𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐇𝐘𝐌𝐍𝐀𝐋.

sarah’s eyes narrowed slightly, taking note of the deflection from the topic at hand that jj exhibited. “why are you acting surprised? it’s rafe here that we’re talking about. one of these days, he’s going to get caught up in something that he won’t be able to talk his way out of.” she was getting far too worked up over this. “he may be a pain in the ass but i still care about him.” she stated, arms folding tightly across her chest as she listened to jj continue to speak. it felt as if he was being a bit overly defensive about this all. but the most important thing here was the fact that jj seemed to be keeping what he and rafe were doing together a secret, which only heightened her curiosity. “i guess in the end it doesn’t matter, but i thought you guys weren’t necessarily the biggest fans of one another. so you’re just… mutually using one another? for what?”

while simon hadn’t necessarily been on many dates in his life, this one, in particular, felt special. from how the other had decorated his house to cooking a meal for him, he felt spoiled. but what he had been looking forward to the most was the promise of edward playing a few songs on the piano for him after they finished their meal. he finished off his glass of wine before turning toward the other who was now seated at the piano, a gentle smile spreading across his lips as he took a seat beside him on the bench. “oh please, i bet that you’re going to blow me away.” he gently bumped his shoulder against the other’s as he gave him a small encouraging smile. “i would never assume that you’re trying to act like you’re better than me. i love watching people do what they’re most passionate about. but, you should probably prepare yourself for a shower of compliments afterward.”

freddie chuckled as he listened to john-john speak, finding himself agreeing with the other’s statement. “i’ve been questioning the same thing since i walked in here. i only came to hang out with cook for a while but i lost him and have sent him about a dozen texts asking if he’s ready to leave yet or not.” he wet his lips as he began to gently guide the other in the direction of an exit. “they probably invited everyone to make themselves seem inclusive. yet all the rich fucks here are probably staring at us like we’re unwanted creatures or some shit.” a small snort left him as he shook his head slightly. “thanks for agreeing to be my smoking buddy for the night. we run in the same circle, but i feel like we don’t hang out enough.”  

while james knew that he shouldn’t have been surprised that the other had bid on him, he couldn’t help but feel disbelief when he found out who won the bid on himself. although he hadn’t experienced the full extent of his nerves until he arrived at bucky’s home, butterflies filling his stomach from just standing in the other’s presence. the other’s apartment was far nicer than he expected, using his surroundings as a form of distraction and an excuse to not directly look the other in the eye. a shaky breath fell from his lips as he turned his gaze back toward bucky, watching as the other took a seat upon the couch. “i’m glad that you suggested a night in for our date, i’ve always been more of a homebody.” it was one of the many things that had in common. his teeth sunk into his bottom lip as he sat down on the couch beside the other, grabbing the blanket off of the back of the other’s couch and draping it over them both. “do you want to watch a movie or… just sit and talk?” he was honestly up for either but had a feeling that talking would lead to him being forced to address his feelings — especially when it came to the night they shared at the masquerade.

mal had kept his costume a secret from alina and the moment they laid eyes on him, she finally understood why. a quiet giggle escaped them as they tilted their head to the side, “it would practically be a crime if we didn’t have our own little magical phantom moment.” she teased. “i definitely don’t want to hear you sing though. from what i remember when we would be forced to go caroling at the orphanage, you sounded like a dying cat.” she couldn’t help but poke fun at him, trying to ignore the fluttering in her stomach as she stared up at the other. although the moment he suggested that they pretend he was someone else, she couldn’t help but lightly smack his arm. “i wouldn’t want you to be anyone but you, mal.” her voice was softer than usual as she extended her hand out for him to take.

a gentle chuckle fell from arin’s lips as he nodded his head in agreement, “okay, you have a point. it’s hard to find good loyal henchmen nowadays.” he teased, scrunching his nose up. “i’ll have to take your word on all of that. unfortunately, i never had much time for exploring when i made trips to europe.” that was one of his biggest regrets about his time spent as a pilot for a major airline. “i don’t fuck with hardcore drugs, but you know i’m always down for getting shitfaced. c’mon, i have a bunch of liquor stocked up at my apartment. luckily, i think cal is out with his boyfriend tonight so we won’t be annoying him.” he reached out to pat rhys on the back before leading the way toward the exit.

a small snort escaped sylvie as she cocked her head to the side in amusement, “you say that like it’s such a bad thing… teasing only makes the pleasure you receive in the end feel elevated.” she chuckled softly. “that is, of course, if i decided to allow whoever i’m with to reach that point.” she allowed her head to tilt to the side, granting leon further access to her skin as she held her eye-contact with the woman that was still entranced by them. “it’s a shame. virgins are always the most fun to tease, sometimes they can come just from that alone. they unravel completely at the simplest touches, their bodies just arching to be explored.” she chuckled and shook her head in amusement before allowing herself to pull away from leon slightly, creating some distance between their bodies. “but unfortunately, i think you’re right. we put on a show for nothing… and yet i still had fun.” she offered him a wink before running her hand down her best friend’s chest.

olaf couldn’t help but tilt his head to the side slightly the moment the other stated that he hoped he wouldn’t grow too accustomed to speaking with him, finding that statement to be a rather odd one considering how friendly they were being with one another. “well, lucky for both of us… i’m not usually in need of advice. so, i’m sure our next conversation will be more of a pleasant one!” he exclaimed, a bright smile spread across his features. “weirdly enough, usually i’m the one that’s handing out the advice. i’m not very good at it, but sometimes i say things out of a momentary streak of genius and it works.” he teased, a giggle spilling from his lips as he leaned against the bar’s surface slightly. “maybe i could repay you for listening to me vent by doing the same for you?” he suggested, staring up at kaz with an expecting expression.

binx’s gaze was fairly unwavering, a little intimidating even, as he watched the other finally put the large crystal slab down. it took everything in his body to resist the urge to roll his eyes at the other’s comment about his energy. “there is something wrong with your energy, otherwise i wouldn’t have commented on it. it’s overwhelming. but, i’m sure that you’ve been told that before.” he let out a gentle sigh as he shook his head slightly. “crystals and rocks absorb energy… if you knew that, i doubt you would be touching everything and leaving unwanted traces of yourself on everything.” his tone was rather deadpan as he finally forced his gaze away from the other. “crystals are a very personal thing, though. which as nice of a thought as sharing your energy is, i’d rather you avoid doing so.” maybe this was some sort of middle ground between his previous harsh comments.

ashton’s choice of costume was probably a bit on the ironic side because he came from an extremely wealthy family. but at heart, he still enjoyed fighting for the working class and giving back whenever he could. he had been lingering near an empty table when he was suddenly approached by a stranger, immediately enthralled by the other’s costume. it made him look as if he had just stepped out of a period drama. “i don’t think i’d necessarily see you as a villain, perhaps a tragic figure instead?” he teased, nose scrunching up slightly. “most people in real life end up finding themselves becoming a villain… and who can blame them when the world keeps knocking them down?” he paused, a smile dancing across his lips. “although i wasn’t aware this was a philosophy symposium, i thought it was a party.”

there was a glimmer of amusement that could be seen in jax’s eyes as he tilted his head to the side, “i never understood that… the whole fascination with someone or something unattainable.” he admitted. although, perhaps that was a little hypocritical of him to say considering how often he chased things he knew that he couldn’t. it wasn’t as if they were unattainable, they just probably should have been. the moment kaz offered his hand out to him, he paused for a moment and simply stared at it. he was allowing him to touch him? not even with his gloves on had he ever witnessed kaz allow anyone to take his hand. he didn’t have much time to dwell on that thought before kaz’s words snapped him out of the daze, “right, wouldn’t want to waste any more time.” he quickly allowed himself to take hold of kaz’s hand and decided to lead the other out onto the balcony. he didn’t want to be the cause of the other’s prolonged suffering amongst the claustrophobic crowd. “this is definitely ten times better, i feel like i can breathe out here.” he let out a gentle sigh of relief before his gaze flickered over toward kaz. “thank you for being my escape.”

while this dance wasn’t necessarily as extravagant as the past halloween events that he had attended on the upper east side, he still found himself enjoying his time there. he was in the process of finishing up his second flute of champagne when he was suddenly approached by a familiar face, surprised to see how winston was presently dressed. “damn, i have to compete with mickey of all people? i may have a mansion but i don’t have a castle.” he teased, a gentle chuckle falling from his lips. “i’ll gladly step in for him and tell you how pretty you look though.” he allowed himself to reach out and cup the other’s chin in his hand. “it’s funny… i thought people in a small town like this would be easier to impress, but they’re all up their own asses. they wouldn’t know a good time if it slapped them in the face.” he chuckled softly, shaking his head. that had been his main grievance about this whole town. “what about you? how do you not have a date? especially if you’re this touchy with everyone.”

recently, destin had decided to dress more for marshall than anyone else. they were so accustomed to fishing for attention from anyone and everyone, but now they only wanted one pair of eyes on them. even though they could feel eyes lingering on them due to the revealing nature of their playboy bunny costume, they wanted to see marshall’s reaction alone to it. when their eyes finally locked on the other, they felt a fluttering in their stomach. that sensation increased tenfold when their lips connected in a gentle kiss, allowing themself to melt into it as they draped their arms around marshall’s neck. “whoa, i wasn’t expecting that but i’m also not mad about it.” they chuckled softly as they brushed their nose playfully against marshall’s. “you afraid that people are gonna be checking me out? they can stare all they want but i only belong to you.” they whispered against marshall’s lips.

from the way that his name was said and the way the other seemed carefree when it came to using profanities in front of someone he just met, ted had a feeling he was in for quite the day. although it wasn’t necessarily something that bothered him, he was well-accustomed to people who needed time when it came to warming up to his overwhelming personality. “well, even if you don’t get first-day jitters it’ll be there for you. it’s mighty tasty, but you don’t gotta just take my word for it.” he encouraged, hoping that the other would change his mind and allow himself the chance to enjoy the frozen drink. he watched as roy stared down at the book that he had brought the other as a gift, a smile spreading across his lips. “it’s one of my favorite books. you kind of strike me as the meg murry type, an unlikely hero that has been dealt a tough hand. i might be wrong on that, but it’s an enjoyable book with a lot of good lessons in it.” he rambled. “a body is only as strong as the mind is, that’s something i always say to the kids i’ve coached. i think that should apply to the coaches as well.”

mike let out a gentle chuckle as he nodded his head slightly per the other’s words, “well, that’s true… you’re probably like the tallest person that i’ve ever seen. i’m kind of jealous but also a bit intimidated? if you were wearing something more threatening than a giraffe costume, i probably wouldn’t have had the courage to approach you.” he chuckled, slender fingers carding through his dark locks. “i’m fine though, but thank you for the offer anyway. a dance should suffice when it comes to making it up to me.” he teased as he proceeded to reach for the other’s hand, gently tugging on it before leading him out toward the dancefloor. luckily a more upbeat song was playing because mike was fairly hopeless when it came to slow-dancing. “i’m mike, by the way.” he introduced himself as he allowed his hands to settle on the other’s chest.

there was a glint of amusement in yunlan’s eyes the moment leon stated that he believed they looked perfect together. the look was followed by a gentle chuckle as he arched a brow, “perfect, huh? you better be careful with words like that… i might start thinking you like me more than just a fuck buddy.” he teased, an uncharacteristic playfulness to his tone. a small scoff fell from yunlan’s lips the moment leon made a small defensive remark about his comments, “i don’t make you out to be anything that you’re not, you do that all on your own.” it was so easy for him to mess with the other, but there was no malicious intent behind his comments make in regards to how protective the other was over his sister. in all honesty, he found it quite endearing. “i have no intention of abandoning you, that would make me look like a shitty date. besides, you promised i would get something in return for being your arm candy.” he felt this need to remind the other of their deal. despite not being overly confident in his abilities when it came to dancing, he allowed leon to guide him as he began to follow the other’s lead in a dance.

considering her dating history, rosalie hadn’t necessarily been expecting much from the bachelor bid date that she had unexpectedly won. but she was pleasantly surprised the moment she reached the small spot aside from the lake that sebastian had set up for their date, butterflies forming in the pit of her stomach. “i can’t believe how much effort you put into preparing this all, i have to say that i’m extremely impressed.” she allowed him to guide the way to a small boat that was waiting for them, stepping over the side and sitting on the wooden seat as she smoothed out the skirt of her dress. a small chuckle fell from her lips, “i’ll have to trust you on that. i think the risk of getting stranded might be worth it anyway.” she had always wanted to go for a late-night romantic boat ride. her cheeks flushed slightly at the compliment, gaze falling to her lap. “you’re far too kind.” praise was the one thing that never ceased to fuel her. she glanced up once more, “you look rather handsome yourself. i think i lucked out on the whole bidding selection.”