Edge of Seventeen - An Angel Reyes/OC Story.
So then, guys! I did promise that if I finished the second chapter, you’d get the first. I did, so here you are! Please do remember to leave that vital feedback and give me a reblog, help your struggling authors as once again, visibility has dipped so low across many of the fandoms, and without your help, our content gets lost in the void. And now, onto the show!
Words - 3,259
Warnings - 18+ content throughout. Minors DNI!
Song reference - Edge of Seventeen by Lilith Czar. Whenever Bella is performing, Lilith is basically the music and voice claim - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWW7_v8HRYc&list=RDAWW7_v8HRYc&start_radio=1
“Hello, everybody,” the singer began, taking the microphone after she and her band had walked onstage at The Blue Banana, a live music bar in downtown Santo Padre.
“Hey, that chick sounds weird! Yo, honey! What’s up with that voice, huh?”
Bella raised an eyebrow, shielding her eyes from the bright stage lighting beaming onto her, looking in the direction the drunk heckler from the crowd had hollered from. “I’m British, darling. Ain’t you ever heard a British person before? Silly twat.”
Bishop and Angel almost choked on their beers, hearing her refer to him as such.
“Why does swearing always sound so much more effective when British people do it?” Bishop laughed, shaking his head.
“Right?” Angel agreed, amused.
“Anyway,” Bella continued, “before the rude, bald fella over yonder interrupted me, I was about to say, we’re Heavenly Creature, and we’re gonna play you a few songs. Enjoy.”
The club then filled with the opening bars of a song Bishop recognised instantly, nodding his head, thinking it was a very, very brave choice to cover something so iconic.
“I’ll give her props before she’s even started,” he shouted, pointing at the stage. “Not many people out there would have the balls to cover Stevie Nicks.”
“Who?” Angel shouted back, Bishop rolling his eyes, about to chastise him for not knowing who the iconic vocalist originally from Fleetwood Mac was, when up on stage, the girl opened her mouth, drew a breath, and...
“Just like the white winged dove, sings a song, sounds like she’s singing, ooh baby, ooh, said ooh.”
“Jesus fucking Christ!” One line, and he was bowled over by the huge, powerful voice that came from the diminutive blonde.
“Oh, shit! I know this, man! I just didn’t know the chick’s name who sang it!” Angel piped up, falling silent thereafter, stunned by the power of the vocalist onstage. Her voice was all sultry smoke, and sounded like it belonged to a woman of greater age, Angel thinking that she couldn’t have been much older than twenty. He stood, utterly awestruck at her voice, staring slightly open mouthed as he watched her stalk the stage, exuding confidence, engaging the crowd who all cheered their approval, absolutely fixated on her.
If Courtney Love and Axl Rose had conceived a bastard lovechild and made Stevie Nicks the godmother, the girl onstage would have been that offspring. She moved in a feline glide, but with attitude, the personification of a boho, rock n’ roll girl, Angel moving through the crowd, past where a few other guys from the club stood, pulled in by her. God, she was stunning.
Her golden blonde hair fell in waves down her back, a smattering of random tattoos etched across her lithe, lightly tanned skin, green eyes shining out through smudgy eyeliner. The way she was dressed, too, her whole aesthetic screamed effortlessly cool, with her many earrings, feathers, hoops and crucifixes littering her ears, pendants strung around her neck, multiple bracelets and rings, piercings in her septum and nostril, wearing a black silk top that hung off her, revealing a peacock print bra beneath, and a pair of tiny denim shorts.
Yep. Angel approved. His dick even more so.
But his ears? Oh. His ears were in love. Her voice was incredible. Like, how was this chick not famous already? In fact, how were the whole band not out there touring, he wondered, rather than playing this tiny little hole in the wall? They were incredibly talented, exuding confidence beyond their tender years, looking more at home up on a stage than some seasoned performers did after decades in the music industry. The girl, though? She stole the show, shined like a supernova, her voice astounding just about every last person in the room.
“Thank you, you’re very kind,” she spoke softly after the song had finished, smiling widely at the huge round of applause they received. Oh, she was even prettier when she smiled, Angel feeling his heart do a little somersault. He was not leaving that venue without her phone number, he decided right there and then. Despite the words delivered after his brother had moved to his side, attracting his attention with a soft elbow to his arm.
“She’s too young for you, man.”
Angel snorted. “Says he who dated an eighteen-year-old how long ago?”
EZ dropped his head, laughing. “We don’t speak of Gaby.”
“Sorry.” Of course, his brother had been somewhat brooding over his most recent breakup, Gaby moving to Lodi to pursue a nursing career without him the previous year. While mindful, his apology lasted all of five seconds, though. “But for real! She was eighteen, and you were thirty!”
“And that girl up there is probably about her age, and you’re pushing thirty-seven.”
Angel took another swig of beer, trying not to grin so widely. “And what of it?”
“Twelve years is better than an eighteen-year age gap, man,” EZ shrugged, entertained by his brother's tight lipped expression.
“I’ll let her be the judge of that,” he vouched, gesturing towards the stage, the band playing one of their own songs that he hadn’t caught the name of, but was enjoying immensely. “Besides, ain’t this all a bit premature? I ain’t even met the girl yet and you’re there, yacking on about age gaps.” Angel shook his head, sinking the rest of his beer.
“Yeah,” EZ began, his grin widening. “She’ll probably take one look at you and tell you to find somebody your own age.” Angel mouthed a few cuss words in his direction, turning his attention back to the stage.
Sadly, the show was over after another three songs, the next band coming on after a brief pause, Heavenly Creature clearing away their instruments and equipment. The girl then vanished, but Angel kept one eye on the room for the next half hour, waiting for her to surface. When she did, he noticed her over by the bar, excusing himself to his brothers and heading over.
As he approached, he saw she was standing with a guy, but from her face and her body language, didn’t look like she was at all comfortable with it.
“Look, I’m not interested, alright?” Angel heard her say when he was within earshot.
“Oh, come on, darlin’. Just let me get you a drink,” he continued, stepping closer to her, the girl taking a step away to put some distance between them, her eyes peeling through the room, obviously looking for any of the three guys who were in her band to come to her aid, as the man before her certainly wasn’t getting the message. He would, though.
“Hey, we got a problem here?” Angel asked, moving to her side, giving the guy a look that clearly stated, fuck around and find out.
“Who the fuck are you?” he demanded, Angel turning to the girl and winking in a ‘go along with it’ kind of way before draping an arm around her shoulders.
“Her boyfriend.”
The guy quickly did the math. Six feet three inches and nearly two hundred pounds of outlaw weren’t worth messing with. “Sorry, dude.”
“Yeah, you wanna be,” Angel snorted. “If I see you sniffing around my girl again, your bitch ass is gonna need a damned good dentist, homie.” The man retreated at speed, Angel turning to the girl with a smile, stepping back out of her space respectfully.
“Thank you!” she breathed, relief flooding her. Who’d have thought that it would have been one of the scariest looking guys in the whole bar to be the one with the most chivalry? She then looked up at him properly. Ooooh. Not so scary. In fact, quite the opposite. ‘Blimey, that’s a helluva sexy man!’ she thought, offering her hand forth. “I’m Bella, by the way.”
He took her hand, shaking it, his eyes focusing in on hers. He’d never witnessed a shade of green so pretty before. “Angel.”
“Oh, what a gorgeous name!” she cried. Not many guys were called Angel where she was from. In fact, she could wager that probably none would be found within the London borough of Hammersmith. “Gorgeous name for a gorgeous fella.”
Her wink had him beaming, dropping his head for a second, having to gather himself. Angel knew he was attractive, his success rate with women was one hundred percent, but god, there she was, the loveliest thing in the entire establishment, and she was flirting with him.
“Oh, so she’s flirty?” he observed.
Bella grasped the straws of her drink between her teeth, sipping on it slowly. Just watching that action made something very pleasant run through him. “She is,” she confirmed, placing a hand on his arm. They were like steel. Wow. “When she sees something she likes, she goes right on after it, too.”
Again, she reduced him to grinning like a simpleton, bowled over at her confidence. “You’ve got some serious game, you know, girl. You’re kinda denting mine a little here, shit!”
Her laugh was raucous, a booming chuckle, like if someone wrote the words ‘ha ha ha ha’ down on a piece of paper and then enchanted them to play aloud. He loved it. “Tell you what, then, shall I shut the fuck up and let you continue?”
He nodded at her glass. “You want another drink in there?”
“Thanks, that’d be lovely.” Oh, her accent. Fucking adorable! “Just a Coke too, please. Full disclosure, I’m not old enough to drink yet. I’m only eighteen! That’s not going to be a problem, is it?”
He looked her up and down a few times, a glimmer of lust running through him. “Absolutely not.” He then winked, Bella feeling her insides soar. He was the hottest guy in there, and he was interested in her. Elated didn’t quite cut it, but she kept her poise, her effortless cool, that very thing that had attracted Angel in the first place. Well, not just that.
“I gotta say it, your voice is fucking amazing,” he began, before ordering their drinks when the bartender came to a stop in front of him. “How long you been singing for?”
“Since I could speak, pretty much. My mum used to play me music while she was pregnant, and she always said that even my first wails as a newborn were tuneful. I’ve always loved it, found an affinity with it,” she explained, taking the tall glass he passed to her with a smile and a thank you. “I wanna go for a smoke, you coming?”
He quickly paid for the round, following her through the club, going out of the side exit and finding all the tables full, so choosing a space atop the wall bordering the seating section from the parking lot. “So, how long you been living out here for, and what brought you here from the UK? You’re the first British person I’ve ever met. Your accent is amazing.”
She was about to pull her own cigarettes from her bag, Angel there with his first, handing one to her. “Thank you.” He was so attentive, and she really liked that, liked that the space was filled with beautiful women, yet the only person he was looking at was her. “As for how long and why, well, my mum is a botanist, and she got a job as chief researcher at UCSD, so we moved out here six months ago.”
“And you got a band together already?” Angel stated with surprise. “You don’t waste any time, huh?”
“Nah, I don’t. I want something, I got right after it, like I said.” Her eyes gave him another appreciative sweep. “But yeah, the guys are all on my college course. I’m studying for a BA in music, at the same college mum works at.” She lived and breathed her passion; Angel appreciated that very much. “So, how about you? What do you do, apart from being a member of an MC?”
“I work at a scrap yard about two miles from here, Romero Brothers. I’ve been there for about as long as I’ve been in the club.” Bella didn’t really know much about motorcycle clubs, other than the whispered talk that they were mostly criminals. She set that to the back of her mind, though, instead asking him more questions about his life.
They were vastly different people, Bella learning that Angel had been born to Marisol and Felipe Reyes, a week early on December 2nd, 1985, surprised that he was thirty-six. She’d thought about twenty-nine or thirty, although their vast age difference didn’t put her off at all. He confessed to being a bit of a tearaway through his adolescent years, which had lead him into somewhat of a bad boy existence (she sensed there was much beneath the surface that he wouldn’t reveal to someone he’d only just met) his life marred with the tragedy of his mother being murdered, and a sometimes rocky relationship with his father, mainly brought on by Angel’s feelings of inadequacy in comparison to his golden child of a younger brother, who he stated was his best friend now, having ironed out his jealousy issues.
“See, I never had any of that,” Bella began, tucking her hair behind her ear, managing to tangle it in one of her many earrings, Angel assisting unravel it from the lone peacock feather sitting through the same hole as one of her big, silver hoops. Just the feel of his warm hands against her neck gave her a little pleasant tingle, the same thing flowing through Angel, her scent catching under his nose. She smelled like apples, and he couldn’t get enough of it.
“There, all untangled,” he spoke once he’d finished, letting his hand linger against her neck as they shared a weighted gaze.
She bit the corner of her lip, looking down for a second, his stare suddenly a little overpowering. He radiated bad boy energy, charm, confidence and something else a little dangerous, and hell, it pulled her in so strongly. Angel, he was the real deal. Bella had never been around men like him before, and she found him extremely intoxicating. She cleared her throat, sipping her drink. “Anyway, as I was saying.” As she was saying, before she felt herself be pulled into the void of dark, delicious energy that was the huge biker sitting beside her. “I didn’t have any of that, because I’m an only child, and it’s been just me and mum for a really long time now.”
Angel managed to pull himself back out of the daze he’d slipped into, wanting nothing more than to lean forward and capture her pretty lips in a kiss. “Your dad not around?”
A little flicker of sadness flashed across her face, her smile bittersweet as she remembered him. Nick Thorpe, aka the best daddy in the world. “Not anymore. He died when I was seven. Brain haemorrhage while he was at work. He was there one minute and gone the next. It was a big shock, especially for my mum. They’d been together since they were fifteen.”
“Shit,” he lamented, reaching to squeeze her hand, her delicate fingers grasping back. “I’m sorry, Bella. Damn, that’s rough.”
She nodded, swallowing back a little lump in her throat. Lord, how she still missed her dad so much. “It is, he was such an amazing person. If he taught me one thing, it was to always live life to the fullest, go after what you want, because tomorrow isn’t promised to any of us. Him passing at just thirty-two years old is testament to that.”
Angel admired that tremendously, loving her zest for life, her determination, how she’d turned something so saddening into the driving force to reach out and take whatever she wanted as hers. He’d been the exact opposite. “So, you take life by the balls then, so to speak?”
Bella couldn’t help herself. “Among other things.” she muttered, sipping her drink, Angel snort laughing.
“You’re so bad,” he laughed.
“I am,” she confirmed. “I’m a little bit naughty.”
“A little bit?” he exclaimed, giving her a playful shove. Just the hard bulk of him hitting her slender arm made her quiver. God. ‘I bet he’s so strong. I wonder what he looks like without a shirt on? Bloody hell! I bet he’s even more jacked than he looks’ she thought to herself.
They sat there talking happily, their flirting playful, until one of the guys from the band called out for her. “B! Come on, we’re heading off.”
“Ahhh, shit,” she lamented, standing up. “I gotta go, or I’ll miss my ride.”
He couldn’t let that slip by. “You got another one right here, whenever you want it.” The way his eyes flitted down to his crotch and then back at her sparked her laughter, that booming ‘ha ha ha ha’ all over again, Bella feeling herself blush.
“And you say I’m bad, Angel?” she cried, poking him in the chest with her fingers.
“Yeah, ‘cuz you are,” he attested, taking her hands in his, stepping a little closer to her, feeling that tingly rush of reciprocated attraction as she let go of his grasp, draping her arms around his neck, his hands clutching her narrow waist. “Real bad,” he confirmed, leaning closer. “And I really like it.”
They fell into a kiss, Bella pressing herself against him, her heart thundering. Oh, how he kissed her, how he smelled, how hard his chest felt against hers. That was it, she was hooked.
“Bella! Come on, bro! Put the big dude down!”
“Ian, quit being a fucking impatient wanker!” she broke away to yell at him, Angel laughing, returning his lips to hers. The way she hummed softly as they kissed, even her hums carried a tune, and it pulled him in so much, he didn’t really want to let her go again. God, she was cute.
“Bella, van is leaving in sixty seconds with or without you. I’m on curfew!” Ian shouted again, Bella rolling her eyes.
“So, can I get your number before you go?” Angel asked, watching her nod.
“I don’t remember it off by heart yet, hold on.” Pulling her iPhone from her little black suede bag that had multiple long tassels almost trailing to the floor, she scrolled through and found it, Angel copying it down. “So, it was nice meeting you, Angel. I hope you’ll call.”
“I will. You can count on that.” Another quick kiss and she was out of there, running over to the van, her friends exasperated with her tardiness, Angel waving goodbye as they drove past, grinning to himself as he returned his phone to his pocket.
That night, once he arrived home, he thought about sending her a text, but decided to leave it, not wanting to come off as too eager. Instead, he found her band’s Instagram page, with a link to their Soundcloud account, too. Scrolling through, he clicked play, sitting back on his couch and hearing her voice all over again, singing the first song he’d heard her sing.
‘Just like the white winged dove, sings a song, sounds like she’s singing, ooh baby, ooh, said ooh.’
Oh yeah. Angel Reyes knew when he’d been seduced by the song of a siren. He played that same track on repeat five times before he went to bed, pulled in a little further by Bella’s voice every time. Edge of Seventeen had suddenly become his new favourite song, but only when she was the one singing it.
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Aesthetic game found here.
OC Aesthetic Tag Game thing
Bold
=always/totally fits them
italics
=sometimes/somewhat applies/sorta fits them
strikethrough
=never
— LIGHT SOURCES
SUN RAYS. effervescent smiles, dandelion puffs, bare feet, beach waves, flowers pressed into books, champagne glasses, rose-gold eye shadow, boho skirts, wire-rimmed glasses, hair in loose waves, kaleidoscope eyes, sunshine in your hair, fire in your soul.
INCANDESCENT BULBS. crop tops, floral print, dancing in the rain, quiet defiance, hand-knit beanies, rosé, painted bookmarks, marble floors, cirrus clouds against a blue sky, polaroid pictures, hands held, fingers intertwined, flower crowns, baby bluebirds.
STARDUST. lace bralettes, brisk breezes, jasmine-scented perfume, books with yellowed pages, tracking constellations, sterling silver, violin music, chess games, iced coffee, glittery dresses, high heels, secret grins, midnight meetings, wishing upon a star.
CANDLE FLAMES. denim jackets, gladiator sandals, braided hair, messenger bags, movies at the cinema, stolen kisses, wax-sealed envelopes, haiku poetry, cherry wood, succulents, fountain pens, jigsaw puzzles, soft tired eyes, hidden smiles, cuddling with someone you trust.
MOONBEAMS. newspapers, over-sized sweaters, dancing shadows, fleece throws, cutoff shorts, piano chords, red wine, messy buns, embossed journals, a hint of blush dusted across your cheeks, freshly fallen snow, tranquil solitude, burning incense, light hair and dark skin.
AURORAS. combat boots, burgundy lips, infectious laughter, spiral-bound notebooks, pencils used down to the stub, ripped jeans, painted nails, cloud-watching, summer thunderstorms, hiking trails, vinyl records, film cameras, skating on a frozen lake, hot chocolate by the fire.
FIREWORKS. dancing until the break of dawn, heelys, being wheeled around in a shopping cart by your best friend, the euphoria of soaring through the air, being excited for what the future holds, group hugs, colorful tattoos, bronzer-highlighted cheeks, hugging a stuffed animal, lifting a child onto your shoulders, space buns, bright streaks in your hair. :
— BODY LANGUAGE
DEFENSIVENESS. arms crossed on chest / crossing legs / fist-like gestures / pointing index finger / karate chops / stiffening of shoulders / tense posture / curling of lip / baring of teeth
REFLECTIVE. hand-to-face gestures / head tilted / stroking chin / peering over glasses / taking glasses off; cleaning / putting earpiece of glasses in mouth / pipe smoker gestures / putting hand to bridge of nose / pursed lips / knitted brows
SUSPICION. arms crossed / sideways glance / touching or rubbing nose / rubbing eyes / hands resting on weapon / brows raising / lips pressing into a thin line / strict, unwavering eye contact / wrinkling of nose / narrowed eyes
CONFIDENCE. hands behind back / hands on lapels of coat / steepled hands / baring teeth in a grin / rolling shoulders / tipping head back but maintaining eye contact / chest puffed up / shoulders back / arms folded just above navel / wide eyes / standing akimbo
INSECURITY & ANXIETY. chewing pen or pencil / rubbing thumb over opposite thumb / biting fingernails / biting lips / hands in pockets / elbow bent / closed gestures / clearing throat / “whew” sound / picking or pinching flesh / fidgeting in chair / hand covering mouth whilst speaking / poor eye contact / tugging pants whilst seated / jingling money in pockets / tugging at ear / perspiring hands / playing with hair / swaying / playing with pointer; marker; cane / smacking lips / sighing / rocking on balls of feet / flexing or cracking fingers sporadically
ANGER & FRUSTRATION. short breaths / “tsk” sounds / tightly-clenched hands / fist-like gestures / pointing index finger / rubbing hand through hair / rubbing back of neck / snarling / revealing teeth / grimacing / sharp-eye glowers / notable tension in brow / shoulders back, head up; defensive posturing / clenching of jaw / grinding teeth / nostrils flaring / heavy exhales
— SENSES
SIGHT. small towns. big cities. six thirty curfews. lights that take the place of stars. blanket nests. light through the blinds as a wake up call. found family. finding a single star in the middle of new york night city. window shopping. watching something terrible and enjoying it.growing numb to the sight of injustice. wilted flowers. faded caricatures. bright, bold colours.
HEARING. crickets and lightning bugs. car engines and a / c units. a phone call to mum / dad. laughing with friends. jokes that are so bad you have to laugh. the clicking of computer keys. noise cancelling headphones. the sound of silence. muffled music from another room. drumming fingertips on a table. clicking of pens. listening to a clock and swearing the ticks get slower. ringing in the ears. the voice of someone you love. pitch shifted songs.
TOUCH. being held close during a long night. fleeting reassurances. holding hands when you’re scared. brushing fingers through strands of hair. freshly dried clothes. bruises on your knuckles. silk and satin. your favourite pet’s fur or feather. wringing your hands anxiously. snuggles. comforters in the dead of winter. nails against skin. cold metal. leather in summer.
TASTE. coffee in the morning. tea in the evening. bubblegum that lost its flavor. alcohol burning the back of your throat. homemade cooking, no matter what’s made. blood in your mouth. stale air. mint. fresh vegetables. that processed taste of citrus candy. the first meal you cook by yourself that tastes good. foreign sweets. fast food. bittersweet. sour. spicy. sweet. bitter. too much salt on fries.
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