Closed Home Again

[Sapphire Michaels]

Sapphire was pleased with how her trip had gone. Sure, Onyx had been moping most of it, but he'd been a good sport and tried to hide it. And she was still giggling to herself about all the candid shots she'd taken and sent to Jamie when they'd had to go to town to get supplies. Now they were back though, and once she'd finished editing her photos, putting together a portfolio, and sending them to her manager, she'd decided it was time for a well earned break.

Which, of course, meant resuming her work fixing up her dads old bike. She was in the driveway, the bike lifted up on blocks while she lay under it, one foot flat on the ground for a bit of balance while she wrenched on some parts on the other side. She was a little greasy, but she didn't mind. She was almost done with what she was doing, music playing from the speaker behind her. She hummed along, occasionally singing out a line to herself. She was lost in her work, not paying attention to much around her.

 

[Francis Ruis]

Frankie had hoped that working at the Hogs Head would keep his days more interesting, but it hadn't taken long for that to fall into the same mindless routine he'd had before getting the job; the days blending together a haze. He was still stuck in the same house doing the same things day after day, night after night. Things with Tristan had been something interesting, but recently he'd had too much time to think and it had made even that too complicated. Or more accurately what that relationship had lacked. Or who.

He had at least expected a bit longer to mull over his feelings before he saw Sapphire again, but he'd just stepped out of the kitchen door to throw out the recycling and there she was in the drive way. Frankie dropped a can, muttering at the clatter and hoping she hadn't heard it over her music so he had time to either figure out his approach or make an escape. "So you're back," he managed, succeeding in leaning as nonchalantly against the side of the house house as he could holding a box of old cans. "Traversing the world get too boring for you then? Needed to grace us with your presence?"

 

[Sapphire Michaels]

Sapphire's hands stilled, her heart skipping a beat at the familiar voice. She sighed heavily, resuming her work. "I swear to god if you start yelling at me again Frankie I'm going to throw this wrench at your stupid face," She complained, grunting a bit at a bolt that was being stubborn. "Yes, I have a job. Yes, I travel. The world doesn't end at the end of the block and this is still my uncles' house, I'm free to come and go as I please," She snapped, not in the mood for his self-centered melodrama. She kept working on her bike, fully expecting him to be an ass before running off again.

 

[Francis Ruis]

Frankie had schooled his expression into a wry smile that quickly faded at Sapphire's response, feeling his hackles rise. "Merda, there's no talking to you sometimes, I swear," he hissed, throwing up his arms in exasperation. "Forgive me to trying to say hello, I guess," he said, pushing off the wall. This was all so stupid. He was annoyed at Sapphire for always thinking the worst of him and annoyed at himself for getting so bent out of shape when he should have known better. "Vão se foder, I liked it better when you were gone," He muttered, running a hand through his hair and resisting the urge to pull at it. "Guess I'll leave you in peace since you clearly aren't looking for company, princess."

 

[Sapphire Michaels]

Sapphire groaned. Merlin, he was impossible. Sapphire dropped the wrench and sat up, looking exasperated. "What the hell, Frankie?" She asked, sounding more tired than angry. "The last time I saw you, I tried to ask you for drinks and you said you'd rather kiss a flobberworm before kicking me out of the bar. Now you're going to stand in the driveway and act like you haven't spent every second you could insulting me since I asked you to run away with me?"

Sapphire stood, hands on her hips. "What do you want from me? What on earth could you possibly want? Every time I think I'm over you you come charging back in with that stupid soft hair and your stupid charming face and as soon as I even start to think we can have a good time, you start yelling and I'm left alone again. Will you just pick a damn mood and stick to it? Your emotions are giving me whiplash."

 

[Francis Ruis]

"Yeah, you just blow back into my life acting like you just remembered I exist and when I didn't play along, you hit me," Frankie said, moving from where he'd turned to head back inside and turning instead to face Sapphire. "But it's always been like that hasn't it," he said, the sharp, angry thing in his chest propelling him closer to speak the words to Sapphire's face. "It's like I'm some plaything to you that only exists when you're done with your real life. Time off school, time off work, let's go mess around with Frankie, I'm sure he's not got anything on," he said, jabbing an accusing finger into Sapphire's shoulder. "So sorry my feelings are inconvenient for you getting whatever you want," he said, dragging his hand back from her to resist the urge to hold onto her.

"What do you want from me? A 'good time' was it?" He asked her instead, voice hard and chest tight. He'd always thought he'd understood the rules with Sapphire and for a time it had suited him fine; Frankie was never the one people thought about as long term. He was just like Sapphire said, the good time until someone had to go back to their real lives, places away from where he was stuck, doing the same thing every day, thinking the same things. And then Sapphire had gone and acted like he could be anything else, asked him to run off with her like it was just as simple as packing a bag and trusting she wouldn't leave him in the dust the second she got bored. That he could actually find it in himself to leave.

 

[Sapphire Michaels]

Sapphire let Frankie rant, listening to his issues as he seemed to get angrier. Finally, she almost said it, but she bit the word back. That would probably not help. She waited for him to get it all out, letting out a sigh of frustration when he finally stopped talking. "I want you to be my boyfriend!" She threw back at him, sounding an equal mix of angry and exasperated. "I didn't have a choice in going to school, you twit, and when I got out I tried to ask you to be serious, which apparently was a terrible thing." She ranted, poking him back. "What do you want me to do, Frankie? Just hang out in my driveway and wait for you to be free? I'm not going to apologize to you for living my life, I'm not going to apologize for wanting you in it, and for some damn reason I still do."

Sapphire stepped back, running a hand through her hair. "Do you think I'm not scared? You've obviously got issues, Frankie, and merlins beard, I have a few of my own. At least I'm trying. I don't know why, but I keep trying, but no matter what I do, you throw it back in my face! I've asked you out, I've given you space, I've tried being there for you. Nothing works! Tell me, Francis, what am I supposed to do?"

As if the anger drained out of her, her shoulders slumped, and a light misting of tears came to her eyes. "I'm tired, Frankie, I'm so tired of fighting with you. Just tell me what you want from me, please?" She pleaded gently. "I care about you, okay, I think about you when I'm gone, I want you around, I want you with me, but obviously nothing I'm doing is working. Just tell it to me straight, would you?" She sighed, reaching out for his hand for a moment before dropping it again and stuffing her hands in her pockets.

"Just, tell me, is there any chance for this? For us? If you don't want me, just tell me now, and I'll go, okay? I want to work this out, but I can't keep fighting if you aren't fighting, too," She wondered idly if she looked as defeated as she felt, her shoulders slumped and her hair covering her face like a dark curtain. This was it, then. How did she get into this mess? She'd sworn she would never let anyone this close to her again, yet here she was, resigning herself to the neighborhood heart throb about to break her heart. Again.

 

[Francis Ruis]

Frankie swore he could almost hear something inside him crack at Sapphire's next sentence, stepping back from her like she'd slapped him again. "What?" He asked incredulous. "One second you hate me, the next you ask me out?? You gotta forgive me for not being convinced you mean it," he said, waving an arm exasperatedly. He felt like he was drowning here and he couldn't tell if Sapphire was trying to pull him out or push him under. "I'm not telling you to not live your life," he said, shoving a hand into his hair and tugging. He'd never met someone as infuriating in his life, he swore.

He wanted to pace, to run away, to kiss her or maybe hit her back for once, but Frankie just felt rooted to the spot, licking his lips as he tried to find some sense of the jumble Sapphire had put his thoughts into. "Don't.. Cry. For f*ck's sake," he said tiredly, looking at her at a loss before finally taking a breath. "You'll hate me. If you don't already," he said, closing his eyes for a moment, not able to bring himself to watch her face as he spoke. "We'll fight, all the time. You'll leave and I'll be an assh*le and then one day you won't want to come back and then what'll I do?" He said, opening his eyes again. "It's all I'm good for, quick flings before everyone moves onto something else, it's easier that way. You weren't supposed to stick around. Or ask me to come with you. I can't leave, Sapph, but you can and you should. I'm not worth all... This," he said, motioning between them, to the unshed tears in her eyes. "We're just gonna crash in burn, you can see that, right?" He knew he was practically pleading at this point, but he needed her to understand. He hated her but he couldn't stay away, he needed her to finally get why this was only going to end badly.

 

[Sapphire Michaels]

Sapphire let out an exasperated sigh. "I don't hate you, Frankie. You piss me off sometimes, yeah, but I have never hated you." She replied, scrubbing a hand over her face. She let him get everything out, chewing on her lip a moment as she considered what he said. "Of course we'll fight." She took a small step closer to him. "But we always seem to make up again." She spoke softly. "You don't get to decide what you're worth to me, Frankie. I've put up with you for this long, haven't I?" She asked, with half of a smile. She hesitated a moment, before reaching up, meaning to gently brush her fingers over his jaw. "If this is to end in fire, then we can burn together," she offered softly.

 

[Francis Ruis]

"I think that's the problem," Frankie said dourly, shoving his hands in his pockets before he could do something stupid with them like touch Sapphire. "But that's the point, we're just both going to get hurt so why not skip all the bullsh*t and save ourselves the trouble," he said, voice edging away from exasperation closer to pleading. He couldn't understand why Sapphire was pushing for this, why she always seemed to want to keep pushing him when they both apparently knew they were heading straight for a cliff. "Maybe I don't wanna get hurt by you," he offered, though even he could tell he was fishing for reasons to be contrary.

This thing between them was big and scary, always something so much deeper than either of them had ever been looking for wanted to acknowledge. At least Frankie hadn't wanted to acknowledge it. Life was so much easier that way but he supposed he should have known Sapphire didn't like doing things the easy way.

 

[Sapphire Michaels]

Sapphire took a few purposeful steps forward, reaching up and grabbing hold of his collar. "Frankie," she breathed, pulling him just a touch closer. "You're an idiot. When are you going to accept that I'm more stubborn than you are?" Her eyes lowered to his lips and back up to meet his gaze. "Just give up and stop arguing with me for once, yeah?" She asked, her voice strangely gentle.

 

[Francis Ruis]

It didn't take a genius to figure out this was a terrible idea, hadn't Frankie been saying exactly that a few moments ago? But it was like all his faculties suddenly escaped him when Sapphire got that close, her eyes burning into his. "When you hate me after this, let me just say I told you so," he said quietly, words ghosting over Sapphire's lips as the air between them receded them and he finally pulled her those last few centimeters to kiss her properly. To pour every linger ounce of confusion and longing and frustration into this wordless press between them.

Frankie knew, with absolute certainty, that they were doomed, he was going to screw up and resent her, she was going to get bored or wise up that she could do better, but for now, with Sapphire close, his hands tangled in her dark hair, he couldn't bring himself to care.