old habits die hard

“ Where you been keeping yourself lately, Hadrian? ”  Alaska started, filling herself a shot of tequila, the auburn liquid splashing against the glass.  “ I barely see you in my neck of the woods anymore. Oh wait, you found yourself a girl didn’t ya? ”  She asked, before bringing the cool glass to mouth and downing it’s entire contents.

Ready to burst into a ridiculous tale about where he had been to make her laugh, the blonde’s mention of Helena caught him entirely off guard. Was that what she was? His girl? He couldn’t imagine a girl like her belonging to anyone. She was hardly a girl, either, more like an angel, so pure and unlike any other on this planet. ‘ I guess you could say that. ’

‘ Neither ’ The young warlock shrugged. ‘ What about you? ’

Unsure what he meant by that, Hades gave a shrug of his own. ‘ Neither. ’

“So, like…What determines if you get a caravan or a tent?”

‘ Which do you have? ’

A scoff fell from lips in the form of a puff of smoke as toffee irises looked over the familiar face. “Hadrian, what a fuckin’ pleasure.” His tone peppered with sarcasm, bled with bitterness. The younger male was one of the men whose name wasn’t a thing of beauty to the club, but Beckett’s tolerance with the Men was what held the gang back from acting on their loathing.

“Your preconceived ideas of us aren’t the only thing you need forgivin’ for, are they?”

A fucking pleasure indeed, there were few people Hades dreaded more than the Men. The club was dangerous and his big mouth had gotten him into trouble more than once, but if he ever had to worry about the safety of his family, he would take their wrath a hundred times to ensure it. ‘ Keep your forgiveness, it means nothing to me, and neither fo your words. I'll believe your intention when it rears it's ugly head. ’

Residents laid eyes on the Men of Mayhem patch and scattered like bugs, the leather patch on his back was no exception to this act. While their actions were questionable, they were something of a vigilante, wanting nothing more than to protect their community, their little town. But for many, they were just a pack of criminals who wore leather and rode bikes. What a misconception.

Regardless this night wasn’t able the vice president, it wasn’t about his club, it was able the fallen figures of their nation, Lilith included. Sweet Lilith, president Cormier’s beloved, Tilly and Harri’s mother. Of course the formal funeral was years ago, but this was about remembering. Standing on the shore of the ocean, the smell of salt and smoke filling his nostrils as he lit a cigarette, toffee-stained orbs catching someone approaching, without looking to see who he or she was, his tobacco-stained lips parted. “Look, we ain’t here to cause any trouble.”

We, being his club, the line one that left his lips more often than not, reminding citizens that they were on their side was a regular occurrence for the vice president.

The surprise wasn’t that Hades had had more than one run-in with the Men and more than enough bad blood, but that one or any of their members had shown up to the memorial at all. From what he knew of them, they were criminals, scum with no remorse for the pain they caused and that was where the problem lie. With no remorse there was no humanity, and there was nothing Hades respected less. ‘ Forgive me if I find that hard to believe. ’

He’d only spent a minuscule amount of time with the heaven-sent angel, but that had been more than enough for her to leave a lasting impression. She was everything good in the world to Hadrian, and seeing her fear had only made her more beautiful to him. She had been shielded from the world, but he didn’t know why or how and he would have killed to have known so much as her last name before he lost her forever. He hoped he hadn’t, yet, at least, she was holding on with a thin heartbeat he found every time he stopped by in the late hours of the night. The freakshow was silent, and Hades would sneak around to bring her flowers and wish her to get better soon.

All beauty seemed to fall from his life after she left. The flowers lost color and as for the gorgeous girls hitting on him, he could barely make out their face in a memory after they parted. The only thing that could make him smile was Lexi, of course, but only on her good days and he could not take priority over her life, she had to think of herself. There was Adrian as well and the promise of a baby, but his best friend was just as wrapped up in life as Hades.

So he spent most of his time here, his hand over hers, massive in comparison. He laid daisies by her bedside and made sure she was always warm, ever protecting of those who need it, he did everything he could for her, but there wasn’t much he could. Every flutter of an eyelid or twitch of a finger or fit from a nightmare sent Hades reeling with hope. She was still fighting. Tonight she was silent and she made no movement until it had scared Hades to the point where he had to leave before face this reality. But when his hand slipped form hers, his heart nearly stopped.

“Hades?” It was whispered, as more of a question than a call for help, but he was by her side in a minute. Could she see him? Was she waking up? He knew something was happening but with their hands together once more, the petite blonde fell silent. He tried to stop the hot tears from running down his face, wiping them away with the back of his hand. He held hers tightly as he pressed his forehead to hers. “You have to come back.” He could feel her weak breath on his lips, inches separating them, and he knew he should pull away but his lips brushed hers and he gave in. He pressed his mouth to her cold lips, and lifting her chin with his free hand.