barely bruised.

›››

She let out a huff, shaking her head at him. “A discount? As long as it’s free-99, I’ll buy,” Penelope playfully nudged him. She pushed herself into him, placing a loving kiss on his lips. A small smile appeared across her lips as she listened to him, appreciating his attention to detail. While it seemed like nobody really knew Penelope, Manuel proved otherwise. 

She looked over at him, nodding, “It wasn’t too bad… I saw a rat the size of me, though,” she explained, shivering at the thought of it again. “I’ll never get used to the rats,” Penelope admitted. 

She looked up at the tall building, letting out a long sigh. As much as she wanted to go home, she felt inspired at these hours. It was cliché but it was when her best form of creativity came to life. She grabbed his hand pulling him towards her, “I want to show you something,” she said. “But, I need a to-go drink first. Let’s stop by the corner store.” 

. 

Manuel kissed her back, humming against her lips, “Rats I can definitely protect ya from. I’m taller than ‘em.” And he wasn’t taller than much, “I hate the roaches more. My place just got fucking fumigated and they’re still kicking. It’s ridiculous.” He seemed to spend most of his time at Penelope’s lately anyway, so he didn’t have to worry too much about the ugly, huge bugs. 

He faux groaned, following behind as he held onto her hand- he could use some Flamin’ Hots anyway, “What kind of drink? Like a slurpee situation or alcohol or Gatorade? Or kombucha. Forgot about that one.” His hand was already diving into his pocket to retrieve his wallet to cover their haul, “Did you eat? You should get a snack or somethin’ too. Your shifts are so damn long!” 

starter ╲╲╲ closed for @manuelnarvaez

period ╲╲╲  2am after a shift at The Cancún

›››

Penelope’s days were on a rhythmic repetition recently–– wake up, work on her portfolio, leave for her jobs, come home around 3am, count her money and repeat. Ever since she admitted to the universe she wasn’t happy and needed to move on and upwards; she realized she needed to carry her own weight because no one else would. The only upside to it was her father’s luxuries left behind in his absence. His absence wasn’t daunting as before, luckily, a trail of his repentance was left behind this time. She had been fiddling with the idea of opening her own business– the only problem being she had no idea what that entailed. She was lost in her thoughts until the sound of her boots were joined by additional footsteps. Penelope’s first instinct was to ball her fists and put her keys in between her knuckles, wearily turning around to find the suspect: her boyfriend. Of course. “No, thanks, I’m good, I don’t do drugs,” she said, lifting a hand to distance herself. She held onto the joke for a moment until her features broke into a smile spreading across her lips and a laugh escaped her. Penelope skipped up to him, wrapping her arms around him and embracing him. “What are you doing up at these crazy hours?” she questioned, wondering how they ended up in the same place at the same time. “I hope I turned my straightener off…” she said, realizing Manuel wasn’t in her apartment. Oops. 

. 

For once, Manuel wasn’t headed to Penelope’s apartment battered and bruised. He was coming off of a job, yes, but not one that had required him to get his hands dirty or his face bloodied. A smile stretched across his lips at his girlfriend’s comments, stepping closer so that he could see her better in the dark, “Ya sure? I’ll give you a discount.” 

He wrapped his arms around her tightly then, pressing a kiss to her forehead, “Hey, baby. I was working and wanted to you and I knew you were working late too.” He’d pretty much memorized her schedule by now, wanting to be able to optimize their time together. By now, he was pretty used to showing up unannounced at her place, they had fallen into a bit a of a routine together too. 

He glanced up at the apartment building, “Well, nothin’ seems to be on fire or smoking, so that’s a good sign, right?” Manuel teased, rubbing her back gently as he kept her close, “But we should definitely go inside and check. Mostly because it’s dark and late, but also because of the straightener.” He laughed before asking- tone more serious, “Was your walk alright?” He hated the thought of her having to any distance alone at night like this. 

location: NYC SUBWAY for: OPEN

Vir has never earned a dime from a slot machine, he’ll get rained on even if there’s just a single cloud in the sky, and he probably would’ve been first class on the Titanic if he’d been alive at the time — all of which is to say that he’s not exactly known for his good luck. Exhibit A: he just got off the subway fresh from JFK, only to find that the elevator is out of service at his stop, and there’s three sets of stairs between him and the surface. He looks miserably at his two suitcases (British Airlines lost the third one, and the thought of getting on the phone with customer service is enough to make him halway suicidal), and thus begins his trek up the steps. It’s his first time back in New York City in nearly two months, and already he’s wondering why he came back so soon.

His progress is slow but steady as he trudges up the first flight of stairs. Then, at exactly the eleventh step, a passer-by pushes especially hard against him, causing Vir to lose his balance and tumble down the steps. One of the luggages stays on the eleventh step, the other one comes down with him and lands on his chest with a resounding ‘thud!’. “Fucking hell,” he groans. He attempts to sit up, and he winces as multiple sharp pains cry out at once. “Can somebody toss me that other bag?” he calls up pathetically to anyone willing to help. 

. 

As Manuel watches Vir fall, it’s like everything is in slow motion. He stands stock still, never the fastest, and watches with wide eyes, “Fuck, man.” He breathes, shaking his head as the second piece of luggage thumps him in the chest. Manuel’s reaction is delayed, but he grabs the bag left behind, jogging down the stairs, “Uh... here,” he reaches out a hand to help the other up, “you alright? That was a pretty nasty fall.” He’s accident prone and he’s got a shiner himself, but that’s his own damn fault. He glances behind him, “Pretty fuckin’ rude too.” Not that he’s surprised. New York isn’t exactly known for being the warmest city in the world by any stretch. 

›››

Her eyes widened as he spoke about her, unfortunately not recognizing the person he spoke about. While she was usually balancing how much clothes is too little, right now, she was grateful to be covered by the thin fabric the hospital provided. She let out a breath of exasperation, shuffling in his arms to get more comfortable. As he spoke about their uncertain future, she pondered in what that meant for them. She didn’t have the best representation of unity and family growing up but she had always wished for stability and comfort. She sought that through their relationship, even after decades. 

Penelope looked up at him, blinking as she realized one thing she was certain about: him. “It means we need to make a choice,” she said. “I want to do the whole damn thing,” Penelope voiced her true desire. “I want to be married, have a place together– maybe become white picket fence people… probably not, maybe get a dog or a cat– I’d be happy either way, be plant parents, and… just all of it. Everything I’ve secretly dreamed of since I was a little girl. That’s what I want. Y’know?” 

. 

A choice. Something Manuel had known deep down was coming for some time. The way their live were now made the sort of like they both dreamt of unsustainable and practically unachievable. He needed to think. He needed to plan. He desperately needed some way to get out of the situation he was currently in. And though that didn’t all need to be figured out immediately, it was already weighing on him. The choice. 

“I know.” He nodded, smiling softly at her, “And I want that too. I dunno if we can get a white picket fence, but the rest? I think we can.” Manuel hoped they could, “I want that. With you.” He told her, “I’ll do whatever I need to do to make sure it happens too. I promise.” A promise was powerful, but he intended to never break a promise he made to Penelope. 

›››

Penelope was beginning to believe Manuel after everything that had happened between them. She realized that their time apart wasn’t due to lack of love, but for the best in their growth. Now, 28 years old, she knew that nobody compared to him. He made her believe in real love. “Anyways, I know the recipe to making you sit still,” a finger digging into his chest as she teased him. She wasn’t sure if she had an exact recipe but she knew her boyfriend dozed off with a couple of beers and a movie on. “Is it whining if you’re always thirsty?” she poked fun at him, batting her eyes playfully at him. 

She held his hand as he engulfed her, resting in his arms. She felt that this time for them was different, and everlasting unlike the last. Penelope looked up at him, nodding in agreement to his words. “Let’s do it right this time, then,” she added. “You are my family. You know me better than anybody. I want us to be our own family.” 

.

“I mean, have you seen my girlfriend? You’d always be thirsty too if your girl looked like that.” Manuel teased, flashing a broad smile at Penelope. As he held her, he thought about their fight before this, the way he had suggested they be apart. As he held her, he couldn’t help but think about how ridiculous he was being. His heart had been in the right place, but the thought of being apart from Penelope for even one more second after all of this scared him. They needed on another. Or, at least, Manuel needed her. He had been a fool to believe otherwise.

He nodded, “I want that too. I want our futures to be together. Really ours.” He told her, “No more stupid shit, I promise you. I just wanna start building our life together.” It’s what he wanted more than anything, “Whatever that looks like for us.” 

›››

She wasn’t one to open up easily but it was natural with him. Penelope grew to learn and love Manuel more than five year old her would have ever expected. She pressed against his body, a soft huff of relief as she heard him. Her head nodded, listening to his words. He had been the sweetest guy she knew since forever and she felt so lucky to experience him. Manuel confirmed everything she said without hesitation. They both knew. She just had to trust that these were the right choices. Penelope laughed, catching her breath and she shook her head at him. “That requires you staying still for hours,” she informed him, giving him a teasing smile. “I’d love to see it,” Penelope challenged him. 

She laid her head against his chest and grabbed his hand, threading her finger tips with his. “I just–” she felt herself tense up, stopping herself. She just wanted to ask what about us? As much as she told herself she didn’t need him, she wanted him. Her loyalty to him was no question. “You know how much I love you, right?” she opted instead. “Tu eres mi otra mitad.”

.

“For you? I’d stay still. ‘specially because I know the art would be worth it.” Just like everything else Penelope did. Penelope was always worth it. That was something he knew unequivocally to be true, “Or, ya know, you could just take a reference picture and then I could get up and do whatever I wanted while you worked on the masterpiece. That would probably be for the best, no havin’ to hear me whine about being thirsty and shit.” 

Manuel wrapped his free arm around her as she laid her head on his chest, thumb running across her knuckles, “I know. I love you too. I love you more than anything.” He knew that to be true, “I just wanna do right by you. Always.” He told her. He was just trying to figure out what exactly that would look like. They had so much to figure out. He kissed her forehead repeatedly, closing his eyes, “I dunno what I would’ve done- what I’d do- without you, Pen.” 

“Is it just me or is this one of THE MOST dramatic cities I have ever been in.” The question was mostly for herself, but the amount of antics the woman had seen in just the short amount of time she had been in this city was astronomical. “I feel like my case load is never ending most days.”  

. 

“Uhhh, I mean,” Manuel looked up, giving the other a shrug, “this is the only city I’ve ever lived in. Dunno how dramatic it is compared to other places. What’re you comparing it to? Like, city-wise?” He asked. 

“Her– my Audra, we need to follow them– the Syndicate, they took her away!”

Manuel, the kindest and the bravest of souls, asked Nora what she needed. Simply put, she needed them to find a vehicle and find Audra, get her to safety no matter what. … Reason seemed to have left the building with the petite brunette and her captors, clearly. “Manny, Manny, por favor, they’re going to kill her,” she pleaded– could’ve gone with ‘hurt her’ but at this point it would be nothing but a euphemism. “Kill her, because she refused to fight me,” saying it out loud only increased her panic. 

“We have to follow them,” at this point, safe to say, the woman wasn’t in condition to follow anyone, anywhere but the mind, the raging mind could be very convincing at times. 

. 

“Okay... Alright, Nor.” Manuel nodded, setting his hands on her shoulders resolutely, “We’ll take care of it. I’ll take care of it.” He looked her over for injuries for maybe the millionth time. He wanted to help her, but her well-being was a priority for him- he couldn’t stand the thought of anyone he loved getting seriously hurt tonight. 

“Just... just tell me all that you know and I’ll go and find her. And you... you go get somewhere safe, okay? Please.” Manuel murmured, swallowing hard, “I don’t want anything else to happen to ya... Please. Tell me and get outta here.” Manuel wasn’t sure if she would listen to him, but he needed to try his best, to do whatever he could to keep her out of harm’s way. 

›››

Penelope let out a chuckle, shaking her head. “Maybe,” she played along. She didn’t even know what a vacation truly meant. As he confirmed her suspicions, she shook her head and squeezed his hand even harder. “You’re…” she stopped, swallowing the lump in her throat. “My favorite person,” she simply said in gratitude towards his concern for her. “I love you, too,” she said, sniffling. “It’s going to be okay,” she repeated and rested her head against his chest. She felt still within his care, as she usually did. 

She was focused on better days, moving forward in her life rather than harping on the incident. Penelope let out a sigh, shrugging slightly and looked up at him. “I haven’t really thought about it,” she admitted. She had barely been conscious enough to gather her senses. “I–I just know this is… this isn’t for me,” she said to her boyfriend. “I’m meant to do more… I know I am… I just need to push myself,” and work her ass off to be what she wanted to be. “I need to get back into art. That’s the first step,” she confessed. It had been awhile. “I can’t remember the last time I painted something. It’s honestly… depressing to think about,” she acknowledged. Penelope had practically grown up covered in paint and now these days, she was far from what she loved doing. 

. 

“You’re my favorite person too.” Manuel whispered, shifting closer and gently running his fingers through her hair. Words couldn’t describe how grateful he was that Penelope was here and mostly alright- at least, she would be. The relief he was feeling was almost deafening. 

“Okay...” He listened mostly quietly, letting his girlfriend express exactly what she was feeling. And everything she said made sense. Everything she said was the right thing. He agreed with everything. This life wasn’t for Manuel either and Penelope being hurt like this had only proven that further. He had to make some changes himself- maybe go back to school if he could scrounge together the money or, at least, get a job that wasn’t illegal. Manuel nodded, “You’re meant for big things, Pen. I’ve always known that about you.” Though, he used to think the same about himself and now here he was, but when it came to her, he fully meant it, “Ya know ya got my support. No matter what it is you wanna do. And... if ya need a model to paint like a French girl or whatever... I’m available.” Manuel teased with a small smile before adding more sincerely, “You deserve to have everything you’ve ever dreamed about. If there’s any way I can help get you there? Just tell me.” Even if he still felt like Penelope deserved far more than he would ever be capable of giving her. 

›››

She had been foolish to think he wouldn’t be there. It was out of habit for her to want to push him away– she had to for the past decade. Now, she had to work on actually believing his love for her. As he approached her, a small grin appeared on her lips. “Fuck. Wake me back up when we’re in Hawaii eating mangos off trees then,” she insisted. Penelope chucked softly, her breaths cut short as she exhaled through her pain. She looked at him, shaking her head and rubbed his knuckles with her thumb. “Have you been here all night?” she asked him despite already knowing the answer. She pushed herself up on the bed, wanting to get closer to him. Penelope sighed, a lone tear rolling down her face. She didn’t know if it was because of the pain, the trauma or because she was just sad in general. 

“I would be damned if I died because of a gang,” she said, wiping away her tear. “I don’t want them to know what happened,” Penelope told him. “I have things to do before I report to… duty or whatever,” she said. “Have you talked to anybody?”

. 

“Maybe this summer.” He gave her a crooked grin, eyes staring intently at her face. He just couldn’t believe she was here, awake. He nodded then, “Yeah, I... I wanted to make sure I was here when you woke up.” Plus, he couldn’t have left. He wouldn’t. Manuel leaned over and kissed her forehead, whispering, “It’s gonna be okay... I love you, you’re gonna be okay.” 

Manuel listened, running his fingers gently through her hair, wanting to touch her as much as possible, to know she’s real and there. He shook his head, “No. Only Nora. I dunno if you remember, but you told me to call her.” And he would have anyway- it was Nora. “What do you wanna say? Or have ya not thought about it- because I would get that too.” He told her. 

silas was aware of everything that happened while he was overseas, he knew that he had a job to do while he was out of the country but pasty of him also wanted to be there, to fight but rules were rules. ❝ well, you haven’t had sex with me. ❞ he muses towards manuel, with his usual smug smirk tainted on his features. ❝ don’t get me wrong, I don’t know how many of these days I have left in me. I’d be nice to settle down &. have a family but in this life that’s highly unlikely. ❞ he knew it, he had always wanted to build his own family, give his parents some grandkids before their departure. ❝ how is everything between you &. penelope? ❞ he inquired as he takes a bite of the toast before him. 

. 

›››

FLASH FORWARD: THE NEXT DAY…

Penelope had the most vivid dream for what felt like too short. She didn’t remember the last time she didn’t have a night mare. Her eyes fluttered open to the bright, fluorescent lights above her and a restless Manuel. The sight of him made her feel relieved and grateful despite the growing migraine amongst her temples. She didn’t need any explanation, she knew exactly why she ended up where they were. She wanted to go back to the happy, warm environment of her dream so badly.

She let out a sigh, reaching a hand out to her boyfriend and the cords hugging her body followed her. “Tell me it’s been a thousand years and we’ve time-traveled to the good part,” she said barely above a whisper. She felt well-rested up until she exerted any energy– how ironic for someone who’s always moving. 

“Sorry for yelling at you,” she quickly cut to the chase. “You dodge a shoe pretty good, though,” she teased him. It was clear Manuel was here to stay. 

. 

Penelope’s sigh and the reach of her hand got a gasp from Manuel. He took her hand immediately, feeling teary-eyed as he looked at her. She was awake. She was going to alright. He gave her a soft, sad smile, “I wish. God, do I wish...” He leaned down, pressing his lips to her knuckles repeatedly, relief washing over him like a tidal wave. Manuel shook his head then, “Don’t apologize. I deserved it. I’m just... I’m so fuckin’ glad you’re okay, Pen.” He had been scared shitless. He hadn’t slept a wink either, sitting at her bedside and hoping for the best, “I was afraid I-I lost you.” And now he knew why she had been so angry at him. He saw that same fear, the same idea that they could possibly be without one another- this time for good, “I’ve never been more scared.” 

            A  BENDER  .  though  he’d  never  tell  it  .  judah  hated  the  way  people  ( he  loved )  looked  at  him  when  they  found  out  ,  faces  all  swollen  with  pity  .  or  worse  .  it  was  better  to  keep  all  the  bad  things  inside  ,  tuck  it  deep  within  his  cage  of  bones  &  withering  flesh  until  he  too  couldn’t  distinguish  the  truth  from  the  lies  .  to  take  the  façade  god  made  him  and  craft  another  .  “ business  as  usual  , ”  straightforward  enough  ,  but  never  as  simple  as  he  affirmed  . “ decided  ta’  get  some  grub  an’  was  feelin’  charitable  .  ”  the  words  flow  matter-the-factly  as  the  brunette  snagged  a  to-go  tray  for  himself  &  a  beer  to  accompany  it  .  mind  circles  back  to  the  ( likely  aimless )  inquiry  ,  “  why  …  d’ya  miss  me  ??  ”  food  in  hand  ,  the  words  trail  alongside  him  as  judah  made  way  from  the  kitchen  to  the  living  room  .  “  s’alright  if  ya’  did  ,  i  would  miss  me  too  ! ”  lips  purse  over  ivories  momentarily  ,  words  punctuated  as  he  sat  himself  down  on  the  couch  .

. 

“I’ll be your charity case any day.” Manuel teased, getting his own plate together as Judah moved back toward the living room. He was thankful for the extra painkiller he had popped early in the morning, otherwise he would almost definitely still be in bed, reeling from his own injuries and those of Penelope’s. He chuckled quietly, popping open his beer as he moved to sit next to the other, “I always miss ya. Don’t be a stranger.” He nudged Judah gently with his elbow, taking a sip of his beer, “And, honestly, I could use the distraction. Shit’s... well, it’s fucking wild. It’s been bad out there. Which, I’m sure you’ve noticed...” He took a deep breath, “Could use a pick me up, is all I’m sayin’.” 

he’s on his fifth shot of tequila, along with manuel. at the start they used to be thick as thieves &. now it’s like they barely had time to hang out with another. a small chuckle escapes his brims as he looks at his friend ❝ I promise you, that’s exactly what happened ———  then again, drunk me is very different than sober me. I woke up the next day with three of them in my bed —— let’s just say, it was a good night. ❞ of course Silas has never had an issue spending the night with a girl ( if not various ) now keeping a woman that was the issue. 

@manuelnarvaez​

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