Pairing: Daniel (Wing Pit SNL sketch character) x Female Reader
Word Count: 4,437
Rating: M - There's some swearing and a teeny tiny little bit of spice, but nothing truly explicit.
Summary: Spending Super Bowl Sunday with Daniel is starting to become routine ... but this year, the outcome's not the same.
Author’s note:
Here we are again with yet another 'Chiefs are in the Super Bowl' piece ... but at least I got to write a different outcome this time. I really love this pairing, and this story is kind of a nice break in the action for me when it comes to the other stuff I've been working on. VERY low stakes, here.
The masterlist for this pairing can be found here in case you need or want to catch up. Enjoy, and thanks for reading!
You’d never seen Daniel as irritated during as game as he was that night.
He was still interacting with the other people at the party - cracking jokes and enjoying the food, making it a point to comment on the commercials. But that look in his eyes… it’s… You sighed from where you were perched on a couch cushion a few feet away from where he sat, watching as he winced at another dropped pass.
“Daniel.” You called out to him, waiting until he’d looked over at you to continue. “Want to go get something to drink?” He looked again at he TV and wrinkled his nose, but then stood and nodded. You walked with him toward the kitchen, bypassing a few others that were grouped around the dining room table.
Once you were in the kitchen, where another small TV on the counter had the game playing with no volume, you stopped and turned toward him. “So -”
“This game is bullshit.” He reached for the charcuterie board, picking up a couple of cubes of cheese and popping them into his mouth. “They’re playing like shit. Mahomes looks like shit. It’s making me not give a shit. And I don’t think anyone else on the damn team could catch a pass if -”
“It’s just a game.” You reached for a different tray, picking up one of the appetizers you’d brought. “Just a single football -”
His eyes widened and for a few seconds, you felt bad for teasing him. He loves football. And he loves his team, and it sucks to watch your team lose. “Just a game?” He scoffed, crossing his arms over the front of his jersey. “Only the biggest game of the -”
“I’m aware.” You chewed, tilting your head to the side. “I do know what the Super Bowl is, Daniel. I happen to like football, and -” He rolled his eyes but your teasing did the trick. Daniel moved toward you, putting his arm around your shoulders and drawing you closer so that he could kiss the top of your head. “It’s just a little unnerving to see you anxious after a whole season of just about everything going your team’s way, even when it shouldn’t have.”
“Cut the shit.” He kissed you again and then pushed you away gently, the smile set on his lips. “You’ve seen me like this plenty of times over games.” But not recently. “And the refs favoring the Chiefs is also bu-”
“Absolutely accurate?” Your friend Charlie walked in, heading straight for the fridge. “It seems like if anyone even breathes in Mahomes’ direction, there’s a 15 yard penalty called on ‘em.” Daniel grumbled but didn’t speak up, leaning back against the edge of the counter. “Not tonight, though.” He turned from the refrigerator, holding up a beer bottle. “And maybe that’s making a difference.”
“Can’t argue with that logic.” You cleared your throat. “I saw a post on -” Daniel groaned, reaching up to pull his hat off so that he could run a hand over his face, making both you and Charlie laugh. “I’m just saying….”
“I’m going to go and watch the rest of this game now.” Daniel resituated his hat, scowling at his friend and then you before his expression relaxed into a more easygoing one. “Are you coming, or are the two of you going to stay in here and talk more shit?”
“Oh I’m coming with you.” You reached for a small plate, loading it up with snacks before you held it up. “And this time I’m going to sit next to you instead of watching you from the comfort of the other -” He rolled his eyes but was smiling, and as you walked back out into the main room, you felt his hand against the center of your back.
You settled back in, thigh pressed against his, and Daniel’s arm went around your shoulders, urging you closer. “I’m not moving til after the second quarter now.” He pointed at the TV. “And by then, it’ll be more even.” You seriously doubted that, but didn’t voice your opinion out loud, instead just leaning against him and keeping your eyes on the screen.
You couldn’t believe that it was the third year you were spending watching the game with Daniel - and the second as his girlfriend. It seemed like no time at all since you’d run into him in the beer cave, but the months you’d spent with him had been almost perfect, which had probably helped time pass rapidly. Turning your head during a commercial break, you eyed him, watching as he grinned at one of the ads, a beer bottle paused halfway to his lips.
Meeting him had been a lucky thing, and despite the rift between you during the football season, there hadn’t been any other real issues in your relationship. And I’m not used to that. You smiled as he made a joke with Charlie, Will and Kyra, pointing at the TV. I’m damn lucky.
From almost he minute you’d met him, there’d been a connection between you, and over the weeks you’d spent getting to know him, that connection had grown. By the time you’d made things official, it was like you’d known each other for years, and the longer you were together, the more you felt that way. He’d seamlessly integrated himself into your life and you into his, and you couldn’t picture a day without him. Or Raider. Smiling at the thought of the dog, who was waiting at home for you, you settled back in as the game restarted.
The second quarter didn’t go much better for the Chiefs, and even though the majority of the room was upset by it, Daniel seemed the most put out, his jaw locked and his eyes narrowed as he stared straight ahead at the TV. “At least the halftime show is going to be great.” You nudged him with your elbow, Daniel finally looking over at you. “What’s that look for?”
“How are you always in such a good mood during the game?” He gestured to the TV. “It’s like you don’t care what the score is no matter who is playing, and -”
“I don’t.” You shrugged. “It’s a game. Who wins is irrelevant, unless you’ve got money on the outcome, which - to my knowledge - neither of us do this year.” We didn’t bet anything, I just realized. He nodded, cocking his head to one side. “I watch for the commercials. I watch because spending time with our friends is …” You gestured at the people scattered around you. “Nice. It’s a game, D. And I like seeing you happy when your team is winning, but …” You wrinkled your nose and decided to give him a little bit of shit. “A healthy dose of humbling is good for even the mightiest of -”
He swore at you, leaning forward and wrapping his arms around you before he pressed a kiss to the side of your head. “It’s just frustrating because I know they’re actually good.” I know it is.
You both went quiet as the analysis ended and the actual show began, a few people in the room nodding their heads to the music throughout the entirety of the performance. Daniel kept you close, his arm around your shoulders and your head resting on his shoulder as you watched the TV screen together.
Once the music ended, everyone scattered, the room clearing out as people refilled their food and drinks before the second half started. “Do you want to go, too?” You pointed at the kitchen. “Plenty of food left, and -”
“No.” He smiled, his expression soft. “I’m good where I am.” Daniel pulled his hat off, setting it on the arm of the couch before reaching for you with one hand. “C’mere.” You went willingly, smiling as he kissed you, though he didn’t push for more than a press of his lips to yours. Neither of you were phased by being open with your affection, but you were very aware of the fact that here were fifteen other people in the house, all of them filtering in and out of the room. “More of that later,” Daniel murmured when you broke apart, tweaking your chin with his thumb and forefinger. “You’re gonna have to keep my mind off of this loss.”
That made you laugh. “Admitting defeat so soon?” You stood, putting your hands on your hips. “There’s still half a game left.” He rolled his eyes. “What?”
“They’d need to make a hell of a lot of changes in the second half just to give themselves a shot at catching up.” He waved his hand at the TV. “And I can’t see that happening.” You leaned closer, bending down and kissing his cheek.
“Well, you’re about to see me going back into that kitchen and getting you another beer and another plate of wings.” His smile widened as you spoke, and you waved him off when he told you you didn’t need to. “Nah. I want to.” Winking, you turned away from him, weaving through guests and into the other room.
It only took you a few minutes to get a plate for Daniel and a smaller one for yourself, balancing them in one hand as you carried two bottles with the other. You paused in the doorway before heading back to where he sat, leaning against the frame and watching as Daniel leaned forward, attention glued to the screen.
“You’re going to have to distract the shit out of him after this.” Kyra whispered into your ear, pointing at Daniel with one finger. “They’re not coming back to win this one.”
“I know.” You sighed. “I just hope I’m enough to keep his mind off the fact that his favorite team is embarrassing themselves on a national stage right now.” Kyra laughed and then lowered her head, still smiling.
“I believe in you.” She switched her attention from Daniel to her husband, chewing on her lower lip. “But honestly, I might have to pretend to be distraught over the outcome and see if Will’s willing to try the same thing with me.” That made you snort, and when you separated a few seconds later, you were still smiling.
He took the bottles from your hand when you got close, and then Daniel reached for the plates, too, holding them both while you got settled in next to him. “You didn’t miss much.” He picked up a wing, using it to gesture at the TV. “Except me making the point that I could probably go out there tonight and be a more effective QB than Mahomes, and -”
“Don’t we have this conversation at least once a game?” You wrinkled your nose at him. “Or at least once a game when they’re not playing up to your standards?”
“Maybe.” He rolled his eyes, biting into the chicken. “But tonight I actually mean it.” You bit back a laugh at that and then started eating, too, keeping your eyes on the TV.
The third quarter was largely uneventful, until most of the way through it.
The Chiefs fans in the room grew more and more frustrated as the clock ticked down, and when the Eagles scored another field goal, Daniel pulled his hat off and covered his face with it, groaning into the fabric. You heard him grumble the word unbelievable before he lowered it, but when he turned his head toward you, there was a genuine smile on his lips. “What?”
“It’s almost baseball season.” That made you laugh, too, and some of the other people in the room joined in. He’s not wrong. “Completely stress free time of year for me. Six months of sports that I can just watch and enjoy and -”
“I’m calling bullshit on that.” Charlie cut in, using a beer bottle to point at Daniel. “I’ve seen you agonizing over your Fantasy Baseball team at work. Maybe it’s less stressful than football season, but -”
“Thank you, Charlie.” You lifted your hand and put it against your chest. “I can’t even count the number of times I’ve heard “oh, do you think Bryce has a good shot against this pitcher?” and “he’s on a hot streak right now, maybe I should trade for him and get rid of the guy that’s slumping” or even “who would you start? I don’t really care this week so you fucking pick.” It has got to be in the hundreds, so -”
“Now you’re just ganging up on me.” Daniel flipped a middle finger at you and his friend, but you could tell he was trying not to grin behind it. “I see how it is. I’m just going to - oh, fucking bullshit!” His attention went back to the TV, where the Eagles had just returned a kick for a touchdown, making the score 34-0. Ouch. “This is just painful at this point.”
You agreed - and even though you’d gone into it hoping for an Eagles upset, you’d wanted it to at least resemble a competitive game. Because this is a blowout and that’s not fun. “And the commercials aren’t even good enough to make up for it, either.”
“They’re not.” Daniel ran his fingers through his hair. “That Dunkin’ one was the only -” His eyes widened and he pointed at the TV, lips parted. “Holy shit, I think they’re going to put points on the board.”
A few people in the room cheered as the play was completed, and you heard Daniel mutter something to the effect of six lousy points while he focused on the TV. No one reacted when the two point conversion was missed, though. That doesn’t surprise me with the way things have been going. You sighed as the clock ran down, but instead of keeping your eyes on the TV, you pulled your phone out, clicking on the list of alerts you’d received since the beginning of the night.
You’d posted a photo of you, Daniel and Raider before leaving his house, the dog’s football bandana clearly visible, even though your arms were around his neck. And unlike the present, Daniel’s smile was wide and bright, his hair messy from air drying after the shower you’d taken together just before. “You don’t have to look at a picture of me, I’m right here.” He nudged you with his elbow, lifting a brow. “Raider’s going to be so happy to see us when we get back.”
“Yeah, but in the picture, you’re smiling.” He rolled his eyes, but didn’t look away. “And he is. I’m sure he’s going to want to play, since we left him alone all night.” Daniel laughed quietly, reaching over with one had to slide his fingers between yours. “Everyone’s commenting that they’re sorry you don’t have a more competitive game to watch.”
It wasn’t a lie - most of the comments on the picture were apologetic in nature, since all of your family and friends knew Daniel’s team preferences. But there are a couple he won’t be so happy to read. “Yeah, I’m sorry too.” He rubbed at his eyes. “Whatever. It is what it is.”
You wanted to believe him, and you thought he wanted to believe himself, too, but you didn’t miss the tightness in his jaw as Philadelphia scored again - and then again almost immediately after.
And you definitely didn’t miss the way he took his hat off and flipped it inside out before putting it on backwards, the brim pointed downward and at his shoulders. Rally cap when they’re down by 34 with eight minutes to go? OK, I guess.
But there was no denying that you liked the way he looked. He rarely wore his hats backwards, and even though you knew he’d hate seeing it later, you snapped a picture of him, wanting to be able to look at it as often as you chose to. Maybe I can convince him to wear a hat like that more often. He leaned forward, hands between his knees, entirely focused on the remaining minutes of the game - and instead of watching the TV, you focused on him, lips twitching as you held back a smile.
“Well fuck.” He grinned a few minutes later, the expression lifting both cheeks. “They scored again.” It was too little, too late, even with the extra points, and so was the final scoring play of the game, a meaningless touchdown and another 2 point conversion. “Well.” He sighed as the game ended, the celebrations beginning on he screen. “At least they didn’t completely embarrass themselves and score zero points the entire game.”
You didn’t agree with that assessment, but chose not to speak up about it - for Daniel’s sake. “I’m sorry your team lost.” You bit the inside of your lip. “That’s the first time I’ve said that to you during a Super Bowl in the entire time I’ve known you.” He laughed, pushing to his feet and then turning to face you, holding both hands out.
“Let’s hope it’s the last.” He helped you up, and then you both focused on cleaning up your space, carrying everything into the kitchen and the trash cans. It didn’t take you long to get your things together, but by the time you were saying goodnight, to-go containers of food and leftover drinks in bags that hung over your arms, the kitchen was mostly cleaned up - and you’d been told that you didn’t need to stick around to help finish.
That was fine with you, since you’d offered to drive home, and even though it wasn’t late, it was late enough that you were ready to go. He stopped you before you stepped around the front of the car, Daniel’s fingers closing around your arm. “What?” He didn’t reply, just let his eyes move over your face, lingering on your lips. I know that look. “Daniel?”
“I know it’s just a game.” He pulled you closer, his free hand moving to your hip. “But thank you for … humoring me?” He frowned. “That’s not even the right word for it.”
“I get it.” Reaching up, you pulled his hat off and then dragged your fingers through his hair, nodding. “It sucks when your team loses.” He sighed, the sound making you smile. “But… it gives me a chance to take your mind off of it, right?” That did the trick, Daniel’s eyes widening in the glow of the streetlights. Knew it. “We’ll see if I can figure something out.”
“Oh, I know you can.” He smirked at you, narrowing his eyes as he got closer. “You’re really good at it.” He cut off your chuckle with a kiss, Daniel’s lips warm against yours. Unlike inside, where you’d had to worry about an audience while you kissed, there was no one outside with you - and you took advantage of it.
You nipped at his lip, teeth catching on the fullest part of it, and that was all he needed. Daniel spun the two of you around so that your back was pressed against the car door, his body holding yours in place. It reminded you of the first night you’d met, even if the current kiss was much less PG, and you knew that he was likely thinking the same thing. We usually are.
You smiled into it, lips parted, and when you felt his tongue nudge yours, you sighed, arms going around his neck. I’m so glad we met. I’m so glad -
“Can’t you two get a room or something?” Kyra. You hummed at the interruption, but Daniel didn’t back away immediately, instead finishing the kiss and then pressing another quick one against your mouth before turning his head.
“Go away. She’s trying to take my mind off of the crushing loss my team just -”
“Don’t care.” She laughed, the lights on her and Will’s car flashing as she unlocked it. “Also it’s fucking cold out. Wouldn’t you rather be somewhere warm?” You didn’t disagree, and neither did Daniel, his grumble loud enough for your friends to hear. “I’m right. Don’t give me shit, Harper.”
“Fine. But only because you asked so nicely.” You pushed away from the car and ducked under Daniel’s arm, flipping your middle finger at your friend and her husband. “Drive safe, you two.” They assured you that they would, and only moments later, you and Daniel were in his car, waiting for it to warm up a little before you pulled away from the curb. “She wasn’t wrong, you know.” You looked over at him, watching as Daniel turned his head toward you. “I will be happy to be inside with you.”
He grinned, holding both hands out to gesture at the windshield. “Well then, what are we waiting for?”
—
Less than an hour later, the two of you were headed into his bedroom.
He’d ripped off his jersey the second you’d walked in the front door, tossing it - and his hat - onto the couch before he’d even kicked off his shoes. You’d gone through your routine - letting Raider out, putting the leftovers away and getting things ready for the following morning - before changing into pajamas.
But it hadn’t taken long for the two of you to finish everything, and when Daniel’s hands found your waist and turned you toward the comfort of his bed, you didn’t try to deter him. Raider didn’t follow; instead, the dog curled up on his bed in the dining room, eyeing you as you passed by. Night, buddy.
“Want to go out for dinner tomorrow?” He moved his hand up the center of your back, voice low. “Or do you have other plans?”
“I’ll have to check my schedule.” Turning to face him, you sat on the edge of the bed. “I don’t know what my other boyfriend is -” He climbed in on he other side and then reached for you, pulling you down beside him. “Yes, I’ll go to dinner with you.” You replied through a laugh, rolling on your side to face him as he pulled he spare comforter over both of you. “Where?”
“Don’t care.” He inched closer, mouth trailing over your cheek and then landing against yours. “You pick.” I always get to pick. “Hey.” He said your name, following it up with a sigh. “I’m sorry about earlier.” Daniel closed his eyes. “With the game, I mean. It was -”
“Why are you apologizing?” You used two fingertips to push hair away from his forehead. “Your team was losing by a lot. You’re not used to that, and you’re competitive. Half of the people at that party were upset, too.”
“But it’s just a game.” He shrugged, his hand sliding down your body and settling against your hip. “And I’m a grown-ass man, and -”
“Debatable.” You winked at him, your hand moving to rest atop his cheek. “But honestly, Daniel? That one guy who works with Kyra was a hell of a lot more annoying about it than you were. I’ve never seen someone typing so hard on their phone before.”
“He lost like $500 on the game.” Daniel winced. “I talked to him in the kitchen about it.” That’ll do it. “Thought about suggesting that next time, he do something like we did last year and make a non-monetary bet, but I figured he’d deck me.” That made you snort, but you nodded in agreement. “Which reminds me. We didn’t bet anything this year either.”
“It took you until August to use your third freebie, Daniel.” You shifted on the mattress, lifting one foot and sliding it over his calf. “Not that I’m complaining, but …” His eyes widened as you brought it up, the tip of your tongue darting out to wet your lips. I definitely wasn’t complaining while we ditched work for a long weekend together for it. “If you wanted to make a bet, you should have said something.”
“You would have won this year.” He pushed his hand beneath your shirt, the warmth of his palm comforting. “For the first time.”
“No. That’s not true.” It was your turn to lean in, brushing the end of his nose with yours. “We both won that first year with the squares. Last year was a fluke.” He scoffed, turning his head enough that he could brush his lips against yours. “And this year? Yeah, I guess you’re right. It would have been a resounding win for me.”
He rolled forward again, trapping you beneath the weight of his body as he kissed you. But you were both grinning when it ended, Daniel bracing himself with one hand so that he could look down at where you laid. “What would you have bet?”
“A new jersey.” You answered immediately, arching a brow. “Because obviously your current one isn’t as lucky as you think it is. You could pick a number and personalize the name instead of wearing Mah-”
“Done.” He ducked down, kissing you again. “I’ll order it tomorrow.” Really? “You mentioned it last year and I just couldn’t do it, but now I feel like I’ve gotta.”
“A fresh start for next season.” He nodded, a serious expression on his face despite the topic of conversation. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I’m pretty sure you promised me that you’d distract me when we got home.” I did. “And I don’t think that you meant talking about a new -”
“I definitely did not.” Your hand went to his waist, fingers sliding between his sweatpants and skin and then down, curving around him and urging his hips against yours. “The last thing I want to talk about right now is football.” He smirked at you, his lips twitching. “How’s that sound?”
“Perfect.” He moved, positioning himself so that he could straddle one leg, and then Daniel sat up, pulling his shirt off and letting it fall onto the ground beside the bed. You stared up at him for a few seconds before reaching up to trail your fingers over the skin of his abdomen, thumb rubbing against the dark trail of hair there. “Hey.” He reached down, catching one of your hands and then bringing it up to kiss your knuckles.”I know you said no football, but …” Daniel wet his lips, eyes locked with yours. “I hope that we can make this … and watching together?” You nodded, unsure of where he was going. “Hope we can make it tradition for a long time.”
“Three years isn’t enough?” He didn’t start speaking until he’d leaned closer, his head shaking back and forth as he sought your lips out for another kiss.
Edit: this is still unlisted on YouTube so there’s a good chance it will get taken down or the link will break at some point in the near future. Enjoy it while you can!
Rating: M; language, sexual content, innuendo, mentions of drug use, emotional manipulation
This combines two requests: @bport76 wanted Baby It’s Cold Outside Frankie and Reader and had no real directional request, and an Anon ask wanted BiCO Frankie and Reader having a dinner date. It’s longer than the others - but consider it 2 pieces in one and enjoy.
I’ve missed these two. And I can’t wait for the day that I can write something that’s pure fluff for them - but unfortunately, their first Valentine’s Day isn’t it. It’s still got some fluff and a whole lot of lightheartnedness, but Frankie is Frankie (and we love him for it.) *all places in this story are real and can be googled.
Also, please picture Frankie in the below outfit during dinner. (you’re welcome)
(image from pedro-pascal.com)
“Pack for a couple days by the beach. I’ll see you in two hours.”
His words echoed in your head as you stood in front of your closet, eyes scanning your clothes. He’d said nothing more - and nothing less, leaning in to press a quick kiss to your cheek before stepping through the doors of the break room at the store and heading for his truck, leaving you to finish the final 45 minutes of your shift.
Rating: I'm going to go with an M. This is a heavy chapter with very heavy themes. Included: violence, blood, gore, injury, death.
Summary: Waiting at the RV for Tom gives you a chance to focus on every possible thing that might happen.
And when things come to a head, it all moves so much more quickly than you anticipate - but hey, at least you finally get some answers... right?
Author’s note:
It's the February full moon tonight, so what better day than to post this chapter? I've been looking forward to this one for a long time. There's only a little more to go in this story - the end of it is so close I can SEE it. Thank you so much for reading along up to this point, I hope you enjoy this one.
Masterlist (for the journal entries and all of the other 'extras' + previous chapters)
“It’s after midnight, Benny.” You checked your phone with one hand, the fingers of the other buried in the fur on the back of Frankie’s neck. “He’s just fucking with us now.” Frankie sighed, looking up at you from where his head rested in your lap. “Maybe he’s not coming. Maybe it was all just to put us on edge.”
“Nah, it was a threat.” Benny stood, stretching both arms above his head. “This ends tonight one way or the other.” He began to pace in front of you, hands sliding into his pockets. “I’m guessing he couldn’t figure out how to get outta that conference early and had to cut it real close with making it back here before sundown.” Benny stopped moving, scanning the treeline. “He wouldn’t be able to sneak up on us. Not with ‘Fish’s nose, so he’d need to figure something else out.” Frankie whined at that but didn’t make any attempt to get up.
When, after an hour or so had passed and Tom hadn’t shown his face, you stood to stretch your legs and do a lap around the clearing, Frankie had immediately followed, walking beside you - and between you and the treeline. And when you’d chosen to fold the blanket up and sit on it instead of getting back into your chair, he’d dropped down beside you, turning his head to rest it on your knee.
Neither of you had moved after, and you would have been lying if you’d said that having him so close while a wolf wasn’t comforting. When Benny had excused himself to use the bathroom, leaving you and Frankie in the quiet darkness, you’d started to pet the wolf, fingers stroking along the top of his head. It soothed you, and when you started talking quietly, you hoped your words did the same for him.
“It’s got to be killing you not to run.” You took a deep breath. “But you’re saving your energy. And Tom won’t be able to do that.” He whined again in response, the sound quick. “I’m glad you’re here with me. I’m glad you trust me to do this.” Bending forward, you kissed him between the ears. “You really are beautiful this way, Francisco. I hope you know that.” You sat up, the sound of the RV door opening again drawing your attention - and breaking the moment. “Have you heard from anyone else, Benny? Pope or Will or Yova?”
“No. All quiet. I think they’re waiting to hear from me.” He crouched down in front of you, clearing his throat. “Maybe you want to take another look around, hmm? Go out a couple yards into the trees and do a circle around us?” Frankie raised his head, staring at his friend. “Can’t hurt, right?”
To your surprise, Frankie stood and stretched, turning back to look at you - and then opened his mouth, extending his tongue to lick the side of your face. It made you laugh, but before you could say anything, he was trotting away from you and back toward the trees, head held high.
“It’s weird tonight.” You both watched as he disappeared into the night, leaving you behind. “Last time, when Tom showed up, the bugs and animals went quiet. Tonight, they’re already quiet because Frankie’s here.”
“I don’t know what the fuck we’re going to do if he doesn’t show up.” Benny whispered the words, purposely trying to keep his voice down. “I figured he’d be here by now.” Me too. “Will’s wife is safe, she’s in the city. And Pope and Yova are too far away for him to find.” You nodded. “The bar’s too busy and too public, so he won’t go there. Carmen and Becca … Lakeland’s on the way between Tampa and Orlando, but I really don’t think…”
“He wouldn’t. Benny, he… The Chaos line they don’t… kids are off limits. I don’t think I remember ever reading anything about -” But Tom didn’t seem to care who he attacked, and you were a prime example of that. And that’s terrifying.
Frankie returned, yipping softly to let you know it was him, and when he sat in front of you, he jerked his head back and forth twice. Nothing. Where the fuck are you, Tom? “Worth a shot to look.” Benny lowered his head, pulling his hat off and resituating it. “Hey.” He looked over at you, and then pointed at the RV door. “Do you need to go inside?” You did - and agreed, pushing to your feet and taking the few steps over to the door before pulling it open.
Benny had turned the TV on, the volume low while a movie played. Smart. You didn’t turn the lights on, and after doing what you needed to, you opened the refrigerator, reaching for one of the cans inside. Caffeine will be good. I need -
Your thoughts were interrupted as Frankie’s low growl filtered in through the window, followed by the crunch of gravel. Something’s happening. Drink forgotten, you broke for the door and went back outside to find Benny standing with one hand at his hip, fingers hovering over the butt of the gun there.
Frankie was crouched low, his tail puffy as he faced the far trees - the same ones Tom had emerged from the previous month… and then you heard it, a low, ominous howl that carried on the breeze. “He’s here.” Your hand went to your waist, too, and you pulled out the tranquilizer gun, making sure it was loaded before lifting and pointing it. “Benny, wh-”
“Where is he, ‘Fish? I can’t see ‘im.” Benny stepped forward, using the RV to protect his back. “In front? Behind? Side? Where the fuck is…” The howl came again, and at the sound, Frankie growled - that one louder than the first one, and lingering in his throat as he inched forward. His head moved back and forth as he searched in the darkness, and then without warning, Frankie took off, running for the trees and disappearing into them, leaving you and Benny behind. “What the fuck?” Benny took a few more steps, eyes on where the wolf had gone. “Why did -”
“He’s got to get Tom out of the trees.” You winced as you heard the snapping of branches and the rustling of leaves, eyes darting back and forth as you searched the darkness. “He’s forcing an attack and taking away the element of surprise.” Benny swore, and even though your heart was racing, you felt calm. More than I should, anyway. “If -”
The rustling turned to snarling, and then that turned into the distinct sound of fighting - barks and yelps accompanied by crashing noises, the sounds getting louder by the second. “They’re coming back. They -” Benny swore again as both of them tumbled through the tree line and into the clearing, teeth bared in snarls.
Your hands wavered when you saw the size difference.
Tom was much larger than Frankie, his jaws snapping as the two fought. They were a mess of fur and limbs as they moved toward you, and you realized that even though Frankie was focused on Tom, he was also consciously making the effort to bring him closer, giving you and Benny clearer shots.
Stepping away from Benny and giving yourself a different angle, you took a deep breath and tried to focus, watching as the fight raged on. Realistically, there’d need to be more than one dart used. Tom was big, and the more of the drug you got into the system, the better off you’d be.
You winced as Tom snapped his jaws and almost got a mouthful of Frankie’s neck, but the longer the fight played out, the more you realized that even though Tom was bigger, Frankie was faster - and much more confident in his movement. Good. You inched closer, waiting for your shot.
Frankie lunged, catching Tom by surprise, and moments later, the two wolves were rolling over the ground, Frankie’s jaws locked around one of Tom’s legs. They came to a stop with Tom on top, and though the fighting - and snapping - continued, Frankie didn’t try to get back up. He’s giving us a shot.
You aimed, took a breath and then fired as you let it out, the sound of the gun surprising you - and echoed moments later by a shot from Benny. One of the darts hit - and stuck - though you didn’t know whose it was, but the interruption didn’t phase Tom. They continued to fight, even as Benny fired again, swearing as the dart went wide. “I’m out! I need to reload!” You swore, flexing your fingers, and then fired again, too, that dart making contact and sticking out of Tom’s back. Thank God.
But he didn’t stop attacking Frankie, and you could see that the smaller wolf was getting tired, even if he was still holding his own. Glancing over at Benny, you watched as he grabbed for more darts - but your attention went back to the wolves as you heard Frankie howl in pain.
Tom’s jaws were locked around Frankie’s neck, but he wasn’t biting hard - despite Frankie struggling. You acted without thinking, dropping the gun before rushing forward as you reached into your pocket for the extra darts. “Tom! Let him go, you shitbag!”
Both wolves froze at the sound of your voice, and you heard Benny yell for you to back off - but you stood your ground, hand in your pocket and your fingers wrapped around the dart barrels. Shoot him, Benny. Fucking shoot him. I gave you time, what are you waiting for.
Frankie moved first, attempting to twist out of Tom’s hold but couldn’t. The other wolf clamped down and then jerked his head back and forth, shaking Frankie before letting go. You watched him fly across the clearing, eyes following the movement as you cried out. Your body moved forward without thinking, even though there was no way to get to Frankie unless you passed Tom.
Tom turned his attention in your direction, launching himself at you - and rather than fear, you only felt resignation. At least Benny will be able to get him. But before Tom got too close, you saw a red dot at the center of his chest, and your brows knit in confusion. What’s that from? Moments later, another cluster of darts landed there, sticking out of the dark fur. What?
That was the last thought you had before he collided with you, knocking you to the ground.
Your head bounced as you hit, but there was no time to think about it, the weight of Tom’s wolf settling atop you. You heard screaming but didn’t know where it was coming from, and as you kicked at Tom, trying to reenact what you’d done the previous month, you reached up and stabbed him in the side of the neck with the handful of darts, opening your mouth to scream in rage as you made contact. Take that you fuck. There was a sharp pain in your shoulder, and then his weight was gone, the sound of growling loud in your ears as you laid there, dazed.
What the fuck just … Attempting to push yourself upright, you hissed as you put weight on your left hand, and were stunned to see that Benny and Will were running across the clearing, carrying the net to where Frankie and Tom were still fighting - the two wolves rolling around in the gravel. Will? I’m seeing things, I …
“Oh, sweetheart.” You gasped as a pair of arms went around you from behind, and when you looked up, you saw Pope’s face, his eyes filled with concern. “Any one of us coulda told you thatt trying to be the hero’s a really fucking stupid idea.”
“P…Pope?” Your voice was shaky, but you continued. “How are you … why are you…”
“Not now.” He glanced up, and then looked back at you, reaching down to unzip your hoodie. “Need to get this off of you, alright?” You nodded, the small movement making your head throb. When you lifted your arm to pull it free from the sleeve, you were alarmed to see blood on it. Is that mine?
“I’m bleeding.” Where is it coming from? You felt fear coursing through you, but you kept your eyes on the ruined material, head shaking back and forth in disbelief at the sight of the tattered garment. Why is it ripped? “Pope, I -”
“It’s alright.” He tossed it to the side and then reached down, pulling off his own shirt and folding it, the man using both hands to press it against your shoulder. “It’s alright, you’re going to be alright, you -”
“He bit me.” You looked down, watching as the blood began to seep through the cotton. “Didn’t he. Pope, he -” What if I turn? What if I turn now and I hurt him? Or one of - “Get away from me.” You pushed against him with one hand, weakly trying to fight him off as tears began to leak from your eyes. “Pope if he bit me, I might -”
“I’m not going anywhere.” He wound an arm around you and used the weight of your body against his chest to hold the fabric against your skin. “And neither are you. I’ve got you. You’re with me, alright? Look. Look at them. Focus on them.”
You finally looked out and saw that Tom and Frankie were circling each other, the larger wolf clearly exhausted and beginning to succumb to the drugs in his system. He tripped but recovered, rearing back as Frankie lunged and snapped his jaws. Tom landed awkwardly, stumbling forward - and then he toppled over, giving Will and Benny a chance to drape the net over him.
He growled, the sound weak, but didn’t make any attempt to move. Got him. After one final look at Tom, Frankie turned in your direction. He snarled and sprang into action, crossing the distance to you and then skidding to a stop. He growled, his gold eyes blazing, but Pope didn’t flinch. “‘Fish, I -”
Frankie growled again and you reached out with your right hand, waiting for him to push his nose against your palm. His muzzle was covered in blood but you didn’t care, and as soon as he made contact, you started crying harder. He’s ok.
“I need to see it, Pope.” Glancing up, you saw that Will had made his way over from where Tom was trapped, his arms hanging loosely by his sides. “I need to see how bad it is.” Yeah, I need to know too. Straightening up, you winced when the pressure lessened and sucked in a breath as Pope pulled the t-shirt away from your shoulder, exposing the wound. “Oh, fuck.”
Will swore, covering his face with both hands. It’s bad. All you could do was stare at Frankie, trying to figure out how worried you needed to be based on his reaction. You watched as he sat down on his haunches and then tipped his head back before letting out a howl that was filled with so much anguish it sent a fresh round of tears streaming down your face. It echoed through the clearing, and you felt Pope flinch at the sound of it. Ok, so it’s really bad.
Letting your hand drop back into your lap, you took a deep breath and then looked up at Will. Shit. “Maybe sometime I’ll come out here and not get hurt.” He cracked a smile, jerking his thumb at the RV.
“Maybe. I’ll go get the first aid kit, alright? Then we’ll get you cleaned up.” Pope shifted behind you as Will walked away, and when you stayed upright, he got up, too, moving to stand in front of you.
“When Ironhead comes back out here, we’ll get you over to the picnic table.” Pope reached up, using the hand that wasn’t bloody to rub at the back of his neck. “Did you bring other clothes? We’re going to have to cut that shirt off, and -”
“Inside.” Swallowing around a lump in your throat, you closed your eyes. “There’s a couple of them in my bag.” He nodded, opening his mouth to say something else but you cut him off. “Go inside, Pope. Wash your hands. It’s fine. If… If Tom tried anything, I think Benny would - “
“If this asshole so much as moves an ear, it’ll be the last goddamn thing he does.” Benny looked over, and even in the dim light, you could see the sadness in his expression. “You alright?” No. “Stupid fucking question, I know. But -”
Pope followed Will inside, and that left you with Frankie, whose head was bowed, making it possible for him to avoid looking at you. You looked down at your shoulder, eyeing the wounds. I don’t want to look at it, either.
They were still bleeding freely, streams of red running down your skin and dripping onto your pants and the ground. It hurt - the pain a dull ache that radiated through your arm and the left side of your body. It’s going to hurt worse tomorrow. Moving it slowly, you bent your arm at the elbow and pressed your forearm against your belly. I need to keep it from moving.
“Francisco. If I was going to turn tonight, I would have already, right?” Frankie finally looked up, meeting your eyes. His were still gold, but there was so much of him in them that it made you gasp. “Right?”
His head moved up and down once, and though it was confirmation, it didn’t give you any real relief. It just means I have a month to sit and wait. Frankie whined, leaning forward to nudge at your uninjured arm with his head. You lifted that hand, stroking the side of his face. There’s nothing he can do right now and it’s got to be killing him.
“I want you to take these.” Will appeared again, holding out two circular tablets. “Pain pills. Might make you a little loopy for a couple hours, but your arm can’t feel good and it’ll help me do what I need to do.” You took them and then Will reached into the bag he carried and pulled out a bottle of water. “I’ll help you.” He knelt down in front of you, and to your surprise, Frankie growled again, moving closer to where you sat - almost like he was going to put himself between you and Will. “‘Fish, you -”
“Frankie, it’s fine. He’s just …” You pushed your shoulders back, wincing at the way your skin pulled. “He’s trying to help. Stop growling at him.” He curled his lip but did as you asked, staying put - and quiet - while you put the pills in your mouth and Will lifted the bottle to your lips. You took it from him, tipping your head back as you swallowed.
“How’s your head feel? You’re bleeding from there, too, I think.” Will took the water and set the bottle down after recapping it. “Let me check.” He reached for you, carefully turning your head back and forth as his fingers prodded gently at your hair. “You are bleeding, but it’s not a lot.” He sighed. “I’m going to help you up. We’re going to walk to the table, and then I’m going to clean your shoulder. It’s not going to feel good.”
“Pope’s getting me a new shirt.” You gestured to yours. “I don’t think I’ll be able to wear this one again.” The corner of his mouth twitched, but Will didn’t speak as he stood, waiting for you to shift your position so that you were kneeling. He reached out for you, using one large hand to grip your good elbow, and then steadied you with his other hand at your waist, helping to pull you to your feet.
You swayed as a wave of dizziness hit, stumbling forward as Will caught you. “I’ve got you.” He spoke quietly, the words barely audible over a whine from Frankie. “Can you walk? It’s just a couple feet.” You thought so and told him as much. As Pope reemerged from the RV, you eased into a sitting position on the picnic table’s bench, your back pressed to the edge of the tabletop.
“Do you need me over here, Ironhead? If not, I’m gonna go over with -”
“Why are you here?” You took a long breath as Will unzipped the first aid kit, reaching for scissors. “How are you here? Yova posted the -”
“Will and I got here this morning. He’s been up in the blind, and I was on top of the RV.” Pope shrugged. “Hid our scent using the same shit hunters do, and we just hoped Tom would think whatever he could smell was lingering from when we were here before.” He smiled. “Yova and I went to St. Augustine a couple weeks ago and took that. She’s there now, and so is my phone, so it’ll be like I was there, too.”
Frankie had moved to sit beside you, paws settled neatly in front of his body as he watched the three of you talk. “We needed clear shots at him.” Will spoke as he started to cut at your shirt, the scissors sliding easily through the thin material. “I never had one because they were fighting. Pope got one when he came toward you.”
“I got him with a couple darts, too.” You winced as he peeled the cotton from your skin. “I hope there’s enough left to keep him sedated until morning.”
“There is.” Pope patted his pocket. “I’m going over with Benny so we can keep an eye on that.” You nodded and he turned away, walking slowly across the clearing and leaving you with Frankie and Will, who was getting things ready from the kit.
“I’m sorry you have to keep bandaging me up.” You buried your fingers in Frankie’s fur, fingers curling tightly as Will began to wipe the blood away. Ow. “Can’t imagine this is what you want to be doing, so -”
“Not your fault.” He set bloody towels into a plastic container, sighing. “And I’m just glad I am here to do this for you, because as much as I love my little brother, he would have done a shit job.” He was quiet as he got back to work, and you focused your attention on Benny and Pope, the two circling slowly around the body of the wolf beneath the net.
“How bad is it?” Tilting your head away from your injured arm, you closed your eyes. “Do you need to stitch it, or -”
“Shouldn’t suture puncture wounds.” Will prodded gently at your skin, urging you to lean forward. “Traps the bacteria inside and makes infection more likely, even if we clean it.” Oh. “And … I won’t lie to you. He got you good. Couple of these marks will probably scar bad.” He touched your back again. “I think he hit bone here. Might actually have to stitch that one up, it’s more of a tear…” He sighed again. “Tom bit you. He bit you while in wolf form, and -”
“I know what that means.” You blinked back tears again. “I don’t think I’ll turn tonight. I asked Frankie and he -”
“It probably needs some time to work through your body.” Will began to clean your wounds and you hissed at the sting of it, though you assumed that with the drugs in your system, the pain was much less severe than it could have been. “I wish I could tell you that because you didn’t turn tonight, you wouldn’t, but …”
“I know.” You opened your eyes again, watching as Benny leaned over Tom and gave him another dose. “I guess I’m just in wait and see mode until next month, but …”
“He’s such an asshole.” Will wiped at the front of your shoulder, more bloody towels joining the others moments later. “I can’t believe he -”
“I can.” You weren’t gripping Frankie’s fur anymore, instead you were petting him, the soft hair between his ears slipping along your palm. “He’s miserable. And he had to know that I wouldn’t die from this, so he wanted me to have to deal with it for the rest of my life.” Absently, you swiped at your face, wiping the tears away. “What if because he bit me, I turn into one of them? An asshole wolf from an asshole line, and -”
“We won’t let you.” Will sighed. “‘Fish certainly won’t let you. And I don’t think you would let yourself do that, either. If Frankie was able to keep himself under control without help from another wolf for years, I think you can do it with all of our help.”
“You didn’t sign up for this, Will. You and Benny and Pope have your own lives and families, and -”
“You’re with ‘Fish. You’re part of that family, wolf or not.” It floored you - he spoke with such certainty, the admission matter of fact in a way that shouldn’t have surprised you from someone like him who clearly valued the people he was close to. “Now I need you to lean forward. It’s cleaned up, but I want to stitch some of it before I use antiseptic, and the part that needs stitches is low.” You did as he asked, Will reminding you to relax as much as possible.
He started stitching moments later, and even though it hurt, it was more of a background pain than anything else. “Frankie.” You hummed his name, fingers trailing over his fur. “You should go and get this blood off of you.” He got up, turning to face you, and then cocked his head to the side. “Your face. It’s…” Wait. “Is that yours? Are you bleeding?” You scanned the area where he’d been sitting, and only saw a few drops on the ground. “Are you OK? He threw you through the -”
He whined, tossing his head back and forth before he turned in a slow circle in front of you. No wounds. “He heals pretty quick like that.” Will cleared his throat. “His body’s real resilient.” Frankie sat again, looking between you and Will. “But she’s right. You should take a minute and go clean up, otherwise when you turn back, you’re going to be covered in blood.”
He didn’t want to leave you - you could tell in the way he sat, his attention unwavering. But he needs to. “It’s fine, Frankie. Go. There’s a creek close by, right?. He whined, pawing at the ground. “I’ll be here when you get back, and Will will be done, and -” He stepped forward and rubbed against your knees, and then spun away and trotted toward Benny and Pope. He paused long enough to growl at Tom and then broke into a run, disappearing through the trees.
“I’m almost done.” Will trailed his fingers over your skin, voice low. “Some of these are really deep, so they’ll probably keep oozing for a while. But I’m going to bandage it all for you. We’ll change them as needed, but definitely tomorrow when we get back home.” You nodded, staring off into the distance. “Now that he’s not here, how bad is it?”
“It fucking hurts.” You took a deep breath and sat up straight when you felt his touch disappear. You couldn’t see all of your wound, but you could see enough to know that it wasn’t pretty. “I need you to take pictures of it. I need to be able to show -”
“I already did.” He chuckled, nudging you with his elbow. “While you were talking to Pope. Used a burner so that there’s no real evidence of it just in case, but …” He sighed. “I’ll take more now that it’s all cleaned up.” He stood up and took photos - from the front and the back, before setting the phone down on the table. “Antiseptic, bandage and then we’ll get you dressed again. How’s that sound?”
“Good.” Looking up at him, you managed a smile, too. “I can’t say I’m too happy that I’ve been sitting here in just a bra for twenty minutes. Frankie’s probably not too thrilled, either.”
“Luckily for him - and for you, I am happily married.” He began to smear the antiseptic over your skin, the gel cold. “But this had to be done, otherwise it would have gotten infected for sure.” He wiped his hand on a clean towel and then reached for bandages. “I’m going to need you to hold the front of this in place while I tape it down, alright?”
You did as he asked, fingers gingerly pressing against the surface of the covering while Will secured it. And when he stretched it up and over your shoulder, you lowered your hand back into your lap. “I’d do it again, even knowing I’d get bitten.”
“What?” Will set the tape down, taking off his gloves and sticking them in with the rest of the trash. “Tonight, you mean?”
“Yeah.” You eyed the trees, waiting for Frankie to come back. “Protecting him was … instinct. Getting Tom’s attention was the only thing that was going to keep him from going after Frankie again, and since I had the darts, I …” I think I knew what was coming. “I knew what a risk it was, but it didn’t matter.”
“He’s not going to see it that way.” Will murmured the words, leaning in so he could talk quietly. “He’s going to blame himself for not being able to take him down on his own.” I know. “No way in hell he could ever believe you don’t love him now, though.” Will leaned in, kissing the top of your head. “Come on, let me help you get this shirt on, and then we’ll get you inside, so -”
“No.” You stood, wobbling again on unsteady legs. “You can help me get dressed, but I’m staying out here.”
Will didn’t argue with you, but after a few minutes of trying to get you into the new shirt, it became painfully obvious that putting it on the right way wasn’t an option. He used a clean pair of scissors to cut up the side of it - and through the sleeve - and that was enough. The material settled into place, and then with the help of a few large safety pins, he secured the side so that it wasn’t flapping.
That done, he reached into the kit and pulled out a sling, situating it on your shoulder and easing your arm into it. “It’s probably overkill, but anything you can do to keep it from moving right now will be good.” You nodded, still feeling woozy and a little lightheaded. “Are you cold?”
“No.” It surprised you - the night air was chilly enough that the sweatshirt had made things comfortable, but the thought of putting another one on made you frown. It’s adrenaline. Or… maybe it’s the wolf. “I’m fine, but thank you.” You put a hand on his chest, saying his name. “Thank you, Will. For taking care of me. For keeping a level head. For being such a good goddamn friend to Frankie and to me and -”
“I’d hug you, but you’re injured.” He smiled, the expression sad. “You’re welcome, though.” He gestured to the RV. “I’m going to go inside and clean up. And then I’m going to come back out here and light a fire to burn this shit.” He pointed at the bucket. “Your pants should probably go in there, too, but if you don’t want to do that, I understand.
“No, I need to.” Rubbing at the bridge of your nose, you sighed. “Help me inside, Will.”
Ten minutes later, you were dressed in a new pair of sweatpants the old ones were well on their way to becoming ash.
Frankie had returned while you were inside with Will, and when you’d stepped back outside, he was waiting for you, his clean muzzle resting on his paws as he eyed the door. He stood as you passed him, staying close by as you made your way over to where Tom was, Pope and Benny seated on camp chairs and staring down at the ground.
“Will get you taken care of?” Benny fidgeted with his hat as he questioned you, his eyes darting back and forth between you and Tom. “Do you want to sit? You can have my chair, I’ll stand. Can’t promise I’m not going to kick this motherfucker in the head a few times, though, and -”
“Benny.” Pope held up a hand. “Cool it.” Benny’s mouth snapped shut, and despite the seriousness of the situation, the urge to laugh was strong.
“No, I don’t want your chair. I’ll sit on the ground.” You yawned and then frowned. “What time is it? I didn’t even check my phone.”
“A little after 3.” Will walked up behind you and draped a new blanket over your shoulders. “Just about four hours until the sun starts to come up.” There’s no way I’m going to make it that long. “Those pills are probably making you tired.” He pressed his lips together, narrowing his eyes. “Your eyes were alright before, so I don’t think you have a concussion. You can sleep if you want.”
“I’m staying out here. I want to be here when he wakes up.” But sitting down would be nice. Reaching out, you braced yourself on Will’s arm and then began to lower yourself toward the ground. He followed your lead immediately, only moving away once you were settled - but then Frankie sat next to you, tilting his head so that he could touch it to yours. “It’s alright, Frankie. I’m just tired. I -” You yawned again, opening your eyes to his paw on one of your knees. “What?”
He spun in a circle and then laid down, positioning his body so that he was facing Tom. Does he want me to lay down, too? The thought was appealing - you figured he’d be comfortable, and so with the other guys watching, you eased yourself down so that you were able to rest your head against his side. Frankie whined quietly as you settled in, but didn’t make any effort to move.
The others started talking after a few minutes, but you just stared forward, eyeing the slow rise and fall of Tom’s chest as he breathed.
You knew that you were likely in shock. You knew that everything happening so quickly had almost definitely kept you from dwelling on the severity of your situation.You were focused on Tom - and on finding out why he’d made the choices that he had. And when that’s done, I’ll have time to think about what he did to me… and what it means.
But Frankie’s deep, even breathing and the presence of the painkillers in your system distracted you even more, and only minutes later, your eyes closed and you slipped into sleep.
—
You woke when Frankie moved, his head turning so that the could nudge you with it. And you woke to pain, your eyes opening to the early morning twilight accompanied with a wince. “Ow.” It all came back at once - the attack, the capture of Tom, the way Will had taken care of you. And the way Frankie protected me while I was sleeping.
“Will went inside to get you more painkillers.” Pope spoke up. “Sunup’s soon. You slept for -”
“Hours.” Using your right hand, you pushed upright. “How the fuck did I …”
“Adrenaline wore off.” Benny sniffed, nose wrinkling. “You’re hurt. The pain pills… all of it together?” He met your eyes. “I’d fall asleep, too.”
He was probably right. And even though you were still in pain, the hours of rest had helped - at least with clearing your head. “Thank you for letting me sleep. You’ve all been awake for hours, though, and -”
“I napped in the blind.” Will handed you medication, and then took a seat next to you, holding a bottle of water. “Benny slept the fuck in today. And Pope slept for a couple hours on top of that RV, too.” You swallowed the pills, still eyeing the unconscious man in front of you. “We’re all good.” But what about Frankie?
He sat all the way up, his ears going back, and you wondered what he was sensing - something in one of you or in Tom, though you didn’t ask. “If you say so.” The blanket slid to the ground as you rubbed at your eyes, thinking. “What next?” You took another drink of the water, gesturing at Tom with the bottle. “Do you think he’ll wake up as soon as he turns back? Or -”
“Donno.” Benny shrugged. “But as soon as he’s conscious, he’s got it coming.” Frankie’s answering growl chilled you, but you didn’t disagree.
You sat in silence as the light continued to brighten, though it was dimmed thanks to cloud cover, and when Frankie moved again, it was to stand - turning around and picking up your blanket in his teeth. He’s about to turn back. “Clothes are by the table, ‘Fish.” Will sighed. “Go do what you need to do.” He hesitated, but then walked away, dragging the blanket behind him.
Only a minute or two later, you heard him whimpering, the sounds turning into human-leaning groans and grunts. Part of you was happy you couldn’t see what was happening that time, because you knew that as soon as he was human again, Frankie would be in anguish. And I don’t know how I’ll respond.
You didn’t have long to wait. He was by your side again rapidly, dropping down onto his knees as he reached for you with both hands, cradling your face between them. “I am so fucking sorry.” He swallowed, head shaking back and forth. “I should have stopped him. I should have taken him the fuck down. I -”
“I did what I did.” Reaching up, you ran your fingers through his curls. “It was worth it, Francisco.”
“You won’t be saying that next month.” He blinked, a few tears coursing down his cheeks. “I failed. I fuc-”
“He’s changing.” Pope’s tone was urgent, and at his words, you and Frankie turned your attention to Tom. Oh, shit. Frankie helped you to your feet and then stood with one arm around you, both of you a safe distance from where the half-man, half-wolf Tom laid.
The others rose, too, Benny holding one of the guns in his hand, and Will’s hand hovering over his hip. “Pope, I need you to come here.” Frankie called for his friend, and moments later, they’d switched places. It felt odd to have his arm around you, but you understood why it was happening when Frankie approached Tom, bending over to rip the net off of him. He grunted, the silver still irritating his skin even as a human.
When Tom was uncovered, the transformation happened faster - pale skin reemerging and his limbs lengthening, though there was no indication he was actually awake. “Can we cover him?” You muttered the words, rolling your eyes.”Last thing I want to see is Tom naked.” Pope actually snorted, but it was Benny that moved, the man crouching down and then flinging a piece of fabric at Tom. Boxers. It’s boxers.
None of you spoke after that, just waiting, and you felt the anger in you growing by the second. You were angry for what he’d done to you, but you were almost more upset at the betrayal of his friends. After everything they went through. “Wake the fuck up, Redfly.” Frankie stepped forward, lashing out with one foot. “Get up.” You didn’t know if it would work, because you didn’t know how recently he’d gotten a dose of the tranquilizer. But they would have backed off close to sunrise.
Shifting your weight, you leaned against Pope, trying to ignore the dull ache in your shoulder. They’d removed all of the darts from Tom’s body while he slept, and there was no indication that there’d been a fight earlier - except for the blood smeared across parts of his skin. “Is the bite on his side?” You tried to angle your head to see it, but couldn’t from your position. “Benny?”
“Sure fuckin’ is.” He stepped forward, too, the gun still drawn. “Right fucking there.” Benny froze when Tom’s arm twitched, and you held your breath as his leg joined it, Frankie’s posture stiffening briefly. Here we fucking go.
Tom groaned, moving one hand to his face and rubbing at his forehead. “Don’t even -”
“I’m not going to fucking try anything. I know you’ve got fuckin’ guns on me, Cat.” Frankie’s lip curled, but Tom kept going. “Do I get to put pants on, or are we going to have this conversation like this?”
“You get a pair of underwear and that’s only because I don’t want you to try and justify any of this shit with your dick in my face.” Tom reached for the fabric and you looked away as he pulled the material on and up his legs. He kept his eyes averted, and when they were in place, he drew his knees up, resting his arms atop them. “Talk.”
“What the fuck do you want me to say?” Tom looked between all of you, his gaze lingering on you. “You know what I did. You know what I am. You -”
“Why?” You spat the word out, gesturing to yourself. “Why the fuck did you do this? To me? To Alec? To all of the other goddamn people you’ve attacked?”
“Who the fuck is Alec?” Tom cocked his head to the side, obviously confused. “That name wasn’t in any of the …” He laughed, licking his lips as it clicked. “The one with the wolf.”
“My cousin.” You snarled the words out, straightening up. “My cousin and the mother of his fucking child.” He hadn’t expected that - and even though you knew Frankie had a lot of things to say, you kept going. “My family has been looking for a wolf in the Chaos line for years. So how the hell did you manage to find one and convince them to turn you, Tom?”
“Your family? How do you know what the line is called? Who the fuck are …” He trailed off. “Are you goddamn hunters? Not doing a great job of that, if you and your cousin are both fucking the wolves you were looking for.” It would have made you laugh if you weren’t so angry, but instead it just ignited the rage in you more.
“We weren’t just looking for wolves, you asshole. We were looking for the Chaos line, and it led me straight here. To you.”
“Why, Redfly?” Frankie planted his feet, arms crossed over his chest. “Why the fuck did you do this? After we came back from South America, we had a plan, and you just …” He scoffed. “You just decided to say fuck it and get yourself bitten so that you could go on a goddamn rampage across the state?”
“I found wolves a couple months after we got home.” Tom stared at Frankie, his breathing deep. “Real fuckin’ easy when you have money and spend all day online at work.” He looked over at the others, rolling his eyes at the way Benny was pointing the gun at him. “You really gonna shoot me, Ben?” Tom laughed. “You wouldn’t.”
“You wanna bet?” Benny took a slow breath. “I just have a lot of shit I want to hear you say before it happens.” Damn straight. “Keep fucking talking.”
“It took a hell of a lot of convincing, but after a while, they finally…” He reached over, settling his hand on the bite mark. “You don’t appreciate what this is, ‘Fish.” He smiled, the expression turning your stomach. “I feel so fucking strong. Powerful. People fucking respect me again, and -”
“No they don’t.” You stepped forward. “Nobody respects you, Tom. You hurt people. You killed people.” You pointed at your shoulder. “You fucking bit me, and -”
“Now you get to see how great this is.”
“She didn’t fucking want to.” Frankie inched closer, his tone filled with rage. “Just like I didn’t fucking want to. This isn’t a gift, Tom. None of the people you hurt wanted it, either. They were just -”
“Wrong place, wrong time.” Tom shifted his weight, his smile growing. “That’s one of the things the woman who bit me made me understand.” He rolled his neck, letting out a sigh that turned into a satisfied groan. “For that one night a month, I am a fucking God. People should be afraid of me… of us, ‘Fish. And if you just let yourself be what you are…. Fuck. Don’t you miss it? Don’t you miss the way we felt while we were enlisted? The way we could -”
“No.” Frankie straightened his shoulders, his voice unwavering. “I don’t. I don’t miss hurting people or intimidating people or acting like a piece of shit.” It had started raining as they talked, a fine mist falling through the tree limbs above you, and you shivered. Of course it’s raining.
“Oh, get off your fucking high horse.” Tom pushed to his feet, and you could feel the others tense up, though they all stayed in place. “Acting like you’re better than me after all the shit you did. After all that coke and losing your license, and -” Frankie moved first, one arm shooting out, fingers bent into a fist. He made contact with Tom’s jaw, the sound an audible crack even from a distance. “Wasn’t expecting that.” Tom rubbed his cheek, giving Frankie a lopsided smirk.
“Does Molly know?” Will cut in, diverting Tom’s attention. “Does Tessa know? Are they aware that you’re -”
“No.” He spun toward the older Miller, his eyes wide. “No they have no fucking idea, and that’s how it’s going to stay.” One question answered. “Just like they have no idea about South America. I don’t make it a habit of telling everyone my secrets just because I’m sleeping next to them.”
It was a low blow - and you all knew it, but Frankie still took the bait. “Well that’s another way we’re different. I think the person I’m sleeping next to should know all of my secrets.” Tom’s laugh was loud, and you heard Pope swear from next to you, the hand on your back pushing a little more firmly. “What was your plan, Tom? For tonight, I mean. Were you going to kill all three of us and then just go back to your life?”
“No.” He turned to look at you. “I was going to make her watch me kill you and then bite her so she’d have to live through it without you.”
“You think I would have just let that fucking happen?” Benny’s hand shook but he didn’t lower the gun. “Kill my best friend and hurt someone else I care about and then just run off? Fuck that. Fuck you.”
“You’ve been holding? that gun on me for I don’t even know how long. If you were going to shoot me, you would have done it already.” Tom’s head swiveled to Will and then to Pope, his brow arched. “None of you have the balls to fuck with me. How many times have I saved your ass since we met? How many times have I carried the entire fucking mission? In South America, I -”
“You’re the reason I got bitten.” Frankie cleared his throat. “You insisted we take all that extra money. You wouldn’t let us get rid of it when I said we needed to. You’re the one that pulled the trigger first on those guys in the village.” Frankie pointed at Tom. “Some of it’s my fault, because I should have fucking known better. But you, Tom, are the main reason why I’m standing here right now like this, and the fact that you still think you’re the good guy is un-fucking-believable.”
“I’ll introduce you to the people that turned me.” He gestured at you. “You and your little girlfriend. You can learn about what it means to be a real -”
“I’d rather be dead than ever take advice from a Chaos wolf.” You pushed forward, closing the distance between yourself and Tom. “You might have fucked me over for the rest of my life, but I will never be like you.” Tom stayed quiet but his smile widened, and you caught a red flash in his eyes. He’s wound up. “Frankie and Ashley are proof that you don’t have to overcompensate for your shortcomings as a human while you’re a w-”
“Fucking bitch. You come here and you think you can just change everything?” Frankie’s jaw was clenched, but he let Tom continue. “I should have made sure when I attacked you last month that I fucking killed you. You don’t deserve this.”
“Well you didn’t.” Your heart was pounding, and the dizziness was back. “That time or this time. You fucking failed, and -”
He lunged at you, and in the same moment, Pope pulled you backwards and Frankie jumped forward, tackling Tom to the ground. They fought for a little while, rolling around in the gravel and sparse grass, and you winced at the way they traded punches, fists flying and the sound of flesh on flesh punctuating their grunts.
It was brutal, especially since both of them were likely exhausted, and when they separated, both of them were bleeding - Frankie from a split on his cheek and Tom from his mouth, his teeth stained red.
“What’s it gonna be, ‘Fish?” He pushed himself to his feet, eyeing the other man. “We gonna keep fighting like this, or are you going to actually do something about it?” Tom spat blood onto the ground and then wiped at his face with the back of his hand. “Because I’ve been looking for a reason to fucking destroy you ever since I made this choice.” He laughed, the sound unnerving. “Maybe when I get out of here I should go pay Becca a visit. Or Yova. We can all be -”
Frankie darted in again, and for the first time, you realized just how much helping to coach Benny had served him. His jabs were quick and accurate, landing against Tom’s ribs and stomach, and even though the larger man got a few hits in, they were nowhere near as devastating. C’mon, Frankie. You leaned into Pope’s side, unable to do anything but watch the fight in front of you.
But in the early morning light, it was easy to see when Tom gave up, his eyes closing as he inhaled, chest expanding. “He’s turning, Frankie!” You yelled out as it happened, Tom’s transformation almost instantaneous. Once he was the wolf, he didn’t move to attack, instead just circled Frankie slowly.
Benny and Will backed up a few steps, and with some surprise, you felt Pope pull out and aim a third gun at Tom and Frankie. “Can’t even fight me like a man, can you.” Frankie laughed, fingers rising and combing through his already damp hair. “Piece of shit. You’re pathetic.Threatening women? You’re a goddamn coward.” Tom lunged forward, but Frankie sidestepped him, his gaze rising to meet yours briefly.
You’ve got to do it, Frankie. He’s not going to make it easier for you. You didn’t know if Tom would actually let Frankie turn all the way before he attacked, but it was the only option you had - unless Benny and Will were able to get the net back over him. Unlikely though. It was too far away - and diverting attention from Tom even for a second to get it was dangerous. And speaking of danger… “I don’t have a weapon, Pope. I -”
“You won’t need one.” He planted his feet, still watching Frankie and Tom. “We’ve got it.” You had to trust him - for Frankie’s sake, and for your own.
Tom continued to growl, the two of them circling each other, and then almost out of nowhere, Frankie’s body exploded into the wolf’s, the transformation happening before you’d even had a chance to blink. Oh, shit. He hit the ground and sprung toward Tom, jaws open… and then the real fight started.
Will and Benny spread out, guns still drawn, and you heard Pope swear from beside you, the end of his gun wavering slightly as he watched it unfold.
There was no reason for either of them to hold back that time, and it was clear from the way they snapped and clawed at each other, fur flying with every strike. Frankie drew first blood, his jaws closing around Tom’s shoulder, and when he jerked his head, you watched the larger wolf’s skin tear, Tom howling in pain. Good. You fucking deserve it. Frankie backed away, ears back as he growled, waiting to see what Tom would do.
“C’mon, ‘Fish.” Benny called out, voice rising. “Get him. Fucking get him.” You wondered how Tom felt hearing his other friend rooting against him, but it didn’t seem to deter him. You gasped when he lunged forward, diving for the ground and rolling onto his back. The low position gave him an opening to snap at Frankie’s front leg, and you winced at the way he responded - the sound filled with anguish as he struggled to free the limb. If he breaks Frankie’s legs it’s over.
But Frankie got free, barely giving himself a moment to assess the damage before he was attacking again, going for Tom’s belly before the other wolf could get upright. There was more blood, and even though it had started raining harder, you could see it dripping from both of them. Swiping your hand over your face, you cried out as Tom jumped toward Frankie again, ramming into him and knocking him over, his weight falling on top of the smaller wolf.
“No!” You stumbled forward, ears trained on the way Frankie’s growl had turned into a whine and then a whimper, Tom whipping his head to the side as he attempted to get his jaws around his neck. He’s going to snap his neck. He’s going to kill him. “Tom, stop!” You fell to your knees, heart pounding, and you wondered why none of the others had fired. They could have shot him. They could have weakened him. They could have …
But they were giving Tom and Frankie a chance to keep it between them, and part of you respected that - even if you wouldn’t have done the same. Just as Tom’s muzzle began its descent toward Frankie’s neck, the sound of a gunshot rang out, both wolves freezing.
It was only a moment’s pause, but it was enough, and Frankie was able to twist out of Tom’s pin and get back to his feet, shaking himself out as he stabilized. Ok. Ok, that’s better. That’s… Frankie growled again and jumped, rising into the air and sailing over Tom’s back before landing and pouncing.
The move was a surprise, and when Tom turned his head toward Frankie, Frankie went in the other direction, finding an expanse of his throat and clamping down on it. Tom flailed - feet scrabbling on the wet ground as he thrashed back and forth, the sounds coming out of him enough to make your hair stand on end. This is it.
You watched as Benny and Will stepped closer to the wolves, and then felt Pope do the same, his body tense and the gun still pointed forward. But you didn’t think it would be necessary, as Frankie’s jaws locked onto Tom’s throat again, the bite deep.
“He’s done. He just doesn’t know it yet.” Will spoke from beside you, his voice quiet. “Shit.” Tom was losing strength, but still managed to throw Frankie off of him, the smaller wolf skidding a few feet before he stood up straight, shaking his head. He was limping, the bite on his leg from Tom obviously bothering him, but as he circled the spot they’d been fighting, you realized that the roles had reversed - and it was Frankie taunting Tom.
“You don’t have to watch.” Will spoke directly into your ear. “It might change the way you feel about -”
“That’s why I do have to.” You reached up, swiping beneath your eyes and wiping the tears that had gathered there away. “I’m part of this now, and I can’t hide from it.” You weren’t sad that Tom was going to die. But you did feel for Frankie, especially knowing that he’d remember every moment of the fight and the process of killing someone that had once been like family.
It happened without warning, Frankie darting forward and angling his head, Tom unable to get out of the way in time. His teeth bore down on the center of Tom’s throat, and that time, when his head jerked away, a large chunk of muscle and fur came with it. Frankie tossed it to the side as Tom toppled to the ground, and when, moments later, you watched as his chest stopped rising and falling, Frankie lowered his head, too.
He sat, staring at the body of what had been his friend… and then Frankie tipped his head back and howled again, the sound almost unbearably loud. If you’d thought he sounded sad after realizing that you’d been bitten, you didn’t know how to describe the sound he made then, a mixture of triumph and agony, the tone of it shaking you to your core.
You understood - no matter how much Tom’s behavior had changed and how deserving he was of the ending he’d been given, there were years of history there. And not just for Frankie. For the rest of them, too.
A quick look around the group proved that the others were just as torn - Benny’s eyes focused on the wolves, unblinking as the rain hit his skin. Will’s arms were crossed, his head held high, but the telltale tic of his jaw made it clear he was struggling, too. And Pope’s response was the most surprising of all, the man stepping forward and then kneeling, shoulders rising and falling as he stared at the two in front of him.
You wondered if Tom was going to change back, but the longer you all waited, the more you thought that the answer was no. Which is better because then there’s no human body. But Frankie hadn’t changed back either, which was a surprise to you - especially with how soon after the monthly shift it was. Maybe he needs help. Maybe he needs …
Stepping forward, you rounded Tom’s body and knelt in front of Frankie, trying to ignore how much your arm hurt. “Hey. Francisco.” You kept your voice low and didn’t let yourself reach for him, even though you wanted to. “You need to change back now. It’s ok. There’s no more threat.” He blinked slowly, turning his attention to you, and for the first time as a wolf, his eyes weren’t gold - they were deep brown and entirely Frankie. “Hey you. It’s alright.” Your voice shook, but you didn’t even know if he realized it. “Come back to me. Please?”
It took a few seconds, but when Frankie rose onto all fours and shook himself out, you released a breath that you hadn’t realized you were holding. There was no gradual change that time either, and only moments later, Frankie was laying on the ground in front of you - naked, soaking wet, and covered in blood and bruises.
The first place he looked was at Tom, but he didn’t linger there, turning his head toward you without lifting it, his lips soundlessly forming your name. You scrambled toward him without thinking, and gathered him carefully against your chest, ignoring the pain and only focusing on comforting him. He clung to you, his entire body shaking as he began to cry. You needed to get up - needed to get out of the rain and get Frankie cleaned up, needed to take care of Tom’s body and the clearing… but you couldn’t move.
When a blanket covered the two of you, you looked up in surprise, catching Benny’s eye. “Just stay with him, we’ll take care of -”
“No!” Frankie growled the word out, lifting his head and looking at his friend. “No, I’m helping.” You didn’t argue and neither did Benny, and when Frankie slowly got to his feet, wrapping the blanket around himself, he finally looked at you again, reaching for your hand.
The two of them helped you to your feet, and then as you walked away from the body, you tried to gather your thoughts. Tom was dead. Frankie had killed him. And it stood to reason that that meant there was significantly less danger to worry about. But it means a different kind of danger, too.
You went back and stood under the awning, leaning against the picnic table. Frankie rushed past you, going back into th RV and coming out with some of the blood gone from his skin and wearing another new set of clothes - tattered ones that you’d never seen before. He stopped next to you, reaching out to cup your cheek in his hand, but he didn’t say anything.
“Keep an eye on the fire, alright?” Will came up next to you, holding a pile of damp fabric. “We’re just going to keep adding stuff to it as we clean.” You nodded without looking away from Frankie, leaning in when he swiped his thumb over your cheek. We have so much to talk about.
“I wish I could do more.” You closed your eyes and took a deep breath. “But whatever you need, I’ll take care of.” Will thanked you before setting the pile down next to the firepit, and then he motioned for Frankie to follow him. He was limping - and you knew he would be for a while, but as they approached Tom, you admitted to yourself for the first time and things could have gone much worse. For all of us.
As you started slowly adding the scraps of clothing to the flames, you kept half an eye on what the men were doing.
It didn’t take them long to come up with a plan, all of them conferring as they gathered around the body before separating. Pope headed back toward you, carrying another small pile of clothing. “We’re going to take him to one of the swampy areas. ‘Fish says there’s gators in all of the ones around here, so that should take care of the… body.” He sniffed. “Gotta go grab a bag of marshmallows though, just to be sure.”
That made you smile, but it was short lived. “Can I do anything while you’re doing that?”
“No. Just the fire. Make sure everything’s ash. Once we come back, we’re going to start on the clearing, but the rain’s going to work in our favor.” He sighed. “Thank you for helping.”
“You don’t need to thank me.” You added another piece of shirt, glancing down to make sure it wasn’t just going to smolder. “Just make sure he’s alright.” Pope assured you he would, and then went back into the RV, coming out with a bag in his hand.
He stuffed it into the front of his shirt and made his way back to where everyone else was. You watched as they worked together to lift the wolf’s body before carrying it toward the tree line. Once they disappeared, you sat down, finally alone with your thoughts for the first time.
It was still raining - the puddles on the ground growing by the second, and you wondered just how much the water would disperse the blood - and if it would be enough. They know how to cover their tracks. You poked at the flames with a branch, and then put in another piece of fabric - one of the blankets - which was much larger and much drier, the flames growing and brightening as it caught.
And then, as you waited for it to turn to ash, you focused on the ache of your arm, the pain radiating from your shoulder and throughout the rest of your body. You’d been bitten by a werewolf during the full moon, and you knew what that meant. Your entire life was going to change, and you had no idea what the outcome would be.
It was devastating - to have finally found what your family had been searching for for decades, and then to have been unable to safely do your expected job without getting bitten. And it meant that the hunting of the Chaos line was definitely finished, too, whether you liked it or not. You blinked through tears, standing and making your way into the RV for the bag of your ruined clothing, and when you caught sight of your reflection in the mirror hanging beside the door, the tears spilled over.
It was partly because of your bite, but your sadness was also for Frankie and his friends - the finality of what they’d done and witnessed likely not settled in yet, and the difficulty of what was to come likely to be an uphill climb. For all of us. Wiping at your eyes, you only gave yourself a few seconds before heading back outside and to the fire, ripping the plastic open and adding both pieces at the same time. We’ll need to get the zippers out of the ashes.
Instead of sitting, you wandered back out into the clearing and looked for any fabric that might have been missed, along with anything else that you could burn. There wasn’t much - a few scraps of t-shirt from Frankie, and some torn elastic from the waistband of Tom’s underwear - but you picked it up nonetheless, carrying it back over and dropping it into the flames.
It was almost 9 am, and you knew that Yovanna was likely going crazy since she hadn’t heard from anyone, so you went back inside and typed out a quick message to her that told her nothing explicitly - but still let her know that everything at the RV was alright.
Good morning, hope you guys are having better weather at the beach than we are here; it’s raining so hard! Can’t pack up and go home until it slows down - yuck.
She answered almost immediately, sending a picture from through a window of the ocean and the blue sky, along with a message of her own.
Fingers crossed it stops soon. The weather is perfect here.
Leaving your phone on the table, you grabbed an armful of towels and then went back outside, just in time to see the guys coming back through the trees. Will was in the lead and the others followed close behind. They were all soaked to the bone, and you had no idea how the clothes they wore would burn. They won’t. Biting your lip, you watched as they got closer.
To your surprise, they all stopped and began to strip about ten feet from where you stood, piling their clothes in front of them. Under any other circumstances, it would have been a beautiful thing to see, but that morning, it was somber. Will dragged his hands through his hair and Benny swiped his locks away from his face, both of them heading for you in only their underwear as Frankie and Pope stayed behind, deep in conversation.
They grabbed towels, thanking you for thinking of getting them as they started to dry themselves off. “Is… how did that go?”
“Gator came and grabbed him almost as soon as we put him in the water.” Benny rubbed at his face. “And then a couple more joined in.” That was a good thing, though you didn’t imagine that it had been easy for them to see. “He stayed a wolf, which is lucky for us. So even if something is eventually found, it won’t be …” It won’t be Tom.
“I’m sorry about your friend. I -”
“He got what was coming to him.” Will cleared his throat. “I’m sorry for his family, but Tom made his choice.” You agreed, but that didn’t negate the guilt you felt. “We’re going to take turns cleaning up. Can’t fully shower here, because there’s too many of us. But we need to wait for the rain to stop to check the clearing. So we’re going to be here for a while.”
“Should I make breakfast? You’ve all got to be starving, especially Frankie.” It would keep you busy - and from getting too lost in your own thoughts. “I don’t know what’s here, but there’s got to be stuff in the cabinets.”
“You don’t have to do anything.” Pope and Frankie stepped up, and Benny handed them each a towel. “You need to eat too.”
You agreed, but didn’t get anything else out before Pope said he was going to go inside and make a pot of coffee. Benny and Will followed moments later, leaving you and Frankie alone - and under the awning, the sound of rain hitting the metal above you soothing.
It was different between you - a distance that had never been there previously feeling like it was growing by the second - and you hated it. “Frankie, are we …. Are we alright?” You didn’t like asking - didn’t like voicing your worry to him, especially after what he’d been through, but you couldn’t help yourself. “This feels … I just …”
“I don’t want to have this conversation here.” He turned his head, eyes scanning the open space in front of you. “I want to do it when we’re warm and dry and showered.” That made sense, but it still didn’t answer your question. “Are you doing ok? Aside from the bite, I mean.”
“I think so.” You inched closer, nodding. “I don’t think it’s really hit me yet, though. So much has happened in the last few hours, and -”
“You know I’m gonna be right there with you, right? Next month, I mean. You’re not alone, and you won’t be.” He cleared his throat. “And even if you don’t want to stay here and go through this in Florida with me, you’ve got Ashley and Alec, and they’re your family, so -”
“I don’t want to go anywhere.” You put your hand on his chest, his skin warm despite the fact that he was still damp. “If… when I turn next month, there’s no one else I want to be with.” You saw the relief on his face, and for the first time, realized that Frankie had not only had to go through the previous hours dealing with Tom, but with the thought in his mind that because you’d been bitten, you wouldn’t want anything to do with him anymore. “Frankie, this doesn’t change how I feel about you.” You stepped closer, making sure to make - and hold - eye contact with him. “Not at all.”
“You sure?” He ducked his head, tucking his chin against his chest. “Because I’d understand if you wanted to get the fuck out of here and not look back. I did this to you. I -”
“This isn’t your fault. I don’t blame you. I blame Tom. You didn’t do this to me, he did.” You leaned in, hesitating only briefly before pressing your lips to his. “I love you, Francisco. That didn’t change overnight, and it won’t.” It seemed to be enough for him, because he nodded and then reached for you, winding both arms around you and pulling you closer, though he did it gently. “We need to go inside. We need to get dry clothes on and eat something, and -”
“Yeah.” Frankie agreed but didn’t let you go. “Yeah, we do.”
Pairing: Frankie Morales x Female Reader (with a spooky twist!)
Summary: For years, you've been able to use your job as cover, going from place to place and researching local traditions and legends.
You've made a career for yourself with a few published books and a wildly successful social media presence under your name - but for you, it's not just all about the landmarks or cuisine.
Instead, you're searching for something else - hunting for the one thing that will give generations of your family closure... and a chance for revenge.
But after your most recent disappointment, you're becoming disillusioned about those chances until something turns up only a few states over.
Will these leads be the final clues you need to put an end to a hundred years of waiting for your family, or will it be another disappointment?
Rating: NSFW, due to the overall themes; content will be clearly marked in individual chapters with *
Warnings:
blood, violence, body horror (blanket warning), gore, mystery, character death, spooky themes, supernatural beings, ruthlessness
A/N: BIG SIGH. I'm so hugely sorry that this took so damn long, everyone. I have nothing to say other than life has been lifeing overtime lately. I hope you don't mind pretending that it's still the holiday season. (My neighbor still has their Christmas tree up, if that counts for anything.) Good news is that part three is well underway, and won't be another month. Other news (you can decide if it's good or not) is that this will now be four parts. Oops.
*This story began as a gift for @covetyou through the @pedrostories Secret Santa exchange. Read Part One here.
Warnings: supernatural shenanigans, cannabis consumption, brief mention of grief/loss of a family member
Word Count: 4,528
Summary: You and Dieter spend your first night at the Yule Lodge, and both of you end up having very strange dreams.
They were dreams, right?
The fireplace in the parlor held just a few glowing embers by the time the grandfather clock struck the barrier between December 23rd and the 24th.
The parlor itself held no one.
Both guests had turned in early and were asleep in their beds, tucked beneath thick blankets while outside, the snowfall increased to cover the building in a blanket of its own. The halls and common rooms were silent, save for the sound of the clock, and if the Yule Lodge housed any mice beneath the floorboards, they too were curled up and quiet, leaving the night completely still and unstirred.
So as the twelfth chime echoed through the old mansion, no one was awake to see the fire rise again, flickering around phantom logs that had long since burned away. No one was there to watch as the forked flames swirled and swelled, escaping the hearth. No one was there as instead of engulfing the rug and igniting the furniture, the fire transformed, taking the shape of a woman.
Which was probably for the best. Let’s face it, witnessing that might make one lose their marbles.
The flames in the fireplace shrunk back to embers as she fully materialized, but their glow stayed with her, illuminating her skin and turning her hair into copper-orange coils of light. Her clothing, too - a hooded cloak over a flowing white dress - seemed to still be lit by the fire she stepped out of. As she spun away from the mantle and walked across the parlor, sparks of light trailed in her wake. Lifting both hands up to throw back her hood, the woman smiled, and if anyone had been awake, they might have noticed an increase in warmth at that precise moment.
“Ahh,” she sighed, luminescent fingers working to untie the closure of her cloak. “It’s good to be home.”
Shrugging out of the heavy garment, she reached up to hang it on the carved wooden coat rack that stood beside the front desk. As soon as she released her grip on it, the fabric turned to maroon velvet, losing its ethereal glow. The woman from the flames remained unchanged, though, as did the rest of her clothing.
She took a few more steps, pausing in front of the desk to glance at the hooks on the wall that were missing keys. “Two guests this year.” She nodded, her smile growing as she tapped the desktop, glittery sparks straying from her fingertips. “That should be manageable.”
Supernaturality was a plus, of course, but forty-eight hours were forty-eight hours whether she had to help one person or four. Having only two to deal with meant more one-on-one attention for each, and a higher chance of getting through to them. And that, afterall, was her purpose.
“So let’s get started.”
Turning back towards the fireplace, she waved her hand, a brand new log appearing on the grate, flames licking up its sides to cast more light around the room. That done, she made for the staircase, trailing sparks that disintegrated as she climbed to the second floor.
– – –
It was pitch black in Dieter’s room when he fell asleep.
Two more edibles and a movie he’d seen upwards of thirty times, paired with the fact that the bed was actually far more comfortable than it initially looked, and he didn’t stand much of a chance at making it to the witching hour. Before settling in for the movie, he’d extinguished the candles in the windows and drawn the curtains shut to block out as much light as possible. One of the perks of spending the holiday like he was accustomed to was the ability to sleep in - no schedules, no alarm clocks, no wake up calls. Not even the sunshine would dictate what time he woke up for the next three days.
So when light inexplicably filled his room to wake him at a few minutes past midnight, he bolted upright, swatting his arms through the air.
“What the…fuck?” He grumbled, confused and annoyed, his hair sticking out in all directions. Blinking and squinting against the invading brilliance, he waited for his eyes to adjust.
And when they did he repeated his question, clutching the blankets and sheets and pulling them up to his chest. “What the fuck?!”
There, standing in his room - in his locked room - was a woman who looked as though she was made of firelight. She wore a long, plain dress with a sash tied around her waist as a belt, and her hair fell about her shoulders in curls and waves that seemed to move even as she remained still. Her features were soft, the natural curve of her lips drawn up into a smile, and there was something in her eyes that felt familiar, as though he knew her.
No. As though she knew him.
But she doesn’t. I don’t. What the- How did-
He stumbled over which question to ask, none of them fully encapsulating the depth of his bewilderment, until he blurted out the first one that came to him fully formed. “Am I dead?”
The other-worldly intruder let out a small chuckle. “No, Dieter.” She shook her head, taking a step towards him. “I promise you, you’re very much alive.”
How fucking strong were those cookies? Lars said they were the same ones he got last time but - He eyed the fire lady in his bedroom. But this is… definitely different.
“Okay, so…” He shook his head, dropping the blankets to run his fingers through his hair, grabbing it in fistfuls. “So I’m dreaming, then.” He nodded, still holding his hair, and stared right at her. “I’m dreaming.” He let his hands fall to his lap and gave a loose shrug. “It’s a lucid dream. I’m still asleep.”
Granted, his lucid dreams were usually sexier in nature, but it was the only explanation that made any sense. Looking the woman up and down again from that angle, he shrugged to himself. Yeah, I mean… Why not?
To his horror, she furrowed her brow and put her hands on her hips. “No, you’re not dreaming.” She clicked her tongue. “And even if you were, it wouldn’t be that kind of dream.”
How the fuck- “How the fuck did you know what I was thinking?” Also, why not? Squeezing his eyes shut and telling his horny-side to shut the fuck up, he willed himself not to think about fucking the glowing angel/ghost/being, and tried instead to focus on getting actual answers. “And why are you in my room?”
The woman sighed, dropping her arms and walking over to the dresser. “I know a lot more about you than you can imagine, Dieter Bravo.” She pointed to the wreath of holly leaves that lay discarded there with his room key. “And for starters, I’m here because you didn’t follow Laurel’s directions.”
“What?” Dieter blinked at the wreath, sputtering. “The… The hokey holly thing?” He rose from the bed then, letting the blankets fall as he swung his legs over the side. Shaking his head, he gestured at the dream/hallucination he was talking to. “No way that’s keeping you out.” He crossed his arms over his chest and carefully stepped over the pile of sheets to get closer to the woman. “I mean, you’re like…Well, I don’t know what you are but you’re fucking glowing, for fucksake. I’m supposed to believe some leaves on the door are gonna keep out a glowing, like, deity person?” He scoffed. “I don’t think so. So why are you really here?”
He still wasn’t entirely convinced that he wasn’t dreaming. Or that this didn’t have something to do with Lars grossly miscalculating the dosage of his edibles. And though he didn’t feel dead he couldn’t rule that out yet either. So interrogating the Christmas cryptid in his bedroom as though he were reprising his role as a hardened murder detective from a show he’d filmed a decade ago seemed like a completely acceptable course of action.
I fucking hope it is, anyway.
The woman wore an amused expression, the room warming as her cheeks lifted with her chuckle. “Well, technically, you’re right. Holly won’t keep me out.” She winked and walked over to the windows, Dieter’s eyes glued to the trail of flickering sparks that followed her. “You should really keep at least one of these lit.”
She waved her hand and the curtain opened enough to reveal the candle that Dieter had snuffed out earlier. Without lifting the glass around it, she curled her fingers in towards her palm and then opened them, a flame jumping from her hand and onto the candle’s wick.
He let out a huff. “I blew those out on purpose, you know.”
“Well they were also lit on purpose, Dieter,” the fire woman said, arching one eyebrow. “Those candles, the wreath, the fire in the hearth downstairs? They are all meant to protect you from spirits who would cause you harm.”
“Spirits, huh?” He cocked his head to the side. “So is that what you are, too? And why would other spirits want to fuck with me?”
“I’m more of a guardian than a spirit,” she clarified. “Though if it’s easier for you to think of me as a spirit, that’s fine. And the others don’t necessarily want to hurt you. They just…” Her smile faltered, the glow in her cheeks dimming for a second. “The things that they would show you might not be what you need to see.”
So this is some Ghost of Christmas past, shit, then?
He swore under his breath as she answered his unspoken question, remembering too late that this glowing guardian being (who he was still at least 65% sure was a dream) could read his mind.
“The past definitely has a lot to do with it, Dieter.” Her tone sounded almost sad, but lifted again as she continued speaking. “But the good news is, so does everything else.”
Something stirred in his chest then, an amorphous blend of anticipation, hope, and contentment. What is… He blinked, pressing one palm to his sternum and rubbing it over the spot where the unnamable feeling was already dissipating. “I don’t… Am- Is that supposed to mean something to me?”
“No,” she responded. “Not yet. But hopefully, with any luck, it will mean quite a bit before you leave here.”
“Um.” He dropped onto the edge of his bed, bringing the hand on his chest up to scratch at his scalp. “Okay. So, like…” Dieter let out a sigh. “Am I supposed to do something? Can you… I don’t know, give me a hint or..?”
The woman gave him a soft smile then, her eyes brimming with a kindness that he was unprepared to receive. It was pure, non-transactional. It reminded him of the way his grandma Yolanda - “Yo-yo” - would look at him and his sister. And as the fire-fleshed woman laid a hand to his cheek, Dieter realized that he hadn’t felt that exact form of kindness since he lost his grandma twenty years earlier. The mystery cocktail of feelings swam through his chest again as a rogue tear formed in the corner of his eye.
Fuck, I miss her.
She never said that he was too much, or too loud, or that his dreams were too big. She never once tried to steer him away from the things he loved, like drama and the arts, even when his own father did. She had always been his biggest supporter, always encouraged him to take leaps. And he did, because he knew she’d always be there to catch him if he fell, just as quickly as she’d be there to cheer when he stuck the landing. She was the first person to know and accept and love him completely for who he was.
Things… Nothing’s been the same since she’s been gone.
“All you have to do,” the woman said, thumbing the tear away as it rolled down his cheek, “is open your mind.” She withdrew her hand then, clasping it with the opposite one and letting them hang in front of her. “And your heart. I’ll help you as much as I can, but in the end it will be up to you.”
He shook his head, swallowing to clear his throat. “Help me do what, though? Open to what? What will be up to me?”
Opening his mind was something that Dieter was well-versed in. His heart, though? That didn’t happen often. After Anika, it had snapped more tightly shut than ever. So what happens if I can’t?
Despite the fact that he couldn’t explain anything that was happening, from her presence to the uncanny way she invoked the memory of his grandma, the woman’s response still managed to catch him off guard. “Saving your Christmas spirit.”
Huh?
Before he could get another word out, she took one step and appeared on the other side of the room. How the fu- “That’s why you’re here, Dieter.” She gave him a serious look, the embers beneath her skin glowing a deeper oranger as she shook her head. “You may not get another chance, so please don’t waste it.” She gestured at the wreath, still laying on his dresser. “Remember what I told you about the spirits. If you follow our instructions while you’re here,” she pointed next at the candle that she had re-lit, “then you can trust whatever they show you. For now, though, you should get back to sleep. Tomorrow is an important day.”
Dieter blew air through his lips in amusement. “Yeah, sure, like I’ll be able to sleep now.”
With a twirl of her wrist, she conjured a velvet maroon sleep mask perched amidst his wayward curls. “You will.”
And though he hadn’t pulled it down over his eyes yet, the woman vanished from sight, with nothing but a few fizzling sparks left in her wake. The room darkened again, with just a small halo of light emanating from the candle in the window. He used it to squint skeptically at the box of cookies on the nightstand. I gotta text Lars tomorrow.
Reaching up, he grabbed for the sleep mask and yanked it down over his eyes, settling back into the bed. Or I could just do it now, because I’m probably not gonna fall back to-
But he didn’t finish his thought, because as soon as his head hit the pillow he was out.
– – –
When you woke up on Christmas Eve, your room was filled with the bright morning sunlight that glistened off the crystalline snow outside the windows.
Stretching, you took a deep breath in through your nose and blinked a few times to let your eyes adjust. What time is it? Groping blindly for your phone on the nightstand, you felt your fingers grasp the edges of it and pulled it close to your face so that you could see the screen. Oh, damn. The numbers read 10:45 am - well past when you normally had to be up for daily life, and definitely later than you would have gotten to sleep had you gone home for the holidays and stayed with family. Nice.
It had been good, restful sleep, too, which wasn’t always a guarantee for you, your racing mind sometimes keeping you awake or else waking you up in the middle of the night. The bed in your room at the Yule Lodge was one of the most comfortable ones you’d ever slept in, and the sheets and blankets only seemed to get softer and warmer the longer you were wrapped up in them. You’d even fallen asleep more quickly than you usually did when you stayed in a hotel.
I can’t even remember trying to fall asleep I just… Must’ve been all the travel. And then the adrenaline crash.
You’d managed to make it through the first 50 pages of A Christmas Carol before conking out. Glancing over at the nightstand, you saw the folded piece of paper that you’d used as a bookmark sticking out. At least I remembered to mark my spot. It was a quick read, and you’d likely finish the rest of it before noon. So I guess I’ll grab another one from the library when I go down for breakfast and… Your eyes widened as two things hit you at once.
1) You remembered why you’d ended up blindly choosing that book in the first place - because Dieter Bravo had checked in as the other guest that you would be sharing the Lodge with, and the two of you had made eye contact that left you so flustered you were lucky you didn’t fall down the last three steps on your way to the library.
And 2) It may have been a solid, restful block of sleep, but man, did you have a weird dream.
In it, you were nestled into your bed with your book open, reading about Jacob Marley’s visitation to Ebenezer, when suddenly you received a visit of your own. You’d looked up to turn the page only to find that you were not alone, a stunning woman who seemed to be formed of firelight standing near the center of the room.
I didn’t… I wasn’t afraid of her though.
She’d welcomed you to the Yule Lodge, mentioning that the place was her home, and then she’d thanked you for abiding by the check-in instructions regarding the little wreath on your door knob and the candles in the windows. You’d asked her who she was and why she was there, and she’d told you that she didn’t have a name so much as a title, but that if you needed something to call her, Holly would suffice. And as for her explanation of why she was in your room?
“I’m here to guide you through the next few days,” she’d told you, adding in your name even though you hadn’t given it to her. “You’ve been looking for something in your life, haven’t you?” You nodded and the woman smiled, the expression so warm that you felt it. “I am here to help make sure that you find it.”
That was as much as you could remember, though you could feel at the edges of your mind that there was more to it. Maybe it’ll come to me later. You shrugged to yourself. It was just a dream, and likely influenced by what you were reading before you fell asleep, combined with the thematic nature of the hotel. Besides, you had more pressing things to consider.
Things like what the heck you were going to say to Dieter.
You thought about it as you shuffled into the bathroom, hoping that some magical phrase that made you sound effortlessly cool would come to you as you stood beneath the hot shower. But it didn’t happen. Because that would be impossible. Sighing, you dried yourself off and got dressed for the day, choosing a brand new pair of sweatpants, your favorite green cable knit sweater, and thick wool socks.
It wasn’t a glamorous look, but you hadn’t packed with the intention of spending the holiday with celebrities. You packed for comfort and warmth. You did bring one nice outfit with you, because you had been unsure of what to expect for Christmas dinner, and you wanted the option to dress up if the occasion called for it. Or if I just feel like it. Everything else that you brought with you was along the same lines as what you had on, plus a pair of jeans in case you ventured beyond the library or the parlor. So I guess this is what I’m wearing to meet Dieter Bravo.
But as you checked your reflection in the mirror, you smiled. You looked put together and cozy. You felt happy. And you remembered why you had gone on the trip in the first place. It’s for me. This is for me. It didn’t matter what kind of impression you made on anyone while you were there, because you were there to unwind, recharge, and indulge in whatever you wanted. Besides, I bet I won’t even see much of him. He’ll probably keep to himself.
That thought was proven wrong almost immediately upon leaving your room, when you nearly collided with the man as he left his.
You sucked in a gasp, letting your breath out in the form of a muttered “Oh, fuck!” as Dieter narrowly stepped out of your path with a somewhat exaggerated “Woaahh!” that faded into a chuckle when he realized that you hadn’t actually bumped into each other.
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t-” You started to apologize out of habit, but as soon as you looked up and your eyes met his big, beautiful brown ones, you felt every single word that you knew slip from memory.
The chuckle turned into a crooked smile as he gave a small shake of his head. “Don’t be.”
He swung his arm towards his room, whole body turning at the waist with the motion, and you used the split second to take him in more fully. He’s dressed just like me. He was wearing a pair of black and dark green plaid pajama pants, a striped gray sweater, and a pair of orange and lavender polka dot socks. He looks so comfortable. He was also taller and more broad than you pictured, and you couldn’t help but think about how fucking nice it would likely be to cuddle up against his chest with those arms wrapped around you, maybe even sitting in front of the fireplace... Stop it!
“I wasn’t paying attention, didn’t see you.” Turning back to you, he brought his hand up to scratch the side of his head. “But now I do.” He hummed, dropping that hand to his side and extending the other out to you. “I’m Dieter.”
You fought it, you really fucking did, but the first thing out of your mouth as you let him close his fingers around your hand, was nothing but a “Ha!” followed by four horrifying seconds of silence as you waited for the English language to come back to you. When it did, the best you could do was, “I mean, yes, I mean, hi. Yes, I know who you are.” It took another awkward second before you realized that he was waiting for your name, which you gave to him as he released your hand. Oh that was just great. Good job, me.
He didn’t let you flounder though, and you were grateful. “And now I know who you are.” He nodded, flashing you another smile from under his disheveled curls. “Are you here through the 26th, too?”
Finally composing yourself, you swallowed and nodded back. “I am.” But I wonder why you are.
“Nice.”
He said it like that was what he was hoping your answer would be, which was confusing, but you chalked it up to the fact that he had likely just woken up and had been caught off guard by bumping into you in the hall and was just trying to be polite. When you didn’t say anything back, he tilted his head slightly and spoke again.
“Well, I was just heading downstairs to see what the caffeine options are. Maybe grab some food. All I’ve eaten in the last like twelve hours have been edi-” He stopped himself, narrowed his eyes and then continued. “Christmas cookies. So I definitely need some real food.”
As though on cue, his stomach rumbled and then you were both laughing again. “I was headed down, too,” you said, gesturing to the staircase that led to the first floor. “I could also use a pick me up.” You gave a small shake of your head as you started towards the stairs with Dieter following. “I had a strange dream last night but I can’t remember most of it, so I’m hoping some coffee or something will help jog it.”
Halfway down, you heard him let out a puff of air through his lips, and you looked over your shoulder to see him staring at you. “I had a kind of fucked up dream, too.”
“Oh, yeah?” You asked, one eyebrow raised, before turning back around. “Do you remember yours?” You descended the last few steps and waited for him to do the same.
“Yeah.” He laughed, but the sound was more nervous than humorous. “I was in bed… There was this really beautiful woman, but she-”
Before you could even have the thought of course he was dreaming of being in bed with a beautiful woman, he probably has two dozen of them on speed-dial, you realized that he’d stopped.
No, he didn’t just stop. He froze. Dropped the sentence like a hot potato. Stuck his socked feet to the floor like it was made of glue, and looked around at the parlor of the Lodge, wearing shock all over his face.
What? What’s wro- Oh. You looked around the space then, too, and realized immediately why he looked stunned and almost frightened. What the actual fuck?
Blinking, you spun in a slow circle and shook your head in utter bewilderment. Because everything about the Lodge that made it a hotel was just gone. The front desk where you’d checked in - the built in, carved out of a solid chunk of oak, must have weighed three hundred pounds or more front desk - as well as everything that was behind it when you spoke with Laurel only a few hours previously, had vanished into thin air. All of the decorations were still there, the greenery and bows and candles, the enormous tree. But none of the signs regarding occupancy or check out times or amenities were anywhere to be seen. The antique looking luggage cart that you hadn’t needed to use but definitely took note of was missing.
And moreover, so was the staff.
But the fire is still lit. You blinked, eyes shifting next to the deep maroon velvet garment hanging on the coat rack by the door. And there’s a coat there. So someone must be here, right?
“Uh,” Dieter broke your shared silence and you turned to face him. “So I’m gonna ask you a question that might seem fucking bizarre but I just need you to answer it, okay?”
It was your turn to make a sound that would have been a laugh had you not felt like your sense of reality was rapidly racing away from you. “I mean, it can’t be more bizarre than-” You waved your hand in the direction of the missing front desk. “Whatever’s going on here.”
He took a break, chest expanding before he let it out slowly, eyes focused on your face. “I know you said you couldn’t really remember your dream, but…” He swallowed. “Was there a woman like…” He circled his hands over one another like he was searching for a better way to say something that there was only one way to say, then muttered oh, fuck it under his breath. Was there a woman made of fire?”
Dieter and some Christmas spirits that were able to get to him because he decided he wasn't going to pay attention to instructions? Yes, please. I don't care that it's February - I am always in the mood for this kind of story.
I can only imagine how freaked out he was waking up to that ... but at the same time, how much he just decided to roll with it. Love that for him. (I'm sorry that this is such a short and non-detailed response!!!)
Rating: M - There's some smut, but it's not graphic.
Summary: Now that the secret's out and you've lost the element of surprise, your plan of action needs to change.
With only two days to figure things out, you're pressed for time, meaning emotions are running high. There are some things you don't want to admit, but not speaking them out loud might just be worse.
Author’s note:
Frankie Friday, anyone? This chapter was a labor of love, and is beginning to set up things that I've been planning since I first came up with this story. I hope you all like it as much as I do. Thank you for reading.
Masterlist (for the journal entries and all of the other 'extras' + previous chapters)
You stayed at Ironhead’s, though you didn’t hide in the office while you were there.
After sending out a group text to update Frankie, Pope and Yovanna - and a separate text to Frankie, explaining what had happened and that you were safe - you went out into the main bar area and took a seat at it.
Both Will and Benny came out and kept you company, the older Miller joining the female bartender to help with the lunch rush while Benny plopped down on a stool beside you, both of them doing what it took to keep you distracted and your thoughts occupied.
You ordered food that you only picked at, still trying to understand how, after so long of being so careful, you’d blown everything because you’d let Tom get under your skin. Which is exactly what he’s been trying to do this entire time.
It had been stupid of you, and you knew it. But neither Benny or Will had looked angry or disappointed. Instead, they’d just seemed concerned, flipping immediately into protect mode as all of you waited to see what would happen.
“I should have recorded it.” You hung your head, shoulders slumped. “Then you could all hear what we said. Then you could prepare for -”
“You didn’t. And there’s nothin’ you can do about that now.” Will leaned over the bar and said your name, waiting until you met his gaze to speak again. “The only thing you can do is get yourself ready for it. That’s all any of us can do.”
“He’s right.” Benny put his hand on top of yours. “And I’m going to be right fucking there with you when he shows up. I want him to see what a piece of shit I think he is before -”
“Ben.” Will straightened up, head moving from side to side. “Not the place. Not the time.” Benny pulled his hand back and grumbled, reaching for the glass in front of him and downing most of it. “We’ll talk about it later.”
You wondered how long it would take Frankie to see the messages and to get to you - and what his reaction would be. He’s going to be pissed. He’s going to be so pissed. You checked your phone and saw that there was a message from him from a few minutes earlier, and winced at the short, harsh nature of it.
Stay where you are. I’m coming.
“Frankie’s on his way.” You held your phone up. “I guess he’s done flying for the day.” Will dragged a hand through his hair and nodded, and Benny stood, flattening his hands on the bartop.
“I’m going to go back into the office. I need to get some shit done before he gets here.” Will nodded, and as Benny turned away from both of you, you rubbed at the bridge of your nose.
“I wish I could have seen the look on his face when you slipped.” Will picked up a towel and started rubbing at the already clean space in front of you. “He must have been pissed.”
“Probably. He was probably so mad that I figured it out faster than you guys did, or at least he thinks I did, anyway. But he was just … he gave me this look like… I don’t know, Will. It was scary. He stayed so still, and … he just smiled.”
“Redfly does that.” He sighed. “It’s almost worse when he doesn’t react.” You agreed. “He got real good at it when we were enlisted, and that’s how we all knew shit was bad in South America. We’d never seen him the way he was then.” Will reached for your glass and then picked up the soda gun, tilting it to refill your drink. “And none of us have ever seen anything like now.”
You dragged your thumb along the condensation on the bartop and then looked up at the blonde. “I’m sorry.” You saw confusion on his face, Will frowning as he waited to see what else you’d say. “I’m sorry that your friend is … not what you thought. And that my being here brought it to -”
“He was doing this shit before you got here.” Will rolled his eyes. “You being here sped things up, but you didn’t cause it. You just made it real fucking clear that there’s no limit to what he’ll…” He clenched his jaw. “You being here is a good thing. Especially for ‘Fish.”
Part of you agreed, but another part of you felt responsible for the fact that Frankie would need to end the life of someone he’d considered a brother for the majority of his adult life. Even though stopping Tom is important no matter what, it …
“What does she owe you, Ironhead?” You felt him behind you as he spoke, Frankie pressing against your back as he wound his arms around you. “Because whatever it is, we’re paying and then leaving, and -”
“It’s on the house, ‘Fish. You know that.” Will rubbed at his jaw and looked past you and at his friend. “We’re all good here. You good?” Frankie’s arm’s tightened around you and he didn’t say anything else, even as Benny reappeared at the end of the bar, a towel slung over one shoulder.
“Good to see ya, man.” He sidestepped a stool and then stood next to you, resting one elbow on the wood. “Good flights today?”
“Real good.” You could hear the tension in his voice as well as feel it in the way he held you. One hand rose to stroke the length of his forearm without pause, your fingers glancing over the raised skin of his scar. Oh, Frankie. “Dinner at my place tonight. What time you off?”
“We can both be out of here at 7.” Will cleared his throat. “You tell Pope yet?” Frankie grunted out a no, and Will’s gaze shifted to Benny, who sighed, the sound heavy.
“I’ll tell him. We’ll bring some beers. There a game on tonight?”
“Hell if I know.” Frankie’s arms finally loosened, his hands moving to rest on the back of your barstool. “I’ve been busy worrying about a bunch of other shit.” Ok, that’s enough.
“Alright.” You stood, smiling at Will and then at Benny. “One of you tell Pope and Yova about dinner. We’ll order wings or something and have ‘em delivered.” You looked over at Frankie for the first time that night and were stunned to see how wrecked he looked, his skin paler than usual and his hair disheveled, like he’d spent the entire drive over running his hands through it. “Oh, Frankie.”
Benny nudged you forward, and you reached for Frankie’s hand, your fingers slipping between his. Neither of you spoke as you headed for the exit, and once you were back out in the late afternoon sunshine, you took a deep breath, collecting your thoughts. “I’ll drive. I don’t want to let you out of my sight.”
“I need my car, Frankie.” You turned to face him, reaching up to rub your thumb over his cheek. “Can’t just leave it here for the next couple days.We’re trying to keep things normal, so -”
“You can get it tomorrow.” He pulled you closer, hands settling on your hips as he stared you down. His eyes were still mostly brown, but they seemed lighter - and it wasn’t a brief change; it was constant. Oh, Frankie. “Please do not make me watch you walk away from me right now.” It was a simple enough request - and you could get the car the following day; you leaving it in the bar parking lot wasn’t out of the ordinary. Especially since Will and Benny own it.
“Ok.” You nodded twice, and then leaned in to kiss him. “I’m fine, Francisco. It was scary when it happened, but …” You sighed. “There’s no way he would have tried anything in public or in front of the Millers.”
“No, he wouldn’t have.” Frankie’s eyes shut and he sighed, his head shaking back and forth slowly. “I just … I got that message, and then I still had another flight that I couldn’t cancel, and …”
“I know. But I was safe. I said something really stupid, but I was safe.” Moving your hand, you put your arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, Frankie’s head immediately lowering so that he could bury his face against your neck. He held you close, and only let go when the blare of someone’s horn from the street startled him. “Let’s go back to your place. We can talk there.”
—
But when you got to his house, Frankie didn’t seem interested in talking.
Instead, as soon as the front door was shut and locked behind you, he was on you, mouth moving over your face and neck as his hands pulled at your clothing. He’s never been like this before. It was sudden but not unwelcome, and once you’d managed to kick your shoes off and put both of your hands up, fingers sliding through his hair, you finally got a word in. I need to know what’s going on in his head.
“Wait.” You tugged on his hair, pulling his face away from you. “Frankie, wait a second. Talk to me.”
“I can smell him on you.” He curled his lip, eyes more gold than brown, though it was gone before you knew it. “It’s mostly just Tom, but since we’re so close to the moon and you riled him up, it’s the wolf too. And I fucking hate it.”
“Could you smell it before?” Your breath came out shaky, but you continued. “Before I got to Florida, I mean? Do wolves smell like wolves, or -”
“
“I don’t know.” He leaned in, nuzzling against your throat. “Maybe. But after he stopped coming out with me when I run, I guess… I guess I stopped seeing him close to the full moon altogether. And since I’d never been around another wolf, I didn’t … fuck. I should have paid more attention.”
“No.” You kissed his temple. “Because you had a suspicion the night he cut himself, and you didn’t smell it then, either. You had to smell his blood. Maybe it’s just before the moon, Frankie. Maybe -”
“Then why did I react the way I did to Ashley?” His hand slid beneath your shirt and ran up the center of your back, his skin warm against yours. “I walked into that hospital room and I knew.”
“She was on the defensive.” You swallowed, stroking the back of his neck as Frankie’s mouth worried the skin at the base of your throat. “She was on high alert and so were you, so maybe … maybe that’s what it takes. Or maybe since you knew she was a wolf, there’d be something different to scent, or -”
“I’ll ask her.” He groaned as he mouthed at your pulse point, raising his head slowly. “But right now all I want is to get these fucking clothes off of you and make you smell like me instead of that fucking …” He bit at your chin, your head tilting backwards as you whined. I kind of like him like this. I kind of like …
“You going to be able to keep it together if we have sex right now?” He met your eyes, his lips parted as he waited to see what else you’d say. “I thought you were riled up last month, but this is …” You bit your lip. “I wish it was for a different reason, but I kinda like you like this.”
“No promises.” He raised a brow, and for the first time, you saw a brief smile on his lips. “Except that yes I can keep it together enough not to bite you.” He leaned in, tilting his head to the side and letting his mouth hover over yours. “Hard, anyway.” That made you giggle, the sound catching you by surprise - and making Frankie’s eyes widen as his smile returned after he backed away. “It’s good to hear that coming from you.”
“You’ll hear a lot more things you like from me if you kiss me again.” You tugged on his hair, licking your lips. “Do you want to stay out here, or go into your room?”
“Bedroom.” He nudged you toward the doorway. “We’re having company later and I think they’d appreciate not sitting on the same couch that we just fucked on.” That made you laugh again, and you leaned in, kissing his lips.
“You’re so considerate.” He snorted as you stepped away, turning your back to him and reaching down to pull your shirt off. “It’s one of the reasons I love you.” His hands found their way to your hips as he followed you into the bedroom, Frankie close behind. “Wait.” You turned to face him, tossing your shirt into the dirty laundry pile. “You said… we’re having company.”
“I did.” He focused on you, only breaking eye contact when he pulled his shirt off, too, throwing it over with yours. “And I meant it exactly how it sounded.”
“I like that.” You undid the button on your pants, shimmying out of them and watching as he unbuckled his belt, pulling it free from the loops with one hand. “Are we going to talk about -”
“After.” He dropped his jeans, stepping out of them before he kicked them to the side. “Need you first.” He moved forward, his hands finding your bare skin and sliding over it, wide palms moving fluidly as he urged you closer. “Sit on the end of the bed.” You nodded, carefully turning so that he didn’t have to let you go.
He walked with you to the bed, and as you lowered yourself onto the mattress, you looked up, raising a brow as he stayed in front of you. “I’m in the perfect position, Frankie.” You placed your hands at his waist, fingertips trailing along the edge of the elastic band of his underwear. “Let me -”
“Later.” His hips jerked forward as your hands moved, but he shook his head. “I -” You paid no attention and tilted your head to the right, leaning forward and kissing his abdomen, mouth moving inward toward his belly button. “Fuck, you’re not … you’re going to …” He was hard beneath the cotton, the outline of him clearly visible against the light gray material. “Shit.”
You smiled as you moved your mouth down, your hand dropping from his waist to cup the bottom of his bulge as you kissed along the length of it. The urge to press your thighs together was strong, but you couldn’t with him where he was - and you knew that when you finally removed the rest of your clothing, it would be apparent that teasing him had turned you on. Good. Good, he needs to know.
Making your way back up, you opened your mouth and sucked the tip of him between your lips, tongue lapping at the cloth. He hissed, one hand moving to grip your shoulder and the other going to the back of your head. “You’re in a mood today.” He groaned and mumbled your name as you squeezed him gently. “Gonna make me come in my goddamn underwear like a -” He moaned when you dragged your teeth gently along him as you lifted your head, raising your eyes to meet his.
“No. I was just teasing you.” Licking your lips, you shrugged. “You’re very tense, Frankie.” He was breathing hard, his eyes bright. “I just …” Biting the inside of your lip, you sighed. “I was trying to help.”
He moved abruptly, dropping to his knees in front of you faster than you thought possible, and then it was him looking up at you. “You like teasing me?” He reached up, one hand sliding along the inside of your thigh. “Let me return the favor.” You widened the spread of your legs as his hand moved closer to your center, and when one of Frankie’s thick fingers found its target, pressing against the damp fabric, you couldn’t stop the whimper that escaped you.
“Jesus, you …” You closed your eyes and tilted your head back, a second finger joining his first. “Holy shit.” His mouth met the inside of your thigh before it moved inward, the motion of his fingers never ceasing.
You deserved the teasing - deserved to have him do the same thing you’d done to him - touching and tasting you through the fabric instead of without it as a barrier. It’s only fair. Reopening your eyes, you looked down at him, watching his progress and gasping when he withdrew his hand and used it to urge your leg over his shoulder.
He pressed down on your other one with his hand, widening the spread of your legs, and before you could say anything to him, he took the edge of your underwear between his teeth and tugged, releasing it moments later and letting it snap back against your skin.
You moaned at the feeling - half his name and half just noise, and then Frankie’s mouth was on you, pressing kisses to your soaked core and dragging his tongue along it afterward. You dug your heel into the center of his back and curled your fingers, bunching up the blankets beneath you against your palms.
He’d already proven time and time again that he was capable of getting you off quickly with his mouth, and you knew that if he continued, that time would be no different. I need to tell him to stop. “F-Frankie.” You forced it out, even as you rolled your hips forward and against his mouth. “Unless you stop, I’m…” He snapped the elastic again, which made you pause, teeth digging into your lower lip. Dammit. “I need you.”
He looked up then, pulling back enough that when he exhaled, the heat of his breath fanned out over you and made you shiver. You repeated yourself, nodding as you sat up and reached behind you to unhook your bra. “Need you too.” He eased your leg down, and once it wasn’t in the way anymore, he rose, reaching down to take off his underwear. “You have no fucking idea how much.”
Frankie climbed into the bed as you moved yourself backwards and into a more comfortable position. Once you were in place, you also took your underwear off, staring up at him as he reached over and into the drawer for a condom, the muscles in his upper body rippling with each motion. I think I do know how much.
You assumed he’d tear the foil open immediately, but instead of doing that, he set the square down on the pillow next to you and then leaned over, taking a slow breath as his eyes moved over your face. “You put yourself in danger today by meeting with him, and I don’t like that.” He clenched his jaw and you saw a muscle in his cheek twitch. “I understand why you did it, and I know you were safe after, but it still…”
“I know.” You spoke quietly, reaching over with one hand to touch his. “I’m sorry that it happened that way.” Frankie lowered his head and kissed your cheek before turning so that his lips were in front of your ear.
“You will never have to put yourself in that position again.” You heard the growl in his voice, and when he met your eyes again, his expression was hard. “I promise.” All you could do was nod, reaching up to pull his face back down to yours so that you could kiss him.
You could feel the tension in his shoulders, but as the kiss deepened, Frankie’s lips parting at the first gentle probe of your tongue, he relaxed. That’s good. He needs to relax… and so do I.
When he broke away to breathe, you jerked your head to the side, eyes moving from Frankie’s face in the direction of the condom. “You gonna use that, or what?”
—
“They’re going to be here in like ten minutes, Frankie.” You were toweling off, though your attention was on the shower, where Frankie still stood under the steaming water. “We’re cutting it really fucking close.”
He grumbled out an agreement, but only moments later the water stopped and he poked his head out. His eyes widened at the sight of you holding out a fresh, dry towel, but he took it without saying anything. Despite the time crunch, you still took a few moments to stare at him when he stepped out and onto the bathroom floor, the towel hanging low on his hips, though it was wrapped tightly, the end tucked into place.
He caught you looking and straightened up, one side of his mouth lifting into a smirk. “See something you like?”
“Maybe.” You winked at him and forced yourself to turn away, giving yourself one final look in the mirror. “I’m glad we ordered food before we showered.” He stepped up behind you and wrapped his arms around your waist, meeting your gaze through your reflections. “What?”
“How are you so calm?” You’d known it was coming. Though the two of you had pushed the truth of your situation to the side long enough to focus on each other in bed, the fact of the matter was that in only a few minutes’ time, your friends were going to arrive to talk over something very serious. Shit.
“I don’t know.” You pulled the hem of your t-shirt into place and then reached up to pinch the bridge of your nose. “I’m trying not to let myself think about it right now, to be honest.” Turning so that you could look at him, you tried to smile. “I have to believe that between all of us we can figure something out, and that it’ll -”
“We’ve already figured it out. I’m going to fucking kill him.” He didn’t flinch as he said it, Frankie’s tone even. “And if, for some reason I can’t, or I fail… then you and Benny will finish the job with silver.”
You hadn’t even considered that Frankie might not be able to kill Tom. And if he failed, then that means… no. “You’re not going to fail.” You put your hand against his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath it. “Frankie -”
“No. I’m not. But …” He shrugged. “We need to prepare for anything.” You knew that he was right, and that Benny wouldn’t hesitate to raise - and use - a gun. “Let me get dressed. I don’t think any of those guys want to see this much of me when they get here.” You lowered your head and nodded, trying to steady yourself as Frankie backed away and then disappeared into his bedroom.
You exited into the main hallway, turning and making your way into the kitchen, where you busied yourself with getting plates and napkins ready. Despite everything, you felt comfortable moving around in the space, the feeling from the morning after you’d been with him for the first time amplified. And he likes having me here, too.
You glanced down at what you wore and smiled, briefly closing your eyes. You’d left a few things at his place - a few outfits and a toothbrush, along with some toiletries - so that you weren’t just constantly bringing everything back and forth. It made you feel more settled, and that was something that both of you liked, especially with the situation you found yourselves in. As you finished, you looked around and let your gaze linger on the chalkboard.
He hadn’t erased your message from the morning you’d left after him, but he had added to it; an arrow pointing directly at it along with three words: I want to.
It was more a note for himself than anything else, but it still made you grin and your cheeks heat. I can’t believe I found someone like him. You finished with the dishes and then turned back toward the living room, checking your phone as you crossed the space.
“Pope’s about to pull up.” Frankie entered the room, running his hand through his towel-dried hair. “Benny and Will shouldn’t be too far behind.” You hummed out an agreement and lowered yourself onto the couch, hands in your lap. He sat beside you after unlocking the front door, pulling you close and encouraging you to tuck your head against his chest. “You smell better.” He kissed your hair, inhaling deeply. “And I put your clothes into the washer.”
You laughed at that, the sound short. “Thank you.” You heard a car pulling up, followed by the sound of a door slamming, and only a few seconds later, Pope was walking through the front door, a 6-pack of beer in one hand. Frankie didn’t stand to greet him, and after saying hello, he walked into the kitchen, returning a minute later with an open beer. “Yova said to tell you she’s sorry she couldn’t be here. She had a spin class or some shit tonight, and she didn’t want to miss it.” He sat on the chair, eyeing the two of you. “Molly’s in the class.”
It made sense - keeping up appearances was going to be important. And if Molly’s acting weird, she’ll be able to tell us. “We ordered food. It should be here soon.” You checked your phone. “Arthur has our order and is getting close.” Pope nodded, looking between you and Frankie.
“I’ve been working on some things today. I think Yova and I are going to stop at the RV on the way out of town tomorrow and drop some shit off for you.”
“Where are you going after?” You sat up, putting your hands in your lap. “Isn’t the RV out of the way?”
“St. Augustine.” He gave you a small smile. “She’s never been. And it’s a good alibi, just in case.” You agreed - but that brought up another question.
“I didn’t even think of that. Obviously if … when Tom goes missing, you guys will be questioned, since you’re his friends. And we’ll be at the RV, but … it’s in all of your names. They’ll look there, too. And if you fight him, Frankie, there’s going to be blood, and -”
“I said I’ve been working on some things.” Pope leaned in, saying your name. “I need you to trust me when I say that we’re planned shit like this out before. It’s a hell of a lot easier when you’ve got money.”
“I…” You closed your eyes, taking a deep breath. “What if Tom fucks you over? What if he fucks us all over, and tells Molly, or tells someone from the Chaos line, or … I don’t know, preemptively calls the police and tells them to go to the RV site, and -”
“Then we fucking deal with it.” Frankie stood, crossing his arms. “There was enough wolf in his blood after the moon that I could sense it, so if they find blood at the clearing, it’ll come back animal with some human DNA in it, whether it’s mine or his.” He turned in a slow circle. “And we’ve all bled up there at one point or another just from doing dumb shit. All of our DNA is all over that trailer from the last couple years.”
“I don’t think he’d call police.” Pope spoke up, taking a sip from the beer bottle. “If he wants to finish this, he won’t want to be interrupted.” It made sense, and as the three of you thought those words over, you heard another car pull up, followed by the sound of Benny and Will’s voices as they greeted someone. The food.
Frankie walked toward the door and pulled it open for them, saying hello to his friends and then addressing the delivery guy by name. Good timing. The three men came into the room at the same time, Will carrying one bag, Frankie another, and Benny with a second 6 pack of beer - and a bottle of soda - in his hands.
You greeted them, too, and didn’t miss the wink Benny gave you after assessing your new outfit and Frankie’s still damp hair. Don’t say a word, Benjamin. He didn’t - about that. But it was Benny that spoke up first, gesturing toward the kitchen as he headed in that direction.
“We’ve got some important shit to talk about … but we should eat first.” He paused, looking around at the rest of you. “Mission planning always goes much smoother when you’re not fuckin’s starving.”
“Can’t argue with that, little brother.” Will nodded, following him toward the kitchen. “Lead the way.”
—
You didn’t talk about the plan while you ate, but you talked about other things.
The five of you sat out in Frankie’s back yard, and they listened while you recounted your meeting with Tom in detail. When you got to the end, repeating that he’d said to tell Frankie he’d see you in a couple days, you felt him stiffen next to you, though he’d kept quiet.
“So he’s going to be at the RV.” You nodded, your attention on Pope. “Which means that he has two days to plan, too.”
“But he’s only got himself.” Benny cut in, pulling his phone out. “And we’ve got all of us.” You definitely had the advantage, but it only went so far. “And,” the younger Miller continued as he typed on his screen. “Tom’s in Orlando right now.” He turned the device outward so that you could see a photo that had been posted roughly an hour earlier. “He went to that conference.”
Frankie took the phone and stared at it, and you did, too. The picture was of Tom and a few other people sitting in a restaurant, with what looked like registration packets sitting on the table in front of them. He actually fucking went.
“So what, is he going to run 90 miles as a wolf?” Will scratched the side of his head. “That doesn’t seem right. It would take him hours. If he brings his car back here, he can’t use the conference as a cover.”
“You know how fucking easy it is to get your hands on a shit car and register it to someone else, Will.” Frankie handed the phone back. “And if he doesn’t take the toll roads, the license plate won’t be picked up, so as far as anyone knows, he’ll be in Orlando and just hanging out in his hotel room until it’s time to check out … and he doesn’t.” You hadn’t even considered the traffic cameras, so you were glad he had. “My guess is he goes to the conference tomorrow and the day after, and heads here early afternoon. He’ll park in one of the overnight lots for camping that’s closer, and then wait til he turns to go to the RV.”
“You’ve thought about this.” He nodded. “But that means you’d have to confront him as a wolf.” He nodded again. “You won’t get answers.”
“Unless I don’t kill him until morning.” Frankie scratched the back of his neck. “If I’m able to hurt him enough to keep him there, then I can wait til we’re both human again, and -”
“I’ll gladly tranquilize his ass.” Benny spoke up, his tone hard. “Put enough of that shit into him to knock out a fucking elephant, and sit with him until the goddamn sun comes up.”
“Me too.” You reached over, touching Frankie’s leg. “I wouldn’t think twice about it.”
“I want you up in the blind.” He looked over at you. “I don’t want you on the ground in case anything goes wrong.”
“No.” You shook your head, the motion almost violent. “No. I can’t do shit from up there. He’s actually hurt me, Frankie. I swear I won’t get in your way or Benny’s, but I want to be on the ground.”
“She’s right, ‘Fish.” Will held up a hand. “More people on the ground will confuse him. He’ll have to try to pay attention to a hell of a lot more, and it could give you the upper hand.”
“One of the things I’m taking out there tomorrow is a silver net.” Pope pulled his phone out and showed you and Frankie a picture. “There is a surprisingly robust market for shit like this. People take their cosplay very seriously.” That made you snort back a laugh, and Benny joined you, Will following along a few minutes later. “Anyway. It’s electroplated silver, but the girl that did it told me it’s pure.”
“We could test it.” Frankie swallowed. “I can turn, and you can test it on me.”
“‘Fish, that …” Pope started speaking and then stopped. “That might actually be a good idea.” He stood. “It’s in my trunk. Where should I bring it?”
“Garage.” Frankie stood, wiping his hands on his pants. “Let’s get this shit over with.” He reached for your hand, fingers closing around yours as he helped you to your feet. “You don’t have to watch.”
“Yes, I do.” You could almost feel his gratitude, and as you headed for the garage - and Pope for his car - all of you were silent. Frankie, to your knowledge, had never attempted to fully turn on command. And he’s doing it tonight just to test this net.
“We’ll wait out here. Tell us when it’s alright to come in.” You assured Will that you would, and then you and Frankie entered the garage, his right hand reaching out to flip the lights on as you passed the switch.
He undressed quickly, pulling his t-shirt off and setting it on top of his workbench along with his pants and boxers before he turned to face you.”I don’t know if this will work.”
“It will. You can do it.” You reached out, cupping his cheek with one hand. “It’s close enough to the moon that it’ll probably be easier than it would be otherwise, too.” He swallowed, staring at you. “I love you, Francisco. I -”
“You do it.” He wet his lips. “No way in fucking hell I’ll hurt you, and I have no idea how I’m going to react to this.”
“You’ve come a long way in a month.” You kissed him, lips lingering against his. “First you weren’t sure whether or not you’d hurt me and now you’re sure you won’t.” You stepped back, keeping your eyes locked with his. “Alright. Go ahead.”
You leaned back against the wall, arms crossed… and waited.
Frankie closed his eyes and flexed his fingers, and you watched his breathing change - shallow ones lengthening, his head tilting back as he exhaled. It took longer than it had the previous month, and when it happened it was slow, his muscles bulging beneath his skin as his limbs lengthened, a quiet groan reaching your ears when he pushed his shoulders back and crouched down, his hands making contact with the floor, fingers spread wide.
He still didn’t look at you, and when his head dropped forward, you were able to see his face changing, features shifting as the fur began to sprout from his skin. It was an incredible thing to see - and something that, months earlier, you would have been terrified of. But it’s Frankie. He growled, head shaking back and forth, and you gasped when his ears seemed to slide up at the same time they elongated - which was something that you hadn’t seen previously.
Fingers and toes turned to claws and paws, and then things sped up. You blinked and he was almost fully a wolf, Frankie in a sitting positon as the final stages of the transformation took place. He finally lifted his head and met your eyes again, and you gave him a sad smile as you nodded. “I love you, Frankie. It’s ok.”
He whined, breaking eye contact, and when he shook himself, nails scraping across the garage floor, you cleared your throat, calling for the guys to come in. Frankie kept his distance, standing on all fours as they surrounded you. I wonder what this looks like to him. “Whoa, ‘Fish, you’re bigger than I remember.” Benny laughed, but it wasn’t entirely natural. “It’s fuckin’ wild with the tattoo. I never would have noticed that before.”
Frankie lowered his head to look at his paw and then cocked it to the side, eyeing Benny. We need to hurry. I don’t know how long he’s going to be able to hold this for. “He asked me to use the net, Pope. He said he wants it to be me.” Pope agreed, moving to stand beside you. “Frankie, why don’t you lay down? That way we can start small, and just … lay it on your leg or something. Maybe we won’t need to cover you with it.”
He moved as you spoke, lowering himself to the ground. Will and Benny remained silent, but Pope stepped forward with you. “I’m just carrying it, ‘Fish. It’s a little heavy.” Frankie nodded, which was somewhat jarring for you, but your steps didn’t falter. “I don’t like this. “ Pope spoke quietly, the two of you kneeling down in front of the wolf. “It’s going to hurt him.”
“Yeah.” You held your hands out, and Pope handed the folded net over. Shit, it is heavy. “But only for a second. It’s going to hurt Tom a hell of a lot more.” You hoped you were right - hoped that the silver made Tom miserable.
You unfolded a section of the net and then took a deep breath, tuning out Pope’s presence and focusing on Frankie. Reaching out with one hand, you tapped on the paw that didn’t have the tattoo marking, and he extended it a little further.
“We just need to know what it does. A few seconds. And please try not to howl, Frankie. The neighbors… shit.” Picking up a corner of the net you extended it and took a deep breath. Here we fucking go.
As soon as it touched him, Frankie’s entire body jerked, and he let out a long, low whine. “You need to put it on his leg. We need to know if he can move.” Pope spoke quietly, trying to keep his voice even. “We need to immobilize Tom if possible.” You reached out with both hands, lifting the metal and then extending it further, apologizing to Frankie before you set it down again.
He growled then, turning his head away and snapping his jaws - but he didn’t move the leg that you’d covered. “This is good, Frankie. You’re doing great.” Oh, this fucking sucks. There was no smoking or smoldering, and the chain hadn’t left any marks on him - that you could see - but it was definitely having an effect on the wolf. “Ok.” You reached out, carefully lifting the net again and pulling it back. “Enough. You can tell us about it when you turn back, but … no more.”
It took him a few seconds but he finally moved, lifting his paw and shaking it out as he stood back up, Frankie using his other paw to swipe at the one you’d tested. “”You can change back now, ‘Fish.” Pope gathered the net up and then stood, clearing his throat. “We’ll give you some time.” Frankie whined again, and you watched as the other three left the garage, heading back out and into the yard.
When you turned your attention back to him, it only took you moments to open your arms to the wolf, Frankie moving immediately to let them encircle him. You turned your head inward, closing your eyes as the wolf rested the bottom of his muzzle on your shoulder. “Come back to me, Francisco.” You stroked one hand along his fur, breathing slowly. “Whatever you need to do.”
He broke free from your hold, and though it surprised you at first, when his entire body began to shake, you understood why.
The transformation from wolf to man was much different - and much more violent to witness, and as soon as you knew he wasn’t looking at you, you pressed your lips together and covered your mouth with one hand to hide your shocked gasp.
He seemed to shrink, dark fur turning back into skin, ears moving back into place on the sides of his head, mostly hidden beneath his curls. He whimpered, head whipping back and forth, and even though you didn’t want to, you had to look away as his fingers and toes began to reemerge, the lengthening of the digits turning your stomach. I shouldn’t have asked him to do this.
The whimper turned into a low groan, and when you looked back, it was Frankie in front of you, crouched on the floor. His whole body trembled, and even though you didn’t know if he’d want it, you crawled forward and put your arms around him again, drawing him in and against your chest. He came willingly, his hands grasping at your shirt, and for almost a minute, neither of you spoke.
His heart was racing and Frankie was breathing hard, but he calmed under your touch, hold loosening… and it was him that spoke first. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”
“I’m not.” Kissing the top of his head, you closed your eyes.”Thank you for doing that. Is that the first time you’ve turned on command?”
“Fully, yeah. I’ve …” He inhaled, holding his breath before he released it. “I’ve practiced a couple times, but never gone all the way. Fuck I’m tired.” It didn’t surprise you, and you hoped that him forcing the turn early wouldn’t put him at a disadvantage with Tom. “It wasn’t as hard as I thought, though. I’m sure next time … will be easier.” He sat up, pointing at where his clothes were. “Can you get those for me?”
You stood and did what he asked, Frankie taking them from you and then slowly standing. You turned to give him privacy, and were taken by surprise when he hugged you from behind, holding you tightly. “Frankie…”
“You’re incredible.” He kissed the side of your neck. “I’m so lucky you found me.” You could have argued that it was the other way around, but chose not to, instead just humming out your response. “We should go back out there with them.”
When you rejoined the others, you noticed that they’d cleaned up some of the remnants of your meal while you were in the garage, leaving less for you to do later. Someone had also brought out a large bottle of water and a couple packets of electrolyte mix, setting them on the table in front of where Frankie had been sitting. That’s so goddamn thoughtful.
He mixed the drink before sitting, gulping down half of it in one go and then finishing it in a second. “Thank you.” He looked between his friends, nodding at each one in turn. “The net was a good call, Pope.”
“I figured.” You and Frankie sat again, Frankie yawning while he got comfortable. “We did all those tests with you after we got back home, and you reacted to the silver, so…” He shrugged. “Did it hurt?”
“It did.” Frankie held out his hand, showing you his unmarked skin. “But it didn’t burn. It just sort of … paralyzed me, I guess? I wanted to move my leg away but couldn’t. Everything else was fine, though.” The others nodded, Benny’s features set into a thoughtful expression.
“So if we throw that over Tom, he won’t be able to move?”
“Correct.” He yawned again. “So the plan should be … get him into the clearing. I distract him with an attack, and then we tranq him. Once he’s asleep, put the net on top of him and keep it there til morning, when he turns back into a human and I can question him.”
It was a good plan, a simple one, and that made you doubt it. “And once you have your answers?” Will leaned closer, head tilted to the side. “Then what?”
“I take care of it.” Frankie clasped his hands together. “I know it’s Tom, but … he’s crossed so many goddamn lines.” Benny opened his mouth, but Frankie cut him off. “We’ve all crossed lines, Benjamin. I know it. But he’s killing and hurting people because he can. He deliberately hid this from us and then attacked someone I love and fucking pretended he didn’t. There’s no other choice.”
“What about Molly? And Tessa?” Pope sighed. “Tom’s a piece of shit, but those two …”
“That’s not our problem, man.” Will crossed his arms. “I can’t believe Tom would fuck them over if anything happened to him, though. Especially not with Tessa starting school.” You agreed. But what if they know something? What if they suspect, or he leaves a note, or …
“How do we protect ourselves from this?” Will frowned. “Pope, you’ll be out of town, I’ll be at the bar. But Benny, you’re going to be in the middle of the woods, right where -” He paused. “Right where it happens.” He looked at you. “You, too. And ‘Fish. If they start looking, it might not be too hard to piece shit together.”
“We’ll figure it out.” Frankie stood, swaying on his feet, and stabilized himself with one hand on your shoulder. “He doesn’t get to get away with this, especially not now.” Frankie pointed, gesturing to all three of them, “If you want out, that’s fine, and you’ll never know what happens in that swamp. But I am not fucking risking him coming after anyone else. We can end this. We can protect ourselves and other people. I can. And if that’s the one good fucking thing I can do after this?” He held his scarred arm out, fingers curled into a fist. “It’s enough.”
“I’m in.” Pope stood, holding his hand out and setting it on top of Frankie’s. You got up, too, and added your hand to the top of the pile. Will was the next to stand, his large hand settling on top of yours and then Benny’s landed, too, all five of you silent as you eyed each other.
“Go… team?”
You tried your hand at adding levity to the situation, and to your surprise, Benny laughed out loud, tightening his hand before he pulled it away, everyone else following. “We’re behind you, ‘Fish. All the way.”
—
Once they’d left later, you and Frankie climbed into bed early. You checked Tom’s profile again, looking through the posts he’d made from that evening. The first one was accompanied by another of a different group and at what looked like a different location. You scoured it for the man and woman that you thought were responsible for turning him, but they were nowhere to be seen.
“I can’t believe he went.” Frankie rolled toward you, stretching out. “He’s giving himself an alibi.”
“We’re all doing the same.” You darkened the screen, setting your phone on the tabletop. “You and Benny taking me to the RV to spend the night so that I can write where it’s quiet while you guys hang out? Will at the bar? Pope and Yova out of town? We’re all trying to cover our asses, Frankie.”
“We won’t need to.” He closed his eyes. “They’re not going to find Tom.” He sounded certain of his words, and you appreciated that. Even though so much can go wrong. “Tom still thinks he’s untouchable. It’s been that way since we first met him. I’m counting on his arrogance here.”
You understood where he was coming from, but that didn’t make the thought of something happening to him - or to any of you any easier to consider. “I trust you. And I know you know him better than I do, but it still…” Just tell him the truth. “Knowing this is going to end one way or the other in two days is fucking with me.”
“There’s only one way this is going to end.” He reached over, resting his hand against your cheek. “Him dead and unable to hurt anyone else ever again, and the rest of us getting back to our lives.”
It was cruel - especially when you considered Molly and Tessa, but the longer you looked at Frankie, the more you realized that the thought that they were better off without Tom wasn’t just a thought … you really believed it.
“I can’t wait.” Closing the distance between you, you rubbed the tip of your nose along his and then pressed a light kiss to his lips. I hope he’s right.
—
Benny drove the three of you to the RV on the night of the full moon, but unlike the previous time, the mood in the car wasn’t light. You were in the back and they were sitting side by side in the front, and though they kept up a steady stream of conversation, there was tension in their tones.
You’d used a burner phone before you left to fill Alec and Ashley in on what the plan was, promising that you’d update them when you could. And just in case you didn’t end up making it back from the RV, you’d packed all of your family’s research into a single box and addressed it to your aunt, mailing it out while Frankie was at work. You left some of your book research in the rented apartment, along with all of your other belongings.
It was probably overkill, but you didn’t want to lead anyone anywhere … especially if it would put the others at risk. You had your laptop, though, copies of your information and updates stored on a hidden drive.
You’d done everything you could to get ready for that night, and you wondered if you were as nervous as you were because you’d never really been involved in a situation like the one you were heading off to. They have. They’ve done so many dangerous things. “Hey.” You were startled out of your thoughts by Frankie’s voice. “You hear what I said?”
“No. What’s up?” He gave you a tight smile.
“I asked if you wanted to stop for food. We should eat before.” Telling him you didn’t care where you went, you lapsed back into silence and stared out the window.
You didn’t know how to articulate to him that you were scared because there was a chance that you’d never see Frankie as a man again after he turned at sundown. If I tell him that, then he knows I’m worried he might not finish this. You didn’t want to psych him out. You didn’t want to give him any doubts about what was going to happen, or make him think that you didn’t believe in him. Because I do. I just … nothing’s certain.
You didn’t speak again until you were parked at the RV, the three of you carrying your things from Benny’s SUV to the front door. Nothing looked out of place - everything seemed in order, including the ground where you and Tom had bled the previous month. Tom and Will both spent time cleaning it up.
Setting your bag down on the couch, you turned straight into Frankie’s chest, his arms going around you. “It’s going to be alright.” He whispered the words, holding you close. “I promise you.”
“Yeah.” You turned your head, pressing your cheek against his chest. “It’s going to be fine.”
After you checked out the new supplies Pope had dropped off - the net, a new first aid kit and a restock of silver bullets along with a slew of tranquilizer supplies - you went outside and sat at the picnic table to eat. You had roughly 90 minutes before sunset, but you knew that the time would pass quickly.
“He posted this morning from the conference floor.” Benny spoke around a mouthful of hamburger after taking a photo of the three of you sitting at the table. “And Pope said that Molly and Yova talked at that spin class like nothing was different than usual.” He scoffed. “I can’t believe we fucking … fuck.” He dropped the last few bites of his dinner and then stood up from the table. “I have some fucking questions for him, too.”
“We all do.” You ate a fry, glancing over at Frankie before you said anything else. “I just want to ask him what he thought he would gain by attacking me, and how he found the Chaos line.” You gestured toward Frankie. “And why he never thought to tell any of you that he’d found anything in the first place.”
“I’m staying outside.” Benny paced behind your chair, the sound of the gravel crunching beneath his feet loud in your ears. “I’m going to be right here when this asshole shows up.”
“Remember you’re not shooting to kill.” Frankie adjusted his hat, looking between you. “You’re trying to get that tranq in him and then distract him so we can get that net over him. We need Tom alive til morning.” Benny nodded and so did you, but Frankie went on. “He’s looking for me. This is between me and him, so -”
“My aim isn’t great.” You let out a long, slow breath. “Frankie, what if I hit you with the dart?”
“You won’t. I trust you” He smiled. “Pope left us lots of extras, too. So once we’ve got him out and under the net, we’ll have to keep dosing him. The wolf body will try to heal him, and that means absorbing the drug faster than usual.” Benny nodded and sat down again, linking his fingers together on the tabletop. “This is going to work.”
For a man that was likely only hours away from seriously injuring - and then killing - one of his best friends, Frankie was remarkably calm. You wished that you felt the same. Maybe I need some of that tranquilizer. “Yovanna just posted from the beach.” Frankie held up his phone, smiling. “Look at ‘em.”
You took the phone and widened your eyes at the picture - the two of them, sand dunes and a sign for a restaurant at their backs. The wind was whipping Yovanna’s long hair, strands of it covering her face - but they looked happy. Alibi secured for them. “I wish I was at the beach.”
“We’ll go.” Frankie smiled, reaching over to take the phone back. “You an’ me. We’ll ask them where they stayed. Make a weekend of it.”
“I’d like that.” Covering his hand with yours, you squeezed. I need to tell him. “Frankie can we talk for a minute? Before you start getting ready, I mean. I just …” The look in his eyes changed, going hard for a second, but he agreed.
You followed him into the RV, so much like you had the first time you’d been there, but that time, he didn’t immediately turn to kiss you when the door shut. Instead, Frankie sat down on the edge of a couch cushion, hands hanging between his knees after he removed his hat.
“You’re worried about tonight.” You sat next to him, sighing. “What exactly is bothering you?”
“I’m not thrilled about watching you fight someone to the death, Frankie.” You bit your lip, staring down at your feet. “He’s been your friend for how many years? Even if what he’s doing now is inexcusable, that wasn’t always the case.” He reached over, taking your hand. “I’m worried that I’m going to have to stand there and watch you get hurt because you hesitated for a single second and he didn’t.”
“I won’t hesitate.” He squeezed, your interlocked fingers flexing with the motion. “You’re not going to have to watch me get hurt.” Frankie said your name and when you looked over at him, you could feel how determined he was, his jaw set and eyes hard. “Tom made his decision the first time he chose to attack someone. He confirmed it when he attacked Alec and Ashley. And he signed his own death warrant the second he fucking touched you.”
The words made you shiver, but he didn’t waver - or look away.
“You and I are going home tomorrow morning with Benny. That’s all there is to it.” He finally closed his eyes and inhaled, the man’s mouth lifting briefly at the corners. What’s that about? “It’s going to be ok.”
“Do you promise?” He nodded, leaning forward and pressing his forehead against yours. “Because I’m kind of looking forward to a hell of a lot more years with you, Francisco. And you need to be around for those.”
“I will be.” He dragged his nose along yours, the hand that you weren’t holding rising up so that it could cradle the back of your head. “Please listen to Benny. Don’t try to jump in and put yourself in danger.”
“I won’t.” Swallowing, you parted your lips and pressed them to his. “Fuck, I’m scared.”
“I know.” He kissed you again. “But it’s almost over.”
He excused himself a minute later to go into the bathroom, and you stood, turning toward the table where all of the supplies were. Might as well start getting ready. You unlocked the lockbox and pulled out the same gun you’d had earlier, checking the bullets before setting it down onto the table. From there, you reached for one of the tranquilizer darts, holding it up and taking a shaky breath. I feel more confident with this than the gun. Slipping a handful of them into the pocket of the hoodie you wore, you picked up the gun again and turned for the door.
“I’m going outside, Frankie.” You didn’t wait for an answer, stepping through the doorway and out into the fading sunshine. Benny was sitting at the table, phone to his ear. As you approached, you heard him say something about a delayed order, and wondered if he was talking to Will. Another alibi.
He hung up as you got closer, checking the screen of his phone before he put it down. “Nineteen minutes.” It’s so soon. “As soon as he comes out here, I’ll go in and get what I need. I’m not leaving you alone for a second.” You didn’t think that was necessary, but you nodded in agreement as you sat down, the RV at your back. “You alright?”
“No.” You twisted your fingers together, eyes on the clearing as you answered. “I’m scared for Frankie and for us. I’m worried Tom’s going to pull something out of his ass and figure out how to be two steps ahead. I’m afraid that after Frankie turns into a wolf tonight, I might never get to hear his voice again because -”
“Tom has never been one step ahead of anything on his own in all the years I’ve known him.” Frankie stopped next to you, the blanket wrapped tightly around his shoulders. “He might have a plan, but it won’t be a whole plan because there’s unpredictable shit happening.” He gestured at you and Benny with one finger. “Like you. Like me. Like …” He looked up and at the sky. “Like everything that’s going to happen in the next couple hours.”
Benny snorted as he headed for the door, leaving you and Frankie alone. I hope he’s still laughing when this is all over.
Frankie stood in front of you, looking down at where you sat “What?” He stayed quiet, eyeing you, and it only took a few seconds for you to realize that he was staring at you because he wanted a last look. “Francisco?” You rose, taking the few steps necessary to reach him, and then touched his face with your fingertips. “You said it was going to be alright.”
“I know.” He shook his head slowly. “I just…” Frankie wet his lips and then poked his tongue into his cheek. “You never know.” That was the problem. You knew that Frankie believed he had a good shot at beating Tom and getting answers. You knew that the odds were stacked against Tom, with you and Benny on hand to back Frankie up. But … “If it looks bad… shoot him.” He touched your face, thumb sweeping over your cheekbone. “I know we want answers, but if it means you or Benny get hurt, it’s not worth it.”
“But -”
“No. No buts. I’m telling you, if things go to shit, kill the bastard.” He locked eyes with you, and you saw actual fear in them. “If you can’t do it, Benny will.” I can shoot him. I will shoot him. “But I want you to listen to me, alright?” He shifted on his feet, straightening his shoulders. “This isn’t gonna be the last time you hear my voice.” Frankie winked at you, and for a few seconds, it was like things were good. “You could never be that lucky.”
“I’m going to hold you to that.” He nodded, and you reached up to tuck hair behind his ear. “I love you, Francisco.”
“I love you, too.” The blanket slid down to expose the tops of his shoulders as he adjusted it, and then Frankie’s arms extended so that he could wrap them around you. You leaned into his chest, resting your cheek against it and letting your hands move over his sides and then across his back, feeling the movement of his muscles beneath his skin.
You knew that your time was winding down, and Frankie would open his mouth to tell you that you needed to step away and let him turn. But we have a minute. We have now. He kissed the top of your head, mumbling that he loved you so goddamn much, and when you squeezed your eyes shut, you had to will yourself not to cry.
“‘Fish.” You were startled by the sound of Benny’s voice, both of you turning toward it. “Couple minutes.”
“I know, Benjamin.” You felt it when he spoke - the sound a deep rumble in his chest - as Frankie’s attention focused on his friend. “I can feel it.” He said your name and you looked up, taking a half step back. “I’m staying in the clearing tonight.” He looked between you and Benny, easing the blanket down so that it only covered his lower body. “I’m not going anywhere unless it’s to chase after him.”
You nodded, and Benny agreed out loud, but you didn’t look away. Frankie’s muscles began twitching, the movement visible beneath his skin. But wait. You rushed forward, catching him by surprise. “Just be quiet.” He didn’t argue, and when you kissed him, your lips meeting his in a desperate press, he dropped the blanket and crushed you to his body. It was a way for you to say what you couldn’t speak, and you took the opportunity.
The danger of him beginning to turn as you kissed didn’t matter to you. You licked past his lips and into his mouth, and Frankie’s fingers dug into your hips, holding you in place. I love you so much. You didn’t care that Benny was only a few feet away, or that it would likely be awkward when you and Frankie broke apart. He’ll understand. Stroking his hair, you inhaled through your nose as your mouths stayed busy, trying to memorize the taste of him. Just in case.
But when Frankie pushed you away roughly, and you stumbled back a few steps, you knew that time was up. “Love… you.” He spoke through gritted teeth, his fingers balled into fists - and you only got a glimpse of his face before he doubled over, shoulders slumping. You didn’t want to, but you stepped back further, only stopping when you felt Benny’s hand on your arm… and you watched Frankie.
It happened faster than you thought it would, his body’s shape and size changing as he dropped to his knees and then to all fours. He didn’t try to stay quiet, either, his groans and grunts loud, as was his breathing, the sound almost harsh. He yelped, and it made you flinch, briefly closing your eyes. Oh, Frankie.
That sound turned into a howl, long and low, and when you reopened your eyes, there was a wolf in front of you, his head hung low and his chest expanding rapidly as he tried to catch his breath. “Hey, Francisco.” The smile you gave him was genuine, and in response, Frankie tapped his paws against the ground before straightening up and then heading for you.
He stopped just in front of where you stood and then sat, looking up. “You smell anything, ‘Fish?” Benny leaned forward, eyes on Frankie. “Any sign of him?” It seemed unlikely that Tom would have been able to get so close so quickly without Frankie noticing, but Benny’s question made sense. Frankie’s head moved back and forth and when he tipped his head further back, nostrils flaring as he scented the wind, you looked away and out at the gathering darkness in the clearing.
He stood, nudging your leg with his nose before turning and trotting away. You and Benny watched as he circled the perimeter, pausing a few times briefly but never stopping. “Him bein’ calm is a relief.” Benny got comfortable in the chair, and you sat down too, crossing your arms. “He really loves you.”
“I really love him.” You knew that Frankie could hear you both, but figured that was also a good thing. “But that doesn’t mean I’m not worried.”
“Would be stupid not to be.” He reached over, settling a hand on your knee. “But ‘Fish has … we all have been through a lot of shit that’s at least as dangerous as this.” He smiled, reaching up to adjust his backwards ballcap with his free hand. “And you’re here now, so we’re even more ready to deal with it.” You had to laugh at that, Benny’s well-timed joke breaking some of the tension you felt.
“Thank you, Benny.” Laying your hand on top of his, you squeezed. “I needed that.” Both of you went quiet as Frankie made his way back and then plopped down in front of you, crossing his front paws and resting his snout on the ground. “Now … we wait.”
Now that I've finished with Christmas Pero (literally the only thing I worked on from December 16 - January 20th - aside from a couple paragraphs of Aphelion Oberyn) I have been playing Google Docs roulette and trying to finish chapters of other WIPs.
I've worked on and finished rough drafts of the next chapters for On Deck and Fool's Gold.... and am now diving back into Liminality.
So it's coming. I've just needed some time to figure out exactly how to begin wrapping this story up - and when I want it to happen. There's a lot that goes on in the next chapter, and finding the right way to get it all in there is going to be challenging.
Thank you for asking about it though - I'm excited that there are people excited about it :)
A/N: Although I am now two entire weeks late (I am the actual worst) this was written as a birthday gift for @something-tofightfor, because she is the fucking best and I love her guts. Rachael, I hope you enjoy this silly little story. Since Frankie Morales is apparently a "fictional character" and isn't "real" I couldn't wrap him up and send him to you, so this was the best I could do. Sorry it became an unbirthday gift - but it sort of works with the story that way. Anywho, here's hoping that this trip around the sun is a GOOD one!
And if it's your unbirthday today, happy unbirthday to you, too!
Word Count: 6.2k
Warnings: alcohol, and Frankie's shoulders and back making a shirt work very hard.
Summary: Spending your birthday in a brand new city goes from zero to sixty thanks to a co-worker who is determined to become a friend... and thanks to the breathtakingly handsome guy she introduces you to.
You had only been at your new job for a few weeks when your birthday rolled around, so when you walked into your office and flicked the lights on that morning, you were shocked to find a balloon tied to your chair and a white bakery box holding an assortment of cupcakes atop your desk.
What? Who did th-
“Surprise!”
You spun around to see a handful of your co-workers gathered in the doorway behind you, bright smiles on their faces as they wished you a happy birthday.
“Oh, shit!” You let out a laugh as your hand came up to cover your mouth, prompting more laughs from the others.
This is so nice, I wasn’t... Despite the fact that on your very first day at the firm, the office had been celebrating someone else’s birthday, you hadn’t expected anything for yours. Because I’m still brand new here, they hardly know me. You got along well almost immediately with the people you worked with, which was fantastic. Still, the fact that they embraced you quickly enough that they would want to do something for your birthday came as a genuine surprise that gave you a small rush of warmth.
Not that you needed it. January in Tampa was certainly not January in the midwest. You hadn’t felt a chill since you took the transfer, a fact that you made sure to text your shivering friends back home every few days. But even though it was a balmy 68°F and you were wearing short sleeves under your light sweater, the added warmth of your colleagues’ kindness was more than welcome.
Dropping your hand, you beamed at the group which had grown by two more associates from the interior architecture department down the hall, Mel and Casey. “Thank you all so much! You guys really didn’t have to do anything at all. I-”
“Oh, stuff it, of course we did!” Gloria, whose office shared a glass partition with yours and with whom you traded exaggerated expressions while on client calls, stepped forward and threw her arms around you. “You’re the best transfer this office has ever had, we lucked out when we got you! Of course we’re going to celebrate your birthday.”
You chuckled, giving her a quick, loose hug in return. “Gloria, did you do this? Also, weren’t you a transfer from the New York office?”
“I was. Like I said,” she released you and stepped back, grinning. “You’re the best transfer we’ve had. Happy birthday, Ohio.”
The rest of the group called out individual well-wishes before filing back to their own offices and cubicles, leaving just you and Gloria.
“Thank you,” you said again, reaching out to quickly squeeze her arm. “It really means a lot to me.” You sighed, finally putting down your bag and shrugging off your sweater. “I’ve been loving living down here, but the past few days, I don’t know, I guess I’ve been a little homesick. I don’t usually do a ton for my birthday, but this is the first one where I won’t see any of my family or my friends from back home so…” You gestured to the bakery box sitting next to your keyboard. “This was just really nice of you.”
“You’re welcome.” She scrunched her nose. “Thanks for being ten thousand times better to work with than that dipshit you replaced, Kevin.”
You snorted. Though you’d never had the displeasure of meeting the notorious Kevin, you’d heard enough about him to know that his presence in the office was definitely not missed. “No problem, though from what I understand it’s a very low bar.”
“Which you leap over with the ease and grace of a…” She circled her hand through the air. “A… Oh, I don’t know, whatever the hell leaps gracefully. I’m a landscape architect, not a poet.”
That made you laugh again. “Speaking of which,” you pointed at your computer screen. “Are you ready for that conference call with the city planner? J.R. approved our designs, so-”
“Yeah, yeah,” she cut you off, nodding. “All set. Designs for the new park. Not looking forward to dealing with Sweetheart McGee, but-” You rolled your eyes as she used the nickname you’d given to one of the men you’d been working with from the city planner’s office who called the to of you “sweetheart” every time you’d spoken to him. “But it should be a smooth call. More importantly, though-”
You had a sneaking suspicion that whatever was coming next wasn’t, in fact, more important than the biggest project that the landscape department had in house at the moment. Gloria had a tendency to use the phrase “More importantly, though…” to segue into a conversation about whether or not you wanted to get coffee delivered or which shoes you thought she should wear to her cousin’s wedding or if you thought Greg from IT was cute or not because she could totally set you up with him if you did.
And you were proven right as she finished her sentence.
“Do you have plans tonight?”
Shrugging, you shook your head. “Nah. I’ll probably just order in and finally finish unpacking the last of my stuff from the move. There’s a sushi place around the corner from me that I’ve been meaning to try, so… Why are you looking at me like that?”
The way she was looking at you was a mix of the way you might look at the last puppy in the window at the pet store, combined with the confusion one might display while trying to solve an extremely advanced math equation.
“Because you cannot just go home and eat sushi by yourself on your birthday.” She held up her hand then, face returning to a neutral expression. “Unless that’s actually what you want to do. And if it is, I won’t judge.” But? “Buuuuut.” She pressed her lips together. “If you want to get out and do something fun?
You cocked your head to the side. Maybe. There was no harm in seeing what she had in mind. If it wasn’t your speed you still had your backup plan. And I should really get that shit unpacked, but… It doesn’t have to be tonight. “What are you suggesting?”
Gloria’s eyes lit up as you asked, her smile widening. “Well, Benny’s… You met my boyfriend, Benny, last week when he picked me up, remember?” You did, so you nodded. “It’s actually one of his and his brother’s friends’ birthday today, too, or, it was yesterday, but they’re going out tonight because one of them was working last night I think? I don’t know. My point is, it’s just going to be a casual thing down at Duffy’s, and if you want to join, you absolutely should.”
You were about to decline when you asked yourself why you shouldn’t go.
First of all, you seemed to be on the fast track for an out of office friendship with Gloria. The two of you clicked right away, and though you’d only spent time with her out of work once, you could easily see it happening more and more. And I want that. You had solid friendships back home and scattered far and wide, and those people meant the world to you. But you would be lying to yourself if you said you didn’t want to form a few friendships in your new home, too.
There was also the fact that the bar she’d mentioned, Duffy’s, was only a few miles from your place. It was actually where you and your sister went for drinks after she helped you move the last of your things into your condo. She’d driven down with you to keep you company on the trip, then taken a flight back home. But before she did, the two of you spent a day exploring your new neighborhood and ended up at Duffy’s. Though you were excited about your new job and the new start in a new place, you were still a little unsure if you’d made the right decision. But when you walked into the well-loved and weathered beach bar that night, something told you that everything was going to work out just as it should.
And if for some reason that harmonious feeling you got upon entering Duffy’s was a one time thing, you could leave and be home in under eight minutes. And tomorrow’s Saturday, so… Fuck it.
“You know what?” You nodded, a grin curving up your cheek. “That sounds great, Gloria.”
She let out a small gasp and clapped her palms together once. “You’ll come?”
“Yeah.” You nodded again, your grin growing into a full blown smile. “What time?”
“Ah! I’m so happy!” She genuinely was, and it made you feel good to know that she was looking forward to getting to know you outside of work. “I think Benny said nine, but I’ll ask him to be sure and then get back to you.” She clapped her hands together again and sucked in a breath as though something just occurred to her. “Oh! And you’ll get to meet Yovanna! I told you about her I think? Anyway, she’s dating Santi, one of the guys in the group. She’s great, you’ll like her.” Gloria chuckled. “And she’ll like you, too.”
“I hope so!” And if not or if it’s awkward because they’re friends and I’m new… I can just go.
“No, she will, trust me.” Gloria furrowed her brow and nodded. “You two are actually pretty similar.” She smirked. “You don’t take shit and neither does she.” The slightest hint of mischief sparkled in her eyes as another thing dawned on her. “Wait, two of the guys are very single right now and one of them-” You were trying to stop her right there because you weren’t looking for a setup, but she didn’t let you, simply speaking just a touch louder so all you could do was laugh. “One of them is Benny’s brother, and the other is-”
You finally got her to stop by waving your arms and forming them into an X shape, still laughing. “Gloria. Stop. I’ll come out because it sounds fun. But I’m not looking for a matchmaker.”
She held up her hands in surrender, a sheepish smile in place. “Fine. I’m just trying to give you all the information ahead of time.” She winked. “Just in case.”
“Okay.” You winked back, giving her a thumbs up. “Consider me briefed.”
Before Gloria could say anything else, Mel’s voice came through the speaker on your desk phone, saying your name. You pressed the button that let you respond. “What’s up, Mel?”
“Brandon Grant from the city planner’s office is on line one for the conference call with you and Gloria.” From across the room you heard Gloria groan, then looked up to watch her mouth “Sweetheart McGee already?” with a sickly frown on her face, and you had to close your eyes and cover your mouth so you wouldn’t snort into the speaker. “Can I put him through?”
You cleared your throat and shot Gloria a look. “Can you just give me one minute before you put him on? Tell him I’m on the other line, just so I can log in and get the project files open and get situated.”
“No problem,” Mel answered. “He’s early, anyway. Just buzz me back when you’re ready.”
Thanking Mel, you clicked the button to end the call and then let your hands fall against your lap as you faced Gloria. “Alright, you ready to get this over with?”
“We are really going to deserve those drinks after dealing with this guy.” She sighed, then headed for the door, only to appear a second later on the other side of the glass wall. She sat at her desk and started up her computer, then looked over at you and nodded once.
You buzzed Mel back and then you were on the line with Brandon Grant, the man stepping right into his nickname upon greeting.
“Good morning, sweetheart, how you doing today?”
You cringed, forcing a smile into your voice as you answered. “Oh, you know! Another day in paradise! Are you ready to go over the landscape designs for the new park?”
For the next hour you and Gloria took Brandon through the possible layouts, explaining why certain plants and elements were chosen, and answering all of his questions while simultaneously keeping a count of how many times he referred to either of you as “sweetheart”. By the time you hung up, the count had reached twelve and he’d thrown in a “hun” as a bonus.
We definitely deserve those drinks tonight.
But even though he was a pain in the ass to deal with, Sweetheart McGee has chosen one of the three designs you’d proposed, and as long as it was approved by the city council, it would be your first project to move into construction since switching locations. Which is pretty cool.
You sighed, leaning back in your desk chair as you peeled the paper off of one of the cupcakes from the box your co-workers had left you, reading over your calendar to see what was next on your schedule. Taking a bite, you hummed in satisfaction. Damn, that’s good.
It was only ten in the morning, but it was already proving to be a better birthday than you hoped for. As much as you tried to focus on work for the rest of the day, you couldn’t help but feel excitement about the prospect of going out later that night.
Because… It means I could really have a life here. Not just a job. Friends and good times and… You really didn’t want Gloria to try to set you up with anyone. But if it happened naturally?
Well, if that were the case, you’d be open to anything.
Sometime after your lunch break, Gloria heard back from Benny and confirmed the time with you, the woman insisting that you let them pick you up despite your protests about how close the bar was to your place.
“You really don’t have to do that,” You tried one last time. “I don’t mind driving myself, and I don’t want to intrude on your date night or anything.”
Gloria waved you off and clicked her tongue. “It’s not date night, it’s birthday drinks with friends. I promise you Benny doesn’t mind, and I definitely don’t.”
Oh, what the hell? It was clear that Gloria was trying to make sure that you felt included, even though you wouldn’t know anyone there aside from her and her boyfriend, whom you’d only exchanged a few words with. You appreciated how welcoming and inviting she was, and knew that she meant well, having been new to the area herself only a year earlier. I can still call an Uber if I have to leave early, and that way I don’t have to worry about having more than two drinks.
“Okay,” you said, finally giving in with a sigh full of faux exasperation that turned into a laugh. “You win!” You told her that you would text her your address, and then Mel was calling you through the intercom, letting you know that another of your clients was waiting on line one.
“And I have Annie Fulton from Florida Polytechnic on line two for Gloria,” Mel added. “So if you could tell her to leave you alone and get back to her own desk that would be swell.”
Snorting out a laugh, you looked over at the co-worker who was quickly becoming a friend, only to find that she was laughing, too. “Well,” you said, “You heard Mel. Get out of here.”
“Alright, alright, I’m going.” She backed out the door, calling out one last thing before she was visible on the other side of the glass wall again. “Can’t wait for later!”
As you prepped the files for your next call, you realized that you couldn’t wait for later, either.
– – –
Pope and Yovanna were just getting out of their car when Frankie turned into the lot at Duffy’s, his truck’s headlights sweeping across the other parked cars to reveal that both Millers, as well as a few guys he worked with down at the airfield, were already inside.
Gang’s all here, I guess.
He pulled into the spot next to Pope, the other man waving at him through the windshield, his free arm wrapped around Yovanna’s waist. She waved, too, giving him a smile that brightened her whole face. Turning off the ignition, he waved in return, then glanced at his reflection in the rearview mirror, removing his hat and smoothing his hair down before yanking it back down over his curls.
Good enough. Not trying to impress anyone anyway.
As soon as he opened his door, he was greeted by Pope’s voice. “Ahí está el viejo!”
Before Frankie could respond, Yovanna smacked Santi on the arm. “And who are you calling old, hmm? Estás pisándole sus talones.” Frankie laughed at that, reaching past Pope to give Yovanna a hug first. “Happy Birthday, Francisco,” she said, kissing him on the cheek and giving him a squeeze.
“Thank you,” he replied, grinning at her as they separated. He turned to face his friend then, giving him a nod. “And she’s right, pendejo. You’re catching up. If I’m old, what does that make you?”
“Still younger than you,” Pope responded with a chuckle, slapping Frankie’s back before slinging an arm around him.
“Yeah, yeah, alright,” Frankie rolled his eyes. “C’mon, let’s get inside before Benjamin comes looking for us.”
The night out was happening at Benny’s insistence. Up until two days earlier, Frankie had no birthday plans and he had been just fine with that. Forty three wasn’t exactly a major milestone. And with the way things had only just started to really settle following their return from South America - the reinstatement of his pilot’s license, the finalization of his divorce, getting shared custody of his daughter - he hadn’t had time to think about smaller, more trivial things. Least of all, celebrating his own forty third birthday.
But Benny claimed that a new beginning at the end of the shitstorm was the perfect time to celebrate.
Which Frankie thought sounded a little like one of Will’s speeches blended with Benny’s optimism and garnished with a twist of Pope’s persuasiveness, but at the same time, he kind of saw the point that his friend was trying to make.
It’s less about my birthday and more about… He swallowed, flexing his right hand and then loosening it and letting it fall to his side. More about everything that comes after.
The after. That was something that Frankie could readily celebrate. The fact that he, that all four of them, had survived the biggest mistake that any of them had ever made and could still fill their lives with good things, big and small. That was something he could drink to.
Besides, it’s not actually my birthday today. It was yesterday.
That didn’t stop Benny from letting the whole bar think otherwise.
“Hey! Happy Birthday, Fish!” The younger of the Miller brothers exclaimed as Frankie, Pope and Yovanna stepped inside. He raised both arms, a full pitcher in one hand and a stack of empty glasses in the other. Behind him, Frankie saw Will stand from a table where he had been sitting with Gloria before making his way over to say hello as Yovanna made her way over to take Will’s place at the table. But who is that other woman?
You turned then, laughing at something that Gloria had said. And even though he could only see half of your face from the angle of where you were sitting, he felt an instant attraction at the way that laugh brightened your eyes. I don’t know who she is, but I want to.
“There he is,” Will said, clapping him on the shoulder with a grin. “Happy birthday, Morales. What are you now, sixty? Sixty five?”
“Cool it, Ironhead, I’m only three years older than you.” Frankie responded, feigning offense and shrugging Will’s hand away.
“Yeah, yeah,” Will laughed as Benny passed a full beer to Frankie. “We’re all on our way to the old folks home.”
“Speak for yourselves,” the younger man interjected, filling and passing a glass to Pope, too. “Gloria and I are still thriving in our thirties, so-”
“So that means you’re paying for drinks?” Pope chimed in through a smirk as he gripped his glass. “Wow. How generous of you, Benny.”
Benny rolled his eyes. “Ha, ha.” Setting the pitcher down, he raised his own glass and the other three followed suit. “To Frankie. Cheers to being another year wiser than these wiseasses.” He cocked his head in Will and Pope’s direction.
“Now hold on a minute, Ben, I-”
But Frankie didn’t let Pope get the rest of his protest out before clinking his glass to the three that were waiting. “No, I think that was a perfect toast. Thanks, Benny.” He took a swig of his drink, and even though he hadn’t really wanted to come out, he was already glad that he had. Nights out with the guys weren’t rare occasions, not by a long shot. But he was still grateful that he got to have them. And tonight’s just getting started.
Yuri and Ed from the airfield filed over then to wish Frankie a happy birthday, followed by a few other friends and acquaintances that Benny and Will had spread the word to. After about an hour of mingling, he finally made his way over to the table where the rest of the group was sitting, dropping into a seat next to Gloria.
“Happy birthday, Frankie!” She spoke over the music and chatter as she leaned over to give him a loose hug.
“Thank you, Glo.” He smiled at her as he pulled back. “It’s nice to see you, thanks for coming out.”
She waved a hand as she reached for the handle of the pitcher, Benny scooching it towards her without breaking from the conversation he was having with Will and Pope. “Of course! Wouldn’t miss it.” She poured herself a half glass of beer, then wordlessly asked if he wanted a refill, too.
Nodding, he held his glass in place. “Thanks,” he murmured, looking over his shoulder as she topped him off. “Hey who did I see you talking to before?” And where is she now?
A mischievous grin stretched across her lips as she looked up at him and set the pitcher on the table. What is that look for? “A friend from work,” she responded, telling him your name. “A single friend,” she added.
Frankie huffed out a short laugh. “I’m not- I didn’t-”
“I know you didn’t.” Gloria winked at him. “I just want you to have all the information,” she added, knocking the rim of her glass to his.
“Well…” He raised his glass to his lips, smiling behind it. Well… That’s good to know. “Okay.”
“Oh! And it’s her birthday, too, so I invited her out.”
What? And she didn’t have other plans? “Oh. Well, I’m glad you did,” he said, setting his drink on a cardboard coaster and letting his fingers slide down the chilled glass. “The more the merrier.”
He looked up and in the direction of the restrooms just as you and Yovanna came through the hallway that led to them, and when he did, he locked eyes with you. Fuck, she’s beautiful. He felt his smile grow again at the sight of you, especially when he noticed your slight intake of breath as your eyes met his. He watched Yovanna say something into your ear that made you cover your face and laugh, and then she raised her hand to wave at him.
I wonder what she said to her. He raised one eyebrow along with his hand as you dropped yours from your face. The remnants of your laughter were still written all over your cheeks and again he felt an undeniable pull, a desire to get to know you. Because I want to see that smile again. And I want to put it there.
His thoughts were interrupted by Pope tapping the table in front of him. “Hey, ground control to Catfish.” Frankie blinked, turning his attention back to his friends. “You’re not going deaf on us, are you? I asked if you’re in.”
Picking up an unused coaster, he flung it like a frisbee at Pope, who batted it down in one smooth motion. “Just selectively.”
“Ha, ha.” Pope rolled his eyes. “So does that mean you don’t want to go to the Lightning game on Wednesday?”
“The Lightning?” Frankie took a sip of his beer, eyebrows drawn together. “Since when are you a hockey fan? Do you even know anything about hockey?”
“Oh, believe me, he does not.” Yovanna laughed as she dropped into the booth bench next to Pope, her arm going around his shoulders so that her fingers could card through the hair that curled behind his ear. He turned to face her, both of them wearing ear to ear grins. “We watched the game last night and he had no clue what was going on the whole time.”
“I didn’t,” he admitted, garnering snickers and snorts from both Miller brothers. “But I’m learning.” He shrugged. “The tickets are from work. We just signed a contract with Amalie Arena so I’ll get tickets a few times a year. So I figured why not broaden my horizons?”
“It’s not the easiest game to understand right away, but if you give it a few games and actually pay attention, you’ll catch on.” Another voice joined the conversation then, and everyone turned towards where you stood at the edge of the table. “I have a friend who’s a big fan so I’ve watched a few games with her.” Giving a small shake of your head, you laughed. “I still don’t know all the rules. It’s a wild sport, but it’s fun.”
“See?” Pope gestured at you with one hand. “I don’t have to know the rules to have fun.”
“Oh, good.” Frankie placed his palm flat on the table. “So your short attention span should be just fine then.” His friend’s response was to flip him the bird, the rest of the table laughing before falling back into conversation as Frankie stood and faced you. “Hi, sorry I didn’t get to introduce myself yet. I’m Francisco.” He shook his head. “Frankie. Let me grab you a chair.”
– – –
You hadn’t even finished your first drink yet, so you knew the rush of warmth you felt in that moment had nothing to do with the alcohol and everything to do with Frankie’s slightly lopsided smile.
Fuck, he’s handsome. He pulled a chair away from an empty table and plopped it next to his. And chivalrous.
“Thank you.” You sat, returning his smile with one of your own, and telling him your name as Gloria slid your glass across the table from where you were sitting before to your new seat between Frankie and Yovanna. “And happy birthday.” You lifted your drink in his direction before taking a sip. “Thanks for letting me crash your plans.”
“Thank you.” His grin spread wider, lifting his cheeks into his eyes. “Happy birthday to you, too.’ He tipped his drink so that he could clink the rim of his glass to yours. “And you’re welcome. I’m glad Gloria invited you.”
Your eyes darted over just in time to see Gloria shoot you a wink over Frankie’s shoulder. “Yeah,” you said, still smiling, your heart beating just a blip faster. “Me too.”
Over the next hour and a half that became even more true as you fell easily into conversation with the group. Gloria had been right about you and Yovanna clicking, and the guys were just as easy to get along with. Since there were other people there for Frankie’s birthday than just the seven seated at the table, he got up a few times to go spend some time with them, too, but each time he came back he returned his focus to you, either commenting on something that you were telling the others, or asking you questions if you weren’t part of the larger conversation happening.
You told him about your job at the architecture firm, and about the transfer that brought you down to Tampa in the first place. Will and Benny chimed in when you talked about how different winter was where you were from, the Indiana born brothers claiming that they’d love to see Frankie or Santi shovel their way out of a Midwest blizzard.
“Why?” Frankie grimaced. “That just sounds like it hurts.”
You’d laughed at that, nodding. “It does. I love the snow and I don’t really mind shoveling but…” You sighed. “I won’t miss the whole body aches after doing it.”
“Facts,” Gloria agreed, nodding sagely. “Shoveling snow is not fun or easy.”
“You lived in a co-op building in Queens, Glo,” Benny responded, tightening the arm he had around her and giving her a skeptical side eye. “You didn’t have to shovel anything.”
“I did not,” she confirmed. “But I watched the snow removal guys and they definitely did not look like they were enjoying themselves.”
Everyone laughed at that, and then the conversation branched in a different direction. But Frankie didn’t follow it, turning to you and circling back to your recent move. “So aside from the weather, are you liking it down here?”
Smiling, you nodded. “I am. I’m still getting my feet under me. Learning where things are and which take out spots are good and all that.”
Frankie hummed, crossing his arms over his chest. “Try Tino’s on Gateway Boulevard if you like burritos,” he suggested. “And if you like sushi you should try Ginkaku on-”
“-North Evans?” You asked the location at the same time that he said it, your eyes widening. What are the odds? “Yeah, I’ve been meaning to try there.” You chuckled under your breath. “I was actually going to stop there tonight on my way home from work, but then Gloria told me I couldn’t spend my birthday eating sushi alone, so…”
You trailed off as someone near the bar called over to Frankie, telling him that they had to get going. He twisted in his seat to respond, saying that he’d be over in a second, and you found yourself staring at the way the movement made the fabric of his shirt stretch over his broad back. Damn. Out of the corner of your eye you noticed Gloria and Yovanna giving each other looks that you were fairly certain had to do with the way you were looking at Frankie, but you didn’t care because when he turned around again, his deep brown eyes locked with yours and nearly knocked you sideways.
“Sorry, I just have to go say goodbye to a buddy of mine from work, and-”
“No, don’t apologize! Of course.” You cocked your head towards the bar. “Go ahead, Frankie, I’ll be here when you get back.”
He took a breath, then swallowed and nodded, eyes still on you as he stood from his seat. “Okay. I’ll be right back.” With that, he turned and headed over to the bar, and you were met with a view of his back again.
Tearing your eyes away in an attempt to be more subtle about your attraction to a man you had met less than two hours ago, you cleared your throat and finished your drink.
Your attempt was for naught, though, because even though Gloria was engaged in an intense conversation with Benny, Will and Santi, Yovanna was looking at you with a smirk. “I told you,” she said, one eyebrow raised as she lifted her drink to her lips. “I saw the way he looked at you before. He’s definitely interested.”
I hope she’s right. Heat flooded your cheeks as the thought crossed your mind, and you knew you likely looked flustered, but you shook your head and let out a scoff. “I- He… Yovanna, I’m sure it’s just-” You shrugged. “A birthday hookup or-”
Her head moved side to side then, her dark curls swinging from her ponytail. “No. That’s not Francisco.” She glanced over at Santi, the man throwing his head back in laughter and clapping Will on the shoulder, a warm smile that softened her sharp eyes on her face when she turned back to you. “The two of them are very much alike. They don’t waste their time on things that they don’t think will be around tomorrow.”
As though on cue, Santiago leaned over to press a kiss to Yovanna’s cheek. “You good?” He murmured the words against her skin before pulling away. She turned to nod, scrunching her nose. “We’ll get going soon, yeah?” She nodded again, the man dropping another kiss to the opposite cheek. “Okay.”
He turned back to the others then, but you noticed that his hand stayed on her thigh as she returned her focus to you, saying your name. “I know that you just met me tonight, too, but you can trust me on this. Besides-” She tapped her phone and you looked down at the time on the screen. “Tonight is not really his birthday, and it’s almost not yours anymore, either. So it can’t just be a birthday hookup.” She widened her eyes and pressed her lips together, reaching for the pitcher in the middle of the table. “I’m going to have one more drink. Do you want one?”
Before you could respond, you felt the weight of Frankie’s grip on the back of your chair as he lowered himself back into his own seat. But it was the trail of his fingertips across your shoulder as he withdrew his hand that made you suck in a breath and wonder if Yovanna was right. Realizing that you hadn’t answered her question, you blinked and nodded. “Um, sure. Just half a glass, though.”
Because if she’s right? I definitely want to stay clear headed for whatever might happen.
You thanked her as she poured for you, and then turned to Frankie, licking your lips as you smiled. “Did you catch your friend before they left?”
“I did.” He said it with a nod, then tilted his head to the side. What? Narrowing his eyes, he opened his mouth to say something, then hesitated, taking a breath instead of speaking. What is he- But then he straightened his head again and you saw - and felt - his eyes flick to your lips and then back up. Oh, shit, he- “So you said that you were originally planning on checking out that sushi place tonight but Gloria said you couldn’t spend your birthday eating sushi alone, right?”
You pulled your lower lip between your teeth and nodded. “Yeah.” And I’m glad I listened to her.
He sighed then and you got the feeling that he was working himself up to say something. “Well,” he let out a sheepish laugh and reached up to grip the back of his neck, thick fingers nudging the edge of his hat. “That place is open ‘til 2 on the weekends. If you’re hungry, we could go grab a bite.” Wait, is he… Is he asking me out? He shrugged, dropping his hand and giving you the same lopsided grin he gave you when he introduced himself to you. “That way you won’t be going by yourself and-”
You poked your tongue into the side of your cheek. “And technically by the time we get there it won’t even be my birthday anymore, so-”
Frankie nodded, grin spreading. “So Gloria won’t have a leg to stand on.”
A thousand tiny butterflies swarmed through your stomach at the thought of spending more time with Frankie one on one. Oh, I am so fucked. Taking a breath, you looked at him and what you saw only confirmed that thought. Frankie was the most attractive man you’d ever been this close to. And he’s asking me out. There was only one answer, as far as you were concerned.
“That sounds great, Frankie.” You held up a finger. “On one condition.” He lifted an eyebrow in question, so you went on. “We take it back to my place to go, because I have a bunch of birthday cupcakes leftover from the office this morning, and-”
He laughed, leaning in to rest his elbow on the table, getting close enough to say something that no one else would hear. “So you’re saying if I play my cards right, I might get to kiss frosting off your lips?”
Oh, holy fucking shit, Frankie.
You gasped then, Frankie pulling back to see the reaction on your face, the expression he was wearing one that you would remember for a long time. Finally, you cleared your throat and answered. “That is exactly what I’m saying, Francisco.”
His eyes flashed when you used his full name, and with his next breath, though he was still looking at you, he addressed the rest of the table. “Hey guys, this has been fun, but I think it’s time to call it a night.”
Within a few minutes the tab had been paid - Will, Benny and Santi insisting on splitting it between themselves - and goodbyes were said. But despite what Frankie had just said, you knew that your night was just getting started.
.
.
.
Thank you for reading! If you would like to be added to or removed from the taglist, please feel free to let me know by sending a message or filling out the form on my masterlist! :)
First: THANK YOU FOR WRITING THIS. I already told you this last night over text but it means so much that you took the time to create this for me - and give me such a warm and cuddly and perfect birthday gift in Frankie Morales and his Broad Ass Shoulders. You're the best.
Birthday office celebrations are always really awkward - but this one actually seemed very laid back and thoughtful. It's especially nice to be appreciated and celebrated after only a couple weeks of getting to know people, so I'm sure Reader feels a lot better about the new position and her new coworkers after this. (her coworkers sound great; I would love to meet them) And cupcakes are always a mood-improver, so good on them for bringing those in.
Spending a January birthday in Florida sounds wonderful right now (especially with these -25 windchills right now) but it's understandable that she's feeling homesick for her first major holiday away from her old life.
Kevin sounds like he sucks, so good riddance. And the City Planning guy also sounds awful, so at least there's a backup person on the phone call to make it less terrible.
Gloria seems like a lot of fun, and I feel like this is the perfect way to jump into an out of office friendship - especially if the night goes well. (And with Benny and the others involved, I'm certain it will.)
But feeling left out of an already established friend group's outing is a real fear, and even though there's no pressure ... it's still a lot.
Enter Francisco.
He's so ... Frankie in this first paragraph it hurts. The hair and the hat and the "I'm not trying to impress anyone" attitude (even though he'd be impressive even if he showed up unshowered and rumpled and with 10 days facial hair growth) are so spot on - as is the banter between him and Pope and Yova.
43, hmm? OK. I can work with that. It sounds like a lot of things are going well and going right for him, and that makes me happy. They've all had a rough go after South America, so to have everything starting to fall into place has to be a relief. (I'd say RIP Tom, but ...)
It's interesting to me that he immediately sees Reader - even though he's not looking for anyone or anything. And it's even more interesting that his first reaction is "I want to know her" - because that's at odds with what he's just told himself in the truck and on the walk into the bar.
Will and Frankie going back and forth makes me so happy. In fact, all of them together makes me smile, because ... listen, let me be real: their group dynamic without Tom is so much better.
Annnnnnnd it takes him all of about fifteen seconds after he sits to ask about Reader. Subtle, Frankie. Real subtle. And Gloria knows what's up, feeding him just the right amount of information and upping the interest. Perfect. Gold star.
His curiosity is really nice, too; like "why did this woman not have birthday plans? that's odd." being his first thought is very telling.
Reader's also not being too subtle about her attraction to him, and I like that. I like that it tells them both where they stand, and gives them a starting point - for whenever they actually speak for the first time. (Also, Yovanna I want to know what you said, too. Probably something like "see? He's staring right back.")
Selective hearing would probably come in handy around these guys at times.
Pope with the hockey tickets and Yovanna immediately humbling him made me laugh out loud. And here we go.
Him standing to introduce himself- yes. Him immediately telling her to call him Frankie - YES. Him getting her a chair... HELL YES.
He is handsome. So damn handsome. This is a good start.
This first hour and half is really telling; she inserts herself into the core group, she follows along with the conversation, and she keeps his attention, even when it's interrupted. That's got to make her feel so good about herself (it sure made me smile while reading it). And him wanting to know more, deepening the conversation more than just bare bones talk over beers dwslikfjslfklkalf fuck he's perfect. This is supposed to be his birthday celebration, and he's focusing on someone else. I love it.
Him giving her restaurant suggestions feels really right too. But I'm very distracted by that shirt and those shoulders and the man himself and I just ... Yes, Yovanna and Gloria. You were right but you don't need to gloat.
I can hear Yovanna's "I told you" in my head, and love that she immediately reassures Reader that Frankie isn't just a hookup type of guy - and that his interest is genuine. (Yovanna and Pope are sickeningly cute but I love it). And it's clear that Reader gets along with the group, so I doubt that Yovanna would be encouraging her to go for it if she thought it would end in disaster.
The hand - chair - shoulder move .... fuck. Fuck him he's slick. It's the perfect way to show definite interest without being overbearing, and if it's not reciprocated? It's just a casual gesture that he could have done to anyone at the table.
If he looked at me like that or his eyes dropped or his breath caught I'd be done for right then and there. Just kiss me in front of all of these people, Frankie, I do not care.
LATE NIGHT SUSHI DATE WITH FRANKIE MORALES?!!??!? SIGN ME THE FUCK UP.
They're matching each other's energy here, and it works really well. One upping each other with the invites and interest is a surefire way to keep things moving forward - and even though it's a surprising turn of events, it's a welcome one.
He is BOLD - but I really appreciate that he tells her exactly how he sees (and wants) the night to go. He can kiss frosting off of me any goddamn time he wants to. Him giving her his full and undivided attention while talking about how the bar-time part of the night is over would make me MELT. Fuck.
And I like that since Benny picked her up, Frankie's taking her home - which gives them more time to talk and more time to flirt and more time to get to know each other between the bar and the sushi - and then after.
I hope they stay up all night talking (and doing other things). I hope that they find out that they have a lot in common. I hope that they continue to date and that they all become friends and Frankie's confidence continues to grow and Reader realizes that moving to Florida was a good decision.
This was such a treat, Alyssa. You always characterize everyone perfectly IMO, and it's so fun to read and see what you do with these characters and situations. Frankie is one of my absolute favorites and I loved everything about this. He was the perfect way to warm up on a frigid night - and the IDEAL birthday gift. You're the best and I am so lucky to know you.
Summary: Agreeing to be Pero's date to three events he has to attend for work during the Christmas season isn't exactly the best way to decrease your stress levels.
But it might just be the only way to get what you've wanted for the entire time you've known him: a chance to make him see that you want him.
Rating: M/ Explicit. Themes of violence, sexual situations, language, talk of an unhappy/difficult childhood, bullying.
