wonder sleeps here

kendall ★ 20 ★ gmt multi-muse ★ single ship

[xheartofglass]

redthreadings:

                                                 November 12, 2016                         Jana Proudmoar would like to add you on Skype

Jana Proudmoar: It took skype forever to find you! Are you actively trying to hide? Anyway, as you can tell by the name, it’s Syntaxbender aka me, aka my name is Jana. (Yep. Really.)

– starter for @xheartofglass

Ted Tedd & Teddy: It’s been so long since I was last on here, I wouldn’t be surprised if they forgot I existed Ted Tedd & Teddy: but wow I never knew I was talking to one of the founding fathers of the land. I am not worthy! Pleasure to officially meet you Jana, call me Ted 

[xheartofglass]

GOOD NEWS | JAX & WREN — @theseascribbles

Jackson Flynn’s life had taken a sharp U-turn when Wren had made her appearance. Before meeting the blonde, drink had been the main feature in his life. It had been the way he dulled the pain he still felt from being left at the alter a handful of years ago. When he hadn’t been drinking, his life revolved around music and his band. Blue Highway were set to play a string of gigs and thanks to Art, their first album was officially underway. His life had on track and his childhood dream was within reaching distance. That was when Wren showed up on his doorstep, a month after their drunken night together.

The news of her pregnancy had sent Jax reeling, so much so he’d had to sit down from the shock. He hadn’t remembered much of their time together, but he’d been sure he’d used protection. Obviously, that was not the case. The pair had spoken over coffee and though the news was still fresh, the more Jax thought on the matter, the more he knew he wanted to be there for Wren and their baby. He knew he wanted to be involved in their child's life. In the past, Jax had never thought about having kids, not even when he was engaged to be married. The possibility never seemed real to him, but seeing their baby - their daughter - on the ultrasound that afternoon opened his eyes to the reality of what was to come. He and Wren were going to have a baby; they were going to be parents.

After leaving the doctor’s office, Jax hadn’t wanted to say goodbye to Wren, not just yet. Really, he doubted he ever wanted to leave her’s and the baby’s side. It was like he was scared the whole thing would come crumbling down if he took his eyes off them for a second, and so he had invited Wren back to his apartment, promising take out of her choosing to sweeten the deal. It was how they ended up at his apartment building, takeaway bag in one hand as he jingled his keys in the other, trying to get the damn thing to turn in the lock. “You’ll ‘ave to excuse the mess. I didn’t think to clean up before leaving this mornin’.”

[xheartofglass]

OLD GHOSTS | ANASTASIA & ZARA — @hcwlings​

One decision was all it took for Ana to turn her entire world up side down. One decision and she could no longer return home, though she wondered if her small, cramped flat ever felt like home. It was not a warm place, nor had it ever felt safe. In fact, she had always dreaded going back there after a job. Really, she should have packed up her things years ago, moved from place to place as a safety precaution, but she never had. There was one person who she wanted to have a way to find her, not that she ever came knocking on her door; Anastasia had respected her decision and left her alone. Not once had she demanded to know why she’d left, not once had she pleaded to her old partner in order to find out why she had been cast aside without even a goodbye. The betrayal stung, but Ana had tried her best to move on from it, even if she had traced her ex-partner’s new location. Ana always told herself she had done it out of concern, but on numerous occasions she had had to talk herself out of visiting; out of asking why.

Now she had no choice. There was no one else Anastasia trusted to go to in a time like this. A time where she had targeted her bosses only for them to turn on her as well. It was karma, she had told herself. Karma for all the evil deeds her employers had done. But in reality, it was revenge. Revenge for the murder of her parents, revenge for them molding her into the killer she now was. They had lead her onto the path she was now on, one she couldn’t walk back from and so she would complete her self appointed mission, even if it killed her. She was not afraid of death, not any more, but she did need a place to lay low until she could get back in the open again. Until she could target the next name on her list. So covered in blood, none of it her own, she fled from the scene of her crime to the one place she thought she might be safe.

The blood had dried by the time she came to a stop outside of Zara’s new home. Nerves bubbled in the pit of her stomach, wondering what her plan now was, but this would be the last place they expected Ana to go. Even if they were aware of where Zara now resided - which Ana highly doubted since they would not simply allow them to leave their chosen profession - they wouldn’t come looking for the brunette here. Not with the way things had ended between the two women. Ana’s moods swung from hot and cold about that time, from anger to heartbreaking betrayal. She wouldn’t be here if she had any other option. This was what she told herself over and over again, even as she stalked up to the door, looking over both shoulders to make sure the coast was clear. Sneaking up on an ex-assassin wasn’t the wisest move she’d ever made, but she didn’t trust that Zara would allow her inside if she knocked on the door. So Ana made the decision to pick the lock, silently entering the house to find a bathroom, believing her explanation would be better received if she wasn’t covered in blood.

[hcwlings-blog]

Someone like Charles Vaughan would have had a plan. He who always had a plan would have had one now, through the heavy storm that poured down on the streets and on the roofs of cars that were stuck in traffic. He was the kind of person who saw through these things, the kind of person who saw through the fog and the storm and the darkness. This used to be one of his best traits, not simply in what he did for a living but in the way he lived his life. At work, the ability to make plans and fulfill them to completion made Charlie a great partner, as his clients would so boldly recommend to others. In his relationships, the ability to see through the present and plan for the future was something that people commended him for. Within himself, he knew that making plans was one of the best ways he lived the life that he wanted.

And yet, in that moment — no, in this moment —, Charlie blinked back at Lori and her words, as though he were a blank piece of paper that had had no interaction with its surroundings in the last hour they’d been in the car. In this moment, he was stunned and confused and out of mind. He had no plans. He had no ideas, even, at this point. It was only then when Lori spoke that he realized that the rain was too much, that the storm was too strong. He was not like this, not usually; this was an out of body realization, not one that so clearly registered within Charlie, but one that was made known to him either way. And so, through this realization came another bashful smile and a turn of his head to look out the window. Looking out confirmed what Lori did say, and Charlie turned back to face her.

Inside, he was caving in on himself. He’d been caving in on himself since the flight back home, and he’d caved all the way through the car ride and the small conversations. As he looked at Lori now, there was a look in his eyes that screamed sadness, sadness that rung in his bones and hung in his aura, the kind that one wouldn’t be able to remove even if they tried. But, on the outside was a simple nod of his head in agreement to what the woman Lori — a stranger, really — had said. At once, he pulled out his phone from  his pocket, opened the map application on it, and thus began to be more attentive to the ride and the driver beside him.

The half an hour as Charlie told Lori all the turns to take in order to get through the clearest route to the closest motel was the most interactive he’d been the whole time he’d first met her. Perhaps this was a way of making up for whatever it was that nagged inside him. Perhaps this was a way to simply go through the storm. Perhaps this was a way to move out of the slump he was in and focus his attention on something else. Whatever it was, it got them to where they needed to be. Through the storm, the traffic, the darkness of the paths set before them, they’d made it to a motel that was less than extravagant, but more than enough to rest in for the night. This was, maybe, the only right thing that had gone well today. And so, for it, Charlie felt a little twinge of pride in his chest.

Never mind that, though. There was no time to focus on this pride, and no time to harness it. As soon as the car had been parked, two motel staff headed their direction with umbrellas in hand as a form of service to new clients who would take a room in their establishment. Before Lori could move out of the car, he said, “I’ll get your things. Just get under the shade. No need to worry about it.”

And so, when Charlie moved out of the car and into under the umbrella that the staff held out for him, he moved to the back to get Lori’s things first, making the first trip under the shade to bring it to her. Only after that did he make the second trip to retrieve his own things from the backseat of the car. Once that was done with, he headed back under the shade where Lori stood, opened the door for her and the staff as they entered with the luggage.

It was then, loud and clear, that Charlie realized his mistake.

“Welcome to Seattle’s Lounge Love Motel,” the Chinese lady behind the counter said. “What room will you have? Lots of rain outside, right? Best to stay in here and take shelter for the night.”

[xheartofglass]

Lori had been surprised at Charlie’s take charge nature as soon as she had suggested the motel. He hadn’t offered a yes or a no. Instead he had simply begun barking out directions for her to follow, and Lori did so without question. It was the most she had heard the man talk since meeting him, and half of her didn’t want him to shut up. It was nice to have someone else fill up the silence that flowed between them, and that someone not being her. She had tried at the airport, she had tried on the plane, she had even tried at the beginning of their journey, but he hadn’t wanted to talk to her and so she had accepted that. But hearing the man speak now was a welcome change in the silent car - the radio having long been switched off due to the static it was spouting out - and Lori tuned in on Charlie’s voice, it tethering her to the car as she drove.

It wasn’t long before they pulled up in the car park of the motel, flashing lights signalling they had arrived at their final destination for the evening. It looked tacky, but Lori couldn’t help but think it was what she needed. She needed a break - both from driving and the day she had had. So much had happened since she had overlaid that morning. She’d got stuck at the airport, met Charlie and continued to spiral into bad luck that she couldn’t help but feel lucky that she was finally in Seattle with all of her belongings — all thanks to the man at her side. Now to repay the favour she would drive him home, just now in the morning when the storm had passed. Currently, their refuge awaited them and Lori was ready to rush inside without arguing with Charlie about getting her belongings. If he wanted to be chivalrous, she would happily let him. There was no need for them both to be soaked by the rain.

As she waited inside, Lori took the opportunity to look around the brightly lit reception, inspecting the various photographs of happy couples that littered the walls. They were odd really, though Lori didn’t get passed thinking much else on them before the owner of the motel finally offered her greetings. “Love motel?” Lori repeated before she could think to hold the words back. Had Charlie really given directions to a couples motel? Or had she simply taken a wrong direction somewhere down the line? As she turned to look at Charlie with a raised brow, she couldn’t help but notice he looked as baffled as she. So he definitely hadn’t read more into their arrangement than what they were. He looked shocked, if not a little embarrassed in Lori’s opinion, at what the woman had said. It wasn’t a look of knowing and cunning, but simple one of the confusion Lori felt. He hadn’t meant to bring them here.

But that didn’t mean Lori was willing to leave and find another place to stay.

And so she didn’t admit they were in the wrong place, nor did she take her belongings back into the car, ready to drive away. Instead, Lori did the only thing that made any sense to her. She went along with the owner’s words. “How about the finest suite you’ve got?” She suggested, placing a bright smile on her face as her hand reached up to grab Charlie’s arm and drag him along to the front desk with her.

As it turned out, luxury was way out of Lori’s budget, even in a cheap, by the wayside, love motel. When her eyes had scanned the price list of what was on offer, she soon suggested something for a couple on a budget, her cheeks flushing as soon as the word couple fell out of her lips. Still, she kept her eyes forward, not daring to sneak a look at Charlie’s face. She didn’t want to know what expression it was contorted into, but she figured it couldn’t be as bad as she was imagining. After all, he was still by her side rather than running out of the motel. 

Finally deciding on one of the smaller rooms the place had to offer, it was there that topic of conversation trailed from the motel to the couples it hosted. Lori was searching through her purse for her credit card when the motel owner decided to ask the question she must have asked every couple that stayed under her roof: “so, how did you two meet?” With her question, Lori's gaze instantly flew to Charlie, wondering how much straw it would take the break the camels back and make him call their whole arrangement off.

[hcwlings-blog]

If Jane had been any other person, if she’d been anyone else but herself, she would have accepted the truth of the situation. A wave of relief would wash over her, and she’d come to terms with the fact that this man — a man that her husband knew, even if this knowledge was old — was simply tying his laces. Maybe she would laugh. Maybe she would put a hand over her chest as a manifestation of the relief that would have otherwise contained her, and she would call it a day. She might have even blushed at the words that were later said, for a gorgeous man had just called her stunning, and it had been so long since she’d heard that from anybody. If Jane had been any other person, with any other background, with any other status in life, all these would have happened.

But she was not that. She was not this scenario. She was not anybody but herself. Through the change of name, the change of hair color, the change in location, Victoria was still Victoria. The blood that ran through her veins was still the blood sworn from her body. The patches on her body were still patches because of the bruises that had been inflicted on her. Her mind was still a dark place, and even darker now that she and Beck had crossed paths. It was difficult to remove one’s skin and tear it apart from themselves. Victoria knew this as much as she knew how to be Jane. Victoria knew this and her knowledge only strengthened with each morning that came.

Thus, instead of accepting the truth of the situation — that Beck was simply tying his laces —, Jane thought something else. She thought this as an excuse. She thought this as an alibi for something sinister, something dangerous. She thought this reason poorly executed, and so she took a step back from the stranger — because despite everything, he was still just a stranger — that was in front of her. She did not laugh, and she did not put a hand over her chest as there was no relief that came with his words. And, most of all, she did not blush at his words, but rather grew infuriated with herself because now she’d been caught in a dilemma that she’d made for herself.

What filled her instead of relief was embarrassment. Despite the poor excuse and its poorer execution, Jane could not have helped the embarrassment that took control of her body. Who cared what she thought? Who cared what went on inside her head? As far as anyone knew — and, perhaps, she was lucky that no one was around —, the man had just been tying his laces and she had screamed at him. As far as anyone knew, she was now the villain in this story. The blush that came across her features were due to the embarrassment that overwhelmed her, and she, in her step back, hoped that the dark was dark enough that he could not see it.

For a good moment, a wave of silence filled the empty space between the two who stood outside The Hanger. For a good moment, Jane had nothing to say for herself. She had half a mind to walk away right there and then, to forget what happened and to live with herself knowing what she’d done. But, she knew there was no way she could do that. She knew there was no way she’d be able to sleep at night. So, after that great pause, Jane finally cleared her throat and apologized. “S-Sorry, I, uh”—she paused right as she began, though only briefly—”I didn’t mean to scream. Well, I did. Sort of. I mean, it doesn’t matter what I did or didn’t mean. I’m sorry I yelled at you. I’m sorry I— I’m sorry, I—”

Jane shook her head; this was going worse than expected, and the expectation had already been put at such a low bar. “And, um, thank you for the, uh, compliment, but I didn’t really— uh, I didn’t really—” How was she to put into words the fact that she hadn’t really asked him out on a date? How does she put into words the fact that he misunderstood? Jane could feel the heat on her cheeks rise with each word. “I’m— I didn’t mean the second part. I mean, the uh, the part where we pretend date. I mean— the part where— You know. I just, um. Yeah.”

Even as she spoke, Jane refused to look at Beck.

[xheartofglass]

If Beck had known that stopping to tie his shoe would end the way it had, he wondered if he still would have thought the risk was worth it. There he stood, like a dear in the headlights as Jane yelled at him, and really, she had every reason to. But as he stared at her, Beck couldn’t help but think it was painfully obvious it had been a while since he had been in the dating pool. No matter what he seemed to do, he ended up embarrassing himself. He hadn’t been this awkward since he was a teenager, back when he was all bones. Somehow, though, the blonde had a way of bringing out his younger self, even though Beck had thought he’d long buried that part of him.

In college, Beckett Grant had reinvented himself. No longer was he the scrawny nerd who preferred to hang around the library. Instead, he had found himself out from under his brother’s suffocating shadow and became his own person, soccer being his specialty. Sure, a lot had happened since then, but Beck had grown in confidence tenfold. He wasn’t usually the bumbling wreck he now was in front of Jane. Really, he wished he could turn back the clock and start all over again, but he knew that was impossible. What he needed to do now was step out and away from his first impression on the beautiful stranger. 

“It’s okay, Jane.” He said cautiously, a small laugh crossing his lips so as to try show her it wasn’t a big deal. So what she had shouted at him? She wasn’t exactly in the wrong. He had been acting a little strange recently, could he really blame her for her reaction? “If I was you, I’d have probably yelled too. I didn’t mean to scare you. Sorry ‘bout that.” He replied, though the smile on his face showed that he hoped they could laugh about the whole thing one day. Perhaps forget that the past few days had ever happened and start afresh. Beck didn’t know the blonde in front of him - no matter how familiar she looked - but he wanted to. He just hoped she’d give him the chance one day.

She didn’t want to pretend to date. That was what she said, right? He hadn’t misheard her? As Beck’s mind ticked along to try find her exact words, he came up with the same answer as before. Jane didn’t want to pretend to date, so that must have meant she wanted the real thing. That was the only conclusion his mind could come to and with the realisation, Beck’s mind started running a million miles an hour. “Then we should maybe go out Friday?” He asked, nerves beginning to work their way through his system. Beck was certain he had understood the direction she was trying to head in, but there was still doubt in the back of his head. Even now, ten years after his high school years, he still had his seventeen year old self doubting his every move. Sometimes he had to remind himself that he was no longer in high school, that a lot had changed since then.

So instead of waiting for her reply, he pushed on with the idea, trying to remind himself of the confident man he usually was. “I don’t actually have my phone on me at the minute.” He started, having never carried his phone with him whilst running after the last time it had fallen out of his pocket and broken. Since then, he had left it in his office as he ran around the blocks after work. Beck had never been a man of habits, the only exception was his workout routine. The same routes, the same days, the same times. Really it was a wonder he hadn’t bumped into Jane sooner. “But you can take my number and we can work out the details from there?”

[hcwlings-blog]

It went like this: First, you swore yourself a loving and honest partner for the rest of your life together with your one true love. Second, you tried to keep up with your words as you realize that you are nothing, nothing, nothing, if not undeserving of your lover. Third, you fail, you fail, you fail. You fail to live up to expectations, to promises, to honesty. Fourth, you try to collect yourself and be that person you swore you were. Fifth, you live your life knowing that you’d done wrong — or, in Robert’s case, that you were doing wrong —, whilst pretending you were still the person you swore yourself to be.

That was how it went, didn’t it? Everyone lived life knowing their mistakes, and then attempted to push past them in an attempt to be better people. Everyone made mistakes. Everyone lied, cheated, stole. Everyone slipped up once in a while. Didn’t they? Didn’t they? At least this was what Robert was trying to tell himself. At least this was what Robert repeated to himself, as if by making sure that nobody was perfect, he coud get away with his mistakes.

But someone had to know, right? Someone had to be the escape from the norm! Someone other than oneself had to know the truth! Didn’t they? Didn’t they? If Robert were to keep this secret to himself, if he were to keep it locked up for one more day, he was afraid he would explode. And so, despite living a lie as he came home to his fiancee every single day, he knew he had to tell someone. That was why he was here. That was why he was… here.

As Riley handed him the bottle of beer, Robert couldn’t help but look at any other direction other than Riley’s eyes. He knew Riley too well, just as Riley knew him. If it came down to it, Robert knew that Riley would be able to tell what he’d done just by looking at him — and no, he didn’t want his mistakes to come out that way. With the beer bottle in his hands, he looked down to the liquid inside and took a deep breath.

He might as well get this over with.

“I’m cheating on Audrey,” he said, his voice a quiet, meager thing. “For a while now.” There was shame to his words and regret in his body that manifested in the way that he held himself, but obviously, there was not enough to get him to stop doing what he was doing. “I don’t— I don’t know what happened. I— I just— First thing I know, I was over at her house. Then next, I was in her bed. And after that, I was— I don’t know. I don’t know.” Robert wiped his face with his hand before taking a long sip of his drink.

[xheartofglass]

Riley had known Robert for as long as he could remember, for as long as he had been in the town they called home. His mother had packed their bags when he was a young boy and moved them across the country, ready to settle into a nice home in a nice neighborhood. From there he had met Robert and the two had been as thick as thieves since. Nothing had ever got in the way of their friendship, not even when Robert had moved for college. Riley had visited him, and vice versa. They were best friends, and would be for a long time.

They’d been through fights and fall outs, not always between each other, but still the two men had each others backs, no matter what. It was why, in that moment in time as a million possibilities of what Robert had on his mind ran through Riley’s, he made the decision there and then that there would be no judgement on his behalf. No matter what it was, what Robert had done, they’d get through it and laugh about it. They’d survive, just like they always had. Just like Riley had survived his break up with Zaina.

Finally deciding to return to his seat on the couch, Riley slumped back down at the other end of the furniture, kicking his legs up onto the coffee table before him. His gaze never left Robert’s as he did so, patiently waiting for him to reveal all. And when he did, Riley couldn’t help but feel relieved. It was a horrible feeling, and Riley felt ashamed, but when he had been preparing for a murder confession, cheating seemed a lot easier to handle. “W o w, how long’s it been going on?” The question left Riley’s lips before he could stop it and since he couldn’t take it back, he waited on a reply.

Still, millions of thoughts bounced against the walls of Riley’s mind all the while staring at his best friend. Who? What? When? How? All simple questions he wanted answering, yet wasn’t sure whether to ask. Perhaps later, but not just now. Not right after Robert had confessed his secret. There were more important things at hand, like calming his friend down for one. “Are you sure you want beer or is this a whiskey conversation? I think I’m all out of ice cream if that was going to be your poison, but you can still paint my nails if you want.” He said with a slight smirk, trying to lighten the mood any way he could. They had to talk about this, yes, but doom and gloom was never Riley’s forte. 

The faint smile on Riley’s lips soon disappeared, though, as he realised that poking fun at his best friend may not have been the best way forward. He had wanted to Riley about it for a reason, whether because guilt was cursing through his system or because he wanted Riley’s advice, and so the man would be ready to play his part as he was needed. “Tell me what’s going through your head, man. You look like shit.”

[hcwlings-blog]

Laughter was easy for someone like Zaina Morales. Despite everything that had happened, or perhaps, because of what had happened, she had come to the conclusion that laughter was still one of the best medicines. When a laugh was genuine shared with another, it could create feelings raw and true. If laughter was raw and true, then it could bring the best memories in the future. Too much of her younger years had been spent frowning; it was time she give herself room to laugh. Plus, she had concluded that she’d rather grow old with laughter lines on her features as opposed to frowning wrinkles.

Thus, the laughter came like the promise of tomorrow when Riley whistled and complimented on her appearance. It was genuine and it was real and it was true. It was genuine, and, even now, she was already enjoying herself with her date. If this was indication of anything, it would be that things were off to a good start. Zaina gave a small tip of her head at the compliment as she walked down the apartment building stairs to get to where Riley was at the bottom, and bat her eyelashes at the color on Riley’s cheeks. “Thank you, thank you,” she said with a flair of her hand. “You don’t look too bad yourself!” Zaina let out a chuckle. “I mean, you’re pretty stunning, too.”

With the question asked of her came a small smile and a beam of pride across her features. But, even then, there was a joke on her lips. “Don’t tell me tattoos are all you know how to talk about,” she said as she walked closer to him. “Not that I mind, but, you know.” Another laugh escaped her then. “I mean, you could talk about”—she paused to look around—”holes on the street for all I care. I bet you I’d eat it all right up. That’s how much I like you. Already.” Was she being too forward? Was she being too honest? Was she being too upright? Was she?

As she met Riley’s gaze, Zaina realized she didn’t care. If this was going to lead anywhere, it would start with her being honest. Should it not?

The smile grew on Zaina’s features as she came to this realization, and even as she examined the ride Riley had brought for their date. With a jerk of her head towards its direction, she asked, “Where are you taking me, then?” The smile on her lips grew. “And are you going to hand me my helmet or what?”

[xheartofglass]

Riley Whitaker met a lot of people in his line of work. People: old, young, men, women, and of all different backgrounds, all with different stories. That was what he loved about his work — besides the creative side. Riley loved to know about people. He was one to watch them on a busy afternoon and create stories in his head of where they were going and where they had been. His job was perfect as people opened up to him on his chair, telling him the stories behind their tattoos or why the ink they wore on their skin appealed to them. 

Out of everyone he had met over the years though, none had ever appealed to him like Zaina. He’d never asked out a client before, but with her, it seemed like the obvious next step. Her laugh was magnetic, and Riley hadn’t been able to get it out of his head all day. It made him want to laugh along with her, to be the reason the sound left her lips. So as she laughed at him, he found a small chuckle leaving his lips, shaking his head at her as he did. “No, I’m a man of many topics: politics, history, the weather.” He replied, a crooked smile on his lips.

"Now, now, I’d hate to ruin the surprised for you.” Riley said, his lips curling upwards as he continued to stare at Zaina. She was a beauty if ever he saw one, and the man was still baffled that she had agreed to go out with him. She hadn’t ran away, or called the whole thing off. Instead there was a smile on her face that hadn’t disappeared since he first cast his eyes on her, and Riley liked to believe he was part of the reason it was there. “I doubt the anticipation will kill you.”

With that Remy took a step back to motorcycle and picked up the spare helmet from the seat, offering it over to Zaina without further prompting. “It’s only a short ride, anyway.” Swinging a leg over his ride, Riley moved forward on the seat making room for Zaina to hop on the back before pushing his own helmet over his head. He had never rode his bike without one, his mother having instilled the fear of injury in him years ago.

As soon as Zaina joined him on the bike, Riley started the bike, revving the engine slightly as he tilted his head back towards Zaina. “Hold on tight.” He words were quiet, only just heard over the sound of the engine - only to be heard by Zaina - and with them they rode away from Zaina’s apartment and into the night.

The journey was short as Riley had promised, and without incident. In no time at all the pair arrived at Riley’s favorite place to eat — Bo’s Diner. It was a place that held a special place in his heart, even if from the outside it didn’t look like much. “Ta-da.” He commented after pulling his helmet from his head, hair messed up as if that was the intended style. “I hope you’re hungry. They have the best burgers in town here.”

[cogiitoarchive]

          Although she knew it was meant to be a joke, she rolled her eyes anyway. “You and your sprinkled donuts. Alright, alright, I already KNOW I’m pretty great. Flattery will get you nowhere! But since I’m so generous, I’ll help you anyways.” She flipped her hair back overdramatically, before cracking a grin and collapsing into giggles. The casual banter between them came as easy and natural as breathing—and as it should, considering that they had been friends since high school, before the other members joined Pixie Curse. Hell, before the band itself formed, even.

         Sometimes, when they stood on stage after their final song on the setlist, chests heaving and the crowd’s wild screaming and clapping ringing against eardrums, Vanessa would cast a furtive glance at her friend. Mac was a fucking force of nature when she belted out song after song, but when she smiled like that, her face gleaming with sweat and awe, she was that same seventeen-year-old playing at Battle of the Bands. That pure look never failed to make Vanessa’s heart flutter with pride (and something else too, something not so platonic, but she just didn’t know it yet.)

          “Number one? Shit. Well, you gotta aim above the mark to hit the mark,“ she added, laughing. Despite the comment, Vanessa did believe they could make it. One good song was all they needed. No need to tailor it to fit someone else’s taste—they would write what THEY wanted to, and that was going to be enough. The brown-haired girl got up from her seat, returning with her acoustic guitar a few moments later. "Let’s get some work done before we hit the road again, yeah?”

         Vanessa wordlessly extended a hand, a silent request to see her friend’s journal. Its pages were filled with half-finished lyrics (written by Mac) and chords (by herself) and random doodles along the margin (by both of them). “I could finish putting together this one, you know, our girl power anthem thing. I wanna try changing around the bridge a little.” She flipped through the pages, eyebrows furrowing in concentration. “We need to decide on a title for that one, too —- hey, what’s this? You never showed me this one.”

         The corner of the page was dog-eared, adorned with smudges and strikeouts. It was obvious that Mac had been working on this piece for quite some time, yet she had never seen it before. Huh. Weird. She was usually the first one Mac came to discuss new songs, bouncing ideas off each other. Eyes skimming the page, Vanessa began playing around with some basic chords. 

          “Mackayla,” she uttered, genuinely surprised. "This is—this is, like, really fucking good. This is amazing.” She’d never doubted her friend’s songwriting abilities, but these lyrics were something else entirely. Each line was heartfelt, endearing, and the chorus was like a punch to her gut. Happy and sad at the same time. “How come you never showed me?”

[xheartofglass]

“Number one is just within our reach. I can feel it!” Mac pined, praying they would reach it soon. She hoped, she prayed, she wished. It was a goal of hers, one she had had from the very beginning of her song writing. Music was her passion yes, and she was happy with simply getting to do that for a living, but the idea of number one, of being the best out there, she longed for it. Mac wanted Pixie Curse to go down in history for the best girl band  — hell, best band ever.

Handing over the notebook that contained both of their scribbles, Mac dropped onto the seat besides Vanessa, stuffing her mouth with a bite of a her donut as she watched her best friend flick through the pages. She didn’t know which lyrics Vanessa was reading, or skipping over, and that nerved Mac - something that only made her stuff her face more. Nervous eating was an old habit of the blonde. One she hadn’t been able to rid herself of no matter how hard she tried.

The next words out of Vanessa’s mouth were ones Mackayla had been hoping not to hear. Personally, she’d have loved to continue on with their girl power anthem, the one that stirred up Mac’s spirits when she was feeling unsure of what they were doing. But no, Vanessa had stumbled onto some of her newer work, the lyrics that were mainly inspired by her feelings for her best friend. They had started out as little notes about the way she moved, or the things she said, but her feelings grew stronger with the lyrics  — so much so that Mac was surprised she hadn’t started writing “Mrs Vanessa Trevino” in Iove hearts in the margins of the notebook. She had it bad, but she never could act on it, never would. They were best friends and band mates, anything else was too messy. Anything else was too complicated.

Instead, she hid her feelings into intricate lyrics that her muse was now inspecting and it took everything in Mackayla to not react the way she wanted to; by snatching the book out of the girl’s hands. “I was just about to show you, dummy.” She retorted instead, sticking her tongue out. That’s it, she told herself, act like you’re NOT in love with your best friend. “I just wanted to be sure of it before I did, work out all the kinks before I let you work your magic.”

Though Mac wasn’t particularly telling the truth to Vanessa, she wasn’t lying either. Eventually she would have shown her best friend the song, just when she had omitted any references that could lead to her feelings being discovered. The blonde hated rejection, even though she had faced plenty of it trying to break into the music scene. “It’s still a work in progress, but maybe between the two of us we can make it hit. Reveal it to the others when we’ve ironed all the creases out.”

[cogiitoarchive]

          Blair’s expression visibly brightened, smile turning more genuine and shoulders relaxing. (He hadn’t even realized how tense they were.) He’d been expecting something else—exactly what, he didn’t know, but definitely something worse. Like Cristian telling him to go fuck himself, or punching him in the ear à la Edward Norton in Fight Club… or something. His brain had a tendency to jump to horrible scenarios, regardless of how far-fetched they may be, in a strange attempt to console himself; by doing this, he had an option to which he could turn and say, with a mental shrug, well, at least it didn’t go down like THIS. 

          Anyway. Not important. Not important, because Cris didn’t seem to be angry with him. For now, he decided not to reflect further on why it was so important to him—almost to the point of being pathetic—that Cris didn’t hate him, aside from the simple reason that they were co-stars who needed to work together for several more months in a foreign country. For now, he told himself his flutter of heart upon garnering an almost-smile from Cris came from relief, not anything else. (For now, he chose the easy way out: d e n i a l.)

          “Cristian Ruiz still gets the jitters on set? Who knew?” he quipped, wiggling his eyebrows a little as he matched the half-joking tone. Despite the first movie blowing up the box office, Blair was still a fresh face among Hollywood’s names in lights. He still remembered how dazed he felt when a fan stopped him in the streets for the first time, asking for his autograph. Sure, he had starred in a couple of independent films, but nothing compared to the scale of this franchise. The attention was overwhelming; he wondered if he would ever get used to it. His co-star was a different story altogether, though. Cris had been in the industry for years, already well-known as a young actor on the rise.

          “t’s definitely the heat!” He laughed. “Em was giving me so much shit earlier for being so whiny, but I’m from Canada—you gotta cut me some slack.” A pause. Okay. Here goes nothing, he thought, firmly ignoring how he felt like a schoolgirl asking out a crush on a date. Except this wasn’t! This wasn’t a date. More like a fun sightseeing thing. Bonding activities. It would be a sure way to deal with whatever that remained of this thing between them.

          “Anyway, I was thinking —- there’s free time later in the afternoon, right, so we could maybe go sightseeing together? And since it’s too hot to function outside, we could visit the Basilica Cistern! I read about it on the plane. It’s this underground cistern and it’s huge, you know, built during the—the Byzantine Empire. By Justinian the Great. You know, the… emperor,” he finished, slightly embarrassed.

[xheartofglass]

Cris felt an unease in his stomach as he sat oppose Blair, staring at the man who he liked a little more than he should. A little more than he was allowed to. Sure, they had shared a few moments whilst on set filming the first installment of ‘Lethal Liaisons’, but that was all. Nothing had come of them and nothing ever would. That much was obvious when photos of Blair and his girlfriend hit the cover of every magazine on the stands. The news had stung, partly due to Cris’ feelings, but also because of the way he found out. Obviously the two weren’t even that close of friends for him to find out from the blond himself. 

So as he sat listening to Blair, he couldn’t help but wish he was anywhere else. Now they were no longer working, now that they were simply Cristian and Blair chatting, Cris couldn’t deny his wish to escape. He was no longer able to hide behind his character nor his actions. Instead, he was simply Cristian Ruiz, a man with a stupid crush on the stupid blond in front of him. Still, he kept a simple smile on his face, determined not to show his thoughts on his face. He was an actor, after all. No one needed to know what he was thinking other than himself.

“Tell anyone and I’ll have to kill you.” He warned, though the ever growing smirk on his face showed that he wasn’t serious. It had been a while since Cris had felt sick to his stomach on set. After the first few sets he stepped on, the nerves had been replaced by excitement. He had faith in himself to do a great job, and so he did, but that morning had been a different story. Butterflies had filled his stomach in anticipation of seeing Blair again. The nerves had affected his performance more than he would have liked, but they had a few more takes for him to get it right. Tomorrow he was sure he’d be back in form.

Never before had Cristian been so grateful for his acting skills than when Blair mentioned his girlfriend. His face stayed unchanged, smile still on his face as if he wasn’t jealous at the simply mention of her name. How pathetic he was being!  What a stupid crush he had! Really, it was like he was twelve years old again, and so Cris tried to shake himself out of it. They were friends and nothing more. He really needed to get his head out of his ass thinking there was anything more under the surface. Things had changed since they’d last met.

“The Basilica Cistern.... like in James Bond, right?” He asked, raising a brow as he did so. If Cris was being honest, he hadn’t bothered to look into any guides on Turkey before jumping on the plane. He’d been too consumed in the thought of seeing Blair again to think much further on country, but now that the other mentioned it, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to get immersed into the culture, right? “I’m in, it’s not like I’m doing anything else. Sounds like you’ve been studying for your appointment of tour guide anyway. Be a shame to let the knowledge go to waste.”

[hcwlings-blog]

The back of Mira’s mind buzzed with one question: Why was the man still here?

This one question, of course, led to other questions. Had her words not been obvious enough that he didn’t understand what they meant? Or was he that kind of man that just didn’t understand rejection? Did she really look like she had the kind of face that would cheat on her husband? Did she look so kind so as to entertain him? These thoughts were the consequences of having too much on her mind, even with the alcohol in Mira’s system. They were the consequences of having too much to think about. After all, all Mira had been doing lately was think and think and think and think and think.

In the mornings, she thought of how she could make Kai happy. She thought of his medication, the hours that he would have to take them, and then made sure they were ready by then even though she knew he was perfectly capable of readying them himself. In the afternoons, she thought of where he was, and how he was doing, and whether or not he was eating right. Mira kept the thought of him on her mind even as she worked, even as she conversed with others, even as she went about her daily life. And, in the evenings, she thought about herself, her life, how empty and how futile her actions were. She thought about how nothing would work, about how she would go to sleep without Kai as a stranger, and how she would wake up the next day in a bed without Kai, still as a stranger.

Why shouldn’t she think now? Why shouldn’t these questions buzz in her head? At the moment, she thought of another witty way of rejecting the man.

Whatever she was thinking about, however, was put into an abrupt halt when the man mentioned her name. In that moment, she turned her head to look at him for the first time, to find that he had a face she remembered. She knew him, yes. She knew him and she knew his name. It was somewhere at the back of her mind, somewhere hidden behind all the alcohol and all the thoughts and all the worries she had. As he rambled on, Mira zoned out and wracked her brain for his name — an impolite thing to do, but he didn’t have to know what went on inside her mind. And then, he said it himself, in the way of an introduction that saved Mira from embarrassment due to saying the wrong name, especially considering she’d had one too many drinks already.

A smile bloomed on her lips at his introduction. “Beckett! Yes, I remember!” Mira called for the bartender’s attention and signalled for another bottle of beer before she tapped on the stool next to hers. “Sit, sit! It’s so nice to see you!” Her words slurred off her tongue as she spoke, but she didn’t mind at the moment. “Sorry that I snapped at you! There are so many creeps in this place, if you didn’t know! But what was it that you wanted from me? What are you doing still standing? Sit down! If you were my student, I’d say you were rocking the boat.”

[xheartofglass]

Following her instructions, Beck slid onto the bar stool by Mira’s side. He’d instantly forgotten his plans to get the time and head off home when his suspicions had been confirmed that she was indeed who he thought she was. Relief had replaced the nerves that had crept over the back of his neck. After the past month, he couldn’t be too sure that his mind wasn’t playing tricks on him. Far too many times had be tried to slot faces into his life that weren’t meant to be there, that had never been there. Whilst he had waited for her to recognise him, he couldn’t help but think he had gotten it wrong again, but all worries dissipated at her kind words.

His smile matching the bright one of her face, he spun on the stool so that he could face Mira rather than the bar in front of him. Beck was glad that he had recognised Mira. Back when the two were working together, he had rather enjoyed her company. The two shared many interests, and it was interesting to hear a different perspective on how to get youngsters involved and eager where physical education and sports were involved. At his level, the people he worked with already had that interest, but as the university branched out to the other schools, Beck had to be aware of how to make sport fun for all ages. It was a task he wasn’t used to, but one he was up for all the same.

“It’s okay, you wouldn’t believe the amount of creeps who have tried to hit on me too.” He joked, hoping to smooth over the little bump in their conversation. Beck felt like he had caught her off guard with his presence, but she had invited him to sit with her so she must not of minded too much, right? “They really don’t get the hint, do they?” Beck was more than aware of how true his words were even if they didn’t apply to him. He hadn’t had to face such difficulties, but he was sure his friend had, even if they were laughing about it now.

No longer was Beckett interested in the time. Had he been, he’d have probably realised just how late it was. Time soon flew when you were having fun, or having to delve into the work he’d been putting off for God knows how long. More and more work had been piling up on his desk recently, more responsibility coming from the coach. Beck could only guess what the man was up to, but he had trusted the man for as long as he could remember. He was everything he was given was for good reason, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t take a break every so often to catch up with a friend of his.

“How’ve you been? I hope I haven’t interrupted anything. You’re not waiting for anyone, are you?” His questions came out in a bit of a blur as he spoke, partly due to the alcohol flowing through his system and half due to nerves creeping back into his system. How embarrassing if he had settled in for a long evening only for someone to come along and steal his seat moments later. It was something he’d survive, sure, but he was kind of hoping to catch up with Mira. It had been too long!

[hcwlings-blog]

The truth was that Suzi hadn’t thought this far. The truth was that Suzi hadn’t expected to go this far. She hadn’t expected that the conversation would steer in this direction, or that there’d be conversation at all, either. What she’d expected was for Nick to be like the last two men she’d kissed. This meant to say that Suzi expected he wouldn’t expect anything other than sex, and that he wouldn’t ask or give her anything other than that. She expected not to care if he was this kind of man, and not to be taken aback for the fact that he wasn’t. The truth was that Suzi had put her expectations of people regarding her so low that the one time one person treated her right, she was surprised. Nevertheless, she tried not to let it show on her features. She tried not to let her happy surprise show.

As Nick once more stood in front of her, Suzi couldn’t help but notice the smile on his lips and the kindness in his eyes. Maybe she was imagining the latter, maybe she was making it up, but she couldn’t help but feel slightly validated as a person. For once in a very long time, she felt as though she was more than just the sex she offered. Suzi took the bottle of beer from Nick with a smile in return, though it was more apologetic than anything. “I— I should’ve called,” she said as she shifted her weight from one foot to another, “and I should’ve warned you about the, um, kiss. Back there. At the, um—-” Suzi gestured towards the front door of Nick’s apartment with a chuckle.

The chuckle came because she was surprised with herself. While it was a surprise in and of itself that Nick was not the kind of man she thought he would be, it was more of a surprise to Suzi that he was suddenly this woman in front of him. She didn’t smile! She didn’t chuckle! She didn’t make small talk and attempt at conversation when she went over to a stranger’s house! This person wasn’t usually her, but in that moment, as Nick smiled at her and looked at her with those kind eyes, she couldn’t help but wish she were. Nevertheless, she felt as though she was a version of herself she liked. For once, she was a version of herself that she liked. For once, she wasn’t desiring to scratch away the parts of her that she hated.

Was it possible that a stranger could have such an effect on her?

Suzi didn’t know the answer, but she felt as though she didn’t have to. This whole thing with Nick — whatever it was, even if it was just for the night — felt natural. It felt real. It didn’t have to be deciphered, and it didn’t have to be broken down. Suzi chuckled at Nick’s words with a shake of her head, after which she finally took a gulp of her beer. “Well, I might have told you a fake name, so.” There was a smile on her lips that said she was only kidding. “But I do know where you live, so there’s that in addition to a flying start.” The last of his words — a question — had Suzi squinting at him, though she decided to turn around and take a seat on the couch.

From there, she looked up at him. “I want to know,” Suzi said without an aim or much of an idea for a question, “why you’re— why you’re still standing there and why you aren’t next to me.” A laugh escaped her lips then, and after, she shook her head and made a gesture with her free hand that sought to erase her words. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding. I probably scare you. Maybe. I mean, it’s not just the make-up, right? It’s probably, like, everything else. The coming over. The kiss. The… everything. I must scare you. A little.” Suzi squinted her eyes at him in the form of a challenge; then, she laughed again. “Tell me if I should stop. I can stop, actually. And with the talking, too. I can, um, stop talking.”

[xheartofglass]

Nick stood glued to his spot as Suzi walked around his apartment. His eyes were fixed on her as she moved, as she made herself comfortable. He couldn’t bring himself to move because all he could think about was how she didn’t look out of place. For someone he barely knew  - a stranger none the less  - Suzi almost looked like she belonged there. She looked as if it was her place on the couch, like she had always resided there. It was a weird thought to have, and Nick wished he could blame it on the alcohol, but one sip of beer was not enough to make his mind have such outrageous thoughts. No, it seemed instead like his mind had a runaway nature when it came to the woman sat on his sofa. It was like it threw out all of his rules that he’d made to protect himself. 

Once upon a time, Nick had been a different man. He’d been young, stupid and in love — three of the worst things to be in his opinion. He’d given his life over to a girl and in return she had ripped out his heart and stomped on it. In return for the love he gave her, she had cheated on him and left him to deal with the consequences. She’d left him to fix his broken heart. From there Nick had vowed to look out for number one and no one else, yet his head was telling him to throw caution to the wind with Suzi. Nothing would happen anyway, so what was the harm of having a night of make belief?

"You don’t scare me.” He said with a shake of his head, sauntering over to the couch to sit at her side. It was true. Suzi didn’t scare Nick, though perhaps he should have been more worried about a stranger in his home, but though they didn’t know much about each other, Suzi didn’t feel like a stranger. She didn’t feel out of bounds or out of reach, she just felt comfortable; he was comfortable with her being there, making herself at home. As he sunk into the leather, he turned his body to face her, his gaze never leaving her face. “You intrigue me, believe it or not.” His voice was a little quieter than usual as he admitted the truth, his tone more honest. Her actions had left him wanting to know more - more about her and they way she thought.

Perhaps too many times Nick had brought someone back to his apartment to share the night together. Perhaps too many times he’d woken up next to a stranger only to kick them to the curb after a night of passion. He’d never been interested past the one time. Why have another time when there was always a first time? Why stick to the same thing when there was more to experience in life? But unlike all the others he had brought home, he hadn’t kicked Suzi out of his apartment the next day, and he certainly didn’t want to now. He wasn’t entirely sure why, but for once in his life, he chose not to question it.

“So I’d prefer it if you didn’t. Stop talking, that is.” He admitted, figuring honesty was the best policy. What was the worst that would happened? Her running out of his apartment screaming? For some reason, Nick couldn’t imagine that happening. Suzi had been the one to turn up on his doorstep. She’d set the ball rolling; he couldn’t see her back out of it that evening. “Instead you could tell me your last name, or what you do, or even how you found yourself at my door this evening.” He suggested with a chuckle, his laugh coming easy. Nick didn’t expect an answer to the last suggestion, but he figured it couldn’t hurt. “Not that I’m complaining. It’s not everyday a beautiful girl shows up at my door.”

[xheartofglass]

Text: Just Jane

Jane: Oh, yeah! I know that place! That's a nice place! The park is nice too...

Jane: Okay. Nothing fancy. Got it. I will meet you there and... hopefully it'll be nice?

Jane: Sorry I didn't mean for that to come off as though you're not nice. I mean, I think you're very nice. I just meant that the time would be nice. I don't meant to say that it WOULDN'T be nice! There isn't any reason it wouldn't be! Haha!! Sorry!

Beck: Haha, don't worry Jane! We'll meet Friday and everything will hopefully be better than nice. I even hear the weather will be particularly sunny

Beck: I'm looking forward to it

[xheartofglass]

Text: Just Jane

Jane: Okay! Yes, that works... Seven works. Where exactly are we meeting, if I can ask? Um, also what's the attire? I hope that's not too much to ask? I just don't want to be underdressed. Or overdressed. Yeah haha!

Beck: Do you know the little cafe on the corner of 3rd? Brewed Awakening? I was thinking there, maybe? Just round the corner there's a nice park if it's a warm day.

Beck: So yeah, anything you like. It's nothing fancy.

[xheartofglass]

Text: Just Jane

Jane: Hi, this is Jane. We met outside The Hanger? Anyway, I just wanted to ask if we were on for Friday?

Jane: We totally don't have to be if you don't want us to be? I'm just making sure. Gotta plan my outfit and everything haha.

Beck: Hi Jane, yes we're still on for Friday. Looking forward to it. I was thinking I could meet you at seven?

Beck: If that gives you enough time after work?

[hcwlings-blog]

Knowing the woman’s name did not help much. If she were a murderer — or worse: a slow driver —, then there really was not much that Charles could do. He was in her vehicle now, after all. He was in her vehicle now, and thus he would have to comply by the rules that she’d set and the way that she drove. If she drove them straight into a ditch, then Charlie supposed he deserved just that. If she drove them straight into a tree, then he supposed he deserved that, too. Either way, at the moment, he did not feel like rejecting such fates. Perhaps he would go to such a length of suggesting she murder him, if she didn’t have it in mind already. Whatever the case, her name wasn’t of much use to him. It was useful in the case that he wanted to make friends, but he was not here for that.

Nevertheless, he gave a little smile when Lori mentioned her name. Lori. Lori Bennet. Such a name would become one of his favorites in the entire world. Such a name would become his call home in the future, a sound that would remind him of better times. Yet, little did Charlie know this. Little did Charlie know anything, actually. For a man who liked plans, and thus prided himself on being planned and organized, Charlie knew very little of what would happen in the next few hours between himself and Lori. He knew even less about the next couple of days, and none at all of the weeks they would spend together.

In that moment, what he did know was that he was going home. And that Lori, despite her kind heart, was an awful driver. She drove much too slowly for his liking, and he felt as though she was afraid of actually putting her feet on the gas pedal. There was no room for complaints, though. After all, Charlie was simply a stranger who had gotten on another stranger’s vehicle, and what more, a stranger who was asking another stranger for a favor. The comments he had remained within himself, lest he should offend the woman and get kicked out into the pouring rain. Like a good and proper stranger, he sat where he sat and spoke only when he was spoken to. When he was asked where exactly she would take him, Charlie did not hesitate to give the name of the village he lived in.

After that, there was silence.

With Charlie being Charlie, a good and proper stranger, one with a broken heart and a bruised ego, there was not much room for conversation. For the most part, he looked out the window and counted the droplets of water that ran down to the windowsill. He held mental races within his head of which raindrop could reach the end faster — a mundane task, really, to take his mind off Angelina and the way she had broken his heart. Every now and then, he would turn his head to look at Lori and smile at her direction. The impatience did not show very much on his features, though he did feel it traverse his whole body. Still, he remained kind and polite. Still, he held his manners.

But, despite everything, despite the mental races and the smiling and the attempts at distracting himself, Charlie’s mind still circled around the thought of Angelina. This was a thought he could not shake off — not now, especially, when it had happened so soon. No matter how much he tried to ignore the pain and to brush it off, it was there. It ached and it burned and it roared in his chest, like fire that could not be put out, like fire that spread. The pain showed on his face more than his impatience did, for, every now and then, when he was looking out the window, it would flash across his features and make him look like he was about to tear up.

Charlie Vaughan tried as much to keep himself together.

It hadn’t even come to his attention that he’d remained in this little bubble he created for himself until Lori was saying something of seeming importance from the driver’s seat. All he knew was that she was speaking, and that he’d drowned out most of it until she was saying his name over and over. When he had finally turned to look at her, there was a bashful smile on his lips that spoke of an apology louder than his words ever could at the moment. “What did you say?” The bashful smile laced his words. “I was… off daydreaming. Sorry ‘bout that. Anyway, what’d you say?”

[xheartofglass]

Lori was grateful for the silence that transcended the car. It may have been an awkward silence - or so that was what it felt like to Lori - but with the rain beating down on the windscreen and the wipers going at full speed, she needed the silence to concentrate on the road. Her nerves were raging through her system, causing her palms to sweat, and not because of the stranger sat in the passenger seat. 

Really, what did she know about the man? His name, yes, and his profession if his business card was true, but what good would they do her in case of an emergency? But Lori had faith in the kindness in strangers. It had paid off once already that day, and so she thought it would again. Others may have said she was pushing her luck, but Lori was tired of judging people before she knew them. She was fed up of judging books by their covers. It was how she spent her younger years and it was what left her with few friends in her adult life. The people she had called her best friends had turned out to be fair weather friends. They didn’t care about her or her troubles and so Lori had cut them lose after the accident.

That being said, Lori liked knowing where she stood in life. She knew who she could depend on, and though the list may have been short and had her own name on top of the list, she was at ease with the knowledge. What Lori didn’t know however, was that the stranger at her side would soon be on that list. They’d learn to depend on one another and create their own world which they resided in. They’d create their own rules and live the life they wanted to, together. Together would be their norm. Yet, for now, she thought to settle for repaying his generosity with her own and continued down the highways, following the sign posts for the village in which Charlie said he lived.

The radio wasn’t tuned to a particular station but as it crackled in and out of frequency, Lori decided it was better off, the static grating on the young woman. Really it was just another check on the long list of things that were against Lori that day. Nothing was going the way she had planned. Instead hurdles kept popping up that she had to jump over and Lori was tired. She was tired of the hurdles, and tired of traveling, and just generally tired with the direction her life was heading. The point of the trip was the see the beauty in life, though at that current moment in time, her mood perfectly mirrored the terrible weather outside. 

Still, she kept a smile on her face so that Charlie couldn’t see the inner workings of her mind. It was not his fault, nor should he trouble himself with it — not that Lori thought he would really care. But as the weather turned worse - which Lori had not thought was possible - Lori kept sneaking looks at her companion, debating to speak up like she wished. She had said she would drive him home, and she still wanted to follow through with that, but she had to be reasonable about the task. Perhaps in the morning when the weather was bound to be slighter brighter.

Mumbling her request, she wasn’t surprised he had barely registered her words. His mind hadn’t been with her from the beginning, never mind as they’d been sat in silence for a lengthy period of time. So Lori cleared her thought and spoke louder this time. “I was just thinking - the weather doesn’t look like it’s going to get better any time soon and I can barely see a foot ahead of us...” Lori began, pushing through her nerves for his reaction to her question. She was asking to get a room with him, albeit for practical reasons, but she still was shy of her request. “Would it be okay if we stopped somewhere?” Voice light and hopeful, she stole a peak at Charlie from the corner of her eye to gauge a reaction. He could say no and she’d keep on driving, but she hoped he was reasonable. That he understood where she was coming from.

“I don’t know if you’re in a rush to get home but I figure safe is better than sorry.”

[hcwlings-blog]

The thing about Zaina Morales was that she never went on dates. Instead, she kissed people and slept with them, ran from their arms when morning came, then lived her life as though such a thing had never happened. More often than not, she was drunk when these happened; more often than not, she could not remember the person’s face two days after she’d left them. This was the way she was since her last boyfriend took off without warning. Some say she did this to get revenge. Some say she did it because she’d learned her lesson. Others, still, said that she was sad inside and thus didn’t think she was worth staying for. Whatever the case, Zaina did not think anyone would ever come into her life to change the routine she’d built for herself.

Then came Riley. Then came Riley with his smile and his hands and his laughter. This thunderstorm of a man was different, even Zaina could tell that much. She did not believe in destiny or fate or love at first sight. She did not believe in soulmates or meant-to-bes or forever afters. And, in some ways, she was right. In some ways, these things did not exist — not for her. But, when she looked at Riley and smiled at his direction earlier on in the afternoon, Zaina could feel that there grew room in her chest to be proven wrong. This was not to say that she thought Riley was The One; nor did it mean that he was her forever after. Zaina was not foolish enough to believe she could be anyone’s, either. All that roamed in her head was that maybe they could make things work.

This thought was what pestered her mind as Zaina readied herself for the evening. Still, she did not let it get to her nerves; she readied herself as she would any other night, without regards to what Riley might or might not like. She settled on a tight-fitting maroon blouse for the night, paired with leather pants and topped with a leather jacket. It was easier to dress for her than it was for him, seeing as she knew what she liked and knew that he simply had to live with it. Plus, Zaina Morales had hoped on a man once, and she was not about to do it again only eight months after.

For all her pessimism on love, her heart leaped out of her chest when she heard the buzzer echo throughout her apartment. At once, she headed over to the receiver that would go straight to the voice speaker outside her apartment building and said, “I’m ready! And you’re not late!” Her laugh rang through the speaker for a moment before she took her finger off the button that made her heard.

With that, she headed downstairs and opened the door to her apartment building to find a handsome man waiting for her.

[xheartofglass]

It had been a few years since Riley had been on a date. Not a casual hook up, or a flirtation with a woman. A real, genuine date. His last had been with his girlfriend at the time, though they had long stopped being special. The two had grown too comfortable with each other. They no longer tried, and that was what ultimately tore the relationship apart. They grew apart because they didn’t try to understand each other anymore. It had been called off because they may have lived in the same apartment, but they had led two separate lives.

This was his first date in years, and his first first date in even longer. He didn’t know what to do on these occasions, and then he didn’t know if what he chose would be the right thing, or the right thing for Zaina. Did she expect him to take her to some fancy restaurant? Or perhaps a more thought out destination date with activities that let left them with little room for talking? He’d have asked Robert if the date wasn’t on such short notice. Instead Riley was on his own coming up with an idea, and though he had, he hoped the place was good enough. It was his favorite diner in town, but it wasn’t exactly five stars nor expensive. Yet Riley figured since it was the first date, it should lead by example. If by some miracle they did repeat the act, he didn’t want her to have such high standards. There was no way Riley would be able to live up to them.

A smile sat on his lips from when her heard Zaina’s voice through the telecom, Riley rocked back and forth on his heels waiting. He could do this. It would be a good night. Riley encouraged himself through multiple thoughts that all flew at of his head as soon as he saw Zaina step out of the building. He was struck with her beauty - not for the first time that day either - and he let out a low whistle through his teeth as he shamelessly took her in. “You look stunning.” He breathed, only realising he’d said the words aloud once they were out in the open. 

Dragging his eyes back to Zaina’s with a bit of colour tinging his cheeks, Riley offered her an easy smile. One that made him look more confident, more sure of himself than he was currently feeling. His nerves had eased slightly, but he wanted to make a good impression. He was no longer worried that she’d stand him up or change her mind. She was on her way to see him. She sounded excited about their date. But Riley wanted Zaina to like him, even after the date was over. He didn’t know how their time together would go, but he was hoping for the best. Even if he wasn’t too optimistic. 

“How’s the tattoo?” He asked, finding common ground before they’d set off for their date. Perhaps he should have warned her about his bike in advance. He’d been with a few women who had refused to get on point blank, but it was his ride and would be for a long time. He was lying himself open on this date. No false pretenses. Riley could only hope she liked that.

[hcwlings-blog]

How did one say what Robert needed to say? How did one just spill the fact that they were cheating on their fiancee? Did they just blurt it out loud? Did they just let it out to their best friend, and then hoped that their best friend would understand? Or, did they keep it quiet at first? Did they let it linger? Did they hop around it until there was nothing else to say but the truth because they’d already implied everything about it? There had to be some rules. There had to be something in regards to these. As he waited for the door to open, Robert contemplated on his style of letting his secret out. In the end, it was decided for him by fear.

When his best friend Riley opened the door, fear took its place in Robert’s chest and mouth, and thus stopped him from confessing. This fear was evident on his features, in the way he grimaced at the way Riley lit up at him. It was as though his body were rejecting all forms of kindness for it knew that it deserved none of it. Still, when Robert caught himself, he smiled at his best friend and entered his home like the many other times that he’d entered it. “A drink would be nice,” he said as he took a seat on the couch, “or three. Bottles. Three bottles.”

[xheartofglass]

Riley was not blind to what his best friend was trying to hide. They had know each other for too long to not notice the subtle hints in each others faces when something was terribly wrong. It was how they communicated when they couldn’t use words. Whenever someone was telling the boys they couldn’t do something, a look would be exchanged between them that only they would understand and then they’d continue with their plans like nothing had ever happened. It had happened all too often. 

So yes, Riley knew how to read Robert, but that didn’t mean he always read him right. It was why he approached the situation in a less than delicate matter. Perhaps at other point in time he would have recognised the fear, but he only saw uncertainty. He was distracted - from a self inflicted broken heart - but he’d gladly welcome Robert’s distraction than facing his own mistakes. 

“Who’s pissed in your cereal?” He asked, navigating his home in order to find the fridge, opening the door to reveal the contents; a few left overs from take out the night before and beer. Lots and lots of beer, the second best cure for a broken heart - the first in Riley’s mind being ice cream. That was saved for only dire occasions though, so Riley pulled two bottles from the fridge and popped the tops off, moving around his furniture. Throwing himself pnto the spare set on the couch, he handed Robert a beer and gave him a pointed look. “You know where the fridge is for the other two.”