#ttrgrl

        ...  come  again  ?  lips  begin  to  part  before  her  brain  can  put  a  sentence  together,  green  eyes  staying  pinned  on  the  other.  she  didn’t  take  haley  james  for  the  unpredictable  type.  the  fake  id  she’d  made  for  her  sits  in  one  hand,  reached  out  towards  her,  crinkle  inbetween  her  eyebrows  deepening  by  the  second.  “  um.  “  a  beat.  “  i’m  sorry,  the  least  illegal  ?  ”  not  that  she’s  trying  to  start  a  competition  here,  but  between  the  two  of  them,  you’d  think  brooke’s  hypothetical  criminal  record  is  a  little  longer  than  hers.  “  i’m  assuming  you’re  not  talking  about  the  several  fashion  crimes  you  committed  in  the  past,  so  is  this  the  part  where  you  tell  me  you  killed  a  man  once  ?  ”

            heart  beating  against  ribcage,    TRUTHS AND FEARS    threatening  to  release  from  the  pressure  in  his  chest.        the  admission  of  hidden  insecurities,    the  resentment  that  still  lays  dormant  and  comes  out  to  play  whenever  he  finds  himself  getting  too  comfortable.        always  needs  to  be  on  guard,    never  able  to  be  unprepared  again.        nathan  stares  at  @ttrgrl​,    trying  to  sew  his  words  together  with  no  mistakes  or  loose  threads,    DAMAGE CONTROL.        his  foot  taps  against  the  ground  without  his  conscious  awareness,    his  shoulders  raising  in  tension,    his  jaw  clicked  into  place.          ❝    i’m  not  waiting  to  push  you  away.    ❞          TRUTH.        why  would  he  want  to  push  her  away  after  resorting  to  a  god  that  he  doesn’t  believe  in  for  her  return?          ❝    part  of  me  is  just  waiting  for  you  to  pack  up  and  leave  again.        part  of  me  doesn’t  trust  you.    ❞          TRUTH,    but  harsh.        it  feels  acidic  leaving  the  space  on  the  tip  of  his  tongue,    but  his  eyes  are  soft  and  open,    vulnerable.

❛    IT’S  NOT  THAT  GREAT  ---------------------      ❜               embarrassment  touches  his  features  as  he  rubs  at  the  back  of  his  neck.               he’s  set  up  the  glee  room  with  some  streamers  &  balloons  for  her  birthday.         HAS  HE  DONE  THIS  FOR  ANYONE  ELSE  ?         okay  ,  no  ,  but  that  doesn’t  mean  it’s  special  !        just  a  ...  nice  gesture  for  a  pretty  girl.     @ttrgrl​   deserved  it  for  helping  him  pass  his  latest  test.         he  clears  his  throat  a  bit  &  offers  her  a  shy  smile.             ❛    i  made  you  a  cupcake  ,  too  -----------  i  can’t  guarantee  it’s  like  ...  edible.      but  it  looks  pretty  good.            ❜

when she confides in him - his lips part slightly and he takes a deep breath. “ I mean, it takes a lot of balls to get up on stage every night and sing in front of all those people. especially when it’s somethin’ you actually wrote, y’know? it takes havin’ a connection to music and another person to like a deeper level, it’s like super deep. “ a pause, “ unless it’s not about that and I’m just .. rambling like an idiot, “ he scratched the back of his head. “ sometimes it’s not really about being seen as brave .. it’s about doing something even though you’re scared, “ he offered at last before his hand came out and offered a squeeze to one of Haley’s shoulders.

" That was good, right? "

             ‘ living a life so filled with annoyance that you’re running t’get to th’end of that life, ’  voice is flat, hard to tell whether he’s joking or not, though when luke does glance over the counter at haley, his features soften just so. hand works at a tough stain on the bowl in his hands. he doesn’t want to be that guy who says back in his day, but luke does remember being her age, having uncertainty settle a bit too deep into his chest. what was he going to do with his life? was he living it to the fullest? telling her all of those doubts usually went away with age didn’t seem the way to go, but they all knew luke wasn’t exactly the best at being sentimental, either.  ‘ you’re not really worried about that stuff right now, are you? you’re still young, you’ve got years t’live. why rush it now? ’     @ttrgrl.