#neither does my phone wanna cooperate with my ass

[atlasvulcandar]

first inktober!!!!

[kaunis-sielu]

Fire Dogs: End

The trip out to New York is uneventful. You sleep in the car occasionally but you do stop at a couple of hotels you never sleep super well. Besides there’s something about being in a car with your Alpha that just soothes you to sleep. You wake at one point and hear him talking softly on the phone.

“Nat, I don’t want a big party. It’s going to stress her out and she’s probably going to be close to a heat so I don’t want a ton of people around. Just you, Clint, Wanda, Carol and Jarvis.”

“Everyone is so excited though.”

“They’re going to have to wait. Her well-being is my first concern.”

“Steve,”

“Natasha.” He warns lowly and you hear her sigh.

“Fine. Fine. I’ve got a few places lined up for you to look at as well as a property so if building your own place is more appealing you can do that. I don’t know how sensitive your Omega’s nose is.”

“I doubt she does either. We’re about four hours out. Thanks for doing all of this Nat.”

“I’m glad you finally found someone worthy of you Alpha.” You don’t love that she calls him Alpha, so you take a deep breath so Steve knows that you’re awake.

“Thank you Natasha. See you soon.”

“Bye.” She says and Steve hangs up.

“How much did you hear?”

“Her call you Alpha.” You admit grumpily and he laughs softly.

“Are you a little jealous?” When you grumble in response he sobers up, “They all do that Omega, not just Natasha. It’s a respect thing.”

“It was jarring. You’re my Alpha.”

“I know, I’m sorry I should’ve warned you.” He soothes, his hand is warm on your thigh when he reaches over. You trace the back of his hand with one of your fingers.

“How close are we?”

“About 4 hours, you need to stop?”

“No, I was just curious. I’m nervous too, I’m meeting your pack.”

“You’re only meeting a couple today. The rest will trickle in when you’re ready, take as long as you need.”

“Okay, thank you.”

The rest of the ride is spent in comfortable conversation and singing along to the radio. He puts you at such ease that you forget to be anxious, at least until Steve pulls off of the freeway.

“Take a breath Honey, it’s going to be fine.” He promises and you cling to his hand as he drives for a couple more minutes then pulls up to a little house. “Let me know when you’re ready to go in.”

“Can, god this is so stupid, can you calm me?”

“Oh Honey I can absolutely do that. C’mere.” He mutters before kissing you softly, his hands cup your face and you feel the sense of calm wash over you. He pulls away from you then kisses along your jaw, before covering your mouth once more. “How do you feel Omega?” He murmurs softly and you hum lowly.

“Good.”

“Ready?”

“Yes, as I will ever be.” His calm makes you feel a little drowsy but it’s better than the panic you could be in. Steve gets out of the car and you follow him, Cooper waits patiently in the back to be let out. You take his leash and he walks calmly next to you, Steve meets you at the front of the car. He takes your hand and gives it a gentle squeeze,

“I don’t think anyone is here yet.” Sure enough when he unlocks the door the house is empty.

“Oh god it smells good in here.” You mutter softly, “Can I let Cooper wander?”

“It’s your house too now Honey. You don’t have to ask.” You unhook Cooper’s leash and he wanders around the living room. “You look good in here, you belong here.”

“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me Steve.” You tell him giving him a tight hug.

“Oh Honey.” He says gently before kissing your cheek. “Wanna see the house?” You nod and he leads you through the house showing you where things are. The doorbell rings and you tense up and the calm washes over you again as Steve presses a kiss to the side of your head. Cooper barks and you can’t help but smile at the familiarity of it all.

“Thanks Steve.” You follow him downstairs and when the door opens it’s just Sam and Bucky and a pretty blonde woman who you assume is Carol.

“Had to fight Becca to get her to stay home.” Bucky says with a punch to Steve’s arm, “thought she was gonna scream me to death when I told her ‘bout your Omega.” Carol gives you a kind smile as she follows Sam into the house, she smells like Oranges and chocolate.

“Wish she would’ve screamed you to death. Then we wouldn’t have to listen to your dumb ass anymore.” Sam says lowly.

“I see the two of you have had enough time together.” Carol says with a laugh, “Hi Fawn, I’m Carol. Sam’s much, much better half.” She doesn’t try to shake your hand or touch you in anyway which you appreciate.

“Hi, thank you for coming.”

“Thank you for spoiling Sam, he says you’re one hell of a cook.” She says kindly, “We live right next door so when the boys are at work feel free to call if you need anything.” She puts a business card down on the end table then drops down onto Sam’s lap.

Next comes a young woman with auburn hair and a tall man with purple hair. Steve introduces them as Wanda, an Alpha and Viz, a Beta. They’re one of the newer pairs in Steve’s pack but it seems like everyone was just kind of waiting for it to happen. Wanda is a calm in the storm that is the three other Alpha’s currently wresting for control of the remote on your couch.

“Enough.” Steve growls at the three of them as their scents spike and you bury your face into his chest.

Natasha and Clint come next, Nat is the one that you’d heard on the phone earlier and when you see her that little possessiveness rears it’s head. She’s beautiful. “Omega.” Steve rumbles into your ear and you feel so silly for being jealous of her using his title.

“You didn’t do her justice Rogers.” She says giving you a kind smile, one you tightly return. She and Clint are both Betas, she’s more smoky smelling and he’s more earthy but both are pleasant. She calls Steve Alpha once but he quickly pulls her aside and after they talk quietly she doesn’t do it again. Overall the night is a success, and you go to bed happy.

The next day is spent looking at different houses they’re about thirty minutes outside of the city. The first neither of you is thrilled with, the second doesn’t have a yard for Cooper, the third is off a busy street and smells terrible but when you pull up to the plot of land it all clicks.

“Would you be mad if I said I wanted to build?” You ask Steve as you stand at the top of the hill the property is on. The view here is incredible overlooking a river and some woods below you.

“Not at all.” He assures you, a hand on the small of your back, “whatever it takes to make you happy.”

“It’s going to be so expensive.”

“That’s okay. I’m independently wealthy.” You stare up at him for a second to see if his kidding,

“I’m sorry what?”

“Old money. If you didn’t want to you’d never have to do another book again.”

“Why are you a firefighter?”

“I like serving the community, and I’m good at it.” You stare at him for a moment longer then look back out over the property.

“This feels right doesn’t it?”

“Yea Honey it does.” He agrees, so you sign some paperwork and buy the plot of land. You want to get building started before your heat hits and you smell like an Omega and you do so just in time. Apparently Clint runs a very successful construction firm so you get the layout of the house done in two days.

When you wake on the third day you know you’re in your heat. You wake up feeling just as tired as you did yesterday and everything smells so bad except Steve. He goes to get up and you whimper softly, and he freezes as you reach out to him.

“Honey are you in heat?”

“I think so. It’s been so long since I’ve had an actual heat.”

“Do you want to talk to one of our Omegas?”

“You actually have those?” He huffs out a chuckle.

“Yea, not many but we do. Becca is one.” A cramp hits and you gasp in surprise. Steve reaches for his phone and you grab onto his arm.

“No, I just need you Steve.”

“Omega are you sure?”

“Yes, please Steve. I wanted to be sure that without my suppressants you were still my Alpha. You are. Please.” He rolls so that he’s on top of you, his knees between yours an arm on either side of your head and his scent all around you. “You smell so good Steve.”

“So do you Omega.” He grumbles he’s about to kiss you when his phone rings. You both groan loudly before he rolls off of you and grabs it.

“What?” Someone on the other end talks, “No, my Omega is in heat.” He says before hanging up. The phone rings again before he even puts it down so he stalks to the window, opens it and throws the phone outside.

“You know there is such thing as a power button.”

“I was going to smash it so I feel like I should get some credit for my self control.” He says stalking back toward you. This time his mouth finds yours before he’s settled back over you, his dog tags hit your chest and you cling to them keeping him close to you. Steve kisses down your jaw to your pulse point then down to your scent gland.

“Do it.” You whisper, “please.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes.” You’ve never been more sure about anything in your life. You feel his breath on your scent gland and you take a slow breath, then he bites. The pain and pleasure are so overwhelming that you black out. When you come to Steve is still placing soft kisses to your face.

“Omega. You back?”

“That was- indescribable. Thank you Alpha.”

“Careful Honey or you’re going to trigger my rut and then I won’t be able to spoil you.”

“I don’t need to be spoiled.”

“Too damn bad Honey. You’re going to be for the rest of your life. Now, I’m gonna go make some breakfast Becca always said day two was the harder day so I want to make sure you’re up to strength.” He goes to get up but you’ve still got a grip on his dog tags. “Omega.”

“You don’t wanna? I mean I thought-“

“Oh Omega I want you, terribly, but I don’t want to wear you out for tomorrow. From what I remember day one is for lots of sleep and comfort, day two is for sex and day three is for more sleep and comfort. Do you want me to have Bucky come take Cooper?”

“Yea. But you’ll have to go get your phone.”

“Damn it.” He grumbles but he gets to his feet, grabs the shirt he was wearing before bed and passes it to you before getting a clean one for himself. You pull his shirt on and sigh happily brushing your fingers gently over his mark. Steve glances over at you and gives you a small smile then holds a hand out for yours. “Wanna come with me to the kitchen? I can kiss ya some more while we cook.” You nod and climb out of bed with a wide smile taking the hand he offers, you’ll gladly go wherever he goes for rest of your life.

Tag list:

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[lovemesomerafael]

It’s Complicated                       Chapter 6:  A Little Too Easy

Source: @kendaspntwd

Chapters 1-5        Story on AO3

Amanda Rollins noticed Rafe Rojas the second he walked into the squad room.  Only a man who lived in jeans could make them fit like that.  And the squint lines around his dark eyes did something to her down low.  He was the lean, cowboy type – well, he was a literal cowboy – she absolutely could not resist.  His hat was well-worn and didn’t disguise the shagginess of his thick, dark hair.  She didn’t mean to come on to him.  She liked Frankie, and Frankie was in deep shit. But her older brother was basically sex in cowboy boots.  So Amanda got real Southern, real fast, the minute she stepped up to Rafe to introduce herself.  Sure, Porter was standing next to him and could have made the introductions.  But Amanda’s ovaries were in charge.  Or some part of her female anatomy, anyway.  

“We’re on our way out to Riker’s,” Porter explained.  “We just stopped by to give you guys a chance to ask any questions you may have thought of.”

“Nikki OK with that?”

“Nikki might not be aware of it,” Porter muttered.  “And your lives might be easier if you didn’t mention this visit to Stone, either. Unless something good comes out of it.  But I trust you guys.  I know you’re on Frankie’s side.  ”  

Dodds introduced himself to Rafe, who was a few inches shorter and a few shades darker.  Rafe’s voice was deep and Amanda thought she detected just the slightest twang, like a delicate spice that gave a tasty dish just the right, subtle kick.  

For several minutes, the group discussed anything in Frankie’s past that might be either helpful or hurtful, but there was nothing.  She was who she was.  She had no skeletons, no previous arrests (knife-related or otherwise), and no history of any kind of violence, unless having a hair-trigger temper and a sharp tongue counted. Rafe couldn’t help the case, except to reassure them that there were no surprises in his sister’s past waiting to trip her up.  

Porter and Rafe left shortly thereafter.  Amanda could feel her thighs quiver when Rafe touched his hat to her and said, “Miss,” as he left.  Amanda was positive he gave her a subtle wink along with his nod.  She stood just a little too long watching the hallway after they’d turned the corner toward the elevators.  

 *********************

Porter ran interference with the guard at Riker’s who tried to keep Rafe from hugging his little sister. He felt responsible for his friend being in prison for a crime she didn’t commit, and he wasn’t about to deny her the small comfort of a hug from her brother.  

“You all right, Snot-rocket?”  Rafe asked, sitting down next to Frankie.  

“Y-yeah,” Frankie stuttered, trying desperately not to cry.  

Rafe pulled her head to his shoulder, and Porter signaled to the guard to let them be.  

“Everybody sends their love. They’re pissed at you for tellin’ ‘em not to come, but they get it.”

“I can’t-“

“They know.  They treatin’ you OK in here?”

“Yeah.  It’s fine.  My lawyer knows some of the guards, and she has some clients in here, so…”

“Can’t say I’m too impressed with a lawyer whose clients are in prison.”

Frankie gave the tiniest laugh, then sniffled.  “She’s good. She’ll get me out of here.”

“Yeah, she will.  And if she don’t, me n’ the guys’ll stage a jailbreak.  Always wanted to do that.”  

“Don’t even joke about that in here,” Frankie told him.

“Ain’t jokin’.  So listen, Porter only got us five minutes, so I don’t wanna waste it.  Just… you need anything?  You need me to do anything?”

“No, there’s nothing. Dean gave you the keys to my apartment?”

“Yeah.  I’ll take care of it for you until you get home.  You just hang in, all right?  Porter’s gonna find that kid.  I met your team at SVU, and they seem like they got their shit together.  We got you, OK?”

“OK.”

“By the way, I’m gonna marry that Amanda.”

“She’s way too good for a snot-rocket like you.  But you go ahead and try.”    

 ********************

Things started to get strange about eight O’Clock the next morning.  Peter Stone got a call in his office.  Based on an anonymous tip, Detectives Carisi and Tutuola had picked up Juwon Jefferson and had him in custody.  And he was talking.  

He was a different kid than Stone had seen on the tapes of his first interrogation.  For one thing, he was a mass of bruises and cuts.  For another, he was giving them real information. The attitude was still on full display, and he was definitely not happy to be there.  But at least they had him, and for whatever reason, he was ready to tell them everything he knew about Alan Canady.  In part, Stone believed his story that Canady had been a truly evil son of a bitch, and now that he was dead, Juwon could safely say so.  But there was no way that was the whole story.  

“Yeah, man, I tol’ the Doc to go see the motherfucker, gave her the message he was gonna barbecue her boyfriend if she didn’t show up.  Ain’t nothin’ illegal ‘bout that.  I just delivered a message.”

“Did he pay you?”  Stone asked.

“Yeah, man, you think I play messenger boy for my health?”  

“Why did he want to see Dr. Rojas?”

“He said he was gonna fuck her up.  Said he was gonna do hisself, make it look like she done it.  Guess that’s pretty much what he done, ain’t it?  That’s bad-ass, man.  Stabbin’ yo’self.  That’s cold.”

Stone rolled his eyes. This was all way too convenient. Out of the blue, they get an anonymous tip and this kid who hadn’t cooperated at all is suddenly telling them the exact same wildly implausible story the suspect told?  And he just happened to be covered with injuries?  No.  Somebody got to this kid, and he was either getting something huge out of this, or they had something big over him.  Either way, Stone wasn’t about to let Rojas walk on the word of this little tweaker alone.

“Why should I believe you?” Stone asked, looking hard at the kid.

“I don’t give a shit if you believe me.  It’s that rich bitch doctor sittin’ in Rikers, not me.”

The kid had talked quite a bit about Alan Canady’s rapes of the three women.  That, at least, they could prove.  The kid’s evidence gave them probable cause to test Canady’s DNA against the rape kits, which was being done right that moment.  Stone thought blackly that it wasn’t like it was hard to collect Canady’s DNA - it was pooled all over the floor in that cheap motel room. But that still didn’t prove who had killed Canady, and it didn’t answer why this kid was suddenly in custody and talking.  Stone was suspicious of anything this neat and easy.

 ****************

Later that day, Stone stopped by Barba’s office.  Barba was sitting at his desk, tapping a pen and staring off into space.  

“Thinking deep legal thoughts?”  Stone grinned.

“Shallow ones, anyway. What can I do for you?”

“I wanna talk about this Rojas case.”

Barba frowned.  “You can’t talk to me about that case.”

“Not about the case itself, just…  Hypothetically, what would you say if you had a case with a very hard to find, reluctant, unreliable witness, who suddenly gets found by an ‘anonymous source’ and starts singing like a canary?”  Stone made himself comfortable in one of the chairs in front of Barba’s desk.

“I’d smell a rat. Especially if this suddenly cooperative witness is a junkie.”

“He is. Hypothetically.”

“Hypothetically. Look, I’m in an impossible spot here. You know that.  I know Francisca Rojas didn’t kill Alan Canady.”

“You don’t know that, and neither does anyone else except Canady.  And he’s not talking.”

“I have instincts, same as you.  And I know this woman.”

“You’ve known this woman for a whole month.  And you’re fucking her.  Tends to mess with the instincts, Barba.”

Rafael shot Stone an irritated look and gave a snort of annoyance.  “What, exactly, do you want from me here?  There’s no way she did it.  I know that.  But if you’re asking me whether you can believe this tweaker’s sudden conversion to the light, I’d say no.  So you get all the information you can out of him, and you check it all out, and you prove she didn’t do it with that evidence.”

“What the hell’s happened to everyone around here?  Since when are we in the business of proving someone didn’t do a crime?”  Stone snapped.

“Since always.  We prove the truth, not just what we want to be true.  That’s why I’m saying don’t buy the tweaker’s story.  I’d like Franci-  Dr. Rojas out of Riker’s today.  But you have a job to do, and that means you need to be right.”

“Thanks for nothing,” Stone smirked, getting up.  

“That’s what I’m here for. Get her out.  Soon.  But do it the right way.”

Rafael was troubled.  The tweaker was back and now he was talking? What had she done?  Or what had been done on her behalf?  

 **********

The DNA matched.  Alan Canady was the Pattern 20 rapist. Unfortunately, that didn’t prove who had killed him.  Nothing did. The autopsy was consistent with either Canady stabbing himself or someone else stabbing him; it was inconclusive either way.  And both his fingerprints and Frankie Rojas’s were on the knife.  True, Canady had no defensive wounds, but she could simply have gotten a lucky shot before he realized what was happening.  Because Barba’s building had no security cameras, there was no way to prove that Canady or Jefferson had somehow gotten in and stolen the knife.  From an evidence standpoint, that meant it was equally likely that either Frankie had killed Canady, or he had done it himself.  

In the end, the Manhattan DA’s office had no choice but to drop the charges against Frankie Rojas.  With the tweaker kid’s testimony, there was simply too much reasonable doubt for Nikki Staines to work with.  Nikki had actually been in the office the day the decision was made, raising holy hell and making Peter Stone’s life miserable.  Stone wasn’t happy about any of it – he felt like they had been played by someone who had gotten to the tweaker kid, but he couldn’t prove it, and he had other cases he could prove.  So they dropped the charges and Nikki blew up the phones at Riker’s as she drove out to collect her client, making sure they would have her processed out and ready when Nikki arrived.  

She called Dean Porter from her car.  “You heard?”

“Yeah.  Can I go pick her up?”

“I’m on my way now. But listen.  I’m never gonna look a gift horse in the mouth, but Stone thinks he got played, and I can’t blame him.  Is there anything I should know about that Jefferson kid?  It does seem like he had a pretty sudden, and violent, change of heart.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you don’t. I just want to know I’m not gonna get any surprises, and my client isn’t either.”

“You won’t.  I swear to you, Nikki, it’s all above board.  The kid was telling the truth.”

“Yeah, but why was he telling the truth?”

“You know what?  Take the win.  It’s all good.”

“It better be.  You got a lot to lose these days.”

“Yeah, life is good. And I wouldn’t jeopardize that. We didn’t do anything to the tweaker kid that’s gonna hurt us.  Or you. Or Frankie.”

“You didn’t, huh? Then who’s ‘we’?”

“Did I say ‘we’?  I meant ‘I’.  Hey, Nikki, my other line is ringing.  I gotta answer that.  Nice working with you.”

***************

Frankie was pretty sure she was being set up.  She didn’t really like it, given what she’d just been through, but it was hard to find a basis to complain.  Her brother and Amanda had become very… close, and were both claiming that, since he was planning to fly back to Austin in the morning, it was their last opportunity to spend time together.  So, as badly as they felt about it – yeah, sure, she thought – they wondered whether Frankie would mind spending one more night at Barba’s.  Besides which, all her things were at Barba’s.  And they claimed already to have set it up with him.  

Frankie dimly felt that it was bizarre for people who loved her to be worrying about romance, their own or hers, after she had just been in prison for murder.  But she was exhausted.  She’d barely eaten or slept in the five days since her arrest, and she’d been in an emotional spin-cycle the entire time.  The truth was, she wanted two things.  She wanted to take a shower for about a week, followed by a soak in a bathtub for a month.  And she wanted Barba.  

She hadn’t spoken to him since her arrest.  He’d retained Nikki for her, and she’d had messages from him through Porter, but that had been all he could do.  Now that she was about to see him again, she was in a turmoil of different emotions.  She felt physically hideous and soiled, and she felt emotionally battered and horribly ashamed.  She thought she was far too needy to be going to stay with a man she knew as little as she knew Barba.  But, apparently, she was the only one who felt that way, because he was waiting for her when Nikki pulled up at the curb in front of his building.

He looked absolutely delectable to her.  Gorgeous and kind and caring and opening his arms to her before she was all the way out of the car, even though all she had to wear home was the terrible sweats they’d given her at the M.E.’s office when they’d taken her bloody clothes.  Nikki smiled broadly at Rafael as he moved to push the car door closed, cradling Frankie in his arms.  

“Thank you,” he mouthed.

“My pleasure,” she replied, waving.  She liked the idea of Barba owing her one.

Rafael gently guided Frankie through the door to the lobby, and held her while they waited for the elevator.  

“Thank you for letting me stay with you,” she mumbled into his shirt.  She hadn’t looked at him, really, as she’d climbed out of Nikki’s car, just put her arms around him and buried her face in his chest.  

“I would have come to your place, if you hadn’t come here.  Even with your brother there.  I want to help.  I’ve felt so fucking useless these past days…”

She squeezed him, hard. “You called Nikki.  You shouldn’t even have done that.  That was everything.”

“I know you didn’t kill him, Francisca.”

“No, you don’t.  No one does, except me and him.  But I didn’t.  I swear it.”

“Still arguing with me…” he said with a grin, as he led her into the elevator, still with her arms clasped to him and her face buried. He wasn’t sure what to make of that. It was wonderful to have her in his arms again, to be able to comfort her as he’d been aching to for days.  But the way she was clinging to him spoke of a depth of fear and anguish that he’d only guessed at.  He was intensely grateful she had come to him so that he could help her through it.  He was honored that his fresa, usually so dauntless and fiery, and now so crushed and wounded, would allow herself to be this vulnerable with him.  He vaguely realized that he would do anything for this woman in his arms, but he paid little attention to the thought, as he thought about what he could do to help her begin to recover from her ordeal.

She released him from her arms when he closed the door behind them, but stayed right next to him.

“I’m guessing you’d like the longest, hottest shower in the history of the world,” he suggested.  

“I’d give my left arm for that,” she sighed softly.

“No charge for guests. You go get in the shower, and I’ll bring you a drink.”

“Do you happen to have any scotch?”

Rafael couldn’t help but laugh at that.  Everyone knew about Rafael Barba and scotch.  He was a little amused by this evidence that they really hadn’t known each other that long.  “I have scotch.”

When he had poured a scotch for each of them, he hesitated outside the door to his bathroom for a moment. He could hear the water running, and see billows of steam floating lazily into the bedroom.  But he was suddenly unsure what she was expecting. Did she want privacy?  Should he wait for her to come out?  Well, he’d told her he was going to bring her a drink.  Besides, he realized, the steam was escaping into the bedroom because she had left the door ajar.  He knocked tentatively and pushed the door open a little.

“Francisca?  I brought your drink.”  

She didn’t respond. He noticed the sweatshirt and pants she’d been wearing wadded up on the floor.

“What do you want me to do with these sweats?”

It took her a second to answer.  “Bonfire,” she finally said in a choked voice.  

He was sure he heard a sob. He didn’t hesitate, but stepped into the room, set his drink on the counter, and pulled the shower curtain back just enough to see her.  Her hands were splayed on the tile wall and she was leaning on both arms, head hanging, crying hard and trying to be silent about it.

“Oh, mi fresa,” he said, pulling the curtain back and stepping, fully clothed, into the shower to take her into his arms.  She instantly let out a groan of agony, turning into him and clinging to him as she sobbed into his shoulder.  He held her drink just outside the spray of the shower.  

For long minutes, he just held her and let her cry, while the hot water cascaded down and soothed her. He didn’t realize he had begun to hum softly to her until she turned her face into his neck, muttering, “That’s nice.”

When she seemed to be done crying, he moved them a bit to the side and held the glass to her.  “Here, drink this,” he said softly, not letting go of her.  She downed its contents in one gulp and handed it back to him.  He smiled.  

When he felt her arms loosen around him, he reached behind her and set the glass down on the shower’s built-in tile shelf.  He took a bottle of shampoo and poured a little into his hand.  Moving her just a bit backward out of the spray, he began to shampoo her hair.  She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, the slightest smile touching her lips. When he was done, he moved her under the spray to rinse her hair and began to soap her body.  He tried not to make it sexual, given the situation and the fact that he was still wearing all of his now-soaked clothes.  But it wasn’t easy.  He wasn’t sure, but it seemed like she moved into his hands from time to time. He conditioned her hair when he’d finished washing her, and moved her once again under the spray to rinse out the conditioner.  

“MMmmmmmm,” she said. “This feels so nice.”

“That’s the point,” he said, leaning down without thinking and kissing her.  

He was just preparing to be concerned about pushing her when she reached to put a hand behind his head and wind her fingers in his wet hair, pulling his mouth harder on hers.  After thoroughly kissing him, she looked into his eyes for the first time since she’d arrived.  

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.  And I mean that in a number of different ways. I like having you here, and I’m here for you.”

“I know,” she said.  “Can we take a bath?”

“Of course we can.”

“And… will you please take your clothes off?  I don’t care what you do when you’re alone, but I refuse to take a bath with a clothed man.”

Rafael put his forehead to Frankie’s.  “No, I won’t take them off.  But you’re welcome to, if you want.”

“Oh, you’re a pain in the ass, Barba.”  She kissed him again and began undressing him.  

When she had his clothes off, he quickly washed his hair and turned the dial that turned off the shower and began to fill the tub.  Pulling back the curtain, he picked up the pile of wet clothes and wrung them out as best he could, then tossed them across the bathroom into the sink to be dealt with later.  

“You get comfortable.” He said.  “I’ll be right back.”

Rafael quickly padded out to his kitchen and retrieved the bottle of scotch, bringing it to the bathroom and setting it down next to the tub where Frankie was pouring some shampoo under the water to make bubbles.  He took his glass from the counter, lifted hers from the shelf in the shower, and put them on the edge of the bathtub, then stepped into the water. She moved to let him get seated behind her, then scooted between his legs and relaxed against his chest. 

He poured some scotch into her glass and handed it to her, then picked up his own.  He wrapped one arm around her and she held his arm with hers. They sat in the rapidly-filling tub and sipped in silence.  

When the tub was full, Frankie used her foot to turn off the water and turned herself so that she was lying on her side, her cheek on his chest, and could put both arms around him.

“I love you,” she murmured, eyes closed and smiling.  

Rafael kissed the top of her head, wondering whether she could possibly have meant what she’d just said. She lay quietly, seemingly perfectly satisfied with no response other than a kiss.  She’d had two drinks – he had only poured a couple of fingers each time, but he had no idea when the last time she’d slept or eaten was, and for all he knew, she was asleep right this second.  Maybe she didn’t even know she’d said it.  He decided that’s what it was.  His chest felt warm anyway, and it wasn’t just because of the scotch.  

He thought he dozed a little, lying there holding her in the hot, bubbly water.  He was gently nudged back into consciousness when she shifted between his legs and mumbled, “It’s getting cold.”

“You want to put in some more hot water?”

“Mmmmmm, I want to be in bed.  I don’t want to get out of this tub and move to the bed.  I just want to be in bed without that part.”

“I’d like to do that for you, mi fresa, but I don’t think I possess that particular skill.”

She inhaled deeply and slowly exhaled.  “OK, we’ll do it the hard way.”

They helped each other to stand and climb out of the tub, and Rafael wrapped Frankie in a deliciously large, fluffy towel.  She was too sleepy to comment, but she made a mental note to compliment him on his taste in towels – and scotch – in the morning.  Neither bothered much with their hair – Rafael just toweled his off and Frankie twisted hers into a quick bun on top of her head.  They quickly brushed their teeth, leaning on one another, and were cuddled together in bed very soon thereafter, arms around one another and her head cradled on his shoulder.  

In the soft light coming through the window, Frankie looked up at Rafael.  She lifted her lips to kiss his jaw and he turned his head to take her lips between his.  He was a bit surprised when she subtly shifted her body and opened her mouth to his, sliding her hand down his side to his hip and thigh, angling her caress until she was softly cupping him in her hand.  

“Barba?”

“Hmmmm?”

“Will you please make love to me?”

“Anything for you.”

He followed her lead, going slowly and touching her softly, never taking his mouth from hers, even when whispering endearments and praise.  Her soft moan as she came with him inside her was pure enchantment, and he was almost positive it contained a whispered, “I love you.”

[letstalksymphogear]

Symphogear, EP. 3 (Cont.)

“aight fellas im here for the fortnite session where we droppin boys”

Hibiki shows up, ready to participate in this four player game of sociological tension.

“hope hibiki’s doing okay. im worried about her. ryoko, stop resting your arm on my head.”

“ryoko does as ryoko pleases baby”

Vibrates angstily.

“im missing my wife for this guys please lets just do this”

“wish i had a wife too instead of this vase filled with fucking ashes” SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORP

The squad analyzes the statistics of all Noise outbreaks over the last month to see if there’s a pattern somewhere. Somehow, Hibiki is regarded as an authority on this, despite being just a normal girl.

This is not the face of someone who has a degree in Noisology, let alone even listened to a Noisia album.

“looking photogenic while this girl describes how these horrible, lovecraftian entities butcher entire populations will look great on my acting resume”

Strained sounds of holding back laughter at this absolute clownery.

*coughs quietly*

Exposition goes on about the UN acknowledging the existence of Noise, but them existing for far longer, existing in myths as demons and monsters of long ago. This makes little sense, but fuck it, just roll with it. They also say the Noise is rare, but this being Symphogear, the Noise will be here forever, until the end of time.

“its like the noise are a metaphor........................”

Hibiki, looking dead inside as the average overnight studying student would, muses whether someone is behind the noise. She also asks if you can hear the sound of one hand clapping.

Tsubasa makes a very relevant observation that the school is smack dab at the center of all these outbreaks. In retrospect, you probably should have asked her first. She points out it may be because someone wants their get their hands on the almost complete relic hidden away in the 2nd Division: Durandal. Why anyone wants an old ass french sword is beyond me.

“yeah i can do exposition too, fuck you”

Finished relics are extremely rare and as a result extremely powerful. Incomplete ones are pretty powerful, but need to be rebuilt a bit.

“i discovered all this, conveniently, as the only person left to do so! totally not suspicious at all.”

“anime plot hurting brain. bullshit levels make think no good.”

“wish i got hired for a macross anime instead, they get to go to space”

“being meguca is suf- wait, im confusing my roles”

The exposition goes on to note that America wants the relic. This is one of the few shows that depicts America in a very serious and antagonistic light. America never cooperates in any useful way except once.

“it should would suck if someone was sending us them noise monster all on purpose-like”

“yeah............! suuuuuure would suck.... mmmmmmmmmhmmmmmmm...”

Tsubasa and Ogawa quietly plan idol ruminations. This animation used to be far, far worse.

This is the moment where Tsubasa becomes sword-kin. From here on out, she will always refer to herself as a sword. This is law. Literally every single season has this same deal. She believes she is a sword. I know it’s not literal, but I like pretending it is.

Succ Intensifies

“gonna get her number later after the season is over, damn”

Hibiki muses on the nature of war.

“why we gotta fight”

“cause yall suck”

Ryoko then says some very not nice things that we’re just going to walk right around because Ryoko is a little bit of a weirdo and should probably keep her flirting to the short haired lady working on the bridge.

“i will call the cops, lady”

Hibiki starts her next day at school as she spots Tsubasa during her choir class.

“forget my nintendo switch with the latest smash bros game in the classroom goddamnit”

“hibiki please tone down the gay for five seconds while we try to get through this dumb singing class in one piece”

“i smell a homewrecker”

“THE GAY CAN NEVER BE TONED DOWN, IT CAN ONLY BE TONED”

Hibiki is then fed by multiple classmates for this statement.

The Anime Janai crew is fond of Hibiki, much like a group of Lords being fond of the royal court jester. Hibiki clowns it up by working on a report she procrastinated until the very last minute. “Your life sure is an anime!”, one of them says. Hibiki then says, “I wish!”. They smile in unison at the irony.

Look at how they mock the threads of reality. Absolute monsters.

Hibiki nails the report at the skin of her teeth, Miku’s gonna get ready for the meteor shower, everyone’s real fucking happy, the evening looks peaceful, all is well.

“i cant wait to do all these fun things we promised several times over!”

Unfortunately, the worst case scenario happens.

Her tiddies start ringing.

“no.... fuck.... my tiddies... they’re ringing...”

She knows now she cannot go.

In retrospect, she probably could’ve blown them off. I mean, what are they gonna do? Fire her? She’s practically irreplaceable. Alas, her conscience is too strong. The ringing from her tiddies too loud to ignore.

“okay im back for the thing you promised we’d do repeatedly that we planned for a good amount of weeks now”

“...”

“i got fucking ghosted didnt i”

“cannot fucking believe i got ditched on my hot date with hibiki. bet its because her tiddies rang, isnt it. always her and her... GODDAMN tiddies ringing ALL THE TIME. LET ME BE WITH HER... god...”

“bae. im sorry. the tiddies rang. i have no choice.”

Miku tries to keep it together. Neither of them are happy about this state of affairs, and rightfully so, because it’s fucking stupid. Hell, it would have made more sense of Miku knew but still got jealous anyway, because she feels her job is establishing too much distance! And they talk those problems out instead of issues that only arise if everyone’s a goddamn moron about communication!

“but thats the point of the pl-”

NO! IT’S NOT CLEVER! IT’S FRUSTRATING! THERE ARE CLEVER WAYS TO SHOW A LACK OF COMMUNICATION BESIDES A CHAIN OF OBSTACLES TOO STUPID TO EXIST!

Miku takes the whole thing with grace even though I’m absolutely certain she threw her phone at the wall in raw, gay frustration.

Hibiki, understandably, is pretty fucking pissed.

“im gay. im angry, and im gonna fuck yall up for RUINING MY DATE AFTER HAVING FINISHED MY DAMN REPORT”

Hibiki fights the Noise. She’s gotten slightly better at fighting, but for now she’s still sorta trash at it. A grape themed Noise throws bombs and crushed her under rocks from a ceiling.

You’re a student. You’re the lone survivor of a concert that you got flak about for years. You go to an institution for singing with your best friend and basically get shoved into a life of crime fighting unwittingly. Your only teammate hates you and tried to kill you. You don’t get to hang out with your best friend anymore. Your teachers hate you. And you’re losing against the abominations that may have potentially warped your life negatively, forever.

This is probably the pivotal moment where Hibiki fucking snaps and decides she ain’t taking shit anymore. She’s not at her strongest yet, but mentally? She has decided to tell the world to go fuck itself.

“MY WIFE THINKS IM CHEAAAAAATING, MY TEAMMATE THINKS I SUUUUUUUUUCK, AND I’M SICK AND TIRED OF IT”

My, Hibiki, what big fangs you have. All the more to grit your teeth and beat the shit out of things with, I assure you.

Needless to say, even without having the skill, she’s starting to understand and get more comfortable with the full extent of the power her suit provides her.

She’s gotten so mad that even the illustrators are afraid of her.

To note: this isn’t just anime drama silhouette stylization. She is actually physically turning into a red eyed shadow. You’ll know why later down the road.

“YOU WANNA FUCKIN FIGHT ME NOW TSUBASA? HUH? HUH? YOU WANNA FUCKIN’ FIGHT ME?!”

Needless to say, her rampage goes on for a while.

She manages to dispatch all the Noise except for the Grape themed one. Up in the hole it made, she sees the meteor fall from the sky...

Wait, look closer. Is it a bird?

A plane?!

No, it’s...!

“i aint gonna tell her i just did a wish on her”

Sword!

“why the fuck does SHE get jetpacks?!”

Hibiki randomly yells out she wants to protect things too, for absolutely no real reason. Who would even break the ice with that. Hibiki, please.

They sorta stare each other down in a field awkwardly, like a bad high school reunion. But, a mysterious voice breaks out of literally fucking nowhere.

“didnt know they legalized gay marriage in japan already, otherwise id be showing up to this joke of a marriage sooner, you absolute buffoons”

“did this bitch just insinuate id waste my time getting married to this complete idiot, let alone even contemplate getting married in a public park as opposed to having a customized karaoke based marriage in the FUCKING HILTON?!”

“hey time out dont say that shit im already married and my wife already feels enough like im cheating so please keep those comments to yourself okay please”

“eat my ass, nerds. id tell you to come to the park in 15 minutes for an ass kicking...

but we’re already here, now aren’t we?”

[yodawgiherd]

Sidelined

Rating :T

>>>Read on AO3<<<

As requested (multiple times :>) this is a more Jean/Hitch oriented chapter. Also, does this ship have a name? Like.... Jitch? or... Hean? . . . No?

One of the worst feelings in the world is being miserable and having no one to blame but yourself. Jean made this discovery about five minutes ago, when Mikasa finished another exercise set, effortlessly, and they exchanged places. Now he was the one sweating on the machine seat, although he was at least smart enough to put a towel under himself, cursing his morning brain who thought that this was a good idea in the first place. Just a few hours back he was comfortable, back in his bed, sleeping through the hangover from last night, when his phone rung, rousing him. Only half awake, he picked it up, and was surprised to hear Mikasa’s voice, all energetic as if she wasn’t up until early morning hours, same as Jean was.

“Hey, you sleeping?”

“I was…”, he grumbled, pushing his not very cooperating body into a sitting position, “But as you can hear that’s in the past. What’s up?”

“I’ve been heading to the gym, for my morning routine, and then I recalled the talk we had. You said you did some Krav Maga, right?”

Like fucking ten years ago, but that was not something he would boast with.

“Um, yeah.”

“Great! Wanna join me here? I could use a partner.”

“Yeager not up for it?”

“He had to go to the hospital, some sort of emergency, so I’m all by my lonesome. Unless you save me, of course.”

That was the moment. The one where he could say no, make up some sort of excuse, turn on the other side and go back to sleep. Mikasa was a professional, she trained by herself all the time, and this invitation that she extended Jean’s way was probably just a courtesy. But, as it just sometimes was, his ego got the better of him. Couldn’t leave the lady in distress, now could he.

“I’ll be there.”

Several coffees and a shower later, to wake up, Jean left the hotel and drove to the gym, easily finding a spot right next to Mikasa’s black sleek motorbike. He had no idea what brand it was, but it looked fast as hell. And expensive. Leaving the car, and squinting into the sun, which for some reason decided to rise and shine early, most likely just to bother him, Jean crossed the short distance to the gym doors, entering. And that’s when the torture began.

It’s important to mention that his physical status was quite good. Even with working an office job, he led an active life, most of the time, and overall considered himself fit. But all that got simply blown away, now that he had to match someone as Mikasa. Somehow she managed to move as if there was a full night of sleep behind her, not tired at all, her brow remaining completely dry, while Jean was sweating profusely, the muscles he didn’t even know that existed aching.

“I think… I think I need a break….”, he breathed out, half rolling half falling from the bench, remaining on his knees after. His legs felt like they were on fire.

“That’s fine, but you gotta keep moving, otherwise you’ll cramp.”, she offered him a hand, a faint smile on her face, “C’mon.”

Taking the offered help, Jean was pulled to his feet by an impressive force, filling his lungs with the sweet oxygen after. Following her advice, he did his best to stretch, although moving even an inch was a task close to impossible right now. Next to his questionable efforts, Mikasa was doing her own stretching, moves so impressive that it made him question if she isn’t just subtly flexing on him.

“How come you’re not even tired?”, he panted out, hands on knees, “We were all drinking like crazy last night.”

She shrugged.

“We left early.”

Now that she mentioned it, Jean started getting some flashbacks, mostly images of other people wasted out of their mind. It was Hange’s fault, because when everyone was positively buzzed, she suggested that they try shots out of the menu that was marked with skull and crossbones, apparently some kind of experimental drinks. Jean remembered drinking one, then two, and then not much after, just some bits and pieces. Damn chemicals. But he did recall a few vital moments.

“To be honest, I was more surprised that you guys even stayed for so long, after all that groping and trying to eat each other’s faces. Not even trying to be sneaky about it, were you?”

“Please.”, Mikasa didn’t even blush, continuing her workout uninterrupted, “You’re the one to talk.”

“What?”, Jean’s eyebrows scrunched together, as he tried deciphering whatever code she was throwing at him, “The hell are you talking about?”

“Oh, you don’t remember?”, this time, her smile was downright evil, “Work that brain of yours, I’m sure that you’ll get it.”

All right then, time to dig. They played the tournament, Hange kicked his ass, then won the whole thing, the celebration being followed by some drinks, the night steadily progressing. He remembered Carla being overwhelmed rather quickly, laughing and brushing away all of Eren’s offers to help her get home. Then Hange and her devilish mixes came in to the scene and….black. Flash of Eren pushing Mikasa against the wall, making out aggressively, while her hands were anchored securely in his messy hair, eyes closed, the pair completely obvious to their surroundings. Another skip, and this time he was talking to someone, although the face was blurry with a slow song coming out of the speakers, Sasha slumped in her wheelchair staring into nothing while her fingers clattered on the notebook controlling the music. Skip, and now he was kissing someone, in a corner of the room, while sleeping Carla was being carried out by Eren and Mikasa, the former joking about how his mother can’t hold her liquor. Well, seems like Mikasa was right after all. And as he didn’t wake up in the morning with a bruise on his cheek from being slapped or anything, logically there was only one person he could have been kissing the night before.

“Remember now?”, Mikasa prodded, still grinning.

“Yea well, seems like we both are guilty of some public indecency.”

“Indeed, but there’s a certain difference between us.”

He arched an eyebrow at her.

“Which is?”

Taking a small break, Mikasa leaned on the wall, crossing her arms. Whatever she was preparing, it seemed to be quite a speech.

“Well, me and Eren doing things like that, hardly surprising to anyone. Especially since we are, you know,”, she waved her hand around, and albeit her ring was removed, for the workout, Jean got the point she was trying to make,” engaged.”

“Yeah, so?”

“What I’m trying to say is, you and Hitch keep saying that you’re just friends, nothing more, acquittances. And then you go and do something like this together. Weird, isn’t it?”

“Maybe we are just really good friends?”, Jean tried, but Mikasa didn’t seem impressed, and while she remained silent, the “Really?” was written all over her features.

“Listen, you’re just making up drama when there’s none.”, he tried a different approach, “We just both got drunk, really bad, and happened to be close to each other. Things happened, but that’s it.”

“See, I would believe that, if not for one thing.”, she held up a finger, “Hitch doesn’t drink, you know that. While you were trashed rather properly, she had one, maybe two glasses of wine, and she seemed more than happy to reciprocate your affections. Weird, huh?”

No matter how Jean looked at it, he felt quite busted. His relationship with the psychiatrist, if he could call it that, was kind of a secret, as neither of them felt the need to spread the word about their private lives. They went out together, mostly for lunch, or coffee, or dinner, and sometimes they just ended up in either hers or his bed, but that was it. There wasn’t anything else involved, or so Jean thought, but the more he picked at it, the less sure he was. Yet none of these facts had nothing to do with Mikasa, who just carelessly swooped in and started dissecting the sleeping dogs that Jean very much preferred as quietly lying, an action to which she had no right.

“Why do you even care about me and Hitch? What does that have to do with you?”, he blurted out, controlling his cool to the best of his ability, because he’s not going to blush right now. Definitely not.

But despite his best efforts to shift the blame, Mikasa remained expressionless.

“You’re right, it’s not my place to judge you, and you are in no way compelled to take my advice, but I’m going to say it anyway.”, she shifted in her place, her grey eyes burning a hole into Jean’s, “I don’t know Hitch for long, we’ve just recently met, but judging from everything Eren told me, and my own experience, she’s a great girl, and she deserves better.”

“Better than me?”

“Better than being led around by this stupid “friend” thing. We both know that it’s bullshit.”

Jean hung his head, picking at his nails absently as he tried digesting what Mikasa was telling him and combine it with the way he felt about the situation. Did he enjoy Hitch’s company? Yes. Was he physically attracted to her? Definitely. Would he like being more than just friends with her? Now this was a tricky question, because while the pull towards her was great, there seemed to be an obstacle in the way. A barrier, which he always treated as a simple understanding that they will never move past the sleeping together stage, but now that he inspected it closer another possibility came into the light. Maybe it was fear, his own, that whatever they had going together, as stupid as it was, will pop like a bubble if he tries moving things forward. Because it was comfortable like this, in the limbo. They weren’t a pair, a couple, nothing like that. Just friends.

“What if she doesn’t want to be more?”, he asked out loud, eyes remaining downcast.

“Why would she? Jean, you’re a great guy, really. Just take the last night as a sign, if you want, she wasn’t drunk, yet she didn’t mind showing public affection towards you. That’s about as good nudge as you can get.”, Mikasa moved closer, putting a hand on his shoulder, “Plus, if I was in Hitch’s place, I can tell you that I would very much appreciate you making the first move, I can promise you that.”

“I… I need to let this go through my head.”, because honestly, it was too much to take it all at once. Luckily, Mikasa seemed to understand.

“Sounds good.”, taking a step back, she pointed her thumb at the ring, “Wanna do a quick few rounds while you think?”

Again, he should probably say no, to keep the last scraps of his dignity, but hell, he was already going all in. A bit more couldn’t hurt.

“Lead the way.”

The first few rounds were indeed rather quick, as Mikasa had to adjust her power level more to Jean’s standards, because ending the whole match in one punch or kick is hardly fun for anyone. She didn’t comment on it however, or tried to mock him, completely understanding that not everyone has the time and dedication to spend multiple hours daily at the gym, perfecting their technique. With some changes on her side, the bouts grew longer, as Jean’s body seemed to remember the old moves he used to do, even scoring a few hits on the professional. When they finally called it quits, even keeping his footing was exhausting, as Jean’s reserves were completely drained. Not much for Mikasa, whose endurance was just downright insane. Although she did sweat, finally.

“Thanks for the help, appreciate it.”, she said, drying her face with a towel, “I hope you reached a conclusion regarding your situation too.”

“I’ll think on it some more in the shower. See you around.”, Jean grinned, slowly limping towards the dressing rooms, completely beat.

Leaning against the ropes, Mikasa took a deep breath, thinking about what to do next. She still had energy left, so maybe some leg work, and then call it a day and go home. Plan solid in her mind, she reached back to tighten her ponytail, the tie slipping slightly, when someone spoke behind her.

“Beating Yeager got boring, so you got a new victim?”

The suddenness of the words would normally make Mikasa just out of her skin, if they weren’t spoken in a familiar calm manner by a voice she knew very well. So after just a tiny heart attack, one that she made sure he wouldn’t spot, hellbent on not giving him the satisfaction, Mikasa turned her head to glare at Levi who just appeared out of thin air, as usual. Looks like the tiny height he was blessed with was fairly useful, after all.

“Sitting in your office got boring, so you just creep around the gym now?”, she shot right back.

“It’s still my gym. Last I checked, I can creep around my property as much as I want to.”

“Good point.”, it was hard overcoming the urge to throw her towel into that stoic face, but life is all about sacrifices, “And to answer your question, me and Jean had something to talk about.”

“What?”

“Things.”

“What kind of things?”

“The kind that doesn’t concern you.”, eyes narrowing, Mikasa was reminded of her brother’s own personal issues, and she had to bite back a smirk, “Actually, now that I think about it, it might concern you. Have you solved your love triangle yet?”

“I told you once and I’ll tell you again. There’s no triangle.”

“I just think that…”

“Let me stop you right there.”, Levi interrupted her, “I don’t care if you got some relationship expert training overnight or some shit, but I have no interest in any advice you can give me. My problems are mine to solve, understand?”

“I just…”

Interrupting her again, Levi put more weight behind his words.

“Understand?”

Well, if he was this adamant about not letting her speak, there was not much Mikasa could do. Giving up for now, she gave him a nod.

“Good.”

Satisfied, he left, soundlessly walking back into his office and closing the door behind himself. Shaking her head, Mikasa departed the ring to go back to the machines, still wondering how silently he could move. Levi would make a great thief. Or an assassin. A scary thought indeed.

Hitch wasn’t much surprised when her phone buzzed, an invitation for lunch from Jean appearing on her screen. He always had some needy feel to see her after they did anything intimate together, as if he felt guilty somehow, which was completely unnecessary as she was more than satisfied with their nights. Granted, they didn’t do anything yesterday, as Jean was so drunk from whatever Hange had cooked up that he all but passed out on her, but there was the possibility that he didn’t even remember that. Sure, they did make out, but that was about it. Originally, Hitch wanted to turn him away, because of their unspoken agreement about not doing anything public, but Jean just looked so adorable with the alcohol scented breath, ruddy cheeks and messy hair, she just couldn’t resist. The rest of the patrons were probably too drunk to remember anyway. With a prospect of such enjoyable food in her near future, Hitch’s first half of the day was gone in a jiffy, and before she knew it the time for her lunch break was here. Walking the short distance from her office to the restaurant Jean picked, coincidentally one of her favorites, Hitch couldn’t help but smile when she saw that he was already there, waving at him energetically. The greetings he returned were a bit a cold, but she just supposed that Jean was still having a bad hangover and didn’t think about it twice. The silence stretched over the soup, and only when the main course arrived, he finally spoke.

“Uhm… I…. I want to ask you something.”

Stuffing her mouth full of chicken, Hitch nodded at him to go on.

“I’ve been thinking about us lately and…. “, he shook his head, groaning, “Fuck this is hard.”

“Just say what you want to say,”, she encouraged him, “It’s always better to get things off your chest.”

Jean chuckled.

“Do you say that to your patients?”

“I do. It’s generally a good advice, one that I do my best to follow.”

Grimacing, Jean looked left and right, and finally decided to just go all in, leaning forward for stability.

“Fuck, okay. I talked to Mikasa earlier today, and she said that she saw us. Together. At the bar.”, she knew very well what Jean was referencing, but it was way too much fun to watch him squirm, so Hitch just shrugged.

“So what? There were a lot of people.”

“Sure, but she saw us kissing.”

“Oh, I see. That’s easy.”, picking up another piece of her food, Hitch put it in her mouth, chewing, “Just say that we were both wasted.”

“I tried, but she knows that you didn’t drink much.”

Observant girl, that Mikasa. Putting the fork down, Hitch propped her chin on her hands, looking at the man across the table, and the obvious uneasiness he was going through.

“Still, we can play it safe. Something about making a mistake, since we are both single and stuff, blah blah, you know the drill. We can worm our way out of it.”

“Right.”, Jean, who still haven’t touched his food, was playing with the knife, turning it over in his hands, an obvious sign of being nervous if Hitch ever saw one, “But what if… what if I didn’t want to play it safe.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve been thinking and, you know, maybe we need some changes, and stuff.”

Ah, so this is what it was, it finally connected for her. The obvious nerves, the way he was silent before, the refusal to meet her eyes. Oh, don’t you worry Jean, I got dumped in a much worse way than on a nice lunch outside. It stung a bit that he wanted to end it, but if the possibility of exposure was this scary for him, then Hitch understood him perfectly. She went into this thing with no expectations, just curious, and it did pay off, and was very enjoyable in the end, so if it had to cease now, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.

“Fine.”, raising her glass, she smiled at him, “I guess this is our last lunch together then?”

The confusion that immediately appeared on his face made her question if she read him correctly.

“What are you talking about?”, he blurted out.

“You meant to say that we are ending this, right?”, she tried, her own confusion matching his.

“No! No, that’s literally the opposite of what I wanted to say!”

Wait, but that means…

“You want to date?”, the words felt unreal even while leaving her mouth, but Jean went red in the face upon hearing them, eyes wide.

And he nodded.

Say one thing about Hitch, it’s that she always takes opportunities if they are presented to her. And this thing, this screamed opportunity hundred miles back and forth. Having no need for any dramatic flair, she grinned.

“Great! I’m in!”

“Uhm, just like that?”, whatever answer Jean was dreading, this definitely wasn’t it, “You sure?”

“Totally. If this.. thing we were doing together up until now was some sort of trial dating, then as long as the real thing is the same, I’m sold.”

“Okay…”

When in luck, keep pushing. Taking a deep breath, it was Hitch’s turn to propose something.

“Want to move in with me?”

Jean almost choked on his food.

“Isn’t that a bit too fast?”, he managed to squeeze out in-between coughs, while Hitch was helpfully slapping his back.

“Why? It’s just logical.”, when he finally regained to ability to breathe on his own, she sat back down, ready to defend her seemingly insane plan, “I have a flat which I live on my own in, and would very much prefer coming home to someone. You, on the other hand, still occupy a hotel room, last I checked. So? You interested?”

Normally, Jean would back out. Tell her to hold her horses, he almost immediately cursed himself for using this phrase, because if Eren ever heard him say it out loud Jean would never hear the end of it, to take a breather, really think about it. But in life, its sometimes better to just say fuck it, and take the jump into the unknown. So, instead of pussyfooting around, Jean reached over to the other side of the table, and took hold of Hitch’s hand, stroking the top with his thumb. And for some reason, this leap of faith, however uncertain, didn’t seem so scary anymore.

“Let’s do this thing.”

[incorrectchoniberonicaswangs]

hey baby won't you look my way (you can be my new addiction)

Chapter 6: because i also want to be rawed by alice cooper in that dress

Chapter Summary: Nobody has a normal sleep schedule, Jughead helps Betty with her totally-not-real issue, the Lodges and Coopers are really gay, and Archie has some scary (but still important to the plot) tendencies.

Notes: mayorlodge: hermione acoop: alice Also, just for clarification, both Hal and Hiram are out of the picture (mostly because it's convenient to the story but whatever). This is a long-ass chapter, so... have fun?

ao3

Wednesday, 12:00 AM

gays united

wannabett: IM BACK!!!

wannabett: as in i finally got my phone back!! im alive again!

nopeaz: you got your phone back at exactly midnight??

wannabett: yep!

hbicheryl: i dont understand you coopers

veroffica: cheryl, you're technically a cooper yourself.

veroffica: and even if you weren't, the blossoms are even worse.

hbicheryl: ugh

hbicheryl: technicalities

spillthefogarTEA: do any of you... actually go to sleep at a reasonable time??

wannabett: no

nopeaz: nah

hbicheryl: nope

veroffica: ha, no.

jugheadalones: definitely not

hisshissmotherfucker: no

goingtoheller: not a chance.

spillthefogarTEA: yeah, me neither

spillthefogarTEA: just checking

hisshissmotherfucker: normal sleep schedules are for the weak

hisshissmotherfucker: natural selection only the dumbasses die

hisshissmotherfucker: im the dumbass

nopeaz: same

jugheadalones: rt

hbicheryl: ^^^^

wannabett: ^^^

wannabett: so

wannabett: yall wanna talk??

hisshissmotherfucker: about how i just realized that fangs and bettys ship name would either be bangs or fetty?? absolutely

goingtoheller: bangs?? can we seriously talk about this?

nopeaz: when you said fetty all i could think of was fetty wap

hbicheryl: no we are NOT doing this now come back to bed and go to sleep RIGHT NOW topaz

nopeaz: as you wish, dear

[nopeaz is offline]

[hbicheryl is offline]

jugheadalones: well i need to get my beauty sleep so i can look my emo self tomorrow, so goodnight

[jugheadalones is offline]

spillthefogarTEA: okay i have to admit that we all should get some sleep, but @sweets we are circling back to bangs and fetty later

goingtoheller: ^^

hisshissmotherfucker: i cant help that all my best realizations come when im delirious from lack of sleep but if you say so fangs

[hisshissmotherfucker is offline]

[spillthefogarTEA is offline]

wannabett: nobody wants to stay up and talk? :(

goingtoheller: i might.

veroffica: i will too.

goingtoheller: nevermind, i'm going to sleep! have fun! ;)

[goingtoheller is offline]

wannabett: i guess its just us

veroffica: want to move this convo to a more private setting, then?

wannabett: sure thing

12:13 AM

wannabett + veroffica

wannabett: hey v

veroffica: hey, b.

veroffica: congrats on finally getting your phone back, btw!

wannabett: i missed you

wannabett: i mean i know that i was only absent for one day and i still managed to call you once

wannabett: but it felt longer than that. more significant

veroffica: i know what you mean. school was hellish (at best) without you there, especially with cheryl being, well, cheryl. i know that she's not half as bad as she used to be, and that toni's helping her to be a kinder person, but sometimes she just doesn't know when to back off.

wannabett: about that, did i ever thank you for standing up for me so vehemently? because i appreciate it

wannabett: you didnt have to but you did anyway

wannabett: and thats what i... uh,, really like about you!!

wannabett: hold on a sec i have to go my moms calling me!

veroffica: at 12:18 am?

veroffica: aaaand you're already gone.

12:18 AM

wannabett + jugheadalones

wannabett: hey jughead quick question

jugheadalones: i did mention earlier that i was going to go to sleep right??

wannabett: please this is really important

jugheadalones: fine, go for it

wannabett: okay hypothetical situation here

wannabett: say this one girl (lets call her lili) has this best friend (lets call her cami) but at one point lili almost says "and thats what i love about you" to cami

wannabett: what does that mean?? is it just a normal platonic friend thing??

jugheadalones: so, this is all strictly theoretical, correct?

wannabett: yes obviously any and all resemblance to real people is purely coincidental haha

jugheadalones: then id say that lili might actually have more-than-platonic feelings for cami

wannabett: do you really think so??

jugheadalones: yep

wannabett: so in this purely made-up circumstance... what should lili do?

jugheadalones: i think that lili should seriously consider telling cami about her feelings for her

jugheadalones: she just might be surprised by what cami says back

wannabett: okay thank you jug

wannabett: for your help on this definitely fake thing that clearly did not occur with undoubtedly nonexistent characters

jugheadalones: sure thing betty

jugheadalones: just next time dont wake me up at midnight

[jugheadalones is offline]

12:23 AM

wannabett + veroffica

wannabett: hey im back

veroffica: finally! it took you long enough!

veroffica: what did your mom want?

wannabett: huh?

wannabett: oh yeah she wanted me to... wash some dishes

veroffica: at 12:18 in the morning??

wannabett: yep its all part of my punishment for getting detention

veroffica: i thought your punishment was just being grounded for one day?

wannabett: well theres also a list of chores that i have to do for her that she can cash in at any point

veroffica: no offence betty, but is your mom satan?? that sounds awful!

wannabett: none taken, she indubitably is

wannabett: and im used to it by now

veroffica: still... i wish i could do something to help.

wannabett: let me move in with you

veroffica: what??

wannabett: thats what you can do to help! i could move into the pembrooke with you if your mom says its okay!

veroffica: i don't know, b... don't you think it's kind of a big step? and what about your mom?

wannabett: what about her? polly didnt ask mom when she moved in with you

wannabett: i understand if you dont want to, but just think about it for a second

wannabett: it would be like having a sleepover every night!

veroffica: i'm still not sure...

wannabett: plus ive been wanting to get closer to you and this could be just what i needed

veroffica: well, i'm on board! i just have to text my mom, she's on a business trip.

12:29 AM

veroffica + mayorlodge

veroffica: hey mom, can betty come live with us?

mayorlodge: does this have any particular reason, or did betty just finally realize that her mother is a bitch?

veroffica: mom!!

mayorlodge: what? i went to school with alice, and she wasn't half as bad then as she is now. i blame hal.

mayorlodge: in fact, she used to be a southside serpent!

veroffica: i know, mom. betty told me.

mayorlodge: leather jackets, flannel... she was gorgeous.

veroffica: if you weren't my mom, i would say 'go for it,' but since you are, i'm going to say 'gross' instead.

mayorlodge: don't give me that. you know as well as i do how easy it is to fall for the cooper women.

veroffica: what are you implying?

mayorlodge: mija, I want you to answer me honestly: do you or do you not have feelings for betty?

veroffica: i... i don't know.

mayorlodge: think about it. and in the meantime, betty can stay over.

veroffica: thanks, mom!

mayorlodge: on one condition, though--alice approves. i don't want to be getting calls from the police because she thinks i'm illegally harboring one of her children.

veroffica: but betty's mom would never agree to this!

mayorlodge: then convince her otherwise.

mayorlodge: goodnight, mija.

[mayorlodge is offline]

12:35 AM

veroffica + wannabett

veroffica: she's in!

wannabett: yes!!!

veroffica: there's one thing, though...

wannabett: oh no

veroffica: your mom has to give her consent.

wannabett: shit

wannabett: stupid minor laws!

wannabett: i guess ill go ask her

wannabett: but im going to do it over text i dont want to be near her when she flies into a rage

veroffica: good luck! please don't die, i'll miss you too much!

wannabett: ill try v

12:38 AM

wannabett + acoop

wannabett: hey mom

acoop: Betty? You do realize that we live in the same house, right?

acoop: Also, what do you want and why are you texting me at this hour?

wannabett: ummmm

wannabett: can i go stay with veronica?

acoop: The Lodge girl?? At the Pembrooke??

wannabett: yes

acoop: For how long?

wannabett: indefinitely

acoop: I'm going to talk to Hermione and then I'll get back to you on this.

wannabett: wow that sounded a lot less like a no than i expected

acoop: Don't push it, Elizabeth.

wannabett: what i meant to say was thank you mother for this incredible opportunity!!

acoop: I haven't agreed yet, Betty.

wannabett: i meant thank you for considering this. it means a lot to me.

acoop: ...Of course.

acoop: Now, you should get some sleep while I consider this further. I'll get back to you later.

12:41 AM

acoop + mayorlodge

acoop: Is this Hermione?

mayorlodge: yes... alice?

acoop: You still have the same phone number from back when we were in high school.

mayorlodge: alice, it's the middle of the night. why are you texting me?

acoop: I have reason to believe that our daughters are going down the same path we once did.

mayorlodge: so you see it too?

acoop: Yes. The two of them are as close as we were back in high school, and we both know where that led.

mayorlodge: i don't want veronica to get her heart broken like i did, but it isn't like we can stop them.

acoop: I'm not talking about this with you right now.

mayorlodge: then when?? ever since we broke up, you've been saying you 'don't want to talk about it,' but it's been DECADES, alice.

mayorlodge: and i thought that i was okay with having no resolution and no explanation, but then at the sodale project opening i saw you in that goddamn red dress, and it all came back to me.

acoop: I'll admit that I regret giving into my parents' wishes and breaking up with you, but it wasn't like there were any other options.

mayorlodge: there are always other options.

acoop: So you're saying that you would've agreed to run away from Riverdale with me, riding around from town to town on my motorcycle?

mayorlodge: ...i would've liked that.

acoop: ... Really?

acoop: It doesn't matter anymore, though. What matters is now. We may not be able to stop Betty and Veronica from falling in love, but we can make sure that we don't end up pushing them apart like our parents did.

mayorlodge: exactly.

acoop: Which is why I want to give Betty my blessing to move in with Veronica.

mayorlodge: you do??

acoop: Why does everyone seem so surprised by this?? I do have a heart!

mayorlodge: trust me, i know.

acoop: Actually, on that note, I was wondering...

mayorlodge: yes?

acoop: When you get back in town, would you like to get a milkshake at Pop's with me, for old time's sake?

mayorlodge: alice cooper, are you asking me on a date?

acoop: Yes I am, Hermione Lodge.

mayorlodge: well, all you had to do was say so.

mayorlodge: i get back on friday. i'll see you then and we can figure out if we still have that same explosive chemistry we used to.

acoop: It's a deal. And if the date just happens to make it back to my house... Well, we'll have it all to ourselves.

mayorlodge: i like the way you think. goodnight, alice.

acoop: Goodnight, Hermione.

[mayorlodge is offline]

1:02 AM

acoop + wannabett

acoop: You can stay with Veronica for as long as you want.

wannabett: really?? thank you so much!!

acoop: Just make sure that you've cleared out by Friday night.

wannabett: why, do you have a hot date?

acoop: The hottest.

wannabett: i was kidding mom!!

acoop: Well, I wasn't.

wannabett: ugh tmi

acoop: Have fun at Veronica's!

[acoop is offline]

1:04 AM

wannabett + veroffica

wannabett: my mom is cool with it!!

veroffica: are my eyes deceiving me, or did alice cooper actually allow her underage daughter to move out??

wannabett: its insane isnt it? she said that she has a date on friday so that might be why shes so mellow

veroffica: hmm, do you think that it's one of the hot dads of riverdale™ or some new contender??

veroffica: maybe... one of the hot moms of riverdale™ (lesser known but just as hot)?

wannabett: whoever it is they seem to make her happy so i approve

wannabett: also i really hope that they dont break up and return my mom to her former angry state

wannabett: so lets take advantage of this while we still can!

veroffica: i can have smithers drive us over to your house tomorrow after school and then we can pack up your stuff! sound good?

wannabett: sounds great. i can't wait, see you tomorrow v!

veroffica: ditto, b.

[veroffica is offline]

[wannabett is offline]

2:28 AM

beronica shippers

spillthefogarTEA: guys i was just talking to archie and he told me that he has some hot tea to spill about our favorite oblivious wlw!! can i temporarily add him to the chat?

hisshissmotherfucker: why were you talking to andrews hes an asshole

hbicheryl: archie isnt an asshole hes a dumbass

hbicheryl: youre just jealous sweet pea

hisshissmotherfucker: why would i be jealous of ginger troy bolton??

hbicheryl: uh because youre jealous of anyone else who spends time with fangs??

nopeaz: ooh yes expose him baby

spillthefogarTEA: as much as i appreciate sweet pea not wanting me to talk to archie and choni trying to find ulterior motives in everything he says, i still need an answer to my question! can i add him or not?

hbicheryl: im all for learning whatever "heterosexual" nonsense b&v have gotten into this time

nopeaz: ^^

spillthefogarTEA: sweets?

hisshissmotherfucker: hes a fucking NORTHSIDER

spillthefogarTEA: please? for me?

hisshissmotherfucker: ...fine.

spillthefogarTEA: great! im also going to add jughead and kevin while im at it because they are both also beronica shippers in their own right

spillthefogarTEA has added jugheadalones, goingtoheller, and arch to the chat

spillthefogarTEA: for those of you who dont know--jughead and kevin--archie has some fresh beronica gossip, you in for listening?

goingtoheller: hell yes, lay it on us.

jugheadalones: i supoose since im already awake and probably too invested in their relationship

jugheadalones: but the next time these two do something interesting, it better be at a time when im NOT TRYING TO SLEEP

hbicheryl: lmao doubtful but sure

spillthefogarTEA: archie, please begin your tale

arch: so i was sitting in my room lifting weights when i saw, with my super-good eyesight, betty texting veronica

arch: and through my undoubtedly-impossible-and-kinda-creepy observance, i noticed that betty is pulling a polly!!

goingtoheller: she's pregnant with one of the blossom twins' (by now, it's just cheryl though lmao) twin children??

arch: no...

jugheadalones: shes been sent to the sisters of quiet mercy?

arch: no

hbicheryl: shes given birth to my children and has given them horrendous names like juniper and dagwood??

arch: no!! this is too hard to guess, so ill just tell you. she wants to move in with veronica at the pembrooke!

nopeaz: what did she say?? "hey, i want to live with you, but like, platonically"??

arch: um essentially

arch: but then i observed something that is both MUCH more shocking and a significant development!!

arch: mrs cooper and mayor lodge used to be dating, mayor lodge is gay for mrs cooper in that red dress that she wore to the sodale opening, and theyre going to a date on friday!!

arch: the end! have fun gays, gotta go!

arch has left the chat

goingtoheller: well, that is... a lot to process.

hbicheryl: i relate to hermione lodge

hbicheryl: because i also want to be rawed by alice cooper in that dress

nopeaz: id feel threatened if i didnt also know that alice cooper is also essentially your great cousin in law

hbicheryl: oh darling dont you know that incest runs in the family?

hbicheryl: jason and polly, my mother and my father... and thats just the tip of the iceberg

nopeaz: im concerned again

hisshissmotherfucker: so to summarize the lodges and coopers are gay for each other and archie has freaky good eyesight that is not humanly possible but is necessary to the story because it helps add important info to the plot??

goingtoheller: when you say it like, it sounds like we're characters in a book.

hisshissmotherfucker: honestly i always thought of myself as more of a character in a fanfiction for a bad cw show

2:38 AM

jugheadalones + wannabett

jugheadalones: ive just been informed by archie that you are planning to move in with veronica

wannabett: what the hell?? how did archie know that??

jugheadalones: he said he saw your texts from his room

wannabett: damn his terrifying and freakishly good eyesight

jugheadalones: so... this wouldnt happen to have anything to do with lili and camis mythical dilemma, would it?

wannabett: nahhh of course not

jugheadalones: well, if you ever do need to talk, im here for you, okay? i may not be good at giving relationship advice, but ive been told that im a good shoulder to cry on.

wannabett: whenever i need help ill make sure to talk to you first, but im really okay now. thanks jug.

jugheadalones: ofc

[jugheadalones is offline]

[wannabett is offline]

Notes: Alice and Hermione have too much sexual tension to have not dated in high school, and the flashback episode pretty much only proves it. I mean, did you see Alice when she was younger?? That whole look screams lesbian! Anyways...

Comments validate me!! You can leave 'em here or at my ao3 account, lgbtqshipper, where pretty much all I do is complain about Riverdale and how I wish that it was gayer (so nothing different).

In the next chapter, Betty will finally be forced to answer for her sins oblivious homosexuality ft. Choni sexts (again, but I swear, this is the last time)!!

[laurelsalexis]

Rating: Explicit Fandom: Riverdale Relationship: Alice Cooper/FP Jones II Notes: Plot twist I wrote more. Whispers it’s angst. Word Count: 8k Read on ao3: i wanna fuck away all my fear ; part 3

The guilt hits him hard and fast.  

It first comes while he's lying in his bed that night after coming home from the Whyte Wyrm. He's still processing everything that happened as he stares up at the ceiling with his hands resting on his stomach. He can't sleep and that will only prove to further bite him in the ass when he has to work the next morning. It doesn't matter. None of it matters because he feels guilt. He's guilty for not feeling guilty only for the guilt to seep back in. It's some twisted cycle that only manages to irritate him more.  

He kicks the covers off of him and rolls, winding up on his side, looking at the empty space next to him. The space Alice occupied only hours before. He really tries not to think about Gladys and how things were left between them. It's not cheating. He knows that, deep down, really deep down, but it still feels like he's doing something he shouldn't.  

She left him. 

It takes him an hour to rationalize it and to settle on the fact that she left him and they don't even talk. He talks to his daughter but rarely her mother. Even if she shows back up he's not entirely certain how it would go. Frankly, he doesn't want to know.  

But then, just as he feels like he might actually get some sleep, he thinks of the fact that Jughead is dating Betty. It doesn't help that Chic is his son, Jughead's brother, who also happens to be Betty's brother. It's weird, he doesn't deny that, but he doesn't want any of that to make his son unhappy. 

There's so much he's fucked up with Jughead over the years and he doesn't want to cause his boy any more pain. Not when he's worked so hard to make something of his life that makes him happy. Betty is an integral part of that. He can see it in the way Jughead watches her when he thinks no one is looking. It's a look of love.  

He can't mess that up for him. Not after everything else.  

That means something he doesn't want to face.  

By the time he wakes up, after managing to get some sleep, filled with dreams that were memories of past moments he never lets himself think about with Alice, Jughead has already left for school. Thankfully. He doesn't need to lie. He trusts Alice that now is not the time to say anything to the kids. If he tells Jughead he'll tell Betty and Betty will storm off to her mother, and before they know it everyone will know in ways they shouldn't.  

It's not until after Alice leaves Pop's with their little encounter does he feel even more guilt seeping in every last inch of him.  

He's polite about it, somewhat, but mostly he is doing his best to create distance between them. A distance that has to happen and a distance that he could have created by actually talking to her. Talking to her would only made it far more difficult, he knows that. When it comes to Alice he wants so badly for things to be good between the two of them. In ways they never really had been.  

He tries not to look at her when she is wearing that damn snakeskin shirt that is unbuttoned a little too much with the black leather that makes her look ever the Serpent she once was. He isn't entirely successful. But he does manage to not comment on her being in the musical that he knew about from Jughead.  

It's the least surprising piece of news he's gotten in a long time. 

She loves musicals.  

Carrie is an odd choice if you ask him but he's not going anyway. Not when he knows he needs to do this, to create that distance between the two of them. It's a dumb logic but he knows what he has to do. 

He just wishes it doesn't make him feel like a teenager.  

"Wait, what?" F.P. asks, looking at his son with a look of confusion written all over his face. He's seated at the table in the small kitchen as he drinks a cup of a coffee.  

"It's probably just Ethel." Jughead shrugs as he puts his shoes on. 

"You're telling me the Black Hood sent a letter but it's just Ethel because she wants Cheryl spot as Carrie? Cheryl Blossom that's staying with Toni?" 

"One way to find out." He replies before looking at his father. "How do you know that?" 

"I have eyes, Jug." It's clear as day neither Toni nor Cheryl actually said anything. A true shocking turn of events given he was sure one of them would blow it the second they could. Not that it actually makes him do anything to tell him, rather he wants to respect Alice's wishes to not tell them. Not yet. "Cheryl isn't exactly subtle."  

"Perfect for Carrie."  

"And you're not in the musical? No interest?" 

"I don't sing, you know that, Dad." Jughead says that like it's the most obvious thing in the world. "Music is Archie's thing." 

"I was in the musical when I was your age." It's casual as he finishes the cup of coffee, getting up to rinse the cup out.  

"What? No way. You?"  

"I had a band." F.P. says in defense. It's not that much of a stretch.   

"No offense dad but a musical is really different from a band with Mr. Andrews."  

"You only live once." F.P. shrugs, leaning against the counter, looking over at his son. "Wasn't bad. Kind of fun."  

"Which one?" 

"West Side Story." Which just about explained so much now that he thinks about it. Really hopes Carrie doesn't explain things.  

"I don't even know you right now." He whispers more to himself than anyone. Jughead stands, straightening his jacket, a thought dawning on him as he looks up at his dad, eyes narrowing, slightly. "Wait, Mrs. Cooper was in the musical."  

"I know. I was there." There's a lot of history there and his silence on the matter is almost a tell. He doesn't need to hash out details or even think about his own time. Far cry from the smooth sailing Jughead and Betty have. Though, he can admit that look Jughead has is one F.P. mastered all too quickly back in his day. 

"I am nothing like you." 

"I told you, you take after your mom." A good thing in his eyes since JB was a bit too much like him, still is, if their conversations tell him anything. "Don't worry, boy, you got some of that Jones blood. Otherwise you wouldn't have been so Hell bent on being a Serpent." 

"Have you talked to her?" Jughead asks, softly, as if he's worried what the topic will do. "Mom, I mean."  

F.P. stands up a little straighter then, not wanting to deal with that topic. He knows what his son wants. It is crystal clear he wants them back together and no matter how messy things are that won't change. "I think you're late for school." 

"That's not answer." 

He moves towards Jughead, turning him around, hands on his shoulders, pointing him towards the front door. He grabs the video camera and hands it to him. "Go zoom on Betty's face two hundred more times, kid."  

"It's not that often." 

"It's that often." He is smiling, though, finding it a bit endearing.  

When Jughead is finally out the door he picks up his phone and stares down at the screen. He would like to say his first thought is to call Gladys. It's not. Rather it's to call Pop and see if he can rearrange his shift so that he can go see Alice in that dumb musical. 

Nothing about Carrie goes according to plan.  

F.P. comes to despise the damn musical and can't wrap his mind around why anyone would choose Carrie to begin with. Part of it is definitely because he's a slightly bitter man. In the moment when he sees Alice, at least, speaking to Hal, looking happy, holding onto his hand for that brief moment it shoots him back to high school. That very same high school he stands in now and everything is still so...messy. 

Pushing her away worked. Clearly. He sees it with his own two eyes that she is definitely back to being with Hal. It was always going to work out that way. Things never seem to truly change between the two of them. He has no one to blame but himself. He plays the moment with Alice in Pop's over and over again. He should have said something else, told her how he was feeling, chased after her, even. He did none of that and she's back with her husband. 

It stings but he understands. 

That’s one of the problems. He's always understands. There's never been a question in his mind as to why she consistently chose to remain with Hal. He and Hal are polar opposites in every last way and on paper, he knows Hal is the better choice. Could be the man Alice wants and give her the things she needs. Betty isn't screwed up and barring that whole mess with Jason Blossom, Polly didn't seem screwed up either. A little odd like Alice can be but not screwed up.  

Not like himself, not like Jughead.  

He did a number on his kid. Not as bad as his own father did on him but enough. Enough that he goes off and joins the Serpents, slices tattoos off women, and probably a whole list of shit he doesn't even know about. A good kid, deep down, and good with Betty from all of the small moments he observed. 

He and Alice have never been able to figure out their shit. She was always so desperate to be in the light and he's always been fine being in the dark.  

With the Black Hood running through the town of Riverdale again he doesn't exactly expect for them to be able to figure anything out and the fact that she's with Hal. He doesn't like it, never has, never will, but it's something he can respect. A far cry from when he was a teenager and just wanted her all to himself no matter what.  

Definitely how he got her knocked up in the first place. 

He chooses not to stay. Not when his interest in the musical itself is mild at best and the only reason he bothers to show up doesn't make him feel the greatest about anything. Instead he finds himself moving through the crowd, wanting to actually get outside.  

"F.P." The voice of Fred Andrews is clear as day. 

He bites back the groan and turns to Fred. "Fred." 

"You going in?" 

"Uh," he turns, looking back at the door, "I was just going to get some air first." 

Fred nods, awkwardly shoving his hands in his pockets. "Look, you alright?" 

"Yeah." He's not explaining it to Fred and he doesn't expect Fred to understand even if he did. Not as if they are actually all that close anymore. Doesn't even really remember the last time they talked. Before his arrest, probably? The whole mess is definitely against everything Fred stands for so he doesn't blame him. They lead different lives.  

Fred nods, the tension thick, and starts to walk in. Only to stop and turn back towards F.P. "You want to sit together?"  

F.P. wants to say no but he doesn't. "Sure."  

For the second time that night he finds himself walking through the crowds to see Carrie. He doesn't really want to be there but he's not about to explain to Fred the whole situation. Not when he's all too happy to keep everything with Alice to himself. It's not something that is happening and he just wants to forget it all. 

Or at least that is what he is telling himself.  

The seats are a few back from where he can see the back of Hal's head. He's never liked the guy and doesn't like the guy now. It is petty jealousy mixed with having some valid reasons to hate him. Not that Hal actually likes him back so it winds up all being fair in the end.  

When Hal gets up and goes off to wherever, probably to see Alice, he turns his attention towards Fred. The silence is awkward and no matter what happened between them in the past if Fred asked him to sit with him there is some kind of opening, right? Otherwise they could have just walked past each other.  

Fred is too nice for that.  

"So, you're running for mayor?" F.P. asks, turning his head to look at the other man.  

"Seems right." Fred answers. "With everything going on." 

"Saw Hermione mingling around here." When he turns his head again it's all too easy to see her walking along the aisle. "You two have come a long ways."  

"It's fine."  

F.P. doesn't believe that for a second. "Is it?" 

"You're the worst gossip I've ever known." But Fred isn't scolding or even complaining, not when the amusement in clear in his voice, bring them back to older memories.  

"Greatest." He corrects with ease.  

"Do I like running against my ex-girlfriend? No. But I have to try."  

F.P. nods in understanding. "I hate the Lodges so you got my vote."  

"Thanks." The smile he passes to F.P. is genuine. 

"Arch and Jug," Fred starts, "they're..." 

"They'll figure it out." His own feelings towards Archie's loyalty to the Lodges and everything Hiram is doing isn't something he really wants to discuss. Not when it's not positive and while he doesn't believe Fred is in the same position, he's not going to trash his kid to him. Doesn't even bother with Jughead and lets things be as they are. They'll all figure out. Back in his own teen years it's not like he listened to anything anyone said anyhow. Especially not where authority figures were concerned. "We did, kind of."  

"Yeah, kind of."  

The conversation comes to an end when the show starts. He settles into his seat and watches Alice up on that stage. It brings back memories of his own time up there, with her. That's always the most important part in memories such as these, the way that it's always with her.  

Twenty-five years and her grip on him is steel.  

Until it all really goes to shit and what they are all looking at is not something they're supposed to be looking at. His own eyes widen. He's really had enough dead bodies for one lifetime, especially in the past few months.  

"That's not..." F.P. manages to get out once the shock begins to wear off.  

"Supposed to happen, no."  

"I gotta find Jug." He says, standing, just as Alice's scream rings through the air. His gaze lands on Jughead near immediately, but his son is definitely moving towards the stage, rather than away from it. He's probably going to find Betty.  

"I'll go with you. He and Archie are probably backstage."  

F.P. only splits off with Fred when he sees Veronica and Archie are down the hall, Jughead with Betty standing far closer. The two men nod at each other before he's moving towards the pair of teens, glad they are both okay. The nonsense with the Black Hood doesn't exactly make him feel like the kids are safe, and not with how they like to get up to no good more often than not. They couldn't even deal with the whole body dumping thing without getting involved and asking the Sheriff's son of all people. 

"Dad." Jughead says, a relief in his voice. "What are you doing here?" 

"Are you okay?"  

"Yeah, yeah." He nods and turns to Betty who nods at him, forcing a smile on her face. "We're okay." 

"Did you see my mom?" Betty asks, gripping at Jughead's hand, her other hand on his arm, unwilling to be any further away from him than she has to be. "I heard her scream but they wouldn't let me out there."  

"She's with Sheriff Keller."  

"And my dad?" 

"Betty." Hal's voice comes to greet her before F.P. can answer the question. 

Betty doesn't move from where she's holding onto Jughead, even as Hal comes over. "Dad. Where's mom?" 

"She's yelling at Sheriff Keller." He explains. "You know how she gets." Hal turns so he's looking directly at him and Jughead, wordlessly greeting them. 

 "Hal." 

"Mr. Cooper." Jughead greets.  

Other than the time Alice invited he and Jughead over for dinner this is the only time he's ever had any wish that his son could date someone else. Standing there with Hal makes him instantly uncomfortable. He masks it as he turns his head and looks at the chaos all around them. He spots Fred in his own uncomfortable situation as he speaks with Hermione and their kids.  

At least he's not the only one.  

When he turns his head again, however, he's face to face with the sight of Alice coming over. She moves so she's standing next to her husband. "Hal." She greets, forcing a smile. "F.P. I didn't know you were coming."  

"Support the kids and all that." He dismisses as he's definitely not about to have that conversation. Not here, not now, not ever. 

"Dad." Betty says, looking between everyone. "Could you get my stuff from the back? I don't want to go back there." 

"Sure thing, honey." Though Hal is still a bit reluctant to leave.  

"I'll stay with her." Alice assures and that's what gets Ha to move past them.  

"We should go." F.P. says and ignores the burning gaze of Alice.  The last thing he needs is to get stuck in some conversation with her.  

Not that his little plan to get out of there works when Alice grabs at his arm and tugs him a couple steps away from the kids. If they notice anything they make no mention of it and talk between themselves. His face is even as he turns to look at her, but he's struggling to keep anything together. He's mad and upset, mostly at himself, but at her, as well.  

The whole situation is not ideal.  

"You came." Alice finally says, whispering softly, pulling her grip off of him.  

"Yeah," he nods, shrugging his shoulders, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "I see you're back with, Hal." 

"You didn't want me."  

That has to be the stupidest thing Alice Cooper has ever said to him but he doesn't say that. He wants to leave, more than anything, he just wants to go home and pretend this entire night didn't happen. "Here." He grabs the card he tucked away in his program, handing it over to her in the pink envelope. 

"What is it?" She asks as she takes it, looking at it for a moment, before she's looking back at him. 

"It's a card. Good luck and whatever."  

"F.P." 

"Goodnight, Alice." He says before this can get any weirder than it already is and he finds himself moving back towards where the kids are. "Come on, Jughead. We're leaving. You can go see Betty first thing in the morning."  

Jughead looks at betty but she nods. "It's okay. I'll see you tomorrow." Betty promises, giving her boyfriend a kiss. 

Hal returns in an event of perfect timing that F.P. isn't even bothering to acknowledge. Rather he follows closely behind Jughead as they make their way out of the back and are once again face to face with the scene on the stage.  

He runs his hand over his face and bites back any emotion. It's not the time.  

Not when Midge's body is right there as dead as the others he's seen recently. 

He doesn't see Alice until they are all gathered at the funeral for Midge. He's standing between Sheriff Keller and Jughead, watching the casket, trying to avoid looking at Alice. The little family unit of Alice, Betty, and Hal sticks out all too much and he is trying to swallow anything he wants to say. He won't say anything. Because a teenage girl was murdered by the Black Hood at a high school musical but that doesn't mean he doesn't want to.  

The crowd is still gathering when Tom turns to him.  

"And you didn't see anything?" Tom questions.  

He can't help but roll his eyes. He knows that it's his job as Sheriff but it doesn't help that it always feels like he is the one being asked. "Do you think I wouldn't tell you?" 

"You don't have a stellar record, F.P."  

"I don't murder teenagers." It's so paper thin but it's true. He didn't murder Jason and he didn't murder the guy in Alice's living room. He was just someone who happened to get rid of bodies. 

"You aren't a suspect." 

"Are you sure?" There's instant skepticism there but he doesn't think anyone can really blame him. 

"Unless you know something." 

"I don't know anything. I came in and then I was with Fred until it happened."  

Tom seems to accept that, nodding his head. "Should have led with that." 

"It's a funeral, Sheriff."  

The conversation ends the moment the funeral actual begins. There most of the town stands as some speak and talk about Midge. There are tears and silence. Cheryl is particularly emotional and dramatic, for lack of a better word, and he's not even slightly surprised the cheer uniforms are in all black.  

Some things about that town are just odd in the oddest of circumstances.  

One by one they place white roses on the casket and he can hear the distant sound of Midge's parents crying. He doesn't wish the pain on anyone and has been keeping too close an eye on Jughead ever since it happened. He'll never forgive himself if something happens to his son.  

Jughead and JB are all he truly has left.  

He did manage to have a proper conversation with Gladys after everything. Mostly because he couldn't keep everything with the Black Hood from her even if she didn't ask much about it. Or really anything. It really feels like she's doing her best to leave the Riverdale part of her life in the past. Part of him doesn't blame her but then he looks at Jughead. That kid deserves his mom no matter what.  

It's all complicated. 

When she actually offers to come down there he's a bit taken aback. He declines if only because he's not putting his daughter in the crosshairs of a crazy serial killer, but there's some vague plan about her coming in the future. When they can all figure their shit out and what's going to happen. 

He doesn't tell her about Alice and she never asks about anything personal. All of their conversation is about the kids and mostly, it's filled with long, awkward silences he can do without.  

His marriage is so unresolved but he doesn't think Gladys actually wants to speak with him. It makes him cut the conversation short with a lie that he needs to do something and then he sits on the couch thinking about his entire life for the next hour.  

The sound of the casket finally being lowered into the ground is what breaks him from his thoughts and his eyes wind up lingered on Alice a little too long. She looks back for a brief second, before he drops his gaze to the casket, and lets the funeral finish.  

"Let's go, Jug. You can see Betty later." There's no room for discussion, mostly because he's not risking the chance of actually having to talk to Alice. Not again. Not after the two minutes of Hell at the musical. 

Jughead nods before turning to walk through the grass with his father. "Are you okay, dad?" 

No, is the answer that comes to his mind. "It's a funeral."  

"I..." He starts as he looks over at his dad, "never mind." 

Jughead's always been something of a smart kid so it's not surprising to F.P. when he realizes something is wrong. They don't talk about it though as they make it back home. Rather he focuses on him needing to be at Pop's for the afternoon shift and Jughead's promise to say out of trouble. 

F.P. doesn't believe it. 

He's wiping down the counter at Pop's where he's left mostly to himself and thinking too much. It's quiet. The whole town. It feels unlike itself but he doesn't blame anyone when the Black Hood is running away and the funeral of a teenage girl was a few hours prior. If he didn't have to be there he wouldn't, for a myriad of reasons really.  

Only it doesn't seem to matter much where he is when everything reminds him of Alice. 

When he's at the Whyte Wyrm he thinks about all of their memories there together. From when they were teens to when she was riding him in that chair. It only makes him want to drink and he's really trying not to do that. Even if he's irrationally pissed off at absolutely everything.  

As he wipes the same spot on the counter a thousand times over he only thinks of when she walked in, looking too damn good, and invited him to the musical. He tried not to check her out too obviously but he did. From the snake print shirt, to noticing how far it was unbuttoned, to the black leather. He noted every last part of it and it's burned in his memory. Just like her telling him they were making the same mistakes.  

Of course, they were.  

He wants to think that means Alice going back to Hal is a mistake but perhaps that is nothing more than wishful thinking.  

Even the trailer doesn't offer her any sort of peace. Not when he lays in his bed and thinks of the way she laid there and looked so perfect lost in his bed. He thinks the only true way to get rid of her would be to move but that's not something that is happening.  

F.P. does manage to get through his shift and makes it back to the trailer. When he walks in he notices Betty and Jughead are sitting on the couch. Their voices turn to hushed whispers and he thinks they're talking about something secretive that will definitely get them into trouble. 

He should ask but he doesn't.  

Rather he moves to his room and changes out of the awful uniform and into something normal after he showers so he doesn't smell like fries for the remainder of the night.  

"Your mother know you're here?" F.P asks as he wanders back out into the living room, looking between them both. There are takeout containers all around them and a pizza box. At least they're eating, Jughead's eating.  

"Yeah." 

F.P. looks between the two of them before he grabs at the handle of the door, accepting it for what it is. It's not Betty's presence that makes him need some air, just the fact that he swears he can feel Alice fucking Cooper right there as if she is.  

"Dad?" 

He turns to his son. "Yeah, Jug?" 

"Nothing." 

F.P. opens the door and knows the conversation with Jughead will be soon approaching. "I don't want you two out there at night with the Black Hood." 

"Where are you going?" 

"Don't worry about It." 

Truthfully, he doesn't even know where he's going until he's driving his motorcycle. He just needs some air, to get out, to breathe, to do something, anything. Something that doesn't involve the kids or Alice or his job or even the Serpents. He loves being a Serpent but he needs some time away from all of it so he can feel right again. Things are too peaceful on that front and its probably only time before things go to shit again.  

He drives the long winding road until he's nearly out in the middle of nowhere. It's nice. A little cold and definitely lonely. Just what he wants as he looks out at the expanse of nothing.  

He kind of wishes she had something to smoke. 

F.P. sits there on his motorcycle for a good twenty minutes before the setting of the sun tells him he should get back. Not that he moves until way after the sun is set and he feels like someone is watching him. It's an uncomfortable feeling and causes a shiver to run down his spine, straight into his arms.  

When he sees the Southside, he's come to love once again, he feels better, until Alice's car is outside.  

He gets off of his motorcycle and takes his helmet off. The motorcycle is too loud to pretend he's not there and he didn't see her. He has to walk forward. There is no choice. Less than no choice. Really, he knows that there is no way he can avoid her forever. It's simply not an option, but that doesn't mean she has to be right outside where he lives.  

There Alice is, leaning against the hood, arms folded as she looks at the trailer door.  

"What are you doing here, Alice?" 

Alice turns, just briefly. "I came to pick up Betty." 

F.P. nods before he walks to the edge of the steps. Any other time he would at least attempt to make some small talk, but her tone is judgement worthy and he's too tired to fight with her. When he was a teenager he did love fighting with her but now, now he doesn't care. The sooner she leaves the sooner he can get on with his life, the life that puts them both on their rightful side of the tracks like she wanted years ago. 

But Alice has other ideas in mind. "Are you ever going to talk to me again?" 

He stops walking, hand on the railing, turning so he can look at her. "What do you want me to say?" 

"What the hell is wrong with you?" She bites, standing up straight, letting her hands fall to her sides.  

"Me?" 

"Ever since..." She doesn't say it but they both know what she means.  

He briefly checks the door to make sure Betty isn't coming out of it before he walks towards her. There's some distance left but not enough. "If you wanted to get back at Hal you could have at least told me so I don't feel like a fucking idiot."  

"That's not what it was." 

F.P. puts a hand up, a signal for her to just stop talking. "I don't care what it was, Alice. You're back with Hal." 

"He's my husband." 

"I know that. I have a wife." That he can barely talk to but he has a wife all the same. "It was a mistake." His word chosen on purpose, even if the feeling his gut makes him want to take them back instantly. 

"Do you really feel that way?" She almost sounds hurt. Alice folds her arms, putting on that face she had when he saw her outside of the Andrews house for the first time in so long.  

"Yes." He swallows, barely able to get the word out, it's a lie but one he can stomach if makes things better. He's good at those lies if they're going to make things easier. Never for him. If nothing else his life has proven that absolutely nothing gets easier for him and he's stopped trying to make it that way 

"Wow, okay."  

"We're sixteen again." It's his turn to sound sad, letting his hand drop. "Same spot. Same shit."  

"You are the one who would barely talk to me in the diner. How was I supposed to know you were coming?" 

"I didn't know you'd run back to him the second you could." F.P. shrugs it off as he tries to be cool He can't do this much longer keeping up some semblance of control. Everything is rising within him and he wants to yell. At her. At himself. At everything. But he knows the kids would hear him and he's at least trying to be decent. "It doesn't matter. We're not in a musical. We're not going to sing some song and be fine."  

Alice's silence is long as her arms come to fold across her chest again. She's watching him, carefully, pain flashing across her features as quickly as his own. "What song would you sing?"  

F.P. rolls his eyes and he walks back to the front door, which opens to Betty coming out.  

"F.P. wait." 

"Go home, Alice." He grounds it out as he passes Betty, giving her a far friendlier look. 

"Do you two need a minute?" Betty asks as she looks between the two. 

"No." F.P. dismisses with ease. They really don't. 

"Mom." 

Alice ignores her daughter. "You didn't answer my question."  

He almost doesn't but as he walks past Betty and up the steps to the door he turns, briefly, looking at Alice. "Heart Shaped Box."  

It registers instantly and she turns to her daughter. Everything about Alice is as classic as it comes. "Come on, Betty. Your father is waiting."  

He doesn't wait for the car to start before he's inside and leaning against the door. Jughead pulls his gaze from his phone and to his father, as F.P. lets out a breath.  

"Don't." F.P. says before Jughead even gets the chance to ask. "Just don't."  

F.P. tries his hardest to not seem like something is bothering him. He's not drinking but that just means his attitude is questionable and he's gone through more gum than any one person should in such a short amount of time. He's a bit of an ass, or a lot of an ass, and creates friction between him and almost everyone he knows.  

He's never been all that stellar at processing his emotions and that hasn't proved to change all that much. 

But he does manage to swallow it down with his son.  

If nothing else he does not want to fracture the relationship with his son again. Not when things were so horrible between them for so long. He's not sliding backwards. No matter what. 

"Dad," Jughead asks, broaching the subject carefully, as they sit for dinner one night "did something happen between you and Mrs. Cooper?" 

He looks over at his son with a narrowed gaze. He knows something. Expected and yet, he isn't too sure what he feels about that given everything. If he knows the truth Jughead isn't showing it and he suspects that he doesn't know the actual truth given that he's not mad.  

"Betty told me about you two together in high school." Jughead continues when F.P. doesn't answer him. "Alice told her after she found out her dad isn't Chic's dad."  

Given the wording F.P. thinks neither of them have quite figured out who Chic's father is and he's keeping it that way. For now. No need to add anything. How neither of them have managed to figure out who Chic's father is if they were together in high school is beyond him, or maybe they are waiting for either of them to confirm it. 

"She used to be a Serpent, you knew each other in high school. The musical..." Jughead continues on as he waits for F.P. to say anything. "Betty said things seemed tense between you when she left the other night."  

F.P. stands then as he doesn't look at his son. "Leave it alone, Jug."  

When F.P. isn't working he is usually in the bar. He was up in the office for most of the day actually getting something done and making it so the Serpents seemed a hair less of a rebel gang. Of course, that's exactly what they are but he tries to make it look good sometimes.  

Sometimes.  

Really, he needs to distract himself for the time being. 

It's nearing noon when he steps down the stairs and into the mostly empty bar. It'll be filled with people soon enough, from work, school, and everything else. For now, he takes the soft silence.  

Until he hears the door open and not long after that he sees Alice storming towards him. Her blonde curls are bouncing as she does and she stops in front of him. There's no concept of personal space and anyone can note the fury on her face.  

"How dare you."  

"Alice." He greets calmly, for the fact that he truly does not know what exactly she is mad at him for and oh, she is definitely mad.  

She shoves him and he stumbles back, caught off guard by the action. 

"You think you know everything." 

F.P. stands up straight and keeps his own irritation in check if hers is going to be off the charts. Otherwise it'll end up chaos in there and that's not what they need right now. "What are you talking about?"  

"We're not sixteen anymore." She swallows, glaring at him. "Things are different." 

"It's fine, Alice. I know why you went back to him." 

"No, you don't. You think you know. You always did that. You think you know."  

"Then tell me. What don't I know?" 

She shook her head, swallowing. "You have no idea what it's been like for me." She tries not to cry but it's the crack in her voices that give her away. "You have no idea what I've lost." 

"And you think I have everything." It's deadpan. "You think I haven't lost anything? Get your head out of your ass, Alice."  

"Shut up, FP." She bites, blinking to not let the tears fall. "Polly doesn't speak to me, Betty has been pulling away for months, I sent Chic way, he won't answer my calls, and you and Hal both run the second you can. I'm alone. All the time. I lose everything."  

"You think I was running from you? It was one conversation Alice and you went back to Hal the second you could. I was an ass, yeah, and I'm sorry, but I'm not doing this. Not now. Not after everything." It's his turn to swallow back the emotion attempting to seep out. 

"I want my marriage to work." 

"Do you?" He accuses more than he asks. "Hal was fucking Penelope Blossom, wasn't he? Cheating on you without a care in the damn world. Left because of Chic, hates the kid." He shakes his head. "It's your bullshit little fantasy but if you want it. I don't care. Go back home and stay there." 

"We've been together twenty-five years." 

"Do you want a card? A gift?" 

"F.P. you're just like you were." The tear falls then, crossing her arms over her chest, everything about her soft and sad. 

"I am? Alice, you act like you're the only person in all of Riverdale who has ever lost anything. I didn't even know I had a son because of you. I learn I have a son and then I can't even fucking see him because he's God knows where. I don't get to see my daughter and if you don't think that kills me every fucking minute of every fucking day you know shit about me." He inhales sharply, blinking back his own years. "We've all lost shit and I've been through more hell in the last twenty-five years than you can even imagine. But don't come in here and act like I'm being unreasonable. It's fine. You want to go back to him? Just do it but the leave me out of it. I can't watch this. I just can't, Allie."  

Alice isn't trying to hold anything back anymore as she wipes a fallen tear away. "We weren't ready to be parents and you know that." 

"I bury a fucking body for you. Not the kids, not because of Serpent loyalty, but for you. And you didn't have the balls to tell me I had a kid, that I was burying a body for that kid." It's a bad time for the emotions of it all to come up again, but he never pretended he was over it. He is just as upset as when she first told him.  

"I already apologized for that." 

"Yeah, well it turns out I'm still fucking pissed." He runs his hands through his hair. "I don't want you want from me Alice. I just don't you." 

"I want you to care." She nearly yells, taking a step forward, but keeping her hands to herself this time. 

He stays silent as she cries and he wants to reach out to her. He wants to hold her and tell her that things will be okay but he doesn't know that. Given that it's Riverdale it feels like that is nothing but a lie. The town is Hell more than it's not. "You think I don't care?" He whispers, reaching out, resting his hand on her cheek as he finds he can't be as cold as he wants to be. 

"I don't know, F.P." She murmurs through her sniffles. "I'm just so...lost."  

"I care too damn much. I want to hold on and never let go." His other hand reaches for her own. "That's all I've ever wanted. For us to...work and to not feel like we're fighting against fate at every fucking turn. We have one moment of happiness and then it's twenty moments of pain." 

Alice nods in understanding as she squeezes his hand, taking one last step forward.  

"I hate seeing you cry and I hate seeing you in pain." F.P. whispers. "I don't want either of us to feel like this." 

She takes a step back so she's sitting on the edge of the barstool, taking him with her. "I constantly feel like one wrong move and It's going to fall apart. With everything, F.P." She whispers as a few more tears fall and the pain is evident. "Everything is slipping is so far and all I want is my family." 

"You have your family." It kills him to say it, kills him the way he knows he isn't it. They share a son but they're not a family. Maybe they once were but now, it's Hal that is the one that is supposed to be making her feel better. She should be crying to him and he should say some nice things like he did a thousand times before. Not that he asks why Alice is there with him, not when they both know. But knowing what they know doesn't change anything. "I think you need to go home. Be with Hal and Betty."  

"Is that what you want?"  

"I want to know that when we're together there are no what ifs. But it's not right now." F.P. knows he should be hopeful that her marriage won't fall apart but he's not that big of a person at the moment. He wishes he could tell her to tell her husband to go fuck himself but he doesn't. All he can do is put some message of hope out into the all too shitty universe and see where all of the cards fall. "I don't want you to look at me and think about what could have been." 

"I don't." She promises. "I don't, really." 

"You might." He closes his eyes, swallowing, unable to look at her when she's looking at him like that. "You chose him for a reason." 

"To get out of the Southside."  

"Then you should get out of the Southside." He pulls his hand back and crosses his arms over his chest so he's not tempted to touch her again. 

Alice nods as she stands up and brushes her tears away. She lets out a breath and takes a moment to compose herself.   

"I can't hurt Jug and you can't hurt Betty." 

"You're right." She nods once more as she adjusts her jacket, pulling it tighter around him. "You're right. I know it."  

"I have to tell Jughead everything. If you don't tell Betty, he will, but the choice is yours." He knows that he should be taking a step back rather than forward and he definitely should not have his hands resting on her cheeks. He places a kiss on her forehead, one that lingers for a few seconds too long, eyes closed, taking in the moment. "You should go."  

"Okay." She stands, fixing herself, she's standing in front of him. "I meant my apology. I want to be here for the Southside." 

F.P. nods as he pulls back and his hands fall to his side. "You're always welcome here, Alice." 

Alice forces a smile on her face, one last look, before she a few steps. She stops to lean up and place a kiss on his cheek. "Goodbye, F.P." 

That night F.P. has to psych himself up to actually go home and tell Jughead everything. He knows he has to make good on it though. He deserves to know no matter what. 

When he steps into the trailer Jughead isn't there yet and he grabs some water and downs it like it actually does anything for him. Force of habit, maybe.  

Jughead comes home and F.P. almost decides to not and just let Betty tell him, if Alice actually does tell her. That's unfair to everyone and he can't hide from this forever.  

"Sit down. Jug." He tells him, a softer tone than he usually uses as he walks out of the kitchen to the living room, sitting in the chair opposite the couch.  

Jughead looks at him suspiciously but ultimately sits. "Dad, what is it?" 

He's ran the speech throughout his head a million times and no matter what it doesn't come out decent. Not when he is pretty damn sure his son is going to end up hating him and he's not sure what to do about that since he's already been there. More than once. He taps his foot against the floor as he stares at the very same floor.  

"I'm Chic's father." Better to blurt it out than anything else. It comes all too fast and he doesn't look at Jughead until the news it out. "Alice and I were together in high school and...recently." 

"Wait, Chic is my brother?" Jughead's tone is displeased, to put it nicely.  

"Yes." 

"And Betty's brother?" He stands up and starts pacing. "And you were...together? What about Mom?" 

"Son, your mom left."  

"That doesn't mean you screw Betty's mom." Jughead's voice rises as he looks at his father, eyes wide and hurt, confusion everywhere else.  

"Watch it." 

Jughead lets out a breath as he keeps pacing, muttering stuff to himself. "I have to go." 

F.P. knows exactly where he is going to go and as much as he wants to stop him Jughead will just sneak out given the chance. "Give Alice a chance to tell Betty." His hands are clasped in front of him. "This doesn't have to change anything." 

"She's had chances."  

"I mean it, boy." The firm fatherly voice booms out. "Don't use this an excuse." 

"Okay." Jughead nods as he pulls on his Serpent jacket. He puts his hand on the door but turns back so he's looking at his father. "You two...aren't? Because her parents are together." 

"No. We're...friends." That feels like a lie but the technical truth all in one. He's never been good at just being Alice's friend.  

"And Chic?" 

"I'm still processing myself." F.P. admits to that and he's kind of glad he hasn't seen Chic since, unsure what the hell he'd even say. 

"Did you know?" 

"Not until recently." 

"When Betty was here?" Jughead's tone is only growing louder. "When did Mrs. Cooper tell you?"  

"The day you saw us in the Whyte Wyrm."  

Jughead opens the door a little more forcefully, tuning back. "That was before the musical." He lets out a huff, unmistakable, not hidden. "I can't look at you." 

"You see Betty and you come back. Non-negotiable." 

"Fine." Is all Jughead says before he slams the door behind him.

[purplesurveys]

1181

survey by painted-skylines

Best movie soundtrack ever: I’ve always vouched for The Twilight Saga’s soundtracks because their OSTs genuinely did pop the fuck off; but out of the five movies, my favorite would probably be New Moon’s.

What was your favorite Disney movie as a kid? It’s always been Toy Story, and it’s never changed even after watching my fair share of Disney movies through the years.

Have you seen it since? Many times. I try to do at least one rewatch every year.

If I looked through your phone right now, what would I find? A ridiculous amount of photos of V on my camera roll, my different work chats, and conversations between myself and Angela that would probably be tagged as NSFW because we’re comfortable around each other like that, lol.

Do you brush your teeth in the bathroom, or do you get bored & roam around? I just stay by the sink.

Reggae or Ska? Ska, if anything. I used to listen to ska punk.

What time did you wake up today? Like 6:15. I’ve started automatically waking up at 6 AM a week ago for no reason, regardless of how late I sleep the night before. Which is fine, I guess, since I’ve developed a knack of starting work by around 8 anyway; the 2-hour gap is the perfect time to have time for myself before another shift.

Why's the summer going by so fast? It’s not summer yet, but I will agree that time seems to be flying by in general. I’m well aware it’s because I do nothing but work all week, but I actually find the monotony quite relaxing for now so I’m not complaining.

What'll you be doing this 4th of July? That issssss a Sunday, so idk. Probably relaxing at home – or if quarantine protocols have loosened by then I will probably back in a coffee shop.

Are you allowed to wear shorts or tanktops at your school? We're not. In my university, yeah. I always wore tank tops then.

When's the last time you brushed your teeth? Around a half hour ago right after I showered.

Are you a picky-eater? Not at all. I will only be picky around fruits or viands I already dislike, like adobo or sinigang.

How many songs are there in your iTunes? I don’t have an iTunes anymore, and Spotify doesn’t work that way.

How many bands? -

Are you a candle-fanatic? I’m getting there, but I’ve had to park that interest in favor of my new BTS addiction HAHAHAHAHA. My online shopping cart went from Bath & Body Works candles to BTS albums stupidly fast.

How do you feel about incense? Not a fan.

I didn't spell that right, did I? You didn’t, but I corrected it because it was bothering me lol. Now anyone else who might take this survey will never know.

Do you know anyone that kind of looks like an animal? Aren’t we all animals though?

Are you ruthless? That wouldn’t be a word I’d use on myself.

What's your couch look like at home? It’s L-shaped and grey, and quite comfy.

When's the last time you were at a playground? 7 months ago when I went to an abandoned playground during one of my depressive episodes – it was to get some air out of the house after a million job rejections and a crumbling relationship. I don’t think I’ll be going to that playground any time soon.

Does your city/town have a little festival/carnival every year? We probably do but I just can’t care less for it.

Do you attend? Nope.

Have you ever been to an apple-orchard? I don’t know what that is.

Were there any cartoons your parents didn't let you watch as a kid? My mom was heavily critical of Mr. Bean (both versions) which I guess is kinda understandable, but we always watched it whenever she wasn’t home.

Do you need to clean your room? I think I need to go beyond cleaning and rearrange it altogether. It’s starting to look dreary to me, and I’ve been meaning to spruce it up with some floating shelves and a bigger work desk.

What's your favorite color? Pastel pink.

No one ever really changes. They just get better at hiding their flaws. True or false? No? People can change.

Have you ever been to New York City? No.

Do you still have a bicycle? Do you ever still ride it? We have a family-owned bicycle. I don’t know how to ride bikes though, so really only my parents use it.

Have you ever carved your name, or anything into a tree or a bench? I don’t think so. The few times I vandalized, the last thing I did was make it obvious I was the culprit.

What's your favorite ice-cream flavour? Cookies and cream, coffee, or chocolate chip cookie dough.

Have you ever had pecan divinity? Literally have never heard of that before.

Cotton candy or nachos? Nachos.

Is your MySpace page private? I don’t have one.

Do you drink milk? I drink it if I encounter milk, which happens rarely.

Would you rather see Death At A Funeral or Get Him To The Greek? Idk, neither sound interesting and I don’t even know what these are.

Have you ever had to clean a college kid's dorm room? Nah. I’ve never been inside a dorm room, actually. The most I’ve reached is the lobby of Laurice and Jo’s dorm building whenever I’d pick them up, since that’s the only place visitors were let in.

What's your favorite kind of candy-bar? Eh, I prefer a certain brand of peanut butter cups.

When's the last time you hugged a family member? Fuck if I know. Can Cooper be counted as family? I literally just took a break from this survey to cuddle him for a bit.

Or are you more of a ''don't touch me'' kind of person? It’s not that I’m not physically affectionate; I’m just not particularly so with my family.

Could you handle motherhood? At this point, no. I want other things first.

Well what about if your child's EXACTLY like you, could you handle that? They’d be a pain in the ass during their puberty years, but I think I would be able to handle the rest of me.

Have you ever been wakeboarding? Not yet. Angela and I have been planning it this year but there hasn’t been any opportunity yet.

What's the sky look like? It’s black and a little cloudy. No stars tonight.

Are you multi-tasking right now? Kinda, considering my focus levels hahaha. I’m trying to take this survey but I’m also listening to music, and so far I’ve stopped typing to dance in my seat 45793847375359 times.

How many pairs of flipflops do you own? None of my own, but we have a couple ones by the front door for anyone’s use, just in case anyone needs to go out to briefly take out the trash or whatever.

Are you any good at basketball? Not at all. I don’t even know the mechanices beyond making the ball go inside the hoop.

Are you any good at sports in general? I can play table tennis. I suppose I’m just a notch below playing competitively; I can do a decent rally and I’m usually able to smash properly when I feel like it.

Would you rather have a bulldog puppy or a husky puppy? Any kind of puppy is fine with me.

Do you have any stuffed animals? If you do, what are they? No.

Is any of this Go Green stuff really gonna make a significant difference? Of course.

Are you good at making up excuses or lies on the spot? If the need be, yes. But I try to avoid lying as much as possible.

Is Mr. Hudson attractive? Idk who you’re referring to.

The last time you snuck out, what were you going to do? I told my mom I’ll just be withdrawing from the bank when I was really meeting up with Angela so she could return my mom’s absolute favorite abaca mat that I secretly lent her for her grad shoot.

Were you into the whole Harry Potter thing when it was popular? Not really. I read the books after all the movies had already come out, but I didn’t finish the whole set.

Do you think Rupert Grint's cute? Not personally.

Have you ever rode a horse? Yeah.

What's something cute to wear with leggings? For me, I’d pair it with an oversized shirt.

Tye-dye or floral? Floral. I never was a fan of tie-dye.

What's the weirdest thing you've ever ate? A couple of weeks ago my mom said she was gonna make cordon bleu, but the final result was anything but hahaha. I still have no idea what it is she made, but at least it was edible.

What's your desktop wallpaper? It’s just a photo of some mountains that already comes as one of the provided backgrounds on my laptop.

What's your wallpaper on your cell? Lock screen is of Kim Taehyung, home screen is a BTS group photo.

17th contact; Jeuel, a guy I went to college with.

Do you know anyone in the military? I don’t think so.

Are you ashamed to admit that you like Ke$ha? ...Is there a reason I should be?

Is there anything you wanna say to someone right now? Not really.

Pancakes, or waffles? (: Waffles.