Disclaimer: I do not own Winx Club.
Chapter One: Misery Loves Company
Perhaps she should feel awkward. After all, Aisha was near her mid-thirties heading to the nightclub. She was alone. It'd been almost a decade since Winx did stuff like this together. Clubbing was something they'd outgrown: Tecna was always curt about that, Stella was even more harsh. There were many reasons Aisha had yet to retire from clubbing. She'd always loved to dance. She never catered to ageist ideologies or social pressures of good/bad behavior. Additionally, insomnia sometimes had her up until the early AMs. She'd seen many sunrises from a bar, VIP room, or rooftop. The only thing Aisha felt ashamed about was whom she was giving her money to. This was Riven's nightclub.
Despite knowing each other for almost two decades, they were not friends. They went from hating each other to indifference. Indifference later became a mutually beneficial partnership after the death of her husband, and his best friend. Riven's clubs gave her a place to go when nighttime became too much. In return, she never stopped promoting him on social media. She doubted he was in attendance, but staff knew her. She walked to the front of the line, and the bouncer immediately let her inside. Aisha went to her booth and ordered herself a bottle of green tea. Perhaps a strange choice for a club, but Aisha was living a clean, sober life. She craved control.
Aisha hated tropes. She hated how most books and movies were riddled with dependent relationships, faux edginess, cringe, and cliches. She especially hated the way women were depicted, especially career women like herself. She hated movies that made it seem like career women needed the fulfillment of a man and children to make their lives' complete. Most of all, Aisha hated that she had become everything she hated.
Aisha had been that career woman when Nabu Ophir entered her life. They'd followed every typical romantic movie except the happily ever after. She would do anything to have had that. She would've kept the house orderly, had perfect children, kept her husband happy, and maintained her business. She could've done it all. Nabu had made her life complete. They were perfect. Everybody rooted for that relationship. So when he died she found herself lost, heartbroken, confused, but most of all angry. She didn't know how long she let rage, bitterness, and hurt consume her. There were so many events that she was technically present for, but spiritually wasn't there. Life went on, but she was still stuck. There was nobody around her that understood her. They didn't know her pain. She started to resent those around her.
When the anger subsided, she wanted to make up for being such a draining force in her friend group. She became everyone's cheerleader. She was now their confident especially for their romantic issues. She wiped many of Musa's tears with her on and off again relationship with Riven. She sat through a lot of talk she truly thought was trivial with Stella. She helped Tecna open up to Timmy. She helped Flora date again. Lastly, she promised to be present and helpful for Bloom's wedding. She forced herself up and decided to dance.
The friends made in college are more likely to last a lifetime. At that time Riven wouldn't consider anyone at Red Fountain friends. He was always a loner. He had wanted to graduate, get a stable job and nothing more. He thought it had been a gamble sending a guy like him to military school. However it had paid off. He did need structure. He also didn't let Red Fountain break him, he'd always been hothead it, but he truly felt his school made him less of a hothead and more of a thinker. He'd also gained friends.
As the military goes, he'd also lost friends too. Maybe he should be grateful that his circle was still relatively large. He had connections to most of his friends in college. Adult friendships are significantly different than in college. The days roll by. Now the friends he'd see everyday, he'd be lucky to talk to monthly. Despite everything he knew what was going on in his friends' lives. He would also see them soon. Bloom and Sky were finally tying the knot. They'd be the only in their group to do so. Sweet Flora let a thug sweep her off her feet, crushing Helia. He did everything in his power to ignore Brandon and Stella's on and off again relationship and Tecna and Timmy's boring one. Lastly, he looked after his best friends' wife.
Nobody seemed to be aware how lost Aishia Ophir was. He knew. Aisha usually tagged his club. Sometimes, he would see her in her section dancing by herself, sitting in thought or sleeping. She would dance all night and not sleep until the AMs. He would let the staff clean as usual and stay in his office until she woke. He never said anything. Instead, Aisha would jolt up, get acclimated to her surroundings, go to the bathroom to throw water on her face and leave. She was so out of it she never realized the alarm was set when she left.
Once Aisha had left Riven sighed. He hated this place. It didn't even earn him as much money as it used to. Even worse was the way things had changed. As a young man, having a club seemed great: unlimited partying, booze, and hot women! However a decade of meaningless sex and drug fueled partying, and owning a club got old. It wasn't just the club financially, it was also the atmosphere. During college, people danced, grinded, and the club was high energy. His place was turning into a place people just took selfies. He hated looking at his business only to see groups clustered on their phones and nobody interacting. There have been many nights where the only person dancing was Aisha.
Riven was taken out of his thoughts by a loud knock on the door. He looked at the CCTV before he answered. Surprisingly it was Aisha. Riven got up and answered. He assumed she left something. Instead she just stood there .There was a pregnant pause before she spoke, "How often do you stay the night because I do?"
Riven shrugged. "You need to stop sleeping in my club. It's not a hostel."
"Then you should've kicked me out." Aisha's face contorted in a weird mixture of stubbornness and disgust. "Thank you."
Her gratitude surprised him. He only did it to keep her safe. Was it such a big deal? "Don't mention it."
Another awkward silence, "I don't want you to have to do this. This will be my last night doing this, I promised."
"Do whatever you want," he grumbled. "Club 180 might not be around much longer anyway."
Aisha was shocked. "...this was your baby. You and Nabu had-"
"It's not the same!" He yelled in frustration.
Aisha rubbed her arms. "I know what you mean, it's not the same for me either."
"...The others know you can't sleep?"
Aisha found herself shocked again. "They don't need to know. They're happy. I haven't let a single tear drop since he was taken. Besides, what could they say to me?"
Riven laughed morbidly. "Maybe they'll sing you a song and let you know everything will be okay if you just believe."
Aisha smiled, his mockery gave her energy. "Could you imagine if we'd stayed together like we did in college? They'd probably be mad at Nabu for ruining the pairings."
"I ruined the pairings first."
"I forgot, you sure did."
"Look what I did was nothing compared to what Flora did. I'll always be Team Helia."
Aisha laughed, "I'm definitely Team Flora."
"Helia's a good dude. He did everything in his power to mediate and keep us all together."
"He might have been wise in that regard, but he was too nomadic. It was unfair for him to hop in his plane, travel everywhere and just send postcards."
"She should've opened her mouth or gone with him-"
"Look, I'm not trying to argue with you."
Riven gave a small sad smile. Nabu would've interfered before then. "At least that hasn't changed."
"You're kind of a prick so it never will," she smirked.
This had been the first time they'd genuinely laughed in a while. Aisha knew she needed to step back. She needed to go to her car and go home. That thought brought her anxiety. For a few seconds she'd felt free. She was tired of being alone. Riven was feeling the same. He needed to go inside and crunch numbers. Maybe the feeling of wanting to sell was fleeting. What would he do if he sold it? He also didn't know what he'd do if he kept it. Was he to solo-travel? Go to his empty apartment, exercise, wash, and sleep? He didn't want to be alone either.
Forgetting who they were to each other, their lips touched. It was light at first, but pulling away made them cold and briefly blue. The next kiss was longer and ignited when their bodies got even closer. 'I need this. I need this.' As soon as Riven flicked his tongue on her lips; Aisha clutched his shirt, bringing him even closer. 'I need this. I need this.' Aisha grabbed the back of his neck and moaned when picked her up by her backside. "I need this," she whispered. There was more vulnerability that she wanted to give him. Her heart raced. She expected mockery, rejection, or something derogatory. She got none of that.
"I'll give you what you need," he promised, rubbing her against him. "I need you too."
They disappeared inside Club 180.
(A/N): I'm redoing the Power of Music after all these years. I think this will be my second to last Winx Club fanfiction.