brutal | grayson hawthorne

shoot your shot ig

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ARE WE STILL FRIENDS? by Tyler, The Creator

***

"Did you pay someone to kill Avery?" Liz takes in Tobias Hawthorne's gun collection as Grayson does so similarly on the other side of the room.

She's been feeling like herself since Grayson sought her out this morning to finish what they'd started with the game, which is surprising considering the conversation she had with Avery last night.

Maybe it was just good for Liz to finally say it out loud. Obviously, she had been thinking it since she found out what happened, but say it in the presence of another real person, was far more cathartic than she would've ever given it credit for.

"God," Liz can practically hear Grayson roll his eyes at her question, not even dignifying it with a response.

She explained everything to Avery after her confession. The way Emily found out about Liz and Grayson. The way Liz was grasping at any chance to prove to Emily that she wasn't a horrible friend. The way Liz knew about Thea and Rebecca sneaking around behind Emily's back. . .

She pulls another gun from the shelves of the old man's Winchester collection, but another dead end as she scours for any sign of a clue.

"Do you think we should talk about that night?" Liz starts ambling around aimlessly as she starts to get bored of not making any progress. "When we went to see the Red Will." And we got the closest we've ever been to talking about that night. Maybe talking to Avery has made Liz more interested in making things right.

"That depends," Grayson says in a true Grayson fashion. "Are you going to start an argument with me for no reason again?"

"You know I can't help it," Liz tries being silly about it. "It's just so easy to get mad at you."

But he doesn't answer her and she knows that's the wrong thing to say anyway.

She guesses it's just hard for her to admit that she can build up these conversations in her mind with the perfect thing to say, only to bail out when they actually happen because it can be scary.

And as much as she used to be such a feel-y person, she can't go back to that place without remembering all the trouble it's caused. But. She's turning over a new leaf. She'll fix this. Maybe. If she doesn't freak out again.

"One," Grayson keeps her from having to be the one to say the next thing anyway as he discovers the next clue.

"Eight and one."

"Eighteen," Grayson switches the numbers, nudging Liz at the acknowledgment of how many years old she is after she comes up beside him to see the letters herself.

The action is harmless, obviously, but Liz stiffens and she feels the air around Grayson shift too. They haven't talked about. . . anything really. . . And neither know what this is between them. At least if they keep prioritizing the game, they won't have to find out.

"Where to next?" Liz is the one to take responsibility for changing the topic of their unspoken conversation now.

***

The kitchens, of course.

Liz doesn't normally drink. She has tried taking a page out of her mom's book and trying to drink her problems away, but the hangovers are not worth it, and it's embarrassing for people to see what a lightweight she is.

But she also stopped because if you were to open a dictionary to "emotional drunk" her picture would show up, and she may or may not have been wasted out of her mind the first time she made a move on Grayson. Obviously, he wouldn't have done anything with her while she was like that, so it was absolutely humiliating when he continuously brought it up for a week straight afterwards. . . Liz eventually having to kiss him to get him to shut up.

But now, she needs to channel the Liz that can say anything she wants anytime she wants around Grayson, so she takes another gulp from the wine bottle Grayson put out for them to share.

"We should do your clue," Liz taps her nails against the counter as Grayson takes his turn with the bottle. "Like your middle name, I mean. And what clue it is."

"Without us?" Jameson says as him and Avery walk in.

"You're one to talk," Avery snarks and Liz stares, wondering what's going on there.

"Trouble in paradise?" Grayson takes the words out of her mouth.

"Since when are you two a team anyway?" Jameson slides up right next to Liz, changing the topic effortlessly, taking the bottle mid-air from Grayson setting it down.

"Doesn't matter," Grayson is not one for small talk. "What do you want?"

"Just a little late night snack," Jameson brushes off, grabbing a chocolate chip cookie and tossing a scone to Avery who tosses it back into the basket, not wanting it, wincing a bit as she moves her shoulder.

"How is it?" Liz notices and realizes it's the first thing she's said to Avery since she admitted what she did the day Emily died last night.

Avery had assured her that she didn't think the whole ordeal was Liz's fault and that Liz was ridiculous for making it seem like it was, which cleared her conscience helpfully, but Liz knows she won't feel completely better until she really talks to Grayson.

"Fine," Avery dismisses easily, "yours?"

"I don't even notice it's there," Liz resists the urge to brush a hand against the bandaid on her face. If it had been an inch higher. . .

"Good. . . and, we're close, I can feel it," Avery looks around the room, going back to the topic of the mystery. "We all know each other's clues, we all benefit from finding the answer."

"You think those two would willingly work together?" Liz picks up on Avery's unspoken words, gesturing to the way Jameson eats his cookie like it's the most interesting thing in the world and Grayson glares at him as he does it.

"It's more fun as a competition anyway," Jameson mumbles around the last bite of cookie in his mouth. "May the best couple win," he glides around the counter easily, offering Avery his arm before she ignores it and leads the two out of the room without another word.

"Let's get going then," Grayson accepts Jameson's challenge, pulling out his phone. Liz walks over to the other side of the counter to see what he's googling.

"Davenport."

a/n:
silly chapter bc i'm rewatching shameless while writing this ✊ -champagne problems by t swizzle