Renfarber​:

blakemadden​:

“And then we’re going to put your tiny feet in the water so you can see how that feels, does that sound good Princess?” Blake cooed as she carried her daughter across the sand to where her father was putting together a little camp area with a umbrella and blankets for them to sit on. He’d managed to get it up now but the word she’d have used a few moments ago probably would have been more fighting with the umbrella - it had been a little funny if very sweet because she knew he was doing it for the good of their baby. “It’s looking amazing, you did a really great job.” She didn’t speak as he dropped a kiss on Mira’s head, just allowing them that moment together before continuing to bounce her gently to keep her calm, laughing at the theatrical display of self satisfaction. Well, what else could she expect from him? “Here, let’s put you down on the blanket my love so you can spend some time with your daddy.” She’d become so used to talking to Mira all day when they were alone she couldn’t even shut it off when in the presence of others. Settling her down gently before dropping onto the blanket next to her so she could tip her head back to enjoy the warmth of the day. “If anyone at that big Pride party could see us right now they would probably think we were the most uncool people in the galaxy.” Actually she kind of was, it was Leo who had more of an edge to him.

-

“Ah yes, come here baby girl,” He said after Blake spoke about placing Mira on the blanket. He watched as Blake did so with such care. He smiled at his daughter who was looking toward the colors of the umbrella above her head before moving her gaze to Blake that had moved to lay down. “Speak for yourself, I’m pretty cool and so is my little spawn.” He said moving from his back to lay on his side to face Mira and Blake. He moved his body a bit more to help the sand beneath the mat mold to his body. “And besides I like this party.” He said admiring Blake’s complexion in the sun. “Though your daddy is going to the after party with Uncle Xav that’s for sure.” He said bringing his attention to Mira once again, his voice always becoming more melodic when speaking to her.  

A Cinderella Story (2004)

annalisechambersx​:

Annie’s face lit up when the man agreed to eat some wings with her. She was honestly expecting him to tell her to fuck off, so that was a very pleasant surprise. And when he introduced himself as well, she smiled warmly and nodded her head, “Leo. Lovely name. I had a friend growing up whose name was Leo.” She paused, “Well, is Leo. He’s not dead.” She paused, “I don’t think so, at least… I’m sure he’s fine. We used to go roller skating around London together.” She giggled fondly at the memory as she sat down in the seat beside him.

Bar stools were always kind of fun. They rotated so she was able to spin a bit as she sat there beside Leo. Hearing his comment, she laughed and nodded again before she shrugged, “I…yes, I do.” Annie told him, “You’re not the first to tell me either.” It was those people who also told her she was overtly annoying, which hurt her feelings but she never told them that. They didn’t deserve that satisfaction, “I know I’m a lot…but I just like to smile and spread that around, you know?”

As the beer was set down in front of Leo, she thanked the bartender and turned her gaze towards him. Her brow furrowed as he spoke and immediately, she felt a wave of anxiety wash over her, “Oh…oh, no. I’m s-sorry. R-Really.” Immediately, she reached over and pulled the beer away from the man and turned around in her chair, hoping she could find someone else to give it to. Annie didn’t really drink beer either but she figured most people did and it was safe choice. Pulling herself from the stool, she approached another man and offered him the beer, saying it was ordered by a mistake. He accepted it and turned back to his friend with a shrug.

As she approached Leo once again, her hands rubbed together nervously and she gingerly sat down beside him. She wasn’t happily spinning this time. She was just still, looking at her hands, “I should have asked what you wanted. That is my fault. I’m sorry.” Annie’s gaze didn’t move from her hands. It just remained there as she waited to be screamed at by Leo like her ex-husband would do whenever she made a mistake like that. She was used to it by now.

-

Leo had stifilled his laughter as she rambled on about another Leo. He mentally tilted his hat to the other man who was still alive, sharing his name. “I believe you.” He said, again holding his laughter in his chest when he heard that he wasn’t the only one who could tell how cheerful she was. She was like the golden sun herself in human form. He was sure if he squinted enough, she had sun rays. 

Leo’s interest was peaked again by how immediately remorseful she was. She kept doing that to him. Dragging him back before he could get out. And he couldn’t help, but like that. Although, the longer he watched her, he could see that his bratty nature wasn’t taken lightly as he quietly intended. Once again, he was too abrasive. His humor too dry. He couldn’t think of anything else that would cause that reaction. He was rude, that’s all he at least knew about himself. he worried about previously about snuffing out her light, and it had materialized right in front of him, because of him. 

His lips had parted to protest her getting up to give the beer to some lucky bastard. She didn’t have to jump to such lengths. Leo was close with the bartender, and he could have done something. He continously watched Annie, closely now as she came back to their barstools. He took in her careful approach back in her seat next to him. His brown eyes not missing a thing as he leaned onto his arms on the countertop. It wasn’t lost on him that the sunny doe-eyed woman beside him had closed up. He didn’t know what it was or how he shifted from wanting the conversation to end-- to wanting to keep it going. It was now a game to make her laugh. “You didn’t have to do all that. Or apologize. I mean, please, buy me as many drinks as you want.” He playfully pleaded, his eyes widening at the notion. “But not beer, I’ve never been a fan, and I’m certainly at the age where I could grow a beer belly.” He explained, turning in his barstool even more towards her.  His body language completely open toward her as he made his self effacing joke. “If anything it’s my fault for not being a stereotypical male.” Again, he was joking but this time making him sound better than most men cause he believed it so. how poignant. “I don’t even like sports much either.” 

martinanselmo​:

Martín wasn’t a pushover. He got along well with most people, but he was his own person— probably, right? Honestly, he didn’t know how the board had managed to coax him into this ridiculousness. Holding presentations was hardly new to him, he’d been a TA for a while back in his school days. He was eloquent enough, even if he wasn’t always the most outspoken person in the room. But the classes were free for him, so hey, it couldn’t hurt, right? Maybe his new teacher had some good tricks to share.

Again, his doorbell trumpeted that horrible 8-bit version of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy. Martín sighed, as he finished up hiding the last of his dirty dishes back in the cupboards, and tucked away stray papers from his kitchen table. He straightened his shirt before making his way to open the door. “You must be Mr. Davis, come on in,” Martín said as he moved aside for the other. He closed the door, and then offered out his hand. “Martín Gutiérrez. Thank you for making a home call for me, it’s been a hectic week and I hardly have time to get home, let alone haul myself around Manhattan.” 

Martín directed the other into his living room with windows so covered in plants you could barely see outside. He had to gather them all there in the mornings, for maximum sunlight. “How was your trip here? Not too complicated, I hope.” Martín hovered awkwardly in the middle of his living room, hands behind his back, waiting. How would they get started?

-

“Hello, Leo’s fine,” he greeted back at his new student, and he moved through the open door. Leo was trying to keep his eyes from widening at the realization that the two shared the same style. Dark curls, full burly beard, and a collared shirt. Leo chucked it to the man having taste because that was also a compliment back to himself. He shook Martin’s open hand with his own, switching the empty cup from hand to other before doing so. Leo’s shake was a good firm two shakes before releasing Martin’s hand. “It’s fine. You’re in my home borough at least.” Leo shrugged. He wasn’t ever going to complain about a twenty minute commute.  His eyes moved to skim the place remotely, as they walked, and even noted the plants before turning back to Martin. 

“So not at all complicated.” He said, finishing the small talk pleasantries. Leo surveyed Martin a little bit now, openly sizing him up as they both stood in the living room. Leo stood straight with no sign of fidgeting, and Martin was the complete opposite. If this is what he was acting like in the familiarity of his own home with one stranger… what would he be like in front of a crowd? The short quick mental image of the man stuttering did not feel like a reach. “Oh, Martín Gutiérrez,” Leo said with proper accent inflictions, “looks like we got a lot of work to do, sir.” He offered a smile even if his words were pretty telling of how many lessons were ahead of them.

Leo did wonder how he’d run lessons that wasn’t specific to acting. But he did break down the skills needed in order to present the art form. First of all the lessons was confidence. Being an actor you had to be the loudest in the room with no fear of failure. In order to do that was to be so sure of one’s self. If you couldn’t convince yourself, you cannot convince others. “Your first lesson will be to build your confidence.” Leo announced and proceeded to make himself much too comfortable in the space he was given. He set his empty cup down on the table, and began rifling through his messenger bag on the couch. Was it a way to prove how confidence can make someone overtly comfortable in a new place? Yes. Was it also cause Leo constantly possessed audacity? Also yes. 

miavxga​:

Mia wasn’t one to kiss just anyone. At least not when sober but she was in desperate need of help. Though he didn’t reject her, she still knew that she had to make it up to him for going to this extent.  

At this point she had hoped the creep had finally understood she wasn’t interested and disappeared but her focus was too much on the kiss they shared. The way his arms wrapped around her more. Her body against his, the way his lips felt again hers. Anyone would believe that they were together from how this went. Though it was just an act, her mind clouded a bit from both the alcohol and kiss. Good looking and a great kisser, she felt thankful for it all.

Mia would be lying that a part of her wasn’t happy it ended but it was just for show. When they part, her breathe was quiet and her eyes peeled open to meet his. The look he had brought her back to reality. “I’m sorry, i’m so sorry. That was stupid of me and yes, after that i definitely owe you more than one drink.” she chuckled. She glanced back and a sigh of relief fell from her lips before looking back at him. “He’s gone.” She said, dropping her hand from his neck to wrap around his free one and gave it a slight squeeze, ”Really, thank you so much.” It wasn’t until she felt something hard and smooth against her fingers. She instantly lifted their hands to see the ring. “Oh my god…” she let’s go quickly, this time her own eyes going wide. “You’re married. Fuck, i’m so sorry. I didnt even know. I swear.” she ran a hand over her face. “Fuck….”

-

His sobriety had made, what ever conscience he had left, speak up in his head. Was all the attention he had from multiple women not enough already? He’d let himself fall so effortlessly into the arms of another woman, again. Leo’s lips, still tingling from their kiss, pulled into a small smile that he instantly bit back. he definitely like the idea of two drinks instead of one. he watched the woman in front of him fret. It amused him how worry continued to grow her big bright eyes. But she had no idea what he was. “Don’t worry about it. It was an act. I’m an acting coach, and I say that doesn’t count.” He said, gaining control back from his guilty conscience. He would not let it win, even if all it wanted to do was preserve what little humanity he had left. “We got you safe from that creep and that’s all the matters.” He said with nod and straight face as if it didn’t phase him all one bit. though it was mostly cause his mind was easily seduced by his real target here. “Actually what really matters is getting that drink?” his head nodded towards the bar and an outstretched hand followed it’s direction towards it, beckoning her to lead him to the bar. he clearly wanted to move from the indiscretion as soon as possible and smother that ol’ jiminy cricket with alcohol. 

“I want someone to see the dark parts of my mind, the messy, the scary, the destructive, and still choose to stay.”

— (via hennigswrites)

closed starter: @averydawson​ where: the dive bar on the 9th

Leo was perched on a stool with his forearms relaxed upon the countertop. He looked at peace as he scanned the many bottles of liquor displayed on the high shelves behind the bar. It was impossible to look at him and know that he had woken up in a full sweat that morning. He had looked just as fresh and attractive as always, but on the inside, his stomach was twisting and churning. His mind kept reliving flashes of a nightmare that he prayed would never be his reality. The pang of seeing how hurt his wife’s eyes had looked in the dream, had made him point up high to a caramel colored tequila. “The añejo on the top left, chilled, please.” He said to the bartender who always paid him to mind here at the dive bar on the 9th. He took a breath and swiveled in the stool to get himself to relax as he waited for his drink. As he did so, he caught sight of a familiar face that was twisted up just enough to say, “Actually, you better make that two.” He said loudly for the bartender to hear as he kept his gaze on Avery. “What happened to you?” He questioned when she was close enough now to hear him.

Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg in YOU (2018- )