#owo what’s this?? a Zephyr POV?? A Flashback??

[running-tweezers]

~ Pictures Of You - Part 6 ~

A look back at Zephyr’s night in the club. And what happened with Mercutio.

Rated M

Words

CW: Manipulation, Alcohol, Sexual Assault

~ June 3, 1989 ~

“Look Zeph, I know you think this is important or whatever,” Vanessa whispered, glancing back towards the living room where all the family was gathered. “But I think you’re making a mistake.”

“I’m sorry, I just… I have to go.” Zephyr pressed their back against the wood paneled wall of the hallway, trying to avoid any prying eyes. “Besides, you owe me.”

“Owe you for what?”

“You remember that waitress from TGI Friday’s? Or the girl who worked at the pretzel place in the mall? Or maybe that fling you had that summer when you worked at the pool, I did a lot of the heavy lifting there…”

“Son of a bitch...” She hissed the words through her teeth. They knew they’d won. They’d backed up their cousin’s cover stories for years. It was about time she repaid the favor.

“So?” Zephyr stood their ground crossing their arms over their chest.

“Fine. Yes. I’ll cover for you. But I still think you’re making a mistake. You promised her you’d be here.”

“I was here! I showed up! Besides, she doesn’t really care that much about this Americanized birthday stuff anyway. The aunties just wanted an excuse to get together. Plus it’s not like I don’t see her every day.”

Vanessa rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean.”

“Listen, if I don’t get out of here soon I’m gonna be late, and he’s gonna get pissed off. I still need to get back home and get dressed. Can we argue about my stupid mistakes another time?”

“So you agree, this is a stupid mistake?”

They didn’t answer. They couldn’t. Instead they turned to make their way towards the back door with a quiet huff.

“Just do it.”

————————————

Zephyr glanced at the time before ducking out of the cab and taking off towards the club. Almost there. Just have to walk a few city blocks. Or maybe run at this point.

God, they hoped he wasn’t mad.

The weather was not helping things. The clouds had been threatening rain all day, leaving the night air hot and sticky with humidity. They kept their face down staring at their feet, and pushed through, even as they felt their makeup sweating off. It didn’t look great to begin with tonight. They had to do it as quickly as possible, since Vanessa threw off their whole carefully thought out timetable by trying to lecture them. Like she was any better. Hopefully she was following through with the lie they’d agreed on.

“Oh did you not see him leave? Jamie went back home, he’s not feeling good, some kind of stomach bug. He said he didn’t want to give it to anyone here.”

Maybe not the strongest cover story, but it would do in a pinch. The family would all be at his auntie’s place far into the night. They could go to the club, stay long enough for Mercutio to be satisfied, then be in bed before their grandma got back. It would work. It had to work.

They cut the line and made their way inside, trading the muggy night for a smoke filled room. Their shirt clung to their skin in all the wrong ways. Teased up hair fell limp. Makeup melted down their face. They looked awful. Thank god it was so dark inside. They would rather die than let Mercutio see them all plain and boring and ugly.

“Zephyr!” Mercutio left his seat as soon as he saw them, gliding across the space between to close the gap. “I knew you’d show up.”

“Yeah, of course,” Zephyr answered with a weak smile. “I told you I would.”

“It’s late.” He leaned in closer to be heard above the noise of the club. “I was starting to worry you’d abandoned me after all.”

“I know, I’m sorry.” Apologies were starting to feel like the default response to him most of the time. “I had to find a way out of my family thing.”

“Well. I’m glad to see you’re a man who keeps his promises.”

‘You promised her you’d be here.’

Vanessa’s words crept into their mind, twisting their stomach into a knot of guilt. Right alongside it was the lingering twinge of discomfort they felt when he referred to them as a ‘man’. They could’ve sworn they told him they didn't like that.

They shrugged it off. He must have forgotten.

“You seem tense, darling.” Mercutio’s hand snaked across their back to their shoulder as he led them across the floor to the bar. The casual contact made their heart race. This close they could smell the heady scent of his cologne, mingled with the clove hanging from his lips. “Band’s going on in about 10 minutes. How about we get you loosened up, huh?” Mercutio snapped his fingers to get the bartender’s attention. “Hey! Can I get a Midori sour over here for Zephyr?”

“Oh, no you don’t have t—“

“Don’t worry about it,” Mercutio interrupted, not even looking at them. “It’s on me.”

“I know, but still, I don’t—“

He turned his head back towards them. His casual tone and suave grin couldn’t cover the daggers in his eyes and the tightening grip on their shoulder. “I insist.”

His words sent ice through their veins. His offer seemed a lot less friendly, and a lot more demanding.

A small, “ok, sure,” was all they managed to choke out.

In a matter of moments, the glass was all but shoved into their hand.

“There you go,” Mercutio smiled down at them, smug as ever. “Relax, love. Have a drink.” He took a drag of his cigarette and exhaled slowly, smoke clouding around the two of them. “It’s gonna be a good night.”

——————————

Zephyr gulped down the last of the syrupy sweet green concoction in their hand. How many was that now? 5? 6? They weren’t sure. They abandoned the glass on the nearest surface and steadied themself against it.

The familiar scent of cologne and smoke caught their attention. They melted into arms circling their waist from behind.

“You doing alright, Zephyr?” Mercutio’s silky voice murmured in their ear.

The giggle escaped them before they could even register it. “Mm-hm,” they hummed out the answer, leaning their head back against his chest. It felt so nice. Warm. Grounding. Their eyes slipped closed. Mercutio’s laugh snapped them back open.

“I told you,” he spoke softly, nuzzling into their neck. “They pour them stronger back here.”

Back here. In the VIP room. They were in the VIP room. For very important people. For Mercutio and the band and the others he deemed special enough to join him. And they were one of those people. They were chosen. They were special.

“The band’s heading out,” he said. “You want one more before the bar shuts down?”

They felt their head nod.

His lips brushed the shell of their ear. “Good boy.”

As soon as there was another full glass in their hand, they immediately started downing it without a second thought. The burn from the vodka was gone. It was just sweet and tart and went down smooth. As smooth as Mercutio’s hand running down to their lower back as he led them back to the couches lining the corner of the room. They were empty now. The band left.

Zephyr took a second to scan the dim, smoky room. Everyone was gone. Except for them and Mercutio. The only two left. Their vision blurred the more they looked around, like the whole world was on a half second delay. They reached out to Mercutio to regain their bearings.

“I got you, baby.” He took their hands and led them down onto the couch with him. Not the couch. His lap. They were in his lap, straddling his thighs. He plucked the empty glass from their hand and placed it on the table in front of them. His warm grip circled their waist as he leaned forward. He was so so close.

“I thought they’d never leave.” Mercutio rolled his eyes. “I’ve been waiting all night for some time alone with you, Zephyr.”

They giggled again. It sounded so good when he said their name.

“You’re having a good time, yeah?” He swept back a tendril of hair that had fallen into their face. “You certainly look like you are.”

“Yeah ‘m havin’ a good time.” Talking took a lot of concentration. But they had to, they still had things to discuss. “The band… they gave me a tape—“ They clumsily reached around to feel that it was still there in their back pocket. “‘M gonna play it on the show… When you come on.”

“Oh right. You wanted me on your show.”

“Yeah. Th-Thursday night… 1–“

“1 AM, yes I know.” Mercutio finished the sentence for them. “You’ve said it before. You talk about it a lot.”

“Oh…. ‘M sorry.”

“It’s ok, love.” He slid his hands farther down to their hips. “You don’t need to think about boring stuff like that right now.”

“But… we need…”

“Shhhh…” His thumbs rubbed slowly back and forth against the fabric of their shirt as he spoke. It was almost hypnotic. Zephyr felt themself drifting further from the topic at hand with every stroke. “I’ll be there.”

“But… you don’ even know the address ‘n stuff…”

“Don’t you worry about it, we can take care of that later, ok?”

Mercutio’s hands slipped a little farther down, still stroking their hips with that same rhythm. They nodded. What were they even talking about, again?

“Good. We have more fun things to think about right now.”

“Like… like what?”

They felt a low chuckle rumble from his chest.

“You’re a little tease, you know that?” Mercutio purred. “This whole, wide-eyed, innocent, adoration thing you have going on? All shy for me. While looking like you do?” He pulled them closer onto his lap, rolling his hips against them. “It’s irresistible. It’s been so hard to control myself, with all these people around.” His lips brushed their ear again. “Now we can finally have some fun.”

Before they had completely understood what he said, his mouth had overtaken their own. A blur of lips and tongue and hands and skin, and all the sensations that came with them. So much fucking sensation.

Suddenly their back hit the suede underneath them. They were laying down now, with Mercutio looming above. His face was a blur, but they were pretty sure he was smiling. That smug smile. Their brain and body felt entirely disconnected.

“Relax, baby.” His voice sounded so distant.

A sudden glimmer of clarity hit them as they realized what was happening. Their shirt had been sloppily untucked. Their belt undone. Mercutio looked down at them with hungry eyes as he worked on his own.

They didn’t want this. Not like this.

“Wait… wait, s-stop.” The muttered words escaped on their own, without any more thought. “I don’… I don’t…”

Mercutio stopped in his tracks. “You don’t, what?”

“I don’ want this…”

His face twisted into confusion. “What the fuck are you talking about, of course you want this.”

“I don’t…”

“Don’t play coy with me. You’ve wanted this so bad.” He leaned down to press disarming kisses into their neck. “You make it so obvious. You trip all over yourself for me. You follow me around like a lost puppy. Hell, you even abandoned your family to come see me tonight, did you not?”

His words sunk in as he continued unbuttoning his pants. Fuck. Did they want this?

“I wanna give you what you want.” He kept talking, but they could only keep a grasp on every few words. “So just relax, ok love?”

They wanted to be noticed. They wanted his attention. They wanted to be around such a huge personality in the scene. They wanted the opportunities he could give them. They wanted to be special. They wanted him to care about them. To love them.

But not this. This didn’t feel like any of that. This felt… wrong.

“No… I don’ wanna...” They attempted to sit up, only to be quickly guided back down by a stern hand to their chest.

“Yes.” Mercutio insisted. His eyes stared icily down at them. “You do.”

Their head felt foggier and foggier by the moment, but that triggered a rush of primal fear through their nervous system. They pushed him away, scrambling to their feet, still holding onto the arm of the couch.

Mercutio rolled his eyes. “I don’t understand why you’re acting like this, Zephyr. You don’t need to be so dramatic.”

The rest of the room around them faded in and out of focus. They squeezed their eyes shut. “I… I can’t…”

“I let you into my world, I treat you so well, I give you all these opportunities, and this is how you’re gonna act?”

His words barely registered. Their stomach lurched. They had to leave.

Running on pure adrenaline, they pushed through, one foot in front of the other, until they were back in the crowded club. A place that was once so freeing and safe, had turned into somewhere so disorienting and dangerous. They stumbled through the crowd, muttering quiet apologies to everyone they pushed out of their way, drowned out by the music. They just had to find a door. Any door. As long as it got them out.

Their body finally hit one, and they shoved their way out onto the street. Heavy raindrops splashed against them as they attempted to get their bearings. The world around them still seemed to be shifting, rocking like waves on the ocean. Looking down, they realized their shirt was still halfway unbuttoned. They rubbed their eyes with the back of their hand, leaving smudgy black streaks. They must look like a fucking mess.

Their stomach turned again. It was all too much. The rain, their unstable body, how awful they knew they looked.

And Mercutio.

They steadied themself on the brick wall as they shuffled into the alleyway and threw up.

Their back slid down the side of the building until they reached the ground. Everything that happened inside reverberated in their mind, louder and louder until they couldn’t take it anymore.

All they could do was tuck their knees up to their chest and choke out strangled sobs.

They fucked it all up.

Vanessa was right.

( @pinksparkl @phantasmechanical )