brutal | grayson hawthorne

oh

***
New Year's Day by Taylor Swift
***

Once they've all collected themselves from watching that video, it's time to go through Avery's USBs, which will hopefully bring more clarity to all this.

"Hello, Avery," Tobias Hawthorne's voice immediately rings through the room. "We're strangers, you and I. I imagine that's something you've thought about quite a bit. All great lives should have at least one grand mystery, Avery. I won't apologize for being yours."

Liz didn't think Tobias Hawthorne was a man who apologized for much.

He continues on, his cadence cool, holding everyone in the group in a chokehold.

"How much, I wonder, have you put together for yourself, Avery?" Is a prominent sentence in his monologue. "But then, you're not alone are you? Hello, boys," there's a smile in his voice, Liz feels Grayson's arm brush against hers. "Maybe even my dear Elizabeth," Liz lets out a soft breath.

"At least one thing has worked out how I intended," the old man's voice continues. "I hope you enjoy the game I left you," and he continues on, making Liz feel more and more like a pawn in his game.

He explains himself to Avery- how he needed to use her as a tool in the game of his legacy.

Liz comes back to the moment when the smile comes back in Tobias Hawthorne's voice. "My boys," Grayson's hand finds hers, holding on for dear life. "If you are indeed listening to this, judge me as harshly as you like. I've made my deals with so many devils. Find me wanting. Hate me if you must. Let your anger light a fire that the world will never extinguish.

"Nash. Grayson. Jameson. Xander. You were the clay, and I was the sculptor, and it has been the joy and honor of my life to make you better men than I will ever be. Men who may curse my name, but never forget it."

***

"The name of the game is Hide and Go Soak." Wearing a brilliant-blue tuxedo that looked like it belonged on the red carpet, and holding what had to be the world's biggest water gun, Xander was truly in his element. "The objective: utter aqua domination."

The group was all ready to spend the night celebrating what Xander coined a "Countdown Party." Like New Year's. But at midnight, you're a billionaire! He explained to Avery when trying to convince her how fun it would be.

Five minutes later, Liz ducks behind a stone statue of Medusa. Grayson was already there, he had taken off his gray suit jacket at the start of the games, so now he just crouched on the ground, not wanting to get his dress pants dirty, his white button down rolled up to his elbows, his blue tie matching the shade of Liz's party dress.

"Hi," she grins.

"Sorry," he smiles, pressing his lips to hers, just as she feels someone attack her back with a water balloon.

"You're kidding me," she turns slowly to see Jameson fully armed, a crooked grin on his face.

"Who's teaming up against who now?" There's years of payback written on his face from how Liz and Grayson used to work together on the old man's Saturday morning games.

"You would attack a handicapped girl?" Liz's is arm is still in a sling, but the shoulder massage Grayson gave her that morning definitely worked wonders on the pain.

At eight, the party moved indoors to the climbing wall. At nine, the bowling alley where Liz lost after only tripping over her dress twice. At ten, they headed for the pottery where Liz painted Grayson a plate with his face on it with her less dominant hand.

By the time it was eleven, the group trudged through the labyrinthine halls of Hawthorne House in soaked, ripped, and clay spattered gowns and tuxes to get to the arcade.

Liz and Grayson get comfortable around the pinball machine, Liz holding the puppy that Nash picked up from the streets the other night with her good hand as she tried to sabotage Grayson's game.

She feels like there's something they could say to each other, but Liz also feels like she's okay with not saying anything. With letting years and years worth of conversations and unspoken words lie still as her and Grayson can just take in tonight. Can just have their do-over.

"It's time," Jameson announces as the ten second countdown starts, and everyone comes to the center of the room.

"I love you," Grayson murmurs to Liz as he takes the puppy from her hands.

"I love you too," she smiles up at him, thinking about how she'll never stop melting when he looks at her like that.

"Happy New Year!" Xander shouts once they've hit zero, producing confetti from thin air.

And Grayson leans down to kiss Liz like it is New Year's Eve.

a/n:
the brother's hawthorne when