price isn't a religious man. he rejects the notion that there's a detached yet benevolent hand arranging things beyond human understanding. but sometimes he looks at you and wonders what else he's supposed to call it. providence, maybe, but reward feels more apt. he's spent his entire life doing what was asked of him and more. the blood on his hands mortared into his lifelines. he never wasted much energy lamenting the absence of love and romance. it's not like those things are required for him to sate his needs. and then you appear, and suddenly he's forced to reconsider his beliefs or lack thereof.
someone, somewhere, decided that he finally earned this. earned you. you can resist if you'd like. in fact, he expects it. but if you're a good girl, he'll give you time and a loose leash on which to pace about, indulge the illusion of choice. but from his perspective, the matter was settled the moment he clapped eyes on you. there is no question of whether you're right for each other. the universe already rendered its verdict. you were placed in his path with all the care of a gift set upon a doorstep. now it's simply a matter of you making peace with that fact on your own, or him helping you hands-on.
similarly, ghost doesn't care whether it was luck or blind chance. things happen, doors open, doors close, you play the hand you're dealt. meaning is something people invent after the fact to make themselves feel better about circumstances beyond their control. still, out of everyone he could've crossed paths with, it's you. out of all the places you could've gone, you ended up here, right in front of him. he doesn't believe in destiny. he simply knows how to recognize an opportunity when it presents itself. and for whatever reason, the universe saw fit to place this one, this one lovely opportunity, directly in front of him. convenient, at least for him.
gaz doesn't see the point in forcing things. people either like him or they don't. at least that's what he tells himself. in reality, he knows you just need time to realize you enjoy having him around. he is very good at giving people time, and with people like you, he knows the power of a few honeyed words and patience goes a long way. he studies and learns and remembers the details nobody else does. makes you feel seen. he shows up when he's needed and always manages to make it seem accidental.
you tell yourself he's just a friendly and reliable man. you don't consciously realize how thoroughly he's embedded himself into your life to the point where he's load-bearing. and it doesn't feel like it's because he cornered you or forced your hand, but like you silently extended an open invitation, and you'd never think to rescind it. and well, if for whatever reason his meticulous planning falls through, or you see through him, he knows that given the proper motivations, you'll come around.
soap doesn't understand why you keep making things so complicated. you call it bad timing, incompatibility, or, flat-out, that you're just not interested. that he's reading too much into little things and that he needs to let it and you go. but soap is a bloodhound that will not be dissuaded from its quarry. he's seen and read those subtle tells of yours. the cues you keep sending his way. it's obvious you're playing hard to get. so what if you run away? prey runs. that's nothing new to him. so what if you tell him no? people get cold feet all the time. to him, the cure for fear is to plunge headfirst into the deep end. he'll toss you in and chase after. sooner or later, you will give up the fight. he's just got to wear you down first.
