6
She snuck in there once, The Whyte Wyrm, when she was underage. She was pretty sure everybody knew that, but no one threw her out. The place was seeming unchanged but somehow seemed smaller, even with no one else there.
She didn't know where to go, or stand. For some reason Grace felt awkward. It was the first time that she had been back home and felt awkward.
Grace waked over to the tank and watched the white snake, not hearing FP behind her
"You wanna hold it?"
"Hell no. That lid can stay right on, there"
"Scared of snakes?"
"Any reptile or rodent, come to think of it. I never thought I'd be one of those women that jumped on a chair when a mouse was around. That was until there was one in my apartment"
"Jumped on a chair?"
"No, straight on to the bed and then I left the front door open and chased it out"
"They come back, you know?"
"Oh yeah, I found that"
"What did you do?"
"I moved" she told him laughing at herself
"You've been in the city for too long"
"You think I should move back?"
"I wouldn't be opposed to seeing you more"
"Maybe I should move to the Southside"
"Hmm, no" he chuckled "I'd ended up being your personal guard if that happened"
She stepped around him and wandered the Wyrm floor, nervously playing with her hands
"I'm not good at this. The damsel in distress, thing. Being weak. I'm normally the one to stand up and fixes the problem"
"Yeah, leaning on people must be hard of the pride for someone like yourself"
"Maybe I should confront him? You know if he is still in town"
"No"
"But what if he doesn't stop looking for me. What if he goes to Fred work?"
"Now that would be a conversation I'd like to hear"
"I'm serious"
"No, you're talking crazy"
He walked over and gently picked her up, placing her on the edge of the pool table
"Hey!"
"Shut up for a second. I need you to tell me what happened. What he did"
"Why does it matter?"
"It matters to me"
She sighed knowing she wasn't going away with not telling him anything. She wasn't getting away at all. FP's arms had boxed her in. She couldn't move even if she wanted too.
"It was a normal couple fight. We had been out all night, with my crowd which he never really liked because he was out of it, you know? We got home and it kicked off but he was more heated then he normally was. Being down on me, my job wasn't important in the scheme of the world, its rags and glitter. Who was I? It just kept escalating" she told him before taking a deep breath "I stopped talking. Thinking.."
"That it would defuse the situation"
"But it didn't. I was standing and bent down to take off my shoes because they were getting caught on the hem of my dress as I was walking around the apartment. Out of nowhere,Dalton pushed me side on into the wall, I slid down and I was on the floor. He might have kicked me, I don't remember for sure. He grabbed me by both my wrists, pulled me up and pushed me against the wall again and stormed out of the room"
FP's head dropped before he shook it. He felt her fingers brush either side of his head softly, slowly. Comforting him. He should have been comforting her, but that was very much who Grace was.
"Why do you keep coming to Pop's?"
"Free Wi-fi"
"Gracie?"
"I feel safe there"
"There?"
"Don't fish, FP"
"Then tell me the truth" She huffed annoyed before her hands fell "Gracie?"
"I feel safe with you, okay?" she told him impatiently "Maybe it's the prison thing I don't know."
He laughed and looked up at her
"Never thought the prison thing would bring in the chicks" he chuckled
"Just the really fucked up ones"
"You're not one of those"
"I'm finding refuge in a biker bar" she laughed
"With a felon"
They both laughed as she shook her head smiling
"My life, Ladies and Gentlemen" They didn't say anything for the longest time, but also didn't move. If anything, they moved closer "FP?"
"Hmm?"
"Why do you keep helping me?" she asked quietly, not looking at him, she couldn't
"Why would you think?"
"Brotherly devotion?"
She didn't really see it coming, although Grace should have. His head dropped down so they were face to face and she had to look at him
"Definitely not brotherly but if I kiss you. I know it won't end there and you're in no state for anything like that, right now"
"Yeah, you're probably right" she chuckled.
He sat next to her on the pool table and all she could think of all the other activities that this pool table must have seen. Surely she mustn't be the first woman to have sat there, like this.
"This guy's got nothing, Baby. He's not going to hurt you again"
"Not me I'm worried about"
She was feeling guilty for bring this to his doorstep. For involving any of them because of a man like Dalton. He wore loafers, for Christ sake. It was still beyond her understanding how she didn't get up and kick Dalton's ass herself. Grace was angry with herself and she was angry that she froze tonight. Grace had no idea who she was right now, she didn't like it.
"Stop thinking"
"I'm not one of those girls that think"
"You are one of those women who do nothing but think"
"You must have me confused with someone else"
She hopped off the pool table and walked over to the bar and grabbed a bottle of whiskey and a glass. Before she heard him wordlessly protest. Grace looked up surprised
"You probably shouldn't"
"I just wanna get a little hazy"
"You'll get more than that. You're on medication"
"Wow, geez thanks Fred and fun police"
"Gracie, put the damn bottle down"
She looked up at him quickly. Before doing exactly that and walking back over to him. Grace stood there, as close as she could
"I'm just kidding around" she said quietly brushing the back of his head
"It won't fix anything. Don't become me"
She kissed his forehead softly before he pulled her closer, his arms snaking around her waist
"Do you have any idea how much chemical and synthetic crap I did in the first few years in was in New York, hmm? Nobody is prefect, FP. Anybody that tells you that they are, is either delusional or lying" she brushed the hair out of his face "What you did. To look at yourself, look at what you're doing and actually change it. That takes strength and to keep going, to make that decision every damn day to stay on that path. That takes courage and that's what you're doing now. Now, that is the only thing that matters. You understand me?"
She didn't see it coming. He leant up and kissed her firmly, she had to hold on, not to get knocked down. He smiled when he felt her cling on to him. Once they broke apart, her lungs felt like they were longing for air.
"Damn it"
"I thought we weren't going to do that"
"We weren't"
"Okay" she told him softly before backing up slowly. Resting on a table opposite him
"What are you doing?" he asked standing up
"No, no. You stay right there. You're right, this is a terrible idea. Eventually I am going to go home"
"You are home"
"You know what I mean and this is nothing but trouble and its horrible timing"
"Three minutes ago I would have completely agreed" He said walking forward
"FP, seriously" she told him laughing "Stay there"
"What we're going to stay like this for the rest of the night?"
"If that's what needs to happen, yes"
"No"
"No?"
"No, or I'm putting you in the snake tank"
She turned and look back at the tank before she scoffed and turned back to him. Suddenly he had moved, he was right the in front her. She had to look up to see him.
" I wouldn't fit in there"
"Hmm, let's find out"
He quickly picked her up off the ground and carried her over to the tank. At first she thought he was kidding but once they started getting closer and wasn't slowing down, she started to get worried
"Oh my god, wait?" she asked trying to get over his shoulder and get as far away as she could, which actually wasn't far at all
"Are you going to stop being ridiculous?"
"Probably not"
"Then you're going in"
"No, please" she begged but laughed at the same time. He stopped and placed her back on the floor
"Finally got what I wanted"
"What was that?"
"The giggle"
She playfully pushed him and walked away, feeling his eyes on her the whole time. Grace liked it
