𝔴𝔬𝔪𝔟 𝔱𝔬 𝔱𝔬𝔪𝔟

“Thank you.” Her words were soft as she spoke. Olivia had a team at work that had her backed but someone like Riff that didn’t do it because of job related duties hit more deeply for her. She didn’t exactly have many people outside the job she could depend on to show up for her like he had. “Whatever happens, it’s fine.” She could only imagine this relationship wouldn’t go over well with commanding officers above her. Regardless, she wasn’t about to end things with Riff to keep it from happening.

As he offered his room she sighed. “You don’t have to do all that.” She didn’t want him to put him out more than she had already tonight.

Olivia reached over for his hand, more on instinct than rational thought, as he drove them back to his place. The way she felt about Riff had deepened the longer they had known one another. She wasn’t sure she could change that night.

"Just tell your cop friends it ain't true, who they gonna believe? Some word on tha street from some gang, or you? It's none of their business who ya fuck anyway, is it?" Because realistically, all they'd been doing is fucking, there were no deep talks or dates, not really any romance to speak of. And Riff had put it out of his mind whether or not he wanted to go there. Whether or not that would be good for either of them. And he had no idea where this left them tonight.

"Ya don't gotta keep thankin' me, Liv, once was more'n enough. I'm doin' what I think is right, and that's all. I wasn't just gonna sit on my ass and let this go down. A pack'a animals like them would do god knows what to a woman n' her kid. I can't have that. Especially not to someone I know."

The idea of the gang hurting Liv made Riff tighten his grip on the wheel a little more. It wasn't hard to get him mad, but this was way over the top.

"I sleep on tha damn couch most nights anyway, when I can't sleep at all. No big deal." He shrugged, not daring to look over at her and kept his eyes on the road. "Yeah well, yer wit me, so don't worry about it. Life's too short fer what ifs. I was there, I am here, that's what matters. Now stop sayin' thank you before I change my fuckin' mind n' throw you out."

He gave her a side-eye with a small smirk.

"You better. Wouldn't kill ya to care a bit, ya know. Care a bit 'bout your guys." He spat out the last word, glared at Riff, wiped his hands on his jeans, his anger less for now, just flipping Riff off, rolled his eyes.

"Listen, I've takin' plenty'a punches, and you've been witness to a lot of em. I can take it, ya punch like a fuckin' girl anyway." Riff smirked, "See? I can help, so don't be such a fuckin' grouch."

Riff rolled his eyes again, at this rate they were going to get stuck into position with Mouthpiece around. "Did I not just say that if ya were ta have a kid ya wouldn't be in it alone? How's that for not carin'?" And he'd meant that, even if it seemed like something Mouthpiece wanted no part of.

"I mean if ya need money, I'll work something out for ya. I wouldn't call it a raise as I don't give ya salary, but work isn't in short supply." Riff shrugged, "No, I don't need ya, especially since yer so uptight about blowin' me." He smiled again, "Do ya need me, or are ya gonna be lonesome tonight?"

Mike Faist as dodge mason

“Well, thank you for not letting Noah see it.” Olivia was far more used to violence than her son was. A different kind of violence, sure, but she had seen plenty of what people have the ability to do to one another—she had kept Noah as sheltered as possible from that part of the world so far.

The concern now was the consequences that might befall them both due to the statement Riff made to this boy. She was with him. While she was, saying it out loud could invite a lot of things neither one of them wanted to face.

The smirk he gives her draws a small laugh from her, of course Olivia knew what he meant. A physical form of repayment that she would be more than happy to oblige. “I’m sure you’ve already thought up something.” She knew how he was.

"Ain't no reason for tha kid to see any'a this. He's got a better life than I had, got a good mom that protects from growin' up too fast. I know what that's like; pisses me tha fuck off that these thugs involved yer son. Buncha fuckin' cowards." Riff had momentarily forgotten that Noah was in the backseat, but he was asleep anyway, at least Riff hoped he was.

As to how much trouble they'd get into, Riff shrugged. "Dunno, but I guess we'll just have to deal wit it now. My guys will stay in line, n' anyone who doesn't can get gone. My personal life is none of their business." And truth be told, he was far too fond of Olivia to give her up now.

"My place ain't got a lot of bed room, bein' a loft n' all, so you n' Noah can take my bed, I'll crash oh tha couch downstairs." He often crashed on the couch, usually after a night of coke and drinking, anyway.

Riff cut through the streets back to his place on the tougher part of town, and kept an eye on the rear-view in case anyone was following them.

Ollie observed the interaction between the couple before him and chuckled slightly, shaking his head at the suggestion.

Grazie left her spot on Riff's lap and he swatted her ass as she did so, which made her shoot Riff a playful, mischievous look. "You don't wanna be like him, Ollie, you're sweet just the way you are. Catch you later, boys." She waved and blew them a kiss.

Riff leaned back in his chair as he watched her go, "Ya keep hangin' around me n' yer life will get interestin' real quick, Professor, whether ya 'prefer' it or not."

"I'll do it again, shut ya up real good, if ya don't stop talkin' shit." Getting called Pumpkin, did little, if anything, to calm him down, the effect was the opposite. The punch surprised him, made him double over, left him trying to catch his breath, barely managing to jump back from the spit, eventually aiming another punch at Riff.

Riff saw the next punch coming now that Mouthpiece was properly pissed off, and he leaned away as the other swung at him. "Didn't ya say you wanted a fight? That ya wanted to punch somethin'? That's helping isn't it?" Again, he rolled his eyes, "That's why we're The Jets, baby, we were all nothin' until we found each other."

As much as Riff enjoyed winding him up, enough was enough. "Alright, alright, I'll be good. I swear." As for whether or not he thought it was all joke, he didn't mention it. He did find it hilarious that Mouthpiece had been so stupid and gotten himself into such a state. But he also enjoyed fighting and making him pissed off. If it were anyone else, they'd probably be dead for hitting Riff, but he knew what his friend was like, so it was no big deal to him.

"I'm not gettin' that blow job then, am I?" Riff smiled and clapped Mouthpiece on the back. "I'll make sure yer taken care of, don't worry."

"Right, like I got a damn good example of what that is. Like I'm a damn good man. Real good example, ain't I? Oh yeah, I'm such a perfect guy!" He stepped closer, hands by his sides, before shoving Riff back, half heartedly. "That, ain't ever gonna happen. Ever. I might be stupid, but don't go thinkin' I'm that stupid. I got some standards, and ya ain't them."

Riff rolled his eyes when Mouthpiece pushed him, but still he kept the storm brewing, "Yer tha one sayin' yer no good for nothin', I figured I could make ya useful fer once. Ya certainly got dick suckin' lips. Maybe yer in tha wrong side of this business, I should put ya out on the corner like the workin' girls."

The landing and power in the punch had taken him surprised. He can't say he didn't have it coming though, he did. "Well, look who grew some balls all of'a sudden. I didn't think ya had it in ya." Riff's lip had hit off his teeth which had caused it to bleed, and he could taste the metallic tinge of his own blood.

"Go on, pumpkin, let it all out. So hostile and angry. Do ya feel better now?" Riff leaned in and got close to Mouthpiece's ear. "Not willing to do anything for extra money, are ya?" He grinned and took a step back like he was going to walk away, but that wasn't in Riff's nature. Instead he swung a punch that landed right in Mouthpiece's stomach. "I'll let ya off this time, but since ya don't wanna be a daddy, ya best remember that I'm yours." Riff spit a glob of his blood and spit at Mouthpiece's feet.

However, before Olivia knew it, she saw him exiting the car but was unable to see what he was doing in the trunk of the car. Seeing him walk over with the crow bar in his hand, her own hand went to the gun holstered on her hip. This situation could escalate in a hurry and she wasn’t about to be unprepared.

The glass breaking made the man inside shout out of surprise. “What the hell, man?!” He yelled out at Riff.

Olivia stepped outside as Riff had him on the ground. His arm lifting to hit him again drew her off the sidewalk. “Riff, take it easy.” The anger he was seething with, she wasn’t sure how he would take her interference, so she kept a reasonable amount of distance just in case.

As the boy got up to run, Olivia met Riff’s eyes. “You handle all your problems like that?” Her tone had a teasing edge to it. He was already heated, she wanted to bring the temperature down to a simmer if she could get it there before they got back in the car with Noah.

Her eyes glanced over towards the car where she could see Noah sleeping in the backseat. “Thanks for taking care of us.” She knew damn well that Riff had to feel as in over his head in this relationship that she did. However, the way he informed the boy that she was with him? She wouldn’t be forgetting that anytime soon. They had let things become deeper, more involved than they had ever intended. Olivia was currently thanking her lucky stars that Riff cared enough to show up for her like this.

Riff stood and watched the young gang member scramble to his feet and run away, looking over his shoulder at Riff as he went, the kind of fear in his eyes that Riff loved to see. Then he turned to Olivia, letting the crowbar hang at his side.

"Actually, most of my problem solving ends wit me covered n' someone else's blood. Ya caught me bein' benevolent tonight." He gave her his trademark smirk, as if this were all just run-of-mill daily activities. "But not in front of you, or tha kid."

He'd just told a member of the gang that was after Benson that she was under his protection, that she was with him. He didn't know how fast that news would travel, but to be frank, he was sick of the shit. He had no patience for this, it needed to end now. Only cowards go after women and children. Even if Olivia was a badass.

"Yep, my place." He went back to his truck and placed the bar where belonged. "I'm sure I can think of a few ways ya can repay me." Again, he smirks, this time more earnestly, she knows exactly what he means. "Fer now, hop in, gorgeous."

"Like any o' us got good parents. Like any of us would be good parents. I'll be a shit parent, an' you know that. I'm gonna mess that poor kid up to be just like me." He felt like he could be sick right there, frustrated by what it was.

"The one time I forget, and this shit happens, I really just wanna drink myself into forgetting this ever happened." He still felt like breaking something, anything that would shatter, make him feel something else.

"Parents are shit, yours, mine, ev'ry Jet's got shit parents, forgot that?"

He snapped his mouth shut after that. Riff had a point.

"I don't know nothin' about parents, I ain't exactly got a lot ta go on. And maybe yer right, maybe you stayin' away from that kid is the best thing for it. I guess all yer gonna teach it is how to run away like a coward, right?" Riff wasn't exactly sure why he was so pissy about this, this was Mouthpiece's own doing, the world didn't cause this 'mistake' he did. "Not exactly settin' a good example of what it is to be man, are ya?"

Riff shook his head, "Nope, not gettin' ya in more trouble, I hardly trust you to complete a job sober, let alone wasted. I was just thinkin' that since you're so stupid and loose I could get ya to put yer mouth to good use for once. Bring me some pleasure instead of bein' a constant pain in my ass."

Was he angling for a fight? Maybe.

"Oh, so ya don't believe I got this scar on my face from eatin' pussy?" Riff gave Ollie a sly look. "She's a dangerous woman, ya know."

Grazie made her seat in his lap, but she playfully tapped his cheek with the palm of her hand. "Riff Lorton you are utterly disgusting." She leaned over and patted Ollie's hand. "Don't mind him, he got that scar from a mugging, they said your money or your life, and Riff ain't got no money, so they slashed him."

Riff rolled his eyes, "That's not very entertainin', girly girl. Don't embarrass me in front'a people." And as far as Riff was concerned, even though he'd beat those mugger's within a inch of their lives, it was an embarrassing story.