. dare devils

[taylor maitson]

"Oh yeah, you've always been so polite." He's not sure why it's turned so bitter, why he's turned so bitter, but it's reminiscent of the last days of their relationship. Walking on eggshells or screaming at each other over the slightest things, each quick to push the other's buttons. Taylor tries to remember everything he has learned at all the wellness retreats he's been on. He slows his breathing, counts backwards from ten, pictured waterfalls. "Is that the one with Sydney Sweeney? If so yeah, sure, duh."

[kendra santisi]

"And you've always been so chivalrous.” Kendra remembers plenty of times when he'd ghost her, anger festering until her fuse blew and she'd contact everyone in their general vicinity to figure out his whereabouts. Now she knew that people would fully lie to her about where he was anyway, rolling her eyes at the now obvious cover ups; she'd be too wasted to even piece together the mismatched stories, just wake up with that creeping anxiety and only feel relief when he finally texted her. She nods her head, peeking back over the edge of the couch to check the timer before gesturing for him to shift. "Wanna Snuggle and Instacart? The new Netflix and Chill, one could say.”

[taylor maitson]

Taylor finally sits up, adjusting himself so he's sat next to her, kicking his feet up on the 'L' portion of the sofa. He opens up his phone, going to Instacart and handing it to her unlocked, secretly praying that no notifications would pop up from Lenny or Elyse or anyone else. As if it mattered, as if she would care. "Order whatever you want." He commands Alexa to play the film, confirming that he's willing to rent it and hitting pause so they can wait until the snacks get there. "Want a blanket?"

[kendra santisi]

Deft fingers flick listlessly through the snack options, cart quickly adding up as she tilts to lay down again. Her head bumps the edge of his thigh as she scrolls, subtly changing her contact photo in his phone to something cuter before realizing his address was already saved. She'll try her best to map it from her own place later, handing it back when the order's complete. "Yes,” Kendra says simply at his question, sitting up until she's tossed something soft and knitted, readjusting when he comes back so her head falls comfortably in his lap. The opening credits roll, her mind's muddled with the proximity, and she finally whispers a small "thank you,” dragging the blanket up and under her chin.

[taylor maitson]

The order goes through unadorned, Kendra's taste in snacks surprisingly good for someone he strongly suspected had an eating disorder. Maybe they had better taste than most, given the amount of time and guilt they put into it... he feels a pang of guilt for his inconsiderate thought patterns, for his neglect, for not doing more. He makes a note to himself to keep an eye on her later. Soon they're settled in, snacks delivered and spread in front of them, her head in his lap. "You don't need to thank me." His fingers draw circles behind her ear, sink into her still damp hair. He groans as Sydney appears in a bikini. "Fuck, it should be illegal to look like that."

[kendra santisi]

Kendra could probably go on about how he'd essentially saved her life last night but decides to let it be, mentally preparing a snarky message to Greg later on as she pops a white cheddar cheeto puff in her mouth. Airy, so less calories - an automatic thought she shoves from her brain, eating another few handfuls for good measure to drown out the dissatisfaction as the movie begins. Soon all thoughts entirely disappear, focused on the smooth pattern he drags through her hair, him acquiescing to a request she hadn't even verbally made. Strange how could still be so in-tune with someone that felt like a stranger at the same time. Her eyes drift down to her admittedly flatter chest, an amused frown following her inspection. "Didn't know tits are what did it for you,” Kendra muses, shoving hers together in an attempt at cleavage before her head tips back into his touch. "Competition, or no?”

[taylor maitson]

A Twizzler hangs out of his mouth as he chews it up inch by inch. He wonders what he might have been doing if this chance encounter hadn't occurred, whether he would have bothered to go out for a walk or a drive, or just stayed in to rot on his own. For the first time he can admit to himself that he's glad she's here, breaking through the sanctuary he had built for himself. He laughs at her question, shaking his head. "What is with girls? You say one thing and they think it's a direct slight against them." He drags his eyes from the screen to Kendra, tilting his head in consideration. Eventually he shakes his head. "Sorry Ken, Sydney wins this one." He squeezes her cheeks together, her full lips pushed into a pout. "But your face wins every time. Still the most beautiful I've ever seen."

[kendra santisi]

"I'm a model, baby, everything is a slight against me.” Though glamorous and idealistic from the outside, modeling was nothing but constant competition and trend dependance, a rare few defying the odds and becoming a household face enough to carry campaigns on their own. Kendra luckily hovered close to that notoriety, still steadily booked despite her age and the pendulum that swung over Fashion Month. She could walk a show if she wanted; she could attend an event if she wanted. Exposure still at her fingertips but she's solidly content right here, staring up at familiar eyes and pressing her lips together with over-exaggerated kissing noises, cheeks burning at the authentic compliment. "You sure know how to make a girl blush, Taylor Maitson,” Kendra purrs, feeling his touch slip against her bottom lip. It's likely unintentional but she savors the moment anyway, dipping to draw his thumb into her mouth before sucking gently, letting it go with a gentle pop and returning her eyes to the movie. "Can you pass me a cookie?”

[taylor maitson]

Her talk of being a model stirs memories within him. Even in the less lucrative male modelling space, he had been shocked by some of his colleagues in his brief dalliance in the field. Barbed comments about each other's eating habits, made in broken English, models hearing about each others' gigs and trying to snake them out from under each other. He had hated it from the second he got into it, riding that ticket out of Indianapolis with absolutely no intentions to make it his lasting destination. He couldn't imagine what so many years in such a toxic industry would do to you-- well, he didn't have to, the evidence was sat right in front of him with her head in his lap. "Actually I've never been very good at that sorta thing." A frisson of pleasure ripples through him as she sucks his thumb, his grin turning quizzical though he doesn't acknowledge it. He complies, reaching across and placing a cookie in her expectant mouth. "This movie sucks ass, by the way."

[kendra santisi]

Kendra narrows her eyes at him in disbelief, surprised when the set of his features reads honest. The hoards of fan sites and Instagram pages still dedicated to him would likely say otherwise, women drawn to every outfit and blurred photo like moths to a flame. But she guessed the Taylor she knew had fixated on her, rather than been a figment of her obsessive imagination. She only knew his attention and his devotion...and ultimately, his betrayal. The awkwardness of him had always been endearing, not uncomfortable. "Always worked on me,” she reassured, chewing when he complied and studying the movie again at his comment. She agreed, and honestly? Comparing Glen Powell's generic handsome face with the one she stared up at now, the glacial eyes she wanted to swim in and the full pout and everything that came between them, he was the one she'd rather watch. Her heart flips funnily in her chest at the thought, rising quickly in gratitude when the oven finally beeps. A tiny haze accompanies her movement, chocolate slowly having its effects. "Definitely no 13 going on 30,” she confirms, pulling the hot pan out with a dish rag and dropping it on the counter with glee. "Holy fuck, who knew I was a chef.”

[taylor maitson]

Looking at her now, fresh faced despite the hangover, her eyes so vivid against her ever-present tan, he couldn't understand how her ex could let her go. But he realizes with the twist of an invisible knife that he had been that stupid ex once, not just letting her go but pushing her away, betraying her time and time again. It was not something he allowed himself to think about much but it was an unavoidable thought now, especially as compliments spill from her perfect lips. "I don't think I ever stopped being surprised that it did." The spell of the moment is disrupted by the beeping of his oven, a sound he had been looking forward to until now. He gets up too, if only to avoid feeling the void of no longer having her in his lap, following her over. "Oh wow, are you thinking of applying for Masterchef? Maybe Hells Kitchen?"

[kendra santisi]

"Anything with Gordon, he can degrade me any time.” Kendra opens various drawers until silverware appears, sticking a fork in the middle and delighted when it came out clean. A simple but victorious satisfaction washes over, too impatient to let them cool as she divides them rapidly and unevenly. "I still like the edges, for the record,” she teases, purposefully cutting away from the edge in one corner so she can pick at the flaky sides. It's when she tries to peel it off in her haste that she forgets just how hot the pan is, an unintended "Ow,” unearthed as she burnt her fingertip. Unperturbed she sticks it into her mouth to sooth the sting, finally collecting the bit she desired. "Why?” Kendra ventures, the world subtly garbled around her hand. "Are you still surprised when people want you in return?”

[taylor maitson]

Taylor's nose scrunches up in disgust as he is forced to imagine her with the wrinkle-faced chef. The smell of chocolate has enveloped them completely now, and despite the impending promise of a fresh brownie, he chews on a square of weed chocolate. "Leave them," he says, though she of course ignores him, her knife slicing through them like butter. "Told you." Finally he looks up at her, her characteristically direct question giving him pause. "No, it happens often enough that I believe it." He leans on the counter, pressing his tall frame into it as he eyes the cooling brownies, able to practice restraint. "It's specific to you. Was it just because of Alessia and Zac?"

[kendra santisi]

"Was it just because of them what, that I liked you?” It's a strange question, pulling her finger out of her mouth to inspect the swollen damage. It'd be fine over time, much like everything was, but Kendra had always lacked patience and it often showed. "No - it was because of them that I was around, at first. It was because of you that I stayed around.” When they met she'd been on top of the world career-wise, months away from her first Victoria's Secret Show and brands (and people alike) clamoring to connect with her. Book her, photograph her, fuck her. She'd had her fair share of choices, and yet when she'd dragged Taylor away from the after after party and kissed him sound and sweet, it felt like she'd made the right choice. Swaying with the memory and a bit of a loose high she tilts his chin up, lips flitting against his briefly before she pulled away. "Just what I thought, still sparkly.”

[taylor maitson]

"Run that under lukewarm water for a few minutes." A more than cursory knowledge of first aid was a hangover from Taylor's childhood. Whether he was helping his drunken mother bandage up a cut from a dropped glass, or helping his sister through a fever, there weren't many scenarios he hadn't come across before, and that included burns. "Because whatever Alessia did you did too." Another jab. He at least feels guilty about this one, because before he knows it her lips are brushing against his tantalisingly. She calls it sparkly and he knows exactly what she means. "Do you think we'll end up together one day?"