𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄.

i ain't ever met you, but you met me decaln coyne // 22 // senior

[declancoynes]

v--anessa​:

“You just gonna keep staring or do you want a matching bullet wound?” Vanessa’s voice snarled, hands tightening as best as they could into a fist. Today was not the day to fuck with Vanessa, but then again neither was any other day. She had been out of hospital for a few hours now and hiding out in the Student Union, going over her sheet music, felt like the closest thing to normal she’d have.

        the newspaper room was feeling stuffier than usual, but the article needed to be completed by the evening if it were to make next print. with only one hand in commission for the time being though, it was becoming increasingly difficult to type everything with one hand. the frustration of having to type at half the speed began to build up. after an hour of struggle, he decided to call it quits for the day and continue at home. located on the second floor of the student union, he made his way down to the lobby after collecting every belonging.

        it was the familiar figure sitting at one of the tables that caused declan to stop in his tracks. she was out of the hospital, and healthy enough to be back at school ; he was content with just knowing that. after fiona told him about what went down between the two, declan knew he had no right to be in her life. being too close to him was dangerous — it was his fault that she got shot. an apology wouldn’t be enough, and she wouldn’t have accepted one anyways. so, he did what he knew was right and did his best to stay out of her life . . . for good now.

        “ i was . . . just on my way out. my apologies. ”      declan didn’t think he was staring that long, but judging by vanessa’s tone, it was evident he was not wanted. rightfully so, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t painful. he quickly averted his gaze, making his way over towards the exit.

[declancoynes]

WHAT → self para

WHO → declan and richard coyne

WHEN → the day after the hollingsworth party

MENTIONS → @fionacelestines

TRIGGER WARNINGS → abuse, violence, blood

        dread consumed him as he passed through the gates of the coyne estate. it was impossible to avoid his father forever, but only wished that he was doing it on more than one hour of sleep. mind hazy and stomach still churning at just the thought of what went down the night before had declan feeling less than optimistic about whatever richard had to say. inhaling deeply and shutting his eyes for a moment, it was a weak attempt at trying to prepare himself for this conversation. little did he know that nothing could ready him for what he was about to face.

        up the spiral staircase and into his father’s study he went, where the man was already waiting for him in an armchair. declan knocked on the door lightly before opening it up. upon seeing his son’s face, it didn’t take long for richard to rise from the desk and greet him with a swift, firm punch to the cheek.      “ i didn’t raise you to be this much of an idiot, declan !  what the hell were you doing at the hollingsworths last night ?! ” declan should have expected as much. after all, not only was declan’s life in danger, but fiona’s as well.      “ your sister could have been killed ! ”

        he didn’t want to do anything to antagonize his father and make it worst, but after getting hit far too many times than he should have allowed, something inside of him snapped. long ago had he grown tiresome of the abuse he had to endure at the hands of his father, and now his plans were starting to put fiona in danger. of course, declan was still partly to blame. after all, he should have put a stop to his father as soon as he found out the truth, but it all started with richard.      “ you’re gonna blame this on me ?  i didn’t even know what your plans were until five minutes before they were set in motion. i tried getting fiona out of there before your guys showed up, but —”      he tried to counter, but richard was quick to cut him off.      “ no, you are not going to turn this around on me. you shouldn’t have even been there to begin with. ” and his father was right about that, at the very least.

        “if i knew that was gonna happen, i would have tried to — ”      again, richard’s sharp words cut through declan’s like a knife.      “ what, you would have tried to stop it ?  you’re spineless, son. you don’t have the balls to stand up to me. ”      it was if that was a challenge. he could feel the blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, and as he went to wipe it away with the sleeve of a disheveled dress shirt, the other arm reached out to shove his father with as much force as he could muster.      “ well i’m tired of being spineless ! ”

      the shove was responded to by a shove of richard’s own, this one with much more strength than declan’s. then again, and again, until declan was outside of his study and into the hallway near the stairs.     “ so do something about it then !  hit me !  c’mon, i bet you’ve been dying to, right ?!  so do it !  HIT ME. ”      he pushed until declan was at the edge of the first step.

      more than anything in the world did declan want to listen to his words ; pummel the man until he couldn’t stand up, but he couldn’t. he was better than his father, and he’d prove it by not giving into his wishes.      “ no. i’m not going to hit you . . . you don’t deserve my anger — or anything from me, for that matter. ”      declan’s response to the provocation was met with a dark, sinister laughter from his father.      “ you really are pathetic, ”      he provoked once more, but declan still refused to give in. even as his nails dug into the palms of his hands, fists dying to connect with the other’s jaw, he never wanted to stoop to his father’s level.

      “ if i’m pathetic, that must make you the scum of the earth, ”      declan spat. richard rolled his eyes, bored of the back and forth.      “ get the hell out of my face already. ”      and with one last final shove, he sent his son tumbling down the staircase.

      declan’s mind blanked during those few seconds of falling, but as his body landed on the bottom floor with a thud, the immense pain sent through his arm had brought him back to reality. motionless on the floor as he groaned in agony, it was one of the maids who eventually came to his aid, stricken with worry once she arrived at the scene.      “ mr. coyne !  what happened ?! ”      she gasped, bending down for a better look at him.      “ i . . . fell down the stairs. ”      he supposed it wasn’t the most unbelievable thing in the world. just chalk it up to a clumsy moment and forget this all happened, right ?

        that wasn’t what he wanted though. this time, he didn’t want to push his fathers actions aside and listen to him with no objections. there was a strong desire to put a stop to the man before he could inflict more damage, but unsure of how to do so, declan was stuck for now. another groan as the maid helped him off the floor, partially for the pain, but mostly due to the realization that he’d be making another trip to the hospital after staying there all night.

[declancoynes]

        he stiffened at fiona’s words, almost ashamed that she witnessed such a vulnerable moment with him.     “ that was . . . a one time thing . . . ”      he lied, not quite ready to divulge on all the details of their father just yet. declan was supposed to be a cornerstone for her — someone she can always rely on when needed the most. lately though, he’d proven to be worthless. he couldn’t be the support fiona needed, couldn’t protect the woman he loved, and he most certainly could not stand up to the man that was making his life absolute hell. declan had been so accustomed to feeling on top of the world for so long that his fall from grace was taking a toll on him. 

        “ do you want me to help you find a new one ? i want you to talk to someone that you can one hundred percent trust.”  otherwise, there was no point in even going to the sessions.      “ i’ll do whatever i can to help you get better. i know i’ve been a shit brother lately, but i promise you don’t have to go through this alone anymore. ”      the fact that fiona had been struggling for so long on her own caused an ache in his chest.

@fionacelestines

[declancoynes]

coynessa.

vanessa: wasn't going to go back and forth with declan all night. if he had a problem, texting wasn't going to solve anything. she chugged what little she had left inn her beer can before moving through the house to find declan––she just prayed she didn't find miles first. why did he care so much if declan knew she was sleeping with other people? it's not like they were together? but on the other hand she liked declan thinking of her as his. it was all fuzzy for the emotions and alcohol as she approached the oldest coyne. without another word, vanessa pulled him into her, both hands on each side of his face. the kiss lasted longer than it should with exes, but she had been wanting to find a reason to. vanessa whispered against his lips, "now stop being an idiot."

declan: he was frustrated, tired, a bit drunk, and at that point, simply just wanted to go home. after all, he only wanted to make an appearance to get under miles' skin a bit. in truth, he was never too fond of parties, as it usually meant having to play nice with whoever his father told him to. with the weather being unpredictable though, there was no way he could make an exit — but maybe he could find a quiet place where he could wait out the storm. as he made his way through the halls of the manor, he stopped in his tracks when vanessa began to make her way over towards him. with little warning, she placed a kiss on his lips that he let linger a bit longer than necessary. "i can't help it. i always feel like an idiot around you." a lovesick idiot, maybe. one that was trying to move on though, and this definitely wasn't helping.

[declancoynes]

✉️ DO NOT TEXT

vanessa: of course he couldn't. that makes sense now... whatever the hell your families are involved in, leave me out of it!

vanessa: not that you are entitled to an explanation, one was a drunk one time thing the other is irrelevant.

vanessa: they don't matter.

declan: i'm not trying to involve you in anything. that's exactly why i said i would handle things myself at the bar

declan: okay..

[declancoynes]

✉️ DO NOT TEXT

vanessa: not...currently?

vanessa: who told u this?

declan: miles couldn't wait to brag about it the first chance he got

declan: but it's none of my business i suppose

[declancoynes]

✉️ DO NOT TEXT

vanessa: wait, do you think i'm sleeping with him?

declan: so you're not?

declan: and the owen stuff is just rumors too?

[declancoynes]

✉️ DO NOT TEXT

vanessa: so i don't even get to know why you're pissed at me?

declan: it's nothing. it's fine.

declan: guess i don't even have a right to be mad.

[declancoynes]

✉️ DO NOT TEXT

vanessa: what?

vanessa: i broke up with you. /you/ can't fuck me, not the other way around.

vanessa: but also, what?

declan: -read-

declan: -typing...-

declan: whatever.

[declancoynes]

gotheextramiles​:

“i mean, i have no idea what you’re talking about declan. last time i heard, there were rumors that you guys were starting to mess with gang territory. just because your daddy has done some things, doesn’t mean everyone likes what he is doing. i mean, if someone were to have tipped off a member that he is also trying to make a buck, im sure hearing that would set them off into a rage…a rage that would probably actually destroy something valuable instead.” miles grinned, he wanted declan to try something, please try me, he thought as he smirked. “by the way, did i tell you how great vanessa is in bed? the last time we slept together, i had her screaming my name.” 

        “ look, i have no idea what you’re talking about, and frankly i don’t care — just leave my sister alone, ”      he lied, though miles did make a point. the hollingsworths weren’t his family’s only enemy, just the biggest one. he made a mental note to ask the burnbook about that once he held up his end of the deal. his demeanor only changed once vanessa was brought up, and he could feel his anger rising with each word the boy spoke. that was exactly what he wanted though, right ?  miles was only saying it for a reaction, and he refused to give him the satisfaction.      “ in case you haven’t heard, vanessa and i haven’t been together for months. who she chooses to sleep with isn’t any of my business — even if it is a considerable downgrade. ”

[declancoynes]

✉️ DO NOT TEXT

declan: miles hollingsworth??? really?

declan: can't fuck the real thing so you settle for the cheap knockoff version huh?

[declancoynes]

you know miles and vanessa hooked up?

i guess she wanted to know what shopping in the bargain bin felt like after becoming accustomed to luxury designer for so long.

[declancoynes]

gotheextramiles​:

miles smirked, he knew that declan would be the one to confront him, he kind of figured fiona wouldn’t even have the courage to ever try anything with him. getting close to his face, he could feel his anxiety rising. “well, then you should know declan, that i know everything your family is doing. leave my family out of this or it won’t be pretty,” he threatened. miles didn’t care who it was, he just wanted to protect his family. “last time i checked, your sister has a little problem, so many you should be aiding her instead of bugging me.” 

        he couldn’t help but laugh at the other’s response, hardly feeling intimidated by whatever schemes miles had up his sleeve.      “ it’s almost cute that you’re trying to threaten me right now, ”      he gibed. declan wasn’t there to play games — he just wanted miles to leave fiona out of his plans.      “ i have no control over the business decisions my father makes, so no matter how many of your goons you send over to break into my house, it’s not going to change anything. ”      he’d ignored the comment about his sister, because miles was the last person he wanted to talk about her drinking problem with.

[declancoynes]

v--anessa​:

“you want me to just stand by and watch the people i care about get hurt? absolutely not,” vanessa settled. she knew she could protect them, knew she had she still been with Declan this wouldn’t have even happened. she had to do something. “i know you can, my point is you don’t have to.” her words were soft with features to match as her eyes locked into declan’s hues. everyone always assumed vanessa was the strong one, but it was always declan. she always admired how he hid storms within himself.  declan was always her sound board, the person who calmed her down and kept her impulsiveness in check; now it was her turn to do the same for him. vanessa’s smile dropped for a moment, trying her best to gather her words together. ‘it hurt to see you,” she said so hush it almost sounded like a whisper. but in true vanessa fashion, she shook off that moment of weakness and returned back to her bright and warm smile.she quickly ran through her order with the bartender, a top shelf long island and two tequila shots. both doubles. once the shots were before them, she raised her, “old times.”

        “let’s just drop it, okay ? ”      it was obvious neither of them were going to change their minds on the topic, so perhaps it was best to put it on the back burner for later. they were both stubborn people who would do anything to protect the ones they love, even it if meant sacrificing themselves. besides, it was hard to stay focused on such a serious topic when his mind already felt hazy from the liquor. before declan had time to comment on her honesty, her focus was already on the alcohol.      “ old times, ”      he repeated, raising the glass in the air before downing its contents.      “ i missed this . . . us, ”      he confessed, wondering if she even felt remotely the same.      “ you know your drawers are still empty . . . ”      there was a time when vanessa practically lived in his penthouse, so he made sure to dedicate half of his dresser to her. to this day, the drawers remain vacant, and though he blames it on not having anything to put in them, a part of him knows there’s a deeper meaning.

[declancoynes]

v--anessa​:

“yeah, actually. that’s the plan,” she replied annoyed. “i can protect you. or fi or both of you!” she would never tell declan how she’d help. he didn’t know nor did vanessa want him to know that part of her life. she liked him having somewhat a positive image of her in his head despite their breakup.she wasn’t about to even give him the satisfaction of flattery of admitting she did want to see him. vanessa could have easily texted or called. of course she came here just for him, bars were never vanessa’s thing, but seeing all those girls flocking to declan hit a nerve vannessa had thought she’d edge out weeks ago.  half of her was ready to leave once she finally got her answers, but the half of her (the stronger half) was telling her to sit down, have a drink, stay. everything in her was pulling towards the danger that was declan coyne. “so what if i did?” she asked, a small smirk forming as she still stood before him. “you came to the studio ‘just to see me’, remember?”

        “ vanessa, there’s people who want my family and i dead right now — very powerful people. if you got involved in this mess, it’d only make things worse. ”      perhaps he was being too honest, but a part of him truly did want to share what was going on in his life with her.      “ i can handle this myself, so try not to dwell on it too much, ”      he lied in a similar fashion than he did with his sister. he promised fiona he would fix everything and ensure her safety, but how the hell was he going to do that ?  he couldn’t just throw money at the problem like he did with everything else. declan was far from an idiot though, and he hoped that in due time, he could devise a plan that would keep both him and fiona from harm’s way.      “ then i’d wonder what’s gotten into you since i’m almost positive you’ve done everything in your power to avoid me up until now. ”      but judging by the smile on his face, it was obvious that her words brought him just a bit of pleasure.      “ let me get you a drink . . . if you’re up for it. anything you want. they make a mean long island iced tea here, or if you’re feeling a little adventurous, we could start with shots. ”

[declancoynes]

v--anessa​:

“i am well aware,” vanessa replied rolling her eyes. there was something off about declan. something that just didn’t sit well. he didn’t seem as poised and perfect. he had a drink, pretty girls surrounding him, what did he have to be upset about?  “because I….” she paused mid-sentence. her brain immediately stopping her tongue from going any further. “you should have told me. i can… i can help, declan.” vanessa looked down at his glass, a small sigh leaving her lips as she looked back to her ex. it felt all hauntingly familiar to drinking with fiona the other day. “how many of those have your fangirls been feeding you?”

        “ and how exactly would you help ?  gonna go out and catch the people who broke into my place yourself ? ”      if it really was the hollingsworths who planned the break-ins, then there was no possible way an outsider to the situation could have helped. the problems ran far deeper than that, and it was something that declan would rather not drag vanessa into.      “ i’ve only had a few. i’m fine, ”      he insisted, but even declan wasn’t convinced by his own words.      “ anyways, what about you ?  if i didn’t know any better, i’d think you came here just to see me. ”

[declancoynes]

v--anessa​:

She didn’t care for any of the people that were crowding @declancoynes​. Vanessa pushed her way through, glaring at the girls, “He’s has a girlfriend. A girlfriend with a very sharp knife.” As soon as they hurried away, Vanessa’s attention was throw back to Declan. Her blood was still hot from Fiona telling her all that happened and didn’t know how to process any of this. 

“So when were you gonna tell me someone broke into your house?” 

        it was unbecoming of declan not to enjoy the attention he received when girls fawned over him, or so would one think. his superiority was just a complex though now — an act to make it seem like he was the same old declan he’d always been, the one who felt like he was on top of the world. the liquor definitely made it easier to play the role, which is why he was already a few whiskey sours deep into the night when vanessa made her way over to him. in mere seconds, the small crowd around them dispersed, leaving only the two of them left.      “ i don’t recall having a girlfriend, ”      he replied casually, taking a sip from the contents in his glass. though, at the mention of the break ins, his demeanor changed ever so slightly.      “ i didn’t think it was something you needed to know. i was just going to take care of it on my own. ”