𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝐢𝐧 arrogance. ambition. artifice, the boy who built himself into a god and then demanded worship, all sharp suits, sharper words; a smile that cuts deeper than any blade, calls it confidence. they call it cruelty, but you don’t make history by being kind.
open to and and all plots / connections. shipping is based on chemistry only.
an equally biting and teasing comment was on the tip of her tongue, ready to fire right back at him for all of his talk of "cants" and decisions - until she found herself laid right back against the cushions of the couch.
despite any kind of stubbornness that was outwardly portrayed, the challenge she loved to give him, it was nearly a checkmate when he got her into a position like this. for as much as she liked to talk her shit, he knew deep down that she loved to give him control even more.
words were beginning to get harder to form, knowing the need for more was only increasing as the moments went on. it didn't help that she could now both see and feel the effects of her work on him, too - and the ragged breath that followed from his hand back on her throat wasn't from pain, it was from a near indication that he had won.
yet, with the last bits of her sanity, forgone with any words she could possibly say in that moment, she wrapped a long leg around his waist and leaned herself up to hungrily capture his lips. there was no delicate way she went about this, just pure unadulterated want with the way that her tongue worked to slip into his mouth.
and despite his best efforts to subdue any further teasing on her part, the leg around his waist only served as an anchor point for her to press further against him, too.
"...fuckin' want you to rail me against this couch, baby. want it so fucking bad." she managed to gasp out as she broke away only for her air, her teeth tugging at his bottom lip.
as good as this moment was, it felt as though it was rehearsed. everything fell into place exactly as expected, leaving no room for surprises. then again, surprises were vastly overrated anyway.
but this? the way that their lips — and, very quickly following, their tongues — moved against one another in sync … it was ravenous. it was filthy. it was sloppy. it was downright despicable. and yet, it was everything.
and the words that came from her, explicitly telling him what she wanted — the same words he asked for … only his actions could possibly define that. and there was no doubt that the way his hand moved down from around her throat to the waistband of her shorts — tugging them down ever so softly to let her know exactly what he had in mind next — did exactly that.
“that’s my good girl.” he praised. “… c'mere.”
he stole one more lingering kiss, smiling faintly against her lips before the rest of the room — and everything that followed — was left to the privacy of four walls. the evening carried on behind the closed living room door, their argument finally giving way to quiet laughter, whispered words, and a moment that belonged only to them.
for every line in the sand, every boundary, she would be right there to meet him there and further it, without question. they were equals in that way, spurred on by the reactions of the other, and it was evident the way that she continued to push him. to see what he would say or even better, do.
the pseudo-insult ... if you could even call it that, garnered nothing more than a chuckle. for as much as he was exerting near herculean strength not to, she could tell she was chipping away, bit by slow bit.
"as I've been told... by a proper dickhead, too." she was glad she was able to get that out, one last bit of her own defiance - because in what followed, thoughts became fuzzier.
once he got close enough to feel his breath on her, it was instinctual for her to lean in, to want more. and then she felt his hand.
he hadn't began to squeeze just yet - but from just the implication alone, a gasp fell from her lips and her back gave way to a gentle arch in his lap, only increasing the rhythm from where she sat.
"...you fucking won't." she grunted, a blatant challenge now while her smaller hand curled around his wrist. "because if you were...you would have taken what's yours by now." her words held as much conviction as she could muster, but the tone and the sentiment underneath was quickly becoming laced with need.
now, she would wait, holding still and not daring to move his hand away from her.
and this — whether he wanted to admit it or not — was undoubtedly his favorite part. the power struggle between the two of them. namely, violet’s pseudo-defiance. sure, she liked talking a big game, especially during moments like this, but max was also experienced enough to know that her tough talk was just that … hollow words and empty threats. but if she wanted him to humor her, then by all means …
“i can’t.” he repeated after her mockingly, the corner of his mouth tugging upward into something that wasn’t quite a smile. “that’s your mistake,” he said, his voice carrying the usual confidence she’d come to know and love. “you keep thinkin’ this is about whether i can. it’s about whether i decide to.”
and, pouring gasoline onto the fire, he easily flopped her over so that she was lying flat on her back on the couch, unable to carry on with her little teasing touches. however, he had no doubt that she was already well aware of the effect she had on him, having felt the unmistakable evidence of it beneath his sweatpants.
moving to hover over her, he squeezed his hand around her throat — just enough for her to feel it, yet still not hard enough to keep her from wanting more.
“use your words and tell me what you want, and i just might make your day.”
there was something to be said about their mutual degrees of stubbornness in times like these - to where it could be perceived like a physical game of chess, who could get who to break. she never minded playing the game and if any, it was one she relished in because she knew ultimately, it would benefit both of them in the end.
raising an eyebrow at his challenging words, she fully intended to up the ante, but with slow, subtle movements and a lingering eye contact that borderlined on both mischief and sickening innocence. so, when he also grabbed her hands to keep her from touching on the skin underneath her shirt, she gave him a soft pout. “no?” she asked sweetly, even if her next words and actions were anything but. “You know I don’t mind things being a bit harder.”
and if he wanted her to work for it, then work she would. “so, then … in that case, you wouldn’t mind if I did this?” she brought their joined hands up for her to kiss every single knuckle of his. it was affectionate, sure, but as soon as she got down to the last chuckle, she made sure he was watching every movement that followed. “…or this?” there wasn’t much of a barrier between the fleece shorts she was wearing and the sweatpants he donned, her hips able to create a bit of friction from where she sat in his lap. it was slow, purposeful, intent with coaxing a reaction within its fluid movement.
there it was again — that infuriating habit she had of turning every challenge back around on him, dressing it up behind wide eyes and a sweetness he knew better than to trust. it would’ve been easier if she had simply argued with him. easier if she’d pouted and given up. instead, she played the long game, patient enough to chip away at every inch of his resolve until there was hardly anything left to defend.
and god help both of them — it drove him absolutely crazy every time.
the kisses against his knuckles earned the faintest twitch at the corner of his mouth, subtle enough that she probably would’ve missed it if she hadn’t been paying as close attention to him as she was. he didn’t pull away. not then. not even when she looked up at him with that unmistakable glint that practically announced she wasn’t finished.
“you’re annoying, y’know that?” he muttered, though there wasn’t nearly enough bite behind it to make the insult believable. his fingers tightened instinctively around hers for the briefest moment before he caught himself.
even as she tested the boundaries she’d been handed, max held her gaze with the same quiet defiance she’d come to expect from him. a battle of patience more than anything else.
“thought i said you were gonna have to work for it.” his voice stayed level, almost lazy, despite the fact that she’d made concentrating considerably more difficult. still, rather than stopping her outright, he simply leaned in enough for his forehead to brush against hers, the ghost of a smirk finally giving him away.
“don’t start actin’ like you’ve won already.”
she likely didn’t need any further motivation, but on the off chance she did, max brought his hand up until it rested around her throat, yet he didn’t squeeze. the look on his face told her, not yet.
Dom nods understandingly, it was true - they did know one another. What was the point in pretending otherwise about it? "Yeah, that's totally true, we do know one another. No point in pretending otherwise. Hey man, valid. I do have a sick head of hair and this mustache does make me stick out like a sore thumb." He chuckles, looking over the menu, when the waiter comes back with their drinks - he begins to order. "I'm gonna do an order of mozzarella sticks and then also the chicken sandwich with some fries please." He gives the waiter a smile and waits for Max to order, once they were gone, the conversation seemed to continue.
"Kind of? I mean sometimes shit is annoying and exhausting, especially here at the airport but at the same time man, when I see a kid or something - I can't help but to feel obligated to say hi or take a photo with them. I know it's very annoying to a lot of people and rightfully so, I'd never pretend otherwise or tell someone how to feel about shit but I guess I have a soft spot for the kids in particular." He shrugs, looking down at his phone that had lit up with a text from Valentina's mother. He sighs and unlocks it, replying hastily. "This is the shit that's frustrating about delays, having my family acting like dicks about shit. Like they don't know how this shit works."
although max wasn’t quite as outwardly enthusiastic as the man seated across from him at the restaurant, he still let out a soft chuckle in response to dominik’s comment about his mustache setting him up. it wasn’t just funny because it was true, but also because that’s exactly what max was saying without explicitly saying it. still, he kept quiet for the most part, observing as the other man placed his order and, when it was his turn, wasting no time in following suit.
“yeah, i’ll have a cheeseburger and fries.” he added simply, giving dom a nonchalant shrug in response.
once the waiter was out of sight once again, max listened as dominik spoke with feigned interest. not necessarily because he was blatantly trying to be a dick or anything, but mostly because he’d heard the same answer, in so many different words, so many times before. the “i love my fans” and the “especially the kids” lines were definitely that stereotypical good-guy shit. that just wasn’t max, unfortunately. not that he was knocking the other man for it.
his attention was caught by what dominik said at the end, though. one eyebrow lifted toward the younger man.
“your family is giving you shit?” he repeated, looking for clarification. “you don’t mean your parents, right? i would think that rey mysterio knows about this shit a little too well.”
Violet, by no means, was under any kind of false pretenses about the unique dynamic she had with Max. While she would definitely say she was the more outwardly expressive of her feelings and emotions, it wasn’t to say that she expected or even wanted him to be similar.
They weren’t the couple who often did these absurd declarations of love or these grand romantic gestures, but she wouldn’t change it for anything - because in the moments that mattered? The quiet moments, the still moments, the moments that didn’t hold an ounce of pomp and circumstance? That’s what meant the most to her. The only thing she would ever be concerned with when it came to their relationship was making sure that he, and he alone, knew how much she truly loved him.
so when the teasing resumed and their moments of earnest were now well past, it was easy to fall into just them. from where she rested her head, she inhaled, seemingly to bring herself closer to him if at all possible. it was only with a slight hesitance of her own that she allowed him to pull away to look at her.
once his words hit her ears, it was her turn now to give a dramatic sigh and a roll of her eyes, like even just what he was suggesting was a clear affront to her sensibilities. “…if we must.”
moving her hands down from his neck, she trailed them slowly down his chest, to where she was looking to trace her fingertips under his hem, touching his skin underneath just teasingly. “and I suppose that means… we should probably get that all out of our system before then too, hm?”
the way that she sighed and rolled her eyes in response to what he said was exactly what he expected, and what he wanted. for all his complaints — and there were plenty of them — that she was annoying, or even sometimes overly dramatic, he had to admit — to himself, at least — that those were just two of the quirks that he loved so much about her. would he continue to complain about them? absolutely. but would he change violet so that she dropped those habits? not a chance.
she knew what she was doing. and not only that, but she did it well. every single time. he especially didn’t want to admit it, but he could tell that his facial expression — despite how subtle he managed to keep it — betrayed him. those light and simple touches she was giving him? they would’ve been more than enough to completely melt a normal man, but not max. he was determined to remain strong. to resist her temptation. at least for now.
“bold of you to assume that i got anything in my system to begin with.” he said, grinning as he looked at her. his words came out with all the misplaced confidence of someone determined to keep up the act, as if he wasn’t already leaning into every teasing touch she offered.
after a moment, he caught her wandering hand in his, only to lace their fingers together instead of pushing her away. “nice try,” he murmured, the corner of his mouth tugging higher. “you’re gonna have to work a lot harder than that if you’re tryna prove me wrong.”
for as much as she needed the affirmation herself for her own faults, she was always more than happy to give that same reassurance right back. especially when it came to how good max truly was, deep down.
this was where they were so painfully similar - the idea of the world deciding who you were and it was much less painful, a protection mechanism of sorts, to just lean into that than to try and convince people otherwise.
but as long as she had air in her lungs and he wanted her around, she would always be here to remind him of how she seen him - through all of the bullshit.
looking on at him, eyes continuing to watch, she grabbed at his chin a bit forcefully. "depends." she spoke lowly, as she fully dominated his attention. "...can you keep a secret?" a quick peck and a giggle filtered past her lips despite attempting to keep a serious expression, now bringing herself close to bury herself into his neck.
"but really, I just hope he knows how much good I see in him, how much I appreciate everything he does for me...and how much he fuckin' means to me. more than anything."
there she was, he thought with a grin on his face. she hadn’t been too upset for too long — not at all compared to how long she had been with him in the past — but every second felt like an hour had passed. so when she responded like that, playing right into his stupid jokes with equal playfulness… the relief he felt was palpable.
“he knows.” he responded simply, giving his head a firm nod. he wasn’t necessarily the kind of guy who liked to talk about his feelings, or write a love song, but he liked to think that violet had at least some kind of an idea as to what he felt about her. and not only when he showed her that physically, although that was still his favorite way of expressing himself.
especially when she did things like what she did to his neck. his teeth softly bit down into his bottom lip as he let her. but once she was settled down and quiet, resting in the crook of his neck, he couldn’t help but pull himself away just slightly — and with much reluctance.
“so do i need to warn you again that we’re still not playing the quiet game when our guest eventually gets here?”
the remorse that hit her once the realization did was practically instant. she had never thought about it that way and in fact, her own spiteful nature wouldn't allow her to. things before may have been presented to her like this in the past - but it had to be the person to deliver it, for it to really sink in.
it was the fact that max took the time to want to improve things for her and her family - when he didn't have to, at all. but then again, that was the reason ultimately, why she loved him as much as she did.
she kept herself silent as he offered his affirmation, knowing that her gratitude for it all would have to be shared differently than just a 'thank you' ... but as soon as his lips were on hers, all thoughts - good, bad or otherwise - were completely wiped away.
her hands trailed upwards from his chest to around his neck, nails gently scratching at his skin and her eyes still blissfully closed for a moment after he had pulled away.
she reopened her eyes only in response to his words, her body now finding its rhythm in practically melting against him, back slightly arched and her lips forming into a smirk of her own.
"mm ... and the best part of that, love? is that I always will be." she murmured, nudging her nose against before beginning to lay more kisses against his neck. "Because I happen to have ... the most amazing, thoughtful, considerate ... " with each descriptive, she laid another kiss, her hands holding his head softly in place while she lavished him with affection. "...incredible man. my man. my whole fuckin' heart."
and if he wouldn't accept a 'thank you', this would have to do.
if you would have given max a single dollar for every time someone attributed some kind of good character trait to him, then he simply would’ve been no richer than he was right now. and although he didn’t necessarily need any more of that financial boost, he absolutely needed that — craved that — assurance that he was morally good.
for the majority of his life — from childhood to the present — he was so used to being… fundamentally wrong. the villainous type, and that had absolutely nothing to do with his in-ring persona. he was arrogant, vain, selfish, to name only a few — in the eyes of so many people that he had no choice but to believe that maybe they were right. maybe he was all those things.
and it was so hard to accept, but he tried.
so when violet said things that contradicted all of that — told him the things that he secretly wanted to hear… it wasn’t that he didn’t want to hear them or believe them, he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. to understand why he deserved that.
despite the conflicted feelings that ran back and forth aimlessly through his mind, he still managed to grin at her as if nothing was going on inside of him.
“so what does that make me, exactly?” he raised his chin just a bit, quirking an eyebrow at her. “your side piece or some shit?”
If there was anything that Violet knew she had the utmost tendency to be, it was introspective. always thinking, always having thoughts about everything and anything. so, whenever max gave her the moment to just ... think during times like this without judgment, it was so very appreciated. coupled with the fact that his eyes on her the way they fell, never failed to make her cheeks slightly pink, in their own self-conscious kind of way.
and as she teased him - just a little bit - his reaction was exactly what she was shooting for, making her laugh out loud with the sound reverberating all around them. the sound of joy and admiration within the walls of their home only mirrored the look of adoration at him, once he gave his comedically dramatic groan. she was also sure that if it were possible to have hearts dancing around her head in that moment, they would have.
"considering I give you lots of other credit where it's deserved, mostly on a nightly basis..." her words held a certain air of suggestion to them, leaning forward ever so slightly to mumble those against his lips. "...I think you'll survive." she mused with a wink as she settled down from her laughter, her hands resting flat against his chest in the same kind of grounding motion that his arm around her waist provided.
once he also provided some insight as to what led up to their get together of before, she visibly softened at the thought, giving a small exhale through her nostrils. "ah..." she managed out, as his words of prior were really settling in. if her mum was willing to go through not only the effort to organize the party but to get max involved, a clear sign that she was invested in her daughter's life, it began to feel like violet HAD been a bit harsh.
"...you probably think that I'm such a rotten, spoiled brat now, don't you?" her words were half-joking, knowing that after all of the complaining and grievances she had just listed before him about her mother, it all seemed ... so small in the grand scheme of things now.
watching his words sink in and settle into her brain in real time was an experience. there were no other words to describe it, really. and of course, the grin that quickly spread across the side of his mouth perfectly reflected that too. she got it. she understood now. and if he thought that she was lukewarm to the idea before, now he knew that she was piping hot and completely sold.
“i don’t think any of those things, actually.” his reply came quick. perhaps too quickly not to be even a little bit suspicious. it probably sounded like he was just saying things for the sake of saying them. but that just wasn’t who max was. and the fact that his grin still hadn’t disappeared from his face said that he had more to say. and he was going to say it, but not before he leaned into her just enough to capture her lips with his own in an embrace that settled comfortably somewhere between a quick peck and a steamy, passionate kiss.
“i think you’re my rotten, spoiled brat. there’s a difference.”
eyes still on him, she could feel the slight flutters all the way down from her heart to her toes at the sight of his more broad, beaming smile. this was the stuff that made it worth it - every time something was hard, or challenging or scary … she’d go through it each and every time if it meant she could keep that smile on his face.
and there he went, right to work at her suggestion. with her own bright smile, she leaned herself up to press a big kiss onto his cheek while he searched up the options.
the question that followed did, however, still give her a bit of pause. yet, this wasn’t from a place of reservation like it was before, more so … letting the wheels turn on how she was going to do so.
while he continued to look up some places on his phone, she took the opportunity to readjust where she was sitting. from cuddled up to his side, she now maneuvered herself into his lap, fully facing him now.
pursing her lips together, she conceded to his point. “yeah, I think I will. she’s probably going to wonder if something happened, honestly…” a soft laugh followed, already imagining the conversation in her head. “… but just to be clear, is this you saying that I can take credit for this incredibly brilliant idea?” her lips formed into a smirk, one that read like she had gotten away with one of the most devious crimes.
as focused as he was on the information he was currently scrolling through on his phone, max couldn’t help but feel a shift. not only the physical one that came when she readjusted her position and moved so that she was now sitting in his lap, but also the metaphorical kind. the one that you couldn’t quite see, but still felt strongly enough. and as his free arm instinctively moved around her back, he couldn’t help but raise his gaze toward her.
and given the overall grim mood that existed earlier, it was fair to say that this shift between them was nothing if not a good one. a warmly welcomed one.
as she considered his words, his phone quickly went ignored as he watched her think — probably one of his favorite things to do. but then again, what didn’t he like watching her do? he even thoroughly enjoyed those habits of hers that he complained about or called ‘annoying.’
he was all but ready to respond playfully that technically something did happen — an absolute fuckin’ miracle — and to tell her that there was absolutely no need to rush into anything, that she could invite her mother whenever she felt like it. but as soon as he opened his mouth to do so, violet said her next words, and all that came from him was a loud, dramatic groan.
“baby …” the word was dramatically drawn out in a whine. “you’re not supposed to gloat like that unless you want me to change my mind. it was hard enough for me to let you do that.” and he was only half joking when he said that.
“but since we’re apparently in the habit of discrediting me …” his shrug gave the impression that he didn’t care too much about what he was going to say next, despite it being something that he had quietly considered for some time now. “you know that surprise get-together we had for you a few weeks back in florida? she was actually the one who contacted me with the idea, not the other way around. so i think it’s safe to say that you mean a lot to her, despite what you may think.”
as far as she was concerned, as long as she was right here by his side? she knew she would be safe. physically, emotionally ... and everything in between. for as exhausted as all of that sharing had made her, nothing else mattered once she felt his lips on her temple, all of her tension from prior now seemingly non-existent.
it was funny, too - because in that moment, she had completely forgotten about the promise she had made to thank him less, since the gratitude came as effortlessly as her exhales. in her mind, he deserved it, no matter if he thought it wasn't necessary.
looking up at him, eyes watching him with complete adoration, she nodded. he had convinced her. "yeah. we can do that. even if I'm not quite sure all of what we'd do. she doesn't exactly have the most exciting of hobbies..." the chuckle was a notable more light-hearted change from her refusal to even entertain the idea earlier. "...are there like, any botanical gardens or conservatories for plants around here? I think she'd rather like that."
with only a few words in the affirmative, his smile quickly broadened. a feat that spoke volumes about their dynamic — and not only because violet was the only one capable of bringing about such an expression from max, but because she was able to do so with seemingly so little effort. needless to say, he wasn’t complaining. if anything, he just hoped he could do the same for her.
as glad as he was to hear that she was more receptive to the idea of her mom visiting, he had to admit she had a point. admittedly, a very good one. what would they do? that gave him pause. not because there was a lack of ideas for things to do on long island, per se, but because it really boiled down to the fact that he didn’t exactly know this woman.
thankfully, he didn’t have to stay quiet or lost in thought for too long. it was violet’s suggestion that served as a breath of fresh air. he smiled once again as he quickly reached down into his pocket and pulled out his phone.
“that’s actually a great idea. i’m sure we got plenty of those around here. i’ll find something.” and once he unlocked his phone, he frantically began tapping away at the screen.
“in the meantime, i know you gave me an answer before, but here’s your chance to reconsider; do you wanna invite her, or do you think i should? personally, i think it would land a bit better if it was you. make it seem like this was your idea, you know?”
in this moment, there was a pull to retreat, to run away from how uncomfortable this vulnerability made her. but there was never any doubt in her mind that max would take care of her in times like this, he always did. she just felt raw, sensitive even … like the embodiment of a bundle of nerves that just been exposed.
she nodded. more so that he knew she had heard him and understood, even if she wasn’t even sure where to start. thankfully, though … it seemed like she didn’t have to tackle this alone, which she was grateful for. she didn’t need to have it figured out, she just needed to try.
the squeeze of her hand gestured her closer to him, returning her position to cuddle with him again and even as she readjusted, she kept their hands clasped to look down at their joined tattoos as well. a physical, tangible promise of their bond.
“…thank you.” she hummed, giving an exhale where she laid her head contently on his shoulder. “I mean it. I don’t think I would have considered doing something this without you, so … just know I appreciate you. I love you.”
he smiled. not so much in relief — although there was a large part of that — but more so as a display of his genuine gratitude for her trust. for her love. the two things that meant more to him than anything else in the world.
and along with that smile came him leaning forward to press his lips against her temple as she made herself comfortable, cuddling up to him once again.
“don’t thank me, violet. seriously, i mean that.” she probably — most likely — wouldn’t listen to him on that, but he still felt compelled to make his point clear: that he would do anything for her.
“so does this mean you’re open to her spending a few days over here? just say the word and we won’t invite her — we won’t even remember that this idea was brought up at all — if you’re not comfortable with it.”
the violet of before, the violet of as recently as a little over a year ago, wouldn't have been receptive to anything that max had just said. in a space and time where she hadn't done the work both internally and through therapy over the last 12+ months, she could see herself easily snapping at him, biting back at any perceived inkling that he didn't support her.
but from where she stood now and with as long as they had been together, she knew that wasn't the case, as much as her faulty brain wanted her to believe otherwise.
she didn't say anything after he finished and the pause that followed wasn't because she was offended or shocked by any means, but more so in her attempt to gather her thoughts in this way. to do an internal tug of war with how her brain wanted her to react in an impulsive shotgun manner, versus what she knew was actually true.
the thumb against her hand was grounding and as she spent her time mulling over thoughts, it just felt more and more tiring as the moments passed. like she was spinning her wheels in mud - an attempt to get out of this train of thought but an attempt that was still leading her stuck.
he was being reasonable, even mature about the situation - and there was a part of her that didn't disagree. but there was also another part of her that was fighting to hold onto these feelings, because it was all she had ever known for such a long time. default mode.
so, she led with the only thing she knew how to do: honesty.
"...I don't know where to put it." she whispered softly, sadly, with a frown that was no etching itself on her features. "the anger. the disappointment. even if I wanted to put it down, I don't know where." and even still, she didn't let go of his hand.
"and I'm sorry to hear that they put you through that, too. when all you wanted to do was chase a bloody dream." her gaze up to this point was still low, hovering over the union of their hands, until she finally mustered up some will to meet his eyes. "how did you ... do it? how did you forgive them?"
of all the reactions she could possibly have to what he said — both good and bad — the one that he actually ended up receiving was by far the one that he expected the least. so much that he, himself, didn’t exactly understand how to receive it. was she being sincere or was she being sarcastic in her insinuations that he had he shit with his own parents worked out? that he was, in this situation, someone she could look up to as an example?
the thought made him so sick that he immediately began shaking his head. “i’m still working on things with them, actually. i know i’m not the best son in the world despite whatever they may say, but … i’m trying. it’s work, i won’t bullshit you, but it’s worth it. like i said before, grudges are fuckin’ heavy to carry around for literally no reason. i’m probably literally the last person who should be giving you this kinda advice, i realize that, but ,,,” he gave his shoulders a bit of an unenthusiastic shrug before continuing. “i’m giving you the same shit i was told. and if it didn’t make sense to me, i wouldn’t offer to you, but here i am.”
he squeezed on her hand that he was holding, turning it over so that could smile down in admiration at the tattoo on her ring finger. a newfound habit of his ever since they both got their matching tattoos a few weeks ago. “i’m not sayin’ to do this shit overnight. just give it a try. and if you don’t like it? fuck it, abandon the idea. but i think you’ll feel much better for it.”
