abitoutoftime

[abitoutoftime]

“Did no one ever teach you, that when you try to touch a Goddess, when you treat her like she is property, you are playing with divine fire and you and everything you love will burn?”

— Nikita Gill, “Helen of Troy”

[abitoutoftime]

[abitoutoftime]

miley cyrus updates the lyrics of santa baby

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you know, if an adult is a nice person that’s not “innocence.” they learned how to actively be a good person. they’re not some eternal child

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slide into my dms if u wanna plot or run a thread w my girl!!

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Reynas blue eyes glittered in amusement, leaning forward to leave only a few mere inches between them. She was ballsy when it came to moments like this, honestly. And someone had made the mistake of allowing her to drink a little - despite being two years too young. She was sober, though, completely aware.

“Ask nicely? Aren’t I doing you a favour?” She asked, tone coy. Her painted red lips curved up slightly into a smirk, shadows dancing across her face in the dim bar. This man was certainly attractive and she could be hanging off the arm of someone less so. She glanced over at his ex wife, sparing her only a split second look before her eyes returned to the man. She leaned forward again, eyes locked on his. “How upset do you think she would be if you kissed me?”

Reyna was there on behalf of one of her customers. She’d gotten an invite as a thank you. Fancy places weren’t exactly her norm, though she knew how to behave. She did seem mildly surprised at the man’s request, before she gave him a happy smile.

She laughed, leaning forward and resting her hand on his upper arm. She leaned forward again to murmur in his ear. “How chummy do you want? Because I’m just going to hit on you unless you correct me.”

Fancy was relative to who it was fancy to. Giulio, in more ways than one, felt right at home at the bar. The dim lights, the well-crafted drinks, the gorgeous company. His ex-wife’s contempt at the hand that now rested on his upper arm. Ah yes, all very familiar.

The critic huffed a laugh, shaking his head as his body leaned forward. He familiarized himself with the space between them, letting his eyes gauge the other’s expression as he tested the waters. “I hate to break it to you, but getting hit on by a gorgeous woman isn’t exactly a punishment for someone like me.” He let out a sly grin. “So by all means, feel free to be as chummy as you can handle. I may be chummy back if you ask nicely.”

[abitoutoftime]

Gentle Reminder: You’re soft and pure and deserve respect.

[abitoutoftime]

*acts innocent but thinks about riding the fuck out of you*

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Reyna started braiding his hair. Or...she was attempting to, at least. She leaned forward, doing her damn best to make him look pretty. “You’d be surprised at the shitty guys out there, Benny baby,” she said simply, giving him a small smile. “And hmm...maybe I kind of like guys to be slight assholes. Maybe.” Which was one reason her and Bennett got along. He wasn’t exactly an asshole, just straightforward.

reyna ! 

He stiffened. And not in the ‘oh god, I’m getting turned on’ way reyna was used to. No, he was uncomfortable. So as soon as he spoke, she was moving back into her own seat, though she remained close so she could play with his hair. She threw her legs back into his lap with a murmured apology and pat to his head. Reyna was soon enough carding her hands through his soft hair again, contentedly playing with it. “Fuck if I know? I want someone I get along with, obviously. Like…someone I’m not going to constantly get into huge fights with.”

bennett waved the apology away, slowly coming back to his calm, collected state. or, at least as calm and collected as he always tried to emulate. “if that’s your only criteria, the bar is low. no one wants to be getting into fights with their partner now, do they?” bennett shook his head decisively at his own question. “course not. i can’t wingman for you if that’s all you’re giving me to go off of.” never mind that bennett would be the worst possible wingman on earth.

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He stiffened. And not in the ‘oh god, I’m getting turned on’ way reyna was used to. No, he was uncomfortable. So as soon as he spoke, she was moving back into her own seat, though she remained close so she could play with his hair. She threw her legs back into his lap with a murmured apology and pat to his head. Reyna was soon enough carding her hands through his soft hair again, contentedly playing with it. “Fuck if I know? I want someone I get along with, obviously. Like...someone I’m not going to constantly get into huge fights with.”

reyna ! 

Reyna shrugged. “I guess.” He just wasn’t out of the closet, really. Her brother was her soft spot; she tended to be over protective. She snorted at her friend’s words and moved so she was carefully straddling his thighs, a few inches between them. She set his hands on her hips. “This,” she said slowly, lips twitching, wanting to pull into a smile, “is cuddling.” She ran a hand through his soft hair with a quiet hum before answering. “Yes.” She laughed a little before actually telling him. “I like both. But my type kind of just depends on the person.”

oh. oh man. here was the thing. touching, affection, all that — it was such foreign territory to bennett. he almost preferred it that way, liked having his own bubble and respecting the bubbles of others. and sure, there’d been times - people - in the past that had been exceptions, but only after what felt like ages getting to a point of comfort. and reyna is his friend, sure, but that didn’t quell the sudden rush of nerves that flooded his system. his brain went haywire. any other guy with a pretty girl in their lap would be living the life, but bennett could feel himself suddenly overwhelmed with apprehension. scarlet flushed across the back of his neck as he nodded slowly, pulling his hands back. it was nothing personal, never was. it was just so far out of bennett’s wheelhouse. “right. okay. up you get,” he quipped casually, nodding back towards reyna’s seat. “but you can keep playing with my hair. that feels okay.” he nodded once she’d returned to her own seat, though his back was still a bit rigid as he shifted some. “okay. personality wise. what’re you into?" 

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Reyna shrugged. “I guess.” He just wasn’t out of the closet, really. Her brother was her soft spot; she tended to be over protective. She snorted at her friend’s words and moved so she was carefully straddling his thighs, a few inches between them. She set his hands on her hips. “This,” she said slowly, lips twitching, wanting to pull into a smile, “is cuddling.” She ran a hand through his soft hair with a quiet hum before answering. “Yes.” She laughed a little before actually telling him. “I like both. But my type kind of just depends on the person.”

reyna ! 

“Yeah. He is. But he’s also never dated a guy,” she pointed out. Reyna had been kidding about them dating in the first place. Was Bennett actually interested in romeo? She made a mental note to double check with him later. “This is cuddling enough, dumb dumb. And it isn’t like people touch me often. A bunch of people associate my name with ‘mob boss’, which isn’t technically what I am.” She hummed and leaned into him, giving him an amused grin. “I am. I’m the love of your life, obviously.” She laughed at his question, eyes sparkling. “If I’m dating you, not well. But yeah, it’s non existent right now. I’m kind of looking for a fling. Hookup.”

“good on him. guys are fools.” took one to know one, eh? bennett pulled a face, sticking his tongue out reyna’s direction. “words hurt, babe. sure i don’t have any experience cuddling anyway, y'know. could get boxed in the jaw and it’d be all the same - just touching, albeit a bit harder than usual.” he scoffed and waved away reyna’s insult, well aware it was all in good fun. “yeah? i may know some people. girls, guys. what’s your type?”

[abitoutoftime]

Strugglin from the womb to the tomb

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“Yeah. He is. But he’s also never dated a guy,” she pointed out. Reyna had been kidding about them dating in the first place. Was Bennett actually interested in romeo? She made a mental note to double check with him later. “This is cuddling enough, dumb dumb. And it isn’t like people touch me often. A bunch of people associate my name with ‘mob boss’, which isn’t technically what I am.” She hummed and leaned into him, giving him an amused grin. “I am. I’m the love of your life, obviously.” She laughed at his question, eyes sparkling. “If I’m dating you, not well. But yeah, it’s non existent right now. I’m kind of looking for a fling. Hookup.”

reyna ! 

Reyna snorted at his questions, moving to test her legs in his lap. “Trust me, He is. He just…well, him and his beard just ended things so he’s single for the first time in like three years.” She drummed her fingers on the table. If Bennett ever met Romeo, she’d have to threaten him to make sure he didn’t let on that he knew Romeo was gay. “Uh huh. You know cuddling’s not that hard, right?” She gestured at her legs in his lap. “And you love me. I am your girlfriend, after all.” She was clearly joking, punctuating her sentence with an air kiss.

bennett rested his arms across reyna’s legs, sinking back with a slow sigh. “three years. so he’s a commitment kinda’ guy.” considering bennett’s longest relationship had lasted only a couple months and ended just a short while ago, that was already a tall order. he turned to watch reyna speak, then followed her gaze to her legs in his lap. “this is hardly cuddling. if you’re feeling some sort of intimacy out of this, reyna, i don’t know what to tell you.” bennett chuckled, shaking his head slowly in endearment. “fucking hell. sure, of course you are. what about you, then? what’s your love life looking like?”

[abitoutoftime]

Reyna snorted at his questions, moving to test her legs in his lap. “Trust me, He is. He just...well, him and his beard just ended things so he’s single for the first time in like three years.” She drummed her fingers on the table. If Bennett ever met Romeo, she’d have to threaten him to make sure he didn’t let on that he knew Romeo was gay. “Uh huh. You know cuddling’s not that hard, right?” She gestured at her legs in his lap. “And you love me. I am your girlfriend, after all.” She was clearly joking, punctuating her sentence with an air kiss.

reyna ! 

“You’re definitely thinking too much. Tinder’s like Grindr but for straight people.” Reyna herself had used tinder before for quick hookups and such, so she wasn’t new to it. But Bennett’s cluelessness was new; the app was so straightforward, she didn’t understand his hesitation and confusion. She snorted and nudged his leg right back. “Uh huh. More like I know you’re too wimpy to ask him out so it’s safe for me to say that.” Did he know her brother? She didn’t think so, but she didn’t know. “Damn right we would. I’d demand physical affection for my troubles. And id want to be able to call you my side hoe.”

“for straight people? no wonder it’s fucking confusing,” bennett murmured flatly, though he was quick to tack a wink to the end of his statement. “ah, fuck off. i’m not wimpy. hell, i don’t know that i’ve even met this elusive brother of yours. is he even single?” a scoff slipped past his lips as he shook his head, hands wringing together in his lap. he was the last person to offer up physical affection, never mind do it well. “yeah, no. i’d be a piss-poor disappointment. oil and water, reyna. and yet, here we are.”

[abitoutoftime]

“You’re definitely thinking too much. Tinder’s like Grindr but for straight people.” Reyna herself had used tinder before for quick hookups and such, so she wasn’t new to it. But Bennett’s cluelessness was new; the app was so straightforward, she didn’t understand his hesitation and confusion. She snorted and nudged his leg right back. “Uh huh. More like I know you’re too wimpy to ask him out so it’s safe for me to say that.” Did he know her brother? She didn’t think so, but she didn’t know. “Damn right we would. I’d demand physical affection for my troubles. And id want to be able to call you my side hoe.”

reyna ! 

Reyna snorted and leaned forward to look at her friend’s phone screen. “If you’re indifferent, you might as well swipe right. Doesn’t mean you have to do anything with them. And no, they don’t see it if you don’t match with them.” She looked amused at his plight, the desperation in his voice imminent. “You could always just take my advice and ask my brother on a date.” She was half kidding, of course. Mostly kidding. Mostly. “Or I could be your beard.” She gave him a wink, clearly being dramatic. She was definitely kidding about that one.

sound logic, bennett decided, as he sent a strangers face flying to the right hand side of his screen. “i guess. still seems cruel. but i might just be putting too much into this fucking app.” with a slow eye roll, bennett locked his phone and set it aside, then turned his gaze to reyna and gave a slight chuckle. “you hate your brother so much that you wanna’ set him up with the likes of me, eh? now that’s cruel.” still, bennett’s expression softened and a small smile hedged at his lips as he nudged her knee with his own. “god, imagine. we’d have to draw up a contract and everything.”

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Reyna snorted and leaned forward to look at her friend’s phone screen. “If you’re indifferent, you might as well swipe right. Doesn’t mean you have to do anything with them. And no, they don’t see it if you don’t match with them.” She looked amused at his plight, the desperation in his voice imminent. “You could always just take my advice and ask my brother on a date.” She was half kidding, of course. Mostly kidding. Mostly. “Or I could be your beard.” She gave him a wink, clearly being dramatic. She was definitely kidding about that one.

“so if i swipe right, that means i like them. left means i don’t.” bennett’s brows were furrowed in confusion as he stared at the strangers face on his phone screen. it’d been ten whole minutes with an account, and it was already overwhelming. surely he could’ve been making better use of his time than making a tinder account and seeking help in navigating the local singles in his area. he looked up at the other, helplessness written across his features. “what if i’m indifferent? swipe down? where do they go then? will they see it? fucking hell, how do people do this? and successfully, no less.”

[abitoutoftime]

Reyna was there on behalf of one of her customers. She’d gotten an invite as a thank you. Fancy places weren’t exactly her norm, though she knew how to behave. She did seem mildly surprised at the man’s request, before she gave him a happy smile.

She laughed, leaning forward and resting her hand on his upper arm. She leaned forward again to murmur in his ear. “How chummy do you want? Because I’m just going to hit on you unless you correct me.”

That was the issue with divorces. You fall in love, you plan a life together, you start a life together, and then one of you decides you’re bored. Maybe it starts with the nine to five thing, or maybe it’s the way dinner becomes a rotating menu of the same seven dishes your wife stopped seasoning properly. Himalayan pink salt turned into iodized. Red, white, and green peppercorns turned into rectangular black flakes. Somehow, the world had forgotten what the hell oregano was. A shame.

Giulio grimaced at the thought, the stem of his wine glass perched between his middle and ring finger, palm upturned. He looked over the rim, his eyes meeting his ex-wife’s as they exchanged glances from across the bar. She was a blonde vixen. He was a brunette egomaniac. They were always destined for failure.

That was the issue with divorces: moving to a new state together but then divorcing in it soon after. She hadn’t moved back to New York. He hadn’t either. They were both too stubborn—it was always about the games.

Destined for victory, Giulio fixed his attention on the stranger before him, a coy smile tugging at his lips. He raised his glass.

“My ex-wife’s across the way,” he motioned with a cock of his head. “Act chummy with me.”