#thread: blake

Last night was probably something out of a movie, after being surprised with a legitimate date and given a dress. Greyson had cooked for the both of them, it was such a sweet notion that Blake wasn’t expecting from him at all. She tried not to let herself get too caught up into it. But of course Greyson was charming and Blake could feel herself falling for him. She stayed the night, and there’s wasn’t anything that seemed out of wack for her. It almost seemed like they were finally getting somewhere. As she woke up the next morning, Blake looked up at the ceiling, sun peaking in slightly. It felt like she was dreaming how wonderful last night was. She turned over to see Greyson still sleeping, it was probably the most peaceful she’d ever see him. Quietly taking out her phone, she snapped a picture before making her way to his kitchen. Making herself a cup of coffee, Blake sat on the couch before Grey’s dog Jersey came and sat next to her. He laid his head in her lap, demanding attention from her. Blake spent the next twenty minutes completely taking under Jersey’s spell, kissing his face and rubbing his ears.

Greyson never would've guessed trying to be romantic would be so exhausting. The set up, the cooking, the in home date itself. It was the most work he'd ever put into something resembling a relationship. Or whatever they were doing. But he was knee deep in his apology tour and there was no backing out now. For his sake at least Blake allowed him to sleep in. It was a little disorienting falling asleep with someone and waking up to an empty bed and he quickly found he'd much prefer to wake up with Blake still in it. Which was new development he was coming to terms with. Pulling on a pair of joggers he followed the smell of coffee drifting from the kitchen, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he rounded the corner. Grey snorted at the sight of Jersey lavishing under Blake's attention. He fully understood. "Someone's comfortable," he mumbled. After pouring himself a cup he joined them on the couch, patting Jersey's belly who didn't give Greyson a second glance, too preoccupied with Blake instead. "Sorry, should I go back to bed and leave you two alone?"

"Hey pretty boy," Blake smiled as he joined them on the couch. She snorted and shook her head, "I have room for the both of you, not sure he agrees though." Blake nodded to Jersey who looked content as ever with Blake fawning over him. She giggled and rubbed his belly, watching one of his hind legs start to go, kicking Greyson in the process. "How'd you sleep?" She asked taking the final sip of her coffee. Blake sat there with Jersey and Greyson, her mind wandered to what it would be like if she woke up in his bed every morning. If all their days off could be filled with time with Jersey and coffee. It was amazing just weeks ago they could barely stand to be alone if they weren't working, and now Blake found herself wanting to be near him as much as possible. "I want a dog." She blurted out, she was entirely sure why,  but it was true nonetheless.

Greyson rolled his eyes at the nickname but a small smile broke through nonetheless. He hummed and sipped his coffee, squinting his eyes at Blake over the rim of the mug. "Sure, blame the dog. Likely story." He used the palm of his hand to defend his leg from Jersey's kicking which Blake seemed to be having fun egging on. "Funny enough a lot like this," he teased. "You?" All things considered, maybe waking up to a house that consisted of more than just him and his two animals wasn't the worst thing to happen. It was kind of nice. Even more so that it happened to be to Blake who'd someone very quickly made herself a space in his life and slotted right into it. Grey's eyes raised in surprise at her outburst, drawn from his thoughts. A smile immediately started to spread. "Yeah? Today? Right now? 'Cause we can go down and I can get you in with the best tour guide."

It was honestly bullshit how much Blake adored Greyson's smile, she wasn't sure at what point she'd admit that, verbally. But whatever. "If you want my attention, take it don't be a pussy." Blake teased raising her eyebrow slightly. She rolled her eyes, "Whatever. You hogged the blankets. But it was nice." Nicer than she expected and safe. It was too early to bring trauma into it but often times she felt like she was being watched. At least with Greyson anxiety wasn't keeping her up half the night. His excitement made her stomach do summersaults, and Blake knew it was all downhill from here. "I mean, let me shower and look like I didn't just crawl out of the fuckin' gutter. But yeah.. Today. I think I need a little buddy with me at home." It would help with the anxiety, the onset loneliness, but Greyson didn't need to know all of that. "Hm, is that so? What they like?"

Greyson smirked and looked at the floor, licking his lips as he set his mug down on the coffee table. "Alright," he muttered, and in one quick motion was on his foot and scooped Blake up, scooting her over a few feet and putting himself physically between her and Jersey who huffed his protest but didn't do much otherwise. "That's bullshit, I don't hog the blankets. Your snoring sounds like a fuckin' woodchipper. It wasn't terrible I guess." In fact it was warm and Greyson had found himself keeping constant contact with Blake one way or another through the night. He did his best to keep how hype he was to surface level but it was hard when two parts of his life were coming together like this. He liked Blake, that much he had figured out, and he loved dogs and was incredibly proud of the shelter he helped build. The excitement was natural. "I wouldn't say the gutter. An alleyway, maybe. Hell yeah. This is gonna be great." Greyson shrugged one shoulder, moving his head side to side in faux thought for a moment. "Just your type, I think.”

Blake, who was unable to stop herself from giggling, let Greyson move her. She tilted her head to the side nodding as if she really gave a shit. “And yet you didn’t wake me up once so I don’t think it was that bad” She teased. Blake reached out and touched Greyson’s arm, thinking back to their previous night, again. Laying next to someone and not having to leave was calming in a way that made Blake’s heart flutter in a way that almost scared her. Her eyebrows shot up and she inches closer to Greyson, hoisting her leg over and sitting on his lap. “What type is that?” She asked with her hands on his neck rubbing circles into his skin. It was as if there were alarms going off in her head telling her to abort. Every time she looked at him her body would turn numb, she could hear her own heartbeat in her ears and feel it against her rib cage.

That giggle sent a shot of warmth through Greyson’s chest and around his ribs, wrapping him in it. It was already comfortable and familiar in a way that set off alarms he’d been doing his best to quiet down. He simply rolled his eyes at her and conceded because she was unfortunately right. Greyson wrapped an arm around Blake’s waist as she moved, his motions already syncing with hers from the time they’d been spending together. He closed his eyes and hummed, leaning into her touch and huffed a laugh through his nose before saying, “The stuck up, halfwitted, scruffy looking nerf herder,” through a smile. It was easily the nerdiest, cheesiest thing he’d ever said out loud to another person before and if it was anyone else he would’ve never considered it at all. It seemed Blake was having that effect on him. He cracked his eyes open and met hers before nudging Blake with his knee. “Alright, c’mon, get moving. We got a homeless dog to pick up.”

Recognizing the quote Blake rolled her eyes and snorted, hitting Greyson’s shoulder with her hand. “You fuckin’ nerd.” She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t charmed or that Han and Leia’s bickering didn’t remind her of themselves. Blake groaned, to make a show of it of course. “Ugh, fine.” It didn’t take them long to get ready, Blake was practically bouncing on her toes with excitement. She was pretty thrilled at the thought of going back to her place with a dog of her own. She tossed her keys to Greyson with a wink. “Take me away pretty boy.”

Greyson snorted as he caught the keys and it dawned on him that Blake was yet to experience his driving first hand. “You’re in for a ride.” was all he said before they left for the shelter. He took as many backroads as he could manage to avoid the majority of LA traffic and despite the fact that he had just enough awareness of stop signs and red lights for a couple near misses, they made it just fine. He parked in the back and took her through the employee entrance into a long empty hall with doors at the end to avoid any madness of the lobby. “It’s gonna get loud once we head in there so gimme an idea of what you’re lookin’ for. I know everyone pretty well. Old, young, chill, maniac?”

Blake might have made a mistake giving Greyson the keys. While they took backroads which she appreciated there was so many near misses Blake thought she was going to have a fit. Despite all that they arrived in one peace, following Greyson, Blake thought over his question.  “Huh,” She started, tilting her head to the side. “Doesn’t need to be super young, still a little bit of entertainment, protective..” Her voice trailed off. “I’m also not too picky, I think I’ll know when I meet the one.”

Grey nodded, a small smile pulling at the corner of his lips. Dogs were his number one weak spot and slowly but surely moving up in those ranks was Blake. Those two pieces of his life colliding? Well. Needless to say, this was going to be a time. He wordlessly linked his fingers with hers and guided her to the end of the hall, through a door and into the main kennel area. Immediately a couple dogs sounded off, their excited barking getting others excited. It instantly set a smile on his face and out of habit he reached his free hand out to rub a dogs nose through the bars in the kennel closest to them. “After you,” he gestured down the lane.

As he waned, the level in noise immediately spiked, Blake flinched naturally but was going to force herself to think past it. Walking down the lane Blake was already seeing various dogs wagging their tails and coming towards the gate. Blake made sure to read about each and every one of them, she wanted to know their name and other facts that the shelter provided. She even went as far as to kneel near every dog let them smell her before she looked to Greyson for approval to pet them. Blake always wanted a dog, but was never allowed as a child, and she told herself she was going to get one when she could afford it -- And now she could. While all the dogs were cute and excited and Blake felt them tug at each of her heart strings she didn't feel any sort of connection to them. She was almost discouraged until she came up to one of the last dogs. He was a pitbull mix, with a large blocky head. He had three legs and he wagged his tail the minute Blake walked up to him. His given name was Arnold, which was terrible -- Not that it mattered she'd rename him. He was white and was drooling all over himself, Blake couldn't help but giggle. She kneeled by the gate and waited for him to show her he wanted Blake to pet him. She reached as far as she could, fawning over him. She looked up at Greyson with a wide smile. "I want him." She said as loud as she could over the barking of the other dogs.

Greyson watched with what were probably tiny hearts for pupils as Blake spent time with each dog she passed. Usually people were looking for some of criteria: calm, young, quiet, what have you. But Blake seemed content to know the dogs themselves and not just what info they could provide at a glance. He felt a warmth coat his insides. When she finally voiced her pick, Grey raised an eyebrow. She would always find ways to surprise him that’s for sure. Nonetheless he nodded once, pulled a leash from his pocket, and skillfully opened the kennel and looped it around Arnold’s head who immediately started doing circles around their feet. “C’mon. It’s a lot quieter outside,” he managed to get out over the noise and led Blake by the hand to the opposite side of the room, out a door and into a fenced in area of grass. Once the door shut behind them, he unleashed Arnold and kneeled down, patting him as he passed by and ran around. “He came in pretty banged up. Stray, got hit by a car and had been dragging around a busted up leg for a week. Everyone in the neighborhood was too scared of him til this old guy called animal control. They were gonna put him down but we pulled him in time.” Grey smiled as the dog bounced over and was stuck in Arnold’s almond shaped eyes as he rubbed his ears. “It’s been about four weeks since and he’s perfect.” He turned to Blake, that warm gentle smile still on his face. “You for sure want him?”

Blake tried her best not to be overly exited, but Arnold’s own excitement was adding to her own. Greyson lead them outside, unleashing the pup and let him run around. Blake instantly kneeled and held out her hand when he came running back around. Sitting fully in the grass she listened as Greyson told her the story Blake felt her chest tighten. “That’s so sad.” There was still drool all over him, while Blake was looking at Greyson, Arnold came barreling toward her almost knocked her over. She giggled before rubbing his ears, holding his large head between her hands. “He’s friendly,” he stayed before a moment before leaving to go run in circles again. It wasn’t long before he was just sitting in the grass basking in the sun. “Can I take him home today?” She asked looking at Greyson with a hopeful look on her face.

Greyson shrugged one shoulder and nodded. “It is but he’s here and happy and healthy despite all the bullshit.” It’s part of why he was so drawn to bully breeds in the first place. Their bad rap and resilience. He could relate. Greyson felt an odd sensation run through his stomach. Like when you go over a hill too fast and catch a little air or right before a rollercoaster takes off. Oh. Right. Butterflies. That was new. “Yeah,” he said, his voice soft. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Yeah. Of course. Hang on.” Greyson ran inside for few moments and came back with a clipboard and pen. “Perks of your not-boyfriend boyfriend owning the place, you can do your paperwork outside,” he said with a grin as he sat down next to her and passed the clipboard. “Soon as all that’s done he’s yours. All his shots are up to date and shit. Lemme know if you got any questions.”

Blake was pretty sure her cheeks were hurting from how much she was smiling, but her smile only grew when Greyson came back with a clipboard and a pen. She took both in her hand as she started filling out all the paper work; checking her phone to make sure she got it call correct. "My not-boyfriend boyfriend is pretty fuckin' rad for this." She handed them back to him and she turned to Arnold. "You hear that? You're comin' home with me bud!" She was practically on all fours, staring into the face of this beefy looking dog with the widest smile on her face. To some people Blake probably looked crazy, but she didn't care.  "He needs a new name for sure. Arnold does not suit him at all." She stated scratching under his chin. "Any ideas?"

Greyson took the clipboard back, went over everything for posterity, and nodded to himself. "I'm rad in general but go off," he said with an eye roll before disappearing again, coming back with a small folder of info about his shots and microchip. He snapped a couple photos before crouching next to the both of them. Greyson snorted and raised one eyebrow in slight disbelief. "Both of my animals are named after places. That really the kind of advice you want?"

She snorted, thinking about Jersey and LA, they weren't terrible names, they were actually kind of cute. Blake hummed before letting herself fall into deep thought. "Chicago!" Blake said excitedly. She looked at Chicago and cupped his face, bringing hers close to his. "That's your new name. Don't you love it?" She asked before wrapping her arms around his neck and looking at Greyson. Part of her felt like a tiny kid in a candy shop, excited and happy. She couldn't remember the last time she had pure joy like this. "God, I have to get so much shit for him now."

"Huh," Greyson hummed, head tilted to the side as he surveyed the dog. "That actually fits pretty well. Nice." He decided then and there he could sit there all day and watch Blake fawn over this slobbery mess of a dog with three legs and be pretty content with his life. It brought back up that sore bruise of a spot called feelings which they'd yet to poke at again. Not that he was about to do anything to change that. "That you do," he said as he stood. "Let's get him outta here and start on that, huh?" he asked, extending one hand down for Blake and offering her the leash with the other.

Blake took Greyson's hand, standing up and taking Chicago's leash in her other hand. They walked back to her car, guiding Chicago into the backseat, Blake went in after him, making sure he was okay and adjusting to the car ride okay. As they got to the nearest pet store, Blake was grinning ear to ear as she walked Chicago up in down the isles getting essentials. A dog bed, bowls for food and water, food, treats, a spare leash and collar, and toys. Blake turning to ask Greyson every so often his opinion on what would be the best for Chicago. The next stop was Blake's apartment, to find a spot for Chicago's bed and to get me settled in. As She made her way towards the front door, Blake unlocked her door and went inside, everything seemed to be just as she left it the night before. Nothing was out of place, but a note on her counter that she couldn't have written herself. Picking up the piece of paper, Blake felt a chill down her spine as she read the words, written by Teller. She could feel her heart beating against her chest as she turned and handed the note to Greyson.

Greyson couldn't have imagined an easier day if he tried. They were finally getting somewhere, falling into step with each other, going about everyday life things without jumping down each others throats or doing 180s. It was nice. He added his input where warranted, joked and laughed and smiled and knew this dog was getting one of the best homes and lives any dog could ask for which really only reinforced the idea that he was doing something good in the world for once. And then the other shoe apparently had to drop. Greyson was just about to leave to let Blake and Chicago get settled in together when he was handed a note. His eyebrows pushed together deeply as he scanned it once, twice, his grip tightening on the paper, crinkling it where his fingers were curling in. His breathing was surprisingly steady a he glanced around the apartment, on the off chance Teller would've had the sack to stick around. "Get back in the car," he got out, his voice barely hiding the anger he could feel bubbling up. "You can't stay here. Let me know what you need, I'll grab it for you, yeah?"

She could barely make out words, worried that Teller was still there. Worried about her safety, not to mention Chicago and Grey's. It took her a moment before she could nod at Greyson's words, Chicago making noises at her feet. "I just need clothes. I can't take all my clothes. I have so much shit here. I --" Her breathing was starting to shorten, her head getting lightheaded. "I don't understand how he's found me. I did so well." Her brows were pushed together, wondering how long he had been watching her for.

Greyson balled up the letter entirely, shoving it in his back pocket and making his way over to Blake. He placed one hand gently on her cheek, leveling his eyes with hers. "Hey, look at me. This isn't your fault. Right now I need you to go back, lock the car doors and wait for me," he said softly as he pressed the keys into her hand. Greyson pressed a kiss to her forehead and watched until she was safely in the confines of his vehicle before he searched her place. He checked behind every closet and door until he cleared the whole apartment. Satisfied, he packed as many clothes as he could into a bag. They could come back another time or, hell, he'd buy her an entire new closet if that was what she needed. Greyson was quickly back out to the car, knocking on the window to let Blake know he was back. He spent the whole ride back to his place taking a few extra turns here and there, to ensure no one was following them, his hand on Blake's the entire time. It didn't feel like he was truly breathing again until the three of them were in his living room where he immediately turned to her again, his mind racing a mile a minute. "Okay. Are you okay? I'm gonna fucking kill that guy, I swear to fuck. First thing tomorrow I'm changing the lock on your door."

All Blake could do was nod, as much as she wanted to make sure her home was safe, the best thing she could do was to do what she was told. The thought of coming face to face with Teller wasn't the best way to spend in her brain. She hadn't seen him in years, after she got out of rehab she made it almost impossible for him to contact her. But of course with The Flash on air, she knew it was harder for her to stay hidden. Once back in the car, Blake locked the doors instantly, she wans't sure how Chicago was able to tell she was distressed, but ever now and again he'd lick her hand to let her know he was still there. It was kind and helped Blake more than she thought it would. Soon Greyson was back with a bag of clothes, she unlocked the door. While they drove back to his house, Blake spent the whole ride with her hand in his. It was the closest thing she could get to feeling completely safe. When they were inside, sitting on the couch, Blake felt drained, confused, and scared. Her mind was racing more than it had in years. She turned to Greyson and shook her head. "I don't know how this happened. I cut off all contact with him after I got clean. I don't know how he found me. He could come back, he could hurt me, my family, you. I don't know what to do." The fear in her voice was causing her to tremble in fear, the thought that anyone she loved would be hurt because of Teller because of her.

Greyson could practically feel how distraught Blake was in his own chest. Empathy, he figured. That was new too. All he could do was slip behind her on the couch and wrap his arms around her completely, enveloping her in himself as physically as he could to convey that she was safe now. Here. With him. "This isn't on you. He's a fucking psycho." Grey rubbed her upper arms slowly, trying his best to soothe her. He could hear how scared she was and it banged around in his heart. "We'll figure it out. We'll do whatever we need to. A restraining order or what the fuck ever. No one's gonna get hurt, B. You're not alone this time." He rested his chin on her shoulder after leaving a few soft kisses there, trying anything to provide little comforts in an impossible situation.

It was hard for her to not start crying, it was all too much. On top of a really great day Teller just had to find a way to make her life incredibly shitty. "How do you know that? How do you know he doesn't know where my mother is, or my best friend, or us. I should've pushed harder for a restraining order. I should done more and now I can't even stay in my own home." Blake's nose began to burn as tears fell down her cheeks, she buried her face into Greyson's chest, feeling the weight of everything on her shoulders. "I thought I escaped him."

Grey couldn't answer at first. Because she was right. He didn't know. Not for sure. He didn't know Teller's intentions beyond the obvious terror he intended to inflict on Blake. He didn't know the guy at all. But he'd be damned if he let that stop him. "That note was meant for you. He's trying to get to you. Call your family and friends anyway, let them know what's going on. Maybe that'll help. You have to stop blaming yourself for what that piece of shit is doing." Greyson immediately adjusted, making circles on her back with one hand while the other caught tears and rubbed her cheek. It just about broke his heart to see her like this, a pang of familiarity ringing through his chest. "I know. And you did. And you will again."

Blake looked at Greyson, part of her felt a pang is embarrassment and shame, it took everything in her not to pull away and shield herself. “Okay,” Blake said finally, she sighed and nodded her head. Closing the distance between them, she tucked her head under his chin, her body still shaking slightly. After a couple moments Blake pulled away, she wiped her eyes and shuffled a bit. “I need to call my mom.” She didn’t give Greyson much time to respond, she was up in a second and out back by his pool. There she spent the next half hour calling her mother and best friend, warning them to be extra safe not sure what Teller knew. Coming back, Greyson was in the kitchen, doing whatever it is he does. Blake walked to the kitchen and leaned against the bar. “I think I need to punch something.” She sighed, while talking to her mother she realized how angry she was. It was no longer fear but annoyance now. “I’ll be back.” Blake added before excusing herself to the gym in Greyson’s basement.

Greyson took it all in stride. He was never sure if his words were right but so far he seemed to be doing okay. Placing another kiss on her head, he laid out soft patterns across her skin with his fingers until she felt alright enough to part ways. He simply nodded and loosened his arms. As soon as she was out of the room, Grey made his way into the kitchen and checked over his shoulder before retrieving the note from his back pocket, giving it another once over. There was no way Greyson was going to sit idly by and wait for Teller to make another move. If he had any idea of the type of thoughts going through this guy's head -- and he was fairly sure he had a good idea -- Teller probably thought he was holding all the cards. Grey was ready to prove him entirely wrong. In the midst of his research, he could hear Blake returning so he quickly pocketed the note again and switched the tab on his phone to Uber Eats. He huffed through his nose at Blake's words. "Been there." Grey considered giving her some space and he did for a few minutes before following quietly, leaning against the doorframe with a towel over his shoulder and a bottle of water in his hand.

Ever since Greyson and her had gotten closer, Blake had taken it upon herself to put on a pair of boxing gloves. Taking her anger out on the bag, the feeling of Teller finding her, putting her life in danger, her loved ones. It was almost all too much for her, But Blake is the one who put herself in rehab, even if Indie was the reason she went; Blake did the work, Blake got clean, Blake started a new life for herself. And now Teller was trying to rip it all from her. The thought of being the victim here was not something she enjoyed. Soon enough, Blake stopped sighing before she turned around and say Greyson. “Hi,” Blake out of breath, wiping the sweat off her forehead. “How long have you been standing there.?”

Greyson watched with intrigue. Blake had taken to boxing about as well as he had and it was nice to have another thing in common. Especially with the root of it being so similar. Not that she knew that. But it was nice for him. She'd been consistently improving and that much was obvious, coupled with her obvious frustration at the lack of control Teller had afforded her with all this bullshit. When she finally noticed him, he hummed and shrugged one shoulder. "Long enough." Greyson crossed the space between them and handed her the water. "Do you feel any better?"

Taking the water bottle from Greyson, she smiled softly before taking a long sip of water, she shrugged before taking another. “I feel like shit.” Blake sighed rolling her neck to side to side before her eyes fell on Greyson. “I feel helpless, like he crawled his way back into my life after all the shit he put me through.” Blake’s grip on her plastic bottle crumbling under her fingers. “I’m pissed. I’m scared out of my god damn mind. And I shouldn’t be. I should be living my life. I should enjoy my day with my new dog, with you. And I’m here wondering how he got my address,” Blake could feel her chest tighten and her blood boil. “After all the shit he put me through. After raping me, after hitting me, after giving me coke he wants to ruin my life again? What did I do deserve that?” Blake didn’t even notice the tears in her eyes, throwing the water bottle on the ground. She let herself fall to the mat, sitting down and cradling her head. “I feel crazy. He makes me feel crazy.”

Greyson was already struggling for kind or comforting words. If that was even what Blake needed right now, he couldn't be sure. Maybe she just needed someone to vent to but he felt stupid just standing there listening. It didn't matter anyway because Blake dropped two brand new, giant pieces of information that left him reeling. He was pretty sure the ringing in his ears was just in his head but it was so loud he couldn't tell. His grip on the towel tightened until his knuckles were white, his jaw was set, and if it wasn't for the fact that Blake was practically in the fetal position on the floor, he'd already be out tracking down Teller's whereabouts. As it were, he had a very distraught, crying girl to tend to. Greyson forced his hands and face to relax though there didn't seem to be much he could do about the slight ringing. Kneeling down besides her and sitting back on his calves, he placed one hand on Blake's back. "What do you need right now, B? Say the word, whatever it is, whatever I can do. Big, small, stupid, genius, I don't give a fuck. You're not that trapped, helpless girl anymore. Don't let him make you feel like you are."

Having him here, did help. It was the first time the only person besides her best friend was able to ease the anxiety, the fear. His touch comforted her in a way she didn’t know it could. Blake nodded and sat up, it was true. She wasn’t helpless anymore, she wasn’t an addict anymore. She fought and fought for the life she had now and she was dammed id Teller was going to try to come back into her life and take it from her. She wouldn’t let him. Blake wiped her nose with the back of her hand, looking at Greyson. She knew the next words that came out of her mouth would surprise him, but he did ask. “I want to go to Disney World.”

Greyson blinked dumbly and huffed a half laugh. “For real?” Whatever amount of things he thought Blake could possibly ask for — a drink, a ride to her best friends house, a boxing session — not once did Disney World cross his mind. Ask and you shall receive, he supposed. He shrugged, arms fully up, and trilled his lips. “Shit, yeah, alright let me get a flight and, uh, pack shit I guess.” Grey already had his phone opened, tracking down flights and starting on accommodations.

“Yeah,” Blake replied, her voice a little shaky from crying and frustrating. “I went a lot as a kid with my best friend and our families. It’s one place I associate with total happiness.” Blake shrugged; not many people knew that Blake was a notorious Disney fan. Already on the phone, Blake calling Indie her best friend. Before she could pick up she looked at Greyson and smiled. “I’m inviting Indie,” She said before listening to Indie mention the girl she had been semi seeing. “And Joey? That’s her name yeah?” Blake asked Indie before looking at Greyson. “And Joey too.”

Greyson didn’t necessarily need an explanation. Right now he was sure he’d give Blake anything she could conceivably ask for but he nodded along nonetheless and smiled. “I can dig that.” Playfully rolling his eyes, Greyson was already changing the flight number to the 3 when the next name out of her mouth had him snapping his head up fast enough to give him whiplash. “S...St. James? Your best friend Indiana is inviting my best friend Joey? Are they... What is my fucking life?” The last part came out in a rushed whisper. He’d been so preoccupied he hadn’t had time to get up to speed with Joey’s life and clearly he missed a lot. “Okay. I got this from here. Four hours enough time?”

BLAKE

As if Blake didn't have enough on her plate her father had to come in her life again. It was a headache on top of a long day, but the most surprising part of it was Greyson offering his time, and his home to her. It's not like they magically were okay being around each other after talking earlier that day, but it did make her see him in a different light. After receiving his address Blake spent the whole time wondering what she was getting herself into. Had she ever kick boxed a day in her life? No. Had she hit someone with a text book in high school? Sadly, yes. Blake found herself fretting for nothing, other than her brain overloading and needing some sort of outlet to blow off steam. Coming up to his house, which was on a fucking beach. Blake planned to tease him about it later. She used the gate code her gave her and closed to door behind her. It was a nice house, clearly expensive, and honestly not as large as she expected. There were still glass windows and one that over looked the beach, if it wasn't so beautiful she might've puked. "Despite how excessive all of this is.. It's nice."

GREYSON

Greyson felt like he had something to prove now. Blake wasn’t going to take him seriously unless he proved how serious he was. A product of his own actions since he spent so much time goofing off and being a pain in the ass. So when she mentioned having a hard time, particularly in the father area, he found it the opportune time to extend an olive branch. And maybe the tequila in his system didn’t hurt either. He had been mid session when he invited Blake over anyway. Grey was waiting for her, walking across the living room with two glasses in his hand, offering one to her as he reached her. “Don’t worry, it’s just pre-workout. You’ll thank me later.” He drank half his own and shrugged one shoulder. Sometimes the expanse of his own wealth made even him uncomfortable when prodded about it enough but oh well. “You haven’t seen the half of it. We can head down to the basement whenever you’re ready.”

BLAKE

Hesitant to take the glass from him, she nodded once he denied her suspicions. Taking the cup from his hands, she took a sip before sticking out her tongue. “Jesus,” she looked in the cup and decided to just chug it. Blake rolled her eyes, but left the smile that lingered on her lips. “Ready now,” Blake said handing Greyson back the now empty cup. “I have a lot of pent of anger and my frustration needs to somewhere that isn’t a wall.” Following Greyson down to the basement she looked around, kind of in love with the way the beach looked. “Do you go on the beach a lot?” She asked, curious. While she missed about Texas’s vast amount of land, she loved Californian beaches. “After college I stayed somewhere that was close to a beach, it was very nice.” Being mindful to not mention that ‘somewhere’ was rehab.. “Also, I’ve literally never kicked box in my life.”

GREYSON

Greyson rolled his eyes and downed the rest of his before taking both glasses to the kitchen sink. “Spare me, it’s not that bad.” He motioned for Blake to follow him to a winding spiral staircase that led downstairs, past an open glass-windowed office with a view of the shore, and into a smaller room full of workout equipment. Most prominently, punching bags. The question caught him a little off guard. “Oh, uh, yeah. It’d be psycho to live next to the beach and not like the beach.” Greyson snorted, rummaging through a set or drawers against the wall til he found what he was looking for. “I had a feeling. No worries. I’ll go easy.” He smirked, tossed the pair of gloves to Blake and slid focus mitts over his own. “Put those on and take your shoes off. It’s literally exactly what it sounds like— boxing and kicking turned into one fluid movement. For now...” He approached Blake and took a stance a couple feet in front of her, one eyebrow up in a playful challenge, smirk stuck on his face still as it usually was. “Show me what you got.”

BLAKE

“Yeah and my dad continued to live with my mother despite having no feelings for her,” She said quickly, it surprised her how easy the words came out. She simply shrugged and moved along. Blake caught the gloves Grey handed her to. Putting them on  her hands, they were heavier than she expected but it was interesting enough. “Okay,” Blake started, holding her hands up; she wasn’t sure where exactly to hold them but she tried her best and swung at Greyson.

GREYSON

Her sudden admission practically gave Grey an itch under his skin. He wasn’t accustomed to this kind of peek into people’s personal lives. “Save it for the punching bag. You’ll feel a hell of a lot better after.” Greyson moves the mitt to catch her punch and nodded once. “Okay, that sucked but that’s our baseline.” He dropped his mitts to the ground and came behind Blake, placing his hands on her elbows and positioning her arms better. “Alright. Feet shoulder width apart, knees a little bent, and keep your hips relaxed. Watch.” Greyson showed a basic jab in slow motion. “You don’t gotta move your whole body with it, you’ll hurt the fuck outta yourself. Work up to harder hits.” He slipped the mitts back on and bounced back and forth in front of her, tapping the mitts together tauntingly. “C’mon. Like you mean it.”

BLAKE

For someone who was ‘naturally good’ at things and could pick them up almost perfectly, not getting a good first punch kind of hurt her pride. As Greyson came behind her, Blake’s cheeks heat up; being this close outside of work was different in a way Blake wasn’t entirely anticipating. She follows his instructions, nodding her head to show she was listening. Blake took a deep breath, going over Grey’s pointers in her head before throwing another punch, this time with a little more anger and knowledge behind it.

GREYSON

What exactly was getting Greyson through this relatively painlessly? Treating Blake like any other client. She wasn’t Blake the costar. Blake the fake girlfriend. Blake the ultimate pain in his ass. She needed a release and Greyson understood that on a deeply personal level. He grinned as the next hit landed. “Good. Better. Again. Keep going.” With each hit he nodded his approval and stopped her after a minute. “I think you’re gonna like this next part.” He ditched his mitts entirely, leaving them behind on the floor as he walked her over to a punching bag hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the room. He slapped the side of it and met Blake’s eyes. “Treat your body like it is— one instrument. Comboing punches and kicks instead of using them like separate blows.” Grey stood behind the bag, steadying it for Blake and peeked around it. “You wanna blow off steam, right? This is how you do it. Don’t be afraid of it and follow through. You need me to tape a photo of your old man on here or you got this?”

BLAKE

The wave of approval washing over Blake motivated her to do better, to continue up the hill of improvement she was climbing. After stopping her for a minute, she slipped one of the gloves off and stretched out her hand, flexing her hand. She couldn’t reminder the last time she felt this powerful. As they went over to the punching bag, Blake listened to Greyson, nodding at his words. She slipped the gloves back on and stared at the punching bag. “No need.” Was all she said before she started hitting and kicking the punching bag. Every kick for how betrayed she felt by her father. Every punch for the tears she wasted on him. Was it only about her father? No, her mind wandered off to every man that made her cry or abused her. She thought about the look on her mother’s face when she woke up in the hospital after her overdose, she thought about her mother’s pleading eyes to get help. How Greyson and her got roped into this stupid scheme to save their asses. Before she knew it her arms and legs felt like lead and she started to slow down, her breathing getting heavier until she finally stopped. Blake slid down to the floor and laid on her back staring at the ceiling. “I feel better.” She said out of breath.

GREYSON

Greyson eyed her, intrigued, as Blake went to town on the bag. It was always interesting to him watching people become more confident. Hit harder, faster, factor in kicks. He's seen a lot of emotions cross a lot of people's faces during sessions like these. And he knew how it felt to be on the other side. He'd never tell Blake but this was one of the most intimate parts of his world. It was the thing that got him back on track and let him be level headed enough to curate the career her has today. And then he saw the exhaustion setting in. Greyson loosened his hold on the punching bag and as soon as Blake stepped away, he crossed the room to pull two bottles of water out of a mini fridge. "You look like you do," he commented with a huff of laughter, passing the bottle to her and cracking open his own. "If you wanna actually learn shit instead of just wailing on a bag you should come to my legit gym sometime. The instructors are aces and I guarantee you won't be as sore as you're about to be tomorrow. Eventually."

BLAKE

Blake smiled and took the water bottle from Greyson, she untwisted the cap and practically downed the entire bottle in one sitting. She tilted her head to the side, the idea wasn't a terrible one. She enjoyed it more than she thought she would and actually having a healthy way of coping with her stress and frustration would be good.. her mother would be proud. "Do I get the girlfriend discount?" She joked before taking another sip of water. "I love being sore, at least I know what I was doing I did it right, you know?" There was a beat of silence before Blake look over at him, "Again."

GREYSON

Greyson sent a spout of water in her direction for the comment. “Funny. This was the girlfriend discount.” He nodded in agreement. They’d never had more in common than they did in that moment. Grey jerked his head and quirked his eyebrow. “Again?” A slow, mischievous smile took over his face as an idea took over. “Alright. Again.” Quickly on his feet, he crossed the room and pulled on his own gloves. He took up his stance right in front of Blake, tapping his gloves against hers teasingly. “C’mon Rutherford. Hit me.” There was a clear challenge in his eyes as he shrugged one shoulder. “If you can.”

BLAKE

She dodged the water and stuck her tongue out at him, it was childish but it was probably the longest time they’ve gone without bickering at each other. Which was a milestone in its own right. Blake felt herself get competitive and now she felt like she needed to prove herself. Her eyebrow quirked as she slipped her gloves back on and on her feet. She could she the literally challenge in his eyes, daring her to make her first move — and she did. It wasn’t a very good one, call it an attempt if you would. She groaned after throwing a few punches that were just a couple inches out of each. “Jesus, why are you so fast?” She asked slightly out of breath. “Please do not make a joke.”

GREYSON

Greyson knew she was outmatched from the start. And that wasn’t a rude thing, he’d just been doing this far longer. He smoothly dodged when he needed to, smacking her gloves with his when she missed. It was a taunt designed to be absolutely infuriating. Greyson smirked and tilted his head to the side and back. “Only fast in some respects,” he joked anyway, grinning. Apparently this was the only way they’d found so far to actually get along. Go figure. He clicked his tongue. “Tch. You can do better than that.” He threw a couple in her direction, purposefully off by an inch or two to gauge her reaction time.

BLAKE

Blake rolled her eyes, she was getting frustrated with him dodging her. Those six words ignited something in Blake, she lunged forward, dodging Grey’s glove before hers came in contact with her chest. She backed up and smirked knocking her gloves together. “What?” She stating smiling wide. “You said I could do better and I did.”

GREYSON

A familiar feeling collided with his chest as Blake got her shot in. A huff of air was forced out of his lungs and he looked a little shocked at first before a small smile appeared, the adrenaline rush pushing through his entire body. “So you did.” In a flash of fluid movement, Greyson jabbed at her face and gave her enough time to block and as she did, he ducked low and swept his foot at the back of her knees, sending her down to the mats. He was immediately straddling hers, hands up in position, before tossing the gloves off and letting his arms fall to his side. He pushed back the damp hair off his forehead and was panting lightly. “Got confident and let your guard down. Don’t sweat it, you did good. I’m just better.”

BLAKE

Falling hurt, but her pride was hurt more at Greyson’s gloating. To know she was doing well and he was still able to get the upper hand on her, taking her down. She laid there practically seething as he straddled her. She tried not to think about how mildly hot it was until he spoke again. It was like something out of movie, before she really thought about her actions, Blake took her dominant arm and swung right for Greyson’s nose. For someone that was gloating out his ass, she half expected him to dodge her. Instead she laid there with a shocked expression on her face.

GREYSON

Before he knew it, Greyson was pushed backwards off of Blake and onto his ass by what he registered too late as a punch directly to the nose. He caught himself on one hand, the other curled around his nose protectively. “Ah, fuck.” Blood was already running down his face and he could taste it in his mouth. Whether that was from his nose or not had yet to be seen. Grey sat there staring at Blake in shock for a moment before it dissolved into a fit of laughter. “Been waitin’ for that one, huh?” he teased, moving his hand away and sniffing then immediately wincing. It didn’t feel broken but man was it sore. Bubbles of laughter were still coming out. He couldn’t deny he deserved that. “There’s a first aid kit with some shit in it in the bottom drawer over there. You mind?"

BLAKE

Blake sat up, once Greyson as off of her, she was shocked to see blood and sat there in awe. “Holy fuck,” She said before falling into a fit of laughter herself. “I’m feeling better.” She smiled before nodding. Getting up, Blake grabbed the first aid kit and made her way back to Greyson. “I got it,” she said, “I’m the one that punched you after all.” She smiled before looking at his nose. It wasn’t broken thankfully, but she was able to wipe the blood from his face and his nostrils. Unaware of how close they were physically. “Don’t lean your head back too much pretty boy,” Blake started before leaning his body forward. “Breathe through your mouth so it drains your nose. Do you need ice?” She asked before taking one of Grey’s hands in hers, cleaning the blood.

GREYSON

Greyson’s lips were still twitching with stifled laughter. Ending up on the floor with a bloody nose was the last thing he could have ever expected. “Im sure you fucking do, Blake Ali.” He sat with his feet flat on the floor, arms propped on his knees and head tilted back. Blake was very much in his personal space. They spent a lot of time close together and had easily hours of filmed kissing under their belts but this was different in a way that Greyson couldn’t put his finger on. He silently heeded her instructions and swallowed the odd lump that formed in his throat. His eyes were stuck on her face and the way she handled him was with a softness that practically triggered his fight or flight response. One of his fingers briefly skimmed across her knuckles out of... curiosity? Greyson didn’t know but he retracted his hand out of her grasp entirely. Clearing his throat he snapped back to focus. “Yeah, c’mon. Let’s head upstairs before you go for the nads next.” He playfully shoved Blake’s shoulder before hoisting himself up, back up the stairs and into the kitchen where he hopped up to sit on the counter. “You know I’m gonna milk this for everything it’s worth, right?”

BLAKE

She wasn’t sure how she felt about Greyson’s hand basically being ripped from her own, but she was too physically tired to push about it. Blake blinked for a couple of seconds before nodded and stood up and following him into the kitchen. Blake rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I know,” Blake hopping up on the counter as well. “Doesn’t matter cause I know I got you good.”

GREYSON

Grey held an ice pack over the bridge of his nose, his eyes just barely visible over there top of it as he turned to face Blake. He scoffed and kicked at her dangling foot. “You wanna go again? It was a cheap ass shot and you know it.” It was quiet for a moment and he wasn’t entirely sure where to go from there. Especially as he found himself not quite wanting Blake to leave yet. Maybe this whole scheme could go smoothly. Maybe. It would involve a lot more work on his part than he anticipated though. Might as well start laying the groundwork, he figured. “Thanks. For cleaning me up. I mean you did make me bleed in the first place but still. I, uh, appreciate it.”

BLAKE

“Sure, throw kickboxing out the window I’ll show you how I kept people off my back in high school.” She counted back with a smirk. “I hit someone with a textbook once,” Blake shrugged her shoulders swinging her feet off the edge of the counter. Blake felt an unusual sense of warmth in the pit of her stomach, she quickly jumped off the counter and nodded, suddenly being close to him felt... Overwhelming. She smiled and nodded his leg. “Don’t make a big deal out of it pretty boy.” Her stomach growled she was sure it echoed through the house. “You got anything to eat in this ridiculously beautiful house. Clearly I’m hungry.”

GREYSON

“That is deeply unsurprising,” he mumbled, icing under his eyes to hopefully avoid any bruises tomorrow. “I’m trying to be fuckin’ nice for once, don’t ruin it.” Greyson soon followed suit and lowered off of the counter, dropping the ice pack in the sink. He sighed heavily and internally cringed. No one had a way of making him feel his privilege more deeply than Blake did. “There’s no way for me to say this without sounding pretentious but my groceries haven’t been delivered yet. But we can order something and doordash usually has it here in twenty or less.” He glanced out the back wall of windows and noticed the sun was close to setting and hummed. “View of the beach from back there gets even more impressive.”

BLAKE

"Teenage Blake had a temper," Blake shrugged her shoulders. Totally unable to keep herself from laughing at Greyson. "Extremely pretentious but go on," She snaked, nodding her head as she listened. Blake hummed and thought it over, normally she enjoyed being by herself. But for whatever reason she didn't want to leave Greyson, his company was.. Nice. If she could find a word for it. "Sure. Chinese? Mexican? What's your poison," She asked looking on the app. "I'm sure it is. Are you trying to make a move on me?"

GREYSON

"Just teenage Blake, huh?" He teased, gesturing to his nose. He rolled his eyes and snatched his phone up off the counter dramatically. Now that Blake mentioned it, food sounded fantastic and his stomach sounded off its own agreement. "Fuck, chinese sounds baller. Here. Send the order when you're done." He added what he wanted before passing the phone over to Blake while he rummaged through a small chiller next to the fridge. "Ha. You fuckin' wish." Grey pulled out a bottle of wine for himself and an unopened sparkling cider for Blake. He wiggled it in the air at her direction. "Sans alcohol for the straight edge," he teased, pouring them both glasses. "You mentioned the beach earlier. I'm being thoughtful and absolutely nailing this fake boyfriend shit. What's your excuse?" he asked with an eyebrow up as he took a long sip of his wine.

BLAKE

“You’re lucky it was my fist and not a whole damn textbook,” Taking Greyson’s phone, Blake practically made love to the pictures of food with her eyes. She might have done a little dance while ordering, excited about getting food. Finalizing the order, Blake watched Greyson grab some wine and hand her sparkling cider. Throwing her head back, she laughed and rolled her eyes. “How’d you know I love bubbly apple juice.” She took a sip and raised her eyebrow. “Uh huh, sure.” After taking another sip Blake gasped. “I don’t know what you mean, I’m being totally irresistible.”

GREYSON

Greyson snorted and let it go. If the stray throb here and there in his face was anything to go by, she wasn't entirely wrong. He leaned against the counter, one arm crossed, steadily taking drinks inbetween. "It's on your wiki," he said with a straight face. Truthfully it was the only non-alcoholic thing in the house that wasn't water or a jug of milk with exactly one sip left. Grey practically choked out an incredulous laugh, shaking his head. "If a bloody nose and being a non-stop pain in my ass is irresistible then I guess I do have a type."

BLAKE

Now it was Blake's turn to snort, "Yeah, because I'm supposed to believe you took time out of your day to learn anything about me that isn't something you could find out in two seconds?" She took another sip and smirked shrugging her shoulders. "At least you pick the hot ones." For a guy that got under her skin at work all the time, without so many people around he was almost bearable. Silence fell over time, Blake retracted into her own mind which was never good. For a second Blake couldn't figure out why they fought all the time, she looked at Greyson.. Even with a slightly bruised nose he was.. Cute. Staring at this face she noticed the small stud. Why haven't I noticed that before? She thought to herself before feeling her throat close up, she needed to escape fast. "Where's the bathroom?" She asked suddenly. Taking the directions given, Blake hurried off to the bathroom for a breather. Removing her sports bra so she could actually breathe and get a grip over what was coming over her. It's just because y'all are having good moments, it's not feelings, you don't have feelings for Greyson Smythe, you're just trying to keep your drive. Blake repeated to herself a couple of times before sighing and walking back to the kitchen.

GREYSON

"I'm fucking with you, Blake," he pointed out, a suppressed smile on his face. He hummed and swirled his glass, memories trying to scratch their way to the surface.  He washed down the bad feeling in his mouth with the rest of his wine which he then proceeded to top off. "My taste is aces." The silence that followed fell over them like a fog and Grey found it damn near stifling. Blake finally gave him a breath of air when she asked for the bathroom. He gave her directions around the corner and down the hall and as soon as she was gone, downed his glass and poured yet another. It was like a bad case of whiplash, one second they're tearing into each other the next it's an entirely different vibe. Greyson was pulled out of his own mind before it went too deep by the doorbell. He retrieved their food from a concerned looking dasher who pointed out the spots of blood on his tank top. Taking it upon himself to set up shop on the back deck, string lights winding around the wooden and metal railings, he laid everything out on the table and straddled a chair. "Out here," he called as he registered the sound of Blake's footsteps. His arms were folded over the top of the chair, chin resting on them, and his eyes were focused on the horizon, mesmerized by the rolling waves. "You ever surf?"

BLAKE

Coming back to find Greyson not in the kitchen, she followed his voice and found herself outside. The breeze brushed through her hair and it felt like another breathe of fresh air. She watched Greyson watch the rolling waves, she found herself smiling before she caught them too. Hypnotizing her in a way only the ocean could. She snorted and shook her head. "Never been sporty type, what about you?" She sat down herself watching Greyson, the weird feeling from before was coming back and going to the bathroom twice in the span of two minutes wasn't a good look. "So, this food looks fuckin' dope." Blake started going for the food, she could practically feel her mouth watering. "Why kickboxing?" She asked suddenly. When Greyson didn't answer at first she elaborated. "Like, you could do anything you wanted and you opened up your own gym.. Why?"

GREYSON

Greyson snorted, not moving his gaze. It was calming. Like the sound of a heartbeat or white noise. "Nah. I like the ocean objectively and on boats and shit but the idea of the ocean as a whole? Is fucking insane. Last thing I wanna do is go down in a wave. The water doens't give a shit about you." And maybe that's why he liked it so much. The waves didn't care for his past, his name, his wrong or right. It just was. Which is how Greyson wanted to be. He inhaled deeply and sat back a little, reaching over to start in on his food. A simple answer was on the tip of his tongue before she asked for more information. This was fine and easy and he could do this without thinking about it too hard. "When I blew my knee and lost my scholarship I was... pissed. And that's putting it so damn lightly. All I could register was anger. I was destructive and a danger. A friend recommended it. It only took one lesson for me to be hooked." He chewed through some more food and found the buzz of wine in his brain loosened him up enough to let it all flow freely. "It just felt so fucking good y'know? I could blow off hella steam and I learned to use my body in a lot of rad ways. I guess I wanted to be able to give other people that same kind of power over their own mind and body," he finished with a shrug. "It's a little lame in the grand scheme of my family but it's what I like so fuck the rest, right?"February 6, 2020

BLAKE

Blake was able to contain her confused but slightly amused face for moment before she started to laugh. Greyson wasn’t wrong but the whole intensity behind his words was amusing. “Sorry,” She said between giggles. “I’ve never seen someone so fascinated yet terrified of the ocean before.” Blake opened a pair of disposable chopsticks, trying her best not to look like an idiot but she was obviously struggling the mechanics of it all. Hearing him talk about how kickboxing made him feel, how it could make others feel something similar and him being able to provide that? Blake felt her chest getting warm again, she had to stuff food in her mouth to distract her brain. “That’s admirable,” She said softly, then continued to ear her food. “It’s not. There was something you wanted to do and you did it. Regardless of expectations from your family and the world.” For a moment Blake ate in silence trying to wrap her brain around the current whiplash their new dynamic was giving her. One minute picking on him and teasing him was happening, and then he’d say something she never expected to hear from him. It was all crazy. “Thanks,” She started. “For today, it goes hand in hand with what you said. I felt power of myself today rather than letting my father to try and have power over me. It’s definitely something I should look into.”

GREYSON

Snorting he shoved Blake’s shoulder. “Whatever. Shut up. No one’s even seen the bottom.” He watched with amusement as she struggled with her chopsticks and he made a point of stealing a bite of her food with his own, showing off a little yet again. Opening up was supposed to be a relief. Or so he heard. Greyson was left feeling more exposed and stupid than anything else. Family and expectations and responsibilities he wanted no part in made up the majority of his life. He was proud of himself, that much showed in every facet of his attitude, it just never seemed like enough to please his father. “Yeah well. That’s kinda been my whole entire thing from day one,” he quipped playfully with a smirk. Greyson set his chopsticks down and pushed out of the chair, making his way to a stretch of railing a few feet in front of the pool. He leaned on his arms and gave Blake a small smile. “Don’t make a big deal out of it princess.”

BLAKE

Blake rolled her eyes at Greyson as she finished her food. “So you’re telling me it wouldn’t be hella cool to just explore the ocean?” She asked before following Greyson and standing next to him. “Whatever, I’m being a nice fake girlfriend and complimenting you for making me feel better.” She nudged his side and watched the waves rolling again; spotting a couple walking along the shore holding hands. Blake imagine them as her and Greyson and her cheeks heated up slightly.

GREYSON

“And get eaten by some unknown horror? No fucking thank you.” He hip checked her gently, mostly because he had no rebuttal. She was being kind. They were getting along. Greyson got an idea that was likely to land him another bloody nose but impulse control wasn’t a strong suit of his. “Kinda warm out, even up here, huh?” Without any further indication, he wrapped his arms around Blake’s middle and launched both of them into the pool, releasing her as they submerged. He popped up almost immediately, laughing and pushing the hair out of his face and then he realized his fatal mistake. Blake was wearing white. And apparently no bra. And they were less than a foot apart. It was impossible not to notice. He quirked his head to the side, not the least bit shy about the fact that he was staring. If his mouth went a little dry, he wouldn’t admit it. “I— your nipples are pierced,” he stared blankly. “Hot.” Real smooth. He mentally kicked himself and removed his eyes from Blake’s chest where they caught her own eyes instead. Greyson wasn’t an idiot. Blake was beautiful. That’d always been a given. On set he was as professional as he could get. But here, in the light of a setting sun, with new information to process, well. He was a little turned on and he wasn’t very good at hiding it.

BLAKE

If the two of them were getting along so well, Blake might suspected something. But alas, Greyson threw her off by his question before he hurled them both into the pool. When they both came up, Blake wipes the water from her face and pushed her hair back. Covering her mouth, she laughed and smirked. “I know.” She watched as he stared at her chest before meeting his eyes. “What master plan was this all apart of? To say you got me wet?” She teased. Blake waved her hand in front of his face, “Are you okay? Have you never seen pierced nipples before?”

GREYSON

Okay so maybe this definitely hadn’t been his plan. Too late for that now. He was the in for a penny in for a pound type and he fully planned on seeing this through, whatever that would come to mean. Grey hummed and lowered his voice a little, lowering himself on the water until it was just below his shoulders and moving closer until they were just shy of touching. “Maybe. Did it work?” he asked with a smirk. He snorted and caught Blake’s wrist in the air, bringing it back down to the water before letting go. “What? No, I— Fuck off,” he said with roll of his eyes. “I didn’t know and I wasn’t expecting it and I already said it was hot. Wanna drop it now?”

BLAKE

Blake quirked eyebrow and hummed herself shaking her head. “I won’t make it easy for you pretty boy, better try harder,” She said before she winked and swam backwards putting space between them. “Because you went with a plan without thinking about an outcome. Watching you flounder was sort of cute.” She smiled before splashing him. She started swam around, before turning on her back and floating. “I’ll drop it, just for you.”

GREYSON

“Prove it,” he challenged, one eyebrow up. He definitely didn’t expect it to work but so far Blake did seem to enjoy proving a point. Grey pulled his shirt over his head and off, tossing it onto the deck to move more freely. “Dunno if you noticed but that’s my entire thing.” He quickly returned the splash and made a grab for her but was too slow before she drifted out of reach. “What, am I getting special treatment now?” he teased, floating up beside her so his head was next to hers, his feet facing the opposite direction. “Going soft on me, Rutherford?”

BLAKE

“Prove what? What you’re going to have to do more than smile to get in these pants.” She dipped into the water, so it was slightly above her shoulders.  She snorted before quickly touching her feet to the bottom of the pool, wrapping her arms around Greyson and pulling him underwear with her. She came up, pushing her hair back. “Soft on you? Never.”

GREYSON

Greyson snorted and sent a large splash at Blake as the tips of his ears burned. It was almost a little embarrassing, like he was trying too hard. He didn’t have time to dwell on that as he was suddenly yanked, a surprised yelp getting out before he was underwater. Grey came up and spit a mouthful of water in her direction. “Oh? No?” Catching Blake around the waist, he kept one hand on her hip as he drifted closer again. He brought his face down, his nose skimming hers, one hand curling around the side of her neck, his thumb on her cheek. His touch was light and gentle and unlike any side of himself he’d revealed to Blake so far. Sure he was trying to prove a point but he also couldn’t deny the way his heart beat just a little faster. “So you don’t wanna kiss me right now?”

BLAKE

It all happened a little too fast, one minute she was blocking her face from water and the next moment Greyson and Blake were inches from each other. Their eyes locked was slightly overwhelming but Blake refused to look away, to loose. She tried to ignore the light feeling in the pit of her stomach, much like how gentle touch. Blake licked her lips slowly, tilting her head to the side and smiled. “Depends,” She started her voice above a whisper. “Didn’t you want to kiss me back in the basement?” One of Blake’s hand sliding up his bare chest, she leaned forward as if she was going for his lips but moved past to his ear. “Make your move pretty boy.”

GREYSON

Greyson wasn’t sure if it was the suddenness with which things were happening or the alcohol buzzing and blurring his brain but he felt a little dizzy. This wasn’t right. Grey could practically feel the walls building right back up double time. His hands parted from her skin like he touched something hot and he used one to wrap his fingers around her wrist as he said, “I think you should go.” and pulled her hand from his chest, swimming back and hoisting himself up and out of the pool. He disappeared for a minute, coming back with a towel, t-shirt, and shorts. The least he could do all things considered. Grey laid them over the back of one of the chairs and hesitated just for a moment. “See you at work.” was the last thing he said before disappearing for good.

BLAKE