folklore

"Oh, well even's better than a deficit," Benny grinned, because he was always grinning. Truly he wouldn't have minded if she'd said no– he got it, it was late and he was a random dude on the side of the road, but the fact that she had decided to offer a ride was most bodacious. "I'm on the Lower North Side, I guess, geographically speaking. You can just drop me on Main. I'll probably pull through Trax on my way. I'm on a quest for inspiration. You sing, right? You get it... Oh, hold on," he realised he was still standing at her window so quickly skirted around the hood to drop into the passenger seat. When he sat down, he held his fist out for a bump, "Benny Peleke, Wyld Stallyns."

Forgetting that even people outside her bubble knew who she was, Scarlet was surprised he knew she sang, like she didn't semi-regularly perform at Coyote Ugly or post on social. "I get it. My best ideas are usually when I can't sleep." That was more often that not for her too, whether she was up and wired from a shift at the bar or just had her sleep schedule thrown off by, again, working at the bar. She grinned at the introduction he gave her, and bumped her fist against his. "Scarlet Vinson, coyote... among other things. I've heard your band, you're fun."

"I mean, I could just call myself a tow truck," he lifted his phone into view with a sheepish smile. To be fair he hadn't actually considered that option, so he appreciated Scarlet for putting the idea into his head. "Oh, okay, no sweat. Everyone has their limits, I hear you. I'll just, uh, try my boy again. He must be asleep. Thanks for stopping anyway though, so many people have gone past and you're the only one who stopped. I reckon your karma metre is pretty tip top right now."

"And yet..." She titled her head just slightly, teasing, though she was relieved he at least had a working and charged phone. "Oh I don't think so, I slammed a door on an old lady just last week - on accident - and I definitely offended someone's boyfriend earlier. So I'd say it all evens out." As easy as it would've been to say good luck and good night, and finally get to bed after a long night at the bar, she couldn't help the kind of person she was. "Where do you live? I can give you a ride but I can't do side quests."

Benny was a pretty chill guy by all accounts. The only thing he really took seriously was his music, so not even the fact that his car had broken down outside of town could shake him. When someone stopped for him, he leaned down to see who his rescuer was. "Mega gratitude for stopping for me," he grinned. "Any chance I could join you? Adventures are always more fun with a sidekick."

As Rhiannon liked to remind her, Scarlet was someone who lit up a room and thus an ideal kidnapping victim, so she didn't make a habit of stopping for strangers on the side of the road, especially not at night. She only knew of one pink buzzcut in town though and from what she'd heard he was harmless, and stoned, usually, and the guilt if she'd just kept driving would've ate her alive. "Hmm what if I just call you a tow truck," she offered. "I'm adventure-d out."

"The fuck is up with people acting like it's their first day on Earth every time Mariah awakens?" Rhiannon shot daggers toward a group of middle aged women blocking her path but didn't slow her walk for a moment, happy to bowl an old bitch over if she had to. "Y'all about a hundred years old and still can't figure out that Christmas time isn't a surprise? They don't write it big enough on your calendar or what?"

"Oh come on, it's Christmas." Rhiannon's patience was paper thin at best but Scarlet had a little more grace to give, at least, to a point. "Excuse us," she announced, loud, while Rhi barreled her way through the group of women, and offered them a smile as she passed. Despite their pearl clutching they snapped back to formation in no time, four across on the sidewalk, and Scarlet shook her head before she turned her attention back to Rhi. "Hm, I'm thinking I'll know it when I see it, but I kind of want another tree.. Just a little one, for that sad little space by the bathroom, you know the one I'm talking about."

"Yeah exactly. I mean they'll say that anyway cause look at us but now we might go viral in someone's random ass tik tok," he joked, kissing her cheek and nodding. "Sounds like a plan to me." He put the music up on his phone, changing to something more upbeat as they got ready. He took some time to take some selfies in the mirror, wanting to document the trip as much as he could before he was sliding his sunglasses on as he stood near the door. "I think that was record time for me, getting ready that fast. I must really love you," he said with a dreamy sigh and opened the door. "You have the room key, right?"

"I can only dream," she said with a playful roll of her eyes, face softening as his lips met her cheek. Once dressed, Scarlet finished freshening up in the mirror, foot tapping along to Percy's playlist. She was never the one to initiate taking pictures but always happy to have them later, gladly obliging as he snapped a few of them in the mirror. It took a second for his words to register, he must really love her. She didn't think they'd said it before but the word fell off his tongue so easily, like he'd been saying it his whole life. "Oh- yeah." She was smiling to herself when she realized he'd asked a question, and she pulled the key card from her pocket. "I got it." They started down the hall, towards the elevator. "I think I want a beer first. Then... we'll see."

"I mean yeah, when I need to. You think these luscious curls just happen?" Percy laughed as his hands hovered over his bag. "I kind of do color code, so at least I know what is where. And we shouldn't match exactly but we should compliment each other. Similar hues and all of that," he said as he opened the bag and rejoiced when it was the right one he had been hoping for. "It's not always colors, just vibes, you know?" He pointed at what she had picked and then slowly pulled out some pieces from his bag that would compliment. "See what I mean?"

"As effortless as you make them, yes." Scarlet couldn't help but watch curiously as he got into his bags, as though she'd been let into a sacred part of his creative process. "Yes," she nodded, approving the vision immediately. "Not matchy-matchy but somebody could see us on the street and think they look good together," she joked, a less than serious observation but a very real one all the same. "Um I could be ready in fifteen I think, how about you?"

He laughed when he caught sight of her in the mirror and put his hands over chest as if to shield himself. "Well that's why I'm always prepared," he told her and dug into one of his toilettree bags for a shower cap. "Here we are," he told her, kissing her back before he unfolded it and gently placed it on her head. "No fucking around, got it." He kissed her again before he finally stepped into the shower and pulled her with him. "I already love Nashville," he joked, holding her closer under the water. They were as quick as they could be but Percy still found ways to take his time and take in the moment. He was slightly out of breath when they stepped out of the shower and he wrapped her towel around her before wrapping one around his waist.

"No..." Scarlet fought back a laugh as he put a shower cap over her head, confident without looking in the mirror that she looked ridiculous. "Do you use this?," she asked curiously, grinning spreading across her features, "Is that the secret to these curls?" Kissing him again, she ran her fingers through his hair while he pulled her into the shower with him.

"You know what? Add that to the list, absolutely. And yeah, maybe, or, or I'll make it fit. Haven't you learned I have magical powers now?" He smirked, appreciating that she saw him and loved him for it. "You're right, we might just wake up and still be there, means we got to make the most of tonight. I'm glad I took a nap on the plane." Percy was not at all eager to get back home, feeling like he was getting even better at being present in the moment. It was easy to do when he was with Scarlet. "Oh absolutely, they were not having it. Snatched out of their cribs to suddenly feel pressure in their ears and suddenly be somewhere totally different. Crazy disorienting. Poor babies." He laughed as he turned on the shower and popped his head out of the bathroom. "You wanna take a quick rinse with me?" He popped back into the bathroom and pulled up some music on his phone. "I'm even setting the mood!"

"Excuse me, my mistake," she smirked back at him. All her late nights at the bar meant they were on her schedule now, no nap needed- she just had to not sleep too late tomorrow. Scarlet laid a change of clothes out as Percy poked his head out, her lips pursing in faux consideration while she looked over the outfit she'd picked. When she heard the music start she laughed, abandoning what she was doing in favor of joining him. "Coming!" Once she came around the corner she shielded her eyes, as if there were any part of each other they hadn't seen. With a grin then she dropped her hand, pulling the hair tie off her wrist. "I just can't get my hair wet, not if we want to get in and out of here," she said as she tied it back, leaning in to kiss his lips.

He let out a loud laugh. "Yeah pretty much. That would be a great tagline for a reality tv show," he joked. "Nah I'll take some painkillers and call it a day. A beer later and I'll be solid." Being on solid ground had helped anyway and now that they wouldn't have to be back on a plane for a couple of days he was at ease. "Uh hell yeah I want to do some touristy shit. If I don't leave here with a cowboy hat and some cowboy boots I think we're doing it wrong," he joked, pressing a few kisses to her jaw as he held her. "Can't believe we actually made it out of Illinois," he teased, another kiss before he pulled away to pop open his suitcase to take out a shirt and a pair of shorts to change into. "I thought I might turn to dust if I did again but here we are," he called to her as he went into the bathroom to wash up quickly. "I hope that lady with the two babies on the plane is somewhere enjoying a stiff drink, honestly God bless her. Parents kind of deserve a gold medal for that shit."

"Housewives intro?," she suggested with a teasing raise of her brows. "Oh babe you're gonna need another suitcase for that." Knowing Percy though he probably anticipated needing the extra room. She sighed into his touch, hand reaching for his to give a quick squeeze before he let go. "Not just Illinois, I think Rosewood has its own center of gravity, like it'll start pulling us back to it any minute now." They all joked about it but Scarlet didn't have the same animosity towards their city that other people did, maybe because she didn't grow up there, and so it'd never really be her city, quote-on-quote. She liked it though, and all the people it'd brought with it. "And they were pissed to be on that plane," she called back, gathering a change of clothes from her bag. "And I get it. I'd be pissed too."

"Okay maybe I did overpack," Percy laughed as they finally got to their hotel room and he had wheeled in all of his bags. "But I mean a man can never have too many options, you know? Plus I think my upper body strength has improved dramatically," a laugh before pulling open the curtains of their hotel room to see what Nashville had to offer. "Not a bad view. How are you feeling? I won't lie that turbulence at the end of the flight almost got me." He put his hand on his stomach and shook his head. "But all I need is some water, a quick shower and I am ready to do whatever you want to do tonight." He moved towards her and pulled her in for a kiss. "You just let me know what you want and I'll make it happen." @scarletvinson

"Oh but I'm so excited to see what you brought. You're like a doomsday prepper for couture." Scarlet plopped down at the edge of the bed and grinned back at Percy, her one reasonably sized suitcase beside her. Slowly she got back to her feet as he drew back the curtains and joined him by the window. "Good. Do you want something? I think I have dramamine or I can check downstairs." So long as they were together she didn't care what they did, just the fact that he'd planned this trip to begin with was more than enough. She smiled against his lips, "You want to do some touristy shit, maybe walk down Broadway?"

"Oh yeah? You packed my bags and everything?" He laughed, feeling comforted by how excited she seemed. He wanted to show her how much he supported her in the pursuit of her dreams and he hoped the trip would provide inspiration. And he was sure he'd find some along the way too. "I'm not entirely sure you're ready to see me in a pair of cowboy boots and hat so you know, prepare yourself," he teased before leaning in for a kiss. "I have to say, I've really liked being here with you all. Probably one of the best Christmases I've ever had. How you feeling?"

"Uh-huh, and packed light, of course. Six pairs of shoes." Planning a trip together, stepping outside their usual Rosewood bubble, did feel like a big step and yet she wasn't intimidated at all or even thinking of it like that. "Oh I'm not ready, hang on-" Scarlet held a finger for him to pause and closed her eyes. "I'm picturing it now...," she trailed off, smile cracking across her features as she opened her eyes again, cut off by Percy's lips on her's. "Yeah? I feel good. I'm glad you're here. I know this group is... a lot, sometimes."

"Yeah I definitely got some swats but it was so worth it." Percy was grateful that he was able to join the Coyotes for another holiday, especially after the morning with his parents. He would catch up with the guys later but for now, things felt just right. "You feeling all the joy and love of the day?" He set his glass down and reached into his jacket pocket to pull out a small envelope. "I wanted to wait til it was just the two of us to give you this," he told her and handed it to her. "I also have a few more presents back at the apartment but I've been waiting to give this to you since I got it," he admitted. "I figure if we're lucky we have plenty of trips ahead of us but I wasn't going to plan an international one without you so," he explained as she opened up the envelope that would reveal two plane tickets to Nashville. "They say it's the songwriting capital of the world and I mean you're the best songwriter I know so only seems right for us to visit, right?"

Coyote Christmas was the only one she had so it meant a lot that Percy tagged along, even if he didn't have to. And of course it helped how well he got along with her group, even Rhiannon who hadn't threatened his kneecaps yet which was about as good of an endorsement as any from her. He caught her mid-sip and she nodded, unable to respond before he was holding out an envelope for her. "Oh okay, I didn't bring anything over here either," she said as she set her glass down and took the envelope from him, figuring they'd exchange gifts in private some other time. Whenever they spoke of the future the assumption came naturally, that they'd be together. It was easy to imagine. "Percy..." Plane tickets in hand, she fought back an almost giddy smile as she looked back up at him. "This is really nice. Thank you. And this is probably when I should tell you I did plan an international trip without you, and we leave tomorrow so...," she trailed off, corner of her mouth quirking up in a way that showed she was joking.

"I know she's barely two and just started emoting but you could totally tell my present was her favorite," Percy joked as he found Scarlet by the kitchen at the Mayer-Mendoza household. "Granted that's the most presents I have ever seen a child get, do you think Celeste and Tier searched all of the forest and cut down that tree themselves?" He refilled their glasses before leaning over to press a kiss to the side of her head. "You get in on that charcuterie board yet? It's delicious." @scarletvinson

"When does object permanence start? She might think every gift's her favorite, and also her first," she joked back, smiling over her shoulder as turned to face Percy. "It's gorgeous, wherever they found it." Scarlet obviously loved Christmas, and she felt so lucky to share it with her found Coyote family and now Percy, for the second time. "A little bit, yeah. I didn't want to mess too much of it up. Whenever Rhi does one, and she's really good at it, I swear I feel her phantom hand swatting me away."

"Moving too fast? Us? If anything I think we've probably already moved too slow. I'd love to spend Christmas together. Think the kids might like it too," he suggested. "I'm sorry too," he told her and despite knowing that his family was probably looking at them from a window somewhere, he wasn't going to fuck up their second first kiss the way he had fucked up their first. So he didn't hesitate to move closer and leaned forward to kiss her like he had been dreaming of doing again or all of these years.

"Probably, should we look at rings somewhere too, maybe in Amsterdam?," she laughed. If it wasn't their kids watching or eavesdropping then Percy's friends probably were but she didn't care, her only concern being the man in front of her. Kissing him after all this time was still just how she remembered it, the feeling of his lips familiar despite the new facial hair.

He felt relief flood his nervous system when he saw her reaction. Could it really be that easy? He guessed that with the right person it was. "We can do whatever. I'd be happy to be your groupie in the studio," he joked, this time not hesitating to reach out for her free hand and brought it to his lips for a brief moment. "Well, it's the holidays. I think we should see a bit of snow and a bit of sun. I love Amsterdam at Christmas time. I'd also love to lay out with you on a beach somewhere in Brazil. That's a hell of a hop around but I meant it when I said I have nothing but time. Guess we could let the kids hang out with us cool adults somewhere in there but I'm okay with being a bit selfish at first." He set his wine back on the table and shifted in his seat so he could be closer to her. "I really missed you."

"Well it's hardly my studio time, I'm writing for another artist. Strictly business," she teased, face growing warm as his lips met her skin. It felt a little unreal, the ease with which they'd agreed to be in each other's lives again. "Oh we're doing a world tour, okay. I love Brazil, they're always asking for me there. You want to do Christmas together or is that moving too fast?" Their ability to be candid with one another hadn't changed, once they'd broke that initial barrier. It was part of what she'd loved most about their relationship- no ego, no second guessing. Once he set his glass down she did the same, turning to face him fully. "I missed you too. I'm sorry it took this long."

"I was married and you were living your best musician life," he joked, wondering if it had been like she had hoped it would be. Bringing her music to life, finding her voice and all that came with it. "Of course, it was Nomad. One of my favorites. Pretty sure it was my top song on my Spotify wrapped for like three straight years," he admitted. It always made him feel closer to her as silly as that sounded. "Because I hoped maybe we could get into new feelings. Or new old feelings," he added, suddenly more nervous than he had been but the longer he looked at her, the longer it felt kind of ridiculous for him to be. "I'm taking off, for the holidays. I'm off from now all the way through January. You'd be amazed to find that I have finally learned to delegate and I have some especially capable proteges," he smiled as he thought about the reactions from his employees when he announced he was actually going to take a few months of time away. He couldn't tell if they were nervous or far too excited to get him out of the office. Either way he had trust. "I was hoping that I could spend a lot of that time off with you, actually. Back here or anywhere really. Wherever you go, I want to go with you. What do you think about that?"

"Something like that," she chuckled. It felt like she spent forever trying to find her footing, working at the bar and playing around Rosewood, and then within the span of just a few months it all happened, she was catapulted into the thick of it. "Oh, wow. Three years." They didn't need to address the obvious, the lyrics that probably hit a little too close to home. Scarlet hoped he'd say as much, that this was a rekindling, and she fought back her giddy school girl smile, nodding for him to continue. "Now through January, that's a lot of time for new old feelings," she joked, the warmth of her expression giving away just how on board she was. "I think I'd really like that. I have some studio time I'll need to move around, or you could come with, but other than that... I don't know, where do you want to go?"