He's Pleased With The Choice, Smile Evidence Of Such. Belly Practically Rumbling At The Thought. " Wings

he's pleased with the choice, smile evidence of such. belly practically rumbling at the thought. " wings are in my top three foods, ronnie. pizza, wings, and hoagies. and buffalo wings dipped into ranch ? no way i'm swapping that for some measly extra fries. " though he does also love fries. food in general, really. “ i’ve been here for hours and i don’t think we’ve actually caught up with one another yet. what’s new ? ”

very little greens was an easy enough request, ronnie scrolling through the app as she threw herself into one of the lounge chairs in the center of the room. wings had no greens, so, she decided that would do as she ordered two combos and tossed her phone onto the center table. her feet are being brought up to rest on it as he walks in, head nodding in greeting. "wings and fries," she has a triumphant smile, "i hope you like buffalo. if not, i'll gladly take them off of your hands. maybe you can have some of my fries as collateral."

there’s something endearing about how serious she takes cleaning — like it’s an art form. to him it's just another thing that needs to be done. he almost wishes it was a fun task for him, but it's simply not. " you're telling me all this time i've been using fancy products and all i really needed was some vinegar and citrus fruit ? " he sinks back, impressed look upon his face. " usually i would say there's no need, but i'm sensing this is fun for you. so if you want to, i could absolutely pay you to clean my countertops. " it somehow sounds like some weird inuendo, but he means it quite literally.

cleaning and being tidy certainly was time consuimg. and laila took it very seriously. especially because of the fact that she liked for her apartment and things to be done a certain way. taking the time to do things correctly was something she took great pride in. " are you saying that you need help cleaning your countertops? because i could do it. " she leans in close to be able to share the secret with him. " this isn't top secret at all. all it is, is vinegar and lemon juice. and let me tell you! it works absolute wonders!"

nova watches him for a moment, eyes narrowed ever so slightly as she considers his words. letting go isn't exactly in her wheelhouse. the idea of messing up for fun ? that's about as foreign to her as swimming itself. but dax has a way of talking that makes it all sound so simple, so easy, like none of it could possibly go wrong. besides, she supposed the act of trying alone would be a subtle f-you to her mother, something she finds rather exhilarating at this point in her life. soft smirk soon edges into the corner of her mouth. " do you always talk so poetically ? i'm starting to think you should reconsider your career path, you know. life-coaching may be your real calling, " she teases, tries to distract from the hint of tenseness that lingers in her shoulders. " but okay, i'll bite. but you won't see my laughing off any mistakes because i don't plan on making any. " nova steps closer to the water’s edge, her posture straight and sure, perfected act of confidence so strong even she barely notices the nervousness that lingers beneath. but it's there, like a small wave in her tummy. " so, what's the first step ? " she questions, toe dipping into the water. it feels nice. not too warm, not too cold. just right. with a quiet sigh, she moves further, stops and turns to face him when the water reaches her knees. " is this the part where i flop back, learn how to float ? "

he  leaned  back  against  the  weathered  wooden  railing ,    the  late  afternoon  sun  casting  a  warm  glow  over  the  water .     his  drawl  rolled  easily  off  his  tongue  as  he  replied ,     “     well ,     sugar ,     it  ain't  just  about  breathin'  and  strength .     it’s  about  lettin’  go  a  little ,     too .     i  promise ,     messin’  up  is  part  of  the  fun     —     like  findin’  a  hidden  treasure  in  a  pile  of  old  junk .    ”     he  could  see  the  playful  smirk  tugging  at  her  lips ,     that  competitive  spark  flickering  in  her  eyes  like  a  flame  eager  to  ignite .     “     and  who  said  i  didn’t  think  you  could  do  it ?     ”     he  continued ,     tilting  his  head  with  a  teasing  grin .    “     i’m  just  tryin’  to  keep  you  from  overthinkin’  every  little  splash  you  make .     the  water’s  meant  to  be  playful ,     not  a  battlefield .     ”     he  stepped  closer ,     his  voice  lowering  to  a  more  earnest  tone ,    “     how  ‘bout  this ?    you  humor  me ,     and  i’ll  make  sure  we  keep  it  fun .     i’ll  guide  you  through  it ,     and  you  can  show  me  how  fiercely  you  can  kick  and  glide .     if  you  mess  up ?     well ,     we’ll  just  laugh  it  off .     life’s  too  short  to  drown  in  perfection .     ”    his  eyes  sparkled  with  mischief  and  warmth ,     inviting  her  to  dive  into  a  new  experience .    “    so ,     whaddaya  say ?     let’s  see  what  kinda  magic  happens  when  you  let  loose  a  little .    ”

               it probably is bullshit. sometimes he thinks he was made to be forever self-sabotaging. a fatal-flaw inside of him. " i was minding my business, some people just don't know how to grow the fuck up, " he states, no attempt to be quiet about it. it seemed even after almost a decade, there were still people from high school who thought the past was a joke. kai holds back a wince as they place the ice-pack to his lip, shrugs. " yeah, " kai let's out a chuckle, " if my sisters taught me anything in life, it's how to hit people where it really hurts. " when he glances at elena, his expression barely changes, but there's a spark of thanks behind his gaze. " you don't have to do that, you know . . . it's just a busted lip, no real harm. i'm good. "

               “  do  you  ?  because  i  think  that’s  bullshit  with  the  amount  of  times  i’m  finding  you  in  a  predicament  like  this.  ”  they  state,  swatting  the  hand  away  before  putting  ice  back  on  the  busted  lip.  “  did  you  at  least  get  one  good  hit  in  ?  ”

                spirits. now that has his attention. ace shakes his head, leans forward to rest his chin in the palm of his hand. " nope. never had it. the soaked in spirits part almost makes it sound appealing, but it's cake, so i'm i'm gonna assume it's in no way gonna get me buzzed. therefore, it's kinda pointless. " he keeps listening, look of pure disgust crossing his features when elena reminds him of morning runners. ace is active, fit in his own right, mostly due to the fact that he takes his dog on long walks multiple times a day. but running ? before the crack of dawn ? well, that sounds like pure hell. " someone should really look into these people. i can't be sure, but there's at least a solid 88.8% chance that they may be alien lifeform. " he's deadass serious too, blinks as he tries to imagine getting out of bed before the sun had even decided to wake up. " oh yeah, of course. the question is, are you ? " his hopeful gaze meets theirs, slight hold of his breath in anticipation.

                there’s  a  pause  in  their  chewing,  looking  towards  ace  with  a  slightly  narrowed  and  confused  gaze.  “  —  you’ve  never  had  fruit  cake  ?  ”  the  question  lingers  momentarily.  “  the  cake  …  with  candied  fruits  and  nuts  …  soaked  in  spirits  ?  ”  a  de  luca  staple  after  their  father  became  obsessed  with  it  during  a  high  profile  case  that  took  place  in  the  united  kingdom.  “  you  don’t  have  to  have  raisins  in  it  …  i  don’t  think.  i’ve  never  had  raisins  in  mine  but  my  siblings  also  hate  the  dried  taste  of  them.  ”  shoulders  shrug  before  taking  a  sip  of  the  warm  coffee  still  sitting  in  her  mug.  “  i’m  sure  some  people  do,  i  mean  those  that  have  adult  jobs  or  those  that  go  running  before  the  sun  comes  up  …  apparently  they  exist.  ”  another  shrug  of  the  shoulders.  “  so  you’re  a  cold  pizza  fan  ?  ”  a  beat,  gaze  staring  at  him  intensely  as  they  wait  for  the  answer.

kyro snorts, holds back his laughter. " pulp, huh ? " a brow shoots up, and he can't help the urge to be exactly what he's supposed to be, and that's an annoying older brother. he'll support his siblings all day long, believe in them fully, but that in no way means he's above teasing them. " that's big talk for someone who's punch feels like air. are you actually planning on using your muscles anytime soon ? " with those words he moves his hands in a extra slow-motion swing, no intention of any real impact. instead he grins as he presses his fingertip to her forehead, give a slight nudge. " come on, get mad. and rotate your hips, " he insists, slight demonstrates before putting his palms back up, ready for her next punch, " then maybe you'll hit with some real power. "

she can't help but hum the tune as she repositions herself, shaking off the laughter and putting on her game face. she's determined to throw a better one this time, bouncing on her feet and putting in a little more umph into her next swing. "you're the one that needs a prayer, big brother," she follows it up with another hit, stopping to shake her hand out. even she doesn't believe it as the next words fall from her lips, "your hands are gonna be pulp when i'm finished with you !"