𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞 : some resort in hawai’i , in bed catching z’s

closed starter for @alixxwayne​ location: veterinary clinic

if there was a place alex loved being at, was at work. yes, he knew that a lot of people didn’t like it and that he probably was one of the few people, but doing his internship at a veterinary clinic had to be one of the best things he got to do. he wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but he probably knew the animals more than he knew the people. he was just coming back from his lunch hour and as he passed the waiting room, he couldn’t help but to see a familiar face and it seemed like the dog recognized him too. alex knelt down to one knee as he petted the dog, smiling. “hey dante.” he said, before he realized that he hadn’t even acknowledge that alix would be there - which made him blush and immediately look up, smiling over at alix. “sorry. hi, alix. how are you?” he asked with a smile, as he pressed his hands together and looked at the other. “is everything okay with dante?” he asked, hoping that everything would be alright, but the dog seemed healthy.

           dante had noticed their  go - to  vet walking by before alix had --- he had gone to shush dante but one look up told him why his dog was barking and didn’t bother ( dante wouldn’t have quieted down if alix had shushed him anyways ). he gave a quick smile to the other alex , “ i’m doing pretty good , how’re you? is this place keeping you busy like usual? ” this was something  alix  wasn’t particularly fond of : pleasantries. they always felt so awkward , at least to him , and normally he tried to get straight to the point with things. but alex was a good guy , a  nice  guy , so a little small talk wasn’t going to hurt. “ actually , there’s something up with his paw. he’s been limping for a couple days now and he doesn’t like me trying to get a look at it. i think something got lodged while we were at the park, maybe like a thorn or a splinter , and it’s got infected. the desk lady --- ” he pointed over to a woman at the desk , busy talking into the phone , like alex needed to be shown who he was talking about. “ told me it’ll be a bit before they can get him checked out. do you think --- think  maybe you could get him in sooner? ”

     “i’m not complaining , i think i prefer sleeping at yours anyways — nothing beats that view you get from your window” within only days of spending the nights at alix’s , the view of him mixed with the stunning view of san fran she got as soon as she woke up made it hard for her to ever want to leave his bed. 

     you’d think she’d be used to it at this point , but the feeling of alix’s hand placing itself on her thigh still gave her butterflies and made her cheeks grow an undeniable shade of red - - one that got worse every time she so much as tried to look over at him. her hand moved to place itself on top of his , gently toying with his fingers until the car had finally pulled into…his apartment complex? 

     “you rushed us all the way over here just to go to your apartment?” her eyebrows had furrowed the minute he put his car in park — confused might have been an understatement as to what she was feeling right now , but then he told her to be patient , and instead of questioning him any further she simply let him take her hand and lead the way. “you pressed the button to the wrong floor you know” she laughed, shaking her head as she caught sight of his excited demeanor ( which , for the record , was probably one of the cutest things he’d ever done )  — if he was trying to pull off a surprise he had definitely already done so. 

     the ding and opening of the elevator startled her a little bit , not so much the noise but the fact that they were on the roof , the last place she ever would’ve thought for him to take her. “alix…what’s going on?” don’t let the apprehension in her tone of voice fool you , at this point she’s just as excited to see what the hell alix had planned for her as he seemed to be to show her. “with my life” she smiled , and with that her eyes fell shut just as he had asked. his hand on her waist had caused a small gasp to escape from ollie’s mouth, her hands instinctively reaching out in front of her to make sure she didn’t run directly into anything even though he was guiding her steps. “alright , alright … my eyes are closed i promise” 

     she chose to keep her mouth shut about alix’s frantic steps , trying to muffle her giggles until finally he told her she could open her eyes. on his count , her eyes opened up and a now shaky hand slowly reached up to cover her mouth as it hung open. “oh my god…”  she didn’t even know where to look , her eyes wandered up to the mess of fairy lights strung every which way , then to the table that held what she assumed was their dinner and her favorite bottle of wine , then down at the floor to see the flower petals scattered amongst the floor — and finally , to him , smiling so big it hurt her cheeks at this point. 

     it was beautiful , the flowers , the wine , the dinner , him — it was like he reached into her head , pulled out her dream date and turned it into a reality. “this is for me?” of course it was , but there was still that part of her that couldn’t even wrap her head around the fact that someone would do something like this for her. she had taken a moment to wipe away the few tears that rolled down her cheek before she walked over to him , reaching her arms up to wrap around his neck as soon as she was close enough. “you are more than i ever could have dreamed of , do you know that?” she didn’t even give him the chance to answer before she was pressing her lips against his , standing on the tips of her toes and pulling him close to show him all the gratitude she knew she wouldn’t be able to get out with words alone.  

     her eyes stayed steady on his as lowered herself back down “te amo” she said softly , giving him one more kiss before turning her attention back to the covered platters on the table. “i guess we should eat before it gets cold , huh?” her hand held his even on the short walk over to the table to sit down. “i’m so glad i have a chef for a boyfriend , cooking me meals on silver platters and whatnot — i feel like a princess” she teased , a little impatient to uncover her dish but she figured she’d let him do it for her. “thank you alix — for doing all of this , i always thought this kind of stuff only existed on pinterest boards” she knew she didn’t have to thank him , this was the way relationships were supposed to be , but she needed him to know how appreciative he was of him going the extra mile like he always did. 

     “next time you’ll have to let me plan the surprise date , but i am really bad at keeping secrets so if i slip up and tell you just pretend you didn’t hear me” 

           the sound of ollie's giggles had him grinning from ear to ear ; it was a contagious sound --- how could anyone not smile , at the very least , or laugh along with her. it was a mystery to him how the people around her didn't break out into smiles when they were out. even he couldn't help  but laugh , with her giggles mixed in with the way her arms were reached out like she was expecting to walk into something. she looked like a dork and he wished  that he had a camera ready to take pictures.

           nerves settled in the pit of his stomach as he watched her reaction. romantic gestures weren't something he was good  at. he had never had any real opportunities to practice , to think and plan , to impress a girl like this. alicia had helped him figure out some of the things he'd done : leaving flower petals on the ground ( they even trailed from the foot of the door that let them outside to the mess of them surrounded the ground around the table ). she'd told him not to go overboard , ' girls like the thought more than anything , ' she had specifically  told him , ' and ollie is going to care more about the fact that you thought about her than whatever you actually do. ' he hated when his sister was right , but he knew she had a point. but he wanted to impress  ollie , and not only impress , but to make her feel special in a way no other guy had made her feel before. she had spent too much time letting herself be hurt by past lovers , alix wanted to redeem that. make her realize she deserved more than that she'd get more when she was with him.

           " surprise , " he found himself saying , but it came out quiet , soft. eyes searched for any sign that she didn't like what she saw. . . but then he saw that smile. that was the same smile she gave him when they had finally said i love you and after they shared that kiss in the rain. that smile told him that he did good , this is something she deserved.

           ollie's question made him laugh , " this is all for you , mi amor. " his composure faltered at the sight of tears rolling down her cheek , his mouth dropped to say something to her but she was too quick to distract him by the feeling of having her so close. without needing to think , his arms found their way around her waist and he left a soft kiss to her forehead before resting his own against it. he wanted to say something in return --- about how ollie was everything he had dreamed about , the perfection  of his dreams being reality. but her lips had found his and those thoughts quickly slipped from his mind as his head tiled to the side , soaking  in the feeling of the softness of her lips.

           " te amo , " he whispered , a soft , gentle smile of his own revealing itself once more. when she led them both to the table he snuck out of the grasp of her hand to pull out her chair for him. it was the  true  gentleman move , that would give him brownie points for sure. " you are  a princess , " he argued , " mi princesa , mi reina. " when she sat down , he took a moment to brush straying strands of her hair from her cheek. a kiss landed itself atop her head and then his attention dropped to the covered dishes waiting to be dug into." i've never made this for you before but i think you'll like it. " reaching down , alix finally  uncovered the dish. the air filled with the delicious smell of bandeja paisa as soon as the lid was lifted. it was mouthwatering , he knew that because his  mouth was watering just at the smell. the lid was quickly set to the side and he made his way over to his own seat across from ollie. " a girl like you deserves to be treated like this --- romantic dinners with nice views and good food ; i'm lucky that i’m  the one getting to treat you to things like this. you make me feel lucky. "

here

and

alix: i woke up this morning feeling really grateful that you're mine

alix: loving someone this much feels like it should be impossible

alix: i'm really proud of you, you know

alix: through everything that's happened you've kept finding reasons to smile

joey: rmember when we had sex lollll

joey: idk what time it is but i ltrly just remembered that it's so funny

joey: gnight :)

alix: remember when you slept with my brother after

riley had been sitting down on one of the benches at the park, writing her life away as she listened to a recording of one of the lectures she missed. she probably should’ve been doing this somewhere more quiet, like her room or the library, but it was a beautiful day! and…she needed to get out more. her professor had been in mid sentence, and she had been jotting a quick note down, before her actions got interrupted as she was preciously attacked by a furry friend. on instinct, she immediately began petting the dog, face turning side to side as she avoided being licked to death. “hi friend!” she said excitedly before the dogs rightful owner came running over. “aw, come on - those types of dogs are the most entertaining.” she said with the smile, attempting to help the man out by trying to calm the dog down. “nah, don’t worry about me. what’s their name?”

         the feeling of alix’s hands snaking themselves around the back of her waist made her heart skip a beat . she had completely forgotten what she was doing in favor of feeling his lips pressed against her skin , each kiss causing the blush on her already warm cheeks to grow even deeper. “i’m not gonna dress myself in sweatpants when you’re taking me on a date ,  my love” she laughed , setting the flowers up on the counter before he pushed that bit of her hair behind her ears. “there’s something that has to get there? now you’ve really got me on the edge of my seat” her fingers naturally interlocked with his even in the short distance from the kitchen too her bedroom. “i promise i won’t be long” she assured him , leaving him with a quick peck as he made his way back out to the living room. 

as soon as he had mentioned they were going to be outside she had know exactly what she wanted to wear. it only took her a few short minutes to emerge from her room with a very minimal amount of makeup on with her sweater and jeans combo. “does this look alright?” she knew his answer would be the same no matter what she would’ve worn , but it was still nice to get the reassurance. she lifted her hand to her neck to turn upright the pendant on the necklace she hadn’t taken off since he gave it to her for christmas. “well come on , don’t you know we’re on a time crunch?” she teased , extending her hand out for him to take and lead the way. 

“i know we’re not there yet but it’s really sweet that you planned something for me , i love you” she placed a kiss on his cheek before getting settled and buckled in his car. “will you stay over tonight? or i can come to yours , i don’t mind either way i just want to sleep next to you tonight”. 

          anyone on the outside looking in would think that alix was looking at ollie for the first time. with the way his eyes shined when she walked out the door towards him , it was like the ‘zing’ ( or whatever the word was ) from that cheesy vampire x human cartoon. he looked at her with nothing but adoration because he adored her. “you look perfect ,” he breathed out , grinning like a dope as he stood from her couch that he’d gone and plopped down on. “hold on , give me a twirl first.” it was all teasing now. wasting a moment wouldn’t kill them , the things in store would be there even a moment later in the future. at least , hopefully it would be. he wasn’t feeling too confident everything would remain untouched if they took their time. of course that was when ollie decided to take charge of the time and urge them to get a move on. she only got a roll of his eyes as an answer but he took her hand all the same.

          “keep that same attitude when you see what’s waiting for you.” he was still grinning but there was a flash of doubt in his eyes. ollie always seemed to like the things he did for her but he always found himself worrying that she wouldn’t — his perfectionist attitude was to blame for that. “you should stay at mine ,” there was a pause as he processed how demanding that had come out. “i just mean — it’ll be more convenient if stay over at mine. you’ll understand why soon.”

          alix had kept one hand on the wheel and the other on her thigh all throughout the drive. he glanced over at her every so often as they drove , the illuminating light of other cars passing by gave him the perfect look at her blush. that’s exactly what he wanted to see. 

          he wasn’t sure if she’d notice right away that they were driving directly to his own complex. he didn’t offer any explanation — not when she looked at him confused , or as they pulled into a parking space , and definitely not as they got out of the car. “just be patient ,” he told her as he linked their hands togethers once more and he lead her into the building. they walked straight to the elevator. the button to the top floor was pressed and he only smiled , raising his eyebrows and shrugging his shoulders in an excited manner. “still not sure what’s in store for you?” he teased , chuckling after. “you’ll like it , i know you will.”

to be completely honest , one of the only people noel wanted to see right now was alix. He had always been there for her , the context didnt matter. wether it was little moments like when she had gotten the jitters before games or when her whole world seemed to be crashing down right in front of her ; alix was always there.

she was fresh out of the shower when alix had finally arrived , wet hair dripping onto the cloth of her shirt as she opened the front door. “oh hi baby!”  she spoke directly to the dog that was jumping on her and showering her in kisses and head butts. and for what felt like the first time today , she smiled. “i’m glad you brought him” she had finally managed to be able to look up at alix though still delivering lots of scratches to behind dante’s ears. “i’m sure comet likes having a friend over too—“ like clockwork , as soon as comet’s name was spoken there he came peering out from the corner , causing dante to run off and leave alix and noel to themselves. 

not a second passed before she was wrapping her arms around his torso , a deep breath filling and leaving her lungs as she melted into him. “i’m sorry” in the back of her mind she knew she had nothing to be sorry for , but that didn’t help her feeling a little bit guilty for making alix drop any plans he had for the night just so she wouldn’t have to sleep alone. it didn’t take long for her to crumble , soft sobs muffling into his chest as she held her face against him. “this fucking sucks” she mumbled , trying to laugh it off while wiping her tears as she pulled away from him. “i haven’t talked to him in like four days and already it feels like part of me is missing you know? do you think it’ll be like this forever?” 

          rather than remind her that there was nothing to be sorry about , alix only wrapped his arms around her. a hand rubbed at her back , his chin rested atop her head , and he sighed as he felt her weight sink against him. seeing her like this made him feel awful. it reminded him of the time he’d done through something similar to this with his sister. some dumb boy had wasted her time , made her feel special , only to hurt her in the end like she’d been nothing to him. alix didn’t like seeing noel go through an experience like this. seeing one sister deal with the undeserved consequences was hard enough because he knew , he knew there wasn’t enough words to say that would make any of this better. he could make all the promises he wanted , swear on his grandfather’s grave that everything was going to be okay. but how could he know that? how could he promise that?

          “i know it does ,” he consoled , his hand now running down her hair as she cried into his chest. a deep frown had settled on his expression. this was the part he struggled with most. knowing what to say , what not to say ; comfort had never been one of his best skills. but he knew how to listen and most importantly , he knew how to give a good hug. “hurt like this doesn’t last forever ,” came his immediate answer. that might not have been what she meant but it was an answer he felt she needed to hear. he wanted to be upset for her , spit out the spiteful comments about nicholas that he’d been biting his tongue on ever since noel had first told him what happened. but that wasn’t what she needed to hear. he could see it , hear it in the way she spoke ( in what little words she had spoken ) , that she held no malice towards him despite what he’d done. 

          noel was too good for nicholas , and the blair was too much of an idiot to realize.

out of all the things alfie was expecting to happen today , getting a text from his little brother definitely wasn’t one of them. not in a bad way though , alix was probably the sibling he had always felt like he had gotten along with the most but recently they had only ever really seen each other when they were with the family all together. he wasn’t doing anything other than getting a head start on a couple of assignments when the text rolled through , so he didn’t hesitate to send a quick text back : 

‘ of course , you know where to find me ‘ 

and within a matter of minutes he found himself turning his chair around “hold on hold on, i need a minute to process that the alix wayne is standing in my doorway right now” he playfully pretended to be deep in thought before breaking out in laughter and standing up to greet his brother. “to be honest i think if you were just walking around in here and didn’t mention the fact that you’re not in the frat, no one would suspect a thing” and with that he was letting out a grunt while he got up from his chair. “we can go to the pizza place down the street for lunch , yea?” he didn’t really give alix much of a choice , alfie had been craving that pizza for days on end and decided that now was as good a time as any to get it. “how you been man? you and ollie getting married yet or will i still have to wait a while to break out my reception speech” a hand reach up to pat him on the shoulder as he began to make his way out of the room for alix to follow. “dude can you tell alicia to stop asking me wether or not i like her boyfriend — i met the guy and i like him , i don’t know what else I can do to prove to her that I like him other than fucking kissing him at this point” 

          The action of rolling his eyes had almost been painful , Alix had rolled them that hard. A grin of his own broke out only seconds later — as things stood , Alfred was the only member of the Wayne family that could never seem to get on his nerves. Not that his brother ever really seemed to try. Unlike the other three (what an unfortunate number of brothers) , Alfie was , how you would call , tolerable. For the most part. Even the gifted pianist with the soul of a saint had his moments. But with that said , “Haha — “ Came Alix’s own response , “It took a lot of willpower to drag myself out of my comfort zone to get in here. You should be clapping for me , not teasing.”

          If he had been given a chance to answer he would have agreed to pizza. Seemed as though he’d be getting some either way , so it was fine that he didn’t need to say anything. “I’ve been doing okay ,” He answered as he begun following Alfred , “Honestly , I think I’m doing the best I’ve ever been.” A laugh left him and he gave a shake of his head. “As much as I’d love to tell you she and I are tying the knot , unfortunately being together for a little over a month isn’t really long enough. Love to hear your speech though. Feel free to give me a snippet over pizza.” It was the comment about Alicia and her boyfriend that had really brought a laugh out of Alix. Ironically , it was beginning to sound like Alicia had turned out to be the hopeless one when it came to relationships. He was sure that everyone was betting on him to take that title. Seemed like the tables had turned in his favor.