fridays

If there is one thing that people can say in the Smosh after Mythical buys them, it's that it's much easier work. Do business. Make content. It's easier for employees who were once stretched out thin to bounce back and be at their best and Ian was no exception.

Being the owner and majority stake holder in Smosh, there were many that had seen the steady decline of their boss over time after his best friend (and the other boss) left them for reasons some still don't even know to this day. Ian said Anthony left because of Defy and most believe that, but a certain few still question if everything is what it seemed. 

It's only a few months or so into 2018 when what the office has dubbed since their inception "Boss Weekends" start and while it kinda sucks at first that their number one man and first founder just up and leaves at 12:00 PM without fail and comes back on Monday without saying much else on what he's been up to - they don't really pick at him.

Sure, a tease here and there, a small joke maybe, but never asking why. It's not like no one isn't curious, but Ian made Smosh to be better than that. Him and Anthony had made sure to give that in the roots of it all and despite it being a large company now, it still had it's values. Values that gave Ian his anonymity, which he was currently using to his full advantage, mulling over the thoughts of everyone else in his head as he drunk from his disposable coffee cup while the afternoon sun beat down outside.

He wasn't in the light however, he was shaded in darkness, his likeness hidden by several hedge plants as he watched the PlayPlace at a McDonald's an hour away from the middle of LA. Normally, it would be creepy (not to mention violating) for a 35 year old single man to be eyeing the playground with a calmness that hid a quite desperate gaze, but he's here for one reason and one reason only and he knows they'll be here, he just needs to wait a little longer-

Right on cue the PlayPlace's door swings open and there she is. She still takes his breath away in wonder, no matter how much his eyes stay on her. She's gotten a little taller since he last saw her two weeks ago (he'd been swamped with work and couldn't make it to his spot to watch her, despite numerous attempts) and she's nursing a bandaid on her cheek that makes him curl his fingers into a fist, but the anger leaves as swiftly as it comes seeing her smile, now missing two teeth and not one.

She jumps onto the equipment with a squeal that sends his chest and throat into a chokehold that he fights back his tears with, barely managing to get a hold of himself as her brown pigtails disappear into a climbing frame or slide, out of view for the moment while Ian's view shifts over to the far right where he hates looking, but can't help himself.

Anthony's smiling today, as he should be.

He seems so much happier since he left, that Ian knows and today, he must have at least finished one of his videos or something as he's content, watching outside the window as a flash of pigtail or today's outfit, a red gingham dress and white socks with shoes, appears and then retracts back into it's plastic wonderland. Ian's heart aches, wanting to be there sitting next to him, but he knows this was for the best.

He can see how much he loves that little girl. He seemingly knows everything about everyone. Then again, it would be amiss of him to say that as he doesn't even know that Ian knows about her and has known for just over 5 years, despite their no contact.

He doesn't know her name, he's never been able to find out as Anthony keeps her offline from all his socials and only refers to her as "Little" when in mentioning, which is respectable, but he knows who she is.

He also knows that their daughter is perfect and he wishes he could he could know her too, just like how Anthony does.

Ian's tried. He's tried a lot to times to walk over there, pluck up the courage and go and actually speak to him. Reconnect. The whole shebang. After all, they were childhood best friends, they were trailblazers, they were partners and more, once upon a time.