#this took an embarrassingly long time to put together but i've learned a *lot*!

[marshmallowgoop]

We're both so alone A warmth that we'd never known

[Song link] [YouTube link]

[clownistyping]

A Witch & A Hick, Chp. 3

Little Secret

This chapter is just the two learning about each other and car problems lol.

Also warning for Elizabeth offering sex as payment lol, it doesn't happen. Also I do hc Lester living in a trailer bc its extremely common and realistic tbh.

Lester puts the truck in drive and looks at Elizabeth as he presses the brake, 

"I remember you said there's a town nearby, any chance we can go there to fix up my van?" Elizabeth asks as she pets the two dogs, 

"No need, they'll charge ya criminal prices. I can fix it." Criminal prices, he repeats in his head. 

"Oh come on, you've already done so much." Elizabeth says her face soft, 

"I insist! I can't just let them uh take ya money when I can fix it for free." He smiles and Elizabeth mirrors it. Lester gives from the brakes and drives towards his home, 

"I have a feeling there's something...more behind this." Lester gulps, 

"What made ya think that?" Lester nervously laughs and his hands tighten around the wheel, 

"That's how most men are, expect a favor for a favor. Though they often expect ya know." Lester blinks and cringes, 

"Aw that! I wasn't thinking anything like that, hell I wasn't even thinking about you doing anything." 

"I mean I'll do it." His eyes widen and he stops the truck again, 

"What?" He blushes and looks at the girl, 

"I'll get you off, I've done it before." 

"No no! I have to decline, I just ain't that kinda man." Lester nods to the woman who shrugs, he lied. He is that kinda man, he's had victims beg for safety with offers of sex. He always took it, but let's the girls fall back in the hands of his brothers. 

"Not that I don't find ya pretty!" He defends quickly and Elizabeth laughs, 

"You're real purdy, I just. I just can't." He sighs and Elizabeth notices how tense he is. 

"Thanks, for calling me pretty." She smiles, 

"I think you're real pretty too." She compliments Lester who blushes again, Lester has never talked to a stranger this long. Never had a girl call him pretty, never met her.

"Ya just sayin that cuz I'm given ya a ride." Lester chuckles and Elizabeth shakes her head, 

"Nope," she pops her P, 

"Everybody's beautiful in they're own way, just as nature intended." Lester blinks and remembers her van, the witchy collection in it. 

"Oh right, you're a witch!" Lester exclaims and Elizabeth nods, 

"How'd you know?" She teased and Lester laughs,

"How'd you even get in all that junk anyways?" Lester asks and flicks his hat, 

"It ain't junk. Don't be rude," Elizabeth smirks and Lester nods his head, Jonesey puts her head on Lester's lap. He pets the dogs head. 

"Sorry but, how did you ya know..start?" 

"My sister got me my tarot cards, she really showed me the basics of witchcraft. Our parents didn't really care all that much but never let us do it in the house. Guess that's why I moved out so early too." Elizabeth laughs, 

Lester pulls up towards a driveway of a trailer.

The trailer is a once white single wide, covered in vines and ivy. Bones hung from the porch ceiling, 

Elizabeth notices his front door was wide open, and in the yard were scatters of trash, car parts, bones and more. The windows were open but blinds were keeping the inside blocked. 

It looks like nobody lives there, as stray cats scurried under the trailer and hissed at each other.

"I'll be quick, I'll just unload your van and fix her right up in a jiffy." Lester smiles at the girl and gets out of the truck, Jonesey follows and Mac follows after her. 

Elizabeth smiles as she watches the two dogs sniff around and play, getting out of the truck her barefeet sink into the grass and dirt. She stretches, the truck wasn't entirely comfortable with Mac siting right on her. 

"Sorry for the mess, I don't really have guests." Lester says as he unhooks the van, 

"Its fine, I've seen much worse." 

"Nah, doubt it." Lester shakes his head and wipes his hands on his jeans, Elizabeth takes note of the depreciation joke he says. 

As Lester pops her hood and smoke rises from it, Elizabeth frowns. 

"That happened before?" Lester asks as he waves the smoke off, Elizabeth nods. 

"Yeah, I've had a couple engine problems. Mainly because of oil, but my light wasn't even on." 

"Yup, cars will do that. Just spring a problem on ya right as ya were doing fine." Lester grazes his hand over the engine and instantly finds the problem, 

"When's the last time ya changed the cooling fan?" 

"Never." 

"Cleaned it?" 

"Never." Lester sighs and Elizabeth frowns, 

"That bad?" He nods, 

"Your engine is busted, you're gonna need a new one." 

"Nooooo." Elizabeth groans

"Hey its okay, this happens all the time. It's just an accident." Lester tries to comfort the girl, she squats and hides in her knees. 

"Hey now," Lester gets on his knee and pats the girls back. 

"We can maybe order one from the next town over, but it'll take a while for it to come in since we're basically in the middle of no where." Lester then sits with the girl and he blinks when he hears a sob come from her. 

"Jeez darlin, it ain't anything to cry about." He says and Elizabeth looks up, her makeup more runny than before, 

"This is my karma! I know it is and- and I shouldn't be cryin-ing but-" she hides her face again and Lester stutters, 

"Aw no no, this ain't karma just an accident. Honest." 

He isn't entirely sure what else to do, seen plenty of girls cry in Ambrose. Ain't none of them cried like this. 

Crying about karma, hell if karma was real he'd be dead, he thinks and shakes his head. He gently pats the girls back as she sobs. The two dogs show up and sit around the two Mac places his head on the girls back. Pushing Lester's hand away, Elizabeth quickly hugs her dog.

After a couple minutes, her sobs stop and she looks up. 

"Im sorry Lester, I just. It's just been a lot today," she says and wipes her eyes, smudging her makeup. 

"Wanna talk about it?" Lester ask and Elizabeth looks around, noticing the sun is starting to set. 

"No, not right now. I'm just tired now, sorry for bothering you with my emotions and junk." 

"Ain't no bother at all, I'm happy to help." She shows a smile from his words as he stands, he puts his hand out and she takes it to stand. 

"I know, and thanks again. Do you think it's alright if my van stays the night? I'll try to go to another town in the morning and order an engine. I'll find a motel too." She says, trying to clean her face up from tears and makeup. 

Lester raises a brow, and Elizabeth shakes her head already knowing he'll offer his home. 

"Lester please you've already done so much for me! I promise that by tomorrow I'll be out of your hair." She says and Lester shakes his head, 

"Darlin, How about we both go into town order you an engine and when it gets here I can put it in. If you think I'm letting you sleep in that hot van for the night you're dead wrong." Lester stands up straight and crosses his arms, Elizabeth actually has to look up to see his face. 

"I've got a spare room, it's messy and mainly holds all my junk but it's got a bed, a desk and a closet." Lester says and Elizabeth takes a deep breathe, 

"Thank you," she says and Lester uncrosses his arms, 

"I mean it, without you I'd probably be kidnapped by some crazy guy. Unless you are the crazy guy." She jokes and Lester nervously laughs.

"I like to call myself unqiue." Lester jokes and Elizabeth laughs, 

"That you are friend, that you are." Elizabeth says and watches as the sun falls behind the trees.

After grabbing her needed things from the van, the two walk towards the trailer. 

The two walk onto the wooden porch, Elizabeth's hands grazing the bones hanging above, 

"Those are my people repellents, makes hikers skedaddle." Lester jokes and Elizabeth smiles, 

"They're beautiful," she compliments and Lester walks through the open door, 

"Yup, they sure are. I uh, I keep my door open so the strays can come in and relax and get away from the heat." He says and flicks on a light, it blinks a few times but turns on. 

The two are standing in the living room, the couches covered in fur and scratches. Clothes are all around and clean and unclean bones sit on the coffee table. 

But the recliner is free of fur, just a flannel on the back. 

Lester notices his playboy magazine on the coffee table and quickly snatches up the magazine, Rolling it up he laughs embarrassingly. 

"Sorry about that, again not often I get guests." Elizabeth smiles and shakes her head. From behind the two, Mac and Jonesey come running in. They jump on the couch and sit next to each other. 

"My house is there house." Lester pets Jonesy's head and smiles, putting the magazine behind the couch during this. He turns to face Elizabeth whose staring at the bones, 

"I'll show you to ya room," Lester walks to the right and opens a bedroom door, 

The bedroom filled with bones in boxes, books, clothes and random knick knacks. He quickly lifts boxes from the bed and pats the dust off. 

"My casa your casa." He smiles and Elizabeth places her stuff down, Lester stands in the doorway now. 

"Thanks again, Lester. I really appreciate it." Elizabeth puts her hand out and Lester looks down at it. It's so small, he gently grabs it and Elizabeth grabs one of the bracelets on her wrist. She brings it over her hand and onto his, 

"I can't not give you a gift." She says and lets him go, Lester looks down at the bracelet. A whole set of animal teeth with beads in between. 

"I- thank you. It's so purdy." He says and continues, 

"You're a real uh...what's it called?" 

"Freak?" He quickly shakes his head, and takes her hand again. Putting their wrists together with the bracelets, 

"Unique," he smiles, "You're a real unique girl." 

"Is it because I mess with bones and junk?" 

"Well that, and because you're real nice." Elizabeth smiles, 

"You're just as unique as me Lester." She says and the two look at each other for a second, wanting this conversation not to end but not sure how to continue. 

Suddenly from behind Lester, Mac barks. 

Elizabeth laughs, 

"It's past his bedtime, sorry he gets cranky when he's not in bed by this time." Lester let's the dog run past him and onto the bed, 

"Well, goodnight, um. Sleep tight?" 

"You too Lester." Elizabeth quietly shuts her door and Lester stares at the closed door. Jonesy whines from behind him, 

Lester turns to the dog and squats, he pets the dogs cheeks and smiles. 

"She'll be our little secret, right Jonesey?" The dog licks his face. 

[emmerrr]

If you're still accepting prompts, maybe some father-son bonding with Kevin and Wymack? I've always headcanoned that Abby would be the one to make them do it, so maybe some of that?

a wymack prompt! anon, you are speaking my language :) I set this really soon after TKM so it’s very early days bonding and it’s more wymack focused (I find kevin so hard to write even though I love him so much) but I hope this is okay!

(read on ao3)

-

Following their championship final victory against the Ravens and the shock of Riko’s ‘suicide’, David would have really preferred all of his Foxes to stay close, stay together, where he can keep an eye on them all. As it happens, during the month off before summer practices start again, his rag-tag team are even more scattered than they’d usually be this time of year.

The upperclassmen have all returned home with the exception of Allison who has gone with Renee, and even Andrew’s lot have separated. Nicky’s in Germany visiting Erik, and although Aaron, Andrew, Kevin and Neil have all been staying at Abby’s for easy access to the court, Aaron is spending the last two weeks with Katelyn and her family.

David knows that Andrew at least would have preferred to have spent his summer vacation at the cousins’ house in Columbia, but Kevin has understandably had trouble coming to terms with everything that has happened, and Andrew has always actually been very supportive if you know what to look for, and David does.

So they stayed on campus, near the court for Kevin. Neil’s easy to do whatever Andrew does, and it’s not like having extra Exy time would be a problem for him; he and Kevin are of the same mind in that regard.

Even Andrew has his limits, however, and so for the last few days of their precious time off, he and Neil head back to Columbia alone to have some time to themselves. It leaves Kevin without Andrew for the first time in what feels like forever. He’s not under Andrew’s protection anymore — he doesn’t need to be — but old habits die hard, and David finds himself wondering how well Kevin’s coping.

David spends most of Friday morning at the tail-end of summer break working from home in his apartment, sorting out arrangements for the new recruits to arrive; who’s going to pick them up from the airport, room assignments and so on. When he’s finished, he hops in his car and heads over to Abby’s, picking up coffee and donuts on the way.

“It’s only me,” he calls as he enters Abby’s house without knocking.

“In here!” comes Abby’s reply, and David follows her voice to the kitchen. Abby is washing the dishes and so her back is to him, but she turns when she hears him put his offerings on the table. She eyes the coffee and smiles. “You’re a life-saver.”

“I try.” David pulls out a chair and helps himself to a donut. “Where’s Kevin? I got one for him, too.”

Abby dries her hands and sits down opposite. “I dropped him off at the stadium about an hour ago.”

David frowns. “He’s practicing alone?” At Abby’s nod, he sighs. “Everyone else is taking a break, he should too. It’s only a couple days until everyone’s back anyway.”

Abby’s look is knowing. “I think he’s just trying to keep busy. It’s too quiet around here with everyone gone.”

“He could have gone with Andrew and Neil. I know Neil invited him.”

Abby arches an eyebrow. “Would you want to play third-wheel?”

It’s a fair point. No one really talks much about Andrew and Neil’s relationship because it’s not worth the aggravation of getting either no response, or of incurring Andrew’s ire. But a relationship it definitely is, so David can understand Kevin not wanting to intrude.

“Maybe you should go down there,” Abby says. “Keep him company for a little while.”

David takes a long sip of his coffee without breaking eye-contact with Abby. She acts casual, but David knows what she’s getting at. “I’m sure he doesn’t want me getting in the way,” he says.

“David,” Abby says gently, then seems to struggle to figure out what she wants to say next. “It’s just — have you spent any time with Kevin alone at all since finding out he was your son?”

“Hey, I took him to get his tattoo covered,” he says defensively, because the whole, hey by the way, Coach, you’re my dad reveal is a touchy subject; it’s still a little raw and Abby knows that.

“Yes,” she allows, “and then you let him get blind drunk the night before a championship final.”

David scowls. “We won, didn’t we?” Kevin had plenty of time to sleep it off on the bus and David had known that which was why he’d let it happen, but still, he supposes Abby has a point.

Abby graciously ignores his comment and bulls on in that gentle way of hers, a thousand times more effective than her getting angry would be. “You’re his father, David. You should get to know him outside of Exy.”

David sighs. Kevin’s words before the final — my father comes to all of my games — are still circulating in David’s head. He knows how to be Kevin’s coach, he just doesn’t know how to be his father. He was never given the opportunity to learn.

He can’t make up for time lost, but he has time now.

He downs the rest of his coffee and picks his keys up off the table. He points at Abby on his way out the door. “You’re a fucking menace, by the way,” he says, but there’s no malice in it. Abby just smiles and shrugs innocently.

*

Inside the stadium, David can hear balls ricocheting off the court walls before he gets close, and when he opens the doors to the outer ring, Kevin looks to be doing accuracy drills. There’s a bucket of balls in the middle of the court, and Kevin is studiously picking them out one by one and trying to rebound shots to the same spot over and over again.

David watches for a couple of minutes. Kevin hasn’t noticed his presence yet, his singular focus evident in his narrowed eyes, his posture. His dedication and drive to always better himself are enviable traits, and David is struck once again by how proud he is of Kevin. He’s come so far.

David turns and heads to the changing rooms, pulling on some spare practice gear and grabbing a helmet and stick. Abby had said to get to know Kevin outside of Exy, but Exy is something they have in common, and it’s the perfect place to start.

Kevin whirls around in surprise when David knocks loudly on the court walls to announce his entry, and almost drops his racquet when he takes in David all kitted out.

“Coach? What are you doing?”

“I’m giving you someone to play against,” David replies. “What does it look like I’m doing?”

Kevin hesitates, then a small smile flickers on his face. “Not much of an opponent, are you,” he says, not a question.

He’s right, really. David doesn’t move like he used to, especially after his old hip injury, but even in his younger days he never quite had the skill that Kevin does. But that’s not really the purpose here. “It’s always useful to have someone trying to block you,” David reasons gruffly. “And don’t be so fuckin’ rude.”

For a couple of seconds David thinks Kevin might dismiss the exercise entirely as a waste of his time, but he tilts his head to the side, considering, and then he nods. Maybe he knows that running Exy drills isn’t David’s only agenda, maybe he just realises that playing against a person is better than playing against yourself. Or maybe he’s just lonely and appreciates the company.

Whatever the reason, David will take it.

Together they pick up the stray Exy balls that are scattered across the half court until there’s just one left. David moves the bucket down the opposite end of the court out of their way.

They face off at the half-court line, Kevin with the ball and David acting as a backliner. The game is simple: Kevin tries to score, David tries to stop him.

The first few times are child’s play for Kevin; David’s nowhere near warmed up enough, not to mention he hasn’t been on the court in a playing capacity for more years than he’s comfortable remembering. He half expects Kevin to get frustrated at not being pushed hard enough, but it doesn’t happen, and David soon finds his stride.

After Kevin gets past him for the eighth time, David steps back, makes an impossible twist and intercepts, cracking Kevin’s racquet with his own and catching the ball as it pops out of Kevin’s net. Behind his helmet, Kevin looks surprised and then impressed, clearly recognising the move, and David allows himself a small smile.

Kevin’s not the only one who was taught to play by Kayleigh Day.

They play for another intensive twenty minutes and David only manages to block Kevin a grand total of three times out of countless attempts, but Kevin doesn’t scoff, doesn’t slow down, doesn’t insult David by taking it easy on him or complain about the fact he doesn’t offer much of a challenge.

By the time David calls time, his hip is twinging from over-exertion — Abby’ll be mad — and he’s a panting mess. He lowers himself to the floor, leaning up against the court walls, removing his helmet and tossing it to the side.

Kevin takes off his own helmet, then jogs across court with the Exy ball and puts it back in the bucket. Then he jogs back over to David, barely looking out of breath.

David feels embarrassingly unfit.

But Kevin’s smiling slightly when he sits down at David’s side. “Good game, old man,” he says wryly.

David side-eyes him. “Back in my day, I’d kick your ass, kid.”

Kevin snorts. “Sure you would.”

They settle into silence, but it’s not uncomfortable, and it gives David a chance to get his breath back. When he has, he says, “You’re looking good out there.”

Kevin shrugs. “My accuracy is still a little off.” He holds his left hand up between them, the scars prominent, and he narrows his eyes at them, expression pinched. “It’s just not quite there yet.”

“It will be,” David says with utter belief. “It’s already so much better than it was. Just don’t push it too hard. You can play with both hands now, and that’s an important weapon.”

Kevin nods. “Yeah. I know.” He sighs. “It’s just frustrating.”

They’re still talking about Exy, but it’s different somehow. It’s not within the context of an official practice, and although they’ve talked about Kevin’s hand before, they haven’t since David found out he was Kevin’s father. And it does make a difference. David cares about all his Foxes, all his kids, but there is a difference. Kevin’s his kid.

“What are you doing for the rest of the day?” David asks.

“I was gonna call Abby and get her to pick me up. Read a book or something, I dunno.” He shrugs again, then looks at David. “Since you’re here, you can give me a ride instead though, right?”

“No problem.” He checks the time and reasons by the time they’re cleaned up and on their way, it’ll be a good time to eat. “If you want, or you’ve got nothing better to do, we could grab some lunch?”

Kevin pauses, starts picking at a thread on his jersey. “Just you and me?”

“And Abby, if she wants to come. We don’t have to,” David’s quick to reassure. Baby steps. No hard feelings. “It’s just a thought.”

“No,” Kevin says quickly, glancing at David and then away again. “No, that sounds good. We… we should see if Abby wants to come, though.”

Kevin gets to his feet and holds out his hand for David, a twinkling in his eye that reminds David painfully of Kayleigh. “C’mon, Coach, I’ve got you,” he says, all mirth.

David takes his hand and allows himself to be pulled up but he glowers at Kevin. “Just because we haven’t technically started the season yet, doesn’t mean I won’t sign you up for every fucking marathon I can for the next two years.”

Kevin grins. “You’re all talk. I know you, Coach.”

David smiles back. It’s a good start.