Disclaimer- I do NOT own Winx Club, but I do own all the evil stares being targeted my way. *cringes* No excuse just laziness, and I apologize. Hands over apology cake.
Special thanks to - EdBeLLs, aquaray8, Fairy Of Anime, winxfan16, princessofmusic21, Child of Nature, musaandriven101, for reviewing!
* I would also like to personally thank EdBeLLs for getting me back on my game. She kind of reminded me that I had some writing to do, ha-ha. So yea, this one's for you! Hope you guys like it!
Just to make it clear they both graduated high school at the age of seventeen, Musa's in her first year of college so he's in his second. Therefore Musa's eighteen going on nineteen, and Riven's nineteen going on twenty. Just thought you should know.
Previously on Why Can't I Stay -
"That's probably why he likes you."
"What do you mean?" Asked Musa. Plenty of girls could use magic, they were in Magix for crying out.
"You're different." She said standing up, now they were eye level.
"Um… Thank you." She answered
Ruby nodded before heading back to her room. "I'm tired. I'm going to take a nap. Be nice." She said closing her door. Right when she did that Musa heard the front door open.
Riven stepped in.
In a haste, Musa jumped from her resting spot which just so happened to be perfectly blocked by the sharp corner of the wall opposite her. She stood their frozen for a millisecond hopping from foot to foot nervously, before making a mad dash down the hall.
'Where the hell are you going?' she asked herself, not bothering to answer. Impatiently she shook her head; it didn't matter she needed a time out before she was ready to face him anyways. Making up her mind she quickened her step, causing herself to stumble. Awkwardly falling for the fifth time that day she managed to grab onto the first door handle in range. 'Bathroom, perfect!' she thought.
Pulling it open quickly making her way in she slumped against the door, which she was quick to lock. She quietly placed her right ear against the smooth wood work. She heard footsteps heading towards, not the hall, but probably the kitchen. She closed her eyes, relaxed and let out a slow, tiresome breath.
"Musa, Ruby!" Her heart stopped for a fraction of a second as she jumped hitting the top of her head against the door handle. 'Ouch!' She mumbled angrily rubbing the soar spot.
She knew she really should answer, but she hadn't gotten a chance to catch her breath yet. Plus it wasn't like he answered any of her questions lately, so with a boost of confidence she stood up squared her shoulders, swept the imaginary dirt off her jeans, threw her hair over her shoulders, and looked confidently into the mirror. She was taken back slightly, gloomy red eyes stared back at her and, that combined with the mess she called hair had her looking like she just finished…"Never Mind" she told herself running her finger tips through the bird's nest on her head.
"Get it together Muse!" Damn that nickname really stuck she sighed. "No decent person who's been chase down by a pair of scumbags on motorcycles, dragged to a shady complex, shocked to the point to where she passes out, forced to put out a fire, discovers her boyfriend not only dumped her but is mysteriously leaving, having an emotionally disturbing conversation with his in all sense of the word 'new' sister (who happens to act five years past her actual age), and who is currently hiding out in the bathroom having an out loud conversation with herself is expected to look ok!
"Right?" She asked
"Right!" She answered herself.
'Man I am losing it.' She thought. Pressing her forehead against the current enemy, being the mirror.
"Ok listen Muse…errrrrr Musa you're going to stop cowering, go out there and ask …no demand and some answers from that brooding man you used to call a boyfriend, and you're not leaving without some sort of explanation!
"Agreed?"
"Agreed!" She confirmed
Without a moment of hesitation she swung the door to the bathroom wide open ignoring the loud crash it made when it slammed against the wall. Stomping out she made her way to the kitchen, head held high. Musa was done playing nice if she wanted to know something, damn it she was going to ask.
"Riven! She called in what she hoped was an intimidating voice.
"Hn." Came his reply. Her eye twitched, one syllable that's all she got? She halted her steps.
"Come here!" She growled. Silence fell over the apartment. She crossed her arms tightly around her chest and waited. She wasn't budging in fact she didn't care how stupid she looked standing in the middle of his living room. She was done coming to him. This time her was going to come to her, no exceptions.
Silently, and with a boat load of retrain on her part, she waited a good four minutes before her impatience got the best of her. She tapped her right foot repeatedly against the carpeted floor, drumming her fingers on her forearms. She was mere seconds away from losing it and strangling the mother fuc-, you get the point, when he decided to call back.
"Is Ruby ok?" He asked in a board tone.
"Fine." She snapped. She wasn't stupid, she could practically hear the smirk spreading across his face.
There was another period of heavy silence until he called back.
"Then?" He asked
That's it tightening her fists she stomped into the kitchen ready to deliver a few good punches.
"Listen here you arrogant.." She stopped in her tracks and instead glared. "Hello I'm speaking to you! At least have the decency to look at me when I'm insulting you." She growled. she didn't like speaking to anyone's back, especially not his. No matter how good looking it was. 'Jesus Musa get it together!' She thought.
Now completely agitated she gripped his shoulder pulling him back so she could side step him. If you thought she was pissed then, all hell broke lose now. In his hand was nothing more than his Blackberry Storm with he was shamelessly pressing away at the touch screen , in the middle of a freaking text message. He hadn't even sparred her a glance yet.
"I'm fucking talking to you!" She snapped
"More like screaming." He answered not looking up.
"Put the freakin phone away Riven!" She stomped, angry that she missed his foot.
Sighing he pocketed the device giving her an agitated look before side stepping her.
"Where are you going now?" She sighed massaging the bridge of her nose, following him into the hall.
He didn't answer her, just continued on his way, till he came to the second to last door of the hall. It was ruby's room she knew this, but there was no need for him to check on her, she told him she was fine did she not? Was she that unreliable to him?
"Good to know we got passed the trust factor." She stated sarcastically, but in a hushed voice since he opened the door to the room. He stepped in about to close the door behind him, but she grabbed the frame telling him she was coming. They stood there for a good two minutes, glare against glare, until he finally succumbed and let her step through.
The room was dark, and the shades were drawn tightly. She hadn't noticed it before but the curtains were pitch black completely drowning out the summer sun. She was about to ask, but he was already half way across the room digging through one of the packed boxes before pulling out a small, white box. How he could see so well in the dark, she decided not to ask. She was still standing near the door letting the thin shimmer of hall light entering though the bottom of the door guide her.
"What is that?" She asked.
"Shhh!" He shot back.
She closed her mouth and let him continue, so much for not backing down. She watched him move over to the Ruby's bed side where he knelt down, opening the box he carried. He pulled out a …what was that? She moved closer leaning over his shoulder, she could faintly make out the shape of another box, but this one was much more detailed. It had a golden design wrapping it's way around the corners leaving trails of lavender glitter in it's absence. They was a small hand carved handle on the side that he proceeded to turn. She watched as the small box lit up and let out a soft tune.
She didn't recognize it which was odd all on it's own, she would have to ask about it later.
Gently he placed it next to ruby's pillow, before picking the small girl up, setting her comfortably in the middle of the bed. She was huddled so close to the edge she looked ready to fall. What Musa found funny was the fact that she was covered from head to toe, with the covers drawn over her head. Riven pulled them down though tucking it under her chin instead.
He stepped back for a second, examining her, making sure everything was ok, before walking toward the door. Musa sighed, she saw the look he gave her and she knew if it ever came down to it, Ruby would always win. Sweeping a piece of magenta hair out of her sleeping face she wondered about the small girl.
Where did she come from? Where were Riven's parents? Why was this the first time she ever heard of her? Did any of the guys know? Where were they headed? All of these questions pounding around in her head desperate to be answered were taking their toll on her.
Turning she made her way out of the room, shutting the door gently, afraid of waking her.
"So are you planning on explain things, or am I expected to sit back and wait for you to come to a consensus on whether or not I'm worthy of that?" She asked resting against the door frame of his room.
"Well I was kind of hoping you could just take things as they are. We shake hands and promise to keep in touch even though we both know it's one hell of a lie." He answered walking into his room picking up random pieces of clothing here and there, throwing them into a nearby box.
"That simple, huh?" She asked folding her arms around herself fighting back the tears.
"I might have bothered explaining if I knew it make a difference." He said closing the now fully packed box.
"How do you know it won't?" She snapped Wiping the tears from the corner of her eyes.
"Because everything's already been decided." He shrugged
"Oh right, and I forgot how little my opinion has on everything." She screamed letting he emotions show completely. Agitated she slammed the door behind her.
"It's not personal." He said lifting the heavy box placing it on his bed before getting his gear together.
"Everything that happens between you and me is personal!" She snapped shoving the box he was currently filling to the ground , it's content going along with it.
"You really should learn to keep you temper in check Muse, not sure how many guys are willing to put up with it." He breath, running his hand through his hair, before going to pick it up.
She was furious! Worst than that she was hurt. How could he? Did she really mean that little to him. Did he really find her no more dispensable than a trash bag, did he not love her anymore? Did he ever? What did she do as far as she knew she did everything to the best of her abilities, the only thing they hadn't done was…no it couldn't be? Was that it? Did he expect more out of her, that his current frustration with her because of...
She couldn't even think straight anymore, even as she watched him pick everything up and put it away neatly, packing up everything ready to leave her there, clueless as always. What was one to do in a situation as this, were they to sit back and watch it happen, or cling to him making it impossible for him to get free?
Better yet, maybe she should just go ahead and do what she knew she should had done the second she laid eyes on him. From the very first time she saw him there, standing outside red fountain, leaning against his bike head tilted up toward the cloudy sky. She remembered it clearly like the day she won her fist clarinet recital. She remember wondering what he was doing there, why he wasn't in class? It was the middle of the day way to early for lunch plus she knew for a fact that all classes were in session now.
The only reason she was there was because she had a few questions for the nurse on medical practices on earth. But he caught her attention before she could make it to the door. What possible reason could he have for cutting class; weren't all red fountainers completely dedicated to their training? This one definitely wasn't. Maybe he wasn't even a student she remembered thinking. So without further hesitation she quickened her stride and continued in his general direction, but she stopped once again when she saw him pull out a pack of cigarettes along with a lighter.
"You know you get cancer from that?" She found herself saying, halting her step. Which as soon as she did knew it was a mistake.
"Easily curable here in Magix." He said nonchalantly.
He seemed completely unfazed which led her to believe that he knew she was there the entire time. She remembered tilting her head and watching him carefully as he took a long drag from his cigarette.
"You know it's rude to stare, and here I thought pixies were good little girls." He smirked. And that's when it happened that signature smirk of his, she knew without out a flicker of a doubt that if she didn't start walking again, she wouldn't like the outcome, but for some reason she couldn't bring herself to move. Instead she answered with the first thing that came to mind.
"W-Were fairies, not p-pixies." She answered
"Really? When them tell me fairy. He said looking directly at her for the first time, magenta eyes locked on hers.
"Are you a good little girl?" He Smirked dropping his cigarette crushing it with the bottom of his shoe, before walking away.
And that was that, the last time remembered seeing him, until of course they were introduced later on, on their mission to earth that had them all on the menu list for a hungry ogre.
Knocking herself out of her thoughts she decided to go ahead and give it one last shot, four years was a long time and she be damned if she let it go without a fight, but when she opened her mouth to scream she found it came out more as a whisper.
"Why are you doing this to us? Do you have no idea how much I love you? How much I've done for you? How much I'm willing to do for you?" She could hear he voice cracking but she pushed forward she was determined to get through to him.
"What about everything you've put into this, the last four years. Are you just so eager to give that up too. Were all those years of training for nothing, are they as dispensable as I am?" She asked not bothering to look at him.
"Stop making yourself the victim Musa, it don't look good on you." He whispered back, doing a much better job of controlling himself then she was.
"Then what am I if not the victim in this twisted, sick game of yours?" She finally managed to scream tears falling from her eyes as she attempted to knock the last packed box from his hand, but failed in the attempt. He managed to grab both her arm, but she struggled against his grasp, completely infuriated with him.
"Musa stop acting like a brat already." He said with a hint of agitation in his voice.
"Don't fuckin tell me what to do!" She screamed fighting him to the peak of her abilities.
Riven really didn't have time for this, he had a ride to catch in less than two hours, he didn't have time or the patience to sit here and baby-sit her, to hand her an ice-cream cone to try and cover up the wound of disappointment.
What's done was done; there was no going back, she simply had to learn that no, hard work and dedication doesn't always guarantee you a happy ending. They may have came from completely different places, but truth of the matter was that the universe no matter what corner of it you come from is still the same universe. and the rules of the game are still the same. The only difference is one player's always luckier than the other.
He could feel her wearing herself out, but he could also fell her anger building with every failed attempt she made. She needed to calm herself down or she without a doubt end up hurting herself, but she was to furious to think straight at the moment.
Finally at the wit of his ends Riven snapped, he had enough of her at the moment. This was getting them absolutely nowhere, they were wasting time and just getting more agitated with one another. Musa's little temper tantrum was beginning to annoy him to the point where he didn't thing he'd be able to stand her for the next few days.
So taking a hold of her rather forcefully her he roughly pinned her the bed forcing her to quit her thrashing. He made sure to trap her legs in case she got the idea to knee him. He saw the look on her face and knew he was a dead man if he didn't say something and say something fast. He didn't think he'd ever seen her more angry than what she was now. Her breathing was heavy her eyes were blazing and she really hadn't let up her struggle yet. He was about to say something when she beat him to it.
" Why are you so determined to push me away! Tell me am I that much of a bother to you that you try so hard to fuck up everything we've been through, every last thing we've worked for. Or is it the simple fact that I refuse to put out for you? Is the grand shit know as Riven pissed at his girlfriend for having some class. Tell me because I'm clearly at a lost, do we mean absolutely nothing to you? Is our relationship as dispensable as you make it seem?" She screamed helplessly pushing against him.
Riven had enough, he tried he really did he wanted to avoid this at all costs, but that was the last straw. He knew he was a screw up, but she needed to understand that this was above them, it had nothing to do with them.
He tried to get up and go, but now he was agitated and pissed and no matter how hard he tried to keep his anger under control he couldn't , so he did the only thing Riven knew how to do in a situation like this. He lashed out.
"You think you know everything huh? Well believe it or not this isn't about you or even about me! So don't you for one second make the mistake of thinking that it is! What we have here is shit compared to what we could have, what she could have!
Look I'm sorry for dragging you into this. I apologize if I ever led you believe that what we had was forever, but I sure as hell meant it when I said that you deserve better, and it's about fuckin time you figured that part out! Grow up Musa and stop coexisting in this little dream of yours were everything works out ok, because you're a good person or because you try hard.
I never planned to stick around forever, I never planned on meeting you, and I sure as hell didn't plan on becoming a guardian at the age of nineteen, but life's a bitch and you have to learn to take it when it fucks you the wrong way, so excuse me for wanting something better, for wanting something better for you and her!" He breath in a low angry tone, using all his will power from holding her any tighter then he already was.
His face was millimeters from her and he knew the look he was giving her, but as always she didn't back down. She'd been at the receiving ends of those stared for a while now. What would make a normal person cringe and go into hiding only had her heart beating faster.
She closed her eyes and swallowed hard taking a deep breath before meeting his glare head on.
"You do not know how sick and tired I am of people wanting something for me. What about what I want! Do I not get the liberty of making my own mistakes to learn, to get out of the steal cage I've been forced to live in my entire life. I'm eighteen years old I'm not a child. I know you think I deserve better, that you're no good for me. I get it, I'm not stupid I see the way you look at me. The way you hold back whenever we're so close to the main prize.
I get that you think of me as some way out of your league chick that deserves to have the world at her feet, but turns out we're both looking for the same thing here Riven. And whether or not you choose to acknowledge it we both found it. Right here with each other. " She whispered, all her anger vanishing as quickly as it came.
She could feel his grip loosening, before slowly vanishing completely. She knew she could get up whenever she wanted to, but that's the thing, she didn't want too. She felt content, they finally said it, said every last freakin thing on their minds, and now all that was left was to see where they ended up. She closed her eyes and laid there comfortably on his bed even as she heard him walk out the door. She felt ok, because she knew that whether he liked it or not he'd be back. All she had to do was wait.
Alright well there you have it! I tried to make it as long as possible without giving too much away too early on. Well I'd like to thank all of you for reading and such so yea.
Anyways I was talking with my sister on my bad updating habits and she gave me a really good idea, and I decided to try it.
Ok here's the deal, I ask you guys for ten reviews and after I have all ten reviews I am obligated to update within one week. If I lose and don't make the deadline then I have to answer one question about the story, and I can't give a maybe answer, or a you'll find out soon enough answers, or a half answer. It'll be a simple yes or no answer with no beating around the bush.
The reason she said this was because she knows how much I hate sneak peaks or spoiler when it comes to my stories, but people always want to know, so I was like why not. That way I will without (hopefully) a doubt update faster. Which is always good! Plus if i win you win, and if i lose you still win! Where's the fairness in that? LOL!
Well thanks again and see you next time, hopefully a lot soon than last time!
PEACE :)