Kai Tilts His Head, Smirk Still In Place But His Gaze Softens. There's Something About Winnie That Feels

kai tilts his head, smirk still in place but his gaze softens. there's something about winnie that feels safe to kai, and that's no common thing for him. he's spent the last decade keeping most people at a far distance, so to have someone who feels like a friend despite the fact they only ever seem to meet in the dead of the night, is a big deal. despite his sarcasm and the way he tries to act like he hates the whole world, there's a genuine care for her. " blew your world up ? no. no, i don't believe we've gotten to that part yet. " there's a teasing edge to his voice before he lets out a chuckle, momentarily directs his gaze to the gravel beneath his feet. " the good news though ? i don't have anyone to tell your secrets to even if i wanted to, " he reassures, with of course the exception of his sister meave, though even then he's never been one to blab about other peoples lives, " so if you wanna unload, i’m here. no judgment, no shitty advice you didn’t ask for, just . . . whatever you need. "

a chuckle escapes her lips as the other speaks. "the latter, obviously. am i really that easy to read?" winnie found it very hard to be open with others. spending so much of your life hiding who you were made one terrified that the secret could slip out at any moment. any moment of honesty and vulnerability was an opportunity to ruin a perfectly good image. but, she remembers the time kai stumbled upon her here at this very park. everything just kind of fell into place. she was new to town and very overwhelmed with... well, LIFE. a listening ear from a stranger somehow brought her back to earth. "well, you're definitely keeping me on my toes," she tells him. she's stalling, despite the fact that she called him here. explaining ronnie was something winnie had never expected to do, but here they were. "have i ever told you about the time i blew my own world up?"

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia – 4.13: The Nightman Cometh

there's fun in messing up. the idea feels foreign and it's not because she can't have fun, it's because messing up has never been much of an option for her. her instinct is to scoff, to brush it off with somewhat faux confidence she always carries, but there’s a softness in his tone that almost tempts her. but she knows herself, knows she's the type of person who would drive herself insane trying to fix every little mistake. perfect, the word rings in her mind, mothers voice stern and sharp. always perfect. " what, you don't think i could ? " raises a perfectly sculpted brow, playful smirk etching onto mouth. but it's there, behind her gaze, a competitive spark like no other. a fire that burns bright. " swimming is, what ? mostly good breathing, coordination and core strength ? i've already got all three of those. but i'll humour you, just this once, " she adds, an air of teasing. for someone who's never attempted to swim, she's sure got a lot of faith in herself. " how about you tell me what to do, and we'll see how well i can execute it ? "

he leans back with a slow , lazy grin , the kind that seems to say he's already seen through her words , but he’s willing to play along . his eyes spark with a mix of curiosity and amusement , and his drawl adds a casual warmth to his response . “ now , see , that sounds like a challenge . and i never could back down from a good one . ” he watches her , noticing the tension she carries , the weight of always needing to be perfect . “ difficult student or not , darlin’ , i reckon you’d surprise yourself . ” he tilts his head , eyes narrowing just a little as he studies her with that easygoing charm of his . “ overtake me , huh ? i’d like to see you try . but maybe... just maybe , you don't always have to be the best at everything. there’s fun in messing up sometimes . ”

closed ft. @bittcrsweetsfm

" hey, " kai begins, smirk tugging at his freshly bust lip, hands raising up in defence, " i want to be good, life's just not letting me. but in my defence, he fuckin' started it. "

there's a brief crinkle of his brows, slight confusion washing over him. but her enthusiasm is palpable, soon causes a smile to stretch onto features. " i see. and how clean exactly is ' maya clean ' ? because my apartment could probably use some of it. " truthfully, he has too much space for one person, and isn't often there to keep it in check. but he likes to have space, always wants to be prepared should any family need somewhere to rest.

𓍼⋆⊹ 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓 : @dreamerfms

"and guess what? it's not just health department clean. it was "maya" clean!" she was awfully enthusiastic about that. how could she not be? it was just the way she wanted for it to be. well, not necessarily wanted but she wasn't going to let anything be a mess. especially not any future restaurants she was looking to own... or even her apartment.

noa: omg finally !!! noa: honestly, lottie, what took you so long ? noa: i'm on it. i'll pick out all my best clients just for you 💞

imessage: matchmaker matchmaker

lottie: noa ? lottie: what would you say if i asked you to set me up ?? lottie: as a hypothetical of course @dreamerfms