kill me Q U I C K

♡    •    with ryker.

               of all things,  luca certainly wasn’t expecting ryker lovell to be his source of comfort  &  reassurance.  hearing the other’s voice makes him pause for a moment:  now isn’t the time for a fight,  he reminds himself.  he can’t help but wonder if ryker had witnessed his interview–  if he has seen the way luca cowered away like an obedient puppy when esme was put in harms way.  he shivers at the thought and, again, reminds himself that this is no time for petty, over-protective, big brother mode:  it was time to GET REAL  …  ryker was offering luca an escape from silence.    ❛  yeah,  probably.  ❜    he swallows around the weight of their words,  his profound bluntness managing to be fear inducing  &  comforting all at once.  YEAH, PROBABLY.  they’re surrounded by killers–  monsters.    ❛  you, um—  you watch any of the tapes ?  ❜    his earlier question echos in his head:  did ryker witness luca’s weakness ?  did he see the way his heart broke on camera,  out there for everyone to see ?

ryker wasn't very good in these situations.. but considering their circumstances, he'd have to learn. he took a long drag from his cigarette, exhaling slowly in an attempt to give his brain longer to think of something comforting. his brain failed. ryker glanced sideways at luca's question, licking his lips before speaking. "yeah... i did." he replied simply, giving a nod.

he didn't know how luca would feel about that and it made him wonder what he thought ryker was thinking about it all.

                         the old vase originally decorating the bed stand now flies across the room, CRASHING onto the wall and falling apart into a million pieces.   xavier is breathing heavy,  one hand clutched to his chest,   the other tugging on his locks like he is trying to rip them from his scalp one by one.   the DESPERATE whimper that falls past his brims is so foreign even to his own ears that it takes him a second to realise that he is SHAKING violently,   evergreen hues fixated on the phone and those tapes lying on the messy bed.   it feels like they are TAUNTING him,   horrifying pictures flashing through his brain in a loop   &   suddenly he cannot breathe.   panic runs through his veins in a terrible,   cold way   &   when the door of his room opens,   his fingers are curling around the nearest object just to send it flying towards the intruder without a second thought.   it takes him a moment,   or perhaps more to realise he is not being ATTACKED,   lips curling into a regretful frown as he recognises the person in the doorway.   ‘   i ––––– i’m sorry.   i didn’t mean to ––––  …  i just thought…   ’   

          in a matter of minutes,  luca everett’s entire world had been turned onto it’s head with no warning.  in retrospect,  he should have seen something coming–  him,  being invited to a totally free retreat ?  his amount of followers wasn’t even that groundbreaking.  what kind of bus repair takes DAYS … what kind of professionals would leave their attendees in a place like this ?  but he never would have guessed joseph was behind this–  never IMAGINED a simple fan would turn to such violent extremes.  he’s sitting outside now,  head between his hands as the terrified looks that he witnessed on the tape play through his head.  he winces,  still sore from his own experience with being the watchers’ leverage.  he can make out two figures towards the road,  supposes they’re keeping watch on any runners.  he can hear another figure behind him.  he doesn’t care who it is,  he just needs to wrap his head around it.    ❛  do you think—  that they were the ones who were,  y’know,  behind lila ?  ❜

           “ yeah but that’s different. ” she pointed out, mind flashing to the times they’d fallen asleep together, defenses rendered USELESS. it was the most vulnerable ryker had ever allowed esme to see him, and the girl’s cheeks couldn’t help but burn even more at the thought of it. this time she gave up trying to hide her blush, the EVIDENCE quite literally all over her face. “ i had no idea you cared about what is gentlemanly or not. am i softening you up, ryker ? ” esme inquired with a grin, only teasing him but a part of her longed to be right. at his next sentiment the girl arched her brows ever so slightly in surprise, his seriousness causing her stomach to FLUTTER. “ so you meant it ? ” she repeated, glancing up at him through the fan of her dark lashes. “ if protecting me from the creepy hotel is what you’re worried about, how about i make you a promise ? if i don’t feel SAFE enough in my own room, with my roommate, i’ll come to your room. and to be fair to your roommate, i’ll share your bed with you instead of booting them out. you know, worst case scenario and all. — unless you don’t like this idea. ”      

            “ you saw me fall ASLEEP ? ”  the question slipped past her lips before esme could help it, the thought of ryker having seen her slumped over in what she undoubtedly knew was some ridiculous way considering how much her neck still ached causing her to blush. the girl looked away from him and back towards the rundown hotel, hoping he didn’t catch it.  “ if it happens again the next time we get back on the bus, do me a favor and WAKE me up. or sit next to me so i can just use you as my pillow. ” esme suggested, her touch feather light as she patted his chest before dropping her hand. like with most conversations she had with ryker, she never could gather if he really meant what he was saying. and as much as the idea of sharing a room with him THRILLED her, esme didn’t want to assume. instead she arched a brow at him, a smile coloring her expression. “ very funny. ” she replied, making a move to grab her bag before starting towards the building. “ you can offer your services as a walking buddy, though. ”       

                                   ‘   i KNOW that we can,   but you are the one that gets me all fuzzy   &   warm inside,   why won’t you just love me ?   ’    xavier sighs dramatically before a small chuckle falls past his brims.   ‘   but honestly,   i do need a distraction.   brooklyn is SERIOUSLY killing my vibe,   she thinks i’m her pet.   ’

                            evergreen hues are fixated on the sketchy motel their bus broke down in front of,   a small POUT taking over his features as he shakes his head.   this is not what he meant when he was whining about wanting to partake in some kind of ADVENTURE.  ‘   well,   it’s definitely not four seasons,   but we can do it for a night,   i guess.   i hope they have heaters.  ’   his voice is cheery,   all dimpled smile gracing his features as he leans closer the person standing next him.   ‘   otherwise YOU will have to keep me warm.   ’   he purrs.

              “ ––––– did you manage to get any SLEEP during that bus ride ? i got about five minutes worth and i feel like i broke my neck. ” esme wasted no time as she chatted up the person next to her with a warm smile, refusing to let the news of the vehicle’s mechanical issues bring her mood down. as off putting as the hotel that LOOMED in front of them seemed, the promise that it was only going to be their stop for a night brought her at least a GLIMMER of peace. still, esme was hesitant about walking in on her own to collect the room keys the travel agent said would be waiting for them at the front desk. “ wanna walk in and get our keys together ? we can even be ROOMMATES for tonight if you don’t have anyone else in mind. i don’t snore or anything like that, so it shouldn’t be too awful. ” the girl offered, finally tearing her gaze away from the hotel and towards whoever she’d just BLINDLY offered her companionship to in an attempt to not have to face the front desk by herself.  

          ryker had just stopped next to esme when she began speaking, arching an eyebrow at her words. “i’d imagine it does... the way you were slumped over.” he mused simply. he tore his gaze from her to look to the hotel in front of the, furrowing his brows at it. he’d stayed at worse, but that doesn’t mean this would be pleasant. “oh, see.. i was just coming over here to offer my services as roommate. much easier than i thought it would be.” he teased, knowing full well they most likely wouldn’t end up as roommates-she wouldn’t give into him that easily. 

Esme

Ryker could write a novel about this girl. But he never will. He could use a whole chapter just to talk about her eyes. But he never will. 

She is the sun that comes after his thunder storm, the soft hands that patch the wounds, and the light voice that makes him think that deep down somewhere inside he is not who he thinks he is. 

She’s always been on his mind, from the moment he saw her across the room. Whether it was when he was trying to get in her pants, or when he realized she was the easiest person to talk to, or when they’ve spent days not talking because he’s done something to upset her though they can never go long.

Nervous Habits + Texting Habits

Luca

Nervous Habits

As someone who doesn’t like to show his emotions, Ryker’s nervous habits aren’t extremely noticeable.