This chapter does see the mention of Mikki, who belongs to KikiJuanita and she can't be used without her permission as I have been given permission to use her for this story. Clint, Jeff, and Sebastian do belong to Glee and Ryan Murphy. Whereas the rest of them mentioned within this chapter do belong to me. The car mentioned within this chapter is all true facts stated around the car, and I know it may not be a car one drives everyday, but for this story it is.
Enjoy!
"I get why you closed yourself off to everyone. It is something that you do when the time calls for it," Jeff told his sister, pulling out his keys to let them into the building. "But do you think Clint is going to be as understanding?" Jeff questioned, holding the door to his apartment building open, letting his sister enter before him, heading over to the elevator.
"We are friends and sometimes a person needs space and once I explain to him why, he'll be okay with it," she stated. She really hoped that he would be okay with everything and that she didn't ruin her friendship with him over needing a bit of space to figure herself out.
"What are you going to do if he doesn't want to see you?" Jeff asked, pressing the buttons for the two floors they needed.
"I'm not going to give up and I will bother him until he gets the point that he needs to hear me out and if he doesn't like what I have to say, I'll leave him be and never talk to him again," she sighed, not liking that possibility at all.
"You know where to find me if you need me," he told her. He never once enjoyed seeing his sister in pain, and he can easily say he still doesn't like her being in pain, and he will do whatever he can do to take that pain away.
"I know, Jeff and thanks," she told him, letting him get off on his floor. Jeff nodded, as the doors slid shut. The few minute ride to the next floor she spent stressing how the conversation was going to go in her head and every way turned out worse and worse. "Please be home," she said to herself, knocking on the door she needed.
"I wouldn't have guessed you'd show up at my door after two weeks of ignoring me," he said, pulling his door open, not looking pleased, letting her in. She figured he would be cold towards her, she did deserve it.
"I am sorry about that," she told him, stepping inside his apartment. "Something had been said and Seb verified that it was true and I needed to think about that and not have distractions. I didn't even talk to Seb, if I didn't have too," she explained.
"I thought we were friends, and now I am some distraction," he laughed dryly. "How does that work? Enlighten me, Onyx," he said.
"We are friends," she told him. "My dad has gone through countless marriages over the years. Everything that I witnessed with him and his relationships growing up, I have been projecting into my own relationships, not being fully committed and I needed to know why. I needed my space to understand it all because it wasn't something that I knew I had been doing and I don't want it to happen if we do get together," she told him.
"If we get together?" He smirked, getting her to roll her eyes. "I didn't know," he said softly, being the sweet, caring person she knew from night one of knowing him.
"I know you didn't. I don't go around saying how screwed up my family is," she laughed. "You're upset. I could have told you I needed a bit of space but I didn't, and I am sorry to make you think that this friendship was nothing," she apologized.
"It's fine," he shrugged.
"No it's not," Jason stated, making her jump. It is the first time she noticed that he has company over, feeling ashamed of putting all that out there for them to hear. "He thought you got back together with your ex and wanted nothing to do with him," he elaborated.
"Is that true?" Onyx asked him. Clint shrugged, giving nothing else away. "We talked, and he was going to propose to me, but instead he cheated because he was scared. I walked away knowing that the most I can ever be with him is friends," Onyx stated.
"If he had asked you to marry him instead of cheating on you, would you have said yes?" Clint asked lowly, afraid of hearing the answer.
"I would have said yes," she confirmed, she wasn't about to lie to sister his feelings. He deserved to know the truth. "But that doesn't mean things would have worked out, because I was informed that I was pulling away from him and already half out of the relationship," she shrugged. "And if he had the urge to cheat because he was scared I would turn him down; it is hard to say what else he would do. Things worked out for the best, and we can't always wonder about the what ifs," she finished.
"They don't do anything, but cause pain," Jason stated.
"Exactly. Best to move on," she stated. "Nothing good comes from worrying about the past."
"That's true," Clint agreed, not even needing to think about his own rocky past with his ex-girlfriends.
"Tell me you guys haven't ordered anything to eat," she pleaded, looking at the guys filling the living room. Now that she knew Clint was okay, and they could be friends again she's ready to put the next part of her plan into action.
"Not yet we haven't. We've been arguing over what to eat," Clint informed her. "But by all means make whatever you want," he smirked.
"Planned on it," she laughed. "You just need to come help carry bags up," she smirked.
"Why is that?" He asked while moving to slip his shoes on.
"You did want to see my car, did you not?" She asked raising an eyebrow at him.
"I did," he laughed. "How much stuff are we talking about here?" He questioned, looking to his group of friends, who suddenly had their own little conversation going on.
"Not much at all," she replied, pulling his door open. "We can get it all," she assured him, walking from his place down the hall to the elevator.
Needless to say the trip to where her car is parked was done so in silence. And it wasn't a very comfortable silence at that. Onyx could tell that Clint wasn't very happy with her still. And he shouldn't be, not with the way she cut him out of her life for the past two weeks.
"I was wrong," she said, stopping short of the main entrance for the building. Clint stopped as well turning to look at the woman who is a friend to him, one that he might want more with one day soon. "I wasn't good company, not when I needed to sort out why I couldn't be in a relationship fully. I should have told you as much and not ignored you on every level possible. For that I am sorry, truly," she told him.
"It hurt to know that you wanted nothing to do with me. And I did think that maybe you wanted to be with Hunter again," he sighed. "It wasn't a fun feeling," he confirmed softly.
"What feeling is that?" She teased. "Jealousy?" She laughed. "I would have told you if I had got back with Hunter, but there just isn't anything there, not like there could be something here," she told him, motioning between them.
"I think so too," he smiled, ignoring the jealousy comment. "Now let's see this awesome car of yours," he joked.
"You won't be joking in a minute," she laughed, heading outside to the street, smiling seeing her car, happy to have her baby back.
"Is that a 1971 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda Convertible?" He asked, walking over to said car, done in a dark metallic purple.
"Yes it is," she laughed. "It was my dad's car, but he never drove it, and Jeff drove it until he left for college and I took over and never gave it up," she laughed. She found it hard to give up her car. Begging her dad to let her keep it. As long as she could pay for insurance and pay for gas and the rest of the maintenance she could have it. She worked extra hard to have her car.
"Only 12 of these models were made," he said running his hand over the smooth hood of the car. "Only 7 were shipped here to the states," he said in awe.
"I know the history of my car," she laughed. "I always thought Jeff would be back for it," she commented, unlocking a door to get the multiple bags of groceries out.
"Why didn't he?" He questioned, grabbing the bags she handed to him. If he had the car, he would have never given it up to any younger siblings, if he had any younger siblings.
"Because it wasn't truly his, I guess," she shrugged. "I never asked afraid he would say that he wanted the car back. I wouldn't risk it."
"I wouldn't either," he laughed. "I did let you drive my car, so that does mean I get to drive yours right?" He asked, pulling his key from his pocket to let them back inside.
"I don't know," she laughed. "My car is better than yours," she teased. "I don't think I can trust you behind the wheel," she stated a smirk on her face.
"Trust me?" He laughed. "I haven't been in an accident in over three years," he told her. "Can you say the same thing?" He questioned, holding the door to his apartment open for her to enter.
"I've been in accidents but I wasn't the one driving. And it's been years since I've been in any kind of an accident. The pristine condition of my car says so," she pointed out.
"Do the rest of us want to know?" Vincent questioned, all eyes on the two that entered the apartment.
"Her car," Clint started to say. "Is a 1971 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda Convertible. I want to drive it. So I am making my case," he explained.
"We'll line up after him," Phillip laughed.
"She's not even letting me drive it, what makes you think she'll let you lot?" He asked shaking his head at them.
"She's likes us better," Jason laughed. "We did have a moment while you were off in New York," he teased.
"Oh yeah, a very lovely moment it was," she sarcastically retorted, a smile on her lips. "And you did let me drive your car, so I'll let you take it out for a drive," she finally conceded, already knowing that she would be letting him drive her car.
"Sure it was, your drink didn't end up all over me," Jason chuckled.
"I didn't want to waste my money by doing it," she shrugged. "If it had been a cheap drink or one close by that didn't belong to me, you would've worn it," she shared.
"Ouch that hurts," Jason teased, placing a hand over his heart.
"Deal with it," Clint snorted, moving through to his living room, taking a seat on the sofa. "Do make yourself at home, Onyx," he tossed over his shoulder.
"Planned on it," she laughed, putting what she didn't need away. She easily got what she needed out of his cupboards, remembering where they were from the last time she made breakfast in his kitchen. "Why don't you guys invite your girlfriends or spouses over," she suggested, looking up from what she happened to be doing.
"They would love to invite them over," Clint smirked. "Right guys?" He asked, challenging them to deny that request.
"We would love to," Phillip retorted. "It's just that they have their own stuff going on tonight," he stated. The reason why they were hanging out with Clint is because he got kicked out of his place when his fiancée invited the others over to talk wedding stuff. "A rain check where you don't have to do all the cooking will be in order," he said, making the plans already.
"Okay, let me know when. And I really don't mind the cooking bit," she told them from the kitchen.
"She seems rather comfortable in your kitchen," Dereck commented with a smirk looking at his friend, placing his phone back in his pocket. Not wanting to risk his relationship by outing them in this manner.
"So what," he tossed out. "It isn't the first time she has used my kitchen," he shrugged. "Does it really matter?" He asked because to him it didn't make much difference if she knew her way around his kitchen. It wasn't all that hard to figure out where he kept his stuff.
"Did your ex ever make herself that at home here?" Phillip questioned with a raised eyebrow.
Clint glanced over at Onyx who seemed to be lost in her own world humming a tune of some sort under her breath. She did look more comfortable in his kitchen than he did at times.
"No she didn't, but I never lived in this apartment while I was dating her," he pointed out. "I still don't see the big deal," he commented.
"You should just ask her out already," Vinny stated shaking his head. "That's the big deal."
"I don't think it's the right time for that, considering that she just found out her ex planned on asking her to marry him," he quietly huffed out, getting annoyed with his friends. He knew they meant well, but he didn't need them meddling in his life.
"The situation is different, her ex burnt that bridge. You are clearly smitten with her considering you can't keep your eyes off of her, and she is smitten with you, if her cooking you dinner is anything to go by," Phillip smirked.
"Friends right now is the best thing for us," he said. "I want to be sure that everything will work in our favor and that she isn't hooked on her ex and what he did to her," he explained. He didn't want her to think that he would be the same way towards their relationship. He knew better than to cheat on her if he happened to be scared of an outcome for their future.
"Just don't wait too long where she puts you into the friend zone. We'd hate to see that happen," Dereck laughed out.
"She won't, she already knows that my intentions are to date her," he told them. "It's just waiting on her."
"Is she going to be your plus one to my wedding?" Phillip questioned a knowing smirk in place.
"I haven't asked her, so I can't say. But most likely I'll be flying solo that weekend. I really don't want to put her in an awkward place like that," he shrugged. He wanted to ask her, but the wedding was in two months time, and he didn't know what her plans were for the end of summer with needing to get ready for the upcoming school year. She may not have the time to attend a wedding out of state.
"Dude you need to take chances," Vinny told him. The other guys pretty much in agreeance with him. All except Dereck who entered the kitchen.
"Do you need any help?" He asked, grabbing a beer from the fridge, feeling guilty about her cooking a meal for so many people by herself.
"No, I am good," she smiled. "Thanks for the offer though," she told him. "Is it that bad in there that you need an escape?" She laughed.
"They are talking about the one topic I do want to avoid for now," he shrugged, leaning on the kitchen counter where space permitted. She raised an eyebrow at him, not saying a word. "Dating," he sighed.
"Why's that?" She asked. "You have a secret girlfriend or something?" She joked.
"How'd you know?" He asked, shocked that she figured it out that easily.
"I didn't," she laughed. "I had a secret relationship once and it didn't end on the best of notes," she told him. "It is best you go in there and tell them you have a girlfriend," she told him.
"Even if she is related to one of them?" He questioned. "How'd it end?"
"Jeff wouldn't talk to me for nearly three months and that killed me because my brother is one of my best friends," she told him. "Sebastian, he is my ultimate best friend," she explained not sure if he knew that about her. "And it took him a month and a half to talk to me again. The chick I was dating we still don't talk, because she did want to tell everyone but I knew how it would end. We dated for four months and once she told everyone about us we broke up," she finished with a shrug. "I was only 14 at the time, and she may have been 16, so there is that," she laughed.
"That might have had everything to do with it," Dereck chuckled.
"Not quite but close," she laughed. "But it is best to get it out there because hiding a relationship isn't the best thing and it does bring a lot of strain down on your shoulders."
"Are you in a secret relationship with Clint?" He asked with a teasing tone.
"No," she said, glancing at Clint. "I want to date him and when that does happen, when I am ready, I don't want any of it to be a secret," she smiled shyly.
"No hesitation in that answer is there?" He laughed. "You certain you want to be dating him?" He asked, moving away from the counter.
"I'm certain," she smiled, going with him to the living room, everything needs to cook without her standing over it all.
"What were you two gossiping about?" Clint asked, making room for her on the couch.
"He wanted advice about something," she shrugged. It wasn't her place to tell them about his secret relationship.
"It is good advice at that. And I don't want my relationship to turn out the way yours did. It would be tough if everyone stopped talking to me over a secret relationship," he explained.
"They had a right to be mad at me. I knew it would happen. They don't always turn out that way," she shrugged, wanting him to know that everyone reacts differently to the news of it.
"If this is about you dating, Chloe," Jason said, gaining the attention of the room. "She told me a month ago. And dude I'm cool with it," he told his friend. "Just don't hurt my sister, and we'll be cool for a long time to come," he warned.
"Why didn't you want to tell us?" Clint questioned, feeling hurt that his friend wouldn't tell him that he happened to be dating Chloe.
"I wanted to make sure that there was something between us before we made it public and I didn't want Jason to pummel me for dating his sister," he explained.
"I wouldn't have pummeled you for dating her. I wouldn't have been happy about it either if it wasn't for her insisting that she sees something in you and I know that you won't do anything stupid to hurt her. I just had to remember that," Jason explained.
"There is a thrill in having a secret relationship," Onyx stated with a shrug.
"You needed to have your secret she was 16 and you were 14, not exactly the best relationship out there," Dereck laughed.
"She was 15 when we started to date," she retorted. "That and she was my brothers ex-girlfriend," she chuckled. Now she can see the big deal in that relationship, but back then it was nothing to her and now she can see just how wrong it was for more than one reason.
"That is low to date his ex," Vinny stated. "Why would you do that?"
"I was curious about so much in life and I wanted to know more about me and be able to say who I am and not question my sexuality," she shrugged.
"I think you could have done so without it being your brother's ex," Clint laughed.
"It's not like they had just broken up. In fact, they had been broken up for a year, and he was in a relationship," she pointed out. "I saw no problem in it because it wasn't as if I was going to end up with her. It was more experimental than anything else," she stated. "Do I need to say that I was young and stupid?" She questioned with a laugh. "I thought it really didn't matter and standing here today, it doesn't matter. I have my brother in my life and I have Seb and those two guys are everything for me," she said, moving back to the kitchen with the timer going off.
"I guess it doesn't really matter now," Phillip commented. "You have your brother and what I'm guessing is your best friend in your life," he said.
"Oh yeah, that's her best friend," Clint replied. "And before you ask, dude is cool," he said, giving his friends a look to drop the questioning when it came to Sebastian. He would fill them in later. "Whatever you're making it smells really good," he commented, getting up. "You've gotta let me do something, Onyx. It is my place and I can't make you do everything," he said, walking into the kitchen, ignoring any of the looks his friends are shooting his direction.
"That would be lovely," she smiled. "Can you get the plates and stuff?" She asked, turning the oven off.
He nodded putting the plates at the table, going to find a couple extra chairs. It wasn't as if he minded eating in the living room as he has done it often enough but it felt right to eat at the kitchen table.
He didn't know which one was better the food or the company. He enjoyed seeing his friends get along with Onyx. He wasn't so sure they would after the meeting in the bar and after he pretty much threw her under the bus the last two weeks when she refused to talk to him.
With dinner over with he took up washing the dishes, his friends taking off for the night, leaving him alone with Onyx who escaped to his bedroom to call her brother.
"You don't have to stay," he commented hearing her behind him.
"And go home and deal with a date night with Mikki and Seb, yeah no thanks," she said shaking her head, rinsing the dish soap from the dishes and placing them in the dish drainer.
"It can't be that bad," he laughed, nudging her with his hip.
"You would think that," she stated. "I guess it's just that they are still discovering the love between them, and I am trying to get over love," she shrugged.
"You're not thinking that either one is going to hurt the other are you?" He asked, scrubbing at a more stubborn pan.
"No, Seb wouldn't do that and I may not know Mikki all that well, but it isn't something she would do," she replied. "I like their relationship, I just get tired of seeing them all mushy together," she shrugged.
"Mushy," he chuckled. "I get it. Your heart is still mending after it was broken, nothing wrong with that," he stated. He felt the same way after his break up. "When is it you are planning on going home?" He asked more curiously than anything else. He wasn't trying to kick her out.
"I hope your friends didn't give you too much trouble about everything between us," she told him, drying her hands off. "I've got a few hours to spare," she said.
"Nothing more than normal," he shrugged. "I'm used to it by now."
"Clint, I do want you to know that once I fully move on from the hurt Hunter put me through, I do want to give us a try. But you have to understand that a small part of me is always going to love Hunter and that once it all blows over I'm going to be friends with him. I want to be upfront with you about it all," she explained, needing him to understand where she is coming from.
"And you need to know that I'm right here waiting," he said, reaching out for her hand. "Just don't ignore me or at the very least let me know that you need a bit of space," he suggested.
"I am sorry about that, I didn't mean to hurt you. And lesson learnt, I will inform you as you're not my brother or Seb and you don't know these things like they do," she finished, leaning into him, lightly pressing her lips against his. "Now I'm thinking about a Back to the Future marathon," she said, walking into his living room, making herself at home on his couch.
"I do believe I forgave you halfway through that meal of baked Mac and cheese and pork," he chuckled. "I will forgive you even more once I get to drive your car," he chuckled, walking to put the movie in to play, sitting on what bit of space she left for him on the couch. His day turning out better now that Onyx is back in his life and not avoiding him.