he’s shaking — bad enough that walking was a chore, bad enough that he could barely manage to hold onto his phone long enough to pay for the cab that brought him here. he was meant to drop by hours ago, the payment for two weeks’ worth of product having been wired two days prior, but he’d gotten distracted. he’s crossfaded, drunk on too many shots and high off of shit he could barely keep track of, and it’d been pouring when he got out of the cab. he can’t even tell you if he’s shaking from the cold or if he was simply too far gone. “ davis, shit, ” he calls out, throat raw as he raps the side of his fist against the door, “ let me in, i’m fucking freezing out here. ”

         they hadn’t planned on running into peyton. hell, jules hadn’t been planning on running into anyone, yet here she was — trying to map out the least noticeable escape route through the flock of patrons. they hadn’t even drank half their coffee yet, and jules had opted out of the to-go cup, shit. she was about two seconds away from saying ‘ fuck it ’ and bolting anyway, but of course that’s when peyton somehow caught their eye from across the café, making her way to jules’ table soon after. “ hey, peyton. ” she greets, mouth forming a stilted little approximation of a smile. “ been a while. d’you wanna come sit? ” please say no.

whatever entanglement they found themselves in the previous night, ivy didn’t expect to find him in her kitchen with a frying pan as part of the aftermath, but she isn’t about to tell him off for doing something so harmless. “oh, right here.” turning to reach the cabinet next to the sink, she takes out two plates before returning to his side. “you’re up early,” she comments with a faint smile, her eyes peering out the window at the waking city. she isn’t familiar with his sleeping habits — nor him as a person, for obvious reasons — but his tossing and turning didn’t go unnoticed. “can’t sleep?” she asks, making conversation as her fingers tap against the countertop before her mind drifts elsewhere. “what do you usually drink with your breakfast?”

Holly smirked, the glow from the desk lamp casting golden light across her features as she leaned in just enough to blur the line between innocent and intentional. Her voice, sugar-sweet and laced with something more dangerous, broke the silence like a match striking flame. “Open to suggestions?” she echoed, tongue darting across her bottom lip as her gaze dipped briefly to Ronnie’s mouth before returning to her eyes. “Careful, you might not be ready for the kind I have in mind.” The air between them tightened. Holly let her fingers brush Ronnie’s again, this time lingering, slow and deliberate, a featherlight touch that could’ve been an accident if not for the way she followed it up with a small, wicked smile. Her voice dropped just a bit lower. “Deadlines are important, sure,” she said, stepping closer so that Ronnie could smell the faint vanilla of her perfume. “But so is… Release.” Her gaze flicked down Ronnie’s body and back up, bold now. “You’ve been tense all day. You’re practically vibrating.” A pause, then she added with faux innocence, “Might be easier to focus after, don’t you think?” She leaned in, lips near Ronnie’s ear, but not touching, her breath warm against her skin. “You let me take care of you for five minutes, and I promise I’ll have you back to sketching like nothing ever happened.”

ONE ROYAL BREAKFAST and a headache later, business was going on as usual! it was a successful morning indeed. seeing as 4 out of 5 eye rolls went unnoticed by anastasia's father (who chose to drone on incessantly about marital opportunities), her older brother geralt redirecting her father's annoyance on 5th eye roll caught by sparking interest with talk of soon-to-be visiting allied kingdom coming and a perfectly ripe grapefruit split with her mother. now, the princess could slip away with the grace of some force beyond her. the knight set to keep post on ana was already bribed by a special request for a secret meeting with one of her handmaids and ana could finally breathe. kind of. the towering walls of the castle felt more claustrophobic than she'd like to admit but she would make do. and make do she does, feet leading her down the long hall that led to the kingdom library. she lets her mind roam, fingertips tracing the hemmed end of her bodice when she notices a figure come around the corner. a man. her gaze snags on his as they begin to walk towards each other and she can't help herself from slowing her pace. that nagging feeling in her chest that this could be yet another possible suitor her father was trying to bait her with. "apologies in advance, i am actually preoccupied with... duties, if you will. you can repeat that sentiment to my father if need be." ana hums as they meet halfway, a pointed yet practiced grin gracing her lips.