#JDxPJ

[dunwithurshitm8-blog]

Clenched Fists: The Crescendo (Chapter 10)

First Chapter

Previous Chapter

There was a biiiiiig delay wow. Anyway, we’re actually rounding up to the somewhat conclusion of this in the next few chapters. Things are gonna happen very quickly. Please read the warnings in this chapter!

If you’re just joining us; check out the new masterlist. And don’t be afraid to drop me a message. Requests are still open, I just get round to them reeeeeeealy slowly.

Enjoy

Words: 7000

Warnings: Guns, cold blooded fuckin murder, drugs, flashback, SMUT!! Fuckin Hal.

“Do you have to go?” Percie whined, rolling over, half dressed, in the wide bed.

Hal was a few metres away buttoning his shirt in the mirror. His blue eyes cast to her in the reflection and a small smile perked at his lips. “Yes we have to go. It’s a very important business matter.”

She pouted. “But I wanna stay here. Just come back to bed.”

“You’re so lazy!” He joked.

She deadpanned. “You can hardly call anything we do in this bed ‘lazy’.”

He chuckled and reached over to the dressed to pick up the small glass vial and throw it onto the bed. “Would this make it better?”

She pouted cutely and picked up the mirror from the bedside. Laying on her stomach, she poured out two lines and straightened them with the card that was always wedged into the frame of the mirror.

Using the aluminium tube clipped onto the vial, she pushed her tongue to the roof of her mouth and pulled in a deep breath, dragging the tube across line.

Firing her head back with another deep breath for good luck, she rolled over again and held the tube out to Hal.

It started hitting after about two minutes when Hal realised she’d set one up for him and moved over.

Cocaine has a funny high. It makes everything slightly more intense but there’s not so much of a mental effect as there is a physical effect; you move faster and talk faster and think faster. Sex on coke is the most intense thing you’ll ever experience.

Hal watched her wriggle on the bed and bite her lip before chuckling, taking the line and returning to the mirror.

Percie paused and even through her developing haze, she could tell something was wrong.

She stood and walked over to him, placing her hands gently over his and stopping his movements. Wordlessly she finished buttoning the shirt.

He watched her blink slowly as her fingers worked. “I love you.” He muttered.

As she finished, she looked up to him and smiled, placing her palms flat against his chest. “I love you too. Now tell me what’s wrong.”

He sighed and placed his hands to her hips. “This is going to end in a shootout, I just know it. The beef with Colin ends tonight. I almost don’t want you mixed up in it but I need you there.”

She paused for a moment. “Okay, so what do we do?”

He sighed deeply. “Take this.” He reached into the dresser again and moved some clothes aside, pulling out a gun. “You still have that holster I gave you?”

“Yes.” She let him hand her the gun. It was different to the ones she’d held before, heavier and more powerful.

“Put this into it. And wear that dark red dress you’ve got so it’s hidden, make sure they don’t know you’re armed.”

She could tell he was really serious about this one; genuinely concerned for her safety. She smiled and pecked his lips. “I’ll be fine. Do you know any girl more equipped to handle these situations than me?” She teased.

He smirked. “I’ve never met any girl like you.”

She scoffed. “That was cheesy.”

He kissed her again and spoke dramatically. “You love it.”

“I love you.”

“Good. Now go get dressed.”

“Yes sir.” She pecked his lips and bounded into the wardrobe to pull out the dress.

With the burgundy dress hugging her figure before flowing from her hips in a skater style properly hiding the holster and gun even when it swayed as she walked, she teased her hair into the proper curls and applied the appropriate makeup with a bold matte lipstick matching the dress and a pair of black converse.

Hal was sat on the edge of the bed with his legs crossed at the ankles in front of him, leaning back patiently.

She walked out and did a spin to find his smiling at her. He stood and held her hips, looking her up and down. “You look amazing. They’ll all want you.” He looked at her almost cautiously. “You got this?”

She smiled. “We got this.”

The drive over was quiet as Hal ran over scenarios in his head and got himself into the mindset for this conflict.

Colin Henderson was who they were meeting, this time at the warehouse. He was dangerous, slowly worming his way into the world of politics, hoping to become a big runner in influencing politics via his seemingly huge disposable income.

Hal had a phenomenal hatred for him because he was younger, smarter and sexier than he was at that moment. And at the time, Percie didn’t care because she had the man of her dreams and was doing something that made her feel totally beyond badass.

So they walked into the warehouse hand-in-hand.

Percie had that relaxed confidence evident on her face as they walked in. She went to walk to her spot but Hal pulled her back and kissed her harshly, smiling, mischievously as they pulled back.

She smirked and released herself from him, walking past Colin and his henchmen to stand behind them by the cargo box that she knew he'd a specific type of machine gun that Hal was keen on.

Colin was a tall, lean man of around 25 (two years younger than Hal at the time) with dusty blonde hair and a calm arrogance that told you he was always five steps ahead of you. He was smarmy and sarcastic but by-God he was attractive. He had high cheekbones and a face that was squared with strength. He had a thick neck and broad shoulder seemingly without effort. He didn’t seem like the person to work out - he had better things to do.

Percie was adjacent with him, so he barely had to turn his head to look at her and admire her as Hal had planned. Unfortunately, Hal hadn’t predicted Colin would chuckle a little to himself in a vaguely intimidating way and then look back to Hal, completely ignoring Percie for the rest of the conversation.

Percie, who at the time was used to being used as a distraction and being successful, didn’t anticipate this and could feel everything going south very quickly.

She shot a look to Hal as a warning but the man had a job to do.

“Why am I here Henry?” Colin asked, his two henchmen remaining perfectly still.

Hal, who’d spotted Percie getting a little anxious, chuckled. “Relax, Colin. What do you say we have a drink? Sit down, we have things to discuss.”

For events such as this, Hal had a table placed in the very centre of his warehouse; his empire, with various spirits, a few glasses and a particularly fresh bucket of ice.

Colin followed Henry and sat down, his two men remaining perfectly positioned either side of him.

Percie pushed herself up and strutted over, placing two pieces of ice into his glass before picking up Hal’s usual whiskey and perfectly pouring a double shot of it into a glass.

Hal’s eyes remained perfectly on Colin’s . . . who's remained perfectly on his.

Percie pouted and looked to Colin. “And for you, sir?”

Finally, the other mans perfectly blue eyes looked up to Percie. They were light, oddly like her fathers to where her pout faltered for a millisecond before Colin’s eyes looked at the spirits.

“Tell me about the vodkas.”

“We have a Chase from England, a smooth potato vodka. And we have grain Cristal Head vodka from Canada.” She said without even looking at the bottles.

He sighed. “And the whiskys?”

“We have a classic Jameson, Whistle Pig straight rye bourbon and a GlenDronach 21 Single Malt Scotch.”

He sucked air and frowned. “Who drinks the Jameson?”

She stared at him for a second. “I do.”

He looked to Hal and then back to her. “Excellent. My two colleagues with have a single of that each. May as well pour yourself one while you’re at it.” She glanced to Hal and then back to Colin who was now grinning. “I’ll have the Hendricks.”

She tried not to release a passive aggressive scoff through her nostrils but all four men picked it up, Colin glaring at her for the insolence. She simply smirked and poured two perfect single measures for the men behind him before picking up the Gin he’d requested. “Ice?”

“No.”

“Lime?” She teased, a smirk on her lips.

He heaved his eyes away from Hal to stare at her before slowly repeating. “No.”

She gave a faux smile. “Excellent, sir.” She handed him the drink.

He took it. “Aren’t you going to have yours?

She smiled. “Oh I don’t often drink Jameson anymore. It’s an easy go-to in a bar or perhaps as a nightcap.” Hal smiled, his girlfriends accent exaggerated by the situation making her sound more sophisticated than anyone else in the room. “Socially I drink a Haut - Brion Rouge ’89 from Bordeux . . . it’s my favourite. And Since we were here earlier, I have a bottle open. Is that all?”

Hal tried to hide his smugness as he noticed the rage on Collins face. “I think so honey. Go pour yourself a glass.”

For the next few minutes, Colin was torn between watching the woman fiddling around atop a surface with her back to them a few metres away and glaring at Hal. He heard a small pop and the sound of pouring and then some more fiddling before she turned, a large glass of deep red wine in her hand.

Now he could properly listen to Hal, he turned back to the man who sipped his whiskey and reclined.

“Why did you call us here Henry?”

The man heaved a deep breath and stood. “I have a problem, Colin . . . you’re in my city, you’re threatening my work, and you’re attempting to intimidate my people.” He paused. “I’m not a fan of what you’re doing, Colin.”

After that statement, things escalated quickly. Colin smirked. “Rephrase. You’re intimidated by how quickly I’m surpassing you.”

Hal laughed loud. “No, I’m pissed off you have the audacity to assume money has the upper hand over brains.”

Colin stood, skidding the chair back and the table forward.

The bottle of Jameson, a bottle of sugar syrup and a bottle of expensive rum toppled from the table and in the carnage that followed . . . several things happened.

Colin swung for Hal and Hal dodged it only to be taken down by one of the henchmen.

From point-blanc range Hal pulled out a gun and fired at the henchman, the heavy body falling to the floor dead.

Percie necked her glass of wine with her characteristic calm, nobody remembering she was even there, the coke doing its job in this situation.

She pulled the gun from the holster as the second disposable muscle launched himself at Hal.

But when the muscle pulled out a similar gun and placed it right under Hal’s chin, Percie had no choice.

She had to point the gun at the muscle and Colin pointed his own gun at her.

They all froze.

Percie's eyes flicked over to Colin to see him smirk before she held the gun tighter towards the muscle.

Hal was cautiously shifting from side to side slightly with the henchman’s gun beneath his chin.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you Percie.” Colin warned.

She glanced over to him.

“You know,” He continued. “I wonder why you’re with him. “What are you? 19?”

“18.”

“Jesus . . . and he gets you this involved in his shit? you’d be better looked after by someone like me Percie, you know it. I’m classier, I’m younger, I’m better. It’s not a hard decision.” He took a deep breath and waved his gun a little giving her a chance to glance at Hal who's expression was unreadable. “I tell you what,” Colin said. “You come over here, give me the pleasure of you for a couple minutes . . . let yourself feel what it’d be like to be with me . . . and then you make up your mine.”

“I don’t need to.” She insisted, glancing at him. “It’s already made.” She put the gun back in its holster and started moving towards Colin.

“Perc-“ Hal tried, feeling gun metal against his head to make him stop. “Baby, you’re making a mistake.”

“No mistake here, Hal. I know what I’m doing.”

Hal heaved a losing breath as he watched his girlfriend walk towards Colin . . . in the dress he’d told her to wear with his gun at her thigh.

She came face to face with Colins gun and the man grinned, throwing the gun aside and taking her face in his hands. “You truly are a goddess.”

She smiled and opened her eyes wide. “Could you love me?”

He grinned. “Yes.”

“Could you . . . fuck me?” He lips were wide and glistening, pouting with desire.

“God yes.”

“Could you fight for me?”

“Until my dying breath.”

She smiled. “Good.”

And with a leg hooked behind his knees the man was on the floor and her gun was back out.

Hal saw the sign and dodged while the muscle was distracted by the switch in power and took his own gun from his hands.

Percie placed a foot atop Colin’s chest and smirked as she pointed the gun at him. “Think of me on the other side Cee.”

Two gun shots rang out and two bodies dumped against the concrete, thick red seeping into it.

There was a momentary pause as Percie stared at what was left of Colin’s face. Inside, she was screaming but her natural inclination to being unfazed and the cocaine made her look calm as untroubled water.

Hal heaved a breath. “Come on, darling. I think that deserves a little celebration.”

Percie re-holstered the gun and looked up to her boyfriend, skipping over and kissing him hard. “I love you so much!” She exclaimed, the adrenaline making her a little crazy.

“I love you too. Well done!”

He kissed her, hoisting her leg up so he could grind against her. She hummed and he bit his lip, observing the aroused flush in her cheeks.

“Wait!” She said, moving away and running over to the side. She picked up the bottle of expensive wine and took a swig from the bottle.

“Atta girl.” She said, swooping her into his side and swiftly removing them from the warehouse, making a call to a cleanup team to clean up the mess. “You truly are my queen.” He said, kissing her once more before they left the site.

Percie woke early as she usually did. She’d left the curtain partly open so the sun would wake her up, just how she liked it. And at 6.32, it was just starting to get light.

She had a routine on days like this. She’d get up, make a cup of tea, grab a book and a blanket and watch the sunrise.

She hadn't been able to do it in a while, Hal thought it was weird.

But today was a new start. She didn’t want to forget what she’d been through and she was under no illusion it was going to be easy from here on out, they still had to figure out how both hers and Josh’s band could tour anywhere near Boston without being targets and they had to figure out how public they could be on social media in case fans got involved. But she was determined not to let any of that cloud that she was out and her and josh could be together, at least for the foreseeable future without any problems.

They just had to get out of Massachusetts and back to Ohio.

And the first part of that was to ground herself and clear her mind. And she did that by getting up early and reading as the sun rose.

Percie released a slight moan and glanced at Josh, checking she hadn’t woken him up. He was still on his side since that had been less painful the night before.

His face looked a little worse than it had the night before but she pushed the guilt aside to allow herself to sit up in the bed.

She pulled some shorts out of the bag she’d gotten the day before and pulled Josh’s discarded shirt over her head.

Josh shifted to hug the pillow under his head and sighed deeply, wincing slightly in his sleep and opening his eyes, wondering where Percie had gone.

She rolled back onto the bed and ran her finger over the curve of his jaw, pecking his lips. “Go back to sleep. I’m just gonna be downstairs.”

He hummed. “Okay. Love you.” He mumbled sleepily.

She smiled. “Love you too.”

She stood and pulled the curtains further closed so josh could sleep and left the room. She almost stood on Butch who’d been laying outside the door but seeing as he jumped up quickly as soon as he heard the door handle move, she just managed to miss him.

She clicked her tongue teasingly at him a few times as she quietly closed the door and made her way downstairs.

Butch barged past her and headed straight for the back door, whining a little and scratching the glass.

She ignored him and headed over to the counter to make her drink. The lights in the kitchen were all off and the curtains had been left open letting the pink and orange hues of the dawn spill into the room.

Holding a battered copy go One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and her mug of tea, she walked over to the door and opened it up. Butch jumped out and started sniffing at the fence where a fox or rabbit must have been the night before.

She always loved Boston this time of year. Everything was still chill and brisk and clear with the lingering winter but the air was warmer. The sky was such a pale blue that the lines of clouds illuminated in pink and orange glowed start against it. The air was still and she hugged the mug against her chest to provide her a little more warmth.

She looked towards the scene at the end of the garden and curled onto the chair facing the end of the garden. There she pondered how they were going to get to Ohio. She hadn’t enough saved to get a plane and she couldn’t ask Josh for money. Speaking of, money was a completely different hurdle. She’d have to get a job or start gigging solo in Ohio for money.

She took a deep breath and let the air calm her, centring her thoughts on how they were going to get to Ohio in the first place. They couldn’t ask for a lift, that was too much to ask anyone. They could hitch-hike? That was starting to sound like the most feasible option.

The door behind her opened and she looked back to see Dexter step out with his own mug of tea.

He chuckled. “Thought you might be out here too.” She let him with in the chair next to hers and placed her book down. “I guess some things we didn’t grow out of.”

“Well you probably grew out of lots. I’m still 17.”

He laughed a little too loud for 6.30am. “Perc, when you were 17, you were more mature than I still am now. Don’t put yourself down.”

She took a deep breath. “I dunno, everyones moved on and I got a little stuck.”

“You just had a bad run. And considering the lad up there got beat within an inch for you, I think that a good enough reason to start again.”

She sighed. “I Know. That’s the plan.”

“So what are you doing now?”

She groaned and lolled her head back. “I don’t know how we’re going to get to Ohio.”

“Drive?”

“With what car?”

Dexter paused for a moment. “You know dad still has your Challenger.”

She paused. “You’re having me on.”

“I’m not. It’s at the unit.”

“Why’d he keep it?”

“I dunno.” Dexter shrugged. “Always hoped you’d come back I think. And he’s on holiday so you can go get it.”

“Okay, I’ll give him a call when he gets back to explain.”

Dexter paused for a moment as if deciding whether or not to tell her something. He took a deep sigh. “I guess I should be the one to tell you. Lots of things have changed since you left.”

Percie took a sip of her tea cautiously. “What do you mean?”

“Well dad’s in a relationship again.”

“Oh right, what’s her name?”

“That’s the thing . . . his name’s Matt.”

Percie choked slightly on her tea. “Dad’s in a relationship with a guy?”

“Yep.”

“Our dad. The mechanic, body-builder, ex-skinhead? He’s gay.”

“Or bi, I guess. I was a shocked as you when I found out too.”

“Jesus. Okay. I mean, what’s Matt like, I guess?”

“He’s nice. A little . . . stereotypical? But grounded. He’s nice.”

“Okay. Anything else I should know about the family?”

Dexter explained that their aunt Marie had broken up with her boyfriend of ten years, their cousin had had not one but two kids and their great uncle Bert had passed away. It was all a lot of information, Percie had a lot of people to call but her main concern was their sister.

“And Shauna?”

Dexter took a deep breath. “She’s okay. She’s in LA studying art. She had a hard run with both of us being a little . . . well, not there.”

“Where did you go?”

“I moved out almost the same time you did, had a few arguments with dad, got in with a bad crowd and just left.”

“And Shaun was on her own?”

“Pretty much. I think she’d been watching you in the band, you and her are very similar but completely different at the same time.” He pulled his phone out and found her Instagram. The picture on the screen was of their younger sister with college friends, drinking from solo cups on the beach with three girls on three boys shoulders in the late summer sun. She was a stunning 18 year old with the same black curls and blue eyes as Dexter and their father.

And Dexter was right, she was wearing mostly black and she had a bold black tattoo on the thigh that was wrapped around the neck of the young man below her. She was wearing fashionable but quirky sunglasses and was pouting over dramatically with a peace sign up by her jaw.

Percie chuckled and handed the phone back to him. “Is she doing okay?”

“I think she is now. She struggled. I think we all struggled for longer than we should’ve after mum left.”

Percie chuckled and sat forward. “Yeah, I didn’t want to say it but I’ve thought about it a lot and unfortunately, all this comes back to mum ditching.”

There was silence for a moment, the birds in the trees beginning to find their voices as they woke.

“I still fucking hate her.” Dexter said in support of his sister.

She chuckled. “I’m glad it’s not just me.” When she left - and still now it seemed - it was an unspoken rule that they didn’t speak of their mother.

She looked to her brother and smiled. “Cheers for helping me yesterday Dex.”

He glanced up, troubled by something. He opened his mouth a few times and she sighed, knowing exactly what he was going to ask. “Don’t. I know.” She struggled to say it herself, taking one last glance towards the sunrise and heaving a hopeless breath. “Yeah . . . I did.”

“You killed someone?”

She swallowed. “I . . . he wasn’t a good man but I killed him for the wrong reasons.”

He sighed deeply. “That’s a big one.”

“I know.”

“Cheers for telling me the truth though. I think this should just stay between the people who were there last night.”

“Yeah, me too.”

They went quiet for a moment and became suddenly aware of how many birds were singing in the dawn. Percie felt her shoulders relax and she smiled, settling into the first period of calm she’d experienced in years.

Dexter pulled a breath. “Come on then, dickhead. Let’s go get your car.”

Josh woke up sometime around 11. For a moment, he wondered where he was and only when he realised his ribs were causing his severe pain did he realise.

He took as deep a breath as his aching ribs could handle and forced himself to sit up. He didn’t want to see the damage since he knew it’d look much worse now. As he picked up his jeans, he could see the split in his knuckle hard started to bruise where he’d connected with the cheek of one of Hal’s muscle. If the ugly purple yellow bruise was any reflection of the rest of his body, he definitely didn’t want to see.

He pulled his jeans, trainers and tee shirt on and grabbed his phone before he slowly eased himself up and headed for the stairs.

He listened out for voices and heard faint ones towards the kitchen. From the kitchen, he could see Layla and Dexter, her sat in his lap on the chair in the morning air.

He moved over to the cupboard and pulled a mug from where Layla had shown him the night before, feeling if the coffee in the pot was hot and pouring himself some.

As Butch heard him and quickly padded into the kitchen, Dexter looked back and smiled at him.

He looked back to his right and said something Josh couldn’t hear.

Josh leant over and patted Butch roughly, knowing the muscly dog could take a few firm pats to his chest.

When he looked back up, Percie was skipping into the kitchen, smiling. She hoped up onto the side and he could see a hopeful glint in her eyes that he’d never seen before. She lifted a hand and gently ran her finger over is eyebrow, no doubt noticing how it was bruising. “How are you feeling?” She asked.

“Okay. Just aching.”

“Worse than yesterday?”

“Hell yeah.” He laughed. “The shock’s worn off and left the pain.”

She chuckled and noticed how he was cradling his hand. “What about this?” She carefully nudged him to raise it. His ring finger and pink were turning a purple colour. “Can you move your fingers?”

He managed to move his first two fingers but the ring finger barely managed a twitch before he cringed.

She sighed. “Shit, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’ll be worth it. We just need to get to a hospital in case. My hands are a little bit important.”

She released him hand and braced herself against the sideboard. “Speaking of . . .” She lifted her hands around his neck and he settled between her legs. “We’re going home today.”

“Really?” He asked, almost in shock.

“Yeah.”

“How?”

“Dex and I went to get my old car. It’s a beautiful ’88 Challenger which, frankly, I’m surprised it even ran when we put the keys in it.”

He laughed. “That is going to eat our fuel.”

“That it is, but as long as it gets us home.”

She ran her hand under his jaw and pulled him in for a gentle kiss.

“I don’t want to have to sanitise that counter, Seph.” Dexter walked in and placed his mug in the sink. “And I don’t want to have to threaten your balls, Ohio.”

“Oh very endearing.” Percie scoffed.

He shrugged. “It’s my job isn’t it?”

“Get a life.”

He quirked an eyebrow is that same way Percie would. “I could make a very distasteful joke about your life right now.”

“Ouch, too soon! Douchebag!”

“It’s never too soon for siblings to take the piss.” Josh said as he moved to the side and sipped his coffee.

“And I know you’re leaving today but you guys are more than welcome anytime.”

Percie hopped down and punched her brothers arm. “Thanks bro.” Dexter quirked a challenging eyebrow and she immediately put her hands up in surrender, years of sibling rivalry flooding back into her mind. “I’m kidding. Thanks.”

Dexter looked to Josh. “You just witness the only example of when Seph will back down from a fight.”

“Why do I feel like I’m going to get into lots more trouble with you around?”

She smiled. “Trouble? Who’s trouble? Not me, I’m not trouble.” Josh frowned and carefully patted his eyebrow and his lip as if wondering where the hell the injuries had come from if it wasn’t because she was trouble. “Okay, okay, knock it off!” She carefully bumped his shoulder. She couldn't help the guilty yet relieved look on her face at the fact that they were joking about it already.

He wrapped an arm around her waist with her still sat on the sideboard and she placed her temple against his shoulder.

Layla walked in and smiled at Dexter, feeling the calm in the air as opposed to yesterdays tension.

“Would you two like to stay for lunch? Dex and I were gonna make our tapas dishes.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that.”

“Nonsense, we do it every Saturday and we’d love to do it for a couple of extra people.” The blonde ran her hand over her fiancés chest as if cuing him.

“Yeah, don’t be ridiculous. You want some fuel for the road that isn’t just fast food.”

Percie looked to josh who shrugged. “Okay, well is it okay if I use the shower and then we could give you a hand if you want?” Percie said.

“Of course you can, just relax, we’ll sort everything out.” Layla replied. “Towels are in the airing cupboard. Help yourself.”

Percie pecked Josh’s cheek and thanked her future sister in law before leaving the room.

Josh took his coffee and sat at the island, wincing slightly as he sat. “How are you feeling today, Josh?” Layla asked as her and Dexter set to work on the food.

“A little worse than yesterday but I’m not going to die.”

She laughed and Dexter turned to the fridge. “Sorry she got you mixed up in this-“

“With all due respect, I got myself mixed up in it. I chased after her.”

Dexter paused as he filled his arms with various food stuffs. “Well I’m glad you did. She never would’ve gotten herself out on her own.”

“And if you guys ever need anything, don’t be afraid to call.” Layla continued, starting to chop ingredients.

“You guys have been too nice.”

“No such thing.” Layla said, partly to Dexter since she knew it’d get under his skin.

“Well there is.” He said to Layla. “If you-“

She laughed. “Relax! You’re so easy!”

Dexter faked being put out as he wrapped his arms around her waist. “I’m not easy.”

“Ees-eh.” She mocked his English twang.

“Fahck ahf.” He mocked her much stronger Boston accent.

Josh watched the pair and was suddenly filled with excitement at the idea of living with the woman he loved. Thinking of nobody other than Percie with whom he wanted to share this information with, he excused himself and headed upstairs where he could hear the shower running in the ensuite to the bedroom they’d used to the night before.

In the shower, Percie let the warm water spray onto her face, washing out the conditioner she’d lathered into her curls. She felt refreshed and relaxed and as soon as the small smile started spreading onto her face, she couldn’t help but let it go impossibly wide. She ran her hands over her face and let her head fall back, suppressing a laugh of relief.

When the pure elation had passed she was left with a bliss. She ran her hands through her hair feeling all of the conditioner was out before she grabbed one of the incredibly fluffy towels from the radiator and wrapped it around herself. She shook her hair and scrunched it with a hand towel and flicked it back, letting it curl naturally in the air.

She took one last breath of the relaxing humidity and opened the door.

She tensed when she saw the figure on the bed and then relaxed as soon as Josh’s eyes met hers.

They stood there for a moment, observing each other. Josh watched as she pulled her lower lips between her teeth and he stood, understanding completely. He moved over to the door and quietly pushed it closed before moving his eyes back to hers and sitting back down.

She paused for a moment, letting her lip pop from her teeth.

Josh leant back as her slender fingers toyed with where the towel was bunched at her chest.

And in one slow move, she was naked in front of him.

He smiled at how suddenly now, she looked even more beautiful than before; her pale skin and the ink that was pressed into it, the wet curls and her deep green eyes.

She walked forward and straddled him, wrapping her arms around his neck and placing her lips gently to his. “I love you Joshua Dun.” She whispered.

“Oh, my God. How did I get so lucky?”

She smirked and then shrugged. “I don’t know. You must have been super extra good in a past life.”

“Must’ve.” He smiled. He kissed her again and she took his jaw in her hands, grinding down on him. She felt him harden against her leg and she smiled, bucking her hips against him.

She placed a hand on his chest and worked her way down. He pulled off his tee shirt, knowing exactly what she was doing and straining hard against his jeans in anticipation.

She got onto her knees and traced his bulge with her fingertip before popping his button and pulling down his zipper. Hooking both his jeans and his boxers in her fingers, she pulled them down and sucked her lip between her teeth again as his length stood to attention.

Discarding his jeans, she wrapped a soft hand around him and he hissed, the aching in his muscles subsiding slightly and adding to the pleasure. She pumped him a few times, urging precum from his tip before she took his head in her mouth.

“Oh fuck!” He gasped, fisting the sheets quickly before he regained himself and pushed his hand into her hair, pulling it into a ponytail and urging himself deeper until her lips hit her knuckles.

She felt herself get wet at the dominance he showed her, a chill running through her body as she air brushed her lips, completely unprotected in her position on her knees.

She flicked her eyes up to his, the caramel chocolate darkened to almost black and his jaw slack. She slowly dragged her lips and tongue back up, to hollow her cheeks around his head before pulling away, leaving a trail of spittle behind and smirking up to Josh. He moved his hand down her jaw and smiled lovingly before she descended again.

This time she placed her hand flat against him and took him down the back of her throat. He groaned and bucked his hips, grabbing her hair again. He thrust a few more times and she took him well, only when she gagged did he pull back.

She smiled, a little pleasure emerging at his dominance, partly at seeing that side of him and partly because she knew she could fight him for it later.

He let her take control again and his head went back with a perfect ‘o’ as she bobbed on him, circling her tongue and playing with the sensitive spot just below his head.

She wrapped a delicate hand back around him and twisted in an opposing rhythm to her lips.

“Oh fuck!” He breathed.

She could tell he was close so pulled away and stood again, straddling him again.

He pulled her lips down to his and he coaxed her mouth open. She hummed contentedly, feeling his hand on her hips and his lips on hers.

She felt so relaxed and warm so suddenly that she was almost overwhelmed.

“I can’t wait to live with you.” He said as she raised her hips. “I can’t wait to to fall even more in love with you.” He grabbed himself and slipped himself up and down her lips, coating himself. “I can’t wait to fuck you whenever I want.”

“Then don’t wait anymore.” She said, feeling him line up so she could grind her hips down and take him inside.

She moaned and he swallowed it by placing his lips on hers.

He winced, trying to buck his hips and feeling his ribs protest. She pulled back, a breath getting caught in her throat as she ground down again. “Relax baby. You don’t have to do anything.” She kissed down his jaw and ran her teeth over a spot she knew was sensitive. “I’m all yours now, J. You don’t have to earn anything today . . . and when you’re better you can fuck me so good. Just relax.”

She rolled her hips harder, her eyes meeting his. She saw his jaw tensing and moved up and down a few more times before his hand grabbed her hip.

“Stop.” He said, forcing her down so he pushed perfectly up against that spot deep inside her.

With his good hand he moved around and slipped his thumb across her swollen lips. He could feel her heavy breaths against the calloused pad before her tongue slowly darted out and licked it into her mouth.

He paid close attention to every little detail of her expression as she allowed herself to be vulnerable in front of him; to dismantle the walls he’d been carving away at since they met. The mask of over-sexuality and sarcasm was replaced with a natural inclination to innocence and happiness and contentedness. She wrapped her perfect lips around his thumb, brushing her teeth on his knuckles.

He wished he could wrap his other hand around the back of her neck and make her watch his face as he removed himself from her mouth and moved his thumb down to her revealed clit.

“You don’t need to.” She argued.

“I want to.” He said, rubbing his thumb over her a few times. He could feel her ways reacting as her hips bucked slightly. He kissed her once more. “I want to watch you come around my cock.” He whispered into her ear. “And I want you to come as I come inside you.”

“Oh, fuck!”

Her hands, not sure what to do, ran up and down his neck and spine and teased his scalp, grabbing on strands when he pushed a little harder against her bundle of nerves.

He could hear her breathing and maintained an unwavering, intense eye contact with her the whole time until she was holding back moans again, biting onto her lips and placing her forehead against his.

He could feel himself getting closer just by her reactions and he could hear her getting closer.

Finally, one of her hands went down and gripped his wrist. He hissed as she nudged a bruise but carried on. “Oh fuck! J!” He felt her clench around him and just like that he was groaning, reaching his own end inside her. Her head went back and he managed to pull himself into consciousness just enough to kiss her neck and suck a mark onto her pale skin.

She scratched at his back, pulling him as hard against her as she could.

He bucked a few more times inside her before taking a deep breath and holding her as she regained her breath.

After a moment she chuckled. “Fuck I’m so glad I fell in love with you.” She half-joked, burying her head into his shoulder and flicking her damp hair back. She smiled as she lifted her head, still slightly out of breath. She kissed him gently. “Let’s go eat and then go home.”

“Home.” He toyed.

She hummed and looking into his eyes. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

The sunset was spreading bright pinks and purples on the clouds over Pennsylvania. They’d been given some food and drinks by Dexter and Layla and they’d already been driving for nearly six hours.

Entertained by themselves and some CD’s Percie had grabbed from her old collection in her dad’s unit.

Josh had taken over when Percie said she needed to pull over for some kind of energy drink, insisting she skip the drink and just sleep in the passenger seat.

He was unused to the old car and stalled once before they pulled off again but now they were on a straight road, he’d got the hang of it.

Percie had kicked her shoes off and curled in the seat. Wearing one of Josh’s tee shirts and her shorts, pulling her knees up to her chest and leaning her back against the window. She picked up the phone she’d been using to secretly contact Josh and moved into the gallery. There were four pictures already.

The one taken in bed after the first time, the one she managed to get during the one song twenty one pilots played in the garden, one she took at the beach during her last visit and one just of Josh when they managed to get coffee on her last visit.

Four pictures that showed the only beacon of hope she’d had for nearly two years. She thought, for just a moment, about deleting them, wanting nothing to do with Hal, to want nothing reminding her of that time.

Josh started singing along to the Sum 41 song coming through the radio and Percie glanced up.

He was bruised and battered and smiling as he sang along, paying close attention to the mirrors as he overtook someone.

She released a small breath and looked down at the pictures.

She didn’t want to delete what she’d been through. Having her time again, she might have chose a different path but without going along the pal that went through Hal, she never would have ended up at Josh.

So she back out of the gallery and opened up the camera.

She moved her hand forward and started toying with his hair. He smiled slightly; genuinely and she snapped a picture without him even realising.

The sun was setting in the background as they drove towards a new start. They weren't thinking about logistics yet. They wanted 24 hours in Josh’s apartment to relax and be together and then they’d start thinking.

Percie smiled at the thought and rested her head on the back of the chair.

They were going home.

[dunwithurshitm8-blog]

Clenched Fists Masterlist

A Josh Dun x OC (Percie-Jo) fanfic.

Part 1 (The Meeting)

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Part 2(The Plateau)

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Part 3 (The Crescendo)

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

[dunwithurshitm8-blog]

Guess what bitch managed to finish anther chapter of Clenched Fists?! This one!! (I’m also gonna make a masterlist)

[dunwithurshitm8-blog]

Clenched Fists: Chapter 9 - The Crescendo

First Chapter

Previous Chapter

Finally yoooooo!!

Words: 5000

Warnings: Guns. Fuckin Hal (again jc) Injured Dun . . .

“What is it?” Percie asked, worried Hal might have done what he intended and ruptured something important.

“Nothing huge but I think he’s fractured a bone in his left hand.”

“You’re kidding.”

“No. He looked pretty gutted when I said it . . . he’s a drummer right?”

“Yeah.” Percie looked up to Dexter and sighed, making a decision.

Layla shrugged. “I can’t be sure without an x-ray. Are you sure you can't go to the hospital?”

“I definitely can’t and I don’t think he should go on his own.” Layla, for her previous, understandable hostility had softened slightly at seeing how the pair were looking after each other. She had short dusty blonde hair and was pretty. No doubt from her job she was smart. She seemed actually pretty perfect for Dexter. Percie pondered. “We can go when we get to Columbus.”

“We?” The dull light lit up Josh’s face as he limped into the kitchen.

“Josh!” Percie exclaimed, going straight over to him. “You need to rest.” Her hand went to his chest in worry.

“I couldn’t stand you talking about me without being here. What do you mean ‘we’?”

She heaved a breath. “We’re going to Columbus. I’m getting out tonight.” This was a plan she hadn’t even quite yet vocalised to Dexter but she knew it needed to be tonight. “You think Tyler would be up to help me out.”

The elated, almost disbelieving look on Josh’s face was heavenly to Percie.

“Really?” She nodded happily. “Yes, of course. Give him a call and the address and we can explain.”

She chuckled. “Will you sit back down now?” 

Satisfied, he nodded.

She lead Josh back into the living room and glanced to her brother so see his fiancee giving him a ‘we need to talk’ look. 

She didn’t like imposing on them like this; she didn’t like crashing into their lives unannounced. Ironically, she knew people to call whenever she needed a gigs, she knew people to call to get press photos and gigs and recording . . . but she had nobody to call when her and Josh were threatened; she had nobody to call when her life was at risk.

“We’re really getting out tonight?” He asked as she helped him lower himself onto the sofa.

She chuckled, liking the ‘we’ in that sentence. She nodded. “Yeah. Final straw.”

Josh smiled the smile that’d made her fall in love with him and she sat next to him to get to work.

So she called Stitch and Josh called a very worried Tyler and the plan started moving. Percie sat next to Josh, his hand in hers comforting each other as they waited. Percie was manically running through theories in her head, hoping to be prepared for anything and everything.

Tyler and Stitch arrived at pretty much the same time. Layla had gone to bed, not wanting to be involved in the mess her finances sister had gotten herself into. Dexter was standing by the window checking they hadn’t been followed. 

Tyler had left the crew at the hotel saying he needed to go see someone and when he saw Josh’s split eyebrow and bandaged hand, he looked to a very nervous Percie and said “What did you do to my best friend?” With a smirk he approached Josh who’d sat up, looking tired and worn out. 

“Sorry, I didn’t think they’d find out where we were.” Percie continued, realising just how bad it looked.

“It’s alright. At least it looks cool, hey?” He nudged Josh and they laughed, fist-bumping. Percie smiled at her boyfriends first look of relaxation since it had happened. Suddenly, she was beyond thankful for Tyler.

“Did you bring the masks?” Deter asked, leaning against the windowsill. Tyler reached into his rucksack and pulled out three black ski masks, giving one to Dexter and introducing himself to the taller, sterner looking man.

Tyler was the smallest of the men in the room. He had a little height but he had nothing on Dexter or Stitch who were both sporting pretty impressive muscles and were nearing six foot each. In fact, if Percie had been able to be choosy and was selfish enough to risk one of her best friends that Hal didn’t know about, she would’ve called Chris who was pretty much paid by Disney to get fit. But she was sure Tyler would be more than intimidating if the situation called for it, she knew he could be pretty dark. In fact he was doing a pretty good job at that moment of making sure Dexter and Stitch knew that despite being the slighter of the men, he could be more than intimidating.

Stitch stared at the masks and took a deep breath. “This wasn’t the plan.” He said almost accusingly to Percie.

“Plans change.” She replied, leaning forward and twiddling her thumbs.

“We said we wouldn’t panic.”

“I’m not panicking, I’m adapting. I just need you three to be the muscle in case he’s there and I don’t want to risk him seeing your faces.”

Stitch took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay.”

There was a pause as Josh slowly leant forward. “Three?”

Percie looked to him and chuckled. “I know you wanna feel cool but that threat is valid from the second Hal said it. He’ll recognise you and he’ll go for you as soon as he realises its you, mask or not.”

He nodded. “Okay.”

“Sorry.”

“Right,” Said Dexter. “So what’s the plan?”

“There aren’t any weapons in that room because of how often it gets raided so it’s pretty simple. My bags already packed under the bed, my guitar is in a bag against the wall. All I need to do is grab them and get out.”

Stitch quirked an eyebrow and smirked. “And be badass in the process?”

“So badass. You guys stand there and look pretty and I’ll deal with Hal.”

He smiled. “I love when you go badass.”

“Me too.”

“Aww, I’m missing it.” Josh faux pouted. 

“Don’t worry, you’ll hear the stories.” Stitch could see she was already getting sassy and with a relatively foolproof plan, he couldn’t imagine there being any problems. 

Percie looked to Josh and realised he was looking a little green as the boys went to duct-tape the number plates on Stitch’s car. She sat next to him and faced him. “You feeling sick, Dun?” She asked, sitting next to him and facing him. 

He took a breath. “I’m just getting anxious.

“Hal won’t go for me, not with three lads there.”

He sighed. “Okay, just . . . please come back to me.”

She smiled. “Always.” She pecked his lips and placed a hand to his chest. There was a brief flash in Josh’s mind about how that could be the last time she kissed him, the last time he felt her touch. He moved away, a tiny flinch evident in his eyes. Percie raised her other hand to his face. She paused, her forehead on his. “Josh?”

He could hear the nerves in her voice and the truth in her eyes. “Yes?”

“I love you.”

There was a weight lifted off of both of them; like they’d been holding back through fear. The second it was spoken, there was no more fear. Josh wished he could push his lips against hers for all the emotion he felt in that moment.

Instead, his split lip kept him modest and gentle.

And when he pulled back, he smiled. “I love you too.” She released a relieved breath and smiled. He looked down and laughed. “Oh the romance. We just said that for the first time and you’ve got my blood on your shirt.”

She laughed. “I think that’s the most romantic.” She took his hand and slipped a gentle finger over the split in his knuckles. “You fought for me, J.” She shrugged. “That’s the last thing I asked for.” He frowned and she chuckled. “I think it was show me you can handle it and I’ll be loyal.” She rubbed his knuckle. “Love me and I’ll be the best fuck you’ve had. And fight for me and I’ll love you until I die.” 

“So you were waiting for me to get into a fight before you said it?” He joked.

“Of course not.” She kissed him again. “But you did it. And I’m a woman of my word. You’re stuck with me now, drummer boy.”

“Oh no!” He said sarcastically. “However will I live with that?!” She brushed a gentle thumb just below the split and carefully kissed his swelling lips.

Dexter walked back in and looked to Percie. “Ready?”

“As ready as ever.” She took a deep breath and pecked Josh’s lips. “Just try to relax, yeah?” She smiled mischievously and whispered. “Love you.”

“Will do. Good luck.”

So the four of them loaded into the car and headed to the apartment Percie knew so well. Percie went into see that the reception was empty and gave the thumbs up. So the guys slipped their masks on, walking calmly through the reception and to the elevators.

Standing in the elevator, with three guys in dark clothing and ski masks, Percie realised that all the power Hal had given her, she could take it herself. 

She looked to Tyler who seemed to have gotten into a pretty serious headspace and chuckled, elbowing him. “Just like being on stage, hey?” 

He cracked a smile and returned to the stiff, harsh persona as before.

Stitch and Dexter looked pretty effortlessly intimidating, thick arms crossed over their chests, they looked like club bouncers without the safety gear.

The elevator opened to the penthouse door and Percie felt the nervous anticipation rising in her blood as she slipped the card over the sensor and the door clicked open. 

Walking into the dark room and letting the door closed behind them, there was a tense moment where they wondered if he was even in. 

Then they heard footsteps and he walked into the room, trying to use the usual intimidation techniques. 

As soon as he spotted the others, he stopped and Percie felt a sly grin spread over her lips. “I’m here to get my stuff.”

Hal evaluated the situation and decided it was best not to move or speak. So Percie rounded the bed calmly and knelt down under the bed. The boys watched as her figure ruffled around for a moment and then stood, empty-handed. “Where’s my bag?” She said to Hal.

Hal kept his eyes on the three men in front of him and didn’t reply.

“You bastard! Where’s my bag?!” Her accent made her words a little more intimidating than before.

After a moment of tense silence, Hal looked to her and shrugged.

“Fuck you! You beat up my boyfriend and then you hide my bag! Why can’t you just admit that I’m not yours anymore?!” 

The urge to put her back in her place was a little too heavy and he turned to her, chest puffing and arm raising slightly. Dexter was in front of her before Hal could even realise properly but Dexter was both taller and bulkier than Hal. 

“You better back off.” Dexter warned, putting on a slightly stronger accent so Hal didn’t click on to the relation.

Percie felt that rage again. She wanted to pounce on him and she didn’t just want to beat him up, she wanted to claw his eyes out and completely fuck him up but she had more pride than that.

Hal paused and then took a step back, he looked to the other two men, trying to figure out who they were.

“Someone grab the guitar.” Percie said, turning the rage into determination and storming int the back room. Stitch moved over to slip the patched, beaten-up case in onto his back.

Hal approached the two of them and looked them up and down. “So I know who you are,” He said to Stitch “And I think I know who you are,” He turned to Dexter. “But who the fuck are you?” He got right up in Tyler’s face as if weighing him up. Tyler made a good decision and decided not to say anything lest he recognise the accent.

Hal squinted slightly, trying desperately to figure it out. He pouted when he drew a blank and chuckled. “Oh well, three dogs for the bitch.”

“You’re a cocky little shit.” Stitch, against his better judgement, said roughly.

Hal smiled. “Hey Stitch.”

Stitch paused for a moment and lifted his hand to pull the mask off. “You seem to think I’m scared of you.”

“Are you not?”

“No.” Stitch laughed. “Because you’re just an abusive piece of shit. You had the girl every guy wanted and you fucked it up. For what? Why? I don’t understand what you gained from this.”

Hal paused and Tyler released a slight chuckle realising Stitch was starting to irritate him. “She’ll always be mine.”

“No she won’t. That’s not how people work.”

“It’s how I work so if I were you, Stitch, I’d shut your mouth.” The two were starting to square up now and Tyler glanced to Dexter, seeing the other man getting ready to intervene too. “When is it that baby of your is due?”

Stitch felt the rage rising but knew his weakness was his family and he knew how to hide it. 

In the back, Percie headed to the walk in wardrobe to see the familiar gym bag on on the top shelf. 

When she pulled it down, she walked back into the hallway to see Stitch and Hal squaring up and Dexter and Tyler preparing to jump in a break them apart. Stitch’s mask was off so she paused just behind them and coughed, purely to give Stitch a moment to compose himself in case it all went to shit now.

Hal turned around and the surprised look on his face at the bag over her shoulder fuelled Percie’s smarminess. 

Dexter took the bag and headed back over to the boys. Percie sighed exaggeratedly. “So . . . I’m leaving. I’d go through the usual bullshit of goodbyes but I really won’t miss you and I’ll be trying my hardest not to see you soon. Hopefully karma will catch up to you before I’m even thinking about coming back to Boston.” She headed over to the boys but Hal jumped to the left, pulling open the dresser drawer. He put his hand immediately on a handgun, cocking it and pointing it at Percie before she’d even made it over to the boys.

She knew the gun. She recognised it and she knew she’d thrown it out years ago.

“How long has that been in the fuckin house?” Percie asked, freezing in the spot. 

“Since I found it in the garbage after the incident. Do your little bodyguards know that you’ve killed people Percie?” He taunted.

“Shut up.”

“Did it bother you, Percie? Did the reality of it scare you?”

She swallowed hard and with Stitch, Dexter and Tyler still over the other side of the room frozen, this was very clearly between Hal and Percie.

“You’re not leaving me.”

She blinked. “Okay?”

“Don’t fuckin patronise me, Persephone! You know you’re not leaving! You know I wont let you leave just like that, even with your ski-mask feller’s trying to intimidate me.”

Percie was staring down the barrel of a gun and all she could think is that she’d gotten him here, she’d pushed him to desperation. After so long wishing he’d just kill her, it wasn’t the flirting with other guys, it wasn’t the arguments, it was threatening to leave that pushed him to the edge.

She chuckled and a small smirk played her lips. “Hal?” She whispered, almost desperately.

“Don’t!” He shook the gun towards her face. 

“Hal?” She took a step forward, she had a begging look on her face but he couldn’t figure what he was pleading with him to do.

As she neared him, she placed her hands on the guns and he raised it. So when she was inches from his face, it was right under her chin and both their fingers were resting on the trigger.

“Hal?” She saw a glimmer of something in his face but she ignored it. “I can’t live with you anymore . . . if I do, I’ll fucking kill myself.” She saw all three boys flinch to her left but ultimately they decided to trust that she had a plan. “So either you pull he trigger . . . or I will.”

She saw the man inhale in almost fear but she wasn’t sure he was capable of that. 

“Or . . .” She continued. “You let me go . . . please.”

He paused, searching her eyes for any sign of doubt. He looked at her, the eyes he’d fallen in love with once upon a time and the lips that deceived him so many times. That innocent knit in her brow that made him doubt everything; made him lose himself and his mind. Everything about her was so flawless and through everything, he couldn’t hate her. He tried desperately to convince himself he didn’t want her and that he could have anyone; that every other girl he fucked could replace her.

And if she wouldn’t stay with him, nobody could have her.

His finger played with the trigger and he spotted the mark on her neck. He chuckled. “Look at you.” he said “Every guys dream.” He said it like an insult. And she knew exactly what he was insinuating. Over the years, she’d slowly moulded herself into something every guy wanted . . . on stage, in bed, simply walking down the street. “You’re fake, Persephone, you always have been. You’re putting on an act because you know that the real you isn’t worth it.”

As she stared at him, she saw his jaw tense and she realised he was going to pull the fucking trigger. She didn’t even have time to react to his words before she had to react to his actions. As her instinct kicked in quicker than ever, she moved her head back and ripped the gun away.

His hands remained stubborn on it as she twisted and pulled his hands past her side, placing her back to his chest so she could pry it away.

As everything happened so quickly, a bullet embedded itself in the ceiling as she pulled the gun away, threw it towards the guys and started towards them.

But Hal was steadfast and quick and pulled her back with his arms firmly around her waist. He hauled her back and the momentum sent them both to the floor. 

Hal gained the upper hand, straddled her waist and sent a jab to her ribs and her face. Percie retorted with a brutal crack to his jaw and side which lead to him placing his hands across her throat.

There was a brutality in his fingers and a rage in his eyes unlike she'd seen before. Every time before he’d just been out to hurt her, this time he wanted her dead. 

There was a click and he stopped, his hands loosening but remaining around her throat. 

Percie breaths came in quick and deep, trying to control her shockingly painful side and haul in her stolen breaths. Her hands were uselessly grabbing the wrists of the man atop her, trying to stop any further onslaught. 

She looked up to see Tyler with the gun she knew so well against Hal’s head.

Tyler didn’t look to her, his gaze trained purely on the back of the mans head who’d tried to kill two of his friends. She actually smiled and looked to Hal, knowing he wouldn’t do anything now.

In her brain, looking at the intense glare on Tyler’s face, she was making plans for if he actually pulled the trigger. He was stern and certain, hand not even shaking on the gun.

And she wasn’t even surprised.

Sweet little Tyler was a fucking badass when the situation called for it.

She looked to Hal and smirked. “Get off me, dickhead.”

Hal glared but stood, Tyler following him the whole way with the gun. Percie didn’t even stop to take a breath like her lungs were screaming at her to do. She just walked to him and paused. She shrugged. “I wish I could say something but you know why I’m leaving and you’re not even worth my time. You’re a sociopath and no matter what I say, you’re not going to care . . . let’s go boys.”

She turned away and Tyler backed his way into the elevator with them, the gun never faltering. “What you gonna do for coke Persephone?!” He shouted. “You ain’t never gonna get anymore once I tell everyone not to sell to you.” He tried in desperation.”

She turned in the elevator and chuckled. “I ain’t had none of that shit in months, Henry. Sorry.”

They turned and Tyler stood so that the last thing he could see through the slimming crack was the bastard on the other side of the doors. “I’ll get you, Persephone. If I can’t have you, no one can.” He threatened. “And you best hope I never see that drummer-boy of yours, I’ll cut off his hands and send them to you.”

She turned to face the man as the elevator door started to close. She shrugged. “To get to him, you have to get through me and more importantly ‘us’ . . . so I’d like to see you try.”

The elevator doors closed and a smile spread on her lips. Tyler stuffed the gun down the back of his trousers and Percie took a breath. “What a fucking psychopath.” Dexter and Stitch chuckled. “Okay, we’ve just gotta get to the car and everything will be fine.” They walked out through reception and only when they were back in the car and speeding off did Percie finally let herself truly smile and fist-bump Stitch. 

“Fuckin’ ‘ell man.” She said, leaning back and running her hands over her face. She was feeling just a tiny glimmer of freedom for the first time since getting with Hal. She liked it. 

And more than the freedom, she liked feeling the freedom to be with Josh. She couldn’t wait to get back and just be with him, with nothing holding her back. 

She took a deep, happy breath and let herself realise that she was out . . . she’d finally took the step.

She turned to Tyler in the seat and threw her arms around him. “Thank you.” She whispered. “You actually saved my life back there.”

He chuckled, clearly finding it a little hard to get out of the head space he'd been in shortly before. “Just don’t get my friend too badly beaten up next time, yeah?”

“Deal. Thanks Ty.”

He smiled and almost blushed. “No problem.”

Tyler went back to the van and Stitch dropped them off at Dexters. After a brief ‘thank you’ and a hug, Dexter headed upstairs to bed. He said she and Josh could have the spare room and they’d sort everything else in the morning.

Percie walked into the dimly lit living room to see Josh laying on his back on the sofa with Butch laying on the floor next to him. The dog jumped up but not wanting to work him up, she ignored him, keeping her eyes on Josh. His bandaged hand was resting on his stomach and he had a beyond melted ice pack on his ribs. 

She took a deep breath and smiled, walking towards him.

She perched on the coffee table and watched his face, relaxed in sleep despite the swelling lip and bruised eyebrow and cheek.

She placed a hand his cheek and leant forward. “Josh?”

Her knuckles ran over his cheek and she started playing with his hair, twirling a curl between her thumb and forefinger.

“Josh, baby?”

His eyes fluttered open and he stared at her for a moment, confusion knitting his brows and his surroundings and why she was there. 

Realisation dawned and he jumped up, wrapping her in a hug. 

She chuckled and pulled him in. “I’m okay! I’m out.”

He pulled back. “Really?”

She saw the pure hope in his eyes and she laughed, finally letting it set in that despite all the threats and near-death experiences, she was alive and back with Josh. “Yeah.”

“Oh, my God! I would swing you round right now if I thought I could stand up without fainting.”

She chuckled. “Every time you swing me around we end up on the floor anyway.”

He went to get up. “Well here we go then.” He joked before falling back onto the sofa and  taking her with him.

“No! Don’t get me down. We need to get to the bedroom.”

He rolled on his back with her and quirked an eyebrow. “Are you that desperate?”

“Desperate?! How dare you!” She feigned rage and propped herself up from his chest. She stared into his eyes as if for the first time and smiled. “Guess what?”

He looked at her, a faint smile playing his lips as he looked at the deep curve of her cheekbones and the pure contentedness in her eyes. “What?” He asked.

She lowered her head down and smiled. “I love you.” She said, barely above a whisper, causing him to look down at her lips.

He smiled wide and wrapped his arms around her. “I love you too.”

She pressed her lips gently to his once more. “And I want you to get to bed because I love you and I want you to rest.” He groaned exaggeratedly and then realised she was probably right. “I’m not gonna fuck you tonight.”

“But-“

“Babe, you’ll hurt yourself!” She insisted.

“Meh,” he dismissed. “Tis but a scratch.” He put on a terrible British accent to quote Monty Python.

She laughed and toyed with the collar of his shirt. “You’re a terrible person.”

He paused and then smiled. “I might be terrible but you love me.”

“Regretting it already.” She laughed, standing and outstretching her hand. 

“I’m so glad this is our relationship. Constant abuse.”

“Constant.” She confirmed, watching the man she loved as he stretched, almost immediately regretting it before moaning and levering himself up.

But he made no effort to stand so she leant back over him. “Do you need to hear it one more time?”

“Yes.”

She bit her lip and ran her hand across his cheek. “I love you . . . can we go to bed now?”

He paused and gave a single breath of a chuckle. “‘We’.”

She smiled and nodded. “‘We’.”

Josh took her hand and let her pull him up, wincing as he stood and taking a deep breath as he held his good hand to his side.

As quietly as possible, and closely followed by Butch, they made their way up the stairs.

Josh slowly lowered himself so he was sitting on the bad. The room was small, just a box room at the back of the house, decorated neatly for any guests and comfortingly light. The duvet was thick with the oncoming winter and clean.

“Let me see the damage.” Percie said, grabbing his hem and pulling his shirt off. He slouched against his aching muscles and Percie stared at him, chewing her lip. “Jesus. He really did a number on you, eh?”

“Funnily enough, he only got one punch in and let his monkeys do the rest.”

She chuckled. “I thought as much.”

The blood that had poured out of his eyebrow hadn’t been cleaned from his chest and made the bruises there look worse than they were. That being said, the bruises were only just starting to purple and they were already big and ugly. 

“I’ll go get a cloth to clean you. Stay sat up.”

She walked quietly to the bathroom and grabbed a flannel from the cupboard. She wet it with warm water and headed back to Josh. He’d pulled out his phone and was slowly managing his side where one of the biggest bruises was forming.

As she wiped him down, she took a note of everything she needed to keep an eye on. One of the bruises on his back was already practically black but as long as nothing was broken, she just wiped it gently and moved on. He had some gravel rash on his arm and shoulder where he’d gone down to the floor and she gently cleaned that too, knowing that was one of the most painful injuries from her years working on racetracks.

She ran the cloth over his chest, folding it to it was still warm. The one under his ribs was concerning her. “What did Layla say about that?” She asked.

“That we should get it checked out at the hospital.”

“But she’s not immediately worried?”

“No. She said she couldn’t imagine one punch from someone would cause something internally.”

Percie scoffed. “You’d be surprised but I think you’ll probably be fine. Just tell me if you start coughing up blood, yeah?” She joked, wiping the blood away from his neck and finding herself looking at him, the guilt rising again.

Josh could see it and took her hand. “Don’t. It’s not your fault.”

“It is though.” She reasoned. “I got myself involved with a douchebag criminal and then I fell in love with you. I shouldn’t have done either of those things, I should’ve just-“

He held her hand tight. “What aren’t you telling me?”

“Nothing,” She shrugged. “You know everything. I just-“

“Percie,” He said, quite serious now. “A world without you in it, isn’t an option to me. It hasn’t been since the day we met.”

“But it would’ve stopped you getting hurt.” Her lips quaked slightly with the tears in her eyes.

“Hey, don’t do that. Today isn’t a day for tears, PJ, we’re so close. We just have to get out of Boston and then we’ll be free . . . and if a few bruises and a split eyebrow is what I have to pay to live the rest of my life with you then it sounds damn worth it to me.”

She stared at him, as if looking for a hint of a lie. She chuckled. “You’re so cute.”

Next Chapter

[dunwithurshitm8-blog]

Clenched Fists: The Crescendo - Chapter 8

First Chapter

Previous Chapter

Yo yo! So here’s chapter 8. Not much to say about it other than shit. is about. to go down. I’ve gotta apologise because I hurt Josh in this chapter but it was necessary to the story I swear.

Hope you guys are enjoying your easter if you’re off. I work lots when I’m home so chapters might be slow but I also don’t have lectures to go to so who knows.

Ask box is always open!

Words: 6,400

Warnings: (o boi) Beating, violence, abusive relationships, death threats, SMUT!!! possessive! Josh, good ol’ daily dose of face-sitting, love??

Hal didn’t leave the apartment until 9, around the same time Tyler and Josh went on stage at The Shed. Since he couldn’t know she was going out that night, she was still in slacks when he kissed her goodbye and told her he wouldn’t be back until the next evening. 

Luckily, the oversized graphic tee she wore to lay around in looked pretty decent with some ripped jeans and a jacket so all she needed to do was apply a bit of makeup and leave.

She caught a taxi to the venue to get there quicker but still only managed to catch the last twenty minutes.

Steve, the owner of the venue, was the one who made sure the security let her in. Security guards and bouncers knew that where she went, Hal usually followed and Hal meant trouble so she found it hard to get into places in Boston sometimes.

Luckily, Steve knew she’d be on her own and insisted the security let her in. From there she skirted the outsides of the crowd to watch how Tyler and Josh worked them. She wasn’t sure how they’d done it since they’d never played so far East before but they’d packed almost 200 people into the small space. 

On their last song she went to the barrier and despite the lights making it hard for the band to see the crowd, Josh spotted her around half way through and the look of elation on his face made her smile. 

They finished and the house lights came up signalling the crowd to leave. So Percie tried to get a security guards attention to help her over the barrier.

He ignored her but she looked back up the the stage to see a sweaty, energetic Josh bounce over and pull her over.

She didn’t even have her footing before he was hugging her and they very almost ended up on the floor again.

She chuckled but hugged him back so tightly she thought she might hurt herself.

He pulled her back to look at her, all of his month-long accumulated paranoia for her safety peaked as he checked her over. He honed in on the fading bruise on his cheek and brushed the pad of his thumb against it. He watched her eyes flutter closed slightly and move into his, raising her own hand over his. 

He didn't know what to say but he had to speak. “Was that him?”

She tried a chuckle and a smile but cast her eyes down. “Well I didn’t walk into a door.”

He stroked her cheek again and looked around the room at the dwindling crowd. “Come on,” He said, his paranoia making sure he didn’t do anything where everyone could see them. He didn’t want to risk someone who knew Hal ratting them out. 

He let her jump up onto the stage and she knew where to go since she’d played the venue often. Tyler spotted her as he started packing their gear away and waved. Josh took a cautionary glance around the people hanging around to check no-one was paying suspicious attention to them.

When he turned back he was met by Percie’s lips.

She pulled quickly away and smiled. “Help Tyler clear up, I’ll be fine.”

Josh watched her as she winked with a smile and walked backstage to sit in the greenroom. 

Josh smiled to himself and turned to Tyler. “Didn’t think she’d be able to show.”

“Neither did I.” Josh chuckled, heading over to his kit to start dismantling it. 

“You know what?” Tyler said, standing straight as he thought. “I’ll get Lewis to do that, you go see Percie.”

Josh pulled a face and kept working. “What? Don’t be ridiculous, it’s alright.”

“Dude,” Tyler reasoned. “When’s the next time you’ll see her?” Josh paused and sat back on the drum chair, finally giving his friend the attention. “Go see her.”

Josh rolled his eyes and left the tool on the snare before standing and going backstage. 

Percie looked up as Josh walked in. “Do you not have things to do?”

“The boys are taking over.” He leant over the sofa she was sat on and pecked her lips. He memorised the feeling of her: the vanilla of her skin and the pillow of her lips. He looked up to her and hummed happily before he went over to his bag to pull out a clean tee shirt.

“How’s Ohio been?” She asked, turning on the sofa to lean against the arm and watch him.

He shrugged. “Not bad, mom keeps nagging about when you’re coming back so she can invite you for dinner.”

Percie laughed and held her head in her hands. “Oh God!”

“It’s not that bad.” He shrugged.

She sighed. “It’s nerve-wracking enough without this whole situation.” She made a random wild arm gesture to signify and he laughed.

“Okay, true. But you will have to come to dinner next time you’re in Ohio.”

“Okay, okay. Deal.”

There was quiet for a moment as Percie placed her chin on her hands and watched him start packing his things away. “Oh, and Matt’s moving out.”

“What?”

“Yeah, we had a few arguments since I left Guitar Centre and he decided to move in with some people from College. I don’t know what his problem was, really.”

She shrugged. “I dunno, all I know is that he didn’t like me.”

“Percie, he didn’t move out because of you.”

She grinned wickedly. “Maybe he wanted you all to himself.”

Josh turned to her with a quirked eyebrow. “Oh really?”

“Yep. He didn’t like me stealing you away.”

Josh chuckled and walked over to her, leaning his palm on the back of the sofa and kissing her. “Stop being ridiculous.”

She placed her hands to his jaw and pulled him in, her chest heating up with unrealised longing for him. She was glad her body had numbed herself to the reality of her need for him because the magnetism between them would be painful if she felt it constantly while it was strained by distance. He was impossibly close now and she could still barely breathe.

She pulled away and he placed his forehead to hers. “I missed you.”

“Come back to mine tonight.” She blurted, not thinking further than she needed him for as long as she could have him.

“What? Where you and Hal live?”

“No, there’s a spare apartment outside town, he never uses it. He got it for me years ago and never goes there.”

“You’re sure?”

“Certain, he never goes there. I’m pretty sure he’s forgotten all about it.”

“Okay, let me talk to the guys. We leave to head back to Ohio in the morning so I should really be back at the van tonight.”

“No problem, I just want to be with you for a while.”

“Okay, I’ll be right back.”

Josh went off and returned not long after with a thumbs up. So he and Percie took the backstreets to the spare apartment and went up to the room.

Now this place had clearly been mostly Percie’s. There were art supplies and a guitar that she laughed at because she’d forgotten about it. There were empty mugs and throws and books on every surface. It was a smaller space with wide windows and candles that dripped wax everywhere. The bedroom, living area and kitchen were all practically one room with a few moveable divider screens blocking them off.

Josh smiled at the space. And then there was Percie, standing in a too large tee shirt and some skinny jeans, in the pale yellow of the streetlights outside and the flashes of various coloured neon. Josh smiled as she moved over to him and took her lips in his.

He swept her up, his strong hands holding her thighs as she wrapped her legs around his waist. 

Her lips remained attached to his, teasing and playing as she traced his teeth and tongue. He took her to the bed and laid her down on the fresh sheets.

Percie released a quick breath and bucked up against him grabbing his shirt collar to keep him over her. He, however, was preoccupied with her. The large tee shirt draped over her curves, even showing her underwear outline in how it clung to her.

He smiled and rippled over her to kiss her. “Did he fuck you in this bed?” He asked.

She looked up to him with doe eyes, her eyes swollen from his onslaught. She paused a moment before nodding. “A few times.”

Weirdly, that fact went straight down on Josh. No doubt Hal had fucked her in this bed, showed her none of the affection she deserved or the love she needed. 

Josh made it his mission to make up where the other man had lacked; to be everything Percie had deserved over the last few years and none of what she’d gotten.

He pulled her jeans down and discarded them somewhere over by the window. 

“Come here.” He said, laying on the bed and letting her control her own pleasure by urging her upwards.

She breathed a needy puff when she realised what he wanted but shuffled up and let herself hover over his face. “Oh fuck!” She exclaimed, keeping her eyes on his as he pulled her thighs down and her pussy onto his mouth.

He licked a fat stripe all the way up and found her clit on the way up, tugging it into his mouth and gently teasing it. “Fuck!” She ground down onto him, her mouth open as her eyes found his, practically black with arousal. “That’s it! Right there!”

He hummed. “You like that?”

“Oh shit! Josh!” She called out as he tugged her clit between his teeth and teased with the tip of his tongue. As she pulled away from him slightly, he moved further down and lapped at her, his fingers gripping into the skin of her thighs to keep her down. 

She released a moan that neared a squeal and tried to back away. “Fuck! Josh!” He grabbed harder and watched her shake, giving in and grinding down on his mouth. Slowly rubbing his tongue over her clit, her hand fired down and gripped his hair as the dark look in his eyes made her mouth gape.

“Oh! Fuck!” 

He licked all the way up once more before flipping them and grinding his hips on hers, keeping his elbows behind her knees and taking her lips in his.

She ran her tongue across his and moaned into his mouth, loving the taste of herself on his tongue.

Her hand came up to cup his cheek and pull him in deeper. He ground down against her, his clothed erection teasing her folds. “What’d you want, baby?”

“I want you!” She moaned. She looked up to see his eyes practically black with arousal. The neon lights of the slightly dodgy downtown part of the city cast a green and pink light over his pale skin and deep shadows over the muscles of his body and the strong features of his face. 

“Come on, baby girl.” He teased, kissing down her neck and sucking a mark onto her neck.

“Stop, you can’t-“ She tried to say, reiterating that he couldn’t leave marks on her.

“I don’t care. You’re mine. He needs to know that.” Deciding that was an issue for later, she let his words get straight to her head and that possessiveness was beyond a turn on for her. Finishing sucking his mark onto the column of her neck, he growled. “Tell me what you really want.” He pulled back, lips swollen and parted and eyes still dark.

She gasped, feeling her own wetness on the fabric of his jeans. “I want you inside me . . . and I want you to make love to me in the bed where he fucked me.”

He chuckled darkly. “Oh, you dirty little whore.”

She smirked. “Roll over.” She said. He wondered what she was planning but obeyed nonetheless. She got up on her knees and watched him prop himself up against the headboard of the bed. She ran her hand through her hair and flipped the mass of curls onto the other side before reaching down and grabbing the hem of her tee shirt and pulling it teasingly over her head and discarding it.

She watched his jeans strain harder and tugged her lower lip between her teeth. 

For  a brief moment, Josh’s expression went from dark to loving, as if the realisation of how deeply he cared for the woman on his knees before her. Then she unclipped her bra and the dark expression returned.

She bent herself onto her hands and knees and straddled his legs, kissing the divot in his hips as she fiddled with his jeans and popped the button. He saw her smile cheekily as she blew a breath over his boxers and hooked her middle fingers in the waistband. She pulled both down and he lifted his hips to help her.

Now there were no clothes in the way, she crawled back up and wrapped a hand around the base of his erection. He inhaled as she dipped his head just between her lips, teasing with the flat of her tongue and collecting spit so she could drop her lips down to touch her hand.

“Oh fuck!” He let his hand collect her hair as she bobbed up and down. She swallowed around him and twister her hand around his base. “Shit!” She bought her lips away and pumped her hand up and down his several times, flicking her eyes up to his and smirking at the unwavering attention she had from him. 

When she slipped her lips back over him and all the way down, flattening her hand against his leg and feeling her push down the back of her throat. “Jesus! You’re a little slut for sucking cock, hey?” He gasped.

She hummed and stated bobbing around his head again, using her hand to cup his balls before taking him all the way in and swallowing again.

“Stop, stop!” He said, pulling her hair hard.

Eyes wide and questioning, she opened her mouth to speak but he was too quick and flipped them back over. 

He propped himself up and took his erection in his hand. Her legs were pushed aside by his hips and he teased his head at her soaked entrance. “You’re so wet for me, baby.”

She moaned, her hands going her her own hair since she couldn’t reach his. “Oh fuck! Josh! I need you! Please!” She begged, her bare chest rising and falling in desperation.

He watched her bathed in a blue and pink light from outside and smiled, rolling his hips and pushing inside.

He stilled for a moment, pulling himself back from how close he was in her mouth. Deciding he could move and not to tease her anymore, he pulled out and pushed back in. 

She could feel him pushing up against her and the force of him forced the air from her lungs. Every now and then, unpredictably, he’d pushed slower and deeper inside her and she couldn’t help the moans that left her throat. 

“Whose are you?” He whispered, kissing just below her ear as her nails racked across the muscles of his shoulders. 

“Yours, Josh.”

“Who’s the only one who makes you feel like this?”

“You!”

He pushed deep inside once again, feeling her buck up to get the friction she craved. “Who’s the best person you’ve fucked in this bed?”

“Oh God! You, Josh!” 

He quickened his pace and leant up so he could look her in the eyes. Her eyebrows were knit in an almost pleading look and her lips were swollen from him. Her breasts rolled his the force of his thrusts and her hand ran through her hair once again, no longer able to rake his back and leaving the other one draped over his neck.

He pushed his hand up and took hers in his, knitting their fingers and pushing her into the mattress. 

A slightly strangled breath released his throat. “Are you close?”

“Yeah. Go faster.”

He did as she said and suddenly the moans from her lips were high picked and stuttered. 

He could feel her starting to clench around him, a new sheen of sweat absorbing the neon lights outside. 

“Where do you want it?”

“Oh, fuck, Josh! Inside me! Fucking own me baby!” She begged. The sound of her words were driving him crazy and he pushed harder. “Oh fuck! I’m cumming!” She whined, her thighs wrapping around his hips and her heels digging into his ass. The lights flicked to a yellow and blue as Josh let himself go and pushed his seed inside her.

Collapsing against her, feeling her flinching muscles as she wrapped her entire being around him. He felt that slow violin music again and smiled.

“I have to go.” Josh sighed against Percie's hair, stroking the skin on her shoulder as she curled further into him. 

She whined and then popped her head up, looking at him and sighing. “I can’t wait to be with you.” She commented.

He chuckled and pecked her lips. “I can’t wait either.”

He groaned and moved away from her, sitting up and grabbing his boxers from the floor. Percie rolled in the bed and Josh glanced back to her, chuckling. She’d tried to innocently pick up her phone but he knew she’d done it on purpose. The light summer sheets in the bed clung to her figure and accentuated the curve of her back. The sheet had fallen down on her lower back and he could see the dimples there. There was a dip where her spine was that he wanted to trace and her ass was hugged so well he wanted to miss the van home and just stay with her the night, no matter the repercussions.

But he needed to go so he chuckled and pulled his jeans on. “You’re bad.” She looked up to his and pouted. “I know.”

He’d known from the very second he’d met her and after seeing her on stage and talking to her afterwards, he knew from that second. 

She was just one of those people; provocative and sexual but yet so endearingly innocent, people lapped her up. 

He knew people wanted her, he’d been in a crowd full of guys who would’ve given a limb for the chance to spend the night with her.

But he knew her as well and he trusted her without doubt.

And she was his.

He rolled over and leant over her. He placed a hand to her cheek and kissed her, feeling her smile against his lips. She pulled back and gave him that innocent, wide-eyed kind of look. “I thought you had to go.”

He laughed. “I do.”

She rolled onto her back and he bit his lip, knowing she was teasing him. “Well stop playing with me then.”

This is the Percie he could see himself living with; no fear, no running.

Everything was relaxed and she was completely herself.

“Not playing, just cherishing.”

“Aww, ‘cherishing’.” She teased.

He pushed her shoulder. “Shut up.” She laughed and rolled to pull on her shirt. 

He started pulling his trainers on and slipped his phone and wallet into his pocket. He stood and she rounded to him, pouting that he had to leave. He sighed and wrapped his arms around her, pecking her lips. “Try to get to Ohio again soon?”

“We’re looking into booking the next tour so it shouldn’t be long now.”

He nodded. “Okay, call me when you can.”

She felt the urge in her chest, even as close as the back of her throat. She wanted to say the words.

Instead, she kissed him and he was gone, leaving her alone in the room.

She looked around, cherishing the calm that Josh left in his wake and pulled on her jeans.

The room phone rang and she frowned, picking it up, expecting Josh might have forgotten something and couldn’t get back in.

“Hello?”

“Hello Miss O’Brian. There are some men down here wondering if you’re in.” She paused for the briefest of seconds. Later she’d realise how important that second had been but as she threw the phone down and ran towards the door, she only had one thing on her mind; stopping those men getting to Josh.

She pulled her shoes on, stumbling twice as she ran from the room. 

She knew who the men were and she knew what they were doing. She knew that they were sent by Hal and she knew what he’d told them to do.

Someone had ratted them out. 

She approached the elevator and saw which floor it was on. It was quicker to take the stairs.

Each step took too long, she was borderline considering throwing herself down them just to get to the bottom quicker.

She stumbled and skipped steps, bashing into the wall at the bottom as she darted into reception. 

There were no men and - more importantly - no Josh.

She darted from the block, her heart thumping now in fear and exertion.

She ran out of the carpark, the cold night air attacking her lungs and clenching her chest. She rounded the corner and saw the car and Hal and his men and she saw Josh.

Acting in self-preservation, she skidded to a stop and pushed herself round the corner, crouching and listening closely.

“What’s going on?” She heard Josh ask as he was back against the wall of the building behind him.

“You’re Josh aren’t you?” Hal presumed.

“Maybe. Who’s asking?”

“I’m Henry. You might have heard of me, you might not have. Depending on how much Percie likes you.”

“Yeah, I know who you are.”

“Excellent.” Even Percie as she listened, couldn’t quite figure out what Hal was doing. “Well from all the times she’d done this in the past, she must really like you. Let me guess, she’s gonna ‘get out for you’ and you’re gonna be together.” He mimicked her voice and laughed. “Yeah, she’s told people that before. Do you know what’s happened to those people?” Josh didn’t speak. “They’re all dead.”

There was a pause and she hoped and prayed that Josh wasn’t believing the exaggerated lies Hal was spewing. 

“So, I’m going to do with you what I did to all them . . . I’m gonna give you a warning and it’s not a nice warning unfortunately.”

There was a thump as Hal hooked Josh under the ribs, taking him down. What followed was a series of uneven but rough thumps of boots and fists as the four men ploughed in to Josh. 

Percie didn’t know what to do. She was so scared that she just stayed sat against the wall with her hands against her ears trying to block out the sounds. But the beating was quick and hard and it ended with Hal getting close to Josh and delivering his final threat. “If I hear you talking about Percie, I’ll kill you. If I hear you’re contacting Percie, I’ll kill you. If I ever see your face round her again, I will fucking kill you.” The three men and Hal got into the car. “Have a nice night, Josh.”

Percie took a deep rugged breath and heard Josh groan as the car drove away. She waited for a few minutes. If Hal found her now, it’d all be for nothing so she waited as Josh spluttered up blood and tried to think straight enough to figure out a plan.

Finally, after counting to 60, she ran to him. She went so quickly and so frantically that when she came to him, she fell to her knees and ripped the skin on the concrete without even caring.

“Josh?”

“Oh shit! Percie? You gotta get out of here.”

“They’re not coming back. They wont risk the witnesses. I’m so sorry Josh.” His eyebrow and lip were split, spewing stark red blood over his pale skin. She could tell he was struggling breathing, Hal was a fan of hooking people in the ribs and hoping he hit something important. He’d hit Josh’s diaphragm, leaving him wheezing. “Shit, we need help.”

When it came to instincts, she knew he needed help and she knew she couldn’t get much help off of a hospital or a paramedic, Hal’s ears were everywhere. So she needed anyone with a house out of the city and a car to pick them up and who definitely wasn’t going to rat to Hal.

So she pulled out her phone and selected the number she needed. Josh groaned and put his head back, twisting to stretch and open his lungs. “It’s okay baby, you’re gonna be okay.”

The dial tone cut out and there was a tense pause. “Hello?” A sleepy and familiar yet different voice asked curiously down the phone.

“Dexter? Hey . . . it’s - it’s Percie.” She suddenly realised how weird this was, calling her brother after two years of no contact. But she had no choice.

“Percie? Really? What . . ?”

“I really need some help. Please Dex, I’m desperate.”

There was another pause. “Um . . . okay. What do you need?”

“I need you to come to East Street. I need you to pick me up. My . . . my friends been beaten up and we can’t go to the hospital.”

“Jesus Chris Percie. Okay, stay there, I’ll be five minutes.”

The phone cut out and her body shook with anxious adrenaline. “Okay, baby, my brothers coming. You’re gonna be okay.” She wiped his face with her white tee shirt to look at the gashes on his head. “Do you feel dizzy or have tunnel vision?” She asked him.

He cringed as the muscles in his stomach spasmed. “No, no. It’s just pounding. Is it true what he said? About the others?”

She wanted to remind him of his priorities and then she realised she would have been bothered too. She sighed and took his hand. “There was one guy. And Hal did kill him but it wasn’t as simple as that.”

“Just one guy?” Josh double checked.

She chuckled at how much he was worried. “Well there was a girl as well but Hal was a little happier about that one, she’s not dead.”

Josh was just staring. “A girl?”

Percie quirked an eyebrow. “Sorry, did I not tell you about that?”

His head went back. “If I wasn't in so much pain right now, I’d be asking for details.”

“Shut up.”

“Did you love him?”

“Hal or Sam?”

“Sam?”

“That was his name. And no I didn’t. I felt for him, I was sad he died, I felt guilty because it was my fault, but I didn’t love him.”

Josh winced again and took a deep breath. “Okay.”

“Feel better?”

“Emotionally, yes. Physically, I want to throw up my internal organs.”

“Okay, okay honey. Try to relax. You’re going to be okay.”

Josh took deep breaths and looked up to her, her brows knit with concern at shame. He managed a smile and chuckled. “I knew you were trouble.”

She managed a small smile. “I told you.”

He looked up to the sky where the stars were being blocked by the light of the city. He cringed in pain again. “Does anything feel broken?”

“No but everything hurts at the minute, it’s hard to tell.”

“What about your hands? If we got ratted from the gig, they’ll know you’re a drummer. I thought they'd go for the hands.”

She looked down at the hand on his chest and scooped it up, partly for support and partly to check it over. Happy when he didn’t flinch or wince, she kissed it, avoiding the split knuckle from where he’d tried to get his own punch in.

His other hand came to her face. “It’s okay. I don’t blame you. We’re just unlucky.” She didn’t like that, she wanted him to hold her accountable. He was in pain and it was her fault, she should never have gotten involved with Hal.

But she didn’t say anything and just blinked back tears. “Can you stand? We’ll need to get you into Dexters car.”

Josh took a tired, deep breath and nodded.

He swallowed and Percie let him sit up on his own. He winced and his back straightened as his internal organs protested the move.

She wanted to help him but wasn’t quite sure how. 

But the car pulled up and stayed running as a tall, dark haired young man got out and ran to them.

“What the fuck happened?” He had her accent and her attitude and they had a similar style. 

“Dexter, this is Josh. We need to go somewhere . . . anywhere so he can rest. We just need to get off the streets.” 

Dexter threw his arm under Josh and helped the man to his feet. “Why can't you go to the hospital?”

Percie looked into the eyes of her twin, seeing their fathers sky blue look to her. “Because Hal has contacts there.”

“Fucking hell Percie. Okay, come back to ours.”

“Ours?”

“Now is not the time.” Dexter chuckled, helping Josh who was now doing his best to hold in his moans. Percie opened the back toor and Josh laid down on the back seats.

“Where were you to get here so quickly?”

“Doing a late night food shop.” Putting the car into gear as he and Percie got into the front seats, Dexter checked the mirrors that they weren’t being followed and adjusted the mirror to look at the beaten man on the back seat. “Who the hell is that Percie?”

“Umm, he’s my boyfriend.”

“Boyfriend? But you and Hal . . ?”

“Are definitely not, by any definition, in a relationship, he just wont let anyone else have me.”

“Jeese, Perc. Why didn’t you call me?”

“Because he got mad at me whenever I suggested I see you guys.”

Dexter took a deep breath. He was clearly a strong, rough kind of man who would not back down from a  fight. And even despite the lack of contact in the last few years, he still seemed protective, like he would literally kill for his sister. 

Percie turned in the seat. “Josh, baby? How you doing?”

“I’m okay, just . . . the quicker we stop moving the better.”

“It’s alright mate, the house is only just out of town.” Dexter said, driving through an amber to keep moving towards their destination.

Percie reached back and took his hand, stroking it until they finally pulled up outside of a house in the suburbs.

Percie got out and looked up at the house; white picket fence and all, illuminated by the streetlights.

“So this is . . . ‘ours’ hey?”

“Yep . . . mine and my fiancee’s. Can you help him to the door? I need to put the dog away.” He jogged up to the door and went inside.

Percie rounded the car and opened the door where Josh was already sitting up, waiting to shuffle  forward and go to the house.

Percie pushed her guilt aside and helped him up gently before letting him lean on her as they went to the door. 

“How you doing?” Percie asked.

“Better.” Josh replied, limping slightly to the door. “You?”

“Let’s not worry about me. I’m trying not to think about anything but you right now.”

Josh didn’t say anything as the door was flung open and Dexter helped them inside. “Layla?!” He called. “Lay, can you give us a hand a minute?”

Josh was helped into the hall way and through a side door into the living room where he was laid not he sofa. Percie immediately started checking over Josh but Dexter stopped her. “Layla’s a paramedic. She’ll know what to do. Lay!”

“What is it honey? Where have you been?”

“Sorry, babe, I got a call and had to help.”

A woman walked in wearing jogging bottoms with her tanned skin visible through a vest, her blonde hair was in a bun and she had nothing on her feet. She stared at Percie and the man on her couch. “Who’s this?”

“Layla, this is my sister, Percie. Percie, this is my fiancee, Layla.” Percie was the first one to talk. “Nice to meet you. Sorry we hadn’t met sooner.” The woman swallowed. “Hmm.” She sounded sceptically. “And who’s this?” She gestured to the man on the sofa.

“This is Josh, my boyfriend. My ex beat him up and . . . well . . . unfortunate circumstances mean we couldn’t go to the hospital.”

Layla hauled in a deep breath. “Jeese, honey. I sent you out for milk and bread and you come back with an estranged sister and a punching bag.” She tried to joke. Percie managed a halfhearted but tired chuckled as she continued. “Well I’m guessing you and Dex need to have a little chat. Leave me with Josh and we’ll see what the damage is.”

Percie looked to Josh who nodded and then up to Dexter who gestured her towards the kitchen.

She heard him flip the kettle on but she a little preoccupied with how everyone else had moved on and grown while she’d been forced backwards. She was possibly more messed up than she had been when she left home and that was damn impressive. After their mum left, Percie was a mess. She’d had to step up and look after herself, her brother and her sister, that was too much responsibility for a 13 year old.

She looked around the kitchen, light and open with glass doors that opened onto a large garden lit up by solar-powered fairy lights. The kitchen itself was cosy with a wood burning stove against the wall that provided heat for the large English Bull Terrier that was laying on the tiles. She smiled, she and Dexter had always had arguments about which dogs were best and while Percie liked large, tall dogs, Dexter liked dogs that had muscle mass and status.

The dog jumped up as soon as she was inside and she bent over to stroke him until he fell onto his side and let her pat his belly. 

His collar said his name was ‘Butch’ and she chuckled slightly at how the pure white, push-over of a dog had such a burly name. In fairness, he was packed with muscle and had scars all over his nose from head butting things, but he looked to her, as he laid on the floor, lie he was a bog softie.

She looked up to Dexter and realised he was staring at the kettle with a nearly white firm grip on the counter.

She approached him slowly. “Dex?” She whispered.

“How did you do it so easily?” He asked, his voice tense and stern, even making the dog back off slightly.

“What?”

“How did you leave us all in the dust like that?”

She just took a breath. “That’s what you’re mad about?”

He turned to her and took a deep breath, seeing his sisters questioning and almost sorrowful expression. He sighed. “I’m sorry, I’ve just . . . I’ve thought about this conversation so many times and I need to know. Was it easy?”

“Are you serious?” She replied. He just stared. “It was . . . torture. It ripped me apart. I begged him: tried to convince him I needed to see you guys but he got-“ She swallowed. “He got so far into my head that I believed him when he said I didn’t need you. He said you guys hated me for leaving.” She looked down, unable to look her own brother in his eyes.

She heard the man sigh. When she left he was just a boy, she was barely a woman herself. Now she was returning and there was no doubt the man before her was a man. He had a family of his own. He was still looking after his own old family but he had a fiancee and a dog, he’d moved onto a life that she wasn’t a part of.

Nonetheless he walked forward and pulled his sister into a hug. She was a little shorter and the malicious intent of her relationship meant that she was practically dainty compared to him so he could truly engulf her as he breathed her in again.

Despite the years and the convincing he’d forced on himself, he realised he’d missed her and as he pulled her in, he realised she’d always be his sister. 

“There’s nothing to forgive so I won’t say it. Shauna missed you though.”

Percie sniffled, letting stressed, sad tears fall onto her brothers shirt. “I bet. She was relying on me and I let her down.”

“You didn’t let anyone down. We let you down by putting so much pressure on you.”

She pulled him in a little tighter. “I’m so sorry Dexter. I needed a break and Hal caught me at my lowest. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay. You’re always welcome here . . . I always hoped you’d come back. I was just worried you’d come back to us in a coffin.”

She laughed at how similar her brothers conclusion was to her own. It was a sad smile of how real that possibility had been but regardless she laughed. “I thought that as well.”

“So what happened tonight?” He pulled back and kept a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“I’ve been with Josh for over a year but he’s from Columbus so I don't see him much, obviously Hal didn’t know. Then he got a suspicion and then kind of realised and tonight I went to see his band play and Josh came back to mine. And Hal’s men were waiting and he beat him up and threatened him.”

Dexter paused before asking. “So what are you going to do now?”

She sighed. “I’ve been trying not to think about that but I think . . . I think this is a good excuse to leave. But I need you and Stitch.”

“Why?”

“Because I need to get some things from the apartment and Hal will be waiting.”

Dexter pulled back. “Good! I’ve been waiting for an excuse to punch that guy in the face.”

“No! I just need you guys so I have a numbers advantage. I want you and stitch to stay safe. You have things to lose if Hal tries to come after me. I might . . . I think I need Tyler as well?”

“Tyler?”

“Josh’s band mate. They wear ski masks on stage and maybe it’d be a good idea to borrow some.”

“Is he here?”

“Yeah. They played tonight.”

“Well call him then. Let’s get this done.”

“Really?” She pulled back and looked her brother in the eyes.

“Yes!” He insisted. “I’m not letting you come back to us and then go crawling back to that douchebag! I don’t care who he knows! Family is everything, Percie!”

She was practically tearing up. She hadn't had anyone defend her so fiercely since Josh. She took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay.”

At that moment, Layla walked back in and looked to Percie. 

“We have a slight problem.”

Next Chapter

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New chapter of Clenched Fists tonight!!

[dunwithurshitm8-blog]

Clenched Fists: Part 3 - The Crescendo (Chapter 7)

First Chapter

Last Chapter

Okay, okay. My hands are up. This is a little late and a little short but o boi have I got some shit lined up for you guys. I’ve been slow because honestly, I’ve been writing snippets of this for almost a year and just today I got a solid serious plan down and I know exactly where we’re going.

Also, points for if anyone can guess a character influence in this. In fact its basically a cameo of a Bostonian celebrity.

And a point I haven’t reiterated enough. This is completely fictional, these are all characters and I hope and pray that the situation Percie’s in is so ridiculously far fetched, nothing even remotely similar is happening to anyone. Regardless, if you are or think you might be in any kind of abusive relationship, please please seek help or advice. There are mentions of depression in this chapter too. Because I’ve had to write it how I know it, this might not be everyones description of it but sometimes hearing it described can be a little triggering so same as above, please seek advice if you think you might or do have depression. Even drop me an ask if you’re that desperate.

Serious part over. I hope whoever actually reading this is fuckin excited because it’s all about to go down in the next few chapters! Thanks for reading folks.

Warnings: Abuse. Arguments. Abusive relationships. Depression.

Words: 2300

Percie hadn’t seen Josh in nearly two months. She was sat on Chris’ sofa with the older mans head in her lap as he worked on his laptop while an ancient Disney cartoon played on the TV. Since Hal thought she’d be at band practice until late, she was around Chris’ house and had taken the time to call Josh.

Chris was an actor who’d just signed a contract with Disney. He was one of the deepest, most thoughtful people she’d ever met and just being around him relaxed her. He was one of her best friends. She’d known him since before Hal when she’d met him in a bar. They’d hooked up (which is why Hal could not know about the friendship) but in that post-sex bliss and mess of existential conversation, they’d realised that although the sex had been amazing, they just clicked . . . but not romantically.

She loved him deeply and honestly but in a platonic soulmates sort of way.

It was 8 in the evening so hoped maybe she’d catch Josh before his gig that night.

“Hey!” He picked up excitedly, making her grin. “I didn’t think you’d be able to call tonight.”

“Yea, we finished band practice early. JJ’s wife’s in hospital with Braxton Hicks so he had to rush off and it’s not much of a practice without him.”

“Ahh. Is everything okay with him?”

“Yeah, the baby’s fine and she’ll be here in less than a month now.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah, it’s exciting.”

“So where’re you now?” Josh walked into the green room on the other end of the line and plopped down into a sofa.

“At Chris’.”

Josh laughed. “No surprises there then. Take it Hal doesn’t know.”

“Of course not. Hal doesn’t even know Chris exists. Well he might but he doesn’t know we’re friends. If you ever come to Boston you’ll have to meet him.”

“Oh!” He exclaimed as something crossed his mind. “I just remembered, we’re booking a gig in Boston.”

“Really?” She sat up quickly, jolting Chris’ head slightly as she forgot he was there. She held her hand up as an apology. Chris teased her so she flattened her hand over his face annoyingly, making him belly laugh as she focused on Josh’s voice on the other end of the line.

“Yeah, we’re going to do New York and Boston in a weekend.”

“That’s amazing. When?”

“Next month. We haven’t booked it yet but we’ve emailed loads of venues.”

“Well I can talk to Steve at The Shed, see what he can do.”

“That’d be perfect, as soon as we have one date, we can be more specific with the New York venues.”

“Okay, I’ll try.” She paused. “Let’s just hope its a weekend Hal’s away.”

“Fingers crossed.”

“Even if he’s not, I’ll figure something out.”

“I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

“I go to gigs all the time, he’ll let me go . . . or he should do.”

“We’ll worry about it when we know for certain. So what are you doing?”

“Enjoying a brief moment of freedom?” She joked. “Chris is doing work and he’s put the Little Mermaid on for some reason because he’s a giant nerd.” 

“Oi!” Chris laughed.

She grinned and turned her attention back to Josh as he replied. “I love that film.”

She laughed. “You’re kidding!”

“No.”

“I’ve never even properly watched it and I’m with two men right now who have not only watched it but actually like it.”

“What’s wrong with that?” He tried to catch her.

“Nothing, nothing.” She insisted. “I just didn't expect it.” She took a deep breath and watched Chris get frustrated about something on his laptop. “So what’ve you been up to?”

“Not much. Practicing and playing.”

“Where are you playing tonight?”

“Cincinnati. There’s like 20 people here.”

“Hey! That’s good!”

“Yeah, yeah, it is. More people showing up every time.”

She smiled. “I’m glad, you guys are good.”

“You’ve seen us play half a song.”

“But it was a good song and I’ve got the first CD, Tyler even gave me his solo thing from years ago. Though I’m not sure what that taco song’s all about.”

“Tacos?” Josh teased.

“Well, yeah. I got that Joshua.”

The man laughed on the other end of the line and she felt herself smile at the sound. “Honestly babe, you should really see us live. Tyler really knows how to get a crowd going.”

“Okay, I promise.”

Josh sighed gently and she felt him smile. “Okay, we’re going on in a minute so I should go.”

“Okay, I miss you.”

He gave a small, saddened chuckle. “I miss you too. See you soon.”

He put the phone down and she sighed.

“Was that him?” Chris asked. “The one you’re leaving Hal for?”

It felt weird to have it phrased like that. But he was right. “Yeah, it is.”

“What is it about him? You’ve got loads of reasons to leave that douchebag.”

“What do you mean?”

“Me, Stitch, you’re family, the fans. People love you, Perc, what was it he gives you that none of us could.”

She frowned. “I didn’t need someone else to make me realise I needed to leave.” She clarified. “I wasn’t waiting around for someone to make me realise.”

“So why did you need him?” He wasn’t being bitter, the questions were genuine like he didn’t understand the reason she couldn’t leave for everything she already had.

“I didn’t. The problem was, I couldn’t see a way out. Hal was going to kill me or I was going to kill myself-“

“Perc-“

“No, I’m being serious. I was waiting for him to kill me. You and Stitch and everyone else, I needed to live for. When Josh came into the picture, it changed and I realised there were people I wanted to live for. I wasn’t obliged by a want not to hurt anyone, he just pulled me out of the mindset I was in where I was waiting for Hal to take the choice away from me.”

Chris was sitting up now. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Don’t tell me you didn’t know. Really. You knew I was depressed and I didn’t want to be in that situation anymore. It’s not much of a jump to think that the easiest way of doing that was to . . .” She thought of the right way to phrase it. “Not exist anymore.”

“But we’ve had the escape plan for almost two years.”

“And why do you think I didn’t say the words? Think about it. If I ran away before Josh, what was going to happen? Loneliness would be so utterly toxic to my brain and we don’t know how long I’d be running for. Theoretically, I could never come back to Boston which just so happens to be where everyone I care about is.”

Chris sighed, knowing she was right.

She continued. “Now, when I leave. I have to run for half the time and then I get to go back to Josh.” She smiled, thinking of it. 

“So he really is the one, huh?”

“I hope so . . . I cant-“ She took a deep breath, thinking of a normal way to phrase it. Her and Josh were so beyond ordinary, their love was so beyond their control. To the point where, in six months of barely actually seeing each other, she knew she loved him and she was ready to say it. It was so beyond them that she couldn’t actually describe it. “I can't imagine that something like this can just disappear. I don’t think this kind of feeling could just . . .” She tried to phrase it. “Cease to exist, you know?”

He stared at her and grinned. “Somebody’s in love!!” He dragged vowels out and punched her playfully.

“Shut up!” Then she shrugged. “But yeah, I am. I love him and I want to get out for him. I want to spend my life with him, and I want to be happy.”

“You know, that’s the best think you’ve said in the four years we’ve known each other.”

She laughed and looked to her phone as it started buzzing. 

Hal’s name popped up on the screen and she took a deep breath. She let it ring for a moment before putting on a happy voice and answering the phone. “Hey baby.”

“Don’t ‘hey baby’ me, get home right now!”

She frowned. “Why? What’s happened?”

“I knew you hadn’t changed, you dirty little slut. Get back here. We need to talk.” And at that he put the phone down.

Percie stared at the device for a moment and then looked to Chris and swallowed. “Well that changed quickly.” Chris just looked at her and she felt the chill of fear that was all too familiar spread through her. “I think Hal’s figured it out.”

Chris ordered her a taxi back to Hal’s, knowing the flight response was all too well trained in Percie and she could mess everything up if she ran now.

They had a deal. She’d send him a message within the next two hours if she was okay and if she didn’t, he’d send the police round.

So she rushed down the hallways like she imagine she would have before the abuse, like a lamb would to the slaughter and opened the door to the shared apartment. 

It was dark inside, lit onto by the kitchen light and the tv. She flipped the elaborate chandelier-like light on in the living room and called out. “Hal, baby? What’s wrong, where are you?”

From the living room she could see him emerging from the bedroom.

He was hunched menacingly and his face was twisted in betrayed anger. In his hand he held Josh’s Rancid tee shirt. “What’s this?”

She’d knocked it off of Josh when she left the last time. They’d figured Hal would be less suspicious of a band tee shirt and she wanted something of his to keep with her.

She stared at it for a moment and then released a breath of a confused chuckle.

“A tee shirt?”

“Don’t get smart with me, where’d you get it.”

“The internet?”

“How long ago?”

“Few weeks.” She shrugged.

“Why’s it so worn?” His questions were getting quicker and more aggressive. She wasn’t sure if she was more concerned that his questions were coming so fast or that he’d paid a scary amount of attention to it.

“Because I sleep in it?”

“Not before a few weeks ago you didn’t.”

“Babe, why are you being so suspicious of a tee shirt?”

“Because its you!” He shouted, storming forward but stopping himself from going the whole way. “You know exactly what you do to men and you exploit it! Who is he?!”

“Babe, it’s just a tee shirt.”

“A mens medium tee shirt.”

She tried to laugh. “That’s what I wear.”

“No you don’t!”

“What?”

“You wear everything but a mens medium. I’ve seen you in large and extra large, hell you even were small but you don’t like mens mediums because they're not flattering.” She frowned and focused on keeping her breathing calm.

“So who is he?!”

“There isn’t a ‘he’.”

“To hell there isn’t! Where did you get it?” He finally strode forward to use his hight and strength against her.

“The internet.”

“Bitch, you didn't have this thing until you . . .” He paused and rage registered on his face and in his breath. “Until you came back from Ohio!”

“Babe, you’re being ridiculous.”

“Where you got bailed out by that Josh guy. You spent the weekend with him didn’t you! That’s why you wanted to go!”

“No! I went for you! I do everything for you!”

“You selfish little bitch you’ve used me this whole time. Made me pay for your little tours through Ohio, told me you were going to see if it was safe when really, this whole time you’ve had a little piece on the side who you’re visiting out of my pocket!”

“Don’t you dare start about pieces on the side, Henry!” She couldn’t hold it in anymore and she’d known for months. “I know there’s other people you sleep with and yet you expect me to stay here and look after your perfect little world like that shits not happening!”

He walked up to her again and she tensed. He nodded. “I do fuck other girls . . . because the only reason I wanna think about your nasty little snatch is to relieve myself of the stress you fucking cause me. But you’re mine. Nobody else touches you, nobody else things about you. And if I’m right . . . and I ever so much as hear about you and this Josh fella . . . I’ll kill you both.” And with that he started walking away.

“Where are you going?” She tried, still frozen to the spot.

“To go find somebody else to fuck tonight.” 

And with that he slammed the door behind him and left her in the silence. 

She wasn’t sure why she was crying.

Well she knew she should be crying but she had so many reasons to be crying in that moment that she wasn’t sure which one was best. 

It’s quite possible everything just blew up. He remembered Josh and suspected she was cheating which made it ten times harder to leave, he was most likely going to get drunk which meant he’d come back later even more mad than he’d left and on top of that, he’d be fucking other girls. She hated his guts, she wanted to rip his eyes out and feed them to him but the betrayal still hurt. She lived a loveless life with him and he was the only think actually coming between her happiness.

She hated him with such a violent fervour, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to control herself much longer. She’d kill him or herself or he’d kill her. They were so fucked up that one of them was going to end up dead and she wanted so much recently to live; to survive and live with Josh. She wanted that so badly that she cried even harder.

And when the tears had stopped, she was left with her headache being the only thing she could feel. A terrifying numb settled into her bones like and old friend and let her instincts kick in. Suddenly everything in the room was too much, the lights and the fixtures and the furniture was overwhelming and she found herself in the kitchen. 

At least in here everything was the same colour. She leant against the side and took deep breaths, counting like she knew how to.

All she had was the familiar numb again. 

And in that numb she felt herself pull her phone from her pocket and send a single ‘I’m fine’ To Chris.

Next chapter

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Clenched Fists: The Plateau - Chapter 6

First Chapter

Previous Chapter

It’s been a little while, sorry about that. I was in a  rut that I need to come out of before I could write. These chapters are really just leading up to Percie running away so bear with and hopefully they don’t feel like fillers.

Warnings: Hal (he has his own warning now since I hate him so much).

Words: 1490

remember my ask box is always open if you wanna request or ask me something. Enjoy!

Josh woke up at 11 to an empty bed. 

He spent a brief moment wondering if the night before had been a dream and if she’d never even been there. But something about the room told him she had been. It could’ve been the vanilla in the air or that his body felt warmer than it normally did or the burgundy rucksack covered in patches in the corner that was definitely hers.

He pulled some gym trousers on and walked into the living area. He smiled when he saw her, the usual Patriots jersey practically dripping from her frame and her hair in a messy bun atop her head.

She was scheduling tweets for the next few days and setting up a few gigs by the looks of it when he wrapped his arms around her.

She took her earphones out and hummed, leaning her head back and letting his peck her lips. “Morning.” She said. 

“How did you sleep?”

“Like a baby, again. Well done.”

He laughed. “Well done?”

“I don't sleep well next to people. Like my body won’t let me sleep when there’s someone next to me.”

He laughed harder. “You’re weird.” He kissed her again. “Like a cute kind of weird.”

And somehow, he managed to immediately flip something that she was quite self-conscious about and make it a quirk. She smiled and leant into him before he pecked her again and walked over to the kitchen unit. “Has Matt come in?”

“I haven’t seen him.”

“Hmm, he probably went home with someone. D’you want some breakfast?”

“Sure, what is there?”

“Cereal, bacon, toast.”

“Ooh, bacon sounds good.”

“I’m so glad you’ve said that.” 

She continued on with her work for a few minutes, replying to messages and queueing status’ on different sites for the band before she leant back and watched Josh messing with the bacon in the pan.

She stood silently and padded over to him, wrapping her arms around his middle and placing her chin awkwardly on his shoulder, stretching since she was a little shorter than him.

Josh laughed. “Hey you.”

“Hey.” She replied, watching him flip the bacon. 

They stood silently for a moment before she spoke again. “I like this.” 

“Me too.” He lifted his arm up so she could slip under it and hug his middle and he could kiss her forehead. “Tyler says he thinks the old drummer is leaving so there might be a full time position for men the band.”

“What?!” She pulled back to look at him and he nodded. “Babe that’s amazing!”

“I know! I’m trying to not get too excited in case he doesn’t leave but Tyler’s preparing himself for it so I can’t help it!”

“I don’t blame you! That’s so good! Oh, my God!”

He smiled at her, almost not used to someone being so happy for him. “You’re cute.” He commented, turning back to the hob.

“I’m not cute.” She said, growling and moving into his side. “I’m too punk to be cute.”

He laughed out loud. “Okay, okay. You’re . . . weird?”

“Fuck off!” She laughed, her accent making he phrase almost hot.

“Threatening?”

“Not wrong but also unacceptable.”

“Threateningly cute?”

She went to protest again but paused. “That’s not bad.”

“Oh, Tyler says him and J . . . Jenna? I think. Him and Jenna can go out with us tonight.”

“Oh cool. Where are we going?”

“Me and Tyler figured we’d surprise you both and book a table at a restaurantt we think you’d both like.”

“J!” She said. “You didn’t have to do that.”

He shrugged. “I wanted to. My treat since we don’t get to do this often.”

He pulled her in to kiss her forehead again.

A phone vibrated and Josh and Percie turned to stare at the device on the table. The air in the room had changed as the fear rose in Percie’s blood. “It’s Hal.”

“Don’t answer it.”

“I have to answer it, he’ll think something’s wrong.”

Josh just sighed and let her do what she needed to do, letting her leave his side and leaning against the sideboard. 

She picked up the device and took a deep breath. “Hello?” She said with a clearly fake cheerfulness.

Josh couldn’t hear what Hal was saying but he could only guess from her replies. “Yeah, I’m good. The hotel’s lovely, she lied, having spent no more time than it took to check in. “How’s DC? . . . Good, good.”

She spent a long time listening to him saying something and her face dropped. “Well, it was . . .” She sighed. “I went to see a friends band play and the police showed up to shut it down. One of the officers recognised me is all . . . no, it’s still not safe for you here.” He said something quite loud on the other end so she defended herself. “No, I’m fine!” She insisted. “They let me go because I didn’t know anything.” 

Josh watched her as she blinked a few times, her eyebrows arched with a gentle kind of cautiousness, hoping the man on the other end didn’t suspect anything. “Nothing. I’m going to stay in tonight. I might grab a bite to eat to see if anything else happens but I’m kind of tired from last night. How did you find out anyway?” Her face dropped and she glanced to Josh before blinking quickly and taking a quiet deep breath. “Baby,” She put on an innocent voice and laughed. “He’s no-one. I met him last time we toured here . . . I have his number because we were talking to try and organise a co-headline tour.” She lied, looking nervously to Josh again. “I swear baby. I don’t want anyone else. I was an idiot before, we both know that.” She closed her eyes. “Okay . . . okay. I’ll text you later. Bye. Love you.” She muttered before putting the phone down and leaning back, slipping her hands over her face to hide her emotions.

She took a few deep breaths that came through a little shakier than she’d have liked. Her hands paused over her face, rubbed up and down a few times and then finally fell limp in exasperation at her side. “He knows your name.”

Josh had suspected as much. “How?”

“An informant at the station.”

Josh didn’t reply. 

They went silent for a while but he could feel the air practically shaking with Percie’s emotions. She looked at him as he remained still, unsure of how she was going to react.

She tried to smile and shrug. “I don’t understand why everything seems to be against us.” Her voice cracked and she leant forward on her knees to put her head in her hands and shake with silent emotion.

Josh waited for a moment, feeling his own fear rise at the fact that he was no longer a secret; he was involved no matter what now. But she was crying and needed his support so he walked forward, sympathy in his eyes and sat cross-legged at her feet. 

He placed his hands on her knees and his chin atop his hands, looking up to her to wait until she had cried herself dry. He knew she just needed someone to care.

After a minute or two she swallowed and wiped her eyes with the heel of her palm. She looked down to Josh and smiled at his puppy eyes. “I’m so sorry I dragged you into this. You don’t deserve to put up with this shit.” He let her speak, knowing she needed to say it and also slightly curious about how the almost unreadable girl felt. “There’s no much crap that I thought having someone like you would just fix and all it’s done is involve you in all the crap. It’s like the world seems to think I deserve this . . . maybe I do!”

That’s where he drew the line. “Hey!” He silenced her. “Stop thinking like that. This is not your fault.” He took her hands as a few more tears escaped to make their path down her face. “You’ve just been dealt a bad hand and you deserve to get out. You deserve to be happy as much as anyone. Probably more.”

She looked at him unconvinced and he sighed, pecking her lips and placing his forehead to hers. “Can we just . . . can we take a deep breath and not think about it? Just for today? You deserve to be happy, Percie and that means for today as well. And we don’t have to fake it or pretend like we’re not in a really shitty situation but just for today, since it’s out of our control can me and you . . . can we just be happy?”

She let out a short breath and looked into his eyes before taking a deep breath. “Yeah, we can.”

“Good.”

She kissed him, using a hand on his jaw to lever him up so she could keep him there. 

He was soft and caring and everything she needed. She was falling so head over heels for him that it was actually scaring her a little. If she hadn’t been in too deep on that first night in the van, she had passed the point of no return last night.

She was fucked . . .

And strangely enough, she was okay with it.

Josh was laying on his bed with his phone in his hand scrolling through twitter when his phone started ringing. 

He paused as his mums picture popped onto the screen, wondering why she could be calling him and a plethora of possible conversations shooting through his brain.

He slipped the call and lifted the phone to his ear. “Hello?”

“Josh!” His mom exclaimed. “I haven’t called you all week!” 

“I saw you on Thursday.” He laughed.

The woman paused. “Oh? . . . Of course you did!” She laughed. “Anyway, how are you? Are you busy?”

“No, just waiting to go out.”

“Out?”

“Yeah . . .” He didn’t keep secrets from him mum so he decided to tell her. “Percie’s come over from Boston for the weekend so we’re going on a double date with Tyler.”

“What?! Why didn’t you say so?” She exclaimed. “We would’ve invited her for dinner!”

“It’s no problem mom, it’s the first time she’d been over here, let’s not throw her in the deep end.” He joked.

“Have you thought that maybe she wanted to meet us?”

“No actually.” He said honestly. “We haven't been talking for long enough for it to make sense for me to ask.”

Percie walked into the room, a towel wrapped around her body and scrunching the water out of her hair. “Josh? Can I borrow-”

He made wild arm movements to tell her to be quiet but it was too late and his mother had already heard the second voice. The woman gasped. “Is that her?!”

“No.”

“Don’t lie to me Joshua! Put me on speaker!” Josh blinked slowly and looked to Percie who had frozen in confusion at the wild movements. Josh put his hand over the microphone. 

“It’s my mom and she wants to speak to you.”

“What?! No! Josh!”

“This is your fault!”

“My fault? You didn’t tell me you were on the phone to your mum!”

Josh could hear the woman on the other end insisting he put her on speaker and not wanting to disappoint her, he obeyed despite Percie’s scolding look.

“Okay, mom you’re on speaker.”

The woman gasped excitedly again. “Really?! Hello?”

Percie silently perched on the bed and swallowed. “Hello?”

“She’s British?! Joshua! You didn’t tell me she was British.”

Percie laughed. “I am British and I’m not sure Josh has talked about me enough to mention it.” 

“Talked about you enough?! He never shuts up!” 

“Mom!” Josh exclaimed. “If you’re gonna embarrass me, I’ll cancel the call.”

“No you won’t. I’m serious. We get weekly updates on your every move!”

Percie laughed and looked with a quirked eyebrow at Josh. “Mom.” He insisted.

“Fine fine, I’ll be quiet. So when are you coming for dinner Percie?”

“Umm, I don’t know the next time I’ll be over.” She scratched her neck awkwardly.

“Well you tell Josh to let me know because we’re dying to meet you.”

She chuckled. “Okay, I’ll make sure he does.”

There was a content pause. “Okay love. It was lovely to talk to you . . . nice to know you’re actually real.”

“Mom!” Josh exclaimed much to Percie’s delight.

“Okay okay, I’m done. She sounds very nice. You two have a nice night.”

“Will do.”

“Okay mom.”

“Bye, love you.”

“Love you too.”

Percie looked to Josh, waiting for him to make the first comment as he put the phone down. He sighed exasperatedly. “I am so sorry!”

“Don’t be.”

“I feel like I should be.”

“I’m serious, don't be. I mean, I’m in a towel hearing your mum say how much you talk about me . . .”

“I knew it.”

“It’s absolutely fine. In fact the only thing that could’ve been better was if she’s walked in!” She joked.

“You know what?!”

“What?!” She challenged.

“You just keep asking for it!”

He pounced and started tickling her for the second time in twelve hours. “I swear to God!” She exclaimed. “Stop! Josh!”

He persisted, working around her wriggling and squirming.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Joshua!” She dragged out into a scream.

“Ow!” He stopped. “You can tell you’re a frickin’ singer!”

She laughed, hauling in a breath and staring at him. “I’m joking. She sounded nice.”

“Well she likes you so . . .”

“You think?”

“She literally said it.”

“Yeah but she knew I was listening.” She shrugged.

“Percie.” He warned. “How could she not love you?”

Percie laughed as if it was obvious. “Because it’s me?”

“You are not a bad person.” He reminded her.

She rolled her eyes. “Okay, okay.”

“I’m serious.”

“I know you are.” He was probably the only person on earth who she honestly, wholeheartedly believed. “I believe you.”

“Good.” He pecked her lips. “I’m gonna have a shower.”

When he was done in the shower, he walked back towards his room to find Matt just walking in the door. “Where the heck have you been?!” Josh joked.

“I met a girl last night.”

“Wahey. Good night?”

“Alright actually. Is Percie here?”

“In my room.”

“When does she leave?”

“Tomorrow.”

“Oh, okay, good.” Clearly Matt was still pissed off about Josh having quit Guitar Centre but not willing to argue with a friend, Josh just walked past him and into the bedroom.

Percie was sat on the floor in front of the full length mirror on his wardrobe applying the last of her makeup. She’d pulled one of his black tee shirts on and it practically dripped from her body but in a way that made him smile.

She looked up and realised he was looking at her shirt. “Oh I borrowed this, I hope that’s okay.”

“Definitely fine.”

She chuckled and looked back to the mirror. 

She had some grungy dark red and grey eyeshadow adding an impossible amount of depth to her emerald eyes with a dramatic eyeliner and a light red-brown lipstick. She looked stunning already. In fact, she could probably just wear his shirt out and she’s slay the entire room.

“What are you wearing?” She asked.

“I think a red flannel and jeans.”

“Okay . . . I like dating you, all our clothes match.”

“How come?”

“We both wear mostly black.” She laughed, moving to her bag and pulling out the only dress she’d packed. “I’m gonna go change.”

She disappeared presumably to the bathroom and when she emerged she was wearing a skintight black dress that came to just above her knees with a pair of converse. Josh stood and approached her. “Wow.” He said, wrapping his arms around her waist. She smiled bashfully so he continued. “I’ve never seen you wearing converse before!”  She laughed and slapped his arm. “I’m kidding, you look stunning.”

“Thanks. You think it’ll be alright?”

“You’ll be the hottest woman in there.”

She smiled deeper. “Shut up. Go get ready.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He kissed her quickly before moving over to the wardrobe and getting his clothes.

Once he was ready, they stood in front of the mirror while she snapped a quick picture of them. Percie had dipped into her savings to buy a second phone that she only used to contact Josh on. This was the first picture she’d taken of them. With her hand on his shoulder and his arm around her waist, they did look good together.

He leant her a jacket since she hadn't prepared for going out and hadn’t bought one and somehow she managed to pull it off. She had that cool confidence that just looked like she’d intended and meticulously planned everything she did when in reality, she did most things on a spontaneous whim.

They drove to the restaurant in a relaxed silence listening to Enema of the State once again. Parking up they saw two figures waiting outside the door.

Knowing one was Tyler and assuming the other to be Jenna, they all had their introductions and hugged a greeting before moving inside.

The restaurant was not the fanciest place in Columbus but considering it was booked by two musician boyfriends, it was definitely the swankiest place they could afford. It was nice and classy but not overly pretentious and the four were taken to a table with a red and white cloth and fancily wrapped cutlery with two modest candles and two roses in a jar. 

The couples sat next to each other with Josh and Tyler and Jenna and Percie opposite each other. 

Since Josh and Tyler were together, they immediately started a conversations not entirely between themselves but mostly between themselves in the way friends do.

So Percie and Jenna looked to each other and decided they may as well do the same.

“How did you meet Tyler?”

Jenna laughed, remembering the moment. “In a coffee shop he started talking to me and told me he was playing a gig that night. So I went to the gig and we just kept talking. What about you and Josh?”

Percie chuckled. “Actually scarily similar except I was over in Columbus on tour.

I went to Guitar centre and convinced him to come. The next time I saw him was in the back of a cop car.”

“What?!” Jenna exclaimed. 

“Yeah, the cops shut the show down and they just arrested anyone they could get their hands on.”

“Tyler baby, we gotta change the story of how we met. They’re cooler than us.” Jenna said, placing a hand on his shoulder and bringing the boys conversation into theirs.

“Why?”

“We met in a coffee shop. They met in the back of a squad car.”

“Technically,” Percie corrected. “Josh was only at the gig because I promised he’d get laid.” She joked.

“No I wasn’t!” Josh replied. “I was at the gig because you were fascinating.”

She looked over to him. “Fascinating? I was a dick!”

“Yeah, you were a bit cocky but it was cute.” She quirked an eyebrow.

“Threateningly cute.”

“Well technically!” Tyler mimicked. “We met because I turned around in a coffee shop and saw the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen and had to talk to her.” He shrugged exaggeratedly and Jenna slapped his chest, blushing.

“See!” Percie exclaimed. “Your story’s cute!”

“Ours is just weird.” Josh cut in.

“It’s not weird!” Percie insisted with a laugh. “It’s cool.”

Josh smirked. “Threateningly cool.”

She laughed at the little inside joke from earlier in the day. “Shut up!”

The waitress came over to take their drink orders. Josh and Tyler ordered coke and water respectively and Percie and Jenna looked to each other, knowing they didn’t need to drive and were already getting along. “White or red?” Percie asked.

“Can we have a bottle of the house rose please?” Jenna asked, leaning over Tyler before he could give her a surprised look. 

“Of course. I’ll get those to you in a minute.” She took the guys wine glasses away and left the two for the girls who were already laughing at how quickly they’d started getting along.

Tyler looked to Josh with a happy, somewhat surprised look and Josh shook his head realising that this was the ideal; his girlfriend and his best friends girlfriend getting along beyond well.

The drinks were bought around and they ordered their meals.

The food was eaten slowly with how much the two couples were laughing and enjoying themselves.

As the food started disappearing and the drinks did too, Jenna looked at her empty plate and spoke. “I’m not ready for this to be over.”

“Is there not somewhere else we can go?” Percie looked to Josh with accidental puppy eyes. Immediately convinced that he and Tyler needed to think of somewhere else to go, he looked to his friend with a questioning sort of look. 

Tyler shrugged. “We can leave the cars in the lot if you wanna head to a bar? It is a Saturday night after all and it’s only just gone 9.”

As if on cue, the waitress came over to take away the plates. “Are we all done guys?”

“Yes but could we get another round of drinks?”

“Of course. What would you like?”

“Whatever bottled beer you’ve got.”

“Certainly. and another bottle of wine for the ladies?”

Jenna and Percie looked almost worriedly at each other and then disappointedly at their empty glasses. “Sure.” They said together.

“Okay, I’ll be back in a minute with your drinks.” She took away the plates and they continued their conversations.

With a slightly concerned look, the boys watched as the girls finished their wine at the same pace they finished their much weaker beers but proved themselves to have pretty much identical alcohol tolerances to the men despite their advantage of gender and body mass. 

Josh hadn’t expected a few glasses of wine to floor Percie and he was exactly right. When the alcohol was gone, both she and Jenna were pumped enough to be ready to go out.

So they boys paid and they headed out to find a bar.

The bar Tyler suggested was only a short walk down the road so Josh put his arm around Percie and they wandered their content way there.

Percie had never seen josh on a  night out. He said he wasn’t a big drinker but the idea of Josh even being slightly drunk was hilarious to her so she couldn’t wait to see it.

The bar was large open space with an elevated wooden area presumably for a band of musician on nights when they were booked. The lights were low except for the musky kind of light over the booths and tables. There was an open space where people were already dancing to the classic cheesy songs all good bars knew to play.

The girls went to find a table and Tyler and Josh went to the bar to buy the drinks. They returned with four drinks - Beer for themselves and cider for the ladies.

After less than an hour, Percie and Jenna could contain themselves no longer and upon hearing N-Sync come over the speakers, they were up and dancing and singing along.

The boys watched them for a while before Tyler turned to Josh. “I hope this works out for you, man.”

Josh took a drink. “What makes you say that?”

Tyler laughed. “She’s literally perfect for you.”

Josh glanced to the girls singing at each other and swaying skilfully to the beat. They were leaning back and pulling stereotypical 90’s boyband poses  with peace signs and pouts and then laughing and continuing to sing along.

Josh couldn’t help his smile and nodded. “Yeah, I know. It’s just a shame she’s in so much shit.”

“Don’t worry about it man,” Tyler said. “You two were meant for each other I can feel it.”

Josh squinted. “Is it weird if I say I can too? Like me and her said on the first night we met that there was something more . . . like something just pulling us together, it was weird.”

Tyler paused and then shrugged. “I can believe that. You and her are pretty perfect. If you need anything from me, let me know.”

Josh raised his beer in acknowledgement and looked back to the girls. Tyler did so too and couldn’t contain himself. 

Tyler stood and moved over to Jenna and Percie eyed up Josh, deciding to head back to the table.

She slipped into the booth next to him and smiled, edging over his lap until she was sat on his other side, leaning against the back of the booth with her legs over his. “Do you have to be so awkward?” Josh laughed.

Percie pulled an almost offended look as she strained to reach her cider and take a sip. “Yes.” She said as if it was obvious. She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled at him, filling with the hair at the top of his neck. 

Preoccupied by his hair, which was becoming something of an obsession, she looked at the curls atop his head. “Have you ever thought about dying your hair?”

He lifted a hand to ruffle it. “I used to actually. I used to dye it red.”

She laughed. “The only colour brunettes can go!”

“Literally!”

“My hair’s so dark it didn’t even hold red.”

“You’re kidding!”

“Nope, I’ve been bleaching it since I was 15.”

He looked to her pastel hair where the roots were significantly growing. “Are you growing it out?”

She laughed and thought for a moment. He didn’t want to tell her she was going to cut the colour out when she left, everyone knew her by her long purple hair so when she left she was going to go back to her natural black and crop all of the colour off. “No, I just haven’t bleached it again yet.” She laughed, shaking her head and letting her bangs fall over her face.

Josh raised a hand to push the hair back fro her and she smiled, letting her head fall into the crook of his neck, sighing in contentedness and closing her eyes. 

She didn’t sleep but the song changed and her head shot up. “Yeah my girlfriend takes me home when I'm too drunk to drive, and she doesn't get all jealous when I hang out with the guys.” She sang exaggeratedly.

“She laughs at my dumb jokes when no one does, She brings me Mexican food from sombrero just because.” Josh joined in.

“I like this place.” Percie commented, looking at the decor and lights and smiling.

Josh watched her, after singing along to Blink 182 yet again as they had the night before in the car and he simply smiled. “I like you.”

She turned back to him and laughed, a full, neck-craning sort of laugh. “I meant because of the music.”

“And I meant because you’re incredible.”

She looked back again and frowned. “What makes you say that?”

“Because you are?” He shrugged. “You’re smart and-“

“Keep going.” She said, leaning her head back and watching him.

“You’re creative and-“

“Getting closer.”

“So unbelievably attractive.” He grinned.

“That’s the one!” She leant back up and kissed him, running her fingers through his hair and pulling his closer.

He hummed and ran his hand up her thigh, grabbing a handful of her ass. He moved his lips down her neck and playfully growled, chewing on her skin. She giggled and moved back.

“Get a room, love birds.” Tyler’s voice came from their left, his arm around Jenna who reached across the table to get her drink.

“Oh we have one.” Percie joked.

Josh moved his lips to her ear. “And we’ll use it later.”

She kept her gaze on Tyler and Jenna and slapped Josh’s chest. Tyler smirked to his friend as he sipped his beer. “So are we ready for a walk home?”

Percie looked to Josh. “I think so.”

Around half-way to Josh’s, Tyler and Jenna split off to head back to Tyler’s shared house. They hugged and Jenna and Percie made some kind of joke that had them laughing uncontrollably as the boys just stared.

Jenna insisted Percie take her number and they keep in touch before her and Tyler walked off.

Josh took Percie’s hand and they walked happily for a while. They were both a little drunk now and as they walked down the street, Percie turned to Josh and stopped. She paused a moment, Josh looking to her as he wondered what she was doing. “Thank you.” She said.

He frowned but smiled. “For what?”

She stopped unsure of quite what she was thanking him for. She shrugged and chuckled. “Existing? Showing up that gig? Putting up with my shit?”

“There’s no . . . you don’t have to thank me.” He said. 

“No, I do.” She laughed. “Because I need you to know how I feel and I’m never around and I’m not going to be around and . . . this weekend I’ve been able to forget what my life’s like and I want this. I want a life with you, no matter what it takes and-“ She sighed, knowing she was rambling. “I just needed you to know that it might be unconventional and a little risky but when I leave, you’re the only thing I’ll be coming back for.”

He pulled her into a hug. “As long as you come back, I don’t care what we have to do to get you out.”

End of Part 2

Next Chapter

[dunwithurshitm8-blog]

Omg the next chapters almost ready guys. Do any of you want a snippet?? I'm so excited omg!!

[dunwithurshitm8-blog]

Clenched Fists: The Plateau Chapter 5

First Chapter

Previous Chapter

Okay, I figured Percie and Josh deserved some downtime. Not too much drama in this chapter but who’s fuckin ready for some smut!! Don’t forget, my ask box is open if you fancy giving some feedback if you are that way inclined? Or just to ask me random shit, that’s cool too :)

Words: 4300

Warnings: Fluff, SMUT! 

Josh yawned as he drove the car through the Columbus streets. Percie’s hand was on his leg, her head lolled to the side against the window, looking serene in the pale orange of the streetlights as they drove beneath.

He tried not to let himself think in the quiet. He was powerless. All he could do was wait for her but he loved her, he knew that now. He loved her so much that he wanted to help even though he couldn’t do anything. And she’d hurt him to get herself out; she’d try not to but she would, he could feel it.

He sighed and leant his elbow against the window. He didn’t like to think about the future but he knew that he sure as hell couldn’t live for much longer like this.

Tyler had stayed at his house when Josh got the call Percie was being released. Josh had explained everything and he actually felt a weight release as he told his best friend everything. Tyler showed nothing but sympathy for the woman and told Josh he should have told him sooner, she hid it scarily well and he never would’ve guessed.

Since neither Josh nor Percie had eaten yet, they had decided to head for food. Even though she’d fallen asleep he decided to still get food from the drive through and then just head straight back to the apartment.

As he pulled up to the McDonalds he waited behind the car infant and looked down to her wrist in his lap. He could still see the imprint of the cuffs where they’d been for altogether too long. He thought about just not letting her leave; convincing her to stay with him in Ohio and just get out now but no doubt she had things she needed to take with her and if she stayed with Josh, Hal would know she had been - and likely would still be - in Ohio. The chances of success were too slim.

The sound of him talking stirred Percie and she blinked a few times as they pulled into the queue at the window. She leant her head against the window again but shifted so she could look at him. She smiled.

“I’m glad you woke up because I need you to hold all this food I just ordered.”

She laughed and joked. “Is that all I am to you Josh?”

He scoffed as he took the card machine off of the man and punched his pin in. Once he had his card back he looked over to her and replied. “No. No it’s not.”

She grinned and stretched the sleep from her body. He watched the oversized tee shirt ride up slightly and reveal a slither of her stomach and the smooth column of her neck as she craned to wake herself up.

He didn’t notice the happy smile on his face until she looked to him. “What?”

“Nothing.” He chuckled, pulling the car to the final window and waiting for the food.

He took the bag and handed it to Percie. “Mines the double cheeseburger and fries.”

“Okay.” She said putting it to the side and fitting the drinks into the holders on the centre console of the car. “What did you get me?”

“Nuggets.”

She gasped. “How did you know?!”

He shrugged and laughed. “I just guessed.”

“You’re a genius!” 

He reached for the final item and pulled two McFlurry’s into the car. “Plain right?” He said, handing them to her.

“What the fuck!” She exclaimed in shock. “How the fuck did you know that?!”

He laughed. “You were complaining that Stitch got you an Oreo one on the phone ages ago.”

She paused. “I can’t believe you remembered that?!”

“Who the heck doesn’t remember when their girlfriend is a weirdo and doesn’t like Oreos?!”

She paused and wasn't sure weather to pick him up on the ‘girlfriend’ or the ‘oreos’. So she shrugged and went with the less awkward one. “I don’t like chocolate.”

Josh accidentally slammed the brakes as he tried to park in pure shock at that confession. “How did you say that so nonchalantly?!”

She smiled and shrugged again. “I’m used to it and since I physically don’t like it I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything.” She reasoned.

“How am I supposed to buy you gifts?!” He exclaimed. “Like who doesn’t buy their girlfriend a box of chocolates on valentines?!”

She smiled at how sweetie was for immediately thinking of something like that. “That was so cute.” Then she shrugged again. “Buy me sweets.”

“Oh, how romantic!” He said sarcastically with a  laugh.

“Well buy me chocolates and I’ll appreciate the gesture and then offer them to guests and friends.”

“Yeah, that’s not happening.” He put the car in park and took the burger she was holding out to him.

She looked back in the bag. “Twenty?!” She pulled out the box and smiled at him. “You really do know me.” She took her seatbelt off and leant against the car door. “So this girlfriend thing . . .” She said.

Josh stopped mid-chew and stared at her. He swallowed. “What about it?”

“When did it come about?”

He shrugged. “I figured since we’re just kind of waiting to be together, maybe we could use the label amongst friends.”

“And police officers?” 

He laughed. “You said yourself you don’t class yourself as Hal’s girlfriend.” He took another quick bite. “Plus it was the easiest way to get people to stop asking questions.”

She accepted that and ate a few more nuggets before she felt him looking at her. She sent her eyes to his and he paused for a moment before speaking. “Will you be my girlfriend?”

She tried to stop her smile from going quite so wide but she couldn’t as she nodded. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

He gave a short nod and turned back to his burger.

Once he’d finished, he threw the paper onto the back seats and started the car again.

Percie fed him fries when he requested and continued to eat her nuggets. Once his fries were gone, she’d collect some ice cream into the spoon and place it into his open mouth, laughing every time as he tried to fit the collected ball into his mouth.

He didn’t realise but since she’d woken up, she'd been eyeing up the radio and wondering what CD was in his player. So halfway back to his flat, she pressed the button. He took his eyes off of the road for a moment to see what she’d done and then laughed. “You just couldn’t help yourself could you?”

She shrugged. “I’m a curious person.”

He reached into the door his side and pulled out the CD box just as the first song started playing. The CD landed in her lap and that first chord of ‘Dumpweed’ started. “Oooh!” She moaned. “Good choice!” She pulled her legs up onto the chair. 

She glanced at the Enema of the State CD and checked the tracks on the back. “I had this on vinyl. I think it’s still at my dads house . . . provided he hasn’t thrown out everything to do with me.”

Josh paused a minute. “When was the last time you saw him?”

“Three years ago.”

“Wow.”

“I know. It’s on the list of things to do once I’m away from Hal.” At a proper mention of the man they both despised, Josh went quiet. He couldn’t deny, he’d been practically obsessed since he met Percie. He needed to know who he was contending with and really, in his mind, Hal was a much better catch than he was.

He imagined that the money and the status and the desirability of Hal had been what had drawn Percie to him. But as Josh got further down the hole, Hal’s name was mentioned in uncountable dodgy situations. Dozens of people associated with him had gone to prison for countless things: murder, robbery, drug-dealing. And despite the authorities knowing they were associated with Hal, none of them confessed Hal’s involvement which in Josh’s mind meant that Hal must have had something over all of them . . . including Percie.

“Six months.” She said.

“Sorry?” He said, too deep in his thoughts.

“I’ve given myself six months. I can’t tell you the date,” She clarified. “I can’t tell you where I’m going but I can tell you I’m going to be gone for a while.”

“A while?”

“It’s going to take a few months of Hal trying to find me before he’ll get exasperated and give up until he gets a solid lead.” 

Josh didn’t like that last part. He pulled the car outside the flat block and placed it in park. “PJ . . . is this something we’re going to be dealing with for a while?”

She swallowed and nodded. “But I’m going to leave and we’ll be normal . . .” She took his hand. “There won’t be any leads. If I restart the band, I have a plan that means he won’t be able to come and get me even if he wanted to.”

“Okay. Will he give up?”

She nodded. “I think so. It’ll just be a case of judging when he has.”

He squeezed her hand. “Okay . . . that’s okay.” He stared out 

They stayed silently in the car for a moment before she took a deep breath and turned to him as best she could. He could practically hear her heart beat quicken in her chest. “Josh?” She muttered. He looked over to her but it took a moment for her eyes to meet his. When they did she swallowed nervously. “I think I’m falling in love with you.”

A wave of tingles went up his body as he stared at the confession from the woman. If there had been any doubt about their relationship before, they flew from his mind with those words. He smiled and gave a short chuckle as if it was obvious. “I’m falling in love with you too.”

She grinned and knelt on her seat to lean over to him and press her lips to his.

He pulled her in and then sighed happily, placing their foreheads together. “Let’s go inside.”

“Is Matt in?”

“He should be unless he’s gone out with his friends. He’s not happy I’ve left guitar centre.”

They got out of the car and made their way inside and up to the third floor. “Understandable.” She said. “Jobs are always good when you’re with a friend.”

Josh chuckled. “And how would you know that?” He joked.

“Hey!” She said. “I’ve had jobs!”

“Really?”

“I’ve been working since I was 12.”

“That’s illegal!” He laughed.

“I come from a working family, Josh. My dads a mechanic and my mum came from a farming family. I’ve always worked.”

“What jobs do 12 year olds even get?!”

He unlocked the door and they walked inside. “I was a shelf-stacker and a cleaner at one point. Then I worked on the racetracks my dad raced at with my brother and when I was 16 I looked old enough for one of dads friends to give me a bar job, nobody cared I was underage. I’ve worked at venues doing loads of different jobs! How many jobs have you had?”

“I plead the fifth.”

“So Guitar Centre.” She laughed.

Josh paused in the living room. “Matt?!” Upon hearing no reply, Josh decided they were alone and smiled at her. “What do you wanna do?”

“Watch a film?”

“Sure, I’ve got Netflix.”

He switched the TV on and sat next to her, placing his arm around her shoulders and pulling her unto his side where she curled up. They sounded like they’d been married for years as they tried to decide on a film. They were both in the mood for something easy but they’d clearly had very different childhood with the films they saw as easy. Artsy films and rom-coms were what she enjoyed while he liked comedies and cartoons. They compromised with a Studio Ghibli film and sat watching for nearly an hour.

“Is my rucksack here?” She asked, realising her phone was dying.

“It’s in my room on the bed.”

She whined as she pulled herself up, going as he directed into the bedroom. It looked like Tyler and he had loaded all of Josh’s kit back into the room before waiting for her to be released. His room was pretty tidy, he didn’t seem to own much. A few books, some notebooks, a heap of CD’s and some weird little nicknacks. It was very Josh so she smiled as she pulled her charger out of her bag.

The thought for a moment; about what had happened that day, about how happy she was with Josh, about how she wanted to always be here. On her own with Josh, calm and content and actually pretty happy.

Here she was clean and had no worries. Here she could be herself and not think.

So in the spirit of not thinking, she walked back into the living room and stood in front of Josh. 

He looked confused at first but relaxed as he saw she was calm. She slipped off her boots and let the oversized flannel fall to the floor before she moved to straddle him.

A faint smile played at his lips and he instinctually place his hands to her hips. She watched him for a moment, a relaxed breath leaving his nose as she ran her fingers along his jawline.

Finally she placed her lips to his and sat back fully on his thighs, running her slender fingers through the puff of hair atop his head. 

He ran his hands up her side, revealing the skin to the brutality of the cool air in the room and feeling several ridges that he ignored. He pulled the vest over her head and watched her face as he saw a vague shadow of uncertainty pass over her features. He paused. “You good?”

“Yeah. Perfect. Just . . .” She looked into the middle distance for a while and then chuckled with a genuine smile. “I’m good.”

She distracted him by kissing his cheek and his jaw and his neck as her fingers played with the buttons of his shirt.

He sat back and took a deep breath and watched as she rolled down his body taking each individual button out with easy precision and kissing where each closed button had just been.

When she got down to his jeans she was on her knees on the floor in front of him. She smiled up to him, those emerald eyes that lost him every time dark with arousal. She palmed him for a moment and then popped the button and started pulling his jeans down.

Lost in his thoughts too much to last very long, he leant forward and placed a finger under her chin. “Don’t.” He muttered, pressing his lips to hers.

She didn’t quite get the memo so he pushed himself up and but some miracle of God managed to not only stay on his feet but also lift her over his shoulders in a fireman carry. 

She squealed a laugh as he walked her into the bedroom. “You bastard!” She exclaimed, smacking his arse and laughing harder.

“Oh wait, wait!” He exclaimed. “My trousers are falling!” He stopped walking, only just inside the door and needing to get across to the bed. She laughed harder as his jeans slipped slightly more and more down his arse, her entire body clenching at the hilarity of them being stuck in this situation.

“Percie!” He exclaimed with faux anger. She laughed harder and twisted, nearly causing him to lose balance as she slipped her finger through his left belt loop and her other through his right, keeping the jeans in place.

Now able to make it over to the bed, he threw her onto it and then roughly pulled at his jeans in frustration.

She sat in a clearly observational position on the bed and wiggled her eyebrows exaggeratedly as he struggled to remove the tight garments from his legs.

Once they were finally off, he huffed and looked to her exasperatedly. She had one eyebrow cocked and paused for a moment, blinking a few times before she spoke. “That was graceful.” she said, almost comforting. “Graceful like a brick.”

He laughed and got onto the bed, straddling her legs and tickling her. “Don’t you da - agh!” She exclaimed, screeching against his fingers. 

“You’re quite rude, missus!” 

“No Josh! I’m sorry! Joshua!”

He stopped and before she could open her eyes, his lips were on hers. She smiled against his lips and bucked her hips against his.

Just as she had, he travelled down her body, leaving the beginnings of a love bite on her neck before becoming her to lift her back so he could pop off her bra.

He discarded it and took one peak in his mouth. She moaned and her eyes went back slightly before she focused on him. He hummed and kissed lower.

Now he was at her hips, he could see what he'd felt earlier and the scarily straight scars there made him sad; signs of a losing battle she’d been fighting for too many years. 

Glancing up to her, he could see she was staring at him now, fear in her eyes as she wondered if he might judge her; assume she was a nutcase who needed professional help (something she vehemently insisted she didn’t). 

He let himself relax, knowing more than enough from Tyler and people he’d gone school with about the psychology of those scars. As far as he was concerned, as long as there were no fresh ones on his body and if she ever felt the urge she spoke to him, he didn't mind. 

He placed kisses to her hips and then unbuttoned her jeans.

He could feel her smiling, like the air in the room had changed with her relaxing.

With her jeans discarded, he crawled back up her body and kissed her placing both hands on her jawline. “You’re so perfect.”

The idea of him saying that after what he’d just seen was beyond her so she made a disbelieving sort of sound. Hearing it, Josh kissed her harder, licking her lower lip and gaining entrance. He felt need in her fingertips as they ran through his hair but not a bodily need like he’d expected. It was like something deep inside her very soul told her she needed him. Her legs wrapped around his waist as he moved to ravage her neck and she moaned feeling him twitch between her legs. Her head was spinning. She’d had such a deprivation of this over the years. She’d had it for a while but looking back now it was fake. Sex wasn’t a loving event in her experience but Josh was teaching her.

She hadn’t known him for very long at all and he was already teaching her.

Even the sounds of her breathing was addictive to him. 

She liked his hair; she couldn’t stop running her fingers through it, pulling him close as he teased his cock between her folds. She moaned and made a snap decision, bucking her hips and rolling him so she was on top and her hair fell like a waterfall around them.

She sat just on his thighs and watched his chest as it rose and fell with arousal. She bit her lip to try to stop the smile but her eyes gave her away.

She looked like she wasn’t used to being in control like this but like she needed it. She paused like she was waiting for permission or an order. Josh refused to be like him.

He raised a calloused hand from all the drumming and placed it on her cheek. Her eyes fluttered shut despite the fact that half of her hair also got caught between his fingers. She moved into his touch and lifted a slender hand to hold his wrist in place. She took a few breaths and then moved his palm to her lips.

When she opened her eyes again he was smiling. She lowered and caught his lips, the feeling sending him too far over the edge this time for him to ever return.

She moved away and shifted, allowing him space to grab his erection as she hovered over him. He could feel her heat as she lowered enough for him to coat his head and then allow her the power to slip onto him.

She felt every inch and as he fully sheathed himself inside her, they both released a groan. Percie’s head went back but Josh kept his eyes on her, the column of her neck where he’d already left a slight mark. He made a note to leave another and then let her move.

From here he could see every inch of her. She had two punk-rock swallows from a Frank Turner album cover on her hips and the quote ‘jump out the window with me’ on her ribs. There was a black and white lion on the ribs on the opposite side. 

She ground on him until her hips could no longer keep a pattern. “Josh!” She moaned, emerald eyes meeting his. “I need you.”

He took that as his cue and flipped them again. She landed with her hair like a halo on the sheets. His breath caught in his throat as he thrust into her for the first time of his own accord.

She moaned with ever thrust but not in a typical ‘porn’ sort of way. She had little puffs and long, low moans that caught half way depending on how he moved. 

She hadn’t moaned like this in a long time for this wasn’t the fucking she was used to, this was making love and she was almost in a trance with the revelation.

He leant over her and sucked another mark just below her ear, smelling the apple of her hair and the vanilla of her skin. 

She exhaled and the moan lilted just below the surface. He took her hand and linked their fingers, pushing her hard into the mattress. 

He felt his thrust turn sloppy and took a breath, whispering in her ear. “Are you close?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

“Come on baby. Cum for me.”

As her body moved with his and they both shivered with a new wave of sweat it was like something inside him and something inside he just fit perfectly and there was no way to remove it.

She gripped his hair and smashed her lips onto his until she could take no more and had to cry out.

He liked watching her like that; nothing except pleasure encompassing her mind, nothing except him enveloping her body, nothing except herself having made the decision. 

On that thought, he couldn’t take anymore and came deep inside her, a guttural groan and a few few shaky thrusts bringing him to his end. 

He fell onto her, his face in her neck, loving her scent and practically imprinting his on her mind. She gripped him hard as she shook a few times as the waves started slowing.

She felt like slow violin music in that moment, like a lone piano in a dusty room with a creaky chair that still made the most stunning tune. She felt like the stars or a cloud, he wasn’t sure.

She sighed and her head went back, her arms still around him, keeping him atop her. She started fiddling with his hair again and felt her eyes drooping. She couldn’t sleep because he’d finished inside her so she waited for him to huff a breath as he reached the same realisation. 

“I’m gonna pull out.” He warned her.

She hummed and waited for him to do so before she rolled from the bed and picked her tee shirt up before making her way briskly to the bathroom.

Josh took a few more moments to breathe before he sat up in bed and pulled his boxers back on. He laid back down in bed, thinking deeply about what was happening.

There was so much that still needed fixing and he still didn’t even know how their relationship would last but he was falling so hard for her. It wasn’t even a rational thing anymore. Two meetings in person, not enough phone calls and two arrests and he was smitten. It was unexplainable; like an otherworldly kind of connection. They just understood each other and he was falling hard.

She walked back in wearing only her tee shirt and smiled at him as she walked over.

He opened his arms and she crawled against him, placing her hands on his chest and leaning her chin on them to look at him. 

“How you doing?” He asked, running his fingers along her forearm.

She smiled genuinely. “I’m good. Thanks. You?”

He chuckled and then nodded. “Really good.”

“Have you got any plans for tomorrow?”

Josh shrugged. “Sleep? Stray in bed with you?” She laughed and hit his shoulder. “I don’t know. Why?”

“I have a little bit of band work to do but it won’t take more than an hour, I’ll try to do it before you wake up.”

“Okay,” He thought for a moment. “Actually, Tyler mentioned something about a girl he’s talking to and us going on a double date. I didn’t think we’d have time but if we’re not doing anything tomorrow . . .”

She went silent for a moment and then shrugged. “I can run with that. I got along with Tyler before.” Her head shot up. “What dd he say after . . ?”

Josh hauled a breath. “I couldn’t really read him. He wanted to know what was going on with you so I told him but he seemed almost compelled to like you so even after what happened, he looked like he didn’t mind. I’ll call him in the morning and see what he says.”

She nodded and placed her head on his chest. Josh listened for a moment and her breathing changed as she fell asleep. He checked her eyes were closed and then relaxed, following suit not long after.

Next Chapter

[dunwithurshitm8-blog]

Clenched Fists: The Plateau (Chapter 4)

First Chapter

Previous Chapter

So I went somewhere dark here; Percie went somewhere dark. But Percie’s supposed to be quite dark and Josh is kinda bringing her back into the light . . . I dunno. 

Anyway! The first part of this is in Percie’s first person right after the drugs ordeal in the last part. Remember Hal is completely inside her head and it’s from her perspective so it’s him manipulating her thoughts. 

I have to partly give credit for some of the darkness to @b-o-y-a who’s got some incredible art on his page that I was scrolling through at midnight last night before I realised I needed to switch it up. So go check that out!!

Without further ado: Chapter 4

Words: 6000

Warnings: domestic abuse, emotional abuse, violence, descriptions of death, drugs, knives, guns, mentions of/implied self-harm.

I sat in silence.

It had been three days since Hal had forced the cocaine on me and since then

I’d had a bump near enough every two hours until bed where we played family and he got his Percie back.

I hadn’t called Josh like I’d promised. I couldn't face him while I was like this.

He was my redemption; my light at the end of the tunnel and I’d just fallen further into the rabbit hole.

I scratched at my neck, an anxious habit in an attempt to relieve myself of the feeling like I couldn’t breathe. Feeling my hair had fallen out of the messy bun, I pulled out the hairband, barely feeling the knots it pulled from my scalp before redoing my hair and sitting back against the headboard.

The penthouse was filling with an eerie sort of red from the sunset. Red had always been a colour I associated with Hal and I could feel it in my chest that this was when Hal woke up.

That night, after he’d fucked me into the mattress, he actually pulled me into him. He hadn't done that in a long time. He breathed me in and said “I only do these things because I love you. You know that right?” I paused, not believing him so he moved away and rolled me so that he was leaning over me and I was looking up to him. “Right?”

I nodded.

He sighed. “When you do these things, Percie, it feels like you don't need me anymore. If you don’t want to be on the drugs, tell me and I won’t insist-“ “I do!” that was the remaining cocaine talking and despite my despising the man over me, I rolled him and placed a and to his chest. “And I do need you. I’ll always need you.”

He kissed me, his lips so different to Josh’s, fake emotion being the only thing driving them against mine.

We’d returned to the original position and slept the night. Maybe things could get better, I’d thought to myself.

I shifted on the sheets, sitting in my thoughts while Hal messed around in his office. I could hear him on the phone. I couldn't hear what he was saying but he was using his business tone of voice.

Then there was silence.

The door opened and Hal walked into the room. “Get ready, something's about to end.”

I smiled like I always did and jumped from the bed. “How long do I have?”

“Thirty minutes.”

I pecked his lips with a hand on his chest. “Perfect.”

“And wear that dress . . . the black one.”

“The tight one?” I looked over my shoulder at him and found him smirking. 

“You bet.”

I changed out of my oversized tee shirt and into the dress he requested before applying the usual makeup. My skin was relatively good so I covered the blemishes and applied a dark, red to grey and black eyeshadow with the usual cat-eye and dark eyeliner. On my lips I stroked a deep red-brown matte and let my curls fall naturally. 

I heard Hal walk in and watched him in the mirror. He pulled my hair to the side and kissed my neck. He leant over me and looked to the chokers in the box on the table. “Wear this one.” He pulled out a thick lace one.

I wordlessly pulled up my hair so he could clip it at the back and then fix it in the position in which he wanted it on my neck. “Stunning. Stand.”

I obeyed and stood before him, naturally crossing my ankles, sending my shoulders backward and my ass out and placing one hand to my hip while popping it at the other side.

He smiled. “Perfect, they’ll all want you.”

“Where are we going?”

“The Black Flag.”

I smiled, knowing exactly what types of things went down there.

Warped by the drugs and the way Hal had me feeling like his queen again, I followed him to the car and sat wordlessly while he drove us to the pub.

All of Hal’s business went down in either the Black Flag or the Warehouse. The Warehouse was for a certain type of client; usually a new one who needed persuading that Hal had the resources and people to make something work. The Black Flag was for long-time clients who’d either pissed him off or needed a re-evaluation.

I came in more handy in the Warehouse where Hal was trying to flaunt everything he owned but the Black Flag was where things got fun, there was something more insulting to a client about me being present while they were being schooled on how to be a criminal.

We pulled up outside and he parked.

By the cars, everyone was already there.

Good.

Nobody kept Hal waiting.

I took Hal’s arm and walked inside the pub.

It had been all but cleared out. The only people allowed in when business was going down were the red-lace skins who sometimes came in handy when Hal needed people who were disposable but verified nutters. The other people inside were gangsters who Hal was associated with.

At the table in the corner, a man was sat at a two person table. He was old and ugly but his suit told me he was rich. By his skin he was a druggie and by his rings he was a dealer. He had two men behind him who stood also in expensive suits with their arms crossed.

I went to the bar and got Hal a whiskey and myself a glass of red wine that Hal ordered in especially for me.

I left the wine on the side and swaggered over to place Hal’s glass on the table. 

Business was already underway but the other mans eyes stuck to me like glue as I leant over, my back perfectly arched to accentuate both my breasts and butt.

I noticed and winked to Hal, a silent message told the other man I was Hal’s and told Hal I had successfully distracted the man should that come in handy later.

I walked back over to the bar and perched on the stood, next to Paddy, on of Hal’s men. I didn’t talk to him and he didn’t talk to me but it made the man at the table think I needed protecting when in reality, I’d be the death of him if he were to die tonight.

I pulled my phone out of my bra and started surfing social media, pretending to be uninterested in the business.

I was actually hearing every word. He was a drug dealer and he was a dealer that Hal was trying to absorb. Hal wanted his facilities but he was trying to convince the man to remain running them.

This was a routine, the man would say no and he’d end up dead with one of the henchmen running the business as soon as Hal absorbed it.

I was watching the men behind him.

I’d always been good at reading people but one of them kept looking over to me.

Understandable but unnecessary. 

It wouldn't be him.

The other man on the other hand was focused on Hal; gripped to his every word and professional in his composure.

He was much better.

I pulled up my messages and text Hal simply with the word ‘Left’ and he understood.

“No!” The man stood, outraged from the table. “I will not be insulted in such a way! You invite me here to discus a deal! Well this is no deal! This is not a merger! This is you taking everything I’ve worked for and giving me an unacceptable cut.”

I scoffed obnoxiously at how he hadn't figured it out.

Hal couldn’t have a fallen man running a part of his company; a man who possibly knew the workers and wanted revenge for his fall from grace. That would lead to mutiny. Hal needed someone who knew the workings but had been granted power by him; who could be thankful to Hal for such a privilege.

Hal leant back in the chair and that was my cue.

I stood and swaggered over as Hal finished his whiskey and walked over to the bar.

The men all turned to look at Hal but the leader was distracted by me giving Hal enough time to pounce forward and force the man against the wall and me enough time to vault the table and take the other weak man to the floor leaving the one we’d chosen helpless as he stared at him boss and workmate in rather compromising situations.

I had a blade to the mans neck, straddling his waist and my eyes and mouth wide with a convincing mask of temptation to drive it into his throat.

There was a flicker in my minds eyes of everything that was wrong with this.

I didn’t want to be here. I wanted to run so far away. In that moment I could’ve dropped the knife and let the man go and just sobbed. I wanted Josh and if Hal was going to keep me here I’d rather die.

But I needed Hal to think he had me back.

I felt guilty for not calling Josh and needed to apologise as soon as possible.

Hearing Hal talking bought me back. I had to think of the plan and Josh could wait for a moment, I needed to fix this before we could ever be together.

“You’re a narrow minded man if you think I’d ever want you running a part of my company.”

It’s funny what men will sat with a gun to their head. “Please, no.” He all but whined. “I’ll be loyal.” He lied. “I’ll do anything you say.”

I looked down to the man beneath me. He was young, maybe my age with blonde hair and striking blue eyes. I didn't want him to die. I was the reason he was meeting this fate. I wondered if he had a family or pets who’d go unfed now that he was gone or maybe he had nobody but this business and that was probably sadder than all the other options. But it was him or me.

I chose me as the boss’ brain matter got splattered against the back wall and Hal let the body fall to the floor.

I smiled devilishly like the routine called for.

Hal stood over us and looked at the man. “And what about you?” He said. “I could let Percie have her fun . . . she does like that knife. Or you can swear your loyalty to me and I let you go.”

“Please!” The man begged, looking at me and I pressed the point of the knife to the gap in his jawline under his chin. “I was loyal to Alf, I’ll be loyal to you. I know everything to know about that company . . . I can help you.”

The tension in the room reached a peak as Hal sighed and walked away. “I don’t need you but I’ll let you go.”

I pouted but removed myself from atop the man.

He stood, thanking profusely and shaking uncontrollably before running for the door.

Whereupon Hal pulled out his gun again and fired another bullet.

A human body makes a horrible sound when it hits the floor. Obviously, he was dead before he hit the floor but he contorted in an impossible way and cracked on the way down.

Everything stopped and Hal gestured for me to go over as he addressed the last man standing. He kissed me and I hummed against him as he swept his arm over my shoulder. “Great job baby girl."

He looked tot he stocky man before us and weighed him up before speaking. “Want to run Alf’s company?”

The man paused, confused before straightening and nodding. “Yes sir.”

“Excellent. we’ll be in touch.”

A taken-over company, a new man in charge and two men bleeding into the laminate.

I had to get out.

I had to talk to Josh and I had to get out.

Three Months Later

Josh didn’t have to wait long before Percie managed to convince Hal that it would be a good idea to let her go to Ohio and scope out the situation. She told him she could prove she wasn’t a risk to him if things did go south. 

A week or so before she was set to go, Josh found a stressed Tyler at his door, all but begging him to play a backyard show with him the next Friday.

He tried to tell him he had a gig eight hours away on Thursday night so it’d be impossible for him to get back in time, plus Percie was supposed to be coming over for the weekend.

With Tyler practically begging, he said he might be able to swing and drive through the night to get down to Ohio in time and he should be able to convince Percie to get to the gig instead of his flat.

So he called Percie while Tyler was still sat in his living room and said: “Change of plans.” as he walked into the kitchen

“Josh . . .” She warned, expecting him to say they’d have to cancel.

“No, no, PJ. It’s not bad it’s just a little more complicated.”

“Okay, go on.”

“I’ve been asked to play a gig Friday night starting at 8 so with set up time I’ll have to be there at about 5 and-“

“I land at 6.” She said, understanding so far. “Well why don’t I just get the taxi to where your gig is? I’ll only have a rucksack so it’s not even like I have to go back to yours or anything.”

“Really? Yeah, that’d be perfect!” He exclaimed, getting gradually more and more excited about the idea of playing with Tyler and still having Percie be able to visit.

“Okay, that’s what I’ll do. Tell me the address when you get it. Who are you playing with?”

“Tylers band, twenty one pilots. Their drummer can’t make it. Looks like tomorrow is the only day we can practice though and I’m supposed to be working.”

“Shit, what’re you gonna do?”

“I think I’m gonna just quit.”

She paused on the other end and he worried she might disapprove. “Really?”

“Yeah, I’m not living for plan B, ya know?”

He all but heard her smile on the other line. “Then do it. What if this band blows up and you’re still working at guitar centre at thirty?”

He laughed. “So you’re cool with me quitting?”

“Yeah, babe. It’s your life, do what you think is best.”

Josh wasn’t completely prepared for the relief that washed over him but it was evident of how much Percie meant to him that if she didn’t want him to quit, he might not have done it. “Okay,” He said, smiling wide. “Thanks . . . I mean. Cool!”

He heard her chuckle. “Josh, do what you want. I’m excited to see you either way.”

He smiled. “Good.”

“Shut up.” She smiled then released a sigh. “I have to go.”

“Okay, no problem. I’ll talk to you later.”

The urge to say ‘love you’ after every conversation was getting greater. He thought now, if he did say it, at least he wouldn’t be lying. He didn’t put too much thought into it, didn’t want to think about it until he knew she was ready for him to say it but the urge was there and when he thought it, he knew he wasn't lying.

So he quit his job the next day and went to practice with Tyler which just felt . . . right.

And by the weekend when he was driving through the night from Winnipeg, he felt ready.

The band dropped him off with the kit, paid him and then left him and Tyler to finish uo setting up with the other band that was going to play before them.

They guy who's parents owned the house showed them where they could store their bags and such and where the toilets were and fridge if they wanted a drink. He was a nice lad, someone Josh didn’t know but Tyler clearly knew well. 

Josh set up his drums while Tyler had a quick catch up with the host. It was a relatively quick job for him: assemble the snare and cymbals and make sure everything’s in the right place. He had to kit-share with the drummer from the other band but that was standard for these kinds of gigs, the guy had his own crash’s so Josh had no problems. 

People started arriving not long after; filling in through the front door and the back gate, immediately opening up whatever beers they’d had and occasionally contributing food to the barbecue that had been warming up for the better part of two hours.

Josh grabbed one beer and nursed it for altogether too long while he watched the first band. He spaced out for a significant amount of time, his brain only coming around when a new person walked in the garden and his chest clenched hoping it might be her but so far it hadn’t been.

He spotted Tyler walking his unsuspecting way over to him; shoulders hunched in a kind of way that almost said he hoped nobody spoke to him. He had a small smile of eagerness on his lips as he came up to Josh. “Hey man, what are these guys like?” He spun to look at the kind of generic pop punk band on the boards that were making a make-do stage.

“Not bad, they sound like Jimmy Eat World with less agro.”

Tyler laughed. “Yeah, you’re right. Was time’s your girl gonna get here?”

“I don't know, she had to get a taxi from the airport.” It was getting a little late and he was growing more and more concerned. Maybe she hadn’t even got on the plane, he had no idea what might have happened to her before she was set to come. If she had gotten on the plane maybe she hasn't planned enough money to get the taxi to the new place. He could feel his muscles tensing with anxiety so he took a quick sip of the beer as an excuse to roll is shoulders and try to ease the tension.

“Did she not call when she landed?”

Josh suddenly realised that Tyler didn’t know the full story. All he’d told Tyler was that she had ties in Boston that meant she couldn’t see him as often as they’d like and the possibility of moving in together was off the card for the time being.

Josh just shrugged which lead Tyler to frown.

They stood in a weird silence for a while, something that didn’t happen to them often. 

Josh took a deep breath as if to correct himself but Tyler started talking. “So I’ve met someone.” He said.

Josh paused, not expecting that change in subject. “Really?”

Tyler looked down bashfully and nodded. “Yeah.”

“What’s her name?”

“Jenna. She came to a gig the other day and was so . . . unfazed. She just . . .” He wondered how to describe it. “She makes my brain silent and I’ve never met anyone like that before.”

Josh smiled, knowing exactly what he was talking about. “Well congrats man.”

“Thanks, maybe we can have a double date soon. I want her to meet you guys.”

Josh nodded, knowing internally that it was unlikely they’d have enough time and she’d be around for long enough to make the time.

It seemed to be a pattern that the striking purple caught his vision before his brain even properly registered her presence and even though the purple was more pastel than before, he knew it was her.

He dropped his beer, his excitement propelling him into action as she looked around the garden to find him.

He headed straight for her and she spotted him. Her emerald met his brown and she grinned, opening her arms and letting him scoop her up. 

She was wearing black skinnies with a black vest and a thick mens flannel with her usual pair of Doc Martens (in oxblood this time).

In his rush to get over to her, the force of his body meeting hers sent them tumbling in an oddly graceful dance backwards and then finally to the floor.

He spun them midair for fear of landing atop her and hurting her and the first thing that met his senses was her as he readjusted to the horizontal position; her laugh, the feel of her body, the green of her eyes and the smell of her vanilla body spray.

She was laughing joyously at their sudden position on the floor and the way her hair fell as she leant her hands on his chest and moved back to look at him blocked out anything else around them.

He was aware Tyler had been watching and had taken a picture of them on the floor and a few of the people watching the band had noticed and chuckled to themselves, unknowing exactly but understanding.

“I missed you so much.” He said, raising a hand to her cheek.

She grinned and paused for a moment before leaning down and pressing her lips to his. She hummed and leant back. “I missed you too.”

She flicked her hair back gracefully looking down cheekily from her position straddling him. He chuckled, not letting him look to see if anyone was looking as she stood up and put her hand out to lever him up too.

As soon as he was on his feet, he grabbed her hips and kissed her quickly again. “How was the flight?”

“Stressful.” She rolled her eyes. “We hit turbulence and I was actually prepared to die!” She joked. “I was playing my favourite song on repeat, prepared to die to it.”

Josh laughed. “Which song?”

“I’d lose my entire reputation if I told you that.”

“Oh come on! You’ve got to tell me now!” He exclaimed.

“Nope!” She moved her face away from his with faux stubbornness. When she looked back he was smiling gently like he hadn’t quite meant his happiness to spread to his lips. She kissed him again like she couldn’t get enough.

“You ready to meet Tyler?” Josh asked.

“Yes!” She exclaimed.

“Okay, he doesn't know about Hal. He thinks you’re just staying in Boston because of the band so try not to mention anything about that.”

She nodded understandingly. “Okay, noted.”

Tyler was smiling as he pushed himself off of the fence and gave a quick wave.

Percie smiled and returned the gesture. 

Josh felt warmth spread even further through his veins. “Tyler, this is Percie. PJ, this is Tyler.”

“Nice to meet you.” They said in chorus, making all three of them pause, stare between themselves an then start laughing.

“Do you want a drink?” Josh asked Percie.

“Anything with alcohol in it after that flight.”

Josh looked to a vaguely confused Tyler and explained. “They hit turbulence.” Then he looked pointedly at Percie. “And she wont tell me what song she was going to die to.”

Tyler laughed and then adopted a faux seriousness. “Well that information is very personal, Josh . . . like if she wanted to die to the Backstreet Boys, it could be very threatening to her reputation!”

“Or maybe Britney Spears?” Josh theorised, knowing exactly what Tyler was doing.

“Michael Buble?”

“Westlife?”

“Okay, okay!” She insisted, pointing jokingly at the two of them. “I know exactly what you’re doing and I’m still. Not. Telling you.” She prodded Josh’s chest to accentuate the seriousness of every word.

Josh nodded with an overly-accepting air. “Yeah, okay, I believe you.” He started walking towards the house to get her a drink. She looked exasperatedly at Tyler but Tyler’s eyes were on Josh as the drummer turned back and loudly whispered “Wham!”

Tyler laughed as Percie swung and slapped his ass as retaliation and then replied with “Jonas Brothers.”

“Ooh, good one!” He jogged slightly to get further away from Percie with a cheeky smirk.

Percie turned her attention to Tyler. “You two are going to be the bane of my existence when you’re together aren’t you?”

Tyler pulled air through his teeth and nodded. “Definitely.”

She sighed dramatically. “Dammit!” and then turned her attention to the band.

“So these guys any good?”

“They’re not bad.” He shrugged. “The crowd seem to like them.”

“And you guys are on next?”

“Yeah, Nick’s around here somewhere but we’ve lost him. He's our bassist, I’m sure Josh’ll introduce you.”

She nodded. “So drums, bass and . . . guitar?” She guessed.

“Piano.” He corrected.

“Oh cool!” She exclaimed, crossing her arms over her chest. “I used to play when I lived at home but I haven’t played since I moved out.” She realised her tiny mistake that could lead to her asking why she didn’t go home, instead he was looking at her wrist.

He reached out almost without thinking and touched the elastic band on her wrist. “Is that . . ?”

She stared, wondering if he truly knew. He caught on and held out his own wrist to show his own rubber band.

She swallowed with a small smile and nodded. “Yeah, it is.”

“How long?”

“Six months . . . meeting Josh.” She confessed. Tyler smiled. “You?”

“Almost two years.” He shrugged. “I’m thinking about getting a tattoo to commemorate two years and taking the band off.”

She nodded. “If you feel ready then do it, man.”

Josh came up behind her and placed a hand on her hip, handing her the cider bottle he knew she’d like. Tyler gestured slightly at Josh towards her as if asking if he knew. She shook her head discretely and then smiled at Josh, thanking him and pecking his lips.

The band on the make-do stage bought their set to a close and Tyler and Josh straightened, preparing themselves to go on almost immediately. Percie kissed Josh and wished him luck, he smiled, lingering in that moment before saying “Thanks.” And jogging to warm himself up.

She smiled as he sat down behind the drums and they three members started finely tuning their instruments and Josh changing the cymbals.

Adjusting the sound slightly and finishing up, the people had started to pack into the garden to see the band. Percie stayed where Josh had left her against the fence where she could still see through the people to see the band.

Tyler approached the mic somewhat cautiously. “I hope you guys know this one.”

He pressed a button on the mac and a track started of somewhat ambient, kinda trippy music came through the amps. She smiled, not quite having expected it. It was profoundly different to the music she played or even listened to. Though she could hear a somewhat Death Cab for Cutie or Postal Service type influence, they sounded like nothing she’d ever heard before.

Josh’s drumming was actually quite intense, she was rarely ever impressed by drummers but he hit hard and she could see him getting gradually more and more lost in the music as the song went on.

Tyler started off somewhat nervous; eyes closed and voice weak but as it picked up he got more passionate, abandoning the piano and standing upon it much to the joy of the crowd.

They played with a conviction that she wasn’t prepared for and Tyler and Josh just fed off of each other. She suddenly wondered why Josh wasn’t a full-time member, surely their original drummer didn’t give as much energy as Josh and if he did she needed to see what the original band was like.

The sound of sirens was so normal to her that she barely even registered the sound as two cop-cars pulled up outside and four officers walked into the garden, gesturing for them to cut the sound.

Having suddenly realised her predicament what with being the girlfriend of a Bostonian gangster and being in a city where the police literally hated her guts, she attempted to mix into the crowd while still hanging back waiting for Josh as the police announced that they’d had a noise complaint and the show had to be shut down.

She ran up to Josh, a vague form of panic in her eyes. “Josh, I need to get past these cops without getting seen.” She said quietly as he moved form the stage.

“Still?” He asked, taking her hand.

“Yeah still.” She looked around quickly to get tabs on all of the police officers . . . two of which just so happened to be heading their way. “Shit.”

“Just keep my hand and keep your head down.”

She nodded as the officers came over. Tyler was next to them suddenly, somewhat annoyed since they hadn’t even got through their first song. “Who complained?” He asked the police as they stood before them, one female and one male.

“We’re not at liberty to give you that information.” The male said. “But will you guys have any problem loading out?”

“No, we’ll be fine.”

Percie had kept her eyes down, sticking close to Josh as the drummer observed the conversation. Wondering if either officer was looking at her, she looked up where she met a stern blue set of female eyes.

There was a pause. “Say, miss? Could you give me your name?”

Percie swallowed and paused, trying not to be her usual self around cops. Her eyes were doing the shifty thing when she did when she was nervous as her hand squeezed Josh’s a little tighter. To make it stop, she looked the woman straight in the eyes and spoke. “I don’t have to do that.”

She could feel Tyler getting confused next to her as the female cop met her hostility. “Actually, you do if I have reason to believe you’ve committed an offence.”

“And do you want to know my name because I personally have committed an offence?”

Luckily the majority of people in the garden had cleared out quickly, leaving only a few stragglers and the host talking to the other two cops.

The cop was caught there so hit back. “No but I do believe you to be associated with the man who killed two people in Columbus two years ago.”

“What?” Josh asked, more towards Percie than to cop. He knew Hal had had problems in Ohio . . . he didn’t know he’d killed someone.

The cop was the one who replied however. “And you are?!”

That made Josh pause. “Her boyfriend.” 

Percie looked quickly over to him and he met her glance with a smile. She chuckled bashfully and smiled.

The cop paused and looked to Percie. “Miss? Are you or are you not associated with Hal Devine?”

She swallowed and blinked a few times. “I am.”

“Okay, I’m going to need some ID. Preferably a valid drivers licence with proof of address.”

She pulled her purse out and handed it to the cop. Slowly her hand slipped from Josh’s, knowing exactly how this was going to go down.

The woman looked at her and showed the ID to the make cop. “Okay,” He said. “Persephone O’Brien, we’re arresting you for assisting the acts of Henry Devine in Ohio which lead to the death of two people.” Josh sighed and Percie complied, turning so they could handcuff her.

“What?!” Tyler exclaimed, almost laughing at the situation. “Seriously?” A pointed look from Josh made the disbelieving smile disappear as he redirected the question with a newfound reality. “Seriously?”

Josh just nodded. “Seriously.” Before looking to Percie. “What do you want me to do?”

“They’ll just question me, I’ve never been involved in anything Hal did. I’ll call you when they post bail or let me go.” Josh had tried to be calm, almost expecting it since the police had come over but the gravity was only just now hitting and his anxiety was causing the usual problems. “Relax,” She said, seeing his chest rise quicker than before with his panicking. “It’ll be okay. Just load out and stay with Tyler or something.” She redirected to Tyler. “Look after him? I’m sorry you had to be dragged into this.”

Tyler, still confused but persuaded by his liking of Percie, nodded and said it was fine.

Percie twisted to peck Josh’s lips and tell him she’d call him as soon as possible before she was taken away.

Percie had been sat in the mundane cell for almost three hours. As per she’d been searched and asked to relinquish her possessions. The woman at the desk said someone would take her for questioning soon.

She hated silence. She was prone to overthinking. Most people invested in music are and music silences the brain; it did for her anyway. In here she wasn't even allowed earphones, that made her quite volatile.

If her brain wouldn’t silence itself willingly, she had to block it out and that was not a good headspace to be in.

So as she waited, sitting on the bed against the wall on her own, she started hearing other people being bought in and officers having conversations. She hoped to God that Hal hadn’t found out she’d been arrested . . . she could deal with this on her own.

The door opened and the female officer from before opened the door and asked her to follow her. The handcuffs were put on her again as they walked to the room where she’d be questioned where she was then chained to the table. Percie toyed with the chain for a moment, figuring its weigh and strength just out of a habit of knowing things, like exactly how much trouble she was in. Her conclusion was not much.

The woman and a new man sat down. Percie stared at the chain for a moment longer as if in a trance before she finally looked up.

She watched the two as they explained the formalities to the recording device on the table.

“Do you remember where you were on September 16, 2008?”

“At Hal’s apartment in Boston.”

“With Hal?”

She shook her head. “No, Hal had gone away on business.”

“To where?”

She stared at the officer. “He didn’t tell me but I suspect somewhere in Ohio.”

“Suspect?”

“He wasn’t himself when he came back. I think something went wrong with whatever he planned.”

“You think he was involved in the deaths that night?”

She paused and stared at the woman. “Do you?” That explained it all really.

“And if you suspected this, why didn’t you come forward to the police?”

“Would you go to the police about a person like Hal?”

“I would if people had died.” The man said.

Percie stared at him, her face a bemused kind of relaxed, still almost trance-like. “Unfortunately, I didn’t want to be next.”

The man went quiet and the woman took over. “So self-preservation? That’s why?”

“You could say so.” She shrugged. “Besides, it was just a hunch. I never get clued in on anything Hal does.”

They didn’t quite believe her and rightly so. She knew enough base information to take Hal’s operations down from the bottom but if she did that she’d definitely end up dead.

The woman paused and then looked at her arms where Percie was conscious there were bruised fingerprints on her forearm. She leant forward. “Percie, there’s a long list of things we want Hal for . . . adding domestic abuse would not be a problem if only you’ll testify.”

Percie frowned so the woman continued. “If you’ll make a statement, we can send it to Boston and get Hal arrested. Percie, we’d get him arrested for long enough to gather evidence on everything else and put him away for a long time.”

Her frown deepened. “I can’t. That’s not how this works.”

“How does this work?”

She realised this was a police officer she was talking to and sighed. “It doesn’t.”

“Okay, interview concluded at 10.42, witness deemed innocent and released.” she said to the recorder. She pressed the button and looked to Percie. “Is there anyone we can call to pick you up?”

“Josh.”

“Do you know his number?”

She chuckled. “Off by heart.”

Chapter 5

[dunwithurshitm8-blog]

Okay so I posted yesterday that chapter 4 of Clenched Fists would be up today and then deleted the post since I had to tweak the chapter a little. This means that the second part will not be a trilogy like I’d hoped. I have too much I need to put in and too long of a timeframe to jam it into three chapters. With that being said, Chapter 4 will still be up later today!!

[dunwithurshitm8-blog]

Think I just finished chapter 6 of Clenched Fists. Things are running up to getting exciting now!