۟

[۟ @corprupted]

retirement plan in the making

[۟ @corprupted]

yeah, ok. whatever.

[͏ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ 𝑾𝐘𝐀𝐓𝐓. @drunmss]

always sad when a birthday celebration ends that’s probably it 🙄

[۟ @corprupted]

i'm just checking, dude. seems like everyone's been acting a little fucking weird since last night.

[͏ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ 𝑾𝐘𝐀𝐓𝐓. @drunmss]

i’ll be fine , geez . relax .

[۟ @corprupted]

alright, focus on drumming if that's what you wanna do. but lemme know that you're actually doing ok here.

[͏ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ 𝑾𝐘𝐀𝐓𝐓. @drunmss]

gonna focus on drumming

[۟ @corprupted]

c'mon, i don't give a shit about rent. i care about whether or not you're ok. what's going on? you don't just up and quit shit outta nowhere.

[͏ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ 𝑾𝐘𝐀𝐓𝐓. @drunmss]

don’t worry i’ll find a crafty way to carry my weight in rent

[۟ @corprupted]

is someone dosing the water in the building or something?

[۟ @corprupted]

you just quit your job? dude, what the hell are you even talking about?

[͏ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ 𝑾𝐘𝐀𝐓𝐓. @drunmss]

yeah do something physical stop working and all that like me i just quit my job and im about to go on a run

[۟ @corprupted]

hold up. that was meant to be advice?

[͏ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ 𝑾𝐘𝐀𝐓𝐓. @drunmss]

he’s just got a knack for offering unwanted advice

[۟ @corprupted]

why is he so worried about him anyway?

[͏ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ 𝑾𝐘𝐀𝐓𝐓. @drunmss]

whatever he says !

[۟ @corprupted]

neither of them had to handle whatever state she came home in alone.

his attention drifted back toward the painting, brow lifting slightly as he studied it again. “this still needs to dry, right?” he asked, glancing back at her.

[۟ @corprupted]

“sure,” gray agreed with an easy nod. “go shower or whatever. i'll swing by when she texts me to come get her.”

it was obvious maisie was worried, and if he was being honest, so was he. having another person around probably wasn't the worst idea. if nothing else, it meant —

[𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐞.ᐟ @artsyfreaks]

“mhm?”

completely elsewhere, temporarily focused on diana and whatever is up with her—whether is it through her disagreement with diana, or the incident with wyatt. so when gray approaches, she barely registers gray approaching until his scent reaches her nose and forces—

[۟ @corprupted]

he's not at work 24/7. they go to the gym together most days a week. besides... he's got a standing desk at work. standing in silence is easier to tolerate.

[͏ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ 𝑾𝐘𝐀𝐓𝐓. @drunmss]

he’s gotta do something physical
all that reading , working , and sitting in silence sounds like torture

[۟ @corprupted]

across the red smear, collecting some of the paint before gray seemed to register just how naturally he'd reached for her.

his hand lingered for half a beat. then he pulled it back, holding his thumb up between them as proof. “red,” he finished, mouth curling at one corner.

[۟ @corprupted]

gray caught the streak of paint across her forehead the second her hands dropped away from her face, amusement flickering across his expression. “you've got...”

he closed the distance without really thinking about it, hand lifting on instinct. the pad of his thumb swept gently —

[𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐞.ᐟ @artsyfreaks]

“ i mean, i don’t know her as much as you guys do, but yeah.. i just.. i worry a little. i don’t know.”

pressing her hand against her forehead in concern, temporarily forgetting that her fingers are still coated with pant, spreading red fingertips stains over her face.

[۟ @corprupted]

but this is different.”

his gaze lingered on maisie for another second before he looked away. “seems like she's got something chewing on her.”

[۟ @corprupted]

he took the out without much resistance, giving a small nod as his attention shifted toward di.

“yeah,” he said, shoulders lifting in a loose shrug while his mouth pulled into a faint frown. “no fucking clue what's going on with her. she's always been a little tightly wound, —

[𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐞.ᐟ @artsyfreaks]

her ears are warm. compliments about her appearance, she can handle. genuine compliments about her work, something so deeply personal and sensitive—as her family would attest— was a different story. she was happy to have felt the mere urge to paint about that place.

inspiration—

[۟ @corprupted]

gotta make something his personality.

[͏ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ ‍ 𝑾𝐘𝐀𝐓𝐓. @drunmss]

being employed kinda blows he doesn’t get how @corprupted makes it his whole personality

[۟ @corprupted]

the next hour.”

[۟ @corprupted]

“figured i'd come bother you for a while,” gray said, lifting the beers in one hand like they were enough to justify showing up unannounced.

he stepped inside, but his attention snagged almost immediately on the papers spread across the coffee table and the open laptop sitting —

[𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚎 @PLANNlNGS]

the knock on her door took her slightly off her guard, standing from her position hunched over her laptop. papers spread out across her little living room table, hair braided back messily. hurrying over to the door, she swung it open only to grin at the person that appeared . . .

[۟ @corprupted]

between them. his mouth pulled faintly to one side. “am i interrupting?”

gray glanced back at her, already shifting the beers against his palm like he was prepared to make a retreat if she wanted him to. “i can come back later,” he offered easily. “these aren't gonna expire in —

[۟ @corprupted]

@lucissolis proximity? who am i meant to talk to when everyone is silent? besides, i've got a deadline at work. figured i'd use the opportunity to lock in.