seeinghcsts

[seeinghcsts]

a coy and mirthful grin ornamented thomas's lips as he laughed , head tilting back , the glitter streaked across his throat and down his chest glinting as it caught rays of spring sun . though , he snapped his head up at the moniker , a pointed finger being wielded like a dagger as he aimed it in his sister's direction . " hey . fuck off . " but his expression didn't contort to reflect any sort of malice . instead , hilarity danced in the pools of black tar that had become of his irises as his grin split so wide it ached .

he settled back in , resting his elbows on his knees , tapping the rim of his emptying beer can against his lower lip as he looked at camille through damp lashes . " you're ridiculous , you know that ?? " he mused after her tangent , a cock of his head , the knowing raise of his eye brow . " between the two of us , i think we've done enough drugs and ingested enough cheap alcohol to kill a fuckin' horse , , , and you're worried about my relationship with corporate america ?? are you implying i'm the only ' american idiot ' here ?? "

❝            oh, so only value a woman's input if she's pretty ? ❞  the accusation lacking all seriousness as camille shook their head.  ❝ that's fucked up, tommy. ❞ the nickname thrown in, annoying as any little sister would be. their good mood letting the conversation of ' why are you letting near strangers call you that ? ' for a later date. their stolen moments of joy deserved to go uninterrupted. camille was not naive to the fact they were few and far between.

camille's disgusting concoction of whatever had been left in almost finished bottles and just enough coke to be tolerable swished in the red solo cup as they tapped it against his drink.. ❝ wow, congrats ! ❞ sarcasm clear in her tone.  ❝ willing falling into the trap of a mindless societal pawn. have you never seen a sci-fi movie ? the microchips are always bad. you've just signed your lives away to corporate america. i think green day actually wrote a song about you. ❞

[seeinghcsts]

" i think most of my stickers have abandoned ship , too , " thomas observed , a glance down to ink-stained skin where the remainder of now-saturated emblems of colorful display clung onto peach fuzz with what remained of the tack glue on their undersides . he was kind of disappointed to see them gone ; the scrapbook she had made of his skin disintegrating and floating away . " we can replace 'em once we're out . the glitter , the stickers , " he trailed , brushing his thumb along her lower lip , gently tapping each tooth on its other side with the curve of his nail .

he leaned , after a delayed moment , into kody's hand as it came to cradle an absentmindedly ticking jaw . if it was clicking from the coke or the unaddressed anticipation for the worst , he wasn't sure , but her pruned finger tips buzzed with warmth and soothed his clammy cheek . distracted him , the prettiest boy . something in him coiled tight , an amber heat surging through his veins , one that was amplified when her mouth came to seal against his . thomas pushed the palm resting atop her velvet soft skin through slicked back locks , splayed fingers entangling water-logged strands around them as he hummed into the expression of affection . his tongue laced with lingering hallucinogens and cheap alcohol - inebriated tenderness and unspoken confession - traced the pillow of her lower lip before rows of pearl came to nip at it instead .

" you just weren't what ?? " he mused , drifting his impish smile to press a token of sentiment to the curvature of her jaw . his voice carried a teasing lilt , the whisper somehow finding volume amongst the unrestrained chaos that swelled around them . his grin was transversal across her features before it once more , returned to her mouth ; " — weren't playing fair ?? weren't wanting me to win ?? you were praying on my downfall , weren't you , kody suzuki-braun ?? "

"Oh my god...you're right! All our glitter is gone." Not all of it, absolutely not considering how much she'd doused them in, but enough to leave a thin layer over the chlorinated water which would be a problem for the water filter later. "What are you talking about?? We can both be pretty." In her mind, everything was pretty if you looked at it from the right angle. Beauty was all around them and that most certainly included Thomas. And, not to be shallow or anything, but if she hadn't found him at least a modicum of attractive...she had her doubts about whether or not they would be together. She was an aesthete, sue her!

There was a shift in his eyes, a familiar look she'd noticed over the past seven or so months that would come over him whenever he got self-conscious or anxious and she mirrored his move, hand resting against his cheek as her thumb brushed over his skin. "I'll tell you a million times how pretty you are; starting now. You're so pretty, you are the prettiest boy. You, Thomas, are so -" her words got cut off as he leaned in to press a kiss to her nose, smiled widening until he called her out. "Hey! I do...I just wasn't." She muttered, leaning in close to capture his lips with her own, arm tightening around him to hold her close.

[seeinghcsts]

MEETING LUKE SINCLAIR had been like seeing the lights of manhattan for the first time as a kid ; extravagant , enlivening . like the world was at his fingertips and all he had to do was stretch up his hand to press pointer and middle to the thrum of its pulse . thomas laughed , the sound thunderous and clumsy , spilling out of him like the water sloshing over a glass's edge ( or in their case , booze over that of a red plastic cup's ) as he was commanded down to the floor . ever obedient , more than willing to be a pawn in luke's game so long as he remained on the board : thomas complied - though with an unspoken protest that came in the form of wrinkling brows .

" her name is kody , " thomas reminded the man with a roll of his eyes and a shrug of his shoulder . " — and if anything , i think she'd be more upset with me for leaving her out . " a tentative sip of his beer as swelled pupils surveyed the blooming circle they were now a collective part of . his companion then bumped into him , taunting beneath liquor stained breath , and thomas cut his gaze sharply to luke , scoffing ; " i'm not nervous . " yet his eyes betrayed him , flickering between the forms of their company , finding cerulean mirrors once more before drifting somewhere past his shoulder , his skin suddenly feeling hot - sticky with pool water and perspiration . brooklyn stubbornness steered his engorged tongue ;

" how hard can it be to keep a fuckin' card up ?? "

CLOSED , @seeinghcsts .

" it's only a game , " luke snorted , shrugging nonchalantly as he took his place in the small circle before lithe fingers entrapped the other's glitter-caked wrist , dragging the poor soul down with him . " i think your little girlfriend will get over it . just —— keep your tongue in your mouth . "

thomas ortesky : his newest pet-project . or , well , maybe just pet . to those that knew the man well , luke had a habit of collecting lost misfits . toy soldiers for his army . devotees to follow his fickle gospel . ortesky wasn't the first , and he certainly would not be the last . but , for now at least , he was proving to be the most fun — and most pliable . no matter how high luke told the eager puppy to jump , he always did .

as the final bodies joined the fray , finishing off their game's sphere , luke nudged his shoulder against thomas's . " aw , don't look so nervous . i won't tattle on you . anyways , long as you can keep the card up , you've got nothing to worry about . "

[seeinghcsts]

𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 — 𝘪𝘴𝘭𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 — 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦

THE MOST OUT OF CHARACTER THING ABOUT THOMAS PRESENTLY , besides the fact he was here at all , was the cigarette currently entrapped between two , vibrating fingers . his bare spine rest against the house , the back of his head leaned against siding , with a tendril of smoke swirling from pursed lips as glassy eyes watched with a distant , almost dissociative , focus .

tapping the tobacco stick against his thumb , pieces of ash falling to the trampled earth below him , thomas licked his lips . his temples thrummed as his chest slowly rose and fell , basking in what he knew would be short lived solitude . a moment away from the buzz of unreliable hardwood and the incoherent conversation of university students who were stuffed in the living room like a can of wet , slimy sardines .

catching a shadow in his peripheral , thomas jumped , turning his head with such a ferocity that the world spun . all he noticed at first was moonlit skin , like a deep , rich mahogany , accessorized with animal print polyester that clung to a foreign form . when his eyes rose , meeting their counterparts , it took him a moment before he recognized the figure to be that of his girlfriend's roommate ; the ever odd and , deeply unsettling - " isla , " he breathed , smiling , tracing his bottom lip with the cigarette's filter as recognition dawned on him . " hey , wow , , , i uh , i'm surprised to see you here . " then , realizing that could be taken as rude , thomas backpedaled - laughing through his sudden anxiety as he used his unoccupied hand to scratch at his chest . " you uh , " he swiped his tongue across his lower lip , giving her a very quick once over before his stare was sewn to hers once more . " you look , , , good . great !! i like your uh , , , i like your spots . "

@g0dcountry

[seeinghcsts]

GIVING A SHARP LAUGH , thomas tilted his head back , gifting a wide and stupid grin to his sister as she commanded the poor , sleeping bastard who had been beside him to leave as he lifted his shoulders in a shrug . " she insisted , and who am i to tell a pretty girl no ?? " a sip of his beer , the clearing of his throat , working his lounged frame up until he was sitting so he could look at his sister better - gaze fogged and vision distorted , forcing thomas to blink a few times in order to bring her face ( a feminine mirror of his own ) into focus .

her following words resulted in the rolling his eyes . he stretched an arm forward , tapping his can against whatever beverage it was his sister was nursing in a lazy cheers , blowing a raspberry with his lips . " yet ?? bummer , " he huffed , quirking a brow ; " kody and i have an appointment to get ours put in next week . "

❝            nice stickers, ❞ cam shot back, greeting thomas with her middle finger. ❝ and nice shirt. ❞ tacked onto the end for good measure. surely landing in the comeback hall of fame next to the likes of no, you shut up. it wasn’t often ortesky’s got to act their age. perhaps it was just the mix of substances and infectious immaturity of so many frat boys in one location – but they both seemed to be having fun. ❝ i saw it before. probably stretching it out for poor ko. ❞

camille’s foot kicked nudged the person occupying the chair next to thomas as a signal to move, stealing their spot without a word.  ❝ he’s on duty. ❞ and they were far enough into the night to know everyone would be too drunk and too annoying for camille to tolerate. ❝ just tell her to text them or something, i don’t know. we haven’t hit the microchip stage of our relationship yet. ❞

[seeinghcsts]

THOMAS OFFERED A LAUGH , playing off what felt like an insult with lackadaisical shrug of his glitter-painted shoulder . " you know me - always trying to change it up , i guess . " his gaze drifting momentarily to survey the party in question , teeth finding the rim of his beer can as he clamped ivory on metal - a CLINK sounding as he did so . he monitored the bodies crowding the door way , the few that lingered on the opposite side of the kitchen , the shadows belonging to a pair of entangled forms that sloppily swapped spit in the hall where the pantry was located . only when eliza had come closer did he truly look at her , thomas taking a moment to stare - let his eyes adjust - before he noticed that looking at her was enough to feel like he was invading her privacy . crossing an unspoken , but implied , boundary . a flush crawled up his neck as he quickly looked away , clearing his throat , tilting the beer nestled between his teeth back so its contents soiled his pink tongue that felt suddenly too large for his mouth .

" what ?? oh - yeah , " he laughed after he had harshly swallowed , lowering the now empty can from his mouth , an awkward sheen coating his words as he took a step back and glanced down at himself . " kody's idea , , , i wasn't sold on it at first but , i trust her and her artistic vision , as she put it . i do feel bad for stretchin' out her shirt , though . this was one of my favorites on her . " he set down the empty can and tugged on the cotton's hem as if proving some kind of point , , , that and he suddenly felt insecure about its cropped hem and the exposal of his midriff despite the fact he had been shirtless all but an hour ago . looking up at his sister's best friend once more - at her face , making a strenuous effort to keep looking at her face - he furrowed his glittering brows ;

" lisa frank ?? liza , , , the fuck is a lisa frank ?? "

— THE SOUND OF HER name sounded unfamiliar , mixed within the cacophony of already ringing ears . eliza's reaction was lackadaisical at first ; slow as honey , she rolled her neck , letting a head of chestnut curls ( decorated with tinsel and stray glitter ) loll back . only when she matched the voice to its very-familiar face did eliza's rose-flushed features split , revealing a smile made of pearls .

" tom ! " mixed into the delight that echoed off her soiled tongue was a hint of confusion , though . " i didn't know y o u came to these things ? or , like , parties in general . " her eyes sparkled ( charged by an unmeasured amount of pink whitney , one tequila shot , and a teensy-weensy bit of blow ) . twisting around the counter — nimbly avoiding sharp elbows and clambering feet of the other bodies that swayed in-and-out of the solo cup-covered kitchen — she drew closer .

and as she did , a curious gaze traced over his silhouette , eliciting an arched brow . " you look like a scrapbook , " she giggled . a pesky finger poked at one of the innumerable stickers , littering his skin like a collection of cartoon freckles . they were accessorized by an egregious amount of body glitter which formed constellations across bare arms and trim waist . after a few seconds , she blinked ; then , forced glassy , green eyes up and away from the distorted blur of decals as they danced across his torso with minds of their own . " is this a new you ? i like it —— very ' lisa frank ' . "

[seeinghcsts]

HEARING THE GRATING VOICE OF ONE MILO MENDOZA , thomas couldn't withhold the irritated sigh that happened to burst his held breath as he tilted his head back - as if he could reach up and pluck some spare patience from the damp , sticky air sweltering above him . " neither , actually , " thomas replied , refusing to admit that he had , in fact , been grabbing kody another drink , , , opting for sarcasm as he set down the white claw and complimentary shot on the counter milo had now sat themselves atop of . " i'm obviously in the kitchen trying to brainstorm some miraculous fuckin' plan to solve world hunger in one night . the fuck you think i'm doin' ?? "

it was easier to lean into malice without camille or kody present to act as a buffer . when he didn't have anyone to perform niceties in front of . thomas's blurry stare shifted to milo's obnoxious smirk , taking notice of the surplus of ruby runes that ornamented their neck . grimacing with disgust , shoving a lime between his own teeth , thomas bit down on the fruit and was thankful for the burn of sour citrus that distracted him from the rising of bile in his throat . " you leave ko by herself ?? cam ?? " he inquired between teeth clamped around pulp , an accusatory finger being metaphorically pointed in the pink-haired freak's direction with tom's words .

𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 — thomas ortesky 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 — the kitchen

"munchies, tommy?" they wear a shit eating grin and a collection of fresh hickies as they reach past him, plucking a drying lime from a cutting board on the counter as they hop up next to it, dangling feet swinging happily. it wasn't that they didn't like thomas, they normally tried to be on their best behavior, but that base instinct to annoy came out the moment they were inebriated. and, truth be told.. they only got to see each other for longer periods of time when they weren't sober "or are you also getting ko a drink?" placing the slice of lime in their mouth, they don't seem in a rush to actually pour said drink.

@seeinghcsts

[seeinghcsts]

THOMAS WATCHED WITH AN UNBRIDLED ANTICIPATION as reeve stepped up to throw , looming beside him like he was at some sports final with his eyes flashing ; bright , hopeful , dependent . ever competitive , the man resisted ever deep rooted urge to latch onto reeve so he could feel each muscle beneath flesh preparing to throw the ball , monitor each tendon as it moved . reeve would throw it , sink it , then tom would then do the same . balls back ; rinse , repeat . before they knew it , they'd be winning , and the pledges would be forced to go through with that ludicrous bet that had been bestowed upon them if they lost . thomas tasted the premature victory already , pooling thick atop his tongue that prodded the backs of grin-clamped teeth . he felt it boiling his blood to the point where the flush in his cheeks wasn't just from the alcohol .

but then — reeve missed .

tom's face crumpled with disappointment , feeling reeve tense beside him as the pair of dipshits they were up against hooted in amusement . thomas sucked his teeth , the road to victory he had mapped in his head turning to rubble as the ping pong ball cleared the table and landed somewhere amongst the crowd . it didn't matter where because it hadn't been in a cup. pulling it together , sparing himself the very glare reeve was casting in their opponents direction , thomas managed a laugh , clapping him on the back - reassuring him .

" easy tiger , this ain't major league baseball , " thomas taunted , watching his partner down what was definitely room temperature and beyond cheap beer from a red cup . he winced on the man's behalf , rolling his wrists , casting his watery gaze to their remaining configuration of targets . if he fucked this up too , even if they won , redemption would be a war hard fought . that and reeve would probably kill him .

stepping to where reeve just was , the man shot an ever-confident grin over his bare shoulder , a playful wink being cast in his teammates direction ; " sure , man . no pressure . "

they had gotten most of the easy cups out of the way , so thomas clamped his tongue between his teeth and narrowed his gaze to hone his focus . his contacts burned - pool water , glitter , and mist veiling them - but he kept his eyes sewn to the back left cup . exhaling lowly , as if this were some do or die moment , thomas released the ball . in a swift , clean arch - it landed perfectly in the cup he was aiming for .

turning back to reeve , grinning as he heard the disgruntled expression of irritancy from the sophomores adjacent to them , thomas laughed ; " five down . five to go . we're still ahead man , we got this . eaaasssy dice . "

HAD HE BEEN TOLD THE day before that he'd be bro-ing out with thomas ortesky at a beer pong table in 24 hours time, reeve would have snorted and rolled his eyes. as far as he was concerned, just because luke decided to turn the dope into his newest pet project didn't mean reeve had to do anything more than mildly tolerate it. and yet, there they were, a duo made : reeve aziz, a notoriously bad shot and even worse loser, and thomas ortesky, apparently the only soul willing to team up with that.

with every sweet syllable of encouragement, the bounce in reeve's step grew. between the alcohol in his system and the high of competition, his whole body thrummed with electric energy. under thomas' hands, he practically vibrated. ❝ jesus, ortesky, why aren't you like this all the time ? ❞ he teased, shaking the other off before throwing him a grin. maybe if he were, reeve would finally understand why luke insisted on dragging him around everywhere.

setting himself up at the table, he eyed the other end. only a few more cups and they'd have the cleanest win of the night so far— impressive, really, considering reeve's track record. he had to wonder if maybe thomas was just some freakish good luck charm. with that in mind, he stepped back, lining up to target a cup in the back row. he knows he's overshot before the ball even fully leaves his fingertips.

airball. a complete whiff. it soars past their opponents heads and lands, unceremoniously, at the feet of the crowd, never so much as skimming the table.

reeve's cheeks go hot immediately, lips pressing into a thin line as their opponents burst into thunderous, targeted laughter and buffoon-like hollers. a sharp, ruinous glare is turned their way, enough to shut up some of the snickers from the crowd at least, but not their opponents. they're young— sophomores maybe, don't know better. not yet, anyway.

❝ fucking morons, ❞ reeve huffed, lifting the cup nearest to him and downing it in one easy swoop as the rules dictated. being the cause for their first sunk cup stung, no doubt, but it paled in comparison to the realization that thomas now had to be the one to bail him out. he turned to him, tapping him two times on the chest with the back of his hand as he passed, trading places. ❝ up to you now, ortesky, ❞ he said, voice low, a warning in his words veiled beneath what could easily be read as simple expectation and 'friendly' team banter. ❝ don't disappoint. ❞

[seeinghcsts]

SAUNTERING UP TO THE GROUP , spotting one familiar face amongst a handful of pledges , thomas reached up to scratch at the back of his neck as he shrugged a limp shoulder . he brushed of the moniker kingston had used , too distracted by the debate at hand . one he couldn't , and simultaneously could , believe was happening right now . " who would , , , win in a fight ?? is this really up for fuckin' debate right now ?? " thomas inquired , taking a gracious swing from the open mouth of his beer can as he furrowed dark , glitter-infested brows in contemplation .

" i mean , that's not even a fuckin' question , man . obviously the horse sized duck is gonna step on all the duck sized horses . his feet would be fuckin' huge . he could just , , , i dunno , squish 'em . "

LOCATION : outside, among a small group FOR : @seeinghcsts

❝ No, no, absolutely not. I won't accept that, ❞ Kingston frowned, unsure when or how the discussion came about, or even why he'd chose the side of the argument he did at this point, but he was not changing his stance now. Looking up from the spot he sat, crisscross on the grass with a whole bottle of rum between his knees, his eyes caught sight of another familiar face and called out. ❝ Yo, Tommy, ❞ he greeted him, roping him into the great debate, ❝ You gotta have my back on this. Who would win in a fight? One hundred duck sized horses or one horse sized duck? Don't let me down here, man. This is some important shit. ❞

[seeinghcsts]

𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝟎𝟎𝟑: ˢᵖʳⁱⁿᵍ ᵇʳᵉᵃᵏᵉʳˢ

" yeah , , , this is my girlfriend's shirt . what about it ?? "

                " — at least i'm on fuckin' 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐌𝐄 , asshole !! "

[seeinghcsts]

" nooo , " he crooned correctively . " - you only almost had me because you were cheating , " thomas playfully reminded her . the man then bowed his head to scrape his teeth along the crux of her jaw and nip at her water-stained skin , his laugh a low rumble against her pulse point . pool chemicals and the remnants of her perfume stung his tongue , but he tightened his hold on her and grinned against the side of her throat anyways. adrenaline was pulsing through him like a stampede of war-drawn horses , clattering along his bones and making them vibrate as he continued to track ghosts of affection along the side of her neck . the water lapped at their now still bodies , save for kody's torso as it twisted to point out the glitter .

" baby , that's all from you . from US . you slathered us in it before we left your apartment , remember ?? " he murmured , resting his chin on her shoulder to survey the ebbing water which were , in fact , swirling around ribbons of a substantial amount of glitter . he only lifted his head when she turned back to face him , a stupid grin on his lopsided lips as she complimented him and toyed with his soaked hair . " out of the two of us , i'm pretty sure you're the pretty one , koko . not me . " with his head in the clouds , the normal pang of anxiety that surfaced , during any moment of serenity between them , was absent . for once , he was able to tune out the repetitive , persistent fear that one day - he'd find a way to sour her perception of him forever . that he'd inevitably extinguish that smile and never see it again . one fuck up was all it took - and no one knew that better than him .

thomas lifted one of his hands to cradle kody's cheek , swiping the pad of his thumb across its warm apple , pupils blown out from the drugs . from the alcohol . from bliss . " my pretty girl , , ," he mused , pressing a swift kiss to the tip of her nose , mirth twinkling in his eyes ; " - who doesn't know how to play marcopolo right. "

There was no one out there concentrating as hard as Kody was concentrating right now. It was life or death! She silently moved through the water, getting distracted with how it felt against her skin, how the light reflected off of the surface - was that glitter? There was definitely glitter in the pool and she was so focused on that and how funny it was that she laughed, she couldn't help it! And that giggle was her undoing. "Noooo..." she barely had time to protest before Thomas was on her, arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her close, her giggle turning into an uproarious laugh now that she'd been found out. "I almost had you!" Kody grinned, her own arms moving to wrap around his neck, the waves around them slowly returning to stasis after they'd caused such a commotion.

"Did you know that there's glitter in the water? There is...look!" She turned, pointing out a particularly big patch of glitter floating nearby. "It's so pretty." Even sober, she would have thought so, but she was really obsessed with it now however many shots deep she was. Turning back to Thomas, she tilted her head slightly, hand that had been pointing lifting to push a few of those soaked curls out of his face. "Just like you, look how pretty you are." Her smile was warm as she took him in, completely content right now with him, the party, the pool - things were almost perfect.

[seeinghcsts]

𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 — 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘬𝘺 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 — 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘰𝘭

" nice shirt , " thomas grit , siting up in his chair as his sister approached , donning one of milo's ridiculous tees that had the elder ortesky resisting the urge to roll his eyes . he knew milo was kody's best friend , camille's ' boyfriend ' , but it didn't make his disdain for their partner any more palatable . he didn't even want to ask where she had been .

" where'd your little dog man run off too ?? " thomas inquired , scooting the sunglasses perched atop the tip of his nose up and onto his head , pushing back a mop of brown curls that was still damp from him and kody's dip in the pool earlier . his own shirt was draped around his neck , as if the bite of the cool spring air wasn't bothering him or his tacky skin . alcohol blankets were truly magical things . " — ko was lookin' for 'em . "

@orteskycam

[seeinghcsts]

𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 — 𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘴 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 — 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘯

BETWEEN THE DRUGS WALTZING WITH BOOZE IN HIS VEINS , the tackiness of pool water as it dried on his skin , and how stiff his curls felt from all the chlorine they had absorbed ; thomas could think of a shorter list of things he couldn't feel as opposed to what he could . the pad of his thumb found its way under the tab of yet another beer , snapping it open as he braced his other palm against the counter . so this was what being friends with luke was like ?? up in a cloud where reality was nothing more than light pushing through a kaleidoscope ?? staring at his fingers , the digits swirling like water color , he blinked . zoned out .

fuck , the mushrooms he had let kody feed him were finally kicking in .

had they been mushrooms ??

suddenly , a silhouette came into his peripheral , catching him off guard . his saucer swelled pupils searched for recognition as they clambered up their — her — hardly covered frame , blinking with bleary eyes before a droopy , lopsided grin came across his features .

" oh , hey eliza . " as cam's best friend , he figured eliza would have accompanied his sister to this kind of party . with how distracted he had been , thomas had yet to run into either of them , , but eliza was alone , , ,

" where's cam ?? " then , he held up a hand , scrunching his nose . " actually — don't , , , don't tell me . don't answer that . i don't wanna fuckin' know . "

@finalghost

[seeinghcsts]

𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 — 𝘬𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘴𝘶𝘻𝘶𝘬𝘪-𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘶𝘯 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 — 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘰𝘭

" marcooooo - MARRCOOOO - fuckin' hell , ko , there is no way this game is possible with only two fuckin' people !! " the water was frigid against his skin , the air above it even harsher in its bite as the pungent scent of chlorine infested his nostrils . his arms cut through the water , sending sloshes of murky blue up and over the concrete sides , laughter resonating in his chest as he continued to attempt to find her and failed . despite it all ; thomas was grinning . " - and you're supposed to be sayin' POLO . you're cheating !! "

a burst of familiar , floaty laughter then sent his head turning . a wicked smirk landed upon his lips as he pushed a mop of soaked , brown curls out of his face . " there you are , " he purred deviously , launching himself forward to be met with the only other warm body occupying the pool stationed just a few feet away . hands wound around kody's bare waist , drawing her scantily clad frame to his own , opening his eyes to look at her with a wild smile - stretching ear to ear . " gotcha , " thomas cooed , brooklyn and booze staining his tongue , a laugh then sounding from him as he spun them in the water . as if they were in a movie scene right out of some hallmark chick flick .

@kcdysb

[seeinghcsts]

𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 — 𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘻𝘪𝘻 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 — 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦

" FUCK MAN , YOU ALMOST HAD IT !! " their opponent groans as their partner's ball bounces just off the rim of one of the red solo cups arranged on the table , ricocheting off plastic and landing somewhere amongst the small crowd that has gathered to watch the game and , impatiently , wait for their turn on the table . crouching down to scoop up the ball ( the room spinning as he did so , alcohol working overtime to ensure the world in which thomas existed was nothing short of a blur ) , the eldest ortesky grinned as he pressed the ball he had just gathered into his partner - reeve's - chest.

" they're fuckin' garbage , dude . they haven't even gotten a cup yet , " spoken low , an eager and competitive purr wrapping around his words as he moved behind reeve , clasping both of his shoulders , and giving him an encouraging shake . lowering his voice to a whisper , thomas leaned in closer ; like they were sharing some kind of secret . " you got this . we each get a ball in then we can ask for a new formation and we'll fuckin' smoke 'em . " a coach , revving up a player he was counting on . releasing reeve , scooping up his own ball from the table , thomas grinned as he moved back beside his teammate .

" first shots all yours . "

@secndbest

[seeinghcsts]

MEETING HER GAZE , grateful to notice it was twinkling with mirth , thomas allowed himself to sink into relief . shoulders that had crept up to brush against ear lobes sank back to their proper place . the indignant flush that had stained his throat had retreated back beneath the collar of his sweatshirt . the blur of mist that had veiled his eyes now melted away behind lighter lids . his stiff stature , save for the lingering adrenaline that still nipped at his nerves , collapsed just enough for him to slightly fold over her . he squeezed her hands , possession meeting protection , and shook his head .

thomas hated — despised — when they got into arguments , , , not just because he was tired of having them , but because he much preferred to ignore the things about this relationship that made it so , , , complicated . the parts that spurred his anxiety like striking the side of an ill-tempered stallion . he hated who he became during their fights , the man he crumpled into afterwards , and the guilt that lingered like soured milk on his tongue and festered beneath bone and muscle . he loved her almost as much as he loved their secret , and he wasn't all to eager to give either of them up .

a lazy smirk of his own , lopsided with an upwards tilt , flittered across tom's lips at her words — grateful to be distracted from his spiraling thoughts . " i do like your frilly lil' things , " he reassured , cocking his head and lifting a brow . " — but they're impractical , baby . they always have been . you woulda died in new york , liza , i keep tellin' you this . "

with a grunt as he was tugged , a sharp wince from the sudden disturbance to his careful balance , thomas sucked his teeth as he hobbled behind his quick moving guide ; injured ankle pulsing with each step , a nauseating ache clawing at his tibia and leaving marks in the bone , gnawing at nerves with pointed , iron teeth . " christ , liza , easy , , , " he grimaced , his abandoned hand seeking refuge against the door frame of his cabin the moment it came into reach .

" i spend plenty of time with you fully clothed . just tryna keep you from turning into a fuckin' popsicle . thought i was bein' a good guy for once . " bending his leg at the knee , pushing a heaved breath past his lips , his umber gaze — now much lighter than it had been — found eliza as she waltzed across withering floorboards , floating as if she were a petal on a stream . she was ever radiant in her ignorance , aloof and playful in her willingness to remain naive to their spat — like the past fifteen minutes hadn't happened .

thomas hated how much he preferred it this way , safe in the protective bubble of blissful fantasy . one in which they lived in , comfortably , behind closed doors . his eliza , his song bird , so beautiful in her golden cage . preened feathers , doting eyes , and a song on her lips for only him to hear . he was as blessed as he was damned .

cam would forgive them , right ??

would forgive HIM ??

a roll of his eyes , pressing his weight forward and through the doorway , thomas tapped a balled fist to rotted wood to send the door squealing shut on its rusted hinges behind him . " cozy is a fuckin' word for it , " he grumbled , clicking his teeth together behind twisted lips . he moved towards one of his bags in the far corner , albeit slowly , before ungracefully lowering himself to the cool , deteriorating floorboards . thomas then yanked a zipper down its track , the sound ricochetting off the warped walls , before he stuffed his hand into his jansport and retrieved one of his heavier zip-ups . one stolen from his father .

" here , put this on , " he instructed , holding it out to her , no room for argument in the pointed gaze he delivered in her direction and the knowing tilt of his head . " — it's just black , so don't give me shit about it not matchin' your outfit . it's cold . "

— SEA-GLASS EYES SEARCHED those of ochre , futilely hoping to break down the cryptic meaning concealed in his response . ' it wasn't nothing . it's okay . ' she wanted to pry for more — to needle at a point she had already surrendered with the loss of her sense — but then , like a tab of butter , eliza melted . worry , anxiety , uncertainty weakened to sweet submission by three words . with the softness of a moth's wings , thick , black lashes fluttered in return . eliza was unsure why the words hit with such a hearty force , until the dazed woman realized how foreign they sounded atop his tongue .

he gave her little time to offer much else , already pulling her back in to the loving warmth of his embrace . the soft round of her cheek cupped perfectly in his roughened palm , the drum of their chests beginning to syncopate , she leaned into the welcome touch . greedy ; desperate for more . his affection was addictive , & eliza wished to consume it wholly before it was lost to her once more . she did not dare answer as he continued to appease whatever ire had previously occupied her mind . too worried that whatever viper's tongue she'd possessed would show its fangs once more , shattering the fantasy . which is exactly what is was : a fantasy . eliza was coldly reminded so when thomas finally peeled back , his wandering , watchful gaze leaving hers to survey the open air of their unoccupied surroundings . even his hands , which held hers with such tender care , twitched from suppressed nerves . something she had come to know well .

but eliza refused to give up this moment . to crush it beneath her own fickle , untrained attitude . a slow , kittenish smirk drew across pink , winter-kissed lips . " i thought you liked my ' little frilly things ' . " the words were almost a whine . " don't you know that giving a girl your jacket is like asking her to go steady . careful , now , tomcat . . . i might get the wrong idea . " still , with a little wink , eliza had already spun on her heel , dropping one hand from thomas's , but holding tight to the other , dragging him along .

it was a short walk to his cabin . the small , red structure stood only a few yards from the ashen rubble of its twin . creeping open the door , its hinges squealing like a siren , she peeked around , glittering eyes scanning the small room before pushing in . " it's funny , " she mused , head tilting to peer back at her beau whilst she glided further into the room . " usually when we're alone , you're trying to take my clothes off . not give me more of them . " still , she was more grateful for the offer than she would admit . the mountain's bite had grown worse with each passing day , & her ' little frilly things ' were , indeed , proving to be no match . eliza had been certain she'd end the trip as an icicle .

" cozy . " the sarcasm was blatant . she'd yet to explore inside the little cabin — too scared of getting caught by milo or questioned on her whereabouts by camille . & the newest addition to their rooming added yet another layer of issue . " how've you been enjoying the company ? all ' rainbows ' & ' butterflies ' , i'm sure . "

[seeinghcsts]

THOMAS SHOT A HALF-KNOWING GLANCE in his sister's direction , a flatness to their words , weight carried on punctuation making sentences short and pointed . something must have happened , that much was obvious , and he had only rubbed salt in the wounds by bringing it up . bringing MILO up . tom wanted to give himself the benefit of the doubt , play devil advocate on his own behalf by declaring he never really knew what was going on with the two of them — given the whole on again , off again thing . yet , all he did was nod his head , opting not to pry further . his arm twitched , wanting to reach out for his sister , but he , instead , kept it by his side and buried twitching fingers deeper into his denim pocket .

" got it , " he said quietly , a multifaceted statement aiming to convey multiple things without relying on too many words . too many words lead to misspoken thoughts , the risk of saying the wrong thing , so thomas opted for lesser dialogue to try and spare them both . honoring the silence save for the bristle of tree tops and the whistle of the wind between them .

he didn't mean to , but he laughed at the proposition ; finding it almost a humorous concept ; " jesus christ . " he was smiling , but it felt wrong ; apple's of cheeks sore from the expression as soon as it had infiltrated the stone-features of his face .

cam's follow up question , however , struck him still — smile fading , with his laughter , as he cleared his throat . " fuck — i uh , , , i dunno , " he fessed with a shrug , lifting a hand so he could pick at his cuticles . thomas noticed the dirt under his nails , trying to hide the way the sight made his pulse quicken . " if that really was HIM , like everyone's sayin' , , , " he trailed off , furrowing his brows , not even wanting to say the bastard's name . " i don't think he woulda given a shit 'bout some stupid rules . you coulda said goodbye ALL you wanted and he would't have left . the dumb idea was usin' the fuckin' board in the first place . "

their family had never been the best of communicators. the sneaking around from mother dearest, quiet resignation of their father. camille had to scream for a chance at being heard, while their mom blocked thomas’ ears. fueling that oblivion. all that history showed now. slipping through the cracks of an attempt to be normal. it showed in her brother’s gaze, the silent expectation of MORE. more explanation, more courage – it wasn’t easy to tell who was falling short. perhaps because they would both fall on the sword to spare each other the blade.

❝            yeah, it is. ❞  even with the blame pointed at themselves, there was no attempt to give him that more. their cards remained close to their chest, not wanting to invite any slip ups into the conversation. keeping the most recent update to themselves was simply sparing tom the petty drama.

couple that were not together are not together still!

but it was messier than that, and perhaps the only thing worse than having to talk about their feelings, was him hearing about her feelings from someone else. ❝  i’m probably not the person to ask anymore. ❞ the statement subtle, camille already looking for an escape route as soon as it had left their lips.

❝  of course i did. ❞ even when it was the stupidest option in the book, even if it was dangerous, camille could never be reasoned with when it came to thomas. ❝  i’m not coming back here again next year trying to talk to you through a fucking board. ❞ he hadn’t gone far in the time between storming out alone and being met by his sister, but it wasn’t a chance camille was prepared to gamble with. ❝  do you think any of that wouldn’t still happened if i was in there? ❞ the question she didn’t even wanted answered poked through. ❝  if we just finished and then said goodbye properly. ❞