#chelsverse

He blinked. Was it real? Was any of it real?

She was here. It was almost like that party had his brain spinning, despite the little alcohol he consumed. His heart rate picked up as he groggily recalled the night: sloppy kisses, wandering hands, the taste of soju on his lips, and her rose-flavored chapstick.

The voice in his head was screaming, but somehow, every time he looked into her heterochromatic eyes, the way she looked up at him with an adoring gaze, her hair sprawled across his pillows, it seemed to tune the annoying screeching in his mind. It sounded like a distant wail at times, and all he could focus on was how she looked at him with such gentle eyes. He never knew what it was like to be looked at like that. Looked at like he was good. 

Rustling made him finally open his eyes. The sun was peeking through his curtains, and as his hand went to search for her soft skin, he was met with an empty spot on his sheets. 

Did she leave?

Of course, she left, you fucking idiot. 

He sat up quickly until he found her small frame, covered in one of his clean band tees, picking up beer cans and reorganizing things in his apartment. He furrowed his eyebrows as he watched the dark-haired woman pad around on his wooden floors, humming softly to herself as if in her own world. She had a sweet voice—She was practically being swallowed by his shirt, the neckline hanging off her shoulder, exposing her tan skin. Golden-framed glasses sat on the edge of her nose, making her look just like the girl he saw all those years ago, except this time, when the sun hit her hair, it was a magical blend of vibrant purples and sparkly tinsel that swayed when she walked.

“Do you always clean up the morning after?” He rasped out, running his hand through his messy black hair.

Alexis didn’t even turn her head. She just hummed and continued folding the blankets on his couch. She fluffed the pillows gently, hands patting around the sides. “Do you always bring girls over to a messy apartment?” 

“I don’t always have girls over.” 

Liar.

“Liar.” Alexis snickered, finally turning to face him with a playful smirk on her face. In this light, with her hair pulled into a ponytail, hands on her hips, and wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, she seemed more stunning than last night when he had her pushed up against that wall. Or when he had her straddled on his lap, sitting on the seat of his motorcycle outside his apartment complex. She started to stalk toward the bed, feet quietly shuffling as she crawled onto the bed toward him. “I bet you have girls over all the time—I just don’t think you decide to cuddle with all those girls.” She prodded a finger at his chest, just like last night. “Or kiss their forehead… Or whisper sweet words about how soft their skin is and how they smell like roses… I expected you to be a rough guy.”

Gene felt his face heat up at her teasing tone, being caught seemingly off-guard by her sultry voice.

She wants rough? I can show her—

A hand caressing his face tuned out the voice once more. Was there healing magicks in her touch? Why was she looking at him like that? Her thumb rubbed circles on his cheek, making his eyes widen in slight surprise. It felt like another entity was trying to take control of his hand. There was pressure in his fingertips like he was trying to grab her wrist and fling it away from his face. But Gene liked the feeling of her palm pressed against his face. 

“Bet you can’t remember my name though,” Alexis smirked as her pointer finger drew a line down his jaw.

“Alexis.”

It was time for her eyes to widen, her lips parting as she looked into his ocean of dark teal. She wasn’t expecting him to answer so suddenly, and despite his kindness last night, it was a drunken hookup at some lame college party. But she liked his kindness. She liked the way his dull eyes seemed to light up for a moment when she smiled at him. Sure, there were moments during the night when she sobered up a bit and saw specks of red, questioning if it was really the alcohol or something more. But he was nice.

She propped herself up on his bed, sitting with her legs crossed as she withdrew her hand, noticing the slight disappointment on his features. “Huh… Okay, Gene, I guess we know each other’s names.” Alexis pursed her lips as she glanced at his living room area, hands carefully picking at the hem of his shirt that buried her body. “I should get out of here—” 

Alexis was cut off once more when she felt a finger push her glasses up. Her mouth parted to protest, but her back hit the soft mattress before she found the raven-haired boy snuggling against her chest, his nose buried in the crook of her neck. He reminded her of a cat—A rugged man with few words, but somewhat cuddly when he wanted to be. It was odd being with a one-night stand like this. She was used to getting out before they woke up or being shoved out the second they woke up.

Gene, however, made it clear that he wanted more time, for whatever reason. She didn’t feel like she did anything particular or spectacular as they spent their night together. She did all the things she spoke about when they were flirting and might’ve whispered sweet words as well, but that was it. Aside from potentially being his physical type, she wasn’t sure why this twenty-two-year-old man was clinging onto her like she was sent from the goddess Irene herself. 

“It’s nine—”

“So, what?” 

Alexis raked fingers through his black, slightly wavy locks, chuckling a bit. “Sooo… You probably have work—”

“I don’t. I’m off.” He muttered against her neck, breath hot on her skin. “What, you have class?” 

She sighed, “No. I don’t.” 

“Then… Stay. Stay… And—Let me enjoy this.”

Enjoying it was hard when there was a voice taunting him in his head. But the gentle rise of her chest and the way she somewhat melted in his arms made him feel like he was proving the voice wrong. He felt like, for the first time in his life, he was doing something right. He wasn’t listening to the sick words that voice would repeat, the sick deeds that it would make him act out. He was as soft as he could be during every second of their night spent together. He said things that were so sweet, they were damn near worthy of a cavity.

The reward was her surprised expression—Like she had never been told the things he was saying. And, he wasn’t just saying them to get back at the shadow knight lingering in his brain. He meant it when he complimented her for her beautiful eyes or the way he’d asked her to stop smiling at him because it made his pulse quicken each time. She was good. She was something that made him feel like he wasn’t such a bad guy. He wanted this feeling to last forever, and the voice reminded him that despite how horrible he was, maybe Kul’zak took pity on his soul in this life. Maybe Kul’zak was okay with letting his descendant—or whatever weird shit that shadow knight spewed—have a happy life even after stealing the lives of many. 

Gene still couldn’t believe he was capable of all of that. Capable of theft, but never knowing the true extent of his actions because the voice found it amusing to let him guess. Guess what he did to the girl he was lying on in this moment. He could only imagine the disgusting actions from the alluded words it spoke. The abuse that she probably endured from his past self. 

“You going to cuddle me the entire time or… Are you gonna actually talk to me now that we’re sober?” Alexis mumbled, gentle hands still patting his hair. 

He picked his head up, chin resting on her chest as he looked into her eyes. “Pretty sure we weren’t sober by the time we hit the bed, Sweetheart.” 

“Someone has a favorite nickname. I’m starting to think you’ll want me for one more night.” Alexis giggled. She played with the tips of his hair as she pressed her lips together. The smile seemed to fade for a moment as she turned her head to the side. “Guess I just wanna know who it is that I snuck off with last night…”

A beat passed before Gene spoke. “For starters, that was my little brother’s party you were at—”

“No way—” Alexis’ eyes widened. Her hands stalled on the top of his head, stuttering in their movement as they tried to casually continue playing with his hair. “Fuck… I hooked up with the host’s brother? Irene, if I had known that sooner, I probably would’ve run back inside and downed as much as possible to forget I ever kissed you.”

“Am I that bad?”

You are.

Alexis frowned, looking down at him. “No… You’re not. I guess… Well, maybe it’s me who's the bad one.” She chuckled dryly, her gaze faltering. “Kinda got this habit of hooking up with guys my first year in college, and tried to limit it this year. Good news, you’re the first one to break the streak and—probably the last.” Another dry laugh to ease the tension. But when she looked back at his face, there was no tension or judgment. Maybe a speck of red again, but Alexis was convinced it was only her anxiety playing tricks on her. She frowned again. “Believe me, I really enjoyed this… You. I enjoyed you.” 

“So… I’m the last because you want to do it again?”

“What? No!” Alexis said, a slight grumble in her tone as she seemed to pout. “What—What I mean is,” she huffed, pausing. “You got this tough guy exterior. It’s hot—But I… I don’t know. I just would like to think there’s more to the tough guy because you showed me that last night.” She didn’t feel like she was making any sense and it frustrated her. “I’m trying to say that I—I… I’d like to, uh, explore this… More than a one-night stand. But—But, I get if you just want me to leave after all this snuggling and, haha, get out of your hair… Literally.” She mentally cursed herself for being so awkward and rambling. 

She’s still as easy as ever. It’s pathetic.

Gene tried to swat the voice away again, eyes becoming gentle as he watched her tough exterior soften. She could change her appearance as much as she wanted, but she was still the fidgety, uniformed girl that Zenix introduced. He was silent, taking time to really think about his next words. 

“Well… Tell me about yourself. What are you studying? If you couldn’t tell, I’m not really the studious type.” 

“Oh, so he knows the word studious?” She teased, smiling at him. He liked her smile. It was warm, like a hug or a sunny day. Alexis closed her eyes with a sigh. “I’m a journalism major at Pikoro. I’ve been studying sports writing since I was in high school, blah, blah, but I really just wanna start up a blog and write books.” 

“That’s…”

Fucking boring.

“Interesting.” Gene finished with a genuineness that made Alexis’ eyes sparkle. “Are you into music?”

“I went to O'khasis Prep as a vocal major, if that answers your question.” Alexis shrugged beneath him, her tone a bit absent and dismissive. “I performed for a while, haven't hit the stage since before graduation.”

“Pikoro and O'khasis? Sounds like someone was a nerd in school.” He quipped smugly as he leaned his cheek to rest on top of her chest, ear pressed against her skin as he listened to the way her heartbeat quickened. For a minute, he almost thought it was cute.

Alexis clicked her tongue. “Not exactly.” She murmured. “I dropped out my junior year and went back to school. I was failing all my classes sophomore and junior year—Wanted to leave before they got a chance to kick me.”

His grip around her torso tightened slightly at her words. It felt like his impression of her was all wrong. But that couldn't have been true. How could someone like her, who seemed fairly put together from the surface, have failed as hard as he did?

“I can tell you're curious. Stories for another time… Some other time when it's not the morning after just meeting.” Alexis said. She brought her hands lower, rubbing circles on his back as she continued to smell the scent of old cologne and fresh linen in his hair. 

Her phone buzzed alive, ringing on his nightstand as she huffed, adjusting herself to grab it. “Shit.. It's Luc. I didn't think she'd get here that fast.”

Gene raised an eyebrow as he watched her slip away from underneath him, going to grab her pants from a chair nearby. “Thought you didn't have classes. You lied and tattled on me to your roommate?” He said, propping himself up on his elbow as he watched her get dressed.

Alexis adjusted her ponytail, tightening it with a playful eye roll. She slid her phone into her back pocket while hooking her small black bag onto her right shoulder.

Leaning over his bed, she cupped his face and placed a kiss to the side of his temple, pulling away with a smile as she watched his lips part in surprise.

“I didn't tattle, so don't be a baby about it. I told her I was safe at your place, and she took that as you kidnapping me. I’m surprised Luc didn't just use a spell to magically poof me back to our dorm room, but hey, guess it can't be helped when the school suspends your wand for inappropriate magick use.” Alexis laughed, turning on her heel to exit Gene's apartment.

Before she could fully leave, she looked over her shoulder, a sort of twinkle in her eyes hidden behind the slightly thick glasses.

One finger hooked underneath the large band tee as she winked, “So you have a reason to see me again. You know what school I go to.” Alexis waved two fingers before slipping out his door, leaving the raven-haired man to breathe out shakily.

She.. She wants to see me again..?

Thanks to me. You think if she knew who you really were, she'd even have stayed? You're just as much of a fool as she is. It's laughable, honestly.

The voice was blabbing on and on, but for some reason, with the thought of seeing her again, it was a distant murmur. Maybe there was something right in his life. Maybe this was finally his chance to prove to everyone that he wasn’t horrible—Prove it to himself, especially. If he could win over the girl he allegedly hurt in his past life, he could prove he wasn't a bad guy.

Then, maybe then, he'd believe that the universe wasn't out to get him.

That maybe Kul'zak truly did have pity on his soul.

Alexis scrunched her nose as she looked around the crowded room. She was never the party type. There wasn’t any time to think about partying, being a stupid teen, or making choices that would potentially be detrimental or harmful to your health. Sure, she had the occasional slip-up with drinking too much on lonely nights to cope—She couldn’t help it. She was the granddaughter of a Liao. But the idea of drinking to have fun in a room of young adults only spiked her anxiety, despite the edge she had to her appearance now. 

It was hard to focus when music was blaring and there was no space to breathe. The room smelled of alcohol, cigarettes, and cheap cologne. It was dimly lit with a dollar-store mirrorball taped to the ceiling as if to imitate a dance floor. But, with the way people were packed into the room like sardines, it made it hard to dance at all, if not grinding on the person behind you. 

For fuck’s safe, Luc. You were right that I’d be hot in this room, but… I almost feel more miserable. She thought to herself as she ran her fingers through her purple hair. Every time she looked in any visible corner of the crowded room, there was a couple licking each other’s faces. In the past, that life might’ve intrigued her. But, the ups and downs of her ‘relationship’ with Ax detoured her more than ever in this second year of college. The first year, Lucinda couldn’t pry Alexis off the men on campus.

Now, the idea of making out with a stranger made Alexis shudder.

And she had no hopes in the ‘guy’ that Luc wanted her to meet. 

Anytime Lucinda tried to introduce her to someone in the past, the description was always the same. Sure, it may have reminded her of a faceless figure from her dreams, but light brown hair and ivory skin just didn’t sound appealing. Especially not when there was a history of it in her family. Why would she want to be with someone who reminded her of family? Surely, that was the last thing she needed in her life. 

Watching girls drunkenly dance with the boys in the room, giggling and teasingly prodding their fingers at the chests of the men in front of them, made Alexis miss Ax even more. 

Ax was her childhood friend. A Polynesian boy from Hawai’i, like her parents. He grew up in Nanakuli, a place that Alexis didn’t know much about. 

Alexis was a self-proclaimed haole-Hawaiian, having been born and raised on the mainland. And while she didn’t know anything about growing up in Hawai’i like her mom and dad, her mom always said that the boys from Nanakuli were the most rowdy. It might’ve not been the best idea to get involved with a guy like Ax—He was loud, charismatic, and a playboy in all senses. But maybe it was the chase that she loved the most. 

He made her feel connected to her roots, despite the ways he would make fun of her for never being able to speak pidgin properly. Even her drunken pidgin sounded like an auntie with a fat tongue, tripping over her words, slurring, and trying to scrap with shaky hands. 

Braxton Kull was a dark-tanned young man who stood at 6’1, towering over Alexis in the form of wide shoulders and biceps that curled around her frame when they’d hug. He had raven black hair, wide amber eyes, a strong jawline, and a gentle smile that contrasted with the dashing smolder he would flash at girls he was trying to hook up with. Alexis was no stranger to the gaze either. 

Although he was foul-mouthed and often times conceited, she was in love with him. And going to a dorm party hosted by a guy with whom Lucinda was a high school buddy wasn’t going to make her fall out of love. But a pair of blue eyes just might. 

“Luc, who’s that?” 

Lucinda turned her head, face souring as she finished her shot before gagging. “What the fuck is Gene doing here?” Lucinda scoffed. Then, realization dawned on her face as she looked down at the small glasses in her and Alexis’ hands. “That idiot. Of course—It was the only way he was gonna get alcohol.” She shook her head before turning back to Alexis. “Have I introduced you to Dante yet?” 

Alexis blinked, feeling a little fuzzy after three shots already in the last hour. “... No..? Isn’t that the guy who's hosting this thing? For a host, he kinda sucks.” She bluntly said, covering her mouth afterward, realizing in the moment how loose she was becoming. 

“Yeah, he’s really not hard to spot. Dude’s been dying his hair blue since middle school. I’m surprised he still even has hair with the amount of times he had Gene help box-dye it.” Lucinda rolled her eyes before setting their shot glasses down and scanning the room. “Ah, there he is—And there’s—!” 

Lucinda stopped mid-sentence, her bright eyes filling with a dead gaze as her red-painted lips pressed into a tight line. “What is Sabrina doing here? I thought they were broken up!” She muttered the last sentence under her breath as she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest as she swung her head back toward Alexis. “Does no one listen to me when I try to matchmake!?” 

“Meddling in other people’s love lives isn’t healthy, Lucinda.” Alexis clicked her tongue, playing with the rim of their glasses. 

Neither is being with someone who isn’t right for you. But, what do I know? I’m just a skilled witch with premonition! Lucinda sighed before grabbing Alexis’ hand, watching as the Casanova whisked Sabrina into a neighboring bedroom, leaving the bluenette alone with the famous siblings that Lucinda hadn’t seen in a few months. 

“Dante!” Lucinda called out, watching the tan-skinned boy turn his head, the panic slightly fading. 

“Lucinda! You made it! And you brought..?” ‘Dante’ looked over at Alexis, who was slightly flushed. Not quite as messed up as the raven-haired girl next to him who was being helped up by her blond brother, but still enough to have a slight wobble just by standing still. 

“Lexiss!” Alexis said, shouting over the music while giving her nickname instead of her full name.

Dante furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at the heterochromatic eyes in front of him. It wasn’t every day that he had seen eyes like that, and the last person he remembered was Blaze, who had gone out of state for school. He shook off the expression and offered a goofy smile. However, his smile sort of dropped when he realized that Lexiss was looking back at him with narrowed eyes. Did he do something wrong? Was it his initial facial expression at her? He couldn’t help the fact that he had his mother’s judgmental looks. And there was something familiar about the look in her eyes, a look he had seen one too many times from his Filipino aunts on his dad’s side. Wrong foot, Dante. Shouldn’t have looked at her that way. The gears in his head turned despite the alcohol making him equally as foggy as the rest of the people at this party. All he could muster was another toothy grin to try, and lighten the air as he awkwardly laughed. 

What he didn’t realize was that Alexis wasn’t mad at all. It was simply just her face, and the fact that her contacts were bothering her eyes and making her squint more than usual. She was sure she’d go back to her frames after college. 

Lucinda brushed past Dante, almost pushing him out of the way as she steadied her hands on the pale girl whose face was flushed with shades of red on her freckled cheeks. The girl blinked her crystal blue eyes, a silly grin lacing her lips. Her voice came out in a bundle of choked giggles as the blond man beside her sighed. 

To Alexis, there was something familiar about the tipsy girl who was koala bear hugging her roommate, nearly squeezing the life out of the ginger witch. Maybe it was the fondness in her eyes or the moments when those same eyes would harden whenever they caught a glimpse of Dante’s awkward smile. She had a necklace that sat just past her collarbones with the letter C. Alexis didn’t know her name, but something in her writer brain was repeating a name over and over. Cass… She doesn’t look like a Cass, though. Alexis hummed to herself, watching the girl shudder with a laugh against Lucinda’s body. Be ironic if she had my character’s name, right? Cassiopeia’s pretty uncommon, though. She thought with a shrug. 

“Hey, Sweet. Looks like someone had a bit too much to drink. Girl, I haven’t seen you this messed up since senior night.” Lucinda chuckled, her voice low in the girl’s ear.

Alexis watched as the girl’s eyes went wide before letting go of the man beside her and throwing her arms around Lucinda with a cheer. Who was this girl? Why did she seem so familiar? She looked like someone that she met during her senior year of O’khasis Prep during her editor-in-chief days. But senior year was a blur, and it was hard to keep up with every face she saw in the hallway, let alone their graduating class. It had been at least two years since then anyway.

She tapped Lucinda on the shoulder, “I’m gonna go grab another drink. You mingle with your friends.” 

“Lex, you don’t want me to come with you? You don’t know anyone—I don’t want you going off on your own.” Lucinda frowned for a moment. 

“I’m good. Have fun. It looks like your friend really missed you.” Alexis chuckled as she pointed at the girl whose hands were squeezing Lucinda’s forearms like her life depended on it. She turned on her heel, heading over to the drink station. 

It was messily arranged with different types of alcohol splayed on the table. There was no way that she was going to touch the mystery punchbowl, fearing that one of the idiots at the party slipped something into the red-colored concoction. She didn’t feel like waking up with stomach issues in the morning.

Alexis quirked her head, noticing a bottle with Korean-like symbols on it. What’s that? Alexis grabbed a red cup, grabbing the bottle by its neck before popping it open. She sniffed the opening, not getting a hint of anything. She wasn’t dumb enough to drink from the punchbowl. But, a random Asian alcohol? She didn’t mind the odds—Especially when she was feeling as shitty as she did without Ax. 

She poured a bit into the cup, watching it fill about a third of the way before twisting the lid back onto the bottle. Alexis brought the rim of the red cup to her glossy lips, taking a sip as her nose scrunched. It was fun feeling like a bobblehead, but the process of getting there was always nasty to her. She sipped a bit more, familiarizing herself with the taste, getting a hint of grapefruit and fermented rice, a bitter aftertaste that urged her to stick out her tongue.

“You’re at least four shots down. Really think you should be drinking that?” 

She cocked her head, finding deep blue eyes looking down at her. There was a smug smirk on the man’s face; he couldn’t have been any older than twenty-three. He had shaggy black hair that formed into a short mullet in the back, and somehow, he pulled it off, especially with the side part that was common in every Disney star. His sun-kissed tan skin seemed to sparkle through the alcohol-induced haze, and his face looked oddly familiar to one she had seen seconds ago, but it didn’t matter in this moment. Right now, all she cared about was the way his forearms tensed when he crossed them over his muscular chest, flexed biceps showing proudly out of the ripped sleeves of his mock tank top.

He was wearing black skinny jeans with rips along the thighs and a plaid grey flannel tied around his waist. Something shone near his lip—a messily pierced ring that couldn’t have been the proper placement but made him all the more attractive in this moment. His lip wasn’t the only thing that sparkled. His earlobes were filled by silver gauges, and his eyelashes seemed to flutter in amusement at her dazed expression. 

When he uncrossed his arms to swipe the cup away from her, Alexis caught a glimpse of his inner arm tattoo. A long broadsword, shaded to perfection with the words ‘Momento Mori’ detailed around the object, with sloppy swirls and dots detailing the design. The work was amateur, likely done in a rundown shop or—by the looks of him—a friend’s garage. 

Her mouth opened and closed, seemingly dry now that he was towering over her. Just a few sips of whatever was in that bottle, and the minutes seemed to pass like seconds. She felt like a lightweight with the way her head was spinning, finding his cocky smirk to be the most attractive thing in this world. Why did her brain feel like it was under some spell? Why did his eyes remind her of ones she saw in a dream once—Eyes that narrowed down at her in the middle of the woods? 

“How do… You even know how much I–I’ve had..?” She stumbled over her words. Her sentence was barely understandable with the way she phrased it. 

His eyes flickered from each of her eyes. She felt heat come to her cheeks. Is he judging my eyes? She thought to herself, almost insecure, before she noticed his gaze lingering on her pouted lips. He turned his head, looking at her pink gloss coating the cup. He pressed his mouth to the same spot, tilting his head back as he downed the alcohol, drawing the cup away, unfazed by its contents. A lazy smirk curled on his lips as he pressed the cup back into her chest, watching her small hand absentmindedly curl around it. Turning on his heel, he started to walk away, swiping his leather jacket from a nearby chair as he made his way for the door. 

“H—Hey, wait, asshole!” Alexis called after him, setting her cup to the side with furrowed eyebrows. Her feet moved faster than she could think, and soon enough, she was following the mysterious man out the door. It might’ve been her most stupid decision of the whole night, but the spell just wouldn’t stop. 

She failed to notice the dirty-blond, borderline light brown-haired boy with bright eyes approaching the drink table with a frustrated sigh, nearly growling under his breath from the verbal fight he just got into. A certain smell calmed his senses for a moment; the faint scent of roses and coconut lingered where an empty red cup was sitting on the table. Soon enough, the smell was covered by a cloud of smoke as someone danced near the table, a cigarette notched between their index and middle fingers. He only sighed once more before pouring himself something. 

Meanwhile, Alexis shivered as the fresh air hit her like a slap to the face. “Hey, asshole, you can’t just drink from my cup and then walk away—”

He sharply turned around, leaning down to her level as his gaze flickered between her eyes and lips again. He chuckled lowly, “Actually, I can. Bought it all myself. You wouldn’t be that fucked up if I didn’t provide everything in there.” 

Alexis’ eyes widened before she huffed. “So, you’re Gene.”

“You know my name, Sweetheart? Don’t wear it out.” Gene smirked, cocking his head. A hand extended, coming dangerously close to her face, knuckles barely grazing her skin as he gathered some of her purple locks hooked around his pointer finger.

She stumbled backward, face red with blush as she coyly stammered, “W–What in Irene do you t—think you’re doing!?”

“I can’t admire your hair?” 

“You’re invading my space!”

“You followed me outside.” 

Alexis paused. He was right. She glanced down at her feet, silently cursing them for traveling on their own accord, taking her outside against her will. When she looked back up, his blue eyes were boring into her. His eyes held several emotions—Some that she couldn’t even put a finger on. There was amusement and curiosity, and the color of his ocean blues was like a pool she wanted to dive headfirst into. She couldn’t swim, but drowning in his gaze felt right under her drunken state. 

Was that… Red..? She furrowed her brows, lip pouting more as her thoughts became even hazier looking into his eyes. No, No—No, must be the alcohol…

The more time that passed gave opportunity for the alcohol to settle more into her system, causing her knees to buckle. She felt his palm rubbing against her cheek, his thumb brushing over her bottom lip. With a chuckle, he leaned close to her ear as hot air tickled her temple. “You’re cute when you’re drunk,” He murmured softly. There was still grit to his voice, but also, oddly, genuine interest. 

Then, he backed up just enough so that the tips of their noses were touching. That shit-eating smirk trailed along his pierced lip again, showing off a single dimple underneath his smile from this close-up. 

“But, I think I’m a little old for you.”

Alexis breathed in the musk of his cologne and the smell of her earlier drink on his lips. She leaned forward, challenging Gene, staring into his eyes with her mismatched ones. If Ax was a thought, he certainly wasn’t one now. 

“You say that like you know my age.” She quipped.

“Can’t be more than eighteen—”

“Nineteen.” 

So, it is you. 

“Twenty in a few months.” 

Her finger pressed against his chest, feeling the mound of his pecs underneath the thin material, trailing shapes as she leaned closer.

The purr in her voice caused heat to stir in his gut. His smirk broke into a wolfish grin, a voice enticing him in his head. It was like all that had changed about her was her appearance. That sassy, confident, and annoying attitude remained. The attitude that challenged him in all ways. 

“Ever rode a motorcycle, Sweetheart?” He whispered, hand moving to cup the back of her head gently, but with a hint of possession. 

“Dreamed of it. But, I think I’d rather ride you.”

Alexis felt his chest vibrate as a growl rose from the base of his throat. She gasped as she felt him pin her against the brick wall of the building, one hand dancing down her lower back until it reached the mound, constricted in her tight miniskirt. He kneaded at the skin, fingers digging into the black fabric, wanting to lift it over her hips and touch the skin bare. Was this even the same girl he saw all those years ago? The studious, uptight, nerdy brunette who couldn’t wait to get away from the groups of delinquents? Now, she was mewling into the delinquent’s mouth, raising one leg as Gene’s hand slipped under her thigh, hand curling underneath her knee to keep her steady as her back arched against the cold wall.

 Her tongue danced against his as they swapped spit, devouring the taste of soju and cigarettes that were hanging out of Gene’s jacket pocket. The familiar scent of Capri cigarettes overloaded her senses, making her push against his kisses, nipping at his top lip before licking his bottom lip, tongue trailing along the silver ring. 

He kissed the corner of her lips, trailing down her jawline in sloppy kisses that made her whine. Like a bitch in heat… The voice in his head cackled as he tried to wave it away, pressing his hardened length against her pelvis. The only thing separating them was his black jeans and her lacy panties underneath that skirt. 

Gene growled against her neck, biting down softly to elicit a sharp cry from the younger woman. His tongue flattened against her skin, soothing the red mark that would soon bruise into an unmistakable hickey. Still fucking mine, still under my brainwash… The voice hissed as Gene internally groaned. It almost made him feel bad about enjoying this moment. He continued to ignore the dark voice as he trailed down her neck, kissing her exposed collarbones. 

“Could fuck you right here, pretty girl.” He muttered against her skin, teasing her with a kiss on her chest. 

“Why don’t you—”

Gene growled, “Irene, you’re such a—”

“Gene! Gene, fuck, bro, I don’t know what to do! She’s in there giggling and trying to dance on me, and I can’t think straight, and I think she wants to talk, but she can’t talk like this. And, oh, Irene, the look in her eyes, I just—” The voice trailed off as Gene and Alexis turned their heads. “... Lexiss?” 

Bro… Brother… Brought the alcohol… Oh, mother of Esmund! Alexis’ eyes widened as she pushed Gene off, trying to adjust her skirt as she fixed her hair over the bite marks on her neck and wiped the smeared lip gloss from the corners of her mouth. She looked between the two brothers, now aware of the similarities and the worries she had earlier before stealing one last glance at Dante. She huffed, pushing past both the brothers, and shuffled into the house to find Lucinda before Dante could spill his discoveries. Fuck… Fuck, what kind of guest am I!? I nearly fucked the host’s brother! Irene, you whore, Lexiss. Alexis yelled at herself internally as she pushed through the group of dancing people, finally finding Lucinda sitting with an albino boy with green eyes. 

“Lex, where were you—” 

“I need another shot… Several. Just… Just fill me a glass.”