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#still haven't gotten over your vanity issues i see
emotinalsupportturtle · 6 months
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Shaun Temple absolutely owned him
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snarkwrites · 3 years
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03 | upside down ; steve harrington
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NOTES:
So, uh.. did I mention this is not even remotely close to a slow burn? Because surprise it's not. I wanted it to be one so so so bad too. But it'll be okay, I'll live. Maybe next time, lmaooo. Anyway, as I said in the notes on chapter 2, parts one, two, this one and maaaybe four, I haven't written it just yet so Idk how it'll go tbh, are potentially set BEFORE the series starts.
Summary:
She moves back to Hawkins and manages to turn his life completely upside down. In the best of ways.
But how will everything play out between them? Also, can they handle all the weirdness ahead? We shall see.
Warnings:
LOOSE CANON COMPLIANCE AT BEST, TOTAL DEVIATION AT WORST - this is just an up front catch all because sometimes, things happen that I don’t particularly care for (the senseless death of Barb, anybody?) and if you’re one of those canon only people, this is here to warn you that this is not the fic for you. LANGUAGE, OCCASIONAL GORE, MONSTERS / FANTASY ELEMENTS, TEENAGE DRAMA AND SHENANIGANS - Obviously, teenagers are going to do stuff. They’re at that point in their life where not every decision they make is the best one. So if you’d rather skip over this kind of thing (teen drinking, fighting, etc) then yeah.. you’ve been warned. THIS IS NOT A SLOW BURN, I REPEAT NOT SLOW AT ALL / EVENTUAL FILTHY GOOD NESS - because lets be real.. we’re all wondering when we’re gonna drop the plot and get to the good stuff. When this chapter occurs, I will flair it with an M. In the meantime, if you’re not into slow burn or mutual pining, then you’re probably not going to care about this.
Other Parts
[ SOUNDTRACK | PART ONE | PART TWO]
Other Stuff
[ FAQ - TAG LIST DOC ]
Tagging:
There’s nobody on my list yet but… If you wanna be tagged for this, tell me pls. It will make me overjoyed.
Throwing out a no pressure tag to @RAMPAGEWRITING​ and @TWISTNET​ as well as @CHASINGEVERYBREAKINGWAVE​ just because. No pressure though bbies!
THREE.
“You can’t be serious. Her mother was the town tramp. And from what I’ve seen of her and the way she dresses, she’s on the fast track to follow in those footsteps.” Carol’s statement and her voice annoyed Steve.
He rolled his eyes. Shrugging.
“I’m serious. Did you think I was asking your permission?” Steve raised a brow at Carol and laughed. “Because if you did, you were wrong. I do what I want.”
Carol grimaced and grumbled that she was absolutely not going to be nice to Jennifer Brown just because Steve wanted to put his dick inside her.
Tommy smirked, leaning in while Carol was on her little tangent to mutter into his ear, “Lucky bastard.”
Steve chuckled, nodding in agreement with Tommy.
Brown eyes scanned the crowd, searching for any sign of Jennie. He spotted her wandering the midway, one of those giant cotton candy sticks in her hand, sandwiched between Barb and Nancy, the three of them laughing. All he could do was stare at her. Smile to himself at the way she threw her head back to laugh. Follow the sway of her hips like his eyes had magnets attached.
Carol spotted her too and pretended to gag. “Does she not have a grasp of the concept of clothing, Steve?”
“Carol, do you ever stop and think that maybe everyone doesn’t want your crappy opinion?” Steve quipped, rolling his eyes at her. Tommy mouthed an apology.
Steve shrugged it off, telling them he’d meet up with them later if he felt like it and didn’t forget. Then he wandered over, falling into line behind Jennie. Wrapping his arms around her waist and snickering when she whirled around, eyes full of fire and ready to explode because she thought it was some random playing grab ass.
Steve raised his hands, chuckling. Biting his lip as he gazed down at her and the way she lazily swatted at his chest. “Easy, Jennie. It’s just me.”
“You can’t just do that! I thought you were that asshole who wouldn’t leave us alone over by the spinning tea cups.” Jennie took a sip of her drink, blowing bubbles into the straw. She held it up to Steve and he took it, taking a sip or two. “Are we still on for tonight?”
She nodded, smiling up at him. “Nancy, Barb and I just wanted to come together early. A girl thing.” she explained.
Steve wanted to swear to himself when he heard Tommy clear his throat from nearby. With Carol in tow, of course. Tommy nodded to Jennie and smirked at Steve as he gave Jennie a playful wink. “Aren’t you gonna introduce your girl to your best friend, man? He has no manners. My name is Tommy.”
Carol rolled her eyes and grumbled about Tommy being a flirt right in front of her and as per usual, her complaints went in one ear and right out the other.
Jennie eyed Tommy with a raised brow, shaking her head. Glancing at Steve who chuckled. “She knows who you are, dumbass. She lived here for a while, remember?”
Carol was giving Jennie a frosty glare. From beside Jennie, Nancy and Barb nudged each other, whispering, watching the two.
“I know I haven’t forgotten her.” Carol spoke up.
“Oh, I haven’t forgotten you either.” Jennie responded, tensing up. Folding her arms over her chest as she glanced at Carol with thinly veiled disinterest.
“Okay, no fights. Carol, come on.” Tommy spoke up, letting his gaze linger on Jennie just long enough that Steve tensed a little, gave him an annoyed look and shoved tightly clenched fists into the pockets of his jeans.
Tommy and Carol wandered off and Steve chuckled. Pulling his hand out of his pocket, dragging it through his hair. “I’ll come pick you up at 8.”
He stepped closer, curious as to whether she’d be open to him kissing her in front of her friends. Because things were kind of shaky. They really hadn’t gotten to talk about last night quite yet.
Jennie surprised him because she stepped closer too. Hooking her fingers in the belt loops of his jeans. Closing the distance between them when she did so. He chuckled. Leaning down a little, his arms slipping around her as his crashed his mouth against her mouth. Grinning into the kiss as the taste of her watermelon shaved ice filled his mouth. He deepened the kiss and as it pulled away so they could both catch their breath, he joked with Nancy and Barb, “Don’t let her get into too much trouble, yeah?”
“Oh haha sir. If memory serves, you got involved in just as much as me when we were kids.” Jennie teased, raising up on her feet to fluff his hair and turn up the collar of his polo shirt. She pouted as she stepped away and as she walked off with Nancy and Barbara, Steve leaned against the wooden post nearby and watched her walking. Fanning himself and smiling like an idiot.
Once he knew no one was watching, he jumped up and down, pumping his fist in the air in victory.
XXX
“Shit, shit.” I stomped my foot, blowing at a curl that refused to go where I wanted it to go. Frowning at the offending strands of hair, I swatted them out of my eyes. From my closet, Nancy called out, “Hey? Think I can borrow this white sundress?”
“Yeah! Go for it.” I called out to her as I tried to get into a steady position to apply my mascara. Nancy stepped out of my closet, holding the dress up to her in the mirror. I smiled and spoke up, “Carol’s still the uptight killjoy, I see.”
“Carol Perkins is a bitch.”
I pretended to be shocked when Nancy said it and Nancy shrugged, blushing a little as she laughed. “It’s the truth though!”
“I think her entire reason for walking over earlier today was just to be rude.”
“Or to be weird and creepy about Steve. She had this huge crush on him last year, I think? Anyway, Steve turned her down from what I heard and that’s why she went for Tommy instead.” Nancy picked up a lipstick from her makeup bag, lightly bumping against me and laughing when I did it back.
“Barb’s meeting us after the movie, right?”
“Mhm. She said Logan was taking her to one of those fancy restaurants over in Rollins before though. Their anniversary.” Nancy smiled and laughed softly. “They’re so cute, I swear.”
“I know. It’s so sweet it kinda makes my teeth hurt.”
“Excuse me? Who was practically draped all over Steve earlier today when we ran into him?”
“I was not draped all over him.” I corrected, blushing a little as I said it because I knew for a fact that yes, I was lying through my teeth. I shrugged.
“Was he kissing you like that last night? Because if so… Wow.” Nancy teased, fanning herself with the issue of Seventeen that sat next to my hairbrush on my vanity.
I blushed even more, biting my lip as I nodded.
“I’ve never seen him get that handsy before.” Nancy mused, stirring the pot a little. I took a deep breath and sat down my lipstick, turning to look at her. Raising my pinkie. “What I’m about to confess to you does NOT leave this room.”
“What?” Nancy’s brow raised as she linked pinkies with me and laughed softly.
“I’m a virgin.” I admitted, shrugging. It wasn’t a big deal either way, I just hadn’t met anyone that particularly sparked my interest in that way for more than a day or two at a time. And I was nothing if not picky. ,, Just admit you never got over your stupid crush and go, sheesh.” the thought came, making me smile. Because it was true. I really hadn’t gotten over my crush.
I think that’s what kind of freaked me out so much about me and Steve if I’m being honest. Knowing that I hadn’t ever gotten over a crush I had on him when we were way too young to really know or understand anything.
“That’s really not a big deal. I mean I am too. So is Barb. Or she was, the last time either of us mentioned anything.” Nancy smiled at me. “It just means we’re selective. Stronger. I don’t know, but I do know it’s not a bad thing at all.”
“Now if a certain short order cook at my nana’s diner were to take you out for a long moonlit drive…” I teased gently, just to watch Nancy blush. She shrugged, but she nodded at the same time. Shushing me as she giggled. “Yeah. But I mean, I am not about to act on that right now…”
“But you’ve thought about it.” I asked.
“And you haven’t?”
“Maaybe?” I answered, laughing a little. “I came close to just getting it over with last year but I came to my senses. I mean, I knew the guy wasn’t the guy if you get my drift. Besides, if he kissed like a Hoover vacuum, I really wasn’t keen on finding out about… Other things. Especially not when I bought myself a buddy.”
Nancy’s brow quirked. I held my fingers to my lips and tiptoed over to my top drawer, pulling it open. Showing her the vibrator I’d gotten myself last year. I mean, she's my friend, I know she's not going to go tell everybody. I'm also not the least bit ashamed of literally anything about myself. Private matters included.
“So you’re not really a virgin?” she asked. I shrugged. “I am as far as doing it with a guy. As far as other things? Nah. So yes and no.”
“I bet your mom flipped out.” Nancy raised her hand, covering her mouth.
“Actually, she took me to buy it. Something about she was too damn young to have me coming home knocked up with not one clue what guy was the lucky donor.”
“Ugh, my mom cringes if I even hint at anything involving a guy. And don’t even get me started about the ongoing battle with my dad about my makeup.”
“Oh, Hank is an actual child when I’m putting on makeup and getting ready to go out. He’ll insist that I wait in the living room and make the guy walk up to the front door. So he can see them.” I smiled to myself. “At least he cares. If it weren’t for him or my Nana, not sure how my life would be and I mean that.”
“Yeah, your mom was something else.”
“Remember that time she came to pick me up in that stupid jumper and the gogo boots? With a flask? On the back of some guy’s motorcycle? Just to walk me home? Then she told our teacher “It’s vodka.”” I cringed at the memory, sighing quietly.
“I hate that it took us so long to even get a little close like we were before the accident.” I muttered after a few seconds and Nancy nodded solemnly.
She happened to see the time on my alarm clock on the nightstand and she swore, hurrying into my bathroom to change clothes. “Crap! Jonathan said he’d be here at 7.”
“Nancy, it’s only 6:30.” I laughed at her rushing around trying to find her shoe as she stepped out of my bathroom and into my room. I spotted her shoe and tossed it to her.
“ Deep breaths. It’s just two people going to a carnival together, woman. Pull yourself together.” I teased gently, placing my hands on her upper arms. She nodded, taking several long and deep breaths. I don’t think they really helped, but.. I tried.
Feel Like Makin Love came on the radio and the both of us devolved into a fit of loud laughter that ended in us collapsed on my daybed.
My nana called up the stairs. “Girls, I think one of your fellas is outside.”
Nancy shot up in the bed, flinging herself off of it, and racing to my window. Jonathan was parked behind my grandma’s Chevelle, pacing beside his Mustang. Almost as if he was psyching himself up too.
I laughed softly, catching Nancy’s gaze. “Aww, he’s as nervous as you are right now.” I peeked out the window again just as he reached into his car, pulling out flowers that he had to have picked himself. When I caught him looking up at the window I stood in, I closed the curtain quickly and giggled.
“Guess who picked you flowers?” I said in a playful tone as I looked at her.
“Oh my god. No shit? He… That means this is a date and I am.. Severely under dressed.” Nancy was starting to worry. Pacing a hole through my carpet.
I shook my head, placing my hands on her upper arms again. Making her look at me. “It’s going to be okay. Relax. You look hot. Now go down there. Don’t make that poor guy suffer the Inquisition, because you know that’s what Hank’s going to put him through.” I held my bedroom door open, giving her a gentle but firm nudge when she froze in the doorway. Throwing the door shut behind her so she couldn’t chicken out and come back into my room.
After a few seconds of jamming out to Madonna, I peeked out of my door to make sure she wasn’t upstairs still, pacing the landing. She wasn’t, so I smiled to myself and shut the door again.
Flopping across my bed and grabbing for the issue of Seventeen that Nancy brought over for all of us to look through when we got back after the carnival tonight.
And almost ten minutes later, my nana was calling up the stairs for me to come down. I sprang off my daybed, pulling on my new red boots. Giving myself one last look in the mirror. Smoothing my hands over the red sundress I’d chosen to wear with the denim jacket my mom wore all the time.
“I’ll be right down.” I called out. Taking a few seconds to calm myself down, because surprisingly enough, I found myself almost as jittery as Nancy had been when Jonathan came to collect her earlier.
I made my way down the stairs just in time. Able to avert a potential crisis in the making as Hank eyed Steve. “What are you doing here, hair?”
“I’m here to pick up Jennie, sir.”
Hank eyed him and then he eyed me. “You hit your head or somethin, Jaybird?”
I bit my lip. Trying not to burst out laughing as I shook my head, I answered, “No, I didn’t. He’s taking me to the carnival tonight if that’s okay? Nana already said I could go…”
Hank eyed Steve warily. Tattooed forearms folded over his chest. Trying to look as threatening as possible. “Remember, hair… You hurt her, there’s nowhere safe for you.”
“Hank, let those two get goin! Get in here and help me eat these brownies.”
Thank God for my nana.
Steve and I hurried outside and he opened the passenger door to his BMW, letting me get in. I sank down into the seat, cringing a little, groaning because I was a little embarrassed. I knew Hank was only doing it with good intent, but still, it was just a little embarrassing sometimes.
Steve burst out laughing when he got into the car. “So that was intense, huh?”
“Just a little. I’m sorry. You know how he is.”
Steve leaned across the console, pulling me in for a kiss. Muttering softly as it broke, “I don’t blame him. I mean earlier today, Tommy just looked at you the wrong way and I wanted to punch him.”
“Yeah, no. Tommy Hagan is not my type. And he never will be.” I shook my head, pretending to be offended that Steve even put both of us in the same sentence. Steve chuckled, winking at me as he started the car and started to back out of the driveway.
“Just out of curiosity, who is your type, Jennie?”
“Ask me again at the end of the night.” I teased, glancing at him as I shrugged.
He laughed and reached out, turning the dial on the radio. We found a station to listen to and Steve reached out for my hand, lacing his fingers with mine. Raising my hand to brush his lips against my knuckles.
I squirmed in my seat a little, muttering quietly to myself as he did it. Making him chuckle again as we pulled into a parking space near Tommy’s car. I scowled as soon as I set sights on Carol and she pretended to gag when she saw me sitting in Steve’s passenger seat.
Steve grumbled and shook his head, complaining about Tommy and Carol being pains in the ass as he got out of the car. Pointedly pretending he didn’t see Tommy standing nearby or hear him call his name. Making his way around the car to open my door.
“Just ignore them. Maybe if we ignore them, princess, they’ll disappear.”
“One could only hope.” I answered, giving his hand a squeeze as I gazed up at him and smiled.
We walked right past them, but naturally, Tommy caught up to us. Staring a little too long and too hard at me. I rolled my eyes. And I found myself scrunching into Steve’s side.
“Tommy, hey man. We were just gonna go to the midway.”
“Didn’t you hear me trying to call you, Harrington?” Tommy finally tore his gaze off me to glance at Steve.
Carol was glaring daggers at me, I could feel it. I didn’t have to look over at her.
“Tommy, can we like.. Go now? I don’t want to stick around the tramp too long.”
I leaned in, hissing at her a little. Laughing when she shrank away and cringed before making a hasty retreat, practically having to drag Tommy with her when she went.
I called out casually, “It was nice to see you again too, Carol!” and turned to face Steve, finding him nearly doubled over, clutching his sides as he laughed.
“I was about to handle them for you...” he muttered as his laughter died away and he stepped closer to me, a hand lingering at my hip. I scoffed. “Them? Oh trust me. I can handle those two half-wits.”
“And I see that, Jennie. But as your date..” Steve spoke up, chuckling as he smiled at me. I swallowed hard because I wasn’t stupid. I heard him hesitate. I heard him almost refer to himself as my boyfriend. And god help me, despite my best efforts, I couldn’t stop the warm feeling that took over. Or the way my heart lazily skipped a beat or two.
I gave a soft giggle, reaching for his hand. Lacing my fingers between his as I bounced around on my feet, nodding towards the Zipper and giving him a pleading look. He eyed the ride warily but finally shrugged. “Okay, alright. But I’m telling you, it’s gonna scare you.”
“That’s why you’re here though, right?” I cozied up to him when we stopped walking for a minute.
If I sounded any flirtier… The thought came and I tried to just enjoy the moment and not get too wrapped up in my own worries and fears about letting him too close.
I needed to relax. Stop overthinking everything and just live. My mom was always telling me that before I lost her.
Steve slipped an arm around me, pulling me into his side. “You hungry or anything?”
“I’m fine right now.” I answered, gazing up at him. Raising up to brush my lips against his cheek. Making him laugh quietly. Smile at me and pull me closer as he whispered against my ear, “What was that for, hm?”
“Because I’m glad I said yes and came out with you tonight.” I shrugged as I responded. We wound up in line for the Zipper behind Nancy and Jonathan and giggling, I held a finger to my lips as I glanced over at Steve before reaching out to cover Nancy’s eyes.
She squeaked and Jonathan covered his mouth to keep from laughing about it, shaking his head at me. Mouthing a thank you when Nancy wasn’t looking. I shrugged at him and turned my attention to Nancy.
“You realize that ride is up in the air.”
“I’ll be fine.” Nancy swallowed hard.
I nodded. “Yeah, I think you’re in good hands.”
“Hey, you guys get on with us.”
“I think I’m gonna hurl. Are you sure you wanna get on that thing, Jennie?” Steve spoke up, pressing against me from behind. I glanced up over my shoulder at him and raised a brow. “Are you scared? It’s just a ride. It’ll be fine.”
Nancy eyed Steve and I, giggling as she shook her head. The line moved forward and almost as soon as Nancy and I spotted Barb, we started to yell for her. She came jogging over with a giant of a blond guy in tow.
“Logan, you know Nancy. This is my best friend Jennie. She just moved back from Louisiana. Jennie, this is Logan.” Barb was grinning from ear to ear, all doe eyed and soft giggly voice. I smiled because seeing her so happy made me happy for her. I looked up at Logan, sizing him up. “Hurt my friend, I break your knees. That’s all I’m saying.”
He chuckled, slipping his arms around Barb, leaning down to rest his chin on her shoulder. “I don’t think you have to worry about that, Jennie.”
“Hey, if you get in between Jennie and I, we can get on the ride at the same time.” Nancy spoke up.
Jonathan and Steve nodded. Steve spoke up, addressing Logan. “Didn’t you play basketball for Varsity last year? You were the senior starter, right?”
I locked eyes with Barb, wiggling my brow as I leaned in and whispered, “Ooh la la.. An older guy, huh?”
Barb blushed, teasing right back, “Mhm. Wanna explain why your lipstick is smeared and there’s just the slightest hint of red on Steve Harrington’s mouth while we’re on this topic?”
I stuck my tongue out at her, snuggling against Steve, laughing. It was our turn to get on the ride and we got into a bucket, strapping ourselves in after we’d emptied out our pockets. Steve took a deep breath. “This might not be so bad.” but then the ride took off, flipping over and he screeched “I was wrong, holy fuck I was wrong.” I grabbed hold of his hand and muttered against his ear, “Deep breaths, Steve. It’s okay. It’s just a ride. You have a harness.”
“Woman, this thing is flipping and rolling!” Steve teased, managing to plant a kiss on my forehead as he met my gaze, laughing. Leaning in to whisper against my ear, “You’re the one death gripping my hand though? Are you maybe a little afraid now that you looked down and saw how high up in the air we are?”
“Oh hush.” I pouted, burying my face in his shoulder, screaming and stomping my feet against the cage while squeezing his hand even more. “I thought it’d be okay. Mistakes were made.”
He laughed and let out several shaky breaths as the ride began to descend, finally coming to a full stop at the bottom.
We stumbled off, finding Barb and Logan and Jonathan, holding Nancy’s hair out of the way as she threw up in a garbage bin while rubbing her back.
Steve spoke up, nodding in the direction of the fun house. Grabbing hold of my hand and starting to pull me towards it, laughing. “C’mon guys!”
Barb and Logan shared a look, shrugging. Jogging to catch up. And Nancy and Jonathan finally caught up, falling in line behind us. Cozied up to each other.
I cozied up to Steve and he leaned his chin on my shoulder. “Having fun, Jennie?”
“I am.” I answered quietly, glancing back at him and flashing a soft smile.
XXX
Steve rubbed his hands together and stepped up, taking the sledgehammer. Swinging it as if it weighed nothing, even though the damn thing was so heavy he honestly thought he pulled his shoulder out of place as the sledgehammer made contact with the base of the Strongman attraction and the needle went soaring upward. The lights lit up and Steve leaned the sledgehammer against the side of the machine, pretending to curl his biceps as he turned to Jennie, laughing. Stealing the cotton candy flavored shaved ice she was sipping and taking a sip for himself as he nodded to the wall of prizes. “So, what’ll it be, huh?” he gazed at the wall of prizes too. His eyes settling on the gigantic pink unicorn and fixing on her.
“The pink unicorn.” they said it at the exact same time, bursting into laughter. The barker turned and grabbed the stuffed animal and Steve took it, holding it out to Jennie. “For you, princess.” he teased as she took it, hugging it against her. Then hugging herself against him and asking in a soft laugh, “That didn’t hurt you, did it?”
“Not even a little, babe.”
And he wasn’t stupid, either. He saw the way her pupils blacked out the rest of her eye for just the ghost of a few seconds after he called her babe. Slipping an arm around her, he pressed his mouth against her forehead and muttered quietly, “Where to next?”
Her eyes settled on a bright yellow tent. The sign outside of it proclaimed “Free readings.” and she gave him those big pleading eyes. Eyes that may or may not have gotten him in right over his head on more than one occasion when they were both kids. Eyes he couldn’t turn down.
“It’s going to be fake as hell, but okay. Alright. If you wanna go over there, we will. At least the lines not as long as the one for the Ferris Wheel is.”
“And it’s close to the field, so when the fireworks and the music start, we can go over... “ Jennie smiled, slipping her hand into his. He gave her hand a squeeze after lacing their fingers together.
“Maybe they’ll tell me I’m going to be a billionaire.” Steve teased, making her shrug. “I just wanna see if there’s any truth to whatever they tell me at all…” she trailed off and Steve eyed her, asking quietly, “And? What else?”
“I don’t know… Maybe I was hoping they’d have a message for me from my mom..” Jennie bit her lip, going quiet. Laughing at herself softly. “It’s dumb. I know it won’t be real.”
“Hey. C’mere.” Steve pulled her into a hug, squeezing her a little. As the hug broke, he nodded towards the tent, smirking. “C’mon. Let’s go see what they have to say about our future, huh?”
“Yeah. Let’s.” Jennie smiled up at him, practically dragging him towards the tent. Given that there wasn’t an actual line, they stepped into the tent. Without even looking up, the woman on the other side of the round table announced calmly, “I’ve been waiting on you two.”
Steve and Jennie shared a look, both of them raising their brows.
Jennie dug around in the pocket of her denim jacket, prepared to pay the fortune teller for the reading, but the woman shook her head, nodding towards the chairs in front of them. They sat down.
For a minute or two, it was quiet. For Steve, it was a little too quiet and he chuckled. This seemed to get the fortune teller looking up at them both from the cards spread out in front of her.
She put the cards away quickly after shaking her head and mumbling about something she’d interpreted to be worrying. “Sorry about that, I was doing a reading for a young woman who came by earlier. One of your friends, I do believe.” the fortune teller addressed Jennie.
“One of my friends?” Jennie questioned. The fortune teller nodded. And then she got down to business.
“You two always wind up together, don’t you? In every new life. You always manage to find one another.”
Steve’s brow quirked.
Jennie spoke up, laughing softly. “He’s not a believer. What’s it mean… If we’re always in each other’s lives?”
The fortune teller gave a soft laugh. Glancing at Steve for a few seconds, nodding. “I picked up on that when you two were walking over. That’s not all I picked up on…” she teased, letting her words die away.
Jennie took a deep breath. Giving Steve’s hand a squeeze beneath the table. Steve squeezed her hand back and repeated the question that Jennie had just asked. What the woman meant when she told them that they always wound up together, in every life.
“It’s not a bad thing. Well, not in the case of both of you.” the fortune teller explained, smiling at them both. “You’ve had a few not so good ones, but usually, your story has a happy ending.”
Steve let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. And then he immediately reminded himself that this was all just baloney to begin with. A way for the woman to make money.
“Over the next few years… Things around you are going to get downright peculiar.” and after saying this, she gazed at Jennie. “A woman is coming through for you, dear. She has the same hair as you. Wilder and curlier. I think she’s..” but before she could finish, Jennie spoke up, “My mom? Is her name Bonnie?”
The woman closed her eyes, focusing.
Then she nodded. “Tell Jen to stop fighting the natural order of things so hard.”
Steve eyed the woman warily. Giving Jennie’s hand a squeeze. Jennie squeezed his hand back and she seemed to relax even more.
The woman continued, glancing at Steve this time, “A lot of growth and change ahead for you. You are on the right path. Stay on it. No matter what strange things it might bring your way. Always go with your first gut instinct. On everything.”
Steve nodded, chuckling to himself. It was a pretty standard reading. Anyone could’ve given it.
But what the fortune teller told them both about always winding up together in every single version of life they’d lived thus far, that was sticking with him.
No matter how much he tried to tell himself this was pointless and she was doing this as a gimmick to make some cash on the side.
“As far as the immediate future. Stick together. Stick close to your friends, because there are some things up ahead and you’re going to need each other.”
The fortune teller dismissed them and as soon as they were out of the tent, Steve cleared his throat. “That was, uh.. Something.”
“It was.” Jennie was gazing up at him thoughtfully. Almost like she had something on her mind. Just as she was about to say whatever it was, Tommy spoke up from the funnel cake stand across the way.
“Hey man! C’mon. Sit with us.” Tommy called out.
Carol was quick to add, “ Kind of feels like we’re being ditched, Harrington.”
Steve grumbled in frustration and glanced down at Jennie. “It’s up to you.”
“If you want to go over, we can. But I make no promises that Carol won’t be wearing my shaved ice before it’s all said and done.”
“And that goes double for Tommy.” Steve muttered, chuckling quietly. Mulling it over.
“Ah, let’s just ignore ‘em. I don’t feel like dealing with his crap.” he spoke up a second or two later.
“Thank God.” Jennie laughed softly. Steve laughed too, shrugging. Practically dragging her as fast as humanly possible right past the table Carol and Tommy were saving for them to sit at and grab a quick bite.
“I know he’s not ditching us.” Carol mused out loud, annoyed. Tommy chuckled, teasing when he called out, “It’s okay man.. I know you’re whipped right now. I’d be whipped too.”
“Seriously? I’m sitting right here. Right beside you, Tommy.”
“I know, babe. I was just sayin, it’s nice Harrington found someone willing to put up with him.”
Carol’s eyes followed the two and she rolled her eyes, grimacing as she mumbled mostly to herself, “He could’ve done so much better than… her.”
Tommy turned to look at her. “Do you have to be such a bitch?”
“Do you have to be such a manwhore?” Carol asked in response, pouting when he mimicked her instead of apologizing.
XXX
The fireworks were starting. Steve and I hurried over. Tommy and Carol were calling his name, but we spotted Nancy, Barb, Jonathan and Logan around the same time. Steve nodded towards my friends and squeezed my hands. “I really don’t feel like hearing Carol’s mouth tonight.”
“And I really don’t feel like catching Tommy attempting to fuck me with his eyes every few seconds, ew.” I responded, asking a second later, “You’re sure you’re okay with sitting with Barb and Nancy, right?”
“Yeah! It’s actually been a lot more fun tonight?” Steve dragged his fingers through his hair as he gazed down at me. I smiled, nodding because I agreed.
Tommy and Carol were still yelling his name. Steve picked me up over his shoulder, making me laugh and a few seconds later, we were settled in between Barb and Nancy, right as the first big burst of color lit the night sky. Steve moved to sit behind me, letting me sit between his legs and lean back on him as he wrapped his arms around me.
All in all, I have to say… Maybe that fortune teller was making everything up. But maybe there was some logic to her words too. Because if I hadn’t just gotten tired of fighting off the pull I felt to Steve all summer long, I never would have agreed to come out on a date with him tonight.
And that would’ve been a serious bummer.
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xxisxxisxxis · 4 years
Text
Gateway Drug | Part Forty-Nine
Table of Content or Part Forty-Eight
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Word count: 3.9K
Warning(s): Explicit language, mentions of Drug abuse
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Vanity: something that is vain, empty, or valueless.
I watch with my water in hand as Vanity and Tansy dance like wasted strippers on the bar...granted they are wasted.
Sparkie and Nikki are in the bathroom, Vince is occupied with a bundle of groupies who waved him over, we're still waiting for Tommy to get here since it was date night with Heather but he still wanted to come out, so I'm sitting in silence with Mick and giving glances at anyone that looks like they may be interested in approaching me because I don't necessarily want to speak to anyone right now.
"So..."   I start, finishing me water. "...How've you been?"
Mick takes a sip of his drink and nods a little bit.
"Not too bad." He tells me. "What about you? Did you and asshole work your shit out?" He asks and I scoff.
"Yeah." I tell him, smiling a little. "We're good."
I honestly believed we were at that moment. Stupid of me.
"Good." He replies.
Nikki, Tommy and Sparkie all show up simultaneously, Nikki and Sparkie heavily under the influence of more tha just alcohol.
"Hey, man." Nikki smiles to Tommy, patting him on the back. "Haven't seen you since the wedding...over two months ago." His dimpled smile is a nice cover up to to underlying anger and bitterness woven into his words.
Tommy has been nearly disconnected from everyone since Heather and he got married.
I'm glad they're getting along that well, but life doesn't revolve around one person.
Even my codependent ass can leave Nikki to spend time with my other friends, and vice versa.
"Oh, yeah, dude, we've been really busy." Tommy tells him as they sit by Mick and I. "We just bought a new house and she's had some time off so we've been just enjoying it before she starts on a new project and the album gets going for us." He explains.
"Nah, I get it." Nikki scoffs, glancing at me. "Being married changes shit around."
"That's why I'm not marrying Tansy." Sparkie says out of nowhere, looking at the blonde as she and Vanity are a compiled of booze and giggles, nearly tripping and falling off the bar in their heels.
"Just depends on the person, I guess. I like being married." Tommy shrugs. "I'm about to grab a drink. Mick, you want another?" He gets up from his seat, motioning to the empty glass of vodka Mick's finished.
"Sure." Mick tells him.
"Get Saint Vivian another water while you're at it." Sparkie tells him, his tone a degrading scrape at me for not drinking, and the look he gives me stamps the confirmation of his aggravating attempt to rile me up some.
Nikki shoots him an unamused glare and I can practically see him cowering back into his shell out of fear of pissing Nikki off.
My ego gets a pat on the head.
He might have worn more makeup than me at times, been spazzing on coke one minute and nodding off on smack the next, but he could still kick ass up one end and down the other over me.
Tommy comes back with drinks for him and Mick, bringing Vanity and Tansy back with him.
The two girls sit down, hand in hand, whispering and laughing among themselves as they try to catch their breath.
"Where'd Vince go?" Tansy asks us, running a hand through her platinum hair and Vanity looks around.
"Oh, he's socializing." Vanity lets out and Tansy glances over in her line of sight to see Vince making out with a tan blonde in a mini skirt.
Before Tansy can say anything else, Vanity's reaching across the little cocktail table with a beaming smile directed at Tommy.
"Hi, I'm Vanity." She pipes and Tommy looks as if he knows who she is, but is still confused as to why she's hanging out with us. 
"Tommy." He replies, shaking her hand. 
"I'm Tansalyn's and Nikki's friend." She adds for explanation and he raises his brows a little, quickly shifting his eyes to Nikki, whose expression I can't quiet read...he looks kind of nervous.
"Yeah, I've seen you on T.V. some." Tommy strikes up conversation with her and she just glows at the fact she's well-known. "And a few magazines." He adds.
"I've done several differing magazine issues." She informs in, nodding. 
"Everything from fashion to Playboy." Tansy cuts in, grinning a little.
"So, that's how you two met?" I ask.
"Well, not exactly." Vanity explains. "We knew some people, who knew some people, who knew some people, who thought we'd be great friends and got us together and..." Her beautiful brown eyes catch on Nikki, who's nervousness seems more apparent, despite his neutral expression as he watches her. "...we just clicked from the beginning." She says softly, blinking at him before she quickly averts her attention back at Tansy, her hand squeezing at her's affectionately. "And have been great ever since." She adds.
"Agreed." Tansy nods, smiling at her.
"I need another drink." Nikki mumbles standing up. 
"Can you get me some more water, please?" I ask him and he nods, stepping to the bar.
"Why's he so tense?" Tommy asks once he's out of earshot.
"Must be the blow." Sparkie suggests with a shrug. "He spent good money on it and it wasn't worth a damn." 
I take it without question.
Vince is stepping to us before long, lip stick smudged on his lips as he tries to wipe it off before going home to his wife and child. 
I just give him a ball busting look and he raises his brows.
"Go ahead and say it, Viv." He tells me, sighing.
"Swine." He and I say at the same time, except he's being a smart ass and I'm being serious.
"So, how did you and Nikki meet, exactly?" Vanity asks me out of nowhere and my water glass is merely slammed down in front of me, causing the liquid to slosh out a little, and causing me to jump out of my skin, as Nikki sits back down beside me with an entire bottle of Jack.
He's giving Vanity a surly look and she doesn't even flinch, her curious expression focused on me.
"Tommy introduced us." Nikki shortly states before I can explain it myself.
"Well, that's not just what happened, Nikki, I mean, you two are married aren't you?" She argues politely to him. "I want the whole story."
"Tommy introduced us, dated a couple years, engaged, married, here we are." Nikki, again, interrupts me.
"Baby, it's not that big of a deal." I mumble to him, wondering why he's being rude to her.
"Yeah, baby, it's not that big of a deal." She repeats me, and I can't tell if she's mocking me or just being flirtatious with the way she says "baby."
He rolls his eyes, irritated.
Vince seems to be studying Nikki as Vanity and Tansy change the subject to the album.
I don't listen very much, neither does Nikki, apparently, because it takes Tommy repeating his name three times, and me nudging his leg with mine to get his attention.
"Yeah?" He asks Tommy and Tansy and Vanity let out some more cocktail induced laughter as his lack of enthusiasm.
"Tansy was just talkin' to you." He tells him.
"Oh, what Tans?" Nikki asks, sighing out a little.
"I was just wondering if you've gotten any songs up yet for the album?"
"No? Why would I? There's not even a concept." He states, borderline abrasive.
"You had some songs for 'Theater of Pain' written before the concept was decided on." I remind him and he just let's out a breath.
"Well, there goes that conversation." Tansy exhales, playing it off like Nikki didn't hurt her feelings.
Vince is now giving the slightest hint of a smirk to Nikki before it suddenly disappears from his lips and he's excusing himself to go get a beer.
Game recognizes game. And Vince--being the cheating bastard he was--had sat there and put together what he needed to in order to figure out Nikki either fucked Vanity, was fucking her, or planned on fucking her until further notice. The answer was all three. And he made no attempt to tell me...not even when Nikki later told him and confirmed it.
"We're still working on figuring everything out, Tans." Tommy tells her in a more polite way than Nikki.
"Like you would know what's going on since you've been up Heather's ass all this time. Literally." Nikki stifles out and I look at him.
"What is wrong, Nikki?" I snap.
He just lets out an exaggerated breath before getting up and heading outside.
"He's always moody." Vanity cuts in, rolling her eyes, lighting a cigarette.
I ignore her and follow after him.
"Nikki." I say, my heels clicking against the wet pavement as fine rain sprinkles down on us.
"What?" He asks, going to where we parked.
"What's wrong with you?" I gently pull at his hand, stopping him.
"Nothing."
"Nikki, c'mon, now, I'm not stupid." I argue, crossing my arms. "You're an asshole but I know when you're an out of character asshole."
He just unlocks his Corvette and slides into the driver seat, shutting the door.
Before he can crank it and get his window rolled up, I'm 'Dukes of Hazzard'-ing his shit and putting my legs through the window, scooting into his lap, my feet in the passenger seat, and he leans his head back and let's out a loud groan of irritation.
I just crank the car for him and roll the window up to avoid getting rained on, before turning the car off and waiting patiently for him to start talking, blinking up at him.
"Alright..." he gives up, rubbing his face before resting his arm behind me on the sill of the window. "...fine." he sighs. "I shoulda gone to the funeral, I guess. And I thought I was ready to go out and see everybody but it just--Vince is being Vince. And Tommy hasn't even acknowledged anybody since he got married. Good for him he's so fucking happy in his relationship he can't even call his best friend every once in a while but whatever. And Vanity--Jesus Christ--Vanity." He grumbles. "Like dragging my balls against shards of fucking glass anytime she opens her mouth."
"Then why're you friends with her?" I ask him, chuckling, and he rubs his lips together, looking at me.
"We're into the same thing." He tells me and I don't have to ask what he means.
"So, she's a drug buddy." I say as his fingers trace along my kneecap.
"Yeah." He replies quietly.
"Well, I think she's nice." I admit and he looks at me crookedly.
"No. You can't be friends with her, Viv." He chuckles with obvious distaste of the idea, and I raise a brow.
"Why not? She seems like a sweet girl."
"As much as I'm a sweet guy." He scoffs out. "People like her aren't good friends to keep."
"Tansy's like her." I argue. "You're like her and we're married."
"I never claimed that Tansy's a good friend or that I'm a good husband, did I?" He asks me in a stern tone, avoiding my gaze.
"Why do you think you're such a bad husband, Nikki?" I furrow my brows.
"I'm not getting in to--"
"'--No, baby, I'm serious. It's like your default when you're high is apologizing to me for being a shitty husband." I point out and he shakes his head a little.
"I just feel like I let you down a lot." He shrugs.
"I'm not perfect, Nikki, I let you down more than you do me." I assure him.
"No..." he looks as if he's thinking about something for a moment. "...you don't. I promise."
I was too caught up in Nikki's mood to notice the hole in the story Tansy had told me of Tommy taking Nikki out for our anniversary. But it was the first red flag that popped up in hindsight while assessing the situation after I found out he was having an affair.
Tansy had told me Tommy was taking Nikki out for our anniversary that year, that was the night me and the guys got locked up for a little bit.
That first night back out with Mötley and Vanity Nikki mentioned not seeing or talking to Tommy since his wedding...over two months prior.
What really happened on our anniversary: Vanity came to our house and was still there when Nikki came to pick me up from jail. Which is why he wasn't too eager for me to go back home with him.
My finger tips lightly brush over the scratch of his unshaven cheek and I give him my best smile, hoping it will cheer him up.
He just keeps his near frown and I decide to do to him what he does to me when he's trying to cheer me up.
My lips press to his cheek softly, then pepper random kisses all over his face until he's smiling, finishing off with one, long, passionate kiss to his lips.
"Okay." I breathe out, about to find a way to get out of his lap so we can go back inside.
He puts his arm across my legs, though and stops me, giving me a devious grin.
"We don't have time." I giggle, squealing a little as his fingers trail up the inside of my leg, going up my skirt as he says:
"There's always time."
Just before he can breach the fabric of my panties, a loud knock on our window has us both jolting.
It's Tommy.
Nikki sighs out cranking the car and rolling the window down.
"The girls are hungry." He explains to us.
"And?" Nikki asks.
"They want food, dude, c'mon." Tommy chuckles, nudging his arm.
"What're you kids up to?" I hear Vince next, and I lean my head back to lay on the open window frame so I can look up to see him and Tommy.
"Guys, let's go!" I hear Sparkie shout from the entrance of the club we were in and me, Vince, Nikki, and even Tommy, all share a collective eyeroll.
I think it's safe to say we simply tolerate the greasy bastard at this point.
"Ignore it, it'll go away." Nikki says, rubbing his eye.
"Guys!" Vanity calls next, the bubbliness of her personality in her tone.
"Why the hell is she so perky?" Vince asks next.
"She's been on a three day bender of base. That's why." Nikki replies flatly, rolling his eyes at the sound of heels coming towards us and my ears perk up, deciding to put the question on the tip of my tongue away for now.
He opens his door and Tommy helps me out of the car, Tansy and Vanity hand in hand.
"We're starving." Tansy tells us.
"The Rainbows's our best bet." Tommy suggests.
"Okay, let's go." Tansy shrugs, pulling gently at Vanity's hand, and Vanity's hand grasps at mine and pulls me along with them as we head to the Rainbow.
I wasn't good at making girl friends. Tansy came into my life before I adapted to mainly being around guys, so it was never hard to form a close friendship with her, but I got along better with men because Tansy, Tommy and Vince were the only people I really ever had relationship with before meeting Nikki, and Mick and my other friends I gained through them.
To this day, my list of close girl friends consists of Tansy, Susan--who I was motivated to get to be friends with because she's the step mother of Monroe, Brittany--who's married to Tommy...and is young enough to be one of mine and Nikki's miscarried children so I view her more like a daughter than a friend--and Sharise and I are still very close, despite her being divorced from Vince for 27 years.
Of course, over the years, I've had to adapt at being friends with everyone's girlfriends and wives until they split.
And most of them were sweet girls, so after a while it got annoying because I'd get attached to them and really like them, and then BAM! Divorce or sudden break up.
I learned not to get too attached to new lovers of any of my male friends. They wouldn't be around for long.
That being said, one of my girl friends, believe it or not, was actually my husband's mistress, for an entire year.
She just had a...er...learning curve, if you will.
I watch as Nikki goes back and forth from our bedroom, to the front door, going outside, coming back inside, and repeating.
"Uh...babe?" I call, raising a brow and he stops by the living room where I'm sitting on the couch in my pajamas, reading "The Art of War" and eating a granola bar.
"Yeah?" He raises his brows.
"Whatcha doin'?" I ask curiously.
"It's been over a month since Tansy was asking about the album concept and I realized I needed to start writing for the album, like, a month ago, so I'm cleaning up my shit in our closet and bedroom and kicking drugs so I can focus." He explains, walking back to our bedroom and I raise my brows, a little surprised.
"Do you wanna read my book?!" I offer.
"Nope, got my own strategy!" He replies.
"But is it on Sun Tsu's level?!"
"I'm getting a dog!" He explains and I furrow my brows, putting my book down and walking to meet him in the bedroom.
"A what?" I cross my arms as he's putting needles and trash into a garbage bag.
"It'll be like having a kid around, so I'll have more incentive--aside from you, and working on the album--not to shoot smack and keep away from blow." He goes on.
"A dog?" I repeat.
"Yep."
"You know if you're serious about kicking it this time, you're gonna have to distance yourself from some of your friends." I remind him. "No more Jason or any other dealers, no more Izzy--"
"--You're friends with Izzy, too." He argues.
"I'm not trying to get off drugs." I tell him. "And Tansy and Vanity."
"Okay, you three have sleepovers like fucking high school girls. How the hell am I suppose to avoid them when they're at my house all the time?"
"Well...Tansy doesn't have a house here in L.A. and Vanity's apartment gives me a God-awful feeling everytime I step foot in there." I inform him.
"Right, and I'm the paranoid one." He mumbles.
"Babe. When you're lying in bed and feel someone get into bed with you and start breathing down your neck, and nobody's freaking in bed with you when you turn to see who it is, you kinda never want to even think about going into the apartment it took place in ever again." I state and he chuckles.
"I would've asked it for a blow job." He comments.
"Nikki, I'm serious."
"I am, too." He defends himself and I give him an unamused look. "Alright, fine, for entertainment sake, let's say she has monsters under her bed. What sense would that make? She's up Jesus' ass as far as you are and I highly doubt dark shit stays around God fanatics." He brushes me off.
"Um, hard, mind altering drugs are a pretty good invitation for quote unquote 'dark shit' to hang around people. It makes it easier to get in their heads, break them down, and try to kill them."
"Kill them?" He tries not to laugh. "Are you on drugs?"
"Nikki, I'm being serious. I'm worried about our friend."
"Which friend? We've got, like, all of them on the highway to hell right now." He scoffs, tying off the full garbage bag.
"She's got a lot of shit she's carrying on her, Nikki, and I'm scared for her. And Tansy can say 'everything's fine' but I know she's got a lot of shit happening behind closed doors that she won't open up about, too."
"Everyone has shit going on behind closed doors, babe. That's life in this business. Smiles and good times out on the town, and demon filled bedrooms when we get back home." He shrugs.
"Is that not sad to you?" I ask and he sighs, stepping to me.
"Just pray about it. Like everything else you worry with." He wraps his arms around me and I roll my eyes, taking it as sarcasm. "Get all quiet and soft sounding so you don't wake me up, and start talking to the ceiling about bullshit that won't matter a month from now..." He grins, pressing a kiss to my neck and I refuse the urge to push him away from me because he's making fun of me. "...and after an hour of wasting your breath, you end it in 'in Jesus' name I pray, amen'. And then I think, 'wow, she's really has me fooled to believe she isn't on something, too'." He laughs out.
"Find it funny all you want. My prayers for your's and everyone else's bullshit doesn't fall on deaf ears or one of you would be dead by now." I state.
He smirks, before a lightbulb goes off in his eyes before walking to the closet.
"I'm glad we're on this topic of conversation because it's great foreplay for this." He pulls out a raunchy mockery of a catholic school girl uniform I completely forgot we had and I cross my arms.
"You don't get to insult my religious beliefs and then turn around and fantasize about a concept attached to a denomination of said religion."
"You can put it on and talk to me about getting on your knees all you want." He keeps his smirk and I grab the uniform off the bed, about to go hide it somewhere else in the house.
"We have plenty of film of me with this on to choose from. There's no need for a live show." I peck him on the lips and walk out of our bedroom with the skimpy clothing.
"I meant getting on your knees to pray!" He tries to tell me to get me to bring the outfit back and I laugh.
He was serious about quitting...but once he started getting dope sick, he got desperate enough to go out in the middle of the night, get the garbage bags full of used cottons and needles, and use the rinses of cotton to ring the smallest fix out of them before getting Jason back over as soon as possible.
And I knew he got back on crack when I came home from seeing Sharise and Skylar, to him and Vanity locked in our bedroom.
When I finally picked the lock, Vanity was having a base fueled arts and crafts session on the bed--wearing my clothes that I'd left in the floor--trying to explain the inspiration of her art was Jesus coming back for the rapture, while Nikki was screaming about his late grandmother, in the closet.
And that's typically what I would walk in on if they were at our house. It always appeared like they were way too far gone in their minds to even think about sex. So I honestly never thought anything about it.
But if there's a will, there's a way, and in the midst of Nikki waving a gun around, screaming, and Vanity laughing like a maniac while plastering glitter, styrofoam peanuts and Nikki's used cottons on a piece of construction paper, the two of them had the will and found a way to kickstart the demise of my already fragile marriage.
They truly were functioning addicts.
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xxisxxisxxis · 4 years
Text
Gateway Drug | Part Thirty-Eight
Table of Content or Part Thirty-Seven
Read here on wattpad
A/N: Question — what song do you think of when you think of Nikki and Viv? I'm trying to see something
Word count: 3.3k
Warning(s): Explicit language, Sexual situations, Drug abuse
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My bare feet hook underneath his thighs the second I realize he's about to  finish and he gives a crooked smirk up at me, his breathing beginning to shallow.
Nikki holds my hips still, groaning out as his cum coats the inside of me, causing me to let out a hazey moan, my mind cloudy from our rather lengthy round.
Once he's finished, I'm getting off of him and falling beside him, catching my breath as we recover is silence fore several minutes.
"Are you on birth control or something?" He asks me out of nowhere and I tense up, looking at him.
"Why're you asking?"
"I've been thinking about it since Vince and Sharise had Skylar, for some reason. I mean, I haven't used a rubber since we started dating and most of the time I don't pull out, and we've only had one pregnancy scare in the past, what, like, four years?"
"You've managed to keep track of how long we've been together?" I ask him, pretending to be shocked and he gently hits my arm with the back of his hand, and I chuckle, rolling over to face him, my lips pressing to his bicep for a moment.
I think I'm in the clear, dodging his question, but I'm not.
"I'm being serious, Viv, are you on something or...?" He asks and I lick my lips.
"Maybe my antidepressant affects fertility, I don't know." I shrug, lying through my teeth. "Drugs can cause issues on your end, too, so maybe that's another reason."
"Oh." He replies.
I avoid looking at him, sitting up, swinging my legs over the side of the bed before reaching down to grab his shirt by my feet.
You know those lies, that start simple and small, and then snowball more and more over time and explode in flames from hell that melt the snow and turn it into scalding hot water that leaves third-degree burns on the person that's being lied to? Yeah, we both had lots of those, and that was one of mine.
I
take a shower and brush my teeth, excited for my plans tonight, and as I start putting makeup up on, Nikki's getting in the shower.
"Are you and Robin going out tonight?" I ask him.
"Uh, yeah. Sparkie's coming, too." He replies and I roll my eyes.
I know they'll go out to a club and hide in the bathroom, shooting up and snorting blow a  majority of the time, only leaving to get some drinks.
"My doctor was really curious as to why I needed a refill so soon being that he gave me a month supply a week before Sparkie traded it." I comment to remind him Sparkie's a piece of shit.
"Sparkie learned his lesson, baby." He tells me in a half-chuckle and I raise my brows at myself in the mirror and turn the sink on.
"Jesus fuck, Viv!" He screams, being bombarded with ice cold water for a moment.
"Awe, I'm sorry, maybe Sparkie can sympathize with you." I reply smartly.
He's getting out of the shower, covered in suds, glaring at me, and I take off running with him chasing close behind.
"Spoiled brat!" He calls at me, the both of us naked as jaybirds.
"Trader bastard!" I say back, right before he catches me, pulling me against his wet, soapy body, his hands not skipping a moment to start tickling me.
I squeal, the both of us falling to the floor, my feet and legs kicking out of instinct.
"Don't you do it." He threatens. "Remember what happened last time."
"Not my fault you're a pussy." I reply, immediately regretting it when he starts tickling me again, this time, getting on top of me to pin me down.
He doesn't let up until I'm laughing so hard I'm in tears, and he's tired of struggling with me.
We look at each other for a minute, before he grins and kisses me.
"I gotta finish getting ready." He tells me, getting off of me and helping me up.
"Yeah, I do, too."
I decided a nice trip to Malibu would be a great thing for GN'R. I mean, go to Tansy's house there, have her invite over some of her single girl friends to mingle with the guys, stay over night so they don't have to worry about whether or not they'd be able to crash at their stripper friends' apartment and sleep on the floor that night, have a nice breakfast together the next morning, and just give Axl and Izzy time to really get to know Tansy, because they haven't hung out with her very much, while Slash, Duff and Steven see her almost more than I do.
I glance around the living room of Tansy's Malibu beach house, seeing beach bunnies all around with perfectly tanned skin, bombshell hair and perfect smiles, then look at Steven and Slash, who seem to be having a pretty good time.
They both look like they're in heaven, girls on either side of them, obviously fans of their work on the Sunset Strip back in L.A.
Izzy took a girl up to the guest bedroom long ago, while Axl's just nursing a bottle of Jack, with a beautiful brunette chattering his ear off while he's pretending not to care about what Tansy's doing as she talks to one of her girl friends across the room.
I do a mental head count, and notice my 6'4 blonde is nowhere to be seen.
Maybe he found a girl or two of his own and followed in Izzy's footsteps, taking over a spare room?
I brush it off, deciding it's none of my business and step to the kitchen to grab a Pepsi out of the fridge. 
When I pass by the doors that lead to the balcony over looking the ocean, though, I see the outline of someone sitting in the lounge chair. 
Recognizing the slender frame, I grab my soda and head outside, Duff looking over his shoulder to see who I am, before smiling at me innocently, bottle of Vodka by his foot and pack of Marlboros on one knee as a sketch pad and pen are being supported by his other.
"Hi." I say as he scoots over to make room for me. "Mr. Social Butterfly." I add, sarcastically.
"Hey." He replies, moving his Vodka over so I won't knock it down with my foot.
"I figured you be eating that up." I motion to the door, referring to the gorgeous girls inside and he chuckles a little.
"I don't know, I haven't really been feeling chicks lately." He tells me and I furrow my brows a little.
"Well, I'm sure she has some boy friends, too, if you're feeling something different." I inform him, knowing what he meant, but he laughs and shakes his head.
"Not like that, Viv." He tells me and I pull my red hair behind my shoulders to get it out of my face, before taking a sip of my drink. "I've been, uh, working on something new, kinda. The lyrics have been going off left and right in my head, I just thought I'd better get somewhere quiet and write them down before I lose them." He explains, holding up his notepad.
"Oh, I'm sorry." I feel like I've intruded, or messed up his groove, about to leave him alone to finish but he puts his hand on my knee to stop me from standing up.
"No, no, it's fine." He insists, taking his hand off of me, not thinking anything of it, despite me feeling warmth radiate from where he touched me.
I ignore it.
"I've already gotten everything I had in mind, so far." He explains. "Just a verse and chorus."
"What's the name of it?" I ask, and he scratches the back of his neck.
"I don't know if I need to tell you. I'm superstitious about this stuff, Viv." He tells me, even though he's completely full of shit.
He just wants to aggravate me.
"It's just the title, Duff. You let me hear you say 'turn around, bitch, I gotta use for you' and this can't be worse than that." I point out and he chuckles, licking his lips before looking at me.
His hand covers the lyrics, exposing the title line of the page.
"Paradise City" is scribbled in his writing and I smile when he moves his hand and let's me read  the chorus, and verse that he's gotten so far, a giant smile pulling at my lips.
"Who the hell inspired this?" I ask him, raising my brows.
"Nobody particular." He shrugs. "You like it?"
"I already love it." I tell him.
Not to compare two completely different bands who earned their names all on their own, but there are a few song parallels between Guns N' Rose's Appetite for Destruction, and Mötley Crüe's Girls, Girls, Girls albums.
Guns' Welcome to the Jungle was like Mötley's Wild Side. Paradise City was like Girls, Girls, Girls. Mr. Brownstone was like Dancing on Glass. But my favorite parallel has to be Sweet Child O Mine and You're All I Need.
I remember Nikki had given me a tape of You're All I Need after we got into a massive argument because he thought I was spending too much time with Duff. But he had practically accused me of having feelings for Duff, and even acting on them (which was pretty hypocritical being that he'd been screwing Vanity since 1986 at that point.)
A few weeks later, Nikki convinced me to come down to the studio so he could personally give me a copy of a song he had written me, and me--being excited--decided I wanted the guys to hear it, too.
I went to the Franklin Plaza where Steven, Duff, Slash, Izzy and Axl were hanging out, discussing a meeting they'd had with their label.
When I told them Nikki wrote a love song about me (thinking it was his way of trying to patch up our marriage and say to the world "I love this woman") the guys had to hear it, not believing me.
The ballad started beautifully, tears coming to my eyes, but my warmed heart quickly began boiling in my chest by the time the second chorus ended.
"I don't think this is a love song." Izzy stated, while shaking his head a little.
"Yeah, uh...he's talking about killing you." Axl had told me, everyone seemed slightly disturbed.
"Your girlfriends get Sweet Child O Mine and what does the dedicated wife that has done nothing but love this sick bastard get?! A song dedicated to his deep desire to murder me!"
"Dude, hasn't he actually tried to kill you before?" Steven asked.
Which made the song even more ironic, along with the last line of the chorus, "and I loved you but you didn't love me" which in itself was slap in the fucking face.
I didn't hear the full song at that time because Duff had took it out of the player and stomped it under his cowboy boot.
That pretty much set the tone for the months to come.
"You're also incredibly biased." He replies in the same tone and I nudge him with my elbow.
"You don't know how many songs I have actually had to tear out of Nikki's hand and hide them from him because they were so bad I just could not allow them to be recorded." I tell him.
"Oh, please." He brushes me off.
"Have you heard 'Theater of Pain'?" I ask him with raised brows.
"Yeah."
"Home Sweet Home and Smokin' in the Boy's Room were the only really good ones. And Smokin' in the Boy's Room was a cover. The other songs were songs I didn't know were written, or I would have hid them from him, too." I state and he tries not to laugh, but fails, making himself snort, which kickstarts my laughter. 
Once we settle down, he clears his throat, and gets a kind of serious expression on his face.
"I really wish he wasn't on that shit, Viv." He tells me and I don't even have to ask who he's talking about. "I mean, I'm not judging him or whatever because Izzy and Slash are in on that stuff, too, but...I just hate to see he's on it, because it's kinda hard to manage it once you hit a certain point, ya know?" He asks and I nod a little. "I think he's a pretty cool guy...so it sucks to see him act like that."
"It's not that bad, right now." I tell him, completely in denial. "He's still Nikki, he just does stuff he's not suppose to. That's nothing new to me."
"I'm just a little worried, is all." He admits.
"There's no need to be." I reassure him. "He's got a handle on things."
Dear God did I eat those words a week later in Dallas, Texas.
It's like watching a fucking car accident. 
Except instead of a car, it's my husband, and instead of a car accident, it's him losing his ever loving mind, crouched on the hotel room desk, as he babbles on, making absolutely no sense as he shouts at his parents who aren't even present.
I just came back from the pool, got a shower, and came in to him doing this.
"Nikki!" I try to get him out of whatever drug-induced show he's on.
"I'm not me! I'm not Nikki! I'm someone else!" He insists, hands yanking at his hair, his eyes completely taken over by an entirely different beast. 
I panic, immediately calling Fred.
"The fuck is wrong?!" He asks when I open the door, hearing Nikki's screaming and carrying on and I try to keep the absolute fear that's locking up my system from showing.
"I-I don't know. I got in from the pool and he was kinda jittery but I thought he'd done some blow, but then he started screaming when I was in the shower and now he's--"
Fred gets tired of hearing Nikki's meaningless shrieks at people who aren't in the room with us, and snatches him off the desk.
Nikki hits the floor, and a switch is flipped, sending him into strong convulsions, opting thick, white foam to pour from his mouth.
"Fuck, Sixx!" Fred lets out, turning him on his side. "Get me a roll of toilet-paper." He barks at me and I do as I'm told, saying a very colorful, silent prayer in my head. 
He tries to get Nikki to bite down on it to keep him from biting his tongue, but Nikki can't do it. screaming instead.
When I think I can't take the confused, scared, out-of-character shrill, it's like God himself knocks Nikki out, leaving Fred and I in complete silence, riddled with what just happened.
Fred checks his pulse and sighs in relief, looking at me.
"Viv, are you alright?" He asks me, taking deep breaths.
"Y-yeah." I say, nodding, even though I know it's written all over my face that I can't be further from "alright."
"Vivian--"
"I just need a second." I tell him, standing up to go to the bathroom, disguising oncoming tears in a strong, steady voice that's physically uncomfortable to push past the lump in my throat.
I lock myself inside the bathroom and turn the water back on, gripping the counter before I find myself in the floor, quiet sobs rocking through me.
I just want my Nikki back...not this tainted demon nesting himself in Nikki's skin, festering his bullshit in Nikki's mind.
By the time I'm worn down from crying, and tired from lying on the bathroom floor, I pull myself up and open the bathroom door, stepping into the room.
I guess Fred put Nikki in the bed before he left, because Nikki's still passed out, just tucked in the covers. 
I get pajamas on, scared to even touch him because I don't want him to start seizing again.
Cautiously getting closer to him, nestling my forehead against his arm, I thank God for the feeling of his pulse under my finger tips in the crook of his arm, and find myself passing out with utter exhaustion.
The next morning, Nikki's really quiet.
I'm not sure if he remembers what happened last night, but I'm not asking him. 
After finding a needle and evidence of an 8-ball of coke, he can lick my twat if he thinks I'm talking to him anytime soon. 
The video shoot for Home Sweet Home is happening today, and a limo picks Nikki and I up at the hotel, driving us to the venue, neither of us acknowledging the other. 
Once we get there, someone's dressing Nikki like a damn toddler, because he's too fucked from last night to dress himself in his done up stage costume.
Nikki was so, so, so, obviously, utterly fucked up when they filmed the music video for Home Sweet Home. 
The entire time, he was chugging Jack to try to calm himself down from a high he later described felt like, "being on acid and speed at the same time" and with the way he was acting like he couldn't see a damn thing, I believe it. 
He kept sunglasses on a majority of the time so people couldn't see how his eye were practically doing cartwheels. 
"Viv, we're about to start, where's Nikki?" His bass tech asks me and I glance around, furrowing my brows a little.
"I haven't seen in him about an hour. He went over there by the stage...at least I think he did." I tell him, stepping over to the last place I saw him. "He was here and..." I trail off, hearing Nikki having a full blown conversation, his voice coming from underneath the stage.
The two of us sit and listen for a moment, realizing Nikki's just talking, taking long pauses, then answering a question that was never asked by anybody, not even himself.
"Who is he talking to?" His tech asks me under his breath so Nikki won't hear.
I roll my jaw, getting fed up.
"Probably the fucking demon he sees and befriends every time he gets high." I state, fully believing that at this point, there is indeed a demon following him around, breathing down his neck, stripping him of his control and cheering him on with each grain of coke, bottle of Jack, cc of heroin and prescription-grade pill.
"Nikki," His tech starts. "Who're you talking to?"
"I'm talking. Leave me alone." Nikki argues.
"Nikki." I state, looking at him. 
It's the first time he's heard my voice all day.
"There's nobody there, baby. C'mon." I motion my hand for him to get out from under the stage.
"Leave me alone!" He snaps at me, nearly hissing.
"Dude, calm down, you're freaking out." His tech tells him. 
"Nikki, get your ass out from under there or so help me God, I will come in and drag you out by your dick." I promise him. 
He puffs up like a pissed off rooster and stomps out, passing by us, grumbling under his breath.
Do you wanna know what was really fucked up about that time? Vince couldn't have a beer without someone losing their mind. He was supposed to be sober. Nikki would bust Vince's balls if he even saw him looking at a bottle...but then Nikki would load anything and everything into his body, simultaneously.
Vince quickly became the odd man out, and had been ever since that night with Razzle. There was this vibe, this tension, that Vince was only kept in the band at that time, because they were getting hotter and hotter, and each member was the ticket to reach their full potential as a band. Each member was important.
Without Tommy, there was no band. Without Mick, there was no band. Without Nikki, there was no band.
And without Vince, there was no band...that was the one that really didn't sit too well with Sikki.
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