A day off never meant much to Calvin in the year he'd been working for the lackadaisy speakeasy. It seemed as though there was always something to be done. And while Calvin had learned to enjoy the company of many of his fellow rum runners, it was nice to be without the commotion of burning down a barn or planning an attack with a machine gun all in the name of an illicit beverage.
The only gripe the young man could pose on the day was not being able to see his ecstatic dance floor loving girlfriend. He loved every moment they had spent together since they had met and had genuinely found comfort in her presence in his bleak profession. Ivy Pepper, just thinking about her made him feel at ease. With a personality that never failed to make him smile and action that never failed to make him blush he didn't have a doubt in his mind he was in love with her. Calvin had thought for a moment that, in a less secretive existence, she'd join him on his day off while he tended to his home, even being able to make her lunch and just having one of their many interesting conversations. But that wasn't the world they were born into.
Regardless, after a long day of maintaining his family home and reading some of his favorite books, he was content with knowing that the girl he loved was likely at the daisy enjoying the music and preventing an annoyed Vicktor from murdering his older cousin. There would be plenty more occasions to spend time with her after a well earned and good rest.
The gentle throws of sleep began to take their form in heavy eyes and relaxed muscles. "A great end to a nearly perfect day" Calvin said to himself. "Oh cousin, I could have made it outstanding", Calvin's eyes shot open and looked out the window next to his bed to see a pair of eyes accompanied by asymmetrical ears.
Calvin leaned up to completely open the window. Rocky wasted no time coming through only to wind up on the floor. The first thing that was obvious about the older cousin's appearance, outside of his unexpected presence, was his disheveled attire. And while the theatrics were never in short supply, they were at least coordinated. An approach made the smell of alcohol more prominent. "I regret to inform you that your damsel is in the utmost distress".
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The lackadaisy has been seeing a magnificent amount of business in the recent months and tonight was no exception. The hall was filled with the alluring sound of music and the sights only found in fashion galas of the day. Ms. May, the speakeasy's owner had decided to celebrate the night with drinks and the company of a classier group of women from her older days. While the company of her faithful band leader and friend, Zib, were entertaining he was currently occupying the stage making an honest point to be so for the s. Then there was Viktor, he was at least learning to make conversation with those he attended at the bar, even if they were just that of other criminals who found their way into the club. And Rocky, god she didn't even want to think about what he was occupying himself with.
The most talkative member of her employees was sitting next to Mitzi May though, Miss Pepper. The Women had loved her company with the myriad of topics the young lady had been talking to them about and she was happy that her youthful knowledge of current events was appreciated by the company.
Ivy was also thankful to be able to drink a more tasteful beverage than the sunset rose cocktail her and the boys acquired last September. She wasn't much of a drinker. Sure a few here and there but the young woman had never been drunk, she was always cut off by those around her before she could go too far. But tonight was filled with too much laughter and drinking from all parties to notice any limits being broken.
The conversations eventually evolved to asking each other about their partners after Mitzi had been teased about not having her "Sedge" with her tonight. "And how is Mr. McMurray Ivy?" One of the ladies had eventually prompted. "Don't we owe the liveliness of the evening to the success of him and his cousin?" She asked with a tone of admiration. Ivy blushed a little, somewhat from the now intensing intoxication but, mostly at being caught without her partner.
It was true, Rocky and Calvin had grown a reputation in the St. Louis underworld. 'Miss Mitzi's trouble boys' as they were referred to. While Rocky was great at finding an angle Calvin was always the one to make sure it stayed straight by any means necessary. And those means involved a toll on Calvin most of the time and in more ways than one. Ivy was well aware of the emotional burden that her lover had with some of the things he's done but his body has also been affected by the business their in. specifically remembering a time not too long ago when a bullet grazed Calvin's side in a shootout while on a run. The wound was patched up and the man made a speedy recovery, but he was in pain for a time afterwards, and that's just the most recent injury not mentioning the dozens of others.
Ivy thought of Calvin as a kind and caring man, not usually the type to be associated with this kind of place. A place Ivy loved, a place she had a connection to, a place that was hurting the person she loved the most to help keep it going, a place she was enjoying while he was at home trying to keep his other home together. Suddenly a sharp pain grabbed Ivy by the stomach.
"He's doing great" the young woman tried to say with a smile that was suddenly hard to put on. "He's at home today taking care of some stuff he's had to put off around his house". The words we're starting to sting as they came out.
"Good with a hammer and a gun? Don't let him run away girl or the whole place might go down" one of the women said, prompting the others to laugh. Ivy simply looked down at her now empty drink, her smile was completely gone. "Yeah" she meekly got out. She placed the glass on the table in front of her and excused herself. Mitzi took notice of this and almosted followed, choosing rather to watch her move to a corner of the hall and fiddle with her necklace.
Mitzi looked around for Rocky, eventually seeing him with a drink in his hand talking to members of the band. At least he was able to enjoy the spoils of his labor. The older woman motioned towards him, to which he eagerly made his way over hoping not to disappoint his boss. "Go get your cousin dear, I think Ivy might need the company right now".
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"You call it drunk driving, I call it a willingness to use the sidewalk" The inebriated cousin said. "I call it a reason for you not to drive" Calvin had said turning off his street and onto the main road. The early night air had gotten cold and the breeze coming in through the car window along with the overcoat being the only top clothing he was wearing had not helped. Though it wasn't the most pressing thing on the young man's mind.
"She didn't say anything other than Ivy needs me?" Calvin pressed Rocky, trying to get anything he could to help Ivy faster. "Yep, our employer was quite specific on you being the key to her happiness" Rocky said with an upbeat tone contrasting Calvin's own. The driver took a worried look, not going unnoticed by his passenger. "What's wrong with that?" Rocky asked.
The car was filled only with the sound of wind rushing by until Calvin said "I don't think I deserve Ivy, or at least she doesn't deserve to love a killer." Rocky was for once speechless, it was an a shame they didn't have a camera to capture the miracle.
If you asked Calvin to be honest, he'd tell you he felt like a monster most days. He'd say 'most' because at least the times where he's been patched up he could focus on that pain more than his emotions. He was a killer, no excuses, he even had a reputation as one of the trouble boys for being a killer. There were so many night where he could hear the judgment of those he loved and respected, where he dreamed he wouldn't be able to join Ivy in heaven because of the things he's done.
"I don't think she thinks that Calvin, no one who knows you thinks of you as just a killer. Especially Ivy". Calvin and Rocky sat there for a moment just soaking in the words spoken. "You killed to fight and save something that means a lot to so many people. You've killed to save me and others before. You've done a lot more good than the bad it took to do it, you should be proud of yourself, god knows I'm proud of you."
It was Calvin's turn to be shocked. He genuinely didn't expect that to come from Rocky. The cousins shared a deep bond and have since childhood but never has anything like that ever come from Rocky. The words hit Calvin hard though and he saw a lot of truth in it, something he'd have to think more on later.
Calvin came to a stop in front of the little daisy cafe. He looked at his cousin and said "thank you" before rushing into the establishment and finding the hidden entrance to the speakeasy.
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Ivy had managed to sneak a glass and a bottle of cheap wine over to the corner after she had left the ladies. She figured if she'd keep drinking the pain she was feeling would lessen. She didn't want to feel this guilt, she didn't want to be the reason Calvin was killing himself.
She'd managed to get a full 4 glasses down before the unmistakable stomping of a large Slavic found his way over to her. "You're done for tonight" Viktor said while reaching for the bottle. Ivy put up a small fight but was ultimately too disoriented to do anything. Viktor looked down at her, she was a mess, her hair had come undone, her dress was tinkled from where she had clearly been gripping it for the last hour and make-up that was running only enough to notice. The old man felt sad for his young friend, this was the girl that was like a daughter to him. "Do you vant I beat someone up" he tried to joke. A forced giggle came from Ivy before saying "thank you vicktor but the last thing I want is more violence."
With the best of Viktors emotional skills exhausted, he left Ivy telling her that he was at the bar she had needed anything. Anything but a drink of course. Ivy was left alone again, only this time without that drink to help distract her. Ivy started to think about all the time she had spent in this damned speakeasy while her boyfriend risked life, limb, and mind to insure she could do so. And what happened when she came with him and his cousin on one of these runs? She played cards while he got shot at in the pouring rain. Even when she was trying to be useful by haphazardly fixing the car, he got too distracted trying to save her and caught a bullet to the side of the head. And that's just the ones she was a part of, who knows what else he's been through. And all Ivy could think was 'it's your fault'.
She was pulled out of her drunk depression for a moment by a deep voice going "hey kid". Zib, one of her favorite jazz cats, had come over "I was taking a break and Mitzi said you might have a few good song suggestions, maybe even that you'd wanna come on stage and show off one of those new dances." The gentleman was being truthful for the most part. Mitzi simply asked him to come cheer her up, but Zib knew that the young woman loved the music both audiotorally and physically. "No thank you Zib, I don't really feel like I deserve that right now" Ivy had said. "Why is that hun?" Zib asked, sitting next to her on the chair. There was simply silence between the two. Ivy didn't know what to say, her body hurt too much to speak every time she tried to find the words. Zib took notice and simply gave her a hug. "It's ok kiddo, if you wanna hear anything you come up and tell us. And let's not have another drink tonight ok?" Ivy genuinely appreciated the gesture and nodded when he walked away.
The damage was done though. The booze had sat in and she wasn't sobering up anytime soon. Her stomach hurt, her head was spinning and all she could tell herself was that she deserved it. She didn't deserve to enjoy the alcohol, not after what it tolled.
Ivy was again snapped out of her depression for a moment to realize that another pair of shoes was standing near her. Not looking up, she said "Rocky I'm sorry but I'm a little too drunk for your verbal stunting." She felt the individual sit next to her and say, in a much more comforting and familiar voice to the assumed Rocky, "don't worry, I won't do anything of the sort." Ivy's head shot up and was rewarded with the sight of her boyfriend.
She didn't know how to feel at that moment. The first thing to come over her was the guilt that he would now have to deal with his drunk girlfriend, but she could never look at him and not feel a sense of comfort. Her mental conflict was halted by the approach of Mitzi.
"Honey, it's too late for you to go back to your dorm in this condition" she said with a motherly tone. "I'm gonna sit you up in the guest bedroom upstairs. Calvin If you would like to spend the night you're more than welcome."
A blush crept up on both of the young couples faces. Calvin was the first to respond with a simple "ok", being a tad too flustered from the sudden invitation. Ivy on the other hand had too many things going through her head to respond outside of a nod. She felt like she'd be burdening him by having to sleep in a bed that wasn't his own.
Ivy gripped Calvin's hand and leaned against him for a moment before saying in a soft tone "you don't have to if you don't want to." He looked down at her and said "I don't think I could pass up such a great opportunity." She blushed a little and gave a small smile, the first genuine one she's put on since sitting down.
"Sorry to interrupt this sweet moment but why don't we go ahead and get you upstairs and cleaned up" Mitzi said. Ivy nodded and stood herself up, but she had immediately regretted her choice. Ivy had never been so drunk she couldnt walk straight, somthing she hadnt considered before gulping down over half a bottle of wine on top of her few shots of whisky from earlier, but not being able to stand straight was new to her. She reached her max hight to be met with the feeling of the room having been placed on a marigoround. Just as she felt herself start to fall she remembered the hand she was still losley gripping onto for comfort, whether it be for her own or his she wasnt sure, and felt it pull her closer in a quick but gentle manner.
It had all happened so fast, not fast enough for her not to feel embarrassed that he had to catch her from falling down though. Both Mitzi and Calvin made sure Ivy was alright before Calvin had offered "would you like me to carry you?" She blushed a little at the question, one part of her was screaming to 'jump into his arms and let him carry you to bed' and the other had just kept repeating the same sentiment it had been for the past hour 'you just keep burdening him with your problems'. Feeling her legs wobble under her small frame told her that it was likely in everyones best interest if she accepted the offer.
With her permission, Calvin put his left arm behind her knees with his right on her back and gently lifted her off her feet. She'd been held by Calvin before, but something about the way he was doing it now was so much better than anytime before. The coat Calvin was wearing wasn't very thick and left a decent amount of his chest exposed. Ivy wrapped her left arm around his neck but let her right hand explore what was exposed. She'd known the man had gained some muscle since working for the speakeasy but she had rarely seen him without a shirt. Being this close though, she could feel the muscles she was pressing her hand in face into.
Everything felt right, like nothing could be wrong if she just stayed where she is. And that's exactly what she wanted, she wanted to just bury her head into Calvin's chest and never have another disparaging thought. She didn't want to think about when Calvin inevitably puts her down that she will feel guilty for needing to be carried.
Ivy looked up at Calvin, catching his attention, and received a smile for her effort. She wanted to kiss him, she wanted to do anything to make up for her perceived discrepancy. "I'm gonna sit you down here so you can go wash up with Mitzi" Calvin told her. She responded by placing both her arms around his neck and hugging him for a moment, to which he happily reciprocated. Ivy let herself stand on the floor with a little more balance then her last attempt and took Mitzi's hand
"Calvin, why don't you go make sure the guest bedroom is ready" Mitzi instructed pointing to a door down the hall from the bathroom. Calvin nodded and left the ladies. He looked down at Ivy before leaving and noticed she had a tear running down her face before it disappeared behind the door.
Calvin made his way to the room and began to mindlessly get the bed ready while thinking about the night. Is what Rocky said true? Why would she be crying? Why was she drinking like that? Was he the problem? All these questions and actions yet nothing is clear to him so far. He's trying to show her that he isn't the killer everyone says he is.
Calvin remembered entering the speakeasy after Horacio rushed to let him in, something the talkative gentleman wasn't known for. His only thought walking into the cavern was trying to find Ivy in the sea of patrons. He ended up running into Zib and Viktor beforehand though. Zib simply told him that he'd go let Mitzi know he was there but Viktor did something that caught the young man off guard. He seemingly appreciated his presence with a look of ease, almost like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and said "she is in back corner, she will be happy to see you." Viktor had been less 'Viktor-ish' towards Calvin as of recently but this was the first time he seemed even slightly happy to see him.
After following the direction indicated, he finally got a glimpse at Ivy. She looked like she'd been thrown out a window. It broke Calvin's heart to see her in that condition. Ivy is such a joyful person, the idea of her crying is almost foreign. It was then that, despite not knowing what the problem was, that he decided he'd do anything to make it right.
And here he was, sitting on the edge of a bed nowhere near close to knowing what's wrong while she was still in pain. Calvin's ears shot up hearing the door start to open. His eyes were met with Ivy walking in dressed in a smaller white nightgown, he was sure belonged to Mitzi. Her fur was far more tamed and clean of runny make up than what it was when he left her. She still looked sad though, and as beautiful as he found her, it was the most noticeable thing in that moment.
Calvin stood up and walked over to Ivy, gently taking her hand and leading her to the bed. Mitzi stood in the doorway for a moment motioning Calvin to come her way. "Don't worry about waking up early, just sleep as long as you two need." She said closing the door before the young man could get out a response.
It was just the two of them now. Calvin turned around to see Ivy sitting on the bed with her hands interlocked in one another. He walked back over and sat next to her. "I'm sorry I wasn't around today" he said "but I'm here now and I won't leave until you're happy and safe ok?" He continued, reaching for her hands to try and hold.
Before he was able to reach them he noticed she was shaking and asked "are you cold?" to which she simply nodded her head. Calvin stood up and removed his coat with the intention of wrapping it around Ivy but was shocked when he turned around to see her crying. She sat there trembling at the sight of his body. It wasn't just the mark on his side that caught her attention, but the ones on his back, shoulders, and stomach that finally broke her.
Calvin immediately dropped his jacket and rushed over to her "what's wrong" he asked frantically "do you -" he was cut off by Ivy wrapping her arms around him. "I'm sorry Calvin" she sobbed into chest "I'm so sorry for what this life is doing to you." Calvin was taken back but decided the best thing he could do in the moment was simply return the embrace.
He could feel her tears dampening his chest, her body quivering under him. "It's so obvious that the things you do for this place bother you. I hear it in your voice, I see it in your eyes and I'm sorry it took me this long to see it." Ivy said with a noticeable amount of pain in her voice. "You're such an amazing person and no one here is deserving of someone like you. Least of all me."
The room was filled with silence, Ivy didn't know what was going through Calvin's mind but when she tried to pull away from the embrace she was shocked to be pulled back in. "I've been thinking that people only saw me as a killer." Calvin said "I can deal with the wounds and the nightmares but I'd lay awake wondering if you'd see me like that." He continued. Ivy was shocked but understood what he was saying. "You're my hero" Ivy responded, her voice a little calmer.
"You deserve a hero Ivy, and I'm honored to be yours. You have my word I'll never do anything that I'd think would take me away from you." he said, holding her a little tighter as he did. The room was again silent until Ivy said "I love you." Calvin responded by separating slightly and softly leaning her chin up to meet her eyes, placing his lips on hers.
Ivy wasted no time leaning into the kiss. She had barely noticed being picked up and laid down on the bed with her head on the pillow, their embrace nor mouths ever separated during the action.
Calvin wasn't much of a romantic but something about this felt natural to him. The way his hand was gripping her waist and the other gently on her cheek. Feeling her warmth under him. Hearing her momentary gasps between kisses. It's like his body was automated for this alone.
Ivy on the other hand, while still very much numbed by the alcohol, was shaking in excitement over her love's newly found energy. She allowed her own hands to explore his torso. Starting with his chest, feeling his muscles, and leading down to his stomach where she inevitably found his scars.
He noticed her fingers linger on the spot but was quick to use a hand to guide hers up to his chest. She felt the quick but soothing feeling of his heart beating. He pulled his lips away and pressed his forehead against hers saying "as long as this beats I'll always be here for you, there's nothing in this world that will change that." He finished the moment by placing a gentle kiss on her cheek.
Ivy was over the moon at this point, her head swimming with ideas. In a moment of uncharacteristic romantic boldness, even for her, she began to lift her nightgown up to reveal her thighs. "Calvin" she said, a blush creeping up her face. "I think my hero deserves a reward."
Beginning to feel his original flustered self coming back, he used the last bit of his new found energy to place a kiss on her neck. Once he pulled away he brought his mouth to her ear and whispered "as much as I'd love to, I wouldn't forgive myself if I did so while you were intoxicated." He pulled away to see her pouting playfully to which he responded "you'll want to remember what I can do for you."
Her face was completely red from his words. And while she was disappointed, she was equally happy to know her boyfriend was a gentleman. Along with being happy that her first time was not going to be while she was drunk in her bosses house.
Calvin leaned up and laid back down on the opposite side of the bed. He held his arm closed to Ivy out, she didn't waste any time crawling into it and resting her head on his chest. The two looked at each other for a moment, both having love and appreciation for the other in their eyes.
As they both felt those same eyes start to get heavy, he spoke one last time "I love you Ivy, more than anything on this earth I'll always want you to be happy." She replied by saying "I love you Calvin, and I'm always here to make sure you're happy too."
The two slowly felt their breathing sync, eyes close completely, and warmth combined. Today hadn't been the day either of them expected but they'd do it all over again if it meant the same ending.