#maybe they had some sneaky correspondence going on but if there was a pause in communications it wouldn't have been a cause for concern | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

keewriting · 3 years

Text

Cove x MC - One Shot #1

[Read on google docs to insert your MC's name]

The crescendo of rain hitting your window woke you from a peaceful slumber. It didn’t often rain this hard in Sunset Bird, especially not during the summer. You felt a pang of disappointment that your typical summer pastimes were not viable on a day like this.

You rolled groggily out of bed and sighed, wondering what Cove thought of the unfortunate weather situation. Knowing him, he’d be even more bummed than you — then it hit you! The list!

You scrambled over to your messy desk and opened the biggest drawer, which you affectionately called the “junk drawer.” This was the home to everything of value that didn’t have a specific place in your room. The actual value of the items in the junk drawer was pretty questionable. From old gaming devices and batteries, to loose papers that could maybe be useful someday.

With everything shoved out of the way, you uncovered the beacon of hope for this gloomy day. A small spiral notebook with a shiny turquoise cover, speckled in tiny yellow stars. You and Cove started using this notebook on rainy days for games of hangman and tic-tac-toe. There were years of games in this notebook, nearly every page filled with games and doodles.

You sighed wistfully as you turned the pages and reminisced about each game. Your first ever hangman game with Cove occurred on a particularly hot day. Yet, playing paper-based games became a rainy day tradition for you two. You went out and bought a special notebook just to keep them all in one place.

During your first hangman game with Cove, he settled on the phrase "you are cute." You couldn’t decide if that was the most Cove-like thing he’d done or if it was boldly uncharacteristic. You blushed at the memory and smiled gently.

Remembering your mission, you snapped out of the Cove-induced trance. You began flipping pages faster until you landed on one containing a list. On the last rainy day you and Cove suffered through, he had the idea to make a list of things you two could do to pass the time. It seemed he could only handle so many games of hangman and tic-tac-toe.

You each took turns writing something you would want to do on a rainy day. There were even corresponding doodles scattered on the page to illustrate each activity. The stark difference between your handwriting compared to Cove’s stood out to you today. His was relatively neat compared to your chicken scratch.

Rather than continuing to dwell on your poor penmanship, you looked closer at the items on the list. There were a total of 14 entries. You skimmed past each one with a focused scowl on your face until you landed on number 12: ear piercing. This was one of your suggestions, and one that didn’t come easily. You went back and forth in your head before writing this one. Considering how you would ask your moms for permission, what other people would think, and how Cove would feel about it. At the time of writing it down Cove seemed on board, for you at least. He was apprehensive about getting one himself, preferring to avoid the conversation with his dad.

A sly smile formed across your face. You decided that at 13 you were old enough to take control of your own body, regardless of what your moms would think. You emphatically shut the notebook and hopped up from the desk chair that you had slumped into earlier.

With a newfound energy you began quickly getting ready. You pulled on jeans and a t-shirt and rummaged through your closet, looking for your yellow raincoat and rainboots. As cliche as they were, you quite enjoyed the look. You could really use the brightness on such a cloudy day. You remembered to shove the small notebook in your back pocket.

You bounded down the stairs and out the door, calling out your goodbyes to whoever was still in the house. You paused under the awning to pull your hood over your head before walking carefully across to Cove’s house. The rain was still coming down hard and the street was slick with rain. With how clumsy you were you couldn’t afford to rush over and slip on a puddle.

Once you reached the Holden’s door you removed your hood and knocked confidently. Mr. Holden appeared momentarily to open the door, his face lit up when he saw you standing there.

Mr. Holden: Y/N! Hey, buddy. How are ya? Come on in!

You stepped inside with a smile and began wiping your feet vigorously on the door mat.

Y/N: Good morning, Mr. Holden. Is Cove around?

Mr. Holden: Sure is, he's surely tucked up in his room still. Why don’t you leave your boots and coat here and you can go wake him up.

You grinned at the thought as you pulled your coat off to give it to Mr. Holden. You slipped off your boots and thanked him as you tip-toed over to Cove’s bedroom door. You considered your options, truly unsure of what he could be up to behind closed doors. After some quick deliberation, you opted for loudly barging in while singing his name.

Without another moment of hesitation, you turned the knob and in a sing-songy voice, called out to him

Y/N: CoooOOoooove, rise and shine!

Cove’s sleepy figure stirred gently at the sound of your voice. He blinked open his eyes slowly and rubbed his hands through his seafoam green locks as you stood over him beaming. Finally, he uttered his first words of the day.

Cove: Y/N? What are you doing here so early?

You chuckled and sat down on the edge of the bed, close enough to make Cove blush and start to sit up.

Y/N: Do you hear that? Outside?

Cove paused for a second before looking past you out his window. His expression dropped and he groaned.

Cove: Rain…

You scooted closer and crouched so your faces were level. You smiled deviously and noted how his eyes widened and his cheeks reddened.

Y/N: Cove, today we will fulfil our destiny.

Before he could utter a word, you shifted to retrieve the crumpled notebook from your back pocket. Cove slid up more, clearly intrigued. You turned to the right page and faced it towards Cove while pointing decidedly to number 10.

Cove: Ear piercing… oh yeah! You want to do that one today?

You nodded enthusiastically, hoping Cove would still be on board for this idea. You knew it was a one-sided activity, but you could use his support since it would be your first piercing.

Cove: The mall has a piercing booth, right? Or did you have somewhere else in mind?

Y/N: The mall is exactly what I had in mind!

Cove: Cool. So, how are we getting there?

For the first time since early morning, you felt defeated. Your shoulders slumped and you looked down at your hands. At 13, you might be old enough to get a needle through your ear, but you still couldn’t operate a vehicle. The mall was also too far to walk to, you remembered the time Kyra drove you all to the mall for a visit. Noticing how down you became, Cove spoke.

Cove: I could… ask my dad to drive us there. He isn’t working today. I’m sure he’d say yes.

You instantly perked up and turned to Cove with an open-mouthed smile.

Y/N: Really? Really. Really? Would you?

Cove chuckled and nodded. You wrapped around him with a tight hug the instant his head jerked upward. Your face planted on his chest. You exhaled loudly as you listened to his rushed heartbeat. After you pulled away, Cove got up and smiled nervously, flustered and ready to get the day going. You sat patiently on the bed while Cove got ready and asked his dad about driving you both to the mall.

Once he returned to his bedroom, he wordlessly flashed you a smile and thumbs-up combo. You followed him out to the front door where his dad was waiting with your coat. You accepted the coat and slipped on your boots. Cove had no rain protection, but you decided to stay quiet, knowing he preferred minimal layers.

You all headed out the door into Mr. Holden’s car. Cove sat in the backseat with you even though he typically preferred to ride shotgun. You felt special that he would rather keep you company. A startling question from Mr. Holden interrupted your pleasant thoughts.

Mr. Holden: I hear you plan on getting an ear piercing today, Y/N. Is that right?

Your mouth fell agape and you looked over to Cove, who upon noticing your expression became concerned. You realized you didn’t tell Cove about your plans to keep the ear piercing a secret from your moms. Now that Mr. Holden knew, it was almost certain he would casually bring it up to your moms. Not willing to reveal your sneaky plans, you spoke confidently.

Y/N: Yep! I’ve been wanting one for a while.

Mr. Holden: Hey, that’s great. I bet it’ll look really cool.

You looked over at Cove and smiled at him, hoping to relieve any confusion or concern. He returned the smile, but still appeared deep in thought. The rest of the car ride was uneventful. Mr. Holden dropped the two of you off and notified you of his return in 3 hours.

As soon as you were alone, standing at the entrance of the mall, Cove turned to you with his arms crossed over his chest. You looked up at him sheepishly and noticed his shrewd expression.

Cove: What was that about? That face? Should I not have told dad about the piercing?

Cove’s perceptiveness toward all your quirks was a blessing and a curse. The smallest look on your face could be a dead giveaway to him. You knew he would feel guilty for ruining your plan, but there was no point in trying to hide it from him.

Y/N: I didn’t get permission from my moms to get a piercing.

His eyes widened as his arms dropped to his sides.

Cove: Oh my God, I didn’t realize. I’m really sorry. Are you going to be in a lot of trouble? I don’t want you grounded all summer. We won’t be able to hang out as much. Maybe we should get smoothies and tell everyone it was a joke—

You cut off his rambling, not wanting him to tire himself out so early. Although you appreciated his concern, especially regarding your ability to spend time together.

Y/N: It’s okay, Cove. Really. I totally forgot to mention it when I told you this morning because I was so excited. They would have to find out somehow, right?

Cove: I guess. Can I make it up to you, though? I’ll buy you a smoothie anyway.

Y/N: Well, I could never say no to a smoothie from Cove Holden.

You smiled at each other and continued into the mall. You walked with purpose toward the piercing booth. Your stomach was turning with eagerness and nerves. Cove’s long strides matched perfectly with your short but quick paces. He looked at you with a comforting smile as you closed in on the booth.

The piercer at the booth was an older teen with an assortment of piercings on their own face and ears. They chewed gum loudly as they took down your information and set you up on the cold, hard piercing chair. While they put on gloves and prepared the tools, Cove inched closer to stand next to you.

Cove: How are you feeling?

Y/N: Nervous, excited... very rebellious.

Cove hummed in acknowledgment. You felt his hand brush the hair behind your ear. He gently pinched the now exposed top of your ear. You felt goosebumps travel across your skin at the touch.

Cove: This is where you want it, right? What was it called again… a helix?

You felt your face get hot, pleased that he remembered, and surprised that he was so casually touching you. You managed a quiet “mhm” before the piercer sauntered over to you.

Piercer: Alright, kid. Where do you want it?

Cove shifted out of the way as you pointed to where he had touched. You explained to the piercer that you wanted a simple helix on your right ear. As the piercer was marking your ear, you looked at Cove with pleading eyes.

Y/N: Cove, can I hold your hand?

A distinct blush spread across his cheeks but he didn’t hesitate to position himself next to you on your left side. He offered you his hand and tried to smile reassuringly. You took it gratefully and practiced different levels of squeeze pressure. You didn’t want to accidentally hurt Cove. His hand was hot and familiarly comforting.

Piercer: Ready?

You looked straight ahead and tensed up. You felt your heart pounding in your throat, annoyed that you were so nervous about something you definitely wanted to do. You felt Cove’s eyes on you, a reassurance that he would always be there for you.

Y/N: Go for it.

The piercer lined up the needle and stuck it through your ear in one quick motion. The pain was sharp and quick. You winced and instinctively tightened your grip on Cove’s hand. He squeezed back gently and you could hear a slight sympathetic groan escape his throat. A throbbing soreness replaced the initial sharp pain. You sighed as the piercer removed the needle and inserted a simple silver hoop.

Cove: Y/N? Are you okay? How did it feel?

You looked up at Cove and met his concerned gaze. Without letting go of his hand, you offered a small smile.

Y/N: It definitely hurts. But having this helped wonders.

You lifted his hand and gestured to it with your eyes. His smile reflected a mixed sense of pride, embarrassment, and relief.

Cove: I’m glad… Here, let me get a better look at it.

With your hands still intertwined, he helped you hop off the piercing chair. You faced him and turned your head to the side so he could see the piercing.

Y/N: How does it look?

Cove smiled widely with eyes bright.

Cove: I like it. You look amazing, Y/N.

Although Cove instantly seemed to regret his phrasing, you felt thrilled. Knowing that Cove was into it made facing your moms later seem a little less daunting. You hoped he could be there to help back up your decision.

Y/N: Thank you, Cove. And thanks for being my stress ball.

Cove: Anytime. How about that smoothie I promised?

You bounced excitedly with a loud “Woo!” You finished the transaction with the piercer and listened to their spiel about piercing care. Soon you were off to the smoothie stand with Cove.

Y/N: Do you know what combo you’re going to get? Same as last time?

Cove hummed thoughtfully. You wondered if he was also remembering the time you stole a sip from his smoothie. He never ended up finishing it after that. You felt a pang of guilt and decided you would let him keep the smoothie to himself.

Cove: I think I’d like to mix it up. There were so many great options to choose from.

Y/N: Right?! I would love it if I could just add all of the fruit and berries. Make a super smoothie concoction.

Cove scrunched his face in exaggerated disgust. You chuckled at his reaction and gently nudged his arm. He nudged right back with a warm smile planted on his face.

You each placed your order with the smoothie attendant. Cove paid for both. You felt appreciative of the gesture, knowing he wanted to make you feel better about your foiled plan. His consideration for your feelings made you feel warm inside, even though you didn’t blame him at all for the mishap.

Cove picked up both smoothies and handed you your order with a smile. As you continued your walk through the mall, you took a long, deep sip and then exhaled loudly.

Y/N: That really hit the spot! Thanks, Cove.

Cove simply nodded as he continued to sip at his smoothie. For a second you thought his lips wouldn't move from the straw for the rest of the trip, not willing to risk losing a drop to your sneaky mouth. But then, he broke free and smiled with a wince.

Cove: Brain freeze.

You burst out laughing, relieved that he would actually be available to talk to you.

Y/N: I know a trick for getting rid of a brain freeze! Here, look at me.

Cove faced you quizzically. You opened wide, turned your face upward, and pressed your tongue up to the roof of your mouth. His gaze dropped to your mouth while his own mouth fell open. An obvious blush spread across his face and he nodded. You wondered if seeing the underside of your tongue was a little too scandalous for Cove. You closed your mouth into a cheeky smile.

Y/N: Try it. I promise it works.

Cove turned away from you and tried your trick with his mouth firmly shut. He sighed in relief and immediately took another sip of his smoothie. That earned another laugh from you. He smiled at you sweetly with a mouthful of smoothie.

The walk continued pleasantly for a few minutes. You laughed, and teased, and joked with each other comfortably. You both reminisced about the last mall trip you had with Lee and Derek, even though it was only a few weeks ago. Suddenly, Cove’s pace slowed and he came to a halt. When you turned back to look at him, his expression lost in thought. He absentmindedly picked at the side of the cup with his nails. You noticed tiny indentations marked across the styrofoam cup.

Y/N: Cove? Is everything alright?

Cove breathed out and walked towards you gently. He extended his smoothie towards your face. His face red and his eyes glued to the smoothie, refusing to meet your gaze.

Cove: Would you like to try mine? I think it’s delicious. I think you would like it.

Stunned, and a bit apprehensive, you thought deeply. You didn’t want Cove to miss out on the rest of his smoothie again. But this time he was offering. You wondered what changed, and hoped this wasn’t more piercing-related guilt.

Y/N: If you’re sure, I would love to. But promise me you’ll finish the rest.

Cove’s eyes snapped to yours and it was his turn to feel stunned. You never revealed to him that you knew he never finished the smoothie last time. He looked embarrassed, but you had to be sure he wouldn't throw it out again.

Cove: I— yeah. I’ll finish it.

That was good enough for you. You wrapped your lips around his straw and took a big sip. The flavor was different to yours, but still satisfying. You kept your eyes on Cove while you pulled away from his smoothie. He slowly raised the smoothie to his own mouth and took a quick sip, all while looking desperately to the side.

Y/N: Success!

Cove let out a nervous laugh, glad to have made that much progress. He was still blushing while you continued your trek. You wondered if his face would ever return to its normal color as long as that smoothie was in his hand.

You finally made it back to the entrance with Cove. His dad would be returning to pick you up in a few minutes, as promised. You both threw your empty smoothie cups into the nearby trash can. You looked out the glass doors and noticed the rain finally stopped falling. There might be a chance to enjoy the outdoors with Cove before it was time to face your moms.

You decided to wait outside. He stood next to you and sighed.

Cove: I’m sorry again.

Y/N: It’s okay, I couldn’t have asked for a better rainy day partner. Thanks for doing this with me.

You inched closer and smiled up at him. He grinned back, convinced that everything would be okay. You waited in a comfortable silence, satisfied with your own rebellious actions.

84 notes · View notes

jackjots · 3 years

Text

#9 Bones

Wayward Guide for the Untrained Eye 30 Day Prompt

(This takes place around Episode 6 and briefly refers to the corresponding podcast episode )

Day #9 @30daysofwayward

(I do not own any other characters or place names outside of Shelby St. Ranger, this is just for fun)

The mob outside, even as small as it was, was not missed when it dissipated. But the anxious energy in the air did not go away with it. I sat in the shadows and kept writing down theories as the noise outside the bar dwindled to the usual silence I was used to. I was trying to remember Aubrey, after Quinn had mentioned the name. I had gone to one town meeting when I’d moved, just to get a feel for the things, but I’d sat in the back and had, of course, realized it that community meetings weren’t for me. That’s when I found out about the fact that the mayor was a dog, and - that was it, that was when I’d met Aubrey. According to Quinn, he knew about werewolves. I wondered if there was a way to learn more about him without actively seeking him out. I tried to think of other people I could just exist around to maybe gain new information.

And then it occurred to me. The florists.

Now, I often avoided Mary Jo and Ellis for a very specific reason: they were the exact opposite of me. They had that extrovert energy that I found intimidating and almost scary. The little I interacted with them was enough to know that nothing I told them was sacred. It didn’t help that they clung to each other as if they were one organism and as a perpetually single person with little to no interest in dating, I found that disturbing. But I could look past that, if it wasn’t for the incessant gossiping and aforementioned intense energy. They were just not my kind of people. I sighed and finished my beer finally over my empty plate. I was going to have to do it. I was going to have to buy some flowers.

I decided to purchase some for all of the new graves that I assumed would be dug soon. It was a morbid thought, but a good reason to buy flowers. I wasn’t really the type to just have them in my house for no reason. Where would I put them? My desk? I would immediately knock them over and destroy my keyboard. These were just facts about myself I knew as deeply as I knew I was not looking forward to talking to Mary Jo and Ellis.

Their shop was so bright and sunny, contrasting the slowly encroaching rain clouds outside, that I squinted when I went inside. It was also way too small. I was immediately the center of their attention.

“Hello.” They both chimed simultaneously. “How can we help you?”

“I wanted to buy some flowers.” They nodded expectantly. “Um, what are good flowers for a funeral?” Twin eyebrow raises. Mary Jo asked in a loud whisper. “Which one?”

“I guess I’ll get one for all of them?” I intended to pick it apart for each grave, but I wasn’t going to tell them that.

“If you’ll allow us,” Ellis said, spreading his hands wide in front of himself, “We can pick a different flower for each,” he lowered his voice, “werewolf victim.”

“Did you know that we have werewolves here?” Mary Jo asked me in a way that suggested she was trying to be sneaky. But no one else was there and her voice was still quite loud.

“I’ve heard.”

“You’re new here aren’t you?” Ellis’ eyes swiveled at me suspiciously as they started to gather flowers together.

“Yes.” I admitted. “But I don’t feel like I’m really the werewolf sort.”

“That’s true. You’re not. You hardly speak. This is the most you’ve spoken. Ever.” Mary Jo seemed reassured.

Ellis was not. “Would werewolves speak though? If they’re animals?”

Mary Jo looked doubtful. “But aren’t they human sometimes? I feel like wolves that are human sometimes would have a lot to say.”

“Unless you are a,” Ellis paused for dramatics, “lone wolf.”

“Afraid not. Just a writer.”

“A writer. Oh, have you met Artemis and Paul?”

“Briefly.”

“They have a podcast.” Ellis smiled excitedly. “And soon, so will I.”

“Really?” I had trouble believing it.

“I’ve already started the tape.” He began, but Mary Jo gave him a look that calmed him down. “Probably.”

“Did you hear about what happened at the town hall?” Mary Jo asked me as another flower got placed in an arrangement that was becoming garishly bright. I thought about asking them to tone it down, but I did not have any control over this situation.

“Oh about Barney? Yes I heard.”

“Where were you during the town hall anyway?” Mary Jo asked.

“I was at home, I think. Yeah I was at home.”

“I didn’t see them while I was out and about.” Ellis said under his breath to Mary Jo.

“Were you not at the town hall?” I asked.

He seemed surprised I heard him and I heard him say. “Good hearing.” In a sing-song quiet voice with a side eye. To me, he smiled. “I was doing some investigative journalism.” He said the words in an over exaggeration.

“So you missed Barney’s death?”

“Yes. But I know all about it because Mary Jo is my eyes and ears.”

I nodded. “It’s good you had someone there.”

“How did you hear about it?”

“Quinn.” I said. “I had some vegetarian food at the Dead Canary.” I added.

Their shoulders relaxed at exactly the same time. The amount of energy it took not to roll my eyes. “Can I ask,” Mary Jo started as they wrapped the yellow, green, and pink bouquet, “why do you have two black eyes?”

I was taken aback. I had forgotten and I felt the heat rising in my face. “I had an accident yesterday.”

‘You know who else has a black eye? Crispin.” Mary Jo said.

“Didn’t you say he spoke today?”

“For the first time in who knows how long.”

“Too bad it was vulgar language.”

“Well he had just seen a person die. I almost said a bad word.”

“You did not.”

I felt like I’d started the gossip machine with such little effort. I decided to try to push it in the right direction and throw them a bone to follow. “Was Aubrey at the town hall?”

“Aubrey Dockweiler? Of course he was. And Artemis called him out for talking about werewolves.”

“His whole family has always been obsessed with them.”

“Too bad he’s the only one around for this.”

“His father would be so pleased right now.”

“Pleased people died?” I asked.

They both looked at me, their faces growing into hard pouts. “Of course not.” They gave me the flowers and charged me. It wasn’t very cheap, but I felt like I got a lot of information out of it.

“Have a good day.”

They nodded at me, suddenly mute. Bringing that up was a bit cruel, but I couldn’t help it. I still had so many feelings about the deaths that it was hard to see people being flippant about it. And it was nice to bring them down a peg.

I looked at the flowers and couldn’t handle how bright it was. I took them to the Dead Canary and offered them to Desmond who took them much like someone would take a screaming child.

“For me?”

“I got them to put at the graves of,” I gestured broadly, “Everyone. But I don’t know when they’ll be buried.” “Or taxidermied more like.” Desmond added.

I gave an expression that accurately depicted my fear of that prospect. “Egh, okay. Anyway, you can do whatever you want with them.”

Desmond nodded and put them under the bar. “I’ll find somewhere to put them.”

“The trash is okay too.” I volunteered.

He smiled. “Probably not that.” He put a glass in front of me and pointed with raised eyebrows. I nodded. I was just going to drink my way through this process, I decided. I still needed to talk to Aubrey, and now it felt like a more persistent need.

“Desmond, where does Aubrey Dockweiler live?”

#30daysofwayward #waywardguidefortheuntrainedeye #tin can bros #shelby st ranger

3 notes · View notes

skvaderarts · 4 years

Text

Chapter Fifteen: Telemiscomunications

You can check out the Masterlist Here for more links to places to read!

Firefox decided not to work today, so I had to use Edge *shudders* between this and the app not working earlier this year, I think Tumblr just hates me.

Note: Hey everyone! Thanks for the comments once again! I tried to take the time to respond to them all. Talking to everyone always puts a smile on my face. This chapter and the next are shorter set up chapters, mostly due to the fact that the next few chapters will be longer as we reach the climax of the story, and I needed to flesh them out more. But don’t worry. This isn’t the end of the story; not by a long shot. This is just book one. At about chapter seven I realized that this wasn’t going to be a single book affair, so I started work on planning part two’s ending. The structure of the story didn’t work as one very long book, so there will be a second installment. More on that later. For now, thank you for your continued support and enjoy this chapter! I’ll keep writing for as long as you keep reading!

-~-

If it was somehow possible to sleep for almost a full day without trying to, Vergil had just done it. This was very much unlike him. The eldest Son of Sparda couldn’t remember the last time that he had slept that long, especially considering the fact that he was in an unfamiliar environment and didn’t generally drop his guard. Genuinely restful sleep wasn’t something that he experienced often, so he relished the opportunity despite the fact that he hadn’t intended to do so. When he had gone to check out the room that Dante had given him, it was as if the bed had called him into it. One moment he was standing in the doorway, and the next he was waking up at dusk the next day. The transition had been so seamless and sudden that he had thought it was the same day at first. But then he had stumbled into the main office and Dante had started laughing. Vergil had no idea what his younger twin brother found so humorous, but he had a feeling he was going to find out very shortly.

“I was starting to think you were dead,” Dante said as he sat at his desk eating pizza.

The Jukebox was blasting some song that the older twin didn’t recognize but didn’t really acknowledge enough to feel any sort of way about. It was just aimless background noise to him. Vergil glanced over at him, not really sure what to say to that. It wasn’t his fault that his brother hadn’t been smart enough to check his pulse if he thought that something was wrong. It occurred to him that Dante had more than likely checked on him multiple times in order to come to that conclusion. How odd that he hadn’t noticed. Did he really sleep that deeply? Surely not. He liked to think that he would notice if someone was that close to him, even if he was unconscious. Dante couldn’t be that sneaky, could he?

Vergil strolled across the room to glance out of the large windows that spanned the length of the walls, in need of something to idly pass his time. While residing within the same building as his brother wasn’t something he had come to dislike as of yet, he still found the need to have his own space. Right now, he was out of his element. The office didn’t quite feel like home to him just yet. While he never felt entirely safe and wasn’t very adept at dropping his guard (a lifetime in the underworld does that to you) he felt more at ease here than he’d like to admit. Although he wasn’t really sure quite yet why that was, he couldn’t help but notice.

As Vergil gazed out at the storm that raged just beyond the glass, he clasped his hands behind his back. He suddenly had the feeling that something wasn’t quite right. The eldest Son of Sparda didn’t know what that premonition pertained to, but it was as clear as day. Or perhaps not the day, considering the current weather. The storm was quite… dramatic, wasn’t it?

“... You thought I was dead and didn’t think to check,” Vergil didn’t turn to look at Dante as he spoke. He was thinking, but about what, he wasn’t sure. It seemed that he might not be as awake as he initially thought.

Dante took a piece of pizza and leaned back in his chair, placing his feet on the opposite end of the desk from where the delivery box was. “Well, if you died, I guess we could just give your friend a call,” Dante said, clearly being sarcastic. The younger of the two obviously didn’t want Vergil dead. But even if he thought he was, there was no way in hell he was going to try to wake him up to find out.

Before Vergil could retort, the phone rang. The old rotary style phone had been through plenty of abuse in its lifetime, so it was a wonder that it worked at all. Much like the jukebox, it seemed to be determined to remain a part of the office. Vergil glanced over his shoulder at his brother as Dante groaned. Why did people always have to interrupt him when he was trying to eat?

“If I didn’t know better, I’d almost think you were avoiding someone,” Vergil said sardonically, a hint of amusement in his voice,” one your female companions, I presume?”

Dante pointed at him as if to tell him to watch it, resisting the urge to mock him childishly. Vergil was on a winning streak in regards to his behavior. It had been three whole days and he hadn’t stabbed anyone to death yet. That was truly something to cherish. Mind you, he had spent a third of that time asleep, but still. It was an achievement he didn’t want to actively sabotage. But Vergil was actually right for once. He was absolutely avoiding Lady, Trish, and Morisson at the moment. Or even worse… Patty. He had a lot going on right now. The last thing he wanted to think about was the money he owed the girls or the birthday party that Patty was never going to let him live down. There would be a time and a place for that later. Hopefully much, much later. As in never.

Half expecting to be cursed at the moment he answered the phone, Dante reached forward and snatched the phone off of the receiver. It had been a long time since he’d answered it. Before he could recall a single syllable from the English language, a woman’s voice spoke from the other side of the line. It wasn’t the girls. It was Magnolia.

“Oh thank heavens! I’ve been trying to get a hold of you lot all day! Where have you been?!” The woman’s voice held a note of worry as she spoke. She was clearly concerned and flustered but holding her composure well nonetheless. “I’ve been trying to speak to Vergil. Something is happening and I’m not sure what it is.”

Despite the fact that the phone didn’t have a speaker function, Vergil heard her loud and clear. The twins had a keen sense of hearing. Barely anything escaped their notice. Vergil turned away from the window and walked back over to the desk, interested in hearing what she had called them about. Dante glanced up at him as his brother leaned on the desk, tilting his head inquisitively. The Youngest Son of Sparda held the phone out so that they could both listen in.

“You wanted to talk to me, Magnolia,” Vergil said almost hesitantly, clearly out of his element talking to someone on the phone,” What is it?”

Magnolia sighed in relief, clearing her throat. “I may have bumped into that cult that everyone on TV keeps going on about. You’ve heard about them, I presume?”

Dante and Vergil glanced at one another. No. No, they had not. Dante didn’t exactly watch TV and Vergil had been, well, asleep for an entire day. There weren’t in the loop as far as current events were concerned. All they knew was that this storm didn’t seem to want to let up and that the naps had been in order. She seemed to glean her answer from their silence, shuffling slightly from the other end of the line. They both took a moment to think about her statement, not entirely sure yet as to if this turn of events should concern them.

“What about em,” Dante said nonchalantly,” Are they actually a threat?”

Magnolia nodded before considering the fact that they couldn’t possibly see her through the phone. “I believe that some of them, maybe. A few of them attacked me on my way to Fortuna,” She paused for a moment, thinking about the attack,” I couldn’t tell you how they pegged me as a threat. They had a summoner with them who presented a decent challenge. He managed to conjure a Kyklopse, but I made quick work of it. But that wasn’t the main reason for this phone call.”

The twins seemed to absorb the information given to them, Vergil seemingly more troubled than Dante though he wasn’t showing it. Kyklopse were native to Malet Island. How had this person managed to gain control of such a formidable and obscure demon? This didn’t bode well. As they thought in silence, Magnolia continued, conscious of the fact that they were listening intently.

“I’m at Nero’s house at the moment. Charming little place. I quite like it,” as if on cue, the children could be heard screaming in the background, Nico yelling something to them about piping down because an adult was using the phone,” Apparently your sons took an impromptu trip to Fortuna Castle in the Lamina Mountains. According to the lovely young ladies here, they were looking for something in the library? Either way, they’ve been there a couple of hours and haven’t returned. Everyone is worried, even the little lady who swears up and down that she isn’t.”

Nico cursed at the statement.

Vergil looked visibly uncomfortable and Dante seemed about two seconds from bashing his head into his desk. They had both had occasion to visit that place and neither of them had particularly enjoyed their stays. It was probably the most dangerous castle in the human world that wasn’t located on Malet Island. Why on earth would they go there, especially with the condition that V was more than likely currently in? This could be very bad. Vergil leaned forward further, sighing slightly before continuing their correspondence. “And this is the part of this conversation where you inform me that that isn’t the worst part.”

Magnolia sighed too. Vergil could still read her like an open book, even from the other side of a phone. “Yes. That isn’t the worst part. I believe the cult may have followed me here. I arrived a short while ago and snuck here as discreetly as I could, but I saw another boat approaching from the distance as I arrived. I don’t believe that they are after me, but I have a feeling they may go snooping around the castle. Call it intuition, but why else would a cult with summoners in their ranks visit this island?”

Without speaking Vergil stood up and walked down towards the back door of the shop. He opened it and disappeared behind it. Dante glanced at him before turning back to the phone. “... I think we’re gonna have to call you back.”

With that, he hung up the phone and turned his attention back to his brother. Where the hell had he just gone?

-~-

Magnolia stood in the entryway of the house holding the wall-mounted phone in her hand, staring at it as the dial tone blared loudly. They would call her back? What the hell did they mean they would call her back?! There was no time for that! For all she knew, the cult could already be at the castle and both Nero and V could be in terrible danger. While she was certain that Nero could handle himself, V absolutely couldn’t fight right now. It could take a week or more for his powers to begin to trickle back in. If he possessed healing abilities, he would be lucky if they had kicked in by now.

After a moment she hung up the phone and turned around. Kyrie stood just a few feet away, her hands clasped and her posture entirely too at attention. She wore a pleasant smile, but anyone with any basic level of comprehension of human emotions could tell that she was scared. She smiled gently at the young woman for a moment. A few seconds passed like this, the two of them locked in this silent understanding. Kyrie couldn’t bring herself to ask this woman that she had barely just met for her help, but she could tell that she could handle herself. Magnolia walked over to her and placed her hand on her shoulder, giving her a gentle shake. She recognized what the young brunette with the large doe eyes was too afraid to ask.

“Don’t trouble yourself, dear,” She said in a firm, reassuring tone,” I’m going to go to the castle and see what they are up to. You just stay here and stay safe.”

Kyrie smiled wearily, unable to find the proper words for her relief. She didn’t know why, but the middle-aged woman before her made her feel safe. She opened her mouth to thank her but was stopped by a loud noise reminiscent of some kind of humming. A split second later, the front slammed open, bounding off of the wall. Although not quite hard enough to split the frame, it produced a loud, thundering boom that took the young woman by surprise, causing her to let out a terrified shriek. Nico scrambled down the hall, her hands clenched firmly around the neck of a lamp as the cord dangled uselessly. She had clearly just yanked it from the wall, desperate to come to her rescue. Magnolia glanced at her, her brow furrowing as she nodded to herself in approval. She liked this wily young lady. There wasn’t an ounce of fear in her.

The three ladies turned their gaze back to the door just as Vergil walked in, still in the process of sheathing Yamato. He had clearly left in a hurry as his hair was drenched from the rain. He’d made no effort to stay dry whatsoever. He looked grimly miffed and not at all in the mood for this. But, there was no anger in his demeanor. That couldn’t be a look of concern, could it? Magnolia shifted from the protective stance that she had taken and straightened her back, folding her arms. It was good to see that Vergil still took her seriously when she called him, even after all these years. It was rare that she needed to, but the fact that he had immediately shown up spoke volumes. She knew that he was aware of her capabilities. If there was a threat she didn’t feel comfortable taking on, he took it seriously.

Dante followed shortly after he, the look on his face somewhere between befuddlement and curiosity. He had never seen Vergil jump up and immediately race off to another location based solely on the testimony of another individual before. And he clearly took this potential threat seriously. Was it the mention of the Kyklopse that had irked him so thoroughly?

“... You were going to the castle,” He said rather bluntly, clearly ready to assess the situation for himself. Vergil was not the least bit pleased about this and it was very slowly starting to show.

Magnolia nodded, stepping forward to join him. “Yes, as a matter of fact, I was just leaving. I didn’t expect you to come so soon,” She grabbed her coat off of the hook nearest to her and shrugged into it, flaring it out in order to adjust the fit,” I’d have you know, I’m out of practice. Haven’t been in a good fight for several years now. I’m a healer now. Do keep that in mind?”

“How fortunate for his opponents,” Vergil thought to himself,” She could piece them back together after he diced them into bite-sized chunks.” He had no idea who this cult was, and he didn’t care. All he knew was that they needed to die and they were going to, especially if any harm came to either of his sons. While Nero was quite capable, it was rather difficult to launch an effective offense against an opponent with someone who was essentially helpless in close proximity. There had better be a good reason they had taken a trip to that godforsaken death trap, especially with V in the state that he was in.

The eldest Son of Sparda stopped for a moment to consider his somewhat irrational but fully warranted response. Was he actually worried about them? No, that was preposterous. Vergil, the Darkslayed, feared no one (well, virtually no one) but here he was, stymied by the concept of his two very capable children possibly being in harm’s way? Where had this sudden concern for their well being originated from? He would worry about that later. For now, he needed to know where they both were. Precisely where they were. And they needed to take care of this “cult”.

“It won’t matter in the slightest,” Vergil said as he glanced at Kyrie before turning to go back outside. He couldn’t help but notice her change in demeanor, much like Magnolia had,” They will be dealt with soon enough.”

Vergil descended the front steps and set off, expecting that they would simply catch up. He wasn’t going to wait for them and he wasn’t going to ask for them to follow him. The eldest of Sparda’s twin sons had spent a lifetime in the underworld. Vergil would make quick work of these cultists, with or without the help of his companions. Magnolia and Dante shared an acknowledging glance before he followed after him, jogging lightly to catch up with his brother’s brisk pace. Magnolia turned to Nico, stealing a glance in the direction of Dante and Vergil. She would have to catch up with them after their sudden departure.

“You there, with the lamp,” She said firmly.

Nico brandished the lamp before lowering it, not entirely sure what she planned to do with it now that she thought about it. Tiffany lamps were heavy, yes, but they required getting in close to be effective as a blunt force weapon. She wasn’t getting that close to a potential summoner with a demon. But she hadn’t thought of that at the time. She had simply acted in what she assumed to be the best interests of the people she had come to care about.

“Y-yes? Wadda ya need?” She fumbled over her words for a second, her slight embarrassment intensified by the acknowledgment of how ridiculous she looked in this moment. This woman probably thought she was certifiable.

“... as you were then, dear. Keep up the good work.” Magnolia said pleasantly. She nodded to her, reaffirming her statement. Nico stared at her like she’d lost her mind for a moment before nodding back. She now understood what the older woman was telling her.

“Don’t worry, miss,” Nico said with certainty,” Nothing’s gonna happen to anyone here under my watch.”

Magnolia nodded and turned towards the door, sauntering away. She stopped in the doorway, glancing over her shoulder in Nico’s direction. She smiled as she spoke. “Oh, I know you will dear. Of that, I have no doubt.”

With that she stepped out of the door, using her food to push it closed as she went. As she stepped out into the rain, she noticed that Dante and Vergil were about a block ahead of her. She shook her head. They moved awfully fast, didn’t they. It was going to be quite the job to keep up with them. But then again, nothing having to do with Sparda’s descendants was ever easy. And she relished the excitement, although in the hopes that it would be short-lived. She had a feeling this was going to be a long night.

-~-

Okay, so this didn’t end up being any shorter than normal. LOL. Well, maybe like 100 words. How ironic. I guess that’s what I get for assuming I couldn’t hit my minimum word count with just a phone call scene. I’m kinda proud of myself. Toon in on Friday the 19th for chapter 16 and thank you as always for reading this chapter. We're all going through a lot right now, so it makes me happy to give you something to look forward to every week. Hopefully! And go listen to the song this chapter is named after. It’s good. There’s only one so it shouldn’t be hard to find. Take care, everyone!

9 notes · View notes

pug-bitch · 5 years

Text

That’s not why I’m going (30)

Raspberry is refined

Book: The Royal Romance

Pairing: Drake Walker x Amara Suarez

Rating: some foul language, some extremely suggestive. This is absolutely NOT appropriate for people under 18.

Word count: about 4,500 (let me know if the ‘keep reading’ cutoff isn’t working well!)

Notes: This picks up almost where we left off, during the first day in Portavira, starting with Drake’s POV. A little heads-up: since we’re getting closer to the Decision Ball and the equivalent of the end of Book 1, I plan to end this part of the series soon, possibly in a few chapters. BUT -- I will continue with a sequel that corresponds to my rendering of Book 2!

*****

Drake is grateful for Max. They spent the rest of the afternoon together, in Drake’s room drinking whiskey that they smuggled in from the cabin, and talking. They talked about everything: Amara, Liam, Sav, but also their own late-blooming friendship, which had been budding for years but was only allowed to thrive thanks to Amara.

Maxwell glances at his watch; it’s already 6pm. Almost time for dinner. ‘Maybe we should get back out and get some coffee,’ he suggests.

Drake shrugs. ‘I don’t know. I think maybe I’m gonna stay put tonight. Skip dinner.’

Max shakes his head. ‘That’s not a solution. I know you’re stressed, and so am I, but disappearing might look even weirder. Come to dinner, we’ll stick together, you, me, and Bertrand.’ Max takes a sip of his whiskey and smirks. ‘Daddy and the two fun uncles.’

Drake pretends to gag. ‘If you refer to your own brother as ‘Daddy’ again, I’ll jump out the window.’

‘Hahaha I know, it’s gross. I’m just saying, we’ll avoid suspicious interactions with Amara, she and Hana will do their own thing, and it will be good.’

Drake nods. Knowing that Amara and Hana are together makes him feel better. ‘You’re right. But after dinner, I’m coming back here and I’m not coming out until tomorrow’s fishing activity.’

‘Fine!’ Max throws his hands up. ‘If you want company, I’ll come back up with you and we’ll watch a movie. Deal?’

‘Right. But I’ll pick the movie.’

‘Ugh, Drake. I’m not in the mood to watch a cowboy movie.’ Max’s eyes light up. ‘Unless… unless it’s Brokeback Mountain!’

Drake chuckles. ‘Alright, alright, Brokeback Mountain it is.’

*****

‘Lady Amara, you look ravishing today. House colors, too, how thoughtful.’

Madeleine’s hypocritical tone had sent chills down Amara’s spine, and not the good kind. That bitch was up to something.

Still, Amara keeps her poker face and responds, ‘Thank you, Lady Madeleine, so do you. I love the silver piping on your dress, it’s gorgeous.’

Madeleine raises her champagne flute and flashes an extremely fake smile as she walks away to join Kiara and Penelope.

As soon as she turns her back to them, Hana’s and Amara’s smiles falter. ‘Ugh,’ Amara says, ‘that was painful. We both agree that she’s smug about something, right?’

‘Oh, absolutely,’ Hana replies softly. ‘We’re gonna need to stay on our toes.’

‘Agreed.’

Amara feels her clutch vibrate, and she promptly opens it to find her phone ringing. Just her former boss, probably trying to see if she’s gonna come back and bartend again. She sends him to voicemail. At least Michael has stopped calling and texting ‘Please pick up’ fifteen times a day, so that’s new.

‘Everything ok?’ Hana inquires.

‘Yeah. Just sending my old boss to voicemail, that’s all.’ She closes her clutch and takes a sip of her champagne. ‘So, any idea what Liam has in store for Liv?’

‘No, he just talked about a grand gesture but I have no clue what he’s preparing.’

Amara hesitates to fill Hana in on the Rashad story, but stops herself. Liv would kill her. ‘Should we give her a heads up?’

Hana shrugs, ‘What would we even say? Liam was so vague. I’m thinking maybe he’s thinking of choosing her, after all. But… if I’m wrong…’

Amara nods, ‘It could give her false hope. You’re right. Let’s zip it for now.’

‘But Amara,’ she continues, ‘Liam is really lost. He feels rejected by Drake.’

Amara feels a knot in her throat. She knows that already, of course she knows. But being told this, by the gentlest soul ever, feels like a reminder that she and Drake are essentially alienating Liam. She swallows hard. ‘Do you think I should tell Drake?’

Hana gives her a benevolent smile. ‘Maybe. I think Liam needs him right now, and although I’m sure Drake is aware of it, it couldn’t hurt.’ She pauses. ‘But it might not be a good idea for you to talk to him privately while we’re in Portavira. So, I can find him at some point today or tomorrow and talk to him about it.’

Amara squeezes her friend’s hand. ‘You’re a gem, Hana. I don’t know what I would do without you.’

Hana chuckles, ‘Babe, what would we all do without each other? We’re a team.’

‘But you’re our rock. You’re amazingly strong and I’m so proud of being your friend, Hana.’

Hana blows her a kiss and walks towards the apéritif buffet to fill a small plate.

*****

Olivia can’t help but look behind her at all times. She snuck out right after dinner was over, and went to change into an outfit that would be more...burger-friendly than her red gown. As she walks fast through the long driveway to the garages, she hopes that Rashad will be there. After all, they coordinated nothing, beyond what he said to her at the welcome party: he’d be leaving after dinner to go to town, and she’s welcome to join. That’s it.

Maybe he’s already gone? It took her a while to get out of her gown and to choose an appropriate outfit, she even debated raiding Suarez’s closet for something understated. Maybe Rashad lost his patience and left?

Maybe he even changed his mind and retreated to his room? Maybe she’d read too much into this invitation, maybe he didn’t want a burger after the lush fish dinner they’d had. Liv had barely eaten, saving her appetite for their sneaky second dinner.

What an idiot, she thinks. She should have texted him to coordinate something, but now her phone makes her paranoid. She’s kept it off all day, and now it’s sitting in her purse, useless. She won’t turn it on, though. Too risky.

She hesitantly walks in one of the garages. Empty, except for Liam’s towncar, and Bastien’s.

As she walks into a second one, a warm voice greets her from inside a sports car, all windows down.

‘Hop in, Nevrakis.’

She has to fight back a smile. She darts towards the passenger door, a little too eagerly maybe, but who cares. They have to leave fast, before anyone notices.

‘I thought you’d left already,’ she says, not even realizing that she’s sharing her fear with him.

Rashad chuckles as he puts the car in first gear. ‘I wouldn’t leave without you. Ready for the burger of a lifetime?’

*****

His father had pushed Liam to have a one-on-one with Madeleine, even when they were at Penelope’s estate and he should be spending more time with the lady of the house. Liam didn’t have the energy to refuse, both his father and Madeleine were starting to wear him down. So, he offered her a brandy and a stroll by the water after dinner, thinking that it was the safest way to go, since people were around.

He wasn’t wrong; her attitude was more demure today, and she had obviously given up on jumping his bones for now.

Liam was trying his best to be charming and pleasant; the last thing he wants is piss her off, which would inevitably piss off the King.

His phone is burning a hole in his pocket. He has to fight the urge to look at it, to see if anyone has replied to him regarding his plans for later tonight. Has Bastien confirmed that all is in place safety-wise? Has Bernadette come back with the item he requested? And, most importantly, has Olivia seen his message and replied?

He’ll find out soon enough. But after his talk with Hana, he feels more confident. This is what he needs to do, even if it wasn’t his original plan.

*****

Maxwell looks at his phone and smiles.

‘It’s Amara! She wishes us a nice guys’ night, she’s spending the evening with Hana, having wine and watching TV.’

Drake’s heart flutters. He’s happy to know she’s with Hana, and that she’s having a good time. They agreed not to text while in Portavira; they don’t know who could be spying on them in a house they don’t know well. But still, the fact that it’s Max relaying her message hurts a little.

He shakes his head. No, that’s stupid. They’re lucky enough to have a strong support system, people who love and support them despite the mess they bring to the table. Drake needs to be thankful. He is thankful. He just had forgotten how to let people in, that’s all. Once in a blue moon, his old instincts kick in.

‘Are they watching Queer Eye?’ he asks Maxwell, who immediately types.

‘Yes! Spot on!’ he laughs as he reads the new message from Amara.

‘Heh. I know them well.’

Drake types up the title of the movie on Netflix and it pops up.

‘Ready for Brokeback Mountain, Max?’

Maxwell claps his hands together, ‘YES. I love me some gay cowboys.’

‘Actually, not to be pedantic about it, but they’re shepherds. And they probably qualify more as bi.’

Maxwell erupts in a boisterous laugh, ‘As I live and breathe, here comes Woke Walker! I love it. And you’re right, I was putting them in an erroneous box. I also had no idea they were shepherds, in my defense, but it doesn’t make them any less hot. Any chance we could get a whiskey up in this bitch? The girls are getting tipsy, why not us?’

Drake gets up to find his stash. ‘Of course. Let’s get lit.’

As he pours the amber liquid in two tumblers, he notices that Maxwell’s face darkens a bit.

‘Everything ok, Maxxie?’ he inquires.

Max shakes his head. ‘Oh, yeah. I was just…’ He lets out a long sigh. ‘Grateful. For this.’

Drake hands him his drink, and they clink glasses. ‘To this, then. To good friends.’

Max smiles. ‘To you, Drake. I’m so thankful you forgave me. You know, for hiding the truth about Sav.’

Drake’s heart breaks a little at the mention of his sister. ‘Of course I forgave you, I had no reason not to. If anything, I’m having some trouble forgiving myself. For not being easier to talk to. For her, for you, for everyone around me.’

Maxwell takes a big sip. ‘You had walls up. Only normal, after everything your family went through. For the record, Sav didn’t leave to get away from you. She loves you and thinks the world of you.’

He smiles, ‘Thanks, Max. I appreciate that.’

‘And believe me, she’ll be happy and shocked to find out that you found love with an amazing woman such as our Amara.’

Drake laughs heartily, ‘Thanks Max… I know I’m supposed to be offended, I mean, you said she’d be shocked that someone like me could end up with Amara, but… it’s accurate.’

Max almost chokes on his whiskey. ‘Noooo it’s not what I meant! I meant like...she’ll be shocked that you put down your walls and let someone in!’

‘Hey, I get it. I’m surprised too, but… you know Amara. She sneaks up on you. Makes you open your doors, and the windows, too. I tried so hard to avoid falling for her, but I think it was too late, right away. As soon as we talked on that beach in New York, I was fucked. In the best of ways.’

Maxwell puts a comforting hand on Drake’s shoulder. ‘I love that for you. And you know, you’re good for her too. More than you realize. Look at the strides she’s made with her grief. Ever since you told her to talk about Sergio in a positive way, she does it all the time, with both of us and with Hana, and she seems so much better. YOU did this, Drake.’

Drake blushes. He starts to feel some sneaky tears making their way to his eyes, but he won’t let them fall. Instead, he clicks on the movie and turns off the light. ‘Let’s get this party started.’

*****

‘Oh, and I’ll have the strawberry milkshake, and also a beer, any Belgian one you have.’

Liv raises an eyebrow and chuckles.

As soon as the server is gone, Rashad smiles and asks, ‘What’s so funny about my order?’

She shrugs, ‘Strawberry milkshake? Are you eight years old? And a little girl?’

‘Drinks don’t have genders, Nevrakis,’ he responds playfully.

‘This one does!’

‘Oh, and tell me, since you’re so wise, what’s the difference between my apparently immature strawberry milkshake, and your clearly superior order?’

Olivia clears her throat. ‘Strawberry is childish. Raspberry, on the other hand, is refined.’

Rashad bursts out laughing. ‘If you say so, my lady.’

Ever since they got to the restaurant, Liv has been feeling something she hasn’t felt in years. Relaxed. She’s wearing pants, a regular blouse, and her hair is in a simple ponytail instead of her usual elaborate updo. She noticed that Rashad, too, has changed, although very slightly. He’s wearing jeans instead of his dress pants, but kept his button-down shirt. Liv catches herself looking at his arms. He rolled up his sleeves, which allows her to see his tan and muscular forearms.

She needs to stop staring.

He smiles at her playfully. Did he notice? ‘So,’ he says, ‘what’s your favorite place to go, besides Lythikos?’

‘Hmm, I guess I really like Switzerland, and Germany. It’s similar to my home, but also different enough to be interesting.’

He nods. ‘Good choice. I love Munich myself. Awesome city. I do business there about once a month.’

‘And that’s your favorite place to be?’ she asks, surprised by how much she cares about the answer.

‘It’s up there,’ he says. ‘But I honestly love the States. For me it’s a tie between New York and Austin.’

‘Here are your drinks, guys,’ the waitress announces, putting down the milkshakes, and the two beers.

‘Thank you,’ Rashad says politely.

God, he’s handsome. Why is she so attracted to him all of a sudden, when she barely noticed him for years? Was it his genuine concern over her state of mind after the leak? Was it because of the time they spent together? Was it the wake of Liam’s rejection and infatuation with Suarez?

Maybe it was all of it. Maybe it was none of it. All she knows is that she’s truly enjoying the conversation. They can’t stop chatting away and they barely notice that time is passing by. Liv hasn’t exactly let her guard down, she still can’t help but be sarcastic or even abrasive at times, but he’s not trying to confront her, or to smooth her over. He simply laughs with her, and challenges her just enough to keep her on her toes.

‘How do you like the burger?’ he asks.

‘It’s not bad at all. I had a good homemade one yesterday at Walker’s cabin --don’t tell him that I said it was good-- so obviously this one isn’t as tasty, but it’s pretty good.’

‘Right? It’s not bad. I’m jealous about the homemade food. I only eat court food when I’m in Cordonia, and airplane/hotel food when I’m away on business. I would sell a kidney for a homemade meal, even the simplest one.’

‘Well, Walker’s burger was good, but not kidney-good. Let’s not kid ourselves.’

Rashad laughs heartily. ‘Well I definitely won’t tell him you said that.’

They eat in silence for a couple of minutes, and then Rashad puts down his French fry and clears his throat.

‘I wanted to reiterate,’ he says, ‘I’m sorry for being pushy with the text this weekend. Not my intention to be annoying.’

She waves her hand, ‘Hey, don’t worry. I’m weird about communication, to be honest. Don’t mind me, I’m just not fit for society.’

‘For what it’s worth,’ he says, making eye contact, ‘I think you’re great.’ He pauses, takes a sip of his beer, and continues, ‘But you know that. You’re Olivia Fucking Nevrakis.’

She gives him a faint smile. ‘Believe me, with everything that’s been happening, it’s nice to get a little reminder from time to time.’

*****

‘Oh my God Amara you were so precious!’

Hana and Amara, one bottle of wine in, were knee-deep in old pictures on Amara’s computer. They were going through a folder that had baby pictures of her, and Hana was squealing at the cuteness. This one was Baby Amara on Little Sergio’s lap, both wearing adorable pajamas with animals on them.

‘We were pretty fucking adorable, huh?’ she slurs.

‘OMG and little Sergio, look at this face!’

Amara nods. ‘He was so cute. And he kept the same face for his adult life, too.’ She pulls up a picture on her phone, of Sergio, Michael, and Baby Callie at the hospital after their surrogate had given birth.

‘Good Lord, what a beautiful family.’ She stops herself. ‘I’m so sorry, Amara, I didn’t mean--’

Amara smiles sadly. ‘Hey, it’s ok. It’s nice to talk about him. It’s good for me.’

Hana takes her hand. ‘Callie is adorable. If you don’t mind me asking, is she biologically Sergio’s or Michael’s?’

‘Sergio’s. It’s pretty obvious in more recent pics, look.’

‘OMG, I can’t take the cuteness, Amara.’

She puts the pictures away. It is good for her to talk about them, but it’s enough for one day. ‘I wanna see pics of Baby Hana, now! Tell me you have some!’

‘I don’t think I have any on my phone, but I have pics from when I was at uni.’

‘So...any chance I can see more photos of the famous Caroline?’ she asks.

Hana smiles and nods. ‘I think I can make that happen, yes.’

She pulls up a bunch of pictures from their time at Oxford. Hana hasn’t aged a day, her hair is just longer now, she used to have a long bob instead of the long locks she has now. ‘You guys are beautiful together, Han. Caroline looks lovely.’

‘She does, doesn’t she?’ Hana says wistfully. ‘She’s the one who got away, Amara.’

‘What’s her last name?’

‘What?’

Amara grabs her computer and gets on Google. ‘What’s her last name, Han?’

‘Um, it’s Stewart, but--’

Amara types furiously. ‘Stop me now if you don’t want this, but I’m on a roll.’

*****

‘Drake, can you imagine? He can’t quit him,’ Maxwell slurs through tears and whiskey. ‘He wishes he knew how to quit him, but he can’t!’

‘I know, buddy, I know. They’re star-crossed lovers.’

‘Fuck,’ Max says as he wipes away his tears, ‘it really all went downhill after the tent scene, huh?’

*****

‘Hold on, you’re telling me that you’ve NEVER seen Breaking Bad?’

Olivia shakes her head. ‘Never.’

Rashad makes an explosion motion over his head. ‘You would love it. It has murders, you know.’

Liv cracks a smile. ‘So I’ve heard. But drugs aren’t my scene.’

‘Oh, come on, they’re not my scene either, you’re just trying to make me sound like Pablo Escobar. I just think it’s a brilliant show, that’s all.’

Liv throws her hands in the air. ‘Alright, I trust your judgment. We seem to have the same taste in entertainment, at least mostly, so maybe I’ll check it out.’

They left the burger joint a while ago, and now they’re just walking around the streets of Portavira, a second beer in hand. Liv knows it’s almost midnight, they should be going back soon, but she really, really doesn’t want to. She doesn’t even want to think about the stupid fishing activity they’ll have to go through tomorrow. She’d rather poke the hook through her own eye.

‘Hey Liv?’ he asks.

‘Hm?’

‘Thanks for coming out with me. I appreciate it.’

‘Well, thanks for inviting me. And for footing the bill. I could have paid for myself, you know.’

‘Oh, I know. But I wanted to treat you, as a thank you for hanging out. I’ve been enjoying it.’

She nods. ‘Still, I want to repay you. Care for a nightcap? Here’s a bar, we could finish the beer we have and get one last drink before going back.’

‘Deal.’

*****

Liam’s stomach churns. He can’t take the stress. Almost midnight, hopefully she’ll be here anytime soon. He checks the jewelry box for the hundredth time. A ruby necklace, lined with diamonds, which he had Bernadette pick up earlier today. The champagne is chilling in a bucket, stabilized between two rocks. There is a torch lighting up the part of the beach he is on, just enough to see, but not enough to attract bugs and other creatures. The tide is mid-low, going up, so the waves are getting closer and closer, making this time the ultimate moment for a magical late-night rendezvous.

Now he’s just waiting for her.

She’s gonna come, right?

*****

‘I just think I’ve been wasting a lot of time waiting around like an idiot.’

Rashad takes another sip of the martini he ordered. ‘Not like an idiot, Nevrakis. Like a hopeful person. There’s a difference.’

She hates herself for talking about her pathetic love life, tonight of all nights, but he’s still trooping. He’s listening to her, offering advice, and he doesn’t even seem turned off by the whole package. Parts of her want to push it further, to see what exactly it would take for him to run for the hills.

But most of her wants him to stay right here.

‘No, Rashad, it’s pathetic. People see me as a confident person. How many times have I been told that the sexiest thing about me is my confidence--’

‘I’m gonna stop you right there,’ he says in an assertive tone that gives her chills. ‘That’s not what makes you sexy. Of course you have confidence: you’re a badass and an awesome person. You’d be crazy if you weren’t confident. No, what makes you sexy is everything else. Your laugh, your smile, your glimpses of vulnerability.’ He takes another sip. ‘And of course, your determined demeanor, and everything else about you.’

She stays silent for a minute, and takes a sip of liquid courage. She swallows and nods.

Before she knows it, their lips crash together in a mutual urgency that she has never known before. They kiss deeply, their eyes closed, forgetting the world around them.

When they finally come back to Earth, Rashad takes a deep breath, and simply says, ‘Wow…’

Liv lets out a short laugh. ‘Yeah…’ she says.

He rubs the bridge of his nose. ‘That was...something, Nevrakis. Although, I didn’t really foresee our first kiss being in a dark corner of a bar.’

‘I’m a simple bitch,’ she jokes. ‘I don’t need a fairytale setting.’

He smiles and nods, before cupping her face in his hand and pulling her closer for another kiss.

*****

Hana and Amara had been searching any type of info possible about Caroline, and they finally found a few leads. But then, Amara rightfully realized that she was too drunk to be a good detective, so she promised Hana she would get back to it soon, but in the meantime, they can watch another Queer Eye episode.

As they laugh together and comment on the makeover, Amara finds herself feeling wistful. Besides Mia, she hasn’t had such a good female friend for years. Being in the NYPD had not helped. Of course, there were female detectives, and some women among the higher-ups, but they were still a minority. Plus, in order to pass her detective test, Amara had needed to put in a lot of hours and had very little time for friendship. Mia was the one who had stuck with her since college. They had been roommates since Day 1 and had never looked back.

So, being here, with Hana, doing their nails together and watching Queer Eye, felt comfortable, like coming home after a long, difficult trip.

She misses spending time with Drake, she really does. Several times in the past few hours, she almost turned around to joke around with him and tease him about what Tan France would say about his denim shirt. But she’s grateful she’s here with Hana. She and Drake will reunite after Portavira, before the last weekend of the competition, and she can be patient.

‘What do you think the boys are doing?’ Hana asks, as if reading her mind.

‘Max said they watched Brokeback Mountain and now they’re binging episodes of Chopped.’

‘Awww, how cute! I love Brokeback Mountain! And Chopped, I guess Drake really has the cooking bug, huh?’

Amara smiles, ‘Yeah, I guess he does. What did you think of his hosting skills?’

Hana sits up and takes a sip of her water. ‘Honestly? He impressed me. He seems to really love it, and the whole mushroom-leek burger idea was genius. Simple yet refined.’

Amara nods, beaming with pride towards her man. ‘I know right! That’s what I said! And you should have seen the fish he cooked for me on Saturday. Although we almost burned it…’ She stops herself from oversharing.

‘Uh oh,’ Hana jokes, ‘too busy doin’ it?’

Amara lets out a deep laugh. She’d never heard Hana talk like that; she really is a lightweight. ‘You could say that. But even with the timing issue, it was delicious, he really has a talent.’

‘I hope he explores it,’ Hana says seriously. ‘I see a lot of change in him since we all met. You made him open up, Amara, and I’m excited to see where life takes you guys!’

*****

All hope is lost now. He opened the bottle of champagne at 12:30, now completely sure that Liv wouldn’t show. The torch burned out, and Liam didn’t bother lighting it again. Now he’s just going to mope here, until he finishes the bottle. And then, maybe he’ll see what Drake is up to, he could use a shoulder to cry on.

High beams in the distance. Maybe she came after all? No, she doesn’t have a car here, she came with Maxwell. Who is it, then? Liam can’t risk anyone seeing him look this pathetic. He grabs the champagne bucket, the jewelry box, and crouches behind a rock.

Slammed car doors. Laughter. Voices in the distance, getting closer.

‘Ugh, I don’t wanna go back yet.’

Liam’s heart shatters. It’s Liv’s voice, but she’s not alone.

‘Hey, we can stay here as long as you want. The only thing I won’t do is sleep on the beach. Too many bugs.’

Liam recognizes the man’s voice instantly. Rashad. Oh, so Liv probably didn’t see his message and came here for a stroll with Rashad. Right?

Right?

Well, it’s almost 1 AM. So the casual stroll theory is, at best, very naive.

Liam hears them laugh together, as they whisper things to each other and walk farther away from where he’s standing. On the one hand, he’s relieved. No one will spot him. On the other hand...he can’t hear what they’re saying anymore.

He can see them, though.

They’re now sitting on a big rock, suspiciously close together.

His heart drops when he sees Rashad take her hand, and pull her closer.

It shatters when he sees them kiss.

*****

Taglist:

@drakeandcamilleofvaltoria @jovialyouthmusic @andy-loves-corgis @mariahschoices @drakesensworld @thequeenofcronuts @notoriouscs @drakewalkerisreal @nikkis1983 @simsvetements @alesana45 @iplaydrake @emceesynonymroll @lily1999love @drakewalkerwhipped @drakxwalker @drakewalkerrosenberg @drakeswalkers @drakelover78 @silviasutton1989 @dcbbw @carabeth @furiousherringoperatortoad @hollygirl1269 @sirbeepsalot @ladyangel70

Thank you for your encouragements, everyone! Let me know if you want to be added to the taglist :)

#dramara #that's not why i'm going #drake x amara #drake walker x amara suarez #drake x mc #drake walker trr #drake walker #drake trr #trr drake #drake walker x mc #drake walker's denim shirt #choices trr #trr fanfic #the royal romance fanfic #choices fanfiction #fanfic #what would tan france do

51 notes · View notes