#huzzah!!!

I think that how the saying goes…

Anyways. Apokuna

me at the start of writing this: idk i feel like buck will be a presence without actually being present yk? me now: but! what if they had a horribly awkward conversation instead?

more of lead me to your door, picking up from here

Evan's silent for a long moment, long enough that Tommy wonders if the call has dropped.

"You should call him," he says, just as Tommy's about to check whether he's lost service.

"You think?" Tommy asks, and then drags his hand down his face. "Sorry. Pretend I didn't say that. Too weird."

"Well, if we're pretending not to say things," Evan says. "We missed our shot at least partly because you wouldn't take a chance on something I think you wanted. Y—you did want it, right?"

Tommy closes his eyes, feels a wave of muted affection. "I did."

"Okay," Evan says. "So you should…you should stop doing that. Dodging chances like they're bullets and you're whatshisname from that movie."

"Neo," Tommy says. "From The Matrix."

"Sure."

Tommy has to laugh. "How have you been, Evan?"

"Uh," Evan says, which is always a precursor to something absolutely wild. "Busy," he hedges. "I have a kid now. Kinda. I'm fostering. It's a long story."

"Jesus," Tommy says. "Your life is—"

"Oh my god," Evan interrupts. "You—you fucking did it again. Stop changing the subject, you always did that, it made me so mad."

"Did it?"

"Well…retrospectively," Evan admits. "Once I realized you'd been doing it any time the subject of you came up."

"Oof," Tommy says. "Don't hold back, give it to me straight."

"Yeah, well, you broke up with me twice," Evan says. "I think we're past going easy on each other."

"Would we say twice?" Tommy asks. "I'm counting maybe one and a half."

"Micelli's take one, actual breakup, morning after," Evan rattles off, and Tommy can almost see him counting it off on his fingers. "Two halves and one whole. Not the point. Tommy, you're…you're a great guy. Try letting yourself have nice things once in a while, huh?"

"Why change the habit of a lifetime?" Tommy asks, self-deprecation as a suit of armor sliding into place just like always, the same dry, knowing tone he always uses.

It mayyy or may not be my bday BUT

It's also Pale!Ink's bday

So Happy Birthday Pale!!!

(Click for better quality)

Pale!Ink belongs to @unu-nunu-art

Bonus under the cut