Most Trees Are Blue

@silledude Ellis. 26. Hockey referee and self proclaimed joke king.

[xcatalinaxsilvax]

Cat stayed silent as he explained the moment. It was partly to let him speak. Ellis was somebody who had a lot to say about most things, and some of the time, she enjoyed letting him ramble. Even when he was talking about things she had less then no interest in, he looked cute when he was being a complete dork, so she didn't always mind. It wasn't that which kept her quiet this time, though. Most of it was the fact that she was completely taken aback by his answer. If hers had taken them on a journey back to a time neither of them particularly wanted to relive, his made her feel a weird sense of guilt and shame. Not for the first time, Cat cringed at the realisation that her way of thinking in their first attempt at a relationship was completely off the mark.

"They were plaid," she pointed out. "Your boxers, I mean. They weren't cartoon. They were plaid." It was a seemingly trivial detail to correct, but there was a method to her madness. She wanted him to know that she remembered the moment clearly, that it mattered to her as much as it did to him. It might not have been her lightbulb moment, but it was still a special one to her nonetheless. "I had no idea that it was like that for you so early on, though. I wish I'd known." It was a bit hypocritical, given not five minutes ago she had been talking about how they shouldn't have regrets, but Cat had never claimed to be fair. "I never thought moving in with you would lead to all this. Getting engaged. God, I didn't even think I was the type of person who'd ever get married to anybody. Being with you has changed my life for the better. I don't even know where to start with thanking you for that."

[ellisxhall]

It took all of Ellis's might to not respond with a dopey 'huh?' when she mentioned the plaid. Once she clarified, though, it was hard to drive his attention anywhere but towards her and her words. "They were? Interesting. Didn't know you were checking me out that hard, Cat," he flashed her a tiny smirk, letting it fade once she realized the moment wasn't fully over. He couldn't help but shrug as a response. "You know now. Plus, I think if you did know then, things might've been a lot different. Like, would I have been proposing to you in some icy puddle? Maybe, but also maybe not. It was a different version of us back then. Even with all the fucked up shit, I don't know we'd be here without it. I mean, I feel like I'd still want all of this to be with you, but I don't know if the road would've taken us where we needed to go, if that makes sense and isn't too cheesy."

Ellis found himself chuckling at the revelation that they did, in fact, start as just roommates. He pressed his lips together, fighting his inner intrusive thoughts from letting him quote 'oh my God, they were roommates' out loud. The last thing on his mind that first day was some form of romance with Catalina Silva, the girl who managed to get him kicked out of class on the regular in high school. It was funny how things like that just worked out on their own. The laughter settled into something else as he listened further. "Thank me?" he asked, as if the idea was beyond him. "You're the one who said yes to this goof, I think I should be the one thanking you. Like..." he trailed off, not wanting to get too sentimental but knowing if there was an appropriate time for it, it was now. "I had a very weird idea of what it meant to love someone before you came along. You weren't what I expected, but you were and are exactly what I needed." He paused on the sidewalk, arms winding around her waist to bring her in closer. "I wouldn't have it any other way. You changed my life, too. I'm still a big old doofus, but I'm now one with an incredible fiancée. Pretty lucky, if I do say so myself."

[jamesxgarrett]

"Maybe we can make jobs for MILFs our campaign strategy. We should talk to Oliver. He'll know all about the boring paperwork-y side of it." If there was anything James was passionate about, it was MILF rights. That, and Ellis' dorky bedsheets, apparently, because he could feel himself bristling at the idea that Cat and Oliver were less than keen on them. "Yeah? Cat giving you Mommy energy?" he smirked, trying not to laugh at his own joke. "You know what would be funny? If we replaced all their bedsheets with cool ones. I've got a key to Oliver's place, you've got a key to Cat's. We can make it happen. Then I'm sure they'd change their minds." He was quite proud of his little plan. Clearly, he was a genius in the making.

"I mean, if we're down to using apps, give me half an hour and I'll have a team of hot bridesmaids assembled. Can't speak for how sane they'd be, but I'd get them." The more he thought about it, the more appealing the idea of picking Cat's bridesmaids for her was. He was about to counter that Ellis couldn't be Cat's best friend, because he was already James', but Ellis saved him the bother. "Right, right. We're the real homies, and she's more your best friend with benefits. I get it. But no can do with Raye. I think Oliver said she moved to Boston. Or was already from Boston. I don't remember. Point is, she's not in New York."

[ellisxhall]

"Mmm, true. He was trying to get me to go to some strike with him the other day. I'm not sure what it was all about. He was explaining it, but I honestly got bored halfway through and tuned him out. I like holding up posters, though, so I'm in for that part of it. Hopefully he knows some stuff on MILF matters as well." Although he'd roll his eyes at anyone else making that comment, Ellis raised a brow and actually considered it. In a way, Cat somehow did give off mommy energy. "Actually, yeah, dude. Just don't go hitting on her or I'll have to choke you out. The bedsheet idea, though? Genius. I'm gonna browse Amazon later and see if there's anything ugly but, like, fitting personality wise.. If Oliver's bedroom is still as neutral as I remember it to be, he could use a nice pop of colour." He was sure it was a plan that'd somehow land the both of them in hot water later, but Ellis's brain cells seemed to be shared when he was with James.

Ellis wasn't totally familiar with the apps himself, but he'd seen them enough to know that thirty minutes was quick. He starred at James in what was a mix of astonishment and awe. "We can always do an audition or some shit like that, American Idol style. I'm gonna need you to be the Simon Cowell, though, I'm not snarky enough for him and not pretty enough for Paula Abdul. Randy Jackson, though, that seems like the right fit...dawg." He was about to attempt to correct James but then thought better of it, his description not perfect but also not super far off. He frowned a bit with the Raye explanation. "Darn, kind of a bummer seeing that she's basically what brought me and Cat back together. She would've been a good option." He let his brain put in some work before he looked at James a couple moments later. "Question, and it might be a dumb one but I'm gonna ask it anyways, do you have any friends that are girls? Not anyone you've fucked, just a female that is a buddy?"

[xcatalinaxsilvax]

"I thought dumb mistakes were your thing," she knew he wasn't talking about the usual kind of stuff he pulled, like proposing in a puddle, but she couldn't help but poke at him a bit anyway. Stupidity might be his thing, but insults were hers. She felt a little bad for it. His words were so sincere, so earnest, she couldn't help the little stab of guilt in her chest. "I'm kidding," she added, giving his hands a small squeeze. "But I don't want to live my life with what ifs. We hurt each other, and it was over, but we got through it. That's what's important to me. We've more than made up for the time we lost."

It was almost an automatic reaction by now. When he pulled her to him, her arms went around him, her forehead resting on his shoulder. Cat took a moment to just enjoy the feeling, despite the heavy tone of the conversation. It was familiar and comforting and sent a warm rush through her. "Oh, we're going to hurt each other. That's a given. You're going to piss me off, and I'm going to call you names, and you're going to get mad about it. But we'll get through that, too. We've already come back from the worst, right?" If Ellis thought the old version of him was a douche, Cat didn't want to know what he thought of the old version of her. When she looked back on the Cat she was when they first started dating. "The old me would have loved any chance to break the Shrek cup. But no. If it makes you happy, then I won't break the cup even if you turn into a monster." She lifted her head to look at him with a little smile. "You're perfect as you are. No change necessary." She stepped away, holding her hand out for him to take so they could continue their trek home. "Now I'm curious, anyway. What was it for you? What made you realise this was it for you?"

[ellisxhall]

"Well yeah, that's true, but moderately dumb mistakes. Some of my ones before that were, like, ginormous idiot fuck-up mistakes. I wanna level down there, not up." He didn't take her words to heart, at least not the ones meant to be a joke. What he did take to heart, however, was the earnest tone in her voice that followed. Even when she was giving him the bitter truth, it came from a place of caring. Bitter wasn't the exact right word for it, though. She was right about all of it. They'd put each other through both the best and worst of times, but no matter what, the carousel of their lives kept spinning them back to each other. He wasn't sure he believed in fate or whatever all those hippy dippy things were, but he certainly believed in whatever got them to where they were in that moment. A little vibration zinged through his heart when she mentioned not wanting anything about him to change. It was enough to have his arm momentarily squeeze around her tighter. He wasn't sure she'd ever understand how much that meant to him. How much she meant to him.

"My 'a-ha' moment, huh?" he interlaced his fingers with hers. Although he could've faked being deep in thought over it, this one was a no-brainer to him. "Honestly, it was when we first made it official. Not how we got there, but the day of. That night. We'd both finally stopped dancing around it and being stubborn and were actually talking about our feelings and shit. Anyways, we duked it out, and I was about to go take a shower when I stupidly realized we didn't discuss labels or whatever. I ran back and asked if it all that meant you were my girlfriend. I was this giant dork, probably wearing a pair of cartoon boxers, hanging out in your doorway and wondering if I'd actually just made you my girlfriend on Valentine's Day, and uh...it was the way you looked at me during all that. You were going through pairs of PJ's, and it was just like any other night we'd had before as roomies, but the way you smiled at me, Cat..." He squeezed her hand, not sure words could fully capture how much love he had for her and how it'd only grown since then. "It sounds silly, but that was the moment where I hoped that even my dumbest antics would have you looking at me like that forever."

[jamesxgarrett]

"It's the olden days one. She made me watch an episode with her. Do you know how weird it is watched some lady get railed on TV with your grandma?" James shuddered a bit at the thought. He shook his head wildly, frowning. "No, no no. See, when we're president, we get rid of all the wrinkly old guys and replace them with milfs. Then we enact the naked Friday amendment to the constitution." What Ellis was right about, though, was Oliver - his dad energy, nay, his grandfather energy was off the charts. James had tried very hard over the years to get him to just be cool, to no avail. It was like he was determined to live his life as a huge nerd until the end of his days. "How do you think I feel?" he complained. "He's my little brother and sometimes I think he's going to send me to bed without supper. The weirdo." His words weren't without fondness for his brother. "Wait, are you serious? You're going to have to lay down the law. Make a stand. The boys are counting on you, man." By boys, he meant One Direction. "I'm pretty are collectable by now. I mean, it's been years since 1D split, right? Clearly, she's not a connoisseur like us." he shrugged one shoulder. "I've been watching a lot of Jersey Shore reruns late at night."

James quietened a little as he let Ellis ponder the thought. He had intended to do a bit of shit stirring, but he could sense that he had opened a bit of a can of worms. "That's kinda... not so much for me to say. Unless there's a Bumble Bridesmaid, then I definitely want in," he joked. "I guess the main question is - do you think she'd want your help? Maybe she's happy being a loner."

[ellisxhall]

"Eww," Ellis wrinkled his nose, the thought of enduring sex scenes with family being something he'd dealt with more times than he'd personally like. Old English nudity quickly shifted over to White House nudity, and whether it was just from spending too much time in the same space, Ellis felt is interest being piqued at the idea. "I want to say it's a bad idea, but when you think about some of the stupid laws we have right now...it's really not. MILFs need good jobs, too," he nodded. Ellis rolled his eyes and threw up his hands, glad that someone finally understood his view on the bed sheets. "Oliver also didn't like them, so I guess I just got used to it when Cat didn't, too. Two peas in a parental energy pod. If something happens to them, I guess I can always go on eBay and find the 5SOS ones that I originally wanted. It'd be like saying goodbye to a loved one, though." His brows knit together, and a firm hand was planted on his hip. "What the hell, dude, what do you mean 'late at night'? My beauty sleep is not as important as watching Ronnie and Sammy smackdowns with you. Wake me next time."

Ellis shrugged a bit, not having any need for those kinds of apps considering he'd been with Cat for years at that point. "If they have apps for farmers and Christian's, I'm sure there's a bridesmaid one out there, too." He settled his chin in his palm as James's question rattled around in his brain. "That's the thing, I don't know. She said I was her best friend, which is very sweet and all that and I agree, but not in the same way you're my best friend. I just...I think it'd be nice for her to have someone like that. Not sure how to go about setting something like that up, though. Do you know if Oliver still has Raye's number? He might've fumbled the bag with her, but I still feel like she could be a good friend match maker if she doesn't hate us by association."

[xcatalinaxsilvax]

"I'm never going to be on board with Shrek Crocs, Ellis. You're either going to have to learn to live with that, or get sneaky about wearing them." It wasn't that she was controlling. Most of the time, she was content to let him carry out his shenanigans with his stupid roommate if they made him happy, but that didn't mean she wanted to be seen in public with someone in Shrek footwear.

His expression shifted, and Cat immediately was hit with a feeling of regret. It felt like she had said the wrong thing, sucked all of the jubilant energy out of the night. "I'm sorry," she apologised, immediately backtracking on what she had just said. "I didn't mean to bring it up. I know we don't really talk about that time, and I get it. I don't want to talk about it. It doesn't feel good to talk about. It's just... it was relevant, you know?" Rambling was usually Ellis' domain, something Cat only did when she was exceptionally nervous.

When he called himself an idiot, Cat frowned. "No. I mean, yes, you were, but you weren't the only one. I wasn't a good person back then. I don't really know if I am now, but I'm trying to be a better one. I guess it's working if you want to marry me," she laughed a little, trying to diffuse the weird energy that had sprung up between them. "But, uh, no. I don't think there's any version of you I wouldn't have fallen for. We just weren't in the right place to be together. Not then. But it happened, and it worked out, you know? Being apart made us both realise how special this is." She reached up to gently remove his hand from her face, and grabbed his other one for good measure, holding them tight in her own. "We went through all that to get to where we are now, so as much as I hate that it happened the way it did, it was for the best. We needed to go through it." She offered him a tentative smile. "You don't have to apologise. I forgave you a long time ago. An apology is more than words, you know? Words don't mean anything without the action to back them. You've more than made it up to me with everything you've ever done for me since that day." She wasn't sure why she did it, but she brought his hands up to her lips, pressing a kiss to the back of each of them. "Well, we don't have to be miserable anymore. I haven't been in a long time and that's because of you."

[ellisxhall]

Ellis nodded his head a bit. He didn't like the flashback journey they were currently on, but he understood it. There wouldn't ever be a good time to talk about the cracks in their past, however at some point, they had to. It was very hard for him to not just burst through with a comment of his own as she spoke. He managed, though, listening to Cat's reasoning with as much attention as possible. It hurt to revisit certain moments, but at the same time, it was weird listening to them. They were still Ellis and Cat, but not that version of them. Those two were still at the root of everything that happened between them. It wasn't them anymore, though, and maybe that was progress.

A flash of a smile was worn when his hand was brought up to Cat's lips. It was a gesture that made a fire feel like it was lit within his ribcage. As much as he just wanted to lean into that and forget everything else, he wouldn't be Ellis if he didn't have some kind of commentary to follow. "I just wish I didn't make so many dumb ass mistakes, you know?" he sighed, the sincere tone coating his every word. "I'm not proud of the things I said or did, but if I said I wish I could go back and change it, it'd change the foundation of everything that got us to this point." He studied her face for a moment before continuing. "So I guess I wouldn't change what was done, but I'd change all the times I hurt you. I don't like knowing I was responsible for any of that, even if you have forgiven me, which I'm very thankful for, just FYI." He found himself wrapping an arm around Cat and pulling her in towards his chest, pressing his lips to her temple. "I think it'd be stupid to assume we won't ever hurt each other again," he muttered, "but not in that way. Not like that. If I even for a split second act like old, douchey Ellis again, I give you permission to break my Shrek cup, okay? Kind of like what you said, I also want to be a better person. You actually give me a reason for doing that."

[xcatalinaxsilvax]

The Christmas lights were long behind them, but Cat was still basking in the glow of all that had happened. There was a warm fuzzy sensation in her chest that she couldn't remember ever feeling to that degree before, and it only grew stronger every time she caught a glance of both Ellis and the rock on her finger. It had been the perfect night, one she was sure she'd never forget and never want to.

"If it's about the Shrek Crocs, I don't want to hear it. Just don't wear them around me." She was teasing him, but since she had heard about them, she'd been waking up in a cold sweat at night thinking about them. When he finally did ask his question, though, she wished he had been asking about the Crocs. Her face fell a little, her cheeks going a little redder. "Uh-huh." She cleared her throat. She debated trying to bat away the subject by making a joke, telling him she hadn't realised, he was just the first person to propose. She didn't think he'd appreciate that though, so she answered truthfully. "To be honest, it's not... something to put in the vows, anyway. Not the way it happened for me, at least."

She took a deep breath. It felt like she needed to tread carefully. Things had been good between them for a long time, but it still felt like a sensitive subject when they treaded old ground and went back to past hurts. "It wasn't like there was a big lightbulb moment for me. I mean, when I first started having feelings for you, they kind of crept up on me. It was lots of little things. You were - you are - the best friend I ever had. Even before anything ever happened between us, you cared about me so much more than anybody I've ever known. You made it easy to be myself when that's not always been the easiest thing to do. Then when you kissed me that New Years, it opened my eyes to what I was really feeling."

She squinted a little, her embarrassment palpable. "But I don't think you're asking when I realised I liked you. I think you're asking when I realised I couldn't be without you. And honestly, that only happened when I was trying to live without you. In LA. I was so fucking miserable all the time, and then you showed up, and although it wasn't the nicest of reunions, there was a split second where I forgot to be sad and I was just so happy to see you again. Even after you left, I just couldn't get that feeling out of my head. I knew that nobody else could ever make me feel like that." She was suddenly very interested in the cracks in the sidewalk, gazing down at their feet.

[ellisxhall]

"What, I wasn't...okay, fine, I do want the Crocs, I'm not gonna lie, but that was gonna come up at a later time when you were preferably more intoxicated." When she brought up champagne, he knew it'd be ninety percent for celebration and ten percent for seeing what he could get her to agree to when her inhibitions were lower.

Ellis watched and listened closely, realizing the lighthearted way he brought it up not being matched energy wise. This was much more serious. Her expression and the way she carefully chose her words made that clear. He squeezed her hand automatically, trying to hang on to every word. By nature, Ellis was not a serious person, at least when he didn't have to be. It was just easier to joke around and laugh than actually have to face your feelings and everything that came with that sometimes. The best friend comment had an electric current sensation buzzing in his chest, but it was replaced shortly with her bringing up L.A. and making his heart feel like it was a wringed dish towel. That wasn't a time he liked to think about. Honestly, their break up in general was not fun to relive in any sense. It was enough that he'd actually stopped walking.

"Oh. Wow, that...yeah, that wasn't the answer I expected," he admitted, almost shell-shocked as he was briefly sent back to that time. He took a small step forward, reaching over and cupping the side of her face despite the fact she seemed to want to be looking anywhere but at him in that moment. "I kind of hate that that's the version of me you fell for, cause that guy was a fucking idiot." This was not where he expected their conversation to go. Still, it seemed it was his turn to be vulnerable. "I know there was a lot of good stuff, especially in the beginning, but I can't help thinking about how shitty I was to you, Cat. I had all this baggage that I thought could be cured by being with you. Having you helped, don't get me wrong, but...I let my fears from before you take over and turn me into this person that I'm not, or at least someone I don't want to be. It wasn't fair. I don't know if I ever properly apologized for that." His thumb traced repetitively across her cheek, as if the gentle motion was the only thing keeping him grounded there. "I was miserable without you, too."

[jamesxgarrett]

"Even my Grandma Glynnis uses Netflix. She likes Bridgerton." James looked slightly horrified at the idea that there was still people alive who couldn't use a streaming app, but it was quickly brushed aside by Ellis' next idea. "Dude, that's an excellent idea. We could have naked Fridays in the White House." He snorted a bit at Ellis' reaction to being compared to Oliver. There was no doubt that they both loved his younger brother, but he was hardly the pinnacle of cool. "You've been spending too much time with him and not enough with me, I think. It's okay though, we can fix it," he nodded sagely. It was an instinctive reaction: when Ellis reached an arm around him to pat his shoulder, James pulled him in for a proper bear hug, clapping him on the back a few times before letting go. "Yeah, you better. I wanna decorate, though. You can help. But I can't imagine my taste and Cat's mixing all too well." He couldn't necessarily see Ellis and Cat's tastes meshing, either, but he kept that thought to himself. "I didn't know you were so mushy. But I love you too, dude. You're my homie." He patted his fist against his own chest twice, then threw up a peace sign, as though to take some of the sentimentality out of the air.

"I don't know. If he does, I'd feel sorry for her." If he was brutally honest, James would definitely try and steal any girl Edward brought to the family reunion, just to prove that he could. For a moment, Ellis stared at him blankly, and James stared back, just as dumbfounded. "Huh," it wasn't the answer he was expecting, but somehow, he wasn't surprised. "Is that not a red flag? She could have an entire other life you don't know about."

[ellisxhall]

"That's the royal one, right? Sounds like something grandma's would be into." Ellis raised a brow as he considered James's idea. It sounded appealing at first, but the more he thought about it, the more flaws started to come up. "Naked for everyone? I don't know, I'm not sure I wanna see some wrinkly old advisor dude showing off his bits and berries all over the place. Might get weird." He sighed dramatically, suddenly wondering how many Oliver-isms he'd inherited over the years and not known it. "You're not wrong. I guess it feels like having a dad when he's around...not that I don't have a dad, I do and I love him, but Oliver's like a step-father...God, the more I try and explain it, the weirder it sounds. Never mind. I guess I'm trying to say that Oliver just gives off dad energy, it can be a bit much." Although the giant hug wasn't expected, Ellis almost immediately hugged him back with as much enthusiasm. Considering both were pretty touchy-feely people, he shouldn't have been surprised. "I have a pretty strong feeling she'd only give us, like, allotted areas and things we can decorate. Your taste is more on par with mine, and I don't think she digs that. Like, she tried to throw out my One Direction bed sheets when I lived with her, can you believe it?" He was about to speak on behalf of all the other items Cat had attempted to veto but stopped once he saw James's move. "The fuck was that? Did you just transport to 2009 for a second there?"

"I...wouldn't say so...I'm not sure." In all honesty, he didn't want to dig up a grave when it came to looking at Cat's red flags. He'd take all her flags, whatever colour or design they bore, but he'd never actually stopped to think about how odd it was until James's perspective of it came up. "I guess she just always hung out with me so much that I never really thought anything of it. Like, we were always within the same friend circle, so I just assumed that my buds were hers, too, but that wasn't really the case." His brows furrowed as he started wracking his brain of what constituted a friend for Cat. "Should we make her a Bumble BFF? Would that be Catfishing? Ha, Cat-fishing, cause it's Cat...sorry, but, uh, yeah, would it be dumb for us to try and help? Do we think she needs the help?"

[xcatalinaxsilvax]

For his own sake, Cat didn't point out that he easily could have shifted. There was a solid few minutes where she wouldn't have noticed if he started doing the worm, let alone shuffled a little to the right. She didn't have to ponder that thought long, though, soon distracted by the kisses over her face. "Yeah, well, I never said I was the perceptive type," she rested her head on his shoulder as he hugged her. "But you didn't. You didn't break up with me, and you definitely didn't fuck anything up. I don't think I could have planned this better myself." From Cat, that was high praise. It was rare she didn't have a critique in the back of her mind.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," she pulled away a little to look at him, her expression of delight having settled into a gentle smile of bliss. "Besides, if I'm stuck with you, that means you're stuck with me. Think you're up for it." Kissing him had never gotten old, but despite being an actress, Cat preferred to keep things between them a little more private than this. She pulled away, taking his hand in hers as she did. "Lets get some pizza. And champagne. We can make out some more when we get home."

[ellisxhall]

"Well...you probably could have," he admitted, knowing that of the billion things that Cat was better at than him, planning was definitely high up there. "It actually would've been pretty hot if you proposed. However, I beat you to the punch there, so ha, sucker." He had a giant, goofy smile plastered to his face, one that was likely to remain stuck there for a while. Ellis didn't even think he was the marrying kind or that it was even an option until his feelings for Cat came barging in like a hurricane and punching down every belief he'd had about love. He wouldn't have had it any other way.

"Have I ever taken on a challenge I didn't think I was ready for? Don't answer that," he realized, a little too quick, that there was a laundry list of stupid situations he'd willingly put himself in in the past. Cat was a witness to around ninety percent of them. "This is different. Very different. Like, you're not a score or something I want to accomplish. I just know my life would be really sad and boring without you, so yeah, I'd very much like to be stuck with you." With one more kiss, this one against her temple, he let her have the last word and laced their fingers together as they strolled down the street. He hoped asking for a heart shaped pizza wouldn't be vetoed.

***

"Alright, so, I have an important question I have to ask now that we're, y'know, going to eventually be married or whatever," Ellis started rambling. He was being his usual dumb self but with the added perk of having lovey-dovey mode activated, from being around Cat and the pizza he'd devoured. Both things added up to him feeling the need to have a running commentary going between them on the walk back. "When was the moment that you realized that I was it for you? Like, what did I do or say? This is the type of thing that usually comes up in vows, but I really don't wanna wait that long to find out."

[jamesxgarrett]

"That sounds kinda funny, actually. Maybe he's just a huge fan of Squid Games. You know, red light green light." James made a mental note to look it up later. It didn't seem the time to be cracking stupid jokes when Ellis was talking about what could be the rest of his life. "You're starting to sound like Oliver." Okay, maybe there was room for one more quip before getting serious. He couldn't hand on heart say he related to anything Ellis was saying. James had never felt that way about anybody, and though they were civil to one another, James and Cat definitely weren't on the same page about much of anything. James sighed, hating what he was about to say, but knowing it was probably the right thing to. "If that's how you feel, you should go for it. I can't say I'm not bummed, though, dude. It's like the end of an era. For us."

At the mention of Edward, James clapped his hand to his chest. "You wound me. Guess you'll be showing up to the reunion as Edward's plus one." His brows raised, a flash of disappointment crossed his face. "Ellis, does Cat have friends?" he prodded a little deeper. Ellis was someone who could make friends with anybody, and it was slightly baffling that he was choosing to marry someone the complete opposite of that.

[ellisxhall]

"I don't think he's young enough to appreciate it, he probably doesn't even know what Netflix is or how to use it. We could do a better job as politicians, and we both know how the world isn't ready to handle our greatness. They need us but don't deserve us, and that's why we stick to our day jobs." That was a thought Ellis liked to keep. The reality was a little more different; him teaming up with James to take on any political role would likely cause in an entire collapse of the system. Still, a guy could dream. He was quickly brought back to reality by being compared to Oliver. His expression was similar to that of if James had pulled a giant fish out of his coat pocket and smacked him across the face with it. It was something close to dissociated shock, like he wasn't sure what to think of his own emotions. "Love him, but yeah, I'm scaring myself there too." There was a tenseness in his chest, but it deflated the moment James started talking. "Yeah?" He wasn't sure what had him getting so sugary sweet with him that day, but Ellis found himself wrapping an arm around James's shoulder and patting it a few times to at least try and keep things manly. "Listen, it's not the end of anything. Not for a looong time. You're still gonna be stuck with me, cause if she, by some miracle, says yes, I can't see us getting married any time soon. Even if we do and end up getting a house or whatever, I'm gonna make sure there's a special James reserved area in it. Like, I don't know how to say this smartly, but my love for her doesn't take away from my love for you, you know?"

Ellis shook his head a bit, finding it hard to imagine that Edward would have any trouble finding a potential plus one. "Does he not have a girlfriend? Too much of a weirdo?" It was his next question that caught Ellis off guard. He'd had an answer for literally every other hard thing James threw at him, but this one had the neurons in his brain running on a race track in search of something to grab on to. "She...um..." He was starring directly at James's face for a good few seconds, wanting to bring up a million instances where other people had been brought around, but it was always his people. There'd be an odd mention of coworkers or actors or industry people, but no invites or visits from anyone within her circle. "Fuck. I actually...don't know. I mean, I'm sure she does, I've just...never seen them?"

[jamesxgarrett]

"I'm going to be very real with you, Ellis. I have no idea who you're talking about. My interest in politics doesn't really go beyond watching TikToks of old Donnie saying Puerto Rico," he accompanied the words with a startlingly accurate impersonation of Trump, complete with hand gestures. He was back to his old self when Ellis threw a compliment his way, though, running a hand over his jaw in a faux display of modesty. "You're gonna make me blush if you keep it up." He blew Ellis a kiss, but when he revealed his plans, it suddenly didn't feel like time to joke around anymore. "Wait, are you serious? Like... actually proposing, proposing? Marriage?" He wanted to be happy for Ellis, but the concept of marriage was so unwelcome in James' world he was sure he couldn't hide the slightly terrified expression on his face, even if it wasn't his own they were talking about. "Uh. How much have you thought about it?" He asked. If it was just a passing fancy, then he wouldn't have anything to worry about.

"Now you're getting it." James chortled, shaking his head at the notion. "And I mean this in the least gay way possible. There's a higher chance that Cat won't be standing beside you at the altar than me. You really think I'd let you go off and get married without moi?" A sudden thought crossed his mind, and a grin spread across his face. "Groomsman means bridesmaids, right? Hot bridesmaids? If you can hook me up with a hot bridesmaid, maybe this wedding stuff isn't such a bad idea after all."

[ellisxhall]

"It's not worth knowing, there's just some really old guy who keeps literally freezing up mid press conference. It's like he's seeing his sleep paralysis demon in the room or something, I don't know. It'd be like if your grandpa decided to give a speech and then just starred into space. Solid impression though, man, gonna need you to send me those TikTok's." Ellis rolled his eyes with the air kiss but pretended to catch it in a knee jerk reaction. That was shoved to the side once the serious questions started coming, though. "Yeah, actually. I think it's one of the only things I've ever been serious about. I'm starting to feel like Oliver." He sighed, a strange sense of nervousness washing over him. Considering he was his best friend, James's opinion meant more to him than almost anyone else. "A lot. Like...there's no one else, dude. No one comes close. If she decided to dump me today, I wouldn't even want to find a hot rebound girl because it wouldn't be Cat."

"Well, I did consider asking Edward if he wanted to be my groomsman, but I thought you'd be easier on the eyes," he joked. He starred back at James in confusion for a moment, what he was getting to and the realization of it washing over him moments later. "I can try, except...I'm not actually sure who she'd have as her bridesmaids," Ellis suddenly said once it dawned upon him. "Like, I have you and Oliver and my brothers, but Cat? I don't know who she'd ask. Not her sister, she'd probably have her in a full nelson before the ceremony started...but uh, yeah, if any hotties are there, we'll 100% make sure you walk down the aisle with them and shit."

[xcatalinaxsilvax]

There was no part of Cat that could say their relationship had been easy. At least, their start hadn't been the smoothest of rides. Their early days had been pockmarked by so many problems that it was a miracle that they had managed to work through them, but against all odds, they had. If she thought about it, their whole thing was defying probability. At first glance, they probably didn't make a whole lot of sense to outsiders as a pair, but somehow, they'd made it work. Somehow, they'd got here.

"Why did you kneel in a puddle?" she asked, tearing her eyes away from the ring on her finger and glancing down and confirming that he had in fact done just that, judging by the wet stain on his knee. "The whole sidewalk and you choose to propose in a puddle?" She was teasing more than anything. Without those little things, it wouldn't be Ellis. "If you want to talk about stupid, I think I have you beat, though. I thought you were about to break up with me. You scared the shit out of me." It seemed funny now, thinking that five minutes ago she had been bracing herself for the worst and not even considering the best possible scenario until it happened. "I'm glad you asked. Even if I can't believe it."

As he moved in, her arms went around him, pulling him closer to her. "We're actually getting married." It still hadn't quite sunk in, but maybe if she said it enough times, it would start to. Cat tilted her chin up to meet him halfway, kissing him back. She couldn't remember a time where life had felt so magical. "I love you," she said again, mumbling the words against his lips.

[ellisxhall]

"Well I couldn't really move without ruining the surprise or looking like a doofus, so I just accepted that the puddle needed to be part of it," he chuckled. It truly wouldn't have been a real Ellis plan without some boneheaded thing happening to him. "It's like a proper New York christening, you know?" His smile dropped slightly, eyes wide when she shared that she assumed this whole thing was leading up to her being dumped. "What? Babe," he sympathetically chuckled, peppering her cheek with kisses before pulling her into a tight hug. Although it was sort of funny and explained a lot, all he wanted to do was show that that couldn't be farther from what he wanted with her. "You were not even close with that guess. M'sorry, though. I was so nervous, and didn't want to be too obvious or anything. It was kind of a big deal. In case you haven't noticed, I have the tendency to fuck up important things. I was making sure that didn't happen this time around."

He wasn't sure that the goofy grin on his face had budged since she'd said yes. It remained glued there with each comment. "Now you're really stuck with me." As much as he knew she wasn't the biggest fan of PDA, this wasn't them full on groping each other on the street. It was a very different situation. With that in mind, he felt it was fine to keep the kiss going, his hand moving away from her chin so he could cup the side of her face. He smiled against her lips, her 'I love you's' sending a little electric zing to his heart. "Ditto," he laughed before returning his lips to hers once more. He only stopped once it felt necessary to catch his breath. "So, uh, did you actually want to get pizza, or do you want to keep making out? I'm very happy with either."

[jamesxgarrett]

“Yeah, she doesn’t quite have that cold, dead look in her eyes either.” He wasn’t quite sure how he got to this place with her. It wasn’t like he had been intentionally leading her on. When he realised she was feeling him a lot more than he was feeling her, he had racked his brains anything he had said to encourage her. He hadn’t come to any sort of conclusion, and so rationalised that she was simply delusional. “Honestly, it’s days like this I wish I was less good looking and charismatic. My life would be so much easier.” He kicked his feet up on the coffee table, letting out a deep sigh as he drank. The beer helped. “We should go out this weekend. I think I deserve it, getting over a breakup and all. Unless you have plans with Cat, which would suck for me, but I get it. How’s that going, by the way?” 

“Nah, Edward’s the weird loser who wishes he were me.” There had always been a rivalry between the two of them for as long as James could remember. In a weird way, he enjoyed competing with him, but most of the time, it was a giant pain in the ass to come into contact with his cousin. “We’re written in the stars, dude. A bromance for the ages.” 

[ellisxhall]

"Very true, there's something in the water with those far right people. Like, what's up with the old guy who keeps freezing up mid speech or whatever? Why wouldn't you just retire and throw back margarita's at that age? So weird." He was swerving off topic, but hearing James wish for his attractiveness to be boiled down had his attention caught right back. "I mean this in the least gay way possible, but I'm not sure that's gonna happen any time soon. You're even hot without the beard, man, and not every dude can pull that off. It's a blessing and a curse." Ellis's grip tightened around the bottle slightly before he made himself relax. He knew what his next steps with Cat would hopefully be, but James's opinion on it also mattered. They were probably the two people who meant the most to him in the entire universe, minus Oliver and Shrek. "Dude, not should, we will. She'll probably be thrilled to have a girls night to herself. But, uh, yeah, it's good...funny enough, I'm, um, actually thinking about proposing to her."

Ellis snorted, suddenly wishing he'd been a fly on the wall for any Garret get-together's he'd missed in the past. "Oh, right, him. Once you said weird loser, that totally gave me a clear picture in my mind. Like, if you said weird singer, we all know that's Graeyson, but weird loser? So Edward." Ellis grinned down towards his lap like a goof, not sure why he was so touched by an idiotic Shakespeare analogy, especially considering him and James wouldn't be able to decode any part of Romeo and Juliet, even with combined brain cells. "Speaking of bromance, let's say that, hypothetically, I do ask Cat to marry me and, by some weird coincidence, she says yes...I'm gonna be a groom, and, uh, tradition and all that shit says I need to have groomsmen, right? Would you maybe want to be one of mine? Hypothetically, of course."

[xcatalinaxsilvax]

Even if Cat had noticed the sneak attack in the form of a Shrek quote, she wouldn’t have commented on it. Not here, not now. She didn’t, though, and while that was probably for the best, it was likely nothing could ruin this moment besides a monumental, but not entirely out of character fuck-up from Ellis. “Oh my God,” she repeated, her eyes flicking between his and the box in his hand. 

For most of her life, Cat hadn’t seen herself as somebody who could be loved. She had kept so many people at arm’s length, because she was afraid to let them any closer. Against all sense of logic, though, Ellis had found his way through. She had spent every day with him glad that he did, but nevermore so than right now. She had never imagined what it would be like to be loved so much until he had shown her, and she had definitely never pictured a proposal. She couldn’t have known how stupidly, deliriously happy it would make her. 

She listened quietly as he spoke, wanting to remember every word he said so she could replay this over and over. That might have been a little weird, but nothing about their relationship had ever been quite normal. It had been a long, and at times painful, road to get here, but it had been more than worth it to get to where they were now. She’d do it all again, though hopefully she wouldn’t have to. The more he spoke, the bigger her smile grew. It didn’t entirely make sense, but her eyes started to well up, too. Cat had never really understood what it meant to happy-cry, but as the tears started rolling down her cheeks, it suddenly made sense to her. 

The box opened, and if Cat thought she couldn’t be happier, she was wrong. The rock glittering up at her under the Christmas lights was the cherry on top. It was beautiful, almost exactly what she would have picked for herself. She almost wanted to snatch it off him to get it on her finger as quickly as possible, but restrained herself from doing so. 

“I love you,” she said, speaking only when he had finished and asked the big question. “You know I love you. Or at least, I hope you know. And I know that being with me can’t be the easiest thing in the world. But there’s nobody who understands me like you do. That means something to me. There’s nobody else I would even want to love me but you.” She didn’t know if she was making sense. Like Ellis, she was saying the first thing that came to her mind. Belatedly, she realised she hadn’t given him his answer. 

“Yes. Yes. I will.” 

[ellisxhall]

There'd been a handful of times that Ellis had had to witness Cat crying, except now, this was a time where it made his heart feel like it was about to burst from his chest rather than fall limp at his feet. It was certainly not the reaction he expected from her. He wasn't about to question it or complain or anything, though. He was certainly not about to complain with what followed from her side, too.

He found himself nodding along when she spoke, especially when she expressed hoping that she hoped he knew how she felt. That was the beautiful thing; at that point, he did know. It didn't mean that life together was going to be perfect 24/7, but the way they felt and where they were at that point in their relationship was enough to get through the rocky times. The heart-bursting feeling shifted into something else. He wasn't sure how to describe it, other than warmth similar to taking a strong alcohol shot. It was enough that he could feel himself starting to get misty-eyed.

"Finally," he chuckled, somehow managing to retrieve the ring with a jittery hand and slide it along her finger. The empty box was shoved back into his pocket before getting up to his feet. "You almost had me getting all emotional there," he pointed out in an attempt to distract from the fact that he was just as close to crying as her. "I'm really glad you said yes, though. This'd be an awkward walk home if you didn't, plus I'd feel even more stupid for kneeling in a puddle the whole time." Jokes aside, he took a step closer. One hand was used to tilt her chin up slightly as he used his other hand to catch any missed tears with his thumb. "God, look at you," he grinned. He wanted to remember her like this, glossy eyes and Christmas coloured lights reflecting in them, for the rest of his life. "You're just...you're everything, Cat. I can't fucking wait to marry you." He'd been holding back long enough, so he leaned in and kissed her like he'd wanted to do all night.

[xcatalinaxsilvax]

Cat had gotten better over the years at not assuming the worst, but she was to her core a pessimist. As much as she was trying to take him at face value, it was difficult. The weird vibe seemed to lift a bit, but when she was already thinking the worst, it felt a little like a rejection to be turned down. Jaw set, she nodded her head. She was suddenly very aware of the way her arms were just dangling there, so she shoved her hands in her pockets. 

Her mind was running a mil a minute, overanalysing his every word. The fact he was thinking about leftovers would be a positive sign, but then again, he could just as easily be talking about sharing with his roommate rather than Cat herself. “I haven’t had pizza in forever,” she mused, trying desperately to cling to something normal and push away whatever tension was setting in. “So that’s fine. We’re a bit spoiled for choice when it comes to restaurants, though.” As he knelt, she couldn’t help but glance up at the lights around them. It was a beautiful sight, so for a moment, it was easy to forget what was going on and simply enjoy them. She zoned out for a minute, but when she came back to earth, Ellis was still on the ground. “Jesus, Ellis, did nobody teach you how to tie your shoes? You have to make bunny ears-” 

Her sentence cut off when she finally looked at him. Suddenly, everything clicked into place. The weirdness that had been radiating from him, why he had been on his knee for so long. For a moment, Cat could do nothing but stare at him. Her heart was pounding so loudly that she could physically hear it. “Oh my God,” she finally managed to choke out. “I - is this really happening?”

[ellisxhall]

He wasn't sure how long he'd been on the ground for. It was almost long enough that the jitters got to him, but then Cat's bunny ears comment had him glancing up with a smirk and he waited while she processed what was going on. "Really really," he said with a goofy smile, feeling like he was safe to toss in a Shrek quote without getting pummeled for it in that moment. "I normally don't need help with my shoes, but, uh," he nodded towards his grip on the box, "this hand is kinda busy, so you see my dilemma."

He knew the time for joking was temporarily over, a more serious expression washing across his face. "I wanted to have some super heartfelt thing all prepared and memorized to say to you during this, but I suck at that, and I don't want how I feel to seem forced or fake or whatever, so if this turns into a stupid ramble, just...shut me up, okay?" With a tiny nod and a deep breath, he said what'd been on his mind for the entire walk there.

"Cat, you're one of the most unreal people I've ever met. You've been there for me in so many of my best and worst moments. I don't really remember what my life was like before you took this huge part in it, and honestly, I don't want to know any life without you in it with me. I've made so many stupid mistakes, and there are so many do-overs I wish I had, but never with choosing you. You're not one of those mistakes. You're probably the best choice I've made in my whole life. I'm not an expert on love by any means, but what I do know is that I love you, Cat. I've said it a million times before because I talk way too much, but I need you to know that I mean it with every single part of me. I love you like I love silly collectible trinkets and glow sticks and vintage bed sheets because like those dumb examples, you make me happy. More importantly, though, I love you because there's no one else in the world who sees me and accepts me for all that I am the way you do, and I can never thank you enough for that."

At that point, he had to pause as his throat threatened to close up on him with emotion. He took a second to shake it off before continuing.

"So, uh, I realized that if I feel this way, you should know it, and not just today." With a slightly shaky hand, he opened the box to finally reveal the ring. "Catalina Lucia Silva, I think it'd be really awesome to do old people shit together, and all the other amazing and messy life things before that stage, too, so...would you marry me so we can get a head start on all that?"

[jamesxgarrett]

“Buckaroo?” James repeated with a snicker. It never failed to amuse James, the things that came out of Ellis’ mouth. A lot of his expressions were things James had never heard another person say out loud, at least, a person under the age of 45, but somehow, it was never that weird when Ellis said it. James put it down to natural charisma - there was no way anybody else could come out with the crap Ellis did without looking stupid. Maybe that was why they got along so well, both having a knack for coming out with the dumbest things, but it never really feeling that way when the other was around. 

“Probably. Something like that.” In all honesty, James had already forgotten what her dad did for a living beyond ‘politics’. That world didn’t really interest him at all, and he had even less of an interest in it now he wasn’t banging the president’s daughter or whatever June is. “Maybe she’s a Trump. That would explain the temper tantrum.” It was then that James realised he hadn’t even bothered to retain her last name, and he winced a little. Then he realised his beer was empty, and his temporary stab of guilt was soon replaced with the urge to walk to the kitchen and grab another, which is exactly what he did. “I think at this point, just assume you’re coming to the reunions, dude. You’re basically one of us now, anyway,” he pointed out. “Plus you can be my cheerleader when I take down Edward. Trust me, he’s the worst.” 

[ellisxhall]

"Eh, I don't think she's blonde enough to be a Trump," Ellis mused. His knowledge of that family was limited to the fact that they all looked robotic and had matching bleached hair, and he knew even less about June. "Plus I think the tantrum was more over...well, her thinking you were in a committed relationship and you not seeing it that way and neither of you talking about that beforehand. That's what it seemed like, anyways, I dunno," Ellis shrugged, filling the need to talk with another swig of his drink as James went to grab his second. He was no love guru, but something he'd learned from his years with Cat was the importance of communication. It was something that sometimes had to be learned the hard way and seemingly caused James and June's demise, although it probably would've been something else blowing up between them if not that. "It sucks, but like you said, had to be done. She wasn't your type, anyways."

Once the conversation slipped to reunions, Ellis perked up a bit. "Yeah?" he asked, somehow feeling like that made him special. It shouldn't have been a surprise, but he loved the idea of being an honorary Garrett. "Edward's the scary, muscly one, right?" he asked. "I lose track sometimes, although weirdly enough, if I don't know them, Glen usually does. Our families can't escape each other, dude. It's like we're Romeo and Juliet, but in a good way."

[xcatalinaxsilvax]

It had taken her a long time to get there, but Cat had gotten used to Ellis’ energy. He always projected a slight air of chaos, but the vibe he was giving her now wasn’t that. There was something almost twitchy about the way he was acting now, and that was enough to set her on edge. That didn’t help things, only serving to make her hyper-aware of each micro expression on his face. She couldn’t quite put her finger on what was wrong, only that something was. “Well, since I don’t see any angry hockey players hanging around, do you want to hang on to me? My balance is pretty good. Years of high heels will do that to you.” 

She’d been trying to ignore the unsettling tension, but his denial that he was behaving out of the ordinary seemed to flip a switch in her brain. No matter what he said, she could tell things weren’t normal, and his refusal to tell her what wasn’t a good sign. He’s breaking up with you, the nasty voice at the back of her head, the one that sounded way too much like her mother, piped up. She’d gotten better over the years at ignoring that voice, but she couldn’t stop herself believing it this time. It all made sense - their first breakup had gone so catastrophically, he must have thought bringing her out in public to do it would lessen the pushback. Cat glanced away, towards the lights he was pointing out. They were gorgeous, but she couldn’t bring herself to enjoy them. “Lovely,” she responded, her tone flat. It was taking all her self control not to hyperventilate right now, but somehow, she was managing to keep it together. “Sure.” At least if she had takeout, she could drown her sorrows in carbs later. “Did you want to get pizza or spaghetti?” 

[ellisxhall]

"You're very sweet, but I'll spare you this time. I already have the image in my mind of the both of us toppling over. I'd rather just take the causality and keep you safe," he replied with a small smirk. On any other day, he would've taken up any offer to touch her, but he knew he was already struggling to walk, let alone think straight. There was no way gripping on to her would end in anything but disaster, so he'd save that for after the got the deed done.

If he wasn't nervous before, Cat's tone made his anxiety levels spike up even more. He wasn't deaf, so he immediately noticed how her voice sounded and confirmed with a quick glance towards her face that, yep, the expression she wore wasn't a happy one. Fuck. Maybe he should've started acting like this weeks ago so that she didn't suspect anything abnormal. It was too late at that point, though. He didn't know what she was thinking but didn't need to be a genius to know it wasn't good thoughts. With a sigh, he tried to channel some inner Meryl Streep so things didn't get blown to shit before he could even fully execute his plan. He tried to appear deep in thought, filling the silence with some hmm-ing and hah-ing until they were close enough so that a canopy of lights appeared overhead. "I'm feeling pizza, it's always better leftovers wise. Not hating on my girl, spaghetti, it's just not the same. It loses some of its pizzazz when it's in a take-out container and not a giant restaurant bowl. Ooh, one sec, gotta get my shoelace," he nodded towards his boot. It wasn't actually even close to being undone, but he tried to play it off as if that were the case. There was no other reason for him to be down on a knee.

He thought the plan would be fool proof, but he'd forgotten that fool was a trait he'd inherited long ago. He let out a weird hiss of a breath once his bended leg conveniently landed in a shallow puddle. It was too late for him to move at that point without looking even weirder, so he embraced the soggy surprise and fiddled with his lace for a good minute or so. "Alright, looks good...but uh, while I'm down here, might as well get this, too," he said, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible while digging into his pocket, fetching the small, turquoise box and holding it out in his hand, waiting for Cat to notice.

[jamesxgarrett]

“You wouldn’t” James made a show of faux outrage, but he was mostly glad that things were back to normal. Ellis’ concern made him feel a little bit uneasy, especially when he wasn’t thinking too deeply into the situation before it had emerged. He didn’t like being on the receiving end of that type of attention, which was odd, given that he usually loved any sort of focus on him. Maybe it was just that he was completely to blame for what had happened, and didn’t really deserve any pity for it. 

“Yeah, can’t say I expected all that to come out of her at once.” He chuckled, trying to make light of the situation. “Maybe she wasn’t as nice as I thought she was. Might have kept her around longer if she’d shown me that side before.” Was it a bit cruel? Probably, but it was true. “I think Josie’s more into black magic, not sure if she can pull off a protection spell or anything like that. Nope, if I’m cursed, that’s it for me.” He pondered over his weirder family members, giving a thoughtful nod. “Honestly, yeah. It would probably be for the best if the Garrett line ended with me, but my family can’t seem to stop firing them out.”

[ellisxhall]

"Run that mouth again and I just might, buckaroo," he attempted to say seriously, but any moments of seriousness never lasted long between them. He wasn't sure if the years were making him soft or what, but Ellis couldn't help it when it came to James. There was a deep rooted sense of protectiveness over the Garrett's that'd forever be ingrained in him after all the years spent together. Although it started with Oliver, with James as his roommate and best friend, it was even more present. Chalk it up to Italian mob mentality or whatever, but any type of insult thrown at them felt like one thrown his way, too.

His lips pursed as he considered what he could recall of June's personality other than niceness, which was, honestly, not a lot. She'd been around, but it wasn't enough for him to break down any significant walls into knowing her. If that was as much as he could dig up, he was certain that James was in a similar boat. "Wasn't her dad a mayor or some shit like that? Politicians are weird and lie all the time, maybe it gets passed on to the kids, too. I guess we all have Hulk sides when we're angry, though." A brief expression of 'what the fuck' passed over his face once black magic was mentioned, but he didn't want to push it. Instead, he thought of the expansive list of odd Garrett members that he'd met, along with ones he'd only heard of in stories. "You need to invite me to a family reunion, dude, I want to see you duke it out with your weird cousins. It'd be better than Pay-Per-View wrestling...not that I watch that, but I'd pay to watch you headlock someone."