welcome to my blog ! marissa ʚïɞ ˚。⋆。
she/they, 19 🇲🇽 into so many things, but mainly rachel zegler & mike faist
requests are totally welcome ! °ʚ(*´꒳`*)ɞ°
♡ masterlist

@theartofmadeline

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YOU ARE THE REASON
he wasn't even looking at me and he found me

Kaledo Art
cherry valley forever

Love Begins
todays bird

oozey mess
hello vonnie
Misplaced Lens Cap

blake kathryn
DEAR READER
Stranger Things

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Origami Around

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ojovivo
dirt enthusiast
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@pitufitaispunk
welcome to my blog ! marissa ʚïɞ ˚。⋆。
she/they, 19 🇲🇽 into so many things, but mainly rachel zegler & mike faist
requests are totally welcome ! °ʚ(*´꒳`*)ɞ°
♡ masterlist
まあるい。
everybody moved on too fast from this
Velvet Ring
Chapter Twelve: Make You Feel My Love
Pairing: Riff x Latina!Reader (West Side Story 2021)
Velvet Ring Masterlist
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As I leave the apartment in a hurry, I nearly forget that I still have about five hours until I actually get to meet up with Riff. Checking my wristwatch, I purse my lips and sigh.
"What am I supposed to do with five free hours?" I mutter to myself, walking out of the apartment complex and down the street. I feel grateful, noting that the heat isn't as sweltering today and it finally feels nice out for once.
As I pass by the park, I notice a crowd has gathered around the mural. My brows pinch anxiously, hoping the Jets hadn't done something worse to it than before. I weave through the numerous people and finally see why they are all standing here.
There stood Riff with his toned back to the crowd, a broom in his hands and an old tin bucket filled with sudsy water on the pavement next to him. He's cleaning up the mural, scrubbing the black and orange smudges off with the soapy bristles of his broom. And he's shirtless.
Though that isn't the most essential bit of the scene before me, it's all my mind can seem to focus on. As he raises the broom higher up to scrub at a particularly large splatter of paint, the soap bubbles spray back at him, making his skin glisten beneath the bright summer sun. Riff glances over his shoulder and his eyes immediately lock on mine, as if he could sense I was there, watching him. The corner of his lips quirks up slightly and I can't help the little smile that creeps onto my face. Though I don't say it, I know he knows that I appreciate the fact that he's doing this. It makes me feel a little less guilty about liking him so much and it relieves me to know that he is trying to be better. For a while, our eyes stay on each other before he gets back to work. If we had stared at each other for much longer, people might've noticed.
"¡Y/N!" I hear a familiar voice call from behind me, making my smile quickly fade. I turn to see Rosalía and Francisca making their way through the crowd, their eyes fixed on Riff skeptically as he continues scrubbing at the paint splotches.
"¿Qué está haciendo el gringo?" Rosalía huffs, her arms crossed over her chest as she watches Riff, as if she were anticipating that he would do something awful.
I shrug in response, trying to seem as casual about the whole situation as possible, "No sé. Iba a Doc's y vi a todos parados aquí, así que me paré para ver qué estaba pasando. I thought it would be something bad, but he's just cleaning it..."
Francisca quirks a brow at Riff, who had spared the three of us a few curious glances as we whispered about him, "¿Por qué haría esto? Es muy raro... I thought los Jets were supposed to hate us, no?" She remarks quietly, a thoughtful look in her eyes.
Rosalía clicks her tongue disapprovingly, clearly not moved by Riff's gesture, "¡Sí nos odian! This is just to get us off our guard, make us think they won't bother us anymore. Sebas told me how tricky they can be. We can't trust them, we'd be stupid to do so." She huffs firmly.
I wearily glance over at Riff again, and doubt comes in. Does he really want to change his ways and try to make amends with Puerto Ricans or is he only doing this to make himself look better and get me to trust him? I shake away the thought.
"Oye, Y/N," Francisca says suddenly, excitement in her voice, "Rosalía and I were going to go shopping, ¿quieres ir con nosotras?"
I glance back at Riff momentarily, then back to Rosalía and Francisca, "Claro que sí." I say with a smile. I figure that Riff will have his hands full with cleaning the mural for the next few hours, so I may as well keep myself busy before it's time for us to meet up, especially since Anita advised me to spend more time with our friends.
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Francisca, Rosalía, and I end up at a jewelry stall at the market, browsing the shining pieces on display. As my two friends fawn over a golden bracelet, my eyes are caught by a sterling silver ring with a small heart pendant welded to the front of it. I step closer to it and pick the ring up to examine the details engraved onto it. The front of the heart has a small four leaf clover in the center surrounded by swirly types of designs, and on the inside of the ring's band there are the initials V.L. in a beautiful cursive font with a tiny heart shaped gem that could possibly be opal. I'm in awe of the ring's beauty, and though I don't know what the initials actually could stand for, my mind can't help but connect them to my and Riff's surnames, Vasquez and Lorton, making me beam.
"Y/N, ¿qué tienes?" I hear Francisca ask curiously from behind me. I quickly put the ring back, and I can feel that my cheeks have warmed up ever so slightly after having been caught.
"Nada, no más es un anillo." I hum, trying to seem indifferent about it, hoping they wouldn't be interested in looking.
Rosalía quirks a brow at me and steps closer, "Ah, déjame verlo." She gently pushes me aside and leans down to get a closer look at the ring. "Está bien bonito, Y/N." She says with a fond smile, "¿Lo quieres?"
My eyes widen at this, it was way too much for her to buy it for me, "¡No, Rosalía-!"
"Y/N, let me do this for you!" She insists, grabbing the ring off the display and walking over to the stall's vendor determinedly.
I sigh heavily, making Francisca laugh, "You, your brother, and Anita are all too proud. It's ok to let your friends do nice things for you sometimes, you know? It's not charity, it's love."
Her words make me smile despite myself, "Ya lo sé. You're right. This is a nice thing Rosalía is doing for me." And it's true. Raised in a home where money was something connected to pride and where we had so little money, it was hard for Nardo and I to accept anything we might consider a handout from friends or family. Though, I'm beginning to feel opposed to that idea.
Francisca nods in agreement, "Exactamente."
Rosalía walks back over with the ring put away safely in a small box and tucks it away into my purse, "Ahí está." She hums with a smile.
"Gracias, Rosalía." I chuckle, "You're a good friend."
She grins proudly, "I know. Now, let's go get something to eat, ¡tengo mucho hambre!"
Francisca and I laugh at her eagerness as the three of us begin walking to the nearest diner.
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When Francisca, Rosalía and I finish our meal and pay the bill, I check my wristwatch and realize that it's nearly time for me to go meet Riff.
Rosalía sighs in satisfaction before pulling Francisca and I into a group hug, "Muchísimas gracias, chicas, this was a wonderful day." She giggles, "Ya tengo que irme por la casa a limpiar. Nos vemos." She bids us goodbye and begins walking away, Francisca and I wave as she gets further from us.
Once she's out of sight, Francisca then pulls me into another hug, "We need to do this more often, you rarely come out with us and Anita, you're always busy!"
I smile sheepishly, "Lo siento, I'll try to make time."
She pulls back and returns my smile, "Más te vale." She threatens teasingly, making us both laugh. "¡Hasta luego, Y/N!" She calls over her shoulder as she zips away.
"¡Hasta luego!" I call back, laughing softly.
As soon as Rosalía and Francisca are gone, I zip away toward the park to check if Riff is still there cleaning up the mural. When I get there, I see the mural is good as new with no sign of paint ever having been there. Then I see Riff sat on the pavement with his head resting against the wall and his right arm draped over his eyes. I smile softly at the sight of his exhaustion and approach him silently, "That's a good job you did." I hum, making him sit up straight abruptly, his arm falling to his side.
He chuckles softly, "You startled me there."
With my hands behind my back, I rock back and forth on my heels, "Lo siento." I say with a cheeky smile.
He quirks a brow at me, "What's that mean?"
I huff a laugh at his puzzled expression, "It means that I'm sorry."
"Oh." He grins, "Well, apology accepted." He stands from his seat on the ground, dusts off his jeans, and looks around, "We should probably head somewhere more private, Jets and Sharks alike hang around here."
I nod in agreement, "Where should we go then? The docks again?"
Riff shakes his head, tsking softly, "Nah, the guys'll be there now..." He suddenly grins, "There's somewhere else I could take you, but it's not exactly scenic."
I quirk a brow at him suspiciously, "What does that mean?"
Riff chuckles, "It's not a nice park or a fancy little restaurant, is what I mean. So don't make that scrunchy face of yours when we get there, alright?"
"Scrunchy face?" I repeat in confusion, my brows pinched.
He smirks softly, pointing at my face, "That right there. That's what I mean. But usually, your nose will scrunch up, too. It's the face you made when I took you to the docks." I smile back at him and the tips of his ears turn a light shade of pink. I didn't realize he noticed details like that about me. He clears his throat, "Well, follow me, then! It's a long walk."
I groan softly, knowing my feet were going to ache if I walked more than a few miles in my flats, "You can't take me somewhere nearby? I'm not really wearing the right shoes for a long walk."
"I would carry you, but we gotta keep our distance." He shrugs, already walking ahead of me. I roll my eyes and wait until Riff is a few feet ahead of me before I follow him to wherever he's taking me today.
After about half an hour, we finally arrive to Riff's surprise location, and to my displeasure, it's basically a dump. I quirk a brow at him as he turns to face me with a bright smile, "What is this place?" I frown.
He sighs at my disappointment, "Y/N, I told you not to make that scrunchy face."
"Well, what did you expect? This place is a dump!" I huff, my arms waving wildly at the debris surrounding us.
Riff pouts his lips slightly, "Hey, it's not a dump. This is a demolition site. Some buildings used to be here before they knocked 'em down. I brought you here because this is where I go to be alone." He then chuckles, "Plus none of the guys come by here too often because it's where I usually bring-" He stops himself, his cheeks flushing, "Uh... it's- never mind." He says quickly, walking toward what looks like an abandoned train car. I quickly follow after him.
"Where you bring what?" I hum expectantly, my arms crossed over my chest. "Or who?"
He laughs nervously, "Well, it's..." I eye him suspiciously making him sigh defeatedly, he then murmurs, "It's where I usually bring Graziella." I'm slightly caught off guard by his confession. I know he was seeing Graziella for a while, but I didn't realize they were that serious... Or maybe doing things like this with girls isn't serious for Riff.
"Why didn't you want to tell me that?" I ask softly. I figure he thought I'd be jealous, but it wasn't as if I hadn't been seeing Manuel during our brief time apart. Technically, I'm still with Manuel.
"Well..." He sighs, leading me into the train car, "because I figure you're this totally innocent girl who's never done nothing with a guy and I didn't want you to think that I was some kind of Tomcat or something..." He admits quietly, his cheeks tinged pink.
I smile and approach him gently, "Well, first of all, I wouldn't judge you for doing things with other girls. I didn't exactly expect you to be a virgin." This makes him chuckle, so I continue, "Also, I'm not exactly innocent. I was technically with Manuel during that time, so it's not like you were the only one who was 'dating' someone else."
He nods, sitting himself on a pile of old blankets in the corner of the train car, "Yeah, that's right... but, uh, I do got one more question."
I take a seat beside him, my head tilted curiously, "What is it?" I question, taking my purse off from my shoulder and placing it on the ground beside my feet.
"Should we dump Grazie and Manuel now? I mean, are we together?" He asks, seeming a bit shy now and it makes me laugh.
"Do you want to be together?" I ask, hoping he does, but also not expecting him to commit so soon.
A grin spreads across his face from ear to ear and he gently cups my face, "I've been wanting to be together since the first day I saw you."
His forwardness makes me laugh in surprise, "No exageres."
Riff's grin only broadens, "I really gotta learn some Spanish, I hate asking for a translation for what you're saying every time. It bugs you, doesn't it?"
I shake my head, smiling softly, "No, I like teaching you... 'No exageres' is don't exaggerate." I say quietly, leaning forward slightly.
He chuckles softly and hums, "Good to know..." Then he leans in and kisses me. I melt into him instantly and he slowly lays me down on the pile of blankets, our lips remaining attached. I feel his hands tenderly grasp my waist, so I slide mine up into his hair.
Riff pulls back slowly from my lips, a slight smirk on his face before he starts kissing my neck, making me shiver. He trails his lips down towards my chest and I sit up, "Wait, wait."
He looks up at me with wide eyes, clearly concerned, "What? Did I do something wrong?"
I smile lightly, my brows pinched, "No, no... I just, I want to take it a little slower now." He nods slowly, but I can tell he's a little confused. I mean, not too long ago I was enjoying our fast paced intimacy, "Now that we're kind of a couple, I want to take time before we do something serious... I'm a Catholic, I was raised to wait." I mutter nervously, unsure if he would be willing to wait for me.
His brows furrow, "Wait? You mean, like, 'til marriage?" I nod and he senses my worry. He takes my hand, "Hey, I got no problem with that. I mean, I'm not used to taking stuff slow, but I'll do it for you."
I can't help my bright smile, "Really?"
He chuckles softly and nods, "Really. This way, it's more special, ain't it?" He hums, playing with a strand of my hair.
Still smiling at him, I suddenly remember the ring Rosalía had bought me earlier. I turn away from Riff and grab my purse off the ground, "I have something to show you. I saw it earlier today and it reminded me of you." I pull the small box out of my purse and hand it to him.
Riff smirks, "What, you got me a present?"
"Just open it." I laugh, rolling my eyes at him. His fingers slowly pull the lid off and his eyes widen. He takes the ring out of the box with tenderness, something I hadn't really expected, "Where'd you get this?" He asks softly, still staring down at the ring in his palm.
I tilt my head to look at the ring with him, "I found it at the jewelry stall at the market. The inside of the band has the initials of our last names together, V and L." I watch his face, which is still in a stunned state, "You don't like it?"
He finally looks up at me, "No, I do! I just..." He smiles, "It's real nice that you thought of me like that. Is it for me or..?"
I hesitate, not sure if it was right for me to give Riff something that Rosalía had bought for me, especially when I know how she feels about the Jets... but seeing Riff's smile makes me cave.
"Yes, put it on." I nod with a smile, watching as he slides the ring onto his pinky finger.
He holds his hand up in a fist and chuckles, "Well, I look real tough now, don't I?"
I laugh with him, "Oh, sí. Te ves bien machote." At his confused expression, I laugh again, "I mean, you look very macho."
"Oh..." He smiles softly, "Got it." He stares into my eyes for a moment before whispering, "Can we please start kissing again?" I grin broadly and nod, letting him pull me close and kiss me.
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: Urgent appeal from Aya - a mother from Gaza 🇵🇸🍉
I am Aya's children, a mother of three living in Gaza amidst difficult and painful experiences. Due to the basic war and lack of resources.
I have launched a donation campaign to help me secure a better life for them, away from fear and hunger.
Help from you to help deliver this message with you. Your compassionate hearts are our hope in these timeshttps:
👉//gofund.me/cc12f338🙏😭
✅️Vetted by @gazavetters, my number verified on the list is ( #372 )✅️
a pair of Swedish stamps released in 1998 for St Valentine’s Day
[id: two postage stamps that are identical save for color palette. they depict an illustrated heart composed of two birds and many different flowers. there is a large ink mark across both stamps indicating that they have been used. end id]
you were born in 2006? what are you? a Honda Civic?
can i fucking help you?
‼️ Urgent and Very Important ‼️
Vetted by gaza-evacuation-fund click here
Hello my friends, I am in desperate need of your help. GoFundMe deleted my campaign after it stopped for over 5 months without any reason mentioned...
I lost around 35,000 of a total of48,000, and now they are going to refund the donations to the donors. That's why I am urgently asking for your help and donations through the new link...
We are going through very tough days and extremely bad situations. We are witnessing famine everywhere, so please, if you can donate or share, don’t stop 💔💔🙏
Please donate and share🙏
My name is Ayaa from Gaza city, I am a children’s teacher, 24 years old, living with my parents and siblings. We all used to live a peacefu
My name is Moataz, a journalist from Gaza.
My story!
Imarried Huda on June 22nd. I was very happy with her. I photograph humanitarian issues for the world. The war started and we were exposed to a deadly attack that we miraculously survived.
We became homeless, without food or drink. My wife was crying. I set up my tent for the first time after displacement on November 1st. We sought refuge with all the relief organizations, but no one helped me. We are now awaiting the birth of our first child after a long wait. Huda is pregnant... I tried to search for safety by any means, for me, my wife Huda, and our eagerly awaiting son, Malek! 😭
We were surprised by the new displacement and the terrifying sight of the bombing. We lost everything we owned for the second time, we took refuge in Rafah, I tried in every way to provide healthy food for my wife and our expectant child, but we were surprised for the third time by a major attack that made us leave without any food or shelter, Huda is eight months pregnant and we were displaced for the fifth time, this time is the worst, Huda and I stayed for five days sleeping on the burning sand of the sea. We did not taste food for five days, 💔
...
Vetted by "gazavetters 527"
we were forced to sell sweets to save and pay the price of the tent. The date of birth of our first child, Malek, came, while we were preparing our tent to receive him, the place next door was bombed. Huda saw the remains, she lost consciousness, Dr. Ghassan requested an emergency delivery, Malek, our first child, died, I cried bitterly, and she entered a state of blood poisoning. All I want from you is to help me to save my family and Huda and restore my hope in life, from now on you, my family, I want to reach my goal, any donation. Help me save my family, if you can't please I just want to cry💔🥹🙏
Vetted by "gazavetters 527"
Donate here!
Hello, my name is Ash, I'm fundraising for my friend Motaz. Motaz is a journalist living in Gaza who has frequently been displaced from hom
Media reports I have prepared
https://www.newarab.com/features/gazas-christians-hold-faith-easter-returns-under-siege
https://www.newarab.com/analysis/why-sinwars-death-wont-change-israels-war-strategy-gaza
https://www.newarab.com/analysis/does-israel-have-regional-strategy-beyond-endless-war
One of my favourite textures I spotted was waiting for a sandwich near le marché des enfants rouges: bejewelled manhole cover, so abundantly joyful
it was never just a phase to me
by johns_plant_adventures
masterlist ❀⋆。˚
requests are open for challengers, west side story (2021), & the hunger games ! :3
⊹₊˚ꕤ˚₊⊹
West Side Story (2021)
Riff Lorton
⚘ Velvet Ring - Riff x Latina!Reader
⊹₊˚ꕤ˚₊⊹
Challengers (2024)
requests open
⊹₊˚ꕤ˚₊⊹
The Hunger Games
Gold Dust Woman - Female OC!
Velvet Ring
Chapter Eleven: Baila Mi Corazón
Pairing: Riff x Latina!Reader (West Side Story 2021)
Velvet Ring Masterlist
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After my encounter with Graziella in the bathroom, I quickly clean up my smudged makeup to the best of my ability, brush out my hair with my fingers, and straighten out my dress. Once I’m as presentable as possible, I make my way back into the lively gym.
Everything seems to be as it was when I rushed out earlier. People are still dancing, the Jets and the Sharks are still giving each other judgmental looks. However, as soon as I walk further in, Anita rushes to me, "Y/N, ¿donde estabas? Bernardo, Manuel, and I were looking everywhere for you! You can't just walk off like that without telling anyone where you're going!" She scolds.
I nod quickly, "I know, lo siento mucho, Anita! I should've told you where I was going, I was just in the bathroom." I wince, hoping she'll quickly forgive me and forget the whole thing. But of course, she doesn't.
She eyes me up and down suspiciously, then grasps my hair softly, "What happened to the bow I put in your hair? It's gone."
My heart drops at this. I have no idea. I didn't even realize it was gone to be completely honest. It must've fallen off while I was with Riff, but obviously I can't tell Anita that. I know I have to come up with a lie now, and fast. I smile and just shrug, trying to appear calm, "It probably fell off somewhere. I didn't even notice."
She huffs softly, crossing her arms over her chest, "If you say so... now, go apologize to Manuel for running off like that and leaving him alone."
I scoff, this seems completely unfair, "You want me to apologize to him? He's the one who's been boring all night and won't even try to dance with me!" Anita gives me a piercing look and I know I have to listen to her, "Fine... I'll apologize." With a heavy sigh, I trudge over to Manuel, who was standing on the other side of the gym with his friends. I stand before him and give a meek smile, "¿Puedo hablar contigo?" Manuel nods gruffly and follows after me as I lead him to the hallway outside the gym. With a sigh, I turn to face him, "I'm sorry for running off without telling you. I just needed some air."
Manuel narrows his eyes at me, and I feel my stomach turn, "Where did you go anyway?"
I laugh nervously, "Eh... fui al baño. I already told Anita-"
"You were gone pretty long for just using the bathroom." He hums, his eyes cold. "¿Te fuiste con alguien?"
My heart jumps. Did Manuel somehow know about Riff and I? Did someone else possibly see us together and tell him? No. I remind myself to calm down and ignore my pestering paranoia. I quickly force a smile, though my cheeks are still very much flushed, "Claro que no. I was just fixing up my makeup and hair-"
"This is fixed hair and makeup?" He huffs, gesturing to my flustered state. I scoff at his comment. I thought I had done pretty well at composing myself, but apparently not.
"It's hot, Manuel. Excuse me if I don't look as fresh as when we arrived." I shoot back, crossing my arms defensively. "¡Tal vez si hubieras bailado conmigo al menos una vez en lugar de estar sentado toda la noche como un cabrón, no habría sentido la necesidad de esconderme en el baño!" I add, my voice raising a bit. I don't even notice our argument has now caught the attention of Sharks and Jets alike.
Manuel rolls his eyes and groans in frustration, "Ya sabes que no sé bailar! No seas dramática, Y/N."
Before I can even stop myself, I slap Manuel and storm out of the gym. My blood feels like it's on fire as I walk outside into the night, the cool summer breeze hitting my hot skin. I'm glad to see no one has rushed out after me, not even Bernardo or Anita. I rush home, wanting this night to be over with already. To think I was in such a good mood after my time with Riff before it was quickly soured.
When I finally get back to the apartment, I am absolutely exhausted. I'm drenched in sweat and my feet are blistered from walking 17 blocks in heels. I limp into my bedroom, kick off my heels, and flop onto my bed face first. I feel myself slowly drifting off to sleep before I hear someone calling my name.
"Y/N! Y/N?" I hear faintly, the voice sounding almost melodious as it calls my name over and over. "Y/N!!" It calls again.
With a soft groan, I push myself up and climb out of my soft, warm bed. I waddle out into the kitchen, thinking it must be Anita and Bernardo home from the dance, but find the place empty. My brows knit together in confusion. Who could be calling me?
"Y/N!?" I hear the voice call again, and this time I know it's coming from outside my bedroom window. I rush back into my room, close the door behind me, put on my flats, and climb out onto the fire escape.
"¿Quien es?" I call out nervously, my hands gripping the railing tightly as I gaze over the edge. I hear footsteps quickly approaching my building and a face is suddenly illuminated in the moonlight. I immediately recognize Riff's blue eyes, crinkling at the corners as he grins up at me. My own eyes widen in surprise, "It's you."
He nods, still smiling up at me, "It's me." He looks me up and down from below and smirks, "Can I come up?"
My cheeks flush, "Riff, Anita and Bernardo could be home any-"
"They won't be." He laughs, "Trust me, Y/N. When I left, they were still spinning around on the dance floor and having a grand old time. I'm pretty sure they're also blitzed." He hums thoughtfully.
I quirk a brow at his funny slang, "Blitzed?"
He chuckles again, "Yeah, blitzed. Bombed, blotto, plotzed, skunky. You know, like, drunk?"
Now, I laugh with him, "Oh, I see. In that case... yes. You can come up." I smile, feeling a bit shy now. Although, I've had Riff up on the fire escape before, it feels different tonight. Much more intimate and even certain.
I watch as his strong hands grip the metal railing, my heart fluttering at the sight. He begins pulling himself up, level by level, until he finally reaches my balcony. He stays hanging onto the edge, making me very uneasy, all while an infectious grin rests on his porcelain face, "Have I told you how beautiful you are tonight?" He murmurs.
I smile sheepishly and nod, "Yes, you have... Now hurry up and climb over! You're making me nervous."
He quirks a brow at me, a smug smirk replacing his smile, "Oh, am I?" When I nod, he laughs. "Don't worry about me, doll. I'm like a cat, always land on my- Woah!" He nearly slips off the balcony and I yelp, instinctively grabbing his arm. He begins laughing again and quickly hops over the railing, now standing before me, "I'm just messing with you, girly girl."
I swat his arm and huff, "That's not funny."
"That's not funny." He mocks me, standing closer now, "You only didn't laugh 'cause you didn't see the look on your face."
I roll my eyes, my arms crossed defensively, "Well, excuse me for being worried about your safety."
Riff chuckles softly and pulls me in by my hips until my body is pressed against his, "It's sweet that you are." I start feeling shy again and I just know my cheeks are a bright red. "So, why'd you run off from the dance?" He asks quietly. My mood is quickly deflated as he brings up that fiasco. When I pull away, he tsks, "That bad, huh? What happened, doll?" He sits us down on the rusty stairs, settling me onto his lap.
I sigh, "I got into a fight with Manuel. All night he wouldn't dance with me! I mean, he didn't even try! How is any of that my fault?!"
Riff rubs my hip softly, "Slow down, slow down... why exactly did you two argue?"
"Because I ran off with you." I mutter.
His eyes widen comically, "He knows?!"
Despite my slight anger, I can't help but laugh, "No, no, he doesn't. I told him I was in the bathroom. He didn't fully believe me, but he also definitely doesn't know about us. Nobody does."
Riff sighs in relief, "Alright, good. What'd you slap him for then?"
I cringe, "You saw that?"
He chuckles, "You bet I did. Me and everyone in that gym saw. I wasn't too shocked though, I already knew you had a mean right hook."
Remembering the day I had nearly punched Riff after he followed me out of Doc's makes me laugh with him, "I never got to tell you sorry for that."
"Don't be sorry." He smiles, playing with my hair gently, "It's a good memory of us."
My cheeks warm up at how close he is to me, "I'm glad you came after me, Riff." I whisper.
He grins, leaning in even more, "You mean that day or tonight?"
I roll my eyes playfully and brush a strand of hair out of his face, "Both times."
His eyes flicker down to my lips, "I'm glad I did, too."
The space between us is closed as Riff presses his lips to mine. I can feel the desperation in his body as his hands grip my hips tightly, turning my body in his lap so I'm straddling him. I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him closer to me, if that's even possible. He smiles against my lips and murmurs, "Someone's impatient."
I nearly pull away and scold him before his lips begin trailing down to my throat, making me shiver. He's very good at this.
Riff's hands move from my hips up to my ribs and I feel my chest pounding, nervous that they'll go even higher. He seems to pick up on my nerves as he pulls back from my throat slightly and whispers, "Can I... uh, grab these?"
I open my eyes and see him staring down at my chest, making me blush, "Yes."
He quirks a brow at me, "Y' sure?"
I sigh heavily and nod, "Yes, I'm sure. Just do it!"
His brows raise in surprise, a delighted grin spreading across his face, "Alright, alright, no need to shout." He kisses me again, his tongue slipping into my mouth at the same time that his hands grab my breasts, making me gasp.
He pulls back again, which frustrates me a bit, before asking, "Could we, uh, move this inside? Might be more comfortable on a bed."
I've never had a boy in my room before, besides my own brother, obviously. I glance at my bedroom window, contemplating whether to accept or not. When I look up at Riff's face again, I feel my heart jump in excitement, "Yes."
I climb off his lap and quickly grab his hand, leading him through the open window. He struggles a bit with his long legs, but ultimately makes it inside, closing the window behind him. Riff looks around my bedroom curiously and I feel a little embarrassed that I hadn't cleaned it today. He smiles softly as he walks over to my dresser, finding a photograph of me, Bernardo, and our parents when we were younger, "This is you? How old were you?"
I walk over and quickly place the picture frame face down, "I was five. Can we... get back to it?"
Riff chuckles, "I was just joking earlier when I said you were being a bit impatient, but I guess I was right-" He yelps in surprise as I pull him down onto my bed, but quickly laughs as he nestles himself between my legs, "Jeez, doll, all you had to do was ask nicely." We both squirm slightly on the pink floral quilt draped over my bed, Riff staring down at me and me staring back up at him. Neither us makes the first move for at least two minutes.
Finally, Riff leans down and presses his lips to mine again, one hand entangling itself in my hair while the other grips my waist. I help him push off his suit jacket, wanting to feel his bare arms.
I'm so lost in his kiss before I remember what I had learned earlier today. I pull away from him, my eyes narrowing, "Did you and your friends destroy the mural in the park today?"
Riff's eyes shoot open, guilt riddling his features, "So you heard about that?"
I scoff softly, propping myself up on my elbows, "Of course I did. Did you think I wouldn't?"
He sighs, running a hand through his ruffled hair, "I was going to tell you... I'm real sorry. It wasn't exactly my idea though. I prefer to fight these things out." He huffs.
I roll my eyes at that, "Fighting isn't any better."
As his cheeks flush pink, his fingers begin tracing the lace pattern on the skirt of my dress nervously, "I-I know that... I just mean, I wasn't a big fan of that scheme. I tried to talk the guys out of it, but they're stubborn. They were getting pretty suspicious of me too, so I had to drop it."
My brows pinch, "You really hurt me with that. It makes me wonder if you really..." I sigh softly and stop myself.
Riff moves closer to me, lifting my chin up, "If I really what?" He whispers, concern on his face.
"If you really like me or not." I whisper back.
He reaches his hand up to stroke my hair, "Hey, I know what me and my boys did was really messed up, but I promise you, I do like you. I like you more than I probably should." He kisses my forehead tenderly, "Do you believe me?"
When I look up into his sad eyes, I feel every bit of resentment fade away. Though I know I should be cautious, I can't seem to keep my guard up around Riff, "I do."
He smiles softly and kisses me again and again, "And do you forgive me?"
I pull back, my lips pursed, "I don't know about that yet."
"I'll make it up to you, then." He hums, twirling a strand of my hair around his index and middle fingers.
I laugh softly, "How will you do that?"
"You'll see." He leans in and we kiss again, my lips are starting to feel a little numb. He lays me back down gently on the mattress, his hands moving from my hair down to my thighs.
My body feels tingly and warm beneath Riff's touch, making me want even more. His tongue dances in my mouth as his hands move under the hem of my dress.
"Y/N, we're home!" I hear Bernardo call from the kitchen.
My eyes shoot open in shock, but Riff doesn't seem to mind Nardo and Anita's sudden appearance. I quickly push him off of me and drag him off my bed to the window.
"You have to go now!" I whisper urgently to him.
He chuckles, whispering, "Could I at least have my jacket first, girly girl?" I quickly grab his suit jacket off my bedroom floor, shove it in his arms, and help him out my window, "Jeez, you really know how to make a guy feel special, huh, Y/N?"
"Please, Riff! I'll talk to you tomorrow, I swear!" I say as we stand out on the balcony.
Riff grins down at me, stroking my hair, "Tomorrow? Deal."
I smile back at him and step onto my tiptoes, planting a kiss on his cheek, "Buenas noches."
He quirks a brow at me, "What's that mean?"
I laugh softly at him, "Goodnight."
"Oh. Goodnight, Y/N." He whispers with a sheepish laugh. Before climbing down the fire escape, Riff quickly presses a kiss to my lips, making me beam.
"Wait!" I whisper as he begins to climb down. He quickly comes back up, "What time?"
He hums, "Two o'clock work for you?"
I smile brightly and nod, feeling incredibly grateful that tomorrow is my day off from work. Riff grins back at me, "Alrighty. See ya tomorrow, girly girl. Oh! And by the way, you dropped this.” He hands me back the red ribbon I had in my hair, making my cheeks flush.
“Thank you.” I murmur, my voice barely above a whisper. He just smiles at me.
I watch as Riff climbs down the fire escape back onto the pavement and walks away from my apartment building. I go back inside my bedroom when he's gone, stripping off my dress and changing into a nightgown.
I tiptoe over to my bedroom door and creak it open ever so slightly, making sure the coast is clear. Hearing Anita and Nardo in their bedroom, I scurry into the bathroom to get ready for bed. I do my usual routine of brushing my teeth, washing my face, and brushing my hair, but this time, Riff is all I can think about.
After I'm finished, I traipse back into my bedroom, shut the door behind me gently, and climb into my bed. Riff was just here with me moments ago and I already wish he wouldn't have gone. Of course, I had made him go, but that didn't mean I couldn't miss him.
I snuggle beneath my quilt and knitted blanket, Riff's scent still lingering on them, which helps me fall asleep almost instantly.
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The next morning, I awaken to the sound of busy chatter in the kitchen. Rubbing my tired eyes, I toss my blankets off my body and climb out of bed. I put on my slippers and robe before shuffling out into the kitchen, finding Nardo, Anita, Rosalía, Sebas, Braulio, and Francisca chatting fervently over coffee.
"Ah, ¡buenos días, Y/N!" Francisca cheers as she spots me trying to rush into the bathroom, making everyone else look at me.
I smile meekly, "Buenos días..."
“Buenos días, Y/N.” Everyone replies back, almost in complete unison.
"Come sit with us, pollita." Nardo motions, getting up from his chair, so I can sit down. I join Anita, Rosalía, and Francisca at the table while Bernardo, Sebas, and Braulio start making breakfast for all of us.
Rosalía leans in close to me and whispers, "¿Qué pasó anoche, amiga? Parecías bien enojada con Manuel."
My cheeks flush in embarrassment at the mention of my fight with Manuel from last night, flashes of me slapping him play in my head, but Anita quickly diffuses the conversation for me.
"Y/N was just tired last night. She always gets cranky like that when she needs sleep. Isn't that right, pollita?" She hums, giving me a look that only I can understand, which translates to: I’m clearly suspicious of you too, but I’ll deal with you later when it's just us.
I nod quickly, "Sí, eso es. Estaba bien cansada anoche." I murmur. Francisca and Rosalía hum in understanding, seemingly convinced by my and Anita's phony explanation.
Braulio, Sebas, and Nardo finish cooking up breakfast, serving Francisca, Rosalía, Anita, and I fresh, hot plates of arroz con gandules, with a fried egg and maduros on the side. The boys sit their girls on their laps and we all begin eating at the dining table. Everyone hums in delight as the rich flavors of the meal burst in our mouths. I especially love meals like these since there's hardly any time to cook anything besides eggs on the weekdays with work and all.
Nardo eyes me from across the table as we eat, the same suspicion in his features that Anita had. It makes me nervous, panicking that somehow the two of them know about Riff and I, but I don't let it show. As far as they’re concerned, my only boy troubles are with Manuel.
Once we all finish eating breakfast, everyone washes their dish and helps clean up the kitchen, chatting all the while, of course. Afterwards, Sebas, Rosalía, Francisca, and Braulio say their goodbyes and leave our apartment, leaving me alone with Anita and Bernardo. They turn to face me at the same time.
Anita speaks first, hands on her hips, "¿Qué pasó anoche, Y/N? I told you to apologize to Manuel, not to slap him in front of everyone!" She sighs.
"Well, I did apologize, but then he went and called me dramatic for being upset because he wouldn't even try to dance with me!" I scoff defensively, my arms crossed.
Nardo grabs my shoulders and sits me down at the dining table, clearly trying to calm me down, "Pollita, no te pongas de malas. Just bake up something nice for Manuel, go down to his family's bakery, and apologize. Again."
My brows pinch. I was not going to apologize to him again. If anything, he should be apologizing to me! I know it's immature, but I'm not letting this slide. I had been excited about the dance for weeks and Bernardo decided to pick his only friend that doesn't dance. Both Nardo and Manuel owe me an apology.
I cross my arms and pout my lips, making both Anita and Bernardo sigh, "Pollita, don't start with that face. Ya no eres una bebé." Nardo scolds, making me laugh in disbelief.
"Oh! How convenient that now you want to treat me like an adult when you were the one who wouldn't even let me pick my own date for the dance!" I shoot back, making his cheeks flush.
"That's different and you know it!" He argues and I can tell he's trying to act more mature than he is.
Anita rolls her eyes, "Would the two of you please stop fighting? You're both in the wrong, how about that?" She hums.
I huff softly, "Fine." I get up from the table and push in my chair, "I'm going out today."
With that, I hurry off into the bathroom, not even giving them a chance to question me. I'm not going to let this argument ruin my plans with Riff today. I brush my teeth, wash my face, brush my hair, then rush back into my bedroom to get dressed. I browse through my dress rack, picking a pale yellow one that was good for hot weather. I take off my nightgown, slide the dress on over my slip, then focus on fixing up my hair and even doing some makeup. I grab all of my hair to the side and begin braiding it, remembering my mother's voice as I do so.
"Así va, muñequita. Primero, está parte va en el medio, luego está parte va encima y está parte por el ultimo. Luego repite."
Once I'm done, I tie up the braid with a green ribbon, then rush to my vanity. I dab on some lipstick, a bit of blush, mascara, and even a little eyeliner. I want to look nice after all. I put on my purse and my flats, then head out to the kitchen again.
Nardo must have gone into the bathroom because Anita is alone in the living room, sewing up a linen napkin. She looks up from her work, then eyed me up and down, "Where are you going dressed up so nice?"
"Sólo voy al mercado." I murmur, toying with my purse strap nervously.
Anita narrows her eyes suspiciously at me, "¿Para qué? We don't need anything."
I nod, forcing a smile, "I know, I'm just going to look around. Maybe buy some fruit or something."
She hums, working on her napkin again, "And you're going alone?"
"Yes..." I say softly, Riff's face flashing in my mind.
"You really need to make friends, nena." She tsks, "It's not good for you to always be going off on your own. There are plenty of nice girls your age that work at the dress shop."
I roll my eyes, holding back the exaggerated sigh that desperately wants to slip past my lips, "Ya lo sé. I'll be back in a few hours."
She nods, her voice eerily smooth and calm, "Ok... don't get into any trouble, Y/N."
I open the front door, my cheeks burning at her seemingly pointed comment, "I won't."
I quickly head out and close the door behind me. Even now that she can't see me, I can still feel Anita's eyes on me.
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truly never getting over the greatest loss streaming services caused: the disappearance of DVD special features. behind the scenes, bloopers, deleted scenes, commentaries, I will never forget you, I will never stop missing you.
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