tanned and rested and alone @averyfunstory - Tumblr Blog

Ailene was in a great mood. Why? Because Nicolette Bingley was her friend and Nicolette Bingley was also a bartender which meant that Nicolette Bingley saw fit to give Ailene free shots. And when Gaston made his way over to remind them that he had a business to run, Ailene dragged over Cosette who pushed her perky little boobs up and suddenly Ailene was knocking back tequila slammers and leading the dance floor in a juvenile but perfectly choreographed Cupid Shuffle.

Knowing she couldn’t stay out all night or else she’d be in danger of reliving her sixth form prom back in the merry valleys of Wales (not her finest moment), Ailene managed to shuffle out of La Belle sans jacket. She’d lost her coupon for the cloak room and was just tipsy enough that she wasn’t yet mourning the loss of her favourite black bomber jacket. As soon as she stepped outside though, she shivered, the wind going right for her bare midriff, on display thanks to her crop top.

No matter what the elderly residents of Cherry Grove thought when they saw her strutting around the villages in her short shorts and bralettes, Ailene wasn’t a silly girl. She knew that walking around the empty town at this time of night, dressed as she was, was apparently inviting trouble. Kinghorn would definitely have something to say about what she was doing, but she wasn’t going to drag the Bingley girls away from their work just to walk her home, and even though having the hulking figure of Gaston by her side at that moment would have been a comfort, she hadn’t managed to track him down before leaving.

So there she was, thankful she’d had the foresight not to drink too much so she was still aware of her surroundings. It was pitch black, bar the perfectly round circled patches of light on the ground cast by the overhead street lamps. But Ailene had always been more on the fearless side, so she made her way along the road, scuffing her Converse against the concrete and singing her favourite Dua Lipa song under her breath. She might have been a little uptight, but the tension melted away from her shoulders when she started to recognise familiar tiny business that lined the main street of Cherry Grove. Through the dim evening, she could see the funky, hat-shaped sign for Hat’ll Do It beckoning her, and one building beyond that was her father’s store.

Her parents weren’t home that night and, not that she’d admit it, that made Ailene a little dubious about the daunting task of unlocking the door to an empty apartment. It was stupid to think something would be there waiting for her, lurking in the shadows, something that took the shape of Kinghorn’s sleazy form. But he was also out of state at that moment, taking another poor girl along with him so Ailene had managed to escape his clutches for once.

Speeding up, Ailene drew closer to her parents’ flat when she was hit with a dizzying jolt of fear as soon as a shadowy figure stepped into the light of one of the streetlamps. A yelp tore from her throat as her hand flew to her chest, now feeling a little too bare. With her heart in her mouth, she froze on the spot, staring at the figure before she all but melted into a puddle of relief.

“Jesus, Flynn!” she sighed, wanting to run forward and punch the boy on the shoulder for scaring her so. She knew better after his recent ordeal though and simply strode up to him and collapsed her forehead against his chest in a gesture of familiarity.

“I thought you were like… I don’t even know, but you scared me.” She lifted her head to look up at him, glad to see that some of his cuts and bruises were healing, but that relief was washed away and a new wave of concern crashed over her when she spotted the look on his face. He looked like hell.

“Flynn?” she frowned, tilting her head to the side. “Hey, what’s wrong? What’s happened?”

averyfunstory

Flynn was drunk. Exceptionally so, in fact. He was angry and alone, and the only thing that had made sense to him was to get blind drunk. He couldn't go to The Snuggly Duckling, knowing that Anya would be there and there was no way she'd let him get utterly hammered without so much as a how are you?. He couldn't go to La Belle, either. He was pretty sure Gaston wasn't much of a fan of his, and after his fight with Rae he figured the last place he should find himself was stumbling into one of her best friend's establishments in the hopes of forgetting the whole ordeal. Especially when the aforementioned friend could probably crush him with his pinky if he so wished.

No, he'd traipsed across town to the convenience store, handed over whatever scraps of cash he had bunched into the pocket of his jacket – Rae's jacket, the one she'd given him – and left there content. He knew he must have looked a mess by now, sitting in the middle of the town square, his legs dangling over the side of the fountain as he downed can after can after can of beer. He didn't give a shit any more though. None of it fucking mattered. He'd ruined everything. Rae hated him. And, y'know what? He could deal with that, if he truly had to. He'd learn to move on, or to live with it, or something, but that wasn't the real problem here. What was awful about all that had happened was the truth in knowing that with or without him in her life, Rae was in danger. Every second that she spent trusting and loving her mother, relying on her and wanting to maintain a relationship with her, she was at risk, and the thought terrified Flynn.

But there was nothing he could do. She wouldn't see sense, she wouldn't listen. He knew that he could have tried to talk to Anna, or maybe even Belle, but there was no way of getting through to them right now. They were her best friends, and they were at her side through thick and thin, and if that included sending some ragtag, street rat orphan on his way, then they'd do it for her. Hell, even Gaston. Much as Flynn didn't quite understand the other man, nor his relationship with Rae, he knew that he was loyal to her. Their first ever argument had ended with Gaston swooping on in, her knight in shining armour as he told her everything she wanted to hear; everything Flynn couldn't tell her. So he drank himself into a stupor, stumbled his way through town, and decided to seek comfort in one of the few people that he knew would have his back.

Or, he hoped so, anyway.

Anya might be his best friend, his family, but he wasn't sure he could face her tonight. He knew she'd always stick by him, but he couldn't handle her pity tonight. Ailene, though. Ailene was sensational in so many ways, and she never seemed to pry or push into his business. Sure, she'd teased him about Rae and made her own little digs, but it had all been playful and in jest, nothing damaging or too intrusive. He could flirt and banter back and forth with Ailene, tickle her silly and kiss her cheeks until she blushed, but they still maintained a genuine, harmless friendship that never crossed any boundaries in either direction. She never shoved her nose in where it wasn't wanted, she always responded in kind to his flirting, and she the two always seemed to be on reasonably equal footing.

There was no sign of life by the time he made it to her father's shop. It was dark as he'd stumbled his way over, bumping carelessly into the Hat'll Do It sign that was perched outside of the neighbouring building. He'd even managed to knock his head on the hanging sine of Llewelyn Way's Music Emporium that swung low from the outer porch. He was pretty sure he'd opened one of his wounds from the attack, feeling the hot trickle of blood running down from his forehead to his chin, but it wasn't anything major. He hastily wiped it away with the sleeve of his jacket, dirtying Rae's gift – it seemed ironic, really, that the present she'd given him for Christmas was now caked in his own blood, and all that the request of her mother. The brief altercation worked to sober him slightly, so by the time Ailene made her appearance he was mostly feeling glum, if just a little tipsy still.

“Sorry,” he mumbled upon realising he'd scared her. He hadn't meant to scare her, but he seemed pretty good at doing everything wrong lately. Or, hey, maybe it wasn't even a recent development? Hadn't he been screwing up for all his life? Wasn't that why not even his parents had wanted him, why they'd abandoned him and made him someone else's responsibility?

He slowly but surely lifted his head to look her full in the eye, all too aware that the second his face hit the light that she'd see the full extent of his anguish. She'd see the newly smeared blood across his face, and the way his eyes glistened – both from a mix of rage and genuine devastation. He hated that look of concern on her face, the way she frowned and fretted in that moment. Flynn didn't want Ailene to see him as a charity case. She was the one person who he always felt admired him, even just a little. There were times that Ailene made him feel like he actually had something to offer. It was different from the way that Rae or Anya considered him, of course, but it was enough that he felt like he mattered, even for just a minute.

“It's nothing. I just had a little too much to drink,” he shrugged, the faintest hint of a lie in his words. He had had too much of a truth, so it wasn't entirely a fib, but there was definitely more to it than he was letting on. “I figured I'd come see my girl, but you weren't home. Just needed a little company, is all.”

#moments: ailene2 #ailene

gleamglxw :

“What?” Rae sniffed, momentarily confused by Flynn’s words. Then she remembered the still-drying paint on her hands and, knowing her, her face. “Oh!” She shook her head, feeling stupid as she wiped her hands down on her old apron. “Sorry, Flynn.”

It seemed like the only thing she could do was apologise after the selfishness of her actions over the past few weeks caught up with her and made her realise just how horrible she’d been to Flynn. Rae had never thought she’d ever have it in her to freeze someone out, never mind someone like Flynn, who’d been nothing but kind to her. And what for? Because he didn’t like her back. Wasn’t that the most awful thing you’d ever heard? Rae was so ashamed of herself, and was ready to give Flynn another long-winded and probably hard-to-follow apology when she suddenly became aware of Flynn wiping her tears away.

She wasn’t the one who’d been beaten and bruised and yet she still insisted on being the one who cried and needed to be comforted. Her mother hadn’t been wrong when she’d snappily told Rae to grow up.

Each time she thought about New Year’s Eve made her insides burn with humiliation. But it was something she was going to have to face sooner or later and as she babbled on about it, she was fully prepared for Flynn’s rejection. Bracing herself, she waited for him to calmly tell her that she had gotten it wrong, hoping that he’d be kind about it. But instead his whispered words only confirmed everything she hadn’t dared hope for.

Blinking up at Flynn with wide eyes, Rae fought to swallow her disbelief. It wasn’t the right time for her heart to swell in her chest and for the beginnings of a smile to tug at her lips. Not when Flynn was looking like that. But…

“We were?” she repeated. “So… you and me? We… And you…” Despite the situation, she let out a small, slightly shrill laugh. Perhaps it was out of relief after months and months of wondering whether or not Flynn felt the same way as she did. Belle and Anna had been quick to reassure that of course he did, but they were her best friends. They would never outright lie to her, but it was an unspoken rule in their friendship that they would always try to help lift each other’s spirits, and Rae had secretly thought their encouragement for her relationship with Flynn was a byproduct of that. An extremely well-meaning byproduct though!

Before she could get ahead of herself though, Flynn’s tone caught her attention. Allowing herself to be lead to the sofa, her fingers linked with Flynn’s, she sat down with him and eyed him curiously. She could tell that whatever he was about to say was difficult for him, so she pushed a smile onto her face and wrapped her other hand around his.

“It’s okay,” she reassured him. She waited with bated breath, nausea pooling in her stomach as she waited for him to tell her who’d hurt him. What if she knew the person? Rae had only come across kind people since moving to Cherry Grove and the thought of one of them turning into someone who went around, hurting people like Flynn, was such an awful thought that she almost hoped Flynn wouldn’t say anything at all. But she had to hear it, because Flynn’s safety came before anything else. Just like Belle’s safety and Anna’s safety and Paul’s safety. So she readied herself and squeezed his hand comfortingly.

But she hadn’t been expecting that.

“W-what?” she choked out. She stared at Flynn, eyes wide. A strange sort of burning feeling had started to overwhelm her, flooding her senses and numbing her limbs right up to the tips of her fingers. “Flynn, that’s… that’s not funny.”

She withdrew her hands from his, gathering them at her chest as she frowned at the boy next to her. After getting to know him since moving to the little town though, Rae liked to think she had picked up on what Flynn’s joking tone was. True, she was more than a little naïve according to, well, everyone. But even she knew he wouldn’t joke about something like this. But that just meant he wasn’t making any sense.

“Flynn, you can’t just… say things like that. I know you don’t like my mother but saying that she… Flynn, she wouldn’t!”

It was surreal, given their current situation, given the bruises and gashes that littered their way across Flynn's face and torso, to think that he could feel such an overpowering sense of relief at hearing Rae's words, at watching her process his own affirmations of what had been. Admittedly, he could easily brush it aside, assume that the laughter that spilled from her lips was one of mockery, and that she'd never wanted to be anything more than just friends to begin with, but not even Flynn was that stupid. Even if you set aside the fact that Rae didn't have a bad bone in her body, and didn't possess the capacity to be so cruel, he knew that that wasn't what was happening. No, the second that Flynn had confirmed her theories, the second he'd even so much as implied that they could be something, Rae was looking at him with a relief that paralleled his very own.

Now, if only they could get through the next few moments, and maybe they could finally get back on track.

He knew there were more pressing matters than the state of their will they, won't they scenario, and he knew that Rae understood too. His breathing was steady as the two of them sat there on the sofa, finding a sense of comfort in the gentle motion of his thumb against her fingers. Holding Rae's hand, it somehow worked to anchor him to the spot. Despite all his fears, all his concerns of her potential anger, her pushing him away? None of it mattered in that moment. He felt as though everything might turn out just fine, that it would be alright so long as he stayed there, her hand in his own.

So, naturally, the second that Rae withdrew, pulled her hand back and stared back at him with those wide, horrified eyes; that was the moment he knew that things had gone awry. He'd held onto the tiny, faintest slither of hope that perhaps she'd understood, and now she was looking at him as though he'd told her that the Pope had knocked on his door and anointed him with the title of Archbishop of Cherry Grove. He held his breath, hands trembling as he watched her, listened to her... This wasn't going well, but maybe he could save it? Maybe there was a way to fix it, make her see sense?

Bunching his fists up into his lap, forcing them still, he shook his head at Rae, his face imploring her to understand.

“Rae, c'mon, I'm not joking. You know I'd never joke about something like that, I–” he cut himself off, his speech hurried and slurred. He'd always been good at talking himself out of a situation; it was all a part of the territory when you were a foster kid, and he'd only bettered himself through his thieving years. He hated to lie to Rae though, it didn't sit right with him, which is why he desperately needed her to understand that he was being honest. “I would never lie to you.”

Things went from bad to worse, however, when Rae insisted that her mother wouldn't do something like that. Truth be told, it made him a little angry. He vowed never to lose his temper with Rae, to never put her in a situation where she felt afraid – she'd seen far too much of that for a lifetime, and after years of being kicked through the foster system he understood completely. But none of that quelled the rage that rose in his chest; he'd never act upon it, but he knew fine well that if she were here, Rae's mother would be subject to a whole barrage of choice words with absolutely no filter if he had the opportunity.

“It's got nothing to do with liking her, Rae. Don't you see? I didn't like her before, but now... God, how could I have been so blind?” he floundered, pushing a trembling hand through his hair, combing his fingers through his untamed locks.

He bunched up his fist and tugged in frustration, pulling at his hair as he let his head fall, hanging it low in shame as he searched for the right words to say to her. How could he convince her of the truth?

“She's been abusing you, Rae. Every last word, every time that she touches your cheek, or strokes a hand through your hair, or tells you that you're getting kinda chubby...” he uttered the last few words in a shrill, mocking tone, hoping to somehow mirror that of her mother's. Not that he knew the woman, but he could just picture her, taunting and goading Rae, manipulating her into believing her words were true. “And now that I'm here? Me, and all of your friends, all of the amazing people you've met in Cherry Grove? She can't stand it, Rae. She can see that you're happy, and that you don't need her anymore. She doesn't want us taking you away from her, so she thinks she can just... she can hurt us and make us disappear.”

He was breathless now, panting as he rambled and ranted on, trying to get her to see sense. He tried to regain some of the composure he'd had before, to approach her with that same tender nature that the two had grown so accustomed to over the the recent year. He reached out a hand, slowly and carefully, before laying it atop hers, hoping that this time she wouldn't pull away.

“She's manipulating you, Rae. She wanted me gone, and so she made sure that I knew the price that I'd be paying if I ever saw you again,” he told her, his tone calm this time, soft in the hopes that he wouldn't frighten her. That she'd hear the truth in his words. “I'm not going against her word, Rae. I'll leave you alone if that's what it takes to keep you safe, but you deserve to know the truth. That woman is a monster.”

#moments: rae5 #rae

TEXT: ANNA

Flynn: Hey, Anna. Could you, uh... Let Rae know I said happy birthday, yeah?

Flynn: Thanks.

#texts: anna #anna

TEXT: RAE

Flynn: [unsent text] I miss you.

Flynn: [unsent text] Damn it, Rae. I... can't we fix this?

Flynn: [unsent text] I don't want you near her. Shit. I know i'm not your... whatever, your boyfriend... friend, babysitter, whatever. I'm your nothing. I know that, but I still care. I still worry. She's not good for you. She should be in fucking prison. She's a damn virus.

Flynn: [unsent text] Shit shit shit shit

#texts: rae #rae

TEXT: ANYA

Flynn: Aw, hell. Listen, twinkle toes, you know loud ceclarafions of love don't do it for me. That little display Rita put on yesterday for Artie was cute and all, but don't go expecting that shit from me, yeah?

Flynn: But, between you and me, I love ya. You've been... Shit, you've been pretty much my anchor all these years, but this past month especially, kid.

Flynn: God. Whatever. Corny. Happy birthday, Anya. Thanks for being my best friend, my damn family, and I'll see you soon.

Flynn: disclaimer: all gifts received today were paid with real, genuine cash that wasn't stolen from a single soul. ;)

#texts: anya #anya

TEXT: ARTIE

Flynn: Happy birthday, man. I'd offer to buy you a drink or two, but I doubt Rita's got plans on sharing ya, so instead I'll just wish you good luck.

#texts: artie #artie

gleamglxw :

As always, Rae was clumsy and stupid and regretted her brash actions as soon as she threw herself at Flynn and heard the pained hiss escape him. She froze at once, wishing she’d had the foresight to think things through and not collide with the boy who was clearly still hurting. At once, she backed up, squeaking out incoherent but eager apologies, only to find herself caged in by Flynn’s arms as he hugged her back.

Slowly this time, she relaxed into the hug, her fingers bunching the material of his jacket into her hands so she could keep a firm hold of him. It was so silly, but she wanted to laugh when he told her not to cry. Surely he knew her better than that. Rae cried at everything, from videos of baby pandas tumbling around with each other to broken boys trying to smile for her.

“I’m sorry, I just -” She was cut off by the feeling of Flynn’s forehead dropping gently against her own, the tips of their noses brushing and it was so reminiscent of New Year’s Eve that her chest was filled with a sinking feeling of dread that she forced herself to push away. She’d already made the mistake of overthinking that evening, and look where it had gotten her! She’d cut off contact with Flynn out of sheer humiliation, even though he had never once given her reason to expect that he liked her as more than a friend. Anya had been wrong. Belle had been wrong. Everyone that dropped hints about ‘Flynn and Rae’ had been wrong and that had been hard for Rae to digest, but that was all before Flynn had been beaten up by goodness know what monster.

“Your face is so…” she choked out, reaching up gently so her fingers could hover beside one particularly nasty looking gash. She didn’t dare touch his skin though, too conscious of hurting him and simply dropped her hand back by her side so she could knock her head against Flynn’s chest again.

She sniffled at his words, an embarrassed blush creeping up her neck because he shouldn’t be the one comforting her. That wasn’t how this was supposed to go. She pulled back so she could stare up at him and firmly shook her head.

“No, this… this isn’t about me. Look at you, you’re…” She furiously wiped more tears away, smearing light blue paint on her cheeks that hadn’t quite dried yet.

“I’m so sorry, Flynn. It’s just - I was so silly. On New Year’s Eve, I thought we were - and then… it didn’t happen, but that’s okay. It should have been so totally okay right from the start and I promise it is. I shouldn’t have stopped talking to you, I was just embarrassed because I thought I had ruined everything. But we went for so long without speaking and then I heard and I didn’t even…” Her voice cracked on the last word and her chest suddenly gave a heave as she suppressed what was sure to be a loud sob. Squeezing her eyes tightly shut, Rae covered her mouth with her hand, waiting until she was sure she had her emotions under control before blinking slowly and gazing up at Flynn.

“What happened? Who did this to you?” she asked.

Flynn had no idea where to start with Rae. All he wanted was to wrap her up in his arms, to pull her close and keep her safe, away from her mother and all the destruction and hurt that she'd reigned down upon the two of them. She was cruel and manipulative, and everything she'd ever put Rae through had gotten her to where they were now. She'd trapped her own daughter, bullied her, abused her, and Rae had been so blind to it. Not that Flynn could really blame her. Sure, it was infuriating at times, listening to her praise her mother, defend her actions, and even talk of just how grateful she was for the life that she'd been blessed with – but Flynn knew his anger was misplaced. Their first ever argument had been a result of her own mother and Flynn's desire to protect Rae, even back when he'd barely known her She was always getting in the way, always seeking to destroy Rae's happiness, and he wouldn't let her. Not anymore.

She could beat him until he had no more blood to bleed, but he'd be damned if he let her keep hurting Rae like this. She deserved to know the truth, even if the mere thought pained him.

The second that she retreated, separating herself from Flynn so delicately, so careful not to hurt him, his eyes bore into her own. He could see every last inch of pain and anguish in the way that she stared up at him, and he felt so stupid to have left her wondering for so long. Though he knew the truth of her mother's tricks, he knew damn well that it was he that had gotten in the way of their perfect New Year's kiss He'd been the one to pull away, to leave Rae second guessing herself and questioning every last second they'd spent together. Her mother, those brutes, they'd been the reason for his bloodied and bruised jaw, just as they were at fault for the agonising twinge in his chest, but slowly dawned on Flynn that none of that even mattered. Sure, he couldn't bear to see Rae hurt, and if keeping a distance and removing himself from her life was the way to protect her, then so be it. All the same, he had to see her one last time, he had to make her understand. He wouldn't let her live in the dark any longer, and he wouldn't allow her to be subjected to that monster ever again.

“Hey, look, you're getting paint everywhere,” he muttered, trying with all his might to keep his tone light, gentle. He lifted a hand to brush her cheek, grazing her skin as he lifted it to the corner of her eye, before wiping her tears away with the pads of his thumb.

His eyes fluttered shut as he listened to her ramble on about New Year's Eve. Inhaling sharply, sending a harsh pain through his ribs in doing so, he shook his head at her words, cutting her off before she could go any futher.

“We were. What you thought? We were. And then I... I ruined it,” he muttered, his forehead knitting together in frustration. Frustration at himself for not having told her sooner, frustration at having let her mother come between the two of them.

Shaking his head, he listened intently to her words, giving her the chance to unleash all that had built up inside her tiny frame. He hated to think that he'd been the cause of so much hurt for her, to think that she'd been embarrassed because of his own stupidity. He watched, pained to his inner core, as she lifted a hand to suppress yet another sob. There she was, fighting to hold it all in, to focus all her attentions on him and push her own feelings aside. Rae Gothel had been subjected to all kinds of attention since her arrival in Cherry Grove, none of which had gone amiss to Flynn. She was a friend to many, and even those that claimed to dislike her (himself briefly among the many few), even they held a soft spot for the charming blonde. She was endearing from head to toe, her smile and laughter infectious, and there was just something about her... Even now, with tears streaming down her cheeks; she was like a light brightening up even the darkest of pits. A glowing ember that could never truly be put out, a lantern in a sea of black. It was captivating.

“That's the thing, princess. We, uh... We need to talk,” he told her, his gaze intense as the words fell from his lips, nothing but a choked stammer. He had to remain strong, though, he knew he did.

Lifting a trembling hand, he pulled her hand away from her face, tangling their fingers together carefully. He didn't care how much it might hurt him to touch her, he didn't care if his body burned with each kick and punch that had been landed that night, so long as he could hold Rae just this once, he'd suffer through it all again.

Leading her across the room, he squeezed her hand before perching himself down on the edge of a sofa, gesturing for Rae to join him.

“You asked me who did this...” he started, his eyes catching hers for a moment. He saw the confusion on her face, saw his own uncertainty reflected in her eyes. He realised, with a sickening jolt, that he couldn't do this looking at her; it was too painful. He didn't know if he'd be able to handle the look that would cross her face once she knew the truth.

Tearing his gaze away, he stared down at his feet, anxiously running his teeth over his bottom lip. His thumb ran gentle circles against her knuckles, and he let out one last shaky breath before confessing the truth.

“Your mother, Rae. All of this? It was her doing.”

#moments: rae5 #rae

TEXT: JACK

Flynn: Happy birthday, man. Prepare yourself, it's gonna be a messy night.

#texts: jack #jack

TEXT: BLOSSOM

Flynn: Happy birthday, Powers. One drink on me tonight, not that you can't afford it ;)

#texts: blossom #blossom

gleamglxw :

Everything that Rae had been thinking about for going on the past few months seemed to be building up to a dramatic conclusion in the next few crucial seconds. Rae knew that she shouldn’t get ahead of herself but Flynn had brought her out here and they were standing so close and there were fireworks and… Breathe, Rae.

She barely managed to drag her gaze away from the colours lighting up the sky at that moment, but the reminder that Flynn was by her side helped. With a jolt, a weird and wonderful and foolishly, stupidly hopeful jolt, she realised that Flynn hadn’t even tilted his head slightly to look up at the fireworks. He was looking right at her, just like he had that night they’d danced in The Snuggly Duckling. For once, she didn’t feel nervous under his gaze. A little exposed and slightly giddy, but she wasn’t at all scared.

Before leaving for Cherry Grove, her mother had warned her that there would be men out there who would lure her in and pretend to be her friend when they only wanted one thing. And Rae would be stupid to think that it meant anything special. But Flynn wasn’t like that, was he? The thought seemed traitorous and nasty and she felt guilty for even letting it stray into her mind in the first place. Flynn would never hurt her. He was her friend, even if they were gravitating closer and closer together in a way that people who were strictly friends rarely did.

His answer to her question seemed to help everything slide into place. It had been the reply she hadn’t dared let herself expect, but when Flynn confirmed that people usually kissed as soon as the countdown reached zero, she knew that there was a weight behind his words.

Oh my stars, Flynn was going to kiss her.

She stood as still as she could. For someone as hyperactive as Rae, that was a difficult feat. But she was pretty sure that the reward was going to be worth it. With her heart hammering in her chest, Rae had the silly notion that she wanted to tell Belle and Anna exactly what was happening right now, but she knew there’d be time for that later when she inevitably skipped home and melted into a big gooey puddle. Focusing on the here and now, Rae went almost cross-eyed as she followed Flynn’s hand. His finger gently swept her hair from her forehead, leaving a palpable trail across her skin that prickled in its wake. She barely managed to suppress a shudder and smiled up at the boy.

She couldn’t look anywhere except Flynn’s brown eyes, noting that they didn’t flicker away from hers even once. It struck her that she should be a little anxious. This was her first kiss after all, and she had no idea what she was doing. But Noah and Allie, Jack and Rose, Harry and Sally, and Westley and Buttercup had never made it look awfully difficult. Gripping onto Flynn’s jacket, the countdown reached zero and the crowd inside erupted into cheers and Rae’s eyes slid closed, her mouth a breath away from Flynn’s.

And then nothing.

It was like the moment had hit a snag, the tension between them tugging on something invisible and trying to draw itself back like elastic. It was such a static feeling that Rae slowly blinked her eyes open and looked up at Flynn who seemed to have went rigid.

“Flynn?” she said softly upon realising that his eyes were open now too. But he wasn’t looking at her. Following his gaze and glancing over her shoulder, Rae could see… well, nothing. Now more than a little concerned, she turned back and tried to push an encouraging smile through her worry. “Is everything okay?”

Flynn had thought everything was going well. It had been, hadn't it? He was with Rae, the girl of his dreams, his arms pulling her into a tight embrace. It was New Year's Eve, the place was buzzing with excitement, the Kingsley Suite teeming with happy, smiling people, and among them was Eugene Fitzherbert. Sure, he might have been known to most as Flynn Rider, but they were the same person. For a while, Eugene and Flynn had been separate entities; the person he'd once been, and the person he wished he could be. Now, they just sort of melted into one. Things were looking up, and life was slowly starting to pick up in ways that Flynn hadn't ever imagined possible, and now he found himself coming to terms with himself, finding that happy medium, and all thanks to Rae. Or, for the most part, anyway. Sure, Anya helped too – and the part she'd played in bringing Flynn happiness was no small feat, either. As much as they ribbed one another and distanced themselves from the sentimental side of things, Anya was his family and she'd stood by his side for all these years, so he couldn't even dare let the thought pass without acknowledging how much she meant to him.

But Rae, she meant something to him in a way that Anya didn't. He loved Anya entirely, sure, but the feelings he had for her were strictly platonic, while the feelings he harboured for Rae were, well... not. So, okay, yeah, maybe he had butterflies in his stomach, and maybe his heart was fluttering in ways he never thought possible, but he'd earned that, hadn't he? He'd spent so long doubting, convincing himself he wasn't enough, that Rae deserved somebody better, not just some street rat with nimble fingers and a bad rep. Only, Rae seemed to like him for who he was. She mightn't know all the deepest and darkest intricacies of his mind, and the ins and outs of his past, but that stuff would come, right? Just like he didn't know every last sordid detail of her history. Rae seemed to like him in spite of his flaws, and there were a damn well lot of those, so who was he to keep denying himself – and maybe even her Rae? – happiness.

That's what had driven Flynn to this moment. He was taking control of his life, and he was going to kiss the girl he liked at midnight. And then, maybe, if things worked out, he'd kiss her again at whatever time of the day he liked, and shit, even the sappy stuff, too. He'd hold her hand in public, kiss her on the cheek, twirl her around and tickle her, hear that laugh that always made him catch his breath.

God.

At least, that's what he'd wanted to do, up until the very last moment.

He could feel Rae's breath hot against his skin, his fingers trembled as they danced along her jaw, tickling her cheek before they settled at the nape of her neck. Just as he leaned in, ready to make the move, countdown be damned, he spotted two figures, lurking in the distance. He wouldn't have taken any notice usually, too lost in the moment. There should have been nothing that could distract him from making his move, from finally kissing Rae like he'd so desperately wanted to for so long now. But there was something about them that caught his eye. They weren't like regular party-goers, nothing like the array of people scattered along the penthouse, filling the rooms and varying balconies, ready to ring in the new year. Flynn knew he didn't belong in a place so glamorous, but these two stood out like a sore thumb.

Though his hand still lingered, Flynn's attention had been drawn away entirely as he stared over Rae's shoulder. Lurking in the shadows, just inside the doorway, it occurred to Flynn that they were watching them. There was nobody else outside with them, and their gaze wasn't hooked by the bright lights exploding in the sky. No, they were staring directly at Flynn, and the second he caught their eye, he became all too aware that they were trying to maintain eye contact, to catch him off guard and garner his attention. He didn't know why, but the feeling unsettled him. The two of them were hulking, brutish men; twins, though the resemblance wasn't entirely precise. One wore an eyepatch, which would have been just enough to set him apart from his otherwise identical sibling, only that the man to his left appeared to be scarred. A thin line travelled across his face, from what Flynn could see, and they both wore menacing, cruel looks, as though to intimidate.

There was no reason for Flynn to be afraid, was there? He thought, absently, that maybe he was being paranoid. What possible reason could these men have to be staring at him like that? He didn't know them. He'd never met them, never seen them... had he? His mind boggled at the thought, and yet no matter what spin he put on it, he couldn't help but feel as though he'd done something wrong, like maybe he should leave. His chest ached, and he found himself wondering if this had something to do with Rae? Maybe they saw it too. Maybe they knew he wasn't worthy of her, that she was out of his league, and he was living a dream.

“Huh?” Flynn mumbled, hearing the faint sound of Rae's voice. Snapping his attention back to her, he dropped his hand and blinked, before realisation dawned on him. Clearing his throat, he nodded, trying to regain some semblance of composure. “Oh, yeah. Uh, yeah, of course.”

Waving her words off, he forced a smile onto his face, inhaling sharply as he tried to dispel the anxiety began to well up inside of him. It occurred to him, a moment too late, that he'd missed his chance. Those last few seconds of the countdown had gone amiss to him, and he'd left Rae stranded, just staring up at him, waiting for a moment that never came. The sky exploded above them, colour spilling down around them, cheers filling the air, and his unsteady gaze raked the rest of the building, his eyes briefly darting over the edge of the balcony, seeing all the happy couples down below. He'd screwed it up.

“I just... I'm sorry. Everything's fine,” he mumbled, taking a step back and distancing himself from Rae.

He glanced warily over her shoulder again, his eyes locked on the very spot the two men had inhabited moments before. They were still there, staring him down, and his heart pounded in his chest at the thought. He needed to go.

“I'll... I'll be right back,” he told Rae, without even so much as looking her way. He winced at his coldness, before shooting her a quick, apologetic smile. Only, in that split second that he'd looked away, the two men were gone. He frowned, before mumbling his apologies to the blonde. “There's just something I have to take care of.”

Before he could utter another word, or even so much as catch a glimpse of the hurt on her face, he was out the door, his feet moving faster than he knew he was capable of.

#moments: rae4 #rae

TEXT: ANYA

Anya: well i've already left and stopped to get ben & jerry's first. do you really want to be the dickhead that made me go back to the supermarket to get a refund for ben & jerry's?

Anya: thought not.

Flynn: You're a stubborn ass

#texts: anya #anya