So I may have started watching How To Get Away With Murder… And I MAY have become completely obsessed with every freaking aspect of that show but whatever. So yeah, I kind of love Wes and Rebecca together, and it seems to be a minority ship with nowhere near enough fanfiction for my liking, so here's my thoughts on their thoughts during their cute little convo in episode 7, as well as some ideas on the backstories of these characters. Obviously, this is based on what we know so far. Everything could change by next week. Anyway- enjoy this little two-shot that was floating round in my head. Chapter one is Wes' pov, Chapter 2 is Rebecca. BG.97 xx

WES

"You were born in Ohio. Willowick is in Ohio; I looked it up. You don't seem very Ohio, except for the dopey smile you have on your face all the time."

It's weird for him to think of Ohio. He's only been in Philly 3 months but it feels a lifetime away. Here he has a purpose; here he can make a difference. He can protect people. He can protect her… She's probably right about the dopey smile. Wes knows that being from Ohio has made him soft- it's probably why this job is harder for him than the others; even though he pretends it isn't.

"I wasn't born in Ohio, I was born in Haiti. My mom moved us here when I was one. I was the only black kid in our town."

He was always going to be different. As kids no one cares, but as he got older he knew that it was different. He felt isolated. Insecure. He had friends, of course he did, he was a charming guy, but he knew that sometimes they looked at him and just thought… he's different to us.

"Everyone wanted me to be good at basketball but I sucked."

He's ten years old and he's trying for the basketball team. He's not quite sure why he's doing this- he's never really been one for sports (except for his bike, which he couldn't live without). He just guessed that the whispers in his ear sounded like good suggestions. All of his friends said that this would make him something special. He was bound to be good… It went horribly. He could see the teacher cringe whenever he tried to make a pass and missed. His friends and mom were at the side cheering him on, but he felt their empty praise. Note to self: Wes Gibbins was not meant to be an athlete.

"I'm allergic to peanuts,"

He remembers being six years old and eating a chocolate without looking what was in it. He was rushed into hospital. He remembers his mom panicking and holding his hand so tight that he was unsure if she was ever going to let it go again…

"I have a really bad sense of direction"

Now he's sixteen and his girlfriend suggests they go for a walk down to the lake. This is his big chance, to be romantic and prove he's a good boyfriend. Also, he's a sixteen year old male- alone time isn't something he's going to complain about. After half an hour he comes to the conclusion they are well and truly lost. He sighs to himself- just another thing to add to the list of things he can't do. He sighs even more when she ends up calling her older brother to come pick them up; as if this whole thing wasn't humiliating enough already.

"My mom killed herself when I was twelve… She was sweet, funny, and messed up too. It sucked"

He still misses her. He lies to himself and says that it was almost a decade ago and he should be over it, but he knows he never will be. He remembers that dark day as clearly as if it were yesterday: the principal calling him out of class, the way he cried into his shirt sleeves, having to go home and pack up his things to move in with his neighbours- his new guardians. He remembers that it was what made him want to help people. Help the pawns of this world that had been messed up purely by the system. Those who underneath the mess had hints of being sweet and funny.

"My favourite ice cream is mint chocolate chip,"

That was what they always used to eat when they got good news. His mom got a new job- they would go out for ice cream. He got a good report card- they went for ice cream. His favourite team won the football- go out for ice cream. She would always have strawberry, and he would always have mint choc chip- green was his favourite colour. The taste of it now reminded him of childhood.

"I've never been to Europe,"

He used to spend hours in his bedroom poring over atlases. That was what he wanted to do- Wes Gibbins; explorer of every corner of the globe. He wanted to go to France, and India, and Peru, and Germany, and did he mention France? Europe seemed so full of life and culture and history, so much more than his boring home town. At eight years old, he just wanted to escape…

"I'm afraid of heights."

He's thirteen and Mr and Mrs Greenwood have sent him to summer camp as a treat. As they have only been his legal guardians for a year, they spoil him more than their own children. They signed everyone up to do abseiling, but as he gets to the top of the tower, his eyes get hazy. He has never been this high up before, so he'd never even realised it. Damn it.

"Someday I want a dog, but not from a breeder or the pound…"

He's always wanted a puppy, which now seems ironic given his nickname, but it was never an option as a child. His mom wasn't really in the best state to look after a pet as well as a child, and after she had died, he felt that a puppy would provide too much laughter- and he didn't deserve to have that. Now that he's older, he knows how stupid that thought was, and the idea of a dog appeals to him.

As he lies in bed with his hand grazing Rebecca's bare back, he wonders whether they could ever get a dog together. Well that's definitely a stupid thought… he checks himself. He's known her less than 3 months, he shouldn't let his mind get ahead of him. He knows that she's not good for him, and he doesn't even know if she'll manage to keep out of jail; but he also knows that he's in too deep to escape now, and that he loves this moment right now with her in his bed beside him. Wes Gibbins knows that he has done what he's always done- he's failed himself. This time though, he strangely likes the feeling.

So this one is more exploring my ideas about Wes' childhood. The next one is geared more around the ship. :) Bg.97 xx