wasdaring

[wasdaring]

“  that  could  never  happen,  ”  he  insisted.  he  knew  he  wasn't  ever  going  to  get  sick  of  her.  he  didn't  leave  because  of  that,  he  left  because  he  thought  it  was  in  her  best  interest.  if  he  had  known  that  staying  would've  helped  him  protect  her,  he  never  would  have  left  her.  he  would  have  stayed  with  her.  he  blamed  himself  for  this,  even  if  he  tried  not  to  let  it  show  too  much.  he  wasn't  there  to  have  her  comfort  him,  he  was  there  to  comfort  her.  she'd  been  through  quite  the  ordeal,  and  he  wanted  to  do  whatever  he  could  to  make  things  a  little  easier  on  her.  he  wasn't  convinced  there  was  truly  anything  he  could  do  other  than  be  there  for  her  and  offer  his  support,  but  he  was  absolutely  do  anything  she  asked  of  him.  “  yeah,  i  am  here.  ”  he  wasn't  going  to  leave,  either.  he  sighed  softly,  relieved  to  have  her  in  his  arms.  she  was  going  to  be  safe  with  him,  he  was  certain  of  that  much.  he  swallowed  thickly  as  he  felt  her  lips  against  his  cheek.  he  didn't  think  he  deserved  that  kind  of  softness.  “  i  don't  know,  ”  he  admitted.  “  with  everything  going  on  ...  sleep's  been  the  last  thing  on  my  mind.  ”

She didn't think she could get sick of him. Maybe annoyed sometimes, but she would never get tired of seeing him. It's all she had wanted when he was gone. Even a glimpse to know he was okay would have made her day better when he had chosen to disappear. She shook her head and smiled. "You might get sick of me first." She almost didn't want to joke about it, but she wanted to see him smile again. It helped everything not feel so bad. The situation she was in was never one she expected to be in, and she wasn't used to being the one that needed help. "You're here if I really need something. I'm not worried." She was a little bit, but she didn't need to tell him that. She could hear the machines well enough to have an idea what was happening. Her body relaxed against him, and she tucked her face against his neck. She had waited for this for longer than she could remember. "That's not going to happen, Henry." She pressed a small kiss to his cheek and wiped a few of her tears off him. She didn't think he'd let something like this happen again if he could stop it. "When's the last time you slept?"

[wasdaring]

“  shut  up,  ”  she  said,  no  real  heat  to  her  words.  she  knew  she  wasn't  supposed  to  be  doing  this,  that  using  him  to  try  and  get  stephan  out  of  her  head  was  unwise.  as  long  as  nobody  else  found  out,  she  doubted  there'd  be  any  real  consequences  other  than  her  own  guilt.  at  least  miles  understood  that  she  didn't  want  to  talk,  she  just  wanted  to  fuck  and  move  on.  she  dragged  the  male  on  top  of  her,  nails  scraping  lightly  against  his  back.  she  didn't  expect  the  distraction  to  work  on  a  permanent  basis,  but  she  just  needed  it  to  work  for  the  night.  miles  had  been  good  last  time,  fulfilled  her  needs  and  didn't  stick  around  for  awkward  pillow  talk.  she'd  do  the  same  thing  to  him,  slip  out  once  they  were  done  and  never  speak  of  it  again  if  she  could.

"Is that what we're doing?" He laughed and shook his head. The teasing and the banter was the best part of Natalie. If she lost that bite, she wouldn't be nearly as entertaining to him. He returned the kiss with passion and pulled her in close. His hands were already running over her and slipping under the fabric of her shirt to take it off. Why waste time when they both knew what she came there for? He pulled back long enough to toss the shirt to the floor before he went back in for another long kiss. He had been wanting this again since the last time, but he was glad she was the one to crack and come to him.

[wasdaring]

she  knew  what  he  was  asking  of  her,  and  she  was  going  to  do  as  she  was  asked.  natalie  didn't  ask  questions,  she  did  as  she  was  told  when  it  came  to  cassius.  all  she  wanted  to  do  was  make  his  life  easier,  and  she  aimed  to  please.  “  while  gossip  may  be  my  specialty,  i  do  know  when  it's  unnecessary,  ”  she  informed  the  man.  “  i  am  perfectly  capable  of  being  discreet  and  you  should  know  that  by  now.  make  no  mistake,  i  will  be  incredibly  thorough.  i  take  my  obligations  here  very  seriously.  i  will  present  the  facts  as  i  see  them.  you  will  have  extensive  reports  on  everyone  in  the  pentavita.  i'll  give  you  my  own  personal  opinions  on  them  all  once  i've  conducted  my  research,  and  we  can  go  from  there.  ”

“  fortunately  for  you,  talking  to  him  is  one  of  my  talents.  ”  she  had  a  good  relationship  with  levi,  it  was  one  she  valued  deeply  even  if  she  didn't  share  that  with  him.  she  might've  teased  the  guy,  but  she  cared  about  him,  and  she  would  do  whatever  she  had  to  do  to  help  him  when  he  needed  it.  plenty  of  people  felt  comfortable  around  her,  and  nat  wasn't  sure  why  that  was  the  case.  she  wasn't  the  most  open  person,  but  she  did  think  she  was  relatively  easy  to  talk  to  about  most  things.  “  i'll  make  sure  they  all  know.  i  can  get  the  message  across.  i  don't  mince  my  words  ...  they'll  know  that.  ”

“  you  can  count  on  me  to  ensure  that  everyone  is  very  much  on  the  same  page.  i  will  not  let  them  make  you  look  like  a  fool.  okay  ?  ”  she  was  loyal,  cared  about  her  people.  she  didn't  need  anyone  causing  them  any  issues,  though.  if  she  needed  to  eliminate  an  issue,  she  would.  she  had  her  priorities  in  line,  and  she  knew  that  much  about  herself.  “  you  won't  regret  trusting  me.  i'm  as  good  as  they  come.  ”

cassius  let  the  ghost  comment  pass  without  a  smirk,  though  her  quip  about  overdressing  earned  the  faintest  twitch  at  the  corner  of  his  mouth.  he  didn’t  have  to  say  it—he  trusted  nat.  always  had.  that  was  why  this  fell  on  her.

“i get that ,”  he  said  finally,  tone  even.  “but  this  isn’t  about  who  i  think  might  be  a  threat. its out cleaning house  i  need  you  to  find  out.  quietly.    no  gossip,  no  guessing.   i  want  facts.”  he  leaned  back  in  his  chair,  watching  her  over  the  rim  of  his  glass.  “we’ve  had  too  many  close  calls  lately,  too  many  mistakes.  that  stops  now.”

he  nodded  toward  the  door,  the  unspoken  signal  already  clear.  “talk  to  levi.  he’s  working  to  get  our  house  in  order.  help  him.  you’ve  got  eyes  where  he  doesn’t,  and  people  talk  to  you  in  ways  they  won’t  with  him.  use  that.  and  make  it  clear—if  anyone  slips  again,  if  they  fuck  around  when  they  should  be  working,  there  are  consequences.”  his  voice  dropped  lower,  more  deliberate.  “and  i’m  not  talking  about  a  slap  on  the  wrist.  they  need  to  know  i’m  not  the  same  as  the  dons  before  me.  none  of  us  are.”

he  set  his  glass  down,  leaning  forward  slightly  so  the  weight  of  his  next  words  landed.  “this  is  fresh  blood.  we  built  it  different.  we’ll  run  it  smarter.  and  when  the  history  books  talk  about  the  pentavita,  i  want  it  to  be  crystal  clear  who  the  better  crew   really  was.  that  starts  with  making  sure  our  people  are  good.  loyal.  sharp.  and  not  fucking  stupid.”

a  pause.  then,  softer—but  no  less  serious,  “i  gave  this  to  you  because  i  trust  you,  nat.  don’t  make  me  regret  it.”

[wasdaring]

margot  had  been  making  it  a  personal  goal  to  go  out  and  spend  some  time  with  herself  at  least  once  a  week.  she  had  been  pretty  good  about  committing  to  it.  she'd  set  her  sights  on  a  restaurant  that  day,  a  quick  solo  meal  that  still  met  her  goal.  she  was  enjoying  a  sandwich  and  a  long  island  iced  tea.  she  wasn't  looking  for  any  company,  but  she  wasn't  necessarily  opposed  to  it,  either.  so,  when  the  other  had  gotten  her  attention,  margot  looked  in  her  direction,  brows  furrowing  slightly.  she  looked  a  little  ...  messy.  her  stained  hands  were  the  first  thing  that  caught  her  attention.  it  was  clear  what  was  being  asked  of  her,  it  just  took  the  woman  by  complete  surprise.

“  we're  complete  strangers  and  you  want  me  to  feed  you  a  sandwich  ?  ”  margot  asked  skeptically,  blinking  in  confusion.  sadly,  it  wasn't  the  most  absurd  request  she'd  ever  gotten.  she  met  a  lot  of  unique  people  over  the  course  of  her  life.  “  we're  complete  strangers  and  you  want  me  to  feed  you  a  sandwich  ?  ”  she  considered  it  before  shrugging.  “  sure,  okay  ...  why  not,  ”  margot  stated.  “  i've  got  nothing  better  to  do.  ”  she  moved  to  join  the  other,  bringing  her  lunch  with  her  as  she  sat  with  the  stranger.  “  my  name's  margot,  ”  she  told  her.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀location ; ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀for ; closed for ( @wasdaring ) .ᐟ

the cheap pair of sunglasses she’d dubbed adequate eye protection kept sliding down her nose . not that it mattered at that current moment it was food time . it was almost comical , she was posted up at the little umbrella-covered table outside the café where she was working for the day , her face splattered with a constellation of spray paint freckles in varying shades and her hands still coated in streaks of spray paint with the sandwich begging to be eaten sat in front of her . she sat there for a beat , holding her hands aloft , the gears visibly turning behind her eyes as she tried figure out her next move . wiggling her fingers helplessly , and then turned just slightly to glance at the table behind her where someone else sat . " pssst , " what a glorious attempt at getting someones attention . " wanna have a soul-bonding moment and help a girl out ? "

[wasdaring]

“  i'm  not  much  of  a  reader,  but  i'll  take  your  word  for  it,  ”  henry  told  her.  he  was  sure  she  was  probably  right.  his  comment  hadn't  been  all  that  sincere  anyways.  he  had  no  intentions  of  reading  murder  novels  in  the  first  place.  why  would  he  when  he  was  already  heavily  involved  in  the  world  of  crime  ?  he  didn't  need  to  read  a  book  to  see  some  gruesome  shit.  that  was  just  a  normal  tuesday  in  their  world.  henry  listened  to  her  talk,  nodding  politely.  she  wasn't  wrong,  not  the  slightest  bit.  there  didn't  always  need  to  be  some  intricate  backstory  and  weird  motive.  sometimes,  it  really  was  as  simple  as  one  person  making  the  wrong  choice  and  paying  the  ultimate  price  for  their  foolish  decision.  “  yeah,  sometimes  it  is  just  that  simple.  i  agree.  it  doesn't  always  have  to  tie  into  anything  deep  or  like  ...  childhood  trauma  or  whatever.  not  everyone  knows  that,  though.  plus  ...  i'm  pretty  sure  nobody  would  wanna  read  a  book  about  a  guy  getting  killed  for  pissing  off  the  wrong  guy.  that's  why  they  make  them  so  dramatic,  ”  he  said,  shrugging.  “  if  they  did  want  that,  they'd  probably  just  watch  some  true  crime  podcast  or  something  with  all  the  facts  already  there.  ”

he  chuckled  at  her  words,  nodding  in  acknowledgement.  he  didn't  think  he  gave  off  demure  vibes.  “  well,  at  least  you're  observant.  ”  he  wasn't  sure  how  he  felt  about  her  accurately  reading  him.  it  was  scarily  accurate,  but  he  kept  that  thought  to  himself.  “  i'm  only  a  nightmare  when  someone's  begging  for  it,  ”  he  paused.  “  henry.  and  you  are  ?  ”

“a-fucking-men,” alma muttered, lifting her beer and tipping it toward him in a lazy mock-toast before taking a slow sip. he reminded her of home. not in some sentimental, heartstrings way. but in the way a scar might remind you of how you got it. same rough energy. same half-feral calm that said i don’t start shit, but i won’t stop it either. “mm. murder novels are horseshit,” she said after a beat, setting the bottle back down with a dull thud. “always so fuckin’ dramatic. some tortured backstory. daddy issues and a bunch of red herrings.” she reached for one of the fries that had just been dropped in front of her by the bartender; greasy, over-salted, maybe microwaved twice. but she didn’t seem to care. food was food. “sometimes it’s simpler than that,” she added, tone flattening. “guy pisses off the wrong guy. wrong guy puts a bullet in his skull. that’s it. no ten-step plan. no cryptic clues.”

when he called himself a menace, she let out a low scoff through her nose and gave him a once-over. “coulda called that one,” she said, tone edged with faint amusement. “nothin’ about your energy says timid.” she reached for another fry. still warm. barely. "bet you’re a fuckin’ nightmare when you wanna be. call it a hunch.” a pause. her eyes glanced back to his, steady. “got a name?”

[wasdaring]

she  nodded  at  the  woman's  words,  lips  pressing  together.  those  were  not  methods  natalie  would  recommend  herself.  “  sure,  those  have  cut  it  for  you  before,  but  you  can't  guarantee  they'll  always  be  effective.  you  want  some  genuine  tips  ?  ”  she  didn't  give  her  time  to  actually  answer  before  she  carried  on  with  some  of  her  own  advice.  “  start  carrying  a  gun.  maybe  a  knife  if  a  gun's  too  intimidating  to  you.  even  a  taser  or  pepper  spray  could  save  your  life.  take  some  self  defense  classes.  be  prepared  for  all  obstacles  and  any  potential  ambushes.  ”  nat  was  just  looking  out  for  the  blonde,  didn't  want  to  see  anything  happen  to  her.  “  do  you  know  where  all  the  exits  are  in  here  ?  because  you  should.  case  every  place  you  walk  into,  and  look  for  all  potential  exits  and  makeshift  weapons  if  necessary.  ”  perhaps  that  wasn't  what  irina  was  necessarily  looking  for,  but  she  figured  she'd  offer  the  sage  advice  regardless.  “  lookin'  pretty  might've  been  enough  in  the  past,  but  it's  not  going  to  be  enough  forever.  ”

natalie  made  sure  she  thanked  the  server  before  returning  her  attention  to  irene.  she  liked  her,  she  was  decent  company.  natalie  didn't  consider  herself  the  type  of  person  who  had  many  friends,  but  she  was  friendly  enough  with  the  blonde.  “  painkillers  crushed  into  orange  juice  sounds  like  a  pretty  shitty  idea,  so  you're  probably  not  wrong  about  that,  ”  she  surmised,  nose  scrunching  up  at  the  thought.  “  none  yet,  but  i'm  not  planning  on  giving  up.  i'm  gonna  find  out  who  did  this.  i  don't  care  how  long  it  takes.  ”

“how do i protect myself?” she echoed, softer this time, the words curling like smoke in the space between them. “i try to stay useful. keep things quiet. keep moving. sometimes that’s enough.” it wasn’t a strategy so much as muscle memory. unlike her siblings or any of the men in the bratva, irina had never been taught how to fight. never held a gun. never needed to. that was the irony. they called her delicate, so they kept her that way. not trained, not armed. just dressed up and kept out of the way. so she learned to survive differently. “and looking good never hurts,” she added, glancing at natalie with the ghost of a smile. “i’ve dodged worse just by smiling at the right time. letting people underestimate me. leaning into it. why, you want to teach me how to fight, nat?"

the server returned with their drinks on a silver tray, and irina thanked them absently, fingers already curling around her glass like it anchored her. she turned back, eyes catching the slot machine’s lazy glow. with a flick of her wrist, she pulled the lever again like a ritual. “booze is generous,” she murmured, “knowing him, it’s either that or painkillers crushed into orange juice or something." but it was the shift in natalie’s tone, the mention of who put neo in the hospital, that straightened her posture. irina didn’t let it show much, but her gaze sharpened. “do you have any leads?” she asked lightly, eyes still on the spinning reels.

[wasdaring]

he  was  only  still  around  because  he  was  choosing  to  keep  busy.  if  he  buried  himself  in  work,  he  wouldn't  have  time  to  panic  over  avery  and  end  up  doing  something  stupid.  “  i  know  leaving's  a  choice,  miguel,  ”  he  told  him,  a  faint  nod  of  the  head  following.  obviously  it  was  a  choice.  it  just  didn't  make  any  sense  to  him,  no  matter  how  much  he  tried  to  comprehend  it.  miguel  was  young.  he  must've  had  some  sort  of  life  to  get  to  outside  of  his  career  in  hacking.  the  guy  confused  him.  half  the  time,  henry  wondered  if  he  even  knew  what  he'd  really  involved  himself  in.  the  guy  was  kind,  he  shouldn't  have  been  mixed  up  in  this  shit.  “  no  ...  it's  not  a  bad  thing.  i  just  don't  understand  why  you're  choosing  to  stay,  ”  he  admitted,  confused.

It was getting late, sure—but Miguel was used to that. Late nights, early mornings, it all blurred together when you were up tinkering with code or running updates that never seemed to end. Sleep came second to progress. He raised a brow, arms casually crossed as he leaned against the wall. “Leaving’s a choice,” he said, voice even but steady. “I’m choosing to stay.” There was something in Henry’s demeanor—tight in the shoulders, distant in the eyes—that didn’t sit right with him. Most people would back off, maybe get uncomfortable with the silence or that unreadable look Henry sometimes wore. But Miguel? He wasn’t most people. He had a habit of showing up when it mattered, even if the other person didn’t ask. “Is that a bad thing?” he asked, with a half-smile—not pushing, just letting the offer linger.

[wasdaring]

“  don't  worry  about  my  motives,  ”  she  told  him,  flashing  him  a  grin.  she  didn't  necessarily  have  any  ulterior  motives  when  it  came  to  miles  presently,  but  that  could  always  change  in  the  future.  she  hardly  even  considered  herself  as  being  all  that  nice  to  the  guy.  he  was  a  smart  choice  to  invite  home.  he  wasn't  annoying,  and  she  knew  that  he  wouldn't  overstay  his  welcome.  she  always  hated  when  people  did  that.  the  sex  was  never  anything  but  meaningless  for  her.  she'd  only  had  meaningful  sex  with  one  person,  and  she  wasn't  interested  in  thinking  about  him  that  night.  the  woman  sighed  as  they  stepped  outside,  gaze  scanning  the  streets.  she  was  always  vigilant,  even  in  the  company  of  someone  else.  “  the  car  will  be  here  in  about  five  minutes.  ”

"I don't mind it, but it does make me think you got some ulterior motives or something." He couldn't think of a time he had seen her be nice to anyone, but he didn't play that close of attention to her. Maybe she had it in her somewhere. Everyone could be nice, but it wasn't natural to some. He laughed and shook his head. He didn't care if she bought her drinks or not if he was getting something out of it. He could foot a bill every now and then. "Sounds good to me." He smiled and watched as she tapped on her phone. He didn't want to waste time, and it didn't seem like she did either. And if they went to her place, he could slip out and avoid the awkward conversation in the morning.

[wasdaring]

PARKS AND RECREATION 7.04 – leslie and ron

[wasdaring]

emilylind: Here’s room five-four-six It’s enough to make you sick

[wasdaring]

“  you  seem  really  confident  about  that,  ”  he  remarked,  a  faint  smile  tugging  at  his  lips.  it  was  a  smile  reserved  only  for  her  ;  soft  and  genuine.  she  continued  to  be  the  only  person  who  he'd  ever  felt  anything  genuine  for  on  a  level  that  surpassed  friendship,  and  he  was  certain  that  avery  would  always  be  that  one  exception  for  him.  “  i  do  trust  you.  ”  he  trusted  her  more  than  anyone.  he  was  just  concerned,  and  no  amount  of  attempted  reassurances  could  ever  change  that  for  him.  he  knew  she  was  tired,  and  he  was  worried  she  wasn't  actually  going  to  take  his  advice  and  give  it  all  a  rest.  “  yeah,  i'm  trying  this  new  thing  where  i  decide  to  be  more  ...  responsible.  ”  he  wasn't  sure  how  long  his  commitment  to  doing  so  would  last.  he  noticed  the  distance,  knew  that  he  could  make  himself  more  comfortable,  but  he  still  sat  on  the  edge  of  the  bed,  unsure  of  whether  or  not  getting  closer  was  a  smart  idea.  “  i'd  probably  just  tell  'em  to  grow  up  and  do  it.  i'd  say you  only  live  once.  shit  like  that.  ”

"I'm going to be right about a lot more things tonight. Including this bad advice you want to give me so badly." She laughed and smiled at him. It was so easy to be comfortable with him. The anger and upset could come back tomorrow. She was happy to see him and know where he was. It felt like a relief that she didn't know she needed. But the tiredness was winning more the longer she teased him. "Then trust me that I would ask for help if I really needed it. I'm fine. Just a little tired, but we all get like that sometimes." She was downplaying it, but there was no point in sharing everything that had been bothering her. She watched him take a seat on the edge of the bed and smiled. "Wow. I'm impressed." She scooted over and made room if he wanted to be more comfortable. "Well, what's the best that you can give me? Or maybe, what advice would you give someone that was scared to do something?"

[wasdaring]

“  like  i  said,  i  think  it  compliments  you  nicely.  ”  she  wasn't  going  to  explicitly  say  that  she  liked  the  pink  hair,  even  if  she  did.  she'd  already  paid  out  a  compliment  to  him,  she  didn't  want  him  thinking  she  was  handing  them  out  like  free  samples.  “  one  winning  spin  doesn't  mean  you're  a  good  luck  charm.  don't  go  inflating  your  own  ego  just  yet,  ”  she  told  him,  lips  pressing  together  to  discourage  the  smirk  that  threatened  to  form  on  her  features.  “  i'm  sure  there  are  plenty  of  people  here  you  could  encourage  to  buy  you  a  drink.  why  would  i  wanna  blow  money  i  just  won  ?  isn't  the  point  to  leave  here  richer  than  i  came  in  ?  ”  she  asked,  head  canting  slightly.  the  money,  of  course,  was  nothing  to  her.  she  could  easily  spend  it  without  care,  but  she  found  more  amusement  in  messing  with  him.  she'd  consider  buying  him  a  drink  before  the  night  ended,  though.  if  he  played  his  cards  right.  “  okay,  sure.  if  you  can  show  me  a  fun  time  tonight  ...  i'll  buy  you  a  drink  and  think  about  wanting  to  keep  you  around.  ”

a sickly sweet smile forms on his lips as he takes a sip of his drink. “are you saying you like my pink hair?” he asks teasingly. he was actually quite enjoying his time with natalie, surprisingly enough, even if his shoes were still on the edge of her seat (thankfully, he hadn’t even thought about getting them on her dress yet) kenjie actually knows when something is designer. kenjie’s wallet could never afford something like that but at least she was wearing it well. “told you i work as a good luck charm.” he says with a big cheeky grin on his lips. “how ‘bout you get us the next round of drinks with that? maybe you’ll decide that i’m not that bad to keep around.” he says teasingly as he finishes off his drink and pushes it aside for the bartender. “I swear i’m not that bad to keep around. i can actually be a fun time, do you want me to show you tonight?” he asks, his amber hues flickering to her, with an amused smile on his lips.

[wasdaring]

“  vampires  are  more  up  your  alley  if  you  ask  me.  but  who  says  you  can't  be  a  vampire  and  a  chef,  though  ?  don't  sell  yourself  short,  levi.  ”  he  was  easy  to  tease,  nat  had  always  enjoyed  messing  with  him,  and  she  didn't  see  it  stopping  any  time  soon.  levi  just  made  it  easy,  and  she  doubted  he  was  even  trying  to  do  that.  she  didn't  envy  his  position.  her  own  was  exhausting  enough,  she  imagined  it  was  much  worse  for  him.  at  least  he  still  managed  some  sort  of  work  -  life  balance.  she  was  proud  of  him  for  that.  she  didn't  want  to  have  to  drag  him  out  by  the  ear  and  force  the  guy  to  have  a  good  time.  “  me  ?  just  the  usual.  breaking  hearts  ...  trying  to  find  answers.  i  like  to  keep  busy.  i  get  restless  if  i'm  not  doing  something  for  too  long.  you  know  ?  ”  at  least,  she  was  when  things  were  too  chaotic  for  her  liking.  the  veil  nonsense  made  nat  always  want  to  keep  busy,  to  try  and  stay  a  step  ahead.  “  look  at  you  making  all  these  positive  changes  to  your  life.  i'm  impressed.  ”

things were weird in life lately, but natalie made everything seem a little less chaotic and weird. “i just was told i should be a chef in my next life if this whole underboss thing doesn’t work out, now you’re telling me i should play a vampire in the next vampire movie. i think i might have unknown talents i should embark on this year.” he says with a shrug. though really the underboss thing has been working out well for levi for a while, a lot longer than he expected to work out. levi was starting to get to know people like natalie and other people in empire builds. this world had sort of just landed in his lap. It was kind of unexpected, but he’s not completely mad about it, despite the fact he is now trying to learn to navigate it on his own. “so, what have you been doing recently? i’d be avoiding my office too, with the lack of windows if i were you.” he says teasingly. “it’s been a minute since we last caught up. i’m trying this new thing or whatever– trying to make myself available to people.”

[wasdaring]

“  your  secret's  safe  with  me,  ”  she  told  her,  laughing  slightly.  “  a  good  chef  is  hard  to  come  by.  i  would  never  take  one  away  from  you.  ”  she  was  well  aware  of  the  dynamic  between  cassius  and  her  best  friend.  natalie  kept  her  opinions  to  herself.  she  knew  that  she  wasn't  in  any  position  to  judge.  her  own  love  life  was  far  from  perfect.  really,  it  was  basically  just  nonexistent.  she  preferred  keeping  it  that  way  after  the  last  time.  “  unfortunately,  i  don't  see  that  changing.  people  aren't  going  to  start  listening  better  just  because  we  say  they  should.  ”  she  wished  it  was  that  simple.  “  well,  he  wouldn't  be  neo  if  he  didn't  cause  the  occasional  problem,  ”  nat  pointed  out  before  shrugging.  “  it  does  sound  perfect,  yeah.  i'm  sure  we  can  make  it  happen,  even  if  it's  only  for  a  few  days.  we'll  make  it  work.  ”

What Violet had with Natalie was not something that could ever be replicated. She had found her person in her, and she didn't always put it into words, but Natalie knew how she felt. Violet would do anything for her, and she was sure the feeling was mutual. "He does. Don't tell Cassius. I can't afford to lose this one. He's the best chef I've had so far." She laughed and looked again at the kitchen. Even if her ex wanted to tell her to get rid of him, she wouldn't listen. But it would save an argument maybe. "Oh it is. People need to learn to listen better." There were a number of people on that list and it seemed to grow longer every day. She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Neo is always causing problems. We have to plan something before the year is over. I need a few days on the beach with you. A drink in my hand and a handsome waiter at our call. Doesn't it sound perfect?"

[wasdaring]

“  amateur,  ”  she  told  him  teasingly.  she  could  safely  say  she'd  never  been  to  the  hospital  on  the  account  of  excessive  alcohol  consumption,  and  she  hoped  she  never  would.  it  seemed  incredibly  unpleasant  and  she  could  think  of  better  ways  to  spend  her  week.  “  no  plans  ...  just  goin'  with  the  flow,  huh  ?  i  like  your  style.  ”  margot  shrugged,  lips  pursing  slightly.  “  nothing  set  in  stone  for  me.  ”

“i was in the hospital this week. drank too much. kind of don’t want to drink for the rest of the month.” he says with a shrug. had he been back to the roofline since? he doesn’t recall. his eyes were looking a little more hollow these days. “dunno yet, i might just see where today takes me.” he says with a shrug. “got to do some work later tonight, but other than that i’m mostly free. what about you?”

[wasdaring]

as  long  as  she  promised,  he  was  going  to  believe  her.  he  wanted  to  keep  her  safe,  and  he  could  only  do  that  if  she  was  communicating  with  him.  he  would  look  out  for  her,  and  henry  knew  that  avery  was  well  aware  of  that.  he  could  sympathize  with  her  decision  to  not  tell  him,  even  if  he  desperately  wished  that  she  had.  all  of  this  could've  possibly  been  avoided.  “  i  believe  you,  ”  he  said,  nodding.  he  had  to  chuckle  at  that,  head  shaking  slightly.  “  i  don't  know  about  that  ...  i  think  you  could  definitely  get  pretty  sick  of  me.  ”  he  wasn't  trying  to  hover,  or  be  in  the  way.  he  just  wanted  to  be  there  with  her,  keep  a  watchful  eye  on  the  blonde.  “  you  might  be  the  professional,  but  i'm  still  worried  about  you,  ”  he  argued.  he  didn't  want  avery  to  strain  herself  in  any  way,  he  would  get  her  anything  and  everything  that  she  needed.  all  he  cared  about,  was  her  making  a  full  recovery.  it  was  the  only  thing  she  needed  to  concern  herself  with  as  far  as  he  was  concerned.  his  brows  furrowed,  a  worried  expression  crossing  his  features  when  she  began  to  cry.  was  she  in  pain  ?  did  he  say  something  wrong  ?  his  questions  all  died  in  his  head  when  she  told  him  she  loved  him  too.  henry  sighed  contently.  he  was  cautious  as  he  allowed  himself  to  hold  her,  didn't  want  to  cause  her  any  accidental  harm.  “  i  was  worried  about  the  same  thing,  ”  he  confessed.  “  i  thought  i'd  lost  you  forever.  ”

The guilt she felt from worrying him weighed heavy as she looked at him. There was no way he wasn't tired, and she wanted him to get the rest he deserved too. But she wanted him to stay with her even if whatever sleep he got would be interrupted and probably terrible. She nodded again and her pinky squeezed against his. "I promise, and I mean it this time." She had broken her promise last time, but she wouldn't make that mistake again. He was there for her, and she knew he wouldn't let her down. The only thing that mattered to her was right now, and she laughed. "I could never get sick of you." She meant her words. She had missed him when he was gone. The worry had been something she had dealt with in silence, but she felt it every day. "Who's the professional, Henry? I lay back down in a few minutes." He was right, but she could be stubborn when she wanted to be. She only stopped moving when she heard those words, and she looked at him and felt herself start to cry again. There was no holding back the tears that came, and she didn't try. She reached for him and tried to pull him to her. "i love you too, henry." She waited till her arms where around him before she let herself relax against him. "I was so scared I'd never see you again."

[wasdaring]

avery  was  alive.  icu,  but  still  alive.  that  was  what  mattered  most  to  henry.  he  was  going  to  be  there  for  her,  didn't  want  to  let  anything  happen  to  the  woman  again.  “   sorry  your  birthday  kinda  sucked,   ”  he  half  -  joked.  he  didn't  want  to  deal  with  any  tense  encounters.  he'd  dealt  with  more  than  enough  of  those  in  the  past  several  days  to  last  him  a  lifetime.  “   not  yet.  i  haven't  been  allowed  in  yet.  i'm  still  waiting.   ”

Feeling his arms come up around her brought her a small sense of ease. God, today has been so fucked up. "Hey," She whispered as she held onto him. She was another year older, and for what? What was this life? Having to live in fear? Having her friends taken. This was fucked up. "Better now that I know she's okay." She whispered as she pulled back to look at him. "Have you... have you seen her yet?"