leo mccarthy

shock apparent on her face as leo corrected her, finn briefly paused in her place rather than continue walking. “you remember that?” she asked, trying to reconfigure what her perception of that night, and the senior year following it now meant. picking her feet back up, she shook her head, cheeks pulling into a smile. “i have to be honest with you, i didn’t think you remembered. at all. turns out, you remember better than i do.” finn nudged him in turn, then paused “i think of you every time everlasting light comes on shuffle.” 

inexplicably, leo’s choice to sit at the end of her pool chair rather than an empty one made her feel breathless in an almost girlish and childish way. it didn’t hinder her ability to carry on conversation, but it did encourage her to scoot down, slightly closer to him. “i’m a big girl now.” she answered, playfully smiling as she took a drag. “i just about gave my mom a heart attack when she found out, but, she doesn’t care so much now.” useless information, but leo didn’t seem to mind, so finn didn’t either. “that is kinda wild though, i forget we’re in the same city.” she answered, scooting a little bit closer as she spoke about something else that gave her that breathless feeling, “do i like chicago? i love it.” it was definitely a more romantic take on the place, but it was certainly miles better than lima. “do you?” a final time, she scooted closer as she further prodded about his life at school, “do you live on campus? what are you doing that’s keeping you so busy from seeing me?” she joked, “kidding, but, we gotta grab coffee some time.” the puff of her cigarette, then, “i like talking to you.” 

📹

When Finn stopped dead in her track, he did the same, taken aback by her shock. “Of course I remember,” he stared at her with a curious smile, “why wouldn’t I?” When she resumed walking, he followed suit, but he couldn’t get over her read of that evening. “Why did you think that?” he asked, brows knit together as he stared at her in disbelief, “I was drunk but not that drunk.” Was he misremembering the evening? Huh. At her admission though, Leo’s cheeks unmistakably blushed. Averting his eyes, he cleared his throat and nodded. “Me too,” he admitted, stealing a glance at her, “it’s a good song.” 

Once they were posted up on the same chair with their cigarettes and drinks in hand, completely illuminated by the blue glow of the pool, Leo let himself stare at Finn. Away from all the noise of old classmates, nosey acquaintances and bad music, he could finally loosen up. “Looks like it,” he answered, taking a drag and discreetly blowing the smoke out through the corner of his mouth. He chuckled breathily at the thought of Finn’s mom throwing a fit over her smoking, momentarily visualizing that scene and validating it with an, “I can see that.” As they inched closer to each other, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Leo didn’t seem to mind. In fact, he found himself leaning in the more she talked about Chicago. He shared those same sentiments. “I love it,” he said, nodding while he ashed his cigarette, “and I live in an on-campus apartment. So not a dorm, but kind of.” A sigh. “What about you?” He laughed weakly at her question, mostly because? He just wasn’t that busy. “I do the same shit I did in high school,” he admitted, “I’m studying filmmaking, so it’s like a/v club but...way better equipment. I go to bars. House shows. Art shows.” A shrug. “Same shit everyone else there does, I guess.” Before he could ask Finn what she did for fun, she was asking him out to coffee. He wouldn’t have read into it so much had it not been followed by an earnest, i like talking to you. “We should,” he agreed, pulling his cigarette away from his lips to take another sip from his drink. College had made a more confident man out of Leo McCarthy. He was still a bit of a loner, but he’d gained some experience, and they were at a wedding for fuck’s sake. Bringing his cig back to his lips and letting it dangle, Leo put his drink down, pulled out his phone, and did his best to contain his smile as he tapped his screen. As Everlasting Light began playing through his speakers, Leo set down his phone and resumed smoking his cigarette, all the while keeping his eyes on Finn. 

leo’s mention of homecoming had her furrowing her brows as she thought back a couple of years to senior year. she hadn’t intentionally forgotten she’d asked him to the dance, and they ended the night making out on the hood of her car, but time was funny like that. “i like this one better.” she told him confidently, figuring it best maybe she not get into the logistics of how she was embarrassed to bring back the jacket because he hadn’t remembered kissing her and so on. instead, she offered him a compliment reminiscent of one she’d issued that night. “you still look pretty, by the way.” while finn did mean it, she was also curious to see if leo even recalled when she had said that in the first place. 

at the bartender’s approach, finn ordered two moscow mules for them and looked at leo as if to answer his question, then returned to their discussion. “thanks, i try.” she shrugged, not greatly affected by the compliment. well, at least not outwardly. her chest was greatly impacted by the rapid thumping of her heart. “do you still smoke? i could go for a cigarette.” she said, taking the drinks and extending one to leo. one sip of hers and she gestured for leo to follow, “i don’t care if you don’t smoke anymore, we’re hanging out. come with me.” walking backwards, finn proceeded to guide them out of the venue. only once did she bump into someone and fortunately, it was just vanessa santos, who was too drunk to even care. a few more turns and finn had led them out to an empty lap pool that stood separate from the main swimming pool. there were a couple of tables and pool chairs strewn across the pool deck in preparation to be put out in about a month for memorial day. for finn though, they served as a place to set her drink, and sit as she lit a cigarette. politely, she asked leo, “are you gonna sit?” 

📹

Leo glanced down at his suit and patted it as Finn doled out another compliment, “Then fuck the other one, I guess,” he stated, playfully raising his eye brows as they quickly exchanged glances. When she threw another compliment his way, one that was meant to be a callback to their night at senior homecoming, he hummed. “Ah...I’m pretty sure it was beautiful,” he teased, bumping his arm into hers as they walked, “...and so do you, by the way.” Although Leo kept his eyes downcast for the rest of the short walk to the bar, there was no denying that his lips were pulled up into a bashful smile. 

Finn Schuester was the same, but different. As she handed Leo his drink and answered her own question before he had a chance to, he stared at her with a look of unadulterated amusement. “Alright,” he agreed with a shrug, slowly dragging his feet in the direction she was leading them. Once they reached the pool deck, Leo aimlessly weaved through the tables and pool chairs, curiously scoping out the vicinity as he sipped his drink. When Finn asked a question, Leo spun around to look at her, at the cigarette in her hand, and at the empty pool chair next to the one she had chosen. “Sure,” he said, sitting at the end of her pool chair rather than in one of his own. He answered her question about smoking by pulling his pack out of his chest pocket, tapping it against the palm of his hand twice, and then bringing a cigarette up to his lips and lighting it with ease. “You carry your own now,” he observed with a hum, glancing at the pack she’d placed next to her drink before blowing out the smoke he’d been holding in and taking another drag. “It’s crazy I’ve never seen you at school,” he commented, staring at her unabashedly, “do you like Chicago?”

the train ride passed much faster than finn’s first journey back to lima, and that was undoubtedly thanks to leo. they bantered, caught up, and just generally enjoyed each others company. it left finn wondering why they hadn’t hung out more in high school, or even, the last two years at school. while it did make her frown to think she’d lost time for a potentially incredible friendship, she knew there was no use on dwelling in the past, just looking forward to the future. finn thought that when she had arrived to lima, maybe she would’ve been more excited, but instead, she found herself feeling weirdly sad she’d have to part ways with leo. she sucked it up though, gave him a quick hug, and promised to see him at the wedding. 

always one to hold up her promises, a slightly inebriated finn schuester made her way through the crowds of dancing people to a lone leo mccarthy. “hey!” she called from a minor distance, just to get his attention. it would’ve been horrible to have trekked across the venue in heels only for leo to disappear upon her arrival. flashing a smile, finn truly seemed at ease. beyond having alcohol to loosen her up, time away in chicago had served her well. no longer was she paranoid about setting a bad example for julien, or her parents catching a disappointed glimpse. she could just be. part of her being wasn’t the most physical, but she still met leo with a brief hug. “i told you i was gonna see you here.” her hand lingered on his bicep as she scanned his expression. hm.  “you don’t look like you’re having that much fun.” finn said, simultaneously blunt and concerned. “i won’t ask you to dance, because i’m not sure either of us really wanna do that, but can i get you a drink?” she offered, already inching towards the bar. before fully disappearing though, she issued a warm compliment, “you look killer, by the way.” 

📹

By the time the actual wedding rolled around, Leo was already sick of his hometown. How was it that within the first day of being back in Lima there was already a girl fight rooted in old drama? Apparently high school never really ended. Leo showed up to the wedding with his family out of pure obligation. He kept to himself mostly, drinking discreetly and engaging in small talk only when he was approached. After being trapped in a conversation (more like an exchange of disinterested grunts) with Rocky Remington, Leo excused himself and made his way to the nearest empty wall. With his drink in hand, he was mindlessly looking at his phone when he heard a familiar voice. When he looked up and saw a rosy-cheeked, smiling Finn Schuester, he offered her tight lipped, lazy smile, followed by a short, “hey.” 

When she wrapped her arms around him, Leo hugged her back and let his touch linger briefly after he pulled away. “You stuck to your word,” he said with a nod, “tight.” There was something about Finn that made Leo not want to come across like a total grouch. Maybe it was the fact that she was someone whose company he actually did enjoy, so he didn’t want her to think otherwise. Whatever it was, he pushed himself off the wall, brushed his loose curls out of his eyes, and nodded. “A drink sounds good,” he agreed with a shrug, “I’ll come with you.” Leo finished off what little was left of the drink in his hand, put it down on the nearest table, and joined Finn on her journey to the bar. “Do I?” he asked with a slightly embarrassed chuckle as he glanced down at his suit and muttered out a thanks. “I almost wore the suit I wore to homecoming but...” he squinted at Finn curiously as a playful smile tugged at the corners of his lips, “I couldn’t find the jacket.” He wasn’t sure if she remembered making a big fuss about dry cleaning the jacket and then never giving it back, but the way he nudged her arm playfully with his elbow hopefully indicated that he was just joking. “You look good too,” he complimented as they approached the bar, “so what are we drinking?”

IVY: insufferable🙄

IVY: + also if i wanted 2 fish i would just post a pic on instagram then read the comments???

IVY: but thx 4 ur confidence i guess

IVY: wow that sounds like, super boring

IVY: candy + i just watched aquamarine have u ever heard of it?

LEO: 🖤

LEO: you know half the people who comment on your pictures hate you right?

LEO: you're welcome

LEO: it's actually really fucking good

IVY: how r u more of a dick than u were our entire relationship?

IVY: sure u can but i'm ltrly like, a refined, professional woman now soooo

IVY: what's the last movie u watched?

LEO: lots of practice i guess.

LEO: is this you fishing for compliments on your broadway debut or whatever? because if so, you know i never doubted that was gonna happen.

LEO: new movie or just in general?

IVY: ya + i ltrly hate it + giving ppl ur # is my only source of entertainment that doesn't involve me crushing dreams

IVY: ur ruining that for me yk!

IVY: it's not like u can say u have better taste!

LEO: how are you less mature than you were in high school?

IVY: ugh ur still no fun

IVY: "normal person" that was SO rude???

LEO: i'm no fun? you spend your weekends at a trashy karaoke bar

LEO: i looked up callbacks.

IVY: okay obviously not THAT annoying if ur like...JUST texting me abt it now

IVY: u srsly dk how many free drinks ur # has gotten me

IVY: do i HAVE 2 stop ):

LEO: please stop.

LEO: use someone else's number or be a normal person and just use a random number

IVY: omg

IVY: how did u find out?!?

LEO: every other week I get a text that says "hey ivy, it's jared from ace" or "hi ivy, it's kyle from callbacks"

MOLLY: [image attached]

MOLLY: look whose sweatshirt i found in my hamper..

MOLLY: miss you. did you get back to chicago alright?

LEO: lol I was wondering where that went.

LEO: looks better on you.

[TIMOTHEE CHALAMET, CISMALE, HE/HIM] WHO’S THAT? OH IT’S LEO MCCARTHY. I HEAR THEY’RE 20 AND ARE KNOWN AS THE RECLUSE AROUND CHICAGO. THEY'RE ALSO A SOPHOMORE AT DEPAUL AND A PART OF DEPAUL FILM SOCIETY. THEY’RE KNOWN TO BE INTROSPECTIVE AND INDIVIDUALISTIC AND LAZY AND GUARDED. SOME PEOPLE SAY THEY REMIND THEM OF LATE NIGHT WALKS IN THE WINTER AND WEATHERED BOOKS AND QUENTIN TARANTINO MOVIES. 

if she hadn’t been shivering from the syrupy drink running down her face and arms, molly might have found the whole scenario comical, or maybe, karmic. between being uprooted from new york city, dropped in lima, and cheating on her boyfriend, she was certain life couldn’t get any worse.. and yet, she found herself staring into the eyes of the guy she was trying to forget whilst talking about the guy she cheated on. “clearly,” molly replied simply, her voice laced with the upmost disgust. it was hard for her to wrap her head around attending a school that clearly didn’t value the arts. since arriving at mckinley, the only kids she had heard of getting slushied were the new directioners, and that shit wouldn’t have flown at la guardia. in fact, the rolling tones were the equivalent to what the jocks clearly were at mckinley: untouchable. “and some of us have even less time here than that,” she replied flippantly, knowing all too damn well that possibility was getting slimmer and slimmer to none. each time molly talked to her mom on the phone and heard the clear happiness in her tone, she became less and less hopeful about a senior year return to the city. summer absolutely seemed more plausible.

molly was no stranger to having eyes on her. in fact, she’d dare to say she even thrived in settings where eyes were forced to watch her every move, but there was something different - heavier - about the way leo’s eyes were gazing at her. as he pushed her face back and began to actually help her, molly’s heart started beating rapidly in her chest. leo was dangerously close and the more attentive he was, the less control molly could feel herself harnessing. you’ve been avoiding me. molly shouldn’t have been surprised to hear leo state the obvious. he’d been nothing but honest from the moment they met, but his sudden brazenness in a tender moment caught her off guard. “i have a boyfriend,” the words came fumbling from her mouth before she could catch them. it was a simple explanation, but one that wasn’t backed up by any sort of emotion or passion. it was the equivalent of her saying i have a business partner. the longer she thought about it, the more molly thought maybe that was all warner really was. “i have a boyfriend,” she repeated again, her eyes not leaving his. if leo wanted honesty, she was going to deliver. “but i can’t stop thinking about you or what happened at candyland. i’m a horrible person,” obviously. “but i need to know if i imagined this,” there wasn’t a second before molly was drawing her arm around leo’s neck to pull him and their lips together. she leaned into leo and the kiss before pulling away slightly, eyes wide with realization. fuck. fireworks twice?

📹

Leo widened his eyes and slightly rolled them at her sharp response to his comment about graduation. “Sure...whatever,” he said flatly, shrugging as he continued to hand her paper towels. The idea that Molly’s parents would transfer her to a school in the midwest only to bring her back to New York before the end of the school year seemed crazy...but then again...hadn’t he seen Ivy St. James roaming the halls earlier that day? Maybe transferring and then transferring again was more common practice than he thought. Or maybe these musical theater rich kids were just fucking weird.

It felt like every interaction they had was more loaded than the one before. This time though, things felt even more tense than usual for a slew of reasons. They’d now kissed, twice, and despite the lack of conviction she was saying it with, Molly did have a boyfriend. He hadn’t expected that to be the bullshit reason she gave for why she was avoiding him, but alas. Once she’d said it, he dropped his arms to his sides and stopped gently wiping the slush off her face. If she wasn’t going to be fucking real with him, then he wasn’t going to dick around waiting for her to stop being a coward. “Obviously I know you have a boyfriend,” he deadpanned, narrowing his eyes in on her. He half expected her to just leave it at that and therefore was ready to turn on his heel, but then she opened her mouth again. His lips parted and he stared at her with his mouth agape as she spoke, his heart suddenly pounding in his ears. 

But I need to know if I imagined this. It took Leo no time to react. The second her lips were on his, he wrapped his arms around her back and kissed her fervently. He hadn’t stopped thinking about her since Valentine’s Day and as they stood in the bathroom, melting into each other, all his doubts about this situation dissipated. When she pulled away to stare at him, he stared back shamelessly. “You feel it too,” it wasn’t a question. As they stood there, still holding on to each other, Leo swallowed his pride and took a chance. “I can’t stand most people,” he started, shrugging as he lifted one of his hands to tuck a strand of her still slightly wet hair behind her ear, “but for some reason...I like you.” After a long pause, he leaned down and kissed her again. It was softer this time than before. It was a question and the answer. “What happens next is up to you,” he told her, pulling back and dropping his hands, “I’ll just...be here.” With that out in the open, he cleared his throat and gave her a nod. “I think you’re good now,” he told her, pointing up to her face to indicate that most of the slush was gone, “so I’ll see you around.” And with that, Leo turned his back to her and headed towards the door. 

molly’s love life was going up in flames - that much was obvious. between warner dodging her calls & texts and her dodging leo in the hallways, she was more conflicted than ever. on one hand, she’d arrived in lima in a happy, committed relationship. warner was an acquired taste, one that made miles look semi-pleasant by comparison, but when we they were together, their talent was undeniable. on the other hand, leo fucking mccarthy had been living in her mind rent free since their fated kisses outside of candyland. molly wasn’t naive enough to believe that a couple kisses outside of a cheesy valentine’s day celebration meant much more than what it was at face value, and it certainly wasn’t enough to ruin a relationship over. whether it was that logic or the silent understanding that she clearly couldn’t control herself whenever leo was around, she’d made a point of avoiding him, which was easy considering how much time rehearsals took up. if molly’s love life was falling apart, it seemed as if her social life was falling together. between the new directions, landing one of the lead roles of spring awakening, and slowly making friends, she was finding her own space at lima. molly had been on her way to hunt down one finn schuester when she heard the voice calling out for her. the seconds between yo new girl falling out of the dumb jock’s mouth and molly’s eyes zeroing in on the slushie in his hands felt painfully slow. unlike her brother, molly had paid attention to the ways of the natives. she knew what was coming for her. the cold ice slapping her in the face was hardly a surprise, but it didn’t make the shame or humiliation sting any less. for a quick second, as molly stood dripping wet in the middle of the hallway, eyes closed and voices snickering around her, she had wanted to cry. and she might have had it not been for the feeling of someone’s hand wrapping around her arm. when her gaze cut to leo’s face, molly was snapped back to reality and reminded of who she truly was - which was not someone who showed weakness in the presence of others (except for when on stage, of course). when leo began to pull at her, molly stayed rooted in the puddle of slush at her feet. she silently contemplated her choices: walk off alone in search of somewhere private or go with someone she knew… against all judgment, she reluctantly responded with a soft “okay,” before letting leo drag her into the nearest bathroom. “thanks,” while it may have sounded insincere, molly meant it. “you didn’t have to help me,” obviously, idiot. she let out a deep sigh as she pulled the drench jacket off, shaking it loosely over the sink. “how do those neanderthals keep getting away with this?” it wasn’t until she was leaning against the sink and grabbing paper towels from leo’s hands that she allowed herself to look - really look - at him. her breath hitched in her throat as she pointed towards her face. “did i get it all?”

📹

Leo stared at Molly blankly as she refused to move. “Really?” he sighed exasperatedly, quirking a brow and staring at her in disbelief. There was no way that standing out in the hallway doused in a slushie was better than going with him to a bathroom. Once she came to her senses and reluctantly agreed to follow him, Leo nodded and tugged her into the nearest restroom. When he walked into the girl’s bathroom with Molly, some sophomore squealed about this being a girl’s bathroom and how he couldn’t be in there. “Grow up,” was all he said in response as he made his way over to the paper towel dispenser and started pulling out sheet after sheet to help Molly clean herself off. With a groan, the younger girl left the bathroom, promptly leaving them there alone. “Yeah, well,” his voice trailed off and he shrugged in response to her comment before handing her another clump of paper towels. He let out a weak chuckle at her question. “This school is fucked,” was the simple answer, “and our principal was a jock so he lives vicariously through those assholes or whatever. It’s stupid.” The rules didn’t apply to the athletes at their school. That was a fact and it was probably never going to change. “Luckily we only have a couple more months of this place,” he noted with another shrug. It hadn’t been lost on him that up until this point, Molly had been pretty much averting her gaze. When she finally looked at him though, really looked at him, his hard features softened. He let out another breathy chuckle and vaguely shook his head at her question. “Not really,” he told her honestly. Leo stared at her for a moment, still dripping with slush, before he clicked his tongue and reached for more paper towels. He briefly ran them under some warm water in the sink before stepping closer to Molly and placing one hand on the back of her head to tilt her chin up. “Let me,” he said quietly as he began to dab the area around her hair line and by her ears. As he gently cleaned her off, his gaze flickered between the spots he was wiping, her eyes and her lips. “So,” he drawled, chucking the used paper towels into the trash can before reaching for more and resuming the process, “you’ve been avoiding me.” Leo was nothing if not blunt and honest. He wasn’t going to dance around this. “Why?” he asked with a shrug, pausing and dropping his hand to his side as they locked eyes, “and don’t bullshit me.”