valcntincs:
valentina’s no stranger to lengthy nights spent in the musty and low-lit atmosphere of perdition – in fact, in the months she’s been with parker, it’s easily become one of her favorite places. if not for the jarringly noisy music that leaves her eardrums ringing for hours afterwards, for the way parker holds it so near and dear to his heart. ( he doesn’t have to tell her that it’s the truth – after what seemed like a lifetime of midnights occupying the sheets in his apartment, studying his features under the moonlight as he slept, she knew him like the back of her hand. ) her touch now was tender, as it always is when it comes to him, as she meticulously rid him of the rusty colored liquid staining his smooth complexion. the paper towel was limp and not as efficient as her normal tools, but in a rush to make sure she had arrived at the venue promptly on time, unwilling to miss even a fleeting glimpse of her boyfriend, val had ditched her typical purse ( which was consistently stockpiled with a washcloth, makeup remover wipes, and tissues just for this very purpose ) back at parker’s flat. it would be just her luck, of course, that her date would choose tonight of all nights to get into a ( pointless, if you asked val ) tussle with yet another grimy, intoxicated, and handsy bar bastard. she’d be fibbing if she said parker’s attempts to pummel the living hell out of anyone who hurt her wasn’t flattering, but his habit of throwing fists always ended in the all too familar deep sense of guilt prodding at valentina’s intestines, somehow worried that she was consistently the cause for the collection of minor injuries he obtained. at his question, valentina managed to crack the tiniest of grins: was she okay? he’s the one who just broke a stranger’s nose with his bare fist. “of course i’m okay, but jesus, babe, your bandmates are gonna loathe me. you’ve gotta go on soon and you have this asshole’s blood all over you. i should start charging you for my cleaning services,” her tone was teasing and her comment paired with a playful wink. for some, the barely-big-enough-for-the-two-of-them bathroom would have felt claustrophobic, but the close quarters was part of the reason that the brunette was taking her sweet old time in tidying things up. there was something about riley that infatuated her over and over again, though the ’honeymoon phase’ should most definitely have lost its luster by now. he provided her with an adrenaline rush that put even the most intense of rollercoasters to shame, leaving her mind whirling and her heart pounding audibly with just a glance her way and a curve of that signature smirk. even now, the more she crowded into his personal space to clear his jawline of the thick fluid that had cemented itself in place, the more her vision clouded – she was utterly overwhelmed by the warmth radiating off of his figure and the very distinctive scent of him. “i spend more time cleaning shit off of you than doing anything else in my entire life,” she broke the silence with a shake of her mahogany curls, blinking away her stupor and recomposing herself, speaking more to fill the empty gap and to hear his voice than anything else. “you’re lucky i love your dumb ass.”
the notion that his bandmates would have any reaction whatsoever to the sight of him sporting fresh bruises and covered in blood of unknown origins earned a chuckle from parker, fondness undeniably present in gaze despite the feeble, flickering fluorescent light hanging precariously above their heads. val looks beautiful beneath the murky yellow glow, ethereal like smoke but her presence is stronger than even the thick gray fumes of a cigarette. she’s the nancy to his sid, the courtney to his kurt ( though parker has this wonderful feeling that they’ll have a much happier ending than their predecessors ). still, regardless of his certainly and how he could hear her perfectly thanks to their close proximity, parker was stunned by her confession for a moment, shoulders visibly shifting and one brow quirking at her. “you do?” the smile first tugged at only one corner of his lips, expression resembling his signature crooked smirk more than anything else before softening into something more personal, meant just for the wild girl he’d never even expected to meet let alone to fall for like he has. he hadn’t anticipated her, yet she appeared one night in this very club of all places and parker is quite certain that he hasn’t been the same since; maybe nothing has. it’s been nearly ten months since that one evening and now they’re back here for the umpteenth time since then, closer than ever and with parker’s heart beating madly inside his chest. he doesn’t need to peer through the curtain of valentina’s mahogany tresses seeking a spark of sincerity in her gaze or lips pressed into a firm line for validation that the words spoken so offhandedly and in a lighthearted tone held more purpose than simply being a very typical jest from his girlfriend. after all, he’d becoming quite familiar with valentina along with growing so extraordinarily fond of her. the breath he let out was reminiscent of a laugh, quiet but audible as his lips continued to curve upwards. he wasn’t sure how many moments had passed since she’d muttered those words and he’d responded so spryly, but it had to have only been one or two. there was another reply due, one that sounded much more certain than his question which had been accompanied by an arched brow, expression caught somewhere between playful and genuinely curious. ( there was also an undeniable glimmer of hope in his blue eyes, try as parker might to brush it off, claiming curiosity or amusement. ) he let another another laugh, dropping his head and parting his lips, preparing to finally say those words he didn’t even have to thing about telling her because nothing had felt more right or good than the idea that he lo — slam! parker’s eyes went wide for a moment, head turning towards the bathroom door which had been so roughly shoved open by rabid porcupine’s harried drummer, who brusquely informed him that they were on in just a few minutes which the crowd was really hyped about. blinking hard, parker’s gaze met valentina’s for a just a moment before he was nodding at the drummer and placing a hand at the small of his girlfriend’s back, leading her out of the bathroom and back into the noisy crowded club. “i’ll be right back,” he told her before stepping away. the promise in his words and the intensity with which he held her gaze someone else spoke to him and he finally turned his head while absentmindedly grabbing his guitar ( another cheap flea market purchase that he might just smash up tonight, depending on if he’s feeling like it ) was probably even telling for someone who didn’t actually know parker. without any doubt, there was something he ardently needed to say.
