don't go dark on me

abel becker. former ufc champion. 33. downtown. bouncer @ vice.

[abelbecker]

rcmyfisher​:

It crossed Romy’s mind that maybe she should be more alarmed by this news, but she couldn’t find it in her to really care all the much. Everyone had a past and not all of them were boring like hers. In fact, she figured most people’s lives were as uninspired as hers had been. It was part of the reason she had moved to Eureka in the first place–to meet new people and experience different things. Abel himself had been a big part of bringing her out of her comfort zone and not once had he given her any reason to fear him. “Well, I do. Honestly, most of the time, I don’t really understand why you keep hanging out with me. We don’t have much in common and I know I can be pretty single-minded when it comes to hobbies and interests… I have other friends, but you’ve made my move here a lot easier. Just so you know.” She took her hand back, setting them down on her knees. This was a much deeper conversation than she thought they would have tonight. “Thanks, I appreciate that. Same here, but I’m afraid that one time I stole a Kit-Kat from a grocery store doesn’t even come close to what you just shared.”

-

As Romy rambled on, Abel just sat there with a faint smile on his features. He imagined most people had the same thoughts as Romy when it came to their friendship, but all Abel knew was that Romy was kind to him and that had always been enough. “I hang out with you because you’re pretty, that’s all,” Abel said, clearly joking despite the fact that there was no laugh to indicate such a thing. It was nice to know he made things easier for her, especially when he seemed to make things harder on everyone else in his life. For once, he didn’t feel like such a burden and that had lifted an incredible weight from his chest. “That’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?” He asked with a chuckle before shaking his head in an attempt to take her words seriously, “I think you should be getting into more trouble,” He suggested, “But just a little more.” He was sure they could find something in between stealing a candy bar and murder.

[abelbecker]

rcmyfisher​:

-

“Don’t sound so convincing, Abel Becker,” Romy said playfully, hoping to lighten the mood. She could tell this wasn’t how he had wanted her to find out, that he wished he had been able to tell her on his own terms. That had to be a bummer. “Maybe it’s better this way. Easier. Bandaid’s off and you don’t have to do the whole ‘Romy, I need you to sit down for this’ thing.” She couldn’t imagine having to gather the courage to explain something like this, especially if he still felt ashamed of what had happened. “Well, we haven’t know each other for too long, but the Abel I know wouldn’t get in a bar fight, so… you must be doing something right.” Romy was a firm believer in people being able to change and it seemed like Abel had done just that. He had a family that loved him, a good job and hadn’t done one single thing to make her scared of him. “I mean, I guess Barbie fans can be scary, but you strike me as the gentle kind. Kill my plant and I’ll run away screaming, though.”

-

Truth be told, Abel really didn’t want to have the conversation about why he had done a stint in prison, but admittedly, Romy was making it much easier on him. He didn’t feel good about keeping it from her, especially since they were friends, but he also couldn’t risk her looking at him differently because of it. “Yeah well, I wasn’t always like this...” He said quietly. He had gone through a transformation after prison. Cleaning up his act had made him realize what was truly important, like family. However, he knew his past wasn’t something he could ever permanently erase and he’d have to make peace with that sooner or later. “Gentle isn’t something people associate with me,” After all, what kind of fighter wanted to be known as a gentle giant? However, he wasn’t fighting anymore and perhaps it had been more of a compliment these days. “I would never intentionally kill a plant. Sometimes I just don’t always know what they need, but I’m trying,” His snake plant had been doing well the last several months, and although he had a few die on him, he was trying to stay positive. “It’s like you said, we haven’t known each other that long, so if there’s anything you do wanna know, I’ll try and be an open book.” 

[los-geckos]

RICHIE GECKO in every episode [3/?] ↳ 2.08: “The Last Temptation of Richard Gecko”

[abelbecker]

rcmyfisher​:

There was no way for Romy to know if he meant what he said or not, she knew now and there was no taking that information back. “Well, as long as you would’ve said something eventually. That’s a pretty big thing to not know about your friend,” she pointed out, glancing at him as he gave her a few more details about what had happened. She would be lying if she said the word homicide wasn’t a little shocking to hear out of his mouth. She assumed it had been something non-violent, but it did kind of make sense given his hobbies and job. “What happened?” She didn’t think she could feel scared of him if she tried, not after getting to know him these past months. It felt weird and slightly uncomfortable to uncover this whole side of his life she didn’t know existed, but she definitely didn’t feel afraid of him. She reached out for his hand before she could think better of it, giving his fingers a gently squeeze. “I’ve seen you having conversations with your niece about princesses, Barbies, and unicorns. Not to mention that time you tried pushing her bead bracelets on me. I’m not scared of you.”

-

“Yeah... eventually,” Abel repeated quietly. He wasn’t quite sure when he would have brought it up but he was sure that he would have. After all, prison might not have been something he was proud of but it was part of who he was now, and Romy was someone he wanted to know all of him. Not just the parts that seemed safe. When she asked what happened, Abel hesitated for a moment. It wasn’t something he enjoyed talking about with other people, and even though therapy helped him cope with being open about the things he had done, it still didn’t come naturally for him. But he tried. “Bad bar fight. Got taken too far,” he said fairly simply with the shrug of his shoulders, indicating he wasn’t quite ready to share more about the details, especially before dinner with his family. Feeling the gentle squeeze of Romy’s hand, Abel immediately began to feel a little better about the situation. “Who says you can’t be intimidating and talk about Barbies?” Abel said, lip upturning slightly into a faint grin. 

[abelbecker]

rcmyfisher​:

Romy wasn’t upset. She hoped he didn’t think she was because of how quiet she suddenly got. Honestly, she understood that it wasn’t something you just blurted out during a first meeting with a new person. She was just trying to make sense of what she knew about him with this new information. He had always been sort of vague about what he was doing before Eureka, so it wasn’t too hard to fill in the blanks. “I know you are, I spend a very large amount of time with you,” she said with an attempt at a comforting smile that he most likely didn’t catch given how hard he was trying not to look at her. She didn’t doubt who he was as a person in the slightest. He had shown her who he was over these past few months. “Were you going to tell me, like, soon? I know I’m new, but I’m not new new. I feel like this is pretty major information. Honestly, I’m kind of amazed someone didn’t slip up before now. Not that I’m upset or anything. I get why you didn’t tell me before. Not that there’s anything to be ashamed of, that’s not what I— Alright, I’m going to just stop talking now.” 

-

Abel should have given Romy more credit. After all, based on everything he knew about her, she didn’t seem the type to abandon a friend just because of one bad thing they did. However, the one bad thing wasn’t something as silly as forgetting plans or disagreeing. Abel was hesitant to explain further, if only because he couldn’t help but think Romy would look at him differently if he told her everything. “I would have told you when I was ready,” He stated fairly simply. He hadn’t had many new friendships after getting out of prison so there wasn’t really a rulebook on timing but he figured he’d tell her when it felt right, not because his sister had given her a crumb. “It was homicide,” He said before quickly adding, “I wasn’t charged. But it was still manslaughter. So yeah, maybe it is something I should be ashamed of,” And he certainly did feel that shame since it happened, “It’s something I don’t tell people because I don’t want them to be scared of me.” His mother had done a fairly good job of vouching for him around town, so while there were whispers about her estranged son’s past, nothing specific ever got out about him. That combined with he fact that he was staying out of trouble and under the radar meant he could live peacefully without too many judgements.

[abelbecker]

flissxsloane​:

Town & Country Lanes || open || @eureka-starters​

In Fliss’ eyes sports would always be more about the social aspect than the competitive one and bowling was no exception. And it was just as well when for most of the evening her throws had been wayward, aim thrown off when her attention was inevitably drawn elsewhere by her friends or something else happening around her. It was almost a running joke by the time the game was nearing the end that her ball was almost certainly going down the gutter. Each unsuccessful throw had been laughed off by both herself and those around her. A bet had been made that she couldn’t make a strike by the end of the game and she took it for the fun of it despite feeling as though she was going to be the one to have to pay up. There’s slightly more focus in her movements this time and her eyes widened as the ball collided with the pins, hitting them just right to earn her a strike. The throw was undeniably a fluke but arms were still thrown up in the air in celebration and  as she turns back to collect her winnings with a bright grin on her face. “Lucky shot or not, a bet’s a bet.” Hands held out as she approached them with a spring in her step to claim her prize.

-

Before Eureka, you wouldn’t have found Abel hanging out at a run-down bowling alley no matter what, but Abel wasn’t the same person he was five years ago. Tonight he was spending time with his sister’s family who thought bowling would be a great game for their seven year old daughter who had been taking full advantage of the bumper lanes. As they played the game, Abel would glance over at the lane next to them where a woman and her friends seemed to be even sillier with their game than his seven year old niece. It was safe to say it had kept him amused every time he looked over and saw the mysterious blonde’s ball head down into the gutter every single time. It was his sister Jessica’s turn and she seemed to be taking her sweet time so Abel’s attention moved toward the blonde from the lane next to them. Noticing the bet going on and the hell of a lucky shot that just happened, it was safe to say he was a little impressed, “You know I haven’t seen a comeback like that since Rocky.” It was just a little small talk while his own game was caught at a pause, that and his sister had been telling him he needed to make new friends and engage in the community so this was his attempt. 

[abelbecker]

rcmyfisher​:

Alright, so maybe it was a little weird for Romy to show up at Abel’s house when he wasn’t even there, but was she supposed to turn down an invite to book club in a useless attempt to look cool to her new friend? There was simply no way. Plus, she really did enjoy spending time with Abel’s mother and sister. They reminded her a lot of her own family and made her feel just a little less homesick. Of course, book club usually ended up leading straight to an invite for dinner and that’s how she ended up getting caught setting the table at Abel’s house by Abel himself. At least he didn’t look annoyed or weirded out. “I think I already got your job,” she replied quietly enough so her words wouldn’t carry to the next room, glancing up at him with a smile as he walked straight to the kitchen. She was finishing up with the cutlery when Abel walked back in only to be shooed right back out by his sister. She chuckled, glancing at her with a nod of approval. Romy was in the process of turning beet red because of Jessica’s excitement over her presence when confusion took over. She must’ve noticed the look on Romy’s face as she went over what she was saying again, her mouth parting as questions overwhelmed her. “Got out?” She asked her uselessly, since Jessica was already speaking over her, both clearing up her previous statement and confusing Romy even more. “I don’t—” Abel chose that moment to walk back in and she instantly closed her mouth, not wanting him to think she and Jessica were discussing him while he wasn’t even present. She sat down next to him, her eyes on the empty plate in front of her. She barely even registered what he was saying, too focused on trying to remember exactly what Abel had told her about his past. As it turned out, not much at all. “Hm? Oh. Yeah, they’re really nice. Really nice,” she said absentmindedly. “Hey, uh, your sister said something. About you getting out and doing your time? What did she mean by that?” 

-

When Abel returned from washing his hands and sat down at the table, he felt a shift in Romy’s usual behavior. She had sort of an infectiously happy and positive way of thinking that seemed to lift the spirits in any room she entered, but right now that feeling had been slow to rise. Given her next question, Abel knew why. With a soft sigh, Abel was somewhat at a loss for an explanation. He wasn’t upset that his sister let something so private slip out nonchalantly to someone he didn’t want to lose in his life, but he certainly wasn’t happy about it either. “It’s usually not somethin’ I open with when I meet new people, but I got released from prison two years ago,” He said, eyes averting to his hands. “I check in with my parole officer every month, I go to meetings every week, I stay out of trouble, and I’m doing really well,” He said, feeling the need to prove he wasn’t a bad person. Over the last few months he had grown to really appreciate their friendship and the last thing he wanted to do was ruin that because Romy suddenly saw him as some sort of monster. 

[abelbecker]

REYNOLDS HOUSEHOLD w/ @rcmyfisher​

It seemed like Abel’s new routine lately — wake up, hit the gym, head to work, have dinner with his family. Tonight was no different other than the fact that his mother and sister had invited Romy to stay from dinner after their book club meeting had finished. So when Abel walked inside the familiar home to see Romy helping to set the table, Abel made his way toward her direction, “You tryin’ to take my job?” He joked with a faint smile as he pulled his jacket off and set it on the back of one of the chairs and headed into the kitchen to greet his mother. After a short moment, Abel came back with flowers (he assumed Romy had brought them earlier) and set them at the center of the table. His sister walked in, happy to see the table coming along before raising a brow at her brother and shooing him away to wash his hands. “I’m so glad you’re staying for dinner, it’s nice having people over. Plus I think Abel always seems like he’s in a better mood when you’re around and he’s doing so much better since he got let out of—” She cut herself off quickly, realizing her mistake. Truth be told, she didn’t think it was a big deal and if he and Romy were friends then she must have known about his prison sentence, right? “He did his time and he was let out and he’s been great ever since. That’s all that matters,” She added with a smile as Abel returned from the bathroom, holding his hands up as if for his sister’s approval. When she nodded and disappeared back into the kitchen, Abel resumed his spot next to Romy, “You trying to make my sister and my mom your best friend since I said no?” He said jokingly.

[abelbecker]

rcmyfisher​:

“Haven’t I been working for it? Look at me right now, Abel Becker! I’m wearing gym clothes and I can’t feel my upper arms anymore. This is dedication,” she pointed out, although she supposed to opposite was true as well. He’d been indulging her hobbies as much as she had his. “Fine, but you’re not allowed to sue if things go awry. You’ve been warned that giving me a weapon is a questionable idea.” She paused when he questioned her statement, momentarily taken aback by having to actually name some of her qualities. “Well… I’m patient and I liked to think I’m not very judgemental. Also, I make the world’s best pancakes. Tell me that doesn’t beat being able to throw a decent punch.”

-

Given her words, Abel gave Romy another once over before deciding on a verdict, “You look good but you’re nowhere near ripped,” He said with an inkling of an amused smirk making its way to his features. “I can’t afford a lawyer to sue you if that makes you feel better,” It was true enough, though he was sure his mother or sister would be willing to help him out financially if he really needed them to. “It might be questionable, but it also might save your life so the decision is yours,” he added with a simple shrug. “I haven’t tasted these pancakes so until I do I can’t comment on it,” He said grinnig.

[abelbecker]

rcmyfisher​:

“Don’t call my positivity into question,” she said with a glare she hoped was at least a little bit threatening. “Wow, way to crush a girl.” She wasn’t crushed, not really. It wasn’t that surprising that they weren’t best friends after a few weeks of knowing each other. She was forced to admit, embarrassingly enough, that he was her closest friend as far as Eureka went. She hadn’t invested in other people here quite as much as she had with Abel. “What if I accidentally shock someone? Or myself? The former is way more likely to happen, just so you know.” As she had suspected, her weak attempt at a punch didn’t so much as cause a slight flinch. “Alright, alright, laugh all you want. I have other qualities, alright?”

-

“Too late,” Abel said under his breath. Truth be told, he never considered himself a positive person by any means, but he also didn’t consider himself a negative one, not even after prison. Most days he was a realist, however, perhaps Romy’s positive attitude would rub off on him one day. “If you wanna be my best friend you’re gonna have to work for it,” he said with a grin, only joking since that title would unfortunately always belong to Judd, no matter what he did. “I’ll teach you how to use the taser so that doesn’t happen,” And he trusted she’d be capable of not hurting herself. “What other qualities? Since I’m kind of curious now.”

[abelbecker]

rcmyfisher​:

“Oh, please, the student has not become the master. I will crush you,” she said, a random bout of confidence overcoming her. Plants just brought out that side of her, evidently. “Alright, maybe I’m not your only friend. Your favorite maybe? What about the nicest?” Truthfully, they spent so much time together these days that she barely had time to see other people, but she supposed ti was possible that he pulled it off. “I would call them acquaintances. I don’t see why you find that so hard to believe. You have noticed how good I am at putting my foot in my mouth, right?” Romy rolled her eyes playfully as he poked her. She had to stop herself from wobbling slightly. “Tasers are intimidating,” she replied, folding her fingers to make a fist and leaving her thumb on the outside. She turned to face him, eyes narrowing in concentration before she punched him weakly right in the chest. “Not bad, huh?”

-

“You’re in the plant business, isn’t that the growing business, not the crushing business?” Abel said just to press her buttons a little. Despite her words, Abel didn’t believe Romy for a second. She seemed like she was all bark and no bite but she could very well prove him wrong in the future. “I’ll let you have nicest,” They hadn’t known each other long enough to get near the favorite friend mark that seemingly belonged to Judd, although Abel knew the guy hadn’t deserved it, especially lately. “Tasers are effective,” Abel corrected. At the end of the day he just wanted to make sure she was safe and no one was trying to take advantage of her in any way. As Romy pressed a fist to his chest, Abel raised his brow at her, “Is that really all you got? Maybe you do need more than a taser,” he said with a teasing smile.

[abelbecker]

rcmyfisher​:

Romy groaned, looking down at her completely muscleless stomach and immediately knew this was one competition she wasn’t going to win. “This is like me and you competing to see who can keep a plant alive the longest,” she grumbled, shooting him a half-hearted glare. “Honestly, I assumed you were already my bodyguard given that we’re each other’s only friend and that that should be incentive for you to want to keep me around for as long as you can, but I see your point. My muscle mass is at, like, 0.2%.” She held up her arm to demonstrate, failing miserably at any kind of flexing. “Alright, show me how to take down my enemies.”

-

“I’ll take that challenge too,” Abel said with a smug expression across his face. When he first came to Eureka he could barely keep a snake plant alive, but with help from Romy and his mother, it seemed like his green thumb had finally come along. “You think you’re my only friend?” Abel asked with the raise of his brow. Sure he had Judd and Lena and Ren but their friendships had become so fickle and wayward that perhaps Romy was right. “Besides, you don’t have any other friends? That’s kinda hard to believe,” After all, Romy was personable and friendly, surely she must have other friends besides an ex convict turned bodyguard. “I think we can get that muscle mass up by at least 0.1″ He joked, reaching over to poke at her arm lightly. “I think in your position just carrying mace or a taser would work pretty efficiently. If you’ve gotta defend yourself with nothing but your hands, just make sure when you curl your hand into a fist that your thumb is on the outside.”

[abelbecker]

ohh-susana​:

“You’d be surprised, ballerinas can be pretty vicious when they’re competing with each other. Who knows, maybe I’ll need someone to break up a fight between some of them.” That likely wouldn’t be the case in her studio, given that most serious ballerinas weren’t going to switch to a new studio as they got more intense in their training, but … maybe in a few years Suze could have something going there. “They’re so small, but they are fierce. I had a classmate threaten to put glass in another girl’s toe shoes.” She paused, and then quickly added “but don’t worry, that will definitely not be happening to your niece or any other student.” She adjusted her grip on her fliers and glanced back at him. “So that’s your gig, bouncing? Does it actually get wild at Vice or is it like … the Eureka version of wild?”

-

“Oh I believe it,” Abel said with a nod. He was smart enough to know that older men didn’t have a patent on rage and idiotic fighting, though he could admit a bunch of ballerinas could be deceptive since most people didn’t see them as particularly threatening. “Yeah, that might be outta my wheelhouse these days since the only fights I’m breaking up are between middle-aged men who’ve had too much to drink,” he said with an amused smile. “Alright, as long as my niece is in good hands,” he added afterward with a chuckle. He figured it’d be safe enough. “I’d say it’s the Eureka version of wild. I think I’ve caused more trouble at bars and clubs back home than the people around here. But yeah, bouncing’s my gig for now.”

[abelbecker]

ohh-susana​:

“Yeah,” Susana drawled out, crossing her arms over her middle. “This town can give a Stepford vibe sometimes,” she agreed. It was what had made her pack up and run to Los Angeles at the first available opportunity, her boyfriend in tow. When she came back in those first desperate weeks when she still thought Amalia could be found, the simplicity and pristine picturesque town felt stifling. It had always been Ama’s turf more than her own. Before Suze could even go down that mental route, he suggested that he would bring his niece for a class, and a smile nearly split her face in half. “That would definitely get you major uncle points,” she replied, nodding her head in agreement. His follow-up question was something of a can of worms, and Susana bit down on her lip as she tried to be succinct with her response. “Definitely more of a passion project,” she said. “I’ve been dancing since I could fit into tap shoes, and after I, uh … ended back up in town two years ago, and saw there was no studio around, it seemed like a good fit.” She rocked back on her heels and tilted her head at him. “Why, you looking for a job?”

-

“It really does,” Abel agreed with a nod. Maybe they were both being too hard on Eureka, but in Abel’s defense, he had come from the streets of New York which meant that everything else paled in comparison. “Major uncle points, huh...” Abel repeated as if he was still thinking about it, “I guess that means I gotta do it then.” Plus his niece would absolutely love the classes, of that Abel was sure. Besides, he was sure his sister would sign off on the activity too so it was a no brainer. “Nah, I got a job down at Vice, so unless you need a bouncer for this place of yours then I think my skill set might be a little limited,” He added with a faint chuckle. He wasn’t the worst dancer in the world, however, he didn’t think he’d be qualified to teach a class and would have rather saved himself the embarrassment.

[abelbecker]

ohh-susana​:

“In LA it’d take weeks,” she commented idly, recalling the bevy of graffitti she’d walk past on her trek from her apartment to any of the studios she’d visit, taking a class from this instructor or that one, always trying to learn more, become a more versatile dancer. Whether it was classical ballet or modern with a twist or Fosse jazz, she was there. “I forgot how … pristine Eureka likes to keep itself.” Certainly it was a drawing point for families who wanted safety and security, but Susana couldn’t much care one way or the other. At his teasing, Susana had the decency to blush in embarrassment at how forward her attempt at selling her business had been. “I’m just starting, and it’s way harder than I thought it was going to be,” she started to ramble. “There’s licenses to hold and contracts to sign and if it fails, I’m pretty sure I’m screwed into the next century. So really, anyone who’s even remotely interested – I’m trying to get them in the door.” She waved a hand to emphasize what she was saying. “I absolutely have something for your ballerina niece, though. Several different classes actually, so here,” Susana stuck out a copy of her schedule that she’d painstakingly formatted on her laptop before printing at the local Staples. “We’re doing a free week, so if you want to bring her by, and she ends up completely hating it, there’s no loss.” 

-

“Yeah well, I could do with the some less than pristine atmosphere around here,” Abel said with the shrug of his shoulders. After all, he had gone from living in the big city to living here and it was safe to say that Abel wasn’t very enthused by the place. “Alright, maybe I’ll bring my niece around then, it’ll get me uncle of the year,” He said with a grin. That and perhaps helping someone with their small business would give him the courage to finally start his own one of these days. Taking the flier from Susana’s hand, Abel gave it a look over, taking the information in to see if it would be a fit for anyone else in his life. “So is this what you’re passionate about or just somethin’ to pay the bills?” He asked, mostly just a little curious. He had a feeling it would be the former but he hoped Susana would confirm for him. 

[abelbecker]

ohh-susana​:

“Hmm.” It wasn’t that Suze disagreed by any means – in fact, it was a point one friend or another had brought up more than once. “I’m not sure there was enough intention to make people feel things. Not saying I ever graffittied, but if I did, I wasn’t ever thinking that hard about it.” Those carefree days where things always seemed to work in Susana’s favor were long behind her now, and had been since the frantic phone call from her mother asking if Amalia had checked in in the preceding few days. Making small talk about the likelihood of copycat graffiti artists was the closest Susana had come to her old self in quit a while, and she bit down on the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing at the idea of a slowly-growing coalition of vulgar tags. “You’re probably right. Gotta love the predictability of teenagers.” She looked to the man when he introduced himself and gave a friendly smile, a gleam in her eye as she had found a perfect segue to her passion project. “Nice to meet you, Abel. I’m Susana. And we could go to the museum, or maybe you could come take a dance class at the studio that I’m opening. Performance art, you know? Plenty to debate about the merits of different styles of dance, I promise you.”

-

“If it makes you feel better, the city’ll probably have it cleaned up by the weekend,: Abel said with the shrug of his shoulders. Unlike his home state of New York, a few complaints from the right people could get anything done in a small town like Eureka, or so he had learned. Abel had expected a friendly introduction, however, when she opened with her dance studio, he felt like he had been played just a little bit. “Oh so that’s your deal — gotta fill up the dance studio, huh,” He said, fairly amused as he let out a faint chuckle. “My niece is six, she likes playing ballerina a lot, you got something for her?” He figured it’d be a good chance to make his niece happy and to see if Susana would warm up to a museum date.

[joey-prue]

Zane Holtz via @wilmervalderrama IG story 02.16.2018