landslide

Manhattan was full of bakeries, bistros and restaurants advertising the most delectable sweets in the city. The scent of freshly brewed coffee and pastries flittered around every street corner, pulling you in their direction. Xyla loved trying new food and scoping out the best spots in the city. But in her 8 years, she hadn’t found a place that did pain au chocolat’s the way the store Freya worked at did. But if she was being honest, it was a mix of her warm attitude and the mouth-watering deserts that had her coming back.

Her eyes were focused on the sweets in the case when the familiar face popped up, a warm smile across her features. “I got stuck in a meeting on the other side of town,” she groaned, rolling her eyes at the tireless ramblings of her client. “Would’ve been here much earlier, trust me. I’ve been thinking about these all day.” Looking around, she noted the quiet shop. “Just you today?”

On paper, the pair would not have seemed to mesh well. In any other setting, they most likely would not have found company in one another. But it was the beauty of the job; getting to connect with people of many different personalities and backgrounds. It kept things interesting. The fact that they differed to one another only made Xyla’s anecdotes that much more interesting to Freya — rants especially. She sensed one coming. “It is just me today,” confirmed the blonde with an affirmative nod of her head, “And the silence has been mind numbing so please,” she gestured to the seat nearby, “Sit. Tell me all about it. I’ll get you your croissant, they’re fresh.” It was habit now, to prepare them around this time. “Do you want a drink with it?” 

With as much as he frequented the same coffee shops and cafes , he tended to befriend some of the workers, and this happened to be one of those instances. He didn’t even know if Freya was working today but made his way to the cafe she worked at, pushing his way inside. James looked around for a few seconds, grinning as he saw her head peak up- seemed like luck happened to be on his side today. “Hey you.” He responded back, face breaking out into a wide grin at the sight of his friend, crossing over to where she was. “Ah, I got a bit turned around coming here.” James admitted, knowing she was well aware of his injury, that he wouldn’t need to launch into some big explanation. “Thankfully I realized where I was and was able to loop back around. I think that might be my small victory for the day.” He laughed softly, leaning against the counter some. “But how are you? I was hoping that you’d be working today.” 

Her gaze softened at the revelation, lips turning upward sympathetically. Though, there was no pity present. How could there be, when he was easily the most courageous person she knew? “Better late than never, right? I’ve got just the thing to celebrate with.” Standing, the blonde slid her hands upon the front of her apron, straightening it out. “I have a batch of cupcakes that were out cooling off. Just gotta frost ‘em and they’ll be good to go. Sit.” She gestured to a nearby stool before scurrying off to the kitchen. Only once she was equipped with all that she needed had she returned. It was there that she paused, question hard-hitting after the events of the past week. She was not about to get into that. “Oh, you know...same old, same old. I’m alright. I haven’t really been up to much.” Freya waved a hand, as if to brush off the question, “All very boring stuff. What about you, though? I’m sure your life is much more interesting than mine.” 

usually he wouldn’t bother going out around this time, but he needed some brain food.. and well– a break from trying to fix his bike. eddie had been staring down at his menu, brows furrowed as he looks over everything trying.. trying to decide what was good. it isn’t until he hears the voice, he looks up with an arched brow. ‘’i.. didn’t think i’d see you ever again.’’

Oh, how Freya wished for the ground to swallow her whole. It seemed the person had not, in fact, been who she had been expecting. However, she did know him. Their relationship just wasn’t as...pleasant. “Eddie,” she managed to get out, eyes wide and mouth dry, “Wow. Hi.” An awkward laugh left her lips as she scrambled to stand up, palms sliding down the front of her apron, “You know, I could say that same for you. What are you...what are you doing here?” 

i had it handled parker couldn’t help the scoff that leaves him at those words. maybe freya did have it handled, but something about seeing the femme there and another man hitting on her just made him see red. “it isn’t my job but i will do so. i’m your husband.” the word felt weird on his tongue, unfamiliar…the way seeing freya in her home is. she’s his wife and the fact that she’s suddenly in new york continued to hit him everytime her voice rang in his ears. “we haven’t been on speaking terms because you don’t want to speak to me!” the male growls, “you’re the one whose insistent on ignoring me when i’m trying to fix this shit i got us into…” trailing, parker shakes his head, “you could’ve told me. finding out this way just…hurts more.” with pain present in his tone, the male finally mustered the energy to actually look the familiar face in the eyes, “why do you have to be so cold to me? i remember a time when being this way would be hard for you.”

Husband. A singular word, with such profound impact. Freya didn’t know if she wanted to laugh or cry. Either way, the second it left his lips, the blonde had been flinching back, yet again creating distance between them. It seemed the only thing she knew to do, but already, she missed their brief closeness. “Husband?” she echoed incredulously, unable to help the bitter laugh that followed, “This...whatever this mess is, is hardly a marriage.” Freya found herself growing more agitated the more Parker spoke, feeling much like a cornered animal with his insistence to pin the fault on her. “Don’t act like I’ve been irrational in any of this, Parker. You know what you did. You know how I feel about it. That hasn’t changed.” Still, no matter the predicament, the last thing Freya wanted was to hurt him. Though she could never voice it aloud, the love was very much still there. She would much rather burn than inflict any pain on him. The expression on her face faltered slightly as she stared back at the male. Damn him for still having such an effect on her. “Do you think I want to be this way? Or that it’s easy for me to be? Because it’s not. But there’s no other way for me to be. I tried being the girl that let her heart lead her — I did that for you. All it brought me was tears and heartache. I’d be damned if Iet that happen again.” 

        𝐈𝐅 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐋𝐄𝐘 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐀 𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐋𝐄 𝐖𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒, it would certainly be Freya’s tears. It had been that way since they were children. If she so much as sniffled in the school ground, he’d be there with a shoulder to cry on and an eagle eye for her offender. Granted, there had been times when she’d used her tear ducts (and his apparent lack of any) to best him in arguments and win their mother over. But, for the most part, they were were his Achilles heel. More than even his own desperation to be on the ‘in’. “Rey…” Finley sighed. His affect a stark contrast from his outburst moments earlier. He left his seat with the paperwork in it and squeezed next to her. His arm wrapping around her shoulder. “Hey… You’re not stupid.” God, she really wasn’t. She was the only one of them that had her head screwed on (relatively) straight. It was why this had come as such a shock. “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to get mad, I just–” She was the one of a select few he would ever apologise to. Still, it felt strange in his mouth. “I mean you could’ve told me…” Finley added this quietly, still selfishly nursing his hurt. Projecting his own insecurities about fracturing their family by moving away onto her. “What happened, eh? Do I need fight the geezer?” 

Being pulled into a half embrace, Freya only felt her tears multiply, body trembling with unfiltered sobs. Every feeling that she had willed herself not to experience washed over her in waves. Yet strangely, in her drowning she felt some sort of...relief. Like an arrival of flood after drought. Perhaps all this time, all that she needed was a little comfort from her big brother. It hadn’t yet failed her. “But I am,” came a whimper from her place on his shoulder, “I really thought things could be different for me. As if I haven’t been taught time after time these things never end well for the likes of us.” As far as any of them knew, they had inherited only one trait from their father. And it was useless. “I’m meant to be the sane and rational one, I know that. Having to tell you guys that I finally took a risk and it ended up blowing up in my face...I couldn’t do it.” She shook her head, sniffling as she wiped her tear stained cheeks on her sleeves, “That’s not even the worst of it. It would have been one thing for it not to have worked out, but Parker...” She swallowed thickly, as if to brace herself to share her greatest shame, “He was with somebody else. And when he told me, God, Finley, for the briefest moment I thought of staying. As long as I had him, you know? But I couldn’t. I thought about all the times that I saw those men come in and out of mum’s life that did the same thing. How much it damaged her. Now I’ve gone and done the same thing to some other woman. How was I meant to tell anybody that?” 

parker typically wasn’t a rash person, even when he was younger he typically thought everything through. as of the past year when things apply to freya, he was nothing but. his adrenaline was still pumping, his heart beating wildly in his ears as he stares off into the corner of the room. why the fuck was she here? why didn’t he know? following her direction that went in one ear and out the other, the brunette allowed himself to be checked out. he was alright, but he knew she wouldn’t give up until he allowed her to do this. “i took a chance.” the elder groans, running his tongue along his bottom lip feeling the cut on it. “he was continuously persisting on you. i wasn’t just..going to let him be.” his eyes shift from freya for a moment before they’re locked with hers, “the bigger question is what the hell are you doing here? why didn’t you tell me you were in town?”

Freya hated the fact that being so close to him felt like the most natural thing in the world; and much more, that his words brought some sense of endearment. It was precisely why she hadn’t yet sought him out herself. Any sense of logic went out of the window where Parker was involved, and she didn’t trust herself. “I had it handled,” she snapped; a projection of her inner turmoil, “It’s not your job to look out for me.” Rather hypocritical, considering the way she insisted on tending to him, but she ignored that for the sake of her argument. Instead, she focused on the questions he had. And though they were expected, they weren’t all that easy to answer. At least, not without addressing everything else. God, she really should have had more to drink. “I live here.” She shrugged, as if it were no big deal. “Not that it should matter to you. And truth be told, I didn’t think I was under any obligation to tell you anything. We haven’t exactly been on speaking terms.” 

        𝐈𝐅 𝐈𝐓 𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍'𝐓 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒 he held limply in his hands, Finley would not have believed his sister was married. Hell, he was having a hard enough believing it now. He stared at Freya with his mouth agape, replaying snippets of their lives over the past year, grappling with the fact that she’d been married when she turned up in New York City. Married when they’d shared sweet moments together in the Glastonbury mosh. Married when their mother had bugged and bugged them about finding someone to settle down with. Married. He registered her voice but he stayed silent. His mouth opened and closed, like there was something he wanted to say but couldn’t quite wrap his tongue around it. “You’re married?” He finally spat out. Yes, married. They’d established this. “Jesus, Mary and Joseph.” He hid his face in his hands and muttered to himself like their mother so often did. And often with Finley on the receiving end. Oh, how the tables had turned. “I just… I don’t… I mean for Christ’s sake, Freya!” The numbness drained from his body, hurt filled him in its place. He flung his arms out, waving her divorce papers wildly in the air. “What do you want me to say? You got married to your ex-bloody boyfriend and didn’t tell any of us.” 

At the unfamiliar tone directed at her, Freya flinched. Her fidgeting movements had halted, now frozen in place like a deer caught in the headlights. She didn’t know what she was expecting, truth be told, but anger was definitely not it. Anger had been rare for Finley, and most certainly, the times in which he had expressed such emotions, she had never been at the receiving end of it. She wasn’t well equipped to handle it. Vision blurring with unshed tears, Freya struggled to speak evenly with the growing lump in her throat, “I didn’t think any of it through properly.” The marriage, keeping it to herself. They were both decisions made with no logic. “It happened so quickly, and ended so terribly. I felt so stupid after it was all said and done.” All that time, she had kept those thoughts and feelings boxed away, not to be meddled with. But it was impossible now not to let them come to mind. It was overwhelming, and she couldn’t help but weep. 

“Hey!” the blonde greeted upon hearing the front door open, “You’re just on time, dinner’s nearly ready.” She glanced up from keeping an eye on sauce simmering within the pot, beaming at her friend. “I hope you’re hungry. I’m pretty sure I’ve made enough pasta to feed an entire village.” / @angelinxmoreau​