@btwnthepines - Tumblr Blog

btwnthepines 𝚊 𝚙𝚛𝚒𝚟𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚖𝚞𝚕𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚐 𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚢 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛 𝚏𝚘𝚛 pinehaven

connections page & ask memes & self paras & graphics

#ƬӨЩПƧ .ᐟ 𝗙𝗢𝗟𝗞

babil6

btwnthepines

𝚏𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐; @moonhxven

#JΛX .ᐟ 𝗖𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗗 #JΛX .ᐟ 𝗜𝗦𝗠𝗦 #JΛX .ᐟ 𝗙𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗔

free-my-mindd

#FЯΣDDIΣ .ᐟ 𝗠𝗔𝗗𝗗𝗘𝗡 #FЯΣDDIΣ .ᐟ 𝗜𝗦𝗠𝗦

hmione

FRIENDS (1994-2004) 04.10 — The One With the Girl From Poughkeepsie

btwnthepines

#JΛY .ᐟ 𝗝𝗘𝗢𝗡𝗚 #JΛY .ᐟ 𝗜𝗦𝗠𝗦 #JΛY .ᐟ 𝗡𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧

yutomiyasu

#DΛПƬΣ .ᐟ 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗞 #DΛПƬΣ .ᐟ 𝗜𝗦𝗠𝗦 #DΛПƬΣ .ᐟ 𝗩𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗬

buyeons

priscilla quintana as isabella tavez good trouble, season 3.

#ΣᄂΣПΛ .ᐟ 𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗢𝗬𝗔 #ΣᄂΣПΛ .ᐟ 𝗜𝗦𝗠𝗦 #ΣᄂΣПΛ .ᐟ 𝗩𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗬

caffeinateddreamersoul

#IПÉƧ .ᐟ 𝗥𝗜𝗢𝗦 #IПÉƧ .ᐟ 𝗜𝗦𝗠𝗦

moonhxven

Ebon had to laugh because he was indeed wearing a cowboy hat in the picture on the card. And in every picture that had been taken of him back then. When Ada pointed a finger at him, he looked down at it and then back up at her, grinning at the portion of his outline that she'd gotten hung up on. "Yes, I have a sister," He said. "Esme, she's..." He trailed off, trying to remember where she said she was last time they spoke. "I don't actually know where she is right now, but yeah, she's a Cirque de Soleil performer... way cooler than I'll ever be." Ebon smiled broadly, always immensely proud of his baby sister. Switching to his ex-wife, though, had the smile fading.

"And, yeah, I have an ex-wife... that I haven't spoken to in 15 years." When he'd cut ties with her, he'd cut them all. Ebon had been young when they got married, but not young enough to not have a set in stone prenup in place. The divorce had been quick and easy, and he had been done with her. Thank god they hadn't had a kid together. "I don't say this lightly," He added, making sure Ada knew that what he was about to say was not how he talked about women in general. But there was simply no other way to describe his ex. "She's a crazy bitch." Ebon pointed at the scar on his temple. "Chapter one ended because she threw an old-fashioned glass at me... knocked me damn near unconscious." At this point in his life, that wasn't information he just mentioned casually, but he figured Ada would want to know why his ex was an ex.

Tearing off a piece of the funnel cake, Ebon popped it into his mouth and dusted the sugar off his hands. He blew out a breath trying to remember what injuries he'd gotten in his rodeo days. "A handful of concussions, a few broken ribs, sprained my wrist more times than I can count, got kicked by a bull and fractured my arm..." Plus some stitches here and there. All pretty typically injuries for someone in that profession. Nothing that he couldn't handle at the time, and definitely not the worst injury he'd ever sustained. Ebon chuckled, even though he hadn't said anything funny. He just knew what was coming.

"I break my back in chapter 2," He mused, giving Ada a sidelong glance. "Moved to Colorado and became a logger." He'd gone from one dangerous job to another. "I fell 45 feet out of a tree..." Ebon's tone was casual because this was all very casual conversation to him. Tearing off another piece of the treat, he put it in his mouth and raised his brows in Ada's direction, letting his latest statement sink in.

btwnthepines

ada stood paralyzed for a fleeting second, the fried pastry suspended in mid air like a piece of grease soaked evidence while her mental filing cabinet completely overturned itself. the surreal mosaic of his existence; an aerial acrobat sibling, a projectile shattering former spouse, a pulverized vertebrae, and a four story plummet out of an evergreen tree. sounded less like reality and more like an outlandish saturday morning cartoon sequence. "cirque du soleil?" the word escaped her as a pitched, breathless squeak, her hand making wide, frantic sweeps with a crumpled napkin.

"ebon, your lineage is like a travelling sideshow." she possessed just enough self awareness to recognize that her primary contribution to this dialogue had devolved into a human echo chamber, endlessly regurgitating his wild life milestones back into his face. but the scale of his undisclosed history had completely demolished her usual composure. for a woman who prided herself on reading people like oversized headlines, the hidden multitudes of the figure behind the lumber counter felt like an entire undiscovered continent.

her vision drifted toward the thin, faded scar tucked beside his eyebrow. every instinct honed over years on the city beat screamed at her to sink her teeth into the marital disaster. to pry open the wreckage and cross examine the mechanics of a barware throwing ex. yet the second his easy expression had vanished, her internal alarm tripped. a boundary, stark and non negotiable. picking up on the shift instantly, she buried her relentless probing beneath a deflection of wit. "a forty five foot drop?" she bounced right back to her echoing routine, taking a swift step forward to inspect his frame like an bewildered surgeon evaluating an impossible survivor. "you fell four whole stories, shattered your spine, and here you are on a random weeknight inhaling fried dough and brushing it off as chapter two. you're like the million dollar man."

she executed a restless pivot on the heels of her boots, spinning back toward him with her jaw set and a electric spark returning to her eyes. "your privilege to call your life boring is hereby permanently revoked. you are, without competition, the most absurdly complex creature i have ever crossed paths with. and I used to profile high security inmates for columns," she announced, her entire posture radiating a sparkling defiance. "from this moment on, whenever you hit me with a one word response, i'm automatically assuming you just returned from an international espionage mission or wrestled a bear."

#ΛDΛ .ᐟ 𝗦𝗢𝗥𝗔 #ΛDΛ .ᐟ 𝗘𝗕𝗢𝗡 #moonhxven #pinehaven.event007

closed starter for ... 𝚃𝙴𝙼𝙿𝚈 + 𝙻𝙰𝚄𝚁𝙸𝙴

𝚏𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐; @pasdedeuxs

the perfumed vapor of steeped chamomile, laced with the dry, comforting dust of long forgotten pages, clung to the community room, a fragrant residue left behind as the final lingering book club attendee finally drifted toward the exit. temperance paused, her gaze wandering toward the far wall where laurie had already launched into his post event routine. dismantling the rear row of folding chairs with a practiced effortlessness, sending a cadence of fluid, metallic snaps through the space as he stacked the frames three high against the plaster.

meanwhile, temperance turned her attention to the refreshment station. with slow, reverent sweeps of a cloth, she swept the crumbs of lemon cake across the wood, carefully coaxing the golden fragments onto a paper napkin. a brief thought crossed her mind of reaching into her cardigan pocket to send penny a quick message, just a gentle note letting her know the library was winding down and she wouldn't be much longer before returning home.

"they were particularly spirited about the conclusion tonight, wouldn't you say?" she remarked mildly, her voice carrying a soft, melodious warmth into the quiet space. she tipped her head toward the ring of empty chairs where, not long ago, a fierce literary battle had been waged, a bright twinkle of amusement dancing in her eyes. "mrs. gable looked ready to drag the author before a grand jury over chapter twelve. though i suppose i can't entirely fault her. ending a saga on an unresolved semicolon is practically an act of civilian aggression."

she paused, her knuckles lightly dusting a rogue flake of crust into the center of her palm before she looked across the room at him, her brow arching in fond challenge. "though i did notice you didn't step into the fray to defend the prose, laurie."

#ƬΣMPΣЯΛПᄃΣ .ᐟ 𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗜𝗥 #ƬΣMPΣЯΛПᄃΣ .ᐟ 𝗟𝗔𝗪𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘 #pasdedeuxs

closed starter for ... 𝚅𝙰𝙻 + 𝙽𝙸𝙶𝙷𝚃

𝚏𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐; @monochromctic

thick, warm air hit her the second she shoved her way past mcnasty’s heavy front door, reeking of sour liquor, old grease, and hot tailpipes. overhead, the neon tubes groaned and sputtered, spilling a sickly plum light across the split concrete at her feet. she pulled a bent cigarette from her pocket, tucked it between her lips, and snapped her metal zippo open. the flame caught on the first flick.

through a halo of gray smoke, her glare drifted out toward the dark rim of the lot where an idling pickup sat rumbling on the dirt. a handful of loud, swaying bodies were leaning against the tailgate, howling at nothing and stumbling into each other's space. when one of them tipped backward, nearly brushing the polished metal frame of her motorcycle, a slow knot tightened between her shoulder blades. she held still, letting a long plume of smoke drift into the muggy night instead of starting a scene over a near miss.

cutting a glance along the outer wall, she caught a shape lingering near the mouth of the side alley. night, tucked into the shadows away from the tavern's glare. val paused, smoke curling past her lips as she considered just staying put and ignoring her presence altogether. but old habits died hard.

she shoved her free hand into her jacket pocket and strolled over, her boots crunching over scattered gravel until she settled back against the brickwork, propping herself up a comfortable distance beside night. "puta," val drawled in greeting, the insult sliding out lazily, missing any real venom, sounding more like an established salutation than a threat after all these years.

#VΛᄂΣПƬIПΛ .ᐟ 𝗦𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗢𝗦 #VΛᄂΣПƬIПΛ .ᐟ 𝗡𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 #monochromctic

closed starter for ... 𝙹𝙴𝚁𝙸𝙲𝙷𝙾 + 𝙽𝙴𝙰𝚂𝙰

𝚏𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐; @oatfoams

just beyond the front windows of loulou’s, the washington coast was attending to its usual, bleak ritual. bleeding a fine, freezing drizzle directly into the pine needles. jericho sat deeply slumped against the vinyl of their booth, his long frame folded awkwardly into the corner. he hadn't slept in seventy two hours. the manic hum under his skin had finally burned down to its ash phase; a hollow, dry eyed static where his brain felt like an abandoned receiver tuned to a dead channel. he cradled a thick ceramic mug of black coffee, watching the steam curl and dissolve into the harsh fluorescent air.

across the table, he watched nessie methodically shuffling a worn deck of oracle cards, completely unbothered by the hour or the cloud of his gloom. "just so we're clear," jericho said, his voice a dry rasp born of neglect and black espresso, "i don't believe in those." the flutter of his lashes was languid as he witnessed the placement of the deck, set face down on the sticky table between his mug and a bottle of yellow mustard.

it was a rich statement coming from him. this was a man who, just three weeks prior, had abandoned a half finished cello concerto on his living room floor because he claimed the humidity in pinehaven was making the key of d-major sound financially corrupt. he was a man who would routinely refuse to write a third movement if he felt the moon was perched in an arrogant position, yet a hand held deck of illustrated cardboard was where he chose to draw the line on absurdity. "but i am in a humoring mood." he lazily wiggled his calloused fingers around the rim of his mug, offering a sarcastic, low energy flicker of razzle dazzle to punctuate the sentence.

#JΣЯIᄃΉӨ .ᐟ 𝗔𝗗𝗗𝗔𝗠𝗦 #JΣЯIᄃΉӨ .ᐟ 𝗡𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗔 #oatfoams

closed starter for ... 𝙴𝚅𝙸𝙴 + 𝚂𝙾𝙿𝙷𝙸𝙰

𝚏𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐; @oatfoams

twenty minutes baking in the pinehaven sun had evie’s iced matcha weeping against the wooden slats of the picnic table, her rehearsed scolding for sophie’s lateness already burning a hole in her tongue. but all thoughts of sibling tardiness vanished the moment the brush shivered and out tumbled an small, gangly visitor. a young black lab pup, with flopped over ears, all limbs and comically oversized paws. his coat dusting off forest debris as he hobbled over on three legs, front left paw hitched high like a hitchhiker's thumb before nudging his wet nose straight against her bare shins with a pathetic little squeak.

so when sophie finally strolled round the sunlit corner, she was met with evie launching herself across the grass in three wild bounds, cradling the squirming black puppy tightly against her chest like an oversized, wriggling infant. "soph! soph, oh my god, look!" evie gasped, skidding to a breathless halt right in front of her sister. the pup’s glossy head flopped over her forearm, big brown eyes blinking in absolute bafflement as evie babbled on, her words ricocheting off one another in a panic. "look at him! he was just limping by the big cedar tree all by himself!"

she carefully shifted the pup so sophie could see. "look at his front foot, he won't put any pressure on it, i think he stepped on a sticker burr or twisted something in the grass! what do we do? do we call the vet? do we take him to the clinic right now? is there an emergency animal ambulance in pinehaven?" and as if on cue, the tiny beast selected that exact second to deploy an oscar worthy whine, tucking his ink black snout straight beneath her chin. "oh my god!"

#ΣVIΣ .ᐟ 𝗗𝗔𝗘 #ΣVIΣ .ᐟ 𝗦𝗢𝗣𝗛𝗜𝗔 #oatfoams #finally time for evie to get a pet lol

closed starter for ... 𝙼𝙾𝙼𝙾 + 𝚂𝚄𝙶𝙰𝚁

𝚏𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐; @moonhxven

slanted shafts of honeyed daylight drifted down through the high canopy of centennial park, washing in warm ribbons over the worn wood of a green bench. momoko rested there, so stillness bound she seemed carved directly from stone. along the porcelain pale of her forearm, a cluster of crimson ladybugs wandered in leisurely, meandering loops. she didn't so much as twitch. she merely observed the tiny, lacquered domes catching the sun, holding her limb as motionless as a museum pedestal. then a vivid flash of noise and color sliced through the muted grey gravel of the walking trail. it was a lively storm of sparkling shimmer, soft pastels, and vibrant body art soaking in the afternoon heat. the girl drifted forward with a light, rhythmic skip, entirely consumed by her phone while a neon helmet swung lazily from her elbow.

momoko’s attention pivoted toward the arrival, her dark fringe untroubled by the gentle breeze. that piercing composure remained intact, yet a faint fracture appeared across her composed veneer. she knew those long, high arched lines. she knew the unmistakable carriage of those shoulders, even beneath a oversized jacket. her lips parted, breathing out the name into the quiet air. "samantha." her voice fell cool and clear, floating seamlessly over the open grass.

for a fleeting instant, time itself seemed to snag on the lapsed history stretching between them. momoko stood up without haste, waiting just long enough for the tiny red beetles to lift off safely into the clover before setting off. she took her time, bridging the gap with smooth, unhurried strides, letting her eyes map the blooming, radiant person standing before her. the lively color in her skin and the complete disappearance of the hollowed, exhausted teenager once caged by the wings of the lincoln center. "how?"

#MӨMӨKӨ .ᐟ 𝗛𝗢𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗠𝗜 #MӨMӨKӨ .ᐟ 𝗦𝗨𝗚𝗔𝗥 #moonhxven

closed starter for ... 𝚁𝙾𝙲𝙺𝚈 + 𝙴𝙻𝙸𝚁𝙰

𝚏𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐; @cryforlxve

the metal toolbox hit her kitchen floor with a hollow thud. rocky was already muttering under his breath before he even dropped to his knees, his tool belt jingling around his waist like an ill timed warning bell. "i told you last week that valve was weeping, elira. you don't just leave a leak because it's making a gentle rhythm, or whatever poetical nonsense you called it. pipes don't make music, they make mold." he crouched under the sink, his broad shoulders barely fitting within the narrow wooden frame of the cabinet. he hauled out his monkey wrench, his knuckles white against the iron handle. the space was cramped, smelling of copper, old wood, and that faint, ridiculous floral perfume she wore that seemed to follow her into every room and completely scramble his train of thought.

he turned his head to further lecture her about how plumbing didn't operate on wishful thinking, but the words died somewhere in his chest. she was leaning down, hands resting on her knees, dark hair falling over her shoulder in a soft wave. the warm light from her kitchen lamp caught the curve of her jaw, the slight, mischievous tilt of her mouth, and the sheer audacity of her standing there looking completely unbothered by a household disaster. he froze. for three long seconds, he forgot about the corroded brass fitting. he forgot about the pressure building in the line. he forgot that he was holding a wrench with enough leverage to strip a thread clean off. all he could focus on was the way the glow touched her skin, sending his pulse into a frantic, uneven trip.

his hand tightened automatically on the tool. crack. the valve didn't just give, it snapped like a dry twig.

a geyser of ice cold water exploded from the wall, a roaring jet that hit him full in the chest before ricocheting off the underside of the sink and blasting straight into elira’s face. "shit!" rocky roared, scrambling backward across the drenched floorboards as the kitchen turned into an indoor deluge. water hit the ceiling, raining back down in cold, heavy sheets. "where's the main shut off?" he yelled over the hiss of escaping pressure, blinking through the stinging spray. it was hard to hear her over the noise, but he thought he picked up that it was possibly under in the basement.

"god deliver me," he growled. without another second's thought, he seized the hem of his dark shirt, hauling it over his head in one swift motion. the fabric came away soaked, exposing his broad chest to the spray. he shoved the mass of wet cotton directly into the mouth of the broken pipe, throwing his entire body weight forward to pin it down. the gush choked down to a sputtering spray, pooling around his knees and saturating his denim.

he stood there, braced against the cabinet, muscles straining as he held the leak at bay with his bare hands. dark hair hung in plastered, dripping tendrils over his forehead, water running down the scruff of his beard and pooling in the hollow of his collarbone. he slowly turned his head to look up at her. through the wall of wet hair, his dark gaze locked onto hers; a mix of thunderous exasperation, absolute embarrassment, and a deep, simmering heat he couldn't hide even if he tried. "shut off," he said, his gravelly voice clipped, his chest heaving as he held the line. "downstairs. right now, elira. before i have to swim out of your kitchen."

#ЯӨᄃKЩΣᄂᄂ .ᐟ 𝗛𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗘𝗦 #ЯӨᄃKЩΣᄂᄂ .ᐟ 𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗥𝗔 #cryforlxve #finally have a reason to use this giffffff #mwahahaha

pasdedeuxs

she couldn't help but let out a childish giggle at him swatting her away. "well if you wanna be a party pooper, that's on you." she punctuated with popping the delicious morsel into her mouth. "and you can be so dramatic, god forbid we have any fun with our fashion instead of being 'sensible' all the time." the fork was still in her hand as she used her fingers to put air quotes around the word so while it was awkward, it still got her point across. she stilled at his words, her smile faltering a bit.

he wasn't wrong. while she wasn't under the illusion that the gourmet cooking world was going to be some amazing stress-free environment, she hadn't necessarily predicted the extreme pressure she was going to be put under. it broke a part of her that she's not sure she'll ever truly get back. if she hadn't met neasa towards the end of her travels, there was a real chance sachi would have just frozen in place until rocky would eventually go to rescue her from herself. it's true that even though she was relaxed sitting here with him right now -- an extremely rare occurrence -- if she was left to her own devices with no one to lean on, she would be falling apart. though she had no blood siblings of her own, this man showed her what brotherly love looks like. when he first moved to town, he took a chance on the strange, vibrant, and outgoing young girl at his most vulnerable. now it's her turn to let him be there for her in the ways she was for him. "yeah, i..." her voice tight. "i think i got in way over my head and in a sink or swim situation i...." there was a pause as she got lost in the past, only coming to at the sound of her fork harshly scraping against the plate. "i sank. so now i'm on a life raft just trying to make do with what i can."

btwnthepines

the silence that stretched across the counter carried a whole different texture than the easy banter from a moment ago. he didn't jump in to cut her off or offer some cheap, hollow comfort; he just sat there, dusting a remnant of cinnamon sugar off his thumb onto his paper napkin, letting her confession settle into the room until the echo of that harsh metal scraping against porcelain finally died away. his shoulders squared slightly under his flannel as he took in the sudden, fragile posture of his best friend. he knew that look on her face. he’d worn it himself years ago, staring into a streaked bathroom mirror at three in the morning with a feverish newborn in the next room, convinced he’d ruined everything before he started.

"you didn't sink, sachi," he said, his voice low and firm, stripped of all its usual gruff sarcasm. "you took a beating. there's a hell of a difference between the two. you walked into a meat grinder designed to strip away every ounce of joy you had for cooking, and when it tried to turn you into a machine, you had the guts to walk out." he reached across the small table, his calloused palm coming down on the wood near her plate, offering a physical presence without crowding her space.

"a life raft implies you're just floating around at the mercy of the current, waiting for the water to take you under," he continued, tilting his head toward the warm, mismatched room surrounding them. the hand painted signs, the kotatsu tables, the scent of toasted tea leaves and fresh pastry dough hanging in the summer air. "look around you. you built a shelter. you continued your mom's dream, you made a sanctuary where people actually want to sit down and breathe, and you did it entirely on your own terms."

he leaned back, the old wooden chair giving a familiar groan under his frame as he picked up the remaining half of his cinnamon twist. his brow furrowed with that stubborn loyalty that had defined him ever since he’d traded his leather jacket for a fatherhood, looking at her with the fierce protectiveness of a brother who wasn't about to let her rewrite her own history. "if you need to lean on the people who give a damn about you while you get your footing back, you do it. that's what we're here for. i'm not letting you think you're on an island," he said, his eyes locking onto hers with absolute certainty. "you've got people who aren't going anywhere, whether you're standing tall or barely hanging on."

#ЯӨᄃKЩΣᄂᄂ .ᐟ 𝗛𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗘𝗦 #ЯӨᄃKЩΣᄂᄂ .ᐟ 𝗦𝗔𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗞𝗢 #pasdedeuxs

moonhxven

"Well, yeah, I know I don't need leather pants..." Kekoa tried to explain to his granny. "But it's like... why are they so expensive? It makes me feel like I do need them!" He and Ginger had been out today and he'd seen these ridiculously stupid and expensive leather pants hanging in a shop window and he just felt drawn to them. Kick had never worn leather pants a day in his life and didn't even want to but there was a little voice in the back of his head saying just buy them! He was pretty sure that's how designer brands got away with selling their shit for so much. There was just something that compelled people to spend their money.

"Oh, yeah, and then..." Kekoa launched into another story, his usual animations making it seem a lot more exciting than it actually was. This was a typical dinnertime routine for them. Granny Lou would get the ingredients ready for him to cook (while he watched on to make sure she didn't cut herself) and he'd fill her in on every second of his day. "But then we just left because Ginger was being super weird... I thought maybe Mercury is in retrograde but..." His hands flew up again. "Apparently not!" Kick didn't even know what that meant, he just knew people on the internet blamed shit on it.

Kekoa saw the grin that Granny Lou cast over his shoulder, and he assumed that Ginger was back there making some face at him, so he didn't turn around. But when a voice came from directly behind him, his shoulders tensed and his body jolted slightly. He hadn't been expecting Ginger to be standing so close to him. But... was that Ginger? Kick's head said Ginger but the voice didn't match. The voice sounded like it belonged to...

"Lenny?" Kick whipped around, eyes wide with excitement. And there she was. "What in the actual fuck is going on!?" He wouldn't normally curse in front of his granny, but when the situation called for it he couldn't help himself. Kekoa let out an absolutely joy filled burst of laughter and grabbed Lenny by the waist, hauling her into her chest and spinning her around the kitchen. Everything made sense now. Ginger was being a complete and total freak of nature because she'd had something to do with this. There was no doubt in his mind.

"Not my birthday, it's not Christmas, it's not your birthday so..." He finally stopped spinning her around and put Lenny back on her feet. Kick grabbed her shoulders, giving her a little shake. "What are you doing here?" He wasn't complaining, he'd never complain about seeing Lenny in person, but he was confused as all get out.

btwnthepines

the world went dizzying for three breathless seconds as the floor vanished beneath her sneakers. lenny’s knuckles instinctively dug into the rough cotton of kekoa's hawaiian shirt to keep her balance, her laugh exploding into the warm kitchen air right alongside his open mouthed roar. when her soles finally slapped back down onto the worn linoleum, the room kept spinning for an extra beat, leaving her grinning through a sudden, lightheaded blur of ceiling lights and cabinet doors. "stow the panic, keek," she gasped out, using her firm grip on his forearms to steady herself while her brain caught up to her feet. "no cosmic shift, no secret holiday. just me, a trunk stuffed with my junk, and a ridiculously shiny freshwater ecology grant."

she reached up and popped his hands off her shoulders, though the grin carved into her face didn't budge an inch. over his shoulder, granny lou was already chuckling from her vantage point, completely unbothered by the sudden hurricane of energy wrecking the quiet near the stove. lenny took a measured step back, sweeping her gaze over him from top to toe before dropping the rest of the news. even with less than three hundred and sixty five days since he’d last touched down back home, her eyes lingered, taking mental inventory of every single shift in his posture. she attempted a smooth, unbothered shrug as if she were simply checking out the scenery, but the attempt folded instantly. a helpless, brilliant smile broke across her face, and an eager, restless bounce hit her heels, completely betraying her front.

"got this sweet offer out of a institute in san diego, hopped on the first flight out of kona international, and spent a few weeks combing tide pools up around monterey bay while training," she explained, her eyes lit with the full weight of the successful ambush. "then the state greenlit the funding last week. they’re dropping me dead center into a long term water quality gig across the whole basin. you're officially stuck with me in pinehaven for at least two whole years. i couldn't pass up the chance, i've been dying to stalk the local kokanee salmon and coastal cutthroat trout in their natural habitat instead of staring at pictures of them in some dry university textbook."

her expression shifted, eyes gleaming with the warm, obvious setup for a punchline. she stepped back into his space and wrapped her arms around his middle, pulling him into another quick squeeze before easing back just enough to look up at him. "and, you know, maybe, just maybe, i got lured in by the chance to share a zip code with you. mayhaps." she leaned her hip into the edge of the counter, letting her smile curl into a wicked smirk as her gaze dropped straight down to his denim.

"but if you drop an entire paycheck on a pair of absurd leather pants while i'm posted up here, keek, i'm personally snapping photos and broadcasting them straight back to the crew in kona. you will literally never live it down."

#ΣᄂΣПΛ .ᐟ 𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗢𝗬𝗔 #ΣᄂΣПΛ .ᐟ 𝗞𝗘𝗞𝗢𝗔 #moonhxven

pasdedeuxs

after seeing the gears stop turning in his mind, she decided not to let it slip that the kind of sweaty, confused look was the exact reason why she enjoyed the calendars. it was interesting to watch him trip up a bit just to so confidently dance with everything he's got. even though he was a bit behind on the choreography, they both looked like they were having so much fun that she didn't really mind. "well, i can't argue with that. it was really fun. maybe i should make you dance with me in all my videos so i can remember that fact."

the tips of her fingers quickly dashed across her screen to edit the video's lighting and coloring, "look at that!" she giggled watching the video playback on her phone, "you look really good! you weren't even behind for most of it." she lifted her decorated phone up a bit for him to see it better. "and your smile is so big that i'm mostly focusing on the dimples in your cheeks." her lips reflexively twitch into a bright smile of their own. there was a familiar feeling in her chest when she turned her head to find that his face was much closer to hers than she was expecting. "oh!" the exclamation left her subconsciously, heat rushing across her face. "anyways, uh..." suddenly, she felt like a teenage girl fumbling for what to say next. maybe it's because she had always harbored a small crush on the hockey player in front of her. nevertheless, it made her feel off-balanced. shaking her head, she snapped herself out of her flustered stupor. "thank you for making this video with me! i really appreciate it." feeling a bit out of sorts she let her feet guide her back behind the bar. the tongs nearly fall out of her hand with how clumsily she picks them up. "i'll get you your free drink and food. i'm sure you're starving." she struggles to separate the wax paper bags from each other. "um, did you ever tell me what drink you'd like?"

btwnthepines

a proud, puffed out chest was his immediate answer to her review of the footage. peering down at the glowing rectangle, his grin stretched so wide it practically met his ears, a bright flash of pure triumph lighting up his features. "see? total natural. jules is going to have to eat his words about the fridge logic," he declared, puffing out his cheeks in a playful strut as the playback looped. when she pointed out his dimples, and her sudden exclamation popped into the space between them, his proud posture instantly dissolved.

seeing the sudden crimson wash over her skin and the abrupt halt in her sentence, his brain immediately leaped to the wrong conclusion. his eyebrows pinched together with genuine concern, thinking maybe he’d accidentally stepped on her foot with his bulky sneakers or bumped her arm. without a second thought, he leaned in just a fraction closer, tilting his head to peer down into her face with focused inspection. "whoa, hey, you alright? did i hit you with an elbow during that last spin or something?"

then, the dots finally connected.

he caught the exact moment her eyes darted away, watching her mentally shake off the sudden spell of bashfulness. a slow, realization fueled warmth bloomed across his own cheekbones as the truth landed. the confident, effortless girl who had just commanded the floor was actually flustered by him. HIM! taking a quick, respectful half step backward, he raised his hands in a easygoing gesture, a sheepish, crooked smirk replacing his initial worry. "hey, anytime. if you ever need an overly enthusiastic background extra who moves like a newborn giraffe, you’ve got my number...well, actually, you don't," he corrected himself on the fly, a sudden spark of bold mischief glinting in his gaze as he reached into his pocket. "we should probably fix that, right? hand your phone over for two seconds, or i can drop mine right here on the notepad. you know, strictly for choreo emergencies."

he watched her retreat back toward the counter, resting his elbows against the laminated top and observing her battle the wax paper with a fond, highly amused gleam. seeing someone who was just moments ago an absolute force of theatrical poise suddenly fumble with bakery tongs was oddly charming. "hey, take it easy on the paper, it didn't do anything to you," he laughed softly, tapping his knuckles against the wood to get her attention. "and no, i didn't get to name my poison yet. let's go with a cold brew. splash of oat milk, two pumps of vanilla. gotta keep the engine running if i'm going to go home and practice my arm timing for our next viral hit."

#JΛY .ᐟ 𝗝𝗘𝗢𝗡𝗚 #JΛY .ᐟ 𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗬𝗔 #pasdedeuxs

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