ᅠ𝐋𝐄𝐄 ¸ᅠ

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

[ᅠ𝐋𝐄𝐄 ¸ᅠ @evildeadisms]

ᅠᅠᅠ
𝐋𝐄𝐄 𝐑𝐀𝐘𝐁𝐎𝐍 — writer, bookstore owner, divorced, mostly lonely. he writes one shot romance for a magazine & also writes successful suspense/noir novels under the pen name 𝐓𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐄.
ᅠᅠᅠ

[ᅠ𝐋𝐄𝐄 ¸ᅠ @evildeadisms]

ᅠᅠᅠ
I'M LIKE THE BEE GEES . . . 𝑺𝑻𝑨𝒀𝑰𝑵' 𝑨𝑳𝑰𝑽𝑬.
ᅠᅠᅠ

[ᅠ𝐋𝐄𝐄 ¸ᅠ @evildeadisms]

“Oh, too bad, right ? Guess you'll be stuck with silly old me.”

He chuckled playfully, leaning forward to make the kiss easier for her. In a hum, he shook his head.

“Oh, no. Or he'd want them. I want to keep all the kisses for myself.”

[ᅠᅠ𝓐𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒆 𝓟𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒕 @ANNlEPLATT]

"Oh, okay."

Annie shrugged, signaling she'd respect his wishes - even if a little bit frustrated. Crowe was probably his favorite writer.

"Yeah, I was thinking of giving him a kiss in the cheek too. But I guess I'll have to kiss you again."

+

[함스 @unflowerableE]

I’m a museum of everything I’ve loved

[ᅠ𝐋𝐄𝐄 ¸ᅠ @evildeadisms]

Ah, I know that's what you love the most !

Really ? Huh . . . What a coincidence.

[ᅠᅠ𝓐𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒆 𝓟𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒕 @ANNlEPLATT]

. . . Yeah, I do, my archenemy. I actually love everything in you, even your pricky, snarky, ass.

Might have been in love you since the start.

[ᅠ𝐋𝐄𝐄 ¸ᅠ @evildeadisms]

Remember when I said I can get too much inside my own head ?
Yeah.

[ᅠᅠ𝓐𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒆 𝓟𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒕 @ANNlEPLATT]

You got so serious suddenly. . .

[ᅠ𝐋𝐄𝐄 ¸ᅠ @evildeadisms]

"Once I finish this thing I'm doing, I'll definitely annoy you, you should be careful with your invitations, y'know ? Might regret it."

[ᅠ𝐋𝐄𝐄 ¸ᅠ @evildeadisms]

He called her his archenemy, nemesis, the devil and whatnot, but it was never serious. He actually liked her of all people, because she was sincere and didn't cared about it.

"A little, yeah. But hey, I was born to be a failed writer." +

[ᅠᅠ𝓐𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒆 𝓟𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒕 @ANNlEPLATT]

He started to speak his heart out when the pies arrived. Annie didn't even noticed them; her whole attention was on Lee.

The man seemed so fragile and so strong at the same time. . . Opening up to her, even if he was supposed to dislike her due to the reviews.

+

[ᅠ𝐋𝐄𝐄 ¸ᅠ @evildeadisms]

He chuckled softly, clicking his tongue as he watched her.

"Thank you, archenemy."

Lee spoke playfully, finally eating a piece of pie, smiling at her. +

[ᅠ𝐋𝐄𝐄 ¸ᅠ @evildeadisms]

"He doesn't want to be known and I shouldn't tell you I know him."

He smirked playfully, shrugging softly.

"No . . . Were you ?"

[ᅠᅠ𝓐𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒆 𝓟𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒕 @ANNlEPLATT]

"Well, why not? Contract stuff?"

Annie chuckled, baffled by such revelation. Of all people, Lee was the last she'd imagine had a relation with Crowe.

"Or you were afraid that I was. . . I don't know, Gonna stalk him?"

[ᅠ𝐋𝐄𝐄 ¸ᅠ @evildeadisms]

"Yeah ? And here I thought you'd make a good detective, the way you talked about him."

Lee smiled playfully, happy to hear her, even if he felt like he couldn't show it too much.

"Me ? Why ?"

[ᅠ𝐋𝐄𝐄 ¸ᅠ @evildeadisms]

"Yeah, he's really . . . Isolated, that guy."

Lee smiled, glad that he kept Crowe as a secret from his wife at the time. He already knew what she was doing, so he just cut her off completely. She could've used this against him now. +

[ᅠᅠ𝓐𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒆 𝓟𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒕 @ANNlEPLATT]

"Well, I love them. . . I have been reading Crowe since his first book, actually; when I was dating my ex, he brought the first one home. He was his editor, but. . . He never even met Crowe. How crazy is that?"

Annie smiled fondly: Tucker Crowe's books were a nice

+

[ᅠ𝐋𝐄𝐄 ¸ᅠ @evildeadisms]

Still, he felt a fluttering in his stomach when she kept talking about his writing. It was painful for him to think about so many things, but it always felt so fluid that he kept doing it. He was glad about that. +

[ᅠ𝐋𝐄𝐄 ¸ᅠ @evildeadisms]

. . . you love the poor man's attempt at a bryan addams song ?

joke, joke.

i love you too, my archenemy.

[ᅠᅠ𝓐𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒆 𝓟𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒕 @ANNlEPLATT]

. . . Okay, you heard me.
I said I love you, Lee.

[ᅠᅠ𝓐𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒆 𝓟𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒕 @ANNlEPLATT]

Uhm. . . Uh, me what?

[ᅠ𝐋𝐄𝐄 ¸ᅠ @evildeadisms]

He spoke playfully, shrugging.

"Because you end up reading my bullshit romances. I like that, y'know ?"

[ᅠ𝐋𝐄𝐄 ¸ᅠ @evildeadisms]

It as okay, she shouldn't quiet down her voice. He could take the harsh truth. Hell, he was used to.

"Huh."

Lee hummed, smirking at her words.

"No, I actually haven't, I didn't knew you read that guy. You don't seem like the mystery, noir kinda person." +

[ᅠᅠ𝓐𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒆 𝓟𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒕 @ANNlEPLATT]

Seeing Lee being so sweet to her made Annie's heart feel warm - and a bit guilty. She shouldn't have been so harsh on him. Maybe, on his next oneshot, she'd choose nicer words.

"Yeah, Tucker Crowe. . ."

+

[ᅠ𝐋𝐄𝐄 ¸ᅠ @evildeadisms]

He would appreciate that very much. Very, very much.

"Yes ?"

The man answered and smiled at her, in a shrug.

"Oh, yes. I do. Shouldn't have said that, but yeah."

[ᅠᅠ𝓐𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒆 𝓟𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒕 @ANNlEPLATT]

Oh. . . If only Annie vould hear his thoughts. She'd give him an earful for thinking so low of himself; then, she'd kiss all of his fears away forever.

Now, however, she was very very wary of his behavior - quite strange in fact.

"Lee."

+

[ᅠ𝐋𝐄𝐄 ¸ᅠ @evildeadisms]

You what ?

[ᅠᅠ𝓐𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒆 𝓟𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒕 @ANNlEPLATT]

. . .yes, you are. Alright.

That's why I love you.

[ᅠ𝐋𝐄𝐄 ¸ᅠ @evildeadisms]

Lee would like that very much — yet part of him believed he didn't deserved her or that she deserved someone better than the mess he was.

She was his archenemy, but she was nice, in the end.

“Huh ? What ?”

Lee answered, a little awkward and smiled shyly.

[ᅠᅠ𝓐𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒆 𝓟𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒕 @ANNlEPLATT]

Annie thought of saying that, actually, he wouldn't need any of the work. She was more than willing to kiss him anytime, if Lee wished to.

However, when he mentioned Crowe's name - quietly, almost as if he didn't wanted to -, Annie's thoughts disappeared. She stood

+

[ᅠ𝐋𝐄𝐄 ¸ᅠ @evildeadisms]

Meee ?! I'm a saint.

[ᅠᅠ𝓐𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒆 𝓟𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒕 @ANNlEPLATT]

. . . You are vicious, sir. Very, very vicious.