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sophieswundergarten · 1 year ago

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Chapter 20 of S.O.S.

I don't even know anymore

@nobodysdaydreams Here ya go

ALRIGHT LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I AM BOTH EXCITED AND TERRIFIED

WHOOOO!!!!!!!!!

First off, love the title, and it’s making me a little nervous because now I’m thinking about Chapter 1 being titled “The Price of Admission”

Oh dear. The way you describe the feeling and emotions and just overall sensations of what Constance is experiencing is already punching me in the heart

(Though the intro bit with Jeffer was quite funny)

THEY BOTH THINK IT’S LIKE WHEN THEY WERE KIDS. BUT THE ONLY THING STOPPING THAT FROM BEING REAL IS THAT NEITHER OF THEM LIKE THEMSELVES ENOUGH TO BE HONEST AND VULNERABLE. UNBELIEVABLE. I AM ALREADY CHEWING DRYWALL. MASTICATING.

Oooooooohhhhhhhhhh

You added to it. He hasn’t forgotten that Nathaniel is hurting people, he just thinks that he finally got through to him. Oooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh :(

“The whole world felt so sunny. So vibrant. So full of humor and amusement. Had it always been this whimsically delightful? It must have been, but Nicholas felt as if he was seeing it for the first time. There was beauty everywhere. There was happiness everywhere. Nothing was too loud, nothing was too overwhelming, nothing was too anxiety provoking. For the first time in Nicholas’ life, everything in the world felt “just right”, and it was completely effortless.”

THIS IS A REALLY WELL-WRITTEN PARAGRAPH. BUT IT’S HORRIBLY JARRING BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT I ALSO FEEL AS “JUST RIGHT”, AND I ALREADY KNOW IT’S BAD. I WOULD FALL FOR THIS SO EASILY OH MY WORD ASFJDSJKFDKJ

“His friends might have left him, but he finally had his brother back. Perhaps they really could work together like they used to. It had been so long.”

BODS CAN YOU HOLD BACK FOR LIKE TWO SECONDS???? I AM WRITING OMINOUS STICKY NOTES AND PLACING THEM ON EVERY MIRROR YOU HAVE

OH. THAT’S WHY THERE’S A HYPHEN IN THE TITLE. ADSKJFDSHKJDSKJF

CONSIDER ANY STRING YOU OWN CONFISCATED

And you’re still calling him “Curtain”. He’s still calling himself “Curtain”. He doesn’t think he (deserves) is that name anymore. And yet he calls himself “Nathaniel” in Chapter 1. Hmmmmm

Also. Calling the fact that he “allows” Nicholas to call him his given name as a “luxury” is hysterical and very on-point. You are so, so good at writing Curtain :)

AHHHHHHH. THE CONFLICT IN POOR NICHOLAS’ BRAIN ABOUT HIS VARIOUS FAMILY MEMBERS

And then also Curtain continuing to not get it. Good gravy, man. PLEASE remember how to be a human being soon. You are hurting yourself so much :(

(And. Also. Like. Several thousand people, not least your own brother. But, still.)

NUMBER TWO!!!!!

Oh heavens. I feel very bad for her. But she did escape! (Kinda)

And then Milligan. I want to give him a hug.

YEAH

I LOVE THIS PART. BECAUSE JUST WHEN YOU THINK CHAOS AND STRIFE HAS BEFALLEN THE TEAM THEY GET IT BACK TOGETHER AND IT’S GREAT

“for some reason Milligan took personal offense at the implication that educators were incapable, though he could not explain why”

I LOVE HOW INSTEAD OF DENYING THAT SHE STOLE IT SHE’S JUST LIKE “I paid for it. And I left a beautifully hand-crafted thank you note.” IT DOESN’T MATTER THAT IT WASN’T FOR SALE IN THE FIRST PLACE JASHJJDKJHFD

She really is ready to be part of the team

(Why is one of the bars you have to pass, like, Neutral Good committing of crimes??? Ajsdkjds)

Marlon /derogatory

OH NO

OH NOW IT’S THAT BIT

“I don’t see the problem” And Marlon just decides that it’s fine. I Do Not Like Him

AND HE’S SO MEAN TO JACKSON AND JILLSON

OH BOY. AND YOU’VE BROUGHT BACK THE MARTINA BETRAYAL. I’M SO WORRIED ABOUT THAT. GIVE THESE KIDS A HUG

“Someone’s finally at the wheel and all you can do is naysay,” the officer observed, “You sound like a person who, frankly, would benefit from time in Dr. Curtain’s program. Compulsory or not.”

Oh yikes. There’s the wheel motif again, and also that sounds incredibly threatening. YOU WOULD THINK THIS WOULD TIP HER OFF TO GET OUT OF THERE

There’s something so sad about Rhonda being terrified when Number Two missed the check in and now she’s trying to call Rhonda and no one’s there :(

Adjfsdjfjdsjk

Miss Perumal trying to corral the children on the farm is a really entertaining mental image

OH. SHE’S TRYING TO CALL HER SISTER.

“You have reached the Two residence. We’re busy and aren’t available now or ever. Don’t expect an answer to your messages and don’t come to our house. We don’t want to buy anything, and we don’t want to meet any new people. Heaven knows you’d only abandon us just like everybody else and would probably try to steal from us too no doubt.”

“This answering machine is full. Please call back later.”

Yikes. Ajkdfjdsfjkdsf The Two family has some issues

(But very nice job on writing that. It’s incredible)

“Milligan heroically threw his helmet and jacket into the motorbike.”

…“heroically”?

Akjfhjkdfkjds Very good choice of word! It just makes me think of how overdramatic the cinematography got whenever it was focussed on Milligan

FOUND CRIME FAMILY. IT’S OKAY AS LONG AS YOU PAY PEOPLE BACK AND LEAVE THEM NICE NOTES. AKJLFDSJKD

Milligan is amazing

JEFFERS

HE COLLECTS RECEIPTS

I love our sad little guy

Oh no. Oh no. Nicholas’ thoughts are fascinating and you write them really really well but also it always makes me legitimately want to cry

OH YEAH. THEY HAVE THE SAME VOICE. THAT’S PROBABLY SUPER CREEPY

Oh. And Number Two’s all alone now. I know she isn’t really his daughter in the Show, but, still. To be abandoned in such a scary situation…

“He was using addict speech. Saying “I need to stay in my brother’s evil cult, not because of the addictive happiness he gave me, but because it’s crucial to our mission” was just another form of “I need to drink, not because I’m addicted, but because it helps my anxiety and is really better for me if you think about it.” There’s always a justification for anything, so long as your brain is smart enough to think of it and clever enough to trick yourself into believing it. And unfortunately, Number Two knew from experience that Mr. Benedict was very smart and very clever indeed.”

Yeah!! And we get to see another bit of Bods’ psychology brain! I’ve been waiting to see what you had to say about this. So, so many thoughts

And the little snips of what’s going on with Jackson and Jillson. It keeps building in increments, and I really have no idea what it’s going to build to with your writing but I have no doubt it’ll be spectacular

Poor Jeffers adsfjsdjk

He’s trying his best

AND THE WAY THAT THEY ALL CROSS PATHS IN SUCH A WAY THAT THEY JUST MISS ONE ANOTHER

MARTINAMARTINAMARTINAMARTINAMARTINAMARTINAMARTINAMARTINAMARTINAMARTINAMARTINAMARTINAMARTINAMARTINAMARTINA

I’m glad that the coaches appreciate her, but also understand that she’s working through a whole lot

(If only they knew how much…)

Ah, yes. Stealing, bribery, breaking and entering, fraud, all of those things are totally fine. Underage driving, however? Unacceptable

Garrison is trying her very best. (Unfortunately for her, that’s not good enough for Constance adjsd)

IS SHE REALLY FEELING BAD ABOUT THIS?????

Somehow that’s really sweet because she does care enough to notice things, but also SHE’S A TINY CHILD. IT’S NOT HER FAULT

Oh. Even without her snark, she wouldn’t be comforted by a lot of toys because of the bad memories she has attached to them. She doesn’t trust them :(

(I bet her family gives her a lot of unusual toys and puzzles, so she can view it as a challenge instead of being uncomfortable)

YOU DID THE THING AGAIN!!!!! YOU DID THE THING AND BROUGHT BACK THE SCENE WHERE THEY WERE ALL TALKING AND PLANNING!!!! I LOVE IT AND IT’S ALSO HEARTBREAKING. OH MY WORD THIS IS AWFUL AND I LOVE YOU

Oh good gravy. MILLIGAN.

The lot of them need to stop taking all the guilt in the world onto themselves. They are all so ridiculous

GARRISON NEEDS SOME HELP. IT’S NOT HER FAULT SHE’S VIOLENTLY UNCOMFORTABLY WITH CHILDREN

(Although I’d hazard a guess that her discomfort was seriously exacerbated after SQ’s parents died…)

“You need to choose better friends,” Constance suggested.”

YOU HAVE FORFEITED ALL RIGHTS TO YOUR CURTAIN RODS. I AM TAKING A SEAM RIPPER TO ALL OF YOUR PANT HEMS. YOUR WINDOWS HAVE BEEN HAPHAZARDLY COVERED IN BUTCHER’S PAPER AND SLOPPILY APPLIED DUCT TAPE

“Garrison frowned again. Kidnapping aside, there was no need for this child to be so rude.”

Garrison. You really would benefit from talking to another human being now and again (Or not have wiped your best years of social interactions from your brain)

““The ghost in the windmill. The dancer in the dark. You found a flaw,” said Garrison, spitting out the word “flaw” like it was filled with poison. “One that has kept me up every single night since and one that I can’t seem to replicate.””

HOW DO YOU WRITE SO PRETTY

AND ON TOP OF BEING REALLY FUNNY TOO

UM. DID GARRISON ACCIDENTALLY FORGET HER MORALS WHEN SHE STARTED LIVING IN A ROOT CELLAR? IS THIS BECAUSE SHE DOESN’T HAVE CURTAIN ANYMORE? KIND OF LIKE A “He’s so obviously insane that I must be the sane one to keep us on track” ONLY NOW SHE’S ON HER OWN????

Someone give her a hug

Oh, oh PLEASE let Number Two get in a fight with Marlon. She’d beat him so hard. And he’d deserve it

“Everyone barged into his office sooner or later to demand an explanation for things, and even if Curtain had not gotten better and better at correctly estimating one’s breaking point, the security cameras he installed around the compound certainly helped.”

SDFKJDjkdsfkjdj BODS

Also, Curtain, buddy, if you’re the common denominator in all these instances of people bursting into your office then maybe you might be the problem

“By “thing” you mean relieving him of the constant grip of existential angst?” Oh yeah, I would fall for this whole cult thing so very fast. I’m already a goner

YEAH. YEAH, CURTAIN, IT’S KIND OF WEIRD THAT YOU GUYS SEEK OUT SIMILAR FRIENDS. IT’S ALMOST LIKE YOU’RE SIBLINGS. AND YOU MISS EACH OTHER.

She’s so incredibly angry and scared and hurting and just a tornado of emotions

And then Curtain’s just kinda. Sitting there. Placidly. (I would have snapped and punched him by now)

YOU BROUGHT BACK HER BOOK NAME!!!!!! I love you

SCREAMING SCREAMING CRYING

CAN YOU STOP TREATING HER LIKE A SUB-PAR GARRISON???? PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD REMEMBER THAT’S SHE’S A REAL HUMAN, YOU BUFFOON!!!!!!

Good job. Steal his plates. He deserves it. (Maybe go after his floorboards next…)

Is… Is Auguste okay? He didn’t ever freeze on-screen, but I am quite concerned about him…

OH MY WORD CURTAIN CAN YOU STOP USING CHILDREN AS CONDUITS I AM GOING TO SCREAM

Oh no….

The panic and turmoil and poor Nicholas is caught in the middle. He’d feel bad even normally, but now everything’s all confused too

“Here, Nicholas wasn’t a burden to his friends”

SCREAMING

I AM TEARING INTO YOUR PILLOWS WITH MY BARE TEETH

LOSING MY MIND

(I’ll sanitise the remains after, I promise)

MARLON IS SO TERRIBLE

And poor Jackson and Jillson are getting a lot more scared…

“He was also very agitated at the idea that Dr. Curtain’s happiness was the cause of this, not only because it put his position in jeopardy, but also because Marlon himself had taken the happiness. Obviously, he wasn’t in danger of succumbing to anything like this (he wasn’t nearly as mentally weak as Sebastian or Paula), but the implication that something like this even could happen to him was a prospect that Marlon found insulting.”

He just keeps getting worse and worse. I am so upset with him. I can’t even like that he’s an intriguing antagonist, he’s just awful. (Although I will concede that you write him incredibly well and I am quite appreciative of how much you make me hate him)

AND GARRISON

I KNOW SHE’S TECHNICALLY A VILLAIN/ANTAGONIST BUT SOMEONE PLEASE SAVE HER

“I hope y'all are ready”???

“I hope y'all are ready”????????

YOU HOPE WE’RE READY?????????

READY FOR WHAT??????? Oh my goodness. I— I just— I have no words. I am screeching. Bods, there are so, so many things that happened in this chapter. I am so shaken up. I feel like my insides were in a blender. It’s so exciting to see all of these plot points and hints and through lines and motifs that you’ve been laying out and I am just over the moon about everything. You have created a n o v e l, and it’s gorgeous. I am disintegrating. I can feel my molecules breaking up. I read a book once where a lady cried acidic material and when she started sobbing she just sunk into a hole in the floor and that’s what I’m feeling right now.

I think I need a nap. I don’t have any idea how to articulate this. Just know that you’ve done amazingly. Just. You are absolutely incredible, my friend. I can feel these characters living and breathing in the letterings and you somehow make it new and fresh material every time, no matter the fact that I’ve seen the show or how often I’ve reread your work. Each of the characters takes on such a vibrancy of life and independence under your guidance, and I adore getting to “meet” them and learn how they work in your narrative. Just stupendous

#Whooo #No clue what is even happening anymore #But I am so incredibly happy that I got on this in the beginning #Because I think I would have been overwhelmed if I had come across it now #And that would have taken me much much longer #s.o.s.

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spacedlexi · 2 years ago

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Question, what made you ship Violentine? I personally liked how Violet was rightfully suspicious of Clem and AJ but still accepted them, and grew to like them. Along with the fact, no matter what, during the Marlon confrontation, she will stand up for Clem and Aj. Also her making a pin for clem, dancing with her, and star gazing (just off the top of my memory) was really cute, she is also just really badass.

yes to all of that 🥺💕 i liked violet in the first episode and the little development we get between her and clem is nice, how they can both relate to each other about their losses and how they are seeming to find comfort in each other during their talks in the dorm and while fishing (especially if you mend her relationship with brody she really relaxes). but i think what really solidified the actual relationship for me was in the beginning of episode 2 when violet realizes everyone is about to Jump this Child and immediately without hesitation stands in the middle against her friends and community to protect this little boy who just killed their leader, because he is a Little Child and everyone needs to Calm Down, and marlons hands werent so clean either. for the rest of the episode she stands against all of her friends to defend clem and aj and she does all of this regardless of your choices up until this point so it wasnt like it was determinate based on how nice to her you were

then she falls into the open leadership position, that she doesnt even want, because no one else steps up to do so and Someones gotta do it because otherwise the group will fall apart and it is already splitting at the seams. she quickly becomes someone clem can rely on (she'll even shoot lilly if you fail to pick an option), and clem becomes someone violet can rely on as well as she helps violet with keeping the group together and trying to smooth things over after marlons death. violet goes from being a loner who has dreams of leaving the school because she just never felt like she belonged there, to becoming its leader and does her best to keep everyone safe (and beats herself up hard about it if she fails), and then ending with leading the school side by side with clem. co leader badass girlfriends

i left s3 Very Opinionated that i Did Not Want ANY romance options for clem because i didnt think theyd ever be able to pull it off. so i had the bar set Pretty High. but violet ended up being exactly what i wanted in a love interest for clem. theyre very evenly matched. similar attitudes and goals and maturity level, their ability to relate to each other and what theyve been through (vi is very s3 clem at the beginning of s4, feeling like shes lost the only people she cares about and has walled herself off to other connections), violet stands up for both clem and aj without hesitation because its the right thing to do, and shes tough as nails. she grows a lot between the beginning and end of the season she really comes into herself as a leader especially if you friend/romance her. she is also So in love with clem and cares about her so deeply. hearing her plead if you tell lilly youll join her if she lets everyone else go you can hear in her voice how much the idea of that hurts her because she Cant Lose Clem like shes lost others (props to gideon adlon for doing such a great job voicing her)

ALSO one of my favorite scenes where minnie and clem are fighting and vi shoots minnie to save clems life i love it. the Gay Drama of it all shooting your ex to save your new gf but still not having the heart to leave her (again) makes me go like this every time

also their romance lock in scene is Incredible....Perfect...Spectacular.. their entire romance from that scene on is just so cute they are such a good match for each other. they both make the other feel like they have someone they can rely on without hesitation. AND shes so good with aj. treats him with respect, is kind patient and understanding with him, tries to make him feel less scared and more confident. like when theyre putting the walker guts on and she kneels down to be eye level with him and tell him hes doing a good job and she looks up at clem reassuringly and clem smiles back AUGH!!! thats what im TALKING ABOUT!!! clem needs someone that not only She can rely on but also someone she can trust that aj can rely on as well and vi is that person!!! AAHH

#twdg #violentine #replies with lexi #choatic-strawberry #they are such an evened match they are so good together #like 2 little puzzle pieces they just fit #regardless of your opinion on aj clem would sacrifice herself for him so having another person she Knows he can rely on has to be important #its not about who I would choose its about who Clem would choose #(cough coughandmelissahutchisonagreesCOUGH HACK COUGH COUGH)#sorry louis i do still love you i promise #clem vi and louis are a Great little trio #perfect little triad #clem got the 2 best friends she deserves #long post

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galpalaven · 2 years ago

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Pairings I have for Stardew Valley that the game doesn't let me have:

Marnie/Marlon - He said she was pretty at the Flower Dance and also Fuck Lewis

Sandy/Emily - Clint is creepy. That is all.

Penny/Shane - Would they have issues to work out because of the drinking? yeah. But she spends so much time with Jas that they would end up spending a lot of time together and also. She knows how to deal with a drunk. She probably has to collect her mom a lot from the bar. They've run into each other a lot. It could be interesting. I could write a whole novel about a pair like this.

Emily/Abigail - I mean, Abby is obsessed with the supernatural and magic and Emily is magic it seems so. Match made in heaven?

Sam/Leah - I know Elliott and Leah probably get together if you don't romance them but I think Sam and Leah could also have a whole lot in common as artistic people, too.

Sophia/Scarlett - her friend that visits in one of her heart events is super cute and they should date

Penny/Maru - They're always hanging out. It could be really sweet!

Mainly Marnie though. Fuck Lewis.

#pierre is also a jerk to caroline but thats her prerogative i suppose #kiana plays stardew valley #sdv #stardew valley

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extremelyblackandwhite · 5 years ago

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handmaid - prelude

PAIRING: mob!sebastian stan x ingenue!reader

WARNINGS: age gap

A/N: i’m so excited to be starting this fanfic a bit sooner than expected, but i’ve been outlining it since i finished the outline and end for the unseen one and decided to go ahead with it when i saw a nice pink aesthetic board. i hope you enjoy the prelude, let me know what you think xx

NEXT CHAPTER

handmaid: a female servant, a subservient partner or element.

The lights were unusual shades of blue, green, and red. That was the first thing she noticed as she walked inside the club Genevieve had picked for her last night of freedom, as she called it. Of course the lights weren’t the only thing that was bothering Y/N: the loud music which made it impossible to have a civil regular conversation, the heels that were too tall and did not belong to her, the equally borrowed tight see through black dress, the long earrings that got tangled in her hair whenever she slightly turned her head to the side, the constant on/off rhythm of the lights and the need to squeeze between a sea of people to get anywhere were some of the things that made her want to return home, curl in a nice thick cozy throw and watch TV until her eyes were too heavy to remain open.

Nevertheless, she was to be constantly by Genevieve’s, or Gwen as she preferred to be called, side, mostly by her father’s orders. Therefore, here she was in a Friday night, dressed in mostly Gwen’s hand me downs that would normally lay in a cardboard box in the back of her wardrobe. Soon enough, Gwen had found herself a nice booth, after all being the daughter and apparent heir to the west mob family had its perks. Sometimes, even more perks than dangers.

- Oh, Y/N this is Nathan. - Gwen introduced her to one of the man that were sat at her booth. He was the picture perfect look of man she normally surrounded herself with, the type of man you would see in a teen sitcom with plump skin and a Californian-like vibe to them. It wasn’t exactly a hard job for her to attract them either as the young heiress was, in a word, stunning. Her unruly red locks were constantly slicked back in a straight hairstyle, dark makeup and a red pout constantly got her whatever she wanted. However, tonight she was kissing all of that goodbye as first thing in the morning, she would finally be formally presented to that who was to be her husband.

It had been arranged way before Gwen had even been born and despite the glamourisation and complete debauchery seen in most mobster movies Y/N had grown up watching, most weddings occurred that way, planned. This one in particular was a special one considered the Stan family mafia and Gwen’s had been sworn enemies until the day she was born when her father signed her hand away. It was mostly a tactic to unite both families in a way that was very permanent. Y/N had learned not to be shocked about it, however, she still didn’t like to think of two grown men deciding the future of a unborn baby girl as if she were currency. Yet again, she was a woman and since she had an older brother, who despite working as a doctor and giving up on the lifestyle ages ago was still pretty much the one expected to take on the mob boss title, she was either to life in complete bliss or to get married.

Her betrothed however was a completely different story. Gwen wasn’t much to talk about either, saying that they had met once when she was eighteen at a formal her father had thrown and that he had pretty much ignored her the whole night, so most of what Y/N knew about him came from rumours. The Stan mob family had quite a reputation, specially when it came to hits and their associates, however they were always somehow shrouded in mystery. Sebastian Stan himself was one to adore that sort of aura, so much that despite it all, Y/N had never seen him or knew what he looked like. She knew him to be older than Gwen, with a sharp tongue and a certain allure that attracted bottom feeders, but other than that, she knew nothing.

- Gwen, we should probably go home. - she urged, constantly checking her phone and watching the hour number increase as if time was nothing. However, the young girl had no absolute interest in going home, specially when she had found herself a rather interesting company. - Gwen, your father is gonna be mad.

- If you’re so worried about my father then don’t question me. - Gwen returned to her flirtatious conversation with the blonde boy, leaving Y/N to huff, grab the pink sugary drink she’d been drinking for the past two hours, and venture herself in the club, they sure probably had a smoking lounge which led to some sort of air she could inhale. In all honesty, even inhaling smoke sounded better than inhaling the smells of the main floor.

Weak on her feet due to the oversized and worn out heels, she made her way through the crowd, her eyes paying no help at finding any sort of stairs of doors that would led to some sort of freedom due to the constant blinking lights. Defeated, she decided it would be better to return to Gwen before she decided to abandon her for Malibu Ken however, Y/N quickly found herself in the middle of the dance floor being pushed from side to side. Whenever she tried to walk some way, the sea of people would make her walk the other way like some helpless puppet until she hit something rock hard, spilling her drink and sending her crashing to the floor. She felt her chest hit the coloured blinking ground hard, and had it not been for her own hands holding onto the floor, her head would’ve ping ponged off the pavement too.

Nevertheless, none of that mattered because what first came in sight as she looked ahead were what looked like a very nice pair of leathered shoes which made her face pale and her heart stop. She had spilled her drink on someone. No, not just someone. Someone either rich or with enough connections to get inside one of the most elite clubs of all of New York.

Y/N looked up, not completely being able to make up every single feature of his face but being able to make up that it was a man, a much taller man who probably did not have a smile on his face. At the thought of being screamed at or thrown out, she immediately rushed to her feet, noticing the big pinkish stain spreading on what looked like a pristine crisp cotton dress shirt. Her hands flew to the napkin holders in one of the tables, immediately grabbing enough tissues to clean a whole country only to dab the drink out of his shirt, her heart racing as nothing came out of it.

- I’m so sorry. - she probably said for the 100th time, tissues bunched in her hands as she finally got a good look of his face. He had an unreadable look on what she thought was probably the single most gorgeous face she had ever seen in her whole entire life, and that was something coming out of someone who had met half the models at Paris Fashion Week with Gwen. It was somehow being stoic and classic, like a 50′s mysterious Marlon Brando. He stopped her motions, grabbing the tissues from her hand and placing it at the bar. That was it, this is how I die, Y/N thought to herself. - I’m so sorry, I’m ... I can pay for the shirt, I really didn’t mean to spill it on you. I just wanted to get some air but everything is confusing here and ...

- It’s alright, angel. - the man raised his hands, showing no harm but still maintaining an aura of mystery, almost as if she wasn’t supposed to be talking to him.

- I have to return to my friend. - she stumbled onto her feet, praying not to fall in front of anyone else as he looked at her leaving. She was just a doll and he couldn’t help but observe as she got lost in the middle of the crowd like a sheeps in a wolf’s den. He was hypnotised by her figure in that god awful oversized dress, thinking about how beautiful it would look draped on his floor, how radiant her eyes appeared looking up at him ..

- Everything alright, boss? - his view of the crowd was obstructed, the clear sight of her disappearing and being replaced by the ugly mug of one of his men. Had he had his gun with him, he would’ve been laying on a pool of his own blood right now. - We saw the girl and ...

- And now you’re gonna go fucking look for her. Invite her to the VIP room, don’t keep me waiting. - he watched as they rushed into the crowd like headless chickens looking for a girl they barely got a look of. He snickered, taking a step forward to return to the only place where it didn’t stink of cheap liquor. He stopped, noticing he had stepped on something and slowly moved his feet away to see a small dainty necklace with a pendant that looked like some sort of bird. The man scrunched his face as he lowered to grab the chain, probably some cheap metal, before sticking it in his pocket, taking a quick look of the crowd.

Y/N meanwhile was being dragged out of the sleazy club by Gwen who was no longer interested in her boy toy. The girl couldn’t lie, she was happy she was being dragged away from the club, however, rushing down the street in oversized heels. Due to the rush of exercise and adrenaline coursing through her blood and turning her rather breathless which led to her putting her hand over her chest and noticing the lack of her necklace’s chain.

- Wait, Gwen. - she stopped the heiress before they could get inside the car where the chauffeur had been patiently waiting their arrival. - My necklace, I don’t have my necklace.

- Maybe you didn’t bring it, Y/N. - the redhead spoke up, already inside the car, phone in hand. - C’mon, it’s probably home.

- I’m sure I brought it.

- You’re worrying too much, c’mon. - Gwen patted the leather seat of the car. The young girl took a long full look at the club, Gwen was probably right, maybe she didn’t bring the necklace. With a quick motion, she closed the door of the car, watching as the club became more and more distant.

A memory.

#sebastian stan #sebastian stan x reader #sebastian stan x you #sebastian stan x y/n #sebastian stan/reader #sebastian stan/you #sebastian stan/y/n #sebastian stan imagine #sebastian stan drabble #sebastian stan fanfic #sebastian stan AU #sebastian stan reader insert #mob!sebastian stan #mob boss!sebastian stan #mob boss AU #ingenue!reader

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pigtownchronicles · 4 years ago

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Chapter 2.2 - Marshall’s Cigar and Briar

Kyle woke up on Saturday morning with a throbbing headache and a sore throat, enough that when he went downstairs, his mother asked him if he was catching a cold, while his father just kept reading the paper, uninterested. Kyle waved his mom off, worried he might still smell of alcohol, or worse, smoke, but if either of them noticed, they didn’t say anything. He sat down, had breakfast, and the entire experience was such a break from what had happened the night before, that it was becoming easier and easier to just assume that it hadn’t. He’d just imagined the whole thing, dreamed it. After all, what was more likely--he’d had a wacky horny dream, or he’d actually smoked a cigar that had summoned a smoke version of a guy he’d met for five minutes a club, and they’d had sex?

But upstairs in his room, he saw that the cigar had been real, at least. The band was there on his desk, with the name and address as before. Later in the day, he went poking around in the shed on some other pretense, and he could smell it in there still, the smoke, and there, across the floor, was the faint outline of a dried spatter of some sort. If that was real, he wasn’t sure how to disprove the rest of it.

He checked his messages, and saw he had something from Jim, wanting to talk to him. Kyle wasn’t sure if he wanted to divulge the details of what had happened to him that night entirely, but the situation with his gay neighbors was too stupid not to tell his friend. He suggested they meet up at the park about halfway between their homes, and half an hour later, he was waving Jim down from the bench he’d snagged. Jim hustled over, and got on the bench across from him.

Kyle could see something was wrong--his eyes were bagged, and he looked like he hadn’t slept at all that night. “Hell, you must have had a good night man, sorry I had to leave early, you won’t fucking believe that happened.”

Jim just stared at him. “Kyle...have you seen Marlon?”

“Who?”

“Marlon. My boyfriend. He went with us last night. Have you gotten a text from him? Anything?”

Kyle just stared at Jim, feeling like he was pulling a prank on him. Jim was single, wasn’t he? But now that he heard the name, it was...familiar, somehow. Jim pressed him on it, and Kyle came to the realization that he was right. They had gone out with Marlon the night before--how on Earth had Kyle just forgotten that?

“You’re not the only one,” Jim said, “I can’t find him on any social media, his number just disappeared from my phone! My parents don’t remember him, and I’m afraid to call his house, I...I don’t know, we...something happened when we were leaving the club, and I thought it was a nightmare, but...but now I’m not so sure.”

So Jim recounted what had happened as they were heading to the car, the strange shadows, the man in the leather who had stepped out to greet them, Marlon just up and disappearing into the dark, the police who had interrupted them and gotten him to his car, alone. Kyle just listened, unsure of what to say about any of this, but it put what had happened to him in rather stark relief. When Jim had finished his story, he considered describing the cigar in the shed to him, but didn’t. It felt...wrong, and Jim was freaking out a bit, so Kyle went around, sat beside him on the bench and put his arm around him.

“Look, he’s probably fine, alright? I...I believe you, I do, but...but people don’t just disappear like this. There has to be an explanation.”

“But from everything? I can’t even find pictures of us. It’s like some black hole opened up and swallowed everything about him.”

They sat in silence for a while, and then Kyle said he’d let Jim know if he heard anything, he’d try texting him too, and see what he could find on the internet--then they went their separate ways.

But he couldn’t find anything about Marlon, anywhere. By the end of the evening, he found himself wondering if he actually was being pranked, if Jim was just faking the whole thing after all. But he’d been distressed, that hadn’t been an act. He went to bed that night, feeling rather unsettled, and didn’t feel much better the next day. He’d looked up the shop, called Marshall’s Cigar and Briar, and saw it was closed on Sundays--he’d decided to go into the city on Monday and check it out. Now he was having second thoughts. What if he just...up and disappeared too? Could that even happen? Even now, he was still struggling to hold onto the memories of Marlon that Jim had dredged up for him. Almost like, if he didn’t keep bringing them forward in his mind, they kept threatening to slip away into whatever void they’d gone down into before.

But Sunday, he had a fight with his Father, enabled by his Mother. It was over nothing, but he found himself bristling at being in this house, in this neighborhood for another minute. Sure, college would be an escape in a few months, but would it really get him away? His parents were still paying for it, the whole thing out of savings. If he tried to be out, if he dated a guy and they caught wind of it, he’d be cut off for sure. He didn’t know the cigar bear--named Marshall, he assumed--at all, but that one evening with him was the first time he’d felt respected by someone older than him, by someone who could be his father. In the end, he decided to take the risk, drove downtown, and on Monday afternoon, stepped into Marshall’s Cigar and Briar.

It was a narrow space, made narrower by the glass counter cutting down the length of the shop. Underneath the glass were countless pipes--not glass ones, like he would have expected, the kind his friends usually use for pot. These were tobacco pipes, and Kyle realized he’d never seen one of them in real life, beyond movies and that sort of thing. Across from the counter, there were magazine racks. One of them was an assortment of newspapers and magazines, and further in, judging from the black plastic plates in front, was a rack of porno mags. Along the back wall were jars of loose tobacco, and behind the counter was a wall of boxes, full of cigars, he assumed, and even more in humidors further in. Close to the door was a cash register, and behind that was the bear he’d met first at the bar, and then in his shed, though dressed more casually today, in jeans and a sleeveless shirt for the heat, flipping through one of the magazines from the news rack. Marshall lowered it, and smiled, “Ah, good to see you again, and sooner than I expected.”

“I...uh...” Kyle said, but didn’t quite know what to do next. He’d pictured himself getting in the door and then, well, he didn’t know what was going to come next, at all. But that was part of the excitement. For the first time, really, he felt like he’d taken a genuine step off the path that had been laid out for him, and now, he didn’t know what he was supposed to do.

“How have you been? I hope the fellow who dragged you away treated you well that night.”

“Yeah, he’s...a neighbor, of my parents. And me, I guess. I watch his cat sometimes.”

“I see.”

The man flipped to the next page in his magazine, and Kyle was left floundering for something to latch onto. Everything in the club, everything in the shed had felt so obvious, but now... “I...I thought you wanted to see me again,” he said.

Marshall smiled, “You must have wanted to see me again too,” he said, “But now I suppose I have to ask you, what would you like? Cigars? A pipe? What interests young men like you these days? I don’t know anything about that new vaping thing I see twinks do sometimes, it seems so cold to me.”

I guess...I don’t know. I thought...we could, you know.”

“Ah, you came for me, and me alone, did you?”

“I think you’re teasing me.”

Marshall smiled. “Well, I haven’t had lunch yet. Why don’t we go get some food, and we can chat a bit more? I’d be interested to get to know a little bit more about you, I think.”

That seemed as good of a foothold as any, and they ended up at a little restaurant down the street, Marshall poking around and asking Kyle about not just his plans, but how he felt about his plans, about his general dissatisfaction. It ended with a surprising offer--Marshall suggested he might work with him in the shop for the rest of the summer. He’d fallen behind on some of his organization, and there was always cleaning to do. It wasn’t the sort of job that Kyle had ever thought about doing, but he accepted without any hesitation. The more time he spent with Marshall, the more of a pull he felt. After just an afternoon, he felt a deeper connection with him than anyone else before. His mind called it love, but that might have been youth talking. They went back to the shop, and Kyle’s heart was beating fast, wondering what else might happen that day, only for the feeling to cut off when Marshall handed him a broom.

“Go ahead and start off with a good sweep, will ya?” he said, smiling at him.

Kyle, who had never really had to work a broom in his life, just gripped it and stared at him, but Marshall was serious. So he took the broom and the dustpan, and started sweeping, while the bear went back to the register, took a cigar from the humidor beside him, and started smoking while reading his magazine. Kyle felt a little hoodwinked, and yet, when he caught a whiff of the smoke, he had to stifle a moan, as his cock leapt up. Marshall was smiling at him, and gave him a wink, but what felt like it could have been something more, was stifled by a steady stream of customers for the rest of the afternoon, and when it was time to close, he was given a wage right from the till, and sent on his way home.

“I...Are we gonna, you know, again?” Kyle asked, not really wanting to leave the shop and step out onto the dark sidewalk.

“Is that what you want?” Marshall asked him, and Kyle nodded. “Well, Pigtown will usually give you what you want, Kyle. But you should be careful that you don’t lose what you need. Now get on home--shop opens at ten, and I want you here at nine thirty every day.”

Kyle nodded, not sure if that was a yes or a no...but he’d take it, either way.

***

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#cigar #smoke #pigtown

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cornfields-and-bad-dreams · 4 years ago

Text

All the kings men

@sorcererinslytherin asked for more Geoff,Gavin,Michael content so I decided to dive a little deeper into the kidnapping scene from this piece.

Summary: A look at events from Michael and Gavin’s points of view.

Word count: 1,622

Warnings: Mention of blood and violence.

Rating: PG-13

It was Lad's Night, and the boys were having fun. Michael, Gavin, and Jeremy were enjoying themselves at some little bar tucked away in an alley, the bartender didn't seem to mind their rowdy behavior as long as the money kept coming, and the other's in the bar seemed to know not to start anything with them. It was a perfect night, unfortunately, good times don't last forever.

Jeremy had called it quits shortly before midnight while Michael and Gavin decided to wait until the last call. Once last call came and went the two men were left to drunkenly make their way home, leaning on each other for support the duo stumbled their way down the street. All of a sudden a dark van pulled up beside them, the side door swinging open to reveal a small group of men. Jumping out the men lunged for Michael and Gavin. Being outnumbered, and highly inebriated the two lads were quickly subdued. The last thing either of them remembered was the interior of the van.

Michael was the first to wake up, his head ached and the lights overhead hurt his eyes, he tried raising his arm to shield himself but quickly found that he was bound to a chair.

"I think you'll find my men did a thorough job of tying you up." A voice called out from behind him.

A man soon appeared before Michael, he was a greasy looking man, older with thinning hair and a rounded gut. He reminded Michael of an old Marlon Brando. A cigar managed to hang from his lips even as he spoke.

"You and your friend have been out for a while now." Suddenly Michael could hear his phone ringing, the man laughed. "Your boss is getting worried, he and your other compatriots have been trying to reach you two."

Behind him, Michael could hear Gavin begin to stir.

"Oh, looks like sleeping beauty is finally awake."

Gavin mumbled a bit as he tried to move, but soon enough he came to the realization of what was going on.

"Michael boy, I think we're in deep trouble."

"You don't know the half of it." Another voice called out from somewhere in front of Gavin.

A tall man in a black turtleneck leaned against a table, on the table was an array of weapons and other implements of torture. The man smiled menacingly at Gavin. Standing up straight he came around the table, picking up a blade, and made his way towards the two men.

"Mr. Cunningham has given me permission to work my magic on you two." He twirled the blade in his hand.

Gavin pulled at his restraints.

"Gavin? What's going on? I can't see." Michael asked frantically.

"What's going on is that Tucker here." Mr. Cunningham gestured to the other man "Is going to have a little fun with you before the real work begins."

Tucker ran the blade across Gavin's cheek, cutting into the skin ever so slightly making him wince, and made his way around in front of Michael. Pushing the blade into his arm he quickly pulled it away leaving a shallow cut, a short yelp of pain escaped Michael's lips.

"What do you want from us?" Michael glared at Mr. Cunningham.

"It's not what I want from you, it's what I want from your boss. You two are just leverage." The man chuckled, turning to leave he stopped and looked back a final time. "Remember Tucker, I need them alive. Otherwise, do what you want to them."

"With pleasure sir."

It was nearly 6 am when Mr. Cunningham returned, Michael and Gavin looked rough, they'd be cut, stabbed, burned, and much more. Their clothes were torn and they both had trouble keeping their heads up, let alone their eyes open. Their breath was ragged and wheezy, blood, sweat, and tears stained their bodies. The two had clearly been through hell, meanwhile, Tucker stood nearby calmly watching with a sickening smile on his face.

"Now," Mr. Cunningham began, "I think it's time we called your boss."

Using Michael's phone the older man made the call. Michael and Gavin could faintly hear Geoff's voice, the two perked up, Mr. Cunningham just laughed.

"You can call me Mr. Cunningham. You've probably figured this out by now, but I have something of yours, two somethings to be exact. Say hello boys." He held out the phone in the direction of Michael and Gavin.

"Geoff, Geoff help! Please for the love of god!"

"Help, help us! Please Geoff hurry!"

The two yelled over each other.

Mr. Cunningham spoke into the phone once again.

"Oh Mr. Ramsey, you're not the one with the upper hand here, you don't get to make demands. If you want your boy's back you're gonna have to do as I tell you, or else."

The man pulled a gun from his belt and aimed at Gavin's foot, pulling the trigger Gavin cried out in pain.

"Fuck you, goddammit you asshole, you're gonna pay for this." Michael thrashed about a new wave of fight surging in him.

Mr. Cunningham scoffed and turned away from the men, disappearing through a door as he discussed ransom demands with Geoff.

"You really think your boss is gonna come for you?" Tucker laughed.

"What are you on about?" Gavin questioned.

"Do you really expect him to care? From what I hear you two haven't been on the payroll very long, just a month or two. In this business, you can't afford to care about guys like you."

"Guys like us? What the hell does that mean?" Micheal demanded.

"Grunts, henchmen, nobodies. You're not special, you're just an employee, you're replaceable."

With that Tucker walked out the same way Cunningham had gone.

"You don't think he's right, do you, Michael?"

"No, no Geoff will come for us. I'm sure he will." Michael wasn't sure who he was trying to convince, Gavin, or himself.

Michael and Gavin sat alone in the room they'd woken up in for a long time, they were tired and exhausted from torture and the sheer mental toll of it all. The men weren't sure how long they'd been sitting there, their best guess being four hours, their hope was dwindling. All of a sudden one of the doors burst open. At first, the two men thought it was Mr. Cunningham or possibly that Tucker guy. But quickly it was discovered to be Geoff, Jeremy, and Alfredo.

"Michael, Gavin!" Geoff rushed toward them the other two following behind scanning the area.

"Geoff, thank god." Micheal exhaled.

"Took you long enough." Gavin joked weakly.

"Jesus Christ, what did he do to you?" Geoff slowed down as he approached the two men, checking them over as he reached out hesitantly. Geoff cupped Michael's face gently, tilting it up to get a better look. Michael winced, causing Geoff to pull back.

"The place is clear." Jeremy came up behind Geoff, who turned to look at him and Alfredo.

"Radio Jack to pull up close, then help me get them untied. And be careful, they're in bad shape."

As carefully as they could the three men freed Michael and Gavin from their restraints. Gavin had completely passed out by the time he'd been freed so Geoff carried him out while Alfredo and Jeremy helped Michael to walk. Getting the two men into Jack's car, they took off for the penthouse where a private medical crew was waiting.

Both Michael and Gavin were out for the rest of the day, their wounds were treated and pain killers had been administered. Geoff stayed close to both the men as they rested in bed, late into the night even when Jack urged him to sleep he remained.

Gavin was the first to stir this time, waking up early the next morning to find Geoff asleep between the two beds that had been set up for him and Michael.

"Geoff?" His voice was hoarse.

At the call of his name, Geoff woke up.

"Huh? Gavin? You're awake. Thank fuck you're awake." He placed a hand over his heart.

"Of course I am, you're not gonna get rid of me that easily." he laughed.

"Don't joke about this, I was really scared I was gonna lose you two."

"It's all in a day's work isn't it?" Gavin seemed genuinely confused.

"I'm still allowed to worry about you, I care a lot about you, Michael, too. I care about everyone in this crew."

"Yeah, but I mean, we're not really special are we? Just some nobodies you found on the street. You could have easily found two new replacements." Gavin's tone was suddenly very sad and dejected. He looked away from Geoff to stare toward the end of his bed.

"Gavin." Geoff took him by the hand, pulling his attention back on him, "I don't know what's got you thinking like that but it's not true. You and Michael are irreplaceable, you're not nobodies you're my friends, more than that even you're like family to me. Everyone in the crew is, no exceptions." Geoff's tone was serious.

"Really?"

"When you and Michael didn't come home, I nearly lost my mind with worry. I didn't know if you were even alive, it nearly made me sick to think something had happened to you. So I don't want to hear you ever doubt you're importance ever again, and if I need to prove it to you I'll do whatever it takes."

"No, Geoff, I-I believe you. You mean a lot to me too." Gavin smiled

"I'm glad."

Geoff stood up and leaned in to give Gavin a kiss on his temple.

"Rest up now, you and Michael have a lot of healing to do."

#fahc #fahc michael #fahc gavin #fahc geoff #Achievement Hunter #writing #my work #fan fic #tw blood #tw violence

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stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale · 4 years ago

Text

[that’s just what the cold really is]

Sometimes I wake up at one o’clock in the morning to drink some tea and write a briolet oneshot.

Don’t ask why because I don’t know what this is either.

Read on AO3

---

Frost kisses the glass, starting from the wooden frame and spreading across the window. Violet stares past the ice, allowing her mind to clear itself, content to exist and be. How long has she sat there, cross-legged on her desk, watching the stillness of the night? Who knows. Long enough for her nose to become cold enough it stung to breathe through it.

Pressing a finger against the foggy glass, Violet glides it across to draw two eyes and a smile. Dumb and lopsided, she thinks, before smearing away one of the eyes.

With a sigh, Violet climbs off the desk, stiff muscles wincing as her bare feet hit the hardwood floors, so cold it almost hurts to walk.

Another sleepless night in the beginnings of winter, not an unusual occurrence these days. Not when thoughts of the undead and loved ones long lost haunt the most inner workings of her mind, and not when the cold irritates her eye to the point where she could just rub it better.

If only she could put some pressure on it, warm it up enough to be uncomfortably comfortable, but the healing process for the loss of an eyeball is apparently a long and agonizing one. Possibly more so than the actual removal itself, though that’s debatable-- Violet doesn’t have nightmares about healing.

No, these days she still has nightmares about a cell much colder than her dorm, about disfigured faces holding her down as she struggles, spitting more curses than pleas. Lilly’s smug voice echoes in her ear from far away and a woman with a cold, dead stare hovers over her, knife in hand as she commands her to stay still.

Violet reaches her arm out to grab the bar belonging to the top bunk of her bed, the metal cold enough to burn her fingertips. She lets her hand drag along it as she makes her way closer to the door. She wouldn’t want to accidentally walk too close and stub her toe again.

The hallway’s just as dark and still, and it occurs to her that it might be dangerous to walk around here barefoot. Sure, the school’s clearer than it’s ever been thanks to Ruby putting her foot down about everyone being a bunch of pigs, but that doesn’t mean Violet won’t step on a missed piece of glass or a tracked in rock.

Does that scare her enough to turn around and head back into the forlorn darkness of her dorm to try and get some sleep?

Violet makes it down the hall with ease, keeping a hand dragging along to wall to steady her. Not that she really needs to do that. It’s not like she’s completely blind. She still has one eye that’s as good as new, but having only one good eye makes for some poor depth perception most of the time.

The outside chill cuts right through the thin material of her shirt, sinking down into her bones to bring involuntary tremors through her limbs. Rubbing her arms in an attempt to warm them, she ventures into the yard, setting her sight on the stairs leading into the admin building.

She doubts anyone will be in the music room tonight, though she is a little hopeful that Louis might be there. She’d enjoy a song or two tonight, she thinks. He could always was make her laugh, and perhaps that’s what she needed right now.

Louis has his fair share of sleepless nights, and like her, he wanders out here to the music room. Work out frustrations by ‘tickling the ivories,’ as he puts it, or to comfort himself after a bad dream. Violet just hopes that if he’s here tonight that he’s alone. While she enjoys the company of both Louis and Clementine, the two of them being in there together at this time of night probably wouldn’t be the most innocent outing. Violet’s lone eye can only unsee so many things.

“Jesus,” she curses. A particularly harsh gust of wind nearly knocks her down as she climbs the stairs. “Yeah, great, thanks for that.”

Well, if they are in there together, at least they aren’t freezing their asses off.

Violet glares up at the sky, wrinkling her nose at the thought.

Hell, even if they’re both back at the dorms, they’re still warmer together than Violet is out here by herself. Everyone who remains in their bed is warmer than her. Probably.

Her face softens, gaze falling down to the steps beneath her.

Maybe cold nights exist as a reason to drawer people closer to one another, to seek and feel the natural warmth only they could provide. Except what does that mean for those who are cold but lonely? Maybe that’s just what the cold really is, Violet thinks.

Loneliness. Huh.

Shit.

Maybe it’s her pride or the fact that she’s never felt weaker than she has the past six or so months after escaping the delta’s clutch, leaving her eye with them. Fronting that she’s tougher than she really is made her feel better, acting as though she’s content being alone or that she doesn’t need to rely on others for help even if she knows it’s bullshit.

Doing this always bit her in the ass on nights just like this one.

It’s silent within the admin building, so it’s safe to conclude that Louis isn’t here.

She’d never admit her disappointment aloud, but that doesn’t stop the feeling from tugging at her gut. She really hoped he’d be here, hoped they could talk for a while. For as loud and obnoxious as Louis could be, he could listen just as well, be just as quiet and sincere. It’s stupid now to think that she once thought him incapable of serious, deep conversation, not that she ever gave him much of a chance. Not that he gave her much of a chance, either.

Just a couple of dumbasses, she thinks. Oh well.

Violet turns the corner to see the door to the music room wide open, inviting her in. Moonlight leaks in through the curtain slits, reflecting off the floor and the old piano. Strangely, it doesn’t feel as cold in here. At least, not as much as it is outside, or even in the hallway.

She approaches the piano, contemplating if she should sit down. She has no idea how to play, nor does she have any desire to. Resting a hand on the worn-out wood, she curiously admires the inner workings of the piano with all its strings and doohickeys.

Louis offered to teach her once, and she told him that piano music sucks. He never made another offer.

“Vi?”

Violet nearly jumps a foot in the air.

Whipping around, she finds Brody curled up on the couch with a thin blanket over her leg and a mug in hand, wide eyes gazing up at her.

“Shit, sorry,” Brody apologizes, setting her mug on the table beside the armrest. “Didn’t mean to startle you. Just didn’t think you saw me and I didn’t want to be, well, creepin’ over here without ya knowin.’”

Violet presses a hand against her frantic heart, taking a deep breath and nodding.

“No, yeah, definitely didn’t see you. Y’know,” she motions to the patch over her eye, “blind spot.”

Brody seems to stiffen up, but gives an unsure nod, face falling as she glances down at her hands. She stretches out her legs, making like she’s going to stand but changes her mind.

Violet frowns, silently scolding herself.

“What’re you doin’ up?” Brody finally asks.

Violet gives a halfhearted shrug.

“Can’t sleep. Obviously.”

“Your eye?”

“Among other things.”

Brody nods once more, and Violet can’t help but stare at her, even though Brody can probably feel it. Even from here, and with her vision impairment, Brody’s scare is harshly prominent against her more delicate features. Right above her brow, long and discolored now, fully healed.

Violet almost scoffs aloud. Fucking Marlon. She hopes he’s freezing his ass off living down in the old train station now. After what he did to Brody, after finding out what he did to Minnie and Sophie, they kicked him out of Ericson. And even after everything with the raiders, after Marlon helped them escape the boat before it exploded, he’s still not welcome here.

Well, more so Marlon decided it’d be in everyone’s best interest if he didn’t live at Ericson anymore, instead settling in the train station so that he was close enough if they ever needed him. Everyone agreed, even Louis. That was a surprise, but he agreed that Marlon being here with them wouldn’t work anymore, and maybe knowing where Marlon was and that he was safe helped Louis be content with the decision.

Violet’s just glad she doesn’t have to see him every day, and that he’s far away from Brody, but even gone he’s left marks all over this school... all over Brody’s face.

“What about you?” Violet asks to break the awkward pause. “Can’t sleep either?”

“Nah,” Brody finally looks at her, tucking a wild strand of hair behind her ear. Bedhead, Violet thinks. Funny. “Tossin’ and turnin’ don’t suit me. If I’m gonna be awake, I might as well be outta bed and doin’ something.”

“Something like sitting in the dark like a weirdo?”

That gets a small smile from Brody.

“Yeah, somethin’ like that,” she says. “Just wanted some tea and a change of scenery. Wasn’t expecting company...” she trails off, but keeps her gaze on Violet as she quietly adds, “but it’s a welcome surprise.”

Violet almost smiles despite herself, having to bite the inside of her cheek.

Ever since they lost the twins, things have been rocky with Brody. After Clementine and AJ showed up, Violet felt for the first time in a so long that her friendship with Brody was salvageable, that maybe they could be close again. Clementine forced her to see what was really bothering her about Brody and why things were so shitty between them, and Violet found herself wanting to fix it.

Then the truth Marlon and Brody were hiding from them came out, and Violet was beyond pissed. Even with Brody lying in bed, bandages wrapped around her head and her skin sticky and pale, Violet hated her.

Yeah, hated her. Hated her for lying to her face for over a year, for keeping that secret to hide her and Marlon’s guilt, for trying to grow close with her knowing what she had done.

Violet never fathomed that she’d ever forgive Brody, but then Brody healed and could explain everything.

Then the raiders attacked, and she and Brody were taken away, forced to share a cell on the raider’s boat. When Violet failed to cooperate, and they... well, Brody was the one to hold her, sob into her shoulder from within that cell.

Suddenly, a lot of things didn’t seem to matter anymore.

“You want some tea?” Brody offers, holding up her own mug. “It’s minty.”

“No, no...” Violet shakes her head, shifting her weight from one leg to the other.

“It’ll warm ya up. Can see ya shakin’ from over here.”

“Maybe I like the cold.”

“No one likes the cold.”

“Maybe I do.”

Brody rolls her eyes, throwing the blanket off and standing. Over by the fireplace, she lights a match to ignite her makeshift warmer to boil more water.

Violet abandons the piano, finding a place on the opposite side of the couch as Brody wanders about the room, humming to herself. She comes back with another blanket, this one heavier. Violet accepts gratefully, covering her body up to her chin.

Brody hands her to streaming mug, the scent of warm mint clearing her senses. Violet can’t help but groan after taking a sip, the heat spreading through her body.

“Good?”

“It’s okay,” Violet lies. ”I guess.”

Brody smiles. Violet wonders how close she’ll sit now that she’s here, but Brody doesn’t move to do so. Instead, she grabs one of the candles off the piano, flicking a match to light it. Violet raises a brow up at her, which Brody meets with a playful shrug.

“it’s cold,” she says simply, setting the candle down on the small round table.

Violet can’t help it. She laughs. That makes Brody smile.

Her laughter dies when the couch dips with Brody’s weight beside her.

“C’mon,” Brody grins, tugging at the comforter. “Don’t be a hog.”

Violet doesn’t bother putting up a fight, lifting the blanket to let Brody scoot closer. Shoulder to shoulder, they get comfortable.

“Y’know what I miss?” Brody asks.

“Summer?”

“No-- well, actually yes, I do miss summer, but that’s not what I was gonna say,” she brings her long legs us, tucking them beneath her. This makes her lean more into Violet and it takes all her concentration to not spill hot tea over her hands. “I was thinkin’ that I miss jerky.”

“Jerky?”

“Yeah. I used to go on these trips once a year with my dad to see my grandpa. Was always just to two of us, and we’d be on the road for hours, but we’d stop at this gas station-- the same one every time, and he’d get us these long sticks of spicy jerky that you could barely chew without feelin’ like ya were gonna break a tooth.”

“Gross,” Violet wrinkles her nose. “Ever break a tooth?”

“Nah, not really. Sure made my jaw sore by the time I was finished, though. Take ya about an hour to get through the whole thing properly. But Daddy said that was the point. Ya gotta chew it long enough to get all the flavor outta it, otherwise, it’s just a waste.”

“He couldn’t’ve brought you a hotdog or something?”

“You ever have a hotdog from a gas stop?” Brody makes a gagging noise. “Wouldn’t be surprised if those things were made of roadkill off the highway.”

“How’s that any different than what we eat now?” Violet asks, teasing. “It’s just in stew form instead.”

“I’ll tell him you compared his famous stew to flea-bitten roadkill.”

“Do it,” Violet challenges with a smirk, setting her tea aside. “I can take him.”

Brody snorts out a laugh, hand flying up to cover her mouth to muffle the outburst, managing an, “Oh god,” out.

Once Brody gets a hold of herself, Violet says, “Never had jerky like that. Though I didn’t go on many road trips.”

“We could go on one,” Brody suggests lightly, nudging her. “Get away from here, go find a beach somewhere and sit in the sun.”

“Only if I get to drive.”

Brody, a soft smile tugging at her lips, wraps an arm around Violet’s shoulders to pull her close, gently rubbing more heat into her arm.

Despite the heaviness in Violet’s stomach, it flutters at the feeling of her body pressed against Brody’s. She hesitates, but eventually leans into the warmth of her side, resting her head in the crook of Brody’s neck while slipping her arms around her waist.

“Can’t tell anyone we’re goin,’ though,” Brody mumbles. “I’m not spending days in a car with Louis and his singalongs.”

“Twenty-five bottles of beers on the wall, twenty-five bottles of beer-”

“Oh god.”

“-take one down--”

“No!”

“-pass it around-”

Brody’s hand presses over Violet’s mouth to silence her, all while the both of them laugh together. For the first time that night, Violet doesn’t feel a single chill prick at her skin. She pulls Brody’s hand from her face, holding it in her own. When Brody doesn’t pull away, she takes a risk in lacing their fingers together.

Brody squeezes her hand back in approval.

The laughter dies down. Brody pulls the blanket closer over them, and together they sit for a while.

Just as Violet’s eye begins to droop shut, the fatigue finally hitting her, Brody’s lips press against her forehead. Violet thinks to turn her head up to kiss Brody back, really kiss her, but doesn’t.

Too tired, too comfortable, too warm.

Violet allows sleep to take her.

19 notes · View notes

alias-b · 4 years ago

Text

sins of my youth. 015

Billy Hargrove x OC! Evie Fenny~ Also posted to my AO3

Summary: It was common knowledge that Billy Hargrove hated Hawkins. Hated Cherry Lane. Even loathed the strange girl next door. Evie Fenny wasn’t too fond of the chaotic Cali transfer either. An awful high school tradition sparks a chain of events that changes everything, ultimately bringing two frayed souls together.

A/N: I was excited to post this one! Billy continues to learn secrets about Evie as they grow closer. The first day back to school arrives with new challenges. TW: talk of teacher/student relationship, vomiting, pica, bullying, and some Well Earned Smut. *Thanks all and chat with me about the fic if you have time!

Chapter 15: Fires Within Fires

Billy decided he liked unwrapping these layers to Evie, despite the fucking interruptions.

Their little game of back and forth where even grazing her skin with his fingertips felt like a prize.

Where a glimpse of her smile's ghost sent luna moths fluttering inside the glass jar that he'd long-sealed his beating heart away into.

He certainly couldn't tell her she'd consumed him. Syllables became harder around Evie. No amount of cooing at his mirror would save him from those painted eyes. Brushstrokes that destroyed him utterly.

And all he could think was brush me again.

The greatest mystery presented itself that Saturday night.

Mona stayed out with friends and went home with something a little more chiseled. Which meant she’d be out and go straight to the salon to play with the books. Blue was fed. The stars were bright and silent. Placed just so.

Evie applied a red lip, bent over the vanity before it reached eleven on the dot. With her mother out, she used the front door after grasping her coat. Green bomber covered in patches. Crept over the frozen grass and pavement toward a hippy sort of van. Tan with a maroon stripe.

Billy crawled out his window at the sight of her along the way. Dressed. Head down as he hid near his car.

He had to know.

The van was already driving off so Billy waited a bit to follow behind it. Hoped the few cars on the road would mask him if he stayed far enough away.

He trailed after the damn thing all the way to the city. Saw it still in an alleyway and swerved to find parking elsewhere. Waited a few minutes with his eyes on the rearview mirror to see lights flicker.

Beyond the cold buildings, a cozy nightclub illuminated. Covered in trellises with twisted metalwork roses and thorny vines. Slicked in frost. A red, ornate canopy and steel black gate lining the outside area with empty tables.

Music vibrated within. Billy lit up a cigarette and watched the door. Eyed a bouncer chatting it up with a group outside in the cold. Smoking and shooting the shit. He readied to make his move.

The sign read Sugar Kane’s in swirling lights.

Boots carefully stepped around the alley. Eyes trained on the bouncer at the end of the street corner. A thrum of piano keys echoed. Billy slipped into the door, down an immediate tunnel of high steps into another world made of pure red velvet.

Wall to wall velour curtains and uniform lines of crystalline lights. Felt like Billy stepped into a dim, smoky dream. Busy round tables with idle chatter and even a bit of friendly gambling. A dance floor with plenty of couples. Sleek black bar and mirrors behind it.

Taste and class and care went into this dream.

Billy fell into a table in the back, darkest corner. Watched the slow dancing. Heels clicked. More people drank and smoked at tables. Playing cards and speaking in hushed tones under the music.

The music.

As couples swayed and parted, Billy’s eyes lifted to the band. Bass, drums, and keyboard. And the singer looking like a chandelier painted red like the walls. Red like the blood boiling and pounding under his flesh.

Slow and steady, a pure blue light bathed. Made her the center of the universe. Let her slip into a warm bubble bath birthed of the cosmos itself. Billy had to scan her again. Had to blink to make sure he was seeing this correctly.

Sleek dress of beads like what a flapper would wear. Glossy red lips sultry into the mic. Huge lashes. Bigger curls.

Evie.

Her hips moved against the swell of sound. Breathing in and out with it. Stage lights framed her body. Kissed it. Made her glimmer as an ethereal creature. Not of this world.

Billy’s jaw was on the table.

“This is a man's world,” she cooed, head shaking while brown eyes fluttered closed, “this is a man's world…”

Billy’s fingers twisted into the tablecloth. Eyes trained as her voice picked up against the reverberations. Filled the air. Filled the empty spaces around Billy. He’d heard her sing, but this starlet wasn’t the delicate songbird she came off as. She owned the air. The space. The stars. The world at her feet.

She owned everything. She wasn't sorry.

“But it wouldn't be nothing, nothing without a woman or a girl.” Evie plucked up the mic to come forward. Smiling when hands dropped dollars into a bowl she shared with the band. Her voice grew. Boomed. Curled around throats and hearts.

Enthralled.

That stage was where she belonged and she wasn’t sorry about that either.

Bathed in the echoing ruby glow from seas of crimson velvet and black silk around the room. Spotlight pulsing technicolor. Painting in blues and pinks and reds. Utterly decadent. Small chandeliers hung down to sparkle against cherry hardwood that met the vibration of a musical crescendo.

Evie’s dress flicked about as she moved. Tiny knit shadowy fishnets and strappy heels. Miniature white flowers woven into her free spun curls that truly made her look like an angel. A glowy star. The light caught a collared necklace she’d made with a cameo brooch and loose jewels.

Again and again, Billy let himself be consumed. Bowed to her voice ever-growing. These untouchable notes that wrung around his soul.

“But it wouldn't be nothing!” Evie’s head tipped back. “Nothing!” Mic high with the greatest note that stilled the entire room as the music hushed so she could shine. Obscene and shameless and so bright. Eyes lifted from tables to see her there beckoning like the sirens of old. Evie came down to look out, settled the mic on its stand. Romanced it. “...without a woman or a girl…”

Billy sat there and watched the set. Eyes all over Evie without her knowing. Blissfully unaware of the boy in shadows. He smoked a slow cigarette and no one from the bar bothered him. Not yet.

Evie was five songs in before they switched it up. Let the band take on some peppier instrumental so Evie left to cross to the bar. Billy thought to flee before a huge hand touched his shoulder.

“You look a little young to be in here. Not drinking. Where’s your ID, kid?”

“Hey, I’m eighteen.” Billy sounded childish, snuffing a cigarette out on a clean ashtray. The bouncer glared down at him. Bodybuilder type and pretty. Tanned with styled slick hair and little strands tumbling into his brow. Blue eyes. One ear framed in silver piercings. “Just listening to the girl, she...she knows me.”

“Yeah, yeah, let’s go, stalker. She's working.” The bouncer cooly plucked Billy up like he was a doll. Catching the attention of the bar as they stumbled toward it.

Evie reeled out of her conversation before Billy Hargrove was presented to her. One shoulder high into the air as a muscled hand held his arm.

“Does this belong to you, Eve?” He began, giving Billy a jostle for good measure.

“Oh, god.”

Billy flashed his brightest smile. Begged to be claimed like a little, lost puppy. Poor Evie could only groan. Elbows on the sleek wood to hide her face. The woman she’d been speaking with behind the bar was already cackling. “Yes...he’s mine.”

“Is this the boy you won’t shut up about?” Came a quip. Gravelly, feminine voice.

“Told you, I know her. Lemme go, Lurch.” Billy ripped himself clean from the bouncer. Fixed his jacket.

“Marlon, baby, we got him from here.” The barkeep continued, bringing one acrylic nail to her plump lips. Dolled to the gods in a Marilyn Monroe type wig of platinum, buttercream waves that swooped to frame her face and touched her glowing shoulders. Sapphire cocktail dress cinched in and flowed to knee length. Matching heels that made her a head taller than Billy.

“Whatever you say, honeybunch.” Marlon gruffed and went back to go up the steps. Evie shoved at Billy and grabbed his jacket.

“What are you doing here?” Her classic hiss.

“I wanted to know where you snuck off to two nights a week. Just a concerned neighbor.”

“Sometimes three when we have the stage open.” A hand adorned in a huge diamond ring extended. “Looks like James Dean and Jim Morrison had a blond baby boy. Little Eros crawled out of a Def Leppard video.”

“Billy.” He shrugged out of Evie’s grip. Left her making that signature scrunchy face of anger she was known for. Arms crossed at him. Pride rose so he boasted. Took the bejeweled hand in both of his to kiss the knuckles smelling of jasmine. “Evie’s favorite subject.”

“Are not.” The retort clipped.

“Don’t tell lies, Evie dearest, they cause wrinkles.” A wink of huge false lashes followed. “Iris Lee Arden. I manage the place for the owners. Evie’s never brought us a pretty stray before.” She gave Billy’s chin an affectionate brush. Nails painted to silver claws.

Iris moved like a feline. A trans woman with brown skin and a full figure. Thirties. Commanding presence. Love of Marilyn Monroe with roots in the art of drag. Billy spotted a sign behind her about the specials. Chalked in different colors. A variety of musical stylings. Another sign about the shows nightly. Thursday being drag night.

One of those open places he figured. Accepting of all colors and sexualities. Safe haven to outcasts. California had them too. Seemed more of a rarity in this area. Double the bouncers of the places back home.

“Evie’s telling people about me, huh?” Billy leaned into the bar to play the flirt. Evie’s hand covered his mouth.

“Ignore him. He should not be here. I’m sorry.”

“Says you who lied about your age for the job, sugar.” Iris teased, eyes flicking to Billy. “We found out like the day after. Obviously.”

“I was in it for the free booze.” Evie beamed a smile, hand snatching from Billy when he licked her finger. “Gross.” The pink tongue caught between his teeth before he grinned.

“Uh. Nice try. I don’t even drink the alcohol for free, girl. And the only thing we ever give you free is a Shirley Temple.” Iris laughed again. “I’ll get two going while you lovebirds work things out.”

“We’re not, ugh…” Evie rolled her eyes and decided to sit. Huffed for effect. “So, you got me.”

“I always do." His dangling earring caught the light. "Not a bad place. You ever sing on Thursday?”

“No, but I did host a couple of shows for Iris. The girls love me and I love them. They taught me plenty. Helped me. And I...learned a lot about myself too.” Evie kicked a stool out so he’d join her. Paused to see his expression. Her lips quivered. "Would it bother you if I think about girls and boys the same?"

"Did it bother you when I flirted with that Jesse guy right in front of you? More in common, Angel. It's adding up." Billy held her eyes steady when he said that. They shared this softer beat. Simple and clean. Plenty of room to breathe. He shifted, lashes batting. "So, this place. Start from the top."

“I was sixteen and I saw flyers so...I sorta lied about my age. No one knows. Not Heather, not even Fredrick. They found out I lied quickly. But, they liked me so we worked out some rules and I just sing a few nights with the band. Couple songs. Great guys, too. The Starlighters. They’re here almost 24/7. Marvin on bass, he drives so they pick me up on the way most days. I have to hide in back, I don’t want to get them in trouble. Cops will treat them differently cause they're not white. Always been that way.”

Billy noticed most of the people in here, including the workers and band, were people of color easily. Many mixed like Evie.

Opposite of Hawkins. She and Tommy H were practically the only mixed kids in their classes since his birth mother was Hispanic. Strange thing neither of them addressed in the open.

“The club runs all sorts of music. Jazz, rock, classics, and some pop. I like the more rock and pop nights cause I can bring my guitar. Sometimes I help back up visiting bands. This place just appreciates it all. I love it here and I can sing anything they need, it's like a second home. Accepting. Good for people who get the fuzzy end of the lollipop.” She shrugged and two bubbly glasses were set down. “Thank you, Iris.”

“Owners have more musicians coming in toward spring so hours for you will be slim. Summer should be better, they might have some more day and evening gigs.” Iris perked a smile.

“I get it. Easier to work during the day when I turn eighteen.” Evie sipped. "The best birthday present of all is more of that stage."

“It's happy to have you, sugar. So, tell me, Billy, have you locked this girl down?” Iris plucked up a clipboard to make some inventory notes, elbow on the bar.

“Hey!”

“I’m working hard on it,” Billy winked and that was enough to silence Evie.

“She also told me you’re the one who took care of the shithead who gave her that,” Iris tilted Evie’s face. "Boy is lucky I couldn't sink my talons into his eye sockets. Sick my guys and dolls on him." Billy barely caught the bruises under layers of color corrector and makeup. “Good boy.”

“I do what I can.” He shrugged and played with the straw of his drink. Evie could have blamed her blush on stage lights. Instead, she stole a sip when Iris offered a fresh glass of water.

“I’m gonna go sing.” She pushed Billy’s arm. “He’s a compulsive liar. Don't listen to him.”

“Don’t worry, Eve, I’ll babysit the pretty boy. Make him feel right at home. It's what I do.” Another wink and Evie groaned all the way to the stage. Rejoined the band with a red smile. Sparkling. Garnered a few claps and nodded to pick up the next song. Beaming.

She found Billy's eyes for one fleeting moment.

"The French are glad to die for love..."

“She’s gonna go far, that one." Iris caught his attention. "Just needs a chance is all. Someone bigger than me to give it.”

Billy’s eyes were glued to the ruby supernova whirling and bursting before his gaze. Felt the vibrations inside his ribs. Again and again.

“You take the stage too?”

“Oh, yes. Never too late. Prefer to manage these days. Guide others starting out. Lots of queens and questioning tweens in the city in need of a place. I like to give them one. Outcasts who need to learn they're not alone in this big world. I've had plenty of success and now I have dreams of managing one great star.”

“My dad would hate all this.” Billy piped up aimlessly, head shaking.

“More of us than of him, if you believe it. Just have to speak up. Scream it out.” Iris cleaned a couple of empty glasses. “You’re pretty. You could do drag, you know?”

“Thanks.” Billy broke to chuckle, eyes turned back at last.

“Don’t hurt my girl either.” One long nail pointed. A talon that tapped Billy’s chin. “We’ll take you out back and smack you around a bit.”

“Maybe I’m into that, lady.” Billy flirted back. His insufferable self. The pretense lowered. “Already hurt Evie. Trying not to do it again.”

“You’re young. So is she. You both will fuck up, that's life. Sometimes people hurt more when they're comfortable. Just make it right.” Iris had offered, arms back in the bar to sigh.

“Sometimes I don’t know how to do that,” Billy blinked his gorgeous eyes, “make it right, I mean.”

“Watch. Listen. Learn.” She cooed softer. “It’ll do you good. Be a gentleman too, offer my girl a ride home when her set is over. Short night. I assume you’re staying?”

“Yeah…” Breathless, he marveled. “Yeah, I’m staying if she is.”

Evie had a few more songs before the mic was turned over. Something sinking every single time she had to see it go. They split tips and she parted ways for the night. Offered the shortest hours of all the workers being so young. Schooling first, Iris always said.

Bundled in a jacket, Evie pushed through some beads and curtains to see Billy waiting. Head cocking toward the exit.

“You stayed.”

“Why wouldn’t I? Drove all the way here.” He lit up a smoke outside, having not had many during the set. Music lingered behind them. Echoed along the cool winds and wet pavement. “Free show and all the Shirley Temples I could suck up. I did tip, by the way. All the pretty people I could flirt with and brag about my girl to. What a night.”

He slung a lazy arm around Evie’s shoulders. Not looking at her. His girl. Smoke flitting out his lips and Evie lost all her thoughts. Lost the nerve to tell him he was so beautiful. That she could be his. He shifted closer to her and peered at his watch, trapping Evie into his chest.

“Damn, it's just after two.”

“Couple times I stayed till four.” She lamented. “Guess I should be happy they have room at all even if it’s once a week these days. Iris is good to me, I’m loyal… What did you guys talk about?”

“How pretty the stars are at night.” He mused, snuffing his cigarette out onto a brick wall before he paced to the car waiting. Evie slid in wordlessly, sighed when Billy got the heat on before she buckled.

She also noticed he did it too for the first time since riding with him.

“Usually I’m wired after shows but I’m dead tired tonight,” she rubbed her head to moan, leaning back.

“You had a long week.” Was all Billy said, swerving down the street to the freeway.

This heavy silence hung in the air. Billy intent on the road. Idle glances that never matched up. Finally, he peered over and saw Evie’s head lulled aside. Fast asleep.

A smirk crept.

He turned some easy music on. Let her rest all the way to Hawkins and parked at his house. Turned slowly and brought his knuckles up against the apple of Evie’s cheek. He felt her shift into his touch and reeled back. Evie seized up, groaned to see him.

“We’re back.” He whispered. Not sure why.

“Hm, sorry. Dozed off there.” Evie felt for the handle. Also felt Billy’s eyes on her skull. She froze and blinked to see him. “You want to come inside?”

“Easier than sneaking into my place. Dad’s a heavy sleeper, but he has Billy Fuck-Up Radar.” He laughed and she didn’t, pushing out. Evie staggered in her heels, holding herself so Billy crossed around in silence. They went up into her house.

“Gonna...bathroom. Wash my face off ‘n change.” She had this sleepy adorable way about that, petting Blue idly. Already tugging little clips from her curls.

Billy came to give the cat some attention. Heard the sink running and crossed back to Evie’s room. Tucked his boots and coat aside. Sprang at attention when she came in wearing a long tee and cradling a bundle of clothing. Curls free and messy. The slightest smear of black makeup still under her eyes but the rest of the paint came off leaving her fresh-faced and glowy.

“Need to use it?” She gestured behind her and stepped aside, depositing her laundry properly. Blue eyes lingered before he went off. Wordless.

Evie let out the breath she’d been holding to sit on the bed. Back taut when Billy returned so she stood awkwardly. A quick movement that made him stop. Created a standoff. Eyes held steady. Expectant. She bit her lip and clicked the light out.

Somehow that made him feel safer to cross. Careful steps like he was approaching a skittish nymph. Stood inches away. Evie let herself cave in.

“Can I undress you?”

The words blurted.

Billy didn't hesitate.

“All yours.” He watched her too pointedly so Evie looked aside. Reached to lift his shirt until he adjusted to get out of it. She got a look finally at the nasty red and purple welts on his shoulder. Healing yellow tinge. Clouds shifting.

Visible from the moon and streetlamps outside flitting through the blinds. A hand hovered but didn’t touch and he just went rigid there. Let her look at him. Let her see every inch. The color splashed over his shoulder like spilled paint.

“Can I kiss you there?”

“Only once.” He said so she swept over. Placed her lips on the flesh that was burning hot. Pecked too light and came out to see Billy’s eyes close. They opened and she reached for his belt. Clicked to get it off before unbuttoning his pants. Billy hitched to shudder when she brushed him, easing his pants down over white briefs.

Slowly, Evie brought a finger to her lips. Tapped once and Billy obeyed. Claimed them without ceremony. Pushed into her body until they tangled back in bed. Adjusting so he could hover.

Aroused into a creamy thigh, Billy rocked easily between parting legs. Nestled there and heard her moan. Drowsy kisses as her hands slipped around his back. One arm braced by her head, fingers smoothed the curls aside.

“Can I look?” He uttered, hand inching under her shirt. Gazes locked. A pulsing beat.

“Yeah.” Evie let her hands fall into the mattress. Billy pushed fabric up over her chubby stomach and naked breasts. Traced her flesh without shame and she felt it all melting away. Piles of insecurities shedding to drop like little weights hanging from her heart. Brown eyes lifted elsewhere. A quiet shiver followed.

Her chest rose and fell. Evie tried to stay alert and locked into him, but the sensation returned that sunk her down.

“Billy," she squeaked to still him, "I-I do want you.”

That broad hand palmed her side.

“If you’re unsure, Angel, it’s a no.” He shrugged. “It’s okay. You’re tired. Doesn’t hurt my pride.” Eyes lingered on her face. Evie still felt so exposed there. Billy’s thumb rubbed a hot circle into her skin. He chuckled before pecking those waiting lips with ease.

“We could...I still want to… Do things.” Evie shuddered, swallowing to find the words. “Warm-up. Start slow. Small.”

“Little things you dream of me doing to you.” He leaned in again to taunt. Hips pushed into hers. “Wet your panties already.”

“Please, you leaked all...over me…” Evie lost the exact jab while he kissed up her neck. Tongue and teeth. His hand inched. Ever so slightly. She touched his knuckles, guided him higher to cup her breast. Billy moaned at that alone. Twitched like he might burst and wasted no time getting his tongue on her nipples.

“Taste better than I dreamt, that’s for damn sure.” He ran his nose over her sternum. Tormented her other breast. Let his teeth tug once. Twice.

Suckles until she bucked into him. Head tossed back to moan. Fingers curled into spun gold. Coaxed him onward. Billy kissed her all over. Tummy and back up again. Shifting, he moved over to straddle one leg, nudged her thighs to stay parted.

“Wanna spread you open,” lips ghosted, “touch you.” Brush you again and again.

Evie had his arm in her grip. Felt like two irons clinging. Slowly, she nodded, eyes huge and darting over his there in the dim light.

“I want to feel good again, Billy.” She gulped dry air. “Want you to make me feel good.”

He took in her expression. Pleading and vulnerable. Unafraid to want him in the open. Fingers rolled over her hard nipple and then slipped down under flimsy fabric he wished he could tear. Contained himself just barely at the feel of her. Soaked for him. Responsive to every little beat and sigh. Pride set fire to his marrow. Two fingers pushed up into the bud, coated in arousal to stroke it.

"Like that?" He teased slow. Her mouth opened for his tongue in response.

Evie grasped desperately at the pillow under her head. Legs opened so he got off to curl next to her. Braced his head up with one propped elbow and offered lazy rubs. Drew it out until her thighs hitched to part wide.

“Hear that fucking sound you make?” Billy’s lips touched her ear. “Fuck.” He whimpered like she was the hottest thing on two legs. Made her feel coveted and sexy. Desirable. Slick sounds mingled with their breathing hurried. “I could listen to it all day and get off on that alone, you know. Musical girl. I could play you all night.”

He kept kissing her, rendering Evie unable to articulate. Wanting him in little breathy sounds.

Fucking wanting him.

Evie twisted, hitching a gasp as her toes curled. Thighs parting wider because Billy was some sort of fucking wizard at this. This boy couldn't be real. Eliciting perfect notes out of her. One hand gripped the pillow under her head while the other clung to his bicep now. She felt the muscles bulge white-hot and loved it. Heard Billy breathing soft in her ear, lips trailing down her jawline and collar.

“You’re so wet.” Billy brought his fingers up to lick them. Pushed his tongue into her mouth after. “Taste so fucking good.” Evie yelped as he slapped her thigh playfully. The words slurred into her lips. He slipped his hand back into her panties, played rougher, and felt her tense. Evie’s lips opened into his to moan. Her legs bent up and spread for him. Bucking to meet his touch that was ending her. “Shameless, Evie, I like it.”

“You talk too much.” She had gasped, eyes rolling to shut. Breast jutting so he kissed them next.

“I don’t think people talk enough during the act.” Billy curled back into her. Supporting himself on one arm by her head. “Nothing like seeing a pretty girl’s face when I tell her she’s gonna come so hard for me.” She felt his shaft against her side, rubbing idly to make some friction. Leaking and wet. "So very hard."

Billy liked to play dirty, it kept his emotions at a safe distance.

Evie caved in.

“More… Faster, Billy.” She clung for him. Neck exposed. Pulsing. Lips parting obscenely. "More."

A finger pushed inside with another following.

“Oh, fuck.” Evie worked into his touch. Brown eyes finding his intent ones. Billy thumbed her clit in tune. Pumped a few times. Watched her chest rise and fall in shaky breaths. The shirt still bunched over her tits. Lips fell to suckle one rosy nipple then the other.

“Too much, Angel?” Billy slipped out to resume circling the bud. He hummed, slowing to inhale deep before he granted her another taste of his lips.

“Don’t stop, I like it.” Evie whimpered into his mouth. Caught his bottom lip in her teeth playfully.

“Couldn’t tell.” Billy sped up again. “Wanna see you come for me.”

“Billy.” Evie twisted at that. Thrusting herself into him. Breasts bouncing.

Slick, filthy sounds filled the room. The damn streetlamps glimmered around the curtains. Gave her almost no place to hide from him. Something churned in her stomach. Alert.

“I’m close.” She strained at last. "I'm so..."

“I know,” he grazed their lips to murmur, “just chase it. Don’t run, Angel. That’s it. Chase it for me.” He watched her expression flutter and cloud. Loved it. Worked her relentlessly.

Nails dug into his skin. Out of breath and bucking until her body gave a little quake. A moan followed. Drawing out with her climax. Billy rubbed her until she fell to pieces. Crying out and shuddering. All for him. Back curved to echo sweet delights. He didn’t stop until she fell limp and quivering by the force. With Evie spent, he pushed up to reach into his briefs. Slicked his shaft in her arousal. Began to pump.

“Lemme see you.” She slurred, turning over to tug his underwear down. God, he was beautiful. Lines cut down his hips. Trimmed gold curls. She bit her lip again and wasn’t coy for once.

“You mind?” A suggestive eyebrow rose.

"If I can help." She pushed up more with heavily hooded eyes. Drunken. Messy kisses trailed his abs before she licked his tip.

“You just go for it, huh?” Billy added. Allowed her to swallow him down. “Fuck, that mouth you have, Evie.” He bucked into her throat. Tried to apologize when she made a sound that was utterly pornographic. Heavy cologne wafted up her nose. A trail of spit ran from flesh to lips as she came out. Lapping again. Sinking down so he could pump. She gripped his hips and worshipped him. "You don't...You don't have to..."

"I like it when you feel good. You're so beautiful." Evie dipped out. Let Billy tilt her head up by the hair. Thumb slicking her swollen mouth. Billy curved to dip his tongue in. Groaned when she kept stroking. "Feels good to give pleasure. We have that in common, Billy."

His spine arched. Muscles taut because her lips were on him again.

"You look like a star, you know that?" Billy had to peer away. Sighing soft. Shuddering. She didn't lie about being skilled at this. Evie placed little kisses up and down. Slowed. He didn't have time to continue the praise.

“Where do you want to cum?” She resumed stroking him. Kissed shapes around his hips sweetly. Billy tried to articulate and gasped as her teeth nipped along his skin.

“You’re asking me? Shit...You won’t like it.” He tried to not blow it all on her face. Felt like that might be rude. Billy shuddered again. “On your tits.”

“Hm.” Evie reclined back, let him scoot in and helped him stroke himself. Being dirty also assisted in keeping her emotions and insecurity at bay. She worked him with her slick hand. Felt him starting to lock.

“Listen, I’m not gonna last much...longer.” He was thrusting into their palms. Leaned over her to grasp the pillows so she could finish him herself.

“It’s okay. Just let go, Billy. It'll feel so good when you do.” Tease.

“Fuck, Evie, fuck.” Billy looked exquisite. Vulnerable. Eyes glittering with pleasure. Whining. Lips opened to groan. She worked him until release gushed. Milky spurts right across her chest. Billy swallowed for some air, looked down at her. Messy and fucked out. Shirt bunched up with his filth all over her skin. Puffed.

“Don’t get mad, but I thought about that the first time I saw you.” He twisted one nipple, heard her hitch to sigh. Evie fell back with a huff.

“Yeah, you made that obvious.” She felt Billy sweep up some release with two fingers and offer it to her lips. Sucked him clean, peering through thick lashes. Evie laced their fingers and let a slow smile pull. “I enjoy you, Billy.”

“Yeah?” He fell next to her. Nestled in so their curls mixed. “Only took you a couple of months and an orgasm to admit it.”

“Shut it… I want you. Not trying to countdown to it like it’s some rocketship.” She pushed over him and felt under the bed for a dirty shirt to wipe off with. “That’s all I’m saying. Foreplay is one thing. Sex always changes people. Maybe I'm...freaked about that.”

“I enjoy you, too.” He admitted to the dark. Eyes lifting to the ceiling before she tucked herself back in between him and the wall. “We could get a motel room sometime. Make sure no one walks in for once. We'll be wide awake and go a few rounds. And I won't change on you.”

“Hmm.” She turned to muffle into his chest. Drowsy as can be. “Sure.”

“Really?” Didn’t expect a quick reply. “Not gonna take it back when the glow wears off?”

“Maybe.” Evie teased, grinning into Billy’s skin. “You make me mad sometimes. Still want to go slow like this.” He chuckled with little air, chest steady until he adjusted so she could cuddle into him. Evie traced a heart into his flesh. Caught herself. “Can I have a ride Monday? I think Steve will understand… I’m just freaked out about going in.”

A hand pushed her hair aside so they could look at each other. Billy played with lush curls. Got serious.

“He's not gonna be there.”

“I know.” Evie hummed with her eyes closing. Fingers in her hair lulled her further. “Sometimes I think I see him standing in dark corners. Even when I’m on stage. There’s this glimmer of him everywhere. Especially as I close my eyes.”

Billy didn’t know what to say so he kissed her until she was breathless and distracted. They shifted around so Evie faced the wall, pulling his arm over. Thrilled him to pieces. Billy framed her body with his, lips melting into dark curls. Sweet blessings placed upon her crown. A protective barrier he hoped soothed her.

He really hoped.

The blankets pulled up so they twisted together. No more syllables followed until the morning birds began to sing.

** ** **

Monday crept to swallow Evangeline whole.

She donned a vintage plaid dress that was cinched with a belt and short. Threw her bomber over it and fashionable black tights. Knew she was dressing for Fredrick even still. Her little outfits pieced together so he could imagine taking them apart in class. Earrings caught the light as she swung her bag on and crept outside into the morning windchill. Didn’t want to keep Billy and Max waiting.

Just in time, they stalked out of the Hargrove house. This knowing smile crossed Max’s face when she saw Evie.

“So, you’re hanging out with Billy again.” Came the monotone observation.

“Back seat.” He snapped at her. Evie’s lip twitched before a little nod followed and the redhead disappeared into the back. Snapping the seat in place for Evie to take. Without ceremony, the Camaro lurched forward to go. Billy fiddling with his radio and cursing all the hick stations until he found one at Evie's quiet recommendation.

“Is Evie your girlfriend now?” Max was leaning between them.

“I’ll pull over, I swear to god, Max.” He lifted his eyes with an aggravated breath, turning hard after the stoplight changed. Max snickered and Evie wanted to laugh, but didn’t. Eyes darting at the many trees they passed until they began to blur. A sea of earthy tones and pure white frost pooling. Almost looked like chaotic, muddy ocean waves. Crashing.

Sensing the nerves, Billy’s hand found her knee. Stayed there until they got to school. Thumb smoothing.

“See you two later.” Chipper for once in the morning, Mad Max jumped out after them and raced down the hill to meet Dustin waving across the way. Evie huffed as he looked between Billy and her then asked Max an obvious question out of earshot.

Students moved all around them. Many pausing to glance at Evie Fenny appearing from the magical blue of Billy Hargrove's legendary Camaro. She didn't belong there. One hot orgasm wouldn't change that. Fingers curled into her bag’s strap. Nervously twisting it.

“He’s not gonna be in there and you won’t feel better until you face it.” Billy finished his cigarette against the hood. Eyes pointed.

“We could just skip.” Evie looked around at passing students and Billy came to her side.

“You do know how to tempt me. C’mon.” An arm swept around her shoulders. Nearby students took more frantic notes as they got down the hill so Evie wiggled from him. Kept walking and felt sick by the time they got to her locker.

“People are staring at us.” She faced inside and sorted books. Billy leaned next to her. Eyes flickering with this unreadable expression.

“I didn’t notice.”

Evie gave him this glance like she didn’t believe him.

"I don't care." Came the actual sentiment.

“I have to get to calc.” Evie dismissively shut the metal door and gasped when he kissed her. Right there in front of everyone. Billy cupping her cheeks. Making a point in his way. Cartoon confetti tumbling down. Students watched Evie stumble into the lockers. Billy Hargrove’s arm steady around her back. Pulling her into his body as if he wanted her and only her and nothing else existed.

“Clear enough, Angel?” He pulled out. Left her breathless. Unworried and wishing it was enough to unbind her nerves. A thumb fixed her lipstick idly. “See you in English. Don’t run.” Billy swept off. Students parting to let their king by. Evie shuddered to herself and hunched to hurry in the opposite direction. Cheeks burning.

Brush me again.

She didn’t learn much in her first period. Heather met her at the door and kept glancing the entire class. Carol and Tommy both skipped. That should have brought Evie some ease. Instead, she figured she might blow chunks.

The first bell had her springing up. Not even waiting for Heather as she disappeared into crowds. Shoving a bathroom door open so she could throw up her breakfast. Two eggs arranged with wheat toast. Mona had spent the entire time prattling about some man she was seeing as if Evie were her best friend and therapist and not a soul she gave birth to.

Evie so often wondered if her mother had wanted her. Really wanted her. This life that stilled all her starlight, electric dreams. And not treated birth as a duty because these things can happen.

Luck was not on her side. Evie had passed Carol in there with a couple of other girls in her gaggle's orbit. Smoking and late to class. Too cool for it either way.

Bile and food exploded into the toilet bowl. A twisted clothing pin that was stuck somewhere it shouldn't have been came up too. Evie swallowed that a good while ago. Spots of blood pricked.

“Gross, Fenny, didn’t know you were that type.” Vicki sneered outside at the sound. Snickering followed. “Two fingers are better than one, precious. I hope you give Billy’s dick better treatment.” Footsteps followed and Evie didn’t have time to be mortified. She figured they all left and gasped. Spotted a loose bolt in the wall.

Evie propped her head up and fumbled to unscrew it.

Heard voices that told her to stop. Just stop. She can stop. She can stop this at any time.

There rust.

It went down and Evie felt that sickly wave of calm wash. Rocked back to a distant shore and wiped her mouth on a wad of thin toilet paper. Felt disgusting. Gave her cheek a soft pat like a baby. Breathe. Breathe. Feet staggered out with her backpack to see Carol sitting on the farthest sink like it was a throne. Smoking still and far too elated.

Shame sunk its talons into Evie like Carol watched the entire thing play out.

Unable to even rasp, she went to the sink and washed out her mouth.

“Not preggers are you?” Smoke pooled up.

“Just sick.” Evie bit back, hands braced over the sink.

“About the party,” Carol continued, not listening as she snuffed out her cig against the mirror's corner, “I was so drunk. Don’t take it personally.”

“Fine.”

“I just think it’s a fresh start today. New leaves. Right?” Carol dug around as Evie shuddered and tried to reapply her lipstick. The redhead approached. “Here.”

A stick of bubblegum flicked out. Evie eyed it suspiciously and Carol actually smiled. Glossy lips curling before she chewed her own piece. Blew a plush pink bubble for good measure.

It popped.

“Nothing funny. You need to work on those trust issues. Especially if you’re gonna hang with Billy. He gets around." Her head cocked. "Don't mind Vicki, by the way, Billy sorta dropped her unexpectedly. Hm. She was hoping to take him all the way to prom and only got one taste at Lover's Lake. Poor thing.”

Carefully, Evie took it. Let the sweet flavor fill her rustic mouth. Didn’t mask enough.

“Thanks…”

“Anytime.” Carol went to the door and stopped. Lips smacked. Couldn't hold it in any longer and let the glee flow. Red hair flicked. “So how does it work, you and Bowers, is it a grade thing? Are you just easy? I’m so curious because he seems like a guy who could get anyone. Billy, too. So, why you, Evie?"

The question that kept Evangeline up at night haunted the air. Carol grew relentless.

"Are you a witch of some kind? Could be comparing the young and old. Gross. Maybe you work well on your knees. I’d love some tips.”

Evie stared at the sink. Heard the bell blare signaling she was late. A deafening silence followed.

“I don’t…” She peered at Carol crossing her arms to smile. The gum went sour. “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”

“I don’t know if I’m grossed out or impressed, Evie,” Carol faked a look of shock, “you really suck off our teacher. I mean, how pathetic do you have to be?” A nasty, faux scoff followed.

"As if you weren't leaning over his desk to press your tits against his back and hiking your skirts up all the same." Evie shot up. Caught Carol off guard by matching her malice. Easily.

Evie found herself shaking. Face hot. Eyes betraying her too well.

“But, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Leave me alone.” She spat the gum in the trash and pushed out to go. Carol followed her down the empty hallway, skipping and loving this side of Evie that poured like tar.

“Does he at least buy you nice dinners? I bet he’s flush with cash. Buys you things in leather and lace. Does he have a preference? I think lace. You're a dainty spring flower he plucks the petals from all for himself. Right?" Carol struck Evie with an arrow at that sentiment. "Is Billy jealous? Bowers is probably into the weird shit. You must be a real pro at-” Carol hitched to squeal when Evie flared.

Two hands plucking her up to shove her into the lockers. Breaths in sync, Evie found herself hissing. A fire built to pour and ravage. Warming them both. She leaned too close to Carol's face.

“Just, shut up.” She trembled, teeth-baring. A silver tear fell down her cheek. Fingers warped into Carol's pink turtleneck sweater. The trapped girl actually reached up to catch it on her finger. Looked dreamily into the droplet like she was viewing a distant memory.

“Ah, you’re actually crying. Like a little baby. You should start wearing a big red A, Fen. Bowers must love having a little baby girl around. Dress her up and down, down, down.” Carol sneered, glossy lips popping.

She dropped the pretense as Evie held her there. Let it all flutter. Started to shatter silently. Evangeline wondered. She really wondered if what Carol Perkins saw in her that she hated so much was just herself reflected. Poor thing.

Poor things.

"You don't know shit about me." Evie managed. It sounded so unconvincing coming out.

"I know all these people around here are weak. They're so fucking weak." Came the spark. "But, not us."

Carol came in close. Added fuel to the fires. Did something peculiar and gave Evie this sickly sweet peck on the lips. Gloss and red mingled. She stole something she saw deep inside of Evie that she felt too. Got shoved back again when Evie recovered. Tongued her mouth after tasting the salt of more tears. Carol was welling now. Voice low. Starting to quiver. Evie's fingers left blushing marks on freckled skin.

It hurt and Carol loved that it hurt.

“It feels good, doesn’t it? Real good. Pile that pain onto someone else. This. Feels better.” Carol sniffled with budding fury. Waited for admission. She tremored and asked a question that killed them both. "What happens when we run out of silky petals, Evie, huh? What the fuck do we do then?"

Tears shed, they didn't cleanse.

"I d-don't know, Carol," Evie released the thoughts and mourned it deeply, "but, I think about it every single day."

Disgust welled. Evie thought of Fredrick grabbing at her. Seething to keep their secrets locked at any cost.

Wheels within wheels. Turning endlessly.

Fires within fires.

She dropped Carol and stalked off. Proud like Hester in The Scarlet Letter. Fleeting temptress with dominance and power for days like Abigail in The Crucible. Heroines and villains and virgins and whores and martyrs. None of them win.

Women were always packaged just so. The world seemed to prefer that. All these stories Fredrick made her read and reread until she took them into her soul. Lolita who always gets the blame she never deserved because she was young and a victim and no one cares about that. Why don't they care about us? They care about how she was prepackaged by a society that never tried to save her.

No one cares or grieves why and how women are carved from pristine marble, only that it's their fault if they tarnish and crack. Their fault if they stumble and fall. No going back.

No going back.

White roses painted red. They never asked first.

Evie was a couple of steps away from the classroom when a mass of claws tore into her curls. Yanked her back so hard that her backpack fell off.

“Still pretending you’re better than me, bitch! Admit it!”

Evie cried out. Alerted nearby classes. Thought of Fredrick tearing her down the same way and whirled with her hand out on pure instinct. Smacked Carol in the mouth. Froze with huge eyes. And Carol actually smiled. Bloodied teeth and sticky lip gloss. She looked like such a girl there.

"Alright, Fenny babe, I'll play the villain for you. Just like you wanted." Carol dove on Evie while classes began to pool out. They hit the floor and lockers rolling around. Not really landing punches or slaps. Just locked around each other shouting and tearing into clothing and loose hair. Both crying.

“Shit!” Billy, Steve, and Tommy shoved through the jeering teens to pull them apart. Chaos rained.

“Girl fight! Girl fight!” This school really reveled in such things every single time.

“We need help here! Ladies, enough!” The poor substitute in Bowers' room was not having a great first day.

“Get off me!” Carol finally detached from Evie so Billy scooped her up under the arms. The redhead noticed Mr. Bowers wasn’t around and stopped struggling. This cruel look twisted her face.

“Can’t leave you alone for a second, huh?” Billy’s voice brought Evie back into the shouting as she scrambled up with his help.

“You two! Principal!” Another teacher came between them. The useless security guard was just now jogging around the corner. Evie tore her bag up and passed Steve and Tommy. Carol was already stomping off. Something awful lighting her bones aflame. Red locks bounced and became fire.

Ushered away through crowds, they were put into a cramped room. Seated next to each other.

“Perkins and Fenny?” Their principal plopped into a chair with his secretary sitting in back to make notes. “I haven’t had problems with either of you.”

Carol burst right there. Sobbed through the words.

“It’s all Evie's fault! She slept with him and she’s just getting away with it! She gets everything! I'm sick of it! I'm sick of all this and...and I want it to stop! I just want it all to stop!”

“Ms. Perkins, you’re not being app-!”

“What if I told you it was a grown man, huh! Maybe someone who works here.”

“Liar!” Evie wretched over her chair to swat at Carol until they had to be forced apart again into separate rooms. A clock ticked. Blared in her ear and made her crazy while she waited. Tears streamed.

Carol was about to ruin her life. Drag all this shit back to the surface.

God, what would Mona say if she knew her daughter was an evil temptress?

Evie got into her bag for something. Anything to make it better. Nothing small enough to swallow at the bottom so Evie just rocked. Patting her cheek again to console herself. Bubblegum lip gloss still stained her red lips. No wiping it away.

Chief Hopper poked his head into the room ten minutes later, causing her to drop the bag and send her items everywhere.

Hester. Abigail. Lolita. Twisting goddesses. They all pay for it somehow. The narrative always makes them pay and they never had a chance to be anything else. Can't blame them.

Poor things. Lost to the fires within fires.

Books and papers flew out elegantly around her feet. Scattering away as Evie burst into harsh tears.

~~~~~~~~~

Oof, sorry to end it there lads! More to come and thank you so so much for following as always. All the comments mean so much to me and I’d love to chat about the chapter!! Thanks!

TAGGED: @80sbxtch @nottherightseason @orxhidshavana @alagalaska @alongcamedolly @kellyk-chan @10blurredsmoke10 @stanley--barber @charmed-asylum @unmistakablyunknown

#billy hargrove #Billy hargrove x oc #Billy Hargrove imagine #billy hargrove fanfiction #billy hargrove smut #mine #somy #angel fenny #Billy x Angel #writing #Carol

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ericsonclan · 3 years ago

Text

The Color of Inspiration

Summary: Sophie is struggling with artist's block and doesn't know what to do when suddenly Marlon helps inspire her.

Word Count: 1868

Read on AO3:

Sophie glanced down at her blank canvas. This was stupid. Her brain was stupid. Sophie knew what she wanted to make, she wanted to create a painting for Renata. It wasn’t for some special friendiversary or her birthday. Sophie wanted to make her best friend a gift because she felt like it.

She knew that Renata would be happy with any sort of painting or gift that Sophie made but still for some reason she was having artist’s block. Her mind spun with countless ideas and yet none of them inspired her. None felt like the piece she wanted to make in this moment. With a frustrated groan Sophie took off her baseball cap and ran a hand through her hair.

“Come on, brain. We gotta come up with something great here!” The redhead tapped her knuckles against her head in hopes of waking up her brain. “It's just you and me and the paint cans,” Sophie sighed when she was still stuck. This sucked. All she wanted to do was paint something for her friend but no, her brain had to be a jerk.

Sophie turned her cap around and stuck it back on her head. With a frown she rested her chin on her two fists as she glared at the large blank canvas. “You could share some ideas too y’know,” Sophie grumbled to the canvas but it remained silent. “Heh, figures,” She blew some air up to get a stray strand of hair out of her eyes. The redhead was completely lost in her own thoughts and annoyance at this artist’s block, so much so that she nearly jumped in the air when the door to the backyard opened. Looking back, her eyes immediately sparkled when she saw Marlon.

Her boyfriend strolled up, a warm smile pulling on the corners of his lips as soon as he spotted Sophie. “Hey there, Soph. Tenn let me in and told me you’d be back here. I thought I’d surprise you with a date but it looks like you’re busy.” Marlon walked forward and stood beside the open paint cans. His eyes looked down at the blank canvas then at the paintbrush that Sophie picked up and was now spinning in between her fingers. “Got another commission to do? Did Lou put you to the task of painting a portrait of Clem now?” Marlon gave a smile towards his girlfriend who chuckled.

“Heya, Mar! Nah, surprisingly I have no commissions right now. This is actually a painting for Ren,” Sophie explained and made the paintbrush twirl around her fingers on one hand before transferring it to the other.

Marlon’s eyes grew large at her words. “Shit! Did I forget her birthday? I thought it wasn’t until November,”

“It is. This is just a gift because I felt like it,” Sophie noticed Marlon’s shoulders relax and she couldn’t help but smile up reassuringly at him before taking his hand. “Babe, I would’ve warned you if you were about to miss a birthday.”

“I know, babe, it’s just I panic sometimes,” Marlon awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

“I think it's sweet that you care so much,” Sophie kissed his hand which made Marlon blush. He looked at Sophie and the two locked eyes for a moment.

“So, did you just start?” Marlon noticed the small frown appear on his girlfriend’s lips and his nose scrunched up in confusion. Had his question caused that?

“No, I’ve been staring at this stupid canvas for over an hour. I guess you could say that artist’s block and my brain have become very good friends again,” Sophie crossed her arms and sighed.

Marlon wanted to give the perfect words, the ones that would magically get rid of this artist’s block and make that frown on Sophie’s face turn upside down. His hand slipped down and brushed into one of the open cans. He was so focused on his girlfriend though that he didn’t seem to notice the blue paint on his fingertips when he reached up and placed his hand on his chin. Marlon made a loud thinking sound without realizing it, causing Sophie to look up at him. A snort from Sophie made Marlon glance over and raise an eyebrow.

“What?”

“Nothing, nothing. I just think your new beard is very hot,” Sophie’s words confused Marlon. He didn’t have a beard. His eyes scanned the area, looking for a mirror of some sort to check out his face but there was none. He opted to grab his phone and that's when he noticed the blue paint on his fingers. Marlon gave a small groan which made Sophie laugh louder.

Soon a chuckle escaped Marlon’s lips. “Thanks for the compliment. I always wanted a blue beard.”

“Good to know,” Sophie jumped up and gave Marlon a quick kiss. Marlon was shocked for a moment before he stole a kiss from Sophie who deepened it. He awkwardly tried to make sure his hand didn’t get paint on Sophie’s face or clothes as the kiss continued.

Sophie pulled back with a playful smile before her eyes flickered with inspiration. “That's it! That’s what I’m going to paint!” She scampered over towards the paint cans.

“What? A kiss?” Marlon asked and leaned over to see what Sophie was doing.

“Good guess, babe, but nope! I’m gonna fingerpaint this art! I have no idea what the piece will look like or what it will be until I finish! It’s perfect!” Sophie beamed and moved the paint cans of red, green, blue and yellow over towards the canvas. This was the perfect type of painting for Renata. It was the right balance of chaos and order.

“Ooo! That sounds fun! Would it be alright, that is...” Marlon scratched the back of his neck with his paint-free hand. “Could I help?”

Sophie looked up at her boyfriend, her fingers covered in different colored paints. “Yes! I would love that! You probably should take off your jacket though. Art can be messy.” Sophie returned her attention to the canvas and began to brush her fingers against it. Soon yellow, red and blue covered a small portion of the canvas.

Marlon shifted off his jacket and tossed it on a chair. It was a good thing he had brought an old shirt in case some paint got on it. He quickly coated his fingers in yellow and green paint and began to paint beside Sophie. The two smiled and laughed happily as they spread the paint across the canvas. Minutes passed and they continued to paint, jumping over each other to reach different spots and complimenting each other’s artistic abilities. Sophie’s warm laughter made Marlon’s heart grow all warm and fuzzy and a mischievous idea entered his mind.

“Hey, Snickerdoodle,” Marlon’s voice made Sophie look over and she noticed his playful smirk. Before she had a chance to react Marlon booped her nose with blue paint. “Gotcha!” He planted a kiss on her cheek then gave a smug smile.

“Oh, so we’re playing that way, Marlon Davis,” The fact that Sophie had used his full name made Marlon know she meant business. This would be war. “Watch out, Mars Bar! You wouldn’t want your beard to be lonely!” Sophie lunged forward and pressed her thumbs coated with red paint under Marlon’s nose and ran them across his face, giving the ends little twirls. She scrambled on her feet and giggled. “Just need white and then you’ill look like America!”

“Hey, get back here, you sneaky little- What does that even mean?” Marlon chased after Sophie and waited for the perfect opportunity. “Gotcha!” He spread yellow and green paint across Sophie’s face as he swiped out.

Sophie quickly backstepped with a laugh and was on the move again, this time with the white paint. Coating her fingers with paint, Sophie charged forward. Her feet danced around Marlon and she sprinkled his face with some more paint.

“Well played, Soph, but I’m gonna win!” Marlon declared proudly and got his second batch of paint. With some fast footwork he gave Sophie a yellow and blue paint mustache.

“Mar, I have a serious question,” Sophie’s tone made Marlon stop his onslaught of paint combat.

“What?” “Are those pants important?”

The question made Marlon scrunch up his nose. “No? Why?”

“Secret! Which I reveal riiiightttt...” Sophie ran fast, slid behind Marlon and whacked her hands on his butt. “Now!”

Marlon yelped and jumped for a second while Sophie sprinted away, glancing back at the green and white handprints on Marlon’s back pockets. Marlon turned sharply on his heel and was off like a shot after Sophie. “I’m warning you, Sophie. I’m gonna getcha!” Marlon reached out for Sophie’s waist and began to tickle her. Her white painting shirt was slowly growing colorful.

Sophie wheezed from laughter, tears pricking her eyes. “That’s a sneaky trick, Mar!” She devolved into another fit of laughter and Marlon began to laugh as well. His arms suddenly wrapped around Sophie’s waist and he lifted her up in the air, spinning her around again and again.

“Everything is fair in love and paint wars!” Marlon spun once more before starting to get dizzy and the pair ended up tumbling to the ground. They rolled around on the grass for a moment then halted. The two of them laughed happily and Marlon began to get up when he noticed that his lips were hovering above Sophie’s. The two looked into each other’s eyes then down at their lips. Sophie’s hands reached up and she pulled Marlon into a kiss.

The kiss made Sophie’s heart soar in happiness and based on the fact that Marlon deepened it she knew he felt the same way. After a few moments they pulled back and Marlon rolled over to lay down next to Sophie. Both of them caught their breaths before glancing over and laughing. Marlon’s hand reached out and his fingers slowly intertwined with Sophie’s.

“Let’s call that a draw,” Marlon glanced over at Sophie who gave a bright smile.

“Deal! Y’know, I think we made some pretty good art today,” She motioned over with her head towards the canvas that stood out proudly, decorated with various colors of paint. Even though it wasn’t finished yet it already felt like a piece of art that held the spirit of Renata.

“I think it looks great,” Marlon gave Sophie’s hand a gentle squeeze. “Before you finish up the painting, you wanna just lay here for a bit? Maybe look at the clouds,”

Sophie leaned over and kissed his cheek, making sure to dodge the paint splotches. “I’d love that,” Sophie shuffled over closer to her boyfriend and the two soon got lost in the fun of making the most wild declarations on what the clouds looked like.

Sophie gave a happy sigh of relief as she listened to Marlon, her eyes focused on his smile. She had been able to get past her artist’s block today and it was all thanks to Marlon. Well, him and the paint cans. She really was grateful and she had even gotten a paint battle out of it. It had definitely turned out to be a wild, fun afternoon.

#twdg #twdg sophie #twdg marlon #sophie renata brotp #twdg marlie #fanfic #ericson's diner au

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susieskinner93 · 4 years ago

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Robert Sugden Week 2020

Day5 - Reunion

“Oi careful you…” - Aaron couldn’t finish his insult because he saw Marlon’s worried face, as he ran after a clearly upset Victoria.

“Sorry Aaron.”– he waved as he hurried after her leaving Aaron speechless in the middle of the street. He was going back home after a quick shopping from David’s but Marlon almost knocked him over as he passed him. He could see that Vic was upset…. even crying? What happened? Did that Luke do something to make her cry? Even just the thought boiled his blood. He might not agree with her choice of company but it was another matter if she was hurt. He decided to take his bags home, then go over and ask Victoria herself. To his surprise, it was Marlon who opened the door.

“What happened?” – he asked confused.

“It’s not a good time Aaron… you might…” - you might wanna come back later, that’s what Marlon wanted to tell him but Aaron and his patience decided it for him. He pushed past the chef before he could even utter another word.

“Marlon I told ya I’m fine.” – sniffed Vic from the couch, but as she looked up she saw Aaron. – “Oh, Aaron. Hi.” – she said trying to smile.

“What’s going on? Are you alright?” – he asked firmly. – “Did someone hurt you?”

“What? No…” - she said with a fake laugh. – “It’s.. erm…it’s stupid really.”

“Did Luke do this to ya?”

“No, he didn’t do anything. I swear.” – she said because she knew Aaron would easily go after him.

“Then what is it? You were crying.” – said Aron. By this time Marlon stood in the doorway, listening to their conversation.

“It’s… erm… just a stupid work thing. Right, Marlon?” – she said with a pleading look.

“Oh yes. Yes!” – he said maybe a bit too enthusiastic. – “I mean we might have had a little misunderstanding…” - he offered while he looked at Victoria to see if she was fine with this lie. Although Marlon had no clue why would Vic want to keep something like that a secret?

“Yeah, but it’s fine… I… overreacted it a bit. It happens… ever since I’m a mum, sometimes things just… get to me I guess.” – she said still acting.

“Okay…” - said Aaron slowly looking from Vic to Marlon. – “You’re alright then? For sure?”

“Yeah, I’m fine, thanks for checking in on me.” – she said with a way too bright smile on her face. Aaron was thinking for a few seconds because the scene was definitely weird, but he decided to just leave it at that. If Vic had a problem and she wanted his help, she’d tell him. So he shrugged then excused himself before he went home. He didn’t know that drama was coming soon. He didn’t think he would be back here tomorrow demanding answers like a madman.

Next day he walked into the pub and found his mother talking to Diane by the bar. A rare sight he barely saw these days. Not much since…. since Robert really. He smiled at them and as he went closer he heard what they were whispering about.

“Tell her we’re thinking of her.” – offered Chas.

“I will Chas, thank you, it was all very sudden. Even though if she was around that age.” – frowned Diane.

“What’s this about?” – asked Aaron leaning against the bar.

“Oh hiya, Aaron.” – smiled Diane before she elaborated – “Victoria got some upsetting news yesterday.”

“I saw her and she said it was some misunderstanding with work?” – he said but it came out as a question.

“Work? No, you must have got your wires crossed. Annie passed away. They called her yesterday to let her know. Poor girl, she’s crying all day. I’m on me way there to help her with Harry. The state she was in…”

“What?” – that’s all Aaron could say. – “She never said.”

“Marlon said she was really upset when she got the phone call.”

“Marlon knew?” – asked Aaron again.

“He was talking about it all day yesterday.” – said Chas finally speaking up.

“You all knew then?” – he asked.

“Yeah, course we knew.”

“She lied to my face… she didn’t want me to know… why?” – he asked himself more than from anybody else.

“I’m sure she didn’t mean it pet.” – tried Diane.

“Does Robert know?” – asked Aaron suddenly.

“What?” – snorted Chas as she pulled a pint for a customer. – “Why would he?”

“Because it’s about his grandmother?”

“He’s in prison.” – said Chas with a blunt face.

“And? You think he doesn’t deserve to know?” – asked Aaron getting upset.

“Why do you care?”

“Because he’s my husband.” – he shouted.

“EX-HUSBAND Aaron EX!” – told her Chas. Aaron just stood there shaking his head, letting his fingers run through his hair like that could calm him down in a state like this.

“You think the same?” – he asked turning to Diane. She didn’t know what to say at first but then she opened her mouth.

“It’s not like we didn’t try… but he cut us out. He’s made his choice Aaron. It’s about time you accept it as well.”

“You’re unbelievable….” – he scoffed – “Both of ya.” – he said entirely disgusted as he marched out of the pub, and right to Vic’s door. – “OPEN THE DOOR.” – he shouted while he knocked a few times. – “OPEN TH…”

“Aaron, what is it? I’m trying to get Harry to sleep, and you banging on the door doesn’t help.”

“Sorry… but you lied to me and I wanna know why.” – he said passing through her to pace around her living room.

“What?” – she asked trying to buy some time. She knew exactly why Aaron was there.

“No, don’t even try, I know… I know about Annie. Honestly Vic… why didn’t you tell me?”

“I… I don’t know.” – she stuttered.

“Everybody knew… me mum was gossiping about it with Diane, and apparently Marlon couldn’t keep his mouth shut about it either. I was here yesterday I asked what was wrong… why didn’t you tell me?”

“I.. I don’t know.” – she repeated. Aaron didn’t believe her, and he had a guess for the reason… so he asked her.

“Did you tell Robert?” – at that Victoria finally looked at him… and she was… angry?

“Why would I? He cut me out of his life… completely. Why should I tell him anything?”

“Oh my god… you can’t be serious.” – he laughed in frustration.

“Of all people you should know what’s it like. When the person you love pushes you away. How can you not understand me, Aaron?” – she asked crying.

“I get it, Vic, I do.” – he started – “I want nothing more than him to reach out, but this… this is about his family. It’s about the person who meant a lot to him, you know that! They were close…”

“He told you that?” – she asked surprised.

“Of course he did, why wouldn’t he?”

“He didn’t like talking about the years he spent with gran.”

“Not because of her, that’s for sure.” – he snorted.

“What? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing, look, you have to tell him.”

“No. I don’t. And quite frankly you have no right to come in here, telling me what I should or shouldn’t do. So get out.”– she said trying to make him leave – “GET OUT!” – she shouted again.

“Aaron!” – called Diane turning up out of the blue, although Aaron had a guess she was following him after the way he practically ran out of the pub. – “You heard her.” - Aaron didn’t wait a second longer, he knew it would be pointless. He stormed out and didn’t stop until he was at home. His phone rang a few times but he ignored it. His mother could wait. He definitely didn’t want to see her now.

“Hey, what’s up with ya?” – asked Liv smiling when she saw her brother coming in like a hurricane.

“Not now Liv.” – he asked nicely. Well, he tried at least.

“Aaron, what’s wrong?”

“Annie Sugden died.” – he said quietly as he sat down on the sofa.

“Annie… as in… Robert’s gran?” – she asked sitting beside him.

“Yeah, and Vic knew and now everybody knows and nobody wants to tell Robert.” – he said. Liv could see that his emotions were all over the place.

“Then tell him yourself.” – she shrugged.

“How? He won’t allow me contact, you remember?”

“Yeah, but.. if you’d write a letter, tell the staff it’s about family… even tell them what it’s about… I bet there would be at least 1 person who’d give it to him regardless.”

“Yeah, we’re not in a stupid movie.” – scoffed Aaron.

“Just… try. At least you’d do something. I know it’s what you wanna do anyway.” – she said before she went upstairs leaving her brother alone. Half an hour later Aaron left the house with a letter to post. He knew he shouldn’t hope… and he tried not to, because chances are Robert will never get that letter, but still… a tiny part of him hoped that he might.

By the second week, he gave up. He posted the letter exactly 14 days ago, it had to reach its destination. The staff should know by now what it’s about, but they didn’t call him, they didn’t send the letter back … there was nothing. He tried to get on with his life, but this news dragged him back into the state he was in right after Robert got sent down. He couldn’t help it, everything came back to him. And he couldn’t help thinking how alone he must be right now, and he doesn’t even know…

God Aaron wished he could talk to him. Just once.

It was barely 8 pm but he felt tired. He didn’t do a lot of work in recent days but emotionally he was drained. He decided that an early night would be best. He didn’t get very far because his phone started ringing. He didn’t even check the number, he just picked it up. He was too tired to even look at the screen.

“Hello.” – he said in an exhausted voice as he closed his eyes, but the other end of the line was silent. – “Hello.” – he said again a bit louder this time, but still….nothing. He took a look at his phone then. The caller ID was a number he’d never seen, but it was still live. Someone had to be there. – “Okay mate, look I’ve had a rough couple of weeks, I don’t really have time for games…”

“Aaron.” – said the voice, and Aaron thought his heart stopped at once.

“Ro…Robert?” – he asked not daring to believe. –“ Is that you?”

“Yeah, it’s me. I … I got your letter.”

#robertweek2020 #robweek2020 #rs week 2020 #robron #robron fic #reunion fic

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weregonnaneedmorewhiskey · 4 years ago

Text

Covet

Chapter 1

Chapter 2- “You look like a bougie hooker but in a good way”

Let me know if you want to be tagged by sending an ask or a DM :)

Songs for this chapter:

Touch Me, Tease Me- Case ft Foxy Brown & Mary J. Blige

March 22nd

"So, did he tell you where's taking you?" Adrienne asks me whilst I apply a layer of Fenty lip gloss onto the deep pink lipstick. Turns out, I wasn't going to be forgotten so easily by James Brooks since he texted this morning asking me for drinks. After the party, I thought I should google him because 1. He could be lying about who he is because there are crazy people out here and I'm not trying to get murder for acting like a dumb bitch and 2. A part of me was weirdly enough curious about him. Maybe it's the Miami heat or maybe it's Taty's words finally sinking in.

"Yeah, some expensive bar. Can't remember the name but I thought I probably shouldn't wear jeans there. How do I look?" It wasn't an overly dressy look but dressy enough to not feel out of place once I got. Just a little black dress with thin straps that just about covered my ass, pair of lace up stilettos and my signature gold hoops. "You...look like a bougie hooker but in a good way. Like a hooker that only messes with NBA players or A-Rod when he was still a fuck boy"

"Good to know" I reply sarcastically. Another 20 minutes until he arrives. "Do you think you'll fuck him" I knew Adrienne gonna ask that. "Haven't given it much thought but I'm not stupid. If he's willing to give up the dick, then I'm gonna be there to receive it" Ok Taty's words have definitely sunk in. My phone flashes with a text from him. In the lobby. "A, He's in the lobby".

"10 minutes early. Impressive. Well have fun and be safe. Hold up" She goes into her suitcase and throws a condom in my direction. "Because I know you wouldn't think to take one with you". That's the good thing about Adrienne, she's the mom friend you need in life. Well...in terms of her being like a mom, she's kind of like Regina George's mom. But her heart is in the right place.

There he was. Stood in the lobby as if he had just stepped out of a GQ Magazine spread. James had that timeless attractiveness that stretched beyond what was happened to be in style. Sort of that Marlon Brando thing.

"Well...you look good" he greets me.

"Why? Did you doubt that I wouldn't look good?" I joke. When did that comment come from. I don't say things like that

"Quite the opposite. Just to clarify, you are of drinking age right?"

“Yes and you’re how old? About 45?” He definitely didn’t look 45. More like late 20’s, early 30’s. 33 at a push.

“I’m 32” Damn, I was just a year off!

“Based on the car, I see you’ve done well for yourself for being so young”

There was a matte black Tesla Model S parked outside which James got into the drivers seat.

“Something like that”

We arrive at the bar. James leads us to a booth in one corner of the room. I notice there’s no one else in this corner of the room.

“It’s just us two” I point out.

“Yes. Thought it would be nice if we had some privacy. If you don’t mind...”

“No, I don’t mind” We go and sit down in the booth. Soon after a waiter comes to take our drink orders in which James goes out of his way to order a bottle of Merlot.

“You come here quite often?” I ask him.

“From time to time. A lot of my clients like to come here and have events”

“These clients you mention, so are you like a lawyer or something?”

“No” he says. “I do marketing for a talent agency”

“Wow, impressive. Who does your agency rep?” I ask him.

“Lebron James, Travis Scott, Margot Robbie, Ben Affleck, Doja Cat, Kaepernick” Well I definitely wasn’t expecting those names at all.

“Your agency represents all those people? That’s...a lot of people” A lot of people? That’s fucking huge! No wonder he drives a Tesla. Probably not his only car based on the clientele.

“So what’s your major or have not decided it yet?” James snaps me out of my thoughts/state of shock.

“It’s Art with a minor in Latin American Studies”

“So you’re an artist?” He asks. The waiter comes back with the bottle of merlot. James pays for the bill and slides the waiter a $20 tip.

“I guess you say that but it’s not what I want to do after college. I’m more interested in art dealing” I take a sip from my glass and let the flavours dance on my tongue. It’s deep and fruity.

“Good wine?” He asks.

“Yes. Nice choice. I’m typically not a wine person. More into whiskey” I let him know.

“Well I’ll remember that for the next date” He lets me know.

“The next date? What makes you so sure they’ll be one?” I raise my eyebrows at his confidence

“I just have a feeling. Plus I can be quite persuasive”

I know I technically shouldn’t be attracted by him making a statement like that but yet it’s rather sexy.

“Well I would like to see it” Taty’s words have sunk in. I’m on a date with this guy, might as well have some fun with him and besides I may never see him again.

”What were you doing at the party the other day. Doesn’t seem like your kind of scene”

“It’s not. Well...not all the time. My friends dragged me to the party. I was quite happy spending the day with Audre Lorde but can’t say that I regret going to the party” He smirks at the last bit of my sentence.

“I wanna know more about you” James tells me, still wearing that smirk that’s shamelessly sexy.

“So do I. Who goes first?” I tell him. I think that liquid courage is setting into my bloodstream.

“Well since I asked you out, I think you should go first. Only fair” he takes a final sip from his glass before pouring a new one.

“Well, I’m originally from San Francisco. I’m a Virgo, My mom is Latina and my dad is Black. Got one brother. I go to Berkeley. Your turn” I finish off my glass and he goes to pour a new one for me.

“Alright. I was born in Seattle but I moved to Boston when I was 13. I have one brother as well. Went to Columbia for college, was living in New York until a year and a half ago” He gives me his brief bio but I have this feeling there’s more to him than he’s telling but it’s the first date and I didn’t give him much info so I guess it’s tit for tat.

“Why did you leave New York?” I ask him

“Needed a change of scenery” he gives a very brief answer.

“Well alright then” I can’t figure it out but there’s something about him I can’t put my finger on.

“Why are you staring me like that?” Once again snapping me out of my thoughts.

“I’m trying to figure you out. I feel like there’s more to you”

“Well, we could get out of here and find out more about each other. Maybe I could find out if you’re a scotch or bourbon girl since you mentioned you like whiskey” He does not bullshit at all.

“And where would we go then to drink this bourbon or scotch since we’re already in a bar?”

“I think I know a place. It happens to have some great art pieces as well that a potential future art dealer might like” That smirk was back on his again.

“Well, now I’m interested. Let’s go then” I finish the glass of wine and we leave the bar.

Tag list: @emjayewrites

#henry cavill fanfic #henry cavill #henry cavill x poc henry cavill x woc #henry cavill x black reader #fanfic #fanfiction #woc reader #henry cavill fanfiction #henry cavill x black ofc

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shemakesmusic-uk · 4 years ago

Photo

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After releasing their album Play With Fire last year via Suicide Squeeze Records, Californian punk trio L.A. Witch are sharing a new video for their standout track 'Motorcycle Boy'. Speaking about the video, L.A. Witch singer and guitarist Sade Sanchez said "The song is inspired by Moto Boys like Mickey Rourke, Marlon Brando, and Steve McQueen, so of course we took a lot of inspiration from our favorite biker movies like The Wild One, Rumble Fish, On any Sunday, Easy Rider, Hells Angeles '69 and The Girl on a Motorcycle. I had worked with (director) Ambar Navarro and Max on another project and loved their other work, so we wanted to work with them on this. They definitely did their homework and came up with a cool story line. I got to feature my bike that I'd been rebuilding during the pandemic. It was nice to shoot a video where you get to do two of your favorite things, riding motorcycles and play guitar."

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Margo Price has shared a new music video for 'Hey Child', said to be the heart and “centerpiece” of her acclaimed 2020 album That’s How Rumors Get Started. It’s directed by Kimberly Stuckwisch. In the moving visual, the country star confronts the demons of her past. There are scenes referencing the time she spent in jail for substance abuse, as well as others depicting her struggles with addiction and depression. Price’s vulnerability is on full display here, and she ultimately uses it to heal and find strength again. Watch it down below. According to Price, 'Hey Child' was originally written back in 2012 “not long after my husband Jeremy and I lost our son Ezra.” She continued, noting how fellow country star and album producer Sturgill Simpson helped encourage her to release it: “'Hey Child' was a song that was written back in 2012 not long after my husband Jeremy and I lost our son Ezra. We were playing shows with our rock and roll band Buffalo Clover and occupying most of the bars in East Nashville. We had begun hanging with a rowdy group of degenerate musician friends and partying harder than The Rolling Stones…The song was about how many of our talented friends were drinking and partying their talents away but after a few years had passed, we realized it was just as much about us as our friends. I had retired it when the band broke up but Sturgill Simpson resurrected it when he asked me if I would re-record it for That’s How Rumors Get Started.” [via Consequence of Sound]

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NYC collective MICHELLE has today unveiled their first new single of 2021. Titled 'FYO,' the track powerfully recounts the four lead singers’ experiences growing up with mixed race identities. The track arrives alongside a music video directed by the band’s own Layla Ku and Emma Lee. Speaking on the message behind the song, Jamee Lockard from the band shares: “'FYO' is about belonging to different worlds but feeling rejected by both. Growing up as a mixed-race minority in the US, my self concept was warped by other people telling me what I am and am not, pushing and pulling me between identities. Although my feelings of cultural dissonance still ebb and flow, now I have the vocabulary, support system, and perspective to unpack that inner conflict on my own terms. We should never give others the authority to define who we are."

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With her new album Homecoming set for release on April 2 via Daemon T.V., Du Blonde is sharing the video for ‘Medicated’. Featuring Garbage’s Shirley Manson, Du Blonde says of the song, “‘Medicated’ is a letter to my 27 year old self who didn’t want to live anymore, from my now medicated, functioning and content self. It might sound depressing or concerning, but really it’s quite joyful. Like ��look at how things can be if you hang around’. Shirley and I had talked about her adding vocals to a track and when I wrote Medicated it seemed like the perfect fit. She’s been a voice of reason for me many times when i’ve been struggling and it felt really appropriate to have her. I shot the video in my childhood bedroom using a green screen Girl Ray gave me at the start of lockdown,” she continues. “The spiders are a reference to a hallucination I had in my early teens where I pulled back my bed covers to see thousands of spiders writhing around in my bed, which now I see as a result of extreme anxiety. A lot of the scenarios in the video are a celebration of the things about me that I feel people might feel shame about. There’s so much stigma around taking medication in order to ease mental health conditions, so I wanted to express my feelings on the subject which is basically ‘I take medication and i’m stoked about it because thanks to that i’m still alive’.” [via DIY]

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Back with her powerful Y2K sound, Spain's Rakky Ripper channels PC Music and Rina Sawayama on brightly catchy new single 'Whatever'. The new EP Xtra Cost is released February 19. If you are over the age of 25, odds are that you can recall a very specific kind of pop that graced our launch into the new millennium. Since coined as "Y2K", chart music of that short era was flush with R&B beats, synthetic arrangements and sickly sweet hooks. Britney was the industry’s honey-highlighted princess whilst Christina made it dirrty. It’s something that Rina Sawayama has made 2020-relevant again with the release of her debut album Sawayama, whilst PC Music and Charli XCX took it to another extreme with the redefinition of what it means to be pop. Meanwhile, over in Spain, the alt-pop scene is flourishing courtesy of artists such as Rakky Ripper and her own unique blend of Y2K-meets-hyper-pop. Already gaining Charli XCX approval when the Mercury Award nominee asked Rakky to join her onstage at her Madrid show, the Granada talent shows crossover potential with her new single 'Whatever'. Punchy beats and playful synths capture the sticky heat of pop done well whilst its fuzzy guitar gives it an alternative edge, however it’s its hook-riddled chorus and Rakky’s Spanglish lyrical mix that make 'Whatever' a standout moment. “‘Whatever’ is the pop girl in my new EP Xtra Cost,” shares Rakky of her new release. “It’s my 2021 version of Britney, *NSYNC and the Spice Girls. The new video tells the story about two people who are in love but one of them pretends not to care, so the other person is always chasing.” [via Line Of Best Fit]

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Things are afoot in the FKA twigs camp. In October, the R&B star revealed that her third album had been completed during quarantine. Now, she’s back with a new song called 'Don’t Judge Me'. It's her first since dropping the masterful album MAGDALENE in 2019. In addition to a stunning performance from FKA twigs, the track features UK rapper Headie One and producer Fred again…, who’s worked with the likes of Ed Sheeran and Brian Eno. 'Don’t Judge Me' appears to be something of a companion release or sequel to 'Don’t Judge Me (Interlude)', an early 2020 collaboration that also featured all three artists. Unlike the intentional vagueness of that song, the themes on this version are a lot more direct. During her verse and the hook, twigs begs her lover to hold her and appreciate the “precious love” she sends their way with a devastating urgency. Headie One takes a different approach in his verse and goes off about racial injustice and police brutality. “Know more about my people from the streets than from my teachers/ I done a million speeches/ No justice, no peace, ’cause we in pieces/ Officer, am I allowed to breathe here?,” he raps with a conversational directness. It’s a really powerful pairing from two different yet complementary artists with voices that demand the listener’s full attention. Check it out above via a dazzling video co-directed by FKA twigs and Emmanuel Adjei, who was heavily involved in Beyonce’s Black Is King visual album. Like all of FKA twigs’ clips, this one is truly something to behold. [via Consequence of Sound]

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Girl Friday have delivered a surrealistic visual for 'Earthquake,' the powerhouse lead single from Androgynous Mary, their acclaimed album of 2020 out now on Hardly Art. 'Earthquake' is one of the band's most gloriously raging moments and sees the group power through three and a half minutes of unadulterated catharsis. Girl Friday’s Vera Ellen, who directed the new video, offers this, “The greatest love story is between a song and a video. I wanted to deconstruct the creative process. How do ideas find each other? What happens when the artist lets outside forces get in the way of an idea? How is an idea affected by us, the audience and our expectations? What does an idea have to do to become it’s complete, purest, self. Beyond anything, it’s a story of fighting for true liberation. This will look different for everyone but I hope people can project their own struggle onto the story, and relish in the freedom experienced by the characters (if only for a moment)."

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J-Pop girl-group, FAKY has released their first single of 2021, 'The Light' with an accompanying music video. This song was selected as a campaign song for the horror film Jukaimura (Suicide Forest Village), the most recent work by the master horror director, Takashi Shimizu, who also directed The Ju-on (The Grudge) and Inunakimura (Howling Village). This up-tempo and cheerful track was created to add another layer of eerieness and uncertainty to the hair-raising storyline and themes of the movie. 2020 was a successful year for the girl group. FAKY hopes to further their success in 2021 starting with the release of 'The Light'. “Our new single ‘The Light’ is an uplifting song with its pop melody, powerful live band sound, and motivating message to move forward towards the light” - FAKY. The music was composed by up-and-coming music producer, Maeshima Soshi (Hypnosis Mic, Hey! Say! JUMP, Rinne and Sorane). 'The Light' expresses that moment when your heart quivers, just when you are about to change, with the theme being about overcoming conflict and having “power to strike out into the world.”

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Kinlaw's dark-pop quest has seen her shatter boundaries. Snapped up by Bayonet Records, her piercing, roving eye deconstructs her personal feelings, illuminating electronic structures in their stead. New album The Tipping Scale is out this month, and it expertly reflects the vagaries of winter, the spartan landscapes and the self-examination. Taken from the record, new single 'Haircut' deals with shifts in her life, with the urge to propel herself into something fresh. "I cut my hair to confuse myself," she comments. "It started as a mission to change who I was, to make a new and better version, but ended with my feeling like I no longer knew what I was mourning." A song about leaving trauma behind and embracing the possibilities of the present, 'Haircut' carries some inspired connotations for these troubled times. Kinlaw says the single offers "a question of personal power, and even speaking on this song today has been challenging because it was written when I was unsure if I had any power left. I think 'Haircut' can be a lot of things to many different people, particularly those who identify with the juxtaposition of in-depth, internal dialogue paired with everyday coping strategies. There is a sweetness to it, but also such substantial, unwavering difficulty. Today, I prefer to think of 'Haircut' as an anthem of resilience and an ode to the ways we keep going, we shapeshift, and we reinstall that there is a way to find what it is we are hoping to find." The visual leans on the intimate, opening up a window into Kinlaw's life, and her true feelings. [via Clash]

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The Rhode Island born, Los Angeles based singer, songwriter, musician and actress Emeline is known for her work with Thievery Corporation's Rob Garza as well as her solo music full of biting lyrics and catchy hooks. Her new music video for '6 Foot Deep' was filmed at the infamous Westerfeld Mansion a.k.a “House of Legends.” Icons like Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin have lived there, as well as the founder of the Church of Satan. Covered in satanic etchings and scratches from his pet lions, the energy within the house added to the feel of the music video. Also previously used for the Russian Embassy, the house has featured on "Ghost Hunters" for it's haunted happenings.

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The Charli XCX-crafted Nasty Cherry have returned with their first single of the year, 'Lucky'. The new track follows last year's Season 2 EP, and arrives as first taster of a new EP landing this spring. The band say of their new single, "'Lucky' is a song we wrote for each other during the pandemic where the six weeks we got to spend together felt incredibly precious and introspective. It's a reflective, sweet and spiky little song." [via Line Of Best Fit]

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Griff has premiered the video for her incredible new single ‘Black Hole’. Launched as Annie Mac’s Hottest Record in the World last week, the striking new visual sees Griff examine a past relationship through a surreal, Alice in Wonderland’-esque journey from the sewing room into self-discovery (directed by duo SOB). [via With Guitars]

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Poppy Ajudha has shared her new single 'Weakness' in full. The London based artist blends together jazz, soul, R&B, and a whole lot more besides, resulting in a sound that is truly her own. 'Weakness' is a song about love, and it finds Poppy capturing that nuanced dichotomy between the rush of pleasure and an innate fear of being out of control. In a note, Poppy explains that her new single is "about feeling out of control and at the mercy of someone else because of how crazy they make you feel, but also feeling bittersweet about it, because you’re a bad b*tch and you don’t have time for that ish." The songwriter steered the video, too, a self-admitted "control freak" who oversaw the neat mixture of animation and a superbly styled set. "Self-directing was really fun," she comments. "I’m a control freak so it was great to get stuck into all the facets of making a music video. Choosing the team, the makeup looks, directing the styling ideas, writing the narrative, working out how to build the set. It definitely felt like a challenge to direct, star-in and perform choreographed moves for the first time but I love to push myself and am really glad I did." [via Clash]

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GG McG’s latest single, ‘Good Morning’, is her first release this year and second overall, following ‘Boom’ in 2019. The song was written on GarageBand during lockdown and was produced by Japanese Wallpaper’s Gab Strum, mixed by Konstantin Kersting and mastered by Andrei Eremin. “‘Good Morning’ is about the total, complete chaos of the past year and the feeling of waking up every morning, reading the news and being blown away by just how much worse things were than the day before,” McGauran said in a statement. [via the Music Network]

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Singer HyunA dropped her seventh mini album I’m Not Cool on Thursday, singing of the ups and downs of being the “cool girl” on stage. The album’s title song 'I’m Not Cool' sings about the nice things she tells herself. “It’s really about my originality. I try to compliment myself before going onto the stage. I tell myself it’s not bad to be myself. I’ve long dreamed of this moment right now, and I feel like I’m a bird flying freely in the sky or a flower blooming in the field. I know I cannot be loved by everyone, but I become perfect with just one person’s love. The song is about these kind of every day thoughts.” Donned in exotic outfits and flashy makeup, HyunA said she “became a snake” in the song that sings “No one’s as intense as I am, like salmosa. I tried to show as much of myself as I could in the music video. I wanted to show how intense the ‘not cool’ HyunA could become when fully set,” she added. The creativity behind the title track comes from the unique minds of herself, singer and the founder of her agency P Nation Psy, and her best colleague and boyfriend Dawn. “We worked on the song while just chatting about it endlessly with each other,” HyunA said. “When Psy threw in a big catchy chunk, Dawn would creatively unfold this, adding fun elements to make it fit my style and state of mind. I personally like writing those rebellious lines. Mingling these three minds together, every day, was just so much fun.” [via The Korea Herald]

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THYLA are sharing their first new music of 2021, with new single 'Breathe', a track that the band confirm will appear on their long-awaited debut album, set for release later this year. Putting 2020 firmly in the rear-view mirror, the Thyla ethos of putting one foot in front of the other serves them well as they look toward what a long-awaited debut album might sound like. As self-confessed underdogs they've developed an attitude that aims at turning the possible into the inevitable, and with the hypnotic 'Breathe' they reach for reflective, melancholy sounds to accompany what is a time of intense loneliness for many. It is a theme that has been creeping into Thyla's music for some time, and 'Breathe' sees them further explore the idea that, in a world more connected than ever, we are paradoxically more shut off as individuals. 'Breathe' shows yet again that even at their subtlest, Thyla are capable of carving out an impassioned pop world full of the intricacies of our much-missed IRL interactions. Lead singer Millie Duthie offers these thoughts on the track: "'Breathe' was written in the early hours of the morning. Eventually we chanced upon this really vibey atmospheric lick that you hear in the intro, and the whole song grew from there. The song blossomed into a slightly melancholic dream-pop bop, it’s bittersweet and has a slightly inconclusive feeling to it; imagine a film where the main character never actually gets the happy ending you’ve been so long yearning for. The result of how the instrumental sounded no doubt manifested lyrics that held the same sentiment. The song is about loneliness, estrangement from family and close friends, yet despite this, feeling a sense of inner strength about the situation. It’s like recovering from a breakup and realising you’ve come out stronger, but a reflection of the scar tissue that resulted from the trauma."

#videos of the week #l.a. witch #margo price #michelle #du blonde #rakky ripper #fka twigs #girl friday #faky #kinlaw #emeline #nasty cherry #griff #poppy ajudha #gg mcg #hyuna #thyla

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kellykadesperate · 5 years ago

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Hi Nicole! I love all of your fics and soooo appreciate you still writing Robron in these dark times LOL I saw your post about additional Seb fics. Maybe a time when Seb witnesses his dads fight after he finds out about their time apart (their many breakups, their first separation, noncanon jail time, whatever) and he worries they’ll split up again? Just an anxious, big-hearted Seb 💕💕

hey trish! hope you enjoy this!

ao3 link

He’d like everyone to know that he isn’t gullible and sometimes it results in him basically looking for answers when he doesn’t have to. He’s been told it once or twice before.

It’s been annoying once or twice before.

Seb watches his dads on either side of the bar with a frown on his face over the distance between them. He stares until Jacob’s trying to get Moses to let him drive his car and he’s stepping in.

“Do you want to give nan a heart attack on her birthday?”

Jacob rolls his eyes and Seb just stares at his brother and tries to imagine that he’ll stop being an absolute lunatic one day. He’s all curly hair and bright blue eyes and bruises from trying to be older than he is and he definitely acts like a four year old half the time.

“Suppose not. Dad’d kill me.” Jacob smiles, specifies. “Yeah. Both of them.”

Seb forces himself to look over again, sees Aaron closing in around Robert and hands travelling before they’re moving into the backroom and he’s back to not feeling a digging in his chest.

It’s what he’d call it, this twist that makes him think of how fragile things can be and it’s stupid of him until he’s being reminded.

Moira and Cain off again for the nine hundredth time is enough. Isaac’s all tough skinned about it, rolls his eyes and pretends like he’s not seventeen and has no idea what normal is.

He’s here now and Seb manages to swig a vodka and lemonade from the counter to pass over towards him.

“You look like this is the last place you want to be.” Seb says, eyebrow raised. Isaac looks at the drink and Seb smirks. “It’s lemonade.” He says, winks and then gets a seat next to him.

Isaac actually looks like he wants to be sick after a few gulps of it and Seb would laugh if he didn’t look so sad as well. He’s always looked like this, like he’s close to just doing one and leaving in the dead of night because he can definitely look after himself.

One time, when they were about ten, Isaac had asked him to come along with him to London. He’d said no, said that he needed to be a big brother for now and anyway, Isaac only ended up getting as far as the farthest barn on his mum’s farm.

“Cain still loves Moira.” Seb’s not sure how many times he’s heard it in his life but it’s truth hasn’t ever seemed to waver. He shrugs when Isaac finally looks his way and pulls this face.

“Yeah. Don’t change how much they can’t seem to stay together for more than five minutes.”

Seb sits stumped, thinks of whose fault it is now. He supposes it’s Cain’s. He looks up and sees that his uncle’s knocking back shots and Charity doesn’t seem to be taking pity on him. It’s definitely him.

“I should go and see Matty. See if he wouldn’t mind me staying with him for a bit.”

Seb bites at his lip for a second. “Your mum needs you. Anyway. Them breaking up doesn’t change the fact that —“

“They love me. Yeah.” Isaac rolls his eyes and Seb knows he’s been told it enough times. It must be drilled into his head. He goes to speak when he sees Isaac staring over at Annie and Liv. “Your dads are like the opposite.”

“Of what?”

“Flaky.” Isaac keeps staring at Annie as Ella tries to jump up and hear what they’re talking about. “None of you have been without them. Must be nice.”

Seb stares for a second, feels a pang of guilt and then picks up a beer mat, whacks it lightly over Isaac’s head. “Stop being dramatic.”

“Who’s being dramatic?” Nan comes over like she’s terrified something is wrong. “What’s up with you two?”

Seb decides to down the rest of the drink before she guesses and then he’s shrugging, saying nothing is wrong, asking her if she’s enjoying herself. She is, she doesn’t stop banging on about how lucky she is and then Charity’s reminiscing with her.

Isaac and him go to move, he’d rather be anywhere else than right here listening to what he’s right to guess is going to be something about sagging boobs and wasted nights out.

“— that was when we were together properly. You know, girlfriends.” Seb makes the mistake of rolling his eyes and then he’s being properly spoken to. “I should be thanking you actually, well not you but that dad of yours.”

His nan’s pulls this face. “Ay?”

“Vanessa and them lot were trying to find Robert a new man, remember? You weren’t there but …”

Seb pulls this face because the entire sentence is disgusting. “When was …”

Charity waves a hand out. “They were on a break.”

His nan is clearly passed it. “Which one are we talking about?” She says, bold as bloody brass and Seb just sighs.

His nan’s head dips and he feels instantly embarrassed for even asking about it, feels more embarrassed that charity even bought it up in the first place. He tightens around the hand on his thigh and then Charity is smiling.

“It was ages ago. They’re insufferable now, in a different way.”

“A mushy way.” Seb says, relaxes under it a little and then he’s pulling himself away from the whole thing and going to see where they’ve got to.

He gets to the back door, almost wincing at the thought of seeing his dads getting busy on his nan’s sofa. He goes to move in and then he hears them talking.

It sounds angry, short. He sees Aaron sitting up, looking like he wants to smack Robert around the head. He just stares, almost trips when Marlon’s telling him to help him with the cake.

There’s something already bubbling deep inside of him.

—

Isaac says they’re lucky and he believes him. He just doesn’t understand what’s going on and he’s one million percent sure that if he asks, he’ll get nothing but lies back.

So he keeps it to himself, wakes up the next day to Aaron fluffing cushions on the sofa and complaining of back ache.

He frowns, stills and there’s this niggling in his stomach again. “You slept down here?”

His dad acts like it means nothing, just laughs and then rolls his eyes. “Yeah, why’d you think?”

Seb wants to ask if it’s his dad, supposes that Aaron’s the one who’s done something wrong. He tries to get something out at least. “I don’t know. Dog house?”

His dad looks at him like he doesn’t realise he’s seventeen years old. It’s always been funny, now it makes him want to scream.

“Your dad kicking me off the bed.”

“You had a fight?”

Aaron goes to answer but Ella comes down the stairs, she’s complaining of a headache and his attention is with her instantly. Seb watches him scoop her up into his arms, worry like mad and the questioning is forgotten.

For now.

—

He hears them a few days later bickering by the swings and pointing at Ella and it’s something that makes him stop dead. It’s unlike them to be like this in front of her, in front of any of them and he starts racking his brains about what’s caused it.

He watches until Jacob’s chucking a ball at his head and calling him weird. He’s just come back from school, looks like he’s in no mood to discuss their parents marital issues but Seb presses on.

“You’re just watching them.” Jacob says after he realises where Seb’s attention is.

“They’re fighting.” Seb sits on the bench outside the pub, bounces the ball he’s taken from Jacob and then runs a hand over his knee. “Like proper fighting.”

Jacob pulls this face and he instantly regrets even mentioning it. “Like … Cain and Moira fighting? Like they’re breaking up?”

Seb hears Robert before his other dad. He says something about knowing best, about doing what’s right, about not being a coward and it feels like he’s underwater until Jacob’s standing in front of him.

“Jake, move.”

“No.” Jacob’s suddenly not just a stupid kid. “Just leave it. Leave it alone.”

“Let them split up?” Seb jumps off the bench. “Are you mad?”

Jacob just shrugs. “They’re bickering.”

“That’s how it starts. Ask Isaac.”

And Jacob’s back to being a kid who doesn’t know a thing.

—

“Where’s dad?”

It’s a normal question, it’s Annie being her naive little self and asking the obvious thing that Seb’s too scared to ask.

They’re eating dinner, and Aaron isn’t sitting next to Robert. It looks wrong, feels strange and Seb just observes it all wondering why it’s all happening. He reckons that if he actually understands what they’re arguing about, it’ll be easy to stop.

“He’s on a call out.” Robert smiles so easily, he lies so easily too and that’s what makes Seb spin, his mouth open wide when Ella and Annie are in bed.

“Where’s he really?” Seb asks, he dares to, but as soon as Robert looks at him he wants to take it all back so quickly.

“You think I’m lying?” Robert comes forward, he dips his head and puts a hand on Seb’s shoulder. “Seb. Everything’s fine.”

“Say that again.”

Robert throws a tea towel over his shoulder, gets to drying up and the hand stretches off of Seb’s wet shoulder.

“Everything’s fine.”

He thinks about his dad lying, watches the shiny metal of his ring clink against a glass he’s washing and then nods out something.

—

“They just need to do it.” Isaac says, kicks a football against the wall and then watches it roll back to him.

Seb doesn’t get it, a frown hung on his face. “Do what?”

Isaac tilts his head, looks dead serious before smiling. “Should I draw a diagram for you?”

Seb wants to be sick, actually turns pale and then throws the ball at Isaac to stop him from saying anything else.

—

They had an affair, he knows that. It’s oddly common knowledge around the village and the fact that his dad was married to his aunt is enough to make him feel weird. It’s stopped there though, it’s always stopped there before now.

Before it makes them flimsy and flaky and his mind works over time thinking about it.

He goes to someone who won’t fob him off, he goes to Liv and she just laughs at him which is the exact opposite of helpful.

“This ain’t funny.” Seb says. “I’m asking how flimsy they are.” He might seem mad, look madder but he’s also a kid who doesn’t want his parents splitting up like almost everyone else he knows.

“Flimsy?” Seb nods and Liv just gives him this look. “Seb, they’ve got four kids, a house, married for …”

“Married twice.” Seb bites at his lip and then feels himself approaching dramatic and sad territory. “Because of the obvious.”

He’s made her look sad too and he doesn’t know why. He tries to take it back but she only bangs on about it even more.

“You think your dad’s cheating?”

It hasn’t crossed his mind but now it does, it makes him feel like his whole world is shattering around him.

“They’re just … arguing loads.”

“Of course they are. They’re married.” Liv crosses over her legs and pulls out a strand of her hair like she’s so at ease with discussing it all. “They used to be like a tap.” Seb doesn’t follow, thinks she’s being weird. “You know off one minute, on the next.”

Seb sighs. “Is this supposed to —“

“And then you came along.”

“Blew up the whole thing.” Seb says, and he’s starting to regret coming to Liv’s artsy flat to get this as ‘advice’ on the situation. He almost walks away feeling like that until she leans over and punches at his arm.

“Then put them together again. So stop worrying.” She says and he tries to listen.

—

He doesn’t stop. He thinks of taps for another week until he sees letters addressed to both of them on the coffee table. He peaks a look, feels the weight of them until his dad is coming up of nowhere and taking them from him.

“Excuse me mister.” Seb nearly jumps out of his skin, watches Robert whack him on the head with the letter lightly and then tell him to set the table for dinner.

“Where’s dad?”

Robert shrugs. “Working late I think.” Then he gets a text. “Actually. Pub.” He rolls his eyes and his phone falls against the table. Seb can practically feel his frustration.

“Everything …”

Robert looks up. “We were just going to talk about … but it’s fine.” He sighs hard like it absolutely isn’t.

“About what?” Seb wonders if he’s crossing a line and then tries to be at ease with the fact that he’s not Annie or Ella, he’s old enough to actually give advice now.

His dad doesn’t give him what he wants, says everything is fine and it clearly isn’t. He mentions how his mate’s parents have just finalised their divorce specifically to see the look on his dad’s face but Annie going on about her ballet lessons manages to overtake every other discussion point. He wants to throttle her but he doesn’t, instead he gives her daggers and when she’s finally done banging on it’s Ella refusing to eat broccoli that steals his dad’s attention.

He calls it quits. His dad comes home late and Seb hears them arguing as he leans against the stairs.

“We were meant to talk.”

“Yeah well I was speaking to my mum about it.”

Seb wants to whack his head against the wall, wants to find out exactly what they’re losing their head over. He listens in again a second later, realises he’s missed something when Robert is slamming a draw and telling Aaron that he should really put his shoes on the rack and not leave them about the place.

He only leans away when he hears his dad start thumping up the stairs. He jumps into Ella’s little room to hide and ends up trying to get her to sleep.

She demands five stories and by the last one she’s asleep, only it’s basically scooped up in his arms. He stares down at her, runs a gentle finger over her soft curls and smiles. He thinks of her and what’ll happen if his dads actually do split up. He thinks of Annie being sensitive and Jacob being wild and then back to Ella being so small. Her not having what he did at her age is enough to make him want to get to the bottom of it all.

“Nothing bad’s happening.” He kisses her head and watches her little nose wriggle as he moves her down on her bed and smooths a blanket over her.

Naturally as soon as he’s back in his own room he’s recruiting Jacob by asking him to do the most important thing possible.

“You think you can break your arm or something?” He’s laying in bed with the lights off and Jacob turns to stare at him. He wonders if he’ll think he’s crazy but he just sort of shrugs.

“Yeah. Of course. Easily.” Jacob holds it out and goes to slam it against the wall.

“Woah.” Seb sits up. “Not now. I mean … it doesn’t even have to be your arm, just land yourself in hospital.”

Jacob frowns, turns on his elbows to stare his brother. “Why?”

Seb sighs. “So our dads realise that their fighting is pointless and they should focus on keeping us all together.” It’s a simple enough plan only Jacob pulls a face. “What?”

“Why me?”

It’s a pretty obvious choice. “Well they’d lose their shit if Annie got a paper cut and Ella’s too young to be messing with.”

Jacob frowns. “Looks like you’ve got all of this worked out.” Seb smiles. “But no.”

“Come on. For us.”

Jacob shakes his head. “They’re not going to break up. You know why? Because not every couple is Moira and Cain.”

Seb scoffs. “Daniel’s parents are officially divorced.” He says. “And come on, how many people round here stay together for longer than —“

“Our parents.” Jacob says. Seb doesn’t know where all his confidence in their relationship has come from but he wants to steal it. “So chill.”

Seb pulls a face, tries to go to sleep, tries to chill and then spectacularly cracks a few days later when he sees suitcases by the door as he comes home.

He watches his dad come down the stairs as soon as he walks through the door and he doesn’t know what else to say.

“You’re leaving?”

Aaron just looks at him, nods a little. “Yeah. Just for a few days. Your grandad and nan are going to …”

Seb’s sure he’s crying, he feels his cheeks redden and he bites hard on his gum for what feels like ages until there’s hands on his shoulders.

“Hey, *hey, what’s —“

“I knew it.” He’s seventeen, he’s old enough to understand that people don’t stay together. He thinks about Daniel’s parents splitting up just before Christmas, how Louise only sees her mum on the weekends now. He’s not a kid but he wants to feel like one again.

“Knew what?” Robert’s there suddenly, he’s there with wide eyes and this worried look on his face.

Seb looks at them both, then back towards Aaron and this panic is everywhere. “I can’t lose you.” He thinks of it, so suddenly and it makes everything feel so much worse than he actually imagined. It’s like it hits the surface, waves crash over waves so suddenly.

“You’re not losing anyone.” There’s a hand clasping the back of his neck and Aaron’s telling him but it’s not coming out right. It feels like a lie.

Seb closes his eyes. “That’s what you have to say. But this isn’t like … you won’t see me the way you see Jacob and Annie and Ella.”

Robert closes his eyes, breathes out steadily. “Seb, you’re not making any sense.”

“Neither is this.” Seb rubs at his eyes, pulls back when Aaron tries to hold his face again. “You’re meant to last. You can’t split up.”

“Split up?” His dad is saying, he’s looking at his other dad and they’re both looking at him like he’s absolutely mental. It doesn’t make sense, leaves Seb feeling like he’s definitely missing the point.

“You’re not …” Seb breathes in. “You said you were going away.” He looks at Aaron and then his dad is coming closer towards him.

“We didn’t want to worry you.”

“About what?” Seb’s asking and then Ella’s coming down the stairs with a suitcase and things are starting to make sense. “Is she …”

“They do those checks on her every year don’t they? For her hearing.” Seb thinks of when he first visited Ella in hospital and she was this tiny thing that needed help to breathe. He remembers the box, the small holes he had to squeeze her hand through. He thinks back to the tears, the sadness running through the house until she was officially bought through the doors because she was early, because they thought she’d have little hearing if any. His dad looks at Robert and then smiles nervously. “We’re just going down to London because they referred —“

“Is she …” Seb’s heart is beating out of his chest for a completely different reason. “Dad, is she OK?”

Aaron’s got tears in his eyes, he comes closer and nods. “She’s fine, they just like to check that she’s still fully able to hear us fine. We’re just …” He turns to Robert and there’s this silent communication thing that Seb’s always found mushy. “We were scared.”

“So that’s why …”

“We’re not splitting up.” Robert says it like it’s this fact, like it won’t ever be broken. “You think I’d let that happen?” He runs a hand over Seb’s hair and smiles. “We’re just a little stressed. That’s all.”

Seb gulps hard. “I’m sorry for making it all about me. You’ve got enough …”

“Seb. Seb. I’m going to London.” Ella practically runs into his arms and he catches her, has her little legs wrapped around his middle as she stares up.

He kisses her head, helps his dads put the suitcases in their car and listens to them when they say they’ll talk about everything when they get back.

He has this bunch in his shoulders, this tightness that he wants to go away as he watches them leave.

—

They come back three days later and it’s good news. Ella’s doing well, it’s fine, they’re all fine and yet there’s still this knot in his stomach.

He ends up on the bridge looking down at the lake, has his eyes fixed on the way the water hits pebbles and rushes right over again. He thinks of Jacob, a big grin on his face when he found out that everything was going to be OK between their dads. He thinks of Isaac actually getting a bit of normality back now Cain’s not sleeping on the sofa anymore.

He thinks of how lucky he is until his head feels fuzzy and he has to think about something else. He focuses in on whatever stuff came blurting out of his mouth when he thought his dad was leaving.

The feeling stays until he hears the sound of feet approaching him and he spins to look at who it is. His dad is there, puffer jacket and deep voice and hanging over the bridge just to stare at him.

“I thought I’d find you here.” Aaron says. “Your dad thought you’d be at the cricket pavilion.” He leans forward slightly and Seb marvels at the way his dad makes him feel at ease almost instantly. “Spill.”

“Spill what?”

Aaron sighs and Seb brings his head down again, watches the water run until he can think of something to say.

“I thought you were breaking up.” It seems stupid now, he’s watched how they’ve been since they’ve come back and that stress is clearly forgotten about altogether.

Aaron frowns. “Because we were arguing?”

Seb blushes. “You could break up tomorrow.”

“Seb.” Aaron says his name like he wants to build up to something but Seb decides not to let him.

“I’m not Annie or Ella, I know life isn’t a fairytale. Things happen.”

Aaron looks like a penny’s dropped. “Is that why you were on about your mate’s parents breaking —“ He sighs again. “Your dad told me about it but that’s not us. I love your dad so …”

“You loved him before.” Seb doesn’t know how he’ll ever not be able to think of that time where they weren’t joined at the hip. It’s this fact that even his dads could be fragile. It stays with him, ticks right over in his mind until he looks at his dad again.

He’s greying, crinkles around his eyes and this hunch to his posture that he’s never really noticed.

“I’ll always love him Seb.” He says it so seriously, almost so romantically that Seb wants to forget all this prodding and worth altogether. Almost.

Seb tilts his head up. “That’s what parents say when they …”

“Yeah. You’re right.” His dad almost gives up trying and then looks all serious. “But I meant it.” He blinks out over the bridge and then clears his throat. “I heard what you said. About you. Me not seeing you.” Aaron’s got tears in his eyes. “You think that … because you’re not … that I wouldn’t see you?”

Seb remembers that, the panic he felt and the way everything suddenly felt like it was going to happen whether he liked it or not. He doesn’t know whether he should hold it all in or not and then he breathes out a breath. “My mum’s gone. You and dad are … you’re everything. You know that. But a divorce would mean you don’t legally have to —“

“Fuck legalities.” His dad might be coolest person over thirty he knows but he doesn’t tell him that. Instead he smiles and it breaks something. “Seb, me and your dad aren’t ever going to be without each other. But let’s say in this … weird world you’ve created we were … you’ll always be mine.”

Seb smiles. “I was just scared.”

“You don’t have to be.” His dad comes out of nowhere, leans against the bridge and had a hand against Seb’s back. “Not about me and this one.” He looks over at Aaron and Seb wants to be sick because there’s all this softness between them.

“You sure?” Seb wants to see Robert’s face, wants to know he’s being honest.

Robert nods. “I’m sure.”

Seb sighs, thinks for a second. “So the arguing … it was about what?”

Robert breathes out and then he’s making Seb understand. “Your dad was worried about what these tests would do for Ella, if she’d be scared, if she wouldn’t be able to be the same anymore.”

Aaron jumps in. “You know she’s been doing so well.” Seb nods. “I just didn’t want them to tell us our little girl has something that’ll hold her back.”

“It wouldn’t.” Seb says and Aaron smiles.

“That’s what I said.” Robert says, waves a hand out like they’re in court. “I wanted her to go ahead with all the tests but your dad was less keen about putting her through it all.”

Seb watches Aaron look away and he gets it completely. His dad’s worry over Ella has always been there and he doesn’t think it’ll ever just disappear.

“So we argued.” His dad says, looking at Aaron. “But we had those days in London and …”

Seb suddenly waves a hand around. “I don’t want to hear about you making up.”

His dad punches his arm lightly and things feel less like the world is ending. He wonders how many of his friends hate their parents and it feels weird, doesn’t understand it suddenly.

“We’ve always bickered mate, but it’s always stopped there. We know what it’s like to be without each other, and it’s wrong.” His dad leans over towards him again, then he’s making eyes at his other dad and Seb’s back to wanting to be sick about it all.

“So don’t worry.” Robert has a hand on his shoulder, it’s his thing and for once Seb stares down and feels grateful for it. “Now that’s over … I fancy a take away. You in?”

And yeah, his dads still speak to him like he’s eight and pizza and a film is the best way to spend a Friday night in the world but they love him and each other and he can breathe easy.

He knows.

#robron fics #seb white #robron #emmerdale #my fic #sorry it took so long!!

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twdteacakes · 5 years ago

Text

TWDG Oneshot Game - May 2020 Prompt

Unfulfilled Plans

A/N - So this fun challenge was created by @stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale. It allowed me to go outside me comfort zone and write a fanfic including characters I don’t usually work with. Since the theme was unrequited love, I thought it would be interesting to explore whether or not Marlon had feelings for Brody before and after the raider incident. However, I personally don’t ship Marlon and Brody. I think there’s too much toxicity that surrounds their relationship, so I’d never want to see them get together. I hope the inclusion of Marlon as the central character doesn’t put people off, but if it does, then I completely understand.

“...So, after the hunting trip, I’ll lead Brody back to my office. Then, I’ll show her the picnic basket that I’ve already setup on the balcony. We’ll eat our candy bars and y’know, shoot the shit, and that’s when I’ll tell her how I feel.” Marlon finished explaining his elaborate plan.

Louis sat opposite him at the picnic table, completely slack jawed. “Whoa. I never pinned you as the romantic type, but… That actually doesn’t sound half bad. I think she’ll love it.”

Marlon’s pale blue eyes sparkled with hope and elation. “Really?”

“Yeah, dude, of course!” Louis replied, hoping to sooth his best friend’s worrying and banish any nagging doubts. “You agree with me, right, Mitch?”

Mitch was sitting to Marlon’s right, busying himself with a wood carving and not paying attention in the slightest. He paused, silver blade mid-stroke, and briefly glanced up. “Oh uh, yeah sure.” He mumbled, before returning to his current activity.

Marlon frowned at Mitch’s total lack of interest in their conversation, since it carried so much weight and importance. However, he ultimately decided not to challenge him on the subject - after all, Mitch was never the social type.

“What about you, Aasim?” Louis asked, searching for a second opinion, as well as a way to brush off that awkward encounter.

Aasim was perched on the table’s edge with his back to the trio. The best response he could offer was a cartoonish shrug, although he seemed to be holding his tongue.

“Oh come on, you must have something to say.”

“Well… If I were you, I wouldn’t go through with it- at least, not today. The food situation is stressing everyone out, so unless you bring back something worthwhile, I doubt Brody will be in the mood.” Aasim finally weighed in with a factual response.

Marlon felt his heart sink like a lead balloon. Meanwhile, Louis scoffed and shook his head. “Alright, Mr Killjoy, thanks for that.”

“You asked!” Aasim snapped back.

“Forget it.” Louis muttered, before addressing Marlon directly. “Dude, don’t listen to these knuckleheads, they haven’t got a clue what they’re talking about. You and Brody are gonna need to unwind, so this is the perfect time for a date. You totally got this!”

“I got this. I got this.” He whispered, repeating those words of encouragement like a mantra. A smile crept across his face, as he daydreamed about the date which awaited him - where he and Brody would relax on a red checkered picnic blanket, and gaze wistfully at the starry night sky. He had romanticised such an occasion countless times, but never believed it would actually come to fruition. But now, it was only a few hours away. He could hardly contain his excitement.

“Speak of the devil.” Louis commented, gesturing with a flick of his head at something not within Marlon’s line of sight.

Marlon glanced over his shoulder, to see Minerva and Sophie approaching the school gates, along with Brody in tow. The morning sun kissed her rich, pale skin and set her red hair ablaze. She caught his eye, and a smile painted her rosy cheeks as she waved. Marlon’s heart kicked into overdrive, and for a split second, he thought he might keel over on the floor and die.

He could feel his lips twitching and palms sweating profusely as he waved back. And just like that, their short interaction was over, and Brody turned away, returning her attention to the twins.

Marlon swallowed hard, attempting to combat the lump forming in his throat, before forcing himself to stand. His legs quivered, reduced to jelly. “Well, time to go.” He declared, his voice cracking.

“Good luck, man. I’ll be rooting for you.” Louis said, treating his best friend to a wide, toothy, confident grin.

“You’ll need it.” Mitch chimed. Perhaps he had been listening after all.

He ignored that snarky comment and gave Louis a small nod, expressing his gratitude through body language. He then collected his bow and headed towards the hunting party, even though his body was screaming at him to run in the other direction. “You three ready to head out?”

“Think so.” Sophie answered. Brody was quiet - most likely because she wanted to get this over and done with.

“Where’s Vi?” Marlon questioned, addressing Minerva in particular, since her presence was not anticipated.

“She wanted to stay behind, so I said I’d go instead.”

“Fair enough.” He responded, feigning interest. “Alright everyone, let’s go. We’re burning daylight.”

Minerva and Sophie exited through the gate first, while Marlon hung back. “Hey, Brody, can I talk to you after we get back?” He requested. “Privately.”

Her brow became knitted with confusion, but she masked that impulsive reaction with a pleasant smile. “Sure.”

Marlon’s heart soared, whilst he had to stifle a relieved laugh. “Great. Can’t wait.”

-------------

“I forgot all about you.” Marlon whispered softly. He stared at the picnic basket, which had been jammed into the cupboard many moons ago, with a somber expression. Laying eyes on that object again rattled him to the very depths of his core. Why did I never get rid of it? He questioned internally. It’s just sitting here, collecting dust. Did I take the candy bars out? Ugh, I don’t even want to imagine what state they’re in now.

I guess… I could just never bring myself to do it.

He gently shut the cupboard door and continued rummaging through his desk drawers, searching for a bandage. His arm was in bad shape, and needed immediate medical attention. He had slashed it on a piece of rebar whilst refortifying their defences, and there was no end in sight to the bleeding.

A knock at the door halted Marlon in his tracks. His first instinct was to ignore the visitor, but when they persisted in their knocking, he knew he had to take action. “Not now!” He shouted.

“It’s me.” Brody’s muffled voice replied.

“Brody- come in!”

The door creaked open, and Brody stepped inside. “What happened here?” She questioned, wearily eyeing the blood trail, and the state of disarray his office was in.

“Nothing, it’s just-” Marlon paused to take a breath, in an attempt to calm his shot nerves. “I can’t find a damn thing in here.”

“Do you need some help?” She offered.

He slumped down in the comfy, leather, reclined chair and mopped his forehead. “Please.”

Brody walked over to the mattress situated in the corner, where Rosie was sleeping peacefully. She crouched down, and tore off a small piece of fabric from the blanket, before approaching Marlon. She floated through the delicate, silver moonlight like a ghost, and in that moment, he saw how incredibly exhausted she was. How tired her once brilliant, glistening, sapphire eyes had become.

She silently cupped his injured arm and began to wrap the makeshift bandage around the deep cut. He did not protest - the only thing that escaped his mouth was the occasional hiss, as he winced in pain.

“It’s almost been a year.” She uttered, in the ghost of a whisper.

“Huh?” Marlon barely managed to croak out.

“It’s almost been a year… Since the twins-”

“Brody.” He interrupted, on the verge of snapping. He saw her shudder. “We swore we wouldn’t talk about that. Ever.”

“Right. I’m sorry.” Brody apologised. Her voice quivered as she blinked rapidly, fighting back tears that yearned to break free. She sped up, and finished bandaging his wound in record timing. “There, all done. That should heal in no time.” She stated, readjusting her brave-faced mask, after it had momentarily slipped. She then retreated to the other side of the desk, whilst Marlon checked her handiwork.

“So… Was there something you wanted?” He asked, meeting her skittish gaze.

“No, not really. Well- sort of. It doesn’t matter. I should go.”

Oh. She came here to talk about the twins. Marlon thought, the realisation finally sinking in. He watched as she headed towards the door. He only found his voice when her hand grasped the cold, metal knob. “Wait!”

She froze, and glanced back at him. Misery swirled around her irises like a dark, twisting vortex, and he knew he was the source of such suffocating guilt and shame. What even was their relationship anymore? Did it have a label? It was impossible to wrap his head around. This secret… It had brought them closer together, but also driven a wedge between them. The damage was irreversible.

A year ago we were supposed to be starting a new chapter in our lives.

“...You don’t have to go. I’d actually like the company.” He stated, his tone oozing with sincerity, along with hints of desperation. Please don’t go. You’re the only one who understands- the only one who could ever understand.

Brody hesitated, torn between two choices. Eventually, her gaze settled once more on the mattress in the corner. “Rosie will keep you company. Just- try to get some sleep, okay?”

And with those parting words, she vanished.

Although disappointed, Marlon wasn’t surprised. His crush on her had faded, but some feelings still lingered. However, he knew in his heart she would never reciprocate those feelings. Besides… Those days where he could happily daydream about picnics and star gazing were long gone.

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