CLOSURE.

don't treat me like some situation that needs to be handled, i'm fine with my spite, and my tears, and my beers and my candles. i can feel you smoothing me over. yes i got your letter, yes i'm doing better, it cut deep to know ya right to the bone. yes i got your letter, yes i'm doing better, i know that it's over. i don't need your CLOSURE. 1x1 account for deanna.

[orumad]

location: the villa / baby challenge time: morning for: @gallagherisms

"i almost kinda wish they gave us, like... real babies," angel posits, leaning heavily over the crib to look close at the fake little baby deemed his and callie's child. "i dunno, man, dolls just creep me out." it'll definitely take some getting used to. plus all the incessant crying. sun-browned body clad in just some swim trunks, his hair in a bun, and a half eaten mini muffin in his hand, he's not exactly the picture of prepared fatherhood. angel gasps suddenly. "oh my god --," then a grinning glance back to callie, "he's got your eyes, babe."

[gallagherisms]

" AND LET SOME OF THESE PEOPLE HERE have to take care of a real baby ? the dolls are probably for the best, " she shakes her head, arms stretched against the crib as she peers down at the thing. it's not that callie doesn't like kids, but growing up, her and dylan had always been the only children in the family. she can't remember the last time she's held a baby, if ever. jokes about jude and josh being in charge of children inside, she's certainly glad it's not a real kid. at least if she drops the doll, it won't die on her. letting out a short laugh, she knocks into him playfully. " what should we call him ? "

[gallagherisms]

orumad​:

despite the fact that there have been plenty of producer-admonished whispers between the islanders that family day was fast approaching, and even with the steady flow of vin diesel impressions angel’s been entertaining (bothering?) the group with in preparation, he still manages to afford the cameras an admittedly genuine look of surprise when the first family members stroll through the villa doors. hands are clamped on jude’s shoulders ‘til he’s pulled away by what he imagines is one of the guy’s sisters and it’s pure shock that keeps angel from instinctively following along. as giddy as he is to meet the people who begot his best friend, his attention is stolen by callie’s gleeful shout toward her own loved ones.

oh shit. oh shit oh shit oh shit. he’s good with parents, really, just by virtue of the fact that angel keeps generally unproblematic, but, to his anxiety’s credit, there’s nothing general about being on a national reality tv show. in fact, he can be assured that callie’s granny is privy to every specific, cringey detail of angel’s stay at the villa, from vaguely flirting with evie to literally piping her granddaughter. he doesn’t even want to contemplate her father watching the show. instead he lets his gaze pull like a wave toward a couple of familiar faces that trail in after callie’s family.

grinning uncontrollable, he slaps his dad’s hand before being brought into a bear hug, only barely bearish considering angel’s got a couple inches on his old man. he’s a little caught off guard that they didn’t bring in his mother, but is definitely unsurprised that his sister is also standing in the villa. he hooks a coltish arm around her neck and jerks her into a hug which she scoffs against, squeezing his middle before jabbing him in the ribs. it’s a bit difficult to handle the verbal ping-pong at first, his father rattling off business updates while juno simultaneously presses him about callie. “no, yeah, it’s… i dunno, it’s been really good. like, almost no drama. between her and me at least.” a sheepish smile accompanies the qualification. 

juno reaches out to smack his arm, looking sidelong at their father. “i told you, he asked her to be off-ish. they’re going steady now.” there’s a bit of accusation in her tone, the way siblings do when they know they’re saying something that’ll get their brother in trouble. his father laughs, sighs in the way old men do when they think they know better.

“little soon, buddy,” mitch lightly advises his son to which he huffs.

that’s when callie calls and angel gestures with acknowledgement to her. “just wait ‘til you meet her, dude.” he makes sure to smack juno back before leading his family over to callie’s. “hey,” he greets, throat clearing. he offers a hand out to her dad. “man, it’s really great to finally meet you guys. like, callie talks about you all the time. i’m angel.”

IT’S STRANGE GETTING TO MEET ANGEL’S FAMILY FOR THE FIRST TIME, but not for the reasons callie would think. the hardest part is probably how she hadn’t been able to see pictures of them before this, stuck in the love island bubble, thus leaving her mind to fill in the blanks of what they look like. angel’s dad is taller than she expected ;   juno and him don’t look as alike as in her head. but she likes them instantly, as if she knows them already, because part of her feels like she does. any nerves she feels are only from anticipation, smile wide and eyes bright as they come over.   

“ all the time, huh ? ”   of course her dad would get a kick out of that, smile smug in callie’s direction before giving angel’s hand a shake. it’s not lost on her that it’s the first time her dad’s met someone she’s dated before  ( in person ) ,  but if he recognizes it, he doesn’t show it.   “ it’s nice to meet you too. i’ve seen a lot about you, ”   he smirks, eyebrows arched playfully as he lets angel fill in the blanks of what exactly he’s seen. god only knows for as much as he has seen, there’s hours more of footage that hasn’t been aired. but then he just chuckles, because what else can you do when your only two children are airing their new relationships and dirty laundry out on global television ? 

admittedly it’s juno that callie’s most excited to meet, but it only seems police to greet angel’s father first, offering her hand.   “ it’s so nice to meet you, mr. reid. ”   it feels weird to call him mr. reid, never one for formalities, but what else is she supposed to call a near stranger ?   “ and you too, ”   she adds, eyes flickering over to juno.   “ i actually have, like, a hundred questions to ask you, and most of them are about embarrassing stories of your brother. ”   he’s had access to her own brother for far too long—it’s time she gets some ammo.

the producers usher them to take a seat, callie and angel in the middle of the fire pit, with their family right beside them. they take turns introducing their family -- “ this is my dad, carson, and my nan, eleanor ” -- all while she watches her grandma try and fail not to make eye contact with the cameras only six feet away from them. just this moment alone makes it easily the best day of being here, lips curling to keep her grin in check.   “ this is so weird, ”   she admits with an exhaled laugh, shaking her head.   “ i’m so glad you all got to come here. ”   only now does it feel like the beginning of the end of their time in the villa.

[drugstoreglitter]

location :   uncle joe’s crab shack, fort lauderdale, florida.

featuring :    FRANKALLIE !!!!! but it’s an au in which they’ve never met

for :    @gallagherisms​

       it’s a red-hot florida summer, tide low, coast sandy, and the temperature’s already pushing ninety. saturday was meant to be her day of rest and relaxation in a rare week off from the yachting season, but so far all she seems to do is pick up the slack left by her brothers. she should be out in the van, tearing down the highway with dolly blaring from her tinny speaker, flowers in her hair and incense hanging from the mirror. she could even be tanning on an aft deck off the adriatic coast right now, a shammy in her hand and the sun on her back, had she booked on for another week of work rather than taking a so-called ‘holiday’. instead, she’s trapped inside uncle joe’s crab shack covering for leo while he plays hooky to nail some chick from arizona, because technically she owes him one, and when a castro makes a promise they take that shit to their grave. but fuck if she doesn’t wish she were someone else right now. take that cute curly-haired chick with the killer smile, for example — probably a holiday maker, sat with a bunch of other fresh faces, laughing at kai who runs the whiskey cove paddle board tours — looks like she’s having the time of her life, a stress-free existence, where all she probably has to worry about is what colour bikini to wear and whether or not she’s gonna let kai get the home run tonight. why do girls like that always end up with douchebags like kai. it’s fucking unfair. still, frankie’s trying to be a force of positivity, live laugh love in the moment and remind herself of everything there is to be grateful for, but it’s hard when it’s hot enough that it feels like sweat drips from the ceiling like stalactites, and her supposed ‘break’ has been pushed back so many times that she’ll likely have to go without. whatever. four’s only like, an hour away. she can manage ‘til then.

      can you check on table fifteen, it’s the big one with the out-of-townies, kelly’s asking her, loading frankie with another two plates before she can leave the kitchen, wince bitten in by her teeth. feels like being a stewardess all over again, but there’s a reason she’d made the switch to deck crew. she’s not good at saving face and sucking back how she really feels when faced with opposition. she can’t just lie back and think of england, never had a mother who stuck around long enough to teach her the secret handshake that held the code to being a girl.  “can’t you just get bodhi to do it ?  i’m already covering, like, five tables, and those guys look super picky. ”  kai’s always asking for like, the weirdest thing on the menu, and then adding on a load of vegan, gluten-free, soy-free extras, as if he wants you to fuck up his order so he can write you a bad review on tripadvisor. the only thing worse than working when you’re supposed to be on holiday is serving people your age who are actually out having fun.  “ fine, whatever. i can get their drinks orders. but then i gotta take my fifteen minutes. let me just run these lobsters over to table twelve. ”  

      somewhere in the short commute, the instructions get lost in translation, frankie instead standing before the HBO remake of forgetting sarah marshall at table fifteen, all of them fresh from the surf and smelling of saltwater.  “ two surf ‘n’ turfs ? ”  frankie asks, ignored at first, then clears her throat, asks for the second time, cutting through the conversation a little more coarsely.   “ anybody order these surf ‘n’ turfs ? ”  these plates are fucking hot. her eyes are kinda pleading with the curly girl on the end, and it’s only when she feels a tap against her back and a child’s voice that says, uh, i think those are ours...  that frankie realises her mistake.  “ balls. ”  embarrassed, she whips around on her heel with such a voracity that there’s no time to slow her roll, and there’s a body where an empty space is meant to be, an edgar wright smash cut to something wholly unexpected, like that scene where regina gets totalled by a bus. she smacks straight into bodhi, now outfitted in the contents of his two seafood platters, her own spread of steak and lobster flying into the customer behind her’s lap, too startled to even hear the gasps of the hawaii five-o extras or the kid that’s covered in chowder. prawns hanging from her uniform, frankie turns back to the to the customer ; a lobster now sits like a cat in her lap and beef dripping clings to her shirt.  “ holy fuck… i am so sorry. like, you have no idea. ”  kelly’s gonna put her fucking head on a roasted halloumi and vegetable skewer. cautiously, frankie plucks the lobster from her lap. in her head, he grows an animated mouth, tells her cheer up, kid, it might never happen. well it fucking has happened. the most ridiculing moment of her life, thus far. “ please don’t tell my boss, i’m not even meant to be working today, i’m just covering for my stupid… jesus, why am i saying this ? you don’t care about my idiot brother. ”  foot in mouth disease. sighing, frankie drops down, and begins plucking the fragments of plate from the floor where the sad steak sits in a pool of it’s own trimmings.  “ um, i can like… cover your meal ? ”  she says, her eyes scanning back up to the surfer chick covered in surf ‘n’ turf, the full florida experience.  “ or your drinks, if you’re just drinking. ” though it’ll probably cost her the entire day’s pay check with the shit they’ve been drinking. it’s like margaritaville on crack.  “ look… can you just… tell me how i can make this up to you ?  because if i don’t then i’m not gonna sleep tonight. i’ll just keep seeing your face and bolting upright in bed like that rigged little dummy kid in monsters university, y’know. ”

[gallagherisms]

CALLIE’S BEEN IN FLORIDA FOR LESS THAN A MONTH and it already feels more like home than san diego had. not in the emotional sense, because san diego will always be her home away from home, dreaming about the waves of la jolla beach. san diego had reminded her a lot of home, but if it’s the good parts of sydney, then fort lauderdale is the worst parts. she hadn’t missed the wet humidity that clings to everything, making it unbearable to be outside the water for long stretches of time. the city of sydney is certainly larger and more beautiful than both, but with all the cruise ships that go in and out of florida’s harbor, it feels just as touristy as home. except this time, she’s the tourist in the foreign city.

it had been her roommate’s idea to take a break from san diego, when their landlord raised the rent unbearably high. they had always talked about doing a tour of america’s best beaches, following the surf, and gas money seemed cheaper than the california rent. for two weeks they've been exploring the florida coast and its sandy beaches, from the panhandle all the way to the gold coast. when they reached fort lauderdale, they realized if they didn’t make some money soon, they’d be screwed. 

and then they had met kai, a fellow surfer who runs his own paddle tour company, and the rest had been almost too easy. amanda had taken a job doing the tours, but never much of a fan of paddle boats, callie was able to find a gig as an instructor at a surf shack neighboring kai’s. the apartment they found had been pretty easy too, living month-to-month in a tiny thing not painfully far from the water. it was kind of amazing, how cheap everything was in florida compared to california. which is why callie didn’t even bat an eye when amanda and her new coworkers invited her out for dinner and drinks at a nearby crab shack, curious to see how the seafood lived up to home’s. 

what she hadn’t expected was to get to second base with a lobster, as the pretty waitress she’s been eyeing all day accidentally flings somebody’s surf n’ turf into her lap. it’s not the dead crustacean in her lap that gets her to react, but the hot piece of steak that bounces off her chest onto the ground, leaving beef juices that make her gasp in surprise of the burn. callie’s never felt so many eyes on her at once, mouths agape as if she’s surrounded by people trying to recreate the scream painting. her own mind stalls for a few seconds, until kickstarting back up when the blonde grabs the lobster from her lap and starts stuttering out apologies. callie’s brown eyes glance up to watch the girl, but instead she ends up making eye contact with the lobster, who she realizes is the first thing to try to get into her pants since getting to florida. and with that thought, the spell is broken; callie can’t hold back a fit of laughter that comes at the entire thing, shaking her head to try to stop the waitress from apologizing again and again.   “ no worries, ”   she assures her,   “ she’ll be right, mate. ”   feeling warm from the juice all over her chest, callie peels off her shirt in one fluid motion, grateful for the blue bikini top she has on under it. her shirt is probably ruined, but seeing as it’s a t-shirt she must’ve gotten when she was eighteen, it probably outrun its course. 

when she finally meets the eye of the waitress again, callie can tell she’s still sweating it.   “ if you want to cover my meal, i won’t be mad, ”   she admits, not because she thinks the girl or this restaurant owes it to her, but callie’s been trying to budget since getting here. a free dinner would go towards that budget pretty nicely—or rather, it means she could afford another drink.   “ but no sweat, really. it’s the most action i’ve gotten all week, ”   she adds, with a crooked smile. callie’s worked in customer service long enough to know that most people would take a lobster-to-the-lap and be a karen about it, but it’s not like it had been on purpose. 

[gallagherisms]

location :   roma-fiumicino airport​

featuring :   @reigncore​

“ YOU’RE REALLY HERE, ”   dante laughs as he pulls back from the hug him and charlene have been tangled in for a considerable amount of time, ignoring the crowded buzz of the airport around them. it’s been about a month since him and charlene had parted ways in the villa, most likely after dante had been kicked off through a couple vote while with eden  ( that’s my canon, at least ) .   charlene hadn’t lasted much longer, and while they’ve been talking since she got out and found a message from dante in her dms, actual plans to see each other had taken longer a little longer than he would’ve liked. but it felt like no time has passed now, when he pulls back to beam down at her, jiggling the sign that he had been holding up before with her name on it, so she can be reminded of it.   “ did i look like all the other drivers ? ”   he asks with a grin, because yeah, that had been the reason he’d done it. dante had seen it in a movie.   “ it’s so good to see you, bella. ”   eyes flicker to her lips only for a moment, a reminder how long it’s been since he’s kissed her, but the distance and time has created a weird barrier that dante doesn’t know actually exists, or only in his head. either way, this probably isn’t the place for it.   “ come, ”   his arm wraps loosely around her waist instead, guiding her outside, so they can find his car.   “ how was your flight ?   are you hungry ? ”

[gallagherisms]

location :   ​the villa / family day

featuring :   @orumad​

THEY ALL KNEW FAMILY DAY WAS COMING, purely from the layout of the show and producers asking a couple days ago which family members they’d want to see visit, but when the first pair of families walked in callie still felt her heart leap into her throat in anticipation. jenny and jude’s family were first to come in, and even if the two of them hadn’t immediately leaped out of their seats at the sight of the four strangers, callie would’ve known who they were immediately :   jenny and her mom looked like they could possibly be sisters, and one word out of jude’s family and there was no mistaking that accent. it was disappointing that none of them got to meet the families other than waving hi from a distance, otherwise callie would’ve loved to hear what jenny’s mom had to say about anything at all. but they were in and out in about twenty minutes, and once they were gone, two familiar figures took their place. 

it was her dad she noticed first, the tall bloke he was, but halfway through her sprint over to them she noticed her grandma beside him, which caused her vision to blur from a few stray tears.   “ i can’t believe you’re here ! ”   she squeals as she wraps her grandmother in a hug, the much more surprising member of her family to be here. callie had told the producers when they asked that her father would definitely come, but her grandparents probably wouldn’t want to make the travel, with callie’s nan still not fully recovered from her fall, and her grandfather likely not wanting to leave her side. she had expected to see one of her friends with her dad, but this had been the best surprise. it’s not until she’s hugging her dad that she finally looks over to sneak a peak of angel with his own family, hugging his mom or sister or whoever came. the temptation to cut in and introduce herself is real, but the producers have already instructed them that they have to split up and talk to their families separately first.

and callie has no issue doing that ;   holding onto her nan’s hands the entire time around the firepit, it’s easy to get lost in precious time with her family. her dad cracks jokes about watching both his kids make out with many, many people, and her nan tells her how proud she is of staying true to herself. of course callie asks about her grandpa and elvis, and her grandmother telling her a story about how elvis has gotten a little too comfortable in their giant backyard and has been burying household items makes her start to tear up again. but most of the conversation is about angel, either from producer prompting or her grandma’s genuine curiosity. it’s weird talking about a relationship for the first time with her family, knowing they’ve basically seen it all, but their approval of immediately and, frankly, unsurprising. when the producers give her the okay to finally bring him in, callie cups her hand around her mouth and calls over to him and his family,   “ do you guys want to come chat over here ? ”

[gallagherisms]

@olivexwrites​

IT’S A THURSDAY AFTERNOON, and romi’s tattoo parlor is busy. damnit. maybe this is why naomi had kept trying to tell him to give her a text before showing up at her place of work, expecting to have a catch-up session. but in josh’s defense, since getting out of the show romi hadn’t really reached out to him much. it’s not like they hadn’t been talking, or she was ghosting him ;   but maybe it’s the way they left things, but whenever she responded... it didn’t seem like she really cared that much about what he had to say. he’s fizzled out enough relationships in his life to know how that would go, and josh didn’t want to see that happen. him and naomi were already in los angeles for an event, so choosing to stop at her work place, unprompted and without warning, just seemed like the best way to go about this. of course, he hadn’t anticipated that she would be so busy—though in hindsight, probably he should’ve. 

at least the guy behind the counter clearly recognizes him immediately, but whether it’s one of romi’s brothers or just an employee is hard to tell. josh flashes him a smile anyway.   “ hey, ”   he says, hand resting on the counter,   “ i’m, uh, looking for romi ? ”

[gallagherisms]

dailygodmod​:

usually, nico would hover over the pan, sample the sauce and criticize everything and anything – it was constructive. it always is! but today, he walks straight past the counter, grabs two wine glasses and fills them up with one of their good wines which are saved for special occasions. he looks up at her to see if she notices as he pours the wine. “ i have some excellent news, ” he starts, because he really can’t wait to tell her! he places a glass of wine besides her then moves to lean against the side of their fridge. nico is still amazed how they can fit everything into something so small. but they managed, and recently, that often felt more important than anything. “ i spoke with giuseppe. about many things. that man does not know how to run a business. but anyway. more importantly, he agreed to showcase your art. an exhibition of sorts. all for you. isn’t that wonderful? ” he says with a proud smile.

NICO IMMEDIATELY GOING FOR THE WINE is either a very good or very bad sign, but the uncharacteristic smile on his face easily appeases her nerves, putting down what she’s doing so she can curiously take the wine glass from him. excellent news could mean anything, and for a second her stomach fills with dread at the thought of it having something to do with their parents’ sentence. or the family business. or—god help her—gallagher. but what comes out of his mouth instead is the last thing she’s expecting, brown eyes blinking in surprise as it takes a beat for her to fully process it.   “ what ?   are you serious ? ”   picking up the wine glass had been a dumb idea, because she doesn’t want to drink from it ;   instead cecilia puts it back down on the counter and throws her arms around her brother, a surprised little laugh escaping her. it takes a minute for the smile to finally reach her lips, as if her body’s not used to having something to celebrate, but the way she squeezes nico makes it clear she’s pleased.   “ all for me, is it really ? ”   she has so many questions. when cecilia finally releases him, her fingers smooth over her hair, eyes lit up with the thought of what she’ll want to do.   “ when will this be ?   how much time do i have to prepare ? ”   already she’s creating a mental list of paintings she’s going to want to finish, her artwork having unfortunately taken a backseat to having a full-time job lately. 

[sweetfridays]

♡ madison bailey for outer banks season 4 ( netflix )

[specerhastings]

WOLFGANG NOVOGRATZ feel  the  beat  (2020)

[gallagherisms]

hqgalpal​:

She just gives him a pointed look. Calling Michael a nerd for that would mean that he’s calling Harper a nerd– which would be true. Because she is a nerd and she takes pride in being one. C’mon harp, Harper hates how hearing the nickname actually works on her. Caden is trying and wants her happy, and if he thinks this party will help… then she’ll follow him. Even if in the end Caden leaves with a random sorority then so be it, she’ll just hit up Luce or VG to pick her up, or get an uber. Whichever comes first. Harper rolls her eyes, though she’s smiling now. She’s going to try, partly for herself and partly for Caden. “Is the fashion disaster trying to give me fashion tips? Yikes.” Though, she doesn’t want him to know that her wearing a skirt would be a good idea, though, she won’t do anything too short. For her own safety and comfortability for the night. 

“ FASHION DISASTER ?   look at me, ”   he waves down at the clothes he’s wearing, which are definitely just jeans and a shirt, absolutely nothing to be proud of.   “ when you look like i do, you can make anything look good. ”   modesty has never been his strong suit, flashing her a grin. but, because he’s not a liar, he adds,   “ you must know what i mean. ”   since she looks hot in most things, too.   “ oh, what about that one dress you wore the first week of school ?   the short, tight one ?   go for that. ”

[gallagherisms]

dailygodmod​:

“ oh shit, for real? see, this is what happens when you don’t have your friends on find my friends. ” you never know where any of them are! “ i’ve got a work thing here and actually i’m catching up with– ” he stops himself, pressing his lips together momentarily. “ wiiiiiith noah. but hey, it’s good to see you as well, dude! what’re you doing now? you got time for a drink? ”

CADEN WON’T POINT OUT THE DANGERS OF SPIES ON FIND MY FRIENDS, but it’s safe to assume that scott no longer works in the spy field, even if he didn’t already know it.   “ noah, huh ? ”   he laughs a little, though he’s generally surprised to hear they still keep in touch. maybe he shouldn’t be, knowing noah.   “ yeah, i’m not doing anything. just got out of work. i wanna hear all about what you’re doing, ”   he gives him a broish pat on the shoulder blade, then starts leading him towards a bar he knows.   “ so do you and noah talk often ? ”   he can’t resist asking, wondering just how much he knows.

[gallagherisms]

hqgalpal​:

“That’s good.” He misses Noah, though, he knows better than to reach out to her. “You’ll live,” Carmichael says and it’s true. Caden will be fine. Carmichael is a changed person, even if it’s hard to believe. He bites down on his bottom lip to keep himself from laughing because ha, yeah right! “I know a snake when I see one” then how come Caden wasn’t able to spot any of the double agents last year? “Well, it might be hard for you to believe but I’m really trying to do better. And I will do better, so get used to my presence until you graduate.” 

“ YEAH ? ”   CADEN GOADS, refusing to believe it.   “ what happened this summer that made you change your mind ?   did you find jesus ?   or is this some holes shit, where it’s either stay here or go to jail for your crimes ? ”   caden isn’t even sure how much crime carmichael had committed or not, but he does know that carmichael is the one that leaked the video of him and the others killing cecil. maybe some of his verbal blows hit a little closer to home than he’d care to admit. 

[gallagherisms]

reigncore​:

that stiffness in their body language is hard to ignore but he appreciates her effort to alleviate it with her smile, enough for him to offer one in return.  a curious eyebrow perks up at her confession that she has never left the country. “why? never had the chance?” bane honey, your privilege is showing. “no passport… okay. then we should get you one.” he’s quick to rationalize. “puerto rico doesn’t require a passport. we can go there in the meantime.” his tone is authoritative, a clear indicator that he is used to taking the lead. “does that uh, sound good to you?” he asks after a beat, hoping to hear her input. they are official partners now after all. on paper at least. “me neither.” he says, a little too thrilled to have something in common. “my parents are though. they send me a new bottle every other week. they would probably disown me if they find out i haven’t opened even half of the bottles they’ve sent me.” in his defense, it’s a lot and he’s not much of a drinker in the first place. his parents’ devotion to good wine does come in handy though because even if she says she’s not picky, bane can’t help but want to go all out. so he grabs the most luxurious bottle he can find ( the one that his parents swear is worth every penny ) and fills two glasses before making his way over to her. he offers one for her to take, his gaze landing on the picture that she is gesturing to. “shaanxi, china.” once his hand is freed up, he reaches out to grab the picture and angle it towards her so she can get a better view. “you see the stone wall? when we discovered this we thought it was supposed to be a section of the great wall of china. turned out to be a city buried underground. the infrastructure suggests that it’s at least four thousand year old. when i was there i–” normally this is the part when bane goes on for hours about the topic of his adventures but the last thing he wants to do it talk emilia’s ear off about things of his past. especially when he still has so much to learn about her. “sorry. i’m not trying to bore you with a history lesson.” he chuckles. 

BANE ASKING WHY SHE’S NEVER LEFT THE COUNTRY somehow tells her more about him than any knickknack in this fancy home of his could share. emilia glances back at his shelves for a couple seconds, turning her head away from him so he couldn’t see the face she knows she’s probably making at that question. subtly has never been her strong suit, but she’s going to have to get better at it eventually.   “ basically, yeah, ”   she tells him, not really looking to get into it. emilia’s a little surprised at how quickly he jumps to fix the problem, glancing back at him curiously. with money like this, there’s probably not many problems he can’t solve. but the offer of puerto rico may as well be the other side of the planet, and the small smile that graces her lips is genuine.   “ that sounds great, ”   she says, sincerely. his parents sound like snobs, and emilia hopes that meeting them isn’t something she’ll have to do for a while. she’d be happy to leave family out of it altogether, at least while she gets her bearings. but the wine is delicious, eyebrows raised after she takes a sip.   “ shit, that’s good, ”   emilia exhales. god only knows how much it costs. she’s perfectly content sipping her fancy wine and listening to her fancy husband tell her stories about his fancy life. he might call it a history lesson, but to her it may as well be storytime for a life so completely different than her own, away from new mexico deserts and useless mothers and never-ending bills due. besides, it’s easier to know how to deal with men when they’re the ones doing all the talking.   “ no, that sounds interesting, ”   she tells him, sincerely. but if he doesn’t want to get into it, she’ll point at another picture.   “ and this one ? ”

[gallagherisms]

reigncore​:​

the entire experience still feel a little surreal to him but what else did he expect? it’s not every day that a man leaves his home a total bachelor and then returns later that evening with a wife. bane doesn’t know what’s more depressing — that he was stupid enough to put an ad on craigslist in search of a wife or the fact that it actually worked. it doesn’t feel real but it is, because she’s currently in the living room , familiarizing herself with his - er, their space while he digs through his wine cupboard  “so… emilia.” it’s a pretty name, one that still tastes foreign in his mouth despite him having said it evert chance he got during the evening.  ( again, what did he expect ? ). “do you have a place in mind for our honeymoon or should i surprise you?” does she even like surprises? obviously he wouldn’t know ! “also, do you prefer white or red?”

GRACIA IS TOTALLY GOING TO KILL HER. there’s about a thousand different ways this could go wrong—starting with getting axe murdered, and ending with somehow losing what little money she has—but it was chance that had emilia respond to the craigslist ad in the first place, and it’s chance that keeps her here tonight. the chance that this man has some real money to this name, namely—and as emilia walks around his living room closely, as if all his books and knick knacks are museum artifacts, she thinks she’s actually made the right choice. who owns this many old books if you don’t have money to your name ?   granted, he could’ve just inherited them, but the thought of books being passed down from generation to generation is almost as depressing as marrying a stranger itself. she looks up when he enters the room, offering a small smile that hopefully screams sweet and gentle instead of on her guard.   “ honeymoon ? ”   oh, god. she hadn’t even thought about that. the question makes her blink in surprise for a moment. emilia doesn’t really want him to pick, but how much is he willing to go with this ?   “ i’ve never been out of the country, ”   she admits, a little sheepishly.   “ i don’t know... somewhere tropical ?   but i don’t have a passport. ”   that’s not a dealbreaker, is it ?   the offer of wine actually makes her smile, genuinely.   “ i’m not picky with my wine. ”   she has a feeling whatever he has will be good regardless.   “ where’s this from ? ”   she asks, pointing to a picture of him in some foreign place, seated on the mantle. 

[gallagherisms]

wcnderlxnd​:

“Emilia! That is so rude.” Her brows furrow before she holds the puppy close to her. She doesn’t care that he stinks. It’s not his fault he’s a stray. She and Emilia will give him the loving home he deserves. “Don’t listen to the mean lady,” she tells him, giving Emilia a look that’s supposed to be scary and threatening, but it just looks funny coming from Gracia, who has the softest expression on her features on a daily basis. “No. He’ll always be our Ollie, no nicknames unless it’s something cute, of course.” She nods. “Yes, please. I can feed him some chicken now and try to bathe him while you go and eat some dog food.” Her brows furrow in concentration. “We need to get him everything, too. I can take him to the vet tomorrow for a check up and see what vaccines he needs.”

“ DUDE, DON’T HOLD HIM SO CLOSE TO YOU. he could have worms or fleas right now. maybe we should take him to the vet before we bathe him ?   you used to hook up with that vet, right ?   think he can get us a deal ? ”   what’s the point of having exes on good terms if you can’t get free stuff out of them ?   emilia wouldn’t know, seeing as she doesn’t have any of those.   “ alright, whatever you say. ”   emilia makes a show of meeting ollie’s eye from over gracia’s shoulder and mouthing garbage.   “ yeah, i can do that. i’m sure there’s a bunch of other stuff he’ll need, i can run out and grab it. ”   it’s exciting as much as it is terrifying, because only now emilia’s beginning to wonder what the cost will be. 

[gallagherisms]

wcnderlxnd​:

“That’s exactly what I think. A redhead has you wrapped around her little finger.” He lets out a chuckle at his words, shaking his head. “Nah, you couldn’t flirt with me because you know you’re no good, my man.” He reciprocates the grin. His new favorite way to annoy his best friend is to mock his flirting skills. “The next girl who gives you a shred of attention, go.” He doesn’t think Caden’s actually going to do it, because well, he has a girlfriend (his longest relationship, too, he’s still surprised), but it’s a funny conversation either way. “Well, my dad’s a piece of shit, too” he states, tilting his drink towards him with a chuckle before he downs the remains of it, scrunching his nose at how horrible it tastes, but hey, it’s doing his job. He’s not here for good drinks, he’s here to get absolutely trashed. “I see them every now and then, not as much as we’d like, but better than nothing. We’re all crazy busy.” 

CADEN WANTS TO ARGUE, but noah’s in the room and might overhear. that sentence alone just proves levi is right, but still—   “ hey, she’s wrapped around my finger as well. this is an equal balance relationship. ”   that’s what he thinks, at least.   “ i could flirt with whoever i wanted to. i just don’t really want to, usually. i’ll save that for your single ass. ”   he used to think he’d miss the single life, especially on nights like these, with his best friend and a night full of possibilities. but he’s excited to crawl into bed with noah after all the commotion is over tonight, and if that makes him whipped then so be it.   “ oh please, ”   he laughs,   “ i’ll show you good. you know what, you’re on. ”   eyes are already sweeping around the room to see if he can catch any eyes, though it’s mostly for show. he’s more interested in hearing from his best friend, who he hasn’t seen in an annoyingly long time  ( thanks, gallagher ) .   “ crazy busy i can believe. how’s leah, is she here tonight ?   she’ll give me attention. ” 

[gallagherisms]

olivexwrites​:

“Well, I guess a picture would do as well.” Though that’s very much less romantic of a way to remember him, she knows that she shouldn’t be thinking about him that way in the first place. Attempting to remember what they had been like together at Gallagher, let alone what they had talked about, seemed nearly impossible. It wasn’t so much the memories that she held onto of him that told her she’d been fond of Tommy but rather the way that he made her feel now. The way that he was making her feel now. Like, they were always meant to be sitting here together in London of all places. As if the two of them were going to head back to his apartment afterward it was a routine they’d always had together. Maybe it was the fact that Stella and she had somewhat lost touch now that made her feel free to think these things. Maybe it was still just as messed up to see him with such eyes but she couldn’t help it. There was a tenderness she felt towards Tommy that perhaps would always be there. “The dessert was good. All the food at Gallagher was just too good for being school food.” Naturally, it wasn’t a normal school and there was a certain quality that had to be upheld in everything related to it but she was allowed to speak about it as a normal college because it was him. 

Now that all of the thoughts have started, she can’t stop them from continuing to come. From thinking about how close the two of them had sat together in the tower, laughing and drinking wine as if they’d known each other forever and not only passively. About asking for his number right away just so she could get him food or whatever at the Halloween party. It’d be a lie to say she never wondered where any of their endeavors could have led but both of her educations had always weighed heavier on her mind. She put her ideas of anyone else onto a backburners, started forgetting people she’d once been incredibly close to, practically what became of Gallagher seemed more story than memory to Maire. “A special tower just for us sounds like something Shrek would definitely be offering Fiona to woo her.” A laugh spills from her lips at this, she knows now how silly it sounds even if when she was younger it seemed partially serious. Maire had always been one to commit to the bit. “I mean, if you find one, I’m there.” But she’d be there wherever he wanted her to be. At least while she was here, it wouldn’t be an opportunity that she would find herself wasting. Not again. 

“This might be a little bold…” The words might seem sudden but it’s an idea that has been floating in her mind since the moment the two of them saw each other. There was work to be done on her end, she’s sure on his as well but right now it felt as if they might as well have all the time in the world to do as they pleased. Maire had always loved doing as she pleased and right now isn’t that much different. “I’ve got several bottles of wine back at my hotel room. Do you want to ditch this place and come over instead?” For the sake of privacy to talk about whatever they pleased which couldn’t exactly be disclosed in a public place but also for the idea that maybe they would sit close together on her couch. Maybe Tommy had also thought about her now and then during the past couple of years and perhaps the excitement of being in a different place together with no one else tying them to each other would feel different. A bit more exciting, a bit less forbidden. 

“ A PICTURE WOULDN’T BE THE SAME, ”   he points out, shaking his head. maybe it would be what she’s looking for, but tommy likes to think that portraits are made with heart, a peek into what the person making it sees in you. maybe not necessarily what’s there. tommy remembers maire’s portrait of him having a lightness to it that he doesn’t think translates the same in photos. he’s a lot of things, and has been a lot of things over the year, but soft has never felt like one of them. much less during gallagher, during probably his hardest year of uni. he wonders how maire views him now, if she can see the difference in him from then to now—a difference that goes past physical appearance. fingers running through his hair, he’s suddenly a little more self-conscious than normal of the small grey hairs that highlight his curls. there’s not many, enough to count on two hands, but being with someone who hasn’t seen him since a time when he never worried about getting older makes them feel more prominent than ever. seeing maire makes him feel aged, but it’s not necessarily a bad thing.

because he likes sitting across from her, reminiscing about a part of his life where he had thought everything was so do or die. a time where he could have a conversation about shrek with a pretty girl and he’d actually find himself wanting to see her again, instead of thinking she’s mental. then again, maire has always been a little mental. in a good way.   “ it was, ”   he nods.   “ i remember enjoying all the holiday feasts. ”   it almost made up for not being home for the holidays every year. sometimes tommy thought he was better off at gallagher for them. there’s something about being with maire now that reminds him of the feeling of those celebrations, like they were at gallagher but it didn’t actually count. it felt too nice to be real.   “ you’re ridiculous, ”   he chuckles when she brings up fiona and shrek, head shaking. he’s never going to be able to look at that stupid ogre the same way. it’s not even a movie he would’ve watched if not for maire.   “ if you can carve out any more time for me before you go, i’ll see what i can do, ”   he tells her, a little slyly. a little sheepishly. they clearly weren’t close enough to keep in touch over the years, so are they close enough to see each other twice in two weeks ?   he’s not exactly sure.

tommy finds his interest tugging at the way she starts her proposition, leaning in a bit, wine glass still in hand.   “ right now ? ”   the offer to go back to her place makes his stomach feel unsettled, the few sips of wine suddenly feeling a lot stronger than it actually is. they had only just opened the bottle of wine, not even halfway through, the steaks probably cooking right now. but when he looks back at maire... he’s surprised at how badly he wants to go right now, the tug of something both familiar and new stronger than his desire to not let the wine go to waste. she can see it in his eyes that he wants to say yes, a small smile stretching onto his lips before even responding.   “ do you want to get the dinner to go, or just... go ? ”   he asks after a moment, with a little bit of a laugh, as if he can’t believe they’re actually considering this. tommy does for another sip of wine, eyes not leaving hers.