#i had too much fun imagining her rich girl stuff

[miaoua3]

Stay The Morning?

Pairing: CEO! scoups x f!reader

Genre: shameless smut (MDNI), one night stand, meet cute, rich ceo x normal girl, morning after, the whole encounter described through flashbacks, mentions of previous cheating

Description: after your previous boyfriend cheated on you, your friends allowed you three weeks of mopping and self loathing before they drag you out of the house and into a bar. little did you know that a certain gentleman will be there and that he will change your world for a night

Note: i went out with my friends, we jokingly went to our local perfume shop, i found cheols perfume (hermes h24), it made me ovulate….bon appetit.

Warning: barely proofread, read at your own risk lmao

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

to say that walking in on your boyfriend and his coworker shagging in your own bed after you’ve decided to come home earlier to surprise him with a warm and delicious cooked meal messed you up a bit was an understatement.

his apologies fell on deaf ears, partly because you didn’t want to hear it and partly because a sudden ringing appeared to be echoing in the shell of your ear.

overcome with rage, you packed all of his stuff in some plastic bags from previous shopping trips, all while he tried to talk to you and explain that ‘it isn’t what it looks like’.

what a bucket full of bullshit.

deciding that 5 bags worth of stuff should last him a few days, you threw them in front of your door before pushing your now ex in the hallway too.

in his boxers only.

but then, your bravery seemed to have disappeared. while your ex was trying to make excuses explain to you the situation, you haven’t let yourself feel a single emotion other than rage and betrayal.

the moment you slammed the door in your ex’s face though, you felt all the emotions suddenly hit you and you crumbled, letting the tears fall down your face.

in these situations, you always find yourself doing the same thing.

and that is call your two best friends.

in the matter of minutes they were in front of your door, with all the necessities like ice cream and tissues.

and they comforted you. for the whole nights.

and the rest of the week.

and the week following that one.

and then third week week too.

well, at least, until friday evening.

at 6pm sharp, your friend, sana, unlocked the door and kicked them with her foot, your other friend jihyo not far behind her.

only to find you on your couch, watching tv with dead eyes, a bucket of ice cream on your lap (now mostly in a watery consistency).

at the sudden outburst, you looked at the direction of your front door with shocked eyes.

sana, having had enough of your bullshit, marched up to you and pulled you up by your arm, “okay that’s it, go take a shower, we’re going out, i have had it with your bullshit. god, you stink, when was the last time you at least put on deodorant, bro? disgusting.”

you, still being in shock, had little space to let out a complaint at her rambling, until she basically pushed you in the bathroom, making you trip over your own feet, before she closed the bathroom door in your face.

after a second, she yelled “oh and shave your legs and everything else, we are getting you laid tonight!”

by the tone of her voice, you knew that you had no choice but to do as she told you. knowing her, she would make the heavens move just to have her way.

an hour later, you were dressed in a little tight cherry red dress, your makeup done by your two friends, hair perfectly done, a black leather jacket resting on your shoulders, your arms intertwined with the arms of your friends, pulling you out of your apartment and down the stairs.

something in your stomach was telling you that that night wouldn’t go as your friend had imagined it. realising this, you raised your concerns.

“guys, while i really do appreciate this, and im sure we will have so much fun, i don’t think i will be sleeping with anyone tonight. it just feels too soon and im not sure if it would be a good idea for me to do that.”

sana scoffs and replies “girl please, your heart is in your vagina, and currently it is broken thanks to the dumbass that you decided to date even when I specifically told you not to, it just needs to be a big dick that will sprinkle some of its fairy dust on it and it will be as good as new-“, she tried to continue, but jihyo decided to interrupt her by letting go of your arm and using the same hand to reach behind your back and smack sana across the back of her head, full force, making her head fly down.

“stop spewing nonsense, even if we wanted to we can’t make her do anything she doesn’t want to do. plus, if she thinks it wouldn’t be a good idea then it probably isn’t, just because it would work for you doesn’t mean it would work for her.”, jihyo defends you as she intertwines your arms again and rubs the back of your hand with her other hand.

sana just mumbles “we will see about that” in response.

after a few minutes, you reach the bar that you visit semi-regularly aka whenever the stars align and all three of you happen to have a free day on the same day.

sitting at your usual place at the bar, sana orders for all of you before you can even try to protest about how you weren’t in a mood for heavy drinks.

as jihyo and sana are talking between themselves, you look around the bar, just to people watch for a bit, see everyone that is mingling in this bar.

and then you see him.

at the other end of the bar, there sat a man so beautiful it made all of those butterflies you felt on the way to the bar roar together into a chaos.

oh.

he’s so beautiful is the only thought that could cross your mind as you observed him. short black hair neatly styled in a way that it compliments all of his features, dark and thick eyebrows pulling your attention, big and plump lips set in a gentle smile. letting your eyes travel, they end up on his arms, observing how tight the black button up looks on him due to his buff physique. your wandering eyes come to his hands that are resting on the top of the counter, one crossed while the other is playing with the glass filled with dark liquor.

seeming that you have zero self control left, you let your eyes wander back up to his face, to admire the face that you could only describe as if it were sculpted by the gods themselves.

only to find his dark eyes already watching you.

quicker than a thunder, you turn your head towards your two friends again, feeling how hot your face feels due to being caught by the perfect stranger.

you try to go back to the conversation that your friends are having, as a distraction from the most perfect man that you have ever seen in your entire life.

what you fail to notice is that the stranger’s eyes stay on you, caressing your figure with his hot gaze, stopping every few seconds on one of your features, as a way to take not of every little detail and memorise it.

after half an hour, you finish your first drink (that tasted only mildly disgusting due to amount of alcohol it had in it). but it seems that with every sip you took, your self control would lessen and your eyes would stray in the direction of mr.perfect (as you started calling him in your head).

only to snap your head right back because he would already be looking at you, gentle smile playing on the edge of his lips.

the entire time you felt your cheeks burn with embarrassment, excitement and nervousness. to be completely honest, you forgot how it felt to be excited to have got somebody’s whole attention on you, and to have your own attention solely focused on them.

all the butterflies you felt as you were walking to the bar seem to only duplicate with every little exchange of glances between you and mr.perfect.

just as you raised your hand to get the bartender’s attention, a deep “um, excuse me?” came from your right, making you pause your action to turn your head.

and your breath catches in your throat.

because one and only mr.perfect was standing right there, towering over you due to you sitting and him being so very tall, clad in all black, the sleeves of his black button up rolled up to his elbows, the first few buttons undone, giving you a peak to his strong and defined collarbones, a gentle smile teasing the edges of his mouth.

and his gaze.

oh his gaze was burning you from the intensity of it, making goosebumps arise on your skin.

seeing that he got your attention, he continues with a boyish smile “i was just wondering if i could buy you your next drink? it’s just that- i saw you across the room and i thought that you were absolutely beautiful, and my mom taught me that beautiful women should never pay for their own drinks a-and im rambling aren’t i?”, he finishes with a low chuckle, shyly rubbing the back of his neck.

looking at him, it would seem that a cat got ahold of your tongue because you proceed to just stare at him, both of you waiting for you to say anything.

luckily, jihyo comes to your rescue, behind your shoulder smiles at the stranger and says “she would love to!”

breaking out of the trance, you look at her shortly to see her nodding her head encouragingly, before looking at the stranger again with a blushing face “um, yes, i’d really like that”.

he smiles at you, before calling the bartender over. you tell him your order before he directly gets to work.

as your drink is being made, the stranger smiles at you and puts out his hand for a handshake (his beautifully big, veiny and manly hand, adorned by a ring on his middle finger and an expensive watch on his writs) “my name is choi seungcheol, may i ask for yours?”

blushingly, you put your hand in his and introduce yourself. making some small talk, you learn that he is currently 29 years old, and that he’s here with some friends for a friend’s birthday.

just as you were about to ask him what he does for a living, your drink gets put in front of you, breaking the flow of the conversation.

seungcheol, seeing that the only reason why approached you is done, gets up from his sit next to you, “well, your drink is here, i’ll leave you ladies alone now, thank you for allowing me to pay for your drink, enjoy the rest of your night”. he smiles gently before he starts to go back to his friends.

you weren’t lying that alcohol messed with your self control, because in the time it took him to make three steps, you were up and out of your seat, way too loudly than necessary saying “um-!”.

hearing you behind him, he turns around and to see your flustered face, questionably looking at you.

seeing that the cat is already out of the bag and that you already embarrassed yourself as it is, you continue “y-you know, you could buy me the next drink too? o-or, well, you could just- you could offer me a longer conversation instead? um, actually, i-i’d prefer that to a drink.”, you finish with almost to none dignity left, your entire face burning from embarrassment.

seungcheol, in return just smiles.

and the butterflies go wild again.

oh, no.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

waking up, you notice that your room is suspiciously bright. like, way too bright for it to be your room.

the thought makes you jump and sit up automatically, only to notice the lack of the clothes on your body, making you pull the duvet over your chest.

looking around the room, you realise that you were in somebody else’s bed.

and looking to your right, you get the answer as to whose room it is.

seungcheol is sound asleep next to you, shirtless, laying on his stomach with his face turned towards you, his lips set in a cute little pout, his back muscles moving and flexing with every exhale that escapes his mouth.

and his back. oh. my. god.

there were nail scratches all over his back, making it look as if a wild cat had attacked him. but it wasn’t a cat that attacked him, was it now? no it was your doing.

looking around the room, you realise just how much more spacious it looks in the daylight. actually, everything about his condo is big and spacious (as well as everything about him-).

noting every little detail around the room and thinking about how much everything must’ve cost. but it probably didn’t make that much of a difference to him. no.

because choi seungcheol wasn’t just anybody.

he was a ceo of…some company whose name you can’t remember because you were…occupied with something else when he was explaining it to you (read: occupied by watching the veins in his forearms move with every move of his arms that he made).

the fact that he hid that from you up until the moment you walked into his condo makes you mentally scoff at your cluelessness, because who else would wear a watch that size if not a ceo of a company?

you were willing to ignore the big watch. you were even willing to ignore the ridiculously expensive-looking audi that he drove you in to his place. even the underground garage that he drove into.

but walking directly out of the lift and into the biggest condo you have ever since with the whole wall being just one giant window? oh, no way in hell were you going to let it slide.

turning around to look at him questionably, you feel his hand that’s on your back rub slow circles, and his smile turn into a sheepish one.

“so, just a businessman huh?”, you question his previous answer with a raised brow.

in return he chuckles, “well, i am a businessman technically, i just never mentioned that i was a ceo of a company”, he answers before he toes off his dress shoes and walks in what you were sure to be a kitchen.

you follow him, slowly observing the ginormous living room that you find yourself into, before stopping in front of the big window. his condo had to be the best in the whole of seoul, because the view that you are looking at right now is enough to leave you breathless. thousands of lights from all across the seoul make it look like the night sky.

after a minute you ask him “why didn’t you tell me what you really do? there wasn’t really a reason to hide something like that so i assume that you had a bigger reason for not telling me.”, you turn your head back to be able to see him clearly.

he stops pouring you two drinks for a moment, looks upwards with furrowed eyebrows for a moment, before looking at you with and with upmost sincerity answers “you just didn’t seem like the type of person who would care about things like that.”, he turns his head back to the glasses in front of him before he continues “plus, i was sitting in front of the most beautiful woman i have ever seen, i much rather talk about you and get to know you than talk about my boring work.”, he chuckles as he finishes his thought.

his answer was so simple, yet it got your breath catching in your throat.

you can’t remember the last time somebody really cared about you and who wanted to get to know you, to learn about all the little things about you.

your gaze finally falls on seungcheol’s back again, and on your artwork.

you feel the heat on your cheeks worsen, the longer you look at the marks on his big and muscular back. the heat to your face isn’t the only thing that looking at his back brings to you, but the memories of last night as well.

although your eyes are focused on the view in front of you, you can feel that seungcheol was walking slowly towards you, until he was standing directly behind you. slowly, you see his hand appear in front of your face, holding a glass of water. carefully, you take it from his hand, saying a quiet “thank you” before taking a little sip of the water.

you gently put the glass on the little table holding a vase to your left, before looking in front of you again.

ever so slowly, you feel him inch closer to you, until your back is brushing his firm chest. his smell has your mind clouded-he smells so good, not too strong like most men do, but just enough to have you taking a deeper whiff of it. such a pleasant smell, it had your eyelids closing in satisfaction on their own.

ever so lightly he places his hand in your hip, his hold on it getting firmer with each slow second. at this simple touch you find yourself gasping lowly, goosebumps raising on the skin of your arms.

you can tell by the precision of his moves and how he takes his time with each action of his what kind of lover he is. the type to make you feel safe and relaxed. the type that would put your pleasure in the first place. the gentle but firm type.

the type to be the best you have ever had.

another step, and his entire front is touching your entire back. there isn’t an inch of you that isn’t touching him. you can feel his breath on the back of your head, and your own coming to a still stand in your throat.

slowly, he moves his head until it’s right there, to your right. he lets his head dip a little lower, so his nose is grazing the skin of your shoulder and ever so lightly, takes a deep breath of your smell.

he inhales deeply, at the end of it a little groan rumbling in his chest. he then lets his instincts take over-slowly, he moves his head so his nose travels across your shoulder, up your neck (where for a few milliseconds you feel his lips brush across your skin too, making you gasp quietly), across your jawline, until his lips are right by your ear.

in what must be the deepest voice you have ever heard from a man, he whispers, “tell me to stop…”, he pauses, letting go of his self control for a moment and letting his lips leave a little kiss on the edge of your jawline, before he continues “…and i will stop”.

gone were all the thoughts from your head, which is probably why you find your head falling back on his shoulder, eyes closing on their own, feeling the lack of the air in your lungs getting to your head, and breathlessly, you say “don’t stop, please”.

which seemed to be enough for him, because in the next second he’s directing your face to his own with two fingers and kissing you like he’s dying, and you are the only antidote that could save him.

his tongue massages your own in such a meticulous manner, that it made a little moan escape you. quickly, you break the kiss for the second it takes you to turn around in his hold, not even realising that he now had both of his arms wrapped around your stomach, and kissing him with what must look like desperation to anybody else.

he sucks on your top lip for a bit, before he deepens your kiss, his hand flying up to hold your jaw in place, slowly turning your head a bit to the side so he can get even deeper.

you seem to be out of your mind, because your hand-all on its own- grabs ahold of his other hand that is resting on your back, and places it on the back of your head.

seeing what you probably must’ve wanted, seungcheol takes a second to push his hand into your hair. and then he pulls on it ever so lightly.

and then you moan loudly in his mouth.

and that seems to do it for him, because he groans deeply at your moan, before he breaks a kiss harshly to grab ahold of your thighs and pick you up as if you weighed nothing.

the action got you gasping, your legs automatically wrapping themselves around his hips. but before you had the time to tell him to put you down and that “you were too heavy”, he’s right back, kissing you like he was starving for it-starving for you.

with ease, he turns around and starts walking down the hall. but since he’s only a man, he gets a bit carried away, having to stop and push you against the wall, his kisses now fast and almost animalistic, travelling from your mouth, across your cheek and down your throat. at one harsher kiss to your skin on the neck, you let out a louder moan, which only fuelled his desire, his kisses getting faster, harsher, his tongue touching your skin with his open mouth kisses, the hold he had on your thighs getting tighter.

you couldn’t remember the last time you felt this wet, this satisfied, this hungry for more from a kiss alone. out of the window went all of your consciousness, your thoughts, the only thing that you knew at that moment were seungcheol and that you wanted him. more than you have ever wanted anything else.

gasping while he continues to attack your neck and collarbones, you moan a simple “more”.

and who was seungcheol to deprive his lady of what she wanted?

taking ahold of his actions, he gets a better grasp on your thighs, before he pushes you two away from the wall. in five big steps, he’s in front of his bedroom door, pushing them opened harshly with his foot, carrying you inside, before letting go of one of your legs to slam the door shut, all while still kissing you.

the thoughts that were playing in your mind like a movie got you slapping your face with both hands, covering your whole face with them.

not being able to sit still anymore, you gut up and out of the bed, quickly picking up a random shirt from the chair that was by the door, and out of the room.

you find yourself a bit lost, before you see the door to your left, on which stoop a sign that said “bathroom”. quickly, you run into the room and close the door behind yourself.

breathing out a sigh of relief, you look around to see just how ridiculously expensive the bathroom must look like.

and without any disappointment, the bathroom looks like it came straight out of somebody’s pinterest board- a big white bathtub to the left, to the right what must be the biggest shower you have ever seen, a toilet to the left in front of you, and a mirror so big there wouldn’t be a wall big enough to hang it in your own apartment. the tiles of the whole bathroom were this nice shade of beige, creating a harmony with the white furniture of the room.

noticing how badly you need to relieve yourself, you do yourself before getting up to wash your hands. as you finish, you look up to see just how bad your makeup must look.

and you gasp. because your whole neck is covered in hickeys, bigger part of them looking like they are connecting, making it look like one giant purple hickey that’s wrapped around your whole neck.

you just stand there for a second, in a loss for words as to how bad it looks. if you saw this sight on anybody else, you would think that they got mauled by a bear or some wild animal of sorts.

looking at the hickeys on your body got you blushing, and even more so as you remember how they came to be.

ever so gently, seungcheol puts you down on his big and fluffy bed. putting you down seemed to be the only thing he was going to do gently, because the very next second he’s basically pouncing on you, the kiss continuing after a brief moment it took him to lay you down. you feel his tongue battle with your own, before he pulls on your bottom lip with his own lips, lightly biting it to tease you just a little bit.

his hands go from resting next to your head to caressing your body, until they reach the hem of your dress. he breaks the kiss apart, starting to ask “can i-“.

but before he can finish the sentence, you are whining in his face, glossy eyes looking up at him “take it off, please, take it off take it off, please please please-“.

your begging seems to make him lose his mind just a bit more. quickly and with no care, as if he’s just as desperate to have this tight dress off of your body, he switches his hold to the straps of your dresss, harshly pulling it down your arms and chest, over your waist and over your hips, before giving it one final pull over your legs and tossing it over his shoulder.

for a moment, he sits on his heels and just observes you. he feels his chest tightening due to lack of oxygen, his heart beating so fast he thinks it could stop any moment.

your curves would get him kneeling in front of you if he wasn’t already doing so. and the little two piece lingerie- god, help him, for he is about to sin, big time.

he wanted to look at this sight for a bit longer, to have it embedded in his mind forever, but it seems that his girl is a bit impatient, because he feels your hand harshly pulling on his shirt and feels himself falling down on you before the sound of your whining even has the time to hit the shell of his ear.

you kiss him desperately, your hands everywhere- in his hair, on the nape of his neck, across his shoulders and scratching on his back.

all while whining and moaning in his mouth.

god help cheol if he wasn’t about to cum just from the pretty sounds you were making for him.

seeing as you weren’t willing to let him go, or stop kissing him for that matter, seungcheol opts to multitask and take his shirt off while still kissing you. the moment its off, your hands seem to have a mind of their own, travelling all over his back and shoulders before straying to his front, your firm touch traveling from his stomach to his chest.

deciding that he can’t wait anymore, he pulls on your underwear harshly, making them fly over his shoulder too, before he lets his lips leave open-mouth kisses over your neck, collarbones, chest, stopping for a bit to give you nipples a little nibble over your lacy bra, over your tummy, on your hip.

before he knows it, he finds himself laying between your legs, looking up at you through his thick eyelashes, his gaze hot enough to burn your skin.

he gently takes your thighs in his hands, before putting them on his shoulders. before he can even utter the words, you nod your head vigorously and enthusiastically, feeling your legs shake slightly at anticipation.

and then his mouth is on you. and you gasp.

he licks one long stripe from your hole to your clit, which he proceeds to suck onto lightly, making your hips buckle. his tongue then starts to lap at it, leaving little kitten licks on your clit.

your hand instinctively fly to his beautiful luscious hair, pulling on it, trying to getting him even closer if possible.

understanding what you want, seungcheol then lowers his mouth a bit, probing and pushing at your hole, twisting his tongue when entering you in ways you couldn’t think were humanly possible, sucking on your entrance every time before his tongue enters you again.

it’s embarrassing to admit, but you can confidently say that you have never been this close to the finish this fast.

which is why you try to pull him away by your hold on his hair. but he ignores your tugging, instead lets one of his hands that’s been holding your thigh travel up and take hold of one of your hands, before intertwining your hands and letting them rest on your hip.

such a simple action but it got your heart feeling so warm, you can for sure say that nobody ever made you feel this way by a simple action such as this one.

feeling your finish approaching quickly, you try to warn him, but he just looks at you with what looked like to be completely black eyes sternly, almost as if he was saying “don’t you dare stop me”.

and who were you to do as much?

suddenly, like a big wave, you feel the euphoria hit you, you back leaving the mattress, the hold you had on his hand and his hair tightening to the point you were sure must’ve hurt him, your thighs locking, squishing his face between them, all while moaning so loudly you were sure his neighbours were about to hate you.

seungcheol just continues to lap at your hole, drinking up every little drop of your cum as if it were nectar, closing his eyes in enjoyment, groaning as he makes sure to drink up everything you were giving him.

after a minute, you start feeling a bit overstimulated, whining in protest, which was seungcheol’s cue to stop. slowly detangling himself from your legs, he slowly climbs back up before he’s kissing you, your own taste greeting you on his tongue.

seungcheol breaks the kiss apart for a moment, his eyes as dark as night as he looks you directly in the eyes, before he asks you.

“are you ready to give me more, pretty girl?”

you again cover your blushing face with your hands, peeking just a bit between your fingers to look at yourself in the mirror.

seungcheol is so perfect, in every way possible, that you weren’t sure that he was real. maybe he was just a speck of your imagination, something you made up in your mind to make yourself feel better about your love life.

your hands slowly slide down your face as the reality of the situation starts to hit you, a sour look overtaking your expression.

seungcheol was so perfect. too perfect for you to have him.

knowing that talking to him again will just add salt to the injury, that it will make you realise just how out of your league he is, you decide that sneaking off would be for the best, for the both of you. after all, this was probably just a one time thing for him.

you bend down to pick up the shirt that you took from his room to put on until you find your dress, when suddenly, you feel a sharp cramp in your thighs, making you gasp.

you knew that you two went quite hard at it last night, but you didn’t think it would make walking hard for you the next day.

shyly, you peek at your thighs to see just how irritated the skin must look like, the recollection of the encounter yet again clouding your mind.

as you kiss, you feel one of his hands reach to the side before you hear him fumble with something, breaking the kiss so you both look at him struggling to find the condom in his nightstand.

after a few seconds he finally pulls out a pack, taking one out of the bunch before he pulls back entirely, sitting on his heels.

carefully he unbuttons his pants, pulling them and his underwear just enough for his cock go be freed. and oh god, if that wasn’t the biggest one you have ever had, he was so big and thick, it made goosebumps appear on your skin in anticipation. he rips the packaging with his teeth, and rolls it on himself, all while he still keeps the eye contact going.

seungcheol then lowers himself back onto you, before he teases your folds with his fingers.

in a raspy voice he says “your pussy got me so drunk that i forgot that i need to prep you before i fuck you”, and then he pushes one of his thick fingers in your hole, your gasp so loud in your own ears that normally it would make you feel embarrassed. he then continues “wouldn’t want to hurt my pretty girl when I’m supposed to be making you feel good, hm?”, he finishes and pushes another finger on the next time he pushes back inside of you.

if you had any mental strength left, you would’ve answered him, but there was literally nothing going on in your head other than how good his fingers felt, massaging your walls, scissoring you,his tumb gently massaging your clit in slow circles, pushing and pulling his fingers in a slow but steady pace, ever so often the til of his fingers grazing your g spot, making you moan in his face.

he fingers you as if he had tons of experience with your body, like he already knew how you liked it. and he does it all while looking at your face, his forehead slowly coming down to rest on your own.

after what you felt must’ve been hours when in reality it was just a few minutes, he seemed to be satisfied, pulling his fingers out completely.

and then he pushed the very same fingers inside of his mouth, eyebrows furrowing and eyes closing at your taste, humming in satisfaction as he licks his fingers clean.

you feel yourself clench as you watch him suck on his fingers. he looked like a god as he did it- his hair now messy and fluffy thanks to you, his expression looks like he’s having the best meal of his life, his tan skin glistening with sweat, his naked chest raising as he breathes in and out.

he looked so divine, it made you go just a little bit insane. just a bit.

he opens his dark eyes again, his face turning somewhat serious. seungcheol then slowly lowers himself down again, caging your head with his forearms that come to rest next to your head, making your entire focus shift to his eyes.

without much thought, you wrap your arms around his back, your legs locking themselves around his hips.

in the corner of your eye you see him his hand disappearing down, before you feel his cock teasing your folds, his head catching on your clit when he goes to pull it down back your folds. you gasp at this action, you eyes wanting to close themselves all on their own but your mind makes them stay open as you don’t want to miss a single thing.

his free hand comes to your face, pushing your hair back a little bit, before his tumb comes to wipe your bottom lip, your lips falling open on their own.

seungcheol caresses your cheek with the same tumb, and with gentle eyes and voice asks “ready?”.

to which you only nod your head slightly.

he smiles slightly before he lightly pinches your cheek “use your words, baby. i need to know you are 100% sure about this.”

a whispered ‘yes’ falls out of your mouth, your eyes in a trance with his own, the only things you are able to focus on are those chocolate orbs of his.

and then he’s pushing inside of you.

you both gasp at the burn, having difficulties fitting him inside of your tight hole.

his gasp turns into a rough growl, deeply saying “fuck, so tight, baby, you need to relax for me, otherwise i could hurt you”.

you try to listen to him, taking a deep breath in and out. kind of at the same time you both look down between yourselves.

only to see that he has only pushed his tip inside of you.

dear lord, may he help you survive this night.

as a minute passes by, you feel yourself slowly relax, seungcheol pushes himself a little bit more every few seconds until he’s completely bottoms out, his hips now touching yours.

he gives you a minute to relax, his hand gently rubbing your cheek, eyes lovingly looking at you.

as you give him a slight nod with your head, he slowly pulls out, before pushing back. he sets a slow pace for the start, carefully looking at your face for signs of discomfort, making your heart clench at his little signs of affection.

the pace continues for a few minutes, the thickness of his cock and how it massages your insides making you moan and him groan.

feeling like its not enough, you whine a little ‘more’ to him.

which was either the biggest mistake or the best decision of your life.

he quickens the movement of his hips slightly, the slapping of skin against skin now being added to the harmony that your moans and his groans were making.

his breath starts coming out heavier, the air that leaves his mouth lightly hitting your face as he’s fucking you.

you whine every time he pulls his hips back and moan every time he pushes them back, his cock repeatedly hitting your sweet spot.

but it seems like you are so desperate for more, so insatiable, that you pull him closer to you with your hold around his shoulders, his face falling in the curve where your neck meets your shoulders, your own doing the very same, whining “more, please, give me more, i want more, please please please-“ directly in his ear, your eyes closing in pleasure.

seungcheol stops for second, making you whine in disappointment, takes ahold of your thighs to hitch your legs higher on his hips.

and then he doubles the speed of his hips.

he sets an insane pace, his hips slapping against the back of your thighs, groans and deep moans falling out of his mouth. his dick feels so big, his head repeatedly hitting your spot, making your moans border on screams.

you can’t remember the last time you got fucked this good, and you were sure this will stay in your memory forever.

seungcheol continues with his merciless pace, your muscles clenching around him which in return makes him make more of those beautiful noises.

“you like that, baby? fuck, the noises you make- you are driving me insane. your pussy feels so tight- fuck, i can barely fit. and it’s so wet i- jesus. is this all for me? hm? so wet, just for me baby? fuck, i could fuck you for the rest of my life, never want to stop, want my dick inside of you all the time. you’d like that, wouldn’t you pretty girl? fuck- such a good girl-“

he continues to praise you and talk about you good you feel, how you are being such a good girl for him, and normally you would answer.

(un)fortunately, you have zero thoughts going on in your mind, only able to moan in his ear while he kisses and bites your shoulder, neck and collarbones, the sting barely noticeable in comparison to the slapping of the skin you feel on the back of your thighs. with extra effort, you successfully say through a moan “more, please, gimme more”.

seungcheol growls at this, before he pulls out completely out of you. he then harshly pulls you by your thighs and turns you over, pulling your hips up before you even have the time to let out a gasp. your chest that are now lacking all the air are touching the mattress while your ass is in the air, fully exposed to seungcheol’s eyes.

without any warning he slaps your right ass cheek, something between a scream and a moan flying out of your mouth. not giving you any time to even process the action, he’s already pushing his cock back inside of you, the new angle making the stretch feel even more delicious.

“fuck, my girl is so desperate huh? so desperate for this cock, moaning so prettily for me. fuck, you are going to be the death of me, you and this pussy”.

he basically lays himself on top of you, covering your whole body with his own, his firm chest pressed in your back, before he resumes his quick pace.

seungcheol pounds into you, so much so that you feel your pussy burn from the force of his hips that are slapping against it.

he continues to praise you but unfortunately you don’t hear anything anymore, only things that you can focus on is the delicious stretch of his dick and how it’s repeatedly hitting your g spot.

feeling your finish approaching quicker than expected, you moan out “im coming im coming im comi-“.

seeing that he is in the same boat, seungcheol groans in your ear, his hand quickly finding your own and intertwining your hands. squeezing your hands tightly, he growls in your ear “cum. cum for me pretty girl, fuck- make a mess on this dick”.

he uses his free hand to find your clit and rub it quickly.

and then you are screaming in pleasure. you feel your walls squeezing him harder than ever, milking him dry, which triggers his own release, a deep moan rumbling in his chest against your own back.

he fucks your slowly through both of your orgasms, your mind so cloudy that you don’t even feel the bite on your shoulder that he had to do in order to quiet down his own moans.

after a minute you feel your thighs shake slightly from overstimulation, lightly tapping him on his arm to stop, and he does. he stays inside as he uses his hand to slightly rub the side of your thigh in comfort.

as you try to regain your breath, you feel seungcheol kiss your cheek lightly like a feather, before he asks.

“ready to give me one more, baby?”

your cheeks burn as your thoughts take over your mind again. quickly shaking them off, you pull on the shirt over your head before leaving the bathroom.

as quietly as possible, you enter seungcheol’s room to find him still sleeping on his stomach, his back turned to you. sighing in relief, you make a quick search for your things.

as you pull on your dress from last night, you grimace at the fact that you will have to wear the same pair of panties from last night.

as you make sure that you have all of your things, you slowly head for the doors.

until a voice behind you stops you.

“leaving already?”.

you stop in your tracks before slowly turning around to see seungcheol looking at you through puffy eyes.

“yknow, if you wanted to leave in the morning, you could’ve just told me that last night, i would’ve prepared a car to drive you back, but i was under the impression that you were going to stay and have a breakfast with me”, he finishes as he lightly rubs his face.

you quickly look down, embarrassment and guilt washing over your face. you did want to stay, you wanted to stay for as long as he would let you, but you weren’t sure if that would be okay for him, or if you even deserved it.

seeing the expression on your face, seungcheol then asks, barely above the whisper, pleading looking at you.

“stay? please?”.

you quickly look up to see his gentle eyes, before you answer unsurely.

“would that really be okay with you? it’s just- i wasn’t sure if you wanted this to be a one time thing only or-or maybe- well, something more, so uh, i thought it be better to just leave a-and i-“

as you ramble, seungcheol feels his lips betray him as a small smile slowly gets bigger and bigger the longer you talk. deciding to make this easier for the both of you, he interrupts you.

“baby?”

you look at him with red cheeks, all and every thought you had evaporating from your mind.

seeing that he got your attention, he continues.

“take that dress off and get back in here, i want cuddles…and maybe something more.”

and who were you to deny him anything?

[revolutionsingingintherainnn]

Hi! Fellow desi here...

So Navratri is coming soon and I am really excited already!! Can you please write something about spending Navratri with Lando. It would be like teaching him the garba steps and the reader being obsessed with garba and Lando just being in awe.

I love your writing sooo much <3

Desi Girl ༉‧₊˚.

彡 ln x desi!reader 🪷

彡 fluff + smau 🪷

masterlist ☾☼

being an indian meant that there was some festival or the other every few months. that meant new clothes, new jewellery, and the same old feeling of being blessed by the gods and goddesses. for most indians, the blessings of the almighty was all they sought throughout the year.

navratri was one of y/n's favourite festivals. nine days of music, dance, and worshipping different goddessess. every year, y/n bought nine new chaniya cholis for the festival, and every year she danced all night till her feet had blisters. it was the happiest she ever felt.

this year was different though, because she had a boyfriend. a boyfriend who was hot and rich and very much british. since the festival and the autumn break coincided, lando had decided to spend the break with his girlfriend in india. y/n had taken him shopping to all kinds street markets, where all he really did was hold her bags, give his opinion when asked, and made sure that she was hydrated. he had watched as she bargained, and tried on jhumkas, and smiled and laughed even though the sun was scorching hot.

the first two days of navratri had been y/n doing garba with her family and friends, and lando watching from afar, afraid to step into the fast moving circles of humans who were dancing in perfect sync. everyone was sweaty, especially his girlfriend, but she seemed to shine in the sweat. that just made lando fall in love even more.

on the third day, y/n had decided that she would teach lando the basic steps of garba. she took him in a little corner, not too secluded, but there was enough space for him to practice. she taught him the footwork of the dance, but even after multiple tries, lando tripped way more than he ever thought was imaginable. his girlfriend laughed though, so he hadn't completely failed at dancing.

he had tried participating with her friends, where they were all doing the same basic steps that y/n had been teaching him. after a few minutes of stepping on people's toes, and people stepping on his toes, lando had given up, sweating, shining, smiling.

y/n had grabbed his hand and pulled him to the food stalls. lando had never eaten anything like it before, but y/n was excited, and she was happy, and lando eating whatever she wanted him to would make her happier, so who was he to question it?

their first stop had been the pani puri stall. it was certainly an experience to try and fit the entire puri in his mouth without staining his clothes. when he had complained to y/n that there was no way he could fit the whole thing in his mouth, she had smirked at him and said, "remember when i said that to you? that it wasn't going to fit in my mouth?"

lando was blushing, knowing exactly what she was talking about, "y/n,"

"what did you say to me then? ah, yeah, practice makes perfect," y/n had been smiling wide as she teased him. lando had choked on the pani puri, and y/n had laughed, patting his back.

they went through all the stalls, where y/n proceeded to stuff him full of food. it was all extremely spicy for him, and despite y/n laughing at how red he had gotten, lando was determined to not ruin the fun. eventually, she had fed him gulab jamuns, kheer, and so many other sweets, he had lost track.

after eating, lando and y/n walked around the area, talking and laughing, and he had never felt so in love. he repeatedly told her how beautiful she looked, and even at the tenth and hundredth time, y/n blushed just the same. god, she really was breathtaking.

"so, what's the next festival?" lando asked.

"well, navratri ends on saturday, and then we have dusshera on sunday, and then, about two weeks later, diwali! oh, are you going to stay? i mean, i know you have your training and you have to be at the mtc for work or whatever, but dusshera is really fun, cause my nana sits all of us kids down and tells us the whole story of lord ram and how he defeated ravan!" she was rambling, they both knew, but lando loved it.

"i'm going to make sure i'm here on sunday," lando said softly.

"yeah?" her small hands were squeezing his big ones in hope.

lando leaned in, kissing her softly, before he pulled back, "yeah,"

lando.jpg

♫ Desi Girl (From "Dostana")

liked by yourusername, oscarpiastri, and 801,572 others

lando.jpg who's the hottest girl in the world

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yourusername your desi girl <3

user1 is this a hard launch??? ARE WE HARD LAUNCHING RIGHT NOW???

user1 LANDO IN INDIA??? HELLO??? WHY WERE WE NOT TOLD???

user2 he better get an indian passport now

user3 jijaji pt.2???

carlossainz making the most of the break, i see

carlossainz spanish food or indian food?

lando.jpg 🤐

yourusername im watching you, norris

user2 HOLD ON DID LANDO DO GARBA?????

☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓

i'm not really a garba person, despite living in gujarat for quite a while, but this is specifically for my desi girls, cause we gotta feed our delusions somehow to live, right? i hope you enjoy it! i've also got a link for my taglist and requests that you can find here!

[m3ntally-unstable]

can you write a drew starkey x fem!reader imagine where drew has a crush on the reader and he has for a while, but he doesn't think the reader likes him back until one day he like drunk confesses or just impulsively tells her? <3

A/N : Yes I will try (I’ve never written before) I’m sorry I’m so late on this I’m just so nervous to write stuff 😭😭

I love you..

Drew starky x fem!Reader

Warnings:- drinking,use of y/n , drew being drunk most of the time, some insta posts (tell me if I’m missing anything.)

__________________________________________

having a well-known acting career and appearing in TV series such as Vampire Diaries, Stranger Things, and Ginny and Georgia, I've had my fair share of romantic relationships and crushes on coworkers.

I have had both positive and negative emotions from every person I have dated. Nonetheless I still have a lot of my partners as friends, though.

When I got casted on outerbanks, I was already working on a project which required all of my time in another state in a whole ,leading to me having to decline the role.

After finishing said project , and sulking over not excepting the offer i got a call from my agent telling me that I was getting handed a role,a really good one .No audition needed. As the love interest of a rich playboy (wonder who that is).

———//———//———//———//———//———//—

“What exactly is the show again?…” I asked annoyed that I was being disturbed from my beauty sleep.

“Firstly I never told you aaand secondly it’s for.. outerbanks!”

What.

The show I declined? The show that made me regret doing my previous project instead of it? The show where my college crush- AHEM. right where was I

“Hellooo? You there y/n?..”

“Uhhh yeah sorry. You can call back and say yes”

“I already did. I was just telling you”

“Wow oka-“

——————————————————————-

Originally I believed that when I joined the cast of the outerbanks drew starkey would forget about me, but judging off of the happy smile on his face when he saw me or how his eyes softened when I talked about something I was interested in told me otherwise. I was finally gonna tell him. Tell him I l-

Actually I just shouldn’t go! Yeah. Why face the embarrassment of drew not feeling same! Yeah that’s smar-

Ting!

Madisyn bby

Girl, we need to go shopping for

Dresses ASAP . It’s already 3

And the party IS AT 9

You

Woah woah ok I’ll

Meet you out in 5😭

Madisyn bby

That’s what I thought

You

Yeah yeah 😒

Madisyn bby

GET READY!!

Read 12:45

__________________________________________

“Ok , red or black?” I asked with hesitation on the choices i had just tried on. “Definitely black girl, you look so hot” madisyn replied “maybe match it with some green?” Elaine said “that would look so good” Maddie added with a wink towards Elaine.

“Hey hey what’s up with the winking” I asked panicked “oh you know just Drew’s favourite colour..” madisyn mumbled out. I felt my eye twitching at the three of them I felt the heat rise up to my cheeks

“god you guys” I blushed and ran into the changing room soon hearing the laughter of the 3 girls.

“You don’t need to be embarrassed girlie pop” Elaine teased “easy for you to say your already dating someone ” I whined

———————————————————————Elameeeee

°

°

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elameeeee had too much fun shopping with my girls for season wrap party

Y/nuser I will find you.

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———————————————————————————————————

As soon as I walked into the venue of the party the only that came to mind was my insecurities. Would Drew ever like someone like me? Someone who isn’t as pretty as his ex’s?

Instead of overthinking maybe I should just drink it away .yeah that sounds goo-

“Y/N!”

God what is with people and interrupting me today?! I turned around and looked around not seeing anyone who seemed to be calling my name

“Over here!” I turned a bit to the right and saw

Drew.

Oh my. No no no. I’m not ready yet I was still in the middle of overthinking.

He came running up to me with the cutest grin on his face “hey.” He said out of breath “hi Drew” I responded while looking down because I could feel the blood rushing up.

“You- uh you look beautiful ” he stuttered out after actually taking a good look at my dress. If I wasn’t blushing earlier I sure am now.

“You don’t look half-bad yourself starkey” I giggled out trying to regain my confidence.

I couldn’t help but notice the small blush spread across his face after hearing my comment. God that’s so embarrassing, why did I even say that.

“DREW MY MAN!” I hear non other than Rudy come up. Rudy was nice , I saw him as my best friend, like a brother, Rudy and I were two pods in a pea, me and him grew up together in Atlanta and only moved apart because of high school, we still often texted and chatted but it never felt the same as being with him in person

“RUDY!” I squealed

“Y/n!” He rushed into my arms and pulled me into his into his tight embrace “oh my god , I missed you so much”

He chuckled “I missed you too n/n” he pulled back “look at you, miss hell on wheels”

“You guys know eachother?” Drew asked “yeah, me and Rudy grew up together” I responded Rudy agreeing with me “oh okay..”

“So um let’s head inside?”

———————————————————————

It was currently 1:25 am and observing how everyone was almost knocked out , except for jd and me obviously, who else was going to take care of them?

“I’ll order a Uber for Rudy and Elaine , you should stay with drew,the girls and me , it’s not a problem” JD offered

“Yeah That’d be great , thank you jd” he nodded

Now , the biggest challenge of all, getting them back to the apartment. Sigh, why am I even here.

“Drew come on , let’s go”

“Ughnnn, no I don’t wanna” he wrapped his arms around my waist and stared into my eyes

“Drew-” he put his head into the crook of my neck. God I can feel his breath. It’s okay , just get him back to the apartment and done

“Y/n Come on let’s go!” JD honked from the car

“Come on drew” I practically dragged him out, but what surprised me that he didn’t let go. “Drew let go”

“Nghhhh” he somehow just cuddled in deeper to me

This is going to be a long night.

———————————————————————

Having to drag this 80kg man down a hallway into a bed is like doing bodybuilding.

“Come on Drew go to bed”

“Don’t leaveeeee” he whined

I sighed out of frustration, “okay cmon big boy let’s go to bed” I stepped into bed and stayed on my side of the bed, not wanting it to be awkward.

He tried wrapping his arms around me “heyyy, come closer”

“Drew what has gotten into you” I mumbled, as he wrapped his arms around my waist and stuffed his head into the crook of my neck like earlier today

“You know drew im so gonna make fun o-”

“Do you and Rudy have something going on” he spoke clearly for the first time that night.

WHAT?!

“What are you on about drew.” He still waited for a response “no!” He sighed like he was holding his breath and leaned back into my shoulder.

“I love you” his voice came muffled but , I knew what he said, if it wasn’t so dark , he would’ve seen how red I’d become just from that one comment

“Drew come on your drunk-”

He lifted his head “I mean it.”

Oh my god. Is the world spinning? I can’t breathe!. Okay , no calm, he’s drunk he doesn’t mean it. Your okay yea-

Suddenly I felt lips on mine, it took me a moment to realise what was happening and I kissed back. no this is wrong, I pulled away

“Drew we can’t do this.. not again”

“Y/n , I know you feel it, please.”

I paused thinking of what to say , hearing him plead with his puppy eyes under the moonlight was intoxicating

“Drew your drunk, I won’t do anything, until I know you mean it”

Drew didn’t respond, he slowly made a Noice of confirmation and understood where I was coming from and put his head back down to its original position.

I knew he wasn’t sleeping but it was peaceful knowing we were just lying there. I felt my eyes get heavy but before I let slumber take me I said

“Hey drew..”

“Hmm”

“Tell me that again tomorrow”

I felt him smile against my neck and muzzle into me more

“Ofcourse”

———————————————————————-

The next morning , i woke up with Drew still having his arms wrapped around me and a particular instagram post that made me actually realised what was happening

Rudeth

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Rudeth saves this wiles you can people , before y/n wakes up and kills me #y/drew

@y/nuser and @drewstarkey

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Not proofread

[theprismyyy]

THINK WITH ME!!!! A Yellowjackets Au in the best OuterBanks style😭😭

Imagine dying near the beach, going surfing, taking trips on some old boat like the one the troupe had, living most of the time in Natalie's old house which would definitely be like JJ... that said:

Natalie: Natalie would live with her parents in that old house that quickly became the group's hangout, which is amazing and makes her life a little less shitty. Her father spends half the day out drinking and doing his own thing, while her mother just sleeps in that old armchair and doesn't even notice the teenagers.

Lottie, Jackie and Shauna: I mean...Lottie and Jackie are definitely Kooks, but Shauna makes me wonder a little more about it, maybe she could be considered one too, like she's not exactly rich, but she lives in a nice neighborhood and in a nice house and her parents have good jobs that definitely don't demand everything from them and provide their daughter with a good life, all that added to the fact that she's Jackie's best friend...yeah I think Shauna would be more inclined to be a Kook.

Taissa: Urgg Taissa would definitely be like Pope, but not as "scared and proper" as Pope from the first season. Anyway, she's super Pogue and wants to do everything she can to really get a good scholarship and give her parents a better life :)) Just like Pope, she helps her father with the sales deliveries (and just like him, she sometimes does stupid things to help her friends😭)

Van: 100% Pogue with all her heart and soul, also Natalie's best friend and the two loved taking her boat to go diving, fishing and stuff, they both probably ended up sleeping on this old boat and woke up full of mosquito bites more times than they can count <3 surf queens too Van always makes fun of Natalie when she gets hit by a particularly big wave. This girl is completely in love with Taissa and always freezes around her, like a complete and blushing mess because imagine Van going to get something from Tai's family's store and running into her, then she's like: 😲😃🥴

Laura Lee: Do I really need to say? She's a total Kook, her parents are rich and super religious, her dad is a really prestigious priest (and involved in local politics🙄). Her parents always tell her not to get involved with Pogues, claiming that they're troublemakers, delinquents and just cause problems :(( But how could she when Lottie is friends with so many of them and she follows her around like a puppy? They've also always treated her so well and are so nice, so she really can't understand why her dad would hate them so much, they're just people😭 she would be a sweetheart, but she's already a sweetheart with everyone anyway.

Misty: I'm inclined to say she'd be a Kook...but not the traditional kind, like her parents are well-off and all, but she's not really a popular person who hangs out with the other Kooks and does Kook things. She's a total outcast, an outcast among those in her social class and those who aren't in her class as well (the Pogues)😭. She's tried to make friends with both sides, but the Kooks think she's...weird and totally out of the ordinary, while the Pogues...let's just say she always says something wrong that makes her look like a complete clueless idiot :(( poor baby, but she later manages to become part of the club, maybe she'll end up saving the group's skin when they get into trouble by helping them hide or something, after all no one would really suspect a Kook.

@before-it-felt-like-a-sin @lacyscabinet @jellyb3annn

© 2024 theprismyyy — please do not copy, translate or repost any of my works without my permission.

[bloomingpresent]

Ferro Rosso Chapter VI

Pairing: Charles Leclerc/Female reader digital artist older woman

Summary: on your mids 30’s you never imagine you’d be divorce. To help with the healing process you decide to return to you first love: digital illustration. Posting videos of your art online leads you to work for Ferrari. But you never thought it’d lead you to find somebody that’s going to bring you back to trust again in love.

Warnings: none, this one it's pretty much fluff. Some swearing.

Disclaimer: Again, this one it's fluff but these two did get something out of their chest that they wanted to get out. And I’m pretty happy with how their conversation went.So after this one, things are getting spicier. So bear with this fluff chapter one more time, please. I promise spicy stuff is coming. It's a short one.

All the previous chapters are here

“You think you can play me like this .. like I don’t understand anything? You think just because you’re older I won’t feel like you’re using me and I’m some stupid kid? You think you can take me for a joke?”. Charles's words ramble out of him. He’s been keeping all inside.

You walk back inside the room pulling him with you, you can’t have this conversation out in the hallway.“Using you? For what? I got where I am because of me! Be very careful Charles” you warn him.

 “You know what? You’re right! You don’t need me because you’re older, wiser, and more experienced. You just wanted the fun times with the cute boy with no strings attached.” Charles says, even if that’s not what he really thinks, frustration had taken a toll on him.

Now you’re not sad or frustrated anymore. You’re mad. “We both enter this physical relationship knowing what we were getting into it. You're not a boy you're an adult as same as I am. So don't give me that crap ok?”.

Charles crossed his arms on his chest. “I thought it would be just that. A physical relationship. We’d meet, we’d have fun, and go back to our lives. And it’s funny because I’m usually the one who doesn’t get attached…”

You cut him “When I tried to contact you you ran away from me, ignore me!”

 “It wasn’t like that! I got scared. I was too out of control. So I just stopped talking to you, to everyone” he says lowering the tone.

“Very mature of you Charles” you say in a mocking tone.

 “You can make fun of me if you want to, but this is me being honest!" He points at you near your face "I am out of control! You seem to be so much ‘older and wiser’ and I’m just this young dumb kid…” he says mocking you now.

“I didn't say that. I felt so stupid wanting to contact you, wanting to know how you were, feeling sorry for the horrible races and you just ignored me. Can you understand that?!” now you were getting things off your chest.

“ Can YOU get it? Or you’re pretending?  or maybe I’m some kid you can use and throw away like a piece of trash? That fucks all the women he can without even caring” Charles feels like his head is going to explode. Blood pumping into his system like crazy.

Both of you are so into your own battles.

“Oh god! you are not getting me. I come from a divorce, a bad one, you are the famous f1 driver, rich and famous and you can have any girl you want. You came to me we had fun and we agreed that it'll be just that. And then when I try to contact you and you show up with your girlfriend showing her off. How did you expect me to feel?” There it is, this is what’s been bothering you really. 

 “Oh, so this about my fame and my money now? You think I’m taking all the advantage, is it? You think I’m just playing around like a kid because I can have any woman I want? You seriously think I don’t have any feelings? Just because I’m an f1 driver?, you think I don’t get hurt? Don’t suffer?”. The pressure it’s real for Charles, and he is slowly losing his mind, and you’re not helping either with all of this.

“Well, that's what you are showing me lately.” you just reply and wait for his answer.

“Damn it y/n! You have no idea what I’ve been through in my career! All my pain, all my tears and all the hard work I’ve put in to make me one of the best drivers on track. You have no idea how much I’ve suffered and you think you get to judge me? You think you can tell me how I should act, when you have never been in my place? You have no idea the pressure, the stress I have to go through… and yet you think you can judge me?!?” Charles answers you with holding his head between his hands, eyes open in shock and frustration. 

Maybe he is right, you don’t really know it, but still you think he is not right. And he still thinks you’re being unreasonable. 

“You know what Charles is fine! You win, you're right I'm the bitch here, I'm the one who's wrong...this (pointing the space between you two) isn't working. I was right that we should keep our distance from each other.” It’s all you have to say at that. There is no argument anymore, neither of you is willing to let go of whatever is holding you back from each other. And he has a point.

“And there you go again! Trying to run away. You just want the fun and games… and then when someone gets hurt or gets too close to your emotions, you blame them for having feelings. Well, you’re not gonna run away that easily from me. I want you to admit that you care.”. Charles says stepping closer to you.

“For the love of god! when did I say I didn't care! I do, and that's the problem!.” you answer him looking into his eyes. And he is taken by surprise. You do care, and he does too.

 “Okay, then show it to me! Show you care for me! You wanted me to show I cared and here I am. So now is your chance, show you care. Don’t just say it, don’t run. Show you care.” He says grabbing you by the wrist preventing you from move away, which you try, but he wont let you. 

You feel so expose, he is looking into your soul now.

 “Tell me the truth. Am I just a toy for you? Because if it’s just about the fun times, I can leave you right here and never talk to you again… Answer me” Charles is slowly disarming you.

"No, you're not..." your words bearly audible.

He moves even closer until his lips are just a few inches from yours. All his anger has subsided and now he looks at you with fiery eyes “Then why do you push me away... Why?”.

You smile and look down. “The same reason you did it. Because I thought you didn't want any more than sex with me.” I whisper.

 “So we’re both cowards, huh?” he says looking at his feet.

"We're both proud assholes..." you admit.

“Then we should stop being so proud. What do you say?” Charles finally says as he slowly leans in and kisses you. 

You just respond with another kiss, this one it’s deeper. Hands everywhere. Things start getting out of control rapidly.

“We should stop. You have to go back” you say between kisses. Snapping both of you out of the frenzy.

“Right!” he says stepping back and covering his mouth trying to control himself.

“We have a three-week break, we should take this time to think.” You look at him trying to figurated what he is thinking.

“Or…” he comes back with answer “I can visit London, you know for my vacation, and if you happened to be there, then…” he comes closer “...we can hang out”

You nod taking his suggestion. “Right ok…sounds like a plan.”

"All right then firecracker...I'll text you ok," he says resting his forehead on yours.

It takes more than a few minutes for you two to say goodbye. 

The 3 weeks break ahead is looking pretty good.

Now that they got their mind straight how will this relationship develop? Will it develop? How will they manage to keep all the balls in the air? Will passion and romance betray the secrecy of what they have? There is a whole lot of things to deal with.

Let me know what you think, please.

[davyjoneslockr]

Yes yes I'm sending more playlist related questions because these are fun. So The Rain The Park And The Other Things on the Fugio playlist caught my eye..ear? And it reminded me of the song Send me no flowers by Doris Day and I like that a lot.

Everybody says that Strawberry Blonde is very them coded but nobody explains why. I'm curious about your interpretation :D

Also does the Naramis playlist tackle the sad side of their relationship? How, you know, Narancia isn't there anymore. I appreciate that a lot about this ship- losing someone you love but still needing to move on. I think that's very realistic and I hope Mista finds peace again.

HI I'M SO SORRY I MISSED THIS sorry for the wait!!

Just listened to Send Me No Flowers and it's really lovely, I think I could also see it being Fugio-y in a way? Specifically postcanon pre-PHF from Giorno's POV. Something something he has all the tangible things he wants but not Fugo. But maybe that's just because my brain loves to make songs about wanting someone back + flowers about Fugio lol.

I won't lie, Strawberry Blond is a holdover from when I started making this playlist four years ago, when Strawberry Blond was considered the Fugio song and was on everyone's playlists lol. But listening to it now, I actually think it aligns with my Fugio vision more than I initially thought.

I think a lot of people take it as a Fugo -> Giorno song, but I much prefer imagining it the other way around. Again, imagery of someone leaving and the other aching over it, and the line "I love everybody because I love you" makes me think of Giorno basically getting his whole worldview tossed up because of Fugo, who's so completely different from him in every way. But also, I really really like to imagine that Giorno's feelings are unrequited at first. I think I've explained the Fugonara -> Fugio pipeline before, but Fugio during canon to me is more like. Giorno is very infatuated with Fugo, and Fugo doesn't notice because he's still hung up over his own one-sided feelings for Narancia. So the second verse kinda fits that, too, I think. The thing with "all I ever wanted was a life in your shape" also could have a lot of different connotations with them, too - Fugo had, and still has, a lot of privilege Giorno doesn't (Fugo grew up rich, never had to face xenophobia/racism, had a strong and well-funded education that is clearly shown to still give him a huge advantage even after he's disowned), and on the headcanon side of things, I do usually hc Giorno as trans and Fugo as cis, so there's that, too. But it could also be how Giorno has always repressed emotions/feelings, and Fugo isn't really able to, but also derives power from those emotions (even if they're harmful) - maybe a tiny bit of subconscious envy that Fugo's able to feel, to cry, so on and so forth? Idk. Something like that.

As for the Naramis playlist, I actually don't have a ton of angsty stuff on there, because I did originally envision it as a happier vibes sort of playlist (even I need a break from Naramis angst sometimes hehe). But I did start including a few sadder ones as of late!!

This song is super postcanon Mista to me and that's why I used it as the title for the second part of my fic :] "Once my heart was filled with the love of a girl/I held her close, but she faded in the night/Like a poem I meant to write" specifically.

Another postcanon one. The airplane metaphors really sell it for me. I think Mista sometimes plays this one on his guitar and thinks of Narancia :)))

And slightly different, but I actually think of this one from Narancia's POV!! He's been let down and betrayed a lot in his life, he can't envision a better life for himself than being a criminal, and his best friend ends up leaving him out of cowardice, so he hopes that he can at least have one person he can trust and rely on - ie Mista.

Thank you again for the ask, I love talking about my tunes (and Fugio and Naramis) ^_^

[stars-and-birds]

okay so i actually know very little about the x men but what roles are u thinking of for the party?

OKAY. you have awakened nerd esme. prepare urself. this will be long. sooooo long.

so for context the x men— created in 1963 by stan lee and jack kirby and fictionally brought together by professor x, a wheelchaired mutant with telepathic abilities, were/are mutants. mutants are a different species than humans and are as such treated terribly by them. they have “mutations” which give them powers and shit. they were basically created as parallels to real life bigotry and are hated by the general public (in the marvel verse everyone irl loves them. or i do. )

anyway, the original five were—

angel aka warren worthington III (yes that is his actual name) who had wings on his back. now they’re metal. it’s complicated but not important. he’s basically the token rich boy, blond hair, blue eyes, yeah. total knockout in canon too apparently. cyclops aka scott summers who had a red laser beam that continuously comes out of his eyes and as such he wears/wore a special visor made out of special ruby glass professor x found for him. quick fun fact he had so low self esteem and was so depressed professor x made him leader out of fear he would fucking kill himself. which is very dark. a bit stoic and pretty much an old man (he canonically watched seinfield). and he’s transmasc to ME. beast aka hank mccoy who is basically a genius and really strong and stuff. eventually he turns into a literal beast but i’m too sleep deprived to remember how that happened lolol marvel girl aka jean grey who was the token Girl™️ of the group and who possessed too many abilities to keep track of, and when she has them. she gets fucked up at some point in the chris claremont x men run (which is truly iconic) and becomes possessed by the phoenix force(specifically in issue #134, the issue will wanted in episode one) and becomes like evil and shit. the phoenix force is a cosmic evil being and she becomes *dark* phoenix and it’s a whole thing. also pour one fucking out for her imagine being surrounded by teenage boys and hormones most of whom have a crush on you and being able to read their minds. jean babe i’m so sorry for everything you’ve been through. and bobby drake aka iceman who has *gasp* ice powers. he’s a bit of the goofball of the group and can turn basically turn himself into ice which is explored more in more recent comics. he’s also been revealed as gay. one small step for mutants i suppose they’re all queer but nobody tell them.

wow that was long! sorry. anyway onto the actual au stuff. my original plan was to make each member of the part correspond to a o5 x men member, but since there are six i thought i’d add one more for max.

mike is cyclops! i think it fits in a special sort of way that i can’t really articulate since they have such different personalities. but just trust me.

el is jean, in the telepathic sense and being surrounded by boys most of the time sense. rip.

dustin is beast. tech savvy, smart, tested different bc of how he looks— it fits. so so well.

again the personalities may not fit on the surface but i think will is iceman. they’re both sort of softer than everyone else, and whole will is quieter it just makes sense to me haha.

uhh so i don’t actually think lucas would be warren… mayhaps i’m still considering… which means i wrote that whole description for basically nothing but i think it’s funny so i’m keeping it there. anyway i think lucas would be… idk. i’m still thinking it over but maybe gambit.

so for max @hellmo suggested rogue who would be great but i’m also still mulling it over. maybe kitty pryde! idk.

technically i think brenner would work as prof x but obviously that’s a no-go so it’s gonna be mr clarke which i like more as concept actually. again, different personalities but i think that’s okay, because the general roles fit. plus i jsut think that dynamic would be fun to explore more.

so sorry this was long and doesn’t really have much au it’s more me seeing x men and going brrr… haha. thanks for the ask tho!!! i enjoyed talking about them :]

[leonmybeloved]

Hidden Connections

Chapter 2: The Summer Street Festival

Chapter 1 • Chapter 3

April and Marie strolled through the bustling Summer Street Festival, the vibrant energy of the event surrounding them. The air was filled with the mouthwatering aroma of various food stalls, kids laughing, and the melodies of live music.

Brightly colored banners fluttered in the breeze, and the soft glow of string lights added a magical touch to the evening.

Marie looked around, her eyes wide with wonder. “This is incredible! I’ve never seen anything like this as big as this back home.”

April grinned, nudging her playfully. “Welcome to New York Marie! The city that never sleeps, and there’s always something fun going on. I thought this would be the perfect way to show you around.”

They wandered past a row of food vendors, each one offering tantalizing treats. April stopped at a stand selling fried dough, her eyes lighting up. “You have to try this, Marie. It’s a festival classic.” She handed over a bill to the vendor and soon presented Marie with a plate of freshly powdered fried dough.

Marie took a bite, her eyes widening in delight. “This is amazing!”

April laughed. “Told you! Come on, there’s plenty more where that came from.” April said, taking Marie’s hand.

As they continued to explore, they came across a booth with various games and prizes. April’s eyes gleamed as she spotted a ring toss game. “Oh, I used to love this game as a kid. Let’s give it a try.”

Marie smiled, watching as April expertly tossed the rings, managing to land a few on the pegs, Marie threw two but didn't have as much success. The two girls laughed as they focused on winning a prize. After April landed on one last ring the girls cheered as the booth operator handed her a small plush turtle toy as a prize. April turned and handed it to Marie. “A little souvenir from your very first New York festival with April O'Neil.”

Marie accepted the plush toy with a grateful smile, hugging it to her chest. “Awww thanks, April. He’s so cute. This is turning out to be the best night I’ve had in a really long time.”

April smiled back, proud the night was going so well. “I’m glad you’re enjoying it. So, what did you do for fun when you lived back in Maine, Marie?”

Marie’s expression softened into a contemplative look. “Ah, you know, not much really…” She said tightening her grip onto the plush turtle. “My parents were always busy and I had like literally zero friends back home, so, I mostly just stayed in the house, lot’s of video games and boring stuff like that.. That’s why I begged my parents to let me go to a public school here. Private school kids are just.. too snobby for me.” She said forcing out a light hearted laugh.

April nodded understandingly, guiding them towards a quieter part of the festival where they could talk more easily. “So, are your parents like, uber-rich or something?” she asked, genuinely curious. April had noticed small things about Marie that tipped her off that her family might be loaded.

Marie shrugged slightly, looking a bit self-conscious. “I guess so. My grandpa owned a pretty popular diamond store back in the day, and then my dad got lucky with stocks, so we’re definitely well off. I guess I’m just afraid of letting it get to my head, so I try not to think about it too much.”

April gave her a reassuring smile. “Well, you don’t seem like the snobby type at all. I think it’s cool that you’re so down-to-earth about it.”

Marie smiled back, feeling a bit more at ease. “Thanks, April. It’s just weird sometimes, you know? Trying to fit in when people have all these assumptions about you." She said looking towards the festival lights. "I just wanna be a kid while I still have the chance.”

April nodded sympathetically. “Yeah, I can imagine that being tough. But hey,” April started, elbowing Marie’s arm lightly. “you’ve got a fresh start here, and from what I’ve seen, you’re pretty awesome.”

Marie’s smile widened. “Thanks, April. I’m really glad we met.” She said looking down at her turtle plushie.

April looped her arm through Marie’s, leading them back into the heart of the festival. “Come on, let’s make this night even better. How about we hit up the main stage? There’s a band playing soon that’s supposed to be really good.”

Marie’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Sounds perfect!”

April laughed. “I’ll show you how real New Yorker’s party!”

Mikey and Leo perched on a rooftop overlooking the Summer Street Festival, their eyes scanning the vibrant scene below. The energy was infectious, and Mikey couldn’t help but bounce slightly on his feet, his excitement barely contained.

“This is so cool!” Mikey whispered, his gaze darting around the bustling festival. “Look at all the food stalls and games! It’s like a giant playground.”

Leo chuckled, nodding in agreement. “Yeah, it’s pretty amazing. Let’s find a good spot to watch the DIGG concert. We’ll have the best view from up here.”

They settled down near the edge of the rooftop, looking down at the main stage where the band was setting up. The crowd below buzzed with anticipation, and the atmosphere was electric.

As they waited for the concert to start, Mikey’s eyes wandered over the festival. He spotted April and Marie walking through the crowd, laughing and chatting. He nudged Leo and pointed. “Hey, there’s April and her friend!”

Leo followed Mikey’s gaze and spotted the two girls in the crowd. April and Marie were laughing and chatting, clearly enjoying themselves amidst the vibrant energy of the festival.

"Damn," Leo murmured, his eyes lingering on Marie. "She's kinda hot."

Mikey turned to Leo, raising an eyebrow. "What?" He said, staring at his lovestruck brother, it was a sight to behold, Leo didn't show vulnerability to his brother's often.

Leo shrugged, a smirk playing on his lips. "What? I’m just being honest. I’m glad April has some normal friends. It’s important for girls to have someone like them to talk to, especially with all the craziness we deal with. She seems cool, she'll be good for April."

“It's a bummer we can't go down to say hi,” Mikey sighed, a hint of disappointment in his voice. “We don’t want to freak out her friend, April would kill us..”

Leo nodded, keeping an eye on them from a distance. “Yeah, we’ll just watch from up here. No big deal.” He said shrugging.

Suddenly, Leo’s keen eyes caught sight of something unusual. Near the edge of the festival grounds, he noticed the distinctive movement of Baron Draxum’s roots creeping around the festival. His eyes widened in alarm as he quickly realized what was about to happen.

“Mikey, look!” Leo whispered urgently, pointing towards the roots. “That's Draxum’s! He must be planning on attacking the festival!”

Mikey’s eyes followed Leo’s finger, and he gasped in shock. “Oh no! We gotta do something!”

Leo was already on his feet, ready to spring into action. “We need to call Raph and Donnie. There’s no time to waste.”

Before they could move, a large group of oozesquitoes exploded behind the stage, their menacing buzz filling the air. The crowd started to notice, and panic began to spread as the roots shot everywhere, grabbing people and dragging them away. The oozesquitoes swooped down, biting several people and causing them to mutate into monstrous forms.

“Leo! The oozesquitoes!” Mikey shouted, his voice filled with urgency.

"I know!" Leo’s eyes narrowed in determination. “We have to get April and her friend out of there! They’re in danger!”

Down below, April and Marie were near the main stage, they looked up as the air filled with the green glow of the oozesquitoes. The crowd’s screams and the sudden chaos snapped April to attention, her instincts kicking in.

“Marie, we need to move!” April shouted, grabbing Marie’s hand and pulling her towards safety.

Marie, confused and scared, followed April’s lead, clutching the plush turtle to her chest. “April, what’s happening?” She said as she watched in horror as people were being dragged away.

“Just stay close to me, okay, don't leave my side!” April yelled over the noise, scanning the area for a safe escape route.

Meanwhile, Leo and Mikey moved swiftly, navigating the rooftops to get closer to their friends. Leo shouted into his communicator, alerting his brothers about the situation. “Raph, Donnie, we’ve got a situation at the festival! Draxum’s attacking, and April’s in the middle of it! We need backup, now!”

Back at the festival, the scene was descending into chaos. People were running in every direction, trying to escape the grasping roots and the swarming oozesquitoes. Leo and Mikey reached the edge of the rooftop closest to the main stage, their eyes locked on April and Marie.

“We have to get them out of there! They're too close to the main stage to get away alone.” Leo said, determination in his voice.

Leo and Mikey jumped off the roof onto the ground, landing smoothly amidst the chaos. Everywhere they looked, people were being attacked by Draxum’s roots and the vicious oozesquitoes. The festival had turned into a nightmare.

Suddenly, behind the stage, Baron Draxum rose from the shadows, his menacing figure towering over the terrified crowd. His voice boomed through the air, amplified by some unseen force.

"Humans of New York, behold the power of nature reborn!" Draxum's voice echoed. "For too long, humanity has disrespected the natural order. Tonight, the balance will begin to be restored. Embrace your true forms, and become one with the Yokai!"

April and Marie watched in fear, their eyes wide with horror as Draxum’s roots continued to wreak havoc. The menacing roots twisted and slithered like serpents, grabbing at anything in their path.

April grabbed Marie’s hand, trying to pull her away. “We have to get out of here, now!”

But before they could move, a vine shot towards them with lightning speed. April pushed Marie, trying to shield her from the attack, but both girls were caught in the vine’s relentless grip. They screamed as the roots tightened around them, lifting them off the ground.

“April! No!” Mikey shouted, his heart pounding. He dashed towards her, the chain of his kusari-fundo ringing in his ears as he shot it towards April swiftly wrapping it around April her, he pulled with all his might to free her from the vine's grasp.

Leo sprinted towards Marie, his eyes locked on her terrified face. He reached out, but he wasn't quick enough. The vine pulled her away, dragging her into the darkness behind the stage, leaving behind her turtle plushie.

“Marie!” April yelled, desperation in her voice.

April, freed from the vine by Mikey’s quick actions, collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. She looked up, her eyes filled with panic and tears. “Leo, Mikey, we have to go after her!”

Leo and Mikey's hearts pounded as they processed what had just happened. The festival was a mess, people were running around trying to escape the remaining oozesquitoes. The humans that had mutated on the ground, writhing and screaming in pain.

Raph and Donnie arrived, breathless from their hurried journey. Raph scanned the scene, his eyes narrowing in frustration. "Leo, what happened? Where's Draxum?"

Leo took a deep breath, his voice steady despite the urgency. "He got away.. he's gone."

April clutched Marie's dropped turtle plushie tightly, her hands trembling. "He took Marie, we have to find her. We can't let Draxum hurt her or any of the other people he took."

Mikey knelt beside April, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "We will, April. We promise."

Leo turned to the rest of the team, his expression grave. "Draxum has taken several people. He must be planning something with them."

"Why take some and just mutate others here?" Mikey pondered aloud, his brow furrowed in concern.

Raph shook his head, focusing on the task at hand. "We don’t have time to think. We can figure out Draxum's plans later. Right now, we need to move. Donnie, can you track Draxum's location?"

Donnie nodded, already calculating the data he received from the surrounding area. "I've got the energy traces from both the vine residue and the portal he used. He's still in the Hidden City, deeper than before. Seems he built another lab. He sure is time efficient."

"We can't waste any time, we don’t know how long we have," Raph declared, his voice resolute. "Let's go."

April stood up determinedly behind them, clutching Marie's plushie to her chest. "I'm coming with you. Marie is my friend, and I won't abandon her."

Raph regarded her with a nod of respect. "Alright, April. Just stay close to us. This could get dangerous."

Donnie adjusted his tech gear. "Operation 'Save April's Friend'... and the other civilians... is a go."

[hexiewrites]

make this inn our own: the lost years

note: I wrote this out while I was working on make this inn our own as a way to get the timeline right in my head. in the end, a lot of this information makes it into the fic itself, but I figured I'd post this in case anyone wanted to read it! you could read this without reading the fic, but note that there are some spoilers ahead! nothing that I think would ruin the fic if you choose to read this first, but it will remove some of the fun surprises I've thrown in for you as readers. either way, hope you enjoy!!

Steve leaves Hawkins right after he graduates high school. His dad drags him out of town one day early in the summer, literally the night before he’s supposed to start his new job at Scoops Ahoy. Steve begs to stay, wants to be around the kids just in case something else happens like it had in the fall even though they’re all pretty sure it’s over and they’re safe now. But he can’t say that to Richard, and Steve might be eighteen but he sure won’t make enough money at his mall job to pay for rent. What’s he going to do? Sleep in the Wheeler’s groddy basement? Absolutely not. Richard sells the beemer, sells the house, and packs his family off and away to the big apple.

Steve gets a job at Richard’s office, and puts his head down, and tries to convince himself everyone will be better off without him.

Dustin calls to yell, and Steve doesn’t call back. It hurts too much.

Robin Buckley starts at Scoops, and Steve Harrington’s name is on the schedule. He never shows up for training, and her manager grumbles and complains about spoiled rich kids and offers the job to the next teenager who shows up with a resume.

That teenager happens to be one Eddie Munson, who is already two senior years failed and in desperate need of more money to fund his D&D habit. He’s selling drugs by now, a little here and there, but Wayne told him to go and try to be respectable for once.

He almost quits when he sees the uniform, but no one else would hire a metalhead freak, so he sucks it up.

Dustin shows up after camp looking for Steve, and is devastated when Robin has no idea where he went. But Eddie spots his walkie, asks some questions, gets him to open up. Finally, Dustin, having no idea where his best friend has disappeared off to (he bikes to the Harringtons, it’s empty with a For Sale sign on the lawn) asks Robin and Eddie to help him crack the Russian code.

Eddie’s the one who recognizes the music, mostly because he’d been trying to make a mix tape in a back hallway at the mall and the stupid ride kept interrupting his recordings, even though he’s no use at any of the Russian stuff.

Dustin recruits Erica, the four break into the base, and Eddie learns much earlier that even though he’s a fucking coward, he knows how to plant his feet and stay when his friends need him. He doesn’t know when Band Girl Buckley and pre-freshman-dork-Dustin become his friends, but he throws himself in front of a Russian guard to save them, and knows he’d have done a lot more than that if he needed to.

Robin comes out to Eddie on the mall bathroom floor, and Eddie laughs and comes out right back, telling her about his embarassing crush: Steve Harrington.

He was supposed to work here, Robin says, with a snort and a laugh. Can you even imagine, Steve Harrington fighting off Russian Guards?

And that’s hilarious in it’s own right, but then Eddie remembers the uniform, and pictures golden boy Stevie in the tiny shorts, and, well.

Yeah, that crush maybe wasn’t as dead as he thought it was. Not like it matters, because as he’s heard over and over from Dustin, Steve Harrington is long gone and never coming back.

Still, Robin and Eddie are attached at the hip almost immediately. It’s pretty monumental, finding someone else who gets you in a way no one else ever has, in this small town in the middle of nowhere.

(And it’s monumental too, when Robin takes Eddie to the evening group at the Carnation Inn, the one for people like them, and like the Inn’s owners, who want to give them somewhere they can be safe and themselves, and Eddie finally gets to see that all that crap about highschool being the best time of your life? Absolute bullshit. There is a whole world out there waiting, ready with open arms, and god, he can’t wait to get to it.) 

Robin won’t go to Hellfire, and Eddie won’t go to pep rallies to watch her play, but they eat lunch together a few times a week when they’re both free. They trade barbs and jokes and shout about their wildly different music tastes (“Madonna, Blondie, Bowie—that’s MUSIC, Eddie!” “If you would just LISTEN TO HOLY DIVER you would UNDERSTAND!”), argue about who has worse fashion sense (Eddie) and taste in crushes (Robin), and shoot each other looks across the cafeteria, when one of those respective crushes sits just a little too close. Robin hangs around him in the woods while he deals, and she’s terrible for business because she literally never shuts up, but it doesn’t matter. Finally, Eddie has a friend who gets him in a way his Coffin members want to but don’t, and that’s worth every lost sale in the world.

(Plus, Robin had gotten them jobs at Family Video after the whole Starcourt disaster, so he’s got enough cash coming in that he doesn’t even really need to be selling anymore, and that’s kind of nice too.)

One day, early spring, head cheerleader Chrissy Cunningham finds them in the woods. She’s nervous and shaky, twitchy and constantly looking over her shoulder. She tries to buy weed, or something stronger, and Eddie and Robin exchange glances and try to calm her down, and then offer to bring her back to Eddie’s trailer after school and get high with her, so she doesn’t have to be alone.

Robin finds her in the bathroom, after their next class, puking her guts up and sobbing in the stall, and holds her hair and rubs her back through it. And Chrissy spills everything, tells Robin about the headaches and the nosebleeds and the nausea and the Jason of it all, and the goddamn lights flicker and Robin jumps into action immediately.

Because, like, first of all, Robin’s pretty sure the nausea isn’t upside down related. Pretty sure that’s a Jason Carver problem (definitely not one that should be solved with a mild acid trip) and that would be big enough on its own, but then lights and the nosebleeds?

Robin and Eddie make a plan: Chrissy can’t be in Hawkins if she’s connected to the Upside Down but doesn’t know it yet. Whatever is going on, whatever’s about to happen (and fuck, did they think they were over this, but apparently not) hits too close to home to the D&D campaign Eddie’s been working on, and even though he still hasn’t managed to figure out that whole part of all of this nonsense, he thinks their best shot is to get Chrissy the fuck out of dodge, just in case it’s another possession situation.

Instead of taking her to the trailer park, they go to the Inn. Otis Harrington clocks the problem immediately, at least, the Jason half of it, and promises Robin and Eddie he can help. He calls his grandson, estranged but still a good kid and around Chrissy’s age, and then he calls his travel agent. And then he drives the three teens to the airport in Indianapolis, and puts Chrissy on a flight. Steve has a good job, an apartment, and the heart to take in someone who has nowhere else to go.

Otis knows she’ll be safe there.

And she is. Steve picks her up at the airport and moves her into his guest room. It takes them time, figuring each other out, but when Chrissy finally comes to terms with what’s going on, Steve isn’t going anywhere. All he ever wanted was six kids and a winnebago, and this one might not technically be his by genetics, but she’s his in everything else that matters. He loves Chrissy too, but like the sister he never had. They cling to each other at night, when the nightmares get too strong, whisper about the things they saw in the dark. They raise a kid, a little girl they name Vanessa but call Ness, because she was a little monster as a baby and sometimes nicknames just stick.

Steve is happy with his little family. Still works for his dad. Keeps his head down. But he calls Otis every month, now, never talking about the reason why Richard broke contact. Never crossing a line that becomes a wall around a tough time, instead forging ahead with a new relationship, careful and precious, but only ever in the periphery.

Robin and Eddie make it back to Hawkins, and they don’t realize they’ve saved two lives. But they’re on alert, more prepared when they find Fred Benson’s broken body halfway between the school and the trailer park, and they jump into the action again, barely stopping to look back.

Code Red, baby, they know the drill.

Jason Carver, now missing his girlfriend, starts a witch hunt. Another kid on the team saw Chrissy getting into Eddie’s van, the day she disappeared, and he tries to convince the town Eddie’s behind it. But Robin was there too, and she has some social standing, and Otis has his own connections to the Sherriff’s department, and eventually Jason is the only one riled up to try to do anything about it.

One boy isn’t nearly as scary as a whole gang of them.

Without Steve, with Eddie more involved, without the feral gang of basketball players, some things go better and some things go worse. Eddie has more ideas about how to defeat Vecna, because he isn’t traumatized, and he knows the song and dance a bit. Lucas swims down to the gate with Eddie and Robin and Nancy, because he has the best lungs. He comes out scarred (physically and mentally) but mostly alright. 

In the second half of the plan, Jason still shows up at the Creel house, still tries to kill Lucas, but Erica manages a rescue call and Dustin scrambles in as back up with a second boombox just in time. They save Max somewhere between her losing her sight and dying.

Eddie sets up a tape, as a distraction, because he needs to stay with Robin to fight Vecna.

It works pretty damn well.

But Vecna has a bit more time, this time. Max has her tapes, and Lucas is pretty safe in himself even after his brush with death, but Jason is an easy target now, paranoid and desperate. Vecna snaps him like a twig, and then Nancy starts hearing chimes too. Still, Robin and Eddie and Nancy make it to the Creel house, and Nancy and Jason were enough of a distraction to buy El enough time, and this time: they win.

They crawl out of hell, closer still, clinging to each other. Max has a long road to recovery but she’s always been a stubborn fighter.

Nancy signs them all up for therapy, and no one knows how to say no to her, and they all won’t admit it but thank fucking god for therapy.

And then things, slowly, go back to normal. Eddie settles down to work for Wayne’s new home improvement company and builds himself a cottage on the shore of Lover's Lake, so he can keep an eye out for anything suspicious. He'd wanted to see the world, but now he can't imagine being anywhere but here. Someone has to stand sentry, and he knows it has to be him.

Robin tries to leave for school but the nightmares keep her up and the thought of being away from her family hurts too much and it’s not long before she’s back in Hawkins, apprenticing with a local electrician before taking up with Eddie and Wayne. Eddie doesn't say it much, but she comes back just as the kids are planning to all leave, and he's never been more relieved to not have to be alone in his life.

Everything settles down, for the next ten years.

Until Steve inherits the Carnation Inn, and finds himself back in the place he knows he never should have left.

That’s where our story starts and the rest, as they say, is history.

[beaniebabs]

thinkin about,,,, dew n her parents

SO. Dew. Jack’s (whom belongs to Rox) girlfriend-turned-baby-mama. She very certainly is something. I can’t imagine her growing up poor, but I also don’t think she was “rich” by any means. Maybe a nice middle/upper middle class— just enough to where she had nice things and has come to expect them.

She. LOVES. Things. She’s very materialistic. She doesn’t WEAR much jewelry 99% of the time, but she definitely loves having it. She likes her stuff to be Big and Shiny and New— and Expensive. And that’s definitely carried over into her adulthood. Except instead of getting presents from her dad, she gets them from men she either uses for their money or actively steals from them! <3 She is SO perfect.

ANYWAY, onto her parents! I don’t remember their names or even if I gave them any, so I’ll just call ‘em Mom and Dad, I guess.

So, like a lot of families, Dew’s parents took on the good cop bad cop trope. Mom, likely unexpectedly, being the bad cop, and Dad being the good cop. Because of this, Dew is a HUGE daddy’s girl, to where to this day she probably calls them Mom and Daddy (/nsx.)

Dad is very laid back. He’s a little goofy, he’s a little clumsy, etc. He’s definitely the guy you wanna go to first when you do something wrong. He’s the “don’t tell mom” type of dad, usually— BUT he does have the decency to keep her in the loop if things are too important to keep a secret. He loves his kids and he doesn’t want them to be punished, but he loves his wife, too!

Mom, on the other hand, has to take care of almost all discipline in the house. She’s been sorta forced into that role, since without her acting like that, nothing would get done. They’d all just be playing games and watching TV and never doing their homework because Dad doesn’t like to be the bad guy. So she’s had to be the bad guy. Does she like it? Absolutely not! She wishes she could be the fun parent sometimes. She wants her kids to adore her like they adore their father (though she definitely babies Bryce, Dew’s younger brother, quite a bit— probably subconsciously to make up for having to be the stickler and because she wants that same love from her kids). But the joke’s on her, they DO love and respect her a lot! It’s clear to see how much effort she puts into the family and they try to let her know that all her work isn’t going unnoticed— though they can’t just say it out loud like that, that’d be too weird and sappy!

I DUNNO!!!! I love their family a lot…. (:

Also: when Mom gets mad, she calls Dew “Dee Dee.” Wanna know why? That’s her real name! She just goes by Dew— partially because she’s a little embarrassed by Dee Dee being her name, and partially because I think Dad calls her his little dew drop…. 🥺💖

[moriartyluver]

alright now that I’ve been reassured that rambling here is okay, ur not gonna hear the end of me hehe

back to fl being the embodiment of ‘the man’, im gonna do a silly little lyric analysis.

“they’d say I played the field before I found someone to commit to” - i feel like fl would feel very trapped and stuff bc of marriage and how everyone criticised her high standards, even her parents who love her a lot. (also kinda basing some of these in the og version I found on quotev yesterday) and how she got so pissed that she burnt her parents letter about marriage.

“every conquest I had made would make me more of a boss to you”- HER WPRRY BEING THAT THE MORIARTY TEAM MUGHT NOT SEE HER AS KMPORTANT AS LIAM EVEN THO SHES JUST AS SMART IF NOT SMARTER. i can imagine moran or something not obeying a command and she just yells at him that she is his superior just as much as William is and everyone’s kinda surprised bc she lost her temper.

“When everyone believes ya What's that like? I'm so sick of running as fast as I can Wondering if I'd get there quicker If I was a man”- her whole little rivalry with William kinda being rooted in the fact that nobody views her accomplishments as big as his. in the og, she got that award or something but nobody cares as much as they did abt Liam’s award. i think she mainly hates him b cause to her, he represents how men are seen as superior in Victorian society

“They'd say I hustled Put in the work They wouldn't shake their heads and question how much of this I deserve What I was wearing If I was rude Could all be separated from my good ideas and power moves?“- again with the whole worry thing. Also the third line makes me think of the old male nobles gossiping abt fl and saying she probably only got a degree through bad stuff (I can totally see a rumour that she slept with a professor or something for good grades even tho the only Professor she’d ever sleep with would be William-) I feel like they might also make fun of her cultural clothes or slutshame her even if she were being modest bc the nobles are all jealous cows

“What's it like to brag about Raking in dollars And getting bitches and models And it's all good if you're bad And it's okay if you're mad If I was out flashing my dollars I'd be a bitch, not a baller They paint me out to be bad So it's okay that I'm mad”- she’s really rich but if she tried to flaunt but not actually flaunt her wealth. If she were a man, she’d be a successful businessman but she gets treated like a spoiled princess type instead.

honestly fl is giving me medea vibes but less cruel

-🦢

BRO I LOVE MEDEA SM. SUCH A GIRL BOSS ARGH. ALSO THIS ANALYSIS IS SO GOOD 😭 TRHNK U FOR TAKING THE TIME TO DO THIS

Her getting mad and losing her temper because of her insecurities or being disrespected is soo real. I might just steal that idea idk.

Forgot to delete the og of quotev bc I’ve not checked quotev in agessss but I might just leave it up until I can be bothered to rework it. I hated the original tho cus the pacing was all messed up and alot of the backstory that I was anger to add kept getting missed out so I’m trying to make the rework better now lol

Tbh I don’t think they’d directly make fun of her bc from what I understand is that in Victorian society, wealth still meant a lot and if fl was the daughter of a grand duke and had literal ties to the Queen, they wouldn’t dare say anything to her face and if a rumour like that got found out, they’d probably find a scapegoat to blame the rumour on (probably a fallen noble or something) I can see them being a bit xenophobic to her too because people of colour, although they were in high society, they never were as recognised and treated as well as white British nobles.

[mediaevalmusereads]

On a Sunbeam. By Tillie Walden. First Second, 2018.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Genre: graphic novel, lgbtqia+

Series: N/A

Summary: Throughout the deepest reaches of space, a crew rebuilds beautiful and broken-down structures, painstakingly putting the past together. As new member Mia gets to know her team, the story flashes back to her pivotal year in boarding school, where she fell in love with a mysterious new student. Soon, though, Mia reveals her true purpose for joining their ship—to track down her long-lost love.

***Full review below.***

CONTENT WARNINGS: bullying, misgendering, blood

OVERVIEW: I enjoyed Spinning so much that I figured hey. Why not check out Tillie Walden's other stuff? And I'm glad I did because there was so much about this graphic novel that I loved. The colors, the found family, the world - it was all lovely. My only criticism is that I think some character aspects could have been fleshed out more, but I loved being in Walden's world so much that I didn't much mind.

WRITING/ART: The art in this book is similar in style to that of Spinning in that it's stylized and easy to follow from panel to panel. It differs, however, in level of detail and color. I liked that Walden didn't so much focus on making the world feel industrial or technical; there were some great architectural shots, but most of the panels felt very organic for a space-themed story (for example: the ship is shaped like a fish!). It was a nice change.

I also loved the colors in this book. While Spinning was largely purple with a bit of yellow, On a Sunbeam makes use of rich reds and desaturated blues. The effect is that the world feels colorful and magical without being overwhelming - I never felt like my eyes were being bombarded or my attention pulled in a million different directions.

PLOT: The plot of this book follows a girl named Mia in two timelines: in the past, we see her attending boarding school where she meets a mysterious student named Grace. In the present, we follow Mia at her construction job, which allows her to travel widely. We quickly learn that Mia has taken this job in order to search for Grace, who had to abruptly leave school 5 years prior.

The dual timelines were really effective for showing Mia's character and interiority. I liked how we learned about her motivations but also about her various quirks and flaws by seeing how she acted in the past.

I also loved how so much of this book is focused on connection. In the past, Mia and Grace fall in love amidst relentless bullying. In the present, Mia makes friends with her crew and grows to love them as family. In that, this book is less about worldbuilding or space politics and more about finding your people, which I loved.

That isn't to say the worldbuilding is unimportant, but it doesn't overshadow the human story. I loved the way Walden imagined space boarding school as well as the different sites where Mia is tasked with restoring old buildings or clearing out rubble. Even the area known as the Staircase was interesting and I appreciated that its politics didn't take center stage.

But I do wish some things about the characters and the world had been built out a little more. For example, Ell's backstory, which is gripping, felt a little like it came out of nowhere. I would have liked to see it thematically integrated a little better. I also would have liked to see the rationale for Grace's actions at the end, as it isn't too clear why she acts the way she does when 5 years prior, she seemed to be compelled to do something else (sorry for being vague - trying not to spoil things). But even with these things, I enjoyed being with the characters so much that I wasn't too put off by the things that bothered me.

TL;DR: On a Sunbeam is a dazzling graphic novel about love and family spanning the expanse of time and space, and it's perfect for readers who want a sci fi story without being too overwhelmed by worldbuilding details.

CHARACTERS: Mia, our protagonist, is fun to watch because she doesn't exactly follow the rules. She gets into all sorts of shenanigans, and at school, it's usually Grace that has to keep her on the straight and narrow. The most admirable thing about Mia, however, is the way the she cares for other people. Not only does she love Grace and spend years trying to find her, but she also supports the people on her crew and even extends compassion to her bullies.

Grace, Mia's eventual girlfriend, is mysterious without having too much of a dark past. I liked that her story was somewhat mired in the politics of her homeworld, but most of the focus seemed to be about balancing her love for her family with her desire to go to school and be with Mia. I also loved that Grace was a writer and wanted to tell stories, which Mia supported wholeheartedly.

Mia's construction crew is also delightful in all the best ways. I loved their dynamics, which ranged from admiration to annoyance, and between all the conflict and love, it truly felt like a family.

[orleans-jester]

“Hell Maketh the Man,” Pierre said, always letting Seven stroke his ego, fill it up higher. It was probably the only reason why he was sane in any sense after being down in the Netherworld. This guy right here, this touch of familiarity, this touch of home, this touch of love.

“Back, back,” Pierre affirmed as they made their way towards the doors, hardly anyone looking at their backs as they left the great hall. “Like living, breathing, witches again, Seven, free and wild.”

He could imagine it now. His own body. Feeling the sunshine on his skin again. Going to Paris, shopping with Piper, sunbathing at Deauville Beach with the boys - Zero always looked like he needed a tan. Of course, he assumed that somehow, he would be rich again. Life without money was just such an out-there concept that he could not imagine it. Even if Piper were his sugar-mommy, he could live with that.

Just to feel the damn sun again. That’s something that his mind kept going back to. It was hot in hell, definitely. The humidity fucked with his hair. Made it all poofy. Almost made him look like Bastien. But it didn’t have the same sort of heat as the sun. It wasn’t warm, and welcoming, and nurturing and playful. It was … just fucking fire.

He was out there in the night air again, looking at the streetlights and the city that was half familiar. Looks like some things have changed around here, but he wasn’t bothered by that. He was a little curious about his house, wondering what had happened to it. Last he had heard was from Seven, when it had been taken over by the homeless and most of his stuff was trashed. If he stuck around in Feral, maybe he’d be able to reclaim it. He liked that elevator thingamajig. That had been fun.

He was bouncing on his feet like a damn school girl, the three of them still close together, huddled, as they made their way down the mountain. “As much as I do love the leather-daddy look in Hell, my body is craving some linen, big time,” He agreed with Seven, thinking about decking the three of them out in diamonds once he got rich again.

Oh yeah, the school had closed down. It felt like it’s been AGES since Pierre had to think about school. The last time was when he was basically doing a bad cosplay as a jock, had quit the Football team, and became the school loser. If he had been in his own skin during that time, Pierre wouldn’t have been able to handle the humiliation. But since it had been Ronno … it was kinda funny.

“Halloweentown was the shit,” Pierre agreed. He’d been there for a short time when the school closed and a lot of them had to transfer over to Halloweentown temporarily. “But the Magisterium was pretty sick too. Hey, remember that orgy we all had right outside? Now that was beautiful.”

Memories at the Magisterium flooded back as they got closer to the Forbidden Forest, and the demolished building, all of it cleaned away by now. Turned into something else. Hanging out with Seven. With Piper. Giving her a piggyback the first day that they met. School dances, Zero. The Valentines Day dance and making out with River Laveau. Now, who would have thought it would have been that duo that had the shortest lives?

“You should,” Pierre said. “Open it up. Shit, if I get my money back, I’ll invest in that, dude.” He said this all sincerely, imagining it with Seven. He’d gotten a lot more comfortable with the idea of being around the dead - even if he was still a bit skittish about some things. You don’t get too used to things in Hell, that’s why it’s Hell.

He was still thinking about those things when he took note of their surroundings, of the voices. “Dude, it’s your moms,” He said, nudging Seven, having no idea that they were going to be there either. Seven, the one who had enough moms for the three of them. He nearly chuckled as that thought came into his mind. He wasn’t nearly as worried as Seven seemed to be, rubbing his hand on his shoulder. “Come on, we’ll all give them a little love if it makes you feel less embarrassed,” He raised his eyebrows. “We’ll do a big group hug.”

Because if Seven knew Pierre, a bit of flirting with his moms was not totally out of the question.

That confident grin stayed as he walked down to Piper, his boys in tow. He gave a friendly nod to Seven’s mothers, and of course he was looking over Piper again - she seemed to glow in the moonlight - and then there was the tree. By instinct, he started to hum the song that he had written for her, played for her down by this tree an age ago. Though some of it had been cut away for Oogie’s tables, many of the limbs still remained, stretching up and strong towards the sky despite the ever-burning fire within.

He was right up against Piper’s side, gently kissing the side of her head. “You know us, fashionably late,” He hummed into her raven-colored hair.

Kuzco shook his head at all the ghost content going on at this ball. He wasn't sure he was a fan. He was a biased fan of course. TSG. Theme Song Guy band members. Kuzco two thumbs up. Anyone else that seemed irrelevant to him? Well, they were irrelevant weren't they? It wasn't like all the ghosts didn't matter, but he was very picky and choosy, also quite non-remembery. He always did say it was best to make a lasting impression.

"Ah." Kuzco didn't get a reminder from Clopin so he filed it under the didn't care file which was quite large in his brain. It often lost pages over time due need of saving space for more important things like how many times he could relive Clopin drawing a dick on Sassy's back when he first looked down and saw them both from his building in the center of Nola. Classic. "Moving on then because your outfit wins Halloween."

"Of course she can tell. I mean check you out. Maturity is practically your middle name now." Seven ego stroked some more. He always had the tendency to do so.

Not even Doc Vic? Zero straightened his back and shook his head. It suddenly felt like serious business to him. He crossed his heart with his finger before letting Pierre go on.

Then the lick of his cheek made him laugh again and he shook his shoulders out and relaxed a little more as Pierre talked.

"You know I'm a iron trap. Go on." Seven assured.

Cheek to cheek secretive. He heard bringing us back? Need to head there now? It felt imperitive to move so his feet began to walk as all three of them walked in this buddy-buddy threesome forward. For the first few steps he processed. For the next few he'd say, "Back-back? As in back?"

But Zero being a dog of dead realm hopping capability and despite never having visited Pierre not wanting to go to the depths of Hell to seek him out, not after all the searching he'd done in the nethers trying to find Lucifer the Tremaine. He decided long ago it was high time to stop that search. Okay, actually Flotsam put a stop to it, but still, once time went on the concept of abandonment continued to flourish in Zero's life, his bio dad, bio fam, Tremaine's, Jack Skeleton, and even Cinderella who seemed so proud of him for searching for Lucifer just up and left too. No. He couldn't search for Pierre after what he'd been through considering his history. Cinderella seemed to ruin things for everyone even people she wasn't related to. Otherwise the story might have been different. But, when Pierre said back Zero had no questions. He answered Seven's question. "Yes, he means back-back."

Zero knew there were very serious quid pro quo for bringing back the dead or even the living going to the place of the dead. Hopscotch was still his safety word even those here had never witnessed him use it. Now Zero was a little nervous not knowing what sort of magic was about to go down. His mind was going through so many scenarios he'd witnessed go not according plan. He was readying his mind to be guard dog here as the only one who could freely move between worlds.

Little did Zero know that wasn't Piper's plan at all. She wasn't going through the netherworld of any kind to bring him back.

Speaking of the Wizard of Oz these three looked like a group headed down a yellow brick road on a mission with the way they all left at the same time all too happy.

Of course Bastien noticed he was gone and that made him all too happy too. Though he thought it was because the ghosts were starting to disappear as it got later. He didn't actually see them leave out. He noticed a lot of the Merry Men watching the clock.

Seven was ecstatic. He was trying so hard to hold it in until they left the castle and were out in the free world. "Oh my man, I don't know what you just pulled off, but if you pull this off, I will kiss Piper's heels and your shoes damn it. Then we're going out shopping. Stores. Oh my hot damn. Imagine stores again." Seven did love to accessorize.

The tree.

That brought back memories. It wasn't as symbolic to Seven as it was to Pierre, but all three of them knew the spot. "I kinda loved how chaotic that school was." He admitted though he absolutely thrived in Halloween Town and had no problems there either. He seemed to manage anywhere he went. "Halloween Town was better but there was still something charming about how it tried to be normal when it obviously wasn't ever meant to be." The thought made him laugh. Memories were fun. Just thinking of going back to life was bringing it all back. "I'd open up my own Mortuary." Plans were already in his head. Hope building before they arrived.

At the Tree

Piper was already there. She left out as soon she ended Pierre's dance. There were three witches there waiting for her. Seven would know them well. None of them would be expecting him except for one who had been keeping it a secret from the others. She was the witch who was wearing the eye.

The Fates. Seven's mothers. All three stood there, one-eyed as always, a part of their sacrifice. But, it was Atropos that wore the magic eye. The Fate of the Future. She saw him coming. She was grinning like Cheshire. It drove the other two nuts when she did that. Lechesis and Clotho were groaning. Clotho finally said, "You might as well hand it over. You don't need that eye tonight. Stop grinning like that. If you're not going to tell, just put some duct tape over it already."

Lechesis chimed in too, "Yeah, I'm the one who needs it tonight. Pass it over. Just give it to me already."

Piper just watched amused at their antics thinking it must have been fun to grow up with the three of them.

So, before Pierre's crew made it all the way there Seven heard his mothers' voices in the distance and his feet stopped. He looked over at Pierre. For as long as they'd known one another surely he knew those voices too. It was an unexpected event for Seven to see them. It would be the first time since finding out who his father was on the other side. It had been kept from him his whole life and yet once he found out it felt so obvious. Pierre asking for Seven to come too became an emotional pause for him unready for that confrontation.

He put his arms out stopping the others from walking and he stood there just staring at their images from a safe distance.

"Okay hold on. Give me a second. My mums are down there. I'll be fine, just need a moment."

His mind started racing. This was where he knew more than Zero. He had to quickly try to process his own emotional baggage all while reality was dawning on him what Piper was up to if his mothers were involved. It was very rare they made exceptions like this. It took a huge payment usually and even then whatever was offered his mothers were rarely convinced. Part of that fact frightened him. What had Piper done for them? It wasn't the part of being alive again that worried him. He also knew what tampering with this in this manner might possibly affect. Chain reactions of all sorts. So if his parents were convinced for Pierre there must be something to it, right? That's how he tried to process it. His parents knew best. Yes. This wasn't just some Piper-cockamamy scheme. His parents always knew best.

"Okay. Okay. I'm fine. I mean it's just my mums. I'm fine. Everything's good. They're going to get all gushy. Ya know?"

Zero watched Seven process and let it go at that. "Don't worry. We won't make fun of you much if they kissy face all over you. They miss you too."

Seven rolled his eyes and laughed. "Thanks Zero."

Piper must have heard them chatting because she called out, "There they are! Come on guys."

"Down here." She kept waving them in as if Pierre might have lost his way to the special tree. There was a smile on her face so affectionate too once she'd come into view. She felt like she'd been working for this day for so long. Her fingers would tap for security the little hourglasses she had strapped to her belt she always wore even with her dress under her cloak. That constant pang of Pierre was ever there at her side, just like River's. River found his own way back. Pierre kept waiting. She'd wait every Day of the Dead or thin veil time in hopes of his appearance. Year after year she intended. But, here he was.

[auxiliarydetective]

Radio Rocky Beach AU: Backstage, Part 1

Ich klaue schon wieder AUs, diesmal sogar mit Erlaubnis von @sehr-wohl-die-herrschaften! Hier eine kleine Story aus dem Tourleben der Drei ??? feat. Jelena

Das ist ein langer Post, also Story unter dem Cut

Vom Zuschauerraum schallte durch die Bühneneingänge eine Klangwolke aus Schritten, raschelnden Jacken und Stimmen hervor. Das ständige Raunen und Rauschen brachte die Luft hinter der Bühne förmlich vor Spannung zum Knistern. Bob schielte vorsichtig durch eine Tür an der Seite des Raumes. Er konnte immer noch kaum glauben, dass sie vor so einem großen Publikum auftreten würden. Wenn er ganz ehrlich war, wurde ihm echt mulmig zumute. Er hatte Angst, dass seine Stimme versagen würde, dass er sich verspielen würde oder einen Einsatz verpassen könnte. Blitzschnell schloss er die Tür wieder. Das war das erste Konzert ihrer Interstellar Mission - The Planet Evil Tour. Den Namen hatten sie Jelena zu verdanken. Ihr war nämlich der Albumtitel als Tourname zu simpel gewesen, also hatte sie aus dem Wortfeld “Weltraum”, dass der Name Planet Evil aufmachte, den Namen Interstellar Mission gezogen. Justus hatte sich erst dagegen gestellt, aber Bob hatte die heimliche Ahnung, dass Justus tatsächlich beeindruckt war und deshalb jedes Mal beleidigt schmollte, wenn jemand den Tournamen ansprach. Deshalb bezeichnete er die Tour auch konsequent als Planet Evil Tour und nicht als Interstellar, wie Jelena.

Flink lief Bob den Gang hinter der Bühne entlang zu Jelenas Garderobe. Sie hatte ihre eigene Garderobe bekommen, verstand sich, auch wenn Justus, Peter und Bob sich eine teilten. Unauffällig klopfte er an die Tür. “Herein”, hörte er Jelenas Stimme von der anderen Seite der Tür. Sie klang einerseits so desinteressiert und einschüchternd wie immer, andererseits mogelte sich eine leichte Nervosität in ihren Tonfall. Blitzschnell und leise schlüpfte Bob in ihre Garderobe und schloss die Tür hinter sich. “Na hör mal, Bobby, wirst du etwa gejagt?” “Nein, das nicht.” Der Raum war viel ordentlicher als die Garderobe der Jungs. Anstelle davon, dass überall Klamotten, Schmuck, Notenpapier, Stifte, Plektren, Drumsticks und andere Dinge herumlagen, war alles ordentlich verstaut. Die Schranktür stand leicht offen, sodass Bob einen Blick auf ihre verschiedenen Kostüme werfen konnte. Sie waren größtenteils in Schwarz, Gold und Gelbtönen gehalten und sahen ziemlich teuer aus. Wenn er da an die Kleidungsstücke, die in seiner Garderobe lagen, dachte… Da gab es keine Seide, kaum Strasssteine und vor allem kein Latex. Was war er doch froh, dass sie sich diese Art von Kleidung für später im Lauf der Tour aufhob und so zuließ, dass Justus, Peter und Bob sich langsam daran gewöhnen konnten. Ein einziger Geigenkoffer lag offen auf einem Beistelltisch, zwei andere waren an die Wand gelehnt. In diesem offenen Koffer lag eine schwarze, glänzende Geige mit einem Griffbrett aus rötlichem Holz und einem Kinnhalter in derselben Farbe. Steg und Wirbel sahen aus wie aus echtem Gold. Womöglich könnte das bei Jelena sogar der Fall sein. Womöglich waren die winzigen Steinchen nicht nur Strass, sondern Swarovski-Steinchen. Oder sogar noch etwas Teureres. Jelena stand vor einem der Schminkspiegel an der Wand, umringt von allen möglichen teuren Make-Up-Artikeln und schielte Bob fragend an.

“Warum hast du es dann so eilig? Und warum so heimlich? Hast du dich mit den Jungs gestritten?” Während sie auf Bobs Antwort wartete, vollendete sie in stillem Fokus ihren Eyeliner. Bob seufzte. “Ich habe Angst.” “Ach was. Lampenfieber?” “Ganz genau.” Jelena seufzte und winkte ihn zu sich an die Spiegel. Bob gehorchte zögerlich und stützte sich zwischen den Döschen, Pinseln und Schwämmen auf die Ablage der Spiegel. Da sah Jelena ihn an und lächelte zuversichtlich. “Du rockst das schon, mach dir keinen Kopf. Warum kümmerst du dich nicht um den Make-Up? Das lenkt ab und zu zweit ist es nicht so einsam. Bedien dich.” Sie deutete auf die drei Dutzend Artikel um sie herum. “Du bist gut”, schnaubte Bob schmunzelnd. “Du bist doch schon fast fertig.” “Stimmt schon, aber ich muss mich noch um meine Frisur und meine Accessoires kümmern. Bis ich damit fertig bin bist du womöglich schon wieder weg.” Sie schnappte sich zwei Lippenstifte aus ihrer Sammlung und hielt sie hoch. “Russian Red oder Cyber?” Da fiel ihr Blick auf einen dritten auf dem Tisch. Sie schnappte ihn sich und zeigte ihn auch vor. “Oder doch Disciple?” Bob musterte Jelena für einige Sekunden. “Cyber”, entschied er schließlich. Jelena grinste dankbar und begann, sorgfältig den schwarzen Lippenstift aufzutragen. Bob suchte währenddessen das Chaos aus Döschen und anderen Behältern nach den Dingen ab, die er brauchte. “Wie viel hat der eigentlich gekostet?”, fragte er, wobei er eigentlich nur laut dachte. “Och, nur so zwanzig-dreißig Dollar”, antwortete Jelena beiläufig. Da stockte Bob kurzzeitig der Atem. Endlich hatte er das gefunden, was er gesucht hatte. Nach einigem Testen hatte er einen Foundation-Ton gefunden, der zu seinem Hautton passte, band sich die Haare aus dem Gesicht und machte sich ans Werk. Jelena hatte sich währenddessen ihre Haarbürste geschnappt. Sie bürstete sorgfältig ihre Haare zurück und steckte sie schließlich mit Haarspray und einem mit Stacheln besetzten Haarreif fest. Sie war gerade dabei, ihr Pony zurecht zu kämmen, als ihr Blick wieder auf Bob fiel. Dieser versuchte gerade, mit zittrigen Händen Eyeliner aufzutragen. Blitzschnell nahm sie ihm den Stift aus der Hand. “Das wird so nichts”, meinte sie kopfschüttelnd. “Bist du wirklich so nervös?” Ihr Tonfall klang plötzlich viel weicher und empathischer als sonst. “Anscheinend schon”, bemerkte Bob verlegen, während er versuchte, seine Hände zu beruhigen. “Lass mich dir helfen. Okay?” Bob seufzte. Er nickte und wandte sich Jelena zu. Sie legte behutsam eine Hand an seine Wange und sah ihm in die Augen. “Mach die Augen zu. Keine Sorge, ich mach’s ganz vorsichtig.” Bob atmete tief durch und schloss die Augen. Jelena so sanftmütig zu erleben war unheimlich ungewohnt. Aber nachdem er den ersten Schock überwunden hatte, war es tatsächlich echt beruhigend. Sie war wirklich vorsichtig und achtete darauf, dass er sich nicht unwohl fühlte.

Da klopfte es an der Tür und nur eine Sekunde später stand auch schon Justus im Raum. “Jelena, hast du- Ah, da ist er ja.” Jelena sah ihn nicht einmal an und suchte stattdessen auf der Ablage nach einem passenden Pinsel. “Also wirklich, Just. Ich hätte nackt sein können!” “Und das wäre dir so unangenehm gewesen, so wie du rumläufst?”, kommentierte der Schlagzeuger skeptisch. “Nein, das nicht. Aber du hättest trotzdem Probleme bekommen.” “Mit dir ja wohl nicht.” “Nein, aber sagen wir mal ich würde das in einem Interview erwähnen. Was da für Gerüchte aufkommen würden…” Justus verzog das Gesicht. Bob hingegen kicherte leise. Daraufhin wollte Justus zu einem Konter ansetzen, aber Jelena fiel ihm ins Wort: “Ruhe, ich arbeite hier gerade.” “Du machst Bobs Make-Up?!”, hörte sie da plötzlich Peter rufen. Jetzt war also die gesamte Band in ihrer Garderobe versammelt. Das war nicht der Plan. “Problem damit?”, fragte sie herausfordernd. “Nein, absolut nicht! Machst du meins auch?” “Mensch Peter”, hisste Justus da genervt. Es war ihm offensichtlich nicht recht, dass Jelena so viel positive Aufmerksamkeit bekam. “Was denn?”, flüsterte Peter verlegen. “Sieht doch bis jetzt echt gut aus und du weißt dass ich das nicht so gut kann.” Jelena seufzte und gab nach: “Wenn du eine Kiste findest, auf die ich mich stellen kann, du Riese. Ach und du solltest deine eigene Foundation mitbringen. Ich glaube, für dich habe ich nichts Passendes hier.” Peter grinste und rannte los. Justus schüttelte nur genervt den Kopf.

[theforgottenmcrmy]

After All (Part 11/?)

Pairing: Riff X OC Jet Girl

Warnings: Explicit Language, Racism, Violence

Summary: After all, if you really want to get out of the neighborhood, you marry up.

Word Count: 9800 ish.

DISCLAIMER

Please note that this is a reimagining of the film West Side Story (2021) and as a result is slightly AU.

Masterlist /// Part 1 /// Part 10 /// Part 11 /// Part 12

A/N: A day will come when I cut back on the length of chapters. But it is not this day. Thank you all for the support. It means a lot to know that you guys like this as much as I have liked writing it. Just a note, in this house we stan Tony (who has had a come-to-Jesus moment) but not necessarily Ansel Elgort. As such, imagine Tony as whoever you want. Also, I may write a short something for Baby John at some point, it’s been too fun and easy. There’s a lot of plot in this chapter since I wanted to get to some good stuff in the next one. I hope I’m not discouraging anyone with the recent chapter lengths. Take as much time as you need to read this. I hope you all enjoy and have a good rest of the weekend! :)

Part 11: Inevitable

It wasn’t long after Roxie had left him standing alone in his bedroom that Riff reached the conclusion that he needed to make things right.

He spent the rest of the evening with Grazi, as they had planned. She didn’t stay over though, and bid him goodbye just before midnight with nothing more than a kiss on the cheek. She had probably noticed his mind was elsewhere. He didn’t exactly hide the fact that he was upset. If he had, Grazi would’ve seen through his facade, anyways.

Later, Riff laid in his bed alone, looking up at the cracking ceiling. Though he tried desperately to focus on the sounds of distant traffic leaking through the cracked window beside his bed, all he could hear was his own screaming thoughts.

He knew Roxie was jealous of Grazi. He didn’t know the exact reason why, regardless of what he told Roxie, but he was sure of it.

And fine, fine. Maybe he was a little jealous of Michael, too. So what?

… But why?

Riff had spoken his mind when he told Roxie that Michael was a stiff. The guy looked like he hadn’t had a genuine laugh since he was in diapers. And why did he insist on dressing that way? He should’ve counted his lucky stars that he hadn’t been mugged for his clothes yet.

Riff self-indulged in a few thoughts that turned a bit dark as he entertained the idea of staging a stick up. Action wouldn’t ask any questions. A-Rab was always up for causing some trouble. Baby John was still eager to prove himself; he’d make a dedicated lookout.

No, no, no.

As much as Riff enjoyed the thought of giving Michael a good scare, it wasn’t worth the effort. Not to mention that Michael most likely wouldn't hesitate to report Riff to the cops, even if he was Roxie’s friend.

What did she see in Michael, anyways? Riff couldn’t imagine that Roxie wasn’t bored by him.

She deserved someone fun, someone who knew how to let loose. She deserved someone who was patient enough to get to know her. It’d take some time- Riff knew from experience- but it was so very worth it.

Riff wasn’t sure how long they had been seeing each other, but he feared it was only a matter of time before Michael realized what a catch Roxie was and popped the question. Would she really marry someone like him? And if he came from money, which Riff was all but certain he did, Roxie wouldn’t even need to work.

She needed a job of her own. She wouldn’t be content with sitting at home all day being a housewife and allowing her husband to be the only breadwinner. Not his Roxie.

…

Except she wasn’t his.

Then it hit him.

Riff wasn’t jealous of Michael. Maybe it bothered him that Michael could offer Roxie everything he couldn’t.

She wouldn’t even need to go back to school. If they got married, Roxie would leave the West Side again. Michael would be her rich husband. They’d have a fancy house with a white picket fence. They’d have kids. Riff could only hope they’d look more like Roxie than Michael.

If Roxie was willing to make all those personal sacrifices to be with Michael, no matter how much Riff detested him, he couldn’t stand in her way.

Riff had to make things right with Roxie. He had to see her again. He had to start walking her home again. He had to take every opportunity he had to spend time with her while he still could, before the inevitable happened.

He was done making decisions for her. It was high time he supported the ones she made for herself.

————————————————————————————

Though she had been feeling miserable, Roxie was given a bit of relief the following day as the thought of meeting up with Tony later gave her something to legitimately smile about.

She was in the process of doing laundry in the basement of her apartment building. The memories of the argument she had with Riff temporarily fled from her thoughts. She hummed a tune she made up along the way and shut the washing machine door with a clunk.

“You moved in on the sixth floor with Betty, right?”

Roxie turned to look at the woman a few machines down who was in the process of putting her freshly cleaned but soaked articles of clothing into the basket at her feet. Neither had spoken a word to each other yet, and Roxie had been so lost in her thoughts she had almost forgotten she wasn’t alone in the basement.

“Yes. My name’s Roxie.”

“Helen,” the woman introduced herself, shortly and sweetly. “You won the lottery with that apartment, you know.”

“I suppose it’s not too bad, considering the rent,” Roxie responded carefully before reaching down to pick up the empty basket at her feet off the concrete floor.

“No, not that!” Helen said, throwing more of her clothes into her own basket. “I tried to get the landlord to let me switch from my unit to yours, but by the time I spoke to him, you’d already gotten to him first.”

“I’m… sorry?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Helen replied. “With any luck, I’ll get another chance soon enough.”

At this point, Roxie was thoroughly confused. She had no plans of moving out of the apartment any time soon, and to her knowledge, Betty didn’t either.

When Helen finally finished removing all of her clothes from the machine, she looked over at Roxie, who’s confusion must have been evident on her face. “Wait… you don’t know?”

“... No?” Roxie posed the statement as a question as she began feeling a bit nervous.

“They say that apartment’s lucky,” Helen told her matter of factly as she reached down to pick up her basket that was now filled with her clean clothes.

Although Helen’s explanation was seemingly enough for her, Roxie was still left a bit dumbfounded. “Lucky how?” she asked.

“Everyone who goes through that apartment gets their one way ticket out of this neighborhood in six months, if that.”

Roxie opened her mouth to respond before shutting it quickly. Surely Helen was not referring to that. The neighborhood was changing, but had it really gotten that dangerous? “So when the landlord told me that Betty’s last roommate ‘up and left’... she actually died?”

Helen burst into a fit of laughter. “God, no!” she replied once she had calmed down a bit. “She got engaged!”

Roxie let out a small sigh of relief.

“Her and the fella are married now. He’s a lawyer. Say what you want about ‘em, but he’s stinkin’ rich. They live in a townhouse on the Upper East Side,” Helen said. “Betty told me she’s been seeing a doctor lately. I just want to know where they’re finding these catches. Leave some for the rest of us, right?”

Due to her latest absences at their apartment for several reasons, Roxie failed to realize that Betty had been seeing someone. Good for her. She deserves it.

“What about you?” Helen asked Roxie then. “Are you seeing someone?”

Roxie wasn’t quite sure how to respond to the question. She also wasn’t sure if it was wise to divulge details of her personal life to this woman she’d just met, no matter how nice she seemed. “Not really.”

“Well, put your chin up,” Helen advised her with a smile. “It’ll only be a matter of time. When you get the chance, take it. After all, if you really want to get out of the neighborhood, you marry up.”

“How romantic,” Roxie commented plainly.

“You can frown upon it all you want,” Helen said, noting Roxie’s slight disdain. “Soon enough you’ll come around to the idea; it’s the only chance girls like us have around here anymore. Before long, the landlord will sell this building to the highest bidder and we’ll all get evicted. And I don’t know about you, but I’d rather marry the first decent man who offers and live comfortably in a penthouse than marry for love and be homeless.”

With that, Helen walked past Roxie to head up the stairs. As she began up the steps, she called, “It was nice meeting you, by the way.”

“Likewise,” Roxie said neutrally, her eyes focused on the basket in her arms.

————————————————————————————

“It isn’t much, but it’s home now.”

Roxie met Tony at Doc’s at three o’clock as he requested. When she arrived, he immediately led her to the basement.

She was currently walking around the room and taking it in. The basement was bigger than she would have thought. Most of it was lined with shelves that were almost filled to capacity with various goods. Boxes occupied space on the floor where the shelves did not. There was a large refrigerator along one wall. A thin layer of dust coated everything she could see.

Tucked away underneath the staircase, a small bed, along with some storage and a mere few items of personal belongings, made up Tony’s section of the room.

“It was nice of Valentina to give you a job and a place to stay,” Roxie stated quietly, mindful of the fact that the woman in reference was just upstairs.

Tony was ruffling through a makeshift wardrobe beside the desk. The sound of rustling shirts filled the air as he searched for one in particular. “It was,” he acknowledged. He finally withdrew a white t-shirt and turned to face the bed. Roxie turned away to give him a moment of privacy as he changed from the button up he’d worn for work to the t-shirt.

“Your folks didn’t take you in?” she asked, her eyes scanning over a nearby shelf of canned peaches.

“Nah,” Tony said, his voice muffled by fabric. A moment later, she heard the door to the makeshift wardrobe open once again, and Roxie took that as her que that he was done changing his shirt.

She turned back around and watched as he closed the door. “Tony, you know Riff would’ve taken you in. Why didn’t you ask him?”

“What does it matter to you?” Tony challenged playfully. “You talkin’ to him again?”

That was a bit of a loaded question. Roxie wasn’t sure Tony was prepared for the answer.

Tony closed the door, and glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. “It wasn’t really my choice,” he said quietly before sitting down. “I’ve got a parole officer to keep happy now.”

That idea hadn’t crossed her mind. “Parole officer?” she asked. “It’s not like you killed someone.”

“But I almost did.”

An awkward silence fell over the room.

“Sorry,” Tony mumbled, breaking the tension. “I didn’t wanna bring it up.”

“It’s fine,” Roxie assured him quietly. “It’s what happened, right?”

Tony said nothing. Roxie walked over to the bed and slowly sat down beside him.

“Enough about me for now,” he continued after another moment. “How on earth did you end up back here, Roxie?”

Roxie looked at him, and couldn’t help but sigh as she contemplated where to even begin.

————————————————————————————

After a few hours, the sun was starting to set. Tony walked Roxie back to her new apartment. He supposed it wasn’t really necessary, but he didn’t mind. They said goodbye, but not before she made him promise that he wouldn’t drop off the face of the earth and that he would see her again. Once she was satisfied with his reassurances, she gave him a hug before promptly heading inside her building. As soon as she was past the doors, Tony quickly headed to his next destination.

His parole officer warned him against going out, and especially about staying out late. But there was something that Tony needed to take care of, and he needed to take care of it soon. Since Roxie knew he was out of jail, it was only a matter of time before the situation was out of his hands.

As Tony walked along the streets of the neighborhood that were gradually being lit up by street lamps, he could hardly believe what he saw. Buildings that had stood for as far back as he remembered were gone and reduced to nothing but rubble and abandoned singular walls. Many of the buildings that remained just weren’t the same.

What had happened to the Irish Pub? Over the past year or so, there’d been many nights he lay awake, counting down the days until he’d be able to drink his worries away. Maybe they’d only disappear for a night, but if it’d allow him to live with himself and what he’d done a little bit longer, it was more than worth it.

Before he knew it, Tony was outside the auto shop that had once been run by Riff’s uncle. Roxie told him Riff was running it now. He looked up at the sign that was beginning to show a bit of distress from passing time. Then his eyes fell to one of the garage doors. It was open.

Tony had had a year in the hole to gather his thoughts, but as he forced himself to walk forward and take the final steps towards the auto shop, he realized with slight dread that it hadn’t been enough time to prepare himself for the conversation he was about to have.

God was merciful, or so Tony hoped. That belief was further cemented in his mind when he entered the garage and found Riff alone.

Riff’s back was to him as the other young man faced the workbench across the garage. Though he didn’t turn around, Riff must have heard him enter.

“A-Rab, I already told ya that you were pressin’ your luck with shop owner,” he said over the noise of clanking tools that he was moving around. “He caught you grabbin’ the sign again, didn’t he?”

“No,” Tony answered, watching as Riff paused at the sound of his voice. “I’ve got an appointment actually… made it ‘bout a year ago.”

Riff continued to face the tool bench for another moment before he slowly turned around.

If Tony had feared something awful had happened to Riff- and perhaps he had a few times over the past year or so- his worries were quickly dismissed upon seeing him in person once again. The last memory he had of his long time friend was a bleak one. Maybe a rumble had been deemed necessary at the time, but no one actually liked what they felt the need to do when they were in the mess of it. The Riff he had seen going toe to toe with Asim, the one so angry and violent, was far removed from the Riff before him, who was calm and collected. And yet Tony still knew that they were both one in the same.

Riff looked at him like he had seen a ghost. “I’ll be damned…” he muttered, unchracteriscally at a loss for words.

Tony spared him any more discomfort and crossed the garage in a few long strides. The two embraced warmly, clapping each other on the back.

When the moment felt right, Riff pulled away, but the two remained close. “What the hell are you doing here?” he demanded, though he was still smiling. “How many times did I tell you I would be there when they cut ya loose?”

Still feeling apprehensive about what he had come to discuss and unsure of what to say, Tony merely shrugged.

“Nevermind,” Riff continued quickly, not noticing Tony’s hesitation. “You can tell me all ‘bout it later. There’s an extra cot upstairs with your name on it.”

Tony sighed. “I appreciate it, Riff, but-”

“Ya know what? No,” Riff corrected himself. “Probably haven’t gotten a good night’s sleep in who the hell knows how long. How ‘bout you take my bed, at least for a few nights?”

“Thanks, but that ain’t necessary-”

“Don’t thank me yet,” Riff interjected. “Some of the fellas are stayin’ with me, and you haven’t heard Diesel’s snoring. But we’ll work it out.”

Upon seeing the hopeful look on Riff’s face, Tony almost caved. It would’ve been so easy to accept Riff’s offer. Maybe he could sneak out some nights and still crash at Valentina’s. His parole officer wouldn’t be any the wiser.

But that wasn’t right. He knew that if he needed to make the change that he was demanding of himself and that his parole officer was enforcing, he had to man up and tell Riff what needed to be said.

“I can’t stay with ya.”

Riff frowned but quickly regained his composure. “What are you talkin’ ‘bout? Of course ya can!”

Riff finally took a step away and turned back to face the work bench. Tony watched as he continued to pick up the various tools that cluttered the surface. He put some in nearby drawers or otherwise moved them out of his way.

“I’m staying with Valentina, Riff.”

Riff paused and turned to look at him once again. “At Doc’s?” he asked slowly and redundantly. “With the old witch?”

Tony frowned upon hearing his best friend’s choice of words. Riff had never been her biggest fan, and she was certainly not his, Valentina deserved more respect than that. “She gave me a job.”

“So a job’s the problem, then?” Riff countered. “You can work here with me. Shop ain’t makin’ too much money right now, but soon we will be.”

“Yeah?” Tony raised his brows. “Roxie’s gonna work that kinda magic, huh?”

Riff pursed his lips and Tony knew he had hit a sore note. “So, you’re talkin’ to her?”

“I could ask you the same thing. Riff, you better not be playin’ games with her,” Tony warned him, pointing a finger at him for emphasis. Riff might as well have been his brother, but Tony had not forgotten how he had treated Roxie. He was worried.

“Please,” Riff scoffed.

“She told me all about Asim, Riff,” Tony informed him coolly. “I know what you two did to get the money to pay him off.” Riff said nothing as he watched him with narrow eyes, so Tony continued. “I appreciate you havin’ my back for that, I really do. But Roxie also told me about the agreement you’ve got now, and the argument you had.”

“Where ya goin’ with this?” Riff snapped. “Seems like she’s told you all you need to know.”

Tony sighed angrily as he contemplated his next words. “She’s upset, Riff. If you’re not playin’ games with her, you two ought to work it out. You know she didn’t mean what she said. You two used to be together, for God’s sake.”

Riff was quiet for a few moments. “Did she ask you to come talk to me?” he asked Tony then. Riff’s voice was quiet, and if Tony hadn’t been so exhausted from the events of the day, he almost could’ve sworn Riff sounded a bit hopeful.

“No,” Tony said. “I wanted to come talk to ya myself.”

“Ah… so were you plannin’ on bringing her up before or after you told me you didn’t need me anymore?”

Tony looked at Riff carefully.

Riff was his brother. Womb to tomb, sperm to worm, and all that. They’d been attached at the hip since they’d started school, and apart from Tony’s stint in prison following the rumble with the Egyptian Kings, they hadn’t been separated since. Tony didn’t like seeing Riff visibly upset at the fact that he hadn’t called him when he got out of prison and that he wasn’t going to be staying with him. Tony should’ve known how betrayed Riff had to feel, and if he could’ve tolerated thinking about this very moment for more than a few seconds throughout the past year, maybe he would’ve realized that sooner.

“It’s not like that,” Tony told him definitively. “I still need you, and I’m still here for you too.”

Riff was obviously waiting for the punchline. “But?”

“I can’t be runnin’ around with you and the Jets anymore.” Tony avoided looking at Riff, knowing that if he did and if he saw his reaction he probably wouldn’t be able to finish his thoughts. “I know about the Sharks, too. If I get in any more trouble, my parole officer will make sure I get locked up again... I can’t take the chance.”

Maybe Tony could have been honest with Riff. He could’ve told him that he was trying to change his life around. But, despite their close connection, the two of them had never been ones to have deep discussions. On the rare occasion they did, hypotheticals shielded them from any true vulnerability. Tony hoped that Riff would accept what excuse he’d given him, even if it was true.

“Seems like everyone’s forgotten where they came from these days,” Riff stated calmly, breaking the several minute silence.

Tony was taken aback by his tone. Riff didn’t sound angry. He sounded defeated.

“You best be gettin’ out of here,” Riff advised then, turning back to the workbench and focusing on the tools once again. It was almost as if their conversation had never even occurred. “The guys will be gettin’ in soon. I wouldn’t want them to see ya and get their hopes up.”

Tony sighed but relented with a slow nod. Riff didn’t spare him another glance.

“I can't be here for the Jets, but I’m still here for you, Riff,” Tony reiterated while taking a slow step backwards. “Whenever you need me, you know where you can find me.”

Tony retreated from the shop without another word. As he walked back to Doc’s, he could only hope that Riff would come around sooner rather than later.

————————————————————————————

Work was tiring, but when Roxie finally got into bed that night, she couldn’t sleep.

Instead, her mind was plagued with thoughts about the conversation she had with Helen in the laundry room and the talk she had with Tony earlier in the day.

Roxie had never thought herself to be a romantic. She’d never really considered marriage, at least not seriously, let alone a loveless one. There weren’t many married couples she’d known that had set a good example for her, except maybe Valentina and Doc.

She could still fondly recall how her mother would take her to Doc’s when she was a little girl. Valentina and Doc were always smiling at each other, and they never argued. Roxie was certain they loved each other up until Doc’s sudden death.

But Roxie wasn’t naive, and she knew that more and more folks ended up in a loveless marriage whether they had intended to do so or not.

Maybe Helen had a point. Hypothetically speaking, marrying Michael would guarantee Roxie a comfortable life.

But she didn’t love him. 

She’d known him for the better part of a year and honestly tried to give him a fair chance. They’d gone on a few dates and he had made a point to visit her a lot lately. He was kind, had a good job, and she knew she ought to like him… but her feelings for him had never developed beyond a platonic level.

Marrying him was out of the question.

Based on his recent behavior and their topics of conversation, Michael had already developed romantic feelings for her. It was likely inevitable that they’d continue to grow unless she told him the truth and put an end to things soon.

Michael was more than she deserved, but she wasn’t willing to allow his presence to cause a rift between her and Riff. If she stayed with Michael, there wouldn’t be any guarantee that it would work out, anyways. Why should she needlessly destroy the relationship with Riff they had mutually agreed to begin repairing?

Roxie knew then she had to go back to Riff and apologize. Maybe he’d apologize to her too, but even if he didn’t, she still felt it was the right thing to do. He wasn’t off the hook, and she knew she didn’t deserve what he had said. But he didn’t really deserve what she had said to him, either. Roxie hadn’t even meant to start the argument with him in the first place. She was just jealous of Graziella.

…

But why?

Roxie couldn’t think of a good reason that she was jealous. She and Riff weren’t together anymore. Riff could see whoever he wanted to. She didn’t know if he was the marrying type, given what she had gathered from what happened between his folks, but if he was, he could marry Graziella. Roxie wouldn’t stand in his way.

If Michael wasn’t her ticket out of the neighborhood, then continuing her education was still an option. Maybe she’d be able to earn enough by the fall semester. If not, spring semester was always an option.

Either way, she wasn’t going to allow Riff to push her away this time.

Not again.

————————————————————————————

“Riff, you goin’ to the dance in a few weeks?”

Riff and Baby John were once again in the park in the middle of the following Thursday afternoon. Riff had cut out a bit early from the auto shop, but he left it in the guys’ capable hands.

He and Baby John had met up to play some basketball a few times before. Riff knew it probably wasn’t the best idea for just the two of them to be out and about.  But they hadn’t had a problem so far, and they always made sure to be long gone before the Sharks came around the park after they got off work later in the afternoon.

Riff was grateful for the distraction from his other problems. Though he had made up his mind about going to apologize to Roxie, he had been unable to get her alone to do that. He thought about meeting up with her as she walked home from work, but he ultimately decided against that. In addition, the reunion and conversation he had with Tony still occupied a good portion of his waking thoughts, despite his attempts to push it out of his mind.

Tony just needs more time. A year in prison had to mess with one’s mind in ways Riff didn’t care to find out about personally. Tony would come around. In the meantime, Riff thought it best if they both gave each other some space.

Riff nodded in response to Baby John’s question as he caught the basketball that rebounded off the backboard. “I’m supposed to be goin’ with Grazi.”

“Right, cool,” Baby John replied quietly.

Riff looked at him to pass him the ball, but momentarily paused when Baby John looked like he had something else to say. “What about you?” Riff asked him curiously.

Baby John caught the ball with more of a familiar ease than he had been just a week or two ago. “Well, I haven’t asked anyone yet, but there is this one girl…”

Riff watched with a smile as Baby John shot the ball. The ball sunk in the net with a satisfying swish.

It’s gonna be one of those conversations, huh?

“Oh yeah?” Riff pried, though he could tell Baby John didn’t need much persuasion. “Tell me more.”

Riff could’ve sworn he saw a blush on Baby John’s face even from a few yards away. “She goes to my school,” he explained. “Her family lives in that building across from Doc’s, but they’re gonna be movin’ into the new apartments up the block when they’re done with ‘em.”

Leave it to Baby John to fall head over heels for a local girl. Riff knew what that was like. If the girl’s family was fixing to move into those fancy new apartments, they had to have some money, though.

“I’ve spoken to her a few times since school let out,” Baby John continued. “I know she’s plannin’ on goin’ to the dance, but whenever I think about askin’ her to go with me… I don’t know.” He passed the ball back to Riff.

Riff caught the ball and spared Baby John a brief  sympathetic look before taking a shot. “Wish I could help ya out, kid,” Riff said. He glanced across the park towards the apartment complex across the street for a brief moment. “But I ain’t really in the position to be givin’ advice about girls right now.”

Baby John nodded understandingly as he caught the ball once again.

It was quiet for a moment before Riff added, “Whatever ya do, just be honest and upfront about it.”

“Upfront, right…” Baby John replied, already looking as though the gears in his mind were beginning to turn. “I think I’ve got an idea. Thanks, Riff.”

Riff waved him off. “Don’t mention it.”

Baby John’s mind must’ve been elsewhere, because his next shot went flying past the backboard.

“Ya gotta focus, now,” Riff teased him, already heading over to grab the ball. “A-Rab would never let you live that down.”

Baby John smiled sheepishly.

Riff turned his back to him and sped up to a light jog in order to stop the basketball from rolling further away from the court. Once he reached it, he leant down, and quickly picked up the ball. As he stood up straight, a sudden yelp from behind him caught him off guard.

Riff spun around on heels and was immediately met with the sight of some Shark holding Baby John up by the collar of his shirt. “Hey!” he shouted instinctively, dropping the ball as he ran over towards them.

He went to grab the Sharks arm to make him release Baby John, but as he reached out his own arms were suddenly grabbed instead. Blindsighted, he was roughly picked up and thrown to the ground.

————————————————————————————

Love was in the air.

Well, it was for some people.

“Roxie, how do I look?”

Roxie was in her bedroom reading a book and trying to kill some time before she needed to get ready for work when Betty knocked on her door.

Roxie set the book down and looked at her roommate throughtfully. “You look great!” she complimented, noting the semi-formal dress Betty donned and her hair that was styled meticulously and pinned securely in place. “Going out?” Roxie asked conspiratorially.

“Yes!” Betty grinned. “Wait… I haven’t told you, have I?”

Roxie shook her head. If the woman she met in the laundry room the other day- Helen- was to be believed, Betty had been seeing some doctor lately. As far as she knew though, Betty had no idea that that conversation had ever taken place, or that Roxie even knew Helen.

“His name is Charles, and he’s very sweet. He’s a pediatrician, so he’s great with kids,” Betty informed her. As she talked, her smile grew and her focus seemed to be somewhere else, almost as if she was in a dream-like trance at the mere thought of the man. “He loves the arts, too. He’s actually taking me to a Broadway show tonight.”

The guy sounded too good to be true, but for Betty’s sake, Roxie hoped that wasn’t the case.

“I’ll be back late tonight,” Betty told her then. “But I’ll try to be quiet when I get in.”

Roxie didn’t doubt that, but for how often she got in late at night from work herself, she wouldn’t dare complain, even if Betty decided to bang on pots and pans at three in the morning.

————————————————————————————

The wind was knocked out of Riff as he laid on the basketball court. Dazed, the only thing he felt was the concrete pressing up against the left side of his face. It took one, two, three kicks to the ribs for Riff to find the air he needed and snap out of his stupor.

Riff scrambled off the ground and fought off the assailant on top of him as he did so. He spun around, fists raised, and recognized the man as one of the ones who seldom left Bernardo’s side.

Sharks.

Just a few feet away, Baby John was still on the ground, covering his face with his arms as another man- who Riff also recognized as one of the Sharks- wailed on him.

Riff ignored the man who had thrown him to the ground and went to his young friend’s aid. He yanked the man off of Baby John and shoved him down to the ground. As the man landed on the concrete a few feet away, Riff reached for Baby John and yanked him up to his feet.

The man who had attacked Riff stepped up once again, and Riff shoved him down to the ground as well.

Distant angry Spanish shouting filled the air then, and Riff looked across the playground to see a whole mob of people rushing towards them. Whether they all were Sharks, Riff wasn’t sure, but he could tell they were definitely PRs.

“Let’s go!” Riff urged Baby John as he grabbed him by his t-shirt and forced him along.

————————————————————————————

Schrank was about to clock out of his shift and finally head home for the day when he received a radio call about a shoplifting incident at the liquor store a few streets down from the park. Sergeant Davis had already headed home, so he was forced to respond to the call solo.

As Schrank pulled up his police cruiser to the front of the store, he found himself wishing he had ignored the call and gone home. He parked behind the two other units who had already arrived on the scene and hopped out of the vehicle.

He approached the other officers, who were in deep conversation with the apparent store owner. He recognized one of them. “Krupke!”

Sergeant Krupke heard him, and after glancing at the other officer, took a step away to speak to him. “Lieutenant,” he greeted.

“What do we got?” Schrank asked him.

“Store owner said two guys came in and swiped a couple of bottles of whiskey,” Krupke informed him, vaguely gesturing to the man behind him that was still speaking with the third officer on the scene.

Schrank looked around Krupke and at the store owner. He had stopped at this particular liquor store on his way home a few times previously, but the man before Schrank was not one he recognized. He was older and Puerto Rican. Schrank spotted the store sign next and immediately noted the changed name. This place get sold, too?

“Alright,” Schrank said as he turned his attention back to Krupke. “Let’s just get the report written up and we can all be on our way.”

Sergeant Krupke shook his head. “Apparently the guys shoved the store owner down when he tried to confront them,” he said. “He got banged up a little bit, but seems alright. He declined medical assistance. I’m not sure if they meant to hurt him, but a couple bystanders saw it all go down and one of them called it in.”

Schrank cursed internally. Theft was one thing, but assault, intentional or not, was another. Looks like I’m gonna be late for supper.

“Some of the bystanders tried to chase them down, but they haven’t gotten back,” Sergeant Krupke added.

Jesus, what is it with the vigilante justice ‘round here?! “Did you get a description of the perps?” Schrank asked.

Krupke nodded. “The store owner is still a bit shaken up and he didn’t remember too much, but it’s somethin’.” He pulled out his notebook from his back pocket and began to read off his notes. “Two young males… one taller, one shorter. Both were wearing somewhat raggy shirts and dirty blue jeans.”

It was an extremely general description that could’ve fit more than a handful of folks in the area. Fortunately, Schrank had an idea of some people in the neighborhood who would target a Puerto Rican store owner specifically and try to get some jollys by nabbing some alcoholic beverages in the process.

“We’ll need to start circling this area,” Schrank told Krupke. “If the mob doesn’t catch ‘em, let’s try to pick ‘em up before they get too far.”

————————————————————————————

“You good?”

Baby John nodded in response to Riff’s question.

The two had a bit of a head start from the crowd- or rather, mob- that had started to chase them down at the park. When a few of them got too close, a few trash cans thrown in their direction provided enough of a distraction for Riff to pull Baby John down an alleyway. They kept moving along the backs and sides of the various houses and stores and did their best to keep quiet.

Once they hit a dead end with a fence, they had no choice but to scale it. Riff made it up and over the tall fence with no problem, but once Baby John had reached the top of it, someone from the mob had caught up and spotted them. In his eagerness to make it over the fence, climb down, and disappear from sight once again, Baby John’s focus slipped, and he accidentally cut his arm on a jagged piece of metal on the fence.

The two were once again out of sight of the mob and were huddled down in an alleyway. They hadn’t been able to make it past the end of the block. Everytime they tried crossing the street, they’d been spotted by the mob or one of the police cruisers that was circling the block. Baby John wasn’t sure exactly how many there were, but he was certain there were at least a few. 

Baby John and Riff had already taken several trips through the block and had circled back around to near the playground once again. As they took a moment to catch their breaths, he tried his best to ignore the stinging pain, which ran down his right arm in almost a straight line, but Riff must’ve noticed him grimacing anyways.

“Let me see,” Riff demanded lightly, taking a step closer. Baby John offered him his arm, and Riff looked over it thoughtfully. “It doesn’t look too deep,” he said decisively after a moment. “But you oughta get it cleaned up.”

“What are we gonna do?” Baby John asked him, not bothering to hide the concern in his voice.

They couldn’t just stay there and wait it out. If the mob and the cops were determined to find them, and it seemed like they were, they’d be closing in on them soon. They had already circled back around to the playground. It was still light out, and given that they had already made several attempts, it didn’t seem likely that they’d be able to just slip away.

What did they even want? Playing basketball wasn’t a crime. But if they got grabbed by the cops and had something pinned on them, they’d be toast. Baby John couldn’t get locked up. The very thought of it would kill his ma.

“I got an idea,” Riff said suddenly. “You see that building across the way?”

Baby John followed Riff’s line of sight to the building in question. He recognized it immediately.

“When I say go, we cross the street, and head to the back of it,” Riff proposed before looking back at Baby John for confirmation. “Ya ready?”

Baby John nodded.

“Go!”

————————————————————————————

Schrank stood in the park and watched as the crowd turned mob rendezvoused back at the playground. As he looked at their angry faces, he struggled to understand why they were so upset. Sure, technically what had happened was assault, but the old hombre wasn’t even hurt. He was just out a few bottles of the whiskey the perps grabbed on their way out of his shop.

The mob had tasked themselves with serving some vigilante justice, but where had that gotten them? Nowhere. They’d come back empty handed. A few of them said they’d been chasing a pair of young men matching the general description of the assailants, but they also said they had lost them in some alleyway.

It was a police matter now. That’s why Schrank was there. The supper his wife would’ve cooked by then was probably already sitting on the kitchen table and getting colder by the minute. Ugh, cold meatloaf.

Schrank, Krupke, and the other responding officer could wait around a patrol for a little while longer, but at some point the report would get written up and that would be that. Maybe the perps had actually managed to get away in the shuffle of it all and could live to get inebriated another day.

Schrank had just finished telling the crowd to begin dispersing when he saw two figures make a dash across the street by the park entrance. It was quite the distance, but he recognized the Riff-raff and the newest Jet recruit, Baby John, from where he stood.

He continued to watch as the pair of misfits made it to the other side of the street and promptly slipped into the alleyway along the side of the building.

Schrank smiled to himself, knowing that that way was a dead end. He’d caught a few previous perps there. All that alleyway led to was the back of that apartment building and the one behind it. It was blocked in by two unclimbable and very tall brick walls.

The Jets made his job almost too easy sometimes.

Thankfully, the crowd was facing him, and their backs were towards the park entrance. They hadn’t seen what he had. Better that way; if they dispersed, he could grab Krupke quickly and make their way over to the apartment complex and try to trap the miscreants.

————————————————————————————

Baby John followed Riff across the street and through an alleyway beside the apartment complex.

When they finally reached the back of the building, Baby John felt slightly distraught upon the realization that it was a dead end. There was no way he’d be able to climb that brick wall, especially not with his arm.

Thankfully, Riff looked like he had a plan. He was focusing on the back of the building as he walked alongside it. Finally, he stopped just before the bottom of the third fire escape down and looked back at Baby John.

“Up we go,” he told him.

Baby John had an inkling of an idea where Riff was leading him, but he still gave him a confused look as he walked over to follow his order. As he reached up, grabbed the metal bars, and began to climb, he asked Riff, “What are we doing?”

“Less talkin’, more climbin’,” Riff replied, eyeing the alleyway they’d come through and fidgeting a bit.

————————————————————————————

Roxie sat on her bed, her shoes long since discarded on the floor, as she continued to re-read the book she had started earlier in the week.

She knew the plot of the book. She’d read it several times beforehand. However, she still found herself feeling spooked by the time the plot twist arrived and the killer was announced.

Slight chills up ran up her spine as the detective in the novel began to recount how he had solved the murder. The murder weapon was found in the possssion of the butler, who had been contemplating his resignation, but he had an alibi for the actual crime. It wasn’t the ex wife, or the oldest son who had been disinherited, though one would think they had the most to gain. The answer was clear then. They really should have known all along that the killer was actually-

Knock knock knock.

A series of rushed knocks against the outside of her window made Roxie nearly jump out of her skin. When she regained her composure, she set the book on the bed and stood up. She slid on her shoes before making her way over to the window and opening the curtains.

Roxie should have been surprised to see Riff, along with the young Jet she had run into a few weeks beforehand, squatting on the landing of the fire escape and looking at her with somewhat helpless looks. But stranger things had occurred since she’d gotten back in the neighborhood.

Against her better judgment, she opened the window swiftly and stepped aside to allow the two to climb inside.

“What are you doing here?” Roxie asked Riff. She watched as he shut the window behind them. He lingered by the window and looked out of it as if he were looking for someone or something. When he didn’t respond, Roxie added, “Are you ever going to use the front door?”

Riff really had some nerve, showing up to her apartment like this. Maybe she was ready to come around and apologize, but that hadn’t actually happened yet. It was bold of him to assume she’d just let them in.

But she did.

Riff finally glanced at her. “Didn’t think you’d want us walking up the hallways lookin’ like this,” he said half-jokingly as he gestured to the younger Jet beside him. Said young man was shifting on his feet apprehensively.

Roxie looked at the younger man and immediately noticed the red gash running along the length of his right arm and his swollen left eye. She looked back at Riff, but he was facing away from her again as he looked back out the window. He looked alright, save for the few scratches on his left cheek.

“What is going on?” she asked again. She hated to admit it, but some of her anger had started to relent at the thought of either of the two hurt. If Riff had come to her for help, in light of their last conversation, it was probably something serious.

Riff was still staring at something outside. When he didn’t answer, the younger man beside him answered, “We were in the park when we got jumped outta nowhere.”

Jumped? “For what?” she asked him, brows furrowing slightly.

“Does one need a reason to get jumped?” Riff asked rhetorically. “Anyways, we don’t know. There was a whole mob after us, and now the cops are out.”

Roxie took a step forward to stand beside Riff and looked out the window to where his focus was.

Lieutenant Schrank was walking around the alley behind the building. He walked past the many fire escapes and craned his head up towards the sky to look at each one.

“Are you sure you didn’t do anything?” Roxie asked the pair.

“Yes,” Riff answered quickly as he continued to watch Schrank. “But I know ya may have a problem taking my word, so just ask the kid.”

Roxie frowned at Riff for a moment before looking at the other young man expectantly.

He looked at her for a second before his eyes fell to the floor and he shrugged nervously. “We were just playin’ basketball, honest,” he said quietly.

Riff had a point. Roxie may have questioned his word at that moment, but when she looked at the other Jet, she quickly picked up on his nervous and somewhat shy demeanor. He held his injured arm subconsciously and he still refused to meet her eyes. Roxie severely doubted that he had enough guts at the moment to lie to her.

“Well,” Roxie relented with a small sigh, “you better get away from the window then, before Schrank sees you.” She put a light hand on Riff’s arm to gently guide him away.

————————————————————————————

Riff allowed himself to be led away from the window. Then, he and Baby John followed Roxie out of her bedroom and into the living and kitchen area.

“Your roommate in?” Riff asked Roxie, suddenly remembering the other girl. Oops.

“She’s on a date,” Roxie answered simply. She turned to give him a pointed look. “And I’ve got to go to work shortly.”

“We’ll be out of your hair soon,” Riff assured her sincerely. It hadn’t been his intention to put her out.

He really was grateful that she had been home, and was even more thankful that she had let the two of them inside her window. Considering he hadn’t apologized for their argument the other day, he wouldn’t have blamed her if she had left them out there on the fire escape. Riff looked at her and tried to find the words to convey what he was feeling.

However, Riff was also aware of Baby John’s presence. He liked the kid, and Riff didn’t think Baby John would go blabbing about what he’d say to the other Jets, but he owed Roxie the decency of a private apology. Riff and Baby John needed to get out of whatever situation they’d found themselves in first, and then he’d be able to properly apologize.

“You got a phone I can borrow?” Riff asked Roxie instead.

Roxie gestured to the kitchen area and Riff headed over to it. As he walked across the room, he took a quick look around. He’d been in Roxie’s bedroom before, but he hadn’t seen the rest of the apartment. It actually seemed to be a bit smaller than the living area and kitchen in the apartment above the shop, but this one was definitely nicer. It only took him a moment to find the phone.

Riff picked up the device and called the one number he bothered to memorize. His foot bounced lightly as he listened to the phone ring.

————————————————————————————

Baby John watched as Riff had the phone pressed up to his ear and waited for someone to pick up. He was probably trying to call some of the other Jets, but it didn’t look like they were going to answer as seconds continued to tick by.

“I thought I recognized that tattoo,” Roxie said as she turned to him. “I’m glad to see you don’t have paint-stained hands.”

Baby John briefly looked down at his hands in confusion. When he realized she was referring to when they had first met, he gave her a small smile. “Me too.”

“I’m Roxie,” she introduced herself with a smile of her own.

Baby John already knew who she was, but he realized with some embarrassment that she must not have known his name. “Baby John,” he supplied.

“It’s nice to formally meet you, Baby John,” Roxie said. She sounded genuine. “You can sit down on the couch if you want,” she said then. “Just, um, try not to get blood on it, okay?”

Baby John sat down on the couch behind him, as she had suggested, but as he did so, he was mindful to hold his bleeding arm over his lap. Roxie took a step towards him, but remained standing. “That cut looks pretty deep,” Roxie noted. “Do you mind if I take a look?”

Baby John looked over at Riff, who was still waiting on the phone. Riff hung up the device with a frustrated sigh before picking it up and dialing the number again.

Mouthpiece had told him that Riff said the Jets could start talking with Roxie again. But Baby John hadn’t known her back in the day. He’d only just introduced himself to her. Riff had led them to her for help, but this was uncharted territory for him.

Roxie must have noticed his hesitation. “He probably hasn’t said much about me,” she said quietly, also looking at Riff. Riff didn’t notice either of them as he continued to wait for someone to answer his call. “But I used to fix him and Tony up all the time.”

Baby John looked away from Riff and up at Roxie, who was staring at him with concern. After another moment of thought, he nodded.

He couldn’t go home in his current condition. His ma had enough to worry about without fretting over him.

————————————————————————————

Riff had already attempted three calls when he decided he needed to take a break. He hung up the line once more.

Before he could turn to see what Baby John and Roxie had been up to in the meantime, Roxie walked past him. He watched silently as she entered a room to the left of where he stood in the kitchen. A moment later, she emerged back into the living area with some various items in her hands.

She crossed the room once more and sat down on the couch beside Baby John. He offered his arm to her without a word, and she began to examine it a bit closer.

Riff was already going to apologize to Roxie the moment the opportunity presented itself, but if he hadn’t been sure of that beforehand, seeing her with Baby John would have convinced him. Here he was, bringing their problems to her, and despite the likelihood that she was still upset with him, she was helping them out. She wiped off Baby John’s arm with a washcloth carefully and thoughtfully.

“It shouldn’t need stitches,” Roxie told Baby John. “But I’ll wrap it up for you.”

Knock knock knock.

Riff eyed the front door warily. “Expecting anyone?” he asked Roxie quietly.

Roxie shook her head. She set down the washcloth and stood up from the couch. She slowly walked to the front door, unlocked it, and cracked it open. What she saw on the other side must have alarmed her, because she straightened up a moment later.

“Lieutenant Schrank,” she greeted loudly and purposefully.

Riff looked at Baby John, who was already looking at him with wide eyes. Riff put a single finger over his lips and hoped Baby John got the message.

————————————————————————————

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Ms. Thomas,” Schrank said, smiling at her through the cracked door. “Why am I not surprised to find that ya live here?”

Roxie kept her expression neutral. She shifted a bit and placed a firm hand on the door, not wanting to take a chance that Schrank could see inside the apartment and reveal the two boys who were waiting behind her with baited breath. “Evening, Lieutenant. Can I help you with something?”

“There was an incident at the liquor store by the park,” Schrank informed her. “Owner got roughed up a bit when a few individuals matchin’ the description of a certain group of people I believe we’re both familiar with took some of his product.” Schrank looked her up and down. “Unless my eyes were deceivin’ me, I thought I saw some of them head behind this building, but they’ve seemed to disappear without a trace. So I’m goin’ unit to unit to see if anyone’s noticed anything unusual.”

“Wow,” Roxie replied blankly. “Well, I haven’t seen anything, and I’m actually headed to work soon. I wish you the best of luck with finding them though, Lieutenant.”

Schrank narrowed his eyes at her and glanced at the door. “Mind if I come in?”

“Yes, I do,” Roxie answered. “I know my rights. I believe it’s the fourth amendment specifically. Best of luck, Lieutenant.”

————————————————————————————

Riff couldn’t help but grin as he listened to the conversation between Roxie and Schrank. When she shut the door in his face and locked it quickly, he had to stifle the laugh that was threatening to slip out.

Remembering the task at hand, Riff picked up the phone once again and dialed the number. The phone rang a few times, but after what felt like a lifetime, someone finally picked up the other line.

“Hello?” Gee-Tar answered.

Riff rolled his eyes and made a mental note to remind the guys about answering the auto shop’s phone later. What if he had been a customer? Screw it, bigger problems right now. “Gee-Tar!” Riff said quickly. “Listen buddy, are Ice or Action there?”

“Nope,” Gee-Tar replied nonchalantly. “Just me, Diesel, and Snowboy. But wait- I think someone else is comin’ in now.”

“Who?”

“Let’s see… ah, It’s Balkan and Mouthpiece! Wait… Hey, they brought some whiskey!”

Riff frowned and put a tired hand over his face. “Where did they get it?” he asked, though he felt confident in what the answer was.

“... They said they grabbed it from a liquor store.”

Riff sighed loudly. “The liquor store by the park?”

“Yes.”

Riff cursed under his breath. Baby John and Roxie looked at him from their places on the couch, but he ignored them. “Well, you tell Balkan and Mouthpiece that their sticky fingers landed me and Baby John in hot water!” he snapped hotly.

————————————————————————————

As Roxie wrapped Baby John’s arm, she listened while Riff proceeded to tell Gee-Tar about what had happened. Eventually, Riff told him that he’d call when the cops cleared out so that some guys could head over and make sure Riff and Baby John could leave the block safely.

By the time Roxie retrieved a pack of frozen vegetables from the freezer in the kitchen and gave it to Baby John to use it on his swollen eye, Riff had finally ended the call.

Leaving Baby John to his own devices, she slowly walked over to the kitchen. She stopped a few feet before Riff and looked at him silently for a few moments. His eyes didn’t leave hers. She ignored the funny feeling it gave her as she glanced over him once again to check for any sign of injury. The scratches on his cheek were red and seemed a bit irritated, but that appeared to be the extent of it.

“I think you’ll live,” she teased.

Riff smirked. “Thanks.”

It was silent for a few more minutes as the two stared at one another.

Once she found the nerve, Roxie broke the silence first. “I think we need to talk,” she said quietly, mindful of Baby John, who was just a few yards away on the couch.

 Riff nodded. “Yeah, we do.”

“Later,” she proposed. “I’ve got to get headed to work.”

“Later,” Riff agreed.

“Just stay here and lay low. When it’s safe, leave out the window,” Roxie directed. “My roommate won’t be back until later tonight, so as long as you two leave in a few hours, at most, there shouldn’t be a problem.”

“I owe you one.”

With a nod and a small smile, Roxie turned to head back into her bedroom. Before she took a step, Riff’s hand wrapped around her wrist lightly, stopping her in her tracks.

“Thank you, Roxie.”

————————————————————————————

Baby John leaned back against the couch and tried to focus on how nice the ice pack felt on his irritated eye. It was a desperate hope, he knew, but if it could get the swelling down at least a little bit, maybe he could slip past his ma whenever he got home without her noticing. Roxie had already wrapped up his arm, so he’d have to think of an excuse for that.

Baby John looked over to the kitchen, where Riff and Roxie were conversing quietly. Curiously, Baby John watched them out of the corner of his one good eye.

Riff had mentioned he was going to the upcoming dance with Grazi. But if Baby John didn’t know that, the look on Riff’s face as he looked down at Roxie would have made him believe differently.

Roxie turned to leave suddenly, but Riff stopped her. The look that Roxie gave Riff was one that Baby John could only hope that Tessie, the girl he wanted to ask to the dance, might give him someday.

A/N: If you enjoyed, please feel free to interact or leave feedback. If you would like to be added to the tag list, please comment, send me a message, or otherwise let me know. I may need an extra day or two than usual to get the next part out, but I’ll start working on it. Thank you again! :)

Taglist: @whisperofsong @disguisedbassethound @lingerasthesmokeoncedid​ @westsidelegendary​

Part 12​

Masterlist

[ifuckingloveryoshu]

Im hijacking this post to give my head cannons for the sections these sinners would be in. I don't know how idols work, I can't speak about dancing, so sorry. I'm also female and don't know about male chior stuff.

Soprano 1s:

Ishmael: She is a good vocalist. Labor and exercise does the lugs good. The sea breeze was great for her lungs. She can sing, she can project, she can go supprisingly high, shes wonderful. Chef's kiss. Also her Pass On is proof she can go that high. She can unleash her voice. Oh, those glorious sea shanties too, she's had practice. I'm so out of loop of chior culture because I've been out of it for 2 years but she is THE SOPRANO. You love to see it.

Don: You think she had an immature voice but she can go take that operatic tune when you least expect it. She can also do the childish annoying tone really well, that's a complement. Really strong voice too but you need to keep telling her to blend better. Her voice would stick out if she's using her normal voice. Definitely belts. STOP BREATHING, you don't need to breath that much, your breathing in the wrong places.

Soprano 2s:

Rodion: Haven't read her book, still need to, but I imagined she drank and smoked. I'm going to say though she got lucky and her voice is fine, maybe just a tiny bit effected by that. Does the backstreets have smoke polution? She can't go as high as Ish or Don. She has a pretty mature and rich voice, but she goes off note sometimes. She's not taking this seriously but she's having fun and that looks good on stage.

Alto 1:

Faust: She's the defacto "I put you here because we don't have enough altos and you can reach these notes." Faust is a blender meaning that you could put her next to anyone and her voice will adjust to sing with them. Faust has a wide range, you know what's her problem? She doesn't look happy. Faust is doing her best but she's not singing with enough passion or emotion. I can't tell you how many times my chior director told us, "You all look dead inside." I love Faust, I beleive she can crack a subtle smile and that will work. She maybe needs to move more, look like she's having more fun.

Alto 2:

Outis: Deep voice, can reach those high notes, good voice. She also doesn't look like she's having fun, it feels too forced. She needs to be put next to someone she can tolerate. Did you know that you could identity if a singer hates the person their singing next to? She's a good singer I think, she might just be shy about it. Due to her military background, she's great at projecting.

Ryoshu: My girl, I love you but your voice is so flat. I bet she can sing well by herself, I bet she could belt pretty well, but she's not taking this very seriously. Maybe she is surprisingly a blender, she can take the low notes pretty well. She does not look happy at all but when she gets that song or vocal part she really likes, she will give it her all. She's going to smirk at you and then use her supprisingly good breath support and say a whole 2 minute long SANGRIA without breathing at all. She knows how to sound like she hasn't taken a single breath, she is wonderful at breath control.

Tenor:

Sinclair: Easily could be a Soprano 2 if he was a girl. Small chick is nervous but when he takes the initiative, oh baby the audience goes wild. He is the BTS boy. I don't know anything about BTS but HE IS THE IDOL! STAR SINGER BABY BOY! He just needs confidence, he needs to break out of his shell. I know Sinclair is not a child but I can't help it, he has potential, he just needs to go and reach it. He can also belt.

Hong Lu: Good, wonderful blender. Hes great at the preforming part. I think he'd be good at breathing. I can't think of anything else he is particularly skilled at but that doesn't mean hes bad, he just has untapped potential in the vocal department. He also always looks happy and hes actually enjoying himself which is an amazing plus. To make up for it, he really doesn't have any downside.

Baritone:

Yi-Sang: Can't go onto the bass range but could easily do Tenor. His voice is so softspoken, he needs to be louder. Might also get flat sometimes but he can recover well if you point it out to him. Im putting rapping ability here too, he can decently rap. Good diction, I forgot that existed for a hot minute. Needs to breath less.

Gregor: Could do Bass part if he really really tried. He has smoker lung and fought in the smoke war but his voice is still decent from what we hear from his Pass On. He needs to sound happier, be less nervous. This would be fine if he was just singing in a bar for fun, but he needs to preform. He messes up his sylables and goes flat sometimes. Stay away from his bug arm, don't stand next to it while your preforming or it'll cut you down.

Bass:

Heathcliff: Emotional singer, rich bass voice, he is a good singer, he can really get into it. We need to make sure he's not scowling though because that scowl is a preformance killer. Make sure hes enjoying himself while hes singing. Put him next to someone he gets along with. I think he's also prone to getting flat.

Meursault: PRIME BASS MATERIAL BUT HES FLAT. Good breath support but also needs to breath more, its like hes not even breathing at all. He also needs to show more emotion and smile. He looks like hes dieing inside. If hes just in the idol group though, I think people could dig it.

All of the Sinners need to blend better.

Limbus company is it was actually a good game

Some doodles ^_^