the sleepless elite

;;

chapter seven

;;

There's this movie that I think you'll like,
This guy decides to quit his job and heads to New York City,
This cowboy's running from himself.

Vance Joy, Riptide

;;

Darling Charming hasn't slept in her room in a long time. Honestly, she's lost count of the hours, days, weeks spent away from her own bed.

Often, she switches between sleeping in Dexter's room and Daring's room. It often depended on who she missed the most. If she missed both then she'd find herself either taking Dexter's nerdy Star Wars blanket to Daring's room or taking Daring's silk pillows to Dexter's room.

(It totally kills her brothers' aesthetic but who cares? She missed them loads!)

What are you doing? Darling texts in a group chat the Charming siblings made. Dexter takes an hour to get back to his twin while Daring three hours later. It's a flop of a conversation.

;;

What are you doing? Darling asks, a question now sent to Chase_you_there.

Taking a lunch break. I'm at work. He answers two minutes later.

This brightens Darling's mood. Yes, finally, conversation! Can I come over?

To my work place …? He asks.

Yeah, gimme a tour. Darling sends several pleading emoji with some sparkly ones. Show me what you really know about bikes!

Show you what I 'know'? Are you doubting my skills?

If I said 'yes', would you say 'yes' too? Darling prods, hoping Chase would take the bait to solve her boredom and massive case of I-miss-my-brothers sickness.

Chase's next reply comes a little slower. It seemed like he was typing then deleting then re-typing his words, trying to find the right words to say to her. When his text finally does come through, it read: Get ready to be wowed Miss Darling Charming, because you'll find yourself picking your jaw off the ground!

The directions to Chase's workplace isn't as confusing as she thought. It turns out, it's just a row of small warehouses that's at the slightly secluded part of Book End.

"Everyone has their own warehouse," Chase Redford explains as soon as Darling's parked her White Knight under a cool tree. "One employee per warehouse. Keep us focus and prevents chitter chatter." He gesture to the rows or bikes perched on the floor or elevated. Chase wipes his hand on his jeans that's stained with grease. "Though it does get lonely sometimes. I mean, after spending hours fixing up bikes alone and listening the same dozens of songs on repeat."

Darling finds herself oh-ing and ah-ing before Chase can even explain what types of motorbikes are surrounding her. There are a few she recognizes and a few that she doesn't. Brand new models, oh, she could just die happy here.

Chase turns away from the entrance, ready to knock her socks off. He smiles widely at her, "Shall I start the tour?"

"Hold up," Darling answers, blue eyes shinning as she takes everything in. She doesn't even hide her excitement, "Is that a Super Cub?!"

Chase laughs, "Yes, it is."

"And is that's a Dwarfs Z7?!" Darling points to a Valencia orange bike.

"Oh, you're good at this." Chase gave her a small clap.

"Oh my God, that's the Golden Crown!"

Chase hums, suddenly feeling like he was a stranger at his own work place.

"You have the 1989 Seashell here too!" Darling squeals, rushing towards it as she leaves Chase behind in the dust.

"Yeah …" Chase's grin slowly drops. It felt like he was ... It felt like he had nothing to showcase. Darling was naming the latest models left and right with ease. "Is there anything you want to ask? Any questions?"

"I'm fine," Darling replies, her voice seemed far away, like she was in la la land. And she may as well be with the way she was floating around the warehouse, point and gasping and naming bikes.

Chase felt like he was slowly fading into the background. There were times where he had to explain to his co-workers the details of the bikes they had to work on but it seemed like Darling knew it all. In fact, it seemed like Darling was taking the lead.

And, after fifteen minutes, Chase just ends up awkwardly trailing behind Darling as she did her own thing – which was pointing at more motorbikes at awe, telling him their model names and horse power engines like he didn't already know then adding information that he actually didn't know.

Chase felt out-classed. But honestly, he should have seen it coming.

"Thanks for today, Chase."

"You're welcome," Chase replies, needing to sit down to gain some composure of how vast Darling's motorbike knowledge was.

"I enjoyed it a lot." Darling tells him, hands laced behind her back as she skipped along. "You were good company."

Chase only lets out a weak laugh.

He felt the opposite of 'good' after all the knowledge Darling displayed. Honestly, he had nothing to add. But he guesses he did something right by asking Darling to come over because she's got this huge charming smile plastered on her face.

Well, today didn't turn out the way Chase had expected. But after their first meet up, it didn't seem all that surprising.

;;

"Hey, Chase!" A sweet voice calls. Very much female, familiar and non-co-worker-y.

Chase swears he almost knocked his head against the bottom of his worktable, making his toolbox and, several nuts and bolts jump a small distance from their original spot.

"… Darling?" Chase echoes back her name, rubbing the back of his sore head as he peers at the entrance of his workplace. He catches sight of Darling's familiar silver-ish blonde poofy hair. "What are you doing here?"

"You said you get lonely sometimes so I thought I'd drop by and keep you company." Is what Darling replies casually like it's a thing of habit to drop by his workplace unannounced. She cradles her white helmet in one hand and a plastic bag in another.

"That's …" Chase blinks. It's true what he said. He did say it gets lonely at times but he also said it was for productivity – so that he'd work more efficiently and minimize distractions so really … "That's really sweet of you but –"

"I brought you cream-cheese bagels, they're freshly made!" Darling cuts in, lifting up the plastic bag and shaking it excitedly. Those bagels were likely squashed by the way Darling was vibrating with excitement. Though, Chase could tell the excitement was from her inability to contain her gleefulness from being surrounded by the bikes. "My friend Maddie gave me extras, it's from her dad's tea shop!"

"Umm." Chase hums, still rubbing the back of his neck.

His eyes flick to the old clock on his worktable, it was barely noon. A feeling pools in Chase's stomach as his eyes slid back to look at Darling in the face. But when he sees how happy she is, he can't really find it in himself to say 'no' to her.

"Well …" He chews the inside of his cheek and says, "Well, I guess you could stay for a little while. An early lunch break never hurts anyone."

"Yes!" Darling pumps a fist and practically smoothers the bagels onto his worktable when she slams it down and races towards the latest models he has to work with.

;;

Darling Charming's hanging out at Chase Redford's assigned warehouse again. She's perched herself on a new motorcycle planned to be tested out.

"So," Chase says, working on his wrench. "First impressions."

Darling raises a brow, "First impressions?"

"Yeah, first impressions – go!" He says this so the time will go by faster and so Darling's mind isn't too preoccupied with the thought of missing her brothers.

Darling hums for a moment, "Hmm, well, you had that selfie with the Red Knight, I showed it to my friends, they thought you were attractive." Darling says but then taps her chin. "Or was it 'cute'? One of those things."

Chase looks up from his engine work, whipping grease on his forehead in the process. "Thanks, that's every man's dream, to be thought to be cute."

Darling only snorts in reply.

Chase asks, "And what did you think of me?"

A grin spreads across Darling's face. She gives him a charming smile. "I thought you were alright."

"Wow, thanks for the huge confidence boost." He says, leaning heavily on the sarcastic side as he works his wrench.

"You're welcome."

"But, anyways," Chase says, ducking back to his work. "I expected more like 'mature' or 'cool' or, I don't know, 'awesome'. I only brought you to the Rabbit Hole bar because I thought I could impress you with my mature ways, being twenty-one and all. You said you graduated high school and had spent some time cruising around on the White Knight so I thought you were older than me. Even if you weren't, I heard the owner of the bar was a pretty lenient guy. I still thought it was against the rules but I wasn't thinking of that at the time. I just wanted to impress you. I thought you were super cool, owning the White Knight and knowing so much about bikes."

"Aww, you thought I was cool?" Darling coos and Chase was glad that his head was ducked away from Darling's sight. If not, she would have seen his heated ears and the red blush crawling up his neck.

Chase clears his throat, regaining composure as he replies, "Yeah, I actually still do. Super cool. Anyway, I thought everything would go down smoothly but then it turned out you were … well, barely eighteen."

"Don't say it like that. I've tasted alcohol. It's no big deal." Darling answers.

Chase's head immediately pops back up. Blue eyes squinting with authority. "Who gave it to you?"

"This guy named Sparrow. He owed me a favour, I was feeling adventurous, and he had a cool mom. So she bought us a pack of beer and, my friends and I sat in a circle and shared one bottle under her supervision."

Chase calms down a little after that, "Oh, that's not so bad. I thought it'd be more rebellious."

She lets out a laugh, tempted to kick Chase on the sides playfully but then snaps her fingers, "Actually, I could tell you about this one time –"

"No, don't tell me!" Chase cuts in, waving his hand in front of her to stop her. "I swear you're trying to give me a heart attack."

A sweet smile is what Chase sees before Darling answers, "Of course, how else am I supposed to inherit your warehouse?"

"You're not in my will!"

"But no one you know loves motorbikes as much as I do!"

;;

It's another day spent together and Chase watches Darling jump on some bike that's probably her weekly favourite, swinging her legs and clicking her heels in place.

"Don't you have any practical shoes?" Chase asks, noticing Darling's high heels. "Isn't riding a bike with those on uncomfortable?"

There's a pause then Darling replies, "I ... I used to have a pair of sparkly silver converse."

Chase gives her a strange look. "Used to? What happened?"

She's hesitant in her answer, but she answers it anyways. "I buried them in my backyard after prom." – Buried, like a secret.

;;

One of Chase's co-workers told him this ridiculous theory that Darling was interested in him – Chase – which is why she's always teasing, poking fun at him and showering him with cream-cheese bagels. It's apparently the science of flirting or something but Chase thinks otherwise. Darling is just Darling; a motorcycle nut like him, cream-cheese bagel showering and all, and nothing else.

Though, Chase wouldn't lie. He wants to test it out first before writing Darling's possible feelings for him off. Like, does she really only see him as a 'friend' and nothing else? Does she only have interests in the bikes? Because, apparently, he's been told in high school that he's oblivious to girls and their flirtatious tendencies (but in Chase's defence, education came first. Plus, he had a lot on his plate as the head prefect and the captain of the Fencing Club).

"Hey, Darling?" Chase calls, ten feet apart.

"Yeah?" Darling calls back, turning away from an engine she's inspecting. She thinks the horsepower is amazing!

Chase offers her his best winning smile, flashing it with pride. It's almost as charming as her own dazzling grin. He waits for a swooned reaction.

Darling only blinks in response. "Er, okay … is that it? To check your teeth? Because there's no food stuck between it."

His smile drops, "… Yeah, okay, thanks."

Then Darling turns around and continues looking at the engine in front of her.

Chase's co-worker was wrong. It was the bikes. Yup, no doubt about it.

;;

They've gotten scarily close together and the stories they swap among each other either leaves Darling laughing so hard she swears she might pee herself or Chase freaking out and claiming that he might pass out from all the stress Darling's giving him from all the wild things she's gotten herself involved in.

"– So, that's the story. I graduated college then got the job the same year. It's been a good six months." Chase finishes explaining over the finger sandwiches Darling brought over.

Darling screws her face up, looking deep into her warm tea. "And you haven't considered taking any breaks since working? At all?"

"… Yes?"

"Are you a machine? You can't work for half a year non-stop!"

Darling gets an eyeroll in return before Chase says, "Enough about me. What about you?"

"What about me?" Darling asks, small hands cupping her thermos tea.

"Don't you have to go get your education?" Chase questions as he dusts his hands and turns to her.

"Uh," Darling bites her lower lip. She finds her smile slowly fading. She hasn't been able to answer that. She knows she's supposed to be figuring herself out but so far … months have passed and she's come up empty-handed. It didn't seem like she's changed at all. "Well …"

Chase thinks this is the first time he's seen Darling so uncertain. She's usually so blunt about what she wants. For Darling to be this lost was almost unsettling. Frighteningly unsettling.

Darling cover the cap of her thermos and walks over to Chase's worktable. She takes a few seconds to settle the thermos down. With her back still turned to him, she says, "No, I have to find myself first."

"So you're not going to get a degree?" Chase asks.

Darling looks back at Chase then away, clicking her heels. If only they were magic and could send her far, far away. There's no place like home (but hers is empty). When her heels do nothing, Darling simple shrugs. The mood has gone from playful to serious just like that.

"And how long will that take?" He asks.

Darling shrugs again.

"So you're just going to push back your education until something finally clicks? Darling, that could take ages. I don't think that's a wise idea." Chase answers, suddenly concerned. "Are you … by any chance, running away from something?"

Apple White flashes briefly in Darling's head. But she swats the thought away before it can linger too long. Darling says, almost too hotly, "What? You think just because I'm always riding off here and there then that means I've got some complex of running away from my problems?"

"You just seem like you're restless."

"I … I do want to travel." Darling answers, almost weakly. "Get out of here, Book End is so …" She sighs, "I don't know,"

"You're running away from something, aren't you?" Chase asks again. There's no fooling him. He's spent years low-key interrogating rambunctious kids as the head prefect at Wonderland High. It's practically a perfected skill now. He says, "I was right, that's why you're always out and about, and never sticking to one spot."

Darling's face immediately hardens and she shows Chase this when she makes a sharp turn to face him. This wasn't supposed to be an emotional talk. It was supposed to be fun times and laughs and jokes. Darling answers, "I'm allowed to be out of the house."

Without even realising it, a single tear finds its way down Darling's cheek and Chase apologises after coming to his mistake, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have –"

"I'm allowed to not be stuck at home like some damsel waiting to be rescued." Darling's mouth quivers as she repeats her words.

"I'm sorry," He says. Chase immediately wants to take his words back. He didn't mean to make her cry.

But as fast as that tear appeared, it disappeared equally as fast. Darling wipes it away with the back of her hand, determined not to let her heartbreak show. She looks elsewhere and shoos his apology away, "It's nothing."

Though Chase thinks it's not nothing.

"I just miss my brothers. I wish they were here." Darling admits, staring at her silver heels. Then she repeats, "I wish they were here but they're not. They're moving on with their lives and I'm just here, trying to find myself."

"I …" Chase wants to say he understands but he really can't. Not when he doesn't. "It'll be okay."

Darling only sniffs in reply.

"Do you ..." Chase asks, trailing off. He stands there awkwardly, not knowing what to do. He doesn't really know how to comfort others that well. Especially someone who's as babied as Darling. The unfortunate price that came from being an only child, the inability to comfort others (that and possibly sharing). They're once again ten feet apart but he asks, "Do you want to hug it out?"

"Yes," Darling sniffs then goes straight for it.

She tucks her head under his chin and squeezes his torso with her crushing grip. He wasn't sure if Darling was trying to comfort herself or suffocate him to death. Was her plan to take over his warehouse still a thing?

Darling says after a moment of shaking and soaking up a specific spot on his shirt, "You remind me of my brothers."

Oh.

Well, he just got brother-zoned.

Darling adds, "You have that annoyingly flashy smile like Daring's and your hair's dark like Dexter's."

"Umm," Chase mutters. Yup, definitely got brother-zoned. He didn't expect to but it was a happening thing, so sure, he'll roll with it. He tries to think of a distraction. Maybe talking about things she loves will help? In the end, the motorcycle side of him wins over the awkward hugs. "Why do you post emoji's when you post pictures of the White Knight?"

"Because there are no words to express how much I love my baby." She answers almost immediately.

"Fair enough," He admits then asks another question to distract her, "Do you … want to see more bikes? I'm currently working on them,"

"More?" A wet reply asks him back. "Now?"

"Yeah," Chase answers – Good Lord, was the distraction working? He can't tell.

"Where?" Darling angles her head and blinks her eyelashes at him. Aw, she looked so damn sad.

"They're in my garage at my house. You can come over to my place anytime." He says, not really thinking. "I mean, if you want to."

He sees Darling brighten up, she nods. That was good, at least he had managed to cheer her up slightly.

"Anytime?" She repeats his words, not as wet.

"Yeah, sure." Chase echoes. If only Chase Redford had known that he had just opened the gates to a whole new hell.

;;

Notes

Despite being an only child, I don't have a problem with sharing, I remember offering food to new people I met when I was a kid. It was like a secret power move to get friends. BOOM instant friend bribed by food.

But I think I truly learned about sharing after living with Jezmaiya because everything I own is practically hers too. My hoodie, face care, crisps – all hers too. I see it now. I see the struggle. I stole her letterman jacket to make it even.

7 April 2018