#WAIT I HAVE TURQUOISE that's a lot lighter than the straight blue I have

[egginfroggin]

Shooting Star

(Frantically telling myself that I'm not going to do this with every member of the zodiac, I'm not gonna do a monochrome portrait of each of them with their symbol in gold haloing their head, I'm not gonna do that I'm not I'm not gonna - *thinks about how to pose Dipper and the grunkles* frickign dang it)

[nialledfromfics]

Chapter One: The Wanderer 

(a/n: click the link in the chapter title for the song- instant throwback!)

He had thought the air would’ve felt denser, stickier as it pelted against his face or that the beating sun would’ve been more intense on the slick of his leather jacket, but it didn’t. The air, instead, felt lighter, more freeing and the lingering sun as it had started to set across the tops of the trees in the distance, just felt softer like a renaissance oil painting come to life. The charging wind blew through his dark brown hair, wispy ends waving as he sped down the nearly deserted highway. His knuckles crinkled–tightening around the handlebars of his cherry red 1955 Harley Davidson Panhead–as he revved the engine to pick up speed and his eyes squinted slightly underneath the black of his shades from the blinding orange glare of the horizon. He was headed south, away from the only place he knew; the bustling, cramped New York City block he grew up in. Not running from anything and not towards anyone, just looking for something different, a change. He didn’t have a plan as to where he was going, or where he would end up, but he knew he would figure it out eventually.

And he wasn’t going to stop until he did.

It was late spring of 1958; Eisenhower was still president, the government had launched its first satellite into outer space and Elvis Presley had been inducted into the Army. The world seemed to be moving faster than anyone could have imagined, but still not quite fast enough. Hatred and injustice remained, the world as cruel and bigoted as it ever had been. But underneath it all, there was still that need for more, that longing for a better life for everyone; the American Dream. His American dream.

He wasn’t so sure what it was that drew him to stop in the picturesque town of Bluemont, Georgia that following day; could’ve been the welcome sign right at the edge of town: “Heaven Awaits You Here”, or the fact that his motorcycle had begun to make a rattling sound that was a tad alarming. Nevertheless, he rode straight into that quaint town, fearless but unsure, and pulled right into the parking lot of the small neighborhood diner.

Slipping off his sunglasses, the young man–dressed in cuffed jeans, black Chuck Taylors and a slightly dirty white t-shirt under his worn-in leather jacket–peered up at the partially lit neon sign; Betty’s Diner. It was simple enough, a tiny place with bright aluminum siding and big glass windows all around and it seemed to have a decent amount of patrons inside. Food can’t be that bad, he thought to himself with a slight chuckle. He clicked off the engine and hopped off his bike, ruffling his fingers through his dark wind-blown hair as he made his way up to the door.

With his stare glued down at the white toed-tips of his high top sneakers, he swung open the squeaky door and crashed right into the front of someone that was just walking out. “Sorry, pardon me–”

“Hey! Watch where you’re fuckin’ going, man!”

The voice was heavy, boorish in tone and it made the young man look up from the floor. It was in that moment that her breathtaking green eyes caught his, her small shapely frame stepping out from behind the boy with the stoutish voice. Her soft coral lips parted as she stared at him, the intense blue of his eyes something she had never witnessed before in her life. She would have been lying if she said her heart hadn’t skipped a beat.

He cleared his throat, bowing his head gently as he was in no way looking for a fight. “I apologize,” he mumbled, attempting to end the scuffle and walk past. It was a deliberate hand to his chest that stopped his feet from taking another step.

“And what do we got here?” the brutish fella spoke up, his voice riddled with a country twang. His buddies all started to gather round, causing the young man to swallow hard the closer they stepped up to him. “A fuckin’ Mick, eh? Ya’ll we got a fuckin’ Mick in these parts!”

Loud unisonous laughs bellowed from the small rowdy group and the Irishman flicked his eyes around before reaching up and pushing the unwanted hand away from the front of his chest. “I don’t want no trouble,” he asserted, peering over at the one giving him the most bother.

“Why’re you even here?” he questioned, the outsider watching as the lad’s jaw clenched with aggravation. “We don’t want the likes of you in our town.”

“I said I’m not lookin’ for trouble,” he sneered back between gritted teeth.

Feeling the tension start to escalate, the young woman quickly grabbed around her companions upper arm, giving him a squeeze. “Cliff, c’mon, let’s just go, okay?” Her voice was so tender, innocent and her southern accent soft and it seized the strangers’ attention, her amorous gaze meeting his once more as a kind appreciativeness spread over his face. “Please…”

Cliff rolled his eyes at her suggestion. “Yeah, whatever,” he scoffed, pushing the glass door open with a heavy thud of his palm before trudging out.

The lone Irishman stayed put as Cliff’s buddies, and their tag-along girls, diligently followed, roughly brushing past him as the young woman quietly waited until everyone else had stepped out. She didn’t know who the stranger was, or why he had chosen to stop in her town when he did, but her gentle stare lingered over his for longer than a moment before she gave him the sweetest little smile and walked out to join her friends. His chest eased as she stepped away, his eyes following her over his shoulder as she turned to peek back at him.

He had never seen a girl as stunningly beautiful as her. Her skin was like a pristine alabaster, her green eyes like a waving field of fresh dewy grass, her painted lips full and supple like they had never once been tainted by the kiss of another. Her hair was a soft light ash brown, pulled up in a ponytail with a blue scarf wrapped around. She had on a fitted light blue knit sweater that had black buttons down the front and was smartly tucked into her striped skirt that fell just below her knees. He watched with curiosity as she slid into the passenger side of a black and white Ford Fairlane, Cliff sitting behind the wheel with a cigarette hanging from his lips and a scowl over his face. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her, even as they pulled out from the lot of the diner and sped away, the squealing tires being heard in the distance.

The young man tried to disarm his mind of the girl, shaking the thoughts from his head as he took in a deep breath and found himself a seat in an empty booth right by the door.

“What can I get ya?”

He peeked up at the waitress that had shuffled up to the end of the booth, her gum smacking between her lips as her hand rested on the jut of her hip. He smiled. “Burger and a soda,” he spoke up, noticing how quickly she jotted down his order before walking away without another word.

Sighing out, the young man crossed his arms over the edge of the table and turned to peer out at the town through the large window. His blue eyes scanned along what he could only assume was Main Street, a few townspeople walking in and out of the shops and some children playing with a dog just across the way. It seemed like a nice place, a wholesome little town. Maybe the sign was right, maybe this was where heaven awaited you.  

“Not from around here, are ya?” the waitress spoke up, setting his glass bottle of Coca-Cola down in front of him.  

He shook his head. “No.”

She hooked her arms over her chest, a few ringlets of red hair slightly falling from her updo as she tilted her head. “Stayin’ long?”

“Not sure,” he truthfully replied with a light shrug of his shoulder, before wrinkling his brows at her. “Actually, do ya know where I can find a mechanic shop around here?”

*******

Maybe it was the pretty girl from the diner that had compelled him to stay. The incessant sound of her sweet voice ringing in his ears and the sparkle in her green eyes that wouldn’t stop plaguing his dreams. Maybe it was the fact that his motorcycle needed a few repairs and he desperately needed some cash in his pocket. Maybe it was a little bit of everything.

He took a job at the local mechanic shop, the owner, Phil, graciously letting him stay in the vacant one room apartment above the garage. It wasn’t much, a bed and a small table and chair, but he didn’t really need more than that. Just a place to crash for awhile and the right tools to fix his bike on his free time. Betty’s was only a couple blocks down and there was a corner grocery and deli just across the street. There wasn’t much more he needed, other than to find out who that pretty girl from the diner was.

*******

If the smoke curling up from under the hood of her car was any indication that something was amiss, she knew that she would have no choice but to pull over. It was her daily drive home from school, her route taking her a bit more out of the way than most of her schoolmates, and with her car being only a year old, she surely didn’t expect to be stopped on the side of the road with the hood propped up and grey smoke billowing out. She had no idea what to do and she pushed out a disgruntled ‘humfph’, resting her bottom on the front fender of her two-toned white and turquoise Chevy Bel Air, waiting for someone–anyone–to drive by who could help her.

Thirty minutes went by with not a single soul driving past and the young woman was starting to get desperate, it was way too far to walk back towards town and she was still at least five miles from her home. The grumbling sound of an engine quickly knocked her from her thoughts and she leaned forward a bit, carefully edging the white frames of her sunglasses off of the bridge of her nose so she could peer down the length of road. The heat of the late day was wavering off the black pavement and she could see the faint outline of what looked to be a motorcycle coming towards her in the distance. Stepping away from her car with her hand perched on her hip, she began to signal the rider down, hoping they would be generous enough to stop.

The motorcycle started to slow as it neared and immediately the girl recognized the dark brown hair and ocean blue eyes. Pulling to a stop, the young man shut off the engine, almost stunned that the damsel in distress on the side of the road was none other than the girl that hadn’t escaped his dreams in over a week. She was dressed rather cute; canary yellow cropped pants and white sleeveless top that showed just the tiniest bit of flesh right at her midsection. Her hair was down, flowing across her bare shoulders in soft waves but held back in the front with a bandana that was tied as a headband. Her white cat eye framed glasses topped off the look. She was a sight for his sore eyes, that was for sure. They hadn’t seen each other since that first encounter at the diner and she watched as he hopped off his bike and walked over to her, carding his fingers through his dark hair to tame it. “You havin’ a bit of trouble, miss?” he asked, glancing behind her at the open hood of her car that was still reeling in smoke.

She giggled in amusement at him addressing her so formally, and pulled off her sunglasses, her large eyes locking on his as she held out her hand to him. “Vivian Prescott”, she introduced herself. He was taken aback by her slight forwardness to shake his hand and he peeked down, aware of the dirt and oil that was smudged all over the inside of his palm.

“Uh…” He could barely protest as she, too, looked down and noticed the grit on his skin but thrust her hand further anyway, still encouraging him to shake it. Eagerly he slid his fingers around hers, delicately gripping as he let her move their clasped hands up and down. A warmth pulsed from his palm to hers, and he gave her a smirk as their eyes settled on each other. “Niall Horan,” he finally greeted.

“Nice to meet you, Niall.”

“Pleasures mine, Miss Vivian.” She faintly giggled again, their fingers brushing as they both reluctantly pulled back from the handshake. “Let’s take a look and see what’s goin’ on, yeah?”

Vivian spun around on her heels as Niall shuffled past her, placing his hands on the front edge of the car as he bent over to get a better look. He didn’t say a word as he reached in and began to tinker with a few pieces of the hot engine, Vivian just watching on with a tilted head and curious stare. Niall glanced up at her as she leaned forward, interested in getting a better look for herself at what he was doing. “So, guess you’re not afraid of me?” he mentioned with a half smile.

The young woman straightened her back, wrinkling her brows at his strange and forthright question. “Why on God’s earth would I be afraid of you?”

He shrugged. “Dunno,” he started, keeping his eyes down at his task, “outsider in town and all, most people are, I guess. Walk on the other side of the street if they see me comin’.”

Cocking her head to the side, Vivian took a nice long gander at the man that was perched over the hood of her car. He was in a pair of dark jeans, cuffed over the top of his dirty boots that were double tied to his feet and a mechanics work shirt, that had definitely seen better days, left open and covering a grease-smudged white ribbed tank top. He had dirt and oil wiped across his neck and the side of his face and up the length of his tanned forearms. He was dripping in sweat, his hair looking as if it hadn’t been washed in days and he smelt of gasoline and cigarettes. But he was the most gorgeous boy she had ever seen in her life, and he looked as if he couldn’t have harmed a mouse even if he was paid to. Biting at her bottom lip, Vivian shot her green eyes back to Niall’s roughened hands as he began to unscrew a tiny cap. “Well, you don’t look very scary to me,” she retorted, crossing her arms over her chest with a faint lift of her shoulder, “unless I’m missin’ somethin’...”

Niall shot his stare up to her face, the corner of his lip tugging up as her eyes caught his. He had never met anyone like her before, she definitely wasn’t like the other girls back home and even then, he really couldn’t get a good read of her. She was intriguing and seemed quite blithe, though a bit haughty as well, if he was being honest, but she was as sweet as apple pie and had the voice of an angel. “I, um...I wanted to apologize for my friends behavior at the diner last week,” she spoke up, Niall’s attention having gone back to his task at hand.

“Those people are your friends?”

Vivian let out a huff and hooked her hands on her hips in jest. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothin’,” Niall replied with a raise of his brows, “just…don’t seem like them, that’s all.”

Her shoulders softened with his words and she licked across her lips. “Well, in any case, I am sorry for how they acted and what they said to you. It wasn’t right.”

Niall chuckled. “That’s kind of ya, miss, but ya don’t need to apologize for that. It wasn’t your fault.”

She gently nodded her head, green eyes steady on his every movement as she stayed quiet before he leaned himself up and dusted off his hands. “Alright, so I think it’s your alternator. Just needs new wires,” he informed her, wiping across his sticky brow with the back of his hand, “think I got what ya need back at the shop. I’ll go get it and bring it back.”

Niall stepped past Vivian and walked towards his bike, swinging his leg over to settle on the seat. She remained quiet, her gaze staying pressed to him. Flicking back the kickstand with his foot, Niall straightened up the bike and glanced over at her. “Wanna go with me?”

Her breath caught in her throat, her pink stained lips falling open as she dotted her eyes along the big piece of machinery that was nestled between his legs. “On...on that?” she choked out, pointing at the motorcycle with a crinkle in her brow.

“The motorcycle? Yeah…”

“Is it safe?”

Niall chuckled, dipping his head down. “Well, I rebuilt it meself with me own two hands, so, yeah, I can promise it’s safe. Just finished fixin’ it up yesterday,” he explained to her, “besides, I’d rather not leave ya alone here on the side of the road.”

Vivian’s lips pressed into a flattered smile. “Oh, I’ll be fine.”

“Maybe so,” he said, “but I won’t known I left ya. So c’mon, hop on.” Niall gave her a nod towards the back of the seat, motioning her to climb on behind him.

Breathing out a soft smile, Vivian slid her sunglass back on her face and bit at her bottom lip, walking over towards him before carefully–but clumsily–settling herself behind him on the seat. She was somewhat trepidatious as to what she was supposed to do, what she was allowed to do and Niall pushed out a snort, peering at her over his shoulder. “Gotta hold onto me,” he told her, barely feeling the very skim of her small hands as they lightly touched around his sides. Vivian swallowed hard, her heart pounding out of her chest as Niall reached down and grabbed at her wrists, yanking her closer and fully wrapping her arms around the front of his torso. “Like this, love.”

Her eyes fluttered closed from the intoxicating heat that was radiating from his body. Her front pressed firm to his rounded back, his muscles flexing against her chest with every tiny movement he made. Niall was well aware of her racing heart and her heavy breathing as he started up the loud and rumbling engine, and Vivian nestled her chin down on the swell of his shoulder as she tightened her arms around him. A smile slipped over Niall’s lips, matching that of the one on Vivian’s face before he pulled off, heading back into town.

*********

They returned to Vivian’s car within the hour, Niall getting straight to work repairing the burnt wires. The young woman stayed lingering by his side, nosily looking on as he twisted and pulled, Niall scrunching up his face and every so often wiping the dripping sweat from his brow. She couldn’t help but stare at him, watch him, he was fascinating and it was more than her mind could take knowing that she had been wrapped around his strong warm body not ten minutes before.

Vivian blew out a stuttering breath, quickly averting her longing gaze as Niall flicked his eyes up and caught her in her moment of weakness. He smiled to himself as he kept his hands fiddling. “So,” Niall began, trying to ease the bout of silence that had crept up between them, “this Cliff guy…”

It was an odd statement, Vivian thought, as she didn’t even know he knew Cliff’s name and she gave him a slightly puzzled look. “What about him?”

Niall cleared his throat. “You’re his girl?”

Her green eyes slowly shifted away from the side of his face, fighting the grin that was pressing at the corner of her mouth. “No,” she told him, “were not goin’ steady. We used to, but...that’s over.”

Faintly humming in response, Niall grabbed at a tool that was resting next to him on the edge of the car. “Ya don’t have a boyfriend then?”

“No,” Vivian replied with a shake of her head.

“Can I ask why ya still hang with him, if ya don’t have to and all…”

Vivian shrugged. “I dunno really, I mean, we have the same friends, we go to school together–”

“You’re in school?” he asked, glancing over at her.

She scraped her teeth along her bottom lip. “Yeah, I’m a senior at Roosevelt High, over on the other side of town.”

Niall gave her a nod and went back to tightening a few loose ends of the wires. “Are you not in school?” Vivian questioned, wondering why she hadn’t seen him in the hallways between classes.

“I was,” he chuckled, “but I’m twenty two now, so no need.”

“Oh,” Vivian breathed out, raising her fingers to her lips to stifle her giggle. She hadn’t realized he was that much older than her. “Well...I’m almost eighteen. My birthday is in a few weeks.”

Niall turned his head and smiled big at her, his entire grease-smudged facing lighting up. “Happy early birthday, Vivian.”

Her eyes gently drifted over his rugged features, and settled on the dark scruff that had grown in along his jawline. “Thank you.” Finishing up, Niall checked the newly installed parts, making sure everything was in place. “So, how do ya know how to do all this stuff,” Vivian then asked him, “work on cars and all?”

He pulled in a long breath, carding his fingers up through is wild hair. “My da,” he explained, “it was his trade back home, and then when we moved to America. He taught me everythin’. I just use what I know to get by.”

Vivian kept quiet, brushing away at a piece of hair that had blown across her mouth and Niall leaned up, clasping his hands on the edge of the car as he peered over at her. “Okay, that should hold ya for now,” he said, “but why don’t ya come by the shop tomorrow and I will give the whole car a once over, ya know, make sure everythin’ else is good.”

She nodded. “I will. Thank you for your help, really.”

Niall rolled his lips into his mouth and nodded before grabbing his tools and shutting the hood of the car. “Of course.”

With her fingers fiddling with the sunglasses that she held in her hand, she turned and watched as he put his tools away in the little side pocket of his bike and climbed on. Niall glanced over at her, and gave her one last smile. “See ya later, miss.”

Vivian ducked her head down in a soft smile as he started his engine, revving it slightly. Looking back up at him, she gave him a tiny wave. “Bye, Niall.”

Throwing her a wink, the handsome outsider took off, his back tire squealing against the hot pavement as Vivian leaned her bottom up against the side of her car in absolute awe, her eyes never leaving him until he was clear out of sight.

********

(note – If you ever have any questions at all about the story, from what a character might be feeling/thinking or saying to anything within the plot that might be confusing, please just ask! I will answer whatever you need to know. Thank you!)