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marysuevirusTitle: Friendship Set to Music Chapter Three: Piece of My Heart
Fandom: Marvel (60s Counter-culture AU)
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: ~2900
Warnings: Drug use, drinking, sex (M/F, F/F, M/M, and every other combination)
Disclaimer: I don't own anything recognizable. Marvel does. The sues are the property of their originators;ladydeathfaerie, ginevrasm, nanaeanaven, sessys_fangirl and dazzledfirestar. I don't make any money from this.
Author's Notes: Well, so much for quick updates. Honestly I'm not sure where I'm going with this anymore aside from a few vague notes but I think I can put something together. I hope it's worth the wait. it's only been 13 ish years, right? The song Haley is singing along to is Son of a Preacher Man by Dusty Springfield.
The diner was mostly empty when Dare stepped inside. She glanced around, looking to see if there was a good spot open. She’d just wanted to get out and about for a little bit and the apartment was packed full with the guys, Haley and her activist friends and everything else going on.
She was absolutely not expecting to see a familiar face.
Dare slid into the booth across from the other woman and her jaw dropped. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Don’t swear, there are families in here,” Morgan glanced around, as if she thought someone might kick her out. It was possible, she looked like she was down to her last nerve. “And I came here looking for you.”
“Me?” Dare almost laughed. “Why would you be looking for me?”
It was a fair question. The two girls hadn’t talked since Dare had skipped town a year ago and that felt like forever, but something about the way Morgan was sitting, the way she was fidgeting, told Dare that something was really wrong.
Even during Dare’s original days of rebellion, Morgan had stuck around, despite warnings and shock from her parents and her very strait-laced friends. Morgan hadn’t told anyone when Dare had started drinking, or smoking pot. Morgan had kept a lot of her judgement to herself. And Dare appreciated that, even if she knew her friend was confused and maybe a little horrified by her behavior.
“I need your help. No—nobody else wanted me around after—” she sniffled a little. “I need a place to stay, and I know you don’t know me from anyone anymore but…”
“Hey, is that all? I think I can help with that.” Dare reached across the table. “What happened?”
“I…” Morgan shifted again, straightening her skirt. “I’m… in trouble.”
It took a second for that to sink in but Dare nodded slowly. Maybe Morgan wasn’t as judgemental as she thought. If she’d managed to get pregnant then obviously there were some things she was okay with. “Okay. Who did it?”
Morgan was sure her cheeks were on fire. She couldn’t believe she was having this conversation out in the open and Dare was so calm about it. “It… we started dating after you left, and I thought—”
“Okay I get it, he’s a really good guy and I just wouldn’t understand,” she sighed heavily and shook her head.
“It wasn’t like that,” Morgan frowned again. “I thought we would be together forever.”
“Then why isn’t he taking care of you?”
“He said… his father knew someone who could take care of it, but I didn’t want that,” Her voice got very quiet.
“Oh Morgan…”
“I know… I was so stupid…”
“I wouldn’t say that.” Dare sighed, trying to work out what their next steps were. She got the feeling Haley would be better at this and she’d get some of her new roommate’s help when they got back to the apartment but in the moment, she wasn’t entirely sure what to do. “You’ve got shit taste in men though.”
That got the first smile she’d seen from her old friend. “You can say that again.” She sipped from her water glass again. “Where have you been staying?”
“With some friends,” Dare shrugged. Sure, it had only been a couple days but everything she’d learned about Haley and Johnny and the rest of the people spending time at their place, Morgan would be safe there. “They’re good people. Nobody is going to bother you about anything.”
“Sounds too good to be true.”
“It kind of is, but…” Dare looked her friend over. The dress she was wearing was a little tight—probably due to her condition more than a style choice—with a cutesy collar, tights and kitten heels. She was the exact opposite of the first impression Dare had gotten from Haley but hopefully, they wouldn’t butt heads too badly. “Look, this isn’t going to be like what you’re used to, okay?”
“What do you mean?”
Dare watched her carefully, trying to figure out how to explain what she was probably walking into. “It’s just not really the kind of scene you usually run with. It’s a lot of free spirits in the same place at the same time, you know?”
Her face said she did not in fact know but she nodded. “Okay. That doesn’t sound so bad. What are you worried about?”
Dare smiled. Maybe it was the kind of thing you just had to experience to understand. “Nothing. You’ll be fine.”
***
“Where’s your partner in crime?”
Haley lifted her head from the guitar in her lap, setting it aside and smiling. “Which one?” She tilted her head before continuing. “Dare is… I don’t know. She left this morning saying she wanted to go to the diner, and she hasn’t come back yet. Johnny’s upstairs with Pete and Bobby. Why?”
Clint sat down at her feet, pulling the closest ash tray closer before he started picking at his base. “And you’re here all by yourself?”
“Not anymore,” she teased lightly, leaning forward and putting her hands on his shoulders. She stayed there as he started to play a recognizable bass line. She hummed for a moment before she started singing softly along to the song.
Being good isn't always easy
No matter how hard I try
When he started sweet-talkin' to me
He'd come and tell me "Everything is alright"
He'd kiss and tell me "Everything is alright"
Can I get away again tonight?
He tilted his head back and smirked up at her as she sang through the rest of the song. She moved to sit back before he grabbed her wrists and kept her where she was. One hand came up to cup the back of her head as he kissed her. “Clint…”
“What?” He smirked again. “Come on, sweetness. Can’t blame me for wanting a couple minutes of you all to myself.”
“You are trouble,” she sighed, freeing one hand and taking his cigarette from the ash tray. “But I guess I can’t blame you.” She took a drag before setting it back down. “So, what’s your plan for all this quality time?”
His smirk morphed into something a little more predatory as he set down the bass and crawled up onto the couch with her, kissing her deeply. She moaned softly, wrapping herself around him as her fingers moved to his shoulders and up into his hair. “I got a few ideas.”
She laughed as he pinned her to the couch, her long skirt trapping her legs for a moment. “I can just imagine.” She reached up, cupping his cheeks as she pulled him into another long deep kiss. She could never put her finger on why but being alone with Clint always felt dangerous. She wrote it off most of the time as leftover hang-ups from societal expectations. Some lingering monogamous pressure.
Either way though, as he pulled her skirt out of the way, she felt a rush work its way through her system.
Or maybe it wasn’t that deep, and he was just that good.
She managed to wrap her legs around him, moaning into the kiss as his fingers slid between her thighs. He pulled away and chuckled. “Come on, sweetheart. I know you’re louder than that.”
“You know you have to earn that,” she smirked up at him before her head fell back against the arm of the couch in a moan. She giggled a moment later as he slipped down her body and under her skirt. She gasped a moment later as his tongue slid over her clit. “Clint, oh god!”
“You told me to earn it, sweetness,” he chuckled against her thigh before leaving a small bite mark there. She groaned deep in her throat as he sucked on her clit and slid a finger into her. Haley knew better than most what getting her off did to Clint and she was looking forward to what else he would do to her.
The first time when it had been her and Clint and Johnny had been electric. He’d pushed past limits she hadn’t really thought about in ways that Johnny had never tried to. She’d loved every minute of it and wanted more.
She told Johnny that it was just sex and she’d held to that, but it was getting harder to explain away the flirting and the warmth that was growing there.
Her brain stopped short as he added a second finger. She moaned his name again, arching up off the couch as she nearly came.
She heard another voice from the staircase to the roof. “Can’t leave her alone for a minute, can you?”
Johnny’s chuckled followed. “Can’t leave either of them alone for long.” He came over, kissing Haley deeply as she groaned again. “Having fun?”
“Always.” She smiled up at him before she cried out, coming hard on Clint’s tongue.
He smirked as he climbed over her. “Just needed an audience, huh?” He kissed his way up her body, before sitting up and pulling her into his lap. “You wanna go for round two?”
“Oh, hell yes,” she moaned, rolling her hips against him before kissing him deeply. Her hands moved to his jeans, struggling a little to get them down far enough to stroke his cock. “I love that getting me off makes you this hard.” She purred against his lips as she moved to slide down onto him.
He groaned, claiming her lips again as he lifted her up and thrusted into her. His lips claimed hers roughly, as his hands moved to grip her ass. When he spoke again, it was so quiet that only she could hear him. “I’m never going to get enough of you.”
She groaned, biting her lip as she matched his hard, deep rhythm. It felt too close, too much and she wasn’t sure she’d be able to hold it together. “Clint…”
He smiled up at her before he winked, smacking her ass hard enough to make her cry out. It was a way to cut the tensions or redirect it. She kissed him again, shivering against him. “You goanna cum for me?” She could hear the smirk in his voice.
She gasped, rolling her hips to try to drag him over the edge with her. “If you keep doing that, definitely.” She grinned, nipping at his bottom lip before he smacked her ass again. She moaned, and gasped as his fingers found her clit again. It only took a few strokes to send her tumbling over the edge. She kissed him deeply, pulling him along with her.
They only a few moments to catch their breath before the front door slammed open. Clint’s eyebrow crept up as he looked over Haley’s shoulder. “Who invited Annette?”
Haley turned to look at the doorway and saw Dare with someone. “Hey,” Haley got up, smoothing her skirt and putting herself between Clint and the women in the doorway long enough for him to pull his pants ack up. “Who’s this?”
“This is an old friend, Morgan,” Dare pushed her forward a little as Johnny came out from the kitchen. “This is Haley, she and Johnny let me stay here.”
“Hi.”
Haley watched the girl look around a little before she responded. “Nice to meet you, maybe we should take this upstairs?” She shot a look at Dare and started guiding the girl toward the steps that led to the roof. She seemed so nervous, and more so when she looked at the guys.
It didn’t take long to get settled on the pile of blankets that lived on the roof. Haley figured this wasn’t a time for any kind of drinks or extras as she sat down. “So…”
“I’m sorry we just burst in,” Morgan’s cheeks flushed.
“It’s no problem at all,” Haley smiled, trying to make her more comfortable. “The door’s always open to anyone who needs it.” She glanced over at Dare, trying to figure out exactly what was going on. “Do… do you need it, Morgan?”
“Just like that?” Her eyes went wide.
“I told you, this is for real,” Dare put a hand on Morgan’s.
“As long as you don’t mind a lot of music, and the revolving door of people,” Haley shrugged. “And some other stuff.” She glanced at Dare again, the meaning of her words.
“She’s cool.”
“With everything?” Haley gave Dare another long look. There was too much at stake to risk anything.
“She never said anything before, I doubt that’s changed,” Dare sat back a little when Morgan nodded.
“I… I’m not really in any position to judge anyone,” her cheeks lit up again.
“What do you mean?” Haley put aside her concerns as she saw the girl’s nerves come through.
Morgan looked back at Dare and Haley saw her friend nod. “She’ll understand, Morgan.”
“I… my family doesn’t want me around right now,” she spoke quickly, trying to get it all out. “I was… I mean, I had a boyfriend and I thought it was forever but—”
Haley caught on relatively quickly. “Oh. Wow, okay. So what do you want to do?”
“I can’t just… take care of it,” Morgan nearly let a few tears slip out.
“Then you don’t have to. I don’t know how much help we can be but we’ll figure it out, okay?” She smiled and put a hand on Morgan’s ankle. “It could happen to any of us, and some of us would be far worse off. You’re safe here, okay?”
“That’s what Dare said too…”
“Good,” Haley smiled at both women. “I’m glad we made that clear.” She glanced back at the door. “We’ll introduce you to the guys… they’re not all here right now but it shouldn’t take too long.”
Morgan nodded as Dare pulled out a cigarette and lit up. Morgan looked over at Haley. “So, the guy on the couch? Was that your boyfriend?”
Dare laughed before Haley shook her head, and answered in a way that confused Morgan further. “No, that’s Clint.”
“He’s the bass player.”
“The bass player?”
“You’ll meet the rest of the band later. They rehearse here a lot.” Haley grabbed Dare’s cigarette and took a drag before giving it back. “Johnny, my boyfriend, was the blond coming out the kitchen.”
“Oh…”
“You’ll catch on eventually,” Dare shot her a smile.
***
The school bylaws and legal textbooks and every other pertinent piece of information they could fine was laid out over the table. It looked fairly normal in the university’s library, but it made Jehnna nervous. It seemed a dangerous place to plan a protest against the university.
Roxxy was digging through the piles, talking softly to herself as she set things aside in a pile. “Find anything?” She lifted her eyes to Jehnna and smiled.
“Not yet,” she set the book in her hands down. “But I admit I’m not the best at research stuff. I’m not entirely sure I know what I’m looking for.”
“Any rules around political freedoms will help for a start,” another voice filtered out through the stacks around them for a moment before two men approached the table. “Ladies.”
Roxxy smiled up at the first man to reach them before she stood and kissed his cheek. “Jehnna, you might be off the hook. The reinforcements have arrived.” She gestured to the man standing next to her. “This is Matt. He’s in one of my poli-sci courses. He’s trying to become a lawyer.”
“Sorry we’re late, class went a little long,” Matt lowered himself into the seat next to Roxxy before motioning toward the man he’d come in with. “This is Steve Rogers.”
Jehnna felt her breath catch. He was beautiful. He seemed a little nervous to be there—a feeling she understood—but he gave a small smile to both of them before sitting down and picking up one of the piles of notes. “So, what are we looking for?”
His voice pulled her out of her head, and she blushed. “Oh… um, I’m not totally sure honestly.” She laughed softly and her blush deepened when he echoed the sound.
“We might be in trouble then,” his smiled widened and she tucked herself back into the book in her lap. “How did you get into all this?”
She looked over at him and tried to figure out the best way to communicate what was motivating her. “I… I lost someone close to me. He… he was drafted and…”
“Oh,” Steve nodded as if he understood. Maybe he did. “I’m sorry you lost someone like that.”
“What about you?” it felt safer to change the subject away from Sam. “You don’t really look like the kinds of guys Roxxy brings into things like this.”
“What kinds of guys are you bringing in?” Matt smirked as Roxxy playfully smacked his arm.
“I just meant—”
“I took her to Haley’s, she’s still recovering,” Roxxy sighed heavily and went back to working on whatever she was working on.
Steve’s chuckle brought Jehnna’s attention back to him. “I guess I don’t really fit the mold, but… this is important. I have seen first-hand what happens and I don’t want anyone else to have to deal with that.”
Jehnna blushed. “Me either.”
Oh yes, she was absolutely in trouble.
Fandom: Marvel (60s Counter-culture AU)
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: ~2900
Warnings: Drug use, drinking, sex (M/F, F/F, M/M, and every other combination)
Disclaimer: I don't own anything recognizable. Marvel does. The sues are the property of their originators;
ladydeathfaerie, ginevrasm, nanaeanaven, sessys_fangirl and dazzledfirestar. I don't make any money from this.Author's Notes: Well, so much for quick updates. Honestly I'm not sure where I'm going with this anymore aside from a few vague notes but I think I can put something together. I hope it's worth the wait. it's only been 13 ish years, right? The song Haley is singing along to is Son of a Preacher Man by Dusty Springfield.
The diner was mostly empty when Dare stepped inside. She glanced around, looking to see if there was a good spot open. She’d just wanted to get out and about for a little bit and the apartment was packed full with the guys, Haley and her activist friends and everything else going on.
She was absolutely not expecting to see a familiar face.
Dare slid into the booth across from the other woman and her jaw dropped. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Don’t swear, there are families in here,” Morgan glanced around, as if she thought someone might kick her out. It was possible, she looked like she was down to her last nerve. “And I came here looking for you.”
“Me?” Dare almost laughed. “Why would you be looking for me?”
It was a fair question. The two girls hadn’t talked since Dare had skipped town a year ago and that felt like forever, but something about the way Morgan was sitting, the way she was fidgeting, told Dare that something was really wrong.
Even during Dare’s original days of rebellion, Morgan had stuck around, despite warnings and shock from her parents and her very strait-laced friends. Morgan hadn’t told anyone when Dare had started drinking, or smoking pot. Morgan had kept a lot of her judgement to herself. And Dare appreciated that, even if she knew her friend was confused and maybe a little horrified by her behavior.
“I need your help. No—nobody else wanted me around after—” she sniffled a little. “I need a place to stay, and I know you don’t know me from anyone anymore but…”
“Hey, is that all? I think I can help with that.” Dare reached across the table. “What happened?”
“I…” Morgan shifted again, straightening her skirt. “I’m… in trouble.”
It took a second for that to sink in but Dare nodded slowly. Maybe Morgan wasn’t as judgemental as she thought. If she’d managed to get pregnant then obviously there were some things she was okay with. “Okay. Who did it?”
Morgan was sure her cheeks were on fire. She couldn’t believe she was having this conversation out in the open and Dare was so calm about it. “It… we started dating after you left, and I thought—”
“Okay I get it, he’s a really good guy and I just wouldn’t understand,” she sighed heavily and shook her head.
“It wasn’t like that,” Morgan frowned again. “I thought we would be together forever.”
“Then why isn’t he taking care of you?”
“He said… his father knew someone who could take care of it, but I didn’t want that,” Her voice got very quiet.
“Oh Morgan…”
“I know… I was so stupid…”
“I wouldn’t say that.” Dare sighed, trying to work out what their next steps were. She got the feeling Haley would be better at this and she’d get some of her new roommate’s help when they got back to the apartment but in the moment, she wasn’t entirely sure what to do. “You’ve got shit taste in men though.”
That got the first smile she’d seen from her old friend. “You can say that again.” She sipped from her water glass again. “Where have you been staying?”
“With some friends,” Dare shrugged. Sure, it had only been a couple days but everything she’d learned about Haley and Johnny and the rest of the people spending time at their place, Morgan would be safe there. “They’re good people. Nobody is going to bother you about anything.”
“Sounds too good to be true.”
“It kind of is, but…” Dare looked her friend over. The dress she was wearing was a little tight—probably due to her condition more than a style choice—with a cutesy collar, tights and kitten heels. She was the exact opposite of the first impression Dare had gotten from Haley but hopefully, they wouldn’t butt heads too badly. “Look, this isn’t going to be like what you’re used to, okay?”
“What do you mean?”
Dare watched her carefully, trying to figure out how to explain what she was probably walking into. “It’s just not really the kind of scene you usually run with. It’s a lot of free spirits in the same place at the same time, you know?”
Her face said she did not in fact know but she nodded. “Okay. That doesn’t sound so bad. What are you worried about?”
Dare smiled. Maybe it was the kind of thing you just had to experience to understand. “Nothing. You’ll be fine.”
***
“Where’s your partner in crime?”
Haley lifted her head from the guitar in her lap, setting it aside and smiling. “Which one?” She tilted her head before continuing. “Dare is… I don’t know. She left this morning saying she wanted to go to the diner, and she hasn’t come back yet. Johnny’s upstairs with Pete and Bobby. Why?”
Clint sat down at her feet, pulling the closest ash tray closer before he started picking at his base. “And you’re here all by yourself?”
“Not anymore,” she teased lightly, leaning forward and putting her hands on his shoulders. She stayed there as he started to play a recognizable bass line. She hummed for a moment before she started singing softly along to the song.
Being good isn't always easy
No matter how hard I try
When he started sweet-talkin' to me
He'd come and tell me "Everything is alright"
He'd kiss and tell me "Everything is alright"
Can I get away again tonight?
He tilted his head back and smirked up at her as she sang through the rest of the song. She moved to sit back before he grabbed her wrists and kept her where she was. One hand came up to cup the back of her head as he kissed her. “Clint…”
“What?” He smirked again. “Come on, sweetness. Can’t blame me for wanting a couple minutes of you all to myself.”
“You are trouble,” she sighed, freeing one hand and taking his cigarette from the ash tray. “But I guess I can’t blame you.” She took a drag before setting it back down. “So, what’s your plan for all this quality time?”
His smirk morphed into something a little more predatory as he set down the bass and crawled up onto the couch with her, kissing her deeply. She moaned softly, wrapping herself around him as her fingers moved to his shoulders and up into his hair. “I got a few ideas.”
She laughed as he pinned her to the couch, her long skirt trapping her legs for a moment. “I can just imagine.” She reached up, cupping his cheeks as she pulled him into another long deep kiss. She could never put her finger on why but being alone with Clint always felt dangerous. She wrote it off most of the time as leftover hang-ups from societal expectations. Some lingering monogamous pressure.
Either way though, as he pulled her skirt out of the way, she felt a rush work its way through her system.
Or maybe it wasn’t that deep, and he was just that good.
She managed to wrap her legs around him, moaning into the kiss as his fingers slid between her thighs. He pulled away and chuckled. “Come on, sweetheart. I know you’re louder than that.”
“You know you have to earn that,” she smirked up at him before her head fell back against the arm of the couch in a moan. She giggled a moment later as he slipped down her body and under her skirt. She gasped a moment later as his tongue slid over her clit. “Clint, oh god!”
“You told me to earn it, sweetness,” he chuckled against her thigh before leaving a small bite mark there. She groaned deep in her throat as he sucked on her clit and slid a finger into her. Haley knew better than most what getting her off did to Clint and she was looking forward to what else he would do to her.
The first time when it had been her and Clint and Johnny had been electric. He’d pushed past limits she hadn’t really thought about in ways that Johnny had never tried to. She’d loved every minute of it and wanted more.
She told Johnny that it was just sex and she’d held to that, but it was getting harder to explain away the flirting and the warmth that was growing there.
Her brain stopped short as he added a second finger. She moaned his name again, arching up off the couch as she nearly came.
She heard another voice from the staircase to the roof. “Can’t leave her alone for a minute, can you?”
Johnny’s chuckled followed. “Can’t leave either of them alone for long.” He came over, kissing Haley deeply as she groaned again. “Having fun?”
“Always.” She smiled up at him before she cried out, coming hard on Clint’s tongue.
He smirked as he climbed over her. “Just needed an audience, huh?” He kissed his way up her body, before sitting up and pulling her into his lap. “You wanna go for round two?”
“Oh, hell yes,” she moaned, rolling her hips against him before kissing him deeply. Her hands moved to his jeans, struggling a little to get them down far enough to stroke his cock. “I love that getting me off makes you this hard.” She purred against his lips as she moved to slide down onto him.
He groaned, claiming her lips again as he lifted her up and thrusted into her. His lips claimed hers roughly, as his hands moved to grip her ass. When he spoke again, it was so quiet that only she could hear him. “I’m never going to get enough of you.”
She groaned, biting her lip as she matched his hard, deep rhythm. It felt too close, too much and she wasn’t sure she’d be able to hold it together. “Clint…”
He smiled up at her before he winked, smacking her ass hard enough to make her cry out. It was a way to cut the tensions or redirect it. She kissed him again, shivering against him. “You goanna cum for me?” She could hear the smirk in his voice.
She gasped, rolling her hips to try to drag him over the edge with her. “If you keep doing that, definitely.” She grinned, nipping at his bottom lip before he smacked her ass again. She moaned, and gasped as his fingers found her clit again. It only took a few strokes to send her tumbling over the edge. She kissed him deeply, pulling him along with her.
They only a few moments to catch their breath before the front door slammed open. Clint’s eyebrow crept up as he looked over Haley’s shoulder. “Who invited Annette?”
Haley turned to look at the doorway and saw Dare with someone. “Hey,” Haley got up, smoothing her skirt and putting herself between Clint and the women in the doorway long enough for him to pull his pants ack up. “Who’s this?”
“This is an old friend, Morgan,” Dare pushed her forward a little as Johnny came out from the kitchen. “This is Haley, she and Johnny let me stay here.”
“Hi.”
Haley watched the girl look around a little before she responded. “Nice to meet you, maybe we should take this upstairs?” She shot a look at Dare and started guiding the girl toward the steps that led to the roof. She seemed so nervous, and more so when she looked at the guys.
It didn’t take long to get settled on the pile of blankets that lived on the roof. Haley figured this wasn’t a time for any kind of drinks or extras as she sat down. “So…”
“I’m sorry we just burst in,” Morgan’s cheeks flushed.
“It’s no problem at all,” Haley smiled, trying to make her more comfortable. “The door’s always open to anyone who needs it.” She glanced over at Dare, trying to figure out exactly what was going on. “Do… do you need it, Morgan?”
“Just like that?” Her eyes went wide.
“I told you, this is for real,” Dare put a hand on Morgan’s.
“As long as you don’t mind a lot of music, and the revolving door of people,” Haley shrugged. “And some other stuff.” She glanced at Dare again, the meaning of her words.
“She’s cool.”
“With everything?” Haley gave Dare another long look. There was too much at stake to risk anything.
“She never said anything before, I doubt that’s changed,” Dare sat back a little when Morgan nodded.
“I… I’m not really in any position to judge anyone,” her cheeks lit up again.
“What do you mean?” Haley put aside her concerns as she saw the girl’s nerves come through.
Morgan looked back at Dare and Haley saw her friend nod. “She’ll understand, Morgan.”
“I… my family doesn’t want me around right now,” she spoke quickly, trying to get it all out. “I was… I mean, I had a boyfriend and I thought it was forever but—”
Haley caught on relatively quickly. “Oh. Wow, okay. So what do you want to do?”
“I can’t just… take care of it,” Morgan nearly let a few tears slip out.
“Then you don’t have to. I don’t know how much help we can be but we’ll figure it out, okay?” She smiled and put a hand on Morgan’s ankle. “It could happen to any of us, and some of us would be far worse off. You’re safe here, okay?”
“That’s what Dare said too…”
“Good,” Haley smiled at both women. “I’m glad we made that clear.” She glanced back at the door. “We’ll introduce you to the guys… they’re not all here right now but it shouldn’t take too long.”
Morgan nodded as Dare pulled out a cigarette and lit up. Morgan looked over at Haley. “So, the guy on the couch? Was that your boyfriend?”
Dare laughed before Haley shook her head, and answered in a way that confused Morgan further. “No, that’s Clint.”
“He’s the bass player.”
“The bass player?”
“You’ll meet the rest of the band later. They rehearse here a lot.” Haley grabbed Dare’s cigarette and took a drag before giving it back. “Johnny, my boyfriend, was the blond coming out the kitchen.”
“Oh…”
“You’ll catch on eventually,” Dare shot her a smile.
***
The school bylaws and legal textbooks and every other pertinent piece of information they could fine was laid out over the table. It looked fairly normal in the university’s library, but it made Jehnna nervous. It seemed a dangerous place to plan a protest against the university.
Roxxy was digging through the piles, talking softly to herself as she set things aside in a pile. “Find anything?” She lifted her eyes to Jehnna and smiled.
“Not yet,” she set the book in her hands down. “But I admit I’m not the best at research stuff. I’m not entirely sure I know what I’m looking for.”
“Any rules around political freedoms will help for a start,” another voice filtered out through the stacks around them for a moment before two men approached the table. “Ladies.”
Roxxy smiled up at the first man to reach them before she stood and kissed his cheek. “Jehnna, you might be off the hook. The reinforcements have arrived.” She gestured to the man standing next to her. “This is Matt. He’s in one of my poli-sci courses. He’s trying to become a lawyer.”
“Sorry we’re late, class went a little long,” Matt lowered himself into the seat next to Roxxy before motioning toward the man he’d come in with. “This is Steve Rogers.”
Jehnna felt her breath catch. He was beautiful. He seemed a little nervous to be there—a feeling she understood—but he gave a small smile to both of them before sitting down and picking up one of the piles of notes. “So, what are we looking for?”
His voice pulled her out of her head, and she blushed. “Oh… um, I’m not totally sure honestly.” She laughed softly and her blush deepened when he echoed the sound.
“We might be in trouble then,” his smiled widened and she tucked herself back into the book in her lap. “How did you get into all this?”
She looked over at him and tried to figure out the best way to communicate what was motivating her. “I… I lost someone close to me. He… he was drafted and…”
“Oh,” Steve nodded as if he understood. Maybe he did. “I’m sorry you lost someone like that.”
“What about you?” it felt safer to change the subject away from Sam. “You don’t really look like the kinds of guys Roxxy brings into things like this.”
“What kinds of guys are you bringing in?” Matt smirked as Roxxy playfully smacked his arm.
“I just meant—”
“I took her to Haley’s, she’s still recovering,” Roxxy sighed heavily and went back to working on whatever she was working on.
Steve’s chuckle brought Jehnna’s attention back to him. “I guess I don’t really fit the mold, but… this is important. I have seen first-hand what happens and I don’t want anyone else to have to deal with that.”
Jehnna blushed. “Me either.”
Oh yes, she was absolutely in trouble.
(no subject)
Date: 2024-01-21 09:12 pm (UTC)can i just say that i really love that Dare is kind of a different person here? like, she's still Dare, but she's more. i was starting to think it wasn't possible. and i really love that Haley is just so open and willing to help. two perfect strangers in basically as many days.
yes, i'd say Jehnna is definitely in trouble. it will be interesting to see how that all plays out. Roxxy and Matt are going to be dangerous together. i can just tell.
i cannot wait to see how Morgan reacts to the band.
excellent work, sweets! i really enjoyed it!
(no subject)
Date: 2024-01-21 10:35 pm (UTC)Haley is very much of the mindset that, without Johnny, she would be in a similar boat so she'll help anyone who needs it, because there but for the grace of God. This version of Dare has outlets that the main version doesn't and I like how that shakes out for her. lol Hopefully the good times last!
Jehnna needs a proper gentleman and I think she's in good hands!
Morgan is in for a trial by fire, but I'm sure she'll find a nice corner of peace for herself eventually.
Thanks hun!
(no subject)
Date: 2024-01-25 11:50 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2024-01-26 12:52 am (UTC)