hurricane.

Anyone else probably wouldn’t have been amused if he simply came over this late without even sending a text or anything before but when Thea opened the door with a grin on her lips, Liam couldn’t help but return it before entering her apartment and following her towards the couch. After having been on his feet quite a lot during the last hours, he was glad to finally be able to sit down. So wide awake probably wasn’t the best way to describe him right now but he tried not to let it show all too much. “It was good. Might not need to starve to death this month..”, he joked even though he had actually been glad to have been offered that gig and the chance to earn a little more money. “Didn’t feel like going home all alone though..”, he added, glancing up to meet her eyes.

She shifted a little closer to him as he settled on the couch beside her, letting her hands move so she could thread her fingers through his hair, listening to him talk with a small smile on her lips. “You don’t actually think I’d let you starve to death, do you?” Thea asked quietly, rolling her eyes at him. “Who else would I have talk to at odd hours of the morning. You’d leave me high and dry so no, it’s in both of our interests that I keep you well fed.” Thea couldn’t help but laugh to herself, raising an eyebrow at his words. She shifted even closer to him, aware that he was watching her now. “I get it. You didn’t want to be all by yourself and thought, hm, I’ll go see the girl that rocks my world. I don’t blame you, I’d want to come see me too.” Another laugh, a little quieter this time and she ran a hand through her own hair. “Kidding, of course. I’m glad you decided to come. Don’t tell anyone, but I kinda missed you, Liam.”

Eleanor smiled a Thea, wrinkling her nose slightly and nodded. She wasn’t there to argue with no one, and truth be told, she very much believed in that and that one day, a person’s luck simply ran out. She pursed her lips, her own thoughts consuming her yet again until she blinked herself out of them. “Oh no, thank you very much, I don’t envy you, but I am also entirely too pleased that you managed to survive this long,” the brunette squeezed Thea’s thigh. They didn’t always have the best of relationships, but only because Thea lacked filter even around Emma, and there were things, she found, her 17 years old daughter needed not to know, especially when she was so near graduating and being her own person. Nevertheless, she also thought Thea brought a lightness within her and Eleanor genuinely liked to have her around. It wasn’t all grief, it was fun too. “I don’t mind it, most days, I actually like there, because there isn’t a boring moment in trauma and its basically where you can see that men are just one step away from extinction,” she laughs, “it’s just that sometimes it can hit a bit too close to home,” Eleanor shrugged, not minding elaborating about it, especially when the majority of people who lived in Somerton might have heard of her aunt’s murder at the hands of her then, husband. “Well, I am glad she did. Do you mind keeping me company for a while? I was thinking about going to Timothy’s and just having their largest burger and pray for curly fries. Whaddya say? It’s on me.”

“Eh, sometimes I’m not sure how I survived this long. Like I said, it was probably luck. But at least someone is thankful I’m here,” Thea added, smiling a little at the gentle squeeze to her thigh. She liked Nell and Thea understood, not many people liked her; she was blunt, she was outspoken and open about both her past and the life she led now. She had no shame about stripping, finding it liberating, and she was more than happy to discuss her work with anyone who showed an interest. And sure, sometimes Thea was sure she got on Nell’s last nerve, but there was always that small spark of kindness from the other woman Thea appreciated. Moments of calm in their otherwise chaotic lives. 

“One step away from extinction, huh?” Thea repeated softly, thinking for a moment. “Well, rather you than me. Not sure I could handle that kind of pressure. It’d probably turn me to using again and that is not something I ever intend on doing.” Thea shuddered a little before shaking herself from her thoughts. She finished her cigarette in silence and knew they were both deep in thought. But it was a comfortable silence - nothing about it felt awkward and Thea appreciated it. “A hot older woman offering to buy me dinner? How could I say no?” She asked with a grin, stubbing her cigarette out and tossing it away before she jumped to her feet, full of energy once again. “C’mon then, I’ll keep you company for as long as you need. The night is still young, after all. I promise I’ll keep my flirting to a minimum.”

“Shit.” James breathed out as soon as he heard her voice, turning to look at Thea. “I’m sorry- I didn’t mean to wake you up.” Guilt instantly churned his stomach some, he knew that she worked until late most nights, she had only probably been asleep for a few hours. And what had he done? Woken her up by accidentally letting a cabinet slam. Guilt was something he felt so much of the time. Guilt that she had taken him in, that she had to go out of her way to help him, guilt when he needed help with things. That she had to make him a chart just so he could make it through most days. He blamed himself so much for what happened though James knew that none of it had been his fault. 

As she nodded towards the chart that was hung, James turned to look at it as well. He was so thankful for it, that she not only made a list of what he needed to do most days but had included a diagram of where everything was. But some days he was just so damn stubborn, wanted to see what he could remember on his own. And today had been one of those days where checking it to see where the cups were didn’t even cross his mind. “I know- I just…” He stammered out a reply, reaching a hand to run through his mess of curls. Had he forgotten about it? Or was he trying to see if the cups was something he could find on his own? James swallowed some and gave a shake of his head.

“You should go back to bed, Thea.” He said gently, still standing in the spot she had found him, the coffee machine still beeping at him. “It’s still really early and you should rest. I’ll… figure this all out.” James added, waving a hand around to indicate the coffee machine and cup situation. “And if not, that’s alright. I probably drink too much coffee anyways.” He laughed, always doing his best to try and keep things light. It was all he could really do. 

“Do you really expect me to listen to what you tell me?” Thea asked with a mischievous grin before yawning widely and stretching. She crossed the kitchen and hopped up, sitting on one of the counters to watch James. “Nah, no point sleeping now. I won’t be able to drift off for hours and then it’ll be pointless. You can make me a coffee though, seeing as you woke me up.” Again, Thea grinned to show she was joking, tightening the knot of her dressing gown and yawning again. 

She wasn’t stupid, she could almost see the cogs turning in his mind and knew he was overthinking things again. So Thea slipped back off the counter and moved to rest a hand on James’s arm, turning him gently so he could look at her. It didn’t matter that he was a full head taller than her - he’d never looked so unsure and so frustrated and it made her heart ache. 

“It’s okay, you know. If you need to use the chart, then it doesn’t take away anything else you’ve achieved. And I know some days are harder than others. But if you need to ask for help, even if it’s just to prompt you for something, you can always ask me, James. I’m your friend. Now, stop making me go all soft on you and make me a coffee.”

Sam had a lot of friends because pretty much every single person and animal he encounter around Somerton was automatically on his good side and he’d drop everything for them in a heartbeat, his experience with Thea had been no different. Except for the fact that he had to prove that he wasn’t that scary, just a giant— but that was pretty normal too.

He opened the door and watched Thea storm in. He turned and followed the dust she left behind. “Hey, Thea!” Sam was about to ask how she was and how her day went when she cut him off and started talking. He smiled and walked over to his counter where he leaned against. “Sure! What can I do? Hopefully it’s nothing too seri—” And once again, she shocked him. But honestly, at the point Sam needed to stop going doe-eyed whenever she stepped into a room.

Thea always had something interesting going on, but he wasn’t usually a part of her Only Fans. Well, not ever. “What?” Sam averted his eyes from her as he thought about why she went to his apartment for. “You want me to look at your Only Fans stuff and tell you… what exactly? Uh…”

“Are you asking me too look at your nudes, Thea?”

The look on his face was priceless. The way colour rushed to his cheeks, the way his eyes widened and he looked like a deer caught in headlights - all of that was endearing and she couldn’t help but enjoy his flustering. So Thea liked making him uncomfortable - it was cute, she couldn’t be blamed for that! 

“Of course I’m asking you to look at my nudes,” Thea said with another dramatic sigh before climbing off the couch and moving to sit on the arm of it, pulling Sam closer to her. “Look, you have a penis. Your penis finds me attractive, and that’s fine. Therefore, I need you and your penis to tell me what you think of these photos and which one is going to be the most successful. See? Easy!”

Thea pulled her phone from her pocket, opening the photos and flipping through them carefully, as though waiting for Sam to tell her his thoughts. 

closed starter for @anthearose​ content warning for drug / alcohol addictions. 

it had been absolutely vital that maya find the closest support group in town as soon as she arrived. already, she could feel the burn in her throat, the desperate need for something to alter reality just a little. but the last thing she needed was to fall off the wagon, especially so soon after arriving in what she presumed would be her home for quite awhile. 

after all, if she left again - she’d never have a chance at repairing what she’d damaged. 

she’d had a group back home in new mexico, and her sponser was always available over the phone, but she needed something solid in town. the somerton community center was her answer, and she bundled up in coats she hadn’t worn since her years in new york as she sat in the bland community center room, a group of ten others sharing stories of their pain and hardships. 

maya didn’t have a sad story. not really, at least, in her mind. she’d just ruined everything herself, because she was impulsive, because she was scared, because she couldn’t really see what wesley must have seen all those years ago. a future, a life, a plan. 

she didn’t speak during the meeting - trying to asses who would be an enemy, who could rat her out before she got the chance to really divulge what her past few years had been like. but the one who’d been sitting next to her seemed kind enough, and maya felt a little relieved at having someone close in age to herself there with her. “i’m maya,” she introduced as the meeting broke for cookies and socializing. “i’m new to the area. i didn’t expect such an…intimate gathering for this. is it always this small?” 

Her sobriety was something Thea prided herself on. It hadn’t been easy, to kick her drug habit, especially after she was made homeless. But she’d done it and kept it up for five years. Of course, there were still difficult days and that was why Thea was still attending regular group sessions with other addicts. It helped, at least that’s what she told herself, and she’d always been open with her past. There was no judgement in their group, Thea had watched people come and go but the regulars she got along well with. 

It’d just been another ordinary session for her - discussing what life had been like when she was at her lowest, how she’d felt then versus now - the usual things. But the unfamiliar face talking to her wasn’t something Thea had been expecting. The new ones were usually silent, refusing to talk to anyone. And it was true, this stranger had been quiet in the session, but she’d sought out Thea after the session. 

“Thea,” she said with a grin, sitting back in her chair and stretching her limbs out, sighing a little in relief. “New huh? What brought you to little old Somerton? It’s usually pretty small, we’re only a small town after all. You’ll get used to it in no time, I’m sure,” Thea added with a reassuring smile, sitting up again and crossing her legs on the seat beneath her. “Been coming here for five years, so I guess I’m used to the smaller size of the group. Nothing we say leaves this room though.” She paused for a moment, pulling a face. “It’s not one of those stupid groups where everyone gathers around and sings kumbaya either. If it was, I’d have left a long time ago.”

Closed || @anthearose​ @ The Apartment

Six months. It had been six months since he had been home, since his life had completely changed. Everything that James had once knew was gone. Most of his memories, the ability of how to do day to day things- All of it taken away from him in the blink of in eye. In the course of one night, a night he barely remembered over seas. The days had turned into struggles for him but he kept pushing forward, determined to keep on with his life, to try and get used to this new he had been dealt. And had if not been for the support of his friends, for Thea taking him in, letting him move in with her, he had no idea what he would have done. 

Always an early riser, James padded his way into the kitchen, in desperate need of coffee. He couldn’t function without a cup or two in the mornings, that was something that had stayed the same. Rubbing at his eyes some, he made his way over to he coffee machine, he had been able to remember how to use it yesterday morning so he was hoping it was something that had stuck with him over night. But he stood there for a few seconds, brow already knitted in thought as he looked at it, finally reaching out to turn it on. Thankfully it whirled to life, small victories, that’s what he had to focus on. However, the next steps were lost on him, not for sure what he was supposed to do. Turn it on- then what? A cup, he needed a cup. James moved over to one of the cabinets, opening it up to be greeted by a stack of plates and not cups. Where were they kept? After the third cabinet and no luck, he let it slam shut, wincing as he did so. The last thing he wanted to do was wake Thea, for her to walk in and see him lost already in the middle of trying to make coffee. 

Taking James in had been an easy decision. They’d been friends before he left, before it had happened and he came back with a life-changing injury. She hadn’t even hesitated - she lived in a small but cosy two-bedroom apartment, it was the least she could do to help her friend. She’d adapted to the new routine easily - they had different scheduled, with Thea working at the strip club and James a regular early-riser, so she’d made sure to put things in place to help him whenever she wasn’t around. There was the chart taped to the refrigerator to remind James of certain things he needed to do daily, and she’d made sure the cupboards and drawers were labelled on a small diagram next to this chart. She knew James had been frustrated with this new normal and she was determined to do everything possible to help him adjust. 

It was her day off - she’d climbed into bed late last night and passed out almost instantly. The plan for today was to do absolutely nothing, probably lounge around the apartment in nothing more than her underwear and take it easy. Maybe she could get James to play Mario Kart again, he seemed to enjoy that before. But her peaceful slumber was interrupted by a slam from the kitchen. She sat upright almost at once, looking around in the early morning light. It didn’t matter what time it was - her instincts took over and she barely pulled her dressing gown on before she made her way into the kitchen to see James, looking frustrated and a little lost. 

“Are you okay?” She asked quickly, taking note of the expression on his face, the quiet beeps of the coffee machine and let out a little sigh. “You scared the crap outta me, I thought you’d fallen or someone was breaking in.” Thea sighed, running a hand through her messy hair and leaned against the wall, nodding in the direction of the chart. “It’s okay to look at that to check where things are, James. That’s why it’s there - to help you.”

James: oh god

James: PLS DON'T MURDER MY NEW ROOMMATE I ACTUALLY LIKE HER A LOT OKAY

James: you guys had better become besties

Thea: I think I like her too, she's pretty fun.

Thea: Once I stopped trying to murder her, I mean.

closed starter for: @anthearose​

It had been a while since Liam had actually played a real gig at some bar and wasn’t just standing in the cold to try and earn some money so you could probably say that it was a rather good day for him. But the thought of his father had still kept him awake the last couple of nights and so he was pretty exhausted when he finally left the bar with his guitar on his back and his hands buried in the pockets of his jacket. The male simply stayed right where he was for a few seconds. No matter how exhausted he was, he still didn’t want to go home. So after a while, he finally turned left and walked in silence until he finally reached the familiar apartment. What he hadn’t thought about though, was whether she was actually going to be home but when he rang the bell and Thea opened the door a little while later, he gave her a slightly tired but still relieved smile. “Hey…”

Thea was always wired after work and it took several hours for her to settle down after a shift enough to actually try and get some sleep. Usually that wasn’t until the early hours of the morning so she knew she had some time to kill before then. She’d only just gotten home and thrown her hoodie off, leaving her in a simple white cropped t-shirt and her comfy sweatpants - always the best outfit after a shift at the strip club. And then the bell to the apartment rang. Thea glanced at the clock on the wall and frowned - who the fuck was calling so late? It didn’t matter, she was used to people coming and going at all hours of the day - that’s what happens when you and your roommate have two completely different schedules, apparently. Thea got to her feet, stretched her arms above her head and groaned softly before opening the door. She wasn’t completely surprised to see Liam stood there - he was one of the few people she’d suspected it would be, honestly - but she was certainly happy to see him, no matter how exhausted he looked. “Hey you,” she said with a grin, stepping back a little so he could cross the threshold, letting the door close behind him with a soft click. She led him through the small apartment, flopping down on the couch and patting the space next to her so he could join her. “Wide awake too, huh? Figures. You had your show at the bar tonight, didn’t you? How’d it go?”

Bella mirrored her position, though her weapon was smaller and a lot more breakable — her phone. “Who am I? Who are you? And why are you pulling a Frozen, no wait, sorry, a Tangled in the middle of my apartment?” Here it was. The other shoe had just dropped. Everything had been going way too perfectly, even for her standards. James was the cutest person she had ever met, and she knew deep down in her gut they would be great friends. He had even saved her bag! Made sure she didn’t forget it in the middle of the street and brought it up to the apartment!

Sure, the place was a little messy, but it didn’t bother her. She was used to it, her bedroom always looked like the aftermath of a hurricane. Her dad had joked once — someone could hide in her bedroom and they would never know. Maybe he had been right. Look at this: a naked woman in the middle of her new apartment. God, maybe she had been living here for years, only sneaking out when James was out so she could eat his food and use his water. Devious, terrible, monstrous (kind of hot, to be honest) creature!

“Get out! Get out! Get out right now or I’m calling the police!”

How was this even happening? Did this stranger just wait for James to leave this morning and break in? Was she expecting the apartment to be empty? Or did she know Thea would be in there? She wasn’t sure which was worse, honestly. But however she got in, Thea would make damn sure it wouldn’t happen again. 

“A what?” Thea cried in disbelief - was this person really comparing this moment to a Disney movie right now? She was in her friend’s apartment acting like she owned the place and she was seriously comparing it to Tangled?” “So call the police! I’ll tell them how I found some stranger in my best friend’s apartment! Did you break in? Did you climb in through the window? Get out of here now! I’ll call James and tell him some fuckin’ stranger is in here like she owns the place!”

Eleanor could feel the sense of comfort washing over her as she took a first long drag. Smoking was one of the worst things the woman did when she was under stress▬ topped only by having sex with the absolute wrong people. She had always been open about her bad choices when it came to her daughter, regardless of what they were. Still, she couldn’t find it in her to share these ones with Emma. Not that she needed to be perfect for her daughter, not with the sheer amount of cursing she did in front of the girl anyway, but there was just this sinking feeling on the pit of her stomach every time she took a drag out of a cigarette, like the smoke she blew in the air formed the sentence you are a bad mom. It was a ridiculous thought, she was aware, but she couldn’t hold it back as much as she could hold back her need for nicotine during stressful hours. “To be fair, I’ve seen plenty of non-smokers dying from lung-related conditions to know that life ain’t nothing but a continuous Russian-roulette game,” she offered Thea a small smile, sitting on the bench closest to where they were standing and tapped the free space next to her for the blonde to occupy. “Hey▬ don’t go around selling yourself short, I rather enjoy your company, heck, if I didn’t have Emma to censor me every once in a while, I’d probably be you… in some aspects,” the brunette crossed her legs and let out a small chuckle, humorless, as she knew Thea’s help was needed, but probably wouldn’t be effective in truly cheering her up. “It’s fine, I’m fine, just working with trauma is shit sometimes, blood and guts don’t bother me, but every once in a while there’s this…” she lets her thoughts derail and goes silent for a minute as she takes in another drag. “Work finished early tonight?”

“That’s certainly one way of putting it,” Thea said as she took a drag from her cigarette before making her way to the bench Nell had seated herself on. She crossed her legs beneath her, glancing up at the sky again, simply watching the stars for a moment. “Life is definitely a game of Russian-roulette. It’s all about being lucky and then using that luck to survive. Probably why I’ve even made it this long.” She laughed but it didn’t quite meet her eyes and she sat back a little, turning her gaze to Nell herself and tilting her head to the side slightly. “Well lucky you, having Emma to censor you. I wouldn’t recommend being me though, sweetheart. It’s taken a lot of shite to get to here. Wouldn’t suggest trying it.” Thea shrugged her shoulders, clutching her jacket a little closer to her body and sigh. “I can imagine. Trauma is probably the worst department you could have chose but I admire your dedication. Me? Seen enough of that shit to last a lifetime. Things weren’t always so nice on the streets and I saw plenty of horrible sights so, I get it.” Thea trailed off for a moment and shuddered at the memories before glancing back at Nell. “Was on the early shift. Marie either took pity on me or she’s training a new girl. Either way, I got the early shift this week and I won’t complain. It’s nice leaving work when it’s still dark outside and not when the sun’s rising.”

Teagan rolled her eyes at Thea and folded her little arms over her chest. “Well if you drink the almond milk and die then next time I won’t have any trouble getting my oat milk.”  She countered, highly debating just grabbing the milk from Thea’s basket and running away with it. But instead she huffed and stepped past the woman to grab some coconut milk instead. “Also when’s the last time I told you how much you suck? I feel like it wasn’t recent enough so I’m to remind you that you’re the worst.” The brunette placed the coconut milk in her own basket and turned her eyes up to Thea with a curt smile. She wasn’t sure what it was about Thea but the woman rubbed her the wrong way most of the time, but she was also one of the few people who really was able to keep up with Teagan’s sarcasm and not quit on her so easily.

“If I drink almond milk and die then who would you spend all of your time annoying?” Thea shot back with another smirk, leaning on the display so she could watch Teagan grab coconut milk instead. Thea raised an eyebrow at her words and couldn’t stop herself from laughing. She’d spend her entire life stepping on people’s toes, although before it was for much more serious things and Thea would happily take something as mundane as taking the last carton of milk than anything else. “Oh, it’s probably been at least a week since you’ve told me how much you suck, or how much you dislike me, or even insulted me. You’re slacking, Teagan, and I’m almost disappointed.” She glanced toward her, looking her up and down and ran her hands through her hair. “Besides, if you had been nice to me, maybe I’d have given you this last carton. But if you insist on telling me just how much I suck... Maybe not.”

where: dark sensations, bridgeport when: march 2021, early morning, after closing time notes: tw for mentions of past drug use

It had become routine to help out at the end of a shift. Most of the girls just danced and left, seeing it as any other job in the world. But the club was different for Thea. Working at the strip club gave her a sense of power she’d never known was possible. For Thea, things had always been about surviving. She’d done what she had to do from a young age to scrape by but now living here and feeling as good as she did - she was living. And it was largely thanks to her boss. Marie had given her a chance, given her a job behind the bar when she was at her most desperate. Marie had seen the marks on her arms from the drug abuse, the trembling of her hands and sought to help. She’d given her a job and Thea found her feet. She turned to stripping purely because it gave her a sense of control she’d never had before - these men were paying just to look at her body. She could do what she wanted and they weren’t allowed to touch. Anyone that made her feel comfortable would be dealt with swiftly. 

Maybe that was why she loved working here so much. She had power, she was safe. And Marie was the reason for it. Maybe that was why she’d insisted on staying after the club was closed to help clean up and ensure Marie would be okay. She didn’t like the thought of her alone in the club and Thea had no issue with spending a little extra time there. After all, she had nothing else planned. 

“Seems like we had a good night here,” Thea said, biting into the apple she’d been playing with for the past ten minutes and hopping up to sit on top of the desk Marie was working at. “The club seemed really busy. I guess people need to let loose a little more.” She couldn’t stop herself from grinning at Marie, the woman she’d come to look up to and leaned up, stretching her limbs above her. “You ever think about getting an assistant or something to help you out with all this? Seems like a lot of work.”

location: outside of the hospital (parking lot or sidewalk)

when: nighttime - whatever day of the week

open starter @somertonstarter​

Being a trauma nurse meant that she was surrounded by just that▬ trauma, in  a way that had almost dissensitized her. Almost. For the first time in a long time, Eleanor was leaving the hospital with her body shuddering and skin crawling, she hated when accidents hit too close to home, or when injured and even deceased people reminded her of other people she loved. Nell felt two seconds away of slipping into the abyss she felt when her aunt passed away and she didn’t want to do that, Emma was home, waiting for her, and she deserved more than a mother feeling rattled. Picking the crisis pack of cigarettes she carried around, Eleanor put one between her lips before raising her eyes and lifting her eyebrows at the person who was close to her. “Do you want me to smoke somewhere else?” She offered, not really annoyed or anything, but the last thing she needed was someone complaining as she attempted to take the edge off the only way she knew how. It was either this or group therapy and God knew she was not going there.

Thea always liked to be doing something. She was constantly on the go and even now, after finishing an early shift at the club, she still had energy to burn and so decided to take the long route on her walk home. She never felt like she was in danger walking alone at night - she had survived for years, nighttime was second nature to her now. But she still had her pepper spray. Just in case. Thea stopped on her walk after a while, fishing in her pockets for a lighter and huffing slightly when she couldn’t find it. She’d probably left it in the dressing room of the club. “That was my good lighter, fuck,” she mumbled to herself, frowning. A voice shook her from her thoughts and she raised an eyebrow at the question before a smirk worked its way onto her lips. “No, you’re good there,” Thea said cheerfully, moving to stand closer to her and held out one of her hands, using the other one to put the cigarette she had between her lips. “But if you would be so kind as to let me use your lighter, I’d be eternally grateful.” Thea grinned again and once her cigarette was lit she leaned against the wall, letting her head fall back so she could look up at the sky, squinting a little to try and make out the stars. “These things will kill ya, you know. But I’m guessing you know that already, doc. And I’m guessing it’s been a shitty day, otherwise you wouldn’t be out here alone, talking to little old me. Anything I can do to help? I may not be the smartest, but I’m pretty fuckin’ good at making puns and telling jokes.”

James: oh shit..............

James: i forgot lmfao

James: btw i have a new roomie her name is bella and she's pretty cool 😇

Thea: JAMES REYNOLDS!

THEA: You and I need to talk, boy.

The wind lifted the curtains, the light from the rising sun flickering across the floor in a gentle wave. It was a picture perfect morning — the birds were singing outside; the sky was blue as far as the eye could see, and the forecast promised a warm day. Draped in a warm robe and fluffy sleepers, Bella danced into the kitchen, airpods in her ears, a smile on her face. She twirled and sang, lost in the song, and when she opened her eyes, instead of an empty room, she saw a very naked butt.

So, she did what any sensible person would do. 

She started screaming.

@anthearose​

Thea usually headed to James’s when she couldn’t sleep. She knew he was similar, his mind was always racing so he would likely be awake. And when he wasn’t, she simply let herself into the apartment and climbed into bed next to him. He was her best friend, someone she felt relaxed with and she felt nothing but completely comfortable around him. That was why the next morning, after she’d showered, she hadn’t bothered putting any clothes on straight away. Nudity didn’t bother her and if it bothered James, he hadn’t said anything - Thea had a suspicion it didn’t though, considering he always seemed to be naked. 

What she hadn’t expected when she wandered into the kitchen, eyes fixed on her phone as she replied to a text, was to hear someone screaming. Thea couldn’t help but scream too and in her panic, reached for the closest thing to her - a frying pan - and held it up as though it was a weapon. She used her other hand to grab a jacket thrown over the back of a nearby chair, covering her boy as best as she could. 

“What the fuck?” She snapped, taking in the stranger’s appearance. She’d never seen her before and didn’t know how she got in. “Who the fuck are you? Why are you in James’s apartment, what the fuck? You need to leave.”

When she first met Samuel Kelly, all Thea could think was how it was ridiculous for anyone to be that tall. He towered over her and she watched with raised eyebrows as he stumbled over his words. The second time, Thea noted that he talked at a mile-a-minute and always had something to say, much like her. They bounced off each other and by the third time, she’d decided he was one of ‘the good ones’. She didn’t trust easily and Samuel was no exception, but she had let him in, even just slightly, and found she enjoyed his company. But Thea enjoyed one thing even more, and that was making him blush. 

Much to her surprise, he seemed to do it constantly when she was around. Maybe it was because Thea was so forward, so open about her career, her previous life, or maybe it was just something he happened to do. Either way, she enjoyed seeing the colour rising to his cheeks, enjoyed the way he flustered when she said something provocative. It was endearing, she had to admit. 

She’d grown comfortable around Sam, to the point where she’d told him a little about her past, though kept some of the more difficult details out of it, and she told him about her job at Dark Sensations. It had been hilarious when he’d asked about it, with Thea just replying with a heavily sarcastic “I take my clothes off to cheesy pop songs for money, what’s not to get?” But he had seemed genuinely interested. It was nice to know there were some people in the world who didn’t see her as an object - maybe that was why she liked spending time with him. 

Today was no different. She’d made her presence known in the late afternoon, arriving unexpectedly as she so often did and flopped onto his couch dramatically. 

“Sam, I am in dire need of your help,” she said, feigning concern. Thea smirked to herself and threw her arm over her head dramatically, playing a true damsel in distress. “I took so many new photos for my OnlyFans account,” she continued, free hand clutching at her chest. “And I don’t know which one is the best. I need your help to decide.”