It was the night before the game against Buffalo, and yet, instead of being locked in for it like he usually would be, all Carter could do was think about how fucking guilty he'd been feeling lately. For continuing to let whatever was happening between him and Jeremiah to keep happening while he recently started seeing someone new. Matter of fact, it wasn't just somebody, it was a cheerleader for the Bengals, which made the matter that much worse. But to be fair, it wasn't like he was seeking her out, it just sort of... Happened. And Carter didn't exactly stop it from happening. They crossed paths one day after they both had practice, sat down to talk with each other for a bit, and the rest was history. However, even while seeing her, Carter still couldn't get himself to stop letting Jeremiah fuck around with him. It was fucking addicting, their dynamic was addicting, and the more they fucked, the more he craved and needed him. But that was going to stop tonight. He texted Jeremiah telling him to drop by his room at the team hotel because he had every intention of finally telling him that they needed to stop (as much as he didn't want to) because he had a girlfriend now. Thankfully, it didn't take Jeremiah long to be right there like he asked, the receiver texting him to open the door. He shot back a quick text saying that he was coming, just before tossing the phone onto the nightstand beside the bed. Walking over to the door, he pulled it open slowly, and let out a quiet nervous breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Hey," he said quietly, stepping aside to let the other in.

Kamari chuckled, not bothering to hide the way his eyes dragged slowly over Elijah like he was sizing him up on and off the field. He let the silence hang in the air for a second before tipping his chin slightly toward the rookie. "You askin' 'cause you care or 'cause you wanna distract us from how red your ears just got?" He asked, one brow raised, all smooth confidence. The towel hung loose on his hips as he leaned in a little, just enough to rattle Elijah's nerves, but not enough to cross a line. "Don't worry, we're real good. Just wonderin' when you're gonna stop pretending like you don't like the attention."

he didn't know how he had gotten talked into this. the music was loud, the lights were bright and he couldn't help but feel as though he stood out compared to everyone else with his stiff muscles and lack of dance moves. he also didn't like the fact that every man and woman in the place immediately looked at willow. he wasn't used to so much attention in such a small space. the pull to his body shocked him a little, questioning her to mask his surprise. "and what if he comes over here and starts talking to you?" he already knew the answer as she had just said she was there with him, not the other. "these guys don't know how to take no as an answer and i'm supposed to be making sure you're protected, willow."

he walked with her inside the bar, his fingers intertwined with her own. they were celebrating their last night of freedom before they had to head back for rehearsals and then they would be on tour again. "can i get you something to drink?" he asked as he turned to her, eyes from others automatically on both of them. he wasn't paying attention to anyone but her, his blue hues searching her own as a smile crept onto his features. "and i kind of want to beat you in some pool. you want to play a couple rounds?"

@dearsgcd

Hayden had never once slipped. Not in years of carefully constructed alibis, and cleaning blood from his hands before the world ever saw it. He lived his double life with precision (lectures by day, murder by night) and no one had ever come close to putting two and two together. But when he unlocked the apartment door at two in the morning that night, clothes still tacky with someone else's blood, he knew instantly that he'd fucked up when he saw Valerie waiting for him right there on the couch. He usually had time to scrub the copper from his skin, to change into clean clothes and crawl into bed beside her like he'd only been grading papers too late. Tonight, though? His timing had been ruined by a victim who had 911 on speed dial, who forced him to flee the scene faster than he would have liked, who made him run home before he could erase the mess. And now here he was, standing in the doorway, dripping with evidence, staring at the one person he loved most in the world. She had seen him. No mask, no illusion, no respected professor, no careful lover who brought her coffee in the mornings. Just the monster underneath. And Hayden realized, with guilt suddenly taking over, that the life he'd built, the love he'd held onto with both hands, was suddenly dangling by a thread. His throat felt tight when he finally spoke, words tumbling out before he could stop them. "Shit," he mumbled under his breath, shutting the door behind him slowly. "You weren't supposed to see me like this." With a shake of his head in disappointment, he leaned back against the door and let out a groan in frustration. "Usually I have time to clean up, but… They had 911 on speed dial, and I had to get out of there before I blew up the whole thing."

❛❛  remember  the  whole  'we're  not  good  for  each  other'  thing    -    yeah,    that  hasn't  changed  just  cause  we're  not  together  anymore.  ❜❜