𝓈𝓌𝑒𝑒𝓉 / 𝕔𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕖 !

[bcketts]

levimadden​

He likes the way her fingers feel in his hair, it’s soothing. He smiles at her words, shrugging lightly. He’ll say it again and again, because it’s true. There’s a pang in his chest when she turns her head away from him. She’s right, of course she’s right — but Levi doesn’t want to act rationally tonight, is that so bad? He’s being selfish, he’s self aware enough to know that, because he’s not the only one who’ll have to pick up the pieces after tonight, she’ll be, too. And he hates to be the cause of that. “Is it really a problem?” he asks quietly, because he’d argue loving someone does that to you, renders you unable to think straight, so that doesn’t necessarily make it a bad thing. But maybe, in their case, it unfortunately is, because every time they reunite, they fall back into each other’s arms, knowingly they’ll have to part ways. It’s something they both know and yet they go against every time. He shakes his head and looks down for a moment, letting out a sigh. “I know that it is,” he agrees now, feeling like he’s losing. He eyes look at her hands as they trail down his arms and eventually drop at her sides. There’s another pang in his heart as a result of her words, but this one is painful and sharp. He’s experienced heart break before, so he knows this is exactly what he’s feeling right now. He also feels like they’re breaking up, despite never actually dating. He hands drop her from cheeks, too  — it’s probably one of the hardest things he ever had to do and he takes a step back, and he has to look away for a moment, because looking at her hurts. He’s strong enough to pull away, but not strong enough to leave. “Fuck, Allie. How am I supposed to — “ Go back inside and pretend like you’re not in the same room? Like everything that happened now didn’t? He stays quiet because he’s smart enough to know his words will only hurt them more and make the situation harder than it already is. He takes another step back and just leans back against the wall, like he’s in need of some support.

– IT'S BECOME INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO LOOK HIM IN THE EYES, not just because of how much it'll hurt to see the desperation on his features, but because it's also difficult for her not to get drawn in. after all, she's just opened up to him completely, told him what she's been trying to hold back for a long time : she loves him. and he loves her back. under most other accounts, it should be a celebration, something to be happy about, and she doesn't know why her feelings keep coming up as an inconvenience instead of something to smile about. " i think...for us it is, " she says, " you have a whole life here, levi, you're graduating tomorrow and you...you should be with your friends. celebrating. " she feels GUILTY for taking him away from that, for showing up here at all and she now completely understands why caden regarded her with such apprehension. she doesn't blame him. " supposed to... ? " she furrows her brow at his sentence fragment, not sure what he was going to say. it's becoming increasingly clear, however, that she's going to have to be the one to part ways. she's never had to walk away from something she's wanted to badly, and she gathers every bit of strength within herself to do it, a sharp inhale as she glances back at him, trying not to think about how it could be the last time. " and um, congratulations on that, by the way. i heard about your big mission, too, and i was...i don't know, really proud, " she admits with a smile on her lips. it's only slightly strained when she thinks about how much it proves how different their lives are. allie lingers in the doorway for another second, perhaps a mistake because it gives time for a singular tear to slip down her cheek. " i'm not...super good at this, but, um, good night. " allie can't bring herself to actually say goodbye.

[bcketts]

hudsonisms​

        HUDSON CAN TELL FROM ALLIE’S EXPRESSION that his question probably wasn’t a pleasant one, and it’s not like he’s going to ask his ex-girlfriend for more details about her ex. it’s questionable that there’s even a chance she’d want to spend the night willingly at gallagher, but he’ll choose to ignore it, giving her a nod.   “ i promise. i’m not leaving here without you. ”   he means it too, sorry levi.   “ hey, you said it, ”   he points a finger at her, before smiling.   “ do you think we’ll get invitations every year to whatever cool events gallagher has no, as repayment for everything ? ”

– ALLIE SMILES WITH RELIEF IN HUDSON’S DIRECTION, it makes the entire night feel a lot less treacherous to her. “ okay, good. thanks, hudson, ” teeth drag across her lower lip as she debates saying more, ultimately deciding NOT to dump everything she’s feeling on her ex-boyfriend. “ doesn’t mean you had to back it up ! ” she gasps, jokingly appalled before she laughs at him. “ maybe, i guess it depends if the administration stays the same, i doubt any new people would feel guilty enough...or want to deal with us on campus. eventually everyone we know here will have graduated anyway. i feel like we had to be here for luce more than anything else. was there anyone you really wanted to catch up with ? ”

[bcketts]

harperkent​

“Yeah, honestly... I debated on even coming tonight.” While she loved Beyoncé and Luce with her heart and soul, it was the trauma and memories of last year that frightened her. She didn’t want to say it or jinx it but Harper was scared that they were going to leave tonight with one less person. While they only lost one friend last year, it was one too many. “Okay, so,” Harper began, pushing aside all of her doubts and sadness from just a few seconds ago. “Like I said, this plan requires everyone. First, I’m gonna need you to walk to the middle of the ballroom. When I give you the signal, you have to faint. And not just some pathetic falling over, no, I need it to be dramatic. All eyes on you as you collapse to the ground. Nearby, we’re gonna have Hudson and Imogen ready. They’re both gonna direct all eyes on you and try to call for help. Get the ambulance to come or a medical major, whoever! We just need everyone to be looking at you three for less than a minute.” Harpoon please– “While that’s going on, I’m going to be near the front with Steph. That’s when I’ll hope on stage and introduce myself to Beyoncé and Steph is going to record the moment. By then, her bodyguards will notice us and might try to throw me off the stage. And that’s when! Luce comes in and uses those badass Gallagher spy moves on them.” Her friend has been attending the school for a year now, she believed that the other has picked up on some fighting skills. “Once those guys are down, everyone has to run and get in the car. Where our lovely getaway driver known as VG will be waiting for us.” Boom. “You like it?”

– “YEAH, ME TOO,” ALLIE ADMITS SOFTLY. “ we… went through a lot here and most of it wasn’t good. but imogen flew in and i heard all of you were coming...and i’m really happy we could all see luce tonight. it’s just even harder to be here than i expected it would be. ” the levi of it all is not even the hardest part, it’s the fact that she spent the months following her brother’s death here, scared and in the dark, and they lost another friend after a dance in this particular ballroom. harper might not be one to get super sentimental, but allie will reach for her hand as she launches into her plan anyway, just to ground herself in the fact that she does have friends here. “ i LOVE it, ” allie’s eyes sparkle, especially the part where she gets to dramatically faint in front of everyone and cause a scene, it feels very charlie’s angels of all of them to do something like this. “ though, harper, i really just have one question...like, it’s foolproof and sounds super fun, i’ve always wanted a getaway car, you know, like the taylor swift song, but...what’s the point ? like, why are we trying to make a getaway when we could just leave at any time ? this plan would’ve been better for last year, when we wanted to get mcdonald’s. ” 

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lucefrs​:

                            the mention of a simulation makes her jaw go slack as if she’s hearing about it for the first time, even though she’s hung out with enough stoners who’ve claimed they’re on the threshold of enlightenment to make it the seventh time. ‘   make sure me and allie have the best night ever !    ’ cranes her neck to where the supposed controller is, because the only way she can wrap her head around a simulated reality is likening it to a game of the sims. ‘   promise i won’t.   ’ smattering kisses all over before she loops her arm in her, all the strength of a chain-linked friendship bracelet. ‘   he’s somewhere … i think he wanted to practice his twerk for beyonce.   ’ a fruitless scan around the room comes up empty, but her gaze lands right back on allie who fills her heart just as much. ‘   if we’re being honest, think i’m getting kicked out like. well, not think. know. which sucks ‘cos i really wanted to stay with — i just really wanted to stay like. but you have to pass your classes, the first time round.   ’

– ALLIE FOLLOWS LUCE’S GAZE, though she’s not sure what she’s supposed to be looking at. it makes her feel like a sim, and honestly as long as they don’t put her in a room with no doors, it’s an improvement from all the other things the simulation has granted her prior. allie lets go of the thought, dissolving into laughter as luce kisses every inch of her face. “ oh, gosh...i didn’t practice MY twerk, ” allie admits, looks back as if she can check out her own ass in this dress. it’s rather disappointing, she thinks, but her spirits are lifted when she looks back at luce. “ wait, really ? ” allie’s eyes widen. she’s extra glad that she’s here. “ luce, that’s...well, it’s bullshit, ” she whispers, “ i’m so sorry. in all honesty, i think this place is definitely cursed and that you’re better off, but...i know that doesn’t make it suck less. ”

[bcketts]

cadenlucca​

         “ I MEAN, YOU SHOULD GO SAY HI. i’m sure he’d like to see you. ”   because there’s no way levi would not be upset if she chooses to ignore him the entire night. none of his advice really matters anyway, we know how this unfolds. caden hates that he knows levi well enough to know that he’d gladly ignore his gallagher friends for a chance to spend the entire night with allie, which is stupid. she seems like a nice girl and all, but even caden can tell their relationship isn’t exactly healthy.   “ from seeing her ?   yeah, a little. but like i said, we still keep in touch. i care about imogen, ”   he tells her, because one year later, that still hasn’t changed. what would the alternative of his relationship with her be anyway, what levi and allie have ?   “ yeah, i do, ”   caden smiles a little, despite the question feeling pointed.   “ she’s around here somewhere, if you wanna meet her. red hair, will talk to a wall. ”   he hopes they don’t get a chance to meet.

– ALLIE SMILES WEAKLY IN RESPONSE TO CADEN’S ADVICE. “ i’m not sure that’s such a good idea, i mean...we don’t have the best track record for just saying hi, ” allie admits, because she’s sure caden is aware of how d.c. went down. “ besides, it is his big night. i wouldn’t want to keep him away from all of you guys, but...you can tell him i said congratulations. ” graduating from gallagher is a pretty big achievement, though she’s sure it was no sweat for levi. she’s still thinking about him traversing the world, saving hostages...probably in a suit, too, handsome as ever. she wishes it was easier to daydream about without feeling so out of place in his life. “ okay, good. i’m glad, ” allie smiles slightly, though she can’t imagine that imogen WON’T be affected by seeing caden tonight, and she’s the person who will talk about it with her in the aftermath. it’s hard not to be protective of her after they’ve both lost so much. “ oh, awesome ! ” allie’s smile is genuine, she’s not one to harp on people in a healthy relationship, even if she has her reservations about caden. “ how did you meet ? ” she loves a good love story. 

[bcketts]

noahwxrd​

@bcketts​

“Have you tried any of these snacks?” She asks the blonde standing next to her. “I had like three of those macaroons so far. I need to try something else.” She laughs. “I’m a sucker for a good macaroon.”

– SHE DOESN’T KNOW THE GIRL THAT WALKS UP TO HER, but she smiles politely with a nod. she wonders if it’s obvious that she doesn’t go here – she can’t imagine that she blends in very well, they’re practically trained to spot outsiders here. “ oh, yeah, the snacks are half the reason to attend these things, right ? ” allie agrees, “ you should go for the chocolate strawberries next. ”

[bcketts]

levimadden​

It’s no surprise the kiss is desperate, especially when Levi’s been desperate to have her in his arms and his lips to hers. He’s always been better in expressing himself through actions, and although he’s said more than he anticipated to Allie tonight, his head is full of so much more unsaid things. So he’s putting his all into the kiss, expressing the intensity of his feelings and need for her through it. It’s a kiss with months of missing one another going into it, it’s a kiss where both of them know what’s coming next. He’s crazy about her and he can’t get enough and it’s evident in the way he’s kissing her — hungry and hard. His arms go around her waist, keeping her as close to him as physically possible, eliminating any space between them, lips melting together. He doesn’t think of the aftermath of the kiss, because right now, the kiss it all that matters and really, he wants to drown himself in Allison Beckett. He doesn’t know how long they kiss, but the moment she pulls away, he desperate to feel her lips on his again. He has to take a short breath, from the force of the kiss alone. He rests his forehead to hers, giving her a slight nod, as if in agreement, though what comes out of his lips is the total opposite, ”I don’t regret it.” Rationally, they shouldn’t have kissed. And yet, Levi has zero regrets. He would do it all again. He would kiss her again. He’s still refusing to really think of the aftermath of this. This time is deeper, too, because they have confessed their feelings. And yet, all Levi’s thinking about is the fact that she’s here and in his arms. He hasn’t had enough of the kiss. He moves to lightly trace his thumb along her lower lip and leans in for another kiss, this one’s shorter, but still passionate, because his self control and self restraint is pretty non existent right now. “You’re making me lose my mind, Allie.” His eyes are alternating between her eyes and her lips, faces still too close. He keeps her close to him — wanting her to remain in his arms. “Fuck, I missed you.”

– SHE WAS RIGHT TO BELIEVE THAT THIS WAS A BAD IDEA. it’s pathetic that she’s even tried to deny the prospect of seeing him for so long, deluding herself into believing that it isn’t what she WANTED the entire time. of course she’d wanted this, there was no doubt that she’d see him if she showed up at gallagher unannounced and she’d wanted to – she’d tried to avoid it for some semblance of self control, but it had been pointless from the moment she stepped on campus. no – it had been pointless from the moment she thought about him. and it was a bad idea, she’d known that, because now she’s here in his arms wanting more than she should, and he’s here wanting her back. her heart isn’t the only one that she’s going to have to break tonight. “ you’ve already said that tonight, ” she says softly, affectionately as she runs her fingers through his hair. she doesn’t regret it either, blurting out how she feels or being this close to him, it makes her feel ALIVE in ways that she hasn’t felt since...well, since she saw him last, and she wonders if all people who are in love feel like this : like they are the first to ever feel this way, that this feeling is unique and entirely theirs, like it gives them purpose beyond the confines of daily life, going through motions like school, homework, making dinner. since her brother died, she’s gone through the motions without all of her purpose, smiling because she should, nodding when she’s supposed to. being in levi’s arms makes her feel like she’s part of something greater, and that’s not an easy thing to give up. allie’s head tilts upward so that her lips can meet his, heart fluttering in her chest with the way he looks at her. “ that’s exactly the problem, ” she sighs softly, finally turning her head away from him, “ neither of us can think straight when we’re together, it’s not...levi, it’s not good for us. ” she’d never want to be a liability to him – allie never thought she’d be in the position where she has to be the strong one, and it feels like she’s opening a wound. if she can’t stitch it up, it’s better that he won’t be around to see that. her hands trail down his arms, lingering until she finally drops them at her sides. “ you need to go. ”

[bcketts]

graysonberkshire​

“i don’t know that it’s either.” every job has the boring bits, he’s almost certain. he doesn’t find his job entirely dull and it keeps him busy, which has been fairly crucial while living alone and over an hour away from his girlfriend. “err…i don’t know, i don’t watch a lot of it.” especially the thrillers and he certainly hadn’t taken spies on film during his one year at gallagher. “at the risk of sounding biased, i did like london spy.” he’s not all that concerned about being offed and shoved into a trunk himself. “and killing eve…both are bbc affiliated, but to me that just means less episodes and more thought put into storylines.” a lot of spy content comes off as sensationalized and cheesy. “physically, yes. that’s all right, i didn’t stop you.” lord knows he could have! “considering it happened yesterday and i nearly bled out…yes, it hurts. i wasn’t scared for myself.”

– ALLIE CRACKS A SMILE AT THAT. “ well, i guess i don’t blame you – you already live it, ” she wouldn’t find it surprising that he looks for an escape when he’s occupied with the reality of it all day long. allie doesn’t want to ask, but she wonders if the casualties that grayson sees in his work are anything like what they happened to experience at gallagher, if the assassins that snuck into their lives were an abnormality or just a taste. “ it’s hardly biased anyway, you gave the american thing a fair shot ! and it was pretty convincing, ” she’d been fooled at least, not sure if he will take that as a compliment or an insult. allie’s going to get obsessed with killing eve when she starts it next week. “ oh my gosh, yesterday ? i can’t believe you showed up ! i mean, i’m so happy you did, but if i got shot yesterday...sorry, i’m staying home, ” she shakes her head. “ is...did anyone else get hurt ? ”

[bcketts]

lucefrs​

‘   ow !   ’ she yips, because allie’s squeezing super hard, wondering if she’s just not used to her hugs because she’s gone so long without or if she’s been lifting. ‘   so what’s the consensus. am i real ?   ’  she pushes out through her allie-made fish face, which glubs against her palms every time she tries to smile, which is a lot, especially when she’s treated with a forehead kiss. ‘   and you look like an angel. you always do.    ’ she puckers her lips, trying to escape allie’s clutch even though it feels nice. ‘   you have to let go. i gotta kiss those cheeks otherwise i’m gonna go insane.   ’

– “OH, SORRY!” ALLIE APOLOGIZES, “ very real, i think, thank god. unless i’m ALSO part of the simulation and neither of us are real at all, in which case...well, no point in worrying about it ? ” she shrugs weakly, but the smile on her lips won’t go away, she’s just so happy to see her. another reason to despise gallagher is that it took luce from her, she can’t help the bitterness. “ okay, okay, you just can’t disappear, ” allie instructs, loosening her hold. “ how are you ? where’s scott ? did you ace your first year ? ” she only asks the final question because she assumes the answer is yes, duh. 

[bcketts]

levimadden​

“Am I?” There’s disbelief in his tone. He doesn’t believe either of them is stronger than the other when it comes to their relationship. He’s never been able to suppress his feelings for her. “I can’t control myself around you, Allie. I lost focus of everything around me the moment I saw you tonight,” he explains. He holds her gaze when she looks at him. As a result, there’s a silence that hangs. All he wants is to do the right thing, to lessen the hurt both of them are feeling. But he has no idea what the right thing is, it all seems painful for him. Her words make him weaker and weaker. Months of thinking he was doing well moving on, all thrown out of of the window. He never moved on. And he already knows the moment she leaves campus again, she’ll be the only thing he’ll be thinking of for months. And he’ll use partying and alcohol and sleeping around, and eventually, his new job, as a distraction, to bury the feelings that’ll never go away. “I don’t know how to move on from you.” And he tried, he really tried. All he wants to do is reach for her and hold her, act on his urges, because it’s actually killing him how just out of reach she seems. It’s that conflict of staying away and protecting each other versus acting on his feelings. Levi knows once he reaches out, the last shred of control he has left will dissolve. The conversation is getting more and more painful by the second. Their admissions and confessions, their feelings all coming out into the open, the realization that it’ll all have to end tonight as well. It’s the cruel reminder that their different needs, wants and goals in life and their timing will always be a son of a bitch. “Fuck. I don’t know what to do. You think I’m not in love with you still? This is all so damn hard,” he blurts out. And just like that, this is the the first time they both have confessed their love towards each other, and in true Levi and Allie fashion, it comes under stressful and painful conditions. He throws caution to the wind, says fuck it to logic and repercussions, decides to act on his feelings, and reaches for her in a quick and swift motion, cupping her cheeks and pressing his lips to hers hard. And maybe Allie will be the smartest one of the two right now and break it off, because Levi surely has lost any semblance of logic and control. 

– ALLIE DOESN’T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO SAY TO HIM NOW, all she can do is look at him slightly slack-jawed, lips parted in surprise. this should feel like a step forward, the fact that they’ve gotten everything they’ve been feeling over the past YEAR out in the open, but it doesn’t change the outcome, so it’s more like they’re walking in place, trying to change a future that doesn’t seem to come. it doesn’t change the horrible feelings that she has associated with the espionage career, the fact that they killed her brother, the way she can’t wait up every night wondering whether another loved one will be lost or not, but it ALSO doesn’t change that she feels like his smile lights up an entire room, that when things are good for them, they’re so GOOD, that he makes her feel giddy and light, and all she wants is to be around him. when she first came to gallagher, she’d felt so cold ; like everything was numb and empty, and she’d tried EVERYTHING to fill that void, but there was no fire that provided as much warmth as he did. only now, she feels like she’s burning. how else should she feel when he says he’s still in love with her ? allie’s already meeting him halfway when he moves forward to kiss her, arms draped over his shoulders as she returns the kiss. the kiss is desperate and intentional, like someone who believes this is the last time they’ll ever get to kiss the person they consider to be the love of their life and they need to say EVERYTHING that words can’t with it. she can’t get enough. her heart beats loudly against her chest in unison with his, pressed so close to him that she’s no longer sure where she ends and he begins. it hardly matters, and for a moment in time, they are on the same page about something, doubts melting away in exchange for the bliss of being in his arms. but eventually she will have to catch her breath, and the moment cannot last forever. she’ll miss him already when she tears herself away, feeling like half of something rather than whole. “ we shouldn’t have done that, ” she says, voice soft and slightly raspy because she hasn’t recovered from the kiss. which is probably why she’s still looking at his lips. 

[bcketts]

cadenlucca​

        “ HEY, I’M JUST KIDDING, ”   his smile widens as if to show proof, when in reality caden wasn’t kidding at all.   “ but i’m glad to hear it. because it’s his big night, and he should have some fun. ”   and not have to worry about nursing his broken little heart tomorrow during graduation when allie goes back to her normal life.   “ oh, yeah. you know levi, he can handle anything. he killed it. ”   he’s not completely gassing up his friend blindly ;   there’s pride in caden’s voice when he talks about levi’s mission. allie’s pointed tone has caden holding back a roll of his eyes, though he just casually shrugs his shoulders.   “ couldn’t exactly keep in touch with her too well, her being in england and all. ”   unlike levi, caden had known better than to keep close ties with imogen last year after the semester ended, when it was better for them both to keep the ocean of distance between them. harper had been another story, but he is a man. his self-restraint isn’t THAT good.   “ eh, thanks, ”  he says, because caden is trying hard not to think about cyrus tonight. 

– “OH, OKAY,” ALLIE SMILES BACK BECAUSE EVEN AFTER EIGHT MONTHS AT GALLAGHER, she will still believe any lie at face value. “ yeah, i...i’m going to try and stay out of his way, i’m sure that he wants to be with all of you and to celebrate. i’m just here for imogen and beyonce, don’t worry, ” she does believe herself as she says it, so that’s got to count for something. still, there’s obvious admiration in allie’s eyes as caden speaks, nodding. levi was MEANT for this, expecting him to be anything different would be holding him back. she just doesn’t want any part in it. “ right, the time zones make it so difficult, ” allie says, though she talked to imogen every day so she doesn’t know what caden’s on about. “ and you have a girlfriend now, right ? ” 

[bcketts]

graysonberkshire​

“right,” he echoes. unsurprising that she’d remember a detail like that, given the alumni crawling all over campus for much of her time at gallagher. “they’re like tv in all the boring ways.” they’re not shooting at each other from speeding cars most of the time. “a lot of former agents have written books, some of which end up becoming shows.” like mindhunter! “you’d learn more from reading those memoirs than from spending a semester at gallagher where everyone’s lying to you.” gallagher students don’t know anything frankly. “ian fleming wasn’t even a james bond type,” he comments with a snort. personally, grayson prefers chitty-chitty-bang-bang. “well…i’m actually not sure how much i can say. which has nothing to do with spies.” being a first child is far more secretive, with a long list of things to never be discussed publicly. “but i got shot in the process of protecting ruby.” he shrugs, mostly with his good shoulder. “i don’t think the president will be informing the public on what happened.” and well they are in a very public location currently!

– “OH. I DON’T KNOW WHETHER THAT’S A GOOD THING OR A BAD THING,” allie says. “ i guess it’s good, if it keeps you safe at your job. but bad if you’re bored. ” allie’s never gotten the sense that grayson really ENJOYS this all that much, but she can’t say that she really blames him. while the idea of training with spies for the temporary self defense classes she’d taken had been cool, in actuality, she’d just been sore and tired and missing georgetown more than ever. “ do you have favorite spy media ? ” she asks, curious about what he’d recommend. and...there is still a part of her that wants to learn more about all of this, considering it was such a huge part of the most impactful year of her life. “ oh my gosh, ” allie’s eyes widen several sizes, like the grinch’s heart on christmas. then she’s firing out questions in rapid succession. “ is ruby okay ? i’m so sorry for hugging you, i was so excited i just didn’t think. are you okay ? does it hurt ? were you scared ? ” 

[bcketts]

hudsonisms​

        “ YEAH, OF COURSE. ”   hudson has no qualms driving all of his friends home, if for no other reason than to make sure they all leave gallagher academy in one piece.   “ i take it you’re not, uh, still seeing that guy here ? ”   he doesn’t know much about that, but has heard enough to know it could be a potential thing.   “ i would hope she better security detail than you, ”   he laughs, shaking his head.   “ this will easily be the coolest thing i’ve ever done. since we can’t brag about training with spies or any of that. ”

– “THANKS,” ALLIE SMILES CHEERFULLY, a bit relieved to have that secured. it’s possible that there’s no one in the world she trusts more than hudson, he’s the most reliable person that she’s ever known, and the feeling of safety she gets when he’s involved...it’s never gone away. she breathes easier. “ oh, um, ” her eyes wander the dance floor, as if they might land on him. they don’t. “ no, i’m not. and making a pact myself not to fall prey to old habits, so...please make sure i leave with you. ” a weak smile on her lips that basically says : don’t let me be weak enough to try and spend the night with him. “ you’re saying that beyonce’s a bigger deal than me, hudson ? ” allie jokes with mock offense. “ true, at least we can brag about this concert. ” 

[bcketts]

oofimogen​

“  thanks , ”  the  little  smile  that  comes  is  genuine ,  soft  as  her  voice  is  quiet .  “  you ,  too . ”   a  small  squeeze  of  their  hands .  allie  and  imogen  were  always  bonded ,  first  as  best  friends ,  then  as  potential  soon  to  be  sisters  through  jeremy …  and  even  without  him ,  that  doesn’t  go  away .  but  they’re  also  bonded  in  the  way  they’d  both  left  boys  here  who  perhaps  mean  more  to  them  than  they’ll  admit .  facing  them  again  is  difficult  and  scary ,  even  if  they  weren’t  at  gallagher ,  but  since  they  are ,  it’s  even  more  difficult  and  scary .  imogen’s  index  finger  will  gently  tap  at  allie’s  forehead  once  or  twice ,  because  maybe  she’s  a  LITTLE  sweaty .  “  it’s  warm  in  here ,  that’s  all .  ”  she’ll  nod ,  convincing  herself .  “  i  just …  i  feel  like  if  we’re  going  to  bail  we  need  to  do  it  NOW . ”  a  nervous  laugh ,  she’s  tempted .  “  no  —  ignore  me .  we  should  stay ,  at  least  for  one  drink ,  anyways .  see  how  we  feel  after …   we’ll  be  fine .  ”  now  she  just  can’t  stop  rambling .  “  let’s  just  find  some  . ”  a  small  sigh  as  she  starts  walking  a  bit  closer  to  where  she  thinks  the  drinks  are .  

– “SO, YOU’RE SAYING IT’S OBVIOUS I’M SWEATY,” ALLIE SAYS WITH A BREATHY LAUGH, wiping her forehead off with the palm of her hand. if this was allie going in ALONE, she probably would have turned back long before this, because the idea of facing not only the people at gallagher she left behind but also the feelings, the trauma...it’s daunting. but with imogen by her side, they’ve already proved that they can get through anything together. and so, she doesn’t have to run away from her fears now. in a way, the jeremy of it all that bonded them...well, he hasn’t gone away, and the two of them might as well be sisters, perhaps even more joined than they were before. “ you’re right, ” allie’s smile is soft, “ we’re going to be fine. and it’s a freaking beyonce concert. let’s get drinks ! ” allie says, eyes wandering over toward the bar. “ are you going to be okay seeing...him ? ” she asks. 

[bcketts]

graysonberkshire​

“it’s…it wasn’t as bad as where i’d transferred from, so.” if anything, he least enjoyed the attention garnered from being both a berkshire and a gallagher, and having to fake the american accent for half his time there had also been less than ideal. “you don’t really know anything that interesting, in fairness. being a federal agent is not a private career. haven’t you seen any movies or tv shows? fbi have to flash their badges all the time.” it might be a different story if the witness protection students had also been around for the burn book. “i have a desk job at the nsa, allie, i’m by all accounts a normal bloke.” which was by design. “probably, it was romantic, and all.” she allegedly fell down a bunch of stairs and out of a window, actually, which is hilarious.

– “RIGHT, BLACKTHORNE,” ALLIE REPEATS, because she did pay attention when she was told about certain things. “ well, here everyone was telling me that spies are NOT like tv, and now they are just like tv, ” allie says, holding her hands up in mock surrender, but she’s mostly just accepting that she’s always going to be a little bit wrong about this stuff, “ but okay, good to know, i happen to like hanging out with...normal blokes, ” she repeats his words, because she thinks the word ‘bloke’ is a fun one. “ so, i’m glad you’re not a james bond type. ” because he was always getting shot at. wait ‘til grayson tells her what happened to his arm. “ ooh, okay, then tell me, ” her eyes light up, she’s sure it has to do with ruby.

[bcketts]

cadenlucca​

        “ REALLY ?   THAT’S WEIRD, ”   caden says casually – far too casually for it to not have been a set-up.   “ you’re not here to break my boy’s heart, are you ?   because he’s been through enough this year. he was sent on a mission to the uk, actually. i probably shouldn’t be telling you this. ”   except caden is an amazing wingman, so all he does is lower his voice a little and continue.   “ he saved, like, all these hostages that had been abducted by these bad guys. had to fight his way out. ”   alright, maybe he’s exaggerating a little. caden would keep going, but the question of imogen makes him pause, shaking his head.   “ i have, yeah. we still keep in touch. ”   which caden assume she knows, since he flew imogen out for this.   “ it’s not that big, ”   he counters.   “ ah, yeah. that was an accident, though. it wasn’t anything… evil. ”   he’ll spare her the secret society arc.

– ALLIE’S EYES WIDEN AT CADEN’S QUESTION, “ no ! of course not, ” she feels pretty defensive, especially considering SHE didn’t screw any of levi’s friends over thanksgiving break and then show up in a relationship. yeah, she is not part of the caden fan club, all things considered. caden’s story does fill allie with both admiration and pride, but it also emphasizes how different her life is from levi’s, that her finals were spent in a library without a hostage in sight. “ that sounds really dangerous, ” she says, her voice soft and full of awe, “ he was okay though, right ? i just...it doesn’t surprise me that he’s really good at this. ” allie can’t imagine him not doing great things. “ right. but not like you keep in touch with harper, ” she notes, eyebrows rise in disapproval. so, she knows that and then some. “ oh, okay. well, i’m sorry...that you all had to go through that again. ” all the times that death has touched her life and it’s still hard to know what to say, best to keep it simple. 

[bcketts]

harperkent​

“Not surprised by that.” The gardens fit into Allie’s aesthetic. Honestly if Harper had her phone, she would be out there taking millions of pictures of her friend each and every day. “Yeah, it looks like Gallagher is just trying to cover up their traumatizing shit and show everyone how nice they look,” Harper said as she rolled her eyes. But she will give the school credit for what they did for Cassie. “Good because I actually do have a plan. It involves the entire crew. Ready for it?” 

– “THAT...SOUNDS ABOUT RIGHT,” ALLIE GRIMACES, not one to usually take on a negative attitude, but harper’s pretty good at igniting her rage ! and so is gallagher. she understands that everything they did last year was supposedly for her safety, but not everyone was safe so she’s still pretty upset. “ it’s hard being back here, honestly, but i couldn’t not come with you guys. ” so, naturally, her eyes light up at the mention of a plan, reaching to grab harper’s arm in her excitement, “ YES, tell me everything ! ”