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blood, sweat & tears | ONESHOT #1 (24%)

blood, sweat & tears | ONESHOT #1 (24%) Sam 23 Mai - 21:00

Jack Won
Admin

Messages : 97
Date d'inscription : 29/04/2019
Age : 30
Localisation : Bronx, New-York

Trigger + content warnings:

blood, sweat & tears

this is a spell that'll punish me

Late December, 2013.

"please don't call 911." he smiles sweetly at her, a bit out of breath. It hurts. Like hell. And - of course, he had had the brilliant idea of wearing his white shirt today. He'd have to change soon, somehow. Maybe he could find a friend to call, sleep on their couch for the night.
His thrifted windbreaker was tightly wrapped around himself, hoping to hide his bleeding as much as he could. Sadly, the thick liquid was already running down to his left thigh, to the bench's abused wood through his jeans. Jack head fell backwards, putting pressure on the cut made him growl lowly - but he knew he had to stop the bleeding somehow. Still, little stars were beginning to blur his vision.

At this point, it must've been some sort of secret talent - putting himself in the worst outcome possible every single time. He should have seen it coming, that the "free sample" his dealer gave him would end up costing a lot. Too much for his homeless ass, at least. That the bastard would flee with all of his money - even though it was clearly still not enough. And that they'd stab him, also. Possibly to stop Won from running after them - the kid had some stamina to him, after all. At least, he was near the beach he used to hang out at, the nights he had nowhere to sleep. The beach was nice, warm & breezy, never truly empty. It felt safer, somehow. It smelt nicer. He only had to walk an handful of minutes before finding somewhere to sit, facing the ocean and between a few tourists, whom suspected nothing of what had just happened. It felt good - if he had to feed the worms tonight, doing so in this way was pretty dope.

But now, that woman he had crossed paths with one too many times was sitting right beside him. As elegant as always, it seemed - he was too high on pain to really care, so he sighed. Don't call 911, he whispered again, out of breath. She must have been living in the area, but he still did not trust her. Quite the opposite, actually. Her model face was intimidating - plus, she was also a bit taller than Jack, which didn't help him feel at ease. She had paid for one of his Mc Donald's meals, once. When he was a bit short on money, and because the cashier was acting a bit rude. After that, he crossed her path probably three or four times. Never talked to her, usually avoided looking in her direction - Jack hated pity. He never knew how to act, when he felt beholden.

The stranger was still staring at him, a curious look on her face as his body was sinking into a more comfortable position. The back of his head hit the bench slowly, with another small grown at the faint sound. His hand remained on the wound as he felt his mind numbing more and more, as time flew by. While he fell unconscious, he noticed that the stranger stayed. Won didn't care, it still was better than sleeping alone.

------

Later that night,

When Jack woke up, it was to needles piercing his lower belly. Someone was stitching his wound, on what looked and felt like a luxurious sofa. He screeched, voice broken and still a bit sleepy, even tried to get out of the person's reach but only ended up hurting himself more, by clumsily pulling on the thread. All at once, a flow of information flooded his brain.
Firstly, where he was. A place he'd never seen, but that looked brand new and modern. The furniture he could see, from where he was now pinned down, seemed expensive even though it looked simple. It reeked of money, even with the metallic smell of his own blood filling up his nostrils.
Then, he looked down at the guy, at himself. His exposed skin, how uncomfortable and naked he felt. He was stabbed on his left side, probably ten centimeters under his belly button. He shivered, seeing the clean, open wound for the first time. There were two cuts, almost perfectly aligned. Somehow, it looked even worse than when it was still drowning in blood. Sweat was running down his forehead, the teen growing restless as his mind just hyperfocused on getting out, quick. That "doctor" could go to hell. Jack tried to squirm out of his hold, getting more and more agitated - when suddenly, a female voice rose from the other side of the room.
"Enough."

And Jack feared so much for his life, in this instant, that he stopped moving - he'd never been that obedient, but he knew better than to disobey a woman he had just made presumably really, really mad. Under his breath, he spat some korean swears. Cursed himself for being too good at recognizing voices.
Maybe he was right, after all. On not trusting her, and on avoiding her as much as he could. Without a sound, he crawled back to the position he woke up in and threw a look at the guy. Wide eyed, terrified. A bunny stuck in a car's headlights. Both silent, they went back to work. In his attempt to run away, Won had pulled some of the strings off. He even had started to bleed a little again, a few drops he didn't want to get on the sofa. The doctor was definitely pissed, and started stitching him back a bit more roughly. In a matter of minutes, he was done and already disinfecting the wound - which got a small & pathetic cry out of Jack. The sting crawled into his flesh, faint smell of alcohol like acid to his nose. Wet eyes, voice still half broken and with way too much of his skin exposed, the youngest in the room felt miserable. He zipped his still blood-stained pants back up, then hid his scar under his dirty shirt before trying to sit up. Arms weak, his flesh still sensitive, it took some time. But at last, his breathing got more comfortable while his senses were coming back. Everything around him was turning, faintly. The bright light of a street lamp was burning his retina, and he still couldn't stop staring at it until he began to feel a bit less dizzy. Without him noticing, the tall , blonde man had left his side to go and whisper some instructions to the woman, still out of sight.
Jack would not get such another great opportunity. His backpack was nowhere to be found though, but that was the last of his problems right now. Unsteady but silent, he wended his way to what looked like the entrance door. Messy, clumsy, Jack tried opening it. Once, twice. Then, there was no more talking. So, he panicked, stopped trying to be sneaky. He tried putting more strength on the doorknob, until it seemed obvious that it was locked. He then used sheer, brute force by slamming his shoulder onto the wood - also a complete failure. He turned to the two strangers, pupils still wide from the shock.
"Lemme out," the teen pleaded, words slurred as his eyes got wet again. "please ! I've no money to pay you-" Both strangers were cautiously walking towards him, his legs still unsure and trembling a little. Well, a lot, actually. It was clear he didn't stand any chance, not in his current state. Eyes hurting, vision blurry, he tried pity : "please don't kill me", but it got even more silent. Until the woman spoke up.
"Told you you should've used chloroform earlier." The two of them against him, Jack was not able to flee the handkerchief coming slowly to his face.

------

A few hours later, in the morning.

Mouth dry, eyelids still stuck together, Jack woke up the sun kissing his face sweetly. Comfortably numb, buried under a soft blanket, he could feel his clothes clinging to his body. He groaned at the sensation, far from the pillowy hug of the mattress. Slowly emerging up from his slumber, he kept his eyes closed, confident he was in Giulia's room or something. His high school friend was an early bird, she had probably decided on letting him sleep a little more with the whole bed for himself - lucky him. Plus, the pillows did smell like some sort of flowery perfume. Jack rolled over, brows pinching as some strange pain in his lower belly started stinging. He decided on waiting a bit, hoping it'd disappear on its own, before getting up. A couple of minutes later, the pain was still there - and the sound of a door opening made him curl up on himself with a groan of complaint.

"That's enough rest for now, sleepy head." a voice he was still too sleepy to recognise sang, clearly moving in the space of the room. It was amused, but firm. Had he slept with someone ? He wouldn't have blue balls if he did - was it even blue balls ? Nah, he thought. He surely wouldn't still have his clothes on if he had slept with someone, and the pain was not low enough in his belly to be this kind of problem. He sighed softly, what did he get himself into, this time ?
With her weight softly pressing on the mattress as she sat, Jack turned to face the stranger. Reality hit him. Hard, like a cold shower after a night out drinking himself unconscious. She was the one who had payed for his meal once, the one he met after he got stabbed.
Stabbed. His eyes grew round and, once again, he tried to get up, hoping to run away - but the pain stopped him in his tracks. His memory came back in waves : the small switchblade in his flesh, the dealer running away. Lots, and lots of blood. His own. Jack was not used to seeing blood. Not his own. He felt like he was about to throw up. Then, he remembered waking up in this place, her place. Getting stitched, upsetting the guy that acted like a surgeon. Fucking butcher stitching him up like roast beef. The kid's face lost all colour.

His legs tangled in the sheets, he stared back at her, not daring enough to move. "Who are you ?" Won tried, only getting a smile for answer. "i paid your Big Mac once, what else do you need to know ?" The musician shivered. She didn't look scary, it was more of a gut feeling. He stayed quiet, not wanting to upset her. She still sounded kind of amused by the situation, even though she was focused on wetting some gauze with what smelt like alcohol. What if she was some sort of ghost ? A poltergeist sent to punish him of everything he had ever done wrong ?

"it's a dealer who hurt you, right ? I couldn't take you to the hospital, not with what you had in your bag." the stranger continued, softly. He did have a lot of shit in his bag. Mostly weed, still not legalised. A small quantity of heroine, too. It was obvious that she understood how anxiety-driven the pianist was, by how carefully she spoke. People went to jail for way less, Jack knew it damn too well. Chocolate eyes glued on her face, the teen was searching for clues. What if she was an off duty cop ? A federal judge ? But there was nothing, not a single hint. Nothing but the smell of disinfectant and of the woman's faint perfume.
Terrified. Scared shitless, he had to go against his first instinct : she looked chill, and even though she was intimidating, he really wanted to trust her. She lent him her bed, let him stay and even made him a cup of chocolate. She found someone to take care of his wound, and to his recollection, the stranger didn't hurt him once.

At least for the time being, Jack decided on not trying to escape from her. He still did not trust the woman, and warily kept his distance. "but- who was that guy ? where'd you find him ?" he tried, once again and for the first time, she answered. Approximately, but an answer nonetheless. "you'll understand in no time, but for now i have to take care of that wound." she said, looking down at his stomach. Jack sighed softly, completely worn out, before side eyeing the stranger. "don't look, please" Once she was facing the other way, Jack quickly unzipped his jeans, pulled them down barely enough to see the wound, then turned to the brunette. With her gauze pads in hand, she was ready to get to work.

Won remained still, let her come closer to take a look at the the wound, both of them frowning. Even stitched up, the skin was still an alarming shade of crimson. Carefully, she dabbed it with the gauze, immediately getting a reaction. "fu-" Jack strangled a scream, stopping the swear before it fully got out. He just didn't have the heart to be rude to the improvised nurse, not right now. "it's pretty deep, that guy got you real good." she stated, almost as if it was a reproach while the younger struggled to keep his pained groans to himself. "it doesn't look great honestly, but he hasn't touched anything vital, so that's that." This was new to the younger, who already seemed more open to the conversation. He waited patiently until she was done disinfecting, and pulled his shirt down as soon as he could. He kept his jeans open, as the wound needed to "breath" a little. He still put his boxer back in place, and once again hid his figure behind the bedsheets. He raised an eyebrow at the stranger, waiting for more explanations. She spoke again once she had tidied up all of her medical gear. "It's a quarter to 1pm, you've slept for 7 hours straight. And you've bled a lot, you must be exhausted." she declared, and it was pretty believable. The sun looked high in the sky, through her thin curtains. "what do you wanna eat ?" she asked naturally, as if it was normal.

Jack was still staring, wondering if it was a fever dream, a stupid prank, or maybe heaven. Nah, he thought, i don't deserve to go to heaven. His wallet didn't get stolen, but it got completed emptied out. He had no money to pay for his meal, even less to have it delivered. He understood quickly though, that she was probably thinking about paying for it - which wouldn't be the first time. Jack hated that he already owed her money, and that she still pitied him enough to buy him a second one, even though he hadn't paid back the first one yet.
So he stayed quiet. Avoided telling the truth, that he was absolutely dying for some pizza and spicy chicken nuggets.

"who are you ?" he asked, instead of focusing on his hunger and angry stomach.
"Mara," she finally answered, getting him to breath more comfortably again. "you ?" she continued, not even trying to hide her curiosity. She looked smart, both socially and logistically, but also a bit rough. A woman of strong personality, it seemed. He knew, by instinct, she was one of those Life had hurt along its way. He decided on not being too nosy, a name was enough. He knew, that safe distance she kept, sitting across the bed, would not remain for long. Jack felt it was not the last time he'd meet her.

"Jack." he finally admitted. Probably a bit disappointing, this long of a wait for such a common name. He then gave in, making it a self-promise to repay her as soon as possible. "something simple, i don't want to bother-" he shrugged, forgetting his impulse for pizza for something more practical. "do you have any leftovers ? i'll eat those" Mara looked surprised but didn't question him, confessing she had some takeout pasta Bolognese left from the night before. "that sounds perfect" he smiled, happy he'd get to eat something else than junk food for once. At that, she briefly left to go and warm up his lunch. Jack took that opportunity to get a bit more comfortable, and to look at the wound. He got dizzy, this whole thing still feeling absolutely unreal. Shortly after that, the young woman was back, gifting him a fork and the almost full serving of take out pasta.
"what i think we should do is," she started again, once he began eating. It was a bit too hot for the musician, but it tasted heavenly. Probably because he hadn't eaten anything this consistent in ages, probably because he, for once, had the time to enjoy it properly. It was difficult really, to focus on what she was offering. "i can take care of the wound, once a day as the surgeon said. You can stay, if you want,” Jack politely shook his head, a silent no. He was thankful, but still too fearful for that. Luckily for him, she seemed understanding. "or, you can come visit everyday. Maybe even take care of it yourself ?" Once again, he declined in silence. He knew he couldn't get his hands on proper tools to disinfect the wound daily. Not until a few days at least, when he would go back to college - and even then, he knew he'd never manage to show it to the campus' nurses. The second option sounded like the safest - and Jack really could benefit from gaining a friend right now. "i'll come in the late afternoon, if that's alright with you ?" he whispered, unsure, warry of stepping outside of her boundaries. "that sounds perfect to me." Mara smiled, probably glad they'd finally agree on something.

blood, sweat & tears | ONESHOT #1 (24%) 97700f7acae2dad267ff41e4c7d761793901ad40

but your wings are devils' wings,

️

December 30th, 2013

"fucking hell-" the teenager spat, the alcohol on his skin like microscopic daggers piercing through his wound. "Shut up, kid." the stern female voice put him back in place.
Jack decided on bringing his thumb to his mouth, on gnawing the thin skin instead of talking. He already had the bad habit of biting his nails, especially when he got stressed or anxious - sometimes to the extent of subconsciously hurting himself. Against his already sore finger, he grunted as Mara's hand slowly and carefully disinfected his still open wound. The red aureola was smaller in surface, but the cut still ran deep into his flesh. He had hurt himself in the past in a whole lot of ways, but this was completely new to him.
The younger was used to hurt in silence.
But this current kind of pain, while he already had to deal with hunger daily and a crazy lack of sleep, was a little too much. Even for him who loved to challenge his limits.

"Actually, i think you're healing pretty well." the kid raised an eyebrow, curious. He expected everything but this optimistic comment.
It was bound to happen, with him not having a safe place to sleep at : his wound got infected pretty soon after that dumb surgeon stitched it. So, hearing that he was healing quick was actually surprising. Maybe the antibiotics had helped a bit. "thanks, i guess ?" Jack tried to smile at the weirdest compliment he'd ever gotten. Mara smirked back, as calm as always. She never talked much, which he could relate to easily. Cursed in her mother tongue, just like he always did. He could relate to her, to a certain extent.
She got scared, when Jack showed up all pasty white for his third daily clean-up session. Grey skin, his fever flying through the roof - it must have been hard to see, even if the teen didn't realise at the time. Won could sense it, her tension & fear, but she never panicked. Just called the surgeon again, bought Jack the pills the fucker recommended. In a good night of sleep on her sofa - she insisted on it - the musician was back on track. And now, two days after that, six in total after their first encounter at the beach, she was complimenting him for healing so nicely. Things went fast, for sure. Maybe a bit too fast for the pianist's taste.

A few minutes later, Mara was done and the younger already pulling his t-shirt back into his pants. She tried asking what was on her mind since day one, cautiously. "you're homeless, right ?" Jack mood instantly sank down, cat-like eyes now glued to his thighs, to his empty hands lost on his jeans. Of fucking course he was, why did she have to ask ? He always took that question as a reproach, didn't like people sticking up their noses in his failures. His jaw clenched, brows furrowed slightly, he scratched the short hairs on his nape. He didn't want to answer. He didn't need to. And he'd probably start avoiding Mara as soon as he'd be fully back on his feet again. His stomach was turning, twitching. Feelings conflicted, he took some time before answering. "... yeah, kind of." There was no point in lying to Mara about this, she knew too much already anyways. Jack felt defeated, to say the least. Humiliated. He felt even more naked than when he had his zipper still open. Vulnerable too, which was pathetic. He sighed, not relieved a bit - but she went on. "Kind of ?" Jack looked at her, almost offended that she wanted to know more. Most people would be embarrassed enough with this information, but she still asked for more. Ashamed, he didn't dare looking at Mara. "i study at UCLA, so i have a place to stay during the day, and a small scholarship." The boy started playing mindlessly with his fingers, with the sensitive skin next to his nails, in an almost obsessive-compulsive way. "i've got some friends that help too, when they can." he tried to reassure her, not so smoothly. It wasn't a full lie, but it still didn't work. Mara was kind enough to leave him be though, to stop pushing for more information. What else could he say, anyway ? He had never told anyone else than his friends why he got kicked out of his dad's apartment.

The brunette left to clean her tools in the kitchen sink, giving the pianist some time to check his phone, still charging. Not much, a guy from his Music History course asking him to read his essay and a mail with the books he would have to buy for the upcoming semester. Yet another unneeded reason to freak out. "and what are studying, Jack ?" She tried, as she came back with a glass of water, making him jump a bit. "Musicology. 'm a pianist," Jack answered plainly, as if it were the most standard studies one could do. He continued, voice a bit sharp and still hurt from the previous questions. "may i ask you what you do for a living ?"
Mara laughed, giving Won the chills. "i don't think you'd like the answer." At that, Jack stared, his imagination running wild. Then, it got silent. Mara not pushing her luck with more questions, even though she had way more in stock, and Jack still sulking in his spot on the couch. He'd wait until the alcohol dried and stopped stinging before leaving, knowing damn too well she'd get mad if he disrespected the healing process again. With a sigh, and a mental note of everything he'd have to buy soon, he laid back into the cushions. Being an adult was getting tiring already. Eyelashes soft against the top of his cheeks, he tried resting his eyes for a while.

Of course, Jack couldn't have anything nice. If he was getting too comfortable, Life always had to come and bite him the ass. His stomach growled, loudly, its priorities still straight even after everything the boy had been through in the last few days. Even though he really wanted to leave as soon as possible, his belly betrayed him and - of course - the brunette heard it. Just like his mom would, she got her phone immediately and started to search for the closest restaurant's number. "please wait here a second." Once again, Won sighed. What could he do to escape it this time ? It would be impolite - which Won absolutely hated. And he had no excuses left - plus, he was too bad of a liar to find new ones. It felt bad, abusing her kindness, he never deserved any of it. Owing Mara money also made him feel awful, and it was starting to add up a lot. "i'm ordering pizza and i don't want you to argue," she said, anticipating his reaction easily. "because i'm not letting you leave on an empty stomach." She gave her phone to Jack, a menu on her phone's screen. He took it, looking at her with eyes like a doe's. Despite his bad mood, he was extremely grateful even if it was a bit unusual for him to receive that much positive attention. "So what do you want ?"

After a few minutes of negotiations on which pizza to get, Mara finally called the restaurant to order. "you know i'll pay you back, right ?" Jack announced while brushing his hair with his fingers, trying to look a bit more awake. They decided to get a spicy one, with pepperonis - one of his favourites. Puppy eyes, he subtly looked back up at Mara, still wondering what he ever did to deserve being that lucky. People so willing to help him were pretty rare, especially since he had become homeless. Pure admiration in his eyes, he waited until she was done to throw a smile at the brunette. "thank you Mara."
Forty minutes later, the warm pizzas were on the living room's coffee table. They ate in a comfortable silence, sometimes asking polite questions, most of the time appreciating the tasty meal. "Well, excuse me but i have some work to get done," Mara confessed, as she was getting up after finishing her last slice. "you can stay as long as you need, Jack."

The boy raised his head towards her to shoot her his usual honest, gummy smile. "thanks."

What did he do to deserve this ?

------

Later that day, 8pm.

Jack had stayed a few hours. Maybe one or two, hunched over the living room's table. He was writing down the books he needed to buy, where he could find them and eventually, a cyber cafe where he could go order them. He had also started to write down the structure of an essay he had due for the following week. It was a pretty easy one, on a Music History subject he really liked, but he didn't know if he'd get another chance to work as peacefully as he had right now. So he took the opportunity, hoping his host wouldn't mind.

Mara came out of her office when the sun was setting down, casting a light yellow glow on her plain, white walls. She then had spent probably half an hour in her room to get ready to go out, Jack guessed when she finally came in the living room, a pair of heels in her left hand. He started tidying up his stuff, putting it quickly in his backpack. "You know you can stay the night if you need, right ?" she immediately told him, sounding like she was in a hurry. "I have to get going, but that's not a problem." Mara trusted the building's security to not let the suspicious little asian guy leave her flat with stolen stuff hidden in his bag. He stood no chance against the security guys, especially since his wound was still fresh and painful. She also believed in her guts, telling her he was harmless.
"No, don't worry. I'll leave too." Jack smiled, putting on his windbreaker and backpack. "Thanks for your help, i could get some work done too." he thanked her, his hands awkwardly creeping to his pants pockets. He looked at Mara while she was putting on her shoes, their heels like needles and bottom crimson red. He truly wondered how she'd manage to walk in them, but she was also wearing a dress in December - so he clearly had no comprehension of her fashion sense. He looked at the seemingly expensive coat she had laid down next to her. She liked luxury, the polar opposite of the musician's world. He didn't feel like he fit in, but expensive thingd most definitely looked great on her. "Then you have no more reasons to spend the nights out, kid." she argued, as Jack should've expected. He sighed, not wanting to be rude. "Mara, it's not that big a deal-" he tried, but she was already standing up in the entrance doorway. "Cmon, I don't have all day." and, silent, Jack followed her.

As she locked the door, she asked softly - probably careful for the neighbours not to hear them. "What's the matter, Jack ?" The ticking of her keys stopped, and she walked to the elevator quickly, the teen following her, trying to keep his posture as good as he could. "i don't want to profit too much of your kindness," Jack decided to keep on being honest, as she had obviously liked that the best from the beginning "especially knowing that i can't pay you back" he concluded, as they walked into the jet black and leathered elevator. Even this fucking thing was more expensive than his Master's tuition. Jack pushed the first floor's button, then started rolling himself a cigarette. He showed it to Mara, silently asking if she wanted one - but she refused, smiling for some reason. "Then I may have some work for you," It was probably why she was smirking at him, and Jack felt a cold shiver crawling down his back. He let her go on, curious but also a bit mistrustful. "we'll talk about this tomorrow, if you're interested ?" The engine was still going down, finally reaching the first floor. They got out, and, after a minute of deeply thinking, Jack answered. "i am."

As soon as they got out of the building, Jack lit up his cigarette, enjoying its warmth in the middle of the californian winter, of the cold biting its skin. Changing the subject soon, as she hung around - probably waiting for her chauffeur - Won tried getting a bit more info on where she was headed. "A party before New year's Eve ? God, that's courageous" he smiled, amused and a bit teasing. "i don't have one planned this year" he shrugged his shoulders, politely breathing out the fumes as far of her face as he could. I'll have more fun on lunar new year anyway, he thought. She didn't answer, and Jack really hoped he didn't say anything insensitive - she could have been going to someone's wake, for all he knew.
"You look really great though" he tried instead, hoping to get back on his feet. Mara, who until then looked lost in thoughts, looked at him. "Excuse me for this but, you don't really look like a 'Jack' to me." The kid raised an eyebrow, blurting out a truthful answer almost immediately. "it's a nickname my parents gave me, Californians butchered theirs too much." which Jack never thought was a good reason, but he couldn't lie : it did help him get along better with the other kids. At least, in highschool it did. "I'm Korean, actually." the corners of his mouth rose a little, faint smile while he put his cigarette back in between his lips. He didn't think such trivia would get her interest, but Mara was definitely full of surprises. She seemed to be a little less stressed out, having something to talk about. Having a distraction from what was awaiting her, probably.
Damn, Jack felt bad all of a sudden. Maybe he was really being a dick earlier.

"Don't you miss Korea ? I know I miss Mexico dearly." she wondered, eyes lost somewhere far into the streets. She looked at every car, probably searching "Not the people, but the place. The air and everything." And he understood. He missed the air, too.
He missed looking like most people, he missed hearing his mother tongue, he missed reading Hangul everywhere. But he knew he'd miss Los Angeles, too.
"Kind of." He didn't remember living in Seoul, and most of his youth, when his parents traveled through the USA, was a blurry picture for him. So he had mixed opinions, that he had no time to develop more : a black mercedes was already parking in front of them. Mara immediately walked to it, and the boy widely smiled at her. "Take care Mara." He then waved, and took the time to finish his cigarette.

Like most of the time he spent outside, he walked for maybe an hour, liking the exercise and the scenery. Neons, beaches and the faint noise of traffic - he loved this city. How it looked, how it swallowed him whole the nights he had nowhere to sleep at. Tonight, he'd probably hang out at the beach, take a shower there if they were available. He'd probably go and order something at McDonald's, in the morning, and then wait it out until it was time to go at Mara's like every evening. He was starting to like this routine - it felt less lonely.

------

December 31st, 21:02pm

"Hey Giu. Your mom's not here ?" Jack whispered as soon as his pink-haired friend launched herself into his arms, a kind of messy hug he was pretty used to. She had barely opened the front door of the apartment that he was already in her embrace. She probably didn't expect anyone else, he guessed as she was not really dressed up. "Nah, she left with her boyfriend an hour ago." Giulia moved away, gesturing him to come inside the apartment which Won did immediately. He soon took off his shoes, then quickly went in her room to leave his windbreaker and backpack on the chair near her desk. He briefly looked at the drawings she had left there, at a random eyeshadow palette and her small army of lipsticks. The ray of colours was absolutely pleasing to his retinas, but a sweet smell got him back to reality and led him straight to the kitchen.
"I'll sleep on the couch then. Watcha cooking ?" he said as he sneaked behind her, tummy already grumbling at the spices' smell. Both Giulia and her mother were amazing cooks, spending the night at their appartement was always a pleasure.
"Please don't step in the kitchen, you'll burn something, or hurt yourself. And go take a shower if you need one !" Jack laughed frankly. Here, he could be himself unapologetically, and Giulia knew him, understood him like a sister he never had. His skills in the kitchen, or lack thereof, was a pretty common running gag in his circle of friends. He was known for burning almost everything he tried to cook. He felt he could be honest, less careful with his words and actions than he was with Mara - a nice and deserved break. "i already hurt myself though-" his friend turned to him, eyes round and mouth slightly open in shock. He knew she'd be mad, but he owed it to her - and he trusted her. She would not spread the news around, and most of all, she'd knew he was hiding something from her if he kept it from her. As her sauce started sizzling, she looked back at it and continued with her most motherly tone. "Jack Won, what the hell did you do this time ?" the older left her side, heading to the sink. There was some dishes to clean and, wanting to be a good guest, he began washing them as he answered, voice as neutral as he could. "I got stabbed. Just like Ceasar." He immediately got punched in the shoulder,
"You're a fucking moron, i'll strangle you myself if you don't shut up right now." she spat at him, clearly taking it as a joke at first - but Jack's silence got her turning around once again. When she understood it was true, and just not a stupid joke, worry washed away all the emotions on her face. "Tell me everything." She asked, softly but still not leaving him any other option. And Jack did, purposefully ignoring the fact he had went back to Mara's place everyday. He didn't want to tell Giulia too much, too soon. As long as he didn't trust the brunette, he saw no point in telling Giulia about her. So he finished washing the dishes, as the small italian was still silently thinking about everything - probably trying to find a way to blame herself, as she always did. He knew Giulia, and stepped closer once more. "It's alright Giu, i'm doing okay i promise !" Jack tried to smile, but she rolled her eyes at him. He looked at her cooking, staying silent until she seemed done with everything plate on the stove.

Once she was washing her hands, Jack raised the hem of his sweatshirt a bit, revealing the upper part of the wound, that was still mostly hidden by his pants and underwear. "Look, it's healing okay-ish. and my fever's gone" Giulia looked briefly, knowing the older had never been at ease with showing off his own body. That way, it didn't seem as intimidating - and it was healing nicely. In his eyes, she had no reason to freak out, and yet - "YOU HAD A FEVER ??" she hit him once again with the hand towel, this time making the other burst out laughing. She hated him for taking this matter so lightly, but he seemed okay - and he laughed, which had become pretty rare since Mr. Won had kicked him out. Giulia didn't want to treat him like a kid, but he sure acted like one.
As she was quickly drying her hands, Jack walked to her after sneakily tasting some of the dishes. "I'll punch you, Jack. Don't come close. I might stab you in your sleep too if you don't stop-" The young man pouted, stopping only when he was softly pressed against her, and then crossed his arms around her waist. With a heavy sigh, she did the same, too proud to admit she enjoyed the closeness too. "awh Giu, i missed you too bestie ~" he purred in her ear, now brushing her back softly. "You're dead to me." the younger growled, and Jack had to admit : she was terrifying. He was glad to be on her good side.

Half an hour later, Jack had changed into cleaner clothes - a white shirt and jeans, the most New Year's Eve fitting outfit he had access to. He had also helped make some cocktails with what Giulia's mom had laying around. Both teens were getting ready for the countdown, with some music playing softly in the background. None of them had wanted to go to any bigger party, not that they were invited anyway. They would rather hang out by themselves, than being lonely in a crowd of strangers. Breaking the silence from the living room, where he was trying to follow a mojito recipe, Jack asked the question that had burnt his tongue since he got here. "How are the girls doing ?" Giulia answered without looking at him, making it obvious to him she was waiting for Jack's curiosity to take over his manners. "Lucy is really busy with school, we don't have much time to talk, with that timezones bullshit." Won nodded, small pout stuck on his face. It was more than two years now that she had left, and it felt like forever. "i miss them." he confessed, small whisper with hurt clear in his tone. "it's ok kitten," Giulia exclaimed from the kitchen. "they miss you too." He was forbidden from going there while she cooked, so even though he didn't like not helping, he respected a safe distance. The apartment was pretty big, but Giulia somehow still heard him. He felt stupid - Jack had never managed, in the whole time he had known Falco, to hide something from her. "But why don't you just call them ? They'd be glad to hear from you." She was looking directly at him from the counter, which made Jack's eyes sink down with guilt to the leaves of mint he had in his fingers. "Lucy never tried contacting me after she left, you know ? i don't wanna bother." he told her as he placed the mint on top of the ice cubes, "i guess she's had enough of me, i can't be mad." but after that, it was silent. Jack stirred the cocktails quickly, not to overmix them, and looked back up at his friend.
Giulia was frowning, something obviously on her mind. The musician tried asking what was wrong, but she got angry and snappy - so he didn't insist. Instead, he announced the drinks were ready.

Giulia quickly went in her room to change too, slipping on a cute dress that Jack thought made her look she just got out of the Little House On The Prairie. She'd take pictures, as always - and clearly wanted to look good on them. Won felt like a let down, he would not look as great, and would probably ruin every photograph she'd take. Fancy clothes were not his priority since he lost his house - but Giu had sheltered him so many times, he felt horrible for ruining her New Year's Eve. She came back in the living room, notebooks under her harm, explaining that her homemade Bruschetta, Focaccia Breas and cake - a "Torta Barozzi" - still had to cook for a while. "Are you really doing your homework on new year's eve ? Do you need help ?" Jack raised an eyebrow at her. "It's only 10pm Jackpot, we'll still have time to celebrate." Giulia smirked at him, and he knew she had waited until he got there to start working on them. "And yes, actually. i do." Of course she does, Jack thought immediately. She had mischief streaming through her veins. Letting her work on her mathematics exercises to which he'd be of no help, Jack reached for the other notebook abandoned next to her cocktail. "Literature, great." he smiled, his favourite subject. Also what his mom used to teach, before philosophy. He eyed at a small book that looked like a old-school french drama. "Do you want me to read the full thing too ?" Mme Bovary, it was named. It was thick, brand new and the female portrait on the cover not quite peaking his interest. "Yes." Of course she does, he thought once again. "For fuck's sake-" he complained immediately, knowing already it was far from his usual reads. "Eh ! It's not like you have anything better to do with you life right now." The teen scolded him, her voice more strict. "Rude." Giulia was absolutely right, but that didn't mean he liked hearing it. He grabbed the book to read the summary on the back, eyebrows pinched in a slight frown. He wondered how the author could have stretched an adulterous story onto so many pages. "cmon, Jack, pleaaase !" Giulia asked once again, giving him her infamous puppy eyes that worked each and every time. The pianist sighed, staring at the book's cover. "Alright, but you better get the best grade. And take me to that thrift shop next time you go, i need some new clothes." Giulia then thanked him and raised her glass for a toast. Once her algebra homeworks were done, Jack went and sat next to her as she went on with her English exercises - where he helped as much as he could with the text she had to analyze. Time went on and soon, the dishes were ready and the oven beeping. Both of them started eating then, their mojitos & Giulia's homework long gone. It looked like a restaurant's meal, Giulia's italian cooking was probably the best he had ever eaten in his life. They ate and ate until they felt a bit sleepy. The beers they had drunk along the way were not helping. Giu was doing ok, but Jack was tipsy, pretty to alcohol. He joked about every performance on the show they were watching, making both of them laugh their hearts out until finally, the countdown to 2014 began.

Jack turned to Giulia as soon the show's host finished counting down from ten. "Happy new year kiddo" he tried, cheesy smile and a drunk flush still on cheeks and the tips of his ears. Giulia cringed immediately, probably feeling the effects of the alcohol too, now. "Oh my fuck HOW OLD ARE YOU why are you talking like a grandpa ?" she started yelling, obviously mad and getting Jack in fits of laughter. They spent the remaining of the night laughing at numerous stupid TV shows.
A couple of hours later, they were both going to sleep, Giulia insisting on sharing her bed in case her mom came home during the night. She didn't want her to find Jack sleeping on her sofa, not because she'd get angry, but because she didn't want her to ask too many questions about her friend. She didn't know he was homeless. Pretty much nobody knew, actually.

The morning after, at eleven past twelve, Jack got out of the shower. Even though they got pretty rare after he got kicked out, he didn't want to waste the Falcons warm water. His wound also hurted a bit from the soap, shampoo and water. Smelling of some sorts of flowers, as he had borrowed some of Giulia's shower gel, he walked into the living room. The teen was drinking the coffee he made for her earlier. He sat down in front of her, stealing one of her croissants he dipped in her cup before biting on it. "Thanks for helping me Giu," Jack tried, voice raspy and still a bit sleepy. He felt clean, fresh, but not nearly as awake as he should've. He guessed it was because even a good night of sleep was not enough to get back all the ones he had spent out there, awake near Los Angeles' beaches while everyone else was resting.

"can you keep my synth tomorrow too, please ? I think i may have found a job, and -" he tried, breaking the comfortable silence in the apartment. Giulia seemed tired too, but she didn't hesitate one second. "Of course i can. And i still don't understand why you won't stay here more than one night." Jack sighed, he had no other arguments than his conscience telling him he was abusing her kindness. "It's not like my mother would even notice." she whispered, and Jack felt bad. His friend already had enough battles on her own for him to step in more than he already did.
"You're doing too much already." he thanked her, honesty dripping from his honey voice. "Thanks Giu." he ended, hoping Falco would not push further - which she did not. He finished his croissant, and then got up to reach for his bag. It was time for him to leave, now, his friend's book secured in his backpack. "It's basic friend étiquette, Jackpot. Hope you get the job, bud." They exchanged a thumbs up and, just like that, the musician left.

MARY

parts 3 + 4 Mar 23 Juin - 0:11

Jack Won
Admin

Messages : 97
Date d'inscription : 29/04/2019
Age : 30
Localisation : Bronx, New-York

Trigger + content warnings:

blood, sweat & tears

ok to be hurt, so tie me up so i can't run away

January 6th, 2014.

"Maraaaa" he complained, voice a bit too pitchy to sound honest. "just a bit of whipped cream, please~" Pursed lips, eyes travelling back between her face and her plate, his intentions were crystal clear - and his mood, drastically different from the past few days. "You're behaving like a spoiled kitten, Jack." He had to hold in a smile at that comment. Instead, he just pulled off his signature pout, now gauging her with curiosity. "do i look like a cat to you too ?" he asked, eyeing the desert without even trying to be subtle about it. It looked sinful, strawberries buried in whipped cream and chocolate sauce on top of an airy, golden cake. "You do," Mara confessed before taking another bite of her strawberry shortcake serving, while the younger walked around the kitchen’s counter. "Sharp eyes, pouty mouth - even the shape of your jawline." Jack was now standing in front of her, but still not daring enough to get closer. He considered briefly getting in between her legs, as she was sitting on of her kitchen's stool - but that was way too invasive. And she'd probably attack him with her fork. "my highschool friends used to tell me this all the time." he confessed, still slightly smiling. His gaze was soft, kind of lost in memories he didn’t have the heart to forget even though they were now long gone. The brunette thought he looked like he still could be going to highschool, and found his melancholy a bit endearing. "Well, you sure look like one," Mara took another bite of cake, now almost finished, then continued. "but you act like one as well." Jack raised an eyebrow at that, this was definitely a first. His mom always told him his zodiac sign, the Dog, fitted his character the best. He was curious, and kind of doubtful.
"You're pretty silent. Nobody sees nor hears you coming - and you've got a great instinct." Mara started, and the musician had to admit she was pretty great at analyzing people, even though he was not much of the introspective type. Especially considering the minimal time they spent together, and their strange encounter, she was mostly on point. "But you get all coy and cuddly once you know your friends better, right ? Once you're sure you can trust 'em, you'd do anything." she continued, making the teen squint at her. He was indeed introverted, a trait that he learnt to hide growing up, but coy ? He hardly opened up, barely ever talked about himself or his emotions - maybe that was what she meant. Cuddly, he couldn't lie that he wasn't. It was a fact the young woman probably had guessed when he was sleeping on her couch, one pillow under his head and hugging the other one tightly to his chest.
Since he had been kicked out, Jack had to admit trusting new people was a lot harder than it used to be. It was crazy, how much Mara knew from the very limited time they had spent together. Or maybe she knew someone similar to him ? Other homeless people, maybe ? The boy sighed, staying silent. Thinking deeply, he still had no idea if she was spot on or not. He hated reflecting on himself anyways, it always felt too harsh. "A kitten with a tiger's heart." Mara sighed, more to herself than for the younger to hear. "It's a compliment, gatito." she finished, subtle smile thrown at him with faint naughtiness. "yknow i'm not that bad at Spanish, right ?" the teen said, his pout coming in strong once again. Mara laughed, almost silent. There was no point in torturing him anymore. “there’s a slice for you in the fridge” Jack jumped off his stool and almost ran to the fridge, a glimpse of childish happiness stuck to his features. Once he found it, behind an ice tea bottle, he came back to sit next to her. "thank you !" he beamed, a smile reaching his ears and the outer corners of his eyes.

Mara didn’t like it, the way he sometimes acted like a kid without realising it. She had plans for him, but nothing compatible with such behaviour. It was strange, to her, how the nights he spent outside had not toughened him up a bit. How naive he was about her kindness, how gullible he felt to her - how happy he looked now, munching down on that stupid strawberry shortcake. Was that everything he needed, to be happy ? Sugar ?
Then, she thought she could use it at her advantage. The best answer had been right under her eyes this whole time. This simpleness of mind was endearing, something she knew most of Los Angeles’ freaks sought after. Something pretty rare, in her field of work. If he could keep this act up, he'd be absolutely fantastic.
Mara just knew, in that instant, where Won would be the more useful to her - the more profitable. It wasn’t as a dealer, as she initially thought - no, it’d be a bit harder. She'd have to work extra time on this, probably get a little creative too.
Jack looked up at her, mouth moving in words she didn’t hear, too lost in her own mind. “you seem a bit out of it, Mara” he repeated softly, before taking a bite of whipped cream only. A kid, she couldn't make this up. “I was thinking that I don’t know much about you.” she confessed, as he had been pretty honest with her so far. Which she liked a lot - her employees had to be faithful under any circumstances. The pianist looked a bit surprised, stopping eating for a while, probably to wonder what he could tell his host. “there’s not much to know, honestly.” he settled finally with a shrug of his shoulders, after a minute or two of silence. It was clear, in the tone of his voice, that he believed what he had just said. Pretty heartbreaking, Mara thought, but she didn't try to go against that. If he didn't think of anything interesting, it probably was because there wasn't anything worth hearing.

“I sheltered you multiple times, Jack. Don’t you think I deserve to know a little more ?” she did try, though, playing on the fact he was still in her flat. In her kitchen, on top of one of her stool, sometimes lying all night on her sofa. It would not feel like guilt tripping him, if it was only the truth - and it worked. Jack felt she was right, that he indeed owed her some explanations - what if he was a kid that had run from home ? Or one of those psychos that butchered every women that crossed their paths ? His eyes fell back on the cake while he searched his memories for worthy informations.

"uuugh.. i'm 19 ?" Jack started and she nodded. A child, for real. "that's good to know. I'll lock my alcohol cupboard from now on." Jack laughed before going on - he had a fake id anyway. "my parents came from Korea when i was three, they traveled a lot before my mom fell in love with LA," he told her, while he was stabbing the whipped cream on the side of his plate. "she was a teacher, and a Buddhist - i mean, kind of ? it was not an hardcore kind of thing" his eyebrow pinched in the middle of his forehead while he searched for a better wording. "and she really believed in the Um Yang philosophy & the lunar zodiac, made me wear a lot of green when i was a kid." It was his lucky color, 3 his lucky number. When something bad happened, it always was because he wore blue that day or because there was a 6 somewhere in the date. Maybe it sounded foreign to the Mexican woman in front of him, maybe it was as crazy as it looked. "Sorry, i must be speaking nonsense to you right now-" he blushed, soft flustered pink on his cheeks. Charming, really. Mara wondered if he could do that on command. "no, it's interesting." she answered, her curiosity about his culture honest. "not really, I don't know much about Korea. And my Korean is the worst." he confessed immediately, guilt obvious in his voice. About not speaking his mother tongue correctly anymore, about being the worse at small talk. "'m sorry Mara, i really don't know what else to tell you." he had stopped eating, played nervously with his hands instead. This could be a reason for her to stop caring after his wound - and even if the kid knew that day would come, he was not ready. To handle the wound himself, to abandon what looked like the buds of a new friendship. He eyed down to his fingers - he wasn't thinking straight, he just felt lonely. It must've been a chore to her, letting Mara go back to her daily routine was the best thing he could do.

"You do have other friends in LA, right ?" she asked, deciding on making the younger's job easier. "Yeah, not many. Most left to go abroad." he answered after thinking for a while, not exactly willing to say anymore about that subject. "sorry to hear that, kitten" she tried, soft, only getting another shrug of his shoulders in response. "it's alright, the people at college are pretty friendly. i just don't like the fraternities stuff.." he smiled, this time the grimace not reaching his ears or his eyes. "why's that ?" Mara was curious about college life as a whole, even though it sounded like Jack despised the most cliché part of it. "i think you can guess why i don't really fit in with the rich kids" he laughed, a bit more truth to his soft giggles. "it's my turn now-" the musician was now staring at her with malice. "oh god no-" she objected, but immediately got cut off. "cmon, it isn't fair !" he decided - and it indeed wasn't. He had talked more in the past minutes than he had since they'd meet, she could give him that pleasure, only this time. "alright, just one then." she nodded, confident he'd behave well like he always did - but he didn't. "you seem to work a lot, and your flat's super nice - where do you work ?" Jack initially expected her to run one of those shops, near the pier, which would explain the closeness to Santa Monica & all the money she seemed to have. But recently, he started wondering if she was into some other sort of business, something less legal than selling overpriced goodies to tourists. Mara remained silent, something like anger and frustration washing over her face - she was done talking, but Jack still had his answer.

"Cmon now, go on the couch and show me that wound." she decided as soon as he was done with his shortcake, which he was now eating in a dense silence. "okay" Jack wasn't that innocent - he always knew how to read between lines and how criminals behaved. One of his highschool bestfriends was a dealer, and Mara was just as restless. There was still lots of options, but he knew now that he had to be careful. For himself, not to get deep in problems he could never run away from, but also for her and to protect her from the police as much as he possibly could. Sitting on the sofa obediently, he pulled his sweater up and his pants slightly down. He was still healing, but the wound seemed to have closed off. It had been that way for a few days now, a good omen.
They'd have to take the threads out soon.

------

Later this evening,

"here, let me help you with that." he tried saying as he reached for some of the vegetables that were still unpeeled, but Mara gave him a look that made him put his hand back on the kitchen's counter. He had just burnt the side of his hand earlier, while clumsily trying to help her cook, so it actually made sense that she was trying to prevent him from hurting himself any further. But the kid still felt bad not doing anything to help her prepare a Mexican dish he had never heard of. There was some meat in it, something he always associated with family meals and that felt a little luxurious. "it's okay, i just wanna peel these-" Mara frowned, clearly not having it, her hand closing on the vegetables. "clumsy as you are, you'll end up stabbing yourself" Jack laughed, clumsy was the right word. And it was funny, for a pianist like him, to be that bad with his own hands. Still, he tried looking up at her, brows flinched in a pleading manner and slight pout on his lips. In the blink of an eye, Mara gave up - and put her knife on the counter next to him. It was good to know, that small weakness she had to him acting all cutesy. "If anything happens to you again, I'm not calling my surgeon nor taking to the hospital" Won smiled his gummiest smile, and started peeling the vegetables slowly once he sat back at the counter. He wasn't very skilled, and slow as he took extra care on not cutting himself, but he managed to have everything ready just in time for his host to not wait for too long. Once she had everything on the stove, he waited until she turned back to him. "i'm sorry for asking about your job, earlier. I shouldn't have been that curious." he decided on telling, out of the blue. She didn't respond, still processing the weight of each of his words. It seemed pretty clear in her silence that she understood Jack had guessed, rightfully or not, that her activities weren't the most legal of the bunch. He knew, and she knew that he knew. He made it a point of her understanding he would not intervene or report it to anyone. He was silent, she said it herself, and planned on remaining that way. "i won't ask anymore, don't worry." Not because he didn't want to know - he actually died to, but because he didn't need to. He was clumsy : the more he knew, the higher were the chances of him fucking everything up. So he avoided thinking about it. Didn't wonder what she sold, how big her network was - it was none of his business anyways.
"I wouldn't want to put you in a dangerous situation." she finally told, voice softer and more honest than the whirlwind in her mind. She was mad at the kid. Not that she hated that kind of smartness he had, finding out the right things solely out of luck, but because he didn't resist. He already made himself complicit, a whole culprit out of two single sentences. It was not a behaviour she'd like any of her employees to have. He needed some confidence built back into him. "If you want nothing to do with me anymore, I'd understand." she concluded, ready to give up on the kid and the trouble he'd be worth already. "don't say that," he whispered, feeling almost like he was getting dumped. "i've handled worst than that." Jack shrugged, not expecting the conversation to go on. Mara now knew he was aware of her activities, he felt there was not much to add. But it was Mara's turn to touch on a difficult subject. "it was heroine, right ?" he stared at her, wide eyed. He remembered cleary when she told him she had to look through his backpack, that night. There was a small ziplock bag with a small amount of light brown powder inside. She had seen it, as she had seen the small pocket of weed. He sank on himself, burying his figure in his oversized clothes. It was obvious she had known all along, but she remained silent. Respectfully distant, Jack thought. He couldn't. He had to speak up, to fuck everything up.
Jack hated himself, couldn't even look at Mara. "... It was." he finally grumbled, now toying with the hems of his sleeves. He avoided looking in her direction, not wanting to see how she'd react. "'mma leave, i-" he tried to get up, but Mara's voice got him sitting right back on his stool. "No you're not." The musician gulped, he still needed her help for at least a few days. He'd have to obey for a little longer, even though he absolutely despised doing so blindly. In any other setting, he would had left without even answering. "we'll keep each other's secrets, right ?" Jack frowned, still feeling uneasy but anger rised up in his stomach. "But you know more than i do, it's not fair !" Mara sighed while stirring whatever was cooking on low heat. "I need some more time Jack. We'll talk about this another day." she answered plainly, obviously not expecting the younger's outburst. "No, we won't." The kid got up, the feelings of pain and treason getting a hold of him. He reached for his backpack in the living room, tidying up quickly his homework that were still laying messily on the coffee table. It was silent, apart from the faint sound of sizzling sauce. Without thinking twice, still high on adrenaline, he walked to the door with a last "see you tomorrow" before leaving.

------

January 10th 2014

Jack went to Mara's straight after his last class of the week, an introduction to composition that ended pretty late. He had felt on edge all day, barely focusing on his teachers' voices. It was not like him, to stare at his notebooks' blank pages without scribbling as much as he could. He had never been a great student, always dealt with difficulties understanding and remembering extremely precise information. If it was easier in UCLA, since he felt passionate about his subjects, but he still had some severe shortcomings with essay writing and overall academic principles.
The pianist had thought about her all day, or more specifically, about how he talked back to the brunette the previous evening. He had been harsh to Mara. A bit too much, he felt. If she had avoided the subject for this long, it was probably because she understood he didn't want to hear about it. If he had respected all of her boundaries, she would have probably never asked about it.
He had been a dick on this one, for sure.

He internally deliberated most of the time he spent in the bus on his way to her apartment - even took a cigarette break before ringing her doorbell. There was a lot of commotion on the parking in front of the building, four guys delivering a seemingly new piano to one of her neighbours. Jack helped them with the door, cigarette still between his lips, then with the escalator without thinking twice about it. It'd be nice, hearing some music while getting his wound checked up. He just hoped it would not be a beginner - his delicate ears & short temper wouldn't appreciate that.

A few minutes later, when it was fairly obvious even to him that he smelled of cold tobacco, Jack decided on ringing Mara's bell. She took some time to answer, which made his guts twitch uncomfortably in fear of getting rejected, but finally did with some strange noises behind her. She wasn't alone, which got Jack a little nervous. "Come in, kid" and he obeyed, still not feeling as talkative as he was used to. She didn't sound that mad, but the younger remained careful. He climbed the stairs to her floor, not wanting to disturb the delivery guys, and giving himself some time to try and put his hair back in place after wearing a blue beanie basically all day. He pushed the freshly dyed strands backwards, painted in purple on a whim in the previous evening, while he was staying at Giulia's. His friend was dying hers pink - and he knew, he just knew they had to match. The soft lavender had eased his mind, talking with his italian bestfriend helped a lot too. Once the musician got out of the stairwell, his eyes landed on the men in uniforms from earlier. The door to Mara's flat was wide open, one of them talking with her as the three others waited outside. Skittish, he walked in, eyeballs instantly falling on the piano, standing in the corridor between the living room and her bedroom. He stayed away, respectful distance as it looked like she was paying for the delivery. He died to go and play with the instrument already, but wouldn't do so as long as she didn't give him her approval.

A few minutes later, the man left while Jack was waiting on the sofa, scrolling mindlessly on his phone. Mara's voice echoed from afar, asking him to come closer. And he did, a smile growing bigger as he stepped closer to the brunette and the piano, softly caressed the later with his fingertips. "Are you planning on learning to play the piano too ?" he asked, already more than happy to help her with that - but her answer got him dumbfounded. "Not really." He turned his face to her, doe eyes twinkling in curiosity. "I thought it'd be useful, when you spend the evening working here." Jack gasped, mouth in the shape of a capital O. He took a step back to turn on his heels, to look at her properly. His hand left the wooden instrument, his fingers now toying with each others. Mara only stared back, like this was a gift as casual as a box of chocolates, as a toy on Christmas Eve. "It wasn't that expensive, since it's kinda old and out of tune.." she confessed, but the gift still seemed out of this world to the younger. With a tuition as his only source of income, having a daily access to a free piano was one of his wildest dreams. "Mara, i can't-" she shushed him and he sighed, throwing a puppy glance at his host. "May i ?" he asked, waiting for her to nod or something. Loera probably thought he wanted to play, but instead, the teen slowly walked to her and tied his arms around her waist. Hugging her softly, he waited until she did the same to bury himself a little more into her figure. He knew there was no point in arguing : he couldn't get rid of the piano alone, couldn't repay her either. "Thank you Mara" he whispered instead. Shortly after that, he let go, already missing the warmth. Los Angeles' winters always were too harsh on him, the kid never got used to the cold. Leaving her arms felt like walking out of a comfortable house and getting swallowed by the wind. "Cmon, I need to look at your wound before you start playing." she finally decided after a second or two of awkward silence.

Once his wound was cleaned and disinfected, the younger went to examine the instrument, quickly finding its tuning key on the hammers. He got to work quickly, the piano's sounds atrociously out of tune. His absolute pitch was enough to get everything almost satisfying on the first try - but he'd have to leave the keys alone for a day, before tuning them again until they felt perfect. Mara was asking him random questions about UCLA, hoping to lift the mood up a little. "Actually, we have exams coming up next month-" the student sighed on top of one of the piano's keys, which was a bit harder than the others to get back in tune. "It's going to be alright, I'm sure you'll pass them all." Jack laughed, a bit bland, and looked at her with his tuning key still in hand. "Actually, i'm not that great with all of that academic shit. The music part is fine, but the rest kinda weighs me down.." he shrugged, used to being a mediocre student, he stopped feeling too disappointed at his owns results a long time ago. "We've got a small recital coming though, i'm more confident about that." Mara raised an eyebrow in silence, still reading something in the kitchen where she could keep an eye on the clumsy musician. "A recital ? Is it open to the public ?" She got another small laugh in answer, this time more honest. "No, it won't. But we'll play for the theater kids at the end of the year, and that is open to the public." Only his friends used to come at his recitals, and his mom too. She never missed any. But having known faces watching him play always made him feel miserable and stressed out. He understood she wanted to come, but had troubles imagining himself six months onward. His situation was already tenuous enough to reflect on his future. "Good to know." Mara answered, pretty neutral. He'd like her to come, obviously, but felt strange putting words on that feeling.

Half an hour later, he was done tuning the instrument for now. The hammers would have to rest for a bit before he could work more precisely, but he did play a little Sonata for her. Le Clair De Lune, that he knew by heart and loved dearly. It was nerve wracking at first, knowing he was getting judged on his skills and musical taste. It always was, even when it was strangers he knew he'd never meet again. But soon, the sounds swallowed him, his fingers moving on their own, like possessed. He was alone, in the black imaginary box of his head, with the pictures and the sceneries the music painted for him. It was his safe space, self told stories to escape reality. Stars, moons and foreign planets started to glisten behind his closed eyelids. Jack felt good.
He wasn't homeless, when playing the Sonata. The kid was lost in space, in a rusty red spaceship - flying through the Milky Way and into an asteroid belt. Dodging the suspended rocks and ice, he felt his hands trembling as did his spaceship. His favourite movement.

Mara didn't have to know about the Space Odyssey in his mind, she'd understood though, how important music was for Won. It was another teen playing : confident, proud, unapologetic. And talented, of course - she had never heard anyone play that way. The third movement was coming to an end when she finally spoke. "I can see why they'd give you that tuition." Blushing slightly, he closed the piano, still silent. "Hey Jack, since I know you won't want to sleep here tonight, why don't we go grab a drink ?" At that, the kid smiled. He would really appreciate a beer right now.

They crashed at a nearby bar after eating some leftovers from her fridge, and Mara knew visibly liked the place. It was cheap enough for Jack to pay for her wine and his own beer. They chatted for a while, about everything and nothing all at once. It was all friendly, warm. Something he had missed for a while, even though he wasn't that much of a social butterfly to begin with. Somehow, Won ended up talking about the American football players of UCLA, and how he absolutely despised that sport. "First of all, soccer's better !" he started, giggly. The later wasn't his favourite sport, but American football sucked and she had to know. "but i lost my v card to a quarterback - who was an complete dickhead." he confessed, voice lower even with the surrounding banter of the bar. "It wasn't great, in the changing room.." he grimaced, leaving the rest to her imagination. It felt more like a joke than an important life story, but Mara laughed nonetheless. He had no taboo, especially not when talking about sex. So, he went on, spitting out words that were weighing on his chest. "Homophobia in highschool was really bad actually," he frowned still bitter about it. "i'm not gay, 'm-" he stopped to search for better words, that would ease the slight pain in his lungs. "'m bi. Or pan, i don't care - but just because i fucked the wrong guy once, i got called slurs until i graduated. All of that for three minutes only- urgh." he got silent after that, thinking about it for a while. "Sorry, i shouldn't bore you with that - but 'm tipsy.." it was Loera's turn to laugh. "it's alright, it's great to learn more about you." Jack held back on what he wanted to say, on how much he wanted to know about Mara too. "At least it only was three minutes, not hours.." she added and, god damn, Jack thought, she had had some pretty bad fucks too.
"Sooo, you're single now, right ?" and at that, Jack nodded. "Yea, since i got kicked out." She remained silent even though he noticed her flinching at that new information. "My dad found me while i was with a guy, that's why he kicked me out." Her hazel eyes were still on him, hurt clear in the way they landed on him. "it's alright, i've got others friends with sofas to sleep on." At this point, only Giulia could still help him, since all of the others had left. But he kept that to himself, not wanting to worry her anymore than she already was. "and sometimes i go to bars or clubs, until someone takes me home." he blushed, it sounded extremely weird. It was wrong of him, to sleep with someone only for their bed's comfort and to steal them some minutes in their showers, he knew it. He also trusted Mara, who answered with a voice like music to his ears. "oh my- poor kitten, i don't want you to do that ever again"

The night went on and on, Jack felt at ease with Loera, he felt safe. She was strong, firm - personality traits he admired more than he feared. And while Mara was still thinking about a plan to get him to work for her, she obviously had grown attached to the kid.

blood, sweat & tears | ONESHOT #1 (24%) A8a06ace8ccca35ef5a2f42761fc35b2e6d1928e

peaches and cream, sweeter than sweet

February 7th, 2014.

"can i ?" the younger purred as soon as his backpack hit the floor. It had been a stressful day at UCLA, and he definitely needed some cuddles to cool off. "come here, gatito." Jack shot her his infamous gummy smile at the literal petname, and within the bat of an eye, the boy was laying on the sofa, his head on Mara's thighs. Soon, her hands were running through the blue, messy strands of his hair, fingernails scratching his scalp softly. Once again, he had dyed it to match one of his friends - which Mara didn't really like. She didn't need easily influenced escorts, she didn't need anyone who gave in to peer pressure without a second thought. The kid would have to toughen up soon - but she still could pet his hair for now. Its turquoise tint was kind of nice, actually.

It was Friday evening, finally. He had worked on an essay all week and even though he didn't have many classes this semester, Jack was tired. His week was done, finally. He totally deserved some head scratches. Mara had showered him with this kind of physical affection once or twice already, but it for sure was the first time he had explicitly asked for it. He closed his lids, the sun still piercing through his black lashes as he melted into her touch. It was extremely comfortable, almost warming him up completely. He could've fallen asleep, just like this, and was slowly dozing off as he heard her voice, calm and serene as always. "you'd look great, in my little book." Jack opened his eyes, sat properly on the sofa to face her, his hair still a mess. He was trying to guess if she was being serious or not.
He had learnt a lot about her, in the past few days. Mara was indeed the head of something, but nothing the teen could fathom. He just understood she had numerous dealers working for her across LA, "soft" and hard drugs alike. This was exactly what he expected, but he didn't realise it was to such an extent. She made a crazy amount of money, enough to make the musician dizzy. After mentioning that, she had started to help him get his heroine - he paid at first, then he couldn't anymore, all of his tuition melted into his veins. She still gave him some. For free. But as soon as Jack started refusing these "gifts", she started opening more once again. Drugs weren't her only forte, it actually were her escorts. A small army of gorgeous women, that Mara seemed to hold dearly in her heart. By hearing her talk about them, they all had the choice of their career, were protected and paid as they deserved. How that whole escorting thing worked was still a mystery to the younger, but he had seen some things. He had seen her book.
It wasn't really a book, more of a deluxe flyer with some thick, textured paper. Almost looked like a model agency's portfolio, where only gorgeous people were allowed. ID sized pictures of all the girls were lined up in small, tidy rows, each of them followed by an alias & an age. It was lost between other papers on her desk, one time she had invited him in office. It must've been the only copy, something she kept to herself as a memo - or maybe to help potential clients in their choice ? It was all a blur, to Won, who still was in a little bit of a shock.
He had not even once, suspected Mara wanted him to start this kind of job. There were only women, plus they had talked about drugs enough that he could have sworn she wanted him to be a dealer, too.
"the one with all your… escorts ?" Jack tried, but he couldn't think of any other word. Not any that were respectful, at least.
"yes, this one." she confirmed, leaving him dumbfounded.

The musician slowly attempted to rub away the sleepiness of his vision to properly look at Mara. She didn't seem fazed at all, which he kind of understood, with a second thought. He most definitely wasn't her first escort, and all of the others probably didn't apply all on their own. "i don't wanna do anything illegal-" he whispered, fear dripping from each word. There were lots of reasons, really. He was already homeless, consumed heroine regularly - he didn't need another reason to end up behind bars. He also hated the idea of his father, a cop, finding out about his shenanigans. "and i don't want to keep paying for your heroine, Jack. I won't babysit you all your life."

What he had feared all this time had come true - and, somehow, it still hurt.
He felt like an ugly, tiny leech, like an horrible little monster that was stealing Loera's sofa, her money, her powder amongst many other things. Hell, he couldn't even pay for his own meals. Pain was clawing at his stomach, shame lifted every colour on his skin to white, blue and lilac.
Of course she didn't want to pay for his heroine - who would ? He was a selfish, dumb idiot, staring at the couch's fabric to avoid her sharp gaze.
Nothing smart would come out of his mouth now and yet, he heard himself talking, his voice pleading. "don't yell at me please."
At that, Mara sighed and patted her thighs once again. Jack curled back into his previous position, only this time, facing away from her. She didn't touch his hair quite yet though, probably waiting for more explanations. It took the younger some time, but he eventually did it. "we both know i'm not good enough." It was, he knew it, a bullshit kind of an excuse that she would refuse immediately. She did, shaking her head with a tired sigh. He still didn't want to talk about it, though. "I have to disagree on that, Jack - but i might have something else for you."

------

February 13th, 2014.

Trying to keep herself busy by cleaning the apartment for the hundredth time, Mara was still waiting for the kid to come back from work. She wasn't a tyrant - if the kid didn't want to listen, didn't trust her experience, she'd allow him to do as he pleased. If Jack was convinced that transporting drugs and money was "simpler and safer" than what she had initially offered, he'd prove himself wrong soon enough. The younger was obedient, but also really, really opinionated - always found a way to do as he pleased and still stay on her good side. Wiping imaginary dust off the kitchen counter, the sound of keys in the front doors lock got the brunette looking straight at his face when he entered. He looked disheveled, a bit lost. She frowned, and asked "How did the delivery go, Jack ?" as soon as he got in. Quickly, he handed her the money that was until then hidden in his bag, way too thick in his trembling palms. She headed to her office, the younger in her steps, beanie still stuck on his head as he fell in the nearest armchair with an deep sigh. She started counting the money, but it seemed like it was the correct amount. Maybe he wasn't as bad at the job as she initially thought he'd be. He was still silent, an hand on his chest, when she finished counting : everything was in place, the guys had paid what was negotiated for the 6 pounds of cocaine Won had delivered. Hidden in his backpack, he was inconspicuous. She still felt like it was wasting potential though, and didn't want to give up her original plan.

"i can't breathe-" he finally whispered as Mara was locking the money in her desk, making sure he was not looking at the secret code. "is everything alright, gatito ?" His voice was too weak for her to hear above the sound of the safe, but his chest felt like a heavy knot, forbidding him to repeat himself.

Next thing he knew, he was panicking. Again. And if, until then, he had multiple reasons to not openly freak out - those were all long gone now.
He felt himself sink forward, his hands on both sides of his skull, elbows on his thighs as his lids shut down. His breathing got hectic again, the beating of his heart irregular and not syncing properly with the air stabbing his lungs. He had to stay grounded, to focus.
That's exactly what everyone always said, in these situations : to focus on calming his breathing. But with his ears buzzing off like an old TV, his vision a blurry mess he felt like he was losing his damn mind.

Mara's hand reached underneath his bomber jacket, fingers drawing random patterns he could focus on, through the fabric of his sweatshirt. He didn't know when she got closer, or how long she stayed by his side before his lungs started obeying him again. Focusing on the intricate shapes, not allowing himsel to drift to anything else did help him, in the end. Soon, he was taking off his jacket, unable to handle its warmth anymore. It honestly wasn't nowhere near his worst panic attacks, but there was still a faint white noise in his ears, slight feeling of dizziness in his legs when he spoke up. "The delivery went fine but, i just-" he couldn't tell her the guys wanted to leave without giving him the money, that they didn't trust the new kid. "i couldn't breathe, i couldn't focus, and i stuttered !" He had to be smart, back there. Had to be as cunning as he could, to threaten them while tiptoeing into a business he knew absolutely fuck all about. He could have been shot back there, for all he knew.
"you.. stuttered ?" Mara sounded perplexed, not believing his speech impediment was the source of so much anxiety. "how is that a problem ?" she tried, not seeing how the fact he sometimes stumbled on his words could be such a disaster. Sure, it was probably was the worst time and place to ever stutter but- "it fucking is, Mara," he spat, poison on his tongue. "i've stuttered all my life, it's a fucking nightmare." and if it wouldn't be a problem if he worked in the music field, where his instruments talked for him, negotiating while being a stuttering mess in such a dangerous industry sounded like hell on earth to the younger. He didn't want none of that, none of that anxiety, none of that judgement and constantly walking on eggshells.

Feeling that he was getting agitated again, Mara asked the first thing that came to her mind, "do you know why ?" which got Jack stunned. Now, that was a rare question - he had to think about it for a while. "according to my mom, it started when i fell and got some sort of head trauma, but.." he shrugged, signifying how he felt about this explanation. "i've always been a bit late on everything, honestly." his breathing was still bad, hiccups stopping him here and there, but he laughed nonetheless.

She was still looking at him, curious. A dozen of silent questions unasked. He was starting to know her enough to get where she wanted to take the conversation. "how i broke my head ? it's stupid" Clumsy with his words, not knowing nearly enough as he should about health and medical words, he continued. "i was real bad at school, and one day my dad got mad at one my grade and i answered back, so he slapped me." once again, he shrugged. It was pretty normal, for him, his daily life, up until that day. He never had it worse than slaps here and there, but he still grew up considering them normal. "i was seven - maybe eight ? - and i fell back 'cause i was tiny. But my head hit the corner of the kitchen entrance, and i fainted on the spot." He didn't recall it, only remembered what the doctors and his parents had told him when he woke up in the hospital. "My mom said she'd never seen that much blood, even when she gave birth to me." He smiled faintly at that, his heart pinching in his chest. "Wanna touch ? the scar's still ticklish" His gums were showing as he took of his beanie and Mara sighed, raising her hand to his face slowly, which he guided above his left ear, to the curve of the top of his head. The bump of his skin was subtle, the scar barely visible, but the hairs still didn't grow on it. Nothing his blue mop of hair didn't hide, though. She started playing with the strands, glad of the shift of his mood.

"all of this for head scratches ?" Jack giggled, his earlier panic now long forgotten. It warmed Mara's heart - she definitely had a soft spot for the pianist. "nah," he purred, his tone playful. They took the next silence to cool down, Jack sinking into the leather of the armchair as Mara walked back to her desk when she was done petting his hair. "actually, will you need me tomorrow ?" She looked at him, inquisitive. Of course she wouldn't, there weren't such big transactions everyday - but he didn't need to know that. "'cause i wanted to go to a festival this week-end, i bought my tickets a long time ago-" she smiled, expecting much worse than that. Her biggest fear was that the younger would get greedy, with his heroine doses, but he hadn't so far. "of course kitten, you won't work everyday." Jack smiled, getting on his feet carefully. "Can i go to sleep, then ?" Without a sound, she nodded, before adding "I got you a warmer blanket, sleep well." Sleep obviously clinging to his eyes, he raised an hand for her to high five and, once she did, he thanked her and went straight to sleep.

------

The next day, late in the afternoon.

Jack was waiting in the elevator, standing next to one of Mara's neighbours until they reached her floor. Yixin was an older lady, probably in her sixties or seventies. Jack had crossed her path more than once already, and she seemed to have taken a liking to him, getting her curiosity growing about who he was and why he was staying at Mara’s so often. "Awh, boyfriend !" she had decided at some point, turning a deaf ear to the pianist everytime he tried to explain he was only a friend - which he wasn't sure Mara would agree to. Quickly, he had learnt she was Chinese, and that her husband and her had built their fortune after fleeing the country during its communist era, way before Won was born. They were both really young, she said. Jack kinda looked like him, when he was younger, she repeated every time - but taller ! she insisted. Won really liked her too, she was extremely cute, somewhat of an adoptive grandma. With his bag still on his back, he decided to help her with her groceries, especially with the heavier bottles that he left on the lady’s kitchen counter. Getting in the apartment, he smiled to two younger teens playing an nth version of Fifa on their Xbox, and got out after lady Yixin thanked him and asked him how Mara was doing.
It was all smiles and his beanie in his left hand that he went back to the brunette's apartment, opening the door to the latter sitting on the sofa, and a bunch of men surrounding her and her usual bodyguards. Ziplock bags on the coffee table, what looked like the handle of a gun in one of the guys’ pocket were more than enough for Jack to guess what was going on. Careful, he stopped right in his tracks, staring at them as they all analysed him from head to toe. "Wait for me in my room, will you ?" That was the order he was waiting for, and Jack promptly nodded. "y-yeah, will do." he agreed, heading straight to said bedroom where he waited. He found ways to keep himself busy and to avoid drowning in new found anxiety, homework to get done and books to read until the sound a door closing, and then silence reached his hears.
If he was calm, when she walked into her room, he couldn’t lie to himself nor to Mara by saying he wasn’t scared or anxious at all during this wait. Her back hit the mattress softly, heavy sigh leaving her lips. She must’ve been stressed out, too, but Won didn’t ask. It was done now, and she for sure wouldn’t want to hear anymore about it.
Without thinking twice about it, he tidied up some strands of hair that had fallen on her face. “Do you want me to order something to eat ?” he purred, voice raspy and fingers itching for a cigarette to cool off. He'd wait though, and instead reached for his phone lost somewhere in the sheets. He offered getting some KFC, craving some chicken and junk food. “m-mmh.” she hummed, didn't sound as enthusiastic as he had hoped, but Jack guessed whatever he could offer to eat wouldn't be good enough to ease her mind. “hey, i know what you need to change your mind a little.” he handed her the phone, with the restaurant's menu and an ad, for a nearby music festival. He had told her about it before - countless times over the last two weeks, actually. The younger could've gone alone, but the idea of sharing this kind of moment with Mara really stuck with him, for some reason. She only sighed, choosing something to eat without commenting on his hundredth failed attempt on convincing her of coming with him. With a pout, he excused himself out of the apartment for a smoke, as soon as they were done ordering, then a second & a third one until the delivery guy came. The brunette needed some alone time, and Jack needed to spend some outside - even if it was sitting on the stairs of the building's entrance, sheltered from the soft rain pouring, sounding like the purr of a stray cat on the concrete. He needed fresh air, too. Hands now full of food bags, he climbed up the stairs before any of it got wet.

An hour and a half later, they were done eating in a respectful silence. She only asked him about his day at UCLA when they were starting to nibble on their chocolate cakes. Jack had confessed he found some classmates to go to the festival with. "the mosphit was crazy last year Mara - you should come tomorrow !" the teen tried, one last time before taking a huge bite of his sundae. "Jack." Loera sighed once again, her patience growing thinner than ever. "Please ! there'll be Linkin Park" but even one of his favourite bands and his strongest puppy eyes didn't work in his favour, she still didn't look interested. He stayed silent for a while, not giving up until a spark of (mischievous) genius struck him. "If you don't come to this one, maybe you could tag along for the metal festival, next mon-" and that was the last straw. Maybe it was the thought of having to deal with this for a whole other month, maybe she despised metal, but she finally gave in. "Linkin Park it shall be, then."

The morning creeped slowly, the day after, its rays of sunshine kissing the younger's cheeks pretty late. He had slept in, only waking up at 10 am thanks to the delicate smell of coffee brewing. Usually, he would wake up before Mara to prepare both of their breakfast - he felt like it was the least he could do, but she was faster today. Sleep still stuck on his eyelids, he walked to the kitchen, only half awake. Well, probably more like a third, or even a quarter of "awake". Drowsy, he murmured a raspy "mornin'" before heading to the coffee maker. Once the caffeine was in his system, he jumped into the shower, coming back to life at his own pace. The lukewarm water and citrusy smell woke the musician a little more, then with the taste of toothpaste, he was struck with realisation. Once he was all cleaned up, he ran to Mara's office. "you're still coming this afternoon, right ?" at that, she sighed, hoping he'd have forgotten, probably - but Jack still had a fairly good memory, despite all the substances he'd taken in his lifetime.

A couple hours after their lunch, and after they both got some work done, they left with Mara's chauffeur to the festival. It was a pretty big one, but since it was still really early, the venue wasn't crowded. Once Mara's ticket was paid for, the student insisted on going to the merchandising booths, to buy both of them souvenirs t-shirts. Mara's had the festival's logo, and would probably only ever serve as pajamas, Jack's had one of Linkin Park's album covers. Hybrid Theory, he definitely went old school on this one. As he was paying for both of them, his tuition had just came in, he heard a known voice shout his name. His classmates, still facing Mara, he rolled his eyes all the way back to his skull. Luckily, seeing he was "in very good company" the three guys left soon. There were two guys from his musicology classes, the third one an engineering student. Indeed, Loera's company was better by far.
Half an hour later, drinks in hand, they were sitting on the grass near the biggest stage. There was a small crowd enjoying a local band's show, loud speakers blasting generic Californian punk rock as she basked in the sun, while he breathed in the fumes of his first cigarette of the day. At some point, they started talking. An everyday, casual conversation, that Jack could guess was a rare occasion for her. If he could come back from college and procrastinate his essays, ignore the books he still had to finish - Mara couldn't. Her job was a 24/7 kind of stress.
Hopefully the festival could be a breath of fresh air for her too.

As the sun started setting down, Linkin Park's first part was getting ready on stage and a larger crowd gathering. Soon, Jack helped Mara up and basically ran to the stage. They were decently close to the scene, able to see perfectly each of the musicians. The air was still breathable, the two of them able to move without meeting too much resistance. Won warned her it wouldn't last long though, and even if she looked like she expected it, the brunette didn't seem too happy about that.
Somehow, they ended up at barricade when the real show began. Heavy guitars, voices of the public mixing with the artists' and the drums at the very first note of the opening song - Jack loves it. It's the best feeling he's ever felt. Somehow, it feels like home, like getting high on sounds only. It feels like sharing something with the crowd, with Mara.
During the concert, Jack stays behind Loera to prevent her from getting harassed or touched inappropriately. It's not his first concert with female friends, and he's never been afraid to act like a watchdog when needed. Unfortunately, a crowd movement caused by a moshpit pushes him forward to the barricade during the encore, his left side hitting the metal with enough force to stop his breathing for a few seconds.
He coughs, all the commotion around him a white noise blur. Mara asks if everything’s fine once, he guesses, then twice before he finally answers he's alright. He remains feeling approximately fine until the end of the festival, pain only hitting him again as they start walking to the parking lot. He has to stop near the entrance. "I knew something was wrong !" Mara decides. She looks both energised and tired, like she's discovering live bands and already anticipating the next show she'll see.
Smiling from one ear to the other, Jack pushed his back against the nearest street light, instantly whining because of the pain in his chest. "don't worry it's not that bad," he announced, hoping she'd believe him. “but i think i broke a rib ? maybe ?” he tried, knowing all too well she’d get annoyed at him - which he always avoided.
She indeed sighs, walking up to him as she messaged her chauffeur. Probably telling him where they were, and that they couldn't move that much. With nothing but worry in her voice, she started getting the strands of hair sticking to his forehead off of his skin. "How come you didn't get yourself killed yet ?" Good question, he thought, only answering with a guilty smile. "You gotta be more careful."

An hour later, they were sitting in the nearest hospital's waiting room. Jack had protested it all he could, anxiety skyrocketing in the building's parking lot, the younger pleading her not to go. Jack hated hospitals, doctors and nurses with a passion - they terrified him. The sight of sick and dying patients in the same waiting room as him drove him insane. He closed his eyes, the back of his head resting against the wall, focusing on breathing in and out slowly. At the very least, he wasn't alone - and the wait didn't last long enough for him to lose his mind completely. Soon, a middle-aged lady in all white called his name : he had to do an x-ray radiography to confirm his fracture. Great, he whispered. Fucking great.

Both Jack and Mara walked into the changing room, her company startling him slightly. He didn't know any of the customs of this kind of places, he hadn't walked into a doctor's office in years. The nurse told him to get rid of everything that could compromise the x-ray of his chest, including clothes and jewelry. She then left, leaving him alone with the brunette.
She turned around without being asked, remembering the kid was quite shy. He knew she'd be looking at him later on, as the changing room doors had small round windows, but still appreciated the thought.
Without Mara seeing him, Jack got rid of his shirt - or at least tried to, growling at the sting in his chest as he lifted his arms up. Hearing his pained yelp, she turned around once again, helping him get his t-shirts off, both the thin long-sleeved one he had worn under & the one with the winged, red character on it. She then turned her back to him, busy trying to fold the clothes as a voice called his name from the radiography room. Jack was glad he took off all of his piercings but the earrings before the festival, he wouldn't have known how to explain any of them to Mara. He took those off too, as he had heard the metal could interfere with the process.
Cautious, he stepped in, trembling like a small dying leaf in the wind. It was everything he feared : big machines he had no idea what were their uses, a man in a white coat, and the smell. That fucking smell. It reeked of death in here, of alcohol and metal. The same smell their biology room had when they had dissection classes. The man hid behind a thick glass panel as Jack whispered a small "Hello", seemingly starting of the engines as a beep rang. Jack jumped iout of surprise, lost as what to do and where to stand. Arms awkward on his chest, he was hiding for as long as he could. The idea of Mara looking at him was long gone, his brain hyperfocusing on all the stimuli around him. "Please stand straight in front of the board behind you," Jack turned around to look at it, a scale for height next to his right shoulder. A bit above 5'8, but fear made him forget immediately. "with both arms on your sides. Please don't move and don't breathe in or out when I start, alright ?" Jack stayed silent, warry of every word. "alright-" he finally whispered, nodding quickly. "don't move." he breathed out one last time, waiting for everything to stop beeping.

Behind the locker's door, Mara was eyeing the musician's silhouette. She already had small glimpses of his body, which didn't strike her as extraordinarily beautiful. He didn't have the muscles of the guys running along Santa Monica's pier, nor the tan glow of every actor in Hollywood. Jack had none of that, maybe that stupid smirk of his could widely be considered attractive, but that was mostly it. His appearance, you either loved or hated, there were no in between. And, Mara hoped, that difference could be his strongest argument.

Porcelain skin, that most Californians and north Americans would consider unattractive. But Mara knew that, where'd come from, it was a standard of beauty. As pale as possible, light skin and red cheek like primary colours on a blank canvas. She knew his skin tinted easily, Jack blushed quick. Hopefully, his epiderm marked as quickly.
She had clients, not a lot but enough of them, complaining she only had women in her network. It was a principle of hers : her escorts were cherished, like beautiful jewels. All of her them were souls Loera had wanted to help, at some point.
No men, an unwritten rule. She despised them. She had all the reasons to.
And still, Won seemed like a perfect candidate. His figure wasn't daunting, hidden being his baggy clothes, but now, she could see him in his half naked glory without any disturbances. And the kid was built, she had to admit : wide shoulders, flat chest and stomach dipping into a tiny waist. His arms were the nicest, as she expected from a pianist. For a junkie, he looked healthy, subtle muscles gained with the time he spent outside, dragging his heavy bags everywhere he went. Mara wondered how long he'd been homeless.
He wasn't his first Asian escort, but he was the first who had immigrated from directly from Seoul, Korea. He could be a curiosity at first, and then, have every client grow oh so smitten with him, just like she had. It was business, only business. Jack could have so many opportunities - Mara couldn't let him get away.

Ten minutes later, a random doctor joined them in his office, putting the radiography back in a big envelope. "So, it's not broken all the way through, you should be fine if you rest properly for a week." Mara looked briefly at Jack, who nodded, obviously still in a state of shock. "I'll give you some pain killers for the first few days. Now, for the invoice, there's ways to help you pay, if you nee-" the brunette raised an eyebrow. "To help us pay ?" the younger wasn't in good enough of a shape to note that, staring at the envelope with empty, clouded eyes. "you guys are homeless, right ?"

Jack snapped back to reality when he heard Mara raising her voice at the doctor, throwing her black debit card on his desk without even looking at him. "We were at festival earlier, that's why we stink" he tried, but she threw him a look like daggers, shutting him up. With the radiographies and his prescription, they left the hospital in a deafening silence. As they climbed into the car, Jack asked her how he could repay her these medical expenses, to which she answered plainly. "My previous offer still stands." he nodded, buckling his seatbelt, careful to not hurt himself furthermore. "The escorting thing ?" Mara laughed, a dry chuckle that unsettled the younger. "Yeah, that." she confirmed, only meeting the younger's stubborn silence. The chauffeur had started the engine, probably guessing he shouldn't wait for an answer before leaving. Somewhere on the highway, Won mustered the courage to whisper a small "Alright, i'll do that."

MARY

Re: blood, sweat & tears | ONESHOT #1 (24%) Ven 3 Juil - 23:23

Jack Won
Admin

Messages : 97
Date d'inscription : 29/04/2019
Age : 30
Localisation : Bronx, New-York

Trigger + content warnings:

blood, sweat & tears

my last dance, too

"it's jade." Won smiled at a curious Mara. She was wondering what kind of jewel it was, since it seemed that the teen decided to start wearing the bracelet daily. "it's supposed to ward off evil spirits, something like that." he added with a grimace, feeling a bit silly to admit that in front of her. In fact, he knew a whole lot more about Korea's favourite semi precious stones. His mom loved them, used to gift him pretty jewelry with some of it every occasion she had. Green is your lucky color , she'd repeat.
Jade was one of the first thing he got rid off, when trying to fit in with the other Californian kids. It's not a skin colour kind of thing , he'd always tell her. Looking back, it definitely was. Jack instantly felt like shit, again. He refused to eat the meals his mom cooked for lunch too, at school, because it smelt different from the other kids'. He wanted the cool kids' branded clothes, not those she bought in Korea Town. He wanted anything to try and fit in. He wanted a lot, and even though he never asked for much, and was very well aware of his parents' financial situation, his mom always guessed what he wanted. And she provided. As much as she could, everytime she could.
Damn , Jack thought, i must've been the worst kid ever.

Jade was exactly what he needed right now. He had acted all tough and proud since she announced that one of her clients had booked his first rendez-vous - but the now bleached blonde kid was actually pretty nervous. Of meeting someone interested , of not being good enough . Of many things, but mostly of what was, in his mind, basically another form of virginity.
That's also what Mara had told the client , that the "new guy" was a virgin - which Jack felt was true, having refrained from sex since he got cut open back in December. A whole four months without touching anyone but himself, he basically had won his V card back.
That's what Mara planned on capitalising on, his so-called virginity . It was auctioned, clients had put their prices on the table and Mara chose from that mess. She didn't say much, but the guy she opted for ended up being the one who offered the most money. A regular customer . And Jack would get his fourty percent soon.

He hoped his first client would allow him to keep the bracelet on. It was thin, the deep brown thread clung to the ivory skin of his right wrist. The small stone was tightly wrapped into the leather, and shone beautifully under the setting sun. The little thing looked way less luxurious than true Korean jewelries, but this one, he could wear daily without getting too many unsolicited questions. "would you like one too ? it's good for your health, and it brings good luck." he asked Mara, trying to change his mind and ease it a little by simply ignoring the bigger concern. He would meet the guy in the afternoon, directly in his room after dinner. It'd be an unusual night, as an escort, as he'd be the center of attention of his client and not only a pretty face to flaunt to colleagues or friends & family. Usually, he would have to keep his elegance understated, and to remain as natural as possible - but tonight, he was the gift. The only one the client would look at. "may i ?" Mara spoke softly, fingers caressing the leather straps of the bracelet. He nodded, putting down his musicology book to let her inspect it. He was studying in her office, curled up into the comfiest armchair he had pulled closer to her desk, to help her count some money before focusing on his homework. She liked the bracelet, and Jack thought it'd look beautiful on the copper reflects of her skin.

"and what if they hate me ? if they find me ugly ? or not tall enough-" he confesses finally, out of the blue, as she stares at the green rock. Mara sighs, he hasn't asked many questions and she's scared he's not as ready as he claims. "it's not your fault you've crossed paths with people that had shitty tastes." She decides, a hint of warmth in her voice. It's easy to understand the kid, his eyes reflect his emotions like glass. They could've been friends, under different circumstances, they both know it. But they have to remain at least a little professional, there's no place for tenderness between them. "the client chose you. It's their problem if they changed their mind." Jack thinks for a while, then throws a slightly crooked smile. "Yeah, you're right." She knows she's right, but he obviously needs a little more convincing. "thanks Mara" he whispers when she lets his hand go. "He'll meet you directly in his room, you won't have to be out in public today." She repeats, once again, the only thing that seems to soothe the musician for real.

"That's.. great. thanks Mara" this time, the smile's a realer one. Mara gets up, her racks of money now secured in her safe. "Now come over, we'll get something to eat, and then we'll have to get you ready, alright ?" Jack follows her, leaving his book on her desk. She doesn't mind, it has her office feeling more alive, it has Mara feeling a bit less lonely. "Get me ready ?" He raises an eyebrow as they walk
"Of course. This time, I think it's better if you don't. But with guys, you'll need to 'prepare' , obviously-" Her fingers gesturing quote marks in the air makes him understand. "and it helps most of my escorts, mentally. But we need to make you all pretty too !" Jack sighs, admitting he had never thought about these essentials details that being an escort brought. "I rented some clothes for you, and we need to give some color back to your face."

MARY

Re: blood, sweat & tears | ONESHOT #1 (24%) Ven 3 Juil - 23:25

Jack Won
Admin