wallflowers

‘ then what the hell is this about? ’ nala snapped back at the blond-haired male with those beautiful eyes that she could have easily got lost in. except now, hers were burning with a different kind of annoyance. it wasn’t anger, not even close to it. jealousy was always the cause, wasn’t it? him beating around the bush wasn’t making this any better for the two of them, she would like it better if he just man up and owned up to whatever the hell is bothering him. the admission that came from his own two lips was not what she was expecting but she was still deeply annoyed by him saying that she belonged to him. ‘ i’m not some fucking thing to be owned. isn’t that what you want from me as well? ’ the accusation fell from her lips once more; she was used to both men and women alike who only wanted her for her body, for what she could do for them. ‘ so, what if it’s my thing? it’s what i’m used to. you can’t expect me to just change overnight. ’

It had taken Chester back a bit, how Nala was reacting to this situation. He didn’t really understand how he managed to drive her a little hysterical, until she kept harping on ‘owned’. “What, you think I would treat anyone around here like property? I thought you’d know better!” he bit back, although it could be said that he was being a little unreasonable - after all, they’d barely met each other for a few days. “I don’t want to own you, I just want to protect you.” His brows furrowing, he threw his hands into the air, replying, “And how the fuck was I supposed to know what you’re used to? Bunch ‘a people are here 'cause they were fuckin’ kidnapped and shit.” It was a bit of an explosive moment, and once Chester calmed down, he sighed again. “Whatever, okay?” he slowly backed her into the wall behind her, careful not to seem too possessive. “I don’t expect you to change, or anything,” he said as he lingered into her personal space. “Just tell me what you want, we’ll work something out.”

Of course it was. It was always okay, wasn’t it? Jude didn’t cry, probably couldn’t have even if he’d wanted to, years of always needing to be better than that keeping him from doing much more than sounding upset, emotion plain in his voice but nowhere else. “It’s not okay.” The way he said it sounded almost defiant. “I was an asshole. I…I shouldn’t ‘a lied t’ you. Just ‘cause y’ might’a known I was lyin’ doesn’t mean it was alright. You…deserve better. Than that. Than me.” For a split second he thought Chester might kiss him, tried not to visibly deflate a bit when he didn’t. He couldn’t just expect that sort of thing, not in this weird sort of limbo they currently occupied.

“Okay, yeah, I knew you were lying and you were an asshole, that was a shitty thing to do and if something like this ever happens again you better tell me or I’ll have your ass,” Chester chuckled softly, fingers running through his hair comfortingly. “But tomorrow is a new day, eh?” Noticing the little trace of... disappointment...? - when he moved away from Jude’s lips, his mind started to spin. “And- and. You know. We can leave that all in the past, if you want to.” After all, that was Chester’s speciality. And then he let their noses touch, letting Jude make his choice.

He was there. He was right there and if Jude leaned in just a bit closer he wouldn’t have to keep talking. Didn’t want to talk, didn’t want to confront this problem at all. Didn’t like to confront any of his problems, always keeping his distance from them. But his mouth kept moving, faster than it seemed the rest of him could catch up to. “That wasn’t why. We coulda tried t’ make it work, but…I didn’t want to. I was too scared. I was scared t’ lose y’ so I…I got rid ‘a you b’fore you could get rid ‘a me. Thought it’d be easier if I just…broke it off b’fore y’ found someone better. I fucked up. I-I…” His voice thickened with emotion, alcohol lowering his ability to give a shit about whether or not he cried in front of Chester.

Once Jude started talking, Chester knew he wouldn’t stop. He sighed quietly at the admission - but he wasn’t all that shocked by it. In fact, he’d even suspected that it was Jude’s insecurities acting up when he had broken up with him out of the blue, claiming it was because he was ‘leaving somewhere’ or something like that. “Hey...” Chester leaned closer still, realising that oh my god, I could kiss you right now, but he chickened out at the last second and kissed the corner of his lips before pulling him into his arms. “It’s okay. I promise.”

And there it was. Jude didn’t have the words, even sober, to explain why exactly he’d broken up with him. Well, he did, but they sounded cheap and uncaring, left a bad taste in his mouth just thinking about them. And they wouldn’t do Chester any good, not right now. It seemed like no matter what, he was just going to keep screwing this up. So maybe that was why he didn’t stop himself now, didn’t care how Chester reacted to what he was telling him this time. “Whaddya want me t’ say, anyway? That…that ‘m sorry? That some part ‘a me still loves you? A-and that…that part’s real hard t’ ignore when you’re here, an’ I already fucked this up once, don’t wanna fuck up whatever we got now. Y’ were better off without me then, prob’ly still are now.”

Everything about Jude’s reply was completely unexpected, and Chester gaped for a few seconds, his heart yearning to say something to comfort him, yet his mind reining him in, holding him back. “No, I- what? I…” he turned to face Jude fully, his hands running through Jude's hair gently. “What are you even talking about? What are you sorry about? And- hey.” Chester’s speech was a mess, and the alcohol wasn’t helping at all. “Firstly,” he said a little slower and softer now, his thoughts coming together, “you didn’t fuck up anything. You had to leave, you had other dreams to chase. I get it. And secondly,” he leaned his head a little closer, his voice turning into a whisper, “how do you know that a small part of me doesn’t still love you, hm? What, you think I just shrugged you off and went on with life when you left? Jude, I was a mess without you.”

And there it was again. That pang of something that had hit him when he’d first seen Chester here. Now here it was again, hitting him just as hard as the first time. He turned his head to look at him as best he could, given their current position. “Yeah…” And that was all he said, too many other things he would have thought twice about saying sober. Or doing, for that matter. Chester had always made him a bit reckless, and a part of him wanted so badly to ignore how close they were to toeing the line over to making this entire dynamic a mess. Or, at least, how close he was to screwing this up again.

Jude had gone instantaneously quiet, and even in his hazy mind, Chester knew it was his fault. He shuffled a little at that, a harsh reminder that no, things weren’t the way they used to be, and he couldn’t just say things like that and expect Jude to reciprocate, or even entertain him with an answer. He lifted his head off Jude’s shoulder and left only one arm wrapped around his torso. He didn’t really want to let go completely, not unless Jude asked. “I- um... was that crossing a line? I’m sorry. I know I was probably a good riddance on your part, like... yeah.”

      a simply shrug was offered in response to his apology, at least he bothered. “         no big deal, i doubt you meant it that way anyway.” she smiled softly, a rare sight from the redhead as her fingers curled in the base of his shirt again. “i’m just so     “ she didn’t even know what she was. she was just, just. “i doubt ANYTHING will take away the pain, but you make a point.” she murmured.

When Isla smiled, Chester broke into a small grin as well, thankful that she hadn’t gone all apeshit on him. “Hmm... we can always try,” he looked at her with an expectant expression. “Tell me one thing that’s on your life bucket list, let’s see if we can finish it tonight.”

chester could say whatever he wanted but the rules in the mansion were clear, that as long as she was unclaimed, any master or mistress could have her the way they wanted. nala could say no, but did she really want to? she was just having a little fun and she finds it a little hypocritical for someone to be accusing her of this when they’s probably sleeping around with other people as well. the double standards were a bit sickening. but the way he was saying it, there was something else in his voice other than pure accusations, one that she couldn’t put her finger on yet. a terse chuckle left her lips as she shook her head. ‘ so, you’re actually jealous because someone had me first before you? what? you don’t want sloppy seconds? ’ it was a degrading term but that’s how he was making her feel. but those words, telling her that she belonged to her annoyed her more than anything else as she roughly pulled her hand away from his. ‘ fuck you. i don’t belong to anyone. you don’t fucking own me. ’

“Sloppy seconds?” Chester scoffed, turning away with an eyeroll of his own. He hadn’t even thought about sloppy seconds when he’d fiercely grabbed her hand, but as his eyes drifted to the ceiling, walls, and then back to Nala... he understood why it might have come off that way. “No, this isn’t about sloppy seconds. And yes, maybe I’m jealous, but that’s not what this is about.” He was beating about the bush, he knew, but he couldn’t quite get to the point when he was hit with accusation after accusation from Nala. Not that he could blame her. “You’re mine because I don’t trust you with any of those shitheads out there and I know you can’t say no to those filthy masters that just want a good fuck from you and then dump you one side, okay? Fucking hell, I’m just worried about you!! Happy? Look, if flirting with anything that moves is your thing, then go ahead. I’m sorry I bothered.”

It was…nice, to not worry about what other people might think of the two of them. Even if it was because this was a sex mansion or whatever, and there was no two of them anymore. Jude always cared, way too much, in most cases. “Ain’t sayin’ y’ gotta cuddle up t’ me. But since y’r already here, I guess it’s alright.” He shrugged as well as he could manage from his current predicament, looking entirely too amused in comparison to what he was saying. “How thoughtful of y’. I dunno about all that. I think th’ bucket wins y’ somethin’.” And again, laughing like this whole thing was easy. Like they were just catching up and laughing at a party that could have been anywhere. It was almost alarming how normal this party felt.

Chester couldn’t help it, partly because of the alcohol, and maybe partly because this, holding Jude while passers-by walked around them without even glancing at them had been a long time coming. He grinned like a cheshire cat, hiding it where Jude’s neck met his shoulder so he wouldn’t look too stupid. “Of course it’s alright, everyone says I give the best hugs.” Debatable, but eh. Details. “Somethin’?” he copied Jude’s accent,  “I guess. Least I’m not a complete asshat.” There was a small titter, before Chester murmured something that he probably never would have if he were completely sober. “I missed you, a bit. This is nice.”

‘ you don’t even know how much i had! ’ she exclaimed in her defense. ‘ maybe… are you gonna spank me for drinking too much? because that might just make it worth it, ’ nala teased with a devious smile on her lips.

“You’re slurring! It’s obvious!” Chester replied just as enthusiastically. “Naughty girl, drinking too much and now you want to be spanked?” his hands travelled lower down her waist as he tried to assess whether she was sober enough to know what she was talking about. Consent, was, after all, a thing that couldn’t really happen after one bottle of vodka.

Hana shivered at the thought of even going into the sea never mind naked. She couldn’t imagine how cold it must be at this time of night. “But… but, the sea, it would be freeing.” Another shiver and then another laugh. “How drunk must he have been to do that? I would have ran away the moment the water touched my toes.”

“He’s a merman, I guess,” Chester laughed at his own antics. “He dashed in, screamed, and then ran out. And all because he wanted me to take 3 shots! He knew he was screwing me over!” he spoke animatedly, hands flying around in accusations that had no fire behind them. “Don’t tell me no one has tried that on you before.”

‘ just how many drinks have you had? ’ the brunette slurred out, not that she was in a better condition with her breath reeking of alcohol as she placed one hand over his shoulder.

“Not as many as you’ve had,” Chester laughed. “Were you one of those girls holding a bottle of vodka and walking down the beach?”

Old habits die hard, and almost as soon as Chester had his arms around him Jude was trying to at least look like he was attempting escape from his grasp, the laugh, at least, being sincere. This was something they’d rarely been afforded, just being close without people asking questions or even caring. “Never said all that, now.” He laughed, far more amused than he might have been if Chester had tried that when they were sober. He found himself relaxing far more easily, realization dawning on him that it didn’t matter at this point. Letting Chester hold him, he carried on, like this was just the norm. “Obviously none ‘a them have decent friends. If one of y’d ever tried doin’ that shit in front ‘a me I’d…well, I’d ‘a let y’ to a point, but I’d been laughin’ m’ ass off the whole damn time ‘til y’ got the hint.”

Chester didn’t even budge when Jude struggled, a small part of him still used to the way he would when they were younger. But, hey, they didn’t have to behave that way in this place, and plus, they weren’t secretly dating like they were before, so Chester just clung on to him, laughing and entertained. What he wasn’t used to, though, was Jude relenting and sinking back into his arms, and it made the eighteen-year-old part of him grin. “Hey, I’m tryna be nice to you over here. Unless you have other ideas,” he said, still laughing in that giddy and slightly tipsy way he always did once he got more than 4 or 5 drinks in his system. Alcohol did some good things for the two of them      both of them were less guarded than before. “I’d get you a bucket for you to throw up in,” he chipped in, tittering, “but I’d let you, for my entertainment. Makes me a bad friend, I guess.”

“Uh…” Hana turned her head away, pulling faces as she attempted to remember just how many drinks she had which caused another laugh to leave her lips. “I don’t know. A lot, I’m going to go with a lot.” Hana nodded and laughed again. “Oh, you shouldn’t drink on an empty stomach, bad move.”

Chester laughed at Hana making faces, trying to be funny by mimicking her. “A lot? Yeah, there’s a lot of drinks around here, if you tried everything you’d be completely shit faced. I know! But, alas,” he sighed dramatically, “a bet is a bet. I really didn’t think he’d jump in the sea naked, but... he did.”

“P-probably because you’re drunk and not thinking straight?” the brunette pointed out with a soft smile on her lips. “Not that I know of,” Lilah answered as she showed him her own cup of water. She has never been a fan of alcoholic beverages so she was trying to avoid those as well.

“Aw, man, that makes me sound terrible. Not that you’re wrong, though,” Chester shrugged. Nodding at her cup of water, he put down his own glass of alcohol. “I’ll get some water too, I guess. Have you even drunk anything other than that?”

      uncharacteristically, heat flared in her cheeks, turning the alabaster skin a rose coloured hue. she’d been about to snap at him, until she saw his wince. body language was quick to point out his own words. “         uh, thank you ?” she murmured, fingers tugging at the hem of his shirt as if begging it to lengthen. “i’m irish, as stereotypical as it is, i love a good drink & a good party, but it’s this place.” she gave a shrug, her shoulders lifting unevenly. “this party doesn’t replace what this place is & what it provides. i guess i just can’t find myself enjoying it when tomorrow, it’ll all just go back to being as it was.” 

Chester braced himself the second he noticed a change in facial expression of the girl, waiting to get blasted at      but it never came. Smiling awkwardly, he replied. “I’m sorry if that was a bit, you know. Sounded better in my head.” He nodded at what she had to say, letting her vent a little, in that sense. He sighed quietly, because honestly, everything that the pets seemingly had to endure was terrible and he hated it, and yet, here he was. “Yeah, I get that. But we could always try to have fun while we can, you know? Grab those moments and live them out. If it won’t take the pain away forever, but it might tonight.” He didn’t know if it would help, but he figured at least he tried.