[A/N: Got to love Drianca, right? I figured as I attempt to get through the writer's block for my Jimogen fic, I'd write a one-shot for Drianca. And that became a three-shot. So here's part one! Hope I did them justice and I hope you all enjoy!]
If there was one thing Bianca DeSousa hated more than all the whiny girls at her school combined, it was the feeling of being interrogated. She squirmed in the diner table seat, underneath the Torres's roof as some big-shot lawyer in a suit that probably cost more than her mom's rent barraged her with questions. He adjusted his glasses and stared at some file that held more information than the teenage girl was comfortable thinking of all at the same time. It didn't help that Audra Torres sat across from Mr. Williamson – or, as he told her to call her in hopes to make this entire situation a little more bearable, Rich – and had her arms crossed over her chest as she listened to each and every detail. Bianca couldn't blame her though; she was paying big bucks for this man's arguing skills, years of education and title. She deserved to know what she was getting herself into. In any case, it was still entirely insufferable and after going through this for an hour, Bianca was beginning to feel antsy.
"My file shows me that you haven't entirely answered why you didn't tell an authority figure or the cops about Vince sooner rather than later, Miss DeSousa," Rich sighed as he took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. She rolled her eyes; he was so dramatic. But at the same time, she knew she was being hard to work with. It was a question she didn't want to entirely answer, not in fear or anything of the sort. She simply didn't want to say that yes, she put her entire life in danger to keep Drew Torres, the boy she loved, out of harm's way as he paraded about with Miss Popularity, Katie Matlin.
"Look, I didn't know what Vince and his boys could do, not only to me but to others, alright? It was just… I mean, it seemed safer then," Bianca stuttered over her words, trying to keep her tough façade up but it was slipping through her fingers entirely. She bit in the inside of her cheek as she stared at her chipping deep red nail polish. Her statement was too ambiguous to use in a court and as she heard her lawyer's frustrated sigh, her narrowed eyes darted up to glare at him. He was judging her, she could tell. She hated that. She hated being judged, being treated like a helpless kid, getting sighed at or having someone purse their lips at her. She suddenly sneered, "What do you want from me? I'm telling you like it is. I was involved in a gang and there's no way to get out of that, so you might as well give in and let me go to jail. Beats this anyway."
Her voice was on the brink, cracking in places as she mumbled the regretful last three words. Prison wouldn't have been better than this. She had been staying with the Torres family and within the past couple months, they had really welcomed her. With some apprehension from Audra, they had allowed her into her home, where it'd be safer, and had made her feel like she really belonged. She didn't want to go to prison. But sometimes, she couldn't help but feel like a burden. And that was something Bianca DeSousa was not used to. She handled her shit on her own. But she had placed herself between a rock and a hard place. There was no getting out of this by herself.
"My job is to ensure that you don't go to prison-" Rich began, but another deep voice cut him off as he entered the room.
"I think we're done for the day," Drew claimed, coming up behind Bianca and placing his heavy hands on the back of her chair. Her brown eyes darted down to her lap. He was coming to rescue, making her seem even more like a damsel in distress. But he understood that she was on the edge. Bianca was strong, but there was only so much she could take. And as much as Drew adored that characteristic in the independent girl, he also enjoyed being the one person who she could depend on from time to time.
Mr. Williamson glanced to Mrs. Torres; he wasn't so sure these two teenagers had any say in how they would operate the preparation of the court hearings. But as Audra glanced to her step son, a boy she had raised as her own, she noticed his blue eyes pleading. Her own eyes moved to the girl in the chair before her. Bianca had put a lot of strain on her family and was now costing them thousands of dollars for the lawyer who she wasn't very well cooperating with. But there was something in the teenage girl that Audra sympathized with. Maybe it was a lack of her stable home life, the fact that she had had any connections to a gang in the first place or her strong behavior that was just like Audra's. But either way, the woman sighed, standing up, "I guess I'll have to agree with my son."
The lawyer nodded, gathering his things in his suitcase before being escorted to the door as Audra chatted with him mindlessly about court dates and finance issues. Their voices were nothing more than noises in the home, though, as Bianca got out of her seat and turned to the boy. He was in his football attire; he had probably just come back from practice. She could tell by the way he had a nearly empty water bottle in his hand and his face was just calming down from the red and sweat. She tried to keep her voice leveled as she crossed her arms over her chest and pursed her own lips, "I can handle myself, you know."
Drew looked from the closing front door to the sassy girl he knew all too well. His blue eyes scanned over her face as he brought the water bottle to his lips and finished it off. It was easy for him now to see behind Bianca's tough girl act. She kept up these walls that Drew had once worked so hard to pull down. But he had seen behind them and there was no hiding that fact. A smile appeared on his lips as he swallowed and breathlessly stated, "Never said you couldn't."
She glared at him. She knew what he was doing. Drew always knew what to say to keep her at bay, to help her feel like she still had some control, even though she was losing it. And as comforting as it was, she didn't want him to have that sort of hold over her. She scoffed before pushing past him and moving down to the basement, which had become her temporary bedroom during the night fall. Drew's eyes closed as she brushed by him, the smell of her shampoo overtaking his senses momentarily. He took a deep breath once she had exited the room; Bianca would never let him in so easily again. And that frustrated him. But he couldn't blame her.
He followed her suit and watched from the stairs as she dropped onto the couch, picking up a game controller. She had probably sensed his eyes on her or heard his heavy footsteps after her, but either way, she kept her eyes on the television screen as she sighed, "Where's your brother, Torres? We were supposed to play some COD."
Drew finally took the finishing steps to the couch and sat beside her. He shrugged slightly; he didn't necessarily keep tabs on his little brother, but he had caught sight of him just before practice. "I think he's still at school, talking up ideas for the radio show with Dave."
Bianca huffed but tossed the game controller back onto the table. Summer had been filled with good memories. Katie had been at a soccer camp and Adam, in his recovery, was forced into bed rest. They spent a lot of time watching movies together, playing video games, talking and laughing. But with school back and Katie's return, Adam had healed and gone back to his other friends and Drew was beginning to spend a lot of time around his girlfriend, their friends and the football team. That left Bianca alone most of the time. She went to her classes and though both Drew and Adam had told her time and time again that she could join either of them for lunch, she denied their requests and usually just went to the library. Audra had told her that under her roof, grades had to be up to par and Bianca had never been the best student. At her mom's apartment, as long as she was attending her classes, nothing else mattered. But though she didn't want to admit it, Bianca wanted to show Audra that she wasn't a lost cause, that she was worth it and maybe even worth her step-son's time. She did her homework and studied all that she could in that library and even when the boys weren't home. And though school had really only been in session for a month, she was actually proud of herself and her school work. She had all A's currently, for the first time in her life, and she didn't see them falling anytime soon.
Drew was dim, but Bianca was like a book that he could so easily read. He knew she was lonely. He had been her one good thing last year after her only friend got expelled. And now she had nothing. He wanted to be there for her, but he could understand the tension between her and Katie. It was better they didn't cross paths. Glancing at the controllers on the table, he picked one up and handed the other one to her, "Well, I'm free now. Let's play."
Bianca's eyes wandered over to Drew as she hesitantly took the controller from his grasp. He was sympathizing with her. And on any normal occasion, Bianca would have drop the controller between them and told him off. But as of late, she missed him more than she usually had. He was always just beyond her reach, sleeping upstairs, sitting across the dinner table, in the other hallway at school. Spending time with him brought that nostalgia on more than having him at a distance. But it was a luxury she couldn't help but allow herself to have on multiple occasions.
Just to keep him on his toes, though, she turned her attention back to the screen as she turned on the game console and waited for it to load, "No plans with Miss President?"
Drew's eyes were still on her as he kept the smile on his face. He shook his head, "Nope, I'm all yours."
The statement was enough for Bianca to turn her gaze to him and stare up at his blue eyes that would always be home to her. There was once a time that he was really was hers. They could keep up with each other and Drew had treated her better than all the guys she had ever wasted time on. Back then, she would have scooted over and curled into his strong body. He would have made some perverted joke, she'd laugh and they'd play the dumb video game with their minds on what would happen after it ended. But that was then. And she consistently had to remind herself of that.
The game's background music began playing and she turned her attention back to the screen. "Well, Torres, get ready to get your ass kicked."
"Bring it on, DeSousa."
Bianca hadn't ever been the one to waste her nights asleep. In the past, she would go out for drinks with her friends, spend some time at the ravine, go to concerts. She lived her life to the fullest. Or so she thought she had. Recently, she was beginning to see that instead of 'living her life,' she had just been putting it in danger. Now in her completely different lifestyle, with all the time she spent at the Torres home, she was beginning to wish she had wasted time sleeping. Maybe then it wouldn't have been so damn hard to drift into dreamland.
Drew had once claimed that he had had trouble sleeping after the incident happened as well. But after seeing a psychologist, he had been prescribed sleeping pills and each night, he knocked out around midnight, refreshed for school and his sports practice. Bianca, curious as she was and with little pieces of her past self still in tact, had taken one of those pills when Drew was out and experimented with it that night. But the pill didn't work for her. She fought against the medication, her paranoia rising, and instead of drifting into sleep, she just felt sick and woozy. She mostly spent her nights awake, plagued by her thoughts until the sun began rising. It was only then that she was finally lulled into sleep.
Tonight seemed just like any other night. The Torres home was dead silent. Omar and Audra were locked away in their room, Adam in his, Drew in his and Bianca was down in the basement, unable to sleep. Her eyes stared at the ceiling above her as she went over each moment of the day in her head. Waking up for breakfast, laughing with Adam in the car to school, spending her day being whispered about in the hallways, getting home to deal with the lawyer, spending time with Drew; it had been bittersweet, to say the least. But she hated thinking over it, she hated over-analyzing. Every word passed between her and Drew was something she ran over at least a million times. She always hoped he was trying to imply that Katie was just temporary. But every time she saw him with her in the hallways, caring for her, laughing with her, kissing her, it all seemed useless.
As this dawned on her, she heard a tapping noise at the sliding door behind her head and her heart stopped. The wind had picked up in Toronto with the seasons changing into Fall and it was most likely just a plant or something. But paranoia wasn't something Bianca took lightly anymore. She was strong, but her strength had allowed her to get hurt just as much as it saved her in the past. Chills ran down her spine as she turned and stared out the door. It was too dark to see a thing, but the tapping came again and she was suddenly aware of how completely alone she was, being on the third floor as the rest of the Torres family slept on the first floor. Fearful tears welled up in her eyes and she sat up.
"Come on, Bianca, you're fine," She muttered to herself.
But all at once the tapping came rapidly and she took a deep breath, pushing the covers off her as she got up quickly and moved up the stairs. The feeling of being watched, maybe even chased overwhelmed her and as she made her way to the stairs following up to the bedrooms, she couldn't help but feel a tear run down her cheek. Had she really gotten so weak? She didn't linger on the thought though. She merely counted down the doors. The first one was Mr. and Mrs. Torres, second was Adam, the third was the bathroom and finally, she came to the door she wanted. Slipping in, the door clicked behind her and she felt like she was finally able to breathe again.
A groan came from the boy on the bed as he turned and moved quickly to his lamp. His body jolted awake as he fumbled for the light switch; paranoia obviously was getting to him, too, not that Bianca was helping. But once his room was illuminated and he saw the frazzled girl with her dark hair in a messy bun and her pale face with a tear streaming down it, her chest rising and falling rapidly, he calmed.
"Bee, what's going on? What's wrong?" He asked as his shoulders finally slumped and he sat up in bed.
"I…" She didn't want to say it. Bianca didn't want to admit that she had been afraid. She was the strong girl who never gave up without a fight. She could handle her own. But her racing heartbeat and the fact that she was standing in Drew's room at three in the morning indicated something else. She fumbled for an excuse, but Drew saw through the stutters.
Pushing his covers aside, he sighed and patted the spot beside him, "Get over here."
Bianca stared the boy down. Was this smart? Getting into a bed with her ex-boyfriend? If Katie found out, she'd be furious. Audra could catch them in the morning and lecture them. Bianca's feelings could catch her and put her in a vulnerable position. But as she gazed at him, his shirtless chest rising and he rubbed the back of his neck, waiting patiently, she couldn't help herself. It was better than being downstairs, alone, stuck in fear that Vince had sicked another group of boys on her and 'Pretty Boy.'
She moved quickly over to him and got in, her back facing him in hopes she could manage herself if she wasn't face to face with his sleepy blues. It took him a moment, but after turning off the light, he placed the covers back over her and lied beside her.
Bianca had never realized what Drew's presence had over her, mostly because he spent so much time with others as of late. But as she felt him behind her, his gaze on her, their breathing in sync, she suddenly felt why she couldn't let go so easily. Bianca had never had a home. She had her mom's rented apartment, she had the Torres house, but never a home. Now, it was clear where it was. Anywhere Drew was, if she was alongside him, she was home. And as her eyes fluttered shut, wrong as it was, she was happy to be home.
A deep voice pulled her out of her trance though and Drew moved in closer, "Bee?"
She twisted to look over her shoulder and noticed that the boy beside her was still propped up on his elbow, gazing down at her. Their eyes met and it was this reason why she should have denied his invitation into bed. As she stared him down, all those feelings came back in a rush. All the memories, the kisses, the fun times they had had swirled around her head and she could tell they were running through his as well. But there was something so off. His voice, the glimmer in his eye, it all had something so hesitant about it. And Bianca knew exactly was it was. It went by the name of Katie Matlin and it had rendered Drew to be the 'goodbye boyfriend.' And the good boyfriend would never make a pass at his ex in his bed, no matter how much he wanted to.
Bianca turned her gaze away, curling into herself, "Go to sleep, Torres."
Drew didn't want to sleep. With Bianca lying beside him, he wanted anything but to sleep. But he couldn't do anything else. It wasn't in him. Bianca had changed him; he wanted to treat Katie right. She was his girlfriend in the end, right? So with a heavy sigh, he nodded slowly and let himself fall back onto the bed.
His eyes wandered over to his once upon a time. Her plump pink lips looked so inviting, her hair was pushed back and he could see every inch of her calm and resting face. She always looked prettiest when she had her guard down. Her lips weren't pursed and that sarcastic look in her eye was gone. And it all hit him at once. He couldn't stop himself. Drew had changed, he was the good boyfriend. But he wasn't a saint by any means. Rolling over, he placed one arm securely around her, bringing her into his chest just slightly. And then he froze. Bianca wouldn't doubt putting him in his place in a second.
But of course, he had to remind himself that the girl, easy as she was to read, was also filled with surprises. Cold as she could be with her Katie comments shooting at him every moment he went even slightly out of bounds, she still had her defenseless side. She let herself close the distance between her back and Drew's chest and placed an arm against his. And a smile crossed the boy's lips as he relaxed into her.
Safe to say, it was the best sleep either of them had gotten in months.