Kai \ Winnie. - Tumblr Posts
kai smirks, leaning back on the swing, hands loosely wrapped around the chains. “ guess i felt like being unpredictable for once, ” he responds, voice laced with a familiar mix of sarcasm and indifference. " gotta keep you on your toes. " kai kicks the ground beneath, causing the swing to sway lazily. the façade drops for a moment, reflection of concern behind his gaze as he glances winnie's way. " so, what's up ? did something happen, or did you just miss me for my charming personality ? "
LOCATION: coral cove park STATUS: closed / kai finnegan @dreamerfms
she knows the second kai reacts to her SOS with a thumbs up, they're due to meet in the park after midnight. usually she's the first one there, but to her surprise, kai is already waiting at the swing set for her. she plops herself down on the swing next to his and offers a small smile. "you switched things up on me," she teases. "usually it's me waiting on you."
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?"
" twice ? damn, winnie, you might even have me beat there. " she jokes about killing him and he can't help the smirk that flickers. he leans in, voice low, and with a familiar sardonic humour that not many could handle says, " eh, you'd be doing me a favour. " but as she continues, he stays quiet, let's her talk. isn't quite sure what he's expecting. then it comes and he smiles and it isn't teasing or sarcastic or anything in-between. it's genuine, soft, so unlike him some might never believe it. " that's cool, " he responds, and in a weird way he feels . . . proud of her ? knows all too well how coming out can feel. " we're a pretty decent club. i mean, there's the occasional asshole, myself included, but overall it's not too bad. " grin grows briefly, then fades. a moment of quiet before he asks, “ how long have you been out for ? ”
"well, luckily for you, i've actually done that TWICE. there's so much for you to learn about me," she jokes, pushing herself back on the swing. there was comfort in kai and the park-- the need to be young and innocent again. it seemed kai needed that just as much as she did. "well, that is good news. otherwise, i'd have to kill you." a funny statement, coming from winnie of all people. the girl couldn't even kill a spider. "i guess an ear for now. maybe advice if you think i'm stupid or whatever. which, would be a very valid response." something she wouldn't have agreed with back when everything was fresh. "so, i'm..." the word gets caught in her throat. she's been out for three years, but hasn't really talked about it. at least not verbally. it's almost as hard to say it to kai as it was to say it to her parents. "bisexual," she finally gets out. "but, that's new. well, not NEW, but, like, new, i guess... it took a long time for me to be okay with saying that."
“ sometimes the asshole is good to have on side. this one comes with a sister who is real big on slashing tires, ” he teases, smirk etching into the corner of his mouth. but the smirk fades quickly, is replaced with something softer. a side of him not many people ever get to catch a glimpse of. words provoke a wave of empathy. “ no,” kai shakes his head, swoops away the curls that caress his forehead, “ it’s not cheating. everyone handles it in their own way, not talking about it much doesn't make it any less a part of who you are. " kai had gotten to a place of being fully comfortable with it, but still he wasn't shouting it from the rooftops. he lived his life, and if it came up, he'd say with no hesitation. " oh, " kai soon lets out a quiet huff of air, hands tightening around metal ever so slightly. stirs up a memory he wishes he could forget. so long ago now it makes him feel pathetic that it still creates an ache in his chest. " was she a friend or . . . a friend friend ? " hopes the glance he gives her way lets her know what he means. and after a beat he asks, " why'd you go ghost mode on her ? "
she leans in and lightly smacks his arm as he makes his joke. it's not at all out of character for kai, and she'd be lying if she said she didn't have similar feelings in her lowest and darkest moments. where kai had writing and music, winnie had flowers. different outlets, but definitely bright spots in their lives. friends, though, didn't seem to come easy to either of them. which is why it was so funny they almost never interacted during the day time. she looks down at her hands as he speaks kind words. "well, great. i would be stuck with the ASSHOLE," she jokes, playing with the ring on her thumb finger. "only a couple of years... but i don't really talk about it... is that cheating?" there were people who were loud and proud about who they were-- she'd seem them online, had met them in person... she just didn't feel like she could do that. at least not yet.
"i had this friend back in college... she was so proud of who she was... proud of who i was, even back then... and who is proud of themselves at nineteen?" winnie certainly wasn't, but she was harboring a lot of secrets back then. "we fell out. well..." she sighs. "i kind of ghosted her... okay, not kind of. I GHOSTED HER."