare sliding his hands lower on her waist.    “  and  just  because  i  came  with  him,  doesn’t  mean  i  have  to  go  home  with  him.  ”

                    rory snorts so loud he should have been terrified of jesse spotting them. " introduce you? maybe our favourite alternate captain had a reason to be so overbearing over you after all. exactly who have you hooked up with that introduced you to their other hookups? " maybe sweeping her right off her feet would be doing her a favour. and her brother, since he was so concerned about her wellbeing. rory was a lot of things, not the least of which was too brash for his own good, but he couldn't even imagine being so thoughtless. then again, all of his thoughts as of recently had been various variations of willa, so he wasn't exactly in prime shape to judge. " we could be two friends chatting. you can't keep your hands to yourself for one hour? " teases, but if anything, the way he found himself looking at her would probably give them away sooner. " you're turning me into a crook, willa flowers. taking someone else's date home? what if boring brian cries? "

“you  don’t  have  to  thank  me  for  the  bare  minimum.”  it’s  not  like  her  defending  poppi  was  a  well-thought  out  act  of  nobility.  it  was  pure  instinct,  disrespectful  words  left  his  mouth  and  the  fist  she  was  icing  now  collided  with  his  jaw.  there  were  few  things  she  hated  more  than  men,  especially  ones  who  took  pride  in  being  assholes  to  their  ethereal  girlfriends.  “that’s—  you  don’t  have  to—“  they  rarely  blushed  or  stumbled  over  their  words  like  this.  this  whole  ordeal  was  pretty  fucking  embarrassing  because  they  didn’t  know  how  to  handle  such  soft  words.  especially  ones  directed  at  them.  “i  can’t  possibly  be  the  best  thing  in  your  life.”

                    " this is the bare minimum for you? you must be a regular knight in shining armour. " nothing about what happened should have brought the smile she was donning, but said smile is leaking into her words, her tone, the way her head finds a comfortable spot on her shoulder. " how's your hand? i can put some arnica on it once you're done icing it. " what she can't bring herself to say was that it was the least she could do. she didn't mean to involve solana into her mess, and now she has and even got busted knuckles because of it. everything she touched had a weird way of going bad, no matter how hard she tried to avoid it. " you are. no one else would have done that for me. "

the  words  land  somewhere  she  wasn't  prepared  for  them  to  .  not  because  they  were  untrue  -  that  would  have  been  easier  to  dismiss  ,  truly  something  to  tuck  behind  a  raised  brow  and  a  well  timed  exhale  .  no  ,  the  problem  was  the  certainty  isobel  wore  them  with  .  casual  as  a  thrown  stone  ,  precise  as  a  blade  .  elif  had  spent  considerable  effort  perfecting  the  art  of  giving  nothing  away  ,  and  yet  here  stood  the  one  person  who  had  apparently  made  a  study  of  her  tells  .  "  you're  projecting  “  elif  says  ,  and  it  comes  out  even  ,  which  is  a  small  mercy  .  she  doesn't  step  back  .  because  stepping  back  would  be  an  admission  ,  a  relinquishing  of  ground  she  couldn't  afford  to  cede  .  instead  she  holds  the  distance  isobel  has  deliberately  left  between  them  like  it  doesn't  feel  like  a  dare  ,  like  her  pulse  isn't  making  its  own  argument  somewhere  below  her  sternum  .  she  shifts  her  gaze  away  .  .  .   unhurried  ,  she  makes  sure  of  that  .  letting  it  settle  somewhere  past  isobel's  shoulder  ,  like  there's  something  more  interesting  beyond  her  .  there  isn't  .   not  with  how  every  fibre  of  her  being  pulls  towards  the  other  .  which  ,  admittedly  ,  was  the  crux  of  the  problem  .  when  her  gaze  reels  back  in  it  immediately  ,  and  to  elif's  disatvantage  ,  lands  on  isobel  .  .  .  the  curve  of  her  cupid's  bow  ,  to  be  exact  .  back  to  square  one  .  “  and  you  .  .  .  ”  the  faintest  tilt  of  her  head  .  "  need  to  work  harder  on  pretending  you're  not  keeping  score  .  "

                   eyes study her carefully. isobel could be fairly audacious, brazen without remorse or much thought, wolfish in the way she approached her prey, but never without reason. never without believing that it was true. never without believing her opponent wanted it. and she wholeheartedly believed that elif did. could see it a bit in her eyes. smile that is far too chaste spreads over delicate features. " am i? you don't find me attractive? " the distance, or rather, the lack thereof, is tantalizing, but isobel won't be the one to cave in first. well, not entirely. when elif's gaze strays, a dainty index finger ( painted glittery pink ) places against the side of her jaw and draws her right back. where she belongs, if isobel had anything to say about it. " finding it hard to look me in the eyes? " it was worse for her when the other wasn't looking. it was worse when she wasn't possessing every inch of her attention. " maybe i like keeping score. maybe i like knowing that you like me. maybe i'm more honest than you are about how i'm feeling. "

he  shouldn’t  be  enjoying  this   .  that’s  the  thought  that  tries  -  and  fails  ,  to  take  shape  somewhere  behind  tad’s  ribs  .  it  arrives  mostly  half  hearted  ,  already  late  ,  already  irrelevant  .  because  reed’s  doing  that  thing  again  .  .  .  the  careful  control  ,  the  restrained  irritation  ,  the  very  deliberate  way  he  refuses  to  look  at  him  as  if  looking  might  count  as  losing  .  it’s  almost  impressive  ,  if  tad  were  the  kind  of  person  who  handed  out  praise  instead  of  problems  .  instead  ,  he  finds  himself  staggering  -  just  for  a  second.  a  single  ,  crystalline  second  .  sharp  enough  to  cut  ,  delicate  enough  to  deny  it  ever  drew  blood  .  and  isn’t  that  the  worst  part  of  it  ,  that  something  so  small  could  still  land  so  precisely  .  feels  it  happen  before  he  admits  it  to  himself  -  that  infinitesimal  shift  in  reed’s  presence  ,  like  he  has  always  been  calibrated  to  sit  just  at  the  edge  of  tad’s  awareness  ,  engineered  to  be  exactly  inconvenient  in  ways  that  should’ve  stopped  mattering  by  now  .   and  yet  here  he  is  .  standing  there  like  he’s  got  every  right  to  occupy  tad’s  peripheral  vision  ,  like  he  didn’t  walk  in  and  immediately  start  rearranging  the  air  in  the  room  without  even  trying  .  he  should  pull  out  of  it  ,  should  let  it  rest  and  give  the  other  some  space  .  yet  ,  old  habits  and  all  that  .  “  oh  ,  you  want  to  revisit  that  ?  because  i’d  be  happy  to  ”  leans  in  just  enough  to  be  invasive  about  it  ,  shoulder  nearly  brushing  his  .  knows  that  proximity  makes  this  entire  thing  only  so  much  harder  .  he  watches  the  tension  gather  in  reed’s  jaw  like  he’s  admiring  craftsmanship  .  “  breathless  ,  mostly  .  like  you  were  trying  so  very  hard  to  remember  why  we  shouldn’t  be  doing  that  while  simultaneously  failing  at  it  ”  a  faint  hum  follows  -  thoughtful  ,  indulgent  .  “  kept  making  these  tiny  little  noises  every  time  i  touched  you  ,  too  .  not  exactly  the  soundtrack  of  a  miserable  man  ,  reed  .  so  forgive  me  if  i’m  having  trouble  reconciling  this  whole  wounded  martyr  act  with  the  man  who  could  barely  get  through  a  sentence  without  pulling  me  back  into  his  lap  ”  his  mouth  twitches  upward  .  “  you  were  downright  affectionate  .  i  almost  got  concerned  ”  then  ,  because  he’s  incapable  of  mercy  .  .  .  “  if  this  is  your  version  of  regret  ,  though  ,  i  have  to  say  ,  i’m  a  huge  fan  .  ”

                    it's deplorable, honestly, how thoroughly tad has reed wrapped around his finger. how, despite reed snapping at him and finding him obnoxious and insufferable, he's still chasing his own tail on tad's palm, blithely unaware of how obvious he's being. subtlety was hard when he felt so much of everything around the bane of his existence, even more so when every other part of his life existed in concrete sectionals on a tightly - run ship. it was like his corporeal soul chased something so vehemently that his mind knew better to, but he was no position to stop it; hence why he stayed standing there, gaze irritated, captivated, indignant, idiotically inviting the proximity when he should have just gone back to his assigned seat, pretended he was in a chipper mood and ignored unaccounted for variables. " i don't remember that, " says plainly, a blatant and unconvincing lie. it's only by sheer willpower and an ardently held desire not to give the other the satisfaction of know how just much he remembered of that night that he manages to maintain eye contact. at this this rate he might pass out. " must have been more memorable for you than it was for me. " a blatant and unconvincing lie. " what i do remember is you having a virgin to sacrifice. do you really have all this time to be reminiscing? " head turns, pretending to be wholly fascinated by the ugly garnish plated on the chicken. " and you're not forgiven, by the way. " can hear margie's voice in his head: tad is so charming though, honey! you should give him a chance, you'd like him! god, if she only knew. " but if you think i regret it, i guess you remember less of that day than i thought you did. "

         swallows lump that rose in her throat when he repeats sentiment, and for a single moment she does consider it. what was the worst thing that could happen if she does? it wasn't as if she was signing a marriage license, and the morning would bring the same truth that night did. there wasn't any official stamp on their relationship that she needed to worry about. and yet .. curiosity always killed the cat, and continued to do so when she quickly finishes zipping up the second boot and stands to her feet, heels clicking against hardwood and closing the space between them, “ why? ” was a loaded question, paired with a soft grin against her features, and some tortured soul inside her craved to hear more. “ why do you want me to stay? ”

                    attentive hues trace her frame, her torso, her digits —— as if watching her get redressed after being undressed was simultaneously the most riveting and dreadful thing he's ever seen. the more she stayed, the more he wanted her to stay. wasn't used to feeling so selfish for someone else's presence, the warmth that'd spread across his chest whenever she was with him. exceedingly dangerous, if you asked him. " because i like you, " answers simply, index finger absentmindedly brushing off a few stray strands of hair from her face. " so does alfie. " tone softens, expression like he was trying to keep himself from smiling too big lest he give himself away. how fond he was of her. " he threw a tantrum last time because i kept you away from him. "

         “ frankly, i don't give a shit if he does. ” nonchalance was a different approach to take in this scenario, but enzo was never one to keep his secrets hidden. could easily sweep her off her feet and press frame against the wall right here in front of everyone, but didn't, purely out of respect for her. and what she wanted. “ i might. we've got a pretty good thing going, why ruin it with fear? ” dares to take a step closer, eyes remaining locked against hers with ease, “ and you don't really want to, is the thing. ” holds her gaze as he reaches out, fingers ghosting over the fabric that clung to frame, “ do you? ”

                    " you should. i'm pretty sure he can take you, and while i don't mind playing the pretty nurse, i really would rather not see you all banged up. " a sad testament to how attached she'd grown to someone decidedly not her fiancé. how said fiancé would make out in this scenario was less of a concern than she'd like to admit. " maybe i want to live honestly. maybe i want to make it through the pearly gates of heaven, instead of being turned away at the door, " rhetorical hypotheticals that didn't hold an ounce of weight in her heart, " maybe all this sneaking around will only be fun for a little while. and then what? " as if pulled by magnets, impossible to defy, she also takes a step closer. relishes in the modest brush of his fingers. the worst part of her wished it wasn't so modest. " you're really that confident you can keep me for that long? "

elio shakes his head fiercly, “ no, no — nobody’s giving me a hard time, scottie. ” it’s ridiculous but his heart leaps a little at the thought of scottie taking care of it. for them. it’s nice to feel looked after, which only makes them feel more guilty for assuming the worst. maybe they are just self-sabotaging. “ i haven’t changed my mind, and nobody else could change my mind for me. ” they speak quietly, looking up at scottie and scanning his features with an attentive gaze. “ i’m sorry. i shouldn’t have said any of that stuff. ”

                    " you'll tell me if someone is. " it isn't phrased as a question. can't help but wonder if they're telling the truth; not necessarily because he didn't trust them, but because he couldn't blame him for really feeling that way. " no, it's okay, i'm not mad or anything, but —— i also wouldn't be mad if you were being honest. if you really feel that way. " a pause. " ... do you really not? "

okay, maybe luz hasn’t screwed everything up if hollis is still willing to kiss them, still wants to make things right. luz finds herself smiling, taking hollis’ hand in their own. “ we can. if you’ll have me, of course we can. i meant what i said. i’d do anything for you. ”

                    " well, if you'd do anything for me, you should give me a proper kiss. " fingers gives hers a squeeze, standing a little closer than necessary with an expectant look.

⋮  ⌗  ┆  sabrina  shook  her  head,  grin  burning  into  her  cheeks.  ❛❛  hi,  you.  ❜❜  she  hugged  him,  regardless  of  the  grease  staining  his  hands.  she  didn't  really  care.  ❛❛  yeah,  well…  i  got  a  little  tired  of  waiting,  and  i  really  wanted  to  see  you..  so  i  thought  why  not?  ❜❜  what  she  meant  to  say  was  that  she  couldn't  stop  thinking  about  benji  and  not  seeing  him  was  driving  her  clinically  insane  when  all  she  wanted  was  to  be  near  him.

                      " missed me that much, huh? " he doesn't quite hold her as hard as he would have if he didn't have engine fluid all over him. makes up for it by pressing a chaste kiss against her cheek. " something isn't wrong, is it? did someone upset you? "

his  logic  was  sound  but  aiden  doubted  the  two  of  them  really  looked  like  friends.  someone  could  detect  their  stolen  glances  or  how  his  fingers  flexed  and  balled  into  a  fist  to  stop  himself  from  reaching  out  to  him.  not  to  mention  how  he  hadn’t  left  kit’s  side  for  most  of  the  evening.  if  only  someone  had  paid  attention.    “  so  what  is  it  about?  ”    aiden  did  not  like  how  he  averted  his  gaze  to  the  floor,  his  own  desperately  searching  to  meet  his  again  even  if  impossible.  frantic  at  the  loss  of  the  most  intimate  form  of  contact  the  two  of  them  were  allowed  to  have  here.  with  the  exception  of  words,  drowned  out  by  the  buzz  around  them  to  everyone  but  each  other.  that  same  buzz  now  the  only  thing  hiding  the  deafening  sound  of  his  heart  beating  out  of  his  chest.    “  would  that  be  so  terrible?  ”    words  were  genuine,  not  a  smidgen  of  jest  tainting  what  was  a  real  question  to  him.  perhaps  because  he  could  already  sense  himself  slipping  into  that  same  trap.  of  liking  him  too  much,  ruined  for  anyone  else  now  kit  has  showed  him  what  things  could  be  like  with  them.    “  you’re  not  making  things  harder.  ”    what  was  hard  for  him  was  finding  his  clothes  scattered  across  the  floor,  leaving  the  comfort  of  his  bed,  the  goodbye  kisses  that  never  lasted  long  enough.    “  quite  the  opposite  actually,  ”   aiden  admitted  in  quiet  voice,  confession  aimed  at  himself  as  much  as  kit.  having  never  allowed  himself  to  even  acknowledge  how  much  he  needed  to  hold  back,  those  countless  of  times  he  snuck  in  and  out  of  hotel  rooms.  teeth  sank  into  his  lower  lip  then,  chewing  as  he  forced  himself  to  look  elsewhere.  at  the  floors,  at  the  walls,  at  the  ceilings.  anywhere  but  him.    “  the  only  thing  that’s  hard  right  now  is  not  being  able  to  kiss  you.  ”

                    he wonders how good of an act he's putting up. he wonders if he's being believable. he wonders whether or not the visceral need he feels to touch him, clawing viciously and relentlessly at his chest, is as palpable to onlookers as it is to him. the first few minutes were tolerable; but the longer he spent in their self - imposed purgatory, the more confidence he was losing in putting on a good face. which, notoriously, was something kit excelled at. " it might be terrible. for you. " he's almost pouting. just barely, lower lip jutted out only if you looked close. " and nox would stab me with his hockey stick. i don't think this is exactly what he meant when he told us to be nice to the newbie. " and god forbid nox redirect any of the disappointment and irritation kit was sure he'd feel to aiden. not that he'd let the other bear the brunt of any of it. " you'll regret telling me that once our dear old captain makes just the two of us do line drills until we cry. " he's trying to smile, make his pathetic attempt at a jest ( only in tone. the lien drills were for sure going to happen. probably more than once. ) seem genuine. brown hues chance settling upon his features at the mention of a kiss, carefully of course so as not to reach out and trace the freckles he found so endearing or brush against his cheek in a sign of affection strictly reserved for empty locker rooms and closed hotel doors. begins to think that line drills may not be so bad. and he wasn't below getting on his knees and begging for both his and aiden's atonement. a man he'd really go to war for. " ... do you want to get out of here? "