seeinghcsts

[seeinghcsts]

𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝟎𝟎𝟒: ᵖᵃˢˢʷᵒʳᵈˢ, ᵖˡᵉᵃˢᵉ!!

" LIZA , did you go through my phone ?? "  

      " not that i got anything to hide but , , , "

                " , , , , s e r i o u s l y , did you ?? "

[seeinghcsts]

AT THE SIMPLE DEMAND FOR MANNERS , all thomas could offer was a tilt of his head , followed by the lifting of brows , before his chin was swaying . left to right , side to side . a low laugh added sound to his otherwise silent dismissal of an offer he had made out of humor , followed by a scoff . he was approaching dangerous territory with churning waters ; the red flag billowing at the sea's edge translating to do not enter .

or , , , maybe that flag meant SWIM AT YOUR OWN RISK .

the empty beer is polished off , the can being crushed beneath his furled fingers as the pad of his free thumb swipes along his lower lip to collect any stale , watery ale that remained . " you're somethin' else , liza , " he mused , adding the ravaged container to the graveyard that had been erected on the cracked , kitchen counter ; splintered laminate with bubbles building beneath its uncleaned , poorly kept surface .

a look to his sister's best friend , followed by the limp shrug of a shoulder . he looks down at his fingers , rubbing thumb across calloused pads . like they were covered in dirt instead of glitter . " i think ko deserves better than just playin' house with me . " thomas believed kody deserved more than him entirely , but that same sheer stubbornness was why he still held on so tight . because he knew she'd dismiss that thought if he were to voice it .

sights lifted just in time to catch her gaze as it returned to his , eyes momentarily distracted from their silent search for something new to drink . he laughed , vision momentarily cutting out as he did ; the kitchen , the lowlight , and her arched form nothing more than a blur as he attempted to blink his eyes back into focus . " harder , " he echoed , humming contemplatively . thomas remained against the counter adjacent to the one she was lounging on , bringing one elbow to rest on it as his fingers mirrored her actions ; brushing the pad of his pinkie beneath his nostrils . there was a knowing glint in his eye as he lowered his voice ; " like i said . you're somethin' else . "

— THE DRUNKEN BUZZ OF his voice was lost to her , blended within the untamed dissonance that encased them . blaring music , faintly muffled by thin walls . the sharp ring of laughter & screams slithering in through an open window . red solo cups snapping under careless feet while glass bottles jostled atop the counter's growing landfill . eliza purposefully distracted herself with the subtle , tinkling tune of the party's soft minutiae ; the small details she always seemed to miss , too busy spinning through the nights' in a daze .

it was not until he leaned in — the lip of an empty can tapping her knee and drawing dulled attention back — did eliza's neck loll , turning a sage gaze back on him . then , a manicured nail was dragging across the marble counter , sliding up the can's smooth metal side & tap-tap-tapping against . for a moment , the only answer she gave was that empty echo .

" say ' please ' . "

however , eliza's kittenish simper , practically sewn to doll-like features , slowly unstitched . despite the haze , the blurred vignette accenting her peripheral , painted by a mixed cocktail of substances , a hum of consciousness remained . she was reminded who exactly stood beside her . and with that slow recognition , his question ( coated with a cruelness he could never understand ) held a bite . the sharp pinch of a needle .

eliza flinched . green eyes paired with a rosebud blush , and her pouty lips twisted as if brushed by something sour . melting off the counter , eliza — possessing a practice poise even with some handful of tequila shots tickling her nerves & blurring the scenery — glided with fluid grace toward the small island adjacent . leaning into it , curious fingers danced over the collection of bottles & cans with mild disinterest . " i'm sure s o m e o n e here would just looove to play house with you . " the words were drawled with slow , painful pointedness . " but i'm getting a little bored with the bottle service . think i might , " her spine arched , twisting to catch his gaze for a brief moment and flashing the mask of a smile . she tapped her nose . " try something harder . "

[seeinghcsts]

" PEBBLE IN THE , , , " thomas trailed , about to ask for clarification before realizing that milo would likely , purposefully , aim to leave him more confused . he never fuckin' understood anything the other said , so he found it pointless to inquire , heaving a sigh as he shook his head .

" — fuckin' hell , nevermind . "

dramatically , thomas's eyes rolled ( he really spent too much time with his sister and her ' bestie ' ) , a scoff sounding around his lime wedge as he pried it from his maw and threw it with far less care than milo into the nearby sink . " i don't wanna know . i don't wanna fuckin' know . really . please , for the love of GOD , keep that shit to yourself , okay ?? " standing up straight , thomas's eyes bleary eyes searched around for some unopened , unclaimed can to crack . " work shit , " he repeated beneath his breath , disbelief and something teeming on disgust filling his huffed response .

finding what he had been searching for , thomas scooped up the beer in an unsteady hand , fiddling with the tab , momentarily watching milo's hands in his peripheral . how the hell were they so steady ?? " both told me they were looking for you , " thomas retorted , clearly not thrilled to admit it . " kody's a big girl . a good one . plays relatively nice with others . but we'll both be lucky if cam doesn't end up in a cop car . " cracking open the beer , thomas shakes his head , muttering so only the two of them could hear lest one of the frat boys catch wind of his words ; " — i won't be surprised if she sends one of these guys home in a BODY BAG without one of us supervising her . "

their smile is positively impish as an exhale leaves tom, an exasperation they're confident only they can manage to pull out of him. they raise a brow at the answer, not calling bullshit but regarding the shot set down next to them. the temptation to take the cup into surprisingly manicured fingers and down it is strong, he claimed it wasn't for kody after all, but they resist. instead, they listen to the lengthy retort, eyes sparkling with either intoxication or humor. at least, it was lengthy for milo, who could hardly string together sentences that long. they stay quiet a beat after he's finished, too, eyes locked as they drink lime juice until titanium is pressed against bitter pith "that's noble, man. pebble in the water." they drop the peel into a forgotten solo cup.

"you shaming me, tom?" it's unmistakably a giggle, a soft, breathy laugh that doesn't reach the eyes. they take another lime into their hands, this time slowly and methodically prying flesh away from peel "work shit came up." the accusatory tone is thrown right back, as if they had any leg to stand on "where's ko right now? ..how 'bout cam??"

[seeinghcsts]

LUKES WARNING IS BRUSHED OF with a roll of his eyes and the trilling of his lips . pft — please , truly , how hard could it be ?? one thing thomas had learned about luke during what felt like a six month long ' friendship test ' was that he was a man who favored melodramatics . he reminded tom so much of eliza , it was a miracle he hadn't ever caught the blonde getting involved with the theatre department ( where he'd find a way to get his name to the top of every cast list , and tom and camille would both have to get an earful about it from eliza every . single . time . ) . the card started going around , and something in thomas's stomach coiled tight . a few close calls were enough to have his palms sweating , and when the ace card finally fell from between two participants — seeming almost purposeful on the male's end — thomas's jaw went slack in silent horror . the card being halved only worsened his distress , an iron rod speared down the length of his spine as he watched the smaller piece of laminated cardboard begin its second rotation .

oh shit .

he notably stiffened , leaning back into one of his hands to play it off , though it was something his companion must have taken note of as luke leaned in to whisper , breath hot and stained with booze as it fanned over thomas's suddenly clammy throat . " fuck off , man . " thomas attempted to jest , hitting the back of his hand into the man's chest as if he were a pesky fly . his gaze , however , drifted to the woman beside him , who was now much closer than she had been when she first sat down and looking at him with a wildly feral gleam in her eyes .

the card eventually reached her , and she leaned with both palms on her neighbor's knee as she received the spit-slicked card from their puckered lips . thomas swallowed as he watched . anticipated . her head seemed to be on an effortless , eager swivel as she spun around towards him . leaning in , she sank acrylic talons into his upper thighs and surged her weight forward . the nameless girl had practically hurled herself into his lap , smacking the card against his mouth ( more so his bottom lip ) . thomas screwed his eyes shut and sucked in as hard as he could to pull its halved body from her lips . distracted by the force of her frame atop him , he had entirely failed to notice her efforts to try and purposefully get the card to drop between them .

desperately eager to turn away from her , to twist his body so his shoulder would knock her off of him ; thomas never realized the card had been lost by the time he had fully turned his head . it was too late by the time he had noticed , mouth stamping against luke's with a such a force it was a miracle their noses didn't crunch together . he tasted peppermint and remnants of liquor . felt lips and teeth . tom's eyes snapped open , the man tearing himself back , an expression that could only be labeled as humiliation painting his face as heat crawled up his neck . the laughter swelled instantaneously , thunderous in his ears where blood was rushing , one giggle to his left particularly shrill as the handsy girl cackled and clapped her hands .

" FUCK - " thomas panted , gaze still zeroed in on luke before he ripped it away , looking around frantically . " where'd the - where'd the , " he licked his lips , brows creasing , breaths suddenly erratic . " where'd the fuckin' card go ?? i had the card !! i - i sucked on it , man !! no fuckin' way it fell . " maybe if he distracted himself with the searching for what to him was now public enemy number one , he'd be able to tune out the song of his own misfortune . to ignore the icy blue stare no doubt sewn to him .

a tongue rolled over rum-stained teeth , hiding the tickle of a humored smile . there was just something about thomas — his eagerness to please , his need to wear the skin of whoever he stood closest to , his innate ability to be anyone but himself . luke had clocked it immediately , mere minutes into their first conversation . for thomas , it must have been a god-sent miracle to be seated beside luke sinclair last semester . for luke , it was simply another moment . another face , another name , another game . the only difference this time was how long good ol' tom had managed to hang around.

an eyebrow arched in response . luke snorted , cornflower eyes rolling . " what —— are you guys ' open ' or something ? by all means , if you're searching for a third in our little pool of players , call her up . " each word was drenched in a thick layer of sarcasm which drowned the gravel of his voice . but , before thomas could have a chance to respond , or defend the sanctity of his relationship ( which , honestly , luke could have cared less about ) , the game had begun .

some guy wearing a rancid hue of yellow started them off . from his puckered lips , the ace was passed to lauryn mercer ( wasn't she fucking banned from alpha delta events ? luke would need to speak with reeve later about the integrity of their blacklist ) . she carried it to another fleeting acquaintance . and to another and another . around the circle they went . until it reached the sloppy kiss of jacob jones . the card fluttered away and , in the same second , jacob's wet lips were mashing into his neighbor's . fuck , he needed to be cut off . they were not having a repeat of the renegades party from last year .

after the jeering and laughter died down , the ace of spades was picked up and — as the rules went — split in half . one side was discarded , while the other remained in the game . suddenly , the stakes were raised and difficulty doubled .

" careful , " luke whispered , watching the halved card continue on its path toward them . closing in . " chick next to you tends to get handsy . hope you have strong lungs . "

[seeinghcsts]

" WHAT , PEOPLE BEING SURPRISED TO SEE YOU HERE ?? " he asked without thinking , words taking him by surprise as they resonated in his ears shortly after departing his slacked jaw . clearing his throat , a means of apologizing without actually having to own up to it , thomas leaned back against the house and tilted his face up to gaze at the inky black sky ; peppered with stars that winked as they caught his eye . he smiled , loose and unrestrained , as a laugh bubbled from grin-split lips . " well , whatever they fuckin' are , i think they're cool . "

he didn't know how to be , , , friendly . was he being too friendly ?? this was kody's roommate , his girlfriend's , , , friend . he'd could compliment her without being weird ( if only thomas ortesky was capable of doing anything without ' making it weird ' ) . " i'm glad you came . sure kody's thrilled . " the cigarette was almost forgotten until he felt the flame crawling up its slender , round body beginning to nip at his fingers . thomas quickly brought the filter back to his lips , adjusting his grasp so he didn't get burnt , eyes weighted as he closed them around it and drew in a deep breath . he feels isla lingering , her presence a weighted shadow in his peripheral , and he resisted the urge to turn to look at her ; opting to either stare at the back of his own eyelids or let his fleeting mind ( faded , induced , warped ) find aimable replies amongst constellations . " yeah , some party is definitely a way to put it . you havin' a good time ?? " he asked in earnest as he rolled his shoulders , an ache having already settled within the muscles encompassing their blades . his vertebrate gave a few noisy pops , and he sank a bit heavier against the siding .

he's then extending his hand , the one nursing the burning tabaco , to offer his smoke in isla's direction . thomas then finally turns to look at her once more , expression lingering somewhere between neutral and reluctant to find her eyes . " i , for one , don't think i'll ever be able to get rid of all this fuckin' glitter . i'll spend the rest of my life finding it all over me . "

barefoot in the grass,   isla walks like she’s forgotten what it feels like to stand.   she carries her heels in her hands,   the coolness of the ground pressing up into her,   but she doesn't feel it.   she’s not connected to anything except the idea of movement,   like if she keeps moving,   the buzz can’t catch up.   then there’s thomas,   standing against the house,   like he’s carved from the same shadows that stretch out from the porch light.   he’s not here for the party.   he’s not even here for himself.   he’s just here.

she doesn’t know him well,   just that he’s kody’s boyfriend,   and maybe that’s enough.   it could be better that way,   knowing nothing more of each other than the red string joining them.   still,   he looks different out here,   away from the chaos.   like he’s just watching,   or trying to distract himself from his hand in it.   " thomas, hi. "   as if he too had become subject of false expectation.   what was thomas doing out here all on his lonesome,   and more importantly  ..  was he wearing kody's top? she watches him react,   but there’s a beat,   a gap,   and for a moment they're just watching eachother. he's surprised.   " seems like that's become a theme tonight. "   tone prods flat but with a glint in her eye that suggested she was enjoying his discomfort just a little.   something more amicable piques from his roundabout compliment.   " thanks! they're—rosettes,   actually. "   she’s smiling,   but it’s a joke she’s telling herself,   a tiny thing,   something only for her.   that is the art of being,   and more importantly,   of conversation: entertaining the many nothings wedged between salient information.   she rubbernecks back to the mess of a house as they brace against its side,   watching people spill from an opening they can in drunken masses before flitting back to thomas.   " some party,   huh? "

[seeinghcsts]

AS ELIZA'S HAND ONCE MORE INVADED his personal space , swatting away at fiddling fingers as they toyed and manipulated the hem of kody's shirt , thomas jumped back as if her almond manicure carried an electrical current . " christ , alright !! fuckin' hell , " he grit , hands flying up with palms facing outwards . " no , i don't wanna ' ruin her vision ' . i'll stop touchin' it . " he bit back grumpily , a scorned child that had been caught doing something they shouldn't have been . the room ebbed and flowed , the drugs in his system making tile look like rolling waves , and he leaned his back against the counter to try and ground himself . he felt light , adrift in the open sea , , , if that sea happened to be made of perspiration slicked bodies of inebriated grad students . thomas rolled out his neck , releasing some tension that had crowded around his joints , before lulling his head to the side to look at eliza once more ; her face now shrouded in a pink hood , features tucked beneath hued shadow .

he smiled limply at her , lazily , submitting to the floaty feeling as he hummed in reply to her chastising . eliza's voice was like spider silk ; clinging to his skin , slipping beneath it , creating webs between his bones . it felt like each vibration caused by her speech was tickling him . " i'm not an artist , " he retorted with a theatric scoff , shaking his head . " — i'm a man who studies artists . i have a sketchbook but i'd hardly classify anything in there as art . it's , , , entirely different . " he thought he was making a point , a solid one at that , but the minute each syllable curled his tongue and each consonant sounded against his teeth ; any word thomas spoke had lost all meaning to him . fluent in a language he didn't understand . swelled pupils ventured once more across the kitchen , overwhelmed by the way it warped beyond recognition , gaze seeking out eliza's to ground him again as he inched closer , knocking his beer can against the cap of her bent knee . " bottle feed me beer ?? i mean SHIT , i dunno , " he replied , a playful song to his coo as he raised his brows at her , his smile spreading across drunk-flushed features ;

" are you offering ?? "

— IN PERFECT SYNC , SOFT hands flattened atop the counter & pushed her small frame up onto the smooth ( albeit , a tad sticky ) surface beside thomas's abandoned beer can . bare legs dangled over the side , manicured nails holding its dripping edges , while a crown of uncharacteristically wild curls tilted to the side . with it , the world began to spin on a topsy - turvy axis .

" kody has good taste , " she replied — spoken like a sure fact rather than soft assurance , quick to catch his subtle change in disposition . she had , after all , known him for nearly a decade . memorized the man's tick's , and learned to anticipate his tock's . swift as an arrow , her hand shot off its perch & swatted fiddling fingers away from the hem of his ( or , rather , kody's ? ) cropped tee . a chiding tongue clicked in warning . " stop stretching it m o o o r e ! don't want to ruin her ' vision ' , do you ? "

eliza's scolding touch retreated back to its place atop the counter , and , mindlessly , two fingers waltzed along ( what was once ) white marble , stepping out of beat with the music's muffled blare . when her gaze returned to his , two thin brows knit together , wrinkling at the center . thomas's stare bore a deep hole between her eyes , and eliza was almost certain he hadn't blinked in at least a full minute . w e i r d o . how high was he ?!

she scooped up the sheer fabric of the spindly pink scarf wrapped loosely around her neck , lifting the accessory over her head like a hood — & casting a shadow over the faint flush of roses budding atop her cheeks . all night she had been dancing , mingling , partying without worry . now , though , under the scrutinizing gaze of her best friend's big brother , she felt transparent . not like he hadn't seen her in worse before . between the pool parties at their childhood homes , and many oversized t-shirts she'd been forced to borrow in high school after an impromptu night out , this dress - up doll's bikini top & mini - skirt were nothin' . not like she c a r e d what HE thought about her fashion choices . prude .

" have camille & i seriously taught you nothing ? hmph , i fear you're a lost cause . clueless to T H E ' lisa frank ' . . . and here i thought you were supposed to be an ARTIST . " though her face had turned away , now surveying the revolving door of people with mild interest — their bodies becoming a blur of fluid movement — a dramatic sigh tumbled through crooked lips . " feeling okay ? memory failing . . . can't dress yourself without help . . . what's next , thomas — needing to be bottle fed beer ? "

[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.