Ilvermorny
Theme: Redemption. Write about a character who achieves redemption in some people's opinion but fails to do so in the eyes of another.
Main prompt: [Character] OC
Additional prompt: [Setting] New house (just moved in)
[Quote] "I have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine and rage the likes of which you would not believe. If I cannot satisfy one, I will indulge in the other."—Mary Shelley.
W/C: 3010.
For my OC I am using one of my Sims - yes, I know it's sad, but I have a good idea of characterisation lol. I just hope it translates to the page.
Warnings for swearing.
Thanks to my teammates Laura and Flick and also to Ash for all taking the time to beta this story.
"Hey, I'm Sirius, Sirius Black."
Lexi's elbows stuck to the bar. She swayed on her bar stool, her head pounding with the music and swimming from the two Cosmos she'd drunk. Lacey, Lexi's twin, sat on the next stool over, her grass-green eyes bright beneath the strobe lights and her red hair falling in sweaty locks around her face from all their exuberant dancing.
A saucy smile graced Sirius Black's lips and lit up his grey eyes. He ran a hand through his dark hair. Lexi wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or the guy's hotness that was making her head swim.
"Hi," she said, shaking his hand. "Lexi Lovelock, and this is my sister Lacey."
"Wow, two lovely ladies," Sirius said, a sinful grin sliding across his face.
Lacey gave Sirius a playful shove. "Cut the crap. I don't swing that way," she said, laughing at Sirius.
"Ohh," Sirius said. "You bat for the other team?"
"And I have a girlfriend," Lacey said in a matter-of-fact tone.
Sirius winked at Lexi. The way he looked at her made her feel like she was back at school when guys would eye her up and would fight over who would take her to the various different dances their school held throughout the year. It was a feeling long forgotten.
He led her to a table in the back of the club. Lexi didn't think twice about following him.
"So tell me about you," Sirius said.
Lexi hesitated. Was she supposed to tell him that she was a divorcee with a two-year-old son? Was that the right etiquette? Haltingly, she started to speak, but a mixture of the alcohol and how he was looking at her made Lexi spill all.
Sirius was sympathetic and said all the right words. Chemistry sizzled between them the more they spoke. He made her laugh until her tears ran as he described his school days to her, and he kept finding excuses to touch her arm. Lexi's pulse raced, and all she could think about was how sexy and confident he was. She wasn't sure if it was her imagination or not, but their glasses kept refilling themselves just before the last mouthful.
Before they knew it, the club was closing.
"I've had such a lovely time tonight. Thank you for listening to me waffle on," Lexi said.
"It's been a pleasure. I haven't had that good of a conversation for ages." He took her hand in his and ran the pad of his thumb over her knuckles. "Can I see you again?"
Lexi's cheeks burned. "I would love that."
They exchanged numbers, and Sirius went in for a kiss.
Lexi's heart beat hard inside her chest. Her breath hitched, and she closed her eyes and allowed Sirius to kiss her.
It was such a nice kiss too. Unlike Kieran, who kissed like a washing machine cycle, Sirius had mastered the art. When Sirius pulled away, Lexi let out a small whimper.
"I'll call you tomorrow."
Sirius was as good as his word.
Before Lexi knew it, she and Sirius were spending every waking moment together. He took her to the theatre and museums and restaurants. He always arrived with a red rose and a kiss. He was polite to both her mum and sister and made a huge fuss of her son, Alex, which made Lexi feel that, unlike Kieran, maybe Sirius would be good father material. Had he not liked Alex, that would have been the deal-breaker. He was even polite towards Kieran if he happened to be at the house visiting his son.
"Lexi, I was thinking," Sirius said after a heavy make-out session. "Would you and Alex like to move in with me? Maybe we could buy a house together?"
"Say what?" Lexi said as she leaned back against the cushion to look at him properly. "Sirius, it's only been six months. Are you sure we're ready for that?"
"I like to think so. I adore you and Alex, and I want us to be together and be a family," Sirius said, grinning. "So what do you say?"
"I don't have the money for a deposit."
"You don't have to worry about that. When my uncle died, he left me a substantial amount of money that I haven't used yet. I could buy the house for us."
"I couldn't let you do that. I would want to help contribute towards the deposit. Otherwise, it'll just be your house, not mine."
The wrangling went on for the rest of the night until, finally, Lexi gave in in good grace. She wasn't sure how it had happened. Maybe it was because of how he was kissing and touching her until she didn't know which way was up. He had a way of making her feel like she should be saying yes instead of no.
The next few months were a whirlwind of solicitors, banks, and house viewings. They looked at many houses, but none of them felt right until they hit upon the perfect home.
Lexi marvelled at all of Sirius' ideas for the place if their offer was accepted. She had never met a guy quite like him.
They moved into the house on their first anniversary.
The first argument came a couple of weeks after moving in. Lexi and Sirius had been looking at paint swatches for the kitchen and had agreed on a duck egg blue, but when Lexi returned from work, she found Sirius painting the kitchen a bright sunny yellow.
"What the hell?" Lexi said. Her tone was pure fire.
Sirius climbed down the ladder and walked towards his girlfriend. "They didn't have the blue we wanted, babe, so I compromised and went with the yellow."
"You don't just make a decision like that on your own," Lexi stormed. "You could have at least waited until we could pick a different colour together."
Sirius' eyes sparked. A small hint of blue steel appeared in his irises.
"Holy shit, Lex, what's with this brat fit? Stop acting like a spoilt witch and be grateful that I'm even trying to make our house a home. I can't believe you right now."
The light above them suddenly popped and flickered, plunging them into darkness. Sirius stormed past her. "Selfish bitch," he threw over his shoulder.
Her anger burned molten hot not just for the colour but the fact that Sirius had called her a bitch. What was that all about? Why was she acting this way? It was just a paint colour. Lexi tried to get her anger under control before she went to find Sirius.
She found him in their ensuite washing his hands. "Siri, I'm sorry. I don't know where that came from. The yellow is fine."
Sirius stopped washing his hands and looked at Lexi. She was biting her lip, and her hands clenched and unclenched by her sides. She was trying so hard not to shout at him in fear of waking Alex.
"I didn't know you could be like that," Sirius said quietly.
"Redhead," Lexi replied, trying to lighten the mood.
"That's beside the point, Lex. There was no need to go off like that. I've worked my butt off trying to make this house a home for us. Sirius shook his head. "Look, I'm going to go out for a pint with James. I need to cool off."
Sirius walked away.
After Sirius left, Lexi took up the mantle and finished painting the kitchen the bright, sunny yellow. She only did it to prove a point.
A few nights later, Lexi woke up alone.
She slipped from the bed and went to check on Alex and found Sirius cuddling her son. Had she not heard Alex crying for her?
She crept towards the bed to check on her boys. They were both fast asleep. Lexi's heart turned over at the sight of them. If she had a camera, she would have taken a photo. Instead, she nipped out of the room and grabbed a blanket from the airing cupboard. She snuck back in and covered Sirius over rather than disturb him.
Her mind raced with guilt that she hadn't heard her son crying, but she was just so tired. She slipped out of the room and back to bed.
The next big fight came after Sirius caught Kieran trying to make a pass at Lexi one day as he was leaving after dropping Alex home.
"Where's that fancy boy of yours?" Kieran asked.
"If you mean Sirius, he's taking a nap," Lexi said. "Fancy boy?"
This made them both laugh. Kieran went in for a hug, and Lexi reciprocated. As she moved away, she caught sight of movement at the top of the stairs. Kieran took advantage of this distraction and tried to kiss her.
Sirius flung himself down the stairs.
"Time you weren't here, buddy," Sirius said as he pulled the door open and shoved the ex out, slamming the door shut after him.
"Sirius! How dare you be so bloody rude!" Lexi said, her face colouring.
"He was going to kiss you!"
"As if I'd let him kiss me," Lexi said, laughing off Sirius' comment.
"I don't care. You're my girlfriend now. No one touches you."
"Aww, are you jealous?"
"Yes, I bloody well am! No man touches you! You're mine."
Lexi stared, dumbfounded. She couldn't believe he'd just said that.
"Excuse me?" Lexi said. "I am not an object that you own. I am my own person. You do not dictate who I can and can't 'touch'. If I want to hug my ex, then I bloody well will! He's the father of my child."
Lexi stormed from the house and went home to see her mum and sister. When she explained what had happened, her mum was sympathetic. Lacey, however, sided with Sirius.
"Are you insane, Lex? Why in God's name are you hugging that cheating prat?"
"Because I'm trying to keep things good for Alex's sake…"
"That doesn't mean that you hug that git! You can be polite and cordial, but there's no need to touch him in any way. Unless you want him back?"
"What? No! I love Sirius. Of course, I don't want Kieran back."
"Yeah, sounds like it!" Lacey said. When it came to her twin, Lacey knew Lexi better than Lexi knew herself.
"Urgh, stop putting words in my mouth. I don't love Kieran anymore. I love Sirius."
Lacey made a non-committal noise in the back of her throat.
When Lexi returned home, she found Sirius giving Alex his nightly bath.
"I'm home," Lexi said from the bathroom doorway.
"Hey sausage, look who's home!" Sirius said to Alex in a bid to take the attention off of himself.
"Mumma! Mumma!" Alex cried as he splashed the bathwater, soaking Sirius.
"You little monkey," Sirius said as he tousled Alex's strawberry blond locks. "I'm all wet!"
Lexi giggled and smiled as she watched her two favourite boys. She noticed Sirius wasn't as drenched as he should have been given how much Alex had just splashed water everywhere.
After that, Lexi kept her distance from her ex. She was polite towards him, but wary. She didn't want to fight with Sirius over Kieran again. But part of her missed the contact with Kieran. He'd been her first, and he was the father of her son. She felt a little torn between the two men.
Until one day, she caved.
Kieran had just dropped Alex home. They stood in the kitchen together chatting when he went in to hug her. She allowed him to take her into his arms and hold her. As he pulled away, he went in for a kiss, and Lexi let him. She gave herself up to it, and she kissed him back, ardently. When they broke apart, Lexi spotted Sirius through the kitchen window. His face was written with fury.
"Oh my God," Lexi said as her fingers fluttered towards her mouth.
Kieran followed Lexi's eyeline and saw the current boyfriend stood on the front lawn as still as a statue. Lexi heard him gulp.
They watched as Sirius stormed into the house. He grabbed Kieran by the front of his sweater and punched him.
"Get out of our house," Sirius said, seething. "From now on, you'll have contact through a contact centre. If you come anywhere near Lexi again, I will kill you. Get me?"
Kieran scrambled backwards away from Sirius and ran from the house.
When he was gone, Sirius turned on Lexi, and for a brief moment, she thought that he was going to hit her, but he didn't.
"I have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine and rage the likes of which you would not believe. If I cannot satisfy one, I will indulge in the other," Sirius said coldly. "Seeing as I can't hit you, I hit him. I love you so much, but I don't think you really love me. Do you?"
Sirius' face contorted. Lexi's thoughts spun out of control. Did she love him?
"DO YOU?"
Lexi shook her head in response, grabbed Alex, and fled from the house. When Lexi arrived at her mother's house and told Lacey what had happened, her sister flew at her.
"Are you completely fucking insane, Lex? Why would you do that to Sirius?" Lacey said, slamming her coffee cup down on the kitchen island. "He's a good man, and he adores you and Alex. You really are a selfish bitch. I hope Sirius never forgives you. I can barely stand to even look at you."
Lacey turned away from her twin to make a point.
"Lacey, please…" Lexi said, choking back a sob.
"You don't deserve forgiveness. You really don't. You need to sort your fucking head out. You can't have it both ways. I seriously suggest you re-evaluate your feelings before you jump into another relationship with anyone. I'm so done with you, Lexi."
With that, Lacey stormed out of the kitchen and up the stairs.
Lexi sobbed all the harder.
Lexi sat in her and Lacey's old playroom, watching Alex play. She rested her head against the wall, wondering what had gone wrong. It was simple: she had let herself get carried away with her relationship with Sirius. She should have just said no that she wasn't ready yet. But in typical Lexi fashion, she'd given in.
"Lacey just told me what happened," said her mother as she slipped into the room. "What a silly girl you are. Come here."
Rachel held Lexi as she sobbed on her shoulder. Her mother forgave her.
After putting Alex to bed, Lexi heard her mother and sister arguing from the kitchen. She sat at the top of the stairs, listening.
"At least it was just a kiss and nothing more. At least she didn't sleep with him," Rachel said as she and Lacey washed and dried up.
"Don't be so naive! Yes, it was only a kiss, but how long would it have been before she was jumping back into bed with that piece of shit?" Lacey said as she vigorously dried a plate. "Personally, I think Kieran did this deliberately because he's jealous. Do you know what? Those two are welcome to each other.
Sirius turned up at the house to see Lexi, but she refused to see him, hiding in her room until he left. She knew she needed to resolve this and soon. But right now, she didn't know what she wanted.
It was two weeks before she saw him again.
"Sirius, I'm so sorry, so sorry, but I can't do this. I can't keep stringing you along like this. You deserve better." Lexi refused to meet Sirius' eyes. "I just need time to sort my head out. It was silly of me to get into a relationship, especially as I'm not really over my divorce."
Sirius' jaw tightened, his face masked with anger. It was several minutes before he spoke again.
"Thanks for letting me know, Lex. He sighed. I really did love you, you know," Sirius said sadly.
"I know. A part of me loved you too, but just not enough to be able to give all of myself to this relationship," Lexi said, reaching out to touch Sirius' cheek.
Sirius' hand shot up and pressed her hand against his face for a moment before squeezing her fingers and moving her hand away.
"I'm going to put the house on the market, and whatever we get as an offer, I'll give you half, okay?" Sirius said as he turned away from her.
After that, Lacey refused to talk to Lexi about her relationship problems. Lacey's girlfriend, Brandy, thought maybe she was being a little too harsh.
"Everyone makes mistakes, including your sister," Brandy said from the bathroom. "I don't agree, but I also don't condemn."
As Lexi was coming up the stairs, she heard Brandy's comment. After all, the woman had a voice like a foghorn.
But Lacey felt her sister had been a complete idiot. How she'd let a guy like Sirius go, she didn't know.
Their mother, meanwhile, said that she had done the right thing in calling everything off so that she could have time to sort herself out. It would have been unfair to Sirius to make him wait as she worked out her feelings.
Lexi still thought about Sirius from time to time. She thought about how he would make her laugh and smile, how he seemed to make the impossible possible. Sometimes it was almost like magic.
Years later, a breaking news story caught her attention. The news reader said that a man named Sirius Black had been arrested for murder. Lexi didn't even recognise the man holding the police name card. She stared at the television screen long after the news programme finished and ignored the phone as it rang.
Beautiful, magical Sirius had killed someone.
In the back of her mind, Lexi knew she had got away from him at just the right time.