Hello, Could I please have a Catfish and oc/reader oneshot where Pope knows they both like each other so he sets them up on a date or Pope kept hitting on the OC to make CatFish jealous so he would ask her out, up to you which one <3 =)
The night was warm when Catfish arrived at the bar. He didn’t even know what he was doing there, considering he didn’t wanna go, but the guys said Lauren would be there and the last thing he knows he was getting into the car and just going.
Benny and Will were playing pool and Pope was with Lauren at the table.
“Finally”, Pope said, getting up to give him a brief hug.
“Thought you wouldn’t come”, Lauren said, complementing him too, getting a little flushed. Catfish smiled at her.
“Yeah, I wasn’t really in the mood, but the alternative was keep watching that crappy program on TV with no beer on the fridge”, Pope and Lauren nodded, getting in the way of grabbing the same glass of drink. Both of them smiled and Pope let her take it. He noticed Catfish’s suspicious look and knew that maybe his plan would work.
“Can I get you a drink, Lauren?”, Catfish asked, trying to ignore that scene.
“Nop, we already have our drink”, Pope answered “I got one for both of us”
“I see”, Catfish said, his smile fading. Lauren was just watching the guys play pool a little. “I’m gonna grab one for myself, then”
Pope wouldn’t waste his opportunity, so he turned to Lauren and started giving the best of him on making her smile. He wasn’t even hitting her, he was just making her laugh for Catfish see it all from the distance - because he knew he would.
Pope have tried of everything to get them together, he even set them up on a blind date once - which Catfish figured out somehow and came up with some lame excuse. It was clear that he liked her and Lauren were more discreet, but she looked at him the same way and always get a little flushed when he speaks to her. Benny and Will could see that too, but they only make jokes and laugh of Catfish’s fear of letting her know - Pope was the only one actually doing something about it.
And know, the only chance he had was doing this - making Catfish know that he could hide his feelings and never let her know, but sometime he would have to deal with the fact that she would stick with someone. How would he deal with jealousy?
Of course Pope didn’t have interest on being with Lauren, he just wanted to make Catfish do something, for the last time. He promised to himself he would give up if he didn’t.
Meanwhile, Catfish was waiting for his beer when he saw Lauren laughing a lot with Pope. He saw how comfortable she was on talking to him, something he actually never saw she doing with himself - if they were left alone they could talk okay, but wasn’t as spontaneous as with Pope.
And that just makes him very frustrated.
Frank knows he likes Lauren a lot, he’s not stupid enough to deny himself that, but he just don’t think she likes him the same way - Pope keeps saying for him to go for it, he even got them on a date once, but Catfish thinks she may just assume he only wants some fling with her, which is not the case. He really likes her and he has to try really hard not to keep staring at her when she’s speaking to the guys. Frank likes to observe her gestures, her smile and the way she bites her lips - and how much he’d like to do that too.
So yeah, he was very frustrated and kind of angry in that moment, and so, when his beer arrived, he ordered a double shot of wisky to the bartender, with the thought that maybe that would help him get through that night. Maybe going there just because of Lauren was a big mistake.
Will and Benny finished their play, joining Pope and Lauren at the table and, after seeing Catfish there, they complemented him from the distance, waiting for him to finish his shot and go there. He took he’s shot of wisky all at once, got enough courage and grabbed his beer, going to their table.
“Look who’s here”, said Benny, smiling to him besides Will.
“I’m here for a while now”
“Yeah, we thought you would join us to play”, Will said, drinking from his beer.
“I’m not really in the mood”, Catfish said, looking to Pope just to see he was talking low with Lauren. The guys knew about Pope’s plan and just tried not to spoil it or give it away and acted normal.
“What do you think about we all play pool?”, Lauren suggested suddenly, finishing the drink she was sharing with Pope.
“Hell yeah”, said Benny, smiling.
“Maybe we should bet something”, Will proposed, giving the thought to Pope. Will is very calm and stuff, but that doesn’t mean his always soft with his friends - specially if he’s being a cupid. Pope thanked him in his thoughts.
“I think the winner can get anything he asks done by the others”, Pope said, seeing the surprised look in Catfish’s face. They all knew he was the best of all of them, even with his knees all screwed. He just didn’t believe that was happening.
“I think that’s a good idea”, Lauren backed him up, looking for a moment to Catfish, but he was too occupied drinking his beer almost all at once and already asking for another.
“Great, because I want free shots and beers for the rest of the night”, said Benny, already getting up and going set the pool up for them.
Will gave a wink to Pope without anyone notice and got up too, Lauren going behind them.
“Aren’t you going too?”, she asked Catfish, who was still seated on his chair.
“Hum, yeah, I’m just… finishing this other beer first”, he said, trying to smile “I’m just behind you”. She nodded and went after the guys, not noticing the pure fury that was rising inside of him.
Catfish played the best he could, God knows how he tried - and also how much he was hopping one of the guys won -, but Pope was just too god damn good. But the worst was Pope and Lauren just understanding each other jokes and laughing to each other all the time. That’s all he could see and what confound him the most.
At the end, Catfish had drunk two or three more beers without even noticing, such anger he was trying to swallow along with it.
“Oh, c’mon!”, said Benny, throwing the pool cue on the pool table.
“I won fare and square”, Pope said, smiling. “And now I want my wishes”.
“Yeah, we all know what’s your big wish here”, Catfish said, not capable of resisting all of that crap anymore.
“What?”, Pope was a good actor, we gotta give him that.
“C’mon, I’m not stupid. I just never thought you were an asshole like this”, he said and just got out, not willing to see Lauren’s confused face and have to explain everything.
Will and Benny wasn’t laughing or willing to like they were on the table. That seemed like Frank was really upset and Pope also realized that. Lauren didn’t understand a thing and was left with Will and Benny when Pope ran to the door to catch up with his friend.
“Wait!”, Pope said, running after Catfish, that was walking surprisingly fast for someone who was kind of unsettled by the alcohol. When he got to him and touched his arm, Catfish just turned around abruptly.
“C’mon what? You want me to stay and participate of this bullshit with you, that’s what you want?”
“It’s nothing! I’m going home and we forget about this”
“Fuck, Frank, just listen to me!”, Pope demanded, talking a little louder. Catfish stayed in his place, giving him just one last chance. “I don’t want her.”
“Yeah, right”, Fish said, rolling his eyes.
“I’m serious! I’m just doing this as a last chance for you to do something, damn it!”
“You heard me.” he looked deep into Catfish’s eyes so he knew he was really serious about that. “I don’t wanna know if what I did was right or wrong, but what I do know is that you gotta do something, man. Look at you, I wasn’t even hitting on her, I was just making her laugh and you looked like someone was torturing you.”
“Yes, you were, and don’t deny it. I saw how many beers you drank, and you don’t drink fast like that just for fun.” Pope sighed. “All we all want is for you to just do something, man. You don’t have to declare your love for her, just ask her out, that’s all. She expects that from you for a long time and I don’t know why the hell she didn’t give up on you already.”
“I’m saying I’m serious. She even thinks you don’t want anything with her, man.” Catfish was caught by surprise by that. He never thought of it this way. “Promise me you’ll stop acting like a fucking teenager and will ask her out.” Catfish looked deep into his eyes and knew he was telling the truth. They didn’t use to lie to each other like that. A slight smile popped up in his face, lightened by hope.
