life's so fun !

looks down in her soft attempt to push him away and he only stands tall in his place, looking back up at her as his head tilts, “ gladly — when you decide to tell the truth. ” knew that a lot has changed since he left, so much that his mind couldn't wrap around it all, but one thing still rang true. brighter than anything else. it was her, this unresolved thing between them, and how even after all this time, she was still the one person that he wanted to run to. even if she hated him, and even if he wasn't even certain what this meant for them : he couldn't let her stand here and act as if the situation she found herself in was one she truly wanted. “ i still do. and you know i do. ” words hold heaviness as eyes burn into hers, straightening stance as he dares to take a step closer. “ if you think i would be, then maybe you're the one who doesn't know me. ”

SHE CAN'T ALLOW HERSELF to linger on his words for too long, to begin questioning this new reality she has carved for herself. her boyfriend is fine — safe and convenient, if nothing else. there are no butterflies when they interact, no tingling when he touches her, but there are also no fights, no clenched fists, no tears. god knows there had been enough of them after enzo vanished. « you're right. maybe i don't know you anymore, » she spits back, her arms crossing in front of her chest: a shield. still, she wants to shove him again, if only to feel him underneath her hands, on her skin. « what do you want, enzo ? » frustration makes her whiny in a way she's not proud of. she bites down on the inside of her cheek, fighting back a sudden rush of anger and, agonizingly, hurt. she wants to scream, or cry, or both. « do you want me to be unhappy ? » all that time without him, spent pacing her empty home. microwave dinners and passing out at a party after a shot too many. she had needed someone to save her — and her savior of choice hadn't been there. « i was so fucking lonely. and he was there. and maybe that's not some grand romance, but it's what i got. why do you care ? »

that was the question of the night, wasn't it? her boyfriend sitting in his apartment as they speak, awaiting her arrival only to be left in the cold while she stood at his door, only to tell him how what happened between them was a one time thing. “ i just — ” pauses, gaze blinking down to watch his hand reach out for her, a familar touch that sends a chill up and down her spine, “ i wanted to make sure you knew where we stood, that's all. ” a reminder that could be sent with a text message, or radio silence : and yet, a house call seemed better for her. looks back up at him when he speaks again, swallowing a lump in her throat as she pushes out a soft breath, “ i still have one. ” manages to slip out, purposefully ignoring the lingering question that begged to be answered, “ what happened was a mistake. ”  

HE ENJOYS THE ODD GAME, though wildly prefers it when he's winning. the stakes here are much too high for his liking — rosalie takes up more space than he's willing to give her, and yet they both come crawling back for more. he should stop this. he knows he can't. « and where, exactly, do we stand ? » one eyebrow shoots up in challenge. something flickers in her hues, something mirrored in his own, and it grants him the momentary bravado to move out of her way. he gestures for her to come in. « well, i deserve more of an explanation than this, » he beckons gently, pratically cooing at her, pleading. « come in. please. » like a spider attempting to catch something in its net. he wishes her boyfriend was here too, to witness what moves between them, to curse them for it. rafe would tear him in two if it meant having her.

"You seem very sure of yourself." He commented, taking a few steps back towards his bed and sitting upon its edge. "This was your profession, yes? We do not keep women like you within our ætt." Truthfully there had never been a need. Most vikings he knew remained with one wife while those in higher status would take multiple. Seeing as how his father was the last jarl of their ætt, Björn had been used to seeing his father have more than one wife and a few concubines of his choosing. He settled into a comfortable position, keeping eye contact with Winnie the entire time. "Show me you are worth keeping around, Winnie. I'm interested in all you know."

« do i ? » she feigns innocence as she removes her shirt with tender, slow fingers. she tugs at the thread of her corset, knot loosening it with one hard familiar tug. her hands get to work on freeing herself from the garment, but her gaze never leaves him. « it was. i will not miss it, » she admits, then the corset thuds against the floor, revealing soft naked skin. she does not move to remove her skirt. instead she kneels in front of him, hands placed on his thighs, moving slowly towards the waistband of his pants. « do not go gently on me, viking. it would offend me greatly. » ╱ @oddctelier.

brown eyes roll at the vague threat, one he almost wouldn't put past her when a single glance at marci and the creature curled up in her lap is enough to tell his this is probably true love. “ oh, i heard. ” he nods, jacket dropped on the side of the couch as he moves over to the two, crouching to his knees to meet the kitten closer to it's level. a tiny thing they have to take care of. to keep alive. his tongue pulls over his lips at the thought, a rush of uncertainly flooding through him when he's barely sure they can manage to keep themselves in one piece. “ you're not taking on a second job. ” his head shakes, hand reaching up to try and push gently over the top of the little creature's head. “ you're gonna have art school to manage. ” and the last thing he's letting this cat do is be a reason for her not to go through with that. “ i'll work something out. ” it sounds an awful lot like acceptance, one linc can't quite take back as he meets the massive eyes staring up at him — of course marci's obsessed with the thing, and it's not as if he's actually learnt how to tell her no. “ has it got a name yet? ”

SHE CAN SENSE THE uncertainty even without seeing it pass across his visage. the vet bills, the cat food, the litter — all of it another financial blow when they can barely keep up with the rent as is. she knows this is another rock thrown onto the pile of burdens. she also knows it's far too late to turn around now. what would she do ? toss the poor creature back into the trash ? she deflates a little at lincoln's comment, though she knows he means well. insecurity coats everything she's ever touched, and she still hasn't heard back on her application. she tries, and fails, not to think about it too much. « i'm probably not even getting in, » she shrugs as if it doesn't matter when she can probably count on one hand when something's ever mattered more. « well, i found him snuggling a can of mountain dew, so i was thinking ... dewey ? monty ? » she lifts the tired kitten gently, holding him close to her cheek as her gaze falls back onto linc, pleading. « does that mean we're keeping him ? and i don't have to die ? »

koa can't stop looking at him, his sweet boyfriend who willingly ( tries to ) stay up until 2am for them to carve out a brief pocket of time together. it's not the life he had ever imagined they would start together, but in so many ways it's better. it's real. even if he still has to pinch himself sometimes to be sure of it. their small flat and crammed timetable, the moments they find together that just make him value it all more. it's different, but he's known it since he first laid eyes on the other male, this is always how their life was meant to play out together. “ there's dinner for me? ” he perks up suddenly at the suggestion, brown eyes darting to the fridge and yet it's elias he closes the distance to first, pressing a quick kiss to the top of soft hair. “ the shift was good, mostly boring. but i'm starving. ” it's easy to forget to eat when he's dealing with customers all evening, stomach only starting to rumble now he's finally able to relax. “ yeah? i don't have to worry about you talking about coursework in your sleep? ” he jokes, pride always swelling in his chest when he listens to elias mention his studies. “ mh, your favourite guy, huh? reckon he can get free drinks for the evening? ”

THE FUTURE UNFOLDS IN FRONT of them in a way it never has before. elias's childhood had been so turbulent, his lows so dark he almost never considered the fact that he'd have a future, much less one he could be proud of. and there is absolutely nothing but love and pride surging through him whenever he looks at koa. he needs to buy a ring. the thought hits him like a bullet train, a sudden burst of desperation running through him. it's supposed to be them. he doesn't know why it hasn't occurred to him before that he wants them to wear forever for as long as they're around. « there will always be dinner for you, » he coos, warmth spreading at how koa lights up at just this simple gesture. « i talk about coursework in my sleep ? » elias grimaces. « that must really turn you on, » he adds jokingly. the truth is doing well in his classes is easy when he has almost every evening on his own. on the occasions he stays at the bar it is rarely without a text book propped in front of him, ear buds drowning out the noise around him. it grounds him to be able to look up and see koa's smile though, even when it's directed at someone else. « you tell me. » he grins at his boyfriend. « the only thing that sucks is i have to see him be that damn charming with everyone else too. »

four months of mostly steady. four months of quiet mornings where jonas’s arm drapes across her waist and she lets herself believe in ordinary happiness. she promised herself she would tell him everything, keep no hidden corners. and yet here she is, hiding in plain sight under the bathroom lights. she hears his keys land in the ceramic bowl on the hall table, a sound she can map blindfolded. fuck he's home early. of course he is. the universe has always had impeccable timing. her heart was ready to burst out of her chest. she wants to call out something easy—“ babe? be out in a sec!" she glances at the clock on her phone, two minutes left before the plastic stick decides the shape of their future. she sets it, face down, on the counter as though it might read her thoughts if she keeps holding it. her reflection meets her, eyes wide as if asking, what do you want? and for the first time she lets herself consider that maybe wanting and fearing can occupy the same seat. jonas said he’d prove it every day; he has. pancakes on sundays, watered plants, the way he kisses the inside of her wrist before leaving for work. but promises made in moon lit kitchens feel fragile beside the idea of someone calling them mom and dad.

IT HAS BEEN THE PRIVILEGE of a lifetime to shed the old him to make room for the man deserving of her. it has been less painful than he had anticipated, several steps of his program so simple he wonders why he didn't do so earlier — deleting the numbers of former flames. keeping greetings casual more so than flirtatious. holding kyara's hand: underneath the dinner table, in the pocket of his jacket, in bed. it is a privilege to come home to her, though now she is not here to greet him and all he hears is the muffled yell from the bathroom. even then it is unmistakably her, and though no one would accuse him of being perceptive he has learned to read her the way a pastor reads a bible. the cadence of her voice, too bright. too quick. in long strides he's there before the door, knuckle thudding against it once, twice. « baby, you alright ? » his own tone remains light, airy, though his brows are knit together in instant worry. what a privilege, to care this much.

White Lotus | S03E08

hugo patted down the creases in his tunic as he wriggled in an attempt to get comfortable in the overly firm chair. he chuckled at ginny's whining. she was too headstrong to take suggestions from anyone and he adored that about her. it was admirable how she never yielded in the face of her mother's orders or society's expectations of her. he wished he was even half as tenacious as her. "drink up ginny ; even valiant heroes need to be replenished." he commented with a wry smile. he did not have first hand experience but the knights in ballads spend a great amount of time sitting by fires so he assumed replenishment was an essential aspect to being a noble hero. he fumbled his tankard handle as ginny delivered her announcement. "there must be a way to make her reconsider this scheme of hers." hugo said his statement like it was simultaneously a quest and a prayer. he could not comprehend the horrors that awaited ginny. "have you uncovered any clues to where the location might be?" he inquired, softly. rescuing ginny from the place her mother planned to exile her was a final recourse but he'd would undertake the task if he must. "i do not and i refuse to seek out such person. i would not be able to continue existing if you perished." humour had returned to hugo's voice however his jest came from a place of sincerity.

SHE WISHES, NOT FOR the first time, that she had been born a man, or perhaps an animal free to roam. to be a cat chasing mice, sitting on a sunny harbor and soaking in the warmth, curling up against a horse in a stable when the winter comes. instead she is shipped off from one castle to another to woo men who will not look at her any differently than they do a tender piece of meat. paraded around in extravagant gowns that humiliate her. she has managed to dodge every proposal, making up excuses that are growing thinner each time, and now she supposes she will not have to anymore. « how fortunate that i am not one, » she whines, but takes another long sip of the ale. « all i have gathered is the journey will be long. by ship, nonetheless. » she huffs as if this is the height of injustice, as if her mother would ever put her in any real danger. « i have family across the sea. dutiful uncles and aunts with children of their own. all married off, i believe. mother may think they can make a woman of me yet. » but this is her home. she cannot be sure of ever returning. « then perhaps ... a thespian. i can feign sickness and we will stage my death, » she suggests instead, eyes bright with this infeasible idea. « i could live in the forest. like a woodland creature. i believe i would greatly enjoy that. »

places a hand over his chest, loopy grin curving onto his lips as he stares down at her. "i'm afraid i'm weak in your presence," hollis muses, tongue dragging over his lower lip as eyes get lost in hers. "besides," he's breathless now that she's close ( the scent of her perfume intoxicating ), but maintains his composure with a challenging brow, "something tells me you don't want me to try harder." heart stutters, fumbling over itself pathetically as her hand ghosts him. "stick around and find out. i know you're curious…and i love to prove people wrong." leans forward, lips brushing the shell of her ear, "let's stop all of this pretending, yeah?"

HIS WORDS ARE JUST WORDS, dj knows enough about men to know that. but they are also words she would never hear uttered by her own boyfriend and this fact alone makes her lean in, mirroring him. it's easy to do when she's drawn to him like a moth to a flame. « well, then we have that in common, » she coos, taking a sip of her drink, tongue running over the corner of her lips to catch a stray drop. he leans closer still, her chest now mere inches from pressing into him. the whisper in her ear makes her shiver. « and whatever would i do with mason, hm ? » she rolls her eyes at the man in front of her, tilting her head to meet his gaze. « not to mention, what would i do with you ? he'll kill you. »

it's  nothing  personal  —  at  least,  it  isn't  totally.  types  like  henry,  all  decked  out  in  suits  and  pretending  to  be  proper,  upstanding  guys  only  makes  her  eyes  roll.  fortunately,  he's  somewhat  more  bearable  than  the  other's  like  him,  a  tad  less  obnoxious  even  if  he's  just  as  unyielding.  "that's  not  how  it  works.  i'm  sure  the  bar  will  accommodate  us  both  just  fine,"  she  waves  off,  bartender  setting  down  two  glasses.  she  makes  an  effort  to  nudge  one  his  way.  "i  know.  i  would've  slapped  you  if  you  did.  doesn't  mean  i'm  not  still  one."  kaia  shrugs,  knowing  there's  far  worse  things  to  be  labeled  as  in  life.  then  again  ...  he  doesn't  deny  it  either.  "so  not  a  people  person?  makes  sense."  she  laughs  a  little  seeing  his  expression,  lifting  her  own  glass  up.  can't  say  she  pities  the  plight  of  a  rich  boy  having  to  talk  about  the  weather  and  economy.  "i'd  still  take  small  talk  over  having  my  entire  life  psychoanalyzed.  but  that's  what  the  drinks  are  for."

IF THERE'S ONE THING he's learned in this world it's that he should choose his battles. henry tends to choose those he knows he'll win, and standing here in front of kaia now he's not sure this is one of them. he eyes the second drink suspiciously — on one hand, if he won't drink it she might, and that could make his night awfully long. on the other hand, he's not sure he'll be able to stop once he starts. he should probably get a therapist. there's time for that another day though. « i think it's hard not to be one, in all of this, » he admits, making a vague gesture to the ballroom they're in. he wishes he was more of a bitch sometimes. « still didn't call you one. don't slap me, » he adds pleadingly, his lips almost twitching into a smile. he gives in then, cups his hand around the second glass. « fine. i'll have one drink. but that means you'll at the very least stay for the first course of dinner and the mayor's speech. » ╱ @niziui.

"i  don't  know.  i'm  starting  to  think  he's  more  interested  in  you."  follows  it  with  a  sigh,  all  while  the  unsuspecting  man  pays  neither  of  them  one  second  of  attention,  instead  talking  the  bartender's  ear  off  about  some  half  baked  conspiracy  theory  of  his.  "you  have  a  card  i  can  take?  there's  a  few  people  i  know  that  could  use  a  good  talking  to  about  their  waste  management  habits."  he  body  leans  sideways  on  the  chair,  little  straw  umbrella  off  to  the  side  as  he  finishes  off  the  remains.  "ah.  i  think  that's  just  how  my  face  generally  looks,"  he  jokes,  half  of  a  grin  tugging  at  his  features  before  setting  back  in  his  chair.  "the  usual  work  stuff  —  had  to  tell  an  eight  year  old  that  her  bunny  died  today.  she  cried  for  twenty  minutes  and  called  me  the  grim  reaper."  he  doesn't  simmer  on  the  recent  memory  for  too  long,  never  ending  story  for  someone  who  worked  with  pets.  "you  know,  it  takes  someone  a  little  lost  to  recognize  someone  a  little  lost."

SHE LOOKS OVER AT the older man again, discreetly this time, but does thankfully not meet a gaze there. it is nice to be anonymous here even when this refuge feels temporary. but even as she looks back at her company she does not sense recognition and the bar is emptying out. she is safe, she realizes. it's odd just how freeing that thought is. « i'm not nearly important enough to keep a card, » she chuckles, though she has an entire management team that makes having a card redundant. she's reached the lavish height of her career where she no longer has to scramble for auditions — she's simply invited. « oh, that's horrible, » she sympathizes, a sudden urge to reach for the other's hand. she doesn't though, doesn't have the bravado. « you're a vet ? that must be hard. » but rewarding, she thinks, to have the ability to save what someone else holds dear. « i don't know if i'm lost. everyone tells me i'm where i'm supposed to be, and everyone can't be wrong. » it's about as close to the truth she'll ever get. « i'm ramona, by the way. » ╱ @niziui.

Pursuit of Jade ‧ 逐玉 ‧ 2026 dir. Zeng Qing Jie ‧ Ep. 1

even in their friendship, it had taken nate a while to confirm royce wasn't flirting with him — it's just how the other male is, oddly complimentary in a way he learnt he doesn't entirely mind, affectionate in a way that isn't entirely unpleasant, but only if it's coming from royce. nate accepts it all with a familiar roll of his eyes, faint smile daring to creep on the corners of his lips as messy curls shake quickly. “ i am hot. ” he agrees. “ just not this, like this, i look like i'm gonna go work in a bank — our friendship's on thin ice if this is your type. ” he can't imagine much worse than seeing royce at the side of some rich asshole, someone comfortable in the suit he shuffles awkwardly in as he resists the temptation to reach up and loosen his tie the moment his best friend steps away. it would only ever be for royce. “ well, there is something seriously broken about your taste. ” he hums in absentminded agreement, brief amusement distracted by glancing to the almost familiar version of himself staring back from the mirror. “ just don't abandon me at this thing. ” nate sighs, gaze flicking up to meet the other male's eyes in the reflection. “ i'm serious, i need you there. if you see me making small talk, you owe me so much alcohol. and if i have to speak to anyone's recently single cousin, i'm making a run for it. ”

HE'S PLEASED WITH THE other's agreement. it doesn't take a genius to see just how incredible nate is, royce is the perfect example of that. he regards his best friend in the mirror now and is surprised by the sharp sting in his chest — because if he can see it, everyone else will also be able to see it. and it's not exactly a small wedding. « my type is more someone robbing a bank, » he agrees, even though he's never thought much about it. his life leaves little room for dating, and even if it did he knows the byproduct would be spending less time with nate. he already feels like he doesn't see him nearly enough, in - between his schedule and competitions and familial obligations, even when he sneaks nate into every single one — just like this wedding. « abandon you ? » he exclaims with a violent shake of his head. « look at you, nate. as if i'm gonna be able to keep my hands off, » he teases, always toeing the line between flirting and flattery. he's not sure what he would feel if the little distance between them suddenly closed now, if he was chest to chest with the other man, but royce assumes he wouldn't dislike it. he can't entertain this impossibility for too long at a time. « besides, i need that scowl of yours to keep the people my mom will be ushering towards me away. » leave it to mrs takagi to behave as if every event is a matchmaking arena for her son. « so we will just both have to fight each other's possible suitors off. romantic, huh ? » he grins. « you're also sharing a hotel room with me, by the way. all a part of my mom's plan of course. she thought i was bringing an actual date. » though this feels plenty real to royce. « now get naked so i can purchase this thing. »

he doesn't doubt their children can be good at it ( as good as it's possible for two young kids to be ). tadeo's already come to the conclusion that the twins will be able to do anything they put their mind to — sure, he might be bias, but as far as he's concerned there's no other children in the world quite as capable as their own. and he's almost certain they have max to thank for that. it definitely didn't come from him. “ it didn't go badly. ” he sighs at the mention of his date. “ it just — it wasn't anything, really. ” there's a twist of guilt in his stomach at talking to her about it, one he does his best to force down at the reminder max had broken up with him, that she has no issue with him seeing someone else. “ not sure i ever learnt how to date someone i didn't already know. ” someone who isn't her. that's the problem with falling in love so young, every mistake he's meant to make still has to be learnt from. every new thing he's now supposed to try is compared to the memory of what he had with her. it's no other woman's fault they can't live up to that, only him who's able to accept they probably never will do. “ dinner just the two of us? ” the suggestion catches him off guard, features pulling to a faint frown as he thinks back through the words to be sure he's understood them correctly. the expression vanishes almost as quickly as it arrived, replaced with a soft smile that's offered wuickly in her direction. “ yeah, alright. ” he agrees before he can give it far too much thought. “ would be good to know what's going on in your life, my parents won't stop asking. ”

SHE LOOKS AT THEIR CHILDREN sometimes and feels a burst of joy so vehement it threatens to knock the air right out of her. then, other times, she looks at them and feels like she's failed somehow. there is no way to prove this hypothesis, but it lingers in the back of her mind regardless: if she had not set him free, they would still be a family. and still, now, when he is no longer tied to her and weighed down, nothing has changed. he has not magically become the musician she knows him capable of being, and she has not magically moved on. their children are sent every other week with little suitcases, written notes, kisses pressed against their heads, to a home that is only ever half. she has failed. « oh, i'm sorry to hear that, » she offers sympathetically, but she's not. the threat of a step - parent has loomed over her since they broke it off, but for the most part it's been dormant. now it's here and she feels desperate to wrap her arms around tadeo and never let go. « yeah, just the two. i think that could be good, » she continues to push softly. for the kids, of course. « how's friday night ? olivia will be at a sleepover and dennis has his football camp that weekend. » she takes another sip of her tea, buying herself some time. « aw, how are they ? your parents. » she does miss them, the unit they had felt like as a family. « you know the lake we all used to take the kids to during spring break ? i think they'd like to go back someday, if your parents should ever be up for it. » without her, she realizes. those are future memories she has already erased herself from.