◜ ° 𝒏𝒐 ╱ 𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦 .

           ‘ too desperate, huh ? now i’m just wondering what your first impression of me was. i don’t think i made my crush on you super hidden, if you ask me — but i already do feel special, you’re a catch. ’ of course, rory notices how he’s trying to amplify his insouciance which only makes her want to flatter the boy more ; not that it was difficult, considering all she really had to do was voice her own thoughts. they were alike in that sense, but as of right now, she doesn’t think it’s possible to diminish her fondness for the male. how could she when he was willing to somehow understand the way her mind works when it came to fighting his nine year old niece ? ‘ nope, you definitely shouldn’t be bitter — it hurt like a bitch, she’s stronger than she looks. but you say that like i wouldn’t let you do whatever you want to me at any time. hey, you’re the weirdo ! i’m not gonna jump you in front of her, i have some self restraint. i’m doing good right now, aren’t i ? ’ she’s lifting her palms up to prove her own point in keeping her hands to herself as if it’s a miracle in itself, which in all honesty, it was. stubbornness is a game she thinks they’re both good at playing, which is why her only response to his inquiry involves a simple rise & fall of her shoulders, fighting a mischievous grin, ‘ oh, do you miss her or something ? your girlfriend seems really funny & pretty ... did i mention she also sounds like an amazing kisser ? i feel like i should add that in, too. ’ whether gabriel realizes it or not, one thing rory can always depend on him for is assurance – even when she doesn’t ask for it, or in instances like now, where she doesn’t necessarily deserve it. he was so good to her as if it was second nature, & if the girl reminding him every single day that her future involved him, then she thinks it’s a pretty good trade. her gaze inevitably softens at the feeling of his lips gently grazing her hand in a gentle kiss, tightening her grip upon him to ensure that he was real, & that he wasn’t going to evaporate into thin air anytime soon. ‘ i love you, gabe. you’re the love of my life, actually, & i can’t even talk or think about being with anyone else, because i just want you ... & yes, that even includes dr. phil, ’ she adds in for the sake of seeing the male crack a smile, a chuckle slipping past her lips. ‘ thank you ! now say it like you mean it before i kick your ass, demon. it would be, but i can totally see you having beef with some other dude if his kid was decked out in gucci, too. he is, but look, he’s practically begging to be on your lap. okay, be thankful i was nice enough to move his bed far away from me & olivia ! that moment of weakness was how she managed to pin me down & get the umbrella, by the way — so should i really be punished for saving your son ? it’s just unethical, in my humble opinion. ’

           ‘ look at you, getting all soft on me. even when we were just friends, i thought i’d never get to see this side of you ; figured it’d be saved for hadley or some shit, ’ rory admits, the indication of the raging swarm of butterflies fluttering in her stomach proving that his effect on her had yet to fade away. despite sounding like a cheesy wedding vow, every single day feels like falling in love with the male all over again for her, & although there’s always the underlying fear of being so open with someone, it’s an emotion that she trusts with only him. ‘ i don’t know, i still want to get back at her for choking me with an umbrella ... ’ however, she’s speaking before the male can even begin to protest against her actions, ‘ & no, i’m not gonna actually get back at her. the one thing i’m worried about most is that i think it’s hot when you’re mad, even if it’s at me. ’ she prides herself on knowing the dj well, which is why she’s feigning nonchalance at his sudden charm --- or at least, she’s attempting to, considering that she wasn’t immune to her own boyfriend’s magnetism. if anything, she was the most affected by it & it was shown in the way she’s grinning at his boyish pout. ‘ nice try, demon, but flattery’s not gonna get you anywhere, ’ rory murmurs, teasingly leaning in towards him despite the fact that she was the one tempted to close the space in between them, ‘ it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep trying, though. ’ it’s almost endearing how he refuses to let any outsider opinions affect their bond ; obviously, rory mirrors his feelings, but she couldn’t deny that she had her moments where she was feeding into her own self doubt, wondering if she was hindering gabe from being happy with someone else without all the complications. but the way their hands intertwine & the pad of her thumb automatically rubs circles into his skin reminds her that he was worth it, that they were meant to be. ‘ i'm never gonna want that, gabe ... you know, not wanna be with you anymore. you know that, yeah ? i’ll remind you every day if i have to, ’ she affirms quietly, gaze rising from their hands up to connect with his own, wanting to truly let her words sink in. ‘ you say that like i’m not entirely convincing on my own ! i’m almost offended you think i’d bribe them ... i mean, i would, but still. our kid’s gonna be two weeks out & decked in gucci because of you, i already know it. i didn’t wanna admit it, but ... i think after witnessing the fight between me & olivia, benji might like me a little less. ’

           although she may not be used to it, she’s wholly aware of how twisted her own family can be ; it’s a difficult thing to complain or even speak about when the lavish lifestyle they lead is factored into the equation, but if anyone’s going to understand, it’s obviously gabe. ‘ you don’t have to be protective over me, y’know. it’s been that way my entire life, so i guess there’s no point in trying to change it, ’ she shrugs simply, not wanting the male to worry over her more than he probably already has. ‘ i don’t know, do you trust us being in the same room together ? it could help, though. if i can at least guess how little kids’ minds work, i don’t want her to think you’re taking my side or some shit like that. ’ rory can feel herself growing annoyed ( mostly because he was right ) with the fact that she’s laughing along with gabriel’s words, retracting herself from him entirely. ‘ that was our last kiss of 2019, hope you cherished it ! ’ gabriel’s reassurance is more comforting to her than she expects, unable to help the grin that’s finally surfacing at how he’s rambling, ‘ yeah, but what if it was family saying that ? would you still think that ? i mean, i love you & there’s literally nothing that anyone could say or do to change that or make me not wanna be with you, but ... i care about you too much to be selfish with you. ’ it’s a bit more honest than she wants it to be, especially when the dj’s doing everything in his power to lighten the mood. but in truth, she thinks the reality of how many things they’ve faced hasn’t entirely hit her until now. ‘ no, i think you just wanna see me suffer. but that’s not gonna happen because i’m gonna be the favorite parent, obviously ... unless you spoil them like you do with benji, then i’m fucked. ’

              if anything, the worst part of all this is that it’d come to physical blows between her & olivia, especially given the fact that she was nine years old. she’s also someone that gabe adored & she was well aware of it from how he’d talked about her, so it’s why she’s willing to take the blame for all of it. admittedly, his words do manage to alleviate most of the pressure on the rest of his family being just as great as they seemed ( she couldn’t even vouch for her own family in that aspect ), ‘ is it bad that i’m not used to families being nonjudgmental ? ’ she mumbles in a feeble attempt to lessen his worry over her, a small grin adorning features. ‘ promise you won’t be mad at olivia, though. we were actually getting along before it all happened, but i think she got thrown off by it, i’m not sure. but if you lecture her, you’ve got to lecture me, too. ’ she can physically feel her heart swell when he’s assuring that everything’s okay in one simple gesture upon her thigh, a shaky sigh escaping her as she wills herself to meet his gaze. there’s so much she wants to say to him, but there doesn’t seem to be any words meaningful enough to encompass just how much he meant to her – so instead, she’ll lean in for a much needed kiss, lips moving in time with his as her hand instinctively falls onto the dj’s jawline. ‘ you have me, ’ she breathes out moments after she pulls away, reminiscent to their shared night in the hotel room, wanting to remind him of the fact. ‘ i’m sorry ... for all of it. i guess sometimes i’m still not used to it, you know ? you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me & i can’t understand why people have so much to say about our relationship. i just wish they understood that i’ve never loved anyone more than you, & i’m never going to. ’ her tone is uncharacteristically soft & it’s a rarity for her to be this candid with her emotions. but with gabe, it almost feels as easy as breathing. however, it’s blissfully interrupted by benji lazily stretching his body outwards so his front paws were rested on gabriel’s lap now too. rory doesn’t mind it, though, considering she can practically feel the male biting back on his jokes. ‘ well, scaring her & actually washing her mouth with soap has the same effects, if you ask me. but ... you’re not taking back your word on admitting that you wanna have kids with me yet, right ? ’

              in retrospect, olivia’s the last person on earth rory should’ve fought back when she was being provoked. it’s a word she’s been called a multitude of times & it usually rolls off her shoulder with little to no effect, but how could she do that when it was coming from another trevino ? mike & caroline were almost too good of human beings who didn’t carry a judgmental bone in their body, which is why she wasn’t worried about their approval on her relationship with their adoptive son ; but as pathetic as it may have sounded, she couldn’t blame olivia for thinking of her in that way when she’s done plenty of things she wasn’t proud of. ‘ she’s only nine, so ... i don’t know, maybe your family’s included in the millions of people whose heard things about me, & that’s why olivia hated me from the start. ’ it’s moments like these where she’s convinced she doesn’t deserve the male, the soft intonation of his tone providing some form of solace for her ; hell, even the way he said her name was enough for the girl to lean into him, head snuggling into the crook of his shoulder. ‘ i can’t believe you have to comfort me over getting called a whore. you’re just ... the one thing i think i’ve ever gotten right, you know ? i don’t want olivia, or anyone to see you less because of me. ’ the way benji’s paw is grazing against rory’s leg is just another thing that mends the slight ache in the girl’s chest, offering a small grin as she picks him up so the two were eye-level. ‘ you’re not scared of me, right ? ’ the abundance of licks he’s giving her cheek is enough confirmation for her, settling the pup onto her lap as she glances at gabe, fighting the urge for her smile to widen. ‘ i wasn’t really gonna do it, i just wanted to scare her. ’ it’s then that she realizes how stupid this situation was overall, causing her head to falls towards his chest this time, a muffled groan expelling past her lips, ‘ you’re not allowed to make fun, i’m already embarrassed ! ’

              despite gabriel instructing her to drop the soap, she refuses to until olivia leaves the room, which thankfully, she obliges with the dj’s orders as she treads into the following room. it’s when his hand is placed upon her shoulder that her rage is calming down as rory fully takes in her surroundings such as the umbrella olivia had pressed to the girl’s neck prior, & the broken vase that had somehow been thrown in the midst of it, along with cereal boxes & even olivia’s suitcase had managed to get into the mess. her gaze is somewhat apologetic as he lectures her,  ‘ i wasn’t attacking her ! she just --- ’ she trails off, a frustrated sigh escaping her over the fact that it escalated to this drastic of measures, ‘ she said she didn’t know why a whore like me was with you & it set me off, okay ? ’ she’s avoiding eye contact with him as she sits down on the nearest spot upon his couch, the adrenaline wearing off. ‘ i didn’t mean for it to get this bad, i swear. ’

           it only took a good five minutes of small talk between olivia & rory before the house turned into chaos ; she’s not sure how much time has passed since the nine year old called rory a whore, but suddenly, things were being thrown across the living room ( at one point, olivia had thrown an umbrella towards the girl ), one was being chased after the other, & now, rory’s main goal was to wash the girl’s mouth with soap, solely because her patience had run dry. she doesn’t even hear the dj walk back into the house amidst the screaming coming from both girls as olivia pins the girl down, barely reacting as he pulls the younger girl away from her. ‘ she’s fucking psychotic is what happened ! ’ it’s then that olivia claims she’s the one who needs her mouth washed with soap, inspiring the brunette to grab the haphazardly placed hand soap that she dropped besides her, sitting back up as she prepares to lunge at the girl. ‘ that’s it, this is what you get for calling me a whore ! ’ 

           ‘ you sure about that ? i mean, we did hook up for the first time when we were wasted, so ... we were well behaved in italy, though, so i’ll give us credit for that, ’ she justifies, the words escaping her mouth making her realize just how much time the twosome spent together --- of course, not that she was complaining. if anything, she wishes she could have even more moments with him, finding that her need to be around him was almost insatiable at this point. ‘ you’re the only person i let call me kid because it just sounds so impossibly attractive when you say it. there, is your ego fed enough ? ’ at least for rory, she’s hoping that her side of the family, specifically her mother will be more accepting of their relationship when the time comes for gabe & rory for officially spend the rest of their lives together. although, it’s common knowledge now that with or without olivia & naomi’s blessings, she’s going to end up with the dj anyways. ‘ if she does, i get to say i told you so at least once every day, & you have to be my personal nurse. is there such thing as non-kiddie rides at disneyland ? but it’ll be fine, promise. sucks that you’re gonna miss out on such a fun time, though, ’ she sighs out dramatically in a selfish attempt to have him skip out on going to the studio ( she’s not serious though, given that seeing the male in his element was one of her favorite things ). ‘ it’s just a matter of time before we start calling each other honey, or sweetie. hey, that was before a collab with bhad bhabie was on the table ! you haven’t, but i like hearing it. now i’m just thinking of all the things we could’ve done if mike & caroline hadn’t woken us up ... ’ brows quirk up at the boy when he offers to leave the pair alone --- & right when rory is hesitant of agreeing, it’s olivia that’s suddenly adamant on spending alone time with the girl, excitement flashing upon features. with a nervous chuckle, the brunette doesn’t really think anything of it, offering a shrug in response, ‘ yeah, we can stay here, just the two of us. if you don’t bring back like, ten tubs of ice cream, i’ll kill you, ’ she murmurs, leaning up to press a chaste kiss to his lips out of instinct. naturally, this earns a gag from the nine year old, claiming how disgusting they were. ‘ right ? we think so, too. ’

              upon hearing the humor laced in his tone, she’s rolling her eyes all while fighting her laugh simultaneously, ‘ in all seriousness, i’m surprised we’ve gotten fucked up together without waking up with rings on our fingers. then again ... you were actually married, ’ rory jests, brushing their noses together before pulling away. ‘ as for you being humble, that’s true, but i bet that’s already gotten to your head, yeah ? ’ realistically, they’re just speaking about his niece ; it must seem weird to any outsider that she wants the girl’s approval, but now she finally understands what gabe meant when he wanted her parents to like him. necessarily, there’s a difference between a parent & a child’s approval, but it’s family at the end of the day. ‘ what if she like, blacks out & throws her iphone at my head over me bringing up jojo siwa ? you know ... if you trust me enough, we could always go to la for a few days & take her to disney. you can record parts of your music in la, right ? ’ her head tilts slightly awaiting gabe’s opinion, wondering if he’d be willing or not. ‘ no, i just know how guys get when they get called whipped. but i’m pretty fuckin’ obsessed with you, so i’d say it’s a pretty fair trade. if that classifies you writing a song about me & it has a bhad bhabie feature on it, i may cry. yeah, but ... i still want more ! ’ it doesn’t even shock rory when the girl’s yanking gabriel out of her grip to intertwine tiny fingers with his larger ones, trying to play along with gabe’s request in an attempt to act like everything was fine, ‘ you like disney movies, right ? peter pan’s a pretty good one if you wanna watch that. ’ she can see his niece physically contemplate how she was going to respond to rory, although it doesn’t stop her from ignoring the brunette altogether & asking gabe if they can watch peter pan. it’s a start, rory likes to think, which is why she’s sparing the male a knowing glance.

           ‘ does that mean we have to get married now for her to at least try & like me ? & before you freak out, i’m kidding ... y’know, unless you just wanna elope really quick & break the news to her. i don’t know, i may have to go back to being dr. phil’s number one fan, he’s way more humble than you, ’ she contemplates mockingly, the way she’s intuitively pulling him in just a little closer betraying the intent of her words. ‘ i actually believe that, but it’s hot when you’re scrappy. not sure how i’m gonna feel about a nine year old giving me a black eye, though. see ? new plan, i’m just gonna force her to binge watch a shit ton of movies with me & she’ll be too tired to even hate me. what was that ? sorry, i wasn’t listening, ’ rory jests, before they’re interrupted by olivia bursting into a fit of laughter, a small bark from benji surfacing a few seconds after. gabe’s expression over his niece is enough for rory to feel as if she’s falling in love with him all over again, gaze softening for just a moment. whether rory was the nine year old’s least favorite person or not, she was still going to do her best to smooth things over, simply because of how important she was to gabe. ‘ shit, i can’t believe you aren’t even denying that you’re whipped anymore. but what if i wanted you to perform at my birthday party ? you can collab with bhad bhabie, i’d actually love that. not your liver, just your undivided attention 24/7. what’s so difficult about that ? ’ she’s returning ever single small kiss being given to her, a prominent frown falling upon lips as he makes a very valid point, ‘ i gotta do something first. ’ before he can protest to rory taking another one of his shirts, she’s pulling away from his hold altogether, padding into his closet & pulling the first shirt she sees, slinking out of his jersey to switch into an oversized, designer t-shirt of his. ‘ okay, thanks ! shall we ? ’ rory muses as she turns back towards him, holding out her hand for him to grab.