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

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

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?"

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 . ”

" well, every career is successful if you're successful in it. maybe he has other plans and it's a means of saving, or maybe one day he'll own his own security business. there's room for growth in everything. like, i've seen people with zero fashion sense completely transform overnight, so if that's possible anything is. " shoulder shrug, it was fair enough of the other to not want to settle down right now. everyone is on their own path, wants different things. " or who knows, maybe he'll be someone else's knight in shining armour tonight. "

"No but it's not exactly a successful career. What sort of growth potential is there? And of course I'd do more thorough evaluations for a life partner before I pick them forever. But it's not like I'm even thinking of that right now. I'm way too young to be an old married woman," she declared with a wrinkle of her nose. The very idea of being married right now sounded horrible. "Maybe he'll get a call back, but I'll give it some time so he doesn't think he's too special."

in life, there's people that linger for only a short time, that are only meant to be a moment in time. then there's people who stay, who mean something even when time and distance changes things. for kyro, that's celeste. there will never be a time he thinks of her as just his ex-girlfriends. she's his friend, a constant. someone he'll forever make an effort to keep in his life in any way he can. so when there was an offer of dinner, there was no way he was turning it down. she opens the door and she's smiling and he barley has a minute to process as she ushers him inside. a wide grin soon tugs at his lips, eyes crinkled with softness. " smells amazing in here, " he states cheerfully. it feels familiar too. creates a warmth he can't find when he's on the road. " i got you these, " turns to hold out a bunch of flowers towards her, because there's always flowers. " i can't take any credit for how good they look, that was all winnie. " a moment passes, and finally he gets a proper look at her. takes it all in. kyro doesn't tend to get shaky breath, but in that split-second, he does. wants to tell her she looks beautiful, but he doesn't want to make it weird. yet, his next question still has the potential to. " did you miss me ? "

@dreamerfms // letty's loft

making dinner for kyro had once been no big deal, just another sunday night for the pair. now, letty bumbled around her kitchen, tasting everything twice, and then three times to make sure it was just right. though time had passed, his favorites were still at the forefront of her mind, preparing each dish the way she knew he liked them. it was just a catch up with a good friend, that's what she told herself. the rap at the door has her head snapping up, the dish on the stove turned to the lowest heat setting as she smoothed out her outfit and walked toward the door. with a deep breath, she pulled it open, smile wide and welcoming as she ushered him in. "hi ! you're just in time, dinner is almost ready."

noa’s eyes light up with excitement as she listens to alyssa, a girl after her own heart. thinks anyone she can talk endlessly to about clothes are the greatest people on earth. " five times in one week ? someone is living dangerously. i love it, " the brunette exclaims, before continuing, " but i totally get it. sometimes you just have to be in the store, touch the fabric, soak up the energy. shopping isn’t just a transaction, it's an experience. you’ve got to connect with the clothes, feel their potential, " she nods her head, eyes rolling in complete agreement. " ugh, and yes ! i mean, sure, if you want to buy the trend then buy the trend, but at the very least style it in a way that elevates you enough to stand out from the masses. fashion was meant to set us apart. some people forget that. " with a bright smile, she links her arm through alyssa's, eager to quite literally shop until she drops. " and while we shop, you can fill me in. how's life ? and more importantly, is there anyone special in it ? "

" are you really asking me how i have that kind of self control? because truthfully speaking here? i genuinely have no idea myself. it's hard and not easy, let me just say that much. " it's hard for alyssa to even pull herself away from a just a couple of her favorite stores. mainly because of the fact that if it was up to her, she'd be taking everything right off of the racks at once. " or just don't entirely know how to style the things that they end up getting? or it's all solely just for the trends of everything. " maxing out credit cards was truly a nightmare for her and she hoped every time she went out shopping that it didn't do that. or at the very least decline. another nightmare of hers. " i hope i never reach mine. i went to this one store like 5 times in the last week and i thought i was going to end up reaching it. keep in mind that i didn't even get that many things at one time. " alyssa smiled and clapped her hands together excitedly while she started to lead the way, this was always her favorite part. " yay! come with me and i will show you just how inspired you'll get! "