stay down champion

Brandon Jacobs. 28. Lakewood. Manager at Berwick Books. Former best selling author and columnist.

[brandonxxjacobs]

smolwildfire:

A bright future. If there was anything Sally had kept herself focused on since she was a little girl ( aside from what her cousin’s always got for Christmas, versus what she always got ) it was her future and where she planned to be by the age the she was now. Frankly, sitting by her cell phone all night waiting on a phone call as to why her boyfriend hadn’t shown up was not exactly the future she’d foreseen. Waiting for a public service award, perhaps… Maybe even a letter from the residential mayor to personally thank her for her charitable town contributions. Either of those two things, Sally Redmayne would happily — albeit impatiently — wait for. But this, she simply didn’t stand for anymore. This… this new waiting game… she was getting sick of.

In the early, still uncharted waters of her relationship with Brandon, she had to admit that she gave him a lot of second chances. Her infatuation with him had been something of a slow burn that when finally ignited into something more, she simply had adorned his worst traits with personally handcrafted benefit of the doubt. For anything about him that previously had gotten on her nerves, the thrill of attraction and the excitement of something new had dulled that reality for her. For a while, she simply just liked him flaws and all and the more she’d gotten to know parts of his personality he’d hidden from her, the more she felt more privileged than she ever had before.

But as time went on and their lives began to mirror each other, Sally began to worry about the little things. Like the way he never really seemed to talk about life after Lakewood, or how he seemed so comfortable in this routine they’d unmistakably made, she wondered if she was to change it tomorrow, could he have coped? In a plain psychoanalysis of herself, she was starting to feel stuck and she hated it. By now, she wanted to be in a leadership position, she wanted to be living in a grand city and dictating a company of minions beneath her in order to give the fashion world her very best. Instead, though, she still lived with her parents and had only just attained her driver’s license at the embarrassing age of twenty-six. Pulling her hair into an uncharacteristically lazy bun that signaled she was done with the outside world for the day, she’d gotten dressed in her nightgown and robe and settled on the reality. Whatever Brandon was doing this evening it was clearly more important than showing up on time to catch a weekly airing of some reality TV show they both loved to hate-watch, and providing her with a new and challenging recipe. Riddled with irritation at the amount of missed calls she left on his phone, by the time she even thought about leaving a voicemail she knew radio silence would be better. Cinching her robe tightly at her waist as she meandered around her bedroom, Sally began to organize her things for work tomorrow, shooting an occasional salty look at her phone that lit up once, but by now, she was too bitter to check it. No, if that was him, he could suffer. He’d wasted part of her night already, she was going to make good use of what was left of it.

She felt Ana’s presence at her doorway before even turning to see her, the housekeeper having become something of a lingering ghostly presence in the last few weeks. One might argue it might be a reflection of Sally’s short fuse s of late, though she would also be the first to deny it. “What, Ana? I’m really not in the mood for whatever it is you’re over there hunching about.” Sally snapped, having only glanced at the older woman for a second before turning back to her laptop and slamming down the pink lid a little too hard. When she didn’t get a reply, however, Sally turned around to look at the housekeeper once more though behind her now stood Brandon, and for a moment, Sally had a whole new argument in her head about letting people in without first consulting her. “Oh, good. It’s only,” Sally lifted her wrist then to look at her watch before realizing she’d already rid herself of her jewelry, so then turned to the clock on the wall. “Four hours later than you said you would come over.”

Brandon had known Ana from the many times he had visited Sally and he usually enjoyed telling her all about the things hated and being a general pain in the ass, but this time their short walk up to Sally’s room only had silence. Brandon’s mind was very clear for someone who had screwed things up pretty badly. For once, Brandon saw things for what they were. He should have called Sally to reschedule, especially when he knew how much organization and order meant to her, but he didn’t. That was something he had already accepted the blame for and wouldn’t argue against. He genuinely felt guilty for not updating her but things had gone so fast and his mind had been on other things at the time. Still, he recognized it had been his fault and that in itself was something he didn’t always do. As they reached Sally’s room, Brandon stepped from behind Ana and entered inside, figuring he shouldn’t be hiding from the scolding Sally probably prepared ahead of time. “Actually it’s four hours and seventeen minutes, but I’m sure you knew that already too” Brandon said, though the snarky comment was more of a natural response than it was him trying to get under her skin. Realizing the nature of his words, Brandon shook his head a little ashamed before stepping closer towards Sally to remove the large space between them.

“Something important came up” Brandon began in an attempt to explain himself before he suddenly stopped and back tracked. For someone who alway chose his words very carefully, tonight Brandon was speaking like a rough draft –– raw and true but with many mishaps. “It was my dad” He added, feeling the need to clarify. He knew Sally would interpret his words to mean that something more important than her had come up, and he didn’t feel like burying himself by letting her believe that, especially when it wasn’t necessarily true. “I should have called but... I don’t know” He said, this time letting a deep sigh escape from his mouth as he tried to gather his thoughts once again. He didn’t like talking about his father very much, other than to complain about him and his choices. As far as Sally was probably concerned, Brandon still despised his father and would never forgive him for things that happened in the past. But Brandon didn’t necessarily feel that way tonight. “I just... he needed me to bail him out of some trouble. And I know that most of the time I say I don’t care about him or what he does, but I do. He’s still my dad and when I came back from New York as a disgraced author he was there for me so...” He said, the explanation coming out a little more rattled and jumbled than he intended but he wanted her to know and he wanted to expose the truths buried deep inside that he very rarely chose to speak about. “I know this sounds like some sort of bullshit excuse but I just want you to know because I want you to know all of me, not just the pieces I choose to show” That had always been the problem with his past relationships, eventually the other person would feel like they had reached a wall that they couldn’t climb over and one he refused to take down. He didn’t want that to happen with Sally.

“... I’m sorry” He finally said. Apologies were very rare for Brandon, hence the million words and explanations prior, but he had made it there eventually and he hoped it’d be a start to getting pass this issue. “... I should have called” He said again, completely unaware of the fact that he was now repeating himself again. Truthfully, Brandon was trying, probably a lot harder than he had with anyone else. For now, all he could do was apologize and explain himself and hope for the best. 

[brandonxxjacobs]

@teenykaz

They had become a routine. And as much as Brandon liked the idea of routine because it somehow felt safe, it differed greatly from the one he was so accustomed to. That had been the root of most of his problems in the past when it came to relationships. He was too stubborn and too proud to ever make sacrifices for anyone. He liked being alone, cramped in his tiny apartment, writing at odd hours of the night, and drinking obscene amounts of coffee to fuel his frantic midnight ramblings on paper. 

But that was exactly why it had stood out to him now. Now his routine consisted of coffee with Sally, date nights scattered throughout their schedules –– art museums (most of which Brandon enjoyed to judge harshly or ridicule but had learned to appreciate over time with Sally’s help), homemade dinners, which were obviously Brandon’s idea since he found it both ridiculous and fascinating that Sally, who was equipped with all the knowledge and culture money could buy, could barely even manage boiling water. 

Brandon had come to the stark realization that they both had made adjustments to the worst parts of their personality for each other. It wasn’t necessarily changing for someone, it was more so compartmentalizing for them. They were both so unapologetically themselves all the time that it had taken Brandon years to finally realize that people were always willing to make sacrifices when they loved someone. And that perhaps he loved Sally. 

While he often thought he had made those sacrifices with Kitty, the truth of the matter was that he didn’t. Not even a little. But with Sally, it seemed so seamlessly done that he hardly realized what had happened until he stood there now at The Book Shelf. He had just slipped one of his favorite plays at Sally’s favorite corner nook –– Antony & Cleopatra, a tale he thought Sally could appreciate or warm up to with time. It’d become a little mission of his to get Sally to at least enjoy or respect Shakespeare’s work a little since he understood the playwright was hardly her favorite. But that’s what relationships were about, sharing what you loved with someone else and while Brandon had been notoriously closed off for most of his life, he noticed himself open up with Sally in ways he failed to do with anyone else. Maybe she had picked away at his walls long enough, though he didn’t think that had been the case at all. In fact, he wouldn’t call it a wall, more like a door that Sally had been entrusted with a key.

Brandon had been so deep in thought that he only caught the tail end of the ringer on his cell phone that was back at the front desk. Rushing his way through the aisle, it had gone to voicemail just as he picked it up. With a heavy sigh, Brandon glanced over the name and was unable to hold back his worry. “Shit” He muttered under his breath before quickly grabbing the shop keys and closing up to head out to the marina. The call had come from one of the sheriff’s his mother used to be friends with in town. He used to call a lot when Brandon was just a kid, telling him that his dad would be late picking him up at school (which had always been code for “he’s not coming and a station car will be there”). It was a piece of the past that made him uneasy but one that Brandon knew all too well no matter how long it had been.

His father was drunk and causing a scene at the bar by the marina like he used to do years ago, before he joined a program and got sober. Truthfully, Brandon had expected his father to spiral much sooner, but the fact that he chose a time when he was actually content with where he was with life and his career, even his romantic life, seemed all too fitting. 

Brandon never had very much hope when it came to his father, maybe it was because he still resented him and blamed him for his mother leaving, but in the end he was beginning to realize that wasn’t it at all. That wasn’t why he held onto his hatred for the man all these years. He hated him because he had let the one bad thing in his life define every other moment. He remained in a hell of his own making because he couldn’t move on and in so doing he also dragged his son into the hell too. That was a mistake Brandon didn’t want to make which was why for the first time in his life he decided to be better. 

If it had been a year ago, Brandon wouldn’t have bothered, in fact he probably wouldn’t even have cared if his dad was drunk out of his mind with bruised knuckles. He would have probably left him there for the police to clean up and wouldn’t have thought twice about it. But these days, Brandon felt the need to clear up his past because he felt that maybe he had a brighter future ahead of himself.

It had taken all night to get his father back to the house and make sure he was in bed sleeping off the drunkenness since his father could be quite aggressive when intoxicated, and Brandon had never inherited that sense of fight. It was probably the reason why he wrote, it was an easier and safer way of getting his feelings out and came with zero broken bones. 

Brandon had completely forgotten his plans with Sally. She had been more of the planner and he liked her enough to follow through on those plans most of the time. Tonight, however, he had been distracted with family to even check his phone for her missed calls and messaged. Brandon wasted no time calling a cab and heading over to Sally’s home. “Stupid mansion... all the way up a hill...” Brandon muttered to himself as he made his way towards the Redmayne residence. It’d felt weird walking up the steps to the front door this late but he didn’t know what else to do when she didn’t respond back to his text message. Knocking twice, Brandon let out a small sigh as he wondered what the outcome of this would be. His guess was that she’d keep him waiting all night or she’d open up and give him a play by play on everything he did wrong today –– the highlight being “ignoring” her, even if he wasn’t so much ignoring her as he was busy with his dad. 

[brandonxxjacobs]

electricinndigo:

          “I’ve heard of it,” She shot at him with a defensive glare, cradling the knuckles he’d smacked away like a damsel, though it hadn’t hurt. A year ago Brandon wouldn’t have lived to see another day if he’d done that to her. Now, her hand tingled with the absence of his callous touch, a strange incentive in her making her watch his hands then if not for instructions, then simply just because she could. “Well what your mouth does is hardly my problem,” She responded childishly, watching as Brandon edited her antics in a similar way to how she did hers when he was in her work area. An adjustment here, some light berating there. All in a matter to tailor the other to their own idea of perfection.

                             Eyeing him when he gave her the go on the pasta, Sally wondered if he there were grounds here for sabotage. Maybe she was being lenient in trusting his culinary expertise, perhaps a quick Google was in order. But instead, after a long moment of staring at him suspiciously, she took the packet and began to pull at it. The plastic was tough though and her patience grew short. Tugging at it more, she felt it suddenly give way and half the pasta sticks entered up in a mess all over the counter. With an irritated roll of her eyes, Sally gave a disgruntled sigh. “Must everything resort to a mess in your apartment?”

“But you’re not an expert at it” Brandon shot back just as quickly. They both knew patience was neither of their virtues but in this specific instance it was Sally’s vice and there were always seldom opportunities to tease Sally about something she wasn’t good at because Sally happened to be good at most things. “Well that’s because most of the time it’s not really a problem, it’s more of a gift, really” Brandon said with an all too familiar smug expression across his face. She shouldn’t have expected anything less out of him at this point. With his words, Brandon leaned over to give Sally a kiss on the cheek, making it quick enough so she couldn’t complain about the gesture or overthink it. 

Brandon watched carefully as Sally picked up where he had left off and took to getting the pasta into the pot. Unfortunately, things didn’t go so smoothly and half the pasta scattered all over the counter top. The act instantly caused Brandon to shake his head as he gave way to a light chuckle, “Of course, it’s my fault that you can’t open a package of pasta” he said, still completely amused, “I guess they just don’t teach you that in private school, huh” Brandon added as he stepped forward and picked up the stay pieces of pasta only to throw them into the pot. While Sally might have argued that it was unsanitary, Brandon had some inkling she would refrain this once given the fact that it was partly her fault they weren’t 100% clean. “Alright, pasta’s in. Should be a minute or so until it’s ready and then we can finally eat.”

[brandonxxjacobs]

electricinndigo:

                An immediate breath of a laugh cast itself from Sally’s nostrils at ‘caring and mindful’ though it didn’t fully resemble a scoff. She wondered what Brandon’s plan here was, what his actual motive was. Surely he was an avid fan of take-away services and didn’t really get any joy out of starving to death due to her inadept culinary skills? But then, Brandon had been amused by worse things, Sally knew. It was probably just a ploy to make her look silly for his own enjoyment, a trait that had never quite disappeared for the two no matter how soft they’d grown on each other.

     “Sounds like you’re mocking me. How unpredictable of you.” She replied in a flat tone, twisting back to the countertop and feeling quietly useless all over again. Watching the water sit still and cold in the pot, Sally’s neatly manicured fingers reached out bravely for the knob on the stove, assuming it was an on-switch. Theoretically, she knew, some stoves ran on gas and some on electric… just by looking at the device though, she couldn’t tell which it was. So, bending down a little, hair draping dangerously close to the water, Sally attempted to get a good side-view before the flame burst to life at her fiddling and she quickly jumped back a little in shock. Throwing an acidic glare at Brandon due to his purely unhelpful instructions, Sally popped the lid onto the pot. Trapping the heat in seemed scientifically beneficial here. “No… No, I’m fine, thank you. Like anything, cooking just has… an extensive set of rules. And once I learn these rules… you best watch out, I may just make the best vegan spaghetti meatballs you’ve ever had.”

Truthfully, Brandon happened to be a fairly decent cook, the problem was that he hardly ever cooked for himself and rather chose to suppress his appetite with coffee until he could get his hands on something quick and easy like takeaway food. But, there were two reasons for suggesting he and Sally cook together, one was because obviously he knew Sally would be absolutely terrible at it and that was a little amusing. But the second reason was because deep down, whether it was subconsciously or consciously at this point he didn’t even know himself, he felt like he needed to bring more to the table, figuratively speaking. Sally was this beautiful, intelligent, and clearly out of his league girl, and he could be so difficult at times that he sometimes felt that maybe his luck would run out and much like Kitty, Sally would feel a need to leave and search for something better. As much as Brandon prided himself on not caring about what anyone thought of him, he cared about what Sally thought of him. Maybe it was his insecurities getting the best of him or maybe he was just scared because things between them were getting more and more serious, either way, much like Sally, he also needed validation.

Reaching over to slap Sally’s hands away from the knob of the stove, Brandon shook his head at her with a smile. “Stop it. Patience, have you heard of it?” He added with the same amused expression as before. He watched as the flame nearly startled her when it blazed up due to her relentless antics and pulled her a step away from the stove despite her glare for safety, “I think my mouth just dried right up when you said vegan spaghetti meatballs” Brandon joked with a small chuckle. “But you seem to be getting some of these rules down” he began, glancing at the pot for a moment and noticing it had come to a slight boil, “You can put the pasta in now, chef Redmayne” He said with a small grin before leaning against the opposite side of the counter to watch.

[brandonxxjacobs]

electricinndigo:

            “While I appreciate you complimenting my intelligence despite how caustic it sounds, maybe you forgot that I don’t actually eat the main ingredient. Or you planned it this way. Henceforth… I call sabotage.” She argued quickly, glancing down at the ingredients still left untouched and in their plastic on the countertop.

                        She knew that Bradon would take the bait, having to earn himself a title better than her simply by sheer existence alone. But she didn’t mind, because she had a counterargument that she then muttered, loud enough for him to catch every word of course. “He claims as he orders the vegan to make a dish that calls for both a selection of meat and cheese. Yet, intelligent and perceptive, recites science…” She brushed her hands together then and turned to the pot on the stove. “Of course, I do.” She shot quickly. “Water over an open flame, how hard can it be?” Although rhetorical, Sally chewed on the tip of her tongue behind her teeth and side glanced at him quickly. “For how long exactly, do you boil it? It seems kind of vague on when it’s at peak achievement.”

“You’re calling sabotage?” Brandon repeated with a smirk, “Considering you always choose those guppy vegan places for lunch, of course I’m aware you don’t eat the main ingredient” Something that he definitely liked poking fun to her about but for now he held his tongue on the matter. She was a difficult eater meanwhile he cared very little about what he consumed, one of many difference between them. “That’s why, me being the caring and mindful person that I am, bought soy–– wait” He stopped, glancing around the cluttered area he had been cooking in to find the package he had used moments earlier, “Soy wheat protein. Mmm sounds super delicious” He added half sarcastically with a wide grin. 

Watching Sally attempt to boil some water was amusing to say the least since he thought this was something she could handle but he was greatly mistaken. “As the direction states ‘boil water’ so you boil it until it’s boiling” He said matter-of-factly. “If you need help all you need to do is say so and I’d be happy to offer my culinary services” He knew she probably wouldn’t ask for help, she was just about as proud as he was when it came to anything that tested someone’s ability to do something for themselves.

[brandonxxjacobs]

electricinndigo:

i said NO title.

                       In theory, Sally understood the necessity of cooking and why it would be important for someone of say — Brandon’s independent circumstances — to at least improve his expertise in the art to a bare minimum for the sake of survival. That being said though, it was obvious that their home lives were completely different. From the ripe age of three years old, Sally had had an au pair by the name of Ana, a sweet Croatian girl who’d spent most of her twenties traveling Europe before settling for work in the States. From the minute she’d shown up in the Redmayne’s life she’d become a crucial counterpart for Sally, a role model, a friend… someone who taught her the fundamental basics of being a woman from what her mother had taught her and so forth whenever neither of her fathers could or would take the initiative. So by now, some twenty odd years later, Ana was still family and food was probably her favorite hobby after taking care of the crazy that went on in that home estate. Sally had never had to lift a finger. Until now.

          “Yes well you made your act of sabotage quite clear when you suggested meatballs as a joke the second I walked through the door,” Sally shot, quickly on the defense as she wiped down her fingers in a tea towel and folded it neatly. Twice. “Anyway, it’s not help that I need, it’s a tidy and functional workspace. And don’t even try to work that ‘studies have found that messy people are actually more diligent’ because it’s a load of horse. Clear mind, clear goals… clear workspace.”

Truthfully, the fact that Brandon happened to know how to cook for himself and Sally didn’t was nothing short of a miracle. After all, Sally seemed to be good at everything, which was irritating for someone as egocentric as Brandon but he finally had one skill that she didn’t and he couldn’t help but gloat a little about it. It would probably be his only chance and he decided to seize it. “Act of sabotage?” Brandon repeated with a scoff before shaking his head, the amused expression seemingly permanent across his face by now. “And I suggested spaghetti... which just happens to have meatballs, and I thought for such a brilliant mind like yourself it’d be a pretty mediocre task –– if fact, I thought it’d be way too easy for the likes of Sally Redmayne” Brandon continued with his teasing. 

Brandon had noticed this was one thing that perhaps Sally and Kitty had in common –– they both were terrible cooks. Though arguably Sally had the potential to actually be good at it seeing as she had never actually tried it, but for the sake of argument Brandon was going to just label it as he saw it. Unlike Sally, Brandon didn’t grow up with a maid or a servant or a cook. He had his mother, but only for a short while before he had to essentially do everything for himself since his father was usually far too drunk to ever take care of things like making dinner or doing laundry. “Please, I’m not going to work that argument... I will however work the argument that messy people are actually more intelligent and perceptive than neat freaks” Brandon said, unable to resist. “The workspace looks clear now so how about you just boil some water, I mean, you do know how to boil water, right?” He asked with the raise of his brow.

[brandonxxjacobs]

@electricinndigo

“I thought the deal was that I’d make the sauce and you’d handle the noodles” Brandon said, staring at the still empty pot and package of dry noodles that lay on the countertop. When Sally told him she wasn’t the best cook he had at least expected her to have some experience in everyday cooking like boiling water and stirring, yet here she was still completely clueless. If it hadn’t been so adorable he would have torn her apart in a lecture about the negative affects of having a nanny or servant do everything for you, but all he could do was stare, doe-eyed and all. 

Brandon had already somewhat finished the meat sauce and he had thought Sally was working on the whole cooking thing but instead he’d realized by how much cleaner his kitchen was, she was really just scrubbing and washing things instead. “Go ahead, admit you need help, I can’t wait to here this one” Brandon said with an especially smug expression across his features as he leaned against the counter with arms crossed over his chest, completely amused at the situation they found themselves in.

[brandonxxjacobs]

electricinndigo:

                        Sally prepped him with a hard look, one that read she playfully didn’t want to divulge the list to him, even if it was quietly growing by the day. She didn’t know if it was the fact that she never really was one to hold people on a pedestal, prepared for disappointment rather than pleasant surprise, or the fact that she’d just known Brandon for long enough now to have seen all or most sides of him. When she’d first met him, all she’d seen were flaws and happily, she’d held only them like grudges as to what? Protect herself from supporting the one person her best friend had truly loved? Sally wasn’t even sure herself anymore, just that it had become a habit and like that, it was hard to break out of. It had taken weeks, if not months of Kitty being gone for her to even give Brandon the time of day and that’s when she suspected the list began to change. 

       “It’s really none of your business. Also, I need you to be able to fit through the doorway on the way out of here tonight, so I can’t risk telling you.” She informed him finally, a smartalick raise of her brows to match.

                        As he replied to her question, one she’d been wanting to ask since she’d even learned anything about his parents, Sally frowned, completely unable to relate. Or understand, for that matter, what kind of relationship he had with his father. She couldn’t even picture what kind of man he might be, it had been so long since she’d even skimmed his book, she wasn’t sure she could remember anything about a nameless man in a bar.

      “He doesn’t even know anything about me.” She shot defensively out of instinct before she let what Brandon said settle in her mind, his grin taming her temper slowly. Lolling her head back for a moment and rolling her eyes, Sally willed herself to not be so offended if it was possible. “Well from what I’ve heard so far about him, I don’t like him at all. And from what happened earlier I’m guessing one of my dads don’t like you either. I don’t imagine you’re going to like him back. So for the general consensus, I think we can agree that nobody here, aside from us, like each other.” She braced her hands out, waiting a moment before frowning. “That’s a sentence I didn’t ever think I’d be saying to you.”

“Oh but I beg to differ since it is definitely my business, I mean we’re you know––” Brandon motioned his hand between them referring to their relationship despite the fact that he hadn’t been super keen on calling it one, not officially since labels kind of scared him sometimes and he wasn’t quite sure just how invested Sally was. “So that means it’s 100% of my business” He added as a closing argument as if that would sway Sally to reveal her top secret list, though he highly doubted it. Sally was far too stubborn for that and the surprising thing about it was that he didn’t even mind, in fact, he was beginning to adore all the things he once hated about her. 

Catching sight of Sally’s frown, Brandon shrugged and hoped it didn’t get to her too much. He knew Sally was a perfectionist and deep down she probably wanted people to either look up to her or at the very least like her. Unfortunately, Brandon’s father held a grudge almost as well as he did and had despised every socialite in Lakewood, including Sally’s father and in turn Sally herself. 

Through his eyes, and the picture he painted in his book, Brandon’s father was uneducated, ambitious about nothing, and used alcohol as a replacement for family. Truthfully, although Brandon would never admit it aloud, his father’s mistakes weren’t always his fault since even Brandon could remember a time before his mother had left when they were all very happy and his father had been a decent person. After his mother’s escape, he turned bitter, angry, and had given up on everything, including his son. And while his father had been attempting to clean up his act the last few years with the sobriety and keeping a job, it hadn’t quite been enough for Brandon to forgive him. 

“He knows your last name and that seems to be enough” Brandon added, knowing that was enough for his father to form an opinion. That and his father had already grown fairly attached to the idea of his son with Kitty. She was kind, enthusiastic, and far more forgiving than anyone else and that had been enough for him to approve of only one girl for his son. Truthfully, Brandon’s father thought that if his son was with Kitty that maybe those good qualities about her would rub off on him as well, unfortunately that hadn’t been the case. 

Listening to Sally ramble on, Brandon couldn’t seem to take his eyes off of her. It was hard to imagine that just a year ago they could barely even stand the sight of each other and now they were going steady and eager to learn more about the other. “Fine, I guess I’ll agree with that” Brandon said with a fake sigh since disagreeing on things seemed to be the core of their very relationship (at least at the beginning and even now). “I think there’s going to be a lot of sentences in the future that you never thought you’d say, like, ‘Brandon you’re so amazing’ or ‘Brandon can you bring home unsweetened dairy free soy milk, we’re out’” He said jokingly with a chuckle. 

[brandonxxjacobs]

electricinndigo:

                          At the swift mention of Spain and France, Sally tried to hide the smile that blossomed quickly on her face. She valued his memory when it came to their casual banter, liking the way he didn’t fear to bring anything to the table within reason. It made all of this worth it, she thought, looking around the room and not remembering the last time she had fun like this, particularly when half of the night so far had solely consisted of stripping the town patriarchy for all its flaws. It was without a doubt a new kind of fun, embellished with a new form of excitement that Sally couldn’t much relate to anything else she’d experienced before. Perhaps it was him, or perhaps it was their developing relationship. She was too embarrassed to admit that she was delighted to find out.

                          Her smile turned smug when he edited her for the umpteenth time over his diaries, a habit Sally had taken to calling them incorrectly easily because it provoked the same reaction every time. Watching him add onto his reply though, her smile softened for a split second before she took a step closer beside him, shoulders touching a little. “Well, I like it.” She said simply, as though the gesture could have been as casual as letting the person next to her past and she wasn’t talking about anything of any meaningful substance. Except that neither was true. “You sharing things about yourself. It’s something to add to the very minimal amount that I do like about you.” She snuck a glance at him, her expression mocking. In truth, she was grateful. She’d never had many people to share anything with growing up, and perhaps if only she’d had more friends and a better social upbringing, her personality would have been very different now.

         “I do. I do like proving you wrong, that’s a good point.” She nodded with a mocking sense of seriousness about the situation as if he’d just made a pivotal point that would majorly affect her ultimate decision. But really if Brandon asked her to go anywhere with him at this point, even if she didn’t see the purpose or didn’t want to go, she probably still would. All because it was Brandon asking. “That sounds preferable. I’ll have them informed.” She replied just in the same tone as if they were anyone but themselves and even had secretaries or assistants. Looking at the ugly art piece in front of them for a moment longer, Sally then dipped her head to keep moving. Surely there was something worthwhile looking at in here. “So… On the note of things parents don’t approve of. What did your parents think about your book?” She brought up randomly, glancing to Brandon with a curious frown. “Do you keep much in contact with them or…?”

Brandon hadn’t missed the small moment Sally provided about reading his so called diaries. As unimportant as they both made it seem, Brandon had always considered his writing very personal, something he didn’t just share with anyone. He didn’t even think he’d ever let Kitty read those journal entries, and not just because there were probably a few about her, but because he didn’t feel comfortably enough laying his heart on the line like that for her to do what she pleased. At the moment that decision felt like the right one considering everything that happened between them, which begged the question, why did Sally get the privilege to do so? The answer was fairly simple in Brandon’s eyes and that was because she knew the worst things about him and even despised him for a long period of time and given an inch she never took the chance to abuse her knowledge. At the end of the day he trusted her. He might not have loved her (yet) but he trusted her and for someone like Brandon who had very little people he could rely on, that meant a hell of a lot.

“Oh, the very minimal amount that you like about me, is that so?” Brandon repeated with a smirk, “So what else do you like about me since it’s such a short list I’m sure you can recite it perfectly right now” He added, causing his grin to grow even wider. As much as his ego would have loved a detailed list of everything likable about himself, Brandon didn’t actually need it. He was perfectly content with the fact that Sally had seen something in him worth sticking around for, and in his experience not many women did.  Continuing their walk around the gallery in hopes to find something at least decent to look at, Brandon was caught a little off guard by Sally’s question. Family had always been a sore subject for him simply because his family was very broken and after seeing how close Sally was to her fathers, or at least how highly regarded they were, his own parents seemed like people not worth anyone’s time.

Still, despite his parents having their own bad reputations around the city, Brandon decided that talking about it with Sally would eventually come up now or later, that and she’d been so open about her own family he thought she deserved the same from him. “Well my dad hated it and reminds me every time he sees me. He was in it, not by name but certainly by characteristics and stories repeated around the bars here. I don’t know if my mom ever read my book, I wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t though.” Truthfully, Brandon may have taken one too many low blows at his father in his writing, but that had mostly been his teenage angst coming through and looking for a proper punching bag. His father seemed to be the perfect kind, he was a drunk who let his mother take off, hating him was easy. Forgiving him would be the hardest thing Brandon would ever do, but he hadn’t quite gotten there yet. His mother had always been a flight risk and she had left early enough for him to remember and miss everything about her but being incapable of making her stay, so his relationship with his parents were fairly nontraditional and certainly different than Sally’s. 

Brandon hadn’t seen his mother since he was just a kid, a few years back he had gotten in contact with her but after finding out she had a new family he decided against ever pursuing his desire to see her. His father on the other hand was still around Lakewood and had been there to take Brandon in at his lowest point. As much as his dad had hated his son’s book, Brandon was still his son and he was always there when he needed him. Being there had never really been enough for Brandon when his father was always so closed off, never wanting to talk about his mother, and never supporting his career path. “I still talk to my dad... but speaking of things parents don’t approve of, I’m pretty sure he’d hate you which may make me like you even more” He said with a playful grin. 

[brandonxxjacobs]

electricinndigo:

                            Sally considered the fake altercation for a moment, completely able to envision the details of the ridiculous and petty lengths Jacob might go to to sue Brandon for money he probably didn’t have, and that they didn’t need. In a way, both men were the type to stick salt in the wound just out of habit and Sally had to wonder now, was this the beginning of her starting to show a type?

           "Likely. But when have I ever been the type to give anyone aside from myself what they want?“ She added, a little flippantly before she had to wonder what that might mean for someone looking to go into a relationship. Sally wasn’t a very good sharer, and often her ego could get the better of her and sometimes it just didn’t matter how much of a good intention she had, sometimes it got suffocated by arrogance. Either Brandon was extremely resilient, some form of massochist or plain stupid. Sally didn’t really want to know which.

           "Oh because you always wanted to be such good friends.” She scoffed in his general direction, though he made an almost sound argument. After all, it hadn’t all been about deflection as much as it was direct homing missiles to de-perch Brandon until he was in the ground. Only recently had it been about telling herself she didn’t want something it was seemingly clear now she did. Oh, how the tables had turned on her. “In fact, I distinctly remember once you argued that we couldn’t even frequent the same cafe. You basically declared a turf war over it like a twelve-year-old.” She poked a finger in Brandon’s shoulder in playful accusation. “So what? Those ‘actual years’ pass and now you’ve let me read your diaries, I’ve experienced that abomination of your apartment’s water pressure and I’m quite sure you haven’t made me want to spit in your coffee for at least two weeks now…” She folded her arms and tapped an index finger to her chin pensively. “I’d say, it’s almost as if you’ve grown fond of sharing things with me…”

                            She smiled at him, wondering what his energy would be like if he did actually enjoy something to the point of wanting to stay as long as he could to experience it. The fact was, she couldn’t really imagine him paying that much attention to anything that didn’t fundamentally profit him. Writing, perhaps. She’d seen Brandon with his head bent for hours even just through the occasional glance, but it was hard to imagine him being so involved with anything else. Maybe sleep, once it finally hit him but that barely counted.

           "I highly doubt you know my specific taste in art,“ Sally argued quickly, but again, playfully. For all she knew, maybe he did, maybe he’d paid attention. That’s all anybody had to do to understand a person. Feeling her cheeks get warm just at the suggestion though, she felt stupid for letting the idea of actually going anywhere with him that benefited the both of them outside of a good cup of coffee get to her. It was a fickle balance, wanting to be fiercely independent and allowing people to do a nice thing for you. And while there would always be a hefty part of Sally that would stomp on the foot of needing a man to make her feel good, there was also still a girl inside her who never got the chance and was curious to learn what being wanted by someone felt like.

           "We’ll see. I’ll have to check my schedule. I’m a little busy trying to prove someone wrong on all accounts at the moment,” She responded cooly, shifting weight for a moment before she snuck a smile in his direction. She wanted to go with him, more than she thought she would.

Despite the cheeky tone in her voice, Brandon did believe there was more truth to her words than perhaps even she realized. Some may have called it selfish but that hadn’t been the way Brandon had seen things. It was true, Sally didn’t do things for people because they wanted her to or because they asked or demanded her to, it was the very opposite, actually. But he had seen her bend for people she deemed worthy, unfortunately the list of people she deemed worthy was incredibly short. Instead of calling her out on such a thing and list out a few examples he himself had bore witness to that extended to both Kitty and her parents, he decided to stay silent and just appreciate the fact that he had slowly become one of the people Sally did make compromises for despite her ego. 

Brandon opened his mouth to defend himself but no words fell out, instead he his lips formed a straight line as he stood there a little stumped. After all, she was right, when they first met he didn’t want to be friends with her, in fact he didn’t want to be anything with her, but it was forced by circumstance aka Kitty so they were civil. “If I recall correctly, you incited said turf war so really we’re both immature. Plus, you also declared all of France yours and left me with Spain so...” Brandon corrected with a smug expression across his face. While he knew he had no defense himself, he figured if he couldn’t win then neither of them could. “Okay first off, they’re not diaries. They’re collections of unpublished writing, and second, you really shouldn’t defile coffee” Brandon said with a playful glare. In some ways that was exactly how it happened. She’d read his writing, the writing that had been untouched by editors or affected by critics and in some way it was as if she had been able to read a part of him that no one else had the privilege of doing. “... yeah, almost” He added in a lower voice with a small smile. At this point, Brandon had grown comfortable sharing certain parts of his life with Sally, especially knowing that she was capable of actually being sensitive and considerate with such information. 

Sally’s doubt in him only made his smile grow a little larger. At this point, there were some things in life he had grown fairly confident about, literature and writing was an obvious, but Sally had become one of the most surprising subjects he had begin to master. “Only one way to find out if that’s true or not and I know how much you love to prove me wrong so...” He trailed off with a grin. At this point it could just be a convenient excuse for the both of them to actually take a trip together, even though Brandon believed they were slowly moving out of the phase where they only hung around each other to prove the other wrong about one thing or another. 

“Well I’ll have my secretary get in touch with your people and arrange it then” He playfully added. For the time being he didn’t feel like Sally was rejecting him, mostly because Sally wasn’t really into sparing people’s feelings just because she didn’t want to do something and he trusted that if she absolutely didn’t want to even amuse the idea of going on a trip together then she’d speak up. So in essence, Brandon saw it as somewhat of a victory and he celebrated in silence. 

[brandonxxjacobs]

electricinndigo:

                               Nodding quickly when he asked, Sally so wanted to look behind her and see what expression her father was wearing now, but partly out of nerves and also out of respect to deal with one’s embarrassment in private, she kept her eyes on Brandon instead. Jacob rarely had time these days to talk to her about anything he didn’t want to, so it was nice to finally get her foot in the door for once. Even if it had been an inappropriate setup. She had to wonder if Brandon was right —- if she hadn’t become friends with him, would she ever have dreamed of reacting like that? Probably not.

          “The Capulets and Montagues? Sorry, I didn’t realize you were such a walking cliche.” Sally teased him, rolling her eyes over the casual Shakespeare reference. She’d made it known pretty early on in their blossoming friendship just how much of a bore she thought his work was, and how overrated she found almost any and all of his writing. It was a frequent argument in her and Kitty’s friendship and always had been, but a viewpoint Sally would stand by regardless.

                               The gradual churn of the crowd in the room pushed them along the walls until they were stood in front of an art piece Sally probably hated over most. She didn’t like the art of sculptures very much, mostly because she thought them viciously tacky, and entirely whenever they were carved naked. The point of them? Unchartable, in her opinion. But when Brandon spoke again, she scoffed and looked for evidence of the time. “If you think anything about me reads bodyguard material, then I think we need to invest you in some glasses. But… as the times change for female empowerment, in any other outfit, I’d be honored.” She looked at him finally with a grin, relaxing as chatter and clinking of glasses around them muffled into one big atmospheric cluster. For a moment, Sally allowed herself to no longer be distracted by what was going on around her and solely focus on what was in front of her. (Not an easy task for someone whose mind often clutched onto a thousand different things at once.) She wanted to shake herself for even thinking it, given how cheesy it felt, but he looked good. For someone whose entire world revolved around the very root of haute couture, there was something to be admired about Brandon’s stubborn and consistent admiration for bland and practical. Perhaps because it mirrored Sally’s taste in a sense, even if they could be found on opposite ends of the color, label and price spectrum. Because really, at the end of the day, she did like a simple cut and solid color. So, seeing him now, attempting to blend into her world of ritz and finery, part of her couldn’t help but appreciate the side of him she knew he was most comfortable with. But eventually, she planned to show him that her lifestyle didn’t actually consist of nights like these as much as he probably thought. Really, a lot of what it meant to be a Redmayne simply involved working independently until you had nobody left to turn to for help.

          “Not to mention, if you can even stand to be here quote, the entire night, I’ll be more than impressed with your incitement,” Sally replied, making quick air quotations with perfectly manicured fingers. “Even though I think we both know it’s just because you’re stubborn and would rather me declare boredom lest your disinterest be seen as a sign of weakness.” She added.

“Shakespeare is embedded into my references, it’s the burden of every writer, sue me... or you know, have your father sue me, I’m sure he’d really enjoy that” Brandon said with a smirk. He was fairly aware of Sally’s feelings about the author, which was also part of the reason why he said it in the first place. That was one thing that solidified Brandon’s decision not to just give up or run away when it came to Sally, because despite their differences in art and writing and countless other areas, they seemed to at least have a mutual respect for one another and an understanding of who each of them were. It completely erased any expectations for either of them to be someone they weren’t, and that was something Brandon had always had trouble finding in someone. Even with Kitty there were always thoughts in the back of his mind that Kitty wanted more out of him even if she didn’t explicitly say it and at some point she’d expected it out of him as well, which left him unable to meet those expectations.

“Well physically you probably couldn’t do much as a bodyguard, but I don’t know, psychological warfare is just as effective in some cases and seeing as you certainly deflected me for what seems like actual years, I’d say you’d make at least a sub par bodyguard at best” Brandon defended, attempting to hide his amusement at such a silly notion. Despite the playful banter between them, Brandon was aware of the fact that tonight proved a landmark in whatever relationship they seemed to possess. Not because it was an actual date where they weren’t at a coffee shop or book store, but because Sally was pulling him deeper and deeper into her world, a world that Brandon had never been very fond of but one he graciously walked through in order to better understand Sally. And in some ways it did clear some things up about her that he hadn’t quite had the time to grasp and that was her relationship with her fathers. Little by little he was beginning to see the entire picture and he was very much aware that he had gotten it entirely wrong in his first book, though to be fair his sole purpose of even including Sally’s parents was because he found them to be the most elitist in Lakewood and that kind of attitude was something he had always detested. Sally’s family wasn’t perfect, but they had the same problems that every other family had and he should have been more discerning of that from the start instead of making too many false presumptions based on status. 

“I could definitely stay here the entire night if I wanted to” Brandon replied, mostly as a knee jerk reaction with how (playfully) competitive they had become with one another. “I wouldn’t classify my disinterest as a sign of weakness, I’d classify it as a blessing, actually, otherwise we’d actually have to stay here all night” Brandon said with a smirk. As stubborn as they both could be, Brandon had learned the trick Sally hadn’t yet mastered, and that was the art of giving in. “So maybe I am a little disinterested, but this just isn’t the kind of art that I like” He said quite genuinely with a slight shrug of his shoulders. While he could have easily bashed the art that was being show at the gala (again), Brandon was capable of being a decent, nonjudgemental human being for a little while. “And from what I know about you, it’s not exactly your favorite either... but you know they do have better museums and culture in New York... maybe we should venture out one of these days and be properly educated in modern art, not whatever this is.” Brandon had always loved New York, but ever since his shameful departure from The New York Times, he couldn’t really stand the idea of going back since it was embarrassing and his ego couldn’t quite take it. But he had time to grow over the last year and at this point he didn’t think going back to his old stomping grounds would do much harm, especially when he had Sally now.

[brandonxxjacobs]

electricinndigo:

                         Whether her father found Brandon’s rude judgment actually entertaining or he was just being polite in the way his face oozed like molten into a smile, even Sally wasn’t sure she would ever know. But by the way he spoke to her next, she figured that she could only guess. “Honey, can I talk to you for a moment?” He asked, a hand reaching out to tug at her shoulders, making it clear she didn’t really have a choice but the be stolen away for a moment. She turned with him obediently before shooting Brandon a look over her shoulder — not one of apology, however, but more like a look of mutual disdain. She didn’t want to be talked to like a child, which she knew she was going to be, and she didn’t want to be reprimanded for bringing him, which she also knew was coming. She just wanted to stand with Brandon and make fun of people they thought were beneath them. Because for once in her life, she’d found someone to actually have fun with outside of her one and only other friend.

      “Okay, I know what you’re going to say—” Sally lifted her hands as if to brace for impact, eyes dropping to the floor in uncharacteristic submission. But if there was anything that could silence her faster than the overwhelming emotional impact of designer silk, it was Jacob.

      “Is that boy the one who wrote those despicable things about the families of Lakewood?” The question was stern and direct, and Sally knew that he hadn’t been fooled for a second. She also was aware that he already knew the answer, and Sally hated when people asked the obvious just for dramatic effect.

      “Oh, like you haven’t said worse about them yourself…” She almost mumbled, except that she could never physically compel herself to do so. Mumbling had only gotten her in trouble when she was younger, it was bred into her to speak loud and clear for all to hear. Anything less than an authoritative tone was practically a whisper for Sally.

      “That isn’t my point and you know it,” Jacob said to her in a tone that almost frightened Sally, except that over the last few months, she’d slowly allowed her father’s tone to lose its core value. Her parents were rarely home anymore, leaving Sally to her own opinions and devices, so it only felt fair that when they did return for a weekend or so, their lectures went mostly ignored. The truth was that it felt like they rarely listened to her anymore, and perhaps if they had chosen to take a little more interest in her newest hobbies, they wouldn’t have been so surprised at who she’d brought to the event. “That boy is an insult to everything we stand for, sweetheart, he made that indecently clear the moment he stuck his nose exactly where it doesn’t belong… Just look at him,” She hadn’t wanted to out of spite, but Sally found herself following Jacob’s gaze to Brandon regardless. “He’s a snake in the grass of our community.” He muttered beside her ear, irritating Sally more than if he’d stood on the hemline of her dress. “If you think for a second that a lowlife like him is actually interested in you, then for the love of God, you haven’t listened to anything I’ve taught you. He’s—”

      “No good?” She finished his sentence, looking to her father with glittering annoyance. Sally was a prideful creature at best but if there had ever been one shred of herself that she wished people knew more about, it was her loyalty to the people she cared about. From snide comments about Kitty’s past to obnoxious ones about her family’s lifestyle, Sally was quick to defend them both if it meant verbally tearing someone down from their perch just to protect people she loved. Here, she felt the same hostility in her chest as she did in moments like those. Turning to face Jacob finally, Sally gave a shrug of feigned defeat. “No disrespect, Dad, but for once in my life… I really couldn’t care less of what you think.” The shock on his face would have been painful to watch if he hadn’t made Sally mad to the brink of harboring venom. “Just like I can’t find it in myself to care for what he wrote. If anything, he’s taught me not to hold onto opinions that don’t really matter.” Sally could see the recognition on Jacob’s face begin to settle in, knowing that she was talking about him and his foolish habit of holding grudges like nobody’s business. After all, it’s where she assumed she’d gotten it from to begin with. Reaching to pick the skirt of her dress up half an inch off the floor, she turned away from him before pausing. “Oh and instead of That Boy could you please find decency and just use his name? We’re not children and he’s not an alien.” She tilted her head with disapproval before excusing herself through a pair of gentlemen in a heated discussion to bee-line her way back to Brandon. Keeping her back to wherever she’d left her father in the crowd mostly out of sudden fear, she reached for Brandon’s arm to get his attention before covering her mouth to stifle a laugh that bubbled up out of nowhere. Looking at him with visible shock on her face, she began to come apart completely.

      “I think I just told my dad to stick it and it’s entirely your fault.” She giggled, face hot with the adrenalin she hadn’t felt pulsing under her skin until now.

Brandon only gave Jacob and Sally a seemingly polite nod when he asked to be excused. Of course he knew they were going to be talking about him, that much seemed obvious at this point, but the truth was that Brandon didn’t care what Jacob thought of him. He could easily guess that he didn’t think he was good enough for his daughter, that he was beneath her in status and intelligence, and that he no doubt belonged in Berwick with all the other simpletons of Lakewood. But none of that got to Brandon’s ego when he knew his own worth and as cocky and arrogant as he could be at times, he felt no need to boast his accomplishments because in the end he didn’t think it’d make a difference anyways. 

He could hear bits and pieces of what Sally and her father said before they were too far and he had to entertain himself. He decided to turn his attention around the room. It had become abundantly obvious to him how much he didn’t fit into this world that Sally and her family was a part of. He wasn’t prim or susceptible to pleasing his elders and he most certainly didn’t share the same values or interests as anyone around here. He might have been making very quick judgements but he didn’t feel bad when he saw the looks people were giving him and he was sure they were making their own judgements. As much as he loathed the people there, it dawned on him just how much he had begun to care about Sally that he was willing to put himself in such an uncomfortable situation. 

As Sally walked back towards him, he had half expected her to come back distraught from talking with her father but it seemed to be the opposite. Her words were surprising to him since Sally had been the type of person to always be her father’s princess so hearing she went against Jacob’s demands caught him off guard, though it really shouldn’t have. Sally was very independent and stood up for those she cared about, at this point Brandon was just surprised and grateful that he happened to become one of those rare people she thought was worth putting up a fight for. “You did?” He asked with the raise of his brow, his smile matching her own since he was a little amused by the entire situation. “I take it that may be my influence, huh” He added with a smirk. He didn’t even mind being a bad influence on Sally if that meant she’d be giggling and smiling like that. “I guess the Capulets and Montagues still don’t get along but I assure you I tried... at least I tried as hard as someone of my capabilities could” He added, though they both knew he hadn’t put in very much effort at all to suck up to her parents or try to portray himself as someone they would approve of. That kind of behavior just wasn’t in Brandon’s nature, he couldn’t fake something like that and would rather be himself. 

“So does your dad also have henchmen or should I be fine tonight? In fact I think I’m gonna need you as some sort of bodyguard the entire night” He half joked. A part of him would have liked to been accepted by Sally’s parents simply because they were her parents and he knew despite whatever differences they had she must have valued their opinions to some extent. Plus it was an excuse to spend the entire night with Sally and even though Brandon valued his alone time, he was also beginning to value his time with Sally. 

[brandonxxjacobs]

electricinndigo:

                         When his fingers brushed against hers, Sally instantly felt a jumpstart in her chest. Instinctively, her own curled around his and even if they were being subtle about it, she felt her mind ease at the distraction. Even if she felt everyone was looking at her (and not for good reasons, more like if she had something on her face that nobody was telling her about), it was harder now to focus on that then Brandon standing closely beside her. Funnily, she’d never had to announce it, but they seemed to understand at which minimal level they were comfortable with physical displays of affection. Alas, every time he did happen to reach for her or kiss her without explicit permission, Sally seemed to mind less and less. Like a routine workout, it got easier and more enjoyable with each gesture. Eyes drawing back to him, her expression narrowed but lips pulled into a smirk. “I’m taking that’s just your way of making me look at you instead of them. Intelligent, but not that impressive.” She replied, hand still loosely connected with his though she turned to face him completely now. Even if that wasn’t the intention of his joke, it had worked, and the crowd around them made it easy to stand close enough to keep their conversation private. The way Sally always liked it. “Oh, mhm, you bear the burden so the rest of us don’t have to, I understand.” She went along with his egocentric tangent, expression reading mockery just as his did, head nodding as if she wholeheartedly agreed. “Just do me a favor — don’t let anyone catch you checking your reflection in the silver. Even the cultists aren’t that arrogant and who knows, it might make you their next target.” She glanced almost secretively to the crowd around them, falling deep into the comfort of gossiping with Brandon amongst a crowded room. As if the both of them were the only two above everybody else.

          “My darling —- my princess!” The familiar pet names ran down Sally’s exposed spine like a shiver, causing hairs on her arms to stand on end in a concoction of surprise and also shameful familiarity. She would know the tone of voice anywhere as it was just as overdramatic and specifically patent to the person who used it. Turning quickly, Sally kept her linked hand with Brandon behind her back out of what instinct, she didn’t know, but immediately felt guilty about it. “—-Dad, hi.” She responded in one quick exhale, startled by his sudden appearance as if he were some kind of magician.

                        Jacob was the kind of man that, in his era, made people jealous just by passing them on the street. He had the elite bone structure of a Ken Doll even under the age that threatened his beautiful Taiwanese complexion, and a jaw that could cut glass if it wanted to. A hair was never out of place on his head, and sometimes even Sally was jealous of the way his brows defined every expression without failure. Living on a strict diet of scotch and society gossip, but with the metabolism of a champion, Jacob barely weighed over maybe a hundred and seventy pounds and that too, got to Sally more than she wished it did. Particularly when he was always the one encouraging her detoxes and vapid skin routines as if she really needed them on top of the stress of keeping in fashion twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

                        Taking a moment to talk herself out of fainting from nerves, Sally finally squared her shoulders and twisted to gesture to Brandon next to her with her free hand. “Dad, this is Brandon. He’s…” She struggled to find an even slightly relevant way to introduce him, hand outstretched and lingering before she curled it back and pursed her lips. “He’s a writer.” She hated it, she hated that statement so much it left a bad aftertaste to stay on her tongue. Still, she watched apprehensively as Jacob’s face lit up, probably out of false expectations, before he approached for a handshake that she knew would be as overcompensated for as his need to wear a bowtie tonight.

          “How appropriate! An artist among artists.” Jacob beamed, hand outstretched in a stance that reeked of masculine professionalism. Sally was quite sure that if anybody let him, her father would tell anyone just how many important hands he had shaken in the past.

Maintaining a relationship had always been especially difficult for someone like Brandon. He was always far too wrapped up in his own internal melodramatic problems that he couldn’t put in the effort to care about dinner plans or well thought out dates to keep the spark alive. Of course not all of the women he dated were so superficial, but even girls like Kitty who had actually loved him for who he was, the relationship was high maintenance. There was this idea that constant affection was required in order to show someone you were still interested or that you liked them, or enjoyed their company at the very least. Brandon, however, didn’t always agree with that widely accepted notion. As a lone wolf who often hid out in coffee shops or tucked away in a dark writing corner, Brandon always relied on words to express himself. With Sally, that notion became a lot easier since they seemed to share the same thoughts on the matter. She didn’t have to kiss him, wrap her limbs all around him, or even step close to him to let him know that she was interested in him. All it took were some simple words, a back handed compliment, and perhaps a glare and all would be conveyed quite clearly. Despite that, Brandon did understand that sometimes words weren’t enough, which was why he had reached out to hold her hand. He couldn’t muster up the words “It’s going to be okay, it’s just a stupid party your parents happen to be at, their opinion doesn’t even matter” without being cruel or insulting so he relied on something more physical to relay his concern. 

“Fine, I’ll wait to check my reflection in the restroom, though if an egomaniac checks his reflection in an empty stall does his reflection actually matter?” Brandon asked rhetorically, mimicking the old expression with a playful smirk. “Besides, I think I’ve had a bullseye on my back the moment I stepped in here and so far I’m still alive, all my morals still attached too” Brandon knew he probably stood out a little more than the plain eye could see. For one, he wasn’t wearing high name brand clothing, nor did he have a recognizable last name, and his manners were always questionable and an obvious sign of the class in which he had grown up in. But still, Brandon wasn’t concerned with fitting in, he was mostly concerned with making sure Sally’s nerves didn’t get the best of her. 

And there it was, the loud welcoming words from Jacob that had now caught Brandon’s attention. He had known a lot more about Sally’s parents after talking to her about them the last few months, but it was still a little difficult to prepare for such an encounter, especially when he had done both her parents a disservice in his first book. He was hoping they’d forget or blow over the slanderous pages in that book for Sally’s sake since he was there as her guest and her parents must have been more aware of politeness than he was. “Princess” Brandon repeated under his breath before his lips pursed together to prevent the smile from forming fully across his features. He had remembered how that little nickname had bothered Sally to no end and now he knew one of the reasons why. 

It was almost amusing watching Sally struggle to find the words to describe his career choice. One would think he’d be offended by such a thing, but Brandon didn’t have a high horse to fall from to even begin to be offended by anyone in the room, let alone Sally and her father so he took the introduction in stride. “Former writer” Brandon was quick to correct, although he had been doing a lot more writing than he had in the last few years, he still felt like the “writer” title wasn’t deserving until he actually completed something noteworthy again. Reaching out, Brandon took a firm grip of Jacob’s hand and gave it a solid shake. It was hard to read the guy since he seemed happy and Brandon couldn’t tell if it was all fake or if he was just the easy parent to win over, not that he had been winning him over to begin with. “Well considering the art here, I’d say my tweets from the New York Times might be on the same level as some of these pieces” Brandon said, unable to help his harsh criticisms.

[brandonxxjacobs]

electricinndigo:

                        The fact that he turned her slightly acidic statement into something to smirk over made Sally relax oddly enough and even just turning to look at him properly for the first time since they’d arrived, it calmed her. The lines between her eyebrows slowly disappeared as her face morphed into a somewhat warm smile, no longer distracted. “You look good, actually.” She said, as if only just noticing. “Here, I almost thought you’d be allergic to anything with a high thread count. You’re really just full of surprises….”

                        Gazing out at the crowd that was thickening around them again, Sally decided to try an old technique in the book. Silently, in the chaos of her own mind, she simply told herself to relax. She shouldn’t have to stress too badly over this, she was happy and even if new things scared her, this new thing was proving to be less scary than she thought every day. And it wasn’t as if Brandon was clueless on her lifestyle, he’d seen how she operated in the store, her home, and it wasn’t as if he hadn’t spent the last few years second-hand experiencing her through Kitty. The truth was, she and Brandon weren’t strangers, even before they’d become more than friends… He knew that this was her life and instead of staying home, he’d decided to come with her. That had to speak for something.

                        Looking over her shoulder at him when he spoke again, Sally began her terrible habit of frowning at him, confused by the first statement. Then he began to elaborate, and the blush he pointed out only worsened, causing her to raise her hands to her cheeks to try and hide it. “You’re awful. It’s not my fault, it’s this stupid complexion.” She muttered at him, half annoyed and half bashful, warring with the smile that threatened to take over her face. “Is it that obvious I’m worried what they’ll think about you? I didn’t tell them I was bringing anyone, I have the element of surprise on my side as well as the possible chance of putting Jacob into a hospital bed…” She chuckled despite the dark humor — Brandon’s influence, probably. “This probably isn’t the time to tell you, but I’ve never done this before…” Sally hesitated, then clarified. “I’ve never had to introduce them to anyone before.”

“Well to be fair, I always look good” Brandon responded with his usual smug manner, although every time he put on a suit he felt completely out of place. While high fashion and elegant parties may have been Sally’s norm, it certainly wasn’t Brandon’s but no matter how out of place he felt he didn’t mind stepping out of his comfort zone in order to be introduced to a part of Sally’s world he wouldn’t be able to escape if they continued their relationship. “Well you thought right because I have a terrible case of hives under this blazer, anything more than a t-shirt and jeans makes me break out so I’m sure there’ll be a raging party at urgent care for me, but don’t worry you’re invited” Brandon teased with a small smile. Truthfully, as much as Brandon despise such over the top events, he didn’t mind coming tonight. he understood that relationships were about give and take, and if Sally could force herself to walk into crappy little coffee shops for his sake then he could attend one nice party without being a complete slob. 

Brandon could still sense a little uneasiness coming from Sally, but he figured this was progress since she wasn’t having a complete mental breakdown over everything. Watching as she glanced over the crowd of prestigious people, Brandon lightly swung his hand until it tapped hers a few times, inevitably latching on to give her fingers a gentle squeeze. “Careful, if you stare long enough they’ll suck you into their elitist culture” He added in a whisper, jokingly.  While Brandon wasn’t the type of person for public displays of affection by nature, he felt that Sally might have needed some physical form of calmness to help ease her worries for the night. 

“I’m awful...ly good looking, I know, it’s a curse but I somehow manage” Brandon said with a shrug. His ego had a way of making itself known when he was nervous, and even if he refused to admit it to himself, Brandon certainly was a little nervous about meeting Sally’s parents. Normally, meeting a girl’s parents didn’t faze him at all, but knowing how important her fathers were to Sally and how much they probably already didn’t approve of him kept him a little on edge. While he did’t care about their opinion on him, he knew Sally cared enough for the both of them, and that perhaps made all the difference. 

“Oh” was all Brandon could muster up as a reply as a stupid look overtook his features. He made the false assumption that Sally had introduced other boyfriends (or maybe just one boyfriend) to her parents before, so now knowing he was going to be the first it sort of put an invisible set of bricks on his shoulders. “Well, I’m honored to be the first guy your parents aggressively disapprove of” He said with a smirk. Brandon wasn’t expecting Sally’s parents to think he would ever be good enough for their daughter, especially given his background and his family, but their approval wasn’t all that important to him anyways, and he hoped it wouldn’t be too important to Sally either. “Should we get this inevitable train wreck over with, I’ll even have 911 on speed dial in case Jacob does need that hospital bed, might win me some bonus points for preparedness.”

[brandonxxjacobs]

electricinndigo:

                              She was nervous. No, that was the understatement of the year, Sally was absolutely riddled with anxiety. Wringing her fingers around her hands continuously, she finally had to grab a glass of champagne just to give her hands something else to do than pick and fidget. Peter would be late as per usual, his plane delays cutting it close by a hair on arrival time while Jacob had been roaming the terrace since way before the gala had even started. Soon, she would have to go and find him to let him know she’d arrived, but the golf ball in her throat kept her rooted to the spot instead. Every year, like the change in seasons, new art was filtered into the grand gallery for one elaborate afternoon of show and tell by the artists and curators themselves. Normally, Sally spent the event with Kitty by her side making whisper insults about the bad art and gushing uncontrollably about the good, but as of the RSVP date, Kitty had been overseas…

                              At first, she’d been nervous about asking Brandon to accompany her. She figured that he’d probably rather do literally anything else, so it was a bit of a surprise when he had agreed. Moreso when he’d appeared to own a dress shirt and tie as well. Sally had counted her blessings thus far and feared for when everything would fall apart, suspecting it might be around the same time she finally introduced Brandon to both of her parents. Honestly, the entire idea made her kind of sick to her stomach with worry.

                              Sally didn’t often drink, even at social events, there was just something about losing that edge of clarity that Sally didn’t like. But as judgemental eyes grazed over her and Brandon stood side-by-side, she felt as if they were all thinking horrible things. Of course, her paranoia was mostly self-created, but that didn’t stop her from half turning away to quickly sip down half a glass of bubbles and almost choke on them. Placing a hand to her chest and wincing, she then drank the rest and placed her empty glass on a silver tray passing by them. Smoothing down the silk of her dress, she then cleared her throat and turned back to catch the tail end of Brandon’s comment.

       “Well I also had better taste in the company I kept, but I guess we all make compromises…” She shot back quickly, immediately knowing she probably should have filtered that comment more, but she was distracted. In fact, ‘not ready’ was probably a better description.

Unlike Sally, Brandon hadn’t been particularly nervous about meeting her parents, although most people would probably think he should have been wrecked from nervousness at the thought of meeting some of the most prestigious men in Lakewood, but Brandon hardly had a care in the world about it. It wasn’t his nature to be concerned with the opinion of the wealthy in Lakewood, or anywhere for that matter, and that little fact was what got him into plenty of trouble as an author. Truthfully, he didn’t care what they thought about him and he certainly wasn’t going to try to be someone he wasn’t for their sake. If he was good enough for Sally the way that he was, then he was good enough for them too. At least that’s what he had assumed. Looking at how nervous Sally seemed to be made him think otherwise.

Still, he tried to focus less on Sally’s little sips of champagne every now and then and focus more on the night itself. It was perhaps one of the first real dates that didn’t take place inside a coffee shop which was definitely a step up. It worried him just a bit because as far as he could tell Sally didn’t drink, and if she did it was very little, so he wasn’t quite sure what a tipsy Sally truly looked like but he was probably going to find out by the end of the night. “I’m glad you chose a compromise to join you tonight” Brandon said, a small grin across his features since he was mostly just being cheeky at this point. He didn’t take too much offense since he understood their relationship bloomed for an entirely different feelings that mutual romantic interest, in fact one would even say they despised each other at some point.

“I gotta say, it’s a little difficult not to be offended by how nervous you are” Brandon began, though he was obviously not offended at all. “I know I’m not exactly the shiny new boyfriend in a crisp name brand suit your parents would have hoped for, but at least you actually like me, right?” Brandon said with a hopeful smile, “I mean by the flush in your cheeks I’d say you like me a lot” He added, although they both knew that was more the champagne’s doing than his.

[brandonxxjacobs]

@electricinndigo

Brandon had never been the type to dress up for formal occasions, in fact Brandon was hardly the type to attend formal occasions to begin with, but he decided he’d bend that very stubborn nature of his for Sally’s sake, just this once. That and making fun of pretentious people was one of his favorite hobbies so maybe he didn’t expect to have a complete dreadful time. Still tugging at his tie, Brandon continued into the gala where a new art exhibition was being previewed for donations. This was hardly his scene, even back in New York when he was a somewhat relevant writer and was invited to such expensive get together, Brandon never conceded to expectations and he certainly wouldn’t be putting on heirs for the rich people of Lakewood, most of whom he despised on principle alone. 

“You know, I distinctly remember you having better taste in art when we first met, now I’m not so sure” Brandon commented to Sally, raising his brow as he took a look at one of the new contemporary pieces that was being added to the museum later this month. He was mostly joking, although he didn’t particularly like the pieces being added but either way he did enjoy criticizing anything, art work included.

Brandon might have been extra bitter but none of those sentiments were ever transferred back to Sally. For the most part he kept his feelings to himself and with all the hurt that came with Kitty’s return he was almost elated at the mere mention of going out. It would take his mind off of things, at least that’s what he had been hoping for. 

[brandonxxjacobs]

electricinndigo:

                    She chose to ignore his statement on the leather, envisioning the very floral patterned peep-toe heels she’d been eyeing off not even a week ago. Sally had been so distracted lately that her online shopping sprees had been fewer than normal and rarely consisted of maybe a ten or twenty minute browse. In conjunction with the amount that Kitty showed her over Skype, the two’s shopping trends barely matched at the moment which was extremely unusual. Later, Sally really would have to re-commit herself to claim back her title. Once she drew back from committing her so fully to this silly bet.

        “It’s not a journal as such, it’s a day planner.” She corrected him quickly as if this minute detail was of the utmost importance to stress. Still, he wasn’t wrong. Casting aside order and scheduling would never be something that Sally could give up completely, but like anyone really, she could appreciate a little holiday of sorts.

                    The difference between the two, it seemed, was communication. After everything she’d learned about Brandon in the past, it seemed that if anything, he was more than happy to let things go unaddressed and fester. Sally wondered if this might be a problem for them, given that she liked to tackle things head on and make it clear where she stood. She’d always been that way, her fathers had always encouraged the freedom and power of speech, and sometimes she just simply didn’t know how else to control herself but to talk about things. She wondered if that annoyed Brandon, or if it made him doubtful of all this. She would understand why if it did, but that wouldn’t make it any less embarrassing or spirit-crushing.

    “Okay…. Alright, then it won’t go away.” She agreed with a small nod, “But please, for the love of Prada and clean workspaces, let’s keep croissants to a book shop or weekend thing.”

“Good, because I’m enjoying this... and I hardly enjoy anything” Brandon said with a small smile. Brandon was very aware that he and Sally were raised differently and therefore dealt with things differently. Despite that they seemed to still get along and work in unison together, but there were some issues that couldn’t be as easily solved. Sally was clearly used to addressing things head on and leaving no room for guesswork, which made sense given her personality that Brandon would describe as uptight and organized. But unlike Sally, Brandon lacked those qualities. He didn’t grow up with a healthy outlet of communication or openness in his life, which was why he felt far more comfortable writing things down than he did actually talking to people, so while he understood there were some complicated matters to deal with when it came to their newfound relationship, he was hoping to take it day by day and deal with whatever issues came along in stride.

“You know crumbs sort of come with the brooding writer package, I don’t know what else to tell you” Brandon said with a careless shrug as he feigned disappointment, though the smile that tugged at the corner of his lips was a dead giveaway that he was being playful, for the most part. “But fine, I guess I’ll put in an exceptional amount of effort to stay away from croissants since you said please” He added, this time just to emphasize the fact that Sally did in fact say please to him of all people, which he didn’t think would ever really happen again. After all, Sally very rarely asked him for anything, she more so demanded things, so this was an opportunity to tease her that he couldn’t miss out on.

Slouching further into the uncomfortable chain, Brandon let out a soft sigh and glanced back over at Sally, already knowing she’d find his behavior rude but Brandon didn’t have a lot of manners, certainly not enough to live up to Sally’s expectations. “So you actually do this for eight hours everyday?” He said with a long drawn out sigh, letting his head rest against the back of the chair. That was far too much time for someone like him who had always grown antsy when he was in one place for two long with nothing creative to do. Sitting back up, Brandon straightened his back out and attempted to look alert for the sake of the bet, “So after work what do you do? Scribble around in your journ– I mean day planner and update your Pintrest board? I’ve just like to gain some insight on the full Sally Redmayne experience.”