xbhandri:
Xavier had a head start getting ready for pride. He was swaying around the loft with a small diamond patterned glass of bourbon. He still had yet to even pick out what he wanted to wear. Just about everything in this wardrobe would be great for pride if it wasn’t so damn hot out.
He still had plenty others, but that was for Leo to help decide with. All else failed, he’d pick out a pair of shorts, a quick top, and throw some kind of rainbow smear on his face and call it a day. Even at his messiest, he was an artiste.
So for now, he was in a silk robe with a pair of bamboo cotton lounge pants flowing from side to side as he moved with the music. Answering the door to Leo, he just let him walk in as he sipped on his drink, humming along with the soothing sounds of Fleetwood Mac in the background.
-
“Well, happy pride to you, Bhandari.” Leo greeted with a smirk upon his lips as he closed the door behind him. He will never be unamused by anything his best friend did. Even if it was just letting him without a word. Leo, being a cis-white male and ally had on just about the most basic outfit ever for the festivites. He had chosen a white tank top that showed his arms’ muscle definition as it did his chest hair. He addition to a baseball cap was donning long typical shorts that kissed his knees and did nothing for his legs. He walked further into the luxurious space, following Xav, and was quick to catch Dreams playing in the background. “Are you going to share?” he asked, his dark eyes zeroing in on dark liquor in his friend’s glass.
renfarber:
She’d asked. She shouldn’t be so shocked, because she’d asked if he’d gotten rid of it. But she didn’t actually think he would have done so. It made sense; of course it did. Ren had shattered their relationship, right at the moment it was at its most perfect. They’d been deliriously happy, they were making plans for the future, they were obsessed with each other, and unwaveringly in love. So of course he’d been blindsided, and heartbroken, and furious. Of course he’d thrown away the key.
But making sense didn’t make it hurt less. She didn’t want to reason with herself about it, about how it shouldn’t feel like a knife to her heart to see the empty space where the key to her lock had been. Or how the pain and anger in his eyes now shouldn’t break her heart just as much as it had nine years ago. It just did.
In one swallow, she downed the rest of her drink, setting the empty glass on the table between them with an unceremonious thud.
“Fine,” she said, staring quietly for a moment, watching him tug his sleeve back down, covering the empty patch of skin where his love for her used to be. She had a question on the tip of her tongue, and for a while it stayed there, stubbornly refusing to be spoken. But the alcohol was loosening it, and she said it anyway, as she poured herself another drink. “…Why did you kiss me?”
-
He watched the way she absorbed the information. But really what was she to expect? Leo couldn’t stand to look down at his own arm because the tattoo was reminded of her absence in his life and his arms. He even missed the stupid way their matching tattoos would meet when holding hands. He had to get rid of it. Those kind memories had morphed into ones where she had made the choice to entangle herself with someone else. It made him sick either way. It had to go.
Leo swallowed before taking in a deep meaningful breath. Her question had knocked the air out of him, and cleared his head from the pain he had became friends with. The only thing filling his senses now was her. Her scent. Her face. And the way she tasted when he kissed her last. He brought his drink to his mouth to suppress it, but it was too late, the alcohol tasted painfully sweet like she did. He downed it, easily, and like her - he placed the glass down with a thud.
His dark gaze moved along her features like a caress, but his face stayed neutral. “Because.” He said as if that were a complete answer or sentence. He didn’t want to tell her the truth. It would just be pathetic. He was done with feeling like some love sick fool, especially over her. He had been pining for so long - nearly a decade. This hurt was the part of him that helped him grow into someone so heartless, arrogant, and careless with love... all because he couldn’t experience it with her.
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.
blakemadden:
Blake felt nervous, on edge, knowing Leo was coming over so they were likely going to be having a pretty serious conversation imminently. She’d sprung the information of new found fatherhood on him just moments before his daughter had actually been born which hadn’t left long for him to process the information before she’d arrived. One look at the baby’s little face you could tell the man had been utterly smitten but that didn’t mean there was room for his feelings towards her mother to be somewhat different. If nothing else Blake was relived beyond belief that Leo seemed to want an active role in his daughter’s life but he still had a wife to think about, a whole other life he’d been leading before it had been turned upside down. It left Blake not knowing how things were going to pan out which was….unnerving. Especially for a new mom who’s hormones and anxiety were at an all time high as it was.
Cradling Mira in her arms wrapped in a hand knitted pink and white blanket that had been a gift from a long time client she whispered to her daughter under her breath, bouncing gently from one foot to the other in a soothing fashion. “Hi beautiful girl, is your daddy going to come and see you? He is. He’s going to come and give you cuddles soon…he’s going to come and give his special baby lots of cuddles…” the knock on the door what brought her out of the little bubble she had contained herself in to not spin out entirely thinking of the various directions the next couple of hours could go in.
Using a free hand, the one not supporting her little bundle, Blake pulled open the door with a sweet smile. Warmth all over her features because it was just in her nature to be as welcoming as humanly possible whenever someone came over to her home, plus she had no ill will towards Leo. If anything she had some significant making up to do. “Hey, you made it. Come on in, we were just talking about you.” Her voice was a soft even tone not wanting to startle Mira with a sudden loud noise when she seemed so content finally. In the wake of a bit of a screaming fit that had only ended about a quarter of an hour ago, she’d wanting to be held and rocked, which was what her mother was now of course doing.
“Did you want a drink?”
-
Leo’s head was a brewing storm as he had made his way over here. But the sight of the mother of his child with their baby, completely cleared his head. Life had made sense when he saw his miracle. He saw his purpose in every bit of his daughter. It had became his purpose to protect, love, and care for their Mira. He simply stared at his tiny beautiful daughter before reacting to Blake’s words.
“Nah, no drink, but I got you your favorite pasta from that bougie place you like.” Leo said lifting up the branded paper bag. His eyes rolled at the word he used to describe the place, but forty something dollars for a pasta dish was indeed bougie. But he spend the pretty penny to entice her to sit down and actually eat something hearty.
Now Leo was no stranger to Blake and Reece’s apartment, if anything he was probably albeit too comfortable as he moved further into the place. He set the bag down on the kitchen counter after shutting the door behind him, gently. And then his eyes happily set on their baby girl in Blake’s arms. He closed the space between him and Blake, with their baby in the middle. It made him smile so wide when Mira’s big eyes went from Blake’s face to his. He couldn’t help but melt. “Hi Mira,” he cooed, “Were you talking shit about daddy with mommy?” Leo asked as a joke but then quickly realized that these weren’t the type of jokes that he should make around or with his child. “Shit, sorry, shit.” Leo stammered as he quickly meant to take his joke back, he looked frustrated with himself as he gave up and just covered his mouth with both hands. His eyes wide and apologetic. The new father was obviously still adjusting and clearly believed he should be the topic of a verbal smackdown.
Nate: If I said that I liked the last class would it be a compliment or really really creepy?
Nate: cause it's definitely not creepy!!
Nate: is it creepy that I started this conversation?
Nate: okay but forget it
Nate: sorry sorry sorry!
Nate: don't kick me out :(
Nate: I was just complimenting your teaching and acting abilities and nothing more!!
Leo: Is this your way of confessing your love for me?
Leo: You needa lay off whatever your vices are, kid, but I'll take this as a compliment.
who: ren + @blakemadden + @le0davis when: wee hours of the morning, may 15, 2022 what: in which blake doesn’t know that her best friend and her baby daddy used to date, and ren just found out that her best friend and her ex are having a baby, and leo doesn’t know that his ex is besties with his mistress OR that he’s having a baby at all. fun!
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closed starter: @blakemadden location: subway station
Leo craned his neck to hear the muffled yet echoed sound of the announcement of the train’s stop. In doing so, it brought his gaze up and straight at a face he thought he knew, but onto a shape, he didn’t. So Leo looked away not fully believing it to be Blake. No, he had just seen her. Another train stop was chimed out loud. Brought he his eyes back to the woman again, she does seriously look like Blake.. Leo’s legs began to beeline to her. The whites of Leo’s eyes get wider and wider as she shape of Blake’s belly appears as if it’s growing with every step he took. He looked downright frightened seeing how her clothes stretched upon a rounded belly.
renfarber:
She couldn’t help it - she was moved by some otherworldly force that was probably just the ghost of who she’d been nine years ago; some version of herself that existed now as nothing more than a feeling in her gut made her reach out to take Leo’s hand. She was barely aware of her thumbs on his palm as she listened to him speak, but that made sense; it was a motion she’d done so many times when they were together that she could literally do it in her sleep. Whenever he felt tense, she’d reach for him in some small way, like this, and he would unravel just a bit.
He looked up at her, eyes locked on hers, and he told her he wasn’t a good guy. As though that was supposed to be news to her. As though that might put some wall up between them, like she might run from whatever monster he considered himself to be. But she’d always known him - for a thousand lifetimes - and she wasn’t about to run now.
“Okay, so you’re a fuck-up,” she smirked, with a soft shrug of her shoulders, “so am I. We always have been. You fucked around and you hurt people but you got a daughter out of it. And all of my mistakes resulted in Max. It doesn’t make up for any of the pain we’ve caused, but… good things come from bad things all the time.”
It was only then that she noticed she was holding his hand. She didn’t let go.
“…I punished myself for about eight years for what I did to you. I didn’t think I deserved happiness so I kicked it in the face whenever it came too close. I only stopped because I got pregnant and my focus shifted, and I just… I don’t want you to waste your life like that. I don’t want you to punish yourself. I want… I don’t know what would make you happy, but I think you should go after it. I think you should let it in.”
-
Unlike Ren, Leo was completely aware of her fingertips touching his skin. His hand even threatened to shake as her hold on him had became more confident and firmer. It was like he had completely forgotten what he was upset about or if he was even upset at all. He even set his glass down without taking a sip he had meant to take. His entire mind became wrapped around the fact that she was touching him. How did she manage to do this to him? Create peace in a mind that was plagued with demons? Even her words had made him feel better. Mira and Max were the best things to ever come out of their unique paths. Even if unexpected, Leo couldn’t see it any differently now.
But Leo was confused by her advice. Because instead of advice that would keep him from going with his reckless instincts; they were encouraging them. And with that justification, he was let loose. “I know what would make me happy right now, and I want to go after it.” He said so sure of what he wanted and who he wanted to let in. He swallowed nervously, and his eyes stole a glance at her full pink lips, “It’s you - and your kiss.” He confessed, his eyes determined to hold her gaze as he said this. His free hand abandoned his chilled glass in favor of cupping the side of her neck and his thumb caressed her jawline. His hand in hers hand shifted so their fingers became intertwined. At that same moment, he had leaned in closing that silly amount of space Ren had wanted between them. He didn’t waste another second to fully press his lips upon hers. His eyes instantly closed as he relished in their softness, an explicit sound emitted from the back of his throat. The truth they were alone tonight hung in the air. No children or another person would be able to part them for hours. The kiss could become so much more. And of course, he had the desire of it being much more than a kiss. It made him part his lips to suck on her bottom one to ask for entrance so he could fully taste her. The hand on her neck became more possessive, clutching with the want to bring her closer.
starter for: @oliverbrowncnn where: the soleil
Leo was relaxed to say the least. His diluted drink was half way finished, the sweet spot for him as he could finish the next half in one go. He was enjoying Oliver’s rare company. Even if the mentions of Oliver’s successes fanned the flames of his own jealousy. It was still good to catch up when they could. There had been a comfortable lull in their conversation, and most of that was drawn by Leo’s absent gaze.
Leo didn’t know what suddenly came over him. Was it the lounge music playing? The dimmed lighting? Or the percentage amount of alcohol that was in his slender frame? He squirmed in his seat as his thoughts began to race with his heart beat.
Say it, say it, say it. Say it to someone other than your favorite bartender, you coward! “I’m in couples’ therapy.” He blurred out, the recognition that he said it hit him like a rubber band, snapping him into reality. He even looked surprised as he looked at Oliver. Leo regretted impulsively opening that door, kicking it down was more like it. “We’re— we’re in couples’ therapy.” He corrected and adjusted the collar of his maroon dress shirt.
krosxn:
Katz had been too wrapped up in organizing his office before hearing the knock. He briefly wondered who it was before hearing the slur of Leo. With a sigh, he went to the door to let him in. Blinking at the man, he helped him inside and shut the door behind. “Would you though? Because if you’re looking to get hired on, this is not the way to do it.” Clean him up, get him in bed, that’s what Katz’s goal was going to try to be tonight.
-
Leo was so out of it he didn’t realize he had been let in till Katz’ voice spooked him since he was so close. But after his delayed flinch, his mouth had stretched into a smile, seeing the friendly face he had seek out. “What do you mean? I’m just having fun.” He retaliated, not liking the ounce of judgement he sensed from Katz’s response. “This is the life, Katz!” he sang and began making his way further into Katz’ home with unstable legs yet he continued humming.