that's what they all say

"Careful. You've still got my birthday and Christmas to prepare for. You start giving me expectations you might be setting yourself up for failure." Arden teased, she actually didn't mind that he was a bit cocky, it was that self confidence and assuredness that she had always admired about him. Perfection wasn't something Arden was seeking from a partner. And that wasn't a dig on Marlo, who she actually had such a high regard for but felt she had never properly expressed. She had just been taught to not expect much out of anyone from an early age, starting with her own parents. Which was maybe why it had stung more when she thought he hadn't shown up. And maybe in a stupid self sabotage way she was allowing her disappointment to put those walls back up, to push him away with the excuse of saving their relationship, because she was scared of hurt more than that down the line. Which wasn't completely fair to him. Because he did show up. Sure he had arrived late but he was standing here in front of her and trying to make it up to her.

"Remind me when your birthday is again," he joked- or partially joked, he actually didn't know the exact date, just the general time of year. While he knew he didn't have to be perfect for her, he wanted to get pretty damn close if he could help it, just when it really mattered. Her pageants were important to her so that was definitely a time where it mattered, he wanted to show up for her, so failing to even do that today wasn't just letting her down, he'd disappointed himself as well. Rather than wallow in that disappointment though he wanted to do better, and knew he had to if he wanted to regain some of her faith in him.

"Shit he probably does so you better watch out, D." Ace laughed again, carefree as fuck among his boys. "You gonna take that? Come on boys, you know Dion's basically a Richie now, and so fuckin' quiet he's probably smashin' a princess or somethin' in silence." Ace pantomimed fucking someone from behind complete with air ass slaps. After he hit Polo, Ace felt himself get annoyed hearing news that technically Kit was still a greaser, "Leave it to a fuckin' Cruz…fucker think he's got somethin' over on me? How bad you fuck him up, anything broken? I dunno I'm thinkin' about what'll be worse fuckin' him up now or lettin' him heal and fuckin' him right back up. Bitch owes me blood now. What rich chick, let me see her, she a 10 like Dion's sister or what?" He shot a wink at Dion, "Respectfully. Anyway I'll give Trent that he ain't afraid to bleed for it, I know for a fact that fucker can take some shit and keep goin. I told Joker I don't wanna hear him bitchin' bout jumpin' him in or I'll make it worse, I'ma give him first swing, he thinks he's clever sometimes I don't want him hangin' back from the jump and thinkin' he can get away with it. Ain't no point in draggin' it out so let's do it this weekend. Saturday, we can party after." He snickered at Cam's accusations of being tense because they weren't wrong, "There ain't no way you can be gettin' your dick sucked on a regular basis and still have a stick up your ass the size of my kid brother's. Maybe they're savin' themselves for marriage or some shit. Either way, ain't no way in the world Joker got any real motion. Probably why the only dudes who fuck him are his friends." By the time Marlo had gone Ace couldn't even remember who had the highest score, "Yo who won?" @diondempsey

"Tweddle dumb and fuckin' dumber over here..." Though they were laughing at his expense he still had to fight back a grin of his own and he made a quick move towards Polo, just because he was closest, and got him in a brief headlock. "Y'all way too worried 'bout who I'm fuckin'. Maybe I am movin' in silence, rest of you never been quiet for more than ten minutes." Ace's ridiculous demonstration did get a big laugh out of him, even as he shook his head. Hearing Kit was still a greaser because of a technicality irritated him probably just as much as it did Ace, one because he didn't like the guy, and he liked the idea of him walking around like he'd pulled a fast one on them even less. "Let him heal first, I wanna see him fight back. Man shut the fuck up," he said as Ace brought up his sister, "Respectfully." Dion didn't know, or honestly really care, who Kit's baby mama was so he let one of the other guys take that, and he nodded at the plan Ace laid out to them. "It's his boy, I'd think he'd want first swing." Though he'd already claimed last, he ended up going after Polo so it was Marlo they were waiting on, who scraped by with a score just a little higher than his. "Think this fucker did," he nodded to Marlo. @polomikami

Polo and Marlo were always on the same brainwave, whooping and jostling every time they made a stupid joke. "Nah Big D ain't smashin' a princess, that's just you–" he tussled with Dion when he found himself in a headlock, reaching up to tweak his nipple in retaliation. Because of that he'd only seen the tail end of Ace's moves, laughing freely in a way many people probably didn't think was possible where their leader was involved. What people didn't understand was that they weren't through and through evil, they were just guys, best friends, brothers, with a pretty hectic code. "Pretty sure his baby mama's on that lingerie billboard Dion's always rubberneckin' at when we ride outta town. Your sister's hotter though, man," he winked at Dion, skirting around Marlo to avoid another headlock. "Cruz's gonna be down for a minute but I ain't break nothin' too serious. Figured I won't get him too good until I wring him for everything he's got. Then I'll get a couple fingers. Or you can, whatever you want, Ace." Polo kicked the toe of his shoe at the back of Marlo's knee while he was shooting, fucking around because he knew his ass was coming last by that point. "Maybe Joker's been so against it 'cause he thinks his boy's gonna be better at all this. I mean, must suck havin' everyone think you're the weak link." @marlo-reyes

Polo's remark about Ace's princess got a big whoop out of him, head on an excited swivel at the ruckus they were causing. While Marlo was generally known for goofing around, nobody expected the rest of the lost boys, especially not Ace, to laugh the way they did together. Of course he'd never cared what other people thought, just his people- his brothers in front of him, and he'd always use his friendlier disposition to their advantage, charming and disarming. "Where is your sister, she sick of us already?" Granted she'd only come around for that one Thanksgiving a few years back and he didn't know if that was because she'd seen enough or if Dion decided he wanted to keep those parts of his life separate. It took him a second to remember who Kit's baby mama was, just based on some gossip he'd heard, and he tossed his phone to Ace with a picture pulled up. "Lemme get a finger too," he called out just as Polo kicked the back of his knee and Marlo stumbled forward a few steps. He glared back at him before he took his last shot, which went in, his final score the highest of the boys, and then he went back to jostling with Polo, "Still won fucker. I bet he will be, and Joker knows it too, s'why he's not fightin' it too hard. Or maybe he is fightin' it, I dunno." @smokingaceschw

"Yeah, the one he used to fuck then curved for the whiny one." Ace reminded the boys then turned his attention to Marlo's comment, "A girl finally wants to fuck him and motherfucker thinks he's God's gift to the world all of a sudden." Ace laughed, because everyday was rag on Marlo day just like it was rag on everybody day, just depends on who was in the hot seat in the moment. "I know right, knew that shit was gonna happen sooner or later huh?" If Polo thought the old and soft comment was going to go un answered for he was wrong, and in response Ace cracked him in the ribs, hard enough that his friend felt it but not so hard Polo would think he was trying to cause any real damage, "That soft enough for you, fucker?" As far as the lost boys' opinion on Trevor, it aligned with Ace's for the most part. He had no doubt Trevor could be useful to the gang and he was for sure eager. Ace didn't give him an answer then and there because he wanted to give him time to think about it because once he was in he was in. "We'll jump him in. Kid has all the makings of a good greaser I think. And besides Cam he's the only one of his buddies who ain't a complete bitch." @diondempsey

"Yeah, blonde one. He only fuck his friends or somethin'?" They all took turns ragging on each other but Marlo was definitely a frequent and easy target, as the youngest and because he was so quick he usually had something funny to say back. He laughed at Ace's comment and squeezed Marlo's shoulder as he moved past him, not because he thought he needed it or anything but he'd noticed the extra pep in his step lately and he was happy for him. As soon as he called Ace soft, Polo had to know what was coming to him, and Dion let out a low whistle as he got him in the ribs, grinning. "Can't call nobody soft when you just got your shit rocked by Kit Cruz," was Polo's turn in the hot seat. Even if he knew Cruz looked about a million times worse than Polo did, they were all talking shit for the sake of it. If the guys were on board with Trevor becoming a greaser then it was alright with him too- again he didn't know the kid, but from what he did know he saw how he could be a good fit. "Alright. Long as he knows this ain't boy scouts. You know when you want to do it?" @polomikami

"At least he's fuckin' someone," Polo quipped, laughing loud and jostling with Dion. It was kinda nice just hanging out with the boys and not talking business– or rather, talking the fun part of business, because of course jumping guys in was his favourite part. Generally he didn't care who it was but the fact that it was one of Joker's boys felt like a particularly sweet victory on their behalf. Ace was quick to make his stance on Polo's jokes known, the strike to his already tender ribs knocking the air out of him and causing him to wheeze in pain. It was all in good spirit though, so it wasn't like he was mad about it, if anything his wheeze turned into a chuckle as he cradled his ribs with one hand and raised a middle finger to Dion with the other. "You know we ain't ever jump him out? Fucker was on the run while we were clearing out Damo's crew. So technically he's still your little bitch," he cocked his chin to Ace. "Or means we can do double duty. One in, one out." He watched the others taking their turns as he straightened back up, ribs still throbbing but nothing he couldn't handle. "Reckon Joker's boy is gonna keep him in line too. Dude's your blood so he's my blood, but he's always so fuckin' tense when anything interesting happens." And by Polo's definition interesting tended to mean violent. @marlo-reyes

"Least he's fuckin' someone-" he said at practically the same time as Polo, like they both got some of the communal brain cell today, and looked to him with a big stupid grin. He elbowed Dion when he came around and squeezed his shoulder, just roughhousing in the way they usually did, and motioned to Ace as he glanced back at D, "You see how he tries to steal my joy?" For Marlo, jumping guys in and out was always exciting but it was the build-up he liked the most, the anticipation of doing it, and of course celebrating after the fact. Fighting was fun too but beating the shit out of people he knew and liked wasn't his favorite thing in the world. Like with Scott they were having a good time the night they jumped him out, so good that he almost forgot they had to kick his ass, and even then it was just how things were done. "Don't he got a kid with some rich chick? Shoulda just saw that through, shit I would've." Hypothetically of course but playing house with a richie felt like as good a golden ticket as any, then Cruz wouldn't be in the shit hole he'd put himself in. Marlo really did like Trevor and he liked the idea of Cam having someone he could pal around with on errands, thinking maybe that'd help him integrate into the gang a little better. He was one of them already, and he'd found his footing just fine, but he was also Ace's little brother, there was no changing that power dynamic. "Yeah I think so too," he agreed as he picked up a ball and started his turn. "He shouldn't be fuckin' tense, not if he's gettin' laid as much as it sounds like he is." @smokingaceschw

"Trenton wants to be a greaser." Ace said as he paid for a few rounds of basketball games and grabbed a ball, starting his round, the lost boys already knowing that this was a competition with bragging rights on the line. It was summer and frankly being at the top was a lot of fucking work so he was making sure they took time to enjoy things too, just be like they always were as friends. "Motherfucker was like 'Excuse me, Mr. Ace make me a greaser please." He grinned and laughed at himself, "Nah, the little fucker was alright about it. I've seen worse for sure. What do you guys think about him?" He asked, reserving his opinion for now rather than going first. Not that he thought he could influence his lost boys, he kept them close because they thought for themselves among other things. At the end of his round Ace had made 240 - he knew right away he probably wouldn't win, but it was a respectable score regardless. "Alright whose fuckin' next." @marlo-reyes @diondempsey @polomikami

"Oh that's on me," Marlo chimed in, joking around but also flattering himself a bit in thinking the kid's sudden interest in being a greaser had anything to do with him. "He works with Arden so I've talked to him a couple of times, bet he went home and thought, yeah I wanna be like that guy." Of course his switch-up probably had more to do with Cam than anything else, who couldn't treat Ace and his gang like boogeymen anymore now that he was one of them. He side-eyed Polo for his dig at him then gave his two cents, "I like him. Doesn't seem like he's scared of much." Then Dion tossed a ball at him, which he caught, but he didn't see why they'd decided it was 'lets all pile on Marlo day'. "Yeah I'd probably jump him. See what he could do. How serious he seem about it?"

"Thank you. They're beautiful. Did you know my favorite flower? Or did you just get lucky?" She asked softly as she took the bouquet from him, her bottom lip jutting out in a pout as she tried contain her sadness. But the pang of pain she felt in her heart from him doing something so sweet and her reacting with such disappointment left her feeling ungrateful. Missing one pageant wasn't the end of the world. There would be more of them in the weeks to come, that was if they didn't end up fumbling their relationship before they could get that far. The whole conversation was uncomfortable and Arden had always felt like it was a waste giving in to negative feelings. But she had never shied away from being transparent with Marlo and she knew she could count on the same from him. Marlo had never let her down before so she had never had a reason to doubt his word. Which was why it hurt that much more when it sounded like in trying to juggle their relationship with everything else on his plate, in trying to stay in everyones good graces she had ended up being one of those things he decided could go on the back burner. And she couldn't help but wonder if this was something that would happen often. If she was just going to have to deal with coming second to his other responsibilities and waiting around feeling like an idiot for his attention.

"Just lucky." That and he'd known Arden long enough to guess what kind of flowers she liked, even if he didn't know a carnation from a peony, or the names of anything else that wasn't a rose (not her speed, by the way). He knew her enough to recognize when she was putting on a brave face too, like she was doing for him now. His guilt was practically palpable, heavy in the air between them, and all he could think about was how he was doing to make it up to her, how she'd never come second to anything else in his life again if he could help it. Any promise or apology he made now would just come up empty until he proved he was the guy he said he'd be. And as much as he wanted to come running when she asked, maybe he needed to set more realistic expectations with himself in that regard too.

It was a wonder that Arden had won anything considering most of her attention had been on scanning the crowd for most of the show, her motivation waning the more time passed and she didn't see Marlo. Still, she had mastered how to plaster a fake smile on her face and make it look convincing, at least to those who didn't know her below the surface level, and that's why she had won her fair share of these pageants. The main thought running through her mind was what could have gone wrong? She worried that something had happened to him on the way there, that he had been caught up in some kind of danger, especially when she continued to check her phone hoping for an update only to be met with radio silence. Then she started wondering if she had put too much pressure on him. If she had possibly jumped the gun when she referred to him as her boyfriend the last time they had messaged each other. She thought that's where things between them were headed but maybe there was some kind of miscommunication, maybe other priorities came first.

It wasn't at all like Marlo to not follow through on a promise but how could he expect her to believe that? He was just as disappointed in himself as she probably was with him, and it was first taste of trying to juggle his two loyalties, his allegiance to the lost boys and his relationship with his girlfriend. The gang wasn't the problem though, it wasn't like none of the other guys dated, it was poor planning on his part. Just like he'd drop everything for his boys, he came running whenever Arden asked - he couldn't be two places at once though. For the first time (but certainly not the last) he was forced to choose between her and the gang, even when he thought he could manage both, and now realized he'd picked the wrong one. He could've handled his debt collection bullshit some other time but Arden should've been the priority. "No, I was just carryin' these around, yes they're for you." He was joking but it didn't have his usual energy behind it, there was a sweetness instead, as he handed the flowers off to her. His smile fell completely when he recognized the disappointment on her face, before she could say anything. "I know," was all he got out, a quiet admission of his fuck-up, as he held her gaze. As much as he owed her explanation there was none he wouldn't be embarrassed to offer her, no excuse worthy of breaking her trust. "I'm sorry. I meant it when I said I'd be here, I don't- I try not to make promises I can't keep." His loyalty was all he had so it killed him to let her down. "There was somethin' I had to take care of- It doesn't matter. I should've been here." His eyes flitted down to her sash again, if only to get a moment's reprieve from the look on her face that was breaking his heart, his thumb brushing over the fabric. "You look really pretty," he said as he looked back up. "But I already think you're the prettiest girl in every room."

Arden: And if I am? What are you gonna do about it?

TEXT || ARDEN 📲 MARLO

"You're fuckin' annoyin' you do know that right?" The question was rhetorical because of course Marlo knew, and he also knew it was part of his charm. "Fine, I'll pick and no not really, but I'm in a good mood so I'll listen anyway." He shrugged, was he still into Tessa? Probably, but Ace didn't think on it too much anymore. She'd told him it wasn't gonna happen in his eyes, so he packed it up. Don't get me wrong, she's uh...special to me but I don't go nowhere I'm not wanted. She knows how I feel about her, or she should." He shrugged, "I ain't losin' sleep over it. Thanks for the real advice though, I know you break out in hives if you gotta be serious for too long."

He paused, eyes narrowed at Ace a second, then gave his two cents anyway. While he wasn't a relationship expert by any means, he was just in a similar situation not too long ago, or at least he thought it was similar. "Alright yeah, makes sense. Sounds like you did your part and she didn't cut you off over it, so that's somethin'." By that he meant it didn't seem like it'd ruined the bond they had, and he wasn't going to press it any further, even if he'd been feeling a little romantic as of late. "You're welcome. I can be serious too, just not all the time, that's D's thing, and I think I hit my quota for the week."