vs how it’s going:

Sorry to those of you who actually think this is okay lmao

❝i can’t believe i ran into you here. what are the chances?❞ (Jake & Cecilia)

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were looking for me." Jake raised his brows before looking away out into the dark of the night. He'd gone for a walk in the middle of the night, something he did often when he couldn't sleep. "What are you doing out this far? Don't tell me you're trying to see every corner of the city. Even I only do that because it's part of the job description."

Jake's expression hardened, squinting slightly as he sized Stephen up. He didn't know the guy, but, even if he did, he wasn't sure he knew how to let his guard down anymore. Not fully. "Yeah? I don't rely on luck. Never worked for me before." He answered, voice calm but clearly edgy. He crossed his arms, defensively. "You got something helpful to pitch in, or are you just here to throw cheap shots? 'Cause right now, I'm more interested in figuring out how we get out of this, than playing games."

"I-" Jake stopped, realising that anything too rehearsed was going to sound wrong. Was going to feel wrong. He tried again, softening his approach despite how on edge he was with everything going on. "I feel the same way. This mess we're in...it's not where I want to be, but, with you? Yeah...We'll figure it out." He looked around the room briefly before returning to her as a pillar of comfort. "Let's just focus on getting out of here, then we can worry about the rest."

Jake's eyes narrowed beneath the mask that he still hadn't bothered to take off. He didn't know Lawrence, but, he'd learnt to trust his gut, and something about this man put him on edge. He stepped a little closer, voice low but steady. "Numbers, tea leaves, doesn't matter. What does it have to do with getting us out of here? You're not the only one who can see patterns. If you've got something useful, now would be the time to share it." He looked over at the main doors, desperately trying to calculate a way out.