𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐲

⋮  ⌗  ┆  eileen  secured  her  towel  around  her,  using  another  to  dry  her  hair.  amusement  found  it's  way  to  her  features  once  again.  ❛❛  xavier…  hey—relax.  it's  fine,  you're  fine.  it  was  an  accident.  ❜❜  she  laughed,  continuing  to  dry  her  hair.  ❛❛  you  don't  have  to  pretend  xavier.  i  promise  you,  it's  okay!  ❜❜

his entire body feels like it’s caught flame, and the more eileen talks - - the hotter that fire grows. eyes lift, trying not to linger on her bare collarbones before xavier meets her gaze. “if you’re sure,” he murmurs breathlessly. “wait, you don’t want me to pretend i never…saw you?”

Marley's fingers almost tremble as she sits in her lap. This was a direct defiance to everything her family forces her to stand for, and she's high on it. Adrenaline is coursing through her veins, even as she wraps her lips around the joint. She takes a slow drag, eyes locked on the other woman's, before she's coughing out the smoke. Her hand holds her shoulder, the other pressing to her own chest. "Sorry-- sorry," she says through another cough.

charisse can’t help the smile that curls on her glossy lips as her arms wrap around marley’s waist. it’s so endearing, marley’s innocence, and charisse doesn’t want to take that away - - she just hopes to broaden marley’s horizons. watches in awe as marley takes a drag and can’t help but giggle as she coughs. “you okay, babe?” charisse asks, looking up at the other through her lashes. “you are so beautiful,” the words are mused as she gently plucks the joint from marley’s hand. “wanna try something fun?” she lifts the joint to her lips, but doesn’t take a drag yet, “lean forward.”

they're just words. words that will repeat like a promise in the back of his mind, the lingering wish to always be everything matthias needs feeling like an impossible dream when his best friend deserves the entire world. and teddy would give it to him if he could. it's unfair to take so much comfort in the assurance matthias won't marry clement, hand squeezing the other male's in a silent promise that he'll always pick him too. “ no one would marry me. ” he counters just as easily — how could they when anything he has to give already belongs to his best friend. “ if they do, it'll be my parent's arrangement and i'll need you around to keep me sane in whatever estate they intend to send me off to. ” a package deal. the words are offered in jest and yet not without precedent when he looks at his older siblings. it's a possibility teddy does his best not to linger on — he doesn't want any of it anyway, not thE money or his family name, just the hand in his own as he holds a little tighter. if matthias asked he'd pick him too, of course he would. “ you flatter me too much. ” he jokes rather than acknowledge the heat that spreads through his cheeks. it's not enough to feel the soft press of his lips to his finger, gaze unwavering on matthias as his breath only exhales with the sudden move of the other male and the opportunity to do anything more foolish is passed. “ forever. ” he agrees softly. “ you can draw, and i shall read, and we can travel the world together as broke bohemians. ”

thumb brushes over the back teddy’s hand after squeezing it in return - - an oath to never leave his side. brows furrow as matthias dips to meet teddy’s gaze, free fingers lifting his chin so he can’t look away. “it breaks my heart to hear you say that, my darling,” and perhaps the pet name is a little much, but it rolls so easily from matthias’ lips. “people will be lined up to marry you. droves of ‘em. and i’ll have to make my way through the crowd and claim you as mine.” matthias never learned how to share. he grew up with very little, learned to cling onto anything he had as if it might vanish if he loosened his white-knuckle grip. and matthias cannot stand the idea of sharing teddy ( the love of his life ). in fact, he hates it. the thought hits matthias like a roaring storm - - if teddy’s parents were to know about him, if they were to ever know how close he and teddy were, if they were to ever find out about the feelings he harbored for teddy, they’d send teddy far away. “i’m not so sure your spouse would enjoy my company,” he says through a mirthless laugh, “and i wouldn’t want to get in the way of you…starting a family.” the final words come out trembling and matthias’ chest aches. the pain subsides ( temporarily ) when gaze catches teddy’s pink cheeks. “are you blushing, my dear theodore?” his voice isn’t teasing or taunting - - no, it’s fond and utterly endeared. fingers brush over teddy’s skin, a dimpled grin dancing on matthias’ lips. “i must paint you like this…so beautiful,” he murmurs almost to himself as blue eyes track every inch of teddy’s face, memorizing how he looks in this moment ( as if he hasn’t sketched teddy’s face a million times before ). as soon as he has teddy under his arm, matthias places a lingering kiss atop his head, smiling at the other’s proposal. “yeah? we might as well get married while we’re at it…don’t you think?” it’s not a joke, but he’s ready to play it off as one should teddy recoil from it.

⋮  ⌗  ┆  she  couldn't  believe  this  was  real.  zuri  had  always  been  scared  of  crossing  that  boundary  with  reece.  like  if  she  fell  too  fast  and  too  deep  she'd  regret  it,  and  it  would  ruin  one  of  her  most  cherished  friendships.  she  had  always  had  small  daydreams  of  what  it'd  be  like  to  be  reece's.  to  be  more  than  just  his  best  friend.  and  it  was  always  something  that  brought  a  smile  to  her  face,  something  that  she'd  hoped  for.  ❛❛  i'll  never  stop  letting  you.  ❜❜  she  exhaled,  her  heart  pounding  in  her  chest.  zuri  knew  that  this  was  going  to  change  the  trajectory  of  their  friendship  into  something  greater,  it  was  certain  at  this  point.  and  she  wouldn't  want  it  any  other  way.  the  second  he  leaned  in  to  press  his  lips  against  hers,  she  could  feel  herself  instantly  melt.  she  had  thought  of  this  moment  so  many  times,  and  it  was  still  better  than  her  imagination.  zuri  moved  her  hands  from  his  chest  to  the  back  of  reece's  neck,  pulling  him  in  closer.

zuri was a goddess, the most gorgeous person in the world ( inside and out ). reece was sure she’d been woven from the cosmos, with stardust sprinkled on her skin and comets burning beautifully in her eyes. part of him was terrified. he didn’t have much experience, having spent most of his life focusing on football, and what if zuri could pick up on that? and even more so, what if she grew tired of him - - and changed her mind. that would be devastating. but, he knows he shouldn’t worry about that now, not when she’s in his arms and they’re both giddy like teenagers. he grounds himself to the moment, brushing his thumb over her cheek as he gets lost in those eyes of hers. “i hope not…i don’t think i could live a life without you,” reece smiles hopelessly, utter devotion and affection in his gaze. the kiss was mind blowing, heart racing, and made him weak in the knees. and as zuri pulls him closer, reece’s hands move to her lower back and a soft moan escapes him ( which brings a blush to his cheeks ).

joey needs this attention to be turned back to hart or he'll scream. he can feel his hardening cock pressing to the zipper of his jeans and it makes him squirm. his lips part slightly, like they're looking to be kissed, looking to be used. his eyes flutter, but never fully shut, doing his best to stay on the, thankfully mostly empty, road, while hart licks his skin. "if you want to be my good boy, you'll need to be actually good, and stay in your seat." yet, hart's moan plays over and over and over in his ears, and he knows he'd do anything to hear it again.

he has to have joey, has to devour him. a smirk dances on hart’s lips and he palms joey once more, this time applying pressure. in his peripheral, hart can see the way joey’s lips look - - full, kissable, fuckable. he nips at joey’s earlobe, letting another moan escape him when he hears the words my good boy. joey said my. and, fuck, he’s a goner - - especially if joey keeps using that phrase. huffs playfully and moves back into his seat, but his hungry gaze doesn’t leave joey. “i’ll do anything to be your good boy,” each word is coated in lust, hand reaching up to comb through joey’s hair.

his hand squeezes hart's thigh, higher, daring to brush over where he needs it most. his brow quirks, and he brings his free hand up from his lap to hold his head, to keep him close to his jaw. he hums in satisfaction, smiling to himself at the kisses, that send sweet pleasure down to his cock. "be a good boy, hart," he says, twisting his fingers into the back of his hair.

“god, joey,” the words are hissed as he experiences the other’s touch for the first time ( even if it’s over denim ). hart’s embarrassingly hard and feeling needy and desperate. he loves being held in place, hopes there’s more of that in store once they arrive at their destination. good boy - - and hart audibly moans over the simple words. licks a slow stripe underneath joey’s ear before whispering against the shell of it, “i’ll be your good boy. just you wait.”