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#i think he's mad because this leak was clearly used to get clout using his name
ltpolari · 3 years
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I'm getting drug addiction vibes, similar to KMM and maybe that's the reason why Louis doesn't want to talk about the leaked song
a what?
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baby-grayson · 4 years
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Kind Stranger|Part 3|GBD
Read Part 1 Here Read Part 2 Here
Word Count: 3k 
Trigger Warning: quarantine talk
Tags: @evergreendolan​ @someonetogray​ @vintagedolan​ @prettyboydolan @dolansficsandpics @graysavant @baby-turtles A fresh New Jersey breeze moved through Grayson’s hair: a metal folding chair dug into his thighs. He sipped from a diet root beer while his sister, Cameron, told him, Ethan, and their mother about her post-college job search. The twins offered Cameron a job on the design team for their merch line and Wakeheart, but Cameron declined because she wanted to forge the path for her own career. Their mother sat on the opposite side of the table, sipping a glass of iced tea. Cameron’s rant about a quarantine job search was cut off by their waitress politely interrupting to deliver four plates of pancakes. The family had decided to try outdoor, socially distant dining at a local diner to celebrate their weekend together.
Ethan raised his eyebrows at Grayson from across the table when their waitress, who had an amply plump chest, leaned down to deliver his breakfast. Grayson rolled his eyes at his brother while the waitress said a nice goodbye and walked back into the restaurant. “She’s good looking,” Ethan noted. “You already have a girlfriend Ethan,” Cameron said crossly. “Not for me!” he defended “For Grayson! The poor guy’s right hand is applying for other jobs right now.” “E!” Grayson bellowed as Cameron busted out laughing. Their mother, sensing things getting out of hand, scolded Ethan for being so brazen. “Sorry mom,” Ethan said before shoveling a fork full of pancake into his mouth. Cameron snickered beside him. “You should ask for her number,” she prodded before taking a bite of her own breakfast. “Yes, he should,” Ethan grinned at Grayson from across the table. Grayson rolled his eyes, “Don’t start this,” he shoveled a bite of food into this mouth. “It’s not a horrible idea,” his mother chimed in, awaking a triumphant look from Ethan and Cameron. “Mom,” Grayson groaned with a bite of food in his mouth. “Don’t talk with your mouthful,” she warned, “But really, what’s wrong with asking for her number? She seems like a nice girl. I wouldn’t mind you finding a girl in Jersey, it would give you a reason to come home more often.”
“Let’s face it Gray, you’re about as single as slice of dairy free cheese” “N-n-n-ooo Noo No No,” Grayson started while Cameron started nodding. She added, “You can’t deny it, you’re getting desperate” “I don’t need her number,” Grayson sulked and tried to eat his breakfast in peace. Cameron and Ethan shared a knowing look before looking back at Grayson. “You kinda do, “ Cameron started. “It’s been a while for you buddy, “ Ethan finished. Grayson couldn’t read the difference between their care and sarcasm.
Grayson drew in a harsh breath between his teeth, “Maybe I don’t need her number because I already have someone else’s.”
“Grandma Bernadette doesn’t count,” Ethan quipped. “Not her,” Grayson snapped. He broke his authoritative tone, “... I met a girl” Ethan drew back, wide-eyed he blinked at his brother while his sister and mother glanced over to him for more information. Ethan leaned forward, hunching over slightly to ask “What are you talking about?” The twins told each other everything, but Grayson had failed to inform Ethan of his morning beach friend. Grayson had intended to tell Ethan but had not gotten to it yet. Truthfully, Grayson was worried about his brother’s emotional state in the wake of this last video. Ethan was doing a good job at putting up a tough front in the face of everything being thrown at them on the internet. But ever the doting twin, Grayson knew when Ethan was disturbed.
Their close, brotherly relationship dictated that they told each other everything, which is why Ethan sat wide-eyed at the idea that his brother had some kind of a secret lover. “I met a girl,” Grayson somewhat mumbled a bit more clearly this time, both nervous and sorry that this was how Ethan was finding out. A part of Grayson wondered if it was too soon to talk about Kate out loud. Another part of Grayson knew it was too soon to talk about her in front of mother. “Who is she?” Cameron’s voice held every ounce of protective sisterhood it could. Ethan’s mouth went dry while he waited for Grayson’s answer. “Her name is Kate,” he started. What did he really know about her? “I met her at the beach where I take my morning surf. She’s nice.” He thought for a moment, realizing that he didn’t have that many details to give. She bandaged my foot? She has a limp? “She’s new to California, just moved from Philly,” he decided on before shoveling another bite of food into his mouth. Ethan’s brow furrowed. “What does she do for a living?” the trio’s heads snapped up at the question, forgetting they were having this conversation in front of their mother. “I’m not really sure,” Grayson signed, “We haven’t talked about it yet” “Have you talked at all?” Cameron peered at him from the tip of her straw, implying that this was yet another hookup that Grayson caught feelings for. “Yes, we talk a lot” Grayson quipped. A lot was subjective. “We talk every morning when I visit the beach” “What does she think of the channel?” Ethan’s voice was monotone, almost spiritless.
“I don’t think she knows about it,” Grayson shrugged. Cameron’s eyes widened as Ethan snapped, “You don’t think?” Grayson nodded, “Yeah, we haven’t talked about it. It hasn’t come up.” He continued to shovel food into his mouth, insistent that this remain a normal breakfast outing. “Hasn’t come up?” Ethan’s jaw locked. “And yet you talk every day?” His tone was accusatory, and Grayson recognized the oddity in the situation. Grayson nodded with a shrug and continued eating his pancakes. He wished that waitress would come around to politely break the tension at the table.
“When were you going to tell her about ..everything?” His mother prodded. “I’m not sure, I guess I was going to mention it whenever it came up.” Grayson answered reasonably. “Whenever it came up?” Ethan’s exasperated tone felt sharp on Grayson’s ears. “Came Up? Like your career isn’t relevant?” Ethan was started to snap.
“There is more to my life than just the internet” Grayson asserted. Cameron reached a hand across the table, on Grayson’s left hand which was gripping a butter knife with white knuckled. “How do you know she’s normal?” Cameron tried to hide her judgement but Grayson saw through the sympathy. “What do you mean?” Cameron retracted her hand and looked down before Ethan clarified, “What if she’s a stalker? Or crazy? Or just getting your number to leak it on the internet?” Grayson dropped the knife on the table with a clatter, “Because she’s not. She’s friendly and harmless.” Grayson took in a break before looking at his siblings again. Cameron sat with her lips pursed while Ethan sulked in his chair. Both of them clearly didn’t believe him, something that drove him crazy. “I’M A NORMAL GUY,” he bellowed. “And normal guys meet normal girls out in public and don’t have to worry about this. You should know E, we’ve become outcasts in LA because we don’t play into all that clout bullshit” “Grayson-“Ethan interjected. “NO! I’M  A NORMAL 20 YEAR OLD DUDE” Grayson continued, “I don’t understand why you can’t just be happy for me right now. If this is how you react when you barely know her, what happens if I want her to meet you guys one day? Or what if I want anyone to meet you guys one day? Are you going to collect their fingerprints for a criminal record?” Grayson ran a hand through his hair. He took a heavy breath before taking a sip of his diet root beer. The can was empty; he crushed it within his fist and dropped it on the table. He looked down at his mutilated pancakes, not hungry anymore. “We just want the best for you,” his mother consoled him before asking for the check. From across the table, Ethan and Cameron shared a worried look. ********************
Grayson kicked off his flannel sheets, sweating in the hot, summer New Jersey midnight air. The sound of Ethan’s shower hummed in the background. The twins had pushed their morning brawl aside, pretending like nothing had been said. He’s going to bring it up again. Grayson sighed, thinking back to breakfast. He ran a hand through his hair and grabbed at a few strands. He picked up his phone and opened his text messaged.
He stared at a blank text message. What should he say? What was there to say? Grayson rolled in bed. I told my family about you? Definitely not. My foot feels better! No feet talk. I miss you? I have yet to meet an angry rock? Is the beach lonely without me? Grayson looked up as Ethan walked out from the bathroom. Grayson closed his phone and put it on his nightstand.
********************
Grayson stepped out of his van and onto the tarmac of the beach parking lot. He shook his hands before shoving them in his pockets, feeling sweat start to form a thin layer against his fingers. He didn’t text her. He got her number and didn’t use it. What if she wasn’t there anymore? What if she was mad? God, why did he have to be such a loser?
Her long dark hair flowing in the wind was a sign of relief on that Monday morning in Malibu. The sky was still red and orange with the sunrise. Grayson smiled when he saw her there: she was sitting on the sand and waiting for him. Her petite figure was dark against the bright morning sky. He watched as her hair fluttered in the ocean breeze: a serene scene to greet him in the early morning. “Good Morning,” Grayson didn’t try to hide a very wide, very bright smile as he sat down beside her. “Good Morning,” she smiled back at him. “How was Jersey?”
“It was alright,” Grayson tried to think of another comment but found his memories of the weekend clouded by his tiff with Ethan at the breakfast table. Kate nodded, taking note of his meek answer. “Glad to see you didn’t get on the wrong side of a boulder,” she tried to joke, “considering you couldn’t win a fight against a pebble.” Grayson mustered a weak laugh before making a decision. If he was going to get to know her, it meant she was going to get to know him. “Wasn’t the best weekend honestly, “ he started “I got in a little fight with my brother.” “Oh,” Kate started. She looked down, unsure if she should pursue this line of conversation. When she spoke up, her voice just soft enough to be heard above the crashing waves “I’m sorry. Are you okay now though?”
Grayson gnawed at his lip for a second, looked down at the ground and then back at Kate. “Yeah,” he decided, “We live together so we kind of have to be.” “He moved to LA with you?” Kate questioned, not being able to hide the surprised tone in her voice. Grayson nodded, “Yeah, we moved together. “ He managed a soft smile to assure her that he was okay. He held himself back from giving her more details about why they moved. His knuckles found their way to his hair while  he palmed a shell in his other hand. Kate nodded softly, taking in a slow breath. She thought on where to bring the conversation, but realized she didn’t have enough information about Grayson to decide what discussion avenues were non-problematic options. She decided on “Who’s older?”
Grayson let out an audible laugh, squeezing his tongue between his teeth when he met her gaze with a smile. Kate brightened at the sight of his smile, a hint that somehow he had exited whatever brooding fog he found moments earlier. “We’re twins,” Grayson kept his smile as he spoke, letting the edges extend slightly when Kate’s eyes went a little wide.  “No way!” she exclaimed before stopping to picture two of Grayson sitting in front of her. “That’s so cool. I always wanted a twin!”
Grayson chuckled. He didn’t want to tell her, but that was everyone’s reaction when he and Ethan went out in public together. “It’s only kind of cool,” he modified before leaning back on his hands, turning to take in the sight of the shore in the morning.
Kate followed his gaze out to sea and then back again, watching him as he watched the waves. She took a breath and started toying with the hem of her shorts. “Yeah..”her voice was just above a whisper, “I can imagine why you fight sometimes”
“It’s like having another you sitting next to you all the time and you’re constantly talking over each other because you are trying to say what you want to say but the other you also wants to say it even though you thought of it first” Grayson rubbed his face with a hand while before shaking his hand and letting out a disgruntled breath. He looked up at Kate and saw her shy face, her bright smile hidden behind a pensive look. “But..” he tried to reign himself in from his previous statement , “we are the two closest humans on this Earth, I’m sure of it. And there is no one out there who wants the best for me more than him. “ Grayson felt relief when a small smile crossed Kate’s lips, meeting his eyes with a kind and gentle gaze. “He gets under my skin sometimes, but I love him” Grayson let out a breath of tension that he hadn’t realized he’s been holding. He wanted to run home. He wanted to run home and drag Ethan’s sleepy ass out of bed and hug him. He wanted to tell Ethan that he loved him and that he was sorry for springing the news about Kate on him that way. Suddenly, Grayson felt a pang of guilt for how he treated Ethan last weekend. Kate noticed Grayson’s face return to peace, understanding that he had resolved whatever inner debate she wasn’t privy to. She looked out over the horizon while she buried her toes in the sand. Grayson’s thoughts woke from his inner monologue to focus on her. He looked down, seeing where she was burying her dainty hand under the sand. He tossed his shoulders back drank her image in: the way her eyelashes framed her big brown eyes and how her small pink mouth naturally fell into a soft smile. Grayson inched closed to her, settling himself in the sand again. He took in a breath, centering himself and letting the thoughts of Ethan wash away. He looked at the girl sitting next to him, drinking her in once again. He thought of how happy he had been to see her sitting there this morning. She had waited for him. She wanted to talk to him. Grayson immediately felt like an idiot, not realizing that just the fact that she had sat down and waited for him implied that maybe he had a chance. What should he do now? Should he try to flirt with her? What do they do in the movies? Grayson shimmied his large hand over to where her small one laid on the sand and gently wrapped his pink finger over hers. Kate looked up to meet his eyes with a wide smile and Grayson felt his face become hot. “You didn’t bring your board today, “Kate pointed out, “Even though your foot is better.” Her eyes wore a mischievous look, a look that knew exactly what her words were implying. Grayson’s mouth turned into a smirk, as he let out a low, breathy chuckle. “I did,” Grayson’s voice held an air of challenge. His gaze fell on her small, pink mouth. He felt accomplished when a blush fell on her round cheeks. Grayson found himself so lost in her features that he forgot to move the conversation along further: a realization that triggered his thoughts into a spiral. What should he say? Is the silence awkward? Was she expecting more?
Kate broke their silence, “I have no plans tomorrow.” The sound of her voice put a stop to Grayson’s inner spiral. He breathed a sigh of relief before realizing what she was implying. He felt a thin layer of sweat cover his palms before Kate spoke again, “What is there to do in a semi-locked down LA?”
Grayson’s mouth went dry as his palms were soaked. “Y-yeah,” he started mindlessly, his tongue yammering on his pallet while his thoughts race. Was this a date? Was she expecting him to come along? No maybe he was overthinking it. Maybe she really just wanted a suggestion. But no, she waited for him. She waited for him this morning. She wanted to talk to him. But did she want to go on a date with him?
Grayson’s inner panic heightened when he realized how long he was taking to answer. He looks out over the ocean in an attempt to escape her big brown eyes and cute pouty lips. His heart rate remains high as he notices the waves crashing on the shore, just a few feet from where he sat. Suddenly, inspiration hit him. Ocean. Sea. Water. Fish. Aquarium.
“The aquarium is open” he bounced up as he spoke, resembling a first grader shouting out an answer in class. “Fun! Is it any good to visit?” Kate asked innocently, but her voice triggered a series of explosions in Grayson’s body. His heart pounded, while his eyes almost watered. He tried to take even breaths to calm himself, but his brain had been replaced by a spastic hamster trying to learn the electric slide. What should he do? How should he say it? Grayson nodded, “It is, but I haven’t been in years. I think the last time I went was when I first moved here.” Grayson gulped hard. He took in a large breath and tried to ignore the thick layer of sweat on his palms, “I could show you around if you want?” HE DID IT. He said it, he did it. He desperately hoped that she had been intending on taking him. He really hoped she would say yes.  A/N: Thank you for reading! As usual, let me know if you have any feedback. I’m sorry for ending on a cliffhanger but I couldn’t figure out how to transition into part 4 without it. xoxo
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