𝖑𝖊𝖔 𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖗𝖐.

“no, no, by all means, keep going. my ego loves any and all kinds of accolades,” he accepts it with a joke. that’s usually his chosen way to deal with things whenever they get remotely emotional. the teenager laughs at her next words. “winnie, if that’s you being dramatic, you have a lot to learn.” that wouldn't have even made the top 50 in his family. “still a win?”

leo moves closer to the girl so they’re shoulder to shoulder, her frustration is almost palpable and he wishes he could just help her get out of her head somehow. that would probably be the best help he could offer. he isn’t sure how good of a friend he truly is and just laughs at the words. “i don’t know, winnie. i think you were just born under the right stars,” he quips, eyes filled with cheekiness. 

“dude, whatever you have to sell there’s always someone who’s willing to buy it. have you ever checked craigslist? it’s ridiculous the kind of shit you can find there. compared to that? a car is an easy sell,” he rambles a little, hands following his words. “if you don’t need the money, though, i say you keep it.” but that was coming from a boy that didn’t think there was such a thing as too many cars. 

“you say that as if i’m just anybody else,” he scoffs. no, he is not planning on buying a pair, but it’s still amusing to see his girlfriend’s reaction to it. “i can pull anything off, even crocs. ⏤ also, i can’t believe you’d dumb me over crocs. wow.”

there’s no judgment in the question nor surprise at the answer, working for long hours without remembering ( or caring ) to go through what would be considered basic needs is his own default. his mother had said at times that it was a bad influence from his father, but it truly was all him. not many understood the exhilaration that came with having a breakthrough or seeing your creation come to life, but maybe t’charra did. “yeah, that’s not gonna happen. i kind of quit the waiter job last week, sorry.” he’s almost sure that there’s some rule about trying to winning over your girl’s family, but to hell with social conventions. “nope. not even close,” he adds finally after taking longer than necessary to look around the lab.  

though he was listening, his eyes chose to remain on the car instead of focusing on the other boy. it was stronger than him, really. he saw a piece of machine or engine or both and he just had to get his hands on it or at least take a good look. “it’s looking good, man,” he nodded, finally pulling back and leaning against the car. “are you planning on keeping it or make some money out of it?”

a frown, trying to come up with an answer that will satisfy the question ⏤ always looking for a solution ⏤, but he knows he’d have better luck solving all seven of the millennium prize problems. there’s a reason why religion is one of the big taboo topics. “you’re the only one who can make the choice, but i don’t think there’s a wrong answer.” that was all life was, really, a long line of choices and repercussions. “most things have both good and bad. you take the good and question the bad.” life was also so much easier when he wasn’t trying to be helpful. “have you met yourself? i give you half a day before you’re there doing some good deed again.”

this time he laughs, the dramatics are just too much. “you won’t die, i’ll just have to take you to ibiza or thailand or somewhere to get over your breakup.” he’s hoping that won’t happen, though. he’d hate to see his brother heartbroken, and he didn’t want to punch nate unless it was strictly necessary. “and if you do die, i promise to get you the best funeral,” he jokes, elbowing his brother lightly.  

if asked how long he had been there, going from display to display to building station and then back, he wouldn't be able to tell. he could easily lie about it, though. that was a necessary skill one needed when dealing with pepper potts. if his mother had been anywhere near campus he had no doubts she would have come bother him about getting some sleep or food or both ⏤ mothers just did not understand time was nothing but a social construct ⏤, which was why he didn’t expect to see anyone else around. “are you putting in the long hours too?” he questioned from the door, watching t’charra. definitely not his favorite wakandan, but he was alright. besides, that was an impossible competition anyway. “i've got some coffee over at the other lab if you need a little boost.” [ @cftcharra ]

it only took one look to know that claude was not looking for company. scratch that, it didn’t even take that much because wasn’t that the other’s default set up? always brooding and gloomy. leo did not want to test how much energy that had to consume. “i know, i know, no need to thank me for coming around and brighten up your day,” he calls in lieu of a greeting. what? it wasn’t the far from the truth. just maybe not the thanking part. the second steve had brought claude to be a part of his family, leo was ready to embrace the male in their much larger avengers family too, claude just didn’t make it the easiest of jobs. “what are you working on?” he questions moving close to one of the cars with the hood popped up. “this one’s a beauty.” [ @shadowedson ]

the lazy posture with long legs stretched waiting for someone to trip over them were in clear dissonance with the focused gaze he kept on the small screen ⏤ he really needed to get george a new phone with a few extra inches ⏤, the face of someone preparing for battle. and they were. “nah, that would be a conflict of interests. i can’t trust myself not to let my competitive side shine and just crush you in the whole thing,” he quipped, glancing at his friend with a smirk before quickly getting back to the task. “if you want zo, you have to ask her yourself, though.” he didn’t think he was quite in position to ask her for anything, still trying to make up for his stupidity. “we gotta get them to do a relay next year. we’d be fucking unbeatable.” the brought the unnecessarily expensive coffee drink to his lips, sipping as he pointed toward the screen as one of the competitors tapped out. “see? that’s why you have to pace yourself, even if you feel you gotta rush.” 

he shouldn’t roll his eyes, he knows he shouldn't. what with not minimize his brother’s feelings and all that, but fuck if he was gonna sit there and let hugo doubt himself like that. “hugo, nate is fucking lucky to have you,” he replies, hands signing in sync. “you’re crazy smart and talented as hell. and you’re stark, it’s in our dna to be awesome. ‘course you’re enough.” if anyone didn’t agree he'd love to have some words.   

leo had a head for science, it was so much easier to believe something when you could understand why it was that something was happening and see the results. god and religion and spirituality, it was all faith. “well, you don’t need the institution to be a tie between you and god, right?” he should really have spent more time reading on theology. “if you think the church is not good and it doesn’t represent you, maybe it’s time to leave? you can still have god and the side of it that you love, just in your own terms.” he smiles at her, “you’re like the nicest person i know, winnie. there’s no way any good would turn on you because you don’t agree with some institution created by people.”

“definitely,” he’s exuding enthusiasm. “you know what, leave this to me. i’ll have some ready for us before tomorrow. if we get to monetize this i’ll even go 50/50.”

“fair.” would he have the same problem with he had to go through all that with his father? nope. but this was pascal and he was too pure and should be protected from such topics. he was taking one for the team, you could say. “yeah. it’s safer than send you over to urban dictionary.”