mcrgtsmuses

[mcrgtsmuses]

penelope & abel.

bc apparently we have to write every single plot known to man for this ship also we’re jumping right into the deep end bc you know how i am: @mcrgtsmuses

          As soon as his roommate reluctantly walked back into his room once Abel asked to talk to Penelope alone. Abel couldn’t help but look at Elle with a confused but also angry look on his face. He didn’t understand what this was about. What was his friend doing with his ex? What was she doing with him? Why the hell were they together? Was this a joke? None of it seemed real. It seemed like one elaborate plan to fuck with his head and honestly Abel hated it. It wasn’t like him to think poorly on people. To think they’d have the motive to hurt him in this way but he couldn’t help but think it. Possibly because it was easier to believe that then the alternative. That whatever this thing they had was, whatever this thing they had that they’d been hiding for him was, it meant something.

“I get that you’re pissed but my roommate?” Abel questioned, keeping a distance between them. “What’re you doing, Elle? Are you trying to fuck with me? Are you trying to fuck with him because he’s my friend?” It felt almost dirty to say out loud, to blame her for something only his current girlfriend would think to do. He knew Penelope well enough to know that wasn’t her. Sure, she had made him jealous before but it wasn’t anything like this and it wasn’t like her to be this heartless. To use his friend against him. Elle was a good person even if she didn’t like to admit it, Abel knew that but the hurt he felt by all of this. He couldn’t help but think the worst possible thing. “Do you really hate me that much?”

To say Elle had been genuinely surprised to see Abel walk through the front door of his apartment could easily have been the understatement of the century. Christian had told her, strike that, he had promised her that Abel was out and wouldn’t be returning until the following afternoon. When Nathan had asked to shower before the two went out for dinner and a movie, Elle had shrugged and fell back into the couch, busying herself with her phone while she waited.

When he emerged from the shower a few minutes later, he practically made a beeline for Elle, laying himself on top of her while she giggled and attempted to shove him off her. This went back and forth for a few minutes, before eventually the two began to kiss.

In hindsight, it probably would have been smarter to move into Chris’s room. 

They both heard the door open and shut, not enough time to jump apart and come up with a realistic lie to cover their tracks. The look in Abel’s eye when he saw the two of them was enough to make Elle consider throwing up on the carpet in front of her. Christian jumped up first, stuttering out an explanation and apology that even Elle had a hard time not rolling her eyes at. When Abel asked Christian for a moment to speak with her, Elle immediately felt her stomach drop. There was no way this conversation had any chance of being anything except for an argument and when Abel began to speak, Elle found herself unable to meet his gaze.

He had a girlfriend and he had made it clear that there was nothing between him and Elle anymore, so why did the brunette feel as though she owed him some sort of explanation? Deep down, the answer was obvious: Abel would always be important to her. Even if she was too blind to see it, Abel would never just be another guy to her.

“I don’t hate you, Abel,” Elle spoke softly, her gaze still directly at the floor beneath her. “I never- I never wanted you to find out about this... this way.” For awhile, Elle wasn’t even sure there was going to be a ‘this’ to find out about. But Christian was nice. He was simple, he didn’t push, and he let Elle be exactly who Elle wanted to be. He was a safe choice. A choice that wouldn’t hurt.

“I came over one night and he was here and we just started talking and...” Elle’s voice trailed off, unwilling to finish her thought and add an even bigger insult to injury. “I’m not doing this to get back at you. I know you think I’m some demon from Hell, but I do have my limits, too.”

[mcrgtsmuses]

penelope & abel.

Throwing things across the room and ruining not only his work space but his work as well, it was probably an impulsive and stupid thing to do. Abel was a pretty put together individual. For everything he’d been through, he was put together. He knew how to handle himself for the most part, he had a pretty good outlook on things, he was a decent human being, and a hard worker. Sure, he wasn’t very wealthy and he made mistakes like everyone else but he held himself well. But when it involved his anger, things weren’t as well managed. It was something he’d become better and better at controlling as time went on but when something really effected him and pulled that anger out, he couldn’t push it down as well as he could other emotions. There was something in his brain that was wired differently than others when it came to the way he managed anger and although it was rare due to how little he let himself get that angry, it was still something he had to work on.

When his anger took a hold of him he was prone to impulse. Either doing impulsive things that he’d think would make him feel better like throwing things, breaking things or even saying things that he thought would make him feel better. Like saying something hurtful, saying something brash, or yelling. They were all impulses that went along with the obvious anger and something else he really had to work on.

Abel hadn’t heard Elle come into their apartment. All he could hear was the constant buzzing in his ear and all he could see is red. Nothing made sense to him in that moment. He didn’t understand how something like this could happen to his best friend. He didn’t understand how someone could get their life back on track and then have everything stripped away from them like it was nothing, Like all their hard work meant nothing. He didn’t know who he was more angry with in that moment. It seemed to all morph together into one big ball of anger. He was angry at his friend despite it not really being his fault but he was angry at him for dying, he was angry at whatever high power, if there was one, he was angry because he didn’t understand how someone could just die, just be gone. and he was angry at himself, putting it into his head that he could’ve done something to stop it, even if that was beyond idiotic in thinking. He anger and his sadness was allowing him to lose any common sense he had.

It wasn’t until he heard Elle’s voice that he turned around to see her standing in the doorway of his self-made bedroom art studio. That was the moment most people would give into their sadness, right? Seeing the person they loved, seeing someone they knew they could be vulnerable with, feeling that sense of comfort knowing you weren’t alone. But Abel couldn’t get himself to feel anything other than this anger.

“Get out,” the words came out harshly, cruelly even. Abel didn’t mean it or… in a way he did mean it but he didn’t mean to be so brash with Elle. He was obviously going through something but it wasn’t like Elle knew that. It wasn’t like she knew what he was upset about. She could’ve thought it had something to do with her or something of that nature and if Abel was in the right state of mind he’d reassure her that it wasn’t her, that he was hurting but he couldn’t. He couldn’t get himself to say anything but to tell her to go. It seemed as though he had given up, he didn’t want anything to do with anyone.

"Leave,” this time he yelled, she didn’t deserve it and Abel shouldn’t have let his anger get the best of him but he didn’t know what else to do but wall up. It was ironic. Abel was so open about how he felt, he was always honest and open when it came to matters of the heart but when it came to sadness and pain, he didn’t know how to deal with it, at least not when it was this strong and overpowering. “Just leave me alone.”

His initial tone, the way he’d spit the phrase ‘get out’ at her as if Elle had been the one to spark this angry tirade. Instinct told her to take a step back, give Abel the space her very clearly needed. Had this been a few years before, the brunette probably would have done just that. Her lack of movement at Abel’s initial demand for her to leave apparently hadn’t settled well and this time, when Abel raised his voice, Elle couldn’t help but jump. 

Whatever had happened was apparently bad enough that Abel felt like he couldn’t even talk to Elle about it.

“Don’t talk to me like that!” 

Elle's voice echoed through the room, unable to keep from defending herself. Whatever Abel was upset about, she was more than willing to give him space if that’s what he truly needed, but there was no way in Hell she would allow for the two of them to collapse like they had so many times in the past. Her gaze shifted around the room once more, the usual calmness and organization gone. Chaos had evidently decided to take over, a long sigh falling from Elle’s lips as she passed through the threshold. 

Without another word, the brunette bent down and began to pick up the brushes and turned over cans of paint, putting them back onto the table that Abel had knocked them down from. Reaching for the last paint can lid, Elle stood up straight placed the lid onto the table before switching her gaze over to Abel. He had told her to leave, demanded it even, but still, Elle remained. The brunette approached the other slowly, not out of fear, but to keep Abel from feeling bombarded. She of all people understood how difficult it could be manage emotions, especially when you were feeling them all at once.

“If you need your space, I understand and I’ll go and let you have your time and you can come talk to me when you’re ready,” Elle’s hand reached out, her fingers brushing against Abel’s hand before returning back to her side. “But whatever is going on, you don’t have to go through it by yourself. You never have to go through anything by yourself, okay?”

The two of them had been through hell and back twenty times over, each time Penelope certain that there couldn’t be anything worse that could happen that the two of them couldn’t face together. It had taken her almost an entire college career to figure out that when it came to Abel, if he was going through something, then so was she. If he was hurting, then so was she. 

“I’m going to go start dinner. If you need me, I’ll be in the kitchen.”

Penelope lifted herself up onto her toes, pressing a quick kiss to Abel’s cheek before quickly turning on her heel and making her way over to the kitchen. Silently, she prayed that Abel wouldn’t be too far behind.

[mcrgtsmuses]

kenna & giovanni.

even tho i have 500 replies to do for you & more starters; @mcrgtsmuses

Giovanni had been staying at Kenna’s place for over a month now and already things had began to change. There was a time… Still currently if he was being honest with himself, he would met a girl and latch himself onto said girl in order to secure a roof over his head. When he would manipulate women just to save his own ass from living on the streets and in all honestly, Gio planned to do the same to Kenna when first meeting her. What he hadn’t expected was for Kenna to become someone he actually developed some sort of feelings for. He found himself not wanting to use her in the way he’d used many before. He told himself he didn’t know what these feelings were, he shrugged them off, did anything to make himself believe they were nothing but a blip that had to be shaken out of his brain.

Then again, maybe trying to distance himself from her only proved just how much he did like her. There was something Giovanni learned at a young age and that was survival and the fact that everything is temporary. He didn’t want to be someone that came in and out of Kenna’s life so yes, this… All of this that was about to go down. It was all his version of self sabotage and his version of protecting her from him. Besides, she was too good for him anyways. He was too much of an idiot to hold onto anything that actually brought him something a little more than the ordinary.

Fully aware that Kenna would be back home any moment, Gio aggressively made out with the girl he had invited back to Kenna’s place. Kenna and Gio had shared enough small moments for him to know that there was something there. Some underlying feelings and he knew if he brought someone else into her place and forced her to see what she was about to walk into. Force her to see him all over someone, then she’d wipe whatever ideas she may have had in her head about the two of them out. Or that’s what he told himself. Looking at it from an outsiders view, this was nothing but toxic. He thought he was protecting her from himself when really he was just sabotaging something that could’ve been something.

Kenna let out a frustrated groan that was almost immediately followed up by a lingering yawn. The brunette had no idea what she’d been thinking when signing herself up for a three hour night class on a Friday evening no less. Backpack secured, the brunette made her way up the sidewalk to the front of her apartment building, the all too familiar feeling of butterflies beginning to flutter around in her stomach. As of late, coming home after a long day of class or work to see Giovanni was the only thing she found herself looking forward to. Her offer to allow him to crash for a few days was supposed to have been only that, a few days and then he was supposed to be on his way. The college sophmore couldn’t even remember when her offer had extended past the few days, but Kenna didn’t care.

Her brother aka the man paying for Kenna’s apartment while she attended school had told her if Giovanni didn’t leave soon, he’d refuse to pay rent. The brunette had somehow managed to smooth things over for the time being, insisting that Gio had no where else to go and was doing his best to find a job and get back on his feet. It wasn’t exactly the truth, but Kenna was willing to tell a white lie or two, especially when it secured her extra time with the man that the brunette felt like she may have been developing actual feelings for.

“I was thinking we could order pizza tonight?” Kenna shouted from the front hall, dropping her backpack on the floor next to the door and making her way towards the living room. “I’m pretty sure Mario’s is— oh.” Kenna was unable to mask her surprise or her sadness at the sight of Giovanni and some random girl currently digesting each other’s tongues on her living room couch. The same couch she and Giovanni had slept on together only a few nights before. 

The only thought that came to Kenna’s head in that moment was how could she have been so stupid?

“Sorry, I didn’t— uh, I’ll just,” Kenna could barely get words out, quickly diverting her gaze to the floor as she rushed passed the couch down the hall, only stopping once in her bedroom, shutting the door behind her as she willed herself not to start crying.

[mcrgtsmuses]

drew & jason.

               A quirk of his brow was all Jason dared in question of how drunk she was. The male had practically carted her home because of the liquor in her system. He smirked as she raved about the idea again. This was so unlike him, plotting and scheming but he couldn’t deny the thrill. Sipping his coffee as she continued, he gave a sigh and held out his hand. “I’m in,” but as quick as he had offered it he he pulled his hand away. “Wait – what’s my cute nickname?” He asked with narrowed eyes and a smirk.

For a split moment, Drew was convinced Jason was about to turn her down. While the plan wasn’t exactly what the brunette would call risky, it obviously had it’s downfalls. Especially if anyone found out. A wide smile found its way across Drew’s face when Jason agreed, her own hand reaching out to shake is, only to end with a roll of her eyes at the mention of a cute nickname. Out of the corner of her eye, the brunette noticed a familiar pair walking towards them. 

Showtime. 

“Oh my God, I can’t take you anywhere,” Drew giggled, reaching out to wipe away a non-existent piece food from Jason’s face with her thumb. “You’re lucky you're cute, otherwise I’d have no reason to put up with you.”

[mcrgtsmuses]

ashton & greyson.

let’s do something fucked up; @mcrgtrobbie

        Greyson was good at one thing and that was working in the seedy underground that was dealing drugs. He knew how, it was what he grew up doing. Which sounded fucked up but growing up with a single father that had to find a way to hustle, it wiped off on the male. Now that Greyson was a father, a father that not only should know better than do something illegal with his life, but also a father that missed a huge chunk of his child’s life thanks to being in prison for years. He should’ve known better than to turn back to this kind of lifestyle but old habits die hard and Greyson had to make a living. He had to do something… He finally understood why his father kept going back as well. You’d do anything, even if that meant doing what’s wrong, for your kids.

Then again, Greyson’s mind may have worked differently than most people. Most would probably disagree with everything he did and everything he stood for or more so the way he stood for the things he believed. Greyson wasn’t expecting Ashton to show up at his place, obviously he wasn’t with the amount of cocaine on his kitchen table that he was weighing and putting into little baggies, he wasn’t expecting anyone to come by. He really should’ve rethought the whole, giving her a key to his place thing. Although, he never really though she’d use it being that they weren’t in a very good place at the moment. They were in a better place but things were still rocky. She still didn’t completely trust him. “It’s not what it looks like.” Was the only words that left his lips as he looked up at the mother of his child.

Ashton had never been more grateful to have her younger sister in town visiting. Technically, Ana was only a year younger, almost down to the day, but in the brunette’s eyes, Ana would always be her little sister. The only sister, hell, the only person in Ashton’s family who had made the trek up to New York from South Carolina to visit Ashton and Jaxon on a semi-regular basis.

The same sister who had practically shoved Ashton out the front door, demanding that she get to spend some alone time with Jaxon while Ashton entertained herself. The wink Ana had given hadn’t gone unnoticed by the brunette. Not only was Ashton’s sister incredibly supportive of her and Jaxon, the younger woman was also incredibly supportive of a reconciliation between Ashton and Greyson. So much so, that Ashton, despite knowing that there was still a lot that needed to be figured out between the pair, found herself coming around to the idea more and more.

Jaxon loved having around. Ashton loved having him around. 

What could possibly go wrong?

“Grey? You here?” Ashton called as she stepped into her ex’s but legally still husband’s apartment, using the key he had given her. “Grey?” She hadn’t expected to walk into the kitchen to see Greyson weighing out cocaine. All Ashton could do in the moment was stare, part of her questioning if she was seeing things before her rational mind finally kicked in.

“Greyson... what the fuck?” Her eyes shifted up to meet Greyon’s guilty gaze. “This isn’t what it looks like? Are you kidding me? Is this how you’ve been paying for Jax’s day care? With fucking drug money?!”

[mcrgtsmuses]

drew & jason.

@mcrgtsmuses

                       “Hold up, I thought last night at the bar was just drunk talk. You don’t actually mean for us to go through with that plan, do you?” Jason asked his friend half laughing but also curious. He never wanted to hurt anyone but for once in his life he wanted to be selfish, get what he wanted and if that meant a little friendly fire, then so be it. “Okay, say I am in – do you think we could pull it off? We don’t even like each other, not like that.”

“I wasn’t that drunk,” Drew insisted, though the dull pain lingering in the back of her head said otherwise. “And even if I had been, it’s still a brilliant plan.” Brilliant, manipulative, probably morally questionable, but still brilliant, none the less. “Look, it’s not like it’s going to take some sort of Oscar-worthy performance to fool people: you hold hands, make those giant, googly eyes at each other, throw in a few cute nicknames and voila! It’s a win/win situation.”

[mcrgtsmuses]

milena & antonio.

bc we like tension; @mcrgtsmuses

       Fuck.

— and for a split second Antonio had thought he shook the woman out of his life, yet here she was once again. It wasn’t uncommon for people to be in the same bar but it still drove Antonio crazy being that their last interaction with each other wasn’t all that friendly. When was it ever friendly with them though? They were either hot or cold, you could either feel the fire in the room or looked away due to the amount of chill in their eyes when their words left their mouths. It was more than likely just the games they played with each other. This whole need for the other to think they hated their guts but also found the time in their day to throw out the not so subtle sexual tension that was obviously between them, even if they didn’t like to admit it.

Noticing some guy getting a little too handsy with his so called enemy, Antonio found himself walking over to the two before raising his hands and shoving the male to the side. “Get the fuck away from her.” Antonio was the type that had very little impulse control and was completely fearless. Which was a big reason why he lost his job on the force. The funny part was Antonio didn’t even know if this guy was Milena’s date of not, he could’ve been doing nothing wrong but the male didn’t like what he was seeing, queue the impulsion. Was he jealous?

   Fuck.

Milena had a rule during the week, one drink at dinner and that was that. Waking up with a hangover and having to work all day and usually late into the evening had never been Mila’s idea of fun. Apparently, her date for the evening, didn’t have that same rule. 

The dirty blonde’s nose wrinkled as she watched the man stumble up to the bar and order another round of shots, much to Milena’s annoyance. It was then the fiction editor had decided enough was enough and began rambling about a deadline and exhaustion and really any excuse under the sun in an effort to make a quick exit. Part of her hoped that the guy was too drunk to care, but apparently it was the opposite. As the guy moved forward, Milena felt his hands wrap around her waist, his breath a mixture of beer, tequila and whatever else he’d consumed the night. Feeling his hands start to lower further south, Mila didn’t even get a chance to shove him away before she heard an irritatingly familiar voice and the next thing she knew, her date was stumbling back and only stopped when his back hit the wall.

Immediately, Milena turned to Antonio, unable to to decide if she was grateful for Antonio interference or annoyed because, well, it was Antonio. Almost as quickly as Antonio had shoved the guy, two bouncers from inside the bar took hold of Milena and Antonio, dragging them towards the exit before pushing them out the door onto the street.

Now, it was a bit easier to decipher between which emotion Milena was feeling.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Milena shouted, shoving her hands against Antonio’s chest. “What the fuck right do you have? I didn’t need your help nor did I ask for it!”

[mcrgtsmuses]

penelope & abel.

because we don’t like good things; @mcrgtsmuses

        Abel had been spending most of his day working on a new project, something he felt would wow people, that’d give him his first official start in the art world. Not that he hadn’t had shows before but he had only ever been a guest artist and he wanted the real deal. Which was obvious, it had been something he talk about for years. Looking at the piece in front of him, Abel tapped the tip of his paint brush into the crimson colored paint before brushing it against the canvas. As soon as he started his phone began to ring pulling him out of the concentration he had previously had.

Setting the painting utensils down, Abel grabbed his phone. The first person he thought it might be was Elle. Maybe she was calling after work to tell him she was on her way home? At least, that’s what Abel was thinking before he looked at the caller ID and noticed the unfamiliar number on the screen. Pressing his finger against the green button, he held the phone up to his ear. “Hello?” As soon as he spoke the other on the opposite end of the phone began. The words “Is this Abel Pierce, Carter Hawkins emergency contact?” and a  simple “yes” left his lips as he listened to the other continue to speak. There was a moment Abel thought that his childhood friend had gotten himself into trouble or that they were calling to once again tell Abel that he had been admitted into the hospital because of drugs which caused the male to hold his breath but honestly? Once hearing what had happened, Abel started to wish Carter was in trouble or in the hospital because of drugs.

Abel had never expected to hear that his best friend, the guy he looked at as a brother, as family… He was gone. Just like that his life was over. After hearing that he was dead the rest of what was being said was fuzzy for Abel. He couldn’t process the car crash of it all or how they wanted Abel to come in to confirm, even though they were more than positive due to his ID being on him. He didn’t know how to wrap his mind around the situation. The truth was, Abel had lost a lot in his life but he’d never lost someone in this way. Death hadn’t been something that slithered its way into his life just yet and it felt too soon. Carter was young, he was working to do something with his life, none of it made sense.

Abel was composed on the phone but the look on his face clearly told a completely different story from the calm voice that he tried desperately to have over the phone. Even though he couldn’t process what he was feeling, his body seemed to be familiar with exactly that. The slight glassiness in his eyes were just one example of that. Hanging up the phone, Abel again tried to stay composed but within seconds he was filled with this anger. The anger took over the sadness and all he could see is red. It was something the male had let in time and time again when things got difficult but he couldn’t control it. He couldn’t control how angry he felt when learning the news about his friend. Raising his hand, Abel threw his phone at the canvas in front of him before turning to his side and knocking all the supplies of the table, destroying the little work area he had. He didn’t know if he wanted to yell or punch something over and over again.

Your call is being forwarded to an automated voice messaging system...

“Weird,” Penelope mumbled to herself, brows furrowed in slight confusion as she tossed her phone back into her purse. 

Stepping onto the pack subway, Elle was grateful when someone nearby stood up to exit and the brunette swiftly took the open seat. Commuting from Manhattan to Brooklyn wasn’t exactly Penelope’s idea of a fun time, especially during the rush hour, but she did take solace in knowing that at the end of her long commute home, she’d get to spend the rest of night on the couch watching Abel paint while trying to work through her own pile of case. The apartment to two had found was a far cry from the giant penthouse that Elle had grown up in, but it was for the exact reason that she loved it so much. It had only been a few months, but their tiny two bedroom apartment had already started to feel like a home. When Penelope had graduated from law school, several big names firms in New York had all but begged her to come and work for them. The promises of giant salaries and huge offices with a view of the entire city had been some of the reasons why Elle had been so quick to turn them down.

The firm she had eventually landed in wasn’t small, but it also didn’t have a single person in office that cared about Elle’s last name. Her salary was substantial, lower than what the brunette could have argued for, but enough that she and Abel could live comfortably. The two had discussed before the move had even taken place that Elle would more than likely be the bread winner and despite Abel’s objections and refusal to live off of Elle, she had convinced him it wouldn’t be long before his art would take off and it wouldn’t matter. Months later and Abel was preparing for his first big gallery opening, one that featured all of his original work and Penelope couldn’t have been more proud. 

As the subway reached her stop, Elle quickly hopped off and made her way back up to the street. The fifteen minute walk from the stop to her apart when by quickly, Elle reaching her apartment door in record time, open and shut. Her keys dropped onto the table outside the door, her jacket sliding off her shoulders onto the awaiting hook.

Slam.

Penelope’s head immediately turned in the direction of the noise, realizing it was coming from the second bedroom a.k.a Abel’s art studio. Rushing into the room, Elle stopped dead in her tracks in the doorway at the sight: an unfinished canvas toppled onto the floor, all of Abel’s paints splattered across the floor in colorful disarray and then finally, Elle’s gaze landed on her boyfriend. His back was turned to her, but it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out something was wrong. Aside from the complete destruction of the room, Abel’s body language was tense and irritated. It had been years since the last time Penelope had seen Abel this angry.

“Abel?” Elle spoke quietly, though remained rooted in place near the doorway. “Abel, what happened?”

[mcrgtsmuses]

tanzie & ezra.

no one should ever leave these two alone; @mcrgtrobbie

         Ever since coming back home, the most surprising part of it all was the fact that his grandmother and his siblings had such a great relationship with his estranged wife and his son. It wasn’t that they never had that, they did, but even with him gone, they were still… Family. Nevertheless, Ezra was probably acting selfish and childish when it came to feeling some jealousy or confusion by that fact. Tanzie was closer to his family than he was now. Which was his own fault. He was the one that ran from home, became some well-known boxer, and then came back expecting everything to go back to how it was before he had left.

Wiping the rag over the dish, Ezra was pulled out of his thoughts when hearing someone enter the kitchen and of course it was none other than Tanzie. “Does it ever feel weird?” He asked, looking at her for a moment longer before looking back down at the dish in hand. “Being around my family when all I’ve ever done is hurt you?” It was blunt but in a way that’s how Ezra was. He was selfish, blunt, but he also had good intentions despite the things he did or the way he acted. “Especially with me back… It’s probably not all that comfortable for you when it comes to the whole family Garzon dinner nights my grandma puts on.” Shrugging, he kept his eyes down, continuing to dry the plate that was more than likely already dry by now. “Sometimes I think they’d rather you just be here than have me back.” Yes… He was this petty but he was also witnessing everything he had missed out on and it was a hard pill to swallow.

It was impossible to mask the wide grin on Tanzie’s face, watching as Jamey and Sawyer wrestled on the floor in the living room. When Tanzie had first found out that she was pregnant, her immediate reaction had been panic. Ezra had already left and they were days away from finalizing their divorce and now a pregnancy? Everyone in Tanzie’s life had turned their backs on her, save for her older brother Dante, but even he couldn’t offer much in the realm of support. 

After all, he had his own wife and kids to take care of. 

Ezra’s grandmother had been the first person Tanzie told about her pregnancy and from that moment forward, the entire Garzon clan had rallied in support of Tanzie and the soon-to-be newest member of the family. It wasn’t the same as having Ezra back, but it helped. What Tanzie hadn’t thought would happened, was Ezra coming back all these years late and while she’d never hidden the truth about Jamey’s paternity from him, seeing him and Ezra interacting together had been... weird.

The familiar sound of Ezra’s grandmother’s rapidly approaching footsteps caused Tanzie to quickly slip away from the fight and move over towards the kitchen, pausing when she saw Ezra by the sink aggressively drying a dish. His questions caught her off guard, mostly because it felt like she and Ezra talking almost always lead to an argument. 

They were both stubborn and it showed.

“If you’re looking for pity you picked the wrong audience,” Tanzie quickly shot back, walking over towards the sink to take the dish from Ezra’s hand. “You dry this thing any harder and you’re going to break it.” She opened the cabinet, taking her time to put the plate away, before closing it and looking back over at Ezra, leaning her hip against the counter.

“It doesn’t matter how I feel, Ezra. The only person whose feelings matter in this scenario are Jamey’s and he loves coming here and spending time with his family, which means even if I don’t always love being her, I find a way to deal with it.” If there was one thing Tanzie could confidently declare herself to be, it was a good mother. There wasn’t a single thing she wouldn’t do to make sure Jamey was happy. 

“He loves spending time with you,” Tanzie commented offhandedly, her gaze still burning a hole in the side of Ezra’s head. “Every time he knows he’s going to get to see you, it’s all he talks about for hours until you come pick him up.”

[mcrgtsmuses]

penelope & abel.

There was a soft sigh that left the males lips as Elle leaned her forehead against his chest and laced her fingers with his. The sigh wasn’t one full of nerves or frustration, it was out of comfort. Feeling relaxed that despite how he’d gone behind her back and spoke to her father, everything was going to be okay. They were going to be okay. Sure, they’d been together for some time now but that didn’t mean that there weren’t times Abel didn’t worry that something would push a trigger inside of Penelope and cause her to lose all the progress they had made together. That she had made on her own.

Then again, wouldn’t reconnecting with her father cause that trigger Abel was so scared of being pulled to be pulled? The man had been holding Elle back for all her life, what would change now? It was something Abel hadn’t completely thought about and honestly still hadn’t.

As she looked up at him, Abel looked into her hazel eyes, taking in everything she had to say. He knew where she was coming from. He knew a lot about her father. So much so that there was a time when Abel was certain the man wanted his head on a platter for directing his daughters attention towards something other than whatever sick things were in the guys head. This sick need for control of the people in his life. It was something Abel would never understand but something he’d seen time and time again. Never at the extent of Elle’s father, he was on a new level, but he’d seen people that were on that spectrum of power hungry.

“But what if things are different? What if he changed?”

— and there he went once again, giving people too many chances. It really was something he had to be less naive about. No wonder he took it so hard every time someone disappointed him. “I don’t want you to miss out on your family… Or to live with regret or resentment towards yourself or anyone because of something like this.” She was right though, he didn’t know Preston Carlisle as well as she did and probably never would thanks to her. “He’s your father.” Maybe he was so persistent about this because not only had he grown up without a father but he was now also a father and he couldn’t imagine not having his son in his life but the difference was… Abel wasn’t anything like Elle’s father.

Preston Carlisle doesn’t change. 

Elle had to physically bite down on her tongue to keep herself from shouting those words loud enough for the entire city to hear. Abel’s desire to give her father another chance didn’t strike Elle as odd. After all, how many chances had he given her over the years? How many times had Abel willingly handed Penelope his heart for her to turn around and smash it against the floor? It had been years since the last time the two of them had gotten anywhere close to that kind of argument, but Elle often found herself wondering how different her life would have turned out had Abel not given her so many chances.

Hurting him, even to that day, would always be the biggest regret of Penelope’s life. 

He’s your father.

“He never acted like a father, Abel,” Elle was quick with her rebuttal, her gaze hardening almost immediately. “He never told me he loved me or cared about me and sure as shit never showed it either.” Even after all these years, there was still that voice in the back of Penelope’s head urging her to run, far and fast away from this entire conversation. Fortunately, her grip on Abel’s hands kept her firmly planted.

Releasing his hands, Elle’s arms quickly moved to circle around Abel’s middle, giving him a gentle squeeze. The anger in her eyes, the anger that only her father ever seemed capable of bring out of her, slowly softened as she stared up at her husband. Despite the emotional weight of the conversation the two were currently having, Penelope couldn’t help the small smile that began to slowly creep across her face.

“Do you know what I love about you?” Elle asked, looking up at him. “I guess, technically there are a lot of things, but most of them stem from my most favorite thing which is the fact that you have one of the biggest hearts of anybody that I have ever met.” And it was. Despite everything that Abel had gone through in his own life, it never seemed to deter him. Unlike Elle, who had held on to her resentment for far too long. 

Standing up on her toes, Elle wrapped her arms around Abel’s neck, leaning in her press her lips against his, resting her forehead against his as she eventually pulled her lips from his.

“You are my family, you and our son are all the family that I need,” Elle spoke softly. “You two are all that matters to me. I don’t care about Preston. And I don’t care if he wants to get to know me and I definitely don’t care if he wants to get to know Rylan...” 

[mcrgtsmuses]

penelope & abel.

present days; bc we like our angsty shit; @mcrgtsmuses

           "You need to leave.” Abel thought he had closed this chapter of his life, he had thought that whatever was between himself and Elle, it was done. They’d never work out because Penelope would never be ready for Abel. It was funny how things had started with them. Abel being the one that left first only to have him being the one that constantly stayed and fought for someone that seemed as though they didn’t want him. Maybe it was irony or karma doing it’s greatest work yet? Or maybe it was just the way it was for Abel. He was never the one people wanted. Looking at the woman in front of him, it hurt. Seeing her reminded him of everything that went wrong and everything he just wasn’t good enough for.

Standing in the doorway of his place, he shook his head. The frustration or even anger was clear on his face. It was one feeling and emotion Abel had a hard time defusing and covering up with calm words or a smile. “Whatever you want, I’m not someone you can go to things for anymore. We aren’t together, Elle… Never have been.” — and they couldn’t be friends either, right? Not with the feelings he still had for her and the fact that his girlfriend didn’t even like when he was in the same room as her.

Selfish was really the only word that came to Penelope’s mind as she knocked on Abel’s apartment door. It wasn’t his place to be her shoulder to cry on anymore. Elle had made sure of that the last time the two had broken things off. The things that she had said, how viciously Elle had ripped Abel apart all because he wanted to be there for her and help her. 

Elle had always been a lone wolf, never needing anybody and more so, never wanting anybody to get close enough to her so that she may one day need them. Abel had been of the first people to try and push through the walls Elle had put up and built upon over the years and for a split second, she’d almost let him in.

Almost.

“Look, I know that I shouldn’t be here right now and I know that you don’t owe me anything, but-” Elle paused, hands clenching into fists as she attempted to get some sort of handle on her emotions. 

Penelope Carlisle cry? Abso-fucking-lutely not. 

“You know what? Nevermind,” Elle shook her head, this time looking up at Abel with a familiar fire burning behind her hazel eyes. “Go back to your perfect fucking girlfriend and cry to her about what a bitch I am. I’m sure she milks that shit right up. And then afterwards, when you’re fucking her? You can lie to herself and pretend like you don’t wish you were still fucking me.”

[mcrgtsmuses]

penelope & abel.

future days; back to the daddy issues; @mcrgtsmuses

            Once the couple had gotten back home, things were obviously tense. The two put their son to bed in silence before going into their bedroom without so much of a glace in the others direction. Abel knew Elle was mad at him, he screwed up … Although, he felt he did the right thing in talking to her father, even if it was behind her back. The man was curious as to how his daughter was, curious as to how much her life had changed, wanting to know things he couldn’t simply figure out by searching different social medias. He had to see the error though, Elle knew her father better than anyone and although Abel was a big believer in second chances or even third, fourth, five, six, and so on chances. Some people didn’t deserve any.

Sighing, Abel turned to look at Penelope before stepping closer and taking her hand in his. “I’m sorry for going behind your back.” It was the truth, he was sorry for going behind her back, he never did anything to internationally hurt her, she knew that. “It’s just… You really wanna give up any relationship with your father? — He reached out to me… He was desperate to know how you were. Maybe he’s just realizing how much he’s missed.” Abel should’ve known better by now to put that much hope and innocence into people. If he would look at the full picture rather than letting his own past get in the way. His own craving for parents and a family, he would see that Elle’s father only wanted to get close because he was desperate to control her again.

Penelope couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this type of anger. Cutting her father out of her life hadn’t left her with much to be angry about. Funny how is sudden reappearance sparked such an aggressive reaction. 

Deep down, Elle knew Abel hadn’t meant any harm. Still, Elle was angry. Her total silence in the car, save for when Rylan called out to talk to her, was more than enough evidence of that. By the time they’d gotten home, bathed Rylan and put him to bed, the anger that Elle had been feeling was less so. It was sort of funny actually; years prior, this kind of stunt would have pushed Elle clear over edge and resulted in months of silence and attitude.

It had barely been a hour and Elle felt her anger completely melt away the minute Abel’s hand reached out to grab hers. She let him pull her towards him, her head eventually leaning down to lay her head against his chest. Part of Elle wished they could completely fast forward through this conversation and skip right to the part where he agreed Elle’s dad was a next level sociopath and the two could go on pretending like he didn’t exist. 

Leaning her head back to look up at Abel, Elle sighed.

“I know you were just trying to help, okay? I know that,” Elle began, lacing her fingers with Abel’s as she spoke. “But I’ve known my father for a lot longer than you have and I’m telling you from experience, Preston Carlisle doesn’t do anything if it doesn’t benefit him. If he reached out to you to try and reconcile with me, it was for a reason and not a genuine one.”

[mcrgtsmuses]

jolie & leonard:

               When he saw the look on her face, Leo instantly felt bad. No matter how much time passed, and no matter how much she hurt him by just leaving without taking him with her, he had never been good at seeing her hurt. Part of him was triumphant that he was able to pay her back at least a little of what she had done to him – but if he was honest, he didn’t want that. He didn’t want her hurt. He didn’t want to see that look on her face, especially not when he was the one who put it there. A sigh escaped his lips, and his shoulders slumped down visibly. All day, he had been full of tension because he tried to avoid her. Now the inevitable had happened, and he hadn’t handled it very gracefully. But how could he, when he was still longing for her? Leo always hoped he’d be over her by the time they crossed paths again, but clearly that wasn’t the case. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled, shaking his head a little. One hand moved up to tug at his tie, as it suddenly felt as if it was far too tight and he couldn’t breathe properly. “I just didn’t – no offense, but I didn’t really want to see you today,” he admitted, figuring the truth was the best thing he could go with at this point. “It… still hurts to see you. That’s not your fault, it’s mine. I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”

Hearing Leo apologize was so hilariously ironic, it almost made Jolie want to laugh. She didn’t, of course, because this interaction was anything but funny. His words felt like what the brunette could only imagine a punch to the stomach felt like, but at least they were honest and Jolie couldn’t be angry with him for being honest. If Jolie put herself in his shoes, she knew that her emotions would mirror Leo’s. After all, what had she really expected? Him to see her and the two of them would just be completely fine, no problem at all? Maybe a small, slightly naive part of her had hoped for that. A part of her had even hoped to see him with another woman on his arm and one his heart stopping, butterfly inducing, ‘can’t help but smile along with him’ grins. That would have hurt a hundred times more, but at least then Jolie would know that he was happy because if anyone in the world deserved to be happy, it was Leo. “I get it,” Jolie admitted, head quickly nodding up and down, hands clasped tightly in front of her. “And I’m sorry. I’m really, truly so sorry.” The brunette wasn’t exactly sure what event she was attaching her apology to because the list was long and most required a hell of a lot more than a five word sentence. “I don’t know if there’s anything that I can say or do to make this better, but I really want to make this better,” she continued. “And believe me, I know that I don’t deserve it, but just can’t stand the thought of you hating me.”

[mcrgtsmuses]

jolie and leonard:

            Even in the darkness of the hallway, Leo could tell that she was still as beautiful as she had been. That alone was enough to stab him in the heart. Hearing her familiar voice wasn’t much better. Once upon a time, that voice had been the only thing he wanted to hear in this world – now it felt like a knife twisting in old wounds that had never properly closed. His mouth felt dry, and for a moment he wasn’t even sure if he would be able to speak if he opened his lips now. His eyes moved down to the dress she wore as she gestured to it, as anything was better than looking at her face – he would most likely get lost in her eyes. “Right,” he said slowly, not sure what to make of that comment. Leo himself always felt out of place in a tux – he preferred shirts and sweaters, anything that was comfortable. “Do you think I can’t find my way back on my own?” The words weren’t spoken harshly. His voice was weak instead, as if he’d lost all strength to have a backbone, and instead crumbled into the tiny mess he’d been without her. He wanted to turn around and leave right now, no matter whether he was the groom’s best man. This was turning out to get worse and worse after all. “I think I’m good, Jolie. No need to babysit me.”

The awkward tension between the two was palpable, that much Jolie knew to be true. This wasn’t how she’d wanted things to be. Hurting Leo had never been her end goal, not in a millions years. Unlike her brother, Jo had never really been comfortable allowing herself to be as honest with herself or other people as he was. In total transparency, outside of Jolie’s relationship with her brother, Leo had been one of the only other people that had come into the brunette’s life that she’d felt comfortable sharing her thoughts with. His quick retort nearly caused Jolie to stumble back, suddenly feeling the weight that was holding steady in her chest growing heavier and heavier. “No- I didn’t mean anything bad, I was just-,” Jolie stumbled over her words, feeling the unwelcome prickling of tears in her eyes. “Sorry for offering. I didn’t mean anything by it...” The way he was looking at her made the brunette’s stomach churn, knowing he was well within his right to be upset, but a part of her hoped that maybe enough time had passed that the two of them could talk. She wanted to tell him she missed him and that hurting him had been the worst thing she’d ever done and if she could take it back she would, but instead, Jolie just shook her head, her gaze now directed towards the ground. “I’ll, uh, just leave you to it, I guess.”

[mcrgtsmuses]

jolie & leonard:

for @mcrgtrobbie.

            In the darkness and silence of the house, Leo’s footsteps sounded awfully loud. Of course, he could have turned on the lights, but he found no light switch – and he was too embarrassed to go back outside to ask for the directions to the bathroom a second time. Besides, everyone was busy celebrating a newly wed couple in the backyard, and considering the only person he really knew was his best friend, who so happened to be the groom, he rather wanted to leave him alone. Well, there was one more person he knew. But he’d been trying to avoid his best friend’s younger sister, considering he still hadn’t managed to mend the broken pieces of his heart, no matter how much time had happened since they broke apart. Fate wanted to be extremely funny that night it seemed though, as he rounded a corner only to almost stumble into the very person he had been trying to avoid all night long. “Oh sh– sorry.” He quickly moved back, creating much needed space between them as he lifted his hands up in a gesture of defense. “I was just looking for the bathroom.” The words left his lips before he realized that was the dumbest thing to say to her, after clearly having run away from her all night long.

"Did she seriously have to pick the tightest dress imaginable?” Jolie mumbled to herself as she roughly yanked at the zipper of her bridesmaid’s dress. Agreeing to be in her brother’s wedding had been a spur of the moment decision after Jolie’s new sister-in-law had flown out to New York for a visit and plied Jo with plenty of tequila shots. Now, almost a year later, Jolie was grateful that the event had come and was counting down the hours until it was gone. Being back home was hard for a laundry list of reasons, number freakin’ one being the man Jolie had spent the better part of the reception staring at and unsuccessfully finding any excuse to talk to. While Jo hadn’t been expecting the warmest of receptions, she at least thought the two of them could at least say ‘hello’. Still frustrated with her dress, Jolie stormed out of the bathroom and directly into the arms of the man that had been preoccupying her thoughts. It took Jolie a moment to regain her bearings, almost wanting to question if Leo's statements had been directed at her. “Uh, no, please, it was all me,” Jolie insisted with an awkward smile, motioning towards her dress. “Be grateful men are only required to wear a tux.” The statement was followed by an awkward laugh, her teeth gently biting down on the inside of her cheek. “Uh, but yeah, the bathroom is just down the hall,” Jolie pointed down the hall she’d just come from, looking up at Leo. “I can wait if you want. This house is huge, easy to get lost and all that...”

[mcrgtsmuses]

for @deterioate (zoe and damian)

Nine hours, thirty-eight minutes, and fifteen seconds had been how long Zoe had driven to get back to the town she’d spent eight months, three weeks, and two days trying to forget. Standing outside the all too familiar door, remembering how less than a year ago that very door had also been hers. A part of her, the part that was riddled with guilt told her to turn around and walk away, that she’d put Damian through enough and her desire to seem him was based purely on her own selfish reasons. Her gaze shifted down to the engagement ring, the one Damian had spent weeks perfecting so that it could be everything Zoe wanted, still remained in the same spot on her ring finger. Even after everything, the brunette couldn’t bring herself to take the ring off. At her core, Zoe wasn’t a malicious person. Her life goal had never been to trick a guy into falling in love with her because someone threw a wad of cash in her face. Unfortunately, hospital bills were expensive and debt collectors were aggressive and Zoe’s options had run out. It wasn’t an excuse, in fact, it wasn’t even anything she’d ever told Damian during their relationship. Maybe Zoe wouldn’t be feeling this way if Damian hadn’t treated her so well. It would have been easy to break the heart of someone who was an asshole or a womanizer, but hurting Damian had been and would probably always be, the biggest regret of Zoe’s life. So wrapped up in her own thoughts, the brunette barely registered the sound of footsteps coming down the hall. Her hand lifted to knock on the door, when the sound of keys dropping drew her attention. Her heart nearly stopped beating in her chest at the sight of her ex-fiance who looked just as shocked to be looking at her. Like a fish that was stuck on dry land, Zoe willed her mouth to open and for words to come out, but she couldn’t. What could she say that would make anything better? “I’m—,” Zoe began, immediately stuffing the hand she wore her engagement ring on into the pocket of her jacket. “— I shouldn’t have come here. I- I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t be here-” Still, the brunette made no movement to leave. Apparently her inability to speak also applied to the movement of her limbs. “I don’t- I don’t know what to say...”

[mcrgtsmuses]

for @deterioate (jacey and aiden)

Picking locks was child’s play, so ingrained in Jacey’s mind that the brunette couldn’t think back to a time when she didn’t know how. Her gaze shifted quickly back and forth to ensure the hallway was clear before lowering herself down, so her eye was level with the lock. It would have been easier if Jacey just knocked on the door, but Jacey was hardly the one to ever do things the easy way. A smirk found its way across the con-artist's face as the sound of her lock clicking open and Jacey quickly popped up, turning the knob and making her way inside and closing the door behind her. The first thing Jacey heard was Aiden’s laughter, an involuntary smile finding it’s way onto the brunette’s face, though it was quickly fell when a woman’s laugh soon joined in. Jacey couldn’t be mad because she and Aiden weren’t anything and never would be, especially given the fact that Jacey (well, technically she’d told Dylan her name was Anna, but still) was dating Aiden’s brother. Well, dating was a very generous word: using until Jacey felt comfortable enough to sink her teeth into another more deserving target was more like it. Jacey should have turned around and walked right back out the door, but there just wasn’t any fun in that. “Honey, I’m ho-,” Jacey shouted loudly, following the voices until she was visible to Aiden and his clearly shocked friend. “What is this?” Jacey shouted, fake tears welling in her eyes and her gaze shifted quickly between Aiden and the girl. “I leave for a few days on a work trip and this is is what I come home to? How could you?”