Jodie Graves

the oldest memories stick around the longest.

[jodiexgraves]

kitaylcr​:

×

“Impossible,” Kit swallowed thickly. “I’m at the prime of my life.” his lips twitched into a hint of a smile. Even at his lowest, he still had some of his characteristic humour left in him. It had been how he managed all these years to cope with all the shit happening in his life, just crack a joke and smile. “Could you uh- grab me some water, please?” he croaked, swallowing again with a gentle frown, unsure of how long he had been out that time. His body still screeched like metal grinding and his bones ached like shattered glass, and so he lay there hopelessly. 

For a moment, he blinked at Jodie’s question, refusing to make eye contact. Because truthfully, Kit was embarrassed. It wasn’t as if he put up his best fight and came out look worse for wear, he had ultimately given up and fell to the floor like a sack of potatoes. Although he knew soon enough word would get out, and he’d rather Jodie know the truth than hear a twisted story from someone else. “I was walkin’ home from The Dive when I got jumped by a bunch of guys.” it was reassuring at least that Kit hadn’t been targeted by the Rogues. “Said somethin’ about one of their kids overdosin’ on some drugs we sold ‘em and just started beatin’ the shit outta me. Woulda’ be left for dead had Andy not been there.”  

♥

The hint of a smile on his lips was enough to bring a smile to hers. “Well at least your ego survived,” she teased him a little bit, standing up to walk around the hospital bed to the tray set up with the water. He always seemed like the kind of person to hide behind jokes and flirtations and it was obvious right now. A blind man could see he hadn’t been good in a while. She just didn’t think berating him over it, especially right now, was really the best decision. She poured the water, grabbing a straw and putting it in the cup. “Here,” she said as she sat back down and held the cup out to him, making sure the straw was at his lips. 

“Kit,” she said softly when he started explaining what happened to him, eyebrows coming together as she took in a breath. She wasn’t always thrilled with what he or her brother did in the club but there was an acceptance there that she developed a long time ago, knowing a thick skin was needed when it came to the club and caring about people in it. “Thank god he was,” she commented softly, her hand coming to his to gently lay over it. She looked him over before look back up at his face, lips pressing together for a second before deciding to talk, “It may not be my place, Kit, but what’s been going on? You looked almost sick when I saw you last and I know something happened with Sawyer. Now this...” She looked down, clearing her throat a little, “I’m worried about you.”

[jodiexgraves]

sawyergraves·:

Sawyer pinched his eyes shut as anger ticked at the back of his jaw. To hear that Travis had known the state Jodie was in whenever he’d laid his hands on her only served to make the biker’s blood boil— much like it had five years ago. Only this time, he knew there was little point in letting that anger fuel his actions. He’d already crippled Travis for life; killing him now would be a kindness he didn’t deserve. And so Sawyer forced his eyes open and breathed a soft curse as he glanced over at his sister, “I’m so sorry, Jo.” Exhaling a shaky sigh, he ran his hands through his hair to keep from fidgeting as he tried to process what she was telling him. “I can’t imagine what that must’ve been like for ya,” he confessed quietly, head shaking. “Anyone else know?” He asked, if only because he hoped she’d had someone to lean on in his absence. Sawyer could hardly stand the thought of Jodie having to navigate her way through that alone.

Feeling her sink into the space beside him, Sawyer sighed softly at her words and nodded, “I know,” he assured her, knowing that neither time nor circumstance could break the bond between them. They’d been through too much for too long. “I shouldn’t smother ya though,“ he supplied, finally turning to face her. A soft smile threatened at the corner of his mouth, “You’re all grown up— sometimes I lose sight of that and instinct kicks in, y'know? I still feel like I gotta chase all your demons away ‘cause that’s what I’m s'posed to do.” He’d been doing it all the way back in Rockwood, where their demons had always hit far too close to home. It was a tough habit to break. “But if the last five years have shown me anythin’, it’s that ya do a damn good job at scarin’ 'em away yourself.” His smile faded shortly after he fell quiet though because he didn’t like reliving that night. Even though he’d never regret what he’d done to Travis, there was so much about that night he wished he’d done differently. “Didn’t lose myself,” he protested, his voice little more than a flat mumble, “Just lost my shit.” He said, like there was some sort of difference between the two. But the more time that passed, the more blurred that line became, and Sawyer knew that even if he didn’t want to admit it. “I coulda handled it differently, but that needed to happen.” Knocking his head in a firm shake, he glanced over at Jodie, leveling his gaze with hers, “After what he did, he wasn’t walkin’ away.”

♥

hesitated for a moment, not wanting to downplaying what happened or the situation. “It’s okay,” she said softly, just wanting to make sure he know that she was okay, “It was the right choice.” It was and she knew that. She knew one day, when it right, she’d have a family. “Remi,” she answered honestly, “She went with me to the appointment and I told Laura after a little while. Pretty sure she already knew somehow because, you know, it’s Laura.” There was a small smile on her lips because their aunt always had a way of just know how they felt or what they were thinking about. “Kit was around a lot too,” she offered, “He didn’t know about the baby but he helped things feel - I don’t know, more normal, I guess.” She wasn’t sure how much Sawyer knew, if he knew who was there and who wasn’t. The club kept an eye on her, of course, but it was Kit who was actually present most of the time. 

It wasn’t surprising that there were times that Sawyer saw her as his baby sister and couldn’t not protect her, just like there were times she only wanted to go to him. “Yeah,” Jodie cleared her throat, “I even do a pretty good job scaring yours away too, even if I had to wait five years to do it.” Her words made it obvious that she was part of his early release, despite him wanting her to stay far away from it all. She listen to him talk about his state of mind that night and just looked at him, at her brother. Who she saw in front of her right now was not who she saw slamming her ex’s head into pavement. “Just to be clear, I don’t feel bad for Travis,” she started with that, “but I’ve seen you lose your shit before, Sawyer... that was ... more than that.” It wasn’t like she could tell him it was wrong to want to hurt the person who hurt someone he loved. And maybe it wasn’t even all about Travis. Maybe a part of him saw James that day, and it was also James he was trying to put in the ground. “Just promise me that it won’t happen again,” she breathed out, “At least in public. Promise me that you’ll be smarter than that.”

[jodiexgraves]

kitaylcr​:

CLOSED STARTER ;

@jodiexgraves​

In the first 24 hours of Kit’s hospital admittance, he had seen such a whirlwind of faces that he wasn’t sure if half of them had been real or figments of his imagination. For the briefest of seconds he had been awake, he knew at least that Sawyer had been sitting beside his bed, although the only other times he had woken up was when a nurse or doctor had snuck inside to check his stats. This time though the beeping of the machines had lulled Kit awake like waves lapping up onto the shore, and for the first time since his arrival, he could actually feel the sunlight stark upon his eyelids.

He blinked awake, confusion slapping him each time he stared blankly around the room as he pieced together where he was and why. Each time the crushing reminder that he could’ve been left for dead in that alleyway thanks to his addiction, if Andy hadn’t been there. “Do I look as bad as I feel? ‘Cause I feel like a hot sack of shit.” Kit wondered as he dared to move his face an inch to the right, a weak smile twitching the corners of his mouth.

♥

Of course her brother would still be Kit’s emergency contact so of course she knew not long after Sawyer did. Kit was pretty much a honorary member of the Graves family after all these years. So Jodie didn’t even hesitate to come to the hospital when she found out he got hurt, which was a huge understatement she would come to realize when they let her in to visit him. They told he was in and out of it so she sat down in a chair and tried to make herself comfortable. After a couple minutes, however, her foot was already bouncing. She wasn’t the most at ease in hospitals, even decades later. The second he blinked, she sat up and looked over him. Kit’s words caused a quick exhale from her nose. “I’m going to be honest,” she attempted a smile, knowing her eyes always gave away when she was worried, “You’ve looked better.”

She scooted the chair closer to his hospital bed, not sure how long he’d be awake but wanting to offer him any kind of comfort she could. “But I think your face will heal so...,” she cleared her throat softly, “You’ll still have that going for you at least.” It would be a lie to say she hadn’t been worrying about him since the last time she saw him, when he couldn’t even open his own door. “What happened, Kit?” she asked him, her voice getting softer as her hand reached out to lightly rest on his.

[jodiexgraves]

sawyergraves​:

–

Just the sound of his father’s name had Sawyer’s jaw clenching and his grip around his beer bottle tightening. Some scars just ran too deep. But he didn’t linger on the man— even the briefest flicker of anger that Sawyer had shown was more than James Graves was worth, wherever he was. Instead, he set his focus on Jodie and frowned as the tension in the space between them seemed to thicken in the silence. For a moment, Sawyer wondered if it was possible to choke on it. But then Jodie’s confession knocked into him like a physical shove, and he sank back against the couch, eyes wide and staring straight ahead. Pregnant? Sawyer shook his head, unsure he’d even heard her correctly. “Jesus Christ,” he whispered, carding a hand through his hair. Hundreds of questions rattled off inside his head and raced to the tip of his tongue, demanding to be asked. But Sawyer jammed his tongue up against the backs of his teeth, slowing the onslaught of questions for half a heartbeat. His sister had been pregnant and he’d never even known. “Did he know?” Sawyer managed, though that hardly mattered now. Clearing his throat, he glanced over at Jodie and frowned gently, “What…happened?”

Blowing out a long sigh as she continued, Sawyer knocked his head in a loose shake. Putting himself first? He didn’t know what that looked like, but he’d never needed to. Knowing that the people around him were safe and sound had always been enough for him. Eyeing her, Sawyer pursed his lips, “I know, I know,” he insisted, his voice little more than a smoky whisper. But did he? Because inwardly, he knew he still looked at her like his kid sister sometimes, like someone he needed to stand and defend. But the truth was that she was grown now and could stand on her own two feet without leaning on him. So how did he reconcile with that when he’d spent his entire life being her protector? “I dunno how to do that, Jo. Y’know? It’s always been me and you,” he admitted, swallowing hard. “Everythin’ I’ve ever done has been about keepin’ ya safe…and I guess part of me has a hard time lettin’ that go.” Because he hadn’t been able to do the same for Dalton— he wanted to say, but stopped himself before the confession could leave his lips.

♥

She studied his immediate reaction to the news. It was almost insane to think that she didn’t tell him the second she had the positive result. To this day, she couldn’t say why she never did. Even before what happened that night, she only told one person. And after that night, she only told two other people. At his question, she could only manage a small nod. It would probably only infuriate her brother to know that Travis knew she was pregnant when he he hit her again but it wasn’t like he could jump him in the street again. His next question caused her to take in a deep breath. Jodie offered him a shrug in an attempt to be casual about it but the couple tears forming in her eyes, “I got an abortion.” It was one of the hardest decision she had ever made in her life and she knew that he’d understand that immediately. Jodie always wanted kids but between who the father was, the assault and Sawyer’s sentencing... “It wasn’t the right time,” she said quietly.

Jodie looked down as Sawyer spoke. After losing their brother, it was like the pair had made an unspoken promise to each other that it would always be them first. Even when they came to Olympus and Michael and Laura had seemed so nice, they still tried to run. It was hard to rely on anyone else. “Sawyer,” she moved back to sit next to him, putting her hand on his arm, “It’s always going to be us. We’re always going to have each other and I’m always going to need you. You’re always going to be my big brother.” She gave a short breath as the weight of the conversation finally started to dawn on her. “Losing you for those five years, it hurt. Seeing you in there, seeing you after fights in there...,” she looked away from him and nibbled on her lower lip a little, “But it hurt more watching you lose yourself that night.”

[jodiexgraves]

sawyergraves​:

–

Another small smile warmed his features as he darted another look around Jodie’s apartment, finding it all too easy to imagine the two women figuring out where to hang certain decorations or what color schemes worked well together— all over a few glasses of wine, if he had to guess. Glancing back at his sister as she continued, Sawyer huffed a quiet laugh and nodded, “Yeah, me too. She makes me happy, Jo— happier than I’ve been in a long time.” Lifting a brow as Jodie tried to convince him she wasn’t taking up the title of the cat lady any time soon, Sawyer snorted, not entirely swayed by her argument, “Right now— famous last words.” He would have gladly carried on with their lighthearted banter, if for no other reason than because it felt more normal, more like them. But the elephant in the room wasn’t taking a backseat as easily as Sawyer hoped it might.

Carding a hand through his hair, the biker blew out a heavy breath and shook his head, unwilling and unable to lay any of the blame at his sister’s feet— no matter how badly she wanted him to. “Ya had no idea what he would do,” Sawyer protested, lifting his eyes from the bottle in his hands to meet his sister’s gaze, “Ain’t your fault he never changed.” Sawyer had never believed in second chances. More often than not, he wrote someone off the moment they wronged him, instantly shutting down the opportunity for them to burn him a second time. But Jodie hadn’t done that with Travis. And maybe that was part of why she was a better person than he was. She had a need to see the good in other people, and Sawyer understood that— he just didn’t share it. Jaw clenched, he shook his head again, more firmly this time, “No, I paid for mine. No one made me go after him like that. That’s all me,” he pressed, glancing down at his hands and the collection of scars lining his knuckles, “But I wouldn’t change it.” In the last five years, he’d lost far more than his freedom because of a single choice he’d made in the heat of the moment. But the alternative had meant running the risk of losing her, and that was something Sawyer simply couldn’t do. “Because I am always gonna protect you, Jo. Ya know that, right?”

♥

"Yes I did, Sawyer, okay? I grew up with James too,” she chewed on her lower lip a little. There were times she thought she could kill someone and Sawyer would the first to explain it away. She set her beer down, bringing her hands together and leaning her forehead down on her knuckles. “I was pregnant,” she let the confession out with a breath, her voice more quiet than she meant for it to be, “And no, no I’d never raise a kid in that kind of environment. I just thought he should know because if he wanted to be involved then he’d need to work on his shit, get help and all that.” It sounded really stupid now, to think that Travis would care enough to want to change. Jodie stood from the couch and let out a sigh, watching as Bear hopped up on the seat as if she had been warming it just for him.

“I know but that’s part of the problem, Sawyer,” her voice was calm, gently even, “You shouldn’t fuck up your own life protecting me. Especially now that we’re both in our thirties, you know. You need to put yourself first sometimes.” She looked at him, chewing on the inside of her mouth a little. “I’m not that scared little girl on the stairs anymore,” she looked down. It wasn’t like it was unusual for two siblings who grew up the way they did, always depending on each other, to carry that into their adult lives. Sawyer had always been the person she ran to when something was wrong. Always. “I just don’t want you to sacrifice things in your life because of me,” she shook her head a little, “I don’t want to see that kind of anger again, you know.”

[jodiexgraves]

remicastillo​:

☀

“I just get to deal with the high kids instead.” Remi sighed gently with a roll of her eyes. Unfortunately in a small town like Olympus, the teenagers there often felt like they had nothing else to do other than get high - much to Remi’s annoyance. “We have, finally.” she laughed airily, still unable to wipe the stupid grin from her lips. Her smile seemed to have looked that way ever since Sawyer had been released from prison, making Remi realise just how much she had missed having him around. “I know he is but,” the words teetered on the edge of her lips. Don’t make me say it. “He was careful before, until-…” her eyes suddenly cast downwards to her glass of wine. Until he snapped. “How are we supposed to know that won’t happen again?” Remi wouldn’t dare voice her concerns to Sawyer, but she knew, or at least hoped Jodie would understand why she felt the way she did. It was a terrifying and sobering thought, and one that Remi tirelessly fought away. “I know that things between you and Sawyer are… Difficult at the moment. But he cares about you Jo, so much.” Remi wasn’t stupid, she could see how the shift in their relationship had been effecting the two of them. “You both just need a little time to readjust, and I promise you, things will heal.” she leaned forwards, squeezing her friend’s hand gently. 

♥

Jodie couldn’t help but look down because she knew exactly what Remi was thinking about. Sawyer was always careful until the night he wasn’t, when he damn near killed someone in the middle of the street. “We can’t,” she licked her lips and let out a deep sigh, “but we have to have a little faith in him too.” She had hoped that her brother was at least trying to work on his anger, his impulse control. As much as she should’ve known better with Travis, he should’ve known better than to do something so reckless and public. “I know he does, I know,” she nodded slowly, “I think we need to talk about it all but it means facing things that neither of us want to face. He still doesn’t know about, you know, the pregnancy.” Remi was the only one who knew, the only one Jodie had told. She didn’t even tell Laura, not with all the court shit that had been going on with Sawyer. “I testified, you know,” she cleared her throat, “when he was coming up for parole, I testified for him. You know, he wasn’t around to stop me from getting involved.” There was a small smile on her lips because they both knew that Sawyer took the plea deal to avoid anyone getting swept up in his situation.

[jodiexgraves]

sawyergraves​:

–

As they walked, Sawyer found himself unable to shake the nagging feeling burrowing deep in his gut. He didn’t know whether to call it nerves or discomfort, but neither had ever held a place in his relationship with his sister before— and the silence lingering between them had never been so deafening. Sawyer didn’t know how to remedy that, but he hoped that this would at least be some sort of a start. Following her inside, the biker darted a look around, a soft smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Jodie had done well for herself and it showed in the simple, yet warm elegance of her apartment. “This is nice,” Sawyer commented as he glanced back at her, “Very you.” Chuckling softly as a ball of gray fur came into view and padded over to check out the newcomer, Sawyer leaned over and let the cat sniff his hand for a moment, “Hey lil guy,” he greeted, reaching the scratch the cat under his chin. Lifting a brow, he peered up at Jodie and grinned wide, “Goin’ for crazy cat lady vibes or somethin’?”

Straightening, Sawyer nodded and slowly sank down onto the couch, hands instantly clasping together in his lap to keep from fidgeting. He swallowed hard, keeping his gaze trained on the collection of rings adorning his fingers because he knew if he looked at Jodie, he’d start to ramble on about nothing— and that wasn’t why she’d brought him here. Blinking up as her apology smacked into him like a freight train, Sawyer quickly shook his head, dismissing it before it even had a chance to fully land, “Ya got nothin’ to be sorry for.” He was the one who’d acted on impulse and driven the wedge between them. He couldn’t stand the thought of her taking a shred of responsibility for any of it. “How is any of this your fault, Jo?” He asked, turning and braving a look in her direction. Easing out a long sigh, Sawyer looked away again, a soft frown furrowing his brow, “I miss you too. I keep…tryin’ to think of ways to make this right and I don’t know how. But I don’t blame ya for any of it. This is on me, Jo. Always has been.”

♥ 

“Thanks, um, Remi helped me decorate actually,” she flashed him a little smile, knowing her brother was going to get that stupid grin on his face again at the mention of his girlfriend, “She told me about you two, I’m glad you guys finally worked it all out. Only took forever and a day.” It was always painfully obvious to the blonde that her brother carried a massive torch for Remi and that the feeling was mutual. “I think I’d need a few more to quality,” she picked up Bear and started to scratch the top of his head, “he’s my one and only right now.” Once the conversation started to go to much more serious topics, Jodie found herself looking down at the bottle in her hand. Of course, he’d dismiss her apology and try to carry the blame himself. He always put the weight of everything on his shoulders, even if it hurt him. But he was wrong, it wasn’t all on him. There were things Jodie couldn’t – wouldn’t – wasn’t ready to say to him and the longer it went on, the harder it became to talk to him about what happened and what she saw in him that night. That her own guilt tore apart for a better part of those five years he was gone and that she made things right for him the first chance she could when he wasn’t around to stop her from doing it.

“Maybe you should’ve,” she said in a soft tone before clearing her throat and looking up with a shake of her head, “Because I knew better. We both know that I did. If I didn’t let him back into my life then none of it would’ve happened. You wouldn’t have lost those five years.” She let out a slow breath because those thoughts had lived in her head for long and saying them to him felt like an almost painful relief. When it came to why she let Travis back in, it just didn’t feel like a good enough justification after everything. Jodie ran a hand through her hair and cleared her throat a little, almost like she was preparing herself. “And this, between us, it’s because I couldn’t talk to you,” she gestured between them as she finally looked at him, “You paid for my choices, Sawyer. And seeing you in there, I just couldn’t bring myself to –“She sighed and looked away again. Of course, he was responsible for how he reacted and for his own actions. That rage she saw in him might shook her, maybe even scared her. But none of it would’ve happened if she made the right choice when it mattered.

[jodiexgraves]

kitaylcr​:

×

Dutifully, Kit allowed Jodie to take the key from his hand as he stepped aside with a sigh of defeat. Nothing in his life seemed to be going to plan at the moment and he didn’t even know how he was managing to keep his head above the water. Surely by now Otto had noticed something strange with his dealer supervisor, and yet he hadn’t interjected yet. Either the man was too busy, or he simply didn’t care. Kit wouldn’t be surprised if it was the latter. “Oh my god.” the tension released in his neck as he dropped his head low with a sigh. “’Cause I was startin’ to worry that I’d have to break down the door myself.” Kit admitted with a smile, a hand moving to his hip as the other wiped his brow. Just one look at the man and you would no he was in no shape to break down a door.

“Y’know what? You’re on.” Kit stepped inside his apartment, stepping around the door so he could shut it after Jodie. He quickly scurried past her, scooping up rubbish and empty beer bottles to put them in the bin as he turned to look at her with an apologetic smile. “Sorry - I uh, wasn’t expectin’ guests.” Kit fluffed up the couch cushions and hid away his weed stash in the closest cupboard. “You wanna watch a movie? I’m feelin’ some kinda rom-com, somethin’ like Crazy Stupid Love or… Pretty Woman!” he clicked his fingers triumphantly. “Although whatever happens within these walls, stays within these walls.” Kit suddenly turned serious, although a hint of a smile teased the corners of his mouth. “’Cause that shit will for sure ruin my street cred.”

♥ 

“Yeah,” she looked him up and down, “Okay, Superman. The door is spared this time.” She joked but it was pretty obvious that Kit was not at his best right now. "Great, I’ll go ahead and order,” she said, pulling her phone out of her pocket as she walked into his apartment behind him, “What toppings are we feeling?” She looked up to find him picking up some trash and looked around. Did Sawyer still live here? Because her brother tended to keep things tidy. “Hey, it’s just me,” she commented as she walked into his kitchen to hopefully find some beers in his fridge for them, “Don’t got to worry about impressing anyone, you know.” She looked up at him with a grin at his suggestion for the movie, offering one of the bottles. “I forgot what a secret romantic you were,” she looked at her phone again to finish ordering the pizza, “Let’s do Crazy Stupid Love this time.”

She took hold of her beer and started to move out into the living room to sit down on the couch. Honestly, judging by how Kit and his place looked, she felt a little worried already about him. “I can keep a secret,” she shot him another grin as she made herself comfortable on the couch. “So, um,” she didn’t want to pry but she at least wanted to ask, “How have things been, Kit? I haven’t seen you much.” It was a little better then just asking if he was okay because she was pretty sure Sawyer no longer lived here, which could mean he either moved in with Remi already or the boys had a fight. Kit also looked a little strung out, which worried her for obvious reasons.

[jodiexgraves]

sawyergraves​:

–

“That’s good,” he answered lamely as he dipped his head in a brief nod, “I’m glad.” Sawyer hated every moment of this. How awkward the conversation felt when they used to be able to trade their thoughts back and forth without even thinking about it, how he could barely meet her eyes for more than a heartbeat at a time before looking away. It was so wholly unlike them that Sawyer actually wanted nothing more than to disappear into thin air just to save himself from the way the discomfort of it all made his skin crawl. But instead, he opted for a soft smile, one that somehow managed to reach his eyes because he was glad these visits were working for her, that they were giving her the comfort she needed. He’d rather her lean on the words of a stranger than the bottle, or a handful of pills. That seemed to be the Graves way of dealing with things, but Jodie had managed to break that cycle and Sawyer wanted nothing more than for it to continue, no matter what that looked like. Smiling sheepishly, Sawyer glanced back at the office and sighed, “Ah, this ain’t really my thing, Jo,” he admitted, chuckling softly. But he figured she already knew that. Whenever it came to the tangled up mess of thoughts inside his head, Sawyer had never been one to smoothen them out by talking— especially to a stranger.

Lifting a brow as she addressed him again, Sawyer perked up slightly, unable to hide the way his expression suddenly grew hopeful. Blinking at her, he swallowed hard, surprised by her request. What did she want to talk about? Clearing his throat as she continued on, Sawyer didn’t miss the way she’d casually slid Remi’s name into the conversation, which led him to think the two of them had been talking. Unable to hide his smile at the thought, he nodded, “Uhh, yeah. Sure. Rest of my afternoon is free.” And even if it hadn’t been, he’d make it so just to talk to Jodie and try to get back to some semblance of normal. Glancing up the street, Sawyer stilled in place, a gentle frown furrowing his brow. How had he been out for months but had never stepped foot in his own sister’s home? Inwardly, he knew why— he just hated admitting it to himself over and over. Nodding, he gestured in the direction of her home and forced a small smile, “Lead the way.”

♥

"I know,” she gave a small nod, knowing full well that her brother probably just sat there and stared at the counselor for the entire hour. His little smile at the mention of Remi did not go unnoticed. They were going to be one of those couples it seemed, the ones that god all mushy the second the the other person was mentioned. Honestly, that was good. Her brother was always a bit of a slut so the fact him and Remi finally got their shit together was great news. It occurred to her as they got to her door that Sawyer’s never been over before. Honestly, the fact that she even let things get to a point where her own brother had never been to her apartment made her guilt that much worse.

“So, um,” she opened the door to let them in. It was a loft style apartment, with stairs leading up to her her bedroom area. She ran a hand through her hair as she looked around and then back at him, “This is my place.” Things were obviously awkward but they’d need to just push through that if they ever wanted to be them again. There was the sound of soft thumps down the stairs before her grey cat came into view. He only rubbed against her legs for a second before darting over to sawyer and immediately rubbing around and between his legs. “That would be Bear,” she chuckled a little before walking into the kitchen to grab them both a beer. “Wanna sit?” she asked, nodding her head in the direction of the couch before going to sit down herself. Jodie wasn’t sure how to start this conversation. How do you just open up to a conversation about five years of thoughts and feelings and experiences. “I’m sorry, Sawyer,” she let out a small breath, the two words carrying more weight than she had meant, “For how things have been between us. You know, I know it’s my fault they’ve been like this.” She looked to her brother, knowing her voice was quiet, “I miss you.”

[jodiexgraves]

sawyergraves·:

He didn’t see any of it. Not the crowd lining the streets, not the cop car sitting two blocks away. Hell, he hardly saw Jodie as she teetered into view at the edge of his periphery. In the heat of the moment, Sawyer only saw the reality of the situation in front of him and it was staggering. The way he saw it, he had two options. Logic told him that he could pull Travis aside, lure him away from the crowd and do this without attracting any attention. But that part of him was quelled, neatly tucked away in the back of his mind, giving Sawyer’s rage plenty of room to fester before it finally boiled over. Hands balled into tight fists and jaw clenched, the biker started forward, eyes trained on the back of Travis’s head. His gait hardly stuttered even as he met his sister’s gaze for the briefest of moments and heard her plea for him to wait. No. How could he? In Sawyer’s mind, he’d already waited long enough to deal with Travis— too long, really, and he wasn’t about to let this go unanswered for a moment longer. The biker watched as Travis, as if following Jodie’s gaze, dropped his arm from around the other woman’s shoulders and slowly turned around.

But Sawyer already had a headstart on him.

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♥

It happened fast. It happened so fucking fast. Travis looked at her and then turned to look at what she was looking at behind him. He should’ve guessed, if she was being honest. The first time he hit her, Sawyer threatened to kill him. There shouldn’t have been a second time but of course when Jodie read that stupid stick, she thought it was only right for Travis to know and that led to her letting him back into her life. When her brother lunged at her ex, sending both men into the pavement, Jodie took a step back. The girl who Travis had his arm around pretty much screamed but all Jodie could do was stare in shock. “Sawyer,” she finally called out with a step forward, almost trying to plead with him but she knew he wasn’t going to hear her right now. That’s when she felt a hand on her arm and was quick to elbow away the prospect who must have assumed she was going to try and physically stop her brother. “Do I look like a fucking idiot?” she snapped at him. There was an entire crowd now and people on their phones - some filming it and some probably calling the cops.

When she heard the words Sawyer spoke to Travis, she finally felt the tears that had started to fall from her eyes. Every hit got worse and worse and the shock on her face turned into horror. Not once in her entire life had she thought she’d ever see Sawyer look the way he did right now. He didn’t even look like her brother, he looked like - he looked like their father. There was nothing in him but pure rage. “Sawyer,” she called out again, her voice now panicked, “They’re calling the cops.” Now she stepped forward again, knowing she couldn’t interfere but also willing to take a hit if it meant he got out of here before the cops got here. That’s when she watched him slam Travis’s head into the pavement and despite all the people crowded around, the crack was the loudest thing in the world to her. Jodie would’ve froze but the second she heard the sirens, she ran to her brother. Unable to even look at her ex bloodied on the ground, unsure if he was even still alive, she grabbed Sawyer’s arms. “You have to go,” she told him but the cops were already pushing through the crowd. “No!” she called out as one of them pulled her away from him. “No,” she breathed out, trying to to get back to her brother as the cop pulled her away, “Sawyer!” She could tell the cops were ready to handle this with any force necessarily and so when she finally was able to meet her brother’s gaze again, her tear filled eyes pleaded with him not to fight back.

[jodiexgraves]

kitaylcr​:

CLOSED STARTER ;

WHERE: Outside Kit’s apartment WITH: @jodiexgraves​

Living on his own again had left Kit realising just how much he had been depending on other people keeping him grounded and occupied. Now that Sawyer was gone thanks to his tantrum, Kit had found himself inviting over people he hardly even knew just so he didn’t have to spend another moment alone with his thoughts. His bed was often kept warm every night, and even when it wasn’t, he was too high to even realise. 

His days had become somewhat disorganised now though, and Kit was finding more and more often that he had very little interest or motivation in doing anything until he’d had his fix. He had fallen into quicksand, and everywhere he looked there was no one in sight. That was until now though, when he had been helplessly trying to shove what was clearly the wrong key into his door. “Come on, you fuckin’ piece of shit.” Kit groaned as he rested his forehead against the cool metal door. He heard footsteps trudging up the staircase leading to his apartment, and he didn’t turn to look at them until they’d reached him. “Uh-” he closed his eyes momentarily, swallowing hard. “If you’re lookin’ for your brother, he ain’t here. And when you find him, can you tell him I need his spare key ‘cause I can’t get this fucker to open.”

♥ 

After finally sitting down and talking about the things that been unspoken for five years between her brother and her, things were starting to feel a little bit more normal. It wasn’t all perfect but it was a start. After confessing what was probably the thing she felt the worst about keeping from him, there was a kind of weight lifted from her shoulders. She figured that today she’d surprise him, maybe order some pizza and have a beer like they use to do regularly. She was not expecting to see Kit leaning against his door when she came up the stairs. He looked a little rough than she was use to seeing him. “Oh,” she looked down at his hand and noticed that the key was upside down.

“Let me try?” she reached down and gently pulled the key from his hand, flipping some loose hair over her shoulder. Turning the key the right way and aligning it with the lock, she unlocked the door and turned the knob for him. Just in case. “I know, I’m a miracle worker,” she teased a little, recognizing that Kit was probably not sober right now. She looked down the hall and then back at him, “Well since Sawyer isn’t here - You want to maybe order a pizza and have a beer with me?” The blonde gave a small shrug. Her and Kit had hung out plenty of times during Sawyer’s absence. It was only because of the shift in her relationship with her brother that she stopped seeing Kit as much, considering they lived together. “It’s on me,” she offered with a small smile.

[jodiexgraves]

What are you most grateful for right now?

"My kids. Not like, my kids but the ones I teach. It's nice to see the way children see the world. It's a pretty big spirit lifter."

[jodiexgraves]

would your muse wear an outfit two days in a row if they were going two different places?

"Well that depends on if the outfit is appropriate for both and what my laundry status is. If things are clean, might as well go for the clean ones."

[jodiexgraves]

Does your brothers prison sentence bother you?

"The fact he went to prison at all bothers me. Yeah, I'm obviously bias about it and I can't say I feel all that bad for Travis. But I am grateful he got out early..."

@sawyergraves

[jodiexgraves]

Does your character care about how they’re perceived by others? How do they change themselves to fit in with other people?

"Well, there are one or two people's opinions I care about but other than that, not really. I am who I am, you know? I personally think trying to fit in is a waste of energy."

[jodiexgraves]

Do you think Michael would have been proud of the person you are today? Does that every effect how you make decisions?

"I do think he would be, yeah. When we first came to Olympus, he respected and understood that Sawyer wanted to keep me away from a lot of things. As I got older and and started really figuring out what I wanted out of life, he was always supportive. And yeah, sometimes I find myself thinking about the kind of advice he'd give me. I don't doubt he wouldn't be too happy with how some things are right now if I'm being honest."

[jodiexgraves]

Do you ever feel responsible for your brother's time in prison? If you could go back and do things differently, would you?

"Yeah, I've always felt responsible and have every single day since. Sure, you could say that Sawyer is responsible for his actions but if we're going to talk about personal accountability - well, I gave Travis another chance and another opportunity. I didn't think it was going to turn out the way it did, I don't think I could've ever anticipated seeing my brother do what he did that day. But I also should've known better, especially after what I've seen. So yeah, if I could go back and make it so Sawyer never had to go through what he did and lose those five years - I would."

@sawyergraves