i'm the bad guy

linds. professional shit disturber.

[roccoxstone]

He'd spent years bottling everything up. Now, Rocco wasn't sure he even knew where to begin with everything he was feeling. He'd been stumbling along, so wrapped up in the muddle of his current mental state that it had grown into a maze he couldn't see his way out of. Because when it came down to it, when he had needed the people he loved most, only Casey had been there, and there was only so much one woman could do. Had Lindsey and Savannah, or even one of the two, been there, maybe things would be different, but there was no way of knowing that for sure. "Thing is, Linds," he muttered. "it wasn't just you who left me behind. You and David, I get why you had to leave, but even Savannah left me for a bit. And yeah, she came back, I get that, but it's..." he shook his head. He wasn't really ready to dive in to the other big mess in his life that was his relationship. "So I'm not gonna hold it against anybody that they left. If that was what was best for you, then great. I'm just... I'm tired of not knowing what's best for me." He knew that he'd been in a state of not knowing the answers for far too long, but so far, they still seemed so far away that he couldn't even see them. He'd accepted that they weren't there. There were no answers. This was just the way things would be. "It just feels like it's gonna be this way forever, you know?"

[lindseystark]

Lindsey felt her grip tighten against Rocco's shoulder, likely pinching him in the process but being too wrapped up in her thoughts to notice. She had no idea that Ginger Spice had ditched him, too, and despite not being one to feel guilt that easily, the sudden hollow and caving sensation in her gut showed otherwise. "Wow," she let out a humorless laugh before shaking her head and pressing her lips into a line. It was so fucked up that she didn't have the words to properly express it. Frankie, Piper, David, her, and Savannah. They'd all left him. Her mom, despite trying her best, was a basket case to her own problems, and Caesar had about the same amount of emotional empathy as mayonnaise. There wasn't any reason for Rocco to see any sense of hope. Not when this had been his reality for the past while. Lindsey wasn't a crier, so the feeling of a prickly, itching in her eyes was weird. She chalked it up to shitty new mascara and blinked it away to focus on the guy in front of her, the one she wasn't sure she could ever properly repay for all the lost time. "Yeah," she sighed, her thumbs now rubbing tiny circles against his shoulders. She wasn't understanding it from his direct experience, but she got it in her own messed up way. "I'm clearly not an expert and have my own issues to deal with, but I wanna help. I know this'll be ironic coming from me of all people, but, um, have you thought about, like, therapy or something?"

[roccoxstone]

For too long, Rocco had held off burdening the few people who he still had around him with his thoughts, his feelings, and the ugly, constant hurt that grew and grew inside him. He had sobbed in Casey's arms once, years ago now, on this couch, but since then, he had held it in, trying to be something like how he used to be. Somehow, letting it out was even worse. If he had answered the door as a shadow of his former self, now he wasn't even that. A speck of dust that used to be a person. Affection had always come easily between him and Lindsey, but now he practically flinched at the touch of her lips, uncomfortable in her attempt to comfort, unwilling to accept her pity. He shook his head again. "You don't got to be sorry, Linds," he meant it when he said that. Being left behind, the last remnant of what once was, was not a nice feeling, but she needed to do what she needed to do. The way he felt was not her fault. "No, no. It's - it's better like this. You needed to do it alone." He understood, and he hated that he did. Just once, he wanted to put himself first, like Lindsey and Caesar and even Savannah had. But that just wasn't him. "I'm sorry," he choked out, turning his face away from her to stare at a spot on the wall. "You don't need this."

[lindseystark]

Lindsey wasn't a bleeding heart by nature, at least not to the same extent the rest of her family seemed to be. It was different with Rocco, though. She'd known him for practically as long as she'd been on the earth, and that meant she knew him well enough to understand that things were really not okay. Her eyes were practically bugging out of her face as he attempted to brush everything off. "Oh, give me a fucking break, dude," she automatically replied. There wasn't any malice or real anger in her words, though. It was frustration that he was so forgiving of a situation where he should've been livid. "I don't need what, the truth? Rocco, look at me." She was too lazy to physically get off of him at this point, so she moved her hands to cup his face once more and gently force him to look her in the eye. "Maybe it was something I had to do alone, but that doesn't make it right. I left you behind when you needed me. That's shitty." She never really understood how deep the fractures ran with her mom and dad, but for the first time, she was getting a glimpse of something eerily similar. Unfortunately, she was the one who did the vanishing act and let a hurricane rip through the closest thing she had to her real family. "You had to deal with all this shit by yourself. We all lost so much in such a short amount of time, but you especially, and it's just...it's fucked up and selfish of me, dude, and I know you know it is." Her shoulders slumped a bit while registering her own words. Her tone that followed was a lot softer than it'd been since entering the apartment, but it still had the same intensity. "You shouldn't forgive me for any of it, even though I know you will. But I'm really, truly sorry. I know it's no consolation for all the time that was lost, but I'm here right now. I'm not really great at this whole comforting thing, but I love you. You're my best friend, so whatever you need, you tell me or I'll force it out of you."

[roccoxstone]

Rocco opened his mouth to protest, but Lindsey's next move shut him right back up again. It wasn't a surprise that she would express her concern in a more physical way than pretty much anybody else he'd ever known - he knew her better than that, and their friendship had always been on the tactile side. What was surprising, though, was how alien it felt to him. He had always been someone who was almost as physical as Lindsey herself, easily able to both give and receive affection, but now, he couldn't really remember the last time he had done that. Even with Savannah, things were still so awkward and borderline-formal that it was difficult to remember the last time she had sat in his lap, and eld his face in her hands, and really looked at him like Lindsey was doing. It felt unnatural, and that was another reminder of how much of himself Rocco had lost. Maybe that was why, coaxed into a sense of comfort by the feeling of her hand brushing through his hair, he finally let the tears he was holding in fall. But how could he explain it? He had been hurting for so long that he could not even tell anymore where the pain came from, only that it existed. "I don't know," he finally admitted, struggling to put it into words she would understand. "Do you remember that time I jumped off the swing, and hit the ground so hard my ears were ringing, and I was shouting at you that I'd gone deaf, and you were like 'no you haven't, you've broken your wrist'? It's a bit like that. I can't tell what's broken, because my ears are ringing too loud."

[lindseystark]

Lindsey's expression remained fairly neutral until she noticed tears suddenly tumbling down his cheeks. There was no hiding her concern once that happened, but rather than pounce on the impulse to get answers right off the bat, she actually listened to his explanation. The image of a littler version of them was in her mind now, his bone jutting against the skin in an unnatural way. Kind of similar to how that image would be burned into her brain for life, so would the one of him crying in front of her. She was finally witness to the crushing pain of knowing something was wrong but with no way to fix it. "Oh, Rocco," she sighed, not moving from her spot on his lap. She had no idea why the next move followed, but there was something about his uncharacteristic lack of reception to her touch that had her more frantic for some sort of reaction, one that showed her that her real Rocco was still in there. The hug that followed was one that might've been a bit suffocating if it weren't for the fact that Lindsey was just a bit larger than pocket sized. Her arms were around his neck and her mouth was pressing against his face, smothering any tear-stained inch of skin with a peck of her lips. "M'sorry, baby," she muttered before pulling back to look at him once more. To an outsider, Lindsey's moves likely seemed questionable. This was her best friend, though, and if that's what it took to bring him back to himself, then she'd do it. "I didn't think things would get like this. I would've brought you with me if I knew."

[roccoxstone]

If there was one thing Rocco had learned about himself in the last few years, it was that he didn't like putting his sadness on other people. On occasion, Casey was a rare exception when she managed to drag it out of him, but it was different with Lindsey. She was his best friend in the world, but they'd never really gone to emotional places with one another, and he didn't really want that to change now. However, it was getting harder and harder to hold back his tears with how gently she was treating him. If it wasn't weird enough to see her again, it was even weirder to see her like this. "No, no, it's fine," he managed to stutter out, in a voice that didn't really feel like his. "You didn't come all this way to listen to me complaining, right?" He gently detangled his arm from hers, but didn't really know what to do with it when he had it back, and settled for dropping it in his lap. "So. Tell me about the West Coast? You met any Kardashians yet?"

[lindseystark]

Watching Rocco back tracking after showing an ounce of emotion made a pit feeling grow in Lindsey's stomach. Things with him had always been on a goofy best friend level, and even when it came to the hard shit in life, they usually got through it with a gentle roasting or dirty joke. This was very different from anything else they'd dealt with before, though. The way he untangled himself was the last straw on her end, shooting him crazy eyes as he attempted to flip the subject around. "Oh my God, Rocco. I I didn't love you so much, I'd be choking you out right now," she uttered before she could even think to say something nicer, and even then, she likely wouldn't have. Her next move might've looked weird to an outsider, but Lindsey did not care. Her lack of shame came in handy for that. She swung a leg over so that she was now perched in his lap, her hands back to cup his face between them. "I'm not telling you shit until you tell me what's really going on here." Gentle wasn't really in Lindsey's repertoire, but some unique version of it was apparently reserved for him. One hand stayed put against his face while the other ran through his hair, watching the floppy brown mop move through her fingers until stopping at the back of his neck. "Come on, dude. You know that out of anyone else in the world, you can talk to me."

[roccoxstone]

There was a lump in Rocco's throat that grew bigger the longer Lindsey held him, and it was all he could do not to burst into tears then and there. As glad as he was to see her again, it was serving as a harsh reminder how different their lives were now, that all they had grown up with was gone and Rocco was the only one still in the same place they began. Things would never be as they were, and while he got it, and knew why she needed to leave, it didn't make it easier to be the one left. "Missed you too," he mumbled, managing the swallow the lump and keep his voice even. He wasn't sure why he felt so much like crying, but when she cupped his face and asked him what was wrong, he couldn't really hold it in anymore. He wasn't shedding tears, yet, but his face crumped, and it was obvious he was close to it. Rocco pressed his lips tightly together, afraid to speak, and shook his head, a bit manically. If he started talking about it, he wasn't sure he'd be able to stop.

[lindseystark]

Despite growing up among two of the most emotional people she was pretty sure ever lived, Lindsey considered herself to be a head over heart person. It was the one thing she'd seemingly gotten from her dad. That, and his tendency to run when things got a little too much to bare. Unfortunately, she was now getting to see first hand what happened when she did that. It wasn't all her fault, but she knew that she was partly to blame for the state Rocco currently happened to be in. "Rocco..." If her voice didn't show it, her brows did with the way they pinched together in concern, taking a quick glance over her shoulder before gently pushing him back inside and shutting the door behind them. She wordlessly grabbed around his wrist and pulled him behind her until they were both seated on Frankie's million year old couch. "Whether you want to or not, dude, I'm gonna need you to talk to me," she said while looping her arm through his. She may not have been a huge feeler, but she was definitely a toucher, and part of Lindsey felt like he'd blow away if she didn't keep a steady hand on him. "And, like, really talk. Tell me everything."

[roccoxstone]

Rocco didn't exactly get many visitors these days. Savannah sometimes, though things had never quite got back to the way they were between them. Casey on occasion, when he was particularly overwhelmed and left it too long before letting her know he was okay. Caesar still drifted in and out like a feral cat, but usually slept when Rocco was awake and was out when Rocco slept. He wasn't expecting any of them today, though, so the knock at the door was a surprise. A bigger surprise was who stood behind it. He hadn't seen Lindsey since she left New York, and he missed her, as much as he understood who she was and what she needed to do. He didn't say anything when she pulled him into a hug - he didn't really have much to say these days anyway. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her and, for the first time in years, he hugged his best friend.

[lindseystark]

Lindsey wasn't Einstein, but she also knew when things were fucked up. In all honesty, they had been for a while. Her leaving didn't help. She thought that proximity and distance would make the hard things less hard, and it did for a bit. It didn't fix them, though. From the way Rocco hugged her, she got the feeling that it only make the existing cracks grow deeper. She wasn't about to admit it, but with the way she hugged him back just as hard, maybe there was something broken inside of her, too. "Remember when I said I'd miss you the most? That hasn't changed," she muttered into his shirt, taking in the familiar scent of him before her eyes moved upwards. "Hey," she said once she finally looked at him and really looked at him. There was a tinge of concern when he accepted the hug but remained silent. Now it was a full on alarm siren echoing in her head. She didn't break away from the hug, just tilted her chin upwards to take in his expression. She wasn't sure what possessed her to do it, but she reached up to cup the side of his face and stroke his cheek. "What's wrong, buddy?"

[lindseystark]

There were many traits that Lindsey had managed to get from her dad. The willingness to drop everything when shit got hard and leave it behind was, unfortunately, one of those. It seemed that a lot what made Lindsey Lindsey was inherited from him. Still, she was also her own person, and as much as she wanted to leave her past as past, there was one goof that would make her break that belief every time. No amount of margarita's or hook up's or west coast beaches could fill the void that was left when she jetted out of New York. She knocked at Rocco's door and waited, rocking back and forth on her feet until he opened it. Although she was usually full of many words, she didn't have any to say as she immediately broke the space to hug him as tightly as she could. @roccoxstone

[lindseystark]

roccoxstone​:

“I’m not faking, Lindsey. I mean, sure, if I was being selfish I would want to keep you with me forever. But I know that wouldn’t be good for you. And if you can find a place where you’re happy, then I will be too. No faking needed.” Every word he spoke was earnest, and totally honest. As much as it hurt to have everybody conga line out of his life, Rocco understood. Maybe at this point, he was just too used to it, or maybe it hurt less each time, and this was just another nail in the coffin. Regardless, none of that mattered now. All he cared about was that when Lindsey got on that plane, she wasn’t carrying any of his baggage with her. 

“You don’t have to worry. I’ve gotten pretty okay at taking care of myself. I still haven’t figured out like, how to iron or work the vacuum cleaner or anything like that, but I don’t think you could do those things, either. The rest of it, though? I got it covered.” He was overcompensating a bit, rambling in order to soothe her worries, to allow her to fully leave the mess of their broken family behind. “You’re my best friend, too. And as you’re best friend, I’m letting you know now that it’s okay. Whatever you decide to do, I’ll support it.” The second she shuffled over and enveloped him in a hug, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her just as tight in return. “No, I’m really not,” he shook his head quickly. “If I really was that good, I wouldn’t already be thinking about calling Caesar the second you leave to rub it in.” Despite his jokes, Rocco felt tired. His eyes were heavy, his throat rapidly constricting around the lump that formed there, and his heart hurt. He knew that the second she was gone, he’d be in no state to call anybody. 

Lindsey gave him a half-assed grin. She wasn’t about to come right out and say that she’d been concerned about Rocco, but she had been. She was. Ever since his mom and then things going sour between him and Ginger Spice, she felt a little helpless in trying to be there for him. It was partly Lindsey’s selfishness in the matter but also partly not knowing even where to begin to help. It was so much, and the fact he was handling it all with a grin didn’t fully sit right with her. Still, she knew the Stone’s were all stubborn, so she wasn’t going to push him when he wasn’t ready. 

“Who the fuck uses an iron nowadays, anyways? I mean, besides my mom maybe, but she’s old. That’s what YouTube tutorials are for.” Lindsey knew that she had to think about getting out of there soon, but she couldn’t pull herself away from Rocco. Not just yet. “Please do. Not that Caesar would care that much, but I think it’s important for him to know anyways. I like to imagine that deep down, he’s actually jealous of our bond. Way, deep down, though, once you wad past all the other things that possess him.” She pulled back briefly, hands still gripping his shoulders as she sighed. “Okay, I know I literally just said that I kind of want to go MIA in the MEX, and that still stands, but...if things end up going berserk here, like emergency level where robot aliens take over the city or shit just gets bad and you don’t feel like there’s anyone you can talk to about it...call me, okay? I might take a bit to call back or respond or whatever, but I will. You’re my one and only exception to the no contact rule.”

[lindseystark]

roccoxstone​:

Rocco didn’t understand. That wasn’t anything new, but this time, it left him feeling uneasy. He had reacted the way he did precisely for the reasons Lindsey was listing right now. He got it, he really did, but the fact she was explaining it to him left him feeling odd. It was as though she expected something else of him. “Do… you want me to be upset about it? To ask you not to leave? Because I’m not going to do that Linds,” he spoke gently, moving into his living room to sit on the couch and gesturing for her to do the same. Miraculously, it was clear enough that they both could for the first time in a long while. 

“I get it.” He assured her, reaching out to grab her hand and give it a quick squeeze. “You need something better than what the city can give you, and I want what’s best for you. If you need to get out of town, it’ll suck. I’ll miss you. But I’m not going to be anything but supportive of your choice. If this is what you have to do, then you don’t have to worry about me. I’ve got…” he paused for a moment, and it hit him like a ton of bricks that he didn’t have anything that he could use to finish that sentence. He’d lost just about everything that mattered. “I’ve got too much love for you to try and hold you back. So go. Text me, don’t text me, whatever you need. I’m not gonna be what holds you back.”

“No, dude, I don’t want you to be upset, but I don’t want you to fake being happy either,” she sighed, not sure if that was enough to explain it. “I just...I didn’t want you to think I was leaving for no reason. This is not how I envisioned myself taking off to Mexico. This whole thing is just...” She shook her head once more. She’d already put it into words, and with the way Rocco looked at her, it seemed  she didn’t need to restate it. She took a seat next to him and shut up for the time being. She was usually much better at running her giant mouth than sitting back and listening, but if that’s what Rocco needed her to do, she would. It didn’t take much convincing to go to bat for him. 

She frowned, limply letting him grab her hand and sighing again. He was understanding to the point that it made her want to throw up a bit. He was always too loving, too empathetic for his own good. Lindsey could never imagine being able to give so much that selflessly. “I’m always going to worry about you, you big idiot. I was going to say you’re my best friend, but that feels really weird and cliche, especially when you’re way more than that. I don’t think there are words to describe it.” Lindsey wasn’t the most affectionate of people. She was physical, yes, but that never really transferred through in her emotions. However, she found herself very quickly sliding over and wrapping her arms around Rocco, hugging him tight. “You’re too fucking good for any of us, Rocco. Any of this. We don’t deserve you.” Instead of letting go, she found herself sinking into the hug. “And you’re not holding me back. The moment I let a man hold me back is the moment I’ll need you to punch me in the face, hard,” she said, a tiny smile playing up on her lips. “But I’ll miss you the most out of everyone. Feel free to share that fact if you want to gloat.”

[lindseystark]

roccoxstone​:

The news hit Rocco like a ton of bricks, but, impressively, his face didn’t show any emotion straight away. He supposed he was used to it by now. Piper, Savannah, David, and now Lindsey. Everyone he loved was slowly filtering out of his life. His first thought was to ask himself who would be next. The list of people still around was getting shorter and shorter these days. It was part of life, he supposed. He couldn’t expect people to stick around just because he needed somebody to. It wasn’t their responsibility, and he wasn’t about to put that on Lindsey. So as much as he didn’t want to, after a moment of complete silence, Rocco forced himself to smile, nodded his head with an energetic enthusiasm he didn’t really feel. 

“Well, thanks for stopping by, Linds. Mexico, huh? Sounds great. Really really great.” His voice was bright enough that he thought he was doing a decent enough job of actually seemed sincere when he said it, even if he didn’t feel at all enthused by the prospect at all. She wasn’t even gone yet, but he felt the pain like another loss, another part of those idyllic, happy days before his mom had died that he would never get back. It was all too much to bear. “Uh, well I won’t keep you. Those Uber fares can really sting ya, you know? So… good luck with everything. Text me when you land. Wait…” he paused for a moment, face scrunching up in confusion. “If you can, I mean. Your phone might not even work down South, right? I don’t know.” 

If it weren’t the delayed reaction that gave Lindsey some sense into how Rocco felt, it was the way he seemed to flick the switch to cheerful mode right after. Someone like his ginger girlfriend might’ve been able to look past it, but Lindsey had known him for too long to let that slide. “Rocco,” she sighed, her eyebrows pinching together slightly when he mentioned not keeping her. “Don’t do that. It’s...” She trailed off, gritting her teeth. This was the exact reason she didn’t want to get into it, why leaving without saying anything to anyone was the first thought. She didn’t know how to explain it in a way that sugar coated the situation. Maybe that meant she shouldn’t. 

“Rocco, I literally cannot stay here. Not after everything that’s happened. I mean, the way your sister talked not only to me but to my mom, and all the fighting and sadness...” Her voice cut off again as she rapidly shook her head, knowing she’d say something she regretted if she didn’t stop it there. “It’s fucking exhausting, dude. Staying isn’t going to do me any favors. That’s all it is. I wish things were different, but they aren’t, so I have to go. I’m not happy. Sticking around to watch the world implode on itself isn’t going to fix that, so I’m fixing it.” She gave him a small shrug, realizing she didn’t know the answer to that. “I mean, it’s Tijuana. It’s right on the border of California. I’m sure if I go to a beach close by I’ll get cell service. I’ll figure something out, but if I don’t text for a few days, don’t take it personally or anything, okay? Cause I’ll get back in touch with you at some point. I’m not gonna leave you of all people hanging on the wire, I just...I don’t know. I think we all need to step back for a bit.”

[lindseystark]

roccoxstone​:

If you asked Rocco to tell you where he was at right now, he wasn’t sure he could give a proper answer. His life had been so horribly shaken up in all the worst of ways, and he wasn’t sure that was something he could ever get over. He had been thrilled to see Piper come home, but it became very apparent that whatever this version of Piper was, she wasn’t here to give him the comfort he craved, and either didn’t want or didn’t need him to perform the same role for her. That had cut him deeper than he showed, as had every harsh word and terrible action between her and everyone else around them. He never thought things between them would get this bad, but here they were. He wasn’t sure if there was any turning back. 

“Hey, you,” he smiled brightly, though he couldn’t help the gnawing anxiety that was growing in his stomach - something that only increased when she declared they needed to talk. His face dropped. “Sounds serious.” He tried to keep his voice light, but had a feeling he was failing. “Do you wanna come in?”

“Yeeeaaahhh...” Lindsey’s voice trailed off, not wanting to get into it just yet. It wasn’t like she’d never given bad news before. Most of the time, she was the choice person to give it. She didn’t get attached to gory details like many others did. This was a very different circumstance, though. This was Rocco, and she already had a feeling that his reaction wouldn’t be a good one. She had to get it out, but not in his doorway. She had to be inside before the bomb was dropped. “I do. It won’t take long, trust me,” she slowly nodded, stepping in past him.

She took a couple steps inside, eyes scanning the place. It didn’t look as bad as she remembered. The first few months after Frankie died had been a nightmare. It was reminiscent of a Silent Hill location brought to life. It had certainly gotten better, though. Better enough that she hoped her news wouldn’t bring it back to the previous state. “So,” she said, suddenly whirling back around to face him and clasping her hands together. “I’m just gonna say it. There’s no use in small talk, cause that’s stupid, so...” She trailed off, almost appearing a bit nervous. She’d never had to do this with someone she truly cared about. Lindsey refused to be an anxious wreck, though, so she took in a breath and said it. “I’m leaving. In about, uh...” she grabbed her phone, checking the time to confirm, “two-ish hours, maybe more depending on delays and shit, I’ll be on my way to Mexico. My grandma has a vacation home there, and she weirdly said yes to me going and living with her for a bit. So yeah, once my Uber is outside, I’ll be catching that and then getting on a plane. I just didn’t want to...go without saying anything. I didn’t want to ghost you or whatever. It wouldn’t be fair, so this is kind of...goodbye, I guess, or see you later.”

[lindseystark]

Lindsey ran on impulse. It had been that way as long as she could remember. This might’ve been the first time she forced herself to ignore that impulse, or at least push it to the back of her brain. If not, she would’ve been on a plane to the west coast already. Instead, she was lightly knocking at Rocco’s door before getting in an Uber headed to the airport. She knew she’d be a real dick if she just vanished without saying something to him. He didn’t deserve to have her go ghost without an explanation. Everyone else was fair game, considering how much had changed and how many shitty comments and actions were exchanged. Not Rocco, though. He deserved so much better than anyone could give him. She lowered her sunglasses once he opened the door, trying to give him what appeared to be a sultry look. “Hello, baby,” she smirked, pushing the sunglasses back up to her eyes after a moment and straightening her posture to show that, for once in her life, she was serious. “Uh, can I come in for a couple minutes?” she asked, arms suddenly crossing over her chest. “It shouldn’t take too long or anything, I just...have stuff and things to say. It’s sort of important.” @roccoxstone​

[lindseystark]

piperxstone​:

Piper had done nothing to stop David and Trent coming to blows. Fights between men were not something she was well-versed in, especially not when she had been at the root of it. She had clammed up, but Lindsey launching herself at somebody was not uncommon territory. Piper ran to Lindsey’s side, looping her arm through hers and rubbing at her shoulder, attempting to calm her down. “Lindsey, we should probably leave it. Let’s go and get dry,” she pleaded. The longer they stayed at this party, the worse things were getting. All she wanted was a long, hot shower, her bed, and a long, uninterrupted cry. She had no desire to make an even bigger fool of herself. Things were tense enough without starting another fight. 

As Piper moved to Lindsey’s left side, Rocco stood at her right, poised to intervene in case things got physical. He didn’t really care for the other girl, but the last thing they needed was for Lindsey to get arrested in Florida. However, he didn’t expect Savannah to move to comfort the blonde girl. Rocco’s brow furrowed at her, his confusion evident on his face. “Babe… what are you doing?” He asked, bluntly. “Did you not see what she did to Lindsey? Or my sister?” 

If she was gonna be taken out of the fight, it would be kicking and screaming. That’s essentially how it went as Lindsey felt herself being physically dragged away from the other girl who was taking a cue from Piper and now sobbing. “That’s right, cry, you little bitch baby,” she sneered, although it was mostly pointless. The other girl didn’t seem to be listening to Lindsey hurling insults. She was distracted by Wilma Flinstone, who was cupping the girls face in her hands and seemingly trying to console her. It was all so fucking weird at that point. The only time Lindsey was ever that touchy-feely with a stranger only happened after many tequila shots. “Whatever. Not like I have a choice with you two as my bodyguards,” she muttered, pouting. She knew that she could probably take one of Rocco or Piper down, but the two of them tag teaming her? She didn’t have the energy for that. She’d yelled it all out. “One of you owes me a drink. A huge one. Like, a one-hundred ounce glass huge...actually, fuck it. I feel like we could all go for one right now.”

Savannah knew that Rocco had some interesting friends, but Lindsey was sure something else. It took all her might to not turn around and yell right back at her, especially when she was being such a child about the whole thing. Aubree was her priority, though. “Hey, it’s okay. He’s gone, and thank the Lord because you’re way too good for that frosted tipped idiot.” She got small scoff in return, pulling Aubree closer when she knew it was going to take a whole lot more to make her smile. She’d finally put the pieces together in her head as she remembered the Facebook and text messages they’d exchanged; Trent was her boyfriend, and water polo scouts had been eyeing him up lately. He got an invite to meet and try out for the one’s at the University of Miami and she thought she’d show up to surprise him for Spring Break. She hated that Trent ended up being her Trent. She also hated that they were meeting in person like this. This was her sister, though, another Tri Delta, and she took a pledge way back when she started university to always be there for her sisters. That’s why she looked back at Rocco with as much confusion and he seemed to have. “Sure. Did y’all not see my friend have her heart broken by that doofus? One your sister, by the way, decided to be swappin’ spit with. No offense, Piper. Besides, she wasn’t trying to get them with the drink, she was going for Trent. He just...happened to move out of the way real damn fast.”

[lindseystark]

piperxstone​:

Piper didn’t react when Lindsey touched her shoulder. Loud, ugly sobs were coming out of her mouth, but she seemed incapable of making any other sound. If the whole thing wasn’t bad enough the fact that everybody who mattered in her life, plus Rocco’s new girlfriend, another redhead, and a couple of other guys she didn’t know. She had never been so humiliated, but her mortification was somewhat eclipsed by how badly this hurt. If she hadn’t have been drinking, there was no way she would have kissed Trent. It was all just a series of unfortunate events that had led to this point, and now there was nothing she could do. 

Whilst Lindsey didn’t rouse a reaction from her, The yelling made her lift her head. Her heart dropped even lower into her stomach when she deduced that the blonde approaching could only be Trent’s girlfriend. He had been pursuing Piper since they had met. She hadn’t even known he had a girlfriend, but it made her feel even worse than before, if that was at all possible. She heard an actual laugh erupt from Caesar, a delighted exclamation of “Water polo?!” but her eyes were transfixed on the other girl. Even so, she didn’t see what was coming. Trent darted away from them, up the beach and away from the conversation, and suddenly, Piper was soaked. The beer stung her already wet, puffy, eyes, and she stood there in stunned silence. 

It was only when Rocco came over, having torn himself away from his girlfriend, holding both his own jacket and one he had managed to wrestle off of Caesar as towels for the two girls did she notice that Lindsey was just as wet as she was. “Oh my god,” she managed to choke out. “Are you okay?” 

Lindsey didn’t know how to handle all of this. She enjoyed a good cat fight, and she’d likely be enjoying this to the same extent Caesar was if it weren’t for the personal connections. It wasn’t funny, not when it was between her best friend and her brother. Everything had turned into such a huge mess. She was somehow feeling angry and sympathetic at the same time; for Piper, who was the last person she’d ever expect to get drunk and make out with some idiot, but despite that was still her best friend, for David, not at all liking the way he snapped at Piper but also knowing he was totally shattered, for the audience that seemed to relish in the drama of it all while also trying to gather information from all sides. She wasn’t sure what planetary shift seemed to fall on all of them, but somewhere, some sort of cosmos was looking down on them and saying ‘let’s fuck them all up.’ 

And fuck them all up it did, indeed. “Oh, great,” she muttered once the other girl came storming over, moving her arm around Piper’s shoulder and pulling her in close. Despite her coldness from just minutes ago and Piper barely reacting to her touch, she felt a fierce loyalty to her best friend, even when it was her idiotic actions that caused a lot of what was happening. When it was enough to have Piper sobbing hard enough that she could feel her shaking, it wasn’t okay. Her head whipped over towards Caesar, shooting him a dirty look long enough to notice David walking away with his roomie from school. She sighed, understanding but also feeling the urge to yell at him for walking away from this mess he helped make. It wasn’t the right time, though. She also heard a soft “Aubree?!” from Rocco’s girlfriend as she apparently recognized the jilted lover who stormed over. 

The next moment had her anger going from zero to a hundred in an instant. The splash of cold beer hitting not only her but Piper made something snap. “No,” she shook her head fast, pulling away from Piper and completely ignoring Rocco’s good intentions to go after this Aubree bitch. “What is your fucking problem, you psycho?” she shouted, getting very close as Aubree attempted to scurry away. “It was an accident, God! Relax!” she heard her reply, but that wasn’t enough. “Oh, fucking ‘accident’ my ass! Come here, bitch!” She was practically pouncing at her and would’ve gotten pretty close if it weren’t for Rocco’s redhead physically shielding Aubree. “Ladies! Stop! This is so not worth it.” Lindsey stood there glaring as she watched Savannah actually attempt to comfort this mystery bimbo. Typical Rocco, dating another stupid girl who befriended stupid girls. “If it weren’t for your ginger bestie, I’d be fucking you up right now, bitch. Just remember that.”

[lindseystark]

roccoxstone‌:

“She could be a Madeleine. I don’t know,” Rocco shrugged. He wasn’t fool enough to believe this relationship would last long enough for him to find out, and by Lindsey’s reaction, it was clear she felt the same. “You’re not dim,” he pointed out, wanting to address that before even bothering to defend himself. “But you’re right. On the slim chance she is the love of my life, I’ll probably still fuck it up anyway.” He didn’t seem particularly unnerved by the prospect, remaining as collected as ever. He blinked a little when he realised she had never seen Mary Poppins, unsure how someone was able to grow up in such close proximity to Piper without being forced to sit through every Disney movie that ever existed. “Piper never made you watch that?” he asked. “Well that sucks. If I’d have known that I could say no, that would have changed things.” His grin spread at her compliment, though it dropped when he noticed the image she showed him was not of him, or even his abs, but her own grinning face. “Oh haha,” he said, sarcastically. “I can’t use that on my Instagram.” 

“You don’t know? You’re dating the girl and you don’t know? ...Yeah, not surprising on your part. You probably won’t need to know it, odds are you’ll be bored of her within...what, three weeks? Four if she’s lucky. No shade, just facts.” Lindsey almost scoffed, not sure if Rocco caught on to her sarcasm or not. She wasn’t going to push it, though. His brain could only hold so much information at a time, she didn’t want to cause an aneurysm. “Emphasis on slim. And wow, ‘the love of your life’?” she teased, her tone slightly mocking of the concept. “I didn’t know you believed in such a thing. You’ve been spending too much time with your sister. And I don’t know, maybe. It could’ve been one of the movies I’ve slept through. I tend to mumble in my sleep, so she probably thought I was invested in it.” Lindsey smirked, admiring her shot for another moment before turning her attention back to the task at hand. “Sure you could. I mean, in the future, anyways. Once Maddie is out of the picture and you need a new face to make all your Instagram fangirls jealous, that’s what I’m around for. Not only do I get publicity from it all, but I get to fuck with people on top of all that. Plus come on, look at me,” she grinned. “Anyways, I did get some good shots of you, too. I’ll let you pick, seeing it’s your page and all. You probably know which ones will get the twelve year olds hot and bothered at this point.”

[lindseystark]

piperxstone‌:

“All of my Barbies ended up looking like that. I just couldn’t have nice things as a kid, not without my brothers getting their hands on them. It was mostly Caesar. Danny was too old and mature and Rocco got distracted easy enough. At least when you guys were around I got a little bit of peace. You know what they’re like.” Piper paused in her mini-rant to smile at her words, clearly as smitten as Lindsey was claiming her brother was. “I guess I’ve noticed. I’ve, uh, not seen him first thing in the morning since our slumber party days.” Lindsey’s words put her at peace a little, though she still did feel a little foolish. They had wasted so much time not realising the other’s affections, and now everything was out in the open, it just seemed so obvious. “Nobody said anything to me,” she said, almost defensive in her words. How could she have been expected to know if nobody had filled her in? Piper shook her head, not even a little curious as to what advice Lindsey had to offer. “I don’t think that sort of stuff is really very me. Just the thought of it is terrifying me.” 

“Sounds traumatizing. If it makes up for anything, I can buy you a new Barbie, babe. We’ll make sure that your idiot brother’s don’t get anywhere close to it. Caesar always being a psychopath really doesn’t surprise me, it fits his personality. Him being born like that explains so much. I guess I got off pretty lucky.” Lindsey’s expression said everything she was thinking with regards to how innocent Piper was and continued to be when it came to her brother. “Those slumber party days don’t have to be over for you guys. In fact, you can turn them into slumber party nights. Those are even better.” She snorted, her friend’s obliviousness actually kind of endearing. “I think we were all just waiting for you guys to stop being so damn patient and tip-toeing around each other. I would’ve stepped in to help if necessary, but nature obviously took its course. You’re together now, right? That’s what matters most.” She pursed her lips slightly, studying Piper in a semi-analytical way. “What, sex? I mean sure, the first time can be terrifying, but then you get over it. If it’s with someone you really like and who cares about you, then it’s not as scary that way. Once you’re really in the moment, it’s fine. David is a sap so there’s not a lot you guys would need to worry about. I’m past the nice sex point of my life though, I like a good, rough, old fashioned fucking,” she stated, knowing that she was probably burning her friend’s ears with each word. “That’s not something you’d be ready for yet. Love making is probably your jam, and I’d leave it at that for a while.”

[lindseystark]

piperfinnigan‌:

“I don’t think so, but I’m grateful for the help all the same. I could have used it when they were giving my Barbie dolls head transplants a few years back. Not having you guys in my life would be so weird. Like, I physically can’t imagine the Stones without the Starks,” Piper agreed. She could feel her cheeks heating up, and covered them with her hands in a fruitless attempt to hide how pink she was going from Lindsey. “That doesn’t necessarily mean he told me. I’m sure there’s lots of reasons, Maybe he’s just a morning person,” she pointed out, a little annoyed with herself that she had given in that easily. She hoped David wouldn’t be mad with her for telling Lindsey before he had the chance to- that was his sister, after all. It wasn’t until Lindsey pointed out their blushing habits that she dropped her protesting for good. “Did everyone know but me?” She asked, a little afraid of the answer. Not noticing David linking her was one thing. The idea that their entire circle of siblings may have known of her own not-so-secret affections was absolutely mortifying, as was the direction the conversation had taken. “I’m not going to ask you for sex advise for doing it with your brother, Lindsey.” 

“Ooh, yeah, that’s rough. Barbie heads aren’t easy to fix. Most of the time, if you try and glue them back on they end up looking they have no neck. It’s just all head and chin, which is a little disturbing. Right? There’d be a rift in the universe if we weren’t constantly with each other.” Lindsey’s smile stayed put as she continued to relish in Piper’s reaction to everything she said. “Baby, he is not a morning person. Trust me on that one. None of us are, actually. If you wake my mom up before ten thirty, she gets this really evil look in her eye like she’s considering homicide. The Starks need their beauty rest.” Her smirk faltered slightly when she realized Piper was genuinely curious to know if she was the only one out of the loop. "You have to realize I’ve been living with David my whole life. I know what he’s feeling even when he doesn’t know it himself. But yeah, he’s been wheeling you for as long as I can remember. I wanna say it really started when he was twelve, but maybe even earlier than that.” Lindsey scoffed. “I didn’t mean sex advice specifically for fucking my brother, I’m not that perverted. I just meant general tips and knowledge. Your whole sweet and innocent side is adorable, really, but there’ll come a time when you need to crank up the heat. I’ll be here when that glorious hour strikes.”