See I'm Smiling

Tate Grayson || 26 || Police Officer I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead; I lift my lids and all is born again. I think I made you up inside my head

[cookiesordeath]

[tatexgrayson]

there are much worse games to  p l a y.

[tatexgrayson]

“I – alright. Not too much though, been trying to stick to the whole diet thing with healthy food,” she said with a small smile. She took in a deep breath, shrugging a shoulder. “Nothing happened, but something could, y’know? I mean I’m not out there with the rest of the team, but I’ve seen multiple people be rushed to the hospital while on the run for someone and I want to know how to protect myself. I want to be able to know that I don’t need to be scared walking home late.”

"--- Fine, I'll help you, but for now I'll pick you up from work and take you home."

[emmcperez]

“It’s not an insult, but you’re a little grumpy.” She smiled at him and pulled her index and thumb apart to emphasis the little. “I know you aren’t and with my plan to give you surprise hugs – you’ll be in love with them in no time.”

[tatexgrayson]

"I'm not grumpy, I'm just... average in terms of moods." Tate rolled his eyes, but was a little humoured by her. "That or I apply for a restraining order."

[tatexgrayson]

Birthday Fest || Tate & Bo

[tatexgrayson]

bo-van-houten:

Opening her mouth briefly, Bo shut it just as quickly, not entirely sure what to say. She hadn’t even been aware that to some it had been admirable. If anything, the blonde had seen it as one big mistake that she had tried to fix as soon as possible. “To be honest, half of the time I have no clue what I’m doing. I do it with confidence nonetheless, but most of the time I have no idea what is going on or what I should do. Life is full of these uncertainties, people that will or will not leave, things that may or may not work out,” the blonde shrugged, being completely honest. “Perfect?” Bo blinked once before confusion found its way to her features once again. “I’m not perfect, nor do I wish to be, Tate. I’m flawed just like everyone else. Don’t think too highly of me, I might disappoint.” Despite the fact that her message was serious, her tone was more jokingly than anything.

The blonde wasn’t sure if she was supposed to comment on him or not, if she wanted to hear him talk about such topics in a situation like these. She knew that it was important for him to open up and appreciated the fact that he did so to her, but they way he was brushing it off only hinted her to not continue that conversation. “I never said it wasn’t, I sometimes just wished I could visit him whenever I felt like it, you know?” Green hues fell back to Tate’ once again, observing his acting curiously. Feeling his thumb against her lip, Bo was sure her cheeks were turning a soft pink once again. Noticing the officer’s orbs still on her lips, Bo couldn’t help but wonder what was going through his mind in that small moment. Though when the male spoke up again, Bo had herself from letting out a soft groan. “You can’t just do that,” the blonde protested, her hand gesturing in the air as if it was obvious. “You can’t just do some cliché shit and then not kiss me, that’s not how it works.” So, maybe she was being too forward, but perhaps it was just her determination to get whatever the two of them had, going.

"There's nothing wrong with that either," Tate said as she countered his words. "The only reason I'm in the mess that I am right now is because I don't know what I'm doing, and I'm reminded every day that that is okay. That knowing isn't necessarily the biggest part of living." Tate had Devyn and his therapist constantly enforcing positive thinking upon him, and with having Devyn as his new room-mate, the constant barrage of support was helping more than he could have first anticipated. It had been at least two and a half weeks since his last dark day, the least he could do was try and instill some of that peace of knowing that knowing isn't everything onto the one he cared about. "Maybe not. Maybe you're not the perfect that society puts on us all and maybe you're not the perfect that you think you are, but even perfect people make mistakes. It's what makes them so... well, perfect. I can see now that I'm going to have a hard time trying to compliment you if you always argue the compliment in return."

Tate nodded. He didn't know how hard it was to live without another for a long period of time the way she has had to do with her brother, and despite being in the army; there was always a direct connection to those he considered family. He would write back and forth with his mother and occasionally send Nora some letters as well, but for the most part Tate was content with those he had around him, wishing for more when the wish couldn't come true would have ended his army career long before the bombs did. "Just be patient," he reiterated, "one day." Tate was perfectly content in the silence of his gazing, but her outburst nearly had him falling off the bench. "I can't do what...?" he questioned quickly, his eyes blinking as he tried to place what he had did wrong. It was only a bit of curry sauce, was she saving it for --- oh! Before she could utter another word or make another gesture, Tate ducked his head and stole a kiss from her lips. It was often hard to gauge where Bo was at with her thoughts about him and her, and it was even harder when Tate was just as clueless, but if he had known she had wanted him to kiss her then he would have greeted her with one instead of waiting till now. Still, the waiting was worth it, and her lips were still as sweet as the first time they had kissed. "I apologise."

[tatexgrayson]

Birthday Fest || Tate & Bo

[bovanhouten]

“Well, that makes sense. But like I said, I can be very determined about things. Honestly, now I start thinking about it I’m one big paradox. Nothing really makes sense when it comes to me. I can be both adventurous yet lazy, flirtatious yet shy, social yet I tend to stick to home, determined yet completely lost. Nothing makes sense, yet it does to me.” Her words most likely were one big mess, but these were just thoughts laid out, her brows furrowing in the progress. Those the confusion quickly washed away, replaced by a small smile. “Sorry, completely irrelevant. Just a train of thought.” Finishing the last bit of her bratwurst, Bo used the paper napkin to clean some sauce of her hands before throwing it away in the nearest bin.

Returning towards Tate again, the blonde listened intently to his explanation. Though when he became quiet it didn’t take long for Bo to realise what had happened to Thomas. “Relating things to certain people makes it a lot more meaningful, it makes sense,” she nodded once again, her gaze lowering briefly towards his hands. “Well, he has his life back there you know? Daniël couldn’t stop talking about his new job so I don’t think he will be moving here any time soon. Would be nice though. But I get it, he has other plans. Just like I can’t imagine going back to Amsterdam anymore. I have my life here and people I refuse to leave behind.” The mere thought of leaving in that exact moment felt completely off for Bo, knowing that she would throw everything that she had with Tate out of the window by leaving. She wouldn’t allow herself that in any way.

[tatexgrayson]

"I know you can," he backtracked. "I've seen what you can do when you put your mind to something. Like that time you realised that what you had been moving towards for the biggest majority of your life was no longer for you. The way you handled that... I can't even describe it. Now look at you, you already have a new path and the determination to match." Tate couldn't help himself, but sometimes he really just was in awe of the woman Bo was. Tate had been faced with the crossroads twice before in his life. The first time he chose to end his education and go to the army, and the second time... well, he was still recovering from that choice. "That all made perfect sense to me. It boils down to who you are, and without those contradictions, you wouldn't be Bo. It's what makes you... perfect." He shook his head and dismissed her apology. "The train went somewhere, who cares if it was just a thought? I like hearing them."

"It's easier to accept things when there's a sense of logic to it, but sometimes that isn't enough. I used to be like you, I viewed the bagpipes as something offensive to my ears, but now it just... it fills me with a sense of familiarity. I don't listen to them often, but when I do hear it everything just... it makes a little more sense, that everything was real and that part of my life, no matter how hard it was to live through and to live with, will be what defines me and the person I've become. It reminds me of the people I need to make proud. --- The people I have to live for." Tate brushed off the conversation once he stopped talking. This day was about Bo, not about him and his memories, and he'd rather keep it that way. He didn't want to destroy the atmosphere of the festival and the sense of happiness and contentness that was currently building in his stomach. "It's okay to have separate lives, but I'm sure you'll see him again soon. He's your brother after all, I wouldn't worry about it." Reaching over, the officer used his thumb to wipe a small trace of curry sauce that had left itself latched to the side of her mouth, his eyes lingering there for a moment before he blinked. "There's that determination again. It's... admirable." And entirely entrancing.

[tatexgrayson]

Birthday Fest || Tate & Bo

[bovanhouten]

“Like you said, I’m one of a kind,” Bo stated, taking another bite of the German food, humming slightly. “But as far as I know being persuasive is not the opposite of being indecisive. I can actually be very certain about what I want. Food is usually not one of them though, but that’s because there are too many options.” The words were said as if it was the most logical thing and maybe it was, to her but not to everyone. “You got to at least keep a few of them though! I can’t have them all, what’s the fun in getting them just like that? Now I can’t execute my masterplan of stealing your jumpers. I called it operation Armadillo.” Another chuckle escaped the blonde’s lips, obviously amused by her own thoughts.

When the male mentioned bagpipes, Bo cringed slightly, scrunching her nose at the male. “God, I hate those things to be honest.” The sounds reminded her of nails against chalkboards, an unpleasant shiver going down her spine at the mere thought of it. “How can you enjoy that? They’re… so loud and schel…  uh, I actually really don’t know that word in English. Kind of intrusive basically?” The Dutch girl tilted her head slightly to the side before distracting herself with one of her last bites already. “So which one is it? Very nice or edible?” She rose her brows in amusement. “Uh, just walked around mostly, ate cake at Sugar defiant. Just chatted mostly, had a lot of catching up to do. I almost convinced him to come live here actually.”

[tatexgrayson]

"I did say that," Tate nodded. "I never said they were the same. I just meant that being persuasive is all about being confident in what you know and by using that confidence you sway the opinions and beliefs of another and you can't really do that if you're indecisive; yet you make both work. That's why I stick to a select few kinds of food, that limits the choice and time it makes to choose and I know I can trust what I eat to taste the way it should." This was the most logical thing that Tate could think of when it came to food, and he always brushed it aside like it was a natural thing to do rather than explain that he's entirely picky and unadventurous when it comes to food. He likes what he's used to. "How about I keep one and you have the rest? Or should I hide them all over my house and yours for you to find? --- Operation Armadillo?" he snorted. "That's... funny."

Tate looked at the bratwurst for a moment or two before shrugging his shoulders, his eyes now following the rowdy crowd around them. "When I was in the army, I had a friend called Thomas who was from Scotland. We met when I first enlisted at eighteen and were friends since then. It was annoying to me too at first when he played it during our down time, but then it sort of became that thing that you relate to someone, you know? Kind of like how I'll always relate novelty socks back to you, but anyway..." Tate scratched his jaw, leaving his explanation like a cliffhanger. Not because he wanted to or for dramatic effect, but because of Thomas and how he was one of the ones who had died in the attack that had Tate defeated in more ways than one. "It's nicely edible," he gave her a small smile. "You did? That sounds great. Maybe you won't have to do much convincing next time."

[losteveragain]

[tatexgrayson]

tate grayson outfit appreciation

[tatexgrayson]

we gotta let go of all of our ghosts        we both know we ain’t kids no more

[glassbonespaperskin]

[tatexgrayson]

Birthday Fest || Tate & Bo

[bovanhouten]

The socks Bo wore were somehow quite fitting for the blonde. It showed of a weird side of her, but it was tucked away under her jeans, much like she would not show certain sides of herself to complete strangers. Though even that border seemed to be somehow crossed more easily for Bo than for most. Following the male, Bo held her bratwurst in her other hand before sitting down on the bench next to him. “Don’t say never darling, I can be very persuasive,” she rose her brows, a sly smile showing. “One day, I’ll have all your jumpers. I bet you, I will look better in them anyway.” A chuckle escaped her lips once again, while she bit down her lower lip.

Taking a bite of the sausage, the blonde clumsily held the napkin under it, trying to keep the curry sauce from dripping. Chewing it briefly before swallowing, Bo spoke up again. “Uh, talk to people? Laugh at drunk people, try more food, sing along with bad music. I think that’s about it,” her brows rose once again, though this time more in confusion. “German music is really bad though, maybe even worse than Dutch music. So let’s hope they won’t play any of that.” Glancing around at the people that had gathered at the festival, Bo spotted very few familiar faces, her attention quickly to be returned to Tate. “Thank you, for the food by the way,” she smiled, turning slightly towards the male. She hadn’t been completely aware of it, but found herself closer towards Tate each time, somehow trying to touch him, even if it was only a brushing of the shoulders. “So, how are you liking the bratwurst?”

[tatexgrayson]

"You can be very persuasive, yet you can't make the decision between a Chinese takeaway and pizza. You're an anomaly, Bo," the officer chuckled. He then shrugged and pointed a finger at her, "I'll have them boxed up and I'll bring them over to your place. I have absolutely no problem with giving them away or admitting that you'd look better in them." He already had enough trouble resisting the urge to comment on how his hooded sweatshirt has not once suited him ever since she donned it.

Tate listened intently as she spoke about festival activities that people normally would do, but he knew they would never be his normal. He wasn't one for striking up conversations with people he didn't know or drunk people, for that matter. It might've been due to the promise he made to himself about staying sober, his tolerance fell dramatically the second he cleansed himself of the alcohol. "I haven't heard Dutch music, but I've heard some German songs. Though, I think that if there ever was a country that had really good music it would be Scotland. Most people find it annoying, but I like the sound of bagpipes and pipe bands. It's very... patriotic. Kind of sums up the entire country in one sound... if that makes any sense." Tate's eyes were for no one else other than the birthday girl, so when she scanned the festival, he couldn't help but watch her. He liked watching her small mannerisms that made her who she was, and it was like he was learning something new each time. "It's very nice," he finally dropped his eyes to the snack in his hand. Though it wasn't a taste he would like to get used to on a regular basis, he didn't find it entirely disgusting. "It's... edible. So, what else did you do on your birthday?" He just wanted to hear her talk.

[ananoskov]

“No, of course not.” Devyn wasn’t exactly sure what she’d thought he would do given that she kind of forced him into a situation that might have caught him by surprise. She wouldn’t have blamed him had he felt the need not to play along and just tell her ex off. Had the situations been reserved, she couldn’t deny the fact that she might have punched his ex girlfriend in the face. “It’s not,” she shook her head. It was what needed to be said, though she still couldn’t let the shocked expression fall from her featues. “Wow. Well, I’m glad you’re here, Tate. I know it was a long time ago, but I don’t know what I’d do without you in my life.”

[tatexgrayson]

"We look after each other, that's what we do. I don't think it entirely matters if it involves our job or not anymore. I trust you with everything," Tate said, though there was something that he couldn't even tell Devyn, but that was beside the point. "You deserve better than him so all I can say is stay away from his kind because I don't know what I'll do if it happens again." The idea of being around a sad and broken Devyn couldn't even be considered for Tate, not when she was his main support line. "I'm glad I'm here, too. --- I realise that now more than ever and I'm starting to believe it when I say it. I've gone through worse, but thank you. I appreciate it."

[emmcperez]

“Chirpy and grumpy – aren’t we the cutest?” Harley laughed in his ear before pulling away to look at him. Her brow raised as a shocked expression fell upon her features. “Did I hear that right, you don’t hate it? —-Success!!”

[tatexgrayson]

"I'm not grumpy," Tate protested before putting a small distance between them. She had her fun, they didn't need to be stuck together now. "I'm not fully void of human emotion or contact, you know."

[tatexgrayson]

Birthday Fest || Tate & Bo

[bovanhouten]

“That’s good, because otherwise I think it would be horrible to put up with me,” Bo crinkled her brows slightly, an awkward smile showing. Sarcasm was a usual thing for her, but it was never with the intent to hurt anyone, maybe tease them but never to mess with someone. And despite the fact that she knew Tate could have his difficulties with detecting it, Bo hadn’t been able to stop herself from it much, sarcasm being a natural way of responding for her. “Oh no, it’s fine! It was just slipping off slightly,” the blonde reassured, her thumb running over his hand briefly.

When Tate’s jaw visibly tightened, Bo couldn’t help but bite her lip softly. Though this time it hadn’t been out of discomfort but more or less impulse. Snapping out of her haze, the blonde blinked briefly before letting her green hues drift back to his eyes. “As a matter of fact, I do!” She stated rather proudly, hoping he hadn’t caught her staring. Reaching down, Bo lifted her pant leg slightly to show them to him. “Don’t be getting any ideas? I don’t know what you’re on about Tate!” The blonde stated innocently, batting her lashes while she tried to keep herself from grinning. “I wanted something more original than jumpers, so socks it was,” Bo shrugged once again before shifting further into the line. Only one couple before them left before she would finally get some food. “It’s gross, that’s all you need to know really.”

[tatexgrayson]

"I wouldn't entirely agree with that," Tate replied as he side-stepped closer to her to avoid a passing group of rowdy teenagers. He couldn't help it, but the officer in him followed the group with his eyes as they slurred their words and sloshed their beers. He wanted to say something about the amount of underage drinking that was going on, but then he remembered that he was there with Bo and he had different priorities for this specific outing. After a moment, he finally tore his eyes away from them and looked back at the Dutch native. "If you're sure, I don't mind," he rubbed his jaw as he once again tried to relax into the atmosphere that was begging for his attention.

Seeing the pepperoni socks, Tate could only laugh. Here he was walking around with plain white socks on and she was parading around with the most ridiculous socks that he had ever seen. They couldn't be more different, and as they spent more time together, he was beginning to notice this more and more and it was... worrying. He couldn't help but think he must be boring compared to her. "Outstanding," he shook his head, clearly amused by her cheeriness over socks. "I know you, Bo. You practically have a scheming face, but I can prevent all of that by telling you right here and now that I don't do novelty jumpers. They stay locked up for a reason." A smile stretched his features once more as the couple in front of them finally got their meal, and Tate stepped forward and ordered the bratwurst. He then ordered them a large drink to share. "I'll make sure to remember that next time I find myself at a festival like this," Tate retorted as he handed over the money. He then thanked the vendor before leading the blonde away to find a place to sit. "What do you usually do at these things other than drink?" he asked when a place was finally found to sit down.

[ananoskov]

“Awh. Look at you being protective.” Devyn grinned and nudged his side playfully since he had that serious look of displeasure in his eye that she could only associate with the fact that she had an ex that had cheated on her. “I should have punched him but I thought this was the better way. Plus I didn’t want to get you in trouble for letting me punch someone while on the clock.” Shrugging her shoulder, she paused momentarily to look at his face when he began to correct her on the story. “Wait what? You were the little kid? You had… wait. No. Are you being serious right now?”

[tatexgrayson]

"Did you expect any less from me? The whole point in us being paired for these cases is because we look out for each other. I wouldn't be good at my job if I didn't." Ever since the army incident, Tate hadn't felt much desire to get involved in fights or arguments, but being in the same vicinity of her ex was bringing up the urge to punch his face. "That's... thoughtful of you," the officer replied as he pulled his wallet out of his pocket as they approached the counter to pick up their orders. "I had an allergic reaction to chicken pox when I was a kid and I ended up in hospital. It's not all that common, but it also wasn't worth mentioning. I only brought it up because I couldn't think of anything else to say."

[emmcperez]

“You’re going to love it” Harley grinned when he accepted, almost jumping up and opening her arms really wide. As he hugged her, she gripped him tightly and gave him the best that she could. “Do you love it yet?” the brunette whispered halfway through.

[tatexgrayson]

"Are you always this... chirpy?" Tate wasn't entirely uncomfortable in the hug, but he wasn't all that comfortable either. He allowed her a few more seconds so that he her desire for a hug was fully humoured before he pulled back. "I don't hate it," was all he answered.

[noraburnell]

“Okay, you overgrown child,” she told him teasingly, not missing out on the small smiling appearing on her lips. “It’s my middle name. Just tryna,” and cue a shrug, “slugging around, really. Got myself a boyfriend, imagine that.”

[tatexgrayson]

"If you say so," Tate wrinkled his nose in reply. "Nora Morbid Burnell. I suppose that does have a certain ring to it." Raising an eyebrow, all thought of food was gone. "Who?"