#he drags her in and now they're both sopping wet and fully clothed

[pines4thetwin]

Ford sitting in the tub looking like a dreched cat while stan sprays him down with the shower head because he hasnt taken a bath in a week and while stan loves ford (and usually doesnt really mind his smell) the kids (mabel) have started to complain.

[yllowpages]

They've been at it for ... a few weeks now. ' It ' being each other ... At least, that's what they're trying to sell with this whole ' fake dating ' ploy. ( Only the great minds of Hollywood could come up with a PR stunt like this. ) They're practically in the honeymoon phase — or would be. It's clear they have at least both settled into these off-screen roles, on top of their on-screen ones. They were actually getting to know each other. They even got a shorthand going between them and it'd gotten so comfortable that, for a second, it felt like the whole thing was unshakable. Until like ... twenty minutes ago.

The whole vibe had shifted. The ' make sure they're seen going into one of their respective places of residence ' plan had been pulled off plenty of times by now. They get seen together, maybe with a little canoodling, then they get inside and sit on opposite ends of a couch while they kill time before one of them leaves or one of them sleeps on the sofa. Easy peasy, usually. Ending up on the pool, admittedly, wasn't part of the plan.

But what can he say? They got caught up in the moment. She shoved him, he pulled her — tale as old as time. And, for once, he's hoping she didn't notice the way he was looking at her ( but maybe he's trying to ignore it himself ) . It really just ... got away from him, he thinks. Shit, once second longer and he would have leaned in. But the doorbell rang — thank god — so he had to drag himself, sopping wet, out of the pool and take care of that. ( How many pizza delivery kids can say they saw Johnny Cage answer his door fully clothed but dripping head-to-toe? )

They're both mostly dried off, changed — he lent her some sweats and a t-shirt, like a gentleman — and now they're actually settling in to eat. Johnny sets a couple of plates down on the floor of his at-home cinema, where they've decided on dinner and a movie ... on opposite sides of the aisle. ( Like nothing ever even happened ... ) After the plates, a couple of beers : peace offering, sort of. ❝ I feel like we're already pretty even, all things considered, ❞ he says, lighthearted, as he sits down on the floor, ❝ Even if you did start it. ❞ There's a warm, practically sweet, smile on his lips while he flips open one of the pizza boxes. ❝ But call this an apology — I guess. ❞ He gets an amused scoff in response and he watches her smile out of the corner of his eye —

❝ You’re not who I thought you were. ❞

It's not that the comment catches him by surprise ( he's gotten that one a few times ) but, coming from Jordan ... he must be doing something right. By all accounts, it's a nice moment. Heartfelt. In the movies, this is where the tough, misunderstood romantic male lead blushes, says something charming like, ' Well, most people don't really take the time to get to know me. ' But not Johnny. No, he just can't help the good-natured smirk that comes onto his face when he says, practically in a chuckle, ❝ I knew it. ❞ Instead of the love interest, it's like he becomes the little kid on the playground running circles around his classmate, just to mess with them. He pulls a slice of pizza from the box and places it on his plate ; he lifts his thumb to his lips and quickly licks off some grease and seasoning before grabbing his beer. Johnny looks up at Jordan now. At this exact moment, yeah, he's got a little bit of that butterfly feeling deep down in his stomach ( like the pool ) just at the thought of this. But not even that will get him to resist the urge to make eye-contact and still tease, ❝ You like me. ❞ He takes a drink. ( It's all in good fun, right? )

@survivall