[brittvaidya]

The graffiti on the brick behind James's head started to warp, at least in Britt's cloudy view it did. There was apparently no stop to the stupid tears or the funhouse distortion filter they temporarily gave her vision. Despite that, he was still so annoyingly hot, even when he was saying stupid shit, and then not so stupid shit. Yeah, same feelings here. What the fuck did that mean? She hadn't even gotten the chance to ask him about the stuff with his dad, either. Before she could dwell on all the shit they hadn't even gotten to, he was looking right at her. She'd been naked in front of him before, countless times in fact, but never in this way. This was different, and she didn't think she liked it.

"Yes, you did. You really fucked it all up," she said, any attempt at sounding angry melting away as fast as it came on, her lips wobbling with emotion blowing her cover. "And you still have the nerve to call me baby when you know what it does to me...and how badly I've wanted to hear you call me that again." Maybe he didn't know that and she'd just embarrassed herself yet again. God, she was so fucking stupid. She was mad at herself. She was a lot more mad at him, though. It was enough that she found herself breaking the distance between them only to reach out and shove his chest hard...or at least, try and shove his chest hard. He was a giant, and on a good day, she reached about 5'4 and a half. "You're such a fucking asshole, James," she spat out, another shove following. "I really wished I hated you." Another. "I should hate you. I should want to punch you right now for every-" Shove. "Fucking," Shove. "Thing." Another, with feeling. And then, she stopped, her breathing coming in heavy bursts. She should hate him, but she didn't. Not one bit. "Sorry," was all that she managed to squeak out before the dam really broke. She wasn't sure what she'd said sorry for. Maybe it was to apologize for what was about to happen.

Everything hit at once. Every pent up feeling came exploding from out of nowhere, and she couldn't do anything to stop or lessen or control it. It was so stupid and pathetic and exactly how she ended up a few steps away from James, face pressed into her hands and bawling hard enough that the tears soaked her fingers.

[jamesxgarrett]

"Ow," said James. It was more of an automatic response - Britt was very small, and he was a six foot something wall of muscle. It wasn't that he didn't feel it, but more that Brittany could put her full weight behind those shoves, and wasn't likely to move him an inch. It was a sign of how serious he was taking this, though, that he didn't immediately point that out, or ask if she'd lost her mind. After everything, James figured he could let her get in a few hits.

When she started crying, though? James felt that. He absently rubbed the spot on his chest she had pushed, as though soothing the non-existent pain, and looked away for a minute. He didn't know what to do with himself. Obviously he couldn't just walk away while she was crying. Even he wasn't that big of an asshole. But any words that might comfort her just weren't coming into his head. As it turned out, that wasn't what he was good at. What he was good at was the physical, and as soon as the idea entered his head, he acted on it without stopping to think if it was a good idea.

He took a step forward, closing his fingers over her wrists and gently pulling them away from her face. Once he could see her, he paused for a second, eyes dropping to her lips, and leaned in to kiss her. It wasn't the soft and gentle kind of kiss. If he had given it more than a split second of thought, he might have gone that route. Instead, he kissed her the way he would have done if they were still together, because that was the only thing he could think to do to take away some of the hurt.

[brittvaidya]

"No." She'd hoped for strong, demanding. That wasn't the way her voice delivered the word, though. It was just hurt. Plain and simple. "No, I can't forget it, James. You told me you missed me and thought about me all the time. How the fuck am I supposed to forget that?" Those stupid tears finally came, warm, wet drops racing down her cheeks. She didn't want to be like this. She wasn't the stupid girl that cries in front of her ex boyfriend. 'God, I feel like Alyssa right now' flashed through her mind, but it quickly shifted upon the realization it was more than that, why she felt how she did.

"Why did you wait until I wasn't with you anymore to finally let me all the way in, James?" She let that hang between them for a moment before the words started spilling. "You just...you made me feel like the whole time, this was never serious to you. It's like I was just...disposable. Like all that time didn't matter, and that the next blonde who walked into the room could automatically take my place...and that really fucking hurt, because you were my friend before we turned this into a thing. I lost my boyfriend and a friend when we split, so for you to then turn around and say shit like you did in that message..." She was shaking her head now, trying and failing to keep the tears at bay.

It was getting increasingly difficult to speak, any composure Britt had left starting to crash. She had to keep talking, though. He'd told her his truth. Now, he needed to hear hers. "Why did you wait until after you broke my heart to tell me what I wanted to hear? Why the fuck would you do that?" It was obvious that the question was rhetorical. It was also quite obvious how Britt was on the verge of full on sobbing. Her breaths were staggered, almost choking on them. "Because I'm so fucking mad at you, James, but I'm more mad at myself, cause I fucking loved you, dude. I still do. I love you, and you ruined it." That was the most she could manage before the sobs took full reign.

[jamesxgarrett]

James cleared his throat. His gaze wasn't darting around anymore, remaining firmly fixed on the ground, watching the toe of his boot as he scuffed it idly on the ground. He didn't have an answer for her. Not one that would satisfy, anyway. Usually, he was good at talking himself out of situations, but there were no words for this. He could hear in her voice that she was close to tears, and he was stupid enough to glance up to check. Only briefly, though. He couldn't actually look at her for long, hanging his head again. He felt like a complete scumbag. Maybe he was.

But Brittany was asking more questions, and he knew he had to give her at least some form of an answer. "... I don't know." His voice was hoarse when he spoke, and he cleared his throat, because that answer wasn't enough. "Fuck, I don't know why I did it, Britt. I just... I'd had a lot to drink. Josie brought these edibles. I was fucked up. I shouldn't... I shouldn't have said all that." He should have left her alone, to live her life and move on. It wasn't her fault that he hadn't. Not from her, and not from the other thing that he'd rambled about when he'd called her. Luckily, she didn't seem like she wanted to talk about that. That was a blessing to James - it was the only conversation he wanted to have less than the one he was having. He wanted to tell her that it was serious, that she wasn't replaceable, but he couldn't get it out of his mouth.

A look of confusion crossed his face, his brow furrowing. "I... don't know how I was supposed to know I miss you if we didn't break up?" he pointed out. What she said next, though? James froze, inhaling a little sharper than before. Telling Oscar or Josie he loved them? That was easy. Telling Ellis or Holden or any of his other friends? That wasn't a problem either. Saying it back to Brittney, though? That was a whole other ballgame. It wasn't that he didn't want to say it back. It wasn't even that he didn't feel it. After the voicemail he left her, he was pretty sure that was what he was feeling for her. But saying it was different. He'd never been there before with anyone, and the words stuck awkwardly in his throat, dying before they could make it out. "Yeah." He said, eventually, because that felt less difficult to do. "Yeah. Same feelings here." He finally willed himself to look at her, even though it made him feel like throwing up to see her cry. "'M sorry, baby. I know I fucked it all up."

[brittvaidya]

Britt decided that she'd leave David to connect the dots on his own, knowing it'd click at some point. There was too much going on to just let James wander in without consequences, though. There was a dark red couch out back, one she'd taken the occasional nap on or lounged across while eating her lunch. It was a common area of sorts for the whole tattoo crew. Today, though, it served as something to keep her eyes directed on when looking at James became too much. It pissed her off that he was able to stand there, still looking hot as ever, as if he didn't flip her entire world on its head months ago. He was so unbothered by it all, too. It was infuriating.

"What's up?" she asked right back, letting out a short laugh. It was definitely more a 'is this guy fucking for real' laugh versus a 'ha-ha funny' laugh, her tone pretty clear. She didn't understand how he was always so casual about everything. "James...I don't get you. I really don't. We break up, don't talk for months, and then in the span of, what, a week? You send me an atomic bomb of a voicemail that leaves me with so many questions because what the actual fuck, dude? And now you show up here when you could've picked from a million other tattoo studios. Considering all of that, do not fucking 'what's up' me. You know exactly what's up."

She wanted to sound angry, and for a while, she did. It was once she really processed him standing there and considered his apology, the one he'd devastatingly uttered near the end of that voicemail, that it became a lot harder to not just be really fucking sad about it all. She blinked, feeling a prickling in her eyes and pressing her lips together. "Did you mean it?" she asked, her voice having lost most of its edge from before. She knew she sounded like she was about to burst into tears and couldn't find it in herself to care. "When you apologized, and, um, everything else you said...is that actually how you feel?"

[jamesxgarrett]

James was looking everywhere but directly at Brittany. His gaze slid over her, sure, in between looking at the wall opposite them and his own feet, but never lingered for long, nor raised enough to catch her eye. For someone who had left a lot of wreckage in his wake, he'd never been very good at sticking around long enough to look over the damage. The last time he'd really had to face it was when his ex-girlfriend, Jane or something, had a meltdown after he broke up with her. Despite acting the way that he did, James liked to think of himself as a good guy. The problem was, he was a good guy who really, really didn't want to be reminded that when it came to women, he wasn't all that good at all.

The tone of Britt's voice made him want to turn and run. He didn't do that, but that's was the only urge he manage to suppress. The one telling him to shove his head deep, deep into the sand and avoid the conversation she was gearing up for all together? That one was too strong to ignore. "Yeah." He muttered, huffing out a laugh that was about as full of the joys as Britt's own. "Yeah. Not sure I really get it either." He squirmed a bit when the mentioned the voicemail, the one thing he absolutely did not want to talk about, and lowered his arms, but only to shove his hands in his pockets. "You were supposed to be on lunch break," he pointed out, weakly. It was the wrong thing to be protesting, but there was too much about this conversation he couldn't defend. That bit, he could, and a part of him hoped it might distract her enough to prompt a change of subject.

Unfortunately, it wasn't to be. Britt circled back to the voicemail, and she didn't sound angry anymore. She sounded like she was on the verge of crying, and James didn't know which was worse. The way he saw it, he had two options. The first was the most tempting - he could pretend that he didn't remember the voicemail. He shouldn't remember it, given how fucked up he'd been when he'd sent it. It was a cruel twist of fate that he did. He opened his mouth to follow through with the lie, but what followed surprised even James.

"Yeah." He said. It was option two, the honest option, the one that meant digging into things he didn't want to let himself feel sober. "It's how I feel. But it's fine, yeah? Just forget it. Delete it." He was aiming for casual, but his tone got a little desperate at the end.

[brittvaidya]

Britt's job wasn't ever boring. It was one of the best things about working in a tattoo parlour; your clientele, the work itself, or a combo of them always made for an interesting day. Unfortunately, the non-boring part seemingly included coming off of a lunch break and spotting your coworker in the middle of a consultation with your ex boyfriend. She did a double take, the way James started sliding down in his seat being a dead giveaway that, yep, it was him. He was a ballsy dude to not only show up where she worked but book in with another artist there as well. Homeboy really likes hopping to whoever's available and in eye sight she thought to herself, clearly still bitter by how things had ended...or how she thought they'd ended.

The voicemail he'd left was totally unexpected, still feeling pangs of the emotional whiplash from it all. Britt thought the stupid Superbowl party was the end of it, the end of them, but apparently not. James literally fucking someone about ten minutes after they'd split apparently wasn't enough to get her out of his head, and in all honesty, she didn't know how to deal with that. There wasn't a guidebook on how to deal with the idiot that broke your heart just for him to reappear and do it all over again.

Of course, Britt had told David about her douchey ex and what he’d did, so the urge to grab something in reach and throw it square at his head flashed through her brain. What she remembered quickly, though, was he wouldn’t know that her ex James was the same James sitting across from him. She sighed, her gaze shifting from David to the back of James's neck, or at least the small piece of it that wasn't fully hidden by the chair. The petty side of Britt wanted to make him flinch, just for a moment. She grabbed a set of latex gloves, taking calculated steps behind where he sat and rolling one on. She grabbed the loose wrist and snapped the plastic, watching how he did or didn’t react before sighing and dropping it all together. This wasn’t fun like she'd hoped. It just felt stupid and sad.

“You’re really shitty at hiding,” she stated to the back of his head before her gaze turned to David. “Sorry to interrupt a consult. You mind if me and him have a quick talk? I promise it’s necessary. All yours for the planning after we're done. It shouldn't take long.”

David seems a little confused but nodded anyways. She felt his eyes on the two of them as she asked James, "You wanna take this outside? Not sure my co-workers need a full on show today."

[jamesxgarrett]

He could hear her footsteps getting closer, but James didn't move. He didn't even realise he was holding his breath until he felt himself getting a little dizzy, forcing him to inhale sharply. His eyes were wide, locked on to David in a silent plea for help, but the guy didn't seem to have clocked on to what exactly was happening here. His only option at this point was to try and bolt for the door, but James couldn't will his legs to work. Instead, he stayed there, in full opossum, playing-dead mode.

There was a snap of something behind him, and if it hadn't been for the fact he didn't feel anything, his automatic thought was that she'd hit him with something. He braced himself for the blow that didn't come, and when it didn't materialise, slowly looked up to meet Britt's eyes. She was standing there, wearing a single glove for some reason he wasn't sure of. His throat was completely dry, a wave of shame rolling over him when he, once again, recalled the bullshit he had spewed on the phone to her.

James knew he wasn't really sober enough to have this conversation and navigate it successfully, but he stood up anyway, slower than was necessary. "Thanks for trying, man," he said to David, who looked like he had no idea what was going on. In truth, James hadn't, either. He kept his gaze on the ground, shoving his hands in his pockets, but nodded his head anyway. "Uh, yeah, sure. We can go wherever you want."

She led him out to the alley behind the tattoo shop, and James bit back the urge to joke that he'd rather her coworkers overheard them than the local crackheads. It didn't seem like the right move and, uncharacteristically for James, he just couldn't bring himself to joke around. He folded his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall. "So what's up?"

[jamesxgarrett]

"Honestly, man, I think I'm running out of space." James had his sleeves rolled up, examining the ink on his arms in the hope that a bare patch of skin would present itself to him. Was it risky showing up at his ex's place of work for a tattoo consultation in the hope that he could slink in and out while she was on her lunchbreak? Maybe, although in James' opinion, it would have been a bigger risk to walk into a studio he wasn't familiar with and let them go nuts with a needle. "I don't know. Maybe we could make it smaller?"

He was in the process of tugging down his sleeves when the door opened. James had never been the most intuitive of guys, but somehow, he knew without looking that Britt had cut her lunchbreak short. It wasn't just the messy circumstances surrounding their breakup. James usually blacked out when he drank as much as he had on his family's vacation. Unfortunately, the voicemail he'd left Britt where he'd essentially spilled his guts like a little bitch? That, he remembered in clear detail. It wasn't his finest moment, nor was what he did next. Instead of addressing the elephant in the room, he maintained direct eye contact with David, his expression panicked, and slowly slid lower and lower in his chair in the hopes she wouldn't notice him.

@brittvaidya

[jamesxgarrett]

A voicemail to @brittvaidya

It took James three attempts to get the correct number. He was an ungodly combination of drunk and high, his vision swimming in front of him enough that he kept hitting the wrong numbers when he tried to type them in to his Uncle Kenny's phone. He struggled reading at the best of times, and it was just now occurring to him he should have asked Kenny to type the number in before he came outside to light a cigarette. Though Kenny had given him a quizzical look, he had handed the phone over without question, and James didn't feel like explaining it if he went back in to ask him to dial his ex's number.

The first number he dialled wasn't in service, and he wondered if Brittany had gone as far as changing her number. Upon inspecting it further, and realising he'd hit a 3 instead of an 8. He tried again, actually feeling a bit of hope when it rang, only to be hit by anger when a man answered. After a bit of yelling on his end, and confusion on the guy who had picked up, James realised he had once again got the wrong number, and Britt didn't have someone else in her life now. The third time he tried, he actually got her voicemail. He should have hung up there, but he'd never been the smartest of dudes. Instead, he took a deep breath, and started to speak.

"Hey, Britt. It's- it's me. James, if you didn't get that. Don't hang up, okay? I mean, I can't really stop you, if you want to, but I hope you don't. You don't have to call me back if you don't want. Just hear me out, okay?"

"Did you block me? Because I've been texting you and you don't reply. Maybe you just can't read my spelling, I don't know. That's why I'm calling you on my Uncle Kenny's phone. I'm actually at Disneyland right now, believe it or not. My entire family is here for my grandpa's birthday, it's a whole thing. Me and Josie have mostly been getting high to be honest but... fuck. I've been watching my family with their girlfriends all trip. Even my weirdo cousin Edward has found someone who puts up with his shit, and trust me, that guy's the worst. But I don't know. Maybe it's because I've been drinking, but seeing everyone all happy made me think about you, and us, and all that stuff."

"Fuck, I miss you, Britt. Like, really miss you. You probably think I'm just saying this, but trust me, I mean it. Usually when I break up with someone, that's it, you know? I've been with so many girls I couldn't even tell you who they all are, to be honest, and then when it ends I just fuck someone else and we all move on. It's different with you. I mean, obviously I've not been a choir boy since we split. You, uh, kinda saw the evidence of that with your own eyes."

He paused for a minute, realising his cigarette had burnt down to the filter. "Hold on," he told her, even though she wasn't actually there, and after a bit of fumbling, he had another one lit. Unfortunately, doing so made him lose his train of thought. He had completely forgotten where he was at, and the silence was only getting longer. There was the urge to fill it with something, anything, and James surprised even himself with what came out next.

"I just wish my dad was here. My grandpa looked at me earlier and said that I'm just like him. I never really thought about it before. But I guess I am. I am like him. And honestly, I don't know if that's a good thing or not. Don't get me wrong, I loved the guy. We all did. But I'm pretty sure he used to fuck around, too. When he died on us... God, Britt, I can't even explain how awful it was. It's like that was the exact moment everything got so fucked up for us. And I couldn't even really let myself feel it at the time, because my mom's never really been a mom in the way that other people's are. It was a lot. I think I've just found it so much easier all these years to drink and fuck and act like nothing bothers me, because when something does? It just reminds me of being that scared kid who suddenly had the weight of the world on his shoulders and no idea what to do next."

It was only when he stopped to draw breath that James realised he was blinking back tears. He couldn't remember the last time he had cried. It would have been obvious for Brittany to hear the way his voice had gotten thicker as he spoke, though that was something James himself wasn't really conscious of. He swiped furiously at his eyes, letting out a little hiss when he accidentally burnt his cheek with his cigarette, followed by a shuddering sort of sigh to clear his thoughts.

"God, I don't know why I told you all that. I didn't call you to talk about my daddy issues, or make you feel sorry for me or anything like that. I just wanted you to know I still think about you, all the time. Not just when I'm drunk. I know I fucked up bad. I'm sorry I hurt you, and I'm sorry it took me so long to see it." If there was more to say, James was way too tired to say it. "I'll see you around, yeah? Well, maybe I won't. I don't know. Just take care of yourself, Britt. Bye."

[oscargarrett]

Oscar's brows furrowed slightly, his concentration on James almost like he was captivated by a scary story. He'd grown up with a room right next to Rupert's and the never ending chaos that ensued from that side of the wall. It wasn't an empty threat of that weird behavior ramping up again. He even found himself jumping a little once James's hand clapped his shoulder, feeling like he'd been shot out of some full body trance. "S-sorry," he muttered, truly hoping he didn't jinx any weird fates. "Trust me, there's a lot of stuff Aunt Raini doesn't know," he sighed, hoping he didn't find himself hooked up to a lie detector anytime soon. There were things that didn't leave his little friend group, and that included some choice hobbies and activities out of the watchful eyes of their parents. He nodded a little, not sure if there was a better word out there for his signature move, but then James was up on his feet and Oscar's eyes were of dinner plate size. "Oh, n-no, that's okay, James. Really." He wanted to wave it off, but the seriousness in his brother's voice had him starring back in horror. "Dude, you're, like, a hundred times stronger than me. I want to live to see tomorrow."

[jamesxgarrett]

"We are talking about the same Larry, right?" James double checked. For a minute, he was vaguely impressed. The Garretts weren't exactly blessed in the sanity department, but there were times where he thought crazy Aunt Raini took the cake when it came to being mental. "Gotta say, I didn't think he had it in him. Good for him," he shrugged, not prying any further into what activities his brother and his little friends were getting up to. It wasn't that he didn't care, more that he was relieved that Oscar was finally acting like a normal guy. There had been a moment in his childhood where James had been deeply worried for him. He spread his arms wide, giving Oscar a grin. "I'm not gonna hit you back, Oscar. The fact you think I'd murder you is, frankly, insulting." There was no seriousness to the words. "C'mon. Do it for me. I can't have my little brother out there fighting like something that belongs outside a carwash. And for the record, you don't have to be stronger than me. You just have to be stronger than Rupert."

[oscargarrett]

"I was gonna say the cute ones with no hair, but I guess your description works, too," he replied with a wrinkled nose. "Thanks for that visual. Anyways, yeah. I kind of wish he'd revert back to his instrumental phase. The Bali Spa stuff is more relaxing than the new songs, but knowing him, he'll be in a cowboy hat and saying he idolizes Jelly Roll by next week." Oscar's brows knit together upon James's demonstration, letting out a 'hm' as he considered the moves. He did feel a smile perk up upon James's confidence in him winning, though. "Really?" he asked. "I'm not really a big fighter, but it might be time to learn. I've tackled Elijah and Glen and Larry a few times. Those weren't really proper 'fights', though, not with my moves. I think my friends called it 'Windmilling'. It's just me moving my arms a lot to distract." He got to his feet, suddenly interested in whatever wisdom James might have in the wrestling department. "Got anything else?"

[jamesxgarrett]

"Be careful what you wish for, Osc," James shot Oscar a look of warning. He wasn't the wisest man by any means, and his ego wasn't so great that he couldn't admit it, but when it came to Rupert, he felt unique qualified to share what little wisdom he possessed. "When it comes to Rupert, it can always get worse, even when you don't think he can sink any lower. Best not to tempt fate." He patted Oscar's shoulder, before snorting. "Don't let Raini hear you say you tackled Larry. I'm already surprised she lets him out the house without shinpads and a helmet." Any amusement he had about that was wiped on his face, and he stared at Oscar for a minute, dumbfounded. "Windmilling?" he repeated, in horror. "Oscar... have I never taught you how to fight someone? You've just ben going in flailing your arms around all these years? Oh, we need to fix that." He downed the rest of his beer, then rose to his feet. "C'mon, then. Show me what I'm working with here. Tackle me."

[oscargarrett]

"I may need you to break Rupert's phone." Oscar plopped down next to James with a heavy sigh. "Or see if someone knows how to get him banned from any music streaming platform. He keeps playing that stupid Charlie Kirk song, and if it's not that, I'm pretty sure it's Tibetan chants. I'm not sure how much more I can take. I'd do it myself, but, uh..." He held out his arms for emphasis. What he lacked in muscle he made up for in height, but he wasn't sure that would be enough. "Glen said something about how we'd probably sound like two Sphynx cats while smacking each other, and I hate to say that he's right but...I think he's right." @jamesxgarrett

[jamesxgarrett]

"Gross, man," James wrinkled his nose. "They're the ones that look like bald ballsacks, right?" though the image wasn't a pleasant one, James had to admit Glen had a point. Clearly, the littlest Hall was smarter than James had ever given him credit for, or just oddly good at conjuring visuals. "You know what, I really shouldn't be surprised. But just when I thought Rupert couldn't get worse, he does." He'd long since given up trying to force their brother to be normal. "I don't know. I think you could make your height work for you here. I mean, Rupert is just as weedy as you are, but he doesn't have your reach. You get one hand on his forehead." He put a hand on Oscar's head to demonstrate. "And hold his phone up with the other, like this?" His beer car was held aloft, like he was some buff, handsome version of the statue of liberty. "My money would be on you."

[ellisxhall]

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

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

[jamesxgarrett]

"I think he just likes to complain about stuff. He needs a hobby." James nodded, sagely. Perhaps there were more similarities between Oliver and Rupert than he realised. "Not sure he's the type to be into MILF rights, but maybe he'll surprise us." He held up his hands in a surrender gesture, and nodded his head. "Please, I have my limits. That's your girl, you know? Besides, even if she wasn't, she kind of terrifies me, dude. I'm here for the Mommy of it all, but in a kinky way. Somehow I feel like she'd actually ground me and send me to bed without dinner." She was objectively an attractive woman, but even without Ellis in the equation, their chemistry was in the negatives. "Let me get in on the Amazon browsing, though. I have ideas."

"I would say we should probably get Cat herself in on this, as our Paula, but she's definitely a Simon. I can be Abdul. Take one for the team, you know?" If anybody could come up with Simon Cowell level zingers, he had a feeling it was Cat. He shrugged his shoulders when things turned to Raye. "I liked Raye, but some stuff just isn't meant to be. You can always call her. Boston isn't too far to travel. Oliver might feel some sort of way about it, though, if you want him to come. Which you probably do." The question had him stumped. He knew women, sure, but women he hadn't slept with? That was another question. It took him a moment to come up with an answer. "Brittany. My tattoo artist. Though thinking about it, I would like to fuck her, so maybe she's out. There's Josie, too. She's my friend."

[brittvaidya]

"Oh?" Britt didn't elaborate much on her thought. She truth was, she was already in for whatever he was offering. She couldn't gage whether he was a one night or several nights kind of guy, but for whatever reason, she was down to see where one would take them. With him, it'd be harder to escape, considering he had permanent pieces of her etched on his skin already. "You want to steal? You're considering stealing under the roof of my good, Christian work establishment?" she replied, the way the corners of her lips kept pointing upwards being a dead giveaway of her sarcasm. "Because if we're doing that, we need to make it worth while. Burger King is for chumps, although the crown is a tempting offer, but still. I say we go to one of those ritzy places downtown and make an Uber or bus getaway...you know, if you're not scared."

[jamesxgarrett]

"A woman of fine taste, I see. Makes sense." He let his gaze linger on her a moment before smirking. "Well, who am I to say no? If a Double Whopper isn't to your standards, we can definitely find something that is." This might not be the best idea. If things went as badly as they had with Jane, he'd be screwing himself out of a good tattoo artist. Unfortunately, his brain was underutilised at the best of times, and even more so in the presence of hot women. "Being a gentlemen, I'll let you pick where we go for dinner. The Uber's on me."

[brittvaidya]

I can think of a few things. Although she was holding back a dramatic eye-roll, Britt had a pretty good idea what kind of speech was coming and, frankly, didn't hate the idea of it. "Mmm, I don't know. I'm not really into guys with tats," she almost immediately replied, trying to sound as monotone as possible. It would've been ironic, but it also would've been a lie, and her own grin that was matching his blew any cover she could've had. "Not currently. Maybe we'll have to get a few drinks in you and see what kind of inspiration arises, book you in for a last minute touch up...as long as it's coming out of your wallet, of course," she winked. There was no denying James was hot. She just wanted to make sure that, if there was some kind of client and clientele ethics to go by, she was picking wisely. "Where we going, anyways, smiles? If it's McDonalds, I'm getting myself a McChicken and leaving your ass there."

[jamesxgarrett]

"Bet I can change your mind." It might have sounded arrogant, and maybe it was, to say it out loud, even if she was clearly joking about her preferences, but there was no bravado in James' tone. It was a simple statement of fact. He had always been a confident guy - and with Brittany, the odds definitely seemed to be stacked in his favour. It helped that he had known her long enough to build up a bit of banter with her. She wasn't just some random girl he had picked up from the bar - she was fun and flirty and made it easy to reciprocate in force. "Actually, I'm a little short this week. What do you say we dine and dash and save us both a bit of cash?" he smirked, clearly teasing her. "Do I look like the kind of guy who'd take you to McDonald's? Of course not. We're going to Burger King. I'll even get you a little paper crown to wear as we sprint across the parking lot without paying."

[brittvaidya]

Britt felt herself grin again, wondering if it was just a praise kink or pride in her own work. Either way, she'd take it. It wasn't the dream life that her family had practically planned out of her. Not even close. She was pretty sure that going to university for art nearly gave both parents an aneurysm. Despite their protests, she couldn't be happier working how she did. Her hand froze again his arm as his comment followed, glancing upwards with an almost blank expression before it melted into a smirk once the words registered. "Is that so?" she questioned. "Did you have something not business related in mind you wanted to ask me or chat about? I couldn't bare the thought of you leaving here with a broken heart."

[jamesxgarrett]

James didn't know why he hadn't asked Brittany out before. He'd known her for a while, longer than it usually took him to make his move on a girl he thought was attractive, but though he had flirted with her from day one, he'd never taken the chance to shoot his shot. It was a realisation that hit him when he was walking past her shop, and had him impulsively barging his way through the door without an appointment to show her his latest piece. It was all a bit of an excuse to talk to her, but judging by the split second in which she wore a vacant look on her face, Britt hadn't seen through him until he showed his hand. "I can think of a few things," he pretended to mull it over for a second, a goofy grin on his face. "But if you really wanted me to walk out with a smile on my face, you'd leave with me. Get drinks or something. Guy at the counter said you were taking walk-ins all afternoon. That means you don't have anybody booked in, right?"

[brittvaidya]

"Alright, dude, let's see it." Britt was already rolling up James's sleeve and checking to see how her last piece had held up. A satisfied grin spread across her lips. "Nice. Looks perfectly healed," she noted as her thumb grazed over the skin. "And that line work?" She paused, bringing her free hand to her mouth with a 'chef's kiss' motion. "Fucking crisp. Am I good, or am I good?" It was at that point that a normal person would've removed their hand, but it remained there and curled around his arm. "So, when are we booking you in next?" @jamesxgarrett

[jamesxgarrett]

There was no denying that Brittany was talented, but that wasn't exactly why James had chosen her as his tattoo artist of choice. He was a simple man, with simple motivations: she was very hot, and not afraid to get handsy, and that alone would have been enough to keep him as a repeat customer even if her line work looked like it was done by a drunk toddler with a knife and fork. Her skill was just an added bonus. "Yeah, I'm happy with it," he couldn't help but tense his arm a little as she touched him, just enough to make his bicep pop. "Damn, straight to business, huh? I thought I was more to you than just your favourite client. You break my heart, Vaidya." He smirked.

[ellisxhall]

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

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

[jamesxgarrett]

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

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

[ellisxhall]

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

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

[jamesxgarrett]

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

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

[ellisxhall]

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

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

[jamesxgarrett]

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

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