summary. they speak a silent language of their own, one that can be communicated through stares. even through the downturn of her lips.
ft. madeline "maddy" perez x bishop
word count. 1433 words
; a/n. gifs by ariadnethedragon!
THE world they’ve submerged themselves in is far from pristine. neither had any intention of ending up right where they are, but both maddy and bishop know better than anyone that it was mere survival. you had to do what you had to do. so, when you unfortunately stumbled upon the traveling carnival and opened a tent only to find yourself stranded at one end of a tightrope, you’d try your best to cross it. months would pass and you’d travel back and forth searching for the exit. before you knew it, you’d already become a seasoned funambulist.
“you’ve killed a man before, bee?”
maddy had called him at work to come over. she waited at the top of cassie’s dramatic staircase with her arms folded when he walked in, then she pivoted and began walking into her bedroom-turned-studio space. for about half an hour, he simply watched from the corner of the room as maddy fixed her makeup, taking her sweet time.
bishop’s tired eyes drifted toward her at the sudden inquiry. she dressed as though they had an event that needed attending, but she was dressed for home, wearing a fitted denim set. maddy bent over her dresser, trying to fish out a pair of earrings from the lower drawer.
he could see her reflection from the dresser’s mirror. her voice was firm as usual, borderline slurry with disinterest, but bishop knew better, so he waited. he stared until finally her hesitant eyes found his in the mirror and something unspoken hummed between them.
“somebody bothering you?”
and that’s how they always were. in a crowded room, or in meetings with potential “partners”, she’d throw him a look & he’d be immediately dispatched like a guard dog off the leash. what maddy was actually asking him to do– God knows they had their own language.
BISHOP was rarely ever caught off-guard. from early in his life, he’d learned that ‘quiet’ & ‘cautious’ went hand-in-hand. he’d observe people rather than contribute to unnecessary ruckus or fights that he deemed useless. that was how he got to alamo in the end; he’d been true to himself– loyal and smart– that his former boss didn’t even waste his time questioning bishop or his intentions.
he prided himself on his keenness. so when maddy perez came strutting into the relocated strip club donning his vintage ysl leather coat, it was the first time kidd ever seen his new boss’ eyes widen in surprise– fleeting and real quick, but he caught it.
the pair ran the strip club as co-owners– an easy decision they’d reached after their first ever private meet-up. laying off the strippers wasn’t an option, and since maddy and bishop could do whatever the fuck they want, they changed some regulations. from then on, it was strictly a strip club.
cassie off-handedly teased maddy about the two’s bond once.
“you guys are like one of those fashionista couples,” she said.
maddy chuckled, thinking it ridiculous– much like almost everything cassie ever says– but picturing it wasn’t unpleasant. she’d be the first to admit bishop’s taste in clothes was better than most men.
neon light glided across the club’s floor, and bishop stepped out of his corner. maddy halted her step as he came near. she took off her sunglasses to stare at the tall man.
“coat looks familiar,” he drawled, glancing down at her.
maddy smirked. her dimples appeared and for a second bishop’s eyes focused on them.
“really?” she innocently asked.
“uh huh,” he answered, stepping closer. he carefully assessed her from head-to-toe before looking back at her. “it suits you.”
kidd watched over their exchange from across the room, grinning. maddy perez smiling up at the towering man, seemingly very pleased with whatever stunt she managed to pull to garner bishop’s attention.
they looked mad right, kidd thought. their outfits coordinated without either of them realizing it. somehow, they always matched. the habit prompted raised eyebrows– curious or surprised– from anyone who saw them together.
once maddy casually wore an olive halter dress whilst doing a check-up for the club. her hair half pinned up and giant jade earrings hanging from her ears. real pretty. then, 30 minutes later, bishop walked in wearing a tweed three-piece suit under a shearling-collar overcoat. his patterned tie and overcoat were the exact shade of maddy’s green. jade stones gleamed from the rings on his fingers.
the whole staff traded looks, but maddy just briefly glanced at the newly arrived bishop before calling him over to sort out some paperwork.
“of course, it suits me,” maddy quipped back, looking at him as if she was saying duh. she mischievously mulled over her next words and bishop could see her cheeky– kidd would argue that it was flirty– smile slowly forming.
she moved closer. their height difference required maddy to lift her head slightly as she whispered conspiratorially, “i think the coat looks better on me.”
they were so near. too near. her body was tilted sideways so that her shoulder lightly brushed against bishop’s chest as he peered down at her. maddy was biting down a grin.
“you are gorgeous,” he said, “but imma have to fight you on that.”
NO ONE can even fathom how the hell someone could be in a fight with a quiet man like bishop. not because of his lack of words, more so because you’d already be 6 feet under before a single gun could be drawn.
how one stayed in a cold war with him & was still able to clack around in their heels was miraculous.
maddy would interject and say that the same could be applied to whoever crossed her. who could argue with that? however, valid as her statement was, bishop still stood there, unscathed, a full week after he got his face yelled off.
simply: a business disagreement had occurred.
a “consultant firm” from california had reached out and said they were real interested in getting involved with the club. with their sunglasses, leather jacket and jeans, everyone could see that these people were cowboys. like bishop . like how alamo was. usually, anyone dressed like that was interested in the gun side of their business since bishop had pivoted their source of income from fucking trafficking people to a more tame kind of crime: selling firearms.
bishop instantly disapproved. he didn’t fuck with these guys in the slightest, and he stood by his decision with confidence from past experience. he dealt with these types of guys throughout his career with alamo. the slimy kind that sweet-talked & kissed the lady’s hand then turned around and started pocketing money. little at first, then BAM! suddenly they were out thousands.
now, maddy … maddy thought she could outsmart them. she knew from the beginning. a mere inkling at first, but as their party dispersed, and maddy found herself alone with bishop in the dimly lit meeting booth, that was when she got her confirmation. he threw her a look, which prompted her to smile that sly smile & bishop knew she’d already made up her mind.
“we can’t,” he asserted, emphasizing each word.
her smile slipped away. “we can.”
bishop stared at her vacantly and maddy hated when he did that. she could read him well– the fucking best!– but in moments like this, where he moved cautiously like a watchful quarry, he became indecipherable. it was like arguing with a wall that somehow kept proving itself right.
the room got louder, and on the other side of the door, kidd and Q shared a look with kitty, who was loitering behind.
“you think i haven’t considered that?” maddy asked, moving closer to bishop.
she scoffed, amused, though her eyes held a hard edge. “then why the fuck are we still having this conversation?”
for the first time since their partnership, bishop’s voice sharpened.
“because you reached the wrong conclusion.”
it was silent for the longest time. they traded glares as the room simmered, hotter than it should’ve been despite the ac’s steady hum.
maddy broke the silence first.
“you act like i don’t know what i’m doing,” she seethed.
“no,” bishop countered. “i act like they only need one mistake.”
and there, maddy realized it was no longer about the controversial deal. they were inching closer to something personal: fear. it was about safety, wasn’t it? their business. her. maddy knew it was about her as soon as the words left him and the room fell quiet.
the contract was off the next day.
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