a lot of the time declan canât even understand his own impulses so he really DOES get what jed is saying, probably far more than the other realized himself. âiâm not that confusing,â he mutters, lips twitching into a half-smile. itâs more of a fib than it is an outright lie so itâs delivered with confidence that perhaps jed might actually believe it, although no one with any common sense would. a lump forms in declanâs throat the moment their fingers come into contact and any attempt to swallow it down is futile. even though he gently clears his throat as if to make light of the invitation, he keeps their digits tangled together as he give jedâs hand a tug, leading him in the direction of his own apartment. âyouâre acting like having a cup of tea with a friend is so suspect, jed. sometimes a bitch just feels like having tea.â his grip on jedâs fingers is released to he can retrieve his keys and let them inside once theyâve reached their final destination, the hairdresser quick to follow after ushering jed in. itâs apparent he hadnât been expecting company given the amount of womenâs clothing and shoes strewn all over the room that are immediately visible once the lights are on. âdonât mind the mess,â he hums, as if such organized chaos doesnât affect him. it really doesnât, of course, heâs used to it. âwe were trying some new looks. obviously they didnât work out.â with his nose crinkling, he steps over a few items on his journey to the kitchen to dig around the cupboards for the good mugs.
with a friend. jed could've burst into laughter then and there out of sheer disbelief. in fact, his efforts to stifle said laugh might not have been as successful as heâd hoped. he couldnât help it. if anything, he stood firmly by his previous claim: declan was fucking confusing â but hey, âfriendâ instead of âloathed exâ was at least progress. never mind the fact that it was taking all of this friendâs willpower to not drag declan down to his level and into some uncoordinated kiss the second he stepped foot in the apartment. instead, jed kept to himself, even cautious and conscious of letting his gaze wander around the front room too much, as though he might appear nosy. âjust some, huh?â he still didnât refrain from teasing about the mess. trailing behind to the kitchen, he was quick to add a dose of self-deprecation for good measure. ââsee, when you live in the same shirt and pair of pants day-to-day, you never have that problem.â it was announced with feigned confidence, even gesturing to himself like he was the worldâs most exemplary fashion mogul. the act ultimately ended when he cracked a smile, and he resorted to leaning against the counter with his head tilted to the side, beginning to wonder if it was his utmost goal to annoy declan on some level... at this point, anything to see the other male smile, even if it was out of exasperation. âwhat are the chances one of those teas can erase the regret of five glasses of whiskey? â... or was it six?â