𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐧 𝑤𝑜𝑜𝑑.

lucien knows that he is overreacting about the entire thing just a little bit, but it's difficult not to. chloe is a beautiful girl, she's supposed to be his girl. and it doesn't necessarily sit right with him that guys think she's for the taking when actually, she's supposed to be with him. "they are getting the wrong idea about you, chlo. and us. and i just... don't fucking like that, y'know?" sighing softly, lucien's cheeks go pink, the kiss to his cheek making his eyes roll, trying to play it all off as though he doesn't really care. but he does, he cares more than he can ever admit to. "mhm, you're supposed to be mine."

"i don't want them getting the wrong idea about me. about us." she meant it, fingers tracing soothing lines along the back of his neck. it was instinctive, this need to make sure he felt comfortable, that he knew that she was still on the same page, even if she'd let the night go to her head. "how do we show them?" she asks then, long lashes fluttering as her nose nudges delicately against his jaw. this was the whole point, after all, and she couldn't say she disliked the closeness, either. even if it was all an act, it was one she was enjoying. her following words are whispered delicately within his ear, "how do we let them see that i'm yours?"

It's then she hears him, except not just him, but the most painful noise she'd ever heard come from his lips. She'd not just watched him lose his composure, she'd watched it fall from his grasp entirely. He still missed her? He wants to know them both? Romy had expected this to go many ways, but not in the direction of almost, almost open arms. Her nickname falls from her lips, and she finds herself unable to see him through the tears welling and catching in her lashes. "Jonty, I missed you every fucking day. I was never not thinking of you. I thought of you every second of every minute of every god-damned day, and I do not expect you to still love me, but I love you so much, and running away from you will always, always be my greatest mistake." Her breath comes in quiet, heaving gasps as she speaks, and concern of Arlo pools in the pit of her chest, not wanting for him to see her like this, but she can't stop.

Listening to her closely, every word is like the softest melody. He's almost tempted to ask her to pinch him, cannot quite believe that this is happening. That she's stood before him, that she feels the same way for him as he did for her. Tears still fall down his cheeks, but he doesn't pay them any attention anymore. Instead, he reaches out for her hands, entangling them with his own, bringing them towards his lips. He presses a kiss against her digits, practically breathing her in, willing to drown within her scent. It's almost as if he's really checking that this is real. That she's really here with him again. That this isn't some remarkable dream his brain had conjured to torture him. Yet she still smelt the same, hesitant to let go of her hands. "I should've come and found you." he admits within a choked sob. "I should've never stopped looking." A shaky exhale follows suit, resting his cheek against her hand. "I do love you. I never stopped. My parents tried so hard to set me up with whoever they thought would be right for me, but it never was. They were never you."

the look lucien gives her is one that conveys how unimpressed he is, because they both know that she was in fact flirting. he wished he didn't find it so infuriating to see her flirt and dance around the other guys. it was frustrating beyond belief and lucien wanted those feelings to be gone, more than anything. eyes roll and he reaches down to rest his hands against her waist, head tilting to look at chloe. "i don't know, chloe, is it? because i wonder if you even recall what the point of this whole thing is with the way you're all over guys who are less than half what you're worth."

she supposes that he makes a good point, though she wasn't willing to admit it outright. "i'm not all over them," the words fall weaker still, nose scrunching as she leans up to press a kiss to his cheek. oceanic eyes meet his own and there's a look of genuine appreciation in her gaze. "i will stop." she decides after a beat, offering a playful roll of her eyes. "i don't want them getting the wrong impression. as far as they're concerned, i only have eyes for you." it wasn't a hard lie to sell. lucien was a beautiful man and he was also genuinely kind. she felt safe around him, like all her front could dissipate without worry.

"if we're doing this, you need to stop flirting with the other guys all night." it was supposed to be fake. it wasn't supposed to make lucien jealous every time he so much as glanced in their direction and saw them all over other guys. and fine, maybe 'all over' was a stretch, but that's how it felt.

"i'm not flirting with the other guys," the argument is weak, considering that she definitely is. it's not as though it had been overly intentional, she was flirty by default. it didn't mean anything as far as she was concerned. though her brothers had reminded her time and time and time again that some men might not see it that way, it wasn't enough to prevent her from being herself. "from where i'm stood, i might be flirting with them, but they can see me going home with you." she changes tact, aware that the previous argument was one she would lose, arms coiling around his neck. "and isn't that, dear lucien, the whole point?"

there's no denying that hint of disappointment in her tone and it makes his face drop all over again. because he knows where this is going, knows they've been here before, and knows she won't give up on trying to make him believe he's worthy. he's not and the thought has lingered for far too long to let a few nice words make him change that. his own father never being around and only skipping out to start a new family shifted something inside him long ago, making it so he never felt worthy of much. the problem is that he looks at her and wants to be. "come on." there's desperation in his tone, even as his hands slip away and slip into the pockets of his jeans. "i don't need to like myself, okay? i just need ... to be better and i'm trying." his hands slipping into his pockets doesn't do anything when there's already this need to reach out for her. "i'm not gonna fuck this up again," he mumbles, finally letting his hands reach back out to curl around her waist. even when he had grown accustomed to being on his own and not needing anyone, she's the one who came into his life and changed everything. "i won't leave you again. i love you enough that it's all that matters." / @lustfooled

all she wants is for him to reach out and hold her again. the distance between them enough to make her feel cold. she smiles at his words, brightening the moment his arms coil around her waist. her gaze remains locked upon his expression, heart hammering hard against her chest. olive knew she loved him, with every fiber of her being she loved him. she hoped she could love him enough for the both of them. it would always break her heart that he didn't believe he was worthy. but it'd never be enough for her to pull away from him. all olive wanted was to love him wholly, to recognize how earnest her devotion to him was. "i don't want to live life without you, i refuse to, actually..." she whispers it, allowing her hand to cradle his cheek, thumb grazing against his jaw, leaning in to press a chaste kiss his mouth. she knew that there was nobody else out there who'd ever make her feel like he did. it was all-consuming. in a way that satisfied every inch of her; mind, heart, body and soul. "nobody makes me feel like you do. i love you more than anything."

hearing that sniffle cracks something inside her, making her freeze right where she stands without the ability to even look away from him. he's not this guy. calm, cool, sarcasm dripping from him with such ease. maybe that's what had first drawn her to him because she saw someone who seemingly let things brush off his shoulder with practiced ease and she needed that. the one thing she never needed was to fall in love with him. in some fucked up way, she didn't want it because it gave her mother everything the older woman wanted. finally, another child ready to settle down and be happy when she'd never wanted it for herself. but with him? it felt as easy as breathing air into her lungs. right now, breathing feels damn near impossible. "otto," she speaks his name, her tone low, even hushed. like speaking too loud will snap something in him or even her. she knew coming here was a mistake because seeing him wouldn't do her any good, but she wants to see him and wants to know he's okay. instead, she sees the guy she still loves who is nothing more than a drunken mess of jealousy and sadness that can't be hidden. tightening her jaw, she inches a step closer and hands lift to wrap around his in order to pull them away from his face. being gentle only ever comes easy with her siblings—though, that's still rare at times—but it's so easy with him at times that it scares her. "i'm taking you home," she murmurs with a sternness that lets him know she's not giving him a choice. / @lustfooled

he hadn't ever needed anyone. a fact he'd prided himself on. yet in meeting tanya, he'd found someone that if he didn't need, he certainly wanted. it had scared him. this urgency to be around her, wondering what she was doing when they were apart, wishing that they didn't have to be. it was almost too much for the independent, stoic man to bear. so he'd ran. and the moment he'd started to run, he'd regretted it. but it always felt too late to turn back around. now he found himself getting drunk at parties that she was destined to be at, making a fool of himself over and over again. it wasn't him, but losing her had broken something inside of him, something that he'd wrapped up tight in tape when he'd lost his father, something that had already been so fragile, something that he felt so lost without. he looks at her, stunned as she pulls his hands from his face. he still felt ashamed; cheeks red with embarrassment. "i don't want t-" to ruin your night. he cuts himself off, aware it was a futile response. he knew not to argue with her when she was determined about something and deep down inside he wanted to be with her for longer, even if it was within the most humiliating moment of his life. "okay," he whispers softly, his tone barely above a whisper. this was a side of himself that nobody else got to see. all pretense dissolving by the second. "please...i'd like you to take me home."

a dangerous glint shone in her eyes, as the corner of her mouth pulled up in a smirk. "i can't trick you? that feels like a challenge gibson." whispering the words, so that only he could hear them. she figured the laughter had been disruptive enough, she could keep her voice low while they were setting everything up again. closing her eyes when she felt his hand on her cheek, she moved her hand to rest on his side, making sure the camera would pick up the movement - deciding if she kept her eyes shut, she could pretend it was somebody else. when they finally pulled back, her eyes flickered up to his, a small smile on her face. making sure not to put too much distance between them until she heard the director yell cut. glancing around the room as everybody busied themselves with going over what was next, she focused back on flynn. "you know there's going to be some rumor about how one of us was secretly in love with the other the whole time right? because you know people can't separate actor and character." she'd mostly said it to fill the silence. it was also easy to joke about, when she had had a small crush on him at some point - but she put that down to him being one of the few kids she'd spent time around. and the fact he was a better person than most people she knew.

returning the kiss, his own eyes come to a gentle close. though it's more of an acting choice than being put off by kissing holly. he wasn't put off by it. after all, there was nothing repelling about her whatsoever. as the director yelled cut, he slowly tore himself away, swallowing as he looks back at her. "yeah, you're probably right. they always do that. as if they can't enjoy the story if it isn't happening in reality." plenty of his friends had lost strong friendships as a result of that specifically, he would be damned if he let that happen between them. "we have to promise that we won't let them come between us like that, yeah?" he asked, his voice a mere whisper. after all, his words were only for her, not for every member of the crew that surrounded them. he didn't remark upon the idea that one of them had ever had feelings for the other. after all, he had once had feelings for her. potentially more than once. he was sure it was normal and natural. they'd known each other for longer than they hadn't known each other. she'd become such a permanent fixture in his life. a fixture that he appreciated. "i've seen it happen so many times. people who were good friends not even talking in public because of what fans or...paps have said about them. i don't want that to happen to us."

"it's never been about what i want." she admits with a shrug. it's an in with a family, a chance to still see her sisters, to have some semblance of the life she thought she'd lost. her fiance is a boar-- at best, and she knows its her father's last attempt at control. what she wants is his touch, the brush of his fingers against her skin makes her shiver. "you shouldn't ask questions you know the answer to." a ghost of a smile dances across her lips. "i don't want him at all. i want to see my sisters.... i want my family. i don't-- " she shakes her head. she'd understood the trade, been happy to make it before she knew what she was losing. "i'm out of options--"

he couldn't quite imagine her predicament, but he could try to understand regardless. although he wasn't particularly soft or careful, he listens to her intently, his fingertips continuing to graze along her shoulder in spite of all of it. "you're not out of options," his head tilts, he smile equal parts soft and devilish. "i don't mind bein' the other man, lola." the admission falls with a raise of his brows, curious to see her reaction. "s'fucking hot, really." he didn't want her to be lost within some relationship that wouldn't make her happy. he understood it was a choice she had to make, but that's not to say they couldn't have fun besides it. "what d'ya think?"

marnie feels her chest tighten with every word, because honestly, she feels like it would've just been easier for alice to tell her what to do instead of giving her the unwavering support she always does. "you always do that," she murmurs, letting out a shaky breath. "you always put me first, even when you don't have to." her heart pounds in her chest at the thought. "the thing is, i do love him. he's kind, safe, and he's been my whole world for so long that i don't even know who i am without him." and maybe that's part of the problem—marnie's been in a relationship where she never truly had the opportunity to explore certain parts of herself. it really had started to become a crutch; she was constantly leaning on it, and as a result, she's ended up isolating herself in more ways than she actually cares to admit to. "but when you say you'll be beside me no matter what, i caught myself wishing you mean it in a different way." the confession leaves in a quiet whisper. "and i think that's my answer, isn't it?"

she didn't really know how to be of use. annie was well aware of what her decision would be, it wasn't her that was torn between two people. the last thing she wanted to do was sway her one way or another, wanting marnie to make the right decision for herself. as painful as it would be for her to not be chosen, her love for marnie stretched so deep, she wouldn't disappear on her. she would be by her side no matter what. a part of her wondered if that was possible. if what had happened between them would hang there too uncomfortably. that how she felt would burn too bright for her to keep a hold of it forever. her chest aches when marnie speaks of her fiancé. it alarms her that maybe, just maybe, that is enough proof that they should remain together. that whatever she'd had with annie was a fleeting mistake. but, then she continues to speak and whilst the ache in her chest doesn't subside, a flutter soon consumes her abdomen. she nods slowly, biting down into her bottom lip. "it's uh...never the right choice to play it safe. if you're asking me."

"      i  know  what  i  want  to  do.    but  what  do  you  want  to  do  .ᐣ        mmm  .ᐣ      we  always  do  what  i  want,    today  we  can  do  what  you  want.    "    truly,  persephone  was  happy  simply  being  around  hades.    doing  small  activities,  being  them.      sometimes  she  sits  in  his  study  with  him.    his  work  echoing  around  the  four  walls,  him  lost  in  some  paperwork  or  shouting  at  his  assistants.    persephone  simply  reading  or  sewing,  perfectly  happy  where  she  was.      she  was  such  a  simple  goddess.    being  with  him,  well  that  is  the  one  thing  in  this  universe  that  makes  her  happy.

"i'm happy when you're happy." though he knows that this won't get them moving any faster. it would be no surprise if it became a tennis match between the pair of them, lasting far too long before they worked out how to spend their time. it was true, though. he often found himself most at peace whenever he was with her, in her presence, watching her sew, read or just be. he shifts to sit next to her, his side pressed firm against her own. "perhaps we can take a walk. i find walks are the place the most satisfying conversations, occur?" he suggests then, standing himself up with a slight groan. anytime he was apart from her, even by an inch, felt like torture. one could only imagine how painful it was to watch her make her way to earth without him. holding his hand out to her, his smile grows, only the slightest twinkle of sadness in his gaze.

THE THRILL OF HIS ACQUIESCENCE IS DANGEROUS, a delicious, tingling jolt that vibrates down to her core. this is new, uncharted territory for them, and charlie is taken aback by how raw and intimate it feels, despite the time-worn comfort of their relationship. her gaze travels upwards to the mirror hanging across the room - it had been the glimpse of his reflection that prompted her question to begin with - and she watches with rapt attention as he readies himself. "you're so handsome, my love." the words curl against his ear as her palm glides up along his chest, fingertips tracing the contoured edges of lean muscle, a teasing graze of her thumb across a rough nipple. "i thought about this while i was gone but nothing i imagined was this hot." she continues encouragingly, shifting again to watch him over his shoulder, the sight of his cock stiffening beneath his grasp, slick fingers dragging clear lube along the shaft as he slowly works. her instinct is to reach out, take over, and she fights it, pushing it back. wants to see samar move at his own pace.

as innocent as some perceived him to be, that wasn't to say samar didn't have desires and fantasies, he certainly did. he watches her so closely, making it clear that every thought in his mind, that every tug of his hand along his cock was for her. his lips trace against his lesser lip, as he grows all the more comfortable and confident against the sheets. the touches are everything he'd known he needed, but he knew he craved even more. his feet press into the soft material of the duvet, watching her closely as he continues to work along the shaft of his cock, whining at the friction he elicits. he doesn't think he's ever done anything quite so intimate or vulnerable before. but he likes it, he likes the tension in his chest, he likes the twist of his stomach. "you thought about it?" he counters, head tilting as his lips remain parted, the look on his face practically sinful. "what did you do when you thought about it?" the question falls within a choked groan, biting hard into his bottom lip. he doesn't think it'll lose it's edge if she were to touch herself, too. he couldn't help but allude to it. wanting to see as much of her as she was seeing of him.

it was nice getting to talk to someone who understood performing, instead of people tuning out when she was speaking. "how long do you have?" the words laughed, before she thought about her shortlist so that she didn't end up boring him. "i can acknowledge it's so basic... but glinda in wicked. sue snell in carrie, lady larkin in once upon a mattress, kathy in the last five years, cosette in les mis and clara in light in the piazza - and i'll stop there so i don't bore you. what about you? you must have dream productions to take part in?" if she got to ramble about her love of theatre, it only seemed fair to offer him the same chance to talk about what he loved. "people seem to think you have to leave having fun behind in childhood which is... just the saddest way to exist." shaking her head at the idea. "well... i do still know the choreography, if you wanted to try it out yourself." she couldn't remember every role off the top of her head, but she'd had so much fun with that, that it stayed there. pausing as he finished speaking, she looked over at him in genuine shock. "... how have you never seen elf? it's such a warm and fuzzy movie."

"i mean, cliches are cliches for a reason. glinda is a brilliant character, i can definitely see you in that role." he nods a little at the rest of her list, impressed by the variety. he is sure that she'll complete her bucket list, from what he can tell she's a pretty determined person. "that's a good question. 42nd street is one that i'd love to be in. like dance captain or dancer, that'd be an ideal role. that and...maybe chorus line, too?" he shrugs, chewing at his bottom lip. his list isn't as extensive as her own, but they are two that had been on his bucket list for a long, long while. it wasn't often that he spoke about his profession. not because he didn't want to, but because he'd assumed it wasn't of interest to most people. it was nice to have a conversation where that wasn't the case. "i agree. it doesn't make any sense. it's like when people shame others because they still build legos, or because they have a scooby doo lunch box. like, surely you have more important things to be mad about than someone finding joy in adulthood?" he shrugs, it hadn't ever made sense to him. as gloomy as he was, nothing made him gloomier than unnecessary judgement. "say less. that'd be so much fun. let me know the date, the time, the place and i'll be there." he clicks his tongue, pointing a finger in his direction. "yeah, i know. it's bad. i need to spread my wings, christmas movies wise. i watch the grinch annually, though."

the fact that archie couldn't let himself forget how to get winston going even though it was supposed to be a less than zero percent chance of them ever getting to this point again, it makes winston's entire body buzz with electricity. he reaches for archie's wrists, pinning them against the door as he grinds against him, fixing the angle so their clothed cocks are sliding together with each rock of their hips. all he wants right now is to feel how much archie wants this, how much he's enjoying it. he doesn't care what comes after this, what happens tomorrow. all that matters is them right now. winston gives in when archie pushes at his shirt, tugging it off and dropping it somewhere beside them, leaning back in to kiss and suck along the column of archie's throat. "i already ruined you a long time ago," he says against his skin, hands grasping at archie's waist, squeezing and kneading at him. "shit..." hearing archie call him daddy unlocks something inside of winston that he's kept under lock and key for years. he pulls away from the door, keeping archie pressed against his chest, walking backwards towards the stairs before he spins, walking up them slowly. "you're a fucking menace," he growls, holding onto the bannister as he leads them upstairs and to his bedroom. to their bedroom. he's changed so little of it over the years, not able or willing to lose archie in every aspect of his home. winston lays archie down against it, knees digging into the mattress as he lays over him, hands settling either side of his head as he grinds down against him slowly. "tell me how you want it, arch. tell me everything you want."