CRUEL SUMMER.

words cut like a knife and heathers cut deep. would he let it show? never. dean gave up on showing ‘feminine’ emotions– they made him weak, vulnerable. shutting heather out emotionally was the only way he could survive after losing his mother. hurt himself before she could hurt him. in his messed up mind it was the only option. the safest option. “if thats what you have to tell yourself to get by sweetheart then don’t let me be the one to burst your bubble.” taunting heather the way he did was the only excuse dean had to be around her anymore. truth was regardless of them not being together, he couldn’t let her go. she’d always been his and he’d never be able to let her go. “give me a break.” he rolled his eyes, scoffing at her empty threats— and that’s exactly what they were. there was no way she would ever turn on him. no matter how badly he treated her– and he treated her so badly sometimes. deep down he hated himself for it but he couldn’t stop. being an asshole was in his nature. who he was now. “if you wanna call the cops on me then do it, no ones stopping you.” his eyes locked with her blazing ones, daring her. he couldn’t control the words coming from his mouth. it was like something inside him was always pushing him, making him say and do things to purposely hurt people– to make them leave. to make them hate him. “you would know all about being fake now, wouldn’t you?" 

of course he knew that she wouldn’t call the police on him. not only was it ridiculous to do, but he knew she didn’t have it in her. it frustrated her beyond belief that she wasn’t confident enough or fearless enough to do it anyway, just to prove that she didn’t care. but that was just it. she did care. cared way too much for someone who treated her like this. but he was pushing it now, nearly daring her to do it at this point, and heather balled her fists at her sides, digging her nails into her skin. her inner turmoil was what killed her the most. she loved him but despised him but yearned for him all at once. his last words, though... now it was just too much. tears pricked her eyes at the deep blow, but she just gritted her teeth and gave his chest a strong shove, putting all her strength behind it. it wouldn’t collapse him or hurt him at all, surely, but it would definitely throw him off. which was all she needed to get out. “go to hell, dean!” she snapped, hitting against his chest once more then stepping back. he wouldn’t strike back ( physical violence, towards her, at least, had never been something he used ) but they would both certainly only become more infuriated now. “you don’t even know me anymore! i’m not the same girl that i was. i’ve grown past it. but you... you’ll never change. you’re going to be a deadbeat forever.”

—— closed starter : @oflifegucrds ——— based on pour some sugar on me by def leppard.

steve was a very… memory-driven person, if that makes any sense. he based his feelings and opinions on people from his past experiences he has had with them. maybe that was why he didn’t like jonathan that much; when he thought of the brunette boy all he could remember was seeing him and nancy together. but that’s not who was on his mind right now. right now ( as he stood at the counter of scoops ) all he could think about was the feeling of his hands running through her hair, running down her hips, and the feeling of her soft skin under the roughness of his calloused hands. and, with his luck as soon as he looked up from where his eyes were situated on the counter he saw just who he was talking about; “heather—” he stumbled over his words, eyes going wide. “h-hey!”

days off weren’t common, but heather did anything but relax. she hated being home, with her stuck-up, obnoxious parents. she was over being as arrogant as they were, and the more time she spent away from them, the better. she decided to spend the day at the mall, giving she had to buy a new outfit for the carnival anyway, but she was dying to make a pit stop to visit someone special. raising her eyebrows playfully at him as he approached, heather cracked a grin when he seemed to be snapped out of his thoughts. “hey,” she chuckled, stopping at the counter then reaching up to adjust his hat on his head, fixing her hair after she’d done so. “thought i’d drop by and say hey, but you seem a bit overwhelmed.” she quirked an eyebrow, but didn’t press him for more answers, instead just gently stroking his arm then readjusting her shopping bag on her shoulder.

laughter echoed around him but he’d only been half-heartedly listening in on the conversation his friends were having–  something about who had nicer tits. dean’s mind was elsewhere. it was his idea to hangout at the pool, yes. under the guise of causing some havoc and hitting on some bikini babes but he’d be lying if he said it wasn’t because of her. hell she was the only reason they were still there, loitering when everyone else had gone. he’d known heather would be closing, he managed to coax it out of some blonde bimbo working the morning shift. heather wasn’t his anymore, technically– still he couldn’t pull himself away. he’d never admit to that though, not even under oath. plus he’d never pass up an opportunity to get a rise out of her and as she approached him, that all too familiar look on her face, he knew he would get what he wanted. the words that left her lips were music to his ears but the satisfaction was short lived as she’d already whirled away from him. “thought we were just in time for our swim lesson?” he called after her, the guys howling out laughter but his annoyance was clear. ‘this blows, we’re out. you coming conrad? there’s a party tonight at tom’s’ his friends were staring expectantly while he took a long drag from his cigarette. “i’ll catch up with you guys.” after a few grunts his friends finally departed, leaving him alone– he wasn’t finished with her yet, he hadn’t got what he wanted. time passed, she’d been in that office for what seemed like a lifetime. he’d finished nearly half his pack. finally she emerged, he could hardly contain the smirk on his face. “i could go but then i think you’d miss me.” he teased, taking a step closer to her. “don’t act like me being here hasn’t just made your day, hell i bet it’s made your whole week.”

was heather still in love with dean? no. definitely not. absolutely not. he was just so irritable and douche-y and rude. he got on her every nerve. but why couldn’t she stop staring at him? her eyes narrowed at him as her scowl deepened, pushing away all her inner turmoil so she could properly deal with this. “you wish. i haven’t missed you in a long, long time,” she snarled, beginning to take a step closer but stopping when he did first. it frustrated her beyond belief, the fact that he was getting on her every nerve, and no matter how angry she got, he only seemed to get more amused. “made my whole week a living hell? yeah, you got that right.” her quips and snaps were becoming more like growls now, her fists clenching at her side. why the hell did he have to do this now? while heather had been eager to change her ways, to shed off the girl she’d been in high school, it seemed dean hadn’t changed at all. at first she’d held an immense amount of pity for him. his mom had passed, someone she had loved almost as much as he did. though she knew it changed him for the worse, there was only so much heather could take. no second chances. “and now you’re trespassing on the pool’s property, so i could call the cops if i wanted to.” if she wanted to. which... she didn’t. not only did she not want him to get into more trouble than he already did, but... did she really want him to go? deep down she knew the truth. not that she would ever, ever admit it. not even just to herself. “look at yourself, dean. look who you’re hanging around.” she threw a hand in the direction of the area of the pool where he and the other guys had been hanging out, gesturing to the abandoned cigarette butts on the ground and non-properly disposed towels. she looked back at him, staring up into his eyes. “why won’t you just admit that you’re faking it all? what, are you scared of them or something?”

closing shifts at the pool were always the best. it was cooler at night and all the kids were gone, making it more mellow. well... usually. the only group leftover now was a rowdy group of guys whom heather recognized all of. they went to high school together. but not just that. the one at the center of it, cigarette between his lips, was the one who her heart belonged to. or used to belong to, rather. it was closing time now, and she was the last staff member. however, she couldn’t lock up with the guys still there. she was still in her bathing suit and all, but was exhausted and just couldn’t wait to go home. rolling her eyes, heather sighed sharply then finally headed over, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. “it’s ten minutes past closing, you have to leave now,” she snapped at the guys, all of whom just mocked her. she made direct eye contact with dean now, raising her eyebrows at him. “wanna send your pack of mutts away then clean all your shit up so i can go home?” without waiting for a response, heather stormed into the office, slamming the door behind her and doing some last minute paperwork. it was quieter now, and she sighed in relief. they’d finally left. after shutting out the light, heather stepped outside again... only to be met directly with dean. now it was just him. which was both better and worse. “what do you want?” she sneered, dropping her bag dramatically to the ground. “i said you had to go.”

“do i need to repeat myself?you ran into me heather,” he defended himself. the last thing he wanted to do was cause any drama but he wasn’t one to let anyone give him shit. “and for the record i have a really good job, i was the one who put the fence around your damn pool,” his sarcastic energy was hard to shake. “but i’ll leave if you want me to, sorry.”

“no, wait,” heather gasped, gently grabbing his arm before he could leave too quickly. she bit her lip at her sudden reaction and slowly let him go, letting out a shaky exhale. she felt awful. her whole chest felt like it was being ripped apart. “...i’m sorry, i-i’m so sorry,” she murmured lowly, taking the smallest step closer as her eyes filled with sorrow. “please forgive me, i... i didn’t mean it...”

instinct tells him to tense up but it dissipates as soon as she’s speaking again - as if his body recognizes that it’s heather and not some nobody trying to twist him apart. keane lightly rolls his shoulder up to rub against her temple before grinning. “who said m’lettin’ ya come over for the whole week?” logic - he thinks, logic does considering how few friends he has. scratch that, considering how few people tolerate him in the first place. 

keane leads them down the badly paved sidewalk, turning to the front of his place. with a click of the key, he lets the pair in - only then unlinking his arm from her grip. “welcome to satan’s lair.”

“i did,” heather retorted in a scoff, letting out a low chuckle afterwards. of course they were both just screwing with each other. though she knew keane would be happy to let her over anytime, they also both cherished their alone time. plus, she worked constantly anyway. she watched as he moved to the door then unlocked it for them, following him inside. she snorted slightly at his words. “come on, you have the whole place to yourself for an entire week. i wish my parents would leave me alone for even a day.” she walked in with him, readjusting her backpack with her clean clothes and other stuff over her shoulder. “mind if i change real quick? a wet swimsuit isn’t the most comfortable thing.”

“i’ll try not to suffocate ya by accident,” he replies with a signature lopsided grin. keane stuffs his hands into his jean pockets, long legs treading the concrete road. it’s become considerably cooler, and he’s grateful for it - his curls having sprung beads of sweat on the back of his neck. “they’ve fucked off to see some distant family - impromptu road trip basically. nearly threw my hands up in the air when they told me.”

“how sweet of you...” heather droned sarcastically, giving a roll of her eyes then smirking again as she looked up at him. then she wrapped both of her arms around one of his, laying her head against his shoulder as they walked. it just felt nice; getting to finally relax, not having to put up an act or have any responsibility. “screw ‘em. you don’t need them,” she murmured, slightly tightening her grip on him. “plus, now we’ve got an empty house for the week.”

steve let a cocky smirk form on his features, his boyish charms still obviously having the same effects as before. he offered the cindy girl a small smile, not that he meant it in anyway. he followed heather through the crowd to the lost and found room, the smirk still crossing his features. “maybe i will.” he hummed, leaning forward a bit more and pressing a quick kiss to her lips. “who knew you would be the type to ditch work to make out in a closet.” he teased, arms wrapping around her waist.

heather returned the kiss then giggled quietly, wrapping her arms around his neck. then she shrugged a mischievous shoulder. “it’s too hot out right now and your hair looks really good, so,” she whispered, smirking before kissing him deeply again, running her fingers through his coifed style. the only reason why this worked was because they knew it was just for fun, just to screw around and forget about real life for a little while. “maybe we just pretend like we really can’t find your lost item.”

who the hell was this girl? heather swore she knew her, but… from years ago. almost as if in a dream. she was grateful that her tinted shades obstructed her view since she was literally staring directly at the girl. but without her eyes being seen, it appeared as if she was simply monitoring over the pool. but this girl… yes. high school. suddenly dread overtook her as she was hit with the sudden memory of one of her ‘close friends’ talking down on the girl. why the hell was the word ‘marbles’ coming back to her memory as well? guilt flooded through her, and she considered going over to make amends before she saw billy exit through the locker room. she sighed; another shift over. as she climbed out of the chair, heather made a vow to herself to eventually fix what had been broken those years ago.

“no,” heather snapped before even truly realizing what she had said. almost instantly her hands came up to clasp over her mouth, eyes softening. “i’m sorry, i-… i didn’t mean to get angry, i apologize.” she truly hadn’t, but the idea of not getting to hang out with will as much over the days made her defensive. she loved the kid, and, truthfully, felt herself changing for the better simply due to him. she adored jonathan and joyce as well, which made her feel all the worse for snapping. “jonathan… i promise you i’m looking after him while he’s here. no one will hurt him, he always has my full attention. please, don’t limit his time here. i’ll make sure he’s always taken care of.”

[ defend ]  your muse defending mine’s reputation , dignity , or safety for them .

another day, another shift at the pool. though the kids were obnoxious as hell, no one was ever really in danger, so ‘lifeguard’ was a bit of an overstatement. but still she sat there, swimsuit and all, with her whistle at the ready. though, like usual, heather became lost in her own thoughts in her boredom. thank god her sunglasses hid her eyes, so she could zone out when she needed to. however, it was impossible to miss the two kids who had begun play fighting in the water. as aggressive as they were, it wasn’t them she was worried about getting hurt; it was the safety of the boy nearby, his back turned. without hesitation, heather jumped off her chair then jogged to the edge of the water before jumping in, putting herself between the two kids and the other boy. “hey, hey! knock it off or you’re both out of here!” she warned. it got their attention immediately, and they resigned themselves as they made their way back to the other kids. she turned to the boy, pushing her now wet hair out of her face. “hey, you okay? i’m sorry, i know they can get rowdy in here.”

though heather certainly wasn’t the most fond of her job, she would never go out of her way to make someone unhappy or hurt. especially physically. she just hadn’t been thinking straight at all when she’d moved to close the ticket window. she hadn’t even seen the girl there. “oh!” she gasped, immediately reopening it and moving out of the office to come meet her. “i-i’m so sorry, i didn’t see you, otherwise i never would’ve closed it like that. i- do you need ice or a bandage? i am so sorry.”

“you know, he’s actually not a douchebag. he’s a super nice guy, you just have to get to know him. either way, he deserves a fuck of a lot better than a bunch of girls who just abuse daddy’s credit card all day.” it wasn’t often that heather argued with her… ‘friends’ ( the popular girls from high school she pretended to still fit in with ), but as soon as they started tearing steve and his character apart and mocking how soft he’d gotten, heather knew she had to step in. it clearly wasn’t taken well, as all the girls shot her a look then simply walked off, whispering amongst themselves. heather sighed, but felt no regret within her. when she turned around to begin heading home, she stopped right away, seeing steve leaning against the wall nearby. it was obvious he’d heard everything too, and she blushed slightly, tucking her dark hair behind her ear. “hey… sorry, i didn’t know you were there,” she murmured, then paused before shaking her head. “don’t pay attention to what they were sayin’. they’re just jealous.”

☞ for my muses reaction to accidentally slamming your muses hand in the door.

“oh, shit!” it was the first reaction heather could give as soon as she noticed his hand right in the doorframe of the pool entrance. she obviously didn’t mean to hurt him, but she had slammed it in her frustration of how the work day had gone. more annoying kids, more bullshit from the owner. and now she’d hurt one of the only people who truly knew her. “fuck, keane, i’m so sorry.” she’s quick to drop her bags and immediately take his hand in both of hers, inspecting the injury. it didn’t look too bad, but it would surely bruise up over time. she looked up into his eyes. “let me ice it. come on, we’ll go to the first aid closet.”

he pulls a disapproving face and hikes his knee up against his chest, resting his arm atop. “god no - not starcourt at least. let’s go bowlin’ or somethin’. or rent some shitty movie and bring it back to mine.” keane shrugs. “got the place to m’self for the week.”

another laugh left her, but she nodded her head. “a movie actually sounds cool. i may fall asleep, but don’t kill me,” she warned him, elbowing his arm gently to signal that they could start walking. the road was thankfully rather empty as they strolled along leisurely, the sun finally having dipped beneath the horizon. “what’s going on this week that you’re alone?”