#nicole dex | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

dark-twist-fairytales · 2 years ago

Text

The Assassi's - Assassination for Preparation

How much can I write in a day, after just waking up and only writing for about 2 and a half hours?

Apparently, 2.6k words. Anyways! The stuff beforehand:

Jane Dex and Nicole Dex both belong to @howlerlight

Tw: Assassination. Assassination Attempt. Death Threat. Guns.

~~~

"Do you really have to go? Won't it be dangerous?" Gremlin spoke, watching Marc slip on a darker color outfit than he normally did, but still having the hood over his head.

"Oh, it'll be extremly dangerous. This is Mx. Dex we're talking about! No doubt, someone's gonna be high on our tail, especially with Jordan being on the case as their bodygaurd." Marc spoke, looking himself in the mirror for a moment. Once satisfied with his gear, he gave a nod and grabbed his hidden blades, which were a strapped with a very dark blue leather, rather than the orange-y tone that Riker's had.

"Jordan..?"

"Green." Marc replied, with Gremlin shaking her head. "Okay, so their name is Jordan?"

"It's a codename, Gremmy." Marc said, shifting the belts across his chest to tighten them, hearing a click from the joints behind him to indicate it had tightened and now fit properly.

"So, their name isn't Jordan.. Then why are they called Jordan?" Gremlin asked, standing up as she walked over to Marc, grabbing up sniper that laid ever so carefully out for Marc, tracing her hand lightly over the barrel of it. "Listen, I just don't want you hurt, okay..?"

"Jordan, being a common name for a taller American looking person. Although, Green isn't actually American, it still helps." Marc said, turning to Gremlin as his smile faded, moving over to Gremlin and lightly cupping her cheek, enough to gain her attention and allowing her to lean into his hand. "I'll stay as safe as I can, okay? You need no worry, min duva. I've done this before."

Gremlin gave a sigh, before nodding and looking to Marc's eyes, smiling in a worried manner. "I know, but I'm still gonna worry.." She spoke, with Marc moving forward to set the sniper down, hugging Gremlin once the gun was safelt down. He moved on hand to take the top hat away, resting in her hair. He felt Gremlin nuzzle against his chest, his face warming up and feeling oddly.. Soft and fuzzy inside. He felt the smile return, moving back to look Gremlin in the face, moving his hand that held the top hat up to move her hair out of her face. "Min duva, I'll return before you know it." He spoke, setting the top hat back on her head.

"Promise me it?" Gremlin spoke, moving one of her hands up to boop Marc's nose.

"What if I reveal just a little bit about me? Will that assure you?"

"It better be taking that hood off." The two shared a chuckle at that, with Marc shaking his head softly.

"My name is Marco. I'm Italian and Swedish." Marc hummed softly, before booping her nose back. "Call me Marc, but don't use it around the other Toppat's, sì?"

Gremlin nodded at that, before she glanced to the time. "Well, Marc, you need to get going, if you're gonna make it to the rally in time." She said, feeling more assured than she ever thought she could. Moving away, she allowed Marc to set the sniper rifle in its holster on his back, but Gremlin also took this chance to grab the magazine he had laying out. Two bullets only. Man, there really wasn't any room for error, was there?

Soon, they were set down the hallway, Gremlin walking beside Marc on the way towards the teleporter. Kyro had been sent out hours before him for preperation and being around one of the main rally leaders. They couldn't exactly give away what they were doing, but what was happening was better silent than spoken.

As soon as they reached it, Gremlin stopped Marc short, her nerves eating at her again. "How can I be sure that it goes well?"

"Cut the news channel on, you'll see Jordan around. Just know, I'll be around behind the camera. And, expect us back about an hour or two after it ends." Marc said, settling on giving a kiss to the back of Gremlin's hand, before he moved towards the teleporter, giving a nod to Burt and being sent through, down towards the Earth. Gremlin stood still, face pink from the kiss and heart practically beating out of her chest, before she finally made her way out of the communications and teleportation room, walking towards one of the lounges to put on the rally...

~~~

Marc practically ran from point A to point B, that being about three miles apart, it took about twenty-five for running about two and a half miles. Another bit to walk and take time to catch his breath, about four minutes of walking, two more of running, and he made it too the building he needed. Yes, he did have dip and swerve through alleyways, but soon made it exactly where he needed.

Climbing up the fire escape, right to the top of the building, he lifted himself onto the edge and looking around, trying to spot who he needed. No, not the rally leader, although spotting them and Kyro was a good bonus. He looked around more and finally found who they needed.. The pink haired military solider.. A good shot, and will do anything to protect Mx. Nicole Dex. That wasn't his target. As soon as he noticed her, on a nearby building, he took another look around to spot another mysterious fellow... But their shot wasn't aimed for the opposing rally leader to Nicole.. It was AT Nicole.

Marc moved himself backwards, settling on the nearby wall and just watching, waiting.. Please, for the love of God, shoot the bitch..

His eyes stayed focused on the military officer, watching her move the rifle to aim at the blackened figure that was, in his opinion, a dumbass assassin wanna-be. He held his breath just a bit, as if he was the one holding the gun, before he spotted he gun move, quickly turning to see the other guy killed off, now a lifeless corpse hanging on the side. He moved swiftly, ducking behind the wall he was at, and using his momentum and speed to juum from the building he was on, down onto Jane's building.

Jane jerked around at the sound, but where Marc had landed? There was no one there. She took a moment to scan the area well, but ultimately spotted nothing. "You got the target?" Rang out a gruff voice in her ear, moving a hand to tap the mic button. "Affermative. But, I'm staying longer. I have a feeling.." She spoke back, cutting off the mic and taking one last look, before settling back down on the ground and checking her sniper scope.

That was, until she felt weight on her back, between her shoulders that kept her down. Her expression changed to shock, grabbing the rifle tighter and keeping her ground. "I need you to stay calm, Mrs. Dex. My goal is not Mx. Dex."

"Who are you, and what do you mean?" With Jane's words, she tried to push herslef upwards, not expecting to be rivaled by the strength of the unknown person above her. She did break some, but it wasn't enough, and she wasn't repaired to listen to the words of whoever this foreigner was. "And I swear, if you give some dumbass annswer-"

"Call me Snipe. I do not want Mx. Dex dead, I want her opposing member dead." This got Jane to let up just slightly. Turning her head to look Marc dead in the eyes. Her own eyes were narrowed, flicking her sniper on safety as to not cause a stray bullet, before putting her arms under her.

"How can I trust you, hmm?" She asked, a snarl in her tone, but she felt the weight leave her shoulders, watching as this male got down and laid beside her, with his own sniper. Gloves, the cape and hood, his dead stare of want.. She took one look down to the sniper, seeing the safety engaged as well.

"Take a look.." He spoke, glancing to Jane, and after a bit of a stare off, they both looked in their respective scopes. "That person you see standing beside Mx. Dex? Large, glasses, practically looking at us?" Gaining a hum once Jane spotted the person, did Marc continue. "Their with me. They're there to protect Mx. Dex, not harm." Turning the gun slightly, Marc flicked the safety off.

Jane glared for a moment, watching him line up the shot. "What did he do, huh?" She asked, moving her sniper to bump Marc's off, gaining a growl and seeing him bare his teeth. This made her smirk, and also gain his attention.

"He's corrupt and a liar. Put my crew in danger just to to keep his ass safe. I'm not letting him do that to la ma famiglia again." Marc said, taking his time to line up the shot. "Mind doing me a favor?"

"I would mind, actually. I don't know you."

"And yet you haven't knocked the gun out of my hand. Aim at the bodygaurd's head."

"No."

Marc hummed, already expecting the answer, before he put his finger on the trigger. "Then move." He said, without taking another answer. She was either moving or getting hit with a bullet shell. Frankly? She only gave a chuckle and shuffled backwards. And quickly, two more shots rang out. The two bullets in Marc's chamber were gone, one through the skull of the bodygaurd, and the other through the neck of the rally leader.

Hearing the click of the gun behind him, as well as a barrel of a sniper being placed to the back of his skull, he could only sigh. "Well, that seems a little too easy, huh? Putting blind trust in-"

With anohter shot ringing out, as well as the grunt of Kyro in Marc's ear, did his fake 'you got me' turn to actual shock. "Jordan?? Are you okay?" He asked into the mic, before he gained a small 'I'm fine' from the bodygaurd. "You can't just give me an 'I'm fine'- Bring the car around, is Mx. Dex still alive?"

"I got shot in the ribs. Gonna be bruised for a while. Mx. Dex is alive- Swinging by to get you and Officer Dex." Kyro spoke, clear and deep, which was enough to soothe Marc's worries, before he looked to Jane and grabbed her sniper, using his strength to get by her to try and knock her down, but Jane wasn't going to let up easily. She fought back, using her advantage of skill set to rip the sniper out of Marc's hands and topple him to the ground.

She aimed the sniper at him, right between his eyes. "Give me one good fucking reason I shouldn't put a bullet through your brains."

"Jordan has Nicole safe! They're on their way to pick us up! Nicole is safe, trust me! Hold me at gunpoint until you see proof." Jane glared down in his eyes, trigger finger ready to pull, but she couldn't. Safety was still on. Glaring and growling, Marc took this chance to grab his sniper and run towards the edge of the building. He was able to hook it on his back, before jumping from the edge.

On the opposing building: Fire escapes. He grabbed onto the railing once he was close enough, his ribs hitting onto the bars. Although it hurt, he didn't have time, moving as quickly as he could down to railings. Once he was down on the ground, a car skidded to a halt beside him, doors unlocking as he jumped into the back seat.

Jane had been high on his tail, going down the building they were on's fire escape to get down, slower than Marc, but still hitting the ground shortly after Marc got into the car. She opened the other side, get in and-

"Jane?" Her gaze softened as she saw her own sister, alive and well, right beside her. "I knew it was you.." She said, moving in and hugging her, still stunned, younger sister.

Jane finally moved to hug Nicole back, feeling the car move and hearing the doors lock for their safety. "I.. You.. But.." She stammered, looking to the heavy-breathing Marc in the seat in front of her. "You... Weren't lying."

"Nope. Wouldn't lie about something like this." Marc spoke, giving a chuckle, which was quickly followed by a hiss of discomfort, and some minor swearing in Swedish. "Ohh, I think that's broken.."

"Really? When's that ever shocking?" Kyro spoke, taking off their sunglasses to reveal the multi-colored, prosthetic eye they wore that day. Black and red checkered, with some little white speckles. Their comment was followed by a hearty chuckle at the glare they gained from Marc.

"Oh, here we are, Mx. Silent with the jokes, ey?" Marc said, dramatically moving his hands and head, just to gain more laughter and giggles from the three others in the car. "Anyways, is there somewhere safe you two can go for the night? Away from uh... Paparazzi?"

"The press. Paparazzi applies to celebraties, press applies to politcal figures. But, I think we do have somewhere." Nicole spoke, looking to Jane with a smile, gaining a nod from the younger.

~~~

About three hours passed, before Marc actually called Burt to get them picked up, both him and Kyro being sore in the ribs from damaging them. Marc had called Riker, just to tell him they were alive, before they finally got teleported upwards.

With getting back up to the orbital station, it was a bit painful for them. Marc was sent to the medic ward immediately, given for how much pain it was for him breathing, and Kyro just dismissed their own discomfort as bruising, before going to find Joey.

Walking through the halls, suit and all, their glasses were tucked in their breast pocket. They soon spotted the lounge where they could see Joey, swaying and chewing at her nails, chatting with Malli and Riker. Well, less of chatting and more of listening to the two talking with each other.

They also looked around, to find Gremlin sitting silently, anxious by the way she tapped at the table, sitting across from the third in line, Sven Svensson. Sven was chatting, seemingly trying to calm Gremlin down. Looking between the groups, they decided to go towards Gremlin first, wanting to ease her nerves and not leave her in the dark. They hated being left in the dark themselves, so alleviating that stress would help ease the anxiety.

Walking over, they gave a tap to the table to gain both Sven's and Gremlin's attention. They gave a glance to Sven, before looking to Gremlin and crouching down, motioning her closer. Cupping their hand to her ear, they then spoke: "Blue is okay. He'll be pleased to see you in the medical bay. Worst thing, a broken rib." They pulled back, with Gremlin's eyes wide with relief. Before they knew it, Gremlin was hugging them and thanking them. Kyro did give a pat to their back, albeit awkwardly, they got up and let Gremlin run off, before giving a nod to Sven, and turning around to get over to Joey.

Giving a tap to Joey's shoulder, they turned around and gasp, before quite literally jumping into Kyro's arm, the size difference being funny to other's around them. But, to Kyro, this was home. They hugged Joey tightly, lightly nuzzling her cheek, before pulling away enough to see her eye to eye. They then gave a kiss to the prosthetic eye, when Kyro's eyes were closed, so it got planted on their eyelid. This made Kyro smile, hugging Joey tightly in their arms and giving a sigh of relief.

Riker's chuckle broke up the reunion between the two, with Kyro looking to Riker. "Glad to see you okay. I'm guessing Marc broke something?" With Kyro nodding and point to their ribs, Riker nodded. "Figured so. And that leaves that part one of three, complete." He spoke, opening up the folder and giving a mark to one part of it.

#the henry stickmin collection #henry stickmin oc #jane dex #nicole dex #kyro davis #joey garcia #riker larsen #malli till #marco åström #thsc gremlin #sven svensson #burt curtis #my writing!#ask for trigger warnings #the assassi's

12 notes · View notes

kingkenzieofmold · 2 years ago

Text

Emma - 5’ 6”

Casper - 6’ 2”

Hazel - 6’ 1”

Nicole - 5’ 7”

Jane - 5’ 5”

Kenzie - 5’ 5”

I think that’s all of them<3

Quick, hand me y'all oc's heights. I'm doing a comparison–

#the henry stickmin collection #henry stickmim collection #henry stickmin oc #thsc oc #thsc #thsc emma dex #thsc casper dex #thsc hazel dex #thsc nicole dex #thsc jane dex #emma dex #casper dex #hazel dex #nicole dex #jane dex

45 notes · View notes

sleepysystem-blog · 7 months ago

Text

yo. we're the SleepySystem (or Hellbender System). we don't use emoji combos but instead do name signoffs. our main blog is @punchdrunkklovesickk/@hazy-moonchild. the directory for individual alter sideblogs is @sleepysys-directory. please do not ask or assume our stance on syscourse; its incredibly unproductive, encourages oversharing about private system info, and invites harassment from either side of the discourse.

apologies if we come across as mean as well, we tend to be incredibly blunt, especially when we're in a bad mood. (also please do not use typing quirks around us or on replies/reblogs to our posts. while we are fortunate enough to not be impacted in the same way as others, typing quirks do still make text unreadable to us.)

(scenesystuff)

(sysboxes-of-the-soul)

(chaoscouncilcreaturecorner)

(will update with credits)

(syspport)

the alters posting here (and are comfy with being listed) are below the cut, as follows:

Chris (host, he/they)

Alters without a sideblog:

Aigis (she/her)

Dex (they/he)

Fiona (she/her)

Mick (he/its/vie)

Nina (they/she)

Nicole (any)

Veronica (she/star - no they/them ever)

"Z" (it/she, no they)

Zoey (she/her)

Alters with their own sideblogs:

Cory (they/them)

Dave (no pronouns, he/him only if needed)

Jeff (he/its/no pronouns)

Julian (he/hie/hym/him)

Lyle (they/she/he)

Mason (it/they)

Will (he/mirror pronouns)

Zach (he/him)

this list is subject to change.

#system intro #system info #pinned intro #pinned post #zach #aigis

7 notes · View notes

mattapparentlystumbltourneys · 1 year ago

Text

BRACKET REVEAL

Alright. At long last, I present to you the bracket...or should I say...*BRACKETS* for the Virtual Character Tournament!

Given the scale, the first round is going to be one bracket per week, 4 a day, with each lasting 24 hours. I know that this is still tight, but given how many contestants there are, along with the necessary inclusions of images and propaganda (oh and I guess also my job), it's what I can do to keep this semi-manageable. There's also no redemption round this time. It's gonna be a single elimination tournament. Be kind to your peers. This is not but a drop in the infinite ocean of the internet.

...oh yeah the brackets themselves. We'll be going in order over the course of 4 weeks. I'll make proper announcements for them as they commence. Given how many there are and what I want to get done beforehand, Bracket 1 will likely begin some time this week. But for the matchups...

Bracket 1:

Hatsune Miku (Vocaloid) vs. Elohim (The Talos Principle)

Flame (Yu-Gi-Oh! VRains) vs. The Supervisor/Mouthless (Tenkuu Shinpan)

XANA (Code Lyoko) vs. MetalMan.EXE (Mega Man Battle Network)

9-Jack-9 (Zot!) vs Poppy Pipopapo (Kamen Rider Ex Aid)

Sage (Sonic Frontiers) vs Mektryllis (Fate/Extra CCC)

Dot Matrix (Reboot) vs V Flower (Vocaloid)

Wizardmon (Digimon) vs Delta (Red Vs. Blue)

Sora (Ever17) vs Kasane Teto (UTAU)

The Doctor/EMH (Star Trek Voyager) vs Crash (Awful Hospital)

Burroughs (Shin Megami Tensei IV) vs Quorra (Tron Legacy)

The Machine (Person of Interest) vs The Rocket Dex (Pokemon)

P03 (Inscription) vs. M.X.E.S (FNAF Security Breach: Ruins)

Hakuno Kishinami (Fate/EXTRA) vs Data Riku (Kingdom Hearts)

Samaritan (Person of Interest) vs ART (The Murderbot Diaries)

Cortana (Halo) vs M-Bot (Skyward)

Mitsuko Miyazumi (Archer) vs Ritsu (Assassination Classroom)

Bracket B:

Ene (Kagerou Project) vs The Thunderhead (Arc of a Scythe)

Amadeus (Steins; Gate 0) vs D.O.M (The Adventure Zone)

AM (I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream) vs Theo (Meta Runner)

Colonel.EXE (Mega Man Battle Network) vs Daia (Kiratto PriChan)

Agumon (Digimon) vs The Bobbiedots (FNAF Fazbear Frights)

Felix the Desktop Cat (Real Life) vs SHODAN (System Shock)

MegaMan.EXE (Mega Man Battle Network) vs Church (Red vs. Blue)

Shepherd (ENA) vs Dr. Coomer (Half Life VR But the AI is Self-Aware)

Sophie/Sophia (Persona 5 Strikers) vs Dizzy (Beyblade)

Miss J/SCP 5094 (SCP) vs Ultraman X (Ultraman X)

SAYU (No Straight Roads) vs Falulu (Pripara)

Incarceron (Incarceron) vs Benry (Half Life VR but the AI is Self-Aware)

Lea (Crosscode) vs Kiracchu (Kiratto PriChan)

Dragon (Prahumans) vs Murder-Bot 2.0 (The Murderbot Diaries)

Ai (Yu-Gi-Oh! VRains) vs Glitch Slime (Slime Rancher)

Eris (Wolf 359) vs Monika (Doki Doki Literature Club)

Bracket III:

Hera (Wolf 359) vs Shin AI (Your Turn to Die)

Alba (Star Twinkle Pretty Cure) vs The Denpa Men (The Denpa Men)

Guy (Free Guy) vs EDI (Mass Effect)

Aetna (Lore Olympus) vs Yui (Sword Art Online)

Nicole the Holo-Lynx (Archie Sonic) vs Gabumon (Digimon)

Jacqueline Box (Pripara) vs Mamechi (Tamagotchi)

Vanellope von Shweetz (Wreck-It Ralph) vs Cleverbot (Real Life)

The Phantom Virus (Scooby-Doo) vs Chiaki Nanami (Danganronpa)

Alter Ego (Danganronpa) vs Digit (Cyberchase)

Simulcast (Reflection TTRPG) vs SARA (Toonami)

Lumina Ichihoshi (Dig Delight Direct Drive DJ) vs The World Machine (OneShot)

Rumble McSkirmish (Gravity Falls) vs Holly (Red Dwarf)

HAL 9000 (2001: A Space Odyssey) vs Samantha (Her)

PAMA (Minecraft Story Mode) vs Noah Kaiba (Yu-Gi-Oh!)

Agent Smith (The Matrix) vs O.R.C.A (Splatoon)

Spunc (Alpha Betas) vs Porygon (Pokemon)

Bracket Delta:

GIFanny (Gravity Falls) vs Coco (Aikatsu Friends)

Vic Fontaine (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) vs Red One (The Last Angel)

Glitchtrap (FNAF Help Wanted) vs Holo (My Holo Love)

Avina (Mass Effect) vs Light Hope (She-Ra)

Motherboard (Cyberchase) vs Aya (Green Lantern: The Animated Series)

Bonzi Buddy (Real Life) vs Tama (AI The Somnium Files)

Dragon (Worm) vs Bip (Runway to the Stars)

Failsafe (Destiny) vs J.A.R.V.I.S (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

Aiba (AI: The Somnium Files) vs CanHaz (DC Comics)

SAYER (SAYER) vs Fey (Welcome to Night Vale)

Buddy (Buddy Simulator 1984) vs Ziggy (Quantum Leap)

Maggy (Hellspark) vs The Squip (Be More Chill)

Lyla (Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse) vs Durandal (Marathon)

Beta Jay 137 (Ninjago) vs Zero III (Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward)

Sergey Ushanka (The Magnus Archines) vs Demetra (Spy Kids 3: GAME OVER)

Alie (The 100) vs Lil' Hal (Homestuck)

As always, thank you for bearing with me during this long and arduous process. Sorry for the hassle, and be prepared, as it is almost upon us.

#virtual character tourney #tournament layout #there are a lot of characters so i'll be tagging them during the rounds #don't want to pack even more nonsense into the bottom portion #character polls

26 notes · View notes

nicolettecallednikki · 2 years ago

Text

Not sure why I wrote this since I LOVE Steven and Taylor this season, but here's a fic about what might've happened behind the scenes last year leading up to their hook up at Nicole's party.

Sorry about the weird formatting.

Last Summer

Taylor Jewel and Steven Conklin don't exactly run in the same circles. He's a sophomore, and she's a freshman, not to mention his little sister's best friend, but for sure some reason he can't stop running into her at parties.

At first, he doesn't do anything about it. It's not his business, and if anything, he should just be glad that Belly isn't with her, but then he sees some guy- maybe a senior?- pawing at her, and, God, Taylor is such a shrimp. She barely came up to the kid's elbow, and that was with him- Steven didn't recognize him, but he had to be, like, a basketball player- basically holding her up, she was so wasted. So, he intervened.

"God, Steven," she huffed when he succeeding in practically dragging her to his car, "I'm not like Belly, y'know, I don't need a babysitter."

"Noted," he nodded reached over her to attached her seatbelt, when she didn't do it herself.

She's right, and he knows it. She was there with a group of- equally scantily clad- younger girls, she was clearly having a good time, and he had no real reason for pulling her away from Dex- that was the giant's name, and up close he was only a really big sophomore himself. As it turned out, Steven did know him, he'd let him copy his English homework throughout the eighth grade and Dex was happy to give up Taylor when asked, which was lucky, because he hadn't had a plan for if the guy had put up a fight.

After an initial struggle, Taylor had gone semi-willingly, not wanting to cause a scene, and for the thousandth time that night he was thankful she wasn't Belly, who surely would've thrown a fit.

Stretched over her, seatbelt in hand, Steven, totally involuntarily, caught a whiff of her hair.

Her shampoo smelled like strawberries, he noted with surprise. Most girls- Tania, who he'd just been kissing included- preferred coconut, but Taylor's hair smelled like strawberries, and Steven smiled and inhaled again. He loved strawberry; if it was socially acceptable for him to be using strawberry scented shampoo, he would.

"Steven, you weirdo," Taylor laughed, "Did you just sniff me?"

"No," Steven coughed, "Why would I do that? Your belt's just stuck."

"I dunno- maybe 'cause you love strawberries," Taylor giggled and added in a voice so quiet, he almost didn't hear it, "Maybe that's why I use this shampoo."

He buckled her and quickly took his seat. He stared at her for a moment; her eyes were trained out the window and she bit her lip, refusing to look at him. He drove her home without comment, but from them on he swore he smelled extra strawberry scents coming from Belly's room every time she was around.

--------------------------------------------------------------

At first Steven thought it was odd that Taylor was at every party he made it to- he wasn't a big party guy, he saved that for the summer when he didn't have school to worry about- but apparently it was less of a coincidence and more due to the fact that Taylor was just... at every party.

He knew her home life was shaky and he seriously doubted her parents checked her location like his did, but still, he thought it was odd how he'd see her on the couch with Belly at his house one minute and an hour later she'd be at a party, already a few drinks in. He was glad she didn't have a car, at least, and her older cousin had a lot of the parties anyway, so he assumed Taylor spent the night there, but sometimes he wondered how she got home from these things. Running from the cops with her friends was one thing, but running all the way home was another entirely. And who were these friends she was partying with? These weren't the girls Belly talked about from school, the nice girls on their volleyball team.

He hadn't meant for it to happen like it did- he hadn't meant for it to happen at all. Now she was a sophomore, almost 16, which seemed to make it better, but she was still Belly's best friend, and more than that- worse than that- he had a sneaking suspicion this meant more to her than it did to him. Still, even with the best of intentions, he was just a stupid teenage boy.

"Are you ever going to kiss me?" Taylor asked with a pout, from her perch on his lap. They were sitting on a lawn chair, next to a fire pit, and his friends on either side of him laughed.

"Excuse me?" he raised an eyebrow and it practically disappeared into his hairline.

"You heard me, Conklin," she looked around at the group, "If I was in your lap, you'd kiss me, right, Spike?"

"I'd do more than that, Jewel," the boy replied suggestively, and Taylor felt Steven's grip on her hip tighten imperceptibly.

"Let me up," she smacked his bicep, making little effort to actually stand, "Just because you don't want to have any fun, doesn't mean I can't."

He hadn't come out that night intending to kiss Taylor Jewel, but once he started, he couldn't seem to stop.

His friends whooped and hollered around them, mostly shouts of "Finally", and he could've swore he saw an exchange of money as if there'd been a bet about all this, but Steven turned over his overacting brain for once and just enjoyed himself.

It was the Wednesday before Thanksgiving break, he was ahead on all of his assignments, he had a little beer buzz going, and he had a cute girl wrapped around him- he wasn't about to stop just because they had a bit of an audience. If it didn't bother Taylor- and if he knew her, it didn't- it didn't bother him. In the recesses of his mind he wondered vaguely if Belly would hear about this, but it was a small party and by the time they got back to school on Monday, he was sure no one would care. Plus, seeing Taylor hooking up was not exactly breaking news at this point, and he doubted anyone would make the connection between him and her and Belly.

Likewise, Taylor's mind was racing, but the boy in front of her smelled of clean soap and the air around them smelled of stale beer and fire pit smoke, so she pushed any thoughts out of her mind and sank deeper into him- the only boy who didn't chase her, the only boy who'd never call her Jewel. The only boy she ever wanted to.

--------------------------------------------------------------

A rare occasion Belly actually came out for was Taylor's birthday. Whichever of the volleyball girls had the biggest house hosted, and half the school turned out for the event. Steven was there, too, but he made sure to keep his distance from his sister and her friend, in an effort to keep their hook ups secret. Somehow, word still hadn't gotten to Belly, and he wasn't sure what would happen if it ever did, but they were having fun, dammit, and if Belly wasn't mature enough to handle that, that was her problem, not theirs.

His gift for the birthday girl was burning a hole in his pocket- Sweet 16 deserved some sort of present, even if it was coming from him as Belly's older brother, but he got distracted talking to a girl in his AP trig class, and by the time he found the girls, Taylor was hooking up with some senior and Belly was making eyes at him, indicating she was over the party and wanted to go home. She always got that way when Taylor was holding court, not that he could blame her.

"Later, Tay," they exchanged a side hug when she broke away from the guy she was with to say goodbye to Belly, "Happy birthday."

If she was upset about not getting anything from him, she didn't show it.

The next morning, he told Belly and his mom he was going for a run, and ended up outside her house, armed with a pair of strawberry shaped stud earrings and the hope that the guy from last night wasn't around.

"Happy Sweet 16," he kissed her cheek and she blushed prettily, suddenly shy in the light of day.

"Thanks, Steven," she said, putting them on right away, in her second piecing. Every time he tucked her hair behind her ear from that point on, it made him smile to find they were still there- if there ever came a day they weren't, he'd know it was over.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Taylor knew if she ever pushed him for more, that would be the end of them hooking up. The way things were, he could pretend not to know how she feels about him and excuse his behavior, but if she ever were to outright say how she felt– he would let her down gently, then it'd be done. So, she played it cool, kept it casual, out of self preservation, more than anything.

It was the same every time. They'd run into each other at a party- sometimes they'd hook up, but never go too far; sometimes she'd grind all over some guy right in his eye line, just to see if she'd get a reaction; sometimes he'd pull her off said guy, if he judged her too drunk, and took her home. She'd never admit it, but the last one was her favorite. Even more than when they were kissing- hands over clothes, no matter how she tried to push the line- when she was in his car, she felt like he cared about her. She liked that he cared.

The last time they hooked up was at a grad party two nights before the Conklins left for the summer. Taylor knew it wasn't their fault, but she sort of hated the Fishers for taking her best friend every summer, let alone... whatever Steven was to her.

But that night, in Billy Russell's backyard, they were in rare form. For once, Steven was the drunker- more drunk?- of the two, and couldn't keep his hands off her, not that Taylor was complaining. By now, it wasn't uncommon to see them hooking up, but usually Steven tried to be a little subtle, whereas tonight he'd actually wolf whistled when she came back from getting them drinks at one point. She'd sat curled up in his lap at the fire pit and he'd given her a hickey, which he would normally never do, and which she'd have to tell Belly- sweet, innocent, gullible Belly- was the result of a curling wand incident.

Then, at the end of the night he was too drunk to drive and didn't want her walking home alone, so they spent the night in Billy's basement, with like 12 other people. Even though he was drunk and they were pressed so close together Taylor could feel his heart beating, he still wouldn't lay a hand on her. Taylor didn't sleep a wink that night, too distracted by the weight of his arm slung possessively around her, but in the morning she hopped up as soon as it was light and took off for her house with the first group of girls to wake up. She didn't want to see his face when he woke up, she was sure he'd be embarrassed, probably even horrified, and she didn't want to hear him launch into an explanation about why this shouldn't have happened, couldn't keep happening, and would never happen again. They both had the lies they had to tell to themselves, it seemed.

--------------------------------------------------------------

"Drew Martinez, huh?" Steven said, when Taylor walked out of Belly's room. He was standing in his doorway, across from his sister's, and must've heard their whole conversation.

"Jealous much?" Taylor narrowed her eyes at him.

"Why, is he your summer wish?" he countered, teasing.

"Only Belly makes summer wishes," she retorted, the part she'd never say out loud was that she couldn't be bothered with a summer wish, 'cause summers he was never here.

"You going out?" he changed the subject.

"The McCallan twins' party is tonight," she said by way of an answer- if there was a party, she'd be at it.

"Have fun," he gave her a tap on her head, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do. And try not to miss me too much this summer, Taytay."

"Tears on my pillow, Conklin," she rolled her eyes. She and Belly had been rewatching Grease for the four thousandth time while they packed her things.

He shook his head and turned back into his own room, Taylor momentarily caught off guard by how her flippant comment would probably end up coming true at some point this summer.

--------------------------------------------------------------

She felt a pit in her stomach when she heard Belly talking about the Deb ball, and the pit only grew when she heard about Steven and Shayla.

She wasn't surprised the siblings were obsessing over the lifestyle of Cousins' elite, but she'd hoped they'd get over it sometimes. Laurel was, like, the best, and Mr. Conklin was nice, too, but Belly was always waxing poetic about Susannah and even Taylor knew that Steven's snobbiness was a cover for his insecurity about their finances. What she hadn't expected was for Belly and Steven to trade her in for an upgrade, and so soon into the summer.

--------------------------------------------------------------

"Wanna go upstairs and see if there's other bathrooms?" she'd asked it innocently enough. She really didn't expect anything to happen with Belly around.

Steven checked his phone again, and she choked back a groan. Adopting a teasing tone, she poked him, "Looks like Belly's not the only one on board with the fancy girls."

"Trust me, Tay," his groan was loud, "It's not all it's cracked up to be. This Deb thing is killing me."

"According to Belly you're super into this Kayla girl though," Taylor prompted.

Steven didn't bother correcting her, he knew her game well, and continued on, "She's great, she's- I've never met anyone like her before, but I'm not this guy."

Taylor swallowed thickly. Nothing hit quite like having your crush talk about another girl in front of you, but Taylor knew she'd set the precedent by bringing up at least a dozen different guys to Steven over the past year. Of course, she had been trying- in vain- to make him jealous and he was over here breaking her heart, but such was the nature of their relationship.

"What guy, Steven?" Taylor spoke sharply, "You're like Ivy League smart, you're nice, you always try to keep the peace between Belly and Laurel. As much as it, like, physically pains me to say it, you're a good guy."

"Well, we both know that's not entirely true," he teased, toying with her flower crown, "That it pains you, I mean. I seem to remember quite a few times you were more than happy to-."

"Steven," Taylor's eyes went wide, "Belly is here. She would- I don't know what she'd do."

"She's downstairs," he said, "Hear the singing? That's Jeremiah, I'm sure he's serenading Belly and that Cam kid as we speak."

"You guys should lay off Cam," Taylor shoved his shoulder, but left her hand there, "She finally likes someone besides Conrad, if anything you should be encouraging it."

"You're not wrong," he touched the hem of her pink dress, his face momentarily crinkling, "Is this the one you lent my sister?"

"That was a different one," Taylor assured him, "Why, do you like it?"

Steven nodded, his hand still on her hem, "You can't give her your clothes though. They don't- suit her, like they do you. You and Belly are two entirely different people, thank God."

"It's reassuring to know you don't think of me as the little sister type," Taylor leaned into him, and the dress hem went over his fingers.

"Taylor," he sucked in a breath, "Are you sure-"

"It's nothing we haven't done before," she teased, hooking her other hand behind his neck, "It can stay our little secret, right?"

He barely hesitated before slinging an arm around her waist and pulling her into his lap. Their lips crashed into each other, and before she knew it, she was airborne.

If Steven had one unspoken rule for them, it was no beds; he'd kiss her in a chair, on her porch swing, a kitchen counter, and evidently up against this dresser, but God forbid she ever try to go horizontal with him.

It's not like she's a virgin, and he knows she isn't, but he can't- won't- go there with her. He knows, deep down, even for Taylor, who acts like it's no big deal, it would mean something to her. It would change things.

While he's not a big guy, she's light enough to be carried the few steps across the room, her legs locked around his narrow hips. She grinds into him, trying to provoke him, but he sets her down with a thud, creating some space between them. She's mostly just being a tease, she knows he won't sleep with her, but that doesn't mean she won't enjoy make him a bit uncomfortable in the meantime.

--------------------------------------------------------------

They were caught. They were caught and Taylor was screwed, 'cause now totally Belly hated her, Steven would probably never look at her again, and she somehow had to find her way back to their friends' house, where she still had to stay the night. Awesome.

Taylor was attempting to simultaneously blend into the furniture and locate Jeremiah- the nicer, not to mention more promiscuous, of the Fisher boys would maybe see her side of things- when she felt a hand on the her shoulder.

"Ah!" she shouted inadvertently, when faced with Conrad Fisher. Taylor knew he was, like, Belly's ideal man and Steven's idol, and all that, but she'd always found him to be scary, and she definitely didn't want to talk to him about this.

"Sorry," he said, but his lips twitched into a grin.

"Are you going to yell at me?" she asked, for some reason feeling like she'd deserve it if he did.

"No," he said, "I was going to give you a ride, if that's alright?"

"How drunk are you?" she asked incredulously. He must've known what happened- he wouldn't be coming up to her if he didn't, but he was about the last person she'd expect to be sympathetic.

"Come on," he nodded in the direction of the door and she allowed him to lead her to his car, but not before he let Nicole know he'd be back later.

"How long have you guys been hooking up?" he asked after a moment of silence in the car.

"Steven told you about that?" she looked shocked rather than upset, which was an improvement.

"No," Conrad smirked, "But you just did."

She slumped lower in the passenger seat, but he shook her shoulder, "It's not a big deal, Taylor, people hook up all the time. Belly will get over it."

"Not likely," she frowned, "You of all people should know how Belly operates."

"Me of all people?" Conrad asked quietly. Every time he spoke he sounded like he was in pain.

She eyed him for a moment. She got what all the girls saw in him, he was cute, in that tortured, broody way that did nothing for her.

"You got to stop messing with my girl, Conrad," she sighed, defensive of her friend even when she was fairly certain she'd never speak to her again.

"Are you talking about me and Belly, or you and Steven?" he countered, side eying her.

"Touché," she cracked a little smile in spite of herself.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Belly and Taylor hadn't talked since last night. When Conrad had come to the house the first time, Cam's car was still parked in the driveway, so he took her for a milkshake to kill some time before circling back. Taylor had gotten cookies and cream, instead of strawberry.

Then, when he dropped her off, she'd creaked up the stairs and into Belly's room, fully expecting a showdown, but Belly was either suddenly a really solid sleeper, or she was faking it to avoid the inevitable. A tiny, stupid part of Taylor was happy Belly knew, that she didn't have to hide it. If anyone should understand inconvenient feelings, it was her best friend.

Still, Taylor packed her things- she suspected she'd be catching an earlier bus the next morning- and crawled into bed next to her, without a word.

There was a knock on the door the next morning as she packed the last of her things- toiletries, pajamas- and she wasn't sure who she was dreading seeing more.

She opened the door to find Steven, and suddenly her mouth was too dry to speak.

"That was-" she started, when Steven cut her off.

"That was a mistake," he said, "I don't want Belly to know it wasn't the first time."

Taylor's eyebrow crinkled in confusion. Hiding it was one thing, flat out lying was another thing altogether.

"You want me to lie to my best friend?" she said quietly, wanting to say, 'You want me to pretend we never happened?', but holding it in.

"We made a mistake, Taylor," Steven said, "We've been making a mistake. It wasn't- we should've never gone there, anyway. We were playing with fire, and it can never happen again."

Taylor felt her heart crumble a little at his words. There were a lot of outcomes she'd anticipated, for when it all hit the fan, but this wasn't one of them. She'd misjudged Steven. Clearly, if he could stand in front of her and tell her this, he wasn't the guy she thought he was. Maybe he never had been- maybe that was only who she'd hoped he was.

But whoever this was, it wasn't the boy who'd wrapped himself around her three weeks ago as he slept in Billy Russell's basement. It wasn't the boy who'd kissed her and walk her home and bought her the damn strawberry earrings she was wearing right now. She didn't know who this boy was, because the Steven Conklin she thought she knew would do a lot of things, but she didn't think he'd ever hurt her.

--------------------------------------------------------------

After seeing Taylor off, Belly faced her brother for another awkward conversation she'd been dreading.

"Can we not," Steven said, sensing her presence, "I feel bad enough as it is."

"She really likes you, you know," Belly narrowed her eyes at her brother.

Steven sighed and finally said out loud what he'd pretended to be blind to all along, "Yeah, I know."

#the summer i turned pretty #steven x taylor #Staylor #steven conklin #taylor jewel #tsitp

44 notes · View notes