BRING ME DOWN.

If you were human; if you were who I'd assumed you were, you wouldn't have done this. oh, no -- I thought I did something, but she would do anything to bring me down. (And she brought me down.)

[hcmesiick]

GRIFFIN. ( boarding school ! )

frozen: that was griffin in every moment he was around the blonde girl.  she was praised as a prefect while he was, well, he wasn’t sure about how he stood in this school.  he played for many of the teams at school but there was nothing he was passionate about, his eyes gazed at her from the small space in between the books in the library.  his lips curved into a smile as he watched the other for a moment before promptly putting the book back and shook his head for creeping on the other. he sighed and continue his search for the necessary book for his report, a pause. he doesn’t hear the other before he finally jumps in shock, bright eyes falling upon the blonde aforementioned. he opened his mouth, hoping something smooth and sly would come out but instead he was faced with “i-um-i-i-um…” full on gibberish. he chewed his lower lip in nervousness, playing with his sweater zipper before zipping it up to semi hide in it. a breath, “i- you surprised me.” he blinked as his eyes connected with hers. “hi.” //  @hcmesiick

SHE FINDS IT ODD that the moment she looks up because she feels like someone is watching her through the bookshelf, they quickly put the book back in its place. she pauses, blinking as she tries to register who it is, and a beat later her stomach flutters with excitement when she realizes it’s griffin archer on the other side of the bookshelf. for a moment, she panics as she tries to figure out what to do. surely it was just the timing, right? there’s no way he could’ve been intentionally looking at her. before she can second-guess herself, she reaches forward through the bookshelf to pull the book between them out, grinning playfully when she sees he’s still there on the other side, wide-eyed like a deer in headlights. as he stammers, she can’t help the giggle that escapes her. “hi,” she smiles warmly, holding the book to her chest as she walks to meet him on the other side of the bookshelf. “sorry if i... um... startled you,” she says sheepishly, holding out the book she had taken from the shelf. “were you going to take this?”

[hcmesiick]

ELODIE.

she stood towards the edge of the dance floor and watched her brother and blue (her other brother) dancing together. elodie grinned as she watched the two of them. they were so in love, and mostly in sync. she wanted that, because lately that wasn’t how she was feeling with bryce. she took a breath and walked towards the two of them, her DRESS billowed behind her. “may i cut in?” she asked, her voice just loud enough to be heard above the music. she gave blue a hug and a kiss to his cheek and gave him a thank you. // @hcmesiick

HE’S IN HIS OWN LITTLE WORLD when elodie’s approaching figure snaps him out of it, his posture straightening as a delighted smile appears on his features. ever since he sobered up, he and elodie’s relationship has gotten better and better -- they work on homework together, and they’re back to telling each other everything. ( well, almost everything -- there’s some things shea doesn’t want to know about elodie, and there’s a lot more that elodie doesn’t want to know about shea. ) “absolutely,” he chimes with a playful laugh, leaning down to murmur something in blue’s ear before he sends him off. surprisingly gracefully, he swoops in to sway elodie in a playful slow-dance, one hand on her lower back while the other holds her smaller one in his own. “how’s your prom night?” he asks, glancing over her shoulder to make sure nobody bumps into her from behind. “bryce treating you well?”

[hcmesiick]

LEVI. ( boarding school ! )

he stood just outside his door with several of his friends. they were definitely being too loud, one might even say he was doing it on purpose (he was). once the door across the hall two doors down opened he grinned. “go on, i got this,” he spoke softly to his friends. “what can i do for ya’ OFFICER?” he asked with a cheeky smile as he turned around to face mars. his shirt was untucked and he had a baseball cap resting on top of his head ––– BOTH of those were dress code violations and he knew it. // @hcmesiick

MARS KNEW from the moment he heard a rouse of boisterous laughter that levi evans was out there in the hallway, just taunting him to come out. he rolls his eyes, wondering why the hell this guy WANTS to get in trouble so badly -- mars has the power to send him to headmaster archer, why is he pushing his luck like this? he huffs, deciding he’s going to do just that if levi gets on his nerves this time. he steps out into the hallway, approaching the other with a raised brow and irritated eyes. “in case you forgot, since i’ve definitely already told you,” he begins, crossing his arms over his chest. “it’s quiet hours in the dorms at this time of day. also known as, if i have to come remind you that it’s quiet hours, you’re being too loud hours.” he glares, before giving the boy’s appearance a quick once-over. “also, fix your clothes. do you really want me to send you to the archers for a stupid hat?”

[capsgrantrogers]

tags by @captain-rogers-beard 

[kjapas-deactivated20250214]

Kj Apa photographed by Fossil, 2018.

[hcmesiick]

LEVI.

he adjusted his tie for what feels like the one hundredth time. it’s not perfect, and this has to be PERFECT for mars. he wants everything to be perfect for the two of them. this was their first big moment as a couple. could you blame him for wanting it to be perfect. as he continued to adjust his tie he could feel his hands shake.  and then there’s a car pulling up to the house and he knows immediately that it’s mars. his hands began to shake even more. he waited several moments before he made his way out of the room he shared with mateo. her nervously walked down the stairs, making sure to count every step as he did so. he could hear mars’s voice and his heart began to flutter. this was happening. “i uh ––– got it from here aj,” he called to his ‘older brother,’ “will you give us just a couple minutes and then we’ll be ready to go.” once aj walked away he approached mars and grinned. “hi,” he spoke softly.

MARS WATCHES INTENTLY as aj looks back and forth between levi and himself, flashing him a smile that he hopes looks at least a little bit trustworthy. his shoulders loosen a bit when the older male simply wanders into the kitchen with a knowing smile, a light blush rising to the surface of his cheeks as levi approaches him. with a soft sigh, he leans his shoulder against the doorframe, an awestruck look in his eyes as he gazes at the other boy. “hi,” he parrots with a light chuckle, one of his hands moving forward to carefully brush his fingertips against the other boy’s in a silent attempt to hold his hand. “you look ----- you look really good.” he grins, his voice slightly airy because he’s breathless -- as per usual, it seems. “i-i, um ---” his other hand comes up to reveal the two small boxes he’s holding, containing one boutonniere each ( a white rose for levi, and a red rose for himself ). “i got these. i didn’t know if --- if you wanted to match, so i went with something that would sorta... match both of our colour schemes, but also be sort of different, so it wasn’t too cheesy...”

[hcmesiick]

[hcmesiick]

MATEO.

    with everything the girl had been going through lately, this night was much deserved. even if it took her a while to get into it, he’d stay by her side and move at her pace because that’s what they did. the male checked his appearance in the reflection of the window a few times while he waited for her at the bottom of the stairs, because that’s what he was supposed to do right? he adjusted his bow tie, then touched up his hair — his nerves driving the actions really. it was only a few moments longer that he finally gave a shake of his head and moved up the stairs, they were far too close for him to pull the whole awestruck date at the bottom of the stairs. besides, when it came to annie, he didn’t have that kind of patience.   “   i still stand by that time i called you absolutely breathtaking. whether or not it’s as a gasp in horror is completely irrelevant,   ”   mateo teased from his place leaned up against the door frame to her room, then stepped inside with a smile and tinted red cheeks.   “   would you punch me if i said i’m gonna be the luckiest guy in the room? ‘cause i’m pretty sure i can take it now.   ”   he turned to her desk and set down his bag there, opening it up to reveal a change of clothing and an assortment of drinks. he waited a couple of beats before looking to her again, a soft expression shaping his features,   “   how are you feeling today?   ”   he asked, finally stepping in her direction, wanting to make sure she wasn’t having too much trouble with the issue that was her father.   / / @hcmesiick

THE WHOLE THING is starting to feel a bit too much -- the dress, the flowers, the hair, the makeup, all of it. this is the first time she’s doing it all by herself, too, which is probably a contributing factor to her hesitance, but the biggest part of it is the thoughts of her father lingering in the back of her mind. how could he do this to her? how could he do what he did knowing what it did to their family the first time? sitting on the floor in front of her mirror, she carefully combs through her hair for what feels like the hundredth time, putting bobby pins in and taking them out over and over again, putting on and removing different lip colors one after another. she doesn’t startle when mateo appears in the mirror behind her, a warm smile tugging at her lips, and she gazes at his reflection for a moment before turning her body to really look at him. “that’s a bold statement, coming from somebody who looks like a troll,” she retorts easily, but the way she absolutely ogles at him like he’s the light of her life ( which, he is ) says otherwise. his next comment makes her wordlessly roll her eyes and turn back to her mirror with a fond smile, pulling all of her hair over one shoulder and lightly touching her face where her makeup doesn’t feel quite right on her skin. “------i’m tired,” she says honestly, looking up at him in the reflection of the mirror and lifting one of her hands to reach back in search of his, tangling their fingers when she finds it. “----i’m tired and i don’t ----- i don’t feel pretty,” her voice softens a bit, tilting her head as her reflection looks back at her. “----but we’re going. no backing out. i shaved my legs for this.” 

[hcmesiick]

MICKEY. @stcriinight !

“AH ---- FUCK ----- nailed it!” he lets out a boisterous laugh as he squeezes through the gate, doubling over once he’s on the other side to catch his breath. “told you i could do it.” if anybody knows anything about fitz, it’s that he’d rather chop off his own foot than pay for a ticket to an event -- especially a school event like prom. instead, he’d rather weasel his way in with a press pass, or if that’s not an option, sneak in by wiggling himself through some opening that’s not meant for people to fit through, like he’s just done. and the thing is, he definitely could’ve just climbed the gate, but he’s got embarrassingly short legs, and he’s not about to rip his nice tuxedo pants. “just saved myself fifty bucks,” he turns and faces her, grinning at her through the gate and cocking an eyebrow. “----you gonna join me or make the walk of shame to the front of the school and buy yourself a ticket?”

[hcmesiick]

LEVI. @lcveliiest !

HIS STOMACH IS IN KNOTS as he approaches the porch of the lance-hill residence, dressed in the most formal attire he could find. he’s sure plenty of other people will have out-dressed him, but he’s done his best with what he has ( and he spent a solid forty-five minutes on just his hair, so ). no matter what he looks like, he’ll always be nervous to see levi -- the boy makes him feel a little lightheaded, like he could vomit at any moment in the best possible way. it’s like he’s still got a stupid crush -- despite the fact that they’re, like, a THING now. with a shaky inhale, he straightens the lapels of his blazer and glances behind him to wave elijah off where he’d dropped him off at the curb, then turns back to the door to knock on it lightly. the few moments between then and when the door opens are agonizing for mars, and he gets a sort of headrush when he looks up and sees somebody who’s definitely not levi -- and, decidedly, is levi’s older brother. “-----uh ---- hi. uh -----” he clears his throat, smiling nervously and glancing over aj’s shoulder at the staircase, wishing levi would appear there to save him the embarrassment of fucking up in front of his brother. “i’m... here to pick up levi.”

[hcmesiick]

MATEO. @xqvietones !

“DON’T MAKE A HABIT out of this,” he announces as he waltzes through mateo's open door, one massive paper bag under each arm. he carefully sets them down on the desk, the quiet clink of glass-on-glass a telltale sign of what’s inside them. “i’m happy to help out when you want to have a good time, but i’m NOT gonna be responsible for any budding alcoholism.” he chuckles, reaching into the bags to pull out the bottles -- more than enough for mateo and his friends to share. “----what’s the itinerary tonight? pick up annie, go to prom, then... afterparty, i assume?” he raises an eyebrow, hoping mateo is comfortable enough to be honest with him about his plans -- it’s only out of brotherly precaution. he’s been doing that a lot lately with mateo, levi and devon; looking out for them even when he doesn’t need to. 

[hcmesiick]

BLUE. @saturdcys​ !

IT’S MOMENTS LIKE THESE that remind shea why everything he’s been through is worth it. losing his parents, losing himself, being ripped apart seam from seam and having to figure out how to put himself back together again completely on his own -- if a single piece of that fucked-up puzzle were missing, he might have never met blue. and here, in the middle of halston high’s gymnasium, swaying slowly to a dreamy paul anka song with blue wrapped tight in his arms, he comes to the selfish conclusion that he’d go through all of it -- every single agonizing second of the past two years -- if it meant he’d be sure to have blue for the rest of his life. “hey ------ look at me for a sec,” he mumbles against the shell of blue’s ear, before lifting his head and nudging his boy’s chin up to look him in the eyes. he waits a beat or two, a gentle, peaceful smile tugging at his features. “---------- you’re the love of my life. you know that, right? you know you’re the love of my life?” he dips his head down to rest his forehead against blue’s, one of his hands splaying protectively over his lower back. “------ and i’m gonna marry you one day.”

[boyiega]

[hcmesiick]

drewtanner‌:

katie douglas + puppies rt if you agree

[hcmesiick]

LEVI. ( future canon ! )

the moment he’s pushed away he almost begins to fight back, but then he hears mars’s voice and everything becomes calm again. “i –– sorry, i didn’t mean to just like BARGE in here. i mean i –– i kind of did but not …. not quite like this,” he stumbled all over his words as he began to try and explain himself. “i –– i came last week too, just didn’t have the courage to say anything to you.” he quickly placed the hat back on his head, not wanting anyone to recognize him or realize the scene that was forming here. he paused for a moment. “i got you these,” he held out the flowers in his hand. they were mars’s favorite, at least they were his favorite back when they were in high school. levi had made it a habit of buying mars flowers after every show. “i’m sorry –– i’m sorry –– i should just. i should go. i shouldn’t be here. ”

“you could’ve called.” he doesn’t mean for it to bite the way that it does, and honestly, he regrets saying it the moment it comes out of his mouth. his breath hitches when levi reveals that he was there at the previous week’s show as well -- how could he have missed him? and beyond that, why does he care so much that he missed him last week? “you -----” he’s speechless as he’s handed the flowers, looking down at them with a furrow to his brow. tulips. just like high school. he doesn’t speak for a solid minute, lips parted as he searches for the words. “levi ---- what is this?” he drops his arms, looking up at the other with exasperated eyes. he looks tired -- drained, in a way. “what is all this? what is this for?”

[hcmesiick]

LEVI.

he doesn’t dare break the silence between them, he knows better than that. instead, he just focuses on his breathing. his chest rising and falling slowly. levi does his best to calm doesn his racing heart rate. his thumb moves back and forth slowly across mars’s hand. a gesture to both him and the other boy as a reminder that he was there. “mars –– i just –– i need you to just breathe for me,” he spoke softly. even when he had been reminded of everything in his past he was still worried about the boy sitting next to him. he finally removed his hand from his face and looked to mars. “i –– i’m gonna do it, okay? and i just –– i need you to be CALM. can you do that for me?” he released the other’s hand after giving it a tight squeeze.

“i am breathing,” he says quickly, though he quickly realizes he’s doing a pretty shit job of it. he actually starts to focus on it then -- inhaling and exhaling slowly enough that his heart rate begins to mediate. “sorry.” he mumbles quietly once he realizes that he was quite obviously freaking out for a second there. “----yeah, yeah, i --- i’m calm. i’m calm.” he nods hurriedly, looking down at his lap and flexing his hand once levi lets go of it. tentatively, he turns it over to place it gently on the other boy’s knee, hesitating slightly before he rests it there just in case he’s crossing a line. 

[hcmesiick]

LEVI. ( future canon ! )

to say he was nervous was the understatement of the year, the understatement of the CENTURY honestly. levi could not believe where he was right now. he stood outside the stage door. far enough away where he wouldn’t be seen right away, but close enough to where mars hopefully couldn’t miss him. he stood about five feet from the end of the seemingly endless line of fans. the moment mars stepped out of the stage door all of the air left levi’s lungs. he felt as if he could throw up or pass out or both at any moment. he waited patiently as mars signed autographs and took photos. he was astonished by just how many fans the other had. levi her nervously played with the bouquet of flowers in this hands. he regretted his choice already but he had made it. he got so distracted by rethinking his choice to bring flowers that he let mars practically get away from him. “m––mars,” he called, just loud enough for the boy to hopefully hear. levi removed the mets hat from his head and held it to his chest. // @hcmesiick

EVERYTHING’S GREAT. mars is successful, he has everything he’s ever wanted since he was a kid, he has a role written just for him in a hit new musical on broadway -- so of course, somebody has to throw a wrench in the gears. that somebody, at this very moment, is levi evans. just like in high school, levi evans had to come in and turn his whole fucking world upside down, except this time, he’s not totally sure if it’s for the better. he swallows the knot in his throat as he signs the last autograph, trying his best not to look too shaken, before he waves and blows kisses to the crowd of fans as they’re ushered away by security guards. when they try to push levi along with them, mars utters a quiet ‘he can stay,’ and he hesitantly moves closer to him, heart sinking to the pit of his stomach with every step. “-----what ---- what are you doing here?” he asks, trying to keep his voice from trembling. all he can think about is how much he hates how levi still affects him like this. “i-i didn’t... know you were coming tonight.”

[hcmesiick]

seester. // briar & herschel

briar: why do you think that? what on earth makes you think you don’t deserve him?

briar: hersch you’re going to be just as successful. you’re going to do such good things (you already are). it’s just at a different pace than him. besides, who says success is measured like that? you don’t know how you make him feel.

briar: he could be having the same conversation with his sister.

briar: i get that. i of all people understand that sometimes speaking up can be scary and there’s a chance that they don’t feel the same way.

briar: did i ever tell you i told tomas how i felt? and he turned me down?

herschey: because i'm not like him!

herschey: he's handsome and kind and when he shoots his movies, they say "action" and he just does it perfectly and he's so good at it and then they say "cut" and they don't have to try again

herschey: and in interviews he smiles and makes people laugh and knows when to start talking and stop talking and doesn't have to apologize a million times for what he says

herschey: and when we're alone he always knows what to say and how to say it and when i'm freaking out he knows exactly how to calm me down and he makes everything seem so trivial and like it's not worth worrying over

herschey: but when i'm in front of a camera, i stutter and shake and sometimes i feel like crying but that would be embarrassing so i force myself not to and i have to try over and over and over to get it right

herschey: and in interviews i fuck up every single question without fail. every single one. i start talking too soon, and then i talk too much, and nobody ever cares what i have to say anyways

herschey: and when we're alone i'm just the worst, bri, i talk and talk and talk about fucking NOTHING and he never gets tired of me, i don't know how he never gets tired of me, i would be so so tired of me, i AM so tired of me

herschey: look at me, i'm doing it right now to you. i'll shut up. i promise

herschey: no, you never told me that