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Realistic or Modern DotC High

Winsley rolled her eyes when he mentioned that she needed rest. "Nooo," She whined, not wanting to sleep just yet. Even if she didn't want to go to sleep though, she didn't resist. There didn't need to be resistance if he was staying for the night. For once she was decently comfortable being in the arms of someone other than her friends, which was definitely a good change for her. It was new, something different and exciting. She nodded whenever he spoke, agreeing when he guessed that Patch would be in the other room. Still, guilt fell over her that she was leaving Patch alone that night, but she didn't want to leave Jay alone. She would still have Patch in the morning, but she wouldn't have Jay.

They reached the guest bedroom where Sage slept, and she was laid down on the mattress. She smiled brightly when he spoke of what they could do tomorrow, and it made her extremely happy. Before then she would have to fix things with her friends, but surely she figured that it wouldn't be too much of a problem. "Sounds like a plan." Her voice was quiet and content. She slowly closed her eyes, laying there in silence. It always took her a few minutes to sleep, and this wasn't an exception. During the silence, she curled up next to him, wrapping an arm around his waist. The physical contact helped her relax. Not too long after, she began to drift off.

Meanwhile, in the other room, Patch had been smoking. The room smelled heavily of weed, since she was intent on being high. During the night she snuck out into the kitchen and took some booze, deciding to drink away whatever anger or sadness that she felt. It was almost like Winsley didn't care anymore. Was some rich kid really above her, the one who had been there for her when she needed it most? The one who took care of her when she was down, and provided her with needs that she couldn't provide herself. It was saddening. She drank a bottle. Then two, then three. Soon she stumbled over to the couch with an empty bottle in hand, passing out not too long after. The joints that had once littered the cushions had been brushed off to lay on the floor. She knew that she wouldn't feel well in the morning once the hangover would begin, but she didn't care. All she cared about that night was to not feel anything.
 
Jay had woken up that next morning to the sound of text messages pinging through. The noise was something of a generic beep that played over and over again, and he groaned weakly, blindly reaching into his front pocket, then his back, until he found his phone. Eyes still closed, he moved it up to his face, listened to the vibrant buzzing for a bit longer, and finally forced his eyes open, squinting at the glowing screen. He had seventeen texts from his sister, Celeste. He unlocked his phone, clicking on the messages and reading through them. Dad found the weed in your room... he said he wants to kill you... please come home... he's so mad, I'm scared... Jay he found my medicine in your pillow case... why did you have it... Jay please come home... he says he's going to throw your stuff away... Even as Jay read the messages, another one came through. He broke your laptop. Jay sighed, sitting up and looking down at Winsley once, rubbing her arm gently before getting up and calling his sister.

"Elle, Sweetie, you just go to school, okay? They're not mad at you," Jay said quietly, not wanting to wake Winsley. "But he'll hurt you if no one's home when you get here," she insisted. Jay bit his lip, chewing on his snake bites as he thought for a moment. "Go to school, Celeste, little sisters shouldn't have to worry about big brother problems, alright? You have that Math test, today, and you gotta do well. Don't worry about me. You know dad's all bark and not bite," Jay insisted. It was a lie and they both knew it. "I love you, Jay," Celeste mumbled. "I love you too, Sweetie, now get-" Jay paused as he heard his father's muffled voice from the background. "Celeste, darling, is that Jayden?" A pause. "No, dad, it's Riley, we're talking about our science project!" Celeste called, before her voice lowered as she went back to talking to Jay. "Please just don't talk back, Jay. He's really mad." Jay thought for a moment, before deciding to comply. He was used to taking a beating anyway. "Sure thing, Kiddo. Hey, tell you what, I'll come pick you up and we'll go out for lunch, okay? Maybe I'll even bring my friend. Now you gotta go. Don't be late, alright? Bye Elle," Celeste mumbled a goodbye that sounded nervous, and Jay hung up before turning back to Winsley.

He walked over to her, sitting down on the bed and taking her hand in his. "Hey babe, can you open those pretty eyes for me?" he cooed gently, leaning down to kiss her so she'd have something pleasant to wake up to.
 
Winsley slowly woke up to the sound of whispering, though she didn't open her eyes or even move. It was nearing the end of conversation, so she didn't know what was going on. She looked up when she felt his hand hold on to hers, before being met with softened words and a kiss. It made her share a smile, one that was weak from a certain tiredness that fell over her. "Hey there, Blue." In between her words she yawned, stretching out afterwards on the bed. With him already out of bed and having made a phone call, this indicated to her that he was probably going to leave soon, but just to be sure she had to confirm it. "Do you have to go already?" Winsley whined quietly like a child. She didn't want him to go, though she knew he would have to.

Kilo woke up the next morning, sluggish and exhausted. Even if he managed to sleep, he didn't sleep well. That night he had been on alert for any signs of Winnie having any troubles or nightmares. At one point he had laid there and watched her sleep. When he woke that morning, the first thing he did was check on Winnie, the lovely girl that he held in his arms. She still seemed to be asleep, and for the longest time he didn't want to disturb her. During that time, he had carefully moved strands of her blue locks away from her face, before planting a kiss on her cheek. Each movement was slow and precise, as not to scare her into waking. He then laid there, holding her close in his arms. Nothing felt better to him than to know she was safe in his arms in that very moment.


Korren had not slept well, having occasional nightmares, though nothing too severe to wake her up. In the morning she blinked awake, looking around the room to check if they were still okay, and they were. Something was missing though, or rather, someone. Sage was not in the bed, but he was sitting at her desk, asleep. Her homework was all set in a neat pile, while her computer had been open. Without a second thought she figured that he was only using it for research, which was sweet of him.
Slowly she moved off the bed, stood up, and walked over to Sage. She set her hand on his arm, and placed a kiss on his forehead. It felt slightly forced to still be acting as if there was nothing majorly wrong, but she had to. She contemplated whether or not it would have been best to go to school or not. On one hand she wanted to stay with Sage for the rest of the day with a dream of no consequences, or she could go to school and make sure her grades were kept afloat, all while allowing Bucky to keep a close eye on her. In her mind, the second option seemed safer. As long as Bucky got what he wanted, she assured herself that everything would turn out okay, even if that was a complete lie. It terrified her to know that at any moment, if he got too suspicious of them, he could just shoot the people she loved.

"Sage," She whispered. "We have to go to school." One hand shook him slightly just so he could be fully awake. They had to go, no matter how scared or how much pain she was in. Today she just needed to stay on Bucky's "good side", and try her best to break up with Sage by the end of the day. That part of the day she was dreading completely. There was a pit in her stomach, filled with anxieties that made her feel uncomfortable and strange. She just had to last the day and keep things going as if everything was okay.
 
Jay looked towards Winsley as she asked that question, and thought for a moment. he supposed he did have to leave then, but he didn't want to. "I'm sorry, babe, as much as I'd love to give you my special morning after treatment I have some stupid shit I have to deal with." He leaned down and kissed her softly, since it was morning and he didn't have it in him at the moment to be rough. "But I'm going out for lunch today. Why don't you tag along? I'd love to show you off, babe." He refrained from mentioning his sister, figuring she would be a fun surprise. He rested his hand on her cheek for a moment, kissing her once more. He couldn't get enough of this girl. She was so intoxicating, and it made him almost slip into pulling off her shirt and forgetting about who he was and what he had to go home too, but his baby sister was scared and his dad was on a rampage. he stood up, moving into her room to put his clothes back on before coming back just to hear her answer before he left.

As Kilo kissed her cheek, Winnie blinked open her eyes, glancing up at him once before looking forward again, that blank stare in her eyes as she cuddled just a bit closer, desperate for his warmth. It was around this time that Dalton walked in to check on them, bringing breakfast for the two of them. "Winnie, I made you some scrambled eggs with cheese, Darling, and those little round sausages you like so much." He glanced once at Kilo before looking back at Winnie, who didn't move. Dalton sighed, setting the tray on the nightstand. "Kilo, make sure she eats, okay? And make sure you eat too. I made you a plate," he gestured towards the tray, "But if you're still hungry the fridge is yours and if you wanna go out for any reason," Dalton paused for a moment and pulled out his wallet, counting out three hundred dollars and handing it over. "Winnie likes parks. Maybe some fresh air could do her good." He knew that Kilo wouldn't need all that money but it was just a small thank you, in a way, for helping out in Winnie's time of need, for not leaving when he so easily could have. He had more money to give too, but for now he had to go to work and so he left them there, hoping Bronze would leave them alone.

Sage groaned slightly as Korren woke him up. He blinked a few times, looking up at her for a moment in a daze. He normally woke up early, but he had been so exhausted after doing so much work last night he had slept in. He carefully moved his hands to rub the sleep out of his eyes, offering her a weak smile. "Alright babe, if you're sure you want to." He slowly got to his feet, looking down at himself. He needed a shower, and clean clothes. "Do you mind if we run by my place though so I can get cleaned up? I'll get us breakfast on the way, too," he added, stretching and listening to the methodic pops in his back before kissing her cheek quickly. "I'll let you get ready, Harvard, and I'll meet you downstairs," he said, before heading out to give her her privacy.
 
Winsley frowned and looked down at the bed when he said that he did have to leave. It wasn't something she wanted to happen, and yet it had to happen. She nodded in understanding. Her mood at least uplifted when he kissed her, then invited her to go to lunch. The way he had kissed her was so new to her, it was an alien-like action, but she loved it. It was nice to know that he had a soft side as well, and it made her feel wanted by him. Rather than just for a casual affair, she figured then that he wanted to be with her more. That was nice to know for her. As he walked out, she decided that she would share her information in case he ever wanted to come over or talk.

She waited for him to get dressed before finally speaking again. "That sounds like a lovely time, babe. I can't wait." Just before he could leave, she got up from the bed and walked over to him. With the height difference it was much harder to do what she wanted, but that didn't stop her. She leaned up on the tip of her toes while bringing him down slightly by the collar of his shirt. From there she met him with a soft kiss, just like the ones he had given her, except she stayed for just a bit longer. When it was time to breath, she pulled away and took a deep breath. At that moment she wasn't relaxed and truly happy, a rare feeling to her anymore. "Now you're all mine." She gave him a hug, slipping a small white note into his pocket that contained her address and phone number, before finally letting go. "Alright, I'll see you soon, Blue." And with that she moved past him, holding on to his hand for just a moment, before disappearing off into her own room to get ready. That day she had to go to school to avoid getting kicked out, but she wasn't in a hurry. That morning she would have to make breakfast for Patch and herself, but for now she got dressed, not caring to shut the door.
---

Kilo smiled down at her as she woke up, and soon looked over when the door creaked open. He hung on to every word that Dalton had said. He nodded to confirm that he would help Winnie, and try to eat as well. In that moment he accepted the money. For Winnie's sake he would use the money to help her through the day, though he wasn't going to go overboard for her. "Thank you, sir. Have a nice day." Quietly he spoke, watching as the man left the room. Work reminded him that he would have to take a week off, and somehow explain to his mother that he wasn't going to work without her going off on him. Without him in employment their lives would be twice as hard as it already was now, since they would almost be in destitute. He sighed, deciding he would call his mother later.

For now though, he turned to grab the food tray and set it by him. He looked up at Winnie, placing his hand on her cheek. "Time to eat, Winnie." Kilo gently smiled at her, before picking up a fork and poking a piece of sausage with it. "And I'll tell you what. For every bite you take, I'll give you a lil' kiss. Don't worry about me while you eat though, I promise I'll eat. That sound good, love?" With his free hand he reached out for her hand, squeezing it softly to keep in contact with her. Any answer would do for him at that point. A yes or no, a nod, anything. Anything she did outside of sit there lifelessly was progress to him, and brightened up his day just a little more than before.
---

Korren watched as he woke, weakly smiling out of joy to see him awake. She nodded as he spoke, knowing that they would probably be late for school. That worried her, and the same paranoia from before seeped in. "Alright, but we better hurry. I don't want to be late." She spoke quietly, moving over to grab clothing and then headed off to the bathroom. "See you downstairs as well." With that she disappeared into the bathroom. Her daily routine was cut short to save time. She took a short shower, dried and brushed her hair, and put on her clothes. There was no time for specialties such as makeup. For the sake of looking nice though, she did pick black leggings and light colored shirt that covered down to mid thigh. She refused to wear a skirt that day, mostly out of fear.

As always she pinned the Harvard pin to her shirt, since she knew that she would definitely be needing it. For a moment she looked in the mirror and thumbed over the pin, lost in the fact that this would be the only thing that she would ever have to herself anymore, and that too might be taken away. It was saddening to realize that she had no solace or safe place to hide, no dream land that she could just run off to and know that everything was going to be okay. No. Those places didn't exist. It hit her hard to know that not even Sage could save her now.

Once she was finished getting dressed, she headed down the stairs, taking her time with each step. Her body still felt bruised, though it wasn't as bad as before. She would just have to deal with it though, since if she tried to treat it, in her mind everything would go downhill. Sage would notice, and from there she would never forgive herself.
 
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Home was not somewhere Jay ever wanted to be, and yet he always found himself standing at the front door, staring in through the glass panels, dreading the entrance yet never waiting for an invitation. He slowly pushed open the door, peeking inside. No sign of his parents. He walked in, glancing around, before the rumble of heavy footsteps left him to pause in his tracks. "Jayden Blair, where the fuck have you been?" Father dearest, accompanied by his ever-furious tone. It almost made Jay snort, to think this was nothing more than an everyday greeting for him. "I spent the night at a friend's house because my shift ran late," he lied easily, his words slipping off his tongue just as easily as honesty ever could. He tried to slip past his father, to move into the house rather than just stand near the entrance, but his father grabbed his shirt collar and shoved him back against the wall. Jay's feet barely touch the ground as he grabbed at his father's hands instinctively, trying to break free of his grasp.

"You think it's cool to still your sister's medicine? She needs that Jay, and you just took a whole fucking bottle from her! Do you know how long it's been since she's taken it because she's been too afraid to mention she lost it?" He was yelling so loud and Jay was so close by. It made his ears ring, and he glanced around, noticing his mother standing in the kitchen entrance. She caught eyes with Jay, the slightest hint of guilt and fear flashing through those green eyes. Part of her knew this was wrong, to treat Jay so badly, yet she would never interfere. "I made sure Celeste got her medicine. Now get the fuck off me," Jay hissed, pushing at his dad weakly. In response, he felt a fist slam against his stomach long before he could ever see it coming, and his father let him go just in time for Jay to crumple to the ground. His mother gasped, stepping farther towards them, as Jay coughed and gagged, struggling to catch his breath. "Don't talk to me like that," his father roared. "Honey, don't you think you're being a little harsh-"

"He took Celeste's medicine, Regina, do you know how that could have affected our little girl?" Jay's father demanded. Regina went quiet. She looked down at Jay, as if thinking for a moment if he deserved what he got or not, and then turned and walked back into the kitchen, dismissing the whole thing. Of course. No one ever took Jay's side. He slowly began to catch his breath, looking up to meet his father's gaze. "Give me your phone," he growled, and Jay knew the time for defending himself was over. He handed it to his dad without an ounce of protest, slowly pushing himself to his feet. "Come straight home after school."

"Dad, I have practice," Jay insisted. "I can't miss or I won't play in the game this Friday." There was silence for a moment, and then his father shrugged. "Then I guess you're not playing. Come straight home, Jay, or I'll take you off the team completely." Jay opened his mouth to protest, but soon went quiet. Football was one of two things he genuinely loved to do. He couldn't let his father take that away from him. "yes sir," he said quietly. His father nodded once, and walked away, and just like that the abuse was done for now. So Jay trudged up the stairs and got ready for school, before going back down and leaving the home he knew far too well, wishing he never had to go back.
--
Winnie laid quietly, listening to Kilo speak to her. She stared forward for a long moment, before slowly sitting up, her finger tapping his knuckle three times for three letters. Yes. That sounded great. Somewhere deep inside her own mind she was starving, and so she weakly reached for the tray and yet she couldn't quite grab it so instead her fingers just trailed against it. She wanted to eat, but if she couldn't grip a tray, how could she grip a fork? She leaned back against Kilo, tapping three taps against his knuckle once more. Yes. She was hungry. Her stomach growled to further this fact. Her eyes closed and she saw Bucky's sadistic grin, and then her eyes opened. She half expected him to be standing standing there, to be laughing at how he had traumatized her.

"Te amo," she mumbled, because she figured Kilo needed to hear it, to hear she loved him. She rested her hands in her lap, looking at the food on the tray as she leaned against him, feeling sad and pathetic, feeling dead- wanting to die. She wanted to drown. It was so painful but only for a couple minutes and then she could lay in piece in her death, but would that be fair to anyone else? Of course not. Kilo loved her- or did he? She was so damaged and broken and she wasn't some perfect virgin anymore. She wasn't beautiful anymore. How could he love her? He must have been lying. He was lying to her. A tear slid down her cheek, but the reason was unclear as to why. "Te amo," she said again, praying he'd say it back, praying he'd mean it.
--
Sage smiled as Korren came down the stairs, taking her hand in his own. "Well look at you, beautiful as ever. Still taking my breath away." He kissed the top of her head before leading her outside to the car. Once they were both in he drove them to his house and got ready quickly, knowing Korren wanted to be to school on time, before taking them both there. When they got to school, they were about ten minutes early, and Sage noticed a kid with black and white hair walking in- that pizza guy from last night. He didn't remember seeing him before today, but he tried not to think too much of it as he turned to Korren. "Hey love, I was wondering if you still wanted to go ice skating tonight? I think we've both been stressing and maybe I've been putting a little too much pressure on you so I thought it'd be nice. Ice skating and maybe we could even go to this cool karaoke bar too. Just something to have a little fun with, you know? Are you interested?" he asked, looking over at her, hoping she knew the choice was completely hers to make.
 
Kilo took account to the motion she presented, though it was confusing. For a moment he sat there, trying to figure it out. She at least said 'te amo', which was followed with her stomach growling. With that indication, he immediately understood. He lifted a fork that held some pieces of food up to her mouth, and would be repeating this motion once she started to eat. She repeated her words again, and he smoothed a free hand over her arm. "Te amo," Kilo repeated, though continued on with speaking in Spanish. "I love you so much, Winnie. You mean the world to me. You are my beautiful angel." He smiled when he finished speaking, before giving a light peck on the nose. Surely he figured that she didn't know that much Spanish, but she would soon tell her what he meant. He quickly translated it, speaking with just as much emphasis as he did for when he spoke in Spanish. Part of him broke when he saw the tear, though that was why he was trying to be as sweet as he could. It physically broke him down to see her in so much pain. At that moment he wasn't even hungry, and hasn't been since the whole situation went down. It disturbed him to know that he hadn't even noticed, though he had done that to himself from the times of self starvation. There was no will to eat, though by Dalton's instructions he felt the need to eat, no matter how sick he would feel from it. Instead of hanging on this thought, he returned to caring for Winnie. "Te amo, mi amor." He repeated. "Te amo, Te amo." This was for reassurance, since she was clearly shaken by something going on in her head.
---

Korren smiled when he took her hand, though when they walked to the car she turned towards her house one last time. Her eyes traveled up to the window, where she could have sworn to have seen Bucky in her bedroom. The more she looked, though, the more she noticed it was just objects in her room. She turned her eyes back to the car and got in, smiling as they went to school, even though dread filled her stomach. The whole drive felt closed in and intimidating, something she never wanted to feel around Sage. It felt like walls were closing in on her, even if it was just a casual drive. Finally they got to the school, and she was ready to get out. Before they could though, she was asked if they could still go out that night. She paused for a moment after he was done asking. It was hard to say anything but yes. She didn't want to say anything but yes. That enclosing feeling from the drive came right back.

She took a deep breath and smiled brightly, pulling off joy as if she truly was happy. "Of course, Greaser. Anything to be with you. And maybe we can visit your family? Maybe go out with the group? I'd love to get to know your friends and family." Korren leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek so it could solidify the answer. Then, she exited the car and grabbed her backpack from the back seat. Her heart leaped inside of her chest. That night she would have to dump him, she just hoped she was able to do it. On one hand she wanted desperately to just have a good time with him, while on the other she was paranoid over his own safety. She traveled over to the driver's side of the car and stood there, waiting for him to come out so they could head inside and get through the day. During the time she was with him, she was trying her best to enjoy time with him. She was hoping that they could at least visit his friends and family, so that she could see them one last time before she was forced to go back to the popular group again. Still she was terrified, but she had to keep it hidden. It was only a matter of time before her world would crumble down on her.
 
Winnie slowly took the bite of food he held in front of her, chewing weakly and, after a moment of building herself up, she swallowed as well. His words meant so much to her, and she cuddled close against him as he fed her. It made her feel pathetic, in a way, to have to be fed, but all the same she accepted it. After a good amount of her food was gone, she reached for the other plate, thinking for a moment before grabbing a piece of toast and holding it to Kilo's lips. She said nothing, only looked into his beautiful icy blue eyes expectantly. It was the slightest hint of emotion, something to tell him she wanted him to eat too, even if it was only this one piece of toast. It'd make her feel better, in a way. "Te amo," she whispered. "beautiful angel." She said this in spanish just as Kilo had the first time. Speaking english words seemed so difficult for her, but spanish rolled off the tongue. It didn't hold the same stress as English, because nobody could hear her except Kilo, so nobody would know her thoughts. The language felt private to her and comforting, so she would use it when she could.
-
"I'm sure I can convince them," Sage said, before kissing Korren quickly. He led her inside, walking her to her first class of the day. He held her hand in his, especially when they walked past any of the popular kids. He wanted to make sure she felt safe and he was sure she would so long as he was there with her. Still, it unsettled him a bit that she wouldn't deny if he was pressuring her. It all but confirmed that he was. It made him wish he could take it all back, but it was far too late for that, and so instead he just walked with her to first period, before promising to see her at lunch and heading off to his own class that would start his day off, not too eager for the long day ahead.
-
At lunch, Jay had started for the front doors, when Bucky soon began to walk next to him. Jay glanced around, as if to see if Winsley was there, before turning towards Bucky. "What's up?" he asked, knowing Bucky wouldn't be walking next to Jay without a reason. "Coach wants us all to meet up for lunch. it's about tonight's practice," he said simply. "I can't go tonight," Jay muttered. They reached the doors and he walked out, Bucky followed suit. "What the fuck? Why not? You're the best Wide Receiver we got." Bucky insisted. Despite the fact no one really like each other, the facts were not something anyone could overlook. "My dad grounded me."

"Fuck him up, then. Jay, if we lose the game we'll be walking the line. Don't fuck this up for us." Jay sighed, shaking his head. "I can't go against my dad, Bucky. He's not... well, you know." Once, before Bucky had revealed himself to be a complete tool, Jay had opened up to him. Bucky had been understanding back then. "I know. I'll try and cover for you, I guess, but coach is going to be pissed. And if you don't play I'm gonna hit you harder than your dad does." Bucky punched Jay's arm almost playfully before heading back inside, and Jay sighed, walking over to his car and leaning on it, waiting on Winsley to show up so they could go out together.
 
Kilo felt content when she had eaten, with a relief somewhat washing over him. She was cooperating and speaking, and those were two signs of her seeming to heal. When she was done eating, he sighed. There was accomplishment to every day things that should have been much easier than what they were now, but he didn't care. He got to take care of Winnie. And it seemed by her bringing up the slice of bread, she wanted him to eat now. Her words brought a smile to his face, brighter than the ones he was giving before. Without grabbing the toast, he simply nibbled it and pulled it slowly out of her hand with his teeth. In a way it was an attempt to make her laugh, or at the very least smile. From there he didn't use his hands, and in fact held on to hers as he ate the bread, keeping the piece hanging from his mouth until he could eat it all. Crumbs covered his chin and the bed sheets, but he didn't mind. He simply brushed off what he could from the bed, though didn't care to take care of his face. Instead, he moved in for a soft kiss, leaving small specks of crumbs behind on her face as well. It was his best attempts to make her smile, and if that didn't work, they could just cuddle for a little bit, and maybe even go out to a park like Dalton had suggested.
---
Korren clung to him as they walked through the hallways, making sure to keep her head down as not to look anyone in the eye. People watched as they passed by, though didn't make any comments out of fear of Sage being there. She smiled at him before entering her class room, walking to her usual seat.

Throughout the day, people looked at her funny and whispered about her, though she tuned them out. Nothing could break her cycle of thoughts. They all cycled through thinking about Bucky, then Sage and his family's safety, then back to Bucky again in a vicious process. She couldn't think properly, and whenever she was called on, she always hesitated. Each teacher before lunch had pulled her aside to ask if everything was okay. Each time she simply smiled and said she was fine, and that she was just tired from being sick for a few days. Every single time they believed her and just moved on with their lives.

When lunch came around, Korren stayed inside her classroom until Sage could come around to be with her. It terrified her to be in the hallways with no teachers present ever since the time she was blatantly beat up in the middle of the hallway. Impatiently she waited, checking her phone every other moment, while her vision shifted to looking around the outside of the room for any sign of Sage.
---

As lunch came around, Winsley had already come in for at least 30 minutes before lunch. When she was at home, she was too distracted with Patch. She had to make breakfast for her poor friend and tend to her every need, while all the while reassuring that she would never ever abandon Patch, and explaining the happenings of that night to her in summary. If it were anyone else she would have left no details or imagination of what exactly happened, but it was Patch that she was talking to. The one that she knew secretly had a crush on Winsley, but could never tell her. It was plain to her by the way she acted around Winsley, but she never let her best friend know that she knew.

As she walked outside to catch a smoke break with the cigars that Kilo had given her, she spotted Jay. With a wide grin she jogged over to him and gave him a big hug, since she wasn't tall enough to easily kiss him. "Hey there, hot stuff. Glad to see you here." And indeed she was. Out of pure joy to see him again, she kissed his chest, or rather his shirt, out of pure affection. Surely this boy was growing on her, and she was growing to love him as a person.
 
As Kilo nibbled the bread from her hand, Winnie felt the corners of her mouth tug up ever so slightly. When he leaned down and kissed her, his crumbs brushing over her face, her smile widened, the tiniest giggle fall out of her mouth. "So are you actually even feeling bad, or is this just all an act?" Winnie stopped, sitting back, looking up towards Bronze, who now leaned against the door frame. That dead sort of look fell into her eyes all over again. Bronze snorted. He wasn't drunk, which was perhaps the oddest thing to notice about him.

"I'd watch out, Kilo. My sister's a manipulative little bitch. She pretends, you see, to have her little panic attacks, to go dark. It's all a cry for attention, isn't it vet?" No, he wasn't drunk, but he was stuck in a hangover, which made him even more hateful than usual. Ambrose casually walked over to his sister, twirling a strand of her hair around his finger and tugging on it harshly. She winced. "She'd playing you. She loves to fuck with people, don't you, Vet?" Winnie looked down at the bed sheets. Last night, Bronze had hated himself for not being able to protect his sister, but now he understand. "I bet you asked for it," he cooed. "She loves to make people make her seem like the victim. Back in New York she paid a guy to "rob" her, was so desperate for Daddy's attention she got him to her a black eye. She's a smart little bitch, huh?" Bronze snickered, taking a fistful of her hair, just as insurance. If Kilo took a swing it would hurt Winnie too, and she whimpered slightly, backing away from Kilo, not liking the tense situation around her.
-
When Lunch came around Sage went to the cafeteria first, but when he didn't see Korren he headed up to her class, noticing she was still in there. "Hey, Harvard, come on." Sage walked over to her, taking her hand in his and kissing the back of it. "Let's get some of the good food before it's all gone, yeah?" He carefully led her to her feet, kissing her gently, before starting out of the room.

He knew she was still feeling bad, and it worried him, but he didn't dare push her. Tonight he was going to make all her troubles fall away. He had picked out a nice bracelet when he should have been in second period, and bought if for her. It wasn't a very expensive object, but it was pretty, he supposed, and elegant chain, and he planned to give it to her at the ice skating rink that night, something as a symbol for his love and devotion to her. he hoped she would like it.
-
"Glad to see you too, babe," Jay said, picking Winsley up and turning so she was pressed between him and his car. He kissed her roughly, wanting to give her a good taste, something for her too look forward to later in the day before, opening the door for her. "I have a little surprise for you," he said after slipping into his Ferrari as well and driving over to the elementary school. His sister, who was in sixth grade, stood by the curb, and Jay got out of the car to greet her. "Jay!" she cried out excitedly, running over to hug her brother. Unfortunately for Jay, she hugged him tight around his stomach, which made him wince in obvious pain. Celeste hardly noticed though seeing as her eyes were closed as she burrowed against him. He picked her up, chuckling and pretending his ribs weren't bruised. "Hey Sweetie, there's someone I want you to meet." He walked her over to the door so she could peek in. "Celeste, this a very pretty girl I like quite a lot. Her name is Winsley." Celeste slid out of her brother's arms and crawled into the car. "Nice to meet you! I'm Celeste but you can just call me Elle or Ella," she said, her voice bubbly and ecstatic as she climbed into the back and Jay slipped back into the driver's seat before pulling out of the parking lot.
 
Kilo couldn't help but chuckle along with her, genuinely feeling as though he did something right. Before he could make any comments, he heard her brother speak behind them. He tried his best to not place a look that screamed that he would punch the daylights out of the boy, and instead just did not turn around. While the boy spoke, he simply pretended that he wasn't there, while holding on to Winnie's hand. It was clear that Bronze's presence was not welcome by the way she had shut down oh so quickly.

He could no longer ignore the guy anymore when he started to tug on to Winnie's hair, causing his beautiful angel to feel pain when she was already dealing with enough of it on her own. At that moment he wanted so badly to sock him in the face, and yet he couldn't. Simply, he looked at Winnie with an apologetic look, before turning to Bronze. "Knock it off, man." He spoke simply, keeping a low and steady tone. Kilo was trying his best to keep himself in check as not to scare Winnie, all while fighting anger with a sort of calm attitude. "Look, I don't know what your deal is, but if you should be hurting anyone, it shouldn't be Winnie. I don't care about what happened in New York, I care about what's happening here, in a place where I know for a fact that there are people out for blood, and that there was no way in hell she could have asked to be hurt like she was then." He looked Bronze dead in the eye, wanting him to know that he was serious, for now he allowed Winnie to be away from him, though he kept a light hold on to her hand, keeping connected with her so that she would know he wasn't going to leave her side. "Hell, we can move outside for a minute and you could beat me till I can't get up no more, but for god sake don't lay a hand on your own sister." This wasn't as much a challenge as it was an allowance for Bronze to let out his frustration. At that moment though, he did want to beat him up. To set this kid straight was all he wanted to do, but it seemed that no matter what they did, nothing would change. "Or," He continued. "You keep hurting your sister, and watch as she deteriorates, and you wonder to yourself why in the hell you let yourself do that to her. She didn't ask for pain, and she damn well isn't asking for it now."

And with that, he went quiet, keeping a loose hold on her hand, as not to yank her with him if Bronze so chose to take up his offer and beat him up. He just hoped that Bronze understood that he was hurting Winnie, that she wasn't getting better because of him, but instead getting worse. "I just want to help her." Kilo spoke quietly, in a weaker voice. He glanced at Winnie, before looking down at her hand. "Just let me help her, that's all I ask." His thumb brushed over her knuckles, wanting to keep that same contact with her. In that moment his anger was dissipating as he looked at her, as he turned the focus on to the love of his life. There was no way in hell that Winnie had done what she did in New York, and he wasn't ever going to believe that until proven with facts otherwise, and even so, he would still love her.
---
Korren waited until finally Sage had come around, holding on to his hand. It made her smile when he acted so sweet and patient with her. "Okay." She walked down the hallway with him and to the cafeteria to get something to eat, even if at that point she wasn't all that hungry. In fact, she felt sick, though she didn't want to display that. As they walked to the cafeteria and got food, she kept her head down, avoiding eye contact with anyone and everyone. She squeezed Sage's hand tightly, since she was rather uncomfortable and frightened in a setting where everyone she once knew had been either looking at her, or most likely gossiping about her outside of their reach. Anyone who was closest to them didn't say a word.

Once she had looked up to see where they were headed or who was there in general. The first group that caught her eye was the popular group, including Bucky. Seeing him terrified her, and she quickly looked down. She only hoped he hadn't noticed her presence, although she was sure that he was fully aware of her being there. Thoughts of him and the other night came up and couldn't stop repeating the words he had said to her, which were engraved into her mind. "Sage, can we go somewhere else?" Her voice was timid and quiet, but loud enough for him to hear her. She held almost a death grip on his hand, making sure he would not let go for a second.
---
Winsley giggled as she was picked up before being met with his same old charm. She kissed him back though it ended with him opening the door. '"Ooh, I love surprises." During the drive there, she had been sitting there, impatiently waiting for the surprise, though when they finally reached the elementary school, she didn't expect the surprise to be his little sister. She just sat there in shock as this cute little girl was hugging him, although that wasn't the most shocking part. As they embraced, she noticed him wince, which unsettled to her. They would discuss that later though, but for now she got to meet his little sister. She waved as Jay showed her through the window, before the girl finally crawled into the back of the car. "Holy shit, is this the competition? Because if so, I'm f-uhh screwed." She stumbled on her words, trying not to curse as much as she usually did. Winsley climbed into the back of the car and sat next to his little sister. "Helloooooo, Ella! Oh my god your name is so pretty, girly." She spread her arms out wide, before pulling the girl into a hug, keeping her there for a few moments. "Jay, I'm kidnapping her, it's official."

Finally she let go of the girl, and smiled brightly at her. Just by meeting this girl she had wanted so badly to keep her as her own sibling, since she lacked her own siblings to share a house with. Sure, her friends were her family, but things weren't exactly the same with them. They all had their own lives and didn't depend on anyone or look up to anyone like a smaller sibling would. "Can you braid hair, 'cause I sure can't. God, did I say you're a cutie already? 'Cause I'm gonna say it again. You. Are. A. Cutie!" She poked her on the nose, before giving the girl yet another surprise hug. Today was going to be a good day to bond with this girl, and she knew that she wanted to befriend his family so that she would be allowed to be around this little girl and Jay both.
 
Bronze listened to Kilo, a slight hesitation falling over him as the guy seemed plead for Winnie to be left alone, to insist that he just wanted to help her, to accuse Bronze of being the problem. He scowled though, twisting his hand a little harder in Winnie's hair. She leaned back, hoping to stop some of the pain. "Come on, whore, spit it out. I know you wanna talk. Show him. Show him you're a liar, that' you're just going to ruin his life. Show him." Bronze insisted, and Winnie cried out. "Stop!" she shrieked, that single word weak, broken, and gravelly from her voice's lack of use. Bronze snickered. "Faker. You're not in shock, you're just looking for attention." He shoved her onto the ground, and tears spilled out of her eyes. "Stop, stop, stopstopstopstopstop." Suddenly she was speaking so fast her words were running together, shaking so violently it was almost like watching a stroke, and then she was out cold, her panic attack taking over her, consuming her. It had all happened so fast. Bronze nodded once, as if some sort of job was done, and picked his sister up, setting her on the bed. "She'll be back to normal when she wakes up. You're welcome." He started to leave, not bothering to explain how he knew what he was saying was true.

Winnie was such a complex person. He knew that well. It took a panic attack to get her out of such a dark state. Bronze had been the one to scare her out of it last time and he was the one to do it this time, too. Sometimes reality was cruel. Sometimes he had to make her cry so that she'd be okay. It was twisted logic, but it was all that worked on Winnie. Or maybe it wasn't. But he had never cared enough to find another method. Maybe it was because he was mad at her for being the golden child, for getting all the hugs and kisses and love, for getting all of Dalton's attention while he tried to drink himself dead. He resented his sister, for all her problems- for all her stupid fucking problems- and so if one way to cure her was by torturing her a little, why not? She deserved it anyways.
-
Sage glanced around as Korren made quite the odd request. He looked towards the popular kids and towards Bucky, who glanced over and waved at Korren mockingly. "Did that son of a bitch do something to you, Korren? Is that what's wrong?" Sage asked, trying to keep his voice gentle as he began to lead her to the front door. "I'll get us something through a drive-thru and we can eat out on the picnic table but Korren, if that bastard hurt you in any way please let me know," Sage pleaded, and in a way this was his coping mechanism. He didn't want to believe he had caused the problems with Korren so he was trying to push it onto someone else, to blame someone else.

Once they got to her car, he paused, turning to face her and smoothing her hair back carefully. "You are my beautiful, amazingly smart girlfriend, you know that Korren? And I don't wanna force something up you don't wanna talk about but I hope if there's a problem you'll let me know, because I promise you we can deal with it together. You and me? We're strong. When strong people like us wind up together, well," Sage intertwined their fingers together, squeezing her hands gently. "There's nothing that can stop us." He wasn't as hostile now, just sweet and positive, wanting her to feel safe with him but not pressured to tell him anything she didn't want to.
-
Jay chuckled at Winsley's excitement to see his sister. Twelve year old Celester had his black hair that fell down to her waist and those bright green eyes. Her skin was the same olive tone and her smile was just as charming. She was going to grow up to break some hearts, and Jay was going to break some faces. Already, little sixth grade boys seemed to be looking at his sister much longer than Jay would have preferred, and it irked him a bit. "Well of course I can braid! Can I braid your hair?" Celeste asked excitedly, starting to reach for Winsley's hair. "NO!" Jay shouted so suddenly that the car swerved a bit. Celeste let her hands fall back into her lap, looking towards the rearview mirror in confusion.

Jay cleared his throat nervously. "I mean, uh, Winsley doesn't like her hair being messed with, Sweetie," he said, his voice much gentler than before. "Oh, that's okay, I'll show you with mine!" Celeste said bright, brushing her fingers through her dark hair so it all fell over her shoulder. "So how'd your math test go today, Elle?" Jay asked. "Really good, Jay! I got a 98! Mrs. Pierce said I was the highest grade all day!" Celeste leaned forward, her hand resting on Jay's shoulder. "Thanks for helping me with all that weird fraction stuff. I don't think I could have done it without you," she insisted. Jay chuckled, shaking his head. "You're much smarter than me, Elle. Now put your seatbelt on, Sweetie," Jay said, and Celeste sat back and did as she was told, before beginning to explain to Winsley how to braid hair.
 
Kilo watched in horror as everything happened so quickly. Before he could do anything to help her, she was already out cold. For a moment he sat there in disbelief, unable to process what had just happened in front of him. He moved quickly over to check on Winnie, but the only thing he was met with was an unconscious shell of her. He brushed her hair out of the way, with anger filling him quickly. Now that she had been thoroughly injured and was not awake to see what he was about to do. Although he wasn't fully healed from the last fight, he was fueled and ready to fight. He stood up from the bed and walked forward with heavy steps. Kilo then proceeded to grab Bronze by the back of his collar and shoved him down on the ground face first. Then, he proceeded to climb on top of him, turning the boy around so he could look at Kilo. Immediately he pinned his arms on the ground so he couldn't fight back and pressed his arms down with all his might. "You listen to me you son of a bitch. Winnie is more than some doll you can throw around, ya' hear? I don't give a shit what you believe now. Now you're gonna leave her the fuck alone and let her fucking heal, or we're gonna have problems. You'll have more than a light beating to worry about." He growled out, sounding cruel and horrifying in his own way. This was possibly the worst threat he had given anyone, so he surprised himself. Yet instead of taking notice and refraining from using such a fear inducing tactic, he kept glaring into his eyes. Before long, he couldn't help but land a few punches to his face, before finally getting off of him, except this time he didn't make the mistake of turning his back on him. "Leave." He growled, gripping his hand into a fist until his knuckles were white. Nothing pissed him off more than Bronze's actions that night.
---
Korren looked up as Sage asked her what was wrong, and her face went stone cold. She couldn't speak,and didn't allow herself to. One last time she looked up at Bucky, who at that point was paying attention to them for sure. She bit her lip and looked back to Sage as he lead them away. It made her nervous to talk about anything involving Bucky abusing her, even if she now had the chance to. She didn't say a word, but that was enough to indicate her answer. Her face had drained of color as she walked, keeping her eyes on the floor. The time that they had stopped at her car was the time she had finally looked up at him. There was a sort of distant look to her eyes, painful and filled with dread. Her expression softened when he tried to comfort her, intertwining their fingers together. A single tear fell, which she quickly wiped away. She squeezed his hand and gave him a hug. Korren wanted to tell him everything and spill her heart out to him, but with Bucky in reach of them she couldn't risk it. She bit her lip and let out a shaky breath. What he was saying was a lie and he didn't even know it. She so desperately wanted to believe him, but she couldn't. Not with knowing so much about Bucky, and that he would carry through with his word.

After a minute or so, she let go of him, though still kept a hold on his hand. She kept her eyes on their hands that intertwined, fitting together ever so perfectly. Such a small thing helped her smile the kind of smile that was content, though not truly happy. She looked up to Sage, and for a moment just looked at him. Her hand went up to his cheek, brushing over it with her thumb. This was the face that she had loved so much, but couldn't keep. "Je t'adore, Sage... Don't you ever forget that, okay?" Her voice was quiet and pleading for him to understand that she loved him. Even if it wasn't clear as to what was going on, in her own way it was an early goodbye. It was something for him to remember if he ever doubted that fact. Just before he could answer to her, she leaned up and kissed him, before climbing into the car. She didn't want to hear his answer, nor did they need to ask any questions right now. All she wanted to do was try to love him and cherish him for as long she could before she had to let go of him.

---
Winsley had smiled at her and jumped when Jay had shouted, though she understood why he did. It made her feel bad to have his little sister be commanded in such a way for her own hair. Of course, she would have reacted horribly, though she would have tried to hold herself back for his little sister.

She chuckled when Celeste decided to play with her own hair, watching closely to observe every joyful part of this girl. It was wonderful to see siblings interact, and how they worked together during their different stages in life. She kept her attention fully on Celeste as she started to explain it, and even tried to braid her own hair to follow. Each step she tried her best to get right, though her hair just fell out of the braid. Nervously she chuckled, and decided that now it would be okay for his sister to touch her hair, but only with her permission. "You know, Elle. I'm not very good at this braiding sh..tuff. Why don't you braid my hair?" Winsley turned so that Jay could see her in the rear view mirror and gave a subtle wink. "Don't worry, I don't bite... too hard." She laughed to herself, pulling Celeste into yet another hug. It was too addicting to hold onto such a small girl, though in the little girl's eyes she must have smelled bad. That put a small damper in her mood, but it wasn't noticeable. "God, Ella. You gotta stop being so cute, I swear. I might use my witch magic to turn you into a lil' stuffed Elle so you'll be mine forever, mwahahaha!" At the end she gave a rather faked evil laugh, before giggling to herself and letting go of the little girl. Just so she could let her hair be braided, she turned around so that her back was facing Celeste. "Alright, sweet cheeks. Work your magic." All the while she looked towards Jay as he was driving, smiling all the while. Overall she was enjoying herself, hoping that lunch with Jay and Celeste could last forever.
 
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As Bronze was so abruptly thrown to the ground, his headache became even worse and he groaned as the hangover shot through him, dulling his senses as Kilo pinned him. He listened to him speak, feeling slightly intimidated by him in that moment. He looked scary, like some dark angel that would kill anyone that laid a finger on Winnie. It made Bronze wonder if Kilo had ever done such a thing, but before he could ask in some sort of snarky way, he felt a fist slam into his face, and then another. Bronze groaned, his head turning to the side as he spat blood out of his mouth, curling up as Kilo got off him, attempting to recover. He was told to leave, but first Bronze needed to catch his breath. It took a moment, but once he had, he pushed himself to his feet. He looked towards his sister once, shaking his head. "It's a shame, really, that you're so blinded by forty-eight hours with her that you can't even handle the truth." It was the last thing he said before he walked out, leaving them behind.

Winnie woke up about an hour later, feeling weak and disoriented. Her fingers reached out onto the blankets, squeezing them gently. "Ty," she mumbled, her voice weak. She felt like she was stuck in a haze, like that one time she had hotboxed back in New York. Her eyes squeezed tighter shut rather than opening, and she squeezed the blankets harder, her knuckles turning white from the pressure.
-
Sage felt a slight confusion by the way Korren talked, almost as if she was leaving. She didn't answer his question, didn't give him anything to go off, but she tell him she loved him, and he supposed that would just have to be good enough for now. He sighed deeply, getting into the car almost defeated, changing the music station to something Korren would like but keeping it quiet. He turned the car on, though they didn't go anywhere for quite a long time. "I love you, too, Korren, and I always will." He leaned over to kiss her cheek, deciding to drop the subject for now, before finally pulling out and heading to a nice fast food joint to get them a quick lunch.
-
Celeste practically shrieked with joy when she was allowed to braid Winsley's hair, and she gently brushed her fingers through the green locks, making sure not to tug on tangles or hurt her new friend in any way. "I love your hair, Winsley! I wanna dye my hair when I get older but mom and dad say it's not professional enough. I always tell them Jay's hair is dyed and he's going to be a professional football player and oh my goodness how much more professional can you get? But they always say no and that Jaybird only has a small chance, but I know he'll make it because he's my big brother and he's so good. He catches the ball every time! I go to his games whenever I can. Winsley, have you seen him play? He runs so fast. Like a bird flying through the air," Celeste spoke animatedly as she braided Winsley's hair, careful not to pull in any odd ways. She worked slowly before finally tying off the french braid, smiling at her handy work.

Jay chuckled from where he sat in the driver's seat. His sister had always been his biggest fan, and she was chirping away as if she was one right at that moment, always true to her brother. He glanced back at the two girls and grinned, parking in the lot of the restaurant. "Oh stop bragging on me, Elle, you're the real star of the family," he joked, poking her stomach playfully. She giggled quite loud, squirming at his tickles before he got out of the car.
 
Kilo glared at him, watching as Bronze finally left. He turned back to Winnie finally, sitting down on the bed next to her. His eyes were tired and worn down, and he almost had fallen asleep then and there, but he wanted to be awake for when she was awake again. Although, he did manage to take at least five minutes to go downstairs and make himself coffee, grabbing a snack for Winnie when she woke up. He didn't get coffee for her, though he would have been willing to share with her. Quickly he climbed the stairs, entering her room and sitting down next to her. There he sat for an hour, taking short sips from his coffee and watched over her. Finally when she was awake, he left his coffee on the night stand. As soon as he heard his name from her, he scooted closer to her. "I'm here, Winnie. I'm here. I've got you." He moved the sheets slowly off, before scooping her up and holding on to her. There he held on to her, keeping her in his lap as he brushed his hand over her back. "You're safe now, mi amor." His head hung over her shoulder as he hugged her. He had been so worried about her for that hour, he wasn't sure whether or not to call Dalton or the hospital. Now his nerves had calmed down, he could hold her knowing that she was okay, even if she wasn't completely fine.
---
WInsley chuckled as Celeste spoke well of her brother, not skipping a beat on complimenting or praising him. It was sweet to know he had such a nice little sister, which made her wonder about his family. It seemed like he would have a nice family, but from what he hinted at so far, the rest didn't seem to praise him like Celeste did. When the french braid was done, Winsley turned around and brushed her hands over the braid. It made her smile so brightly to have such a beautiful braid. "Oh Celeste, your hair is much prettier, believe me honey. But oh my goodness, you made one heck of a braid, I just might keep it in for the rest of my life." She chuckled, looking up to see Jay grinning back at them. It was cute to see them play around, before finally they left the car. Winsley quickly moved over to Celeste's side of the car, opening the door for the little girl and insisting on holding her hand on the way in. As soon as they were to hold hands, she waltzed right up to the restaurant doors, flinging them open for show. "Make way for Queen Ella! Make way, peasants!" She burst out loud these words with an obnoxiously posh British accent, holding the door open for the little girl, and Jay as well. It was the least she could have done to be of any sort of help for the evening, since she clearly would not be paying for the food.
 
Winnie looked up at him and began to sob, adjusting herself in his lap and holding him close. "Ty, I'm sorry. I don't know... I was scared and... and I love you, I love you, Tyler," she squeaked, her voice breaking and gravelly, her words interrupted by hiccups and sniffs as she buried her face in his tee shirt, hugging him as tight as she possibly could. It was all of the emotions had had been keeping bottled up suddenly exploding, pouring out, leaving her in a frenzy of choked sobs and a running nose that she couldn't breathe out of if she wanted to. Her hand moved to his heart, pressing hard against it, feeling it beneath her palm as she cried. It took a handful of time before she finally began to calm down, and when she did she merely curled up in his lap, her hand sliding under his shirt to feel the warmth and the heartbeat all at once.

A heavy breath fell out of her mouth and she closed her eyes. "Ty," her voice was small, and she stopped almost directly after that, taking a moment to catch her breath. The moment, however, turned into one minute and then two. "Please don't leave me. I know I'm... I'm not very.... I'm not much. But don't leave me," she pleaded, looking up into his crystal clear blue eyes for once instead of down like she always did.
-
Jay followed up behind his sister and Winsley, chuckling as Winsley announced their entrance. Celeste blushed slightly but held her head up high, walking more so like a princess than a twelve year old. "Funny, I thought you were my queen," he said to Winsley, grabbing the door for her and nodding for her to step inside, smacking her butt lightly to get her to move on. Celeste, meanwhile, walked up to the counter and asked for a table for three, to which the hostess, glanced towards Jay and Winsley. Neither of them probably gave off a very respectable look but she grabbed three menus anyways and began to lead the little girl off. Jay kept himself behind Winsley as they went to the table, sneaking quick kisses against her neck and keeping one hand on her hip as they moved, his thumb brushing under her shirt and pressing against her skin. Whether his sister was there or not he still wanted to have a little fun, he just had to make sure Celeste didn't notice.
 
Kilo held on to her as tight as he could, shushing her from every now and then to try and help her calm down. He held and rocked her in his lap as she cried, hoping that it would help. After a while, the crying slowed down, he listened to her words, being patient with her the whole way through. It was awful the way that she had been snapped out of her state of emotional death, but she was at least able to speak now. Even if it was difficult for her to articulate, she was speaking at the very least. He looked her in the eye, with her violet eyes, filled with such pain and grief. "I won't leave you, love. Not once.You mean too much to me." As he spoke, he placed his hand on her cheek, brushing a thumb over the cheekbone. His eyes softened as he continued to look into her space-like eyes, reddened and puffy from crying. "You have nothing to be sorry for, you know that, Winnie? There is nothing to apologize about. I'm just glad you're here with me. I love you so much." A small smile spread gradually across his face, holding nothing but appreciation that she was there, although in his eyes was grief, the same as hers. He wanted her to be okay, and he couldn't provide the immediate solution.

After a minute or so, he leaned in and gave her a soft kiss, careful to keep his movements slow and gentle so that she had every option to move away. Once he pulled away, he simply kept near to her, with forehead pressed to forehead. Minutes of silence passed before he managed to speak again. "You know, I was thinking of something we could do... something simple. Maybe we could bake something, whatever you want, and if you're up to it we could go to the park. Does that sound okay?"
---
Winsley chuckled as Celeste blushed, clearly embarrassed. She looked at Jay as he walked up and held the door, turning just in time to feel a light smack. Her head turned back, with a smirk on her face. "I am your queen, Blue. Name's Queen B." And with a wink she turned and took her time walking inside. As they followed the lady, Winsley couldn't help but chuckle quietly when he kissed her, teasing in small, hidden ways. In a way she couldn't help with reacting to his antics, though was trying to hide it around Celeste. To her the girl was the most innocent little girl in the world, with an innocence that shouldn't have been killed. They all sat at the booth, and Winsley scooted and pulled Jay so that he could sit by her side.
Under the table their legs bumped against each other, all the while keeping her hand on his thigh. It was a subtle movement, one that she could easily hold her composure with.
 
Winnie rested her head on his chest, relaxing against him as he offered for them to do something together. Her hand moved to his, squeezing it gently as she closed her eyes, weighing her options. Fresh sunshine sounded so nice, but going outside meant seeing people, maybe the people who raped her. The idea of it scared her, and she squeezed Kilo's hand a little harder. "The park sounds nice, but I... I'm afraid to leave," she admitted, her voice small as she looked up at Kilo. "They're out there. They're in this city and that... what if they... Ty, I can't go through that again. I don't know if I... if I can even look at them again." She took a deep breath, glancing down at herself. "Look at what they did to me." Of course, there was nothing much to see besides the hickeys on her neck and collarbone. Most of the bruises were hidden under her pajamas. "They made me so... ugly," she whispered.

Winnie had always prided herself on how she looked. She believed she was beautiful but she wasn't conceited about it. She was happy with herself and who she was, but now... how could she be? She wasn't a who anymore, but an it. An object. Her beauty had been strained away, and now she was nothing more than a shell for someone else's pleasure. That wasn't beautiful, that was pathetic.
-
Jay snickered at Winsley's obvious reactions to his cute little kisses, moving to sit next to her. Celeste sat across from then, her cute, smiling face buried in the menu as she began looking for something to eat. Meanwhile, Jay looked down at the hand on his thigh, casually crossing over her arm to set his hand on her knee, but ever so slowly dragging it back towards her. He didn't bother stopping either, since Celeste was too busy looking through the menu to notice.

He only stopped when their waitress came up, asking for drinks. She smiled a little too long at Jay, and he grinned right back. She was cute, after all, and Jay didn't deny himself simple pleasures like flirting with a cute girl. "You know, I really wanna a taste of something sweet," he said, his words falling towards a sultry category as he looked up at her. "You make anything like that?" and it was the way he asked it that made it sound much more provocative than it should have been. The waitress looked towards him with wide, bright eyes, before her smile grew. "I'll whip up something special just for you." She winked at him, before turning to Celeste. "And what'll it be for you, hon?" she asked. "I want sweet tea, please!" Celeste said brightly. The waitress nodded once before turning to Winsley. "And you, ma'am?" she asked, though her tone wasn't quite as pleasant as before.
 
Kilo nodded in understanding, squeezing her hand back as she spoke. The fact that those boys had hurt her so badly was brought up again. He placed his hand on her cheek, brushing his thumb carefully over it. For minutes there was silence that filled the room. The lack of his answer was replaced by the gentle comfort given. Soon, though, he managed to find the words to say. It hit him hard to know she had been so largely affected to see herself as some hideous being. "They did hurt you, but you are not lesser of a person, Winnie. When I look at you, I don't see some ugly being... Do you know what I see?" In between his words he paused, bringing her hand up while holding on to it to kiss her knuckles. "I see an amazing and stunning girl who's been through so much. I see such a beautiful human being in front of me. I have no words to describe you, because words wouldn't be enough." He pulled her in for a hug, holding on to her for a few minutes. Once it was time to pull back, he looked her in the eye once more. "I love you so much, Winnie." He smiled at her, leaving a light peck on the tip of her nose.

After that, he maneuvered so they were both at the edge of the bed, with her in his lap. "I know the perfect treat to make you smile, mi amor. And you are going to help me make it." He then picked her up and carried her down to the kitchen, spinning her around when they reached the final step. All he wanted was to make her smile and not think about those pathetic boys, the ones that made him consider committing murder. When they reached the kitchen, he placed her on the counter and started pulling out ingredients.

--
Winsley bit her lip as he trailed his hand up her leg, starting to feel blush tingle her cheeks. Since when did she blush? That didn't ever use to be a thing, but apparently now it was with him. Perhaps it was because Celeste was sitting right in front of him, but either way. Just before things could get any further, the waitress walked over. She watched the way that Jay interacted with this girl, and started to get a little jealous. It was mostly the way that girl eyed him, the way she talked and looked at him. The fact that Jay flirted with her in the first place didn't help either. When it was her turn to say what she wanted, she couldn't help but pull of an eerily happy smile. "I'll have what he's having. I'm sure it'll be just as good, or just as bad. Either way." She gripped his leg with her hand, before leaning over to kiss him on the cheek, close enough to his lips. Out of annoyance of this girl and the feeling of need to prove that Jay was hers, she turned his head towards her and kissed him. It was made clear that such a simple little waitress wasn't going to take him from her. She deepened the kiss, nibbling on to his lip for a moment before pushing a little more into the kiss. At that moment she had forgotten that Celeste was sitting there. Soon she was sitting on his lap, kissing him rather deeply right in front of the waitress.
 
Winnie smiled softly as he told her as beautiful she was. She didn't completely agree with his words but at least it made her feel good to know he thought that. As he picked her up, she wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning up to kiss his chin quickly, giggling as they got to the bottom of the stairs and he spun her around. "And what are we going to make, Prince Charming?" she cooed, that small smile on her face as she snuggled closer to him in his arms. She loved it when he held her. It made her feel safe, especially after everything that had happened. Kilo would protect her through it all, and she was content with that thought because she fully believed he could do it. He had saved her from Bucky before and he would do it a million times over if he had to- she knew that. She convinced herself of it, and after she did, she managed to squirm out of his arms and onto her own two feet.

She kept her arms around him though, letting out a content sigh as she leaned against him. "I've met a lot of people, but I've never met someone as amazing a you, Ty. I hope we stay together. I want us to be one of the ones that make it," she mumbled. She realized what she was saying might have been too much too soon, but it was on her mind, and she couldn't help but mention it.
-
Jay had been a little shocked by the jealousy that had poured so obviously off Winsley. He didn't consider them exclusive by any means, and it bothered him a bit to think Winsley perhaps thought they were. They weren't. He wasn't in love with her by any means and he certainly didn't want to associate with her outside of her house and maybe lunch. She was too much pressure on his reputation. For now she was just a fun toy, his own little secret, but certainly he wasn't exclusively hers.

Although when she started kissing him, he didn't complain. Instead he pulled her closer, his hands slipping to roam under her shirt as he tilted his head to deepen the kiss, his thoughts gone as his emotions ran high. He wanted to go farther, but soon a nervous giggle cut him off and he shoved Winsley off him quite roughly, wiping his mouth and turning back towards his menu, too afraid to look at Celeste. "Jay, should I just go back to the sch-"

"No!" Jay shouted, looking up at his little sister. "No, no, Celeste. You have to get to know Winsley. She's a friend of mine is all. Don't worry about it. What do you want, sweetie? Steak? Lobster? Shrimp alfredo-"

"Jay, I haven't even looked past appetizers yet," Celeste said gently, and Jay swallowed hard, obviously flustered. He nodded once, before looking towards the waitress. "Um get us cheese fries for an appetizer too," he added, the slight flirtation in his voice now gone. The waitress seemed frozen in shock, though she quickly blinked a few times, and scurried off in embarrassment, and Jay stuttered to find a conversation to get their minds off what just happened.
 
Kilo smiled when she giggled, and looked down at her when she stood there by his side. "We are going to make a cake just for you." He continued pulling ingredients out, though managed to place a hand on her back all the while in a makeshift hug while he was busy. Just before he could get anything else out, he turned back to her with a softness to his eye. "That would be amazing, Win. We'll see what the future holds." He leaned down and kissed her head, before moving to gather the rest of what they needed. It was a reach to say they would stay together, but it wasn't something he was opposed against. They didn't know what would happen, so he decided that whatever would happen, he would make the most of the moment.

All the ingredients needed was gathered, though he pulled out rough guidelines from a cook book to find which kind of cake they should make. The decision was placed on a strawberry shortcake. He started getting to work, listing ingredients that would need to go in the bowls and helping mix. Every now and then they would have to take a break. Either dancing around, or just holding on to each other. It didn't matter, just as long as they spent some time together.
--
Winsley had gotten into it as well, loosing her breath slightly from their antics until that nervous giggle pierced through and threw her off track. Soon she was shoved off and sent to the ground, which stunned her. She fell on her chest, holding out her hands to make sure she didn't land on her face. Immediately she lost her breath, landing with an oof, sucking in a breath as soon as she could. Instead of immediately, she held on to it. Her hair fell over her face, which was covered in that red pigment that didn't usually peak on her skin.

For a moment she just stayed there, unsure of what to think other than one thought. That was my fault. The expression on her face turned from embarrassed to ashamed. She had done that right in front of his little sister. The words shared after such an event were awkward and unsure, which made her feel worse. All she could think about in that moment was how she ruined the evening with her overbearing jealousy. It all was for good reason, right? Wrong. She was impulsive and realized that quickly.

Slowly she pushed herself up from the ground, letting go off the breath she had been holding on to for quite a bit. She stood up as soon as she could, grabbing on to her arm with her left hand in an uncomfortable motion. At that point her back was facing them, though she soon turned back around after the waitress was gone. She opened her mouth to say something, to make up for what had just happened, although there was no fixing it at that point in her mind. Usually she didn't know how to fix things, to apologize, and so she still struggled with doing such a thing then. Winsley sucked in a breath, and clamped her mouth shut. Her finger was raised to try and explain, though she soon put her hand down. "Uhm..." Again, such a hideous and unsure noise to come out of anyone's mouth irked her, especially if it was from her.

A sudden change of mind in what to do in that moment fixated her on a different route that she could take in the situation. It was an easy way out, something she always tended to go for in stressful situations such as these. She checked her pocket to make sure her phone was on her before giving a rather awkward half-smile. "I'll just... I need to... go to the bath- bathroom." And as soon as she could, she turned on her heels and headed towards the bathroom.

As soon as she reached the bathroom, she entered a stall and set the seat down, she curled up on the seat. She pulled out her phone and messaged Patch, all the while popping in her earbuds to listen to a quick song. It would have been easy for her to have a quick smoke, though she didn't want to get herself kicked out, further embarrassing Jay and his poor sister. His sister. The innocent little child had to see such a sight of jealousy right in front of her. It was too much, and now she probably didn't even want to look at Winsley now.

Patch? I'm sorry for blowing you off. I feel really bad. I know I've said this already but I really do feel bad. I'm a bad person. I just made out with Jay in front of his little sister... I'm so dumb. Maybe you can pick me up soon? I don't even know what to do. I'm an idiot.

Once she sent the text, she sighed and rested her head on her knees. Surely her friend wouldn't answer right away, though she hoped that possibly she could escape the embarrassment after such a terrible impression she left. The only reason she even cared so much was because of Celeste, that poor girl. That little girl. Now their lunch was ruined without it even starting... all because of Winsley.
 
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Winnie found the smile on her face growing into a permanent occurrence the more time she spent with Kilo in the kitchen. It made her happy to have him there with her, for them to be doing something so normal. Walking was still a sore movement so she tried not to move around too much but she did insist on cracking the eggs for the cake batter, and practically jumped at them when the time came. She also began to mix the batter, and once it was thoroughly mixed she snuck a taste.

It was nice to have little breaks where they would dance or he would hold her. It made her feel special and warm. "Tyler, after we eat the cake we should go to the park- the swings! I love the swings," Winnie said, having forgotten for one small moment about everything. But then she stepped forward towards him and that dull ache reminded her and the outdoors seemed frightening. She hugged him again though, keeping quiet about her worries for now. "Or um... on second thought, I think it's supposed to rain today so let's just watch a movie." Even if he could protect her, she didn't want to risk it. Of course, her weather report was completely false. She hadn't even seen a weather report in the last few days.
-
Jay watched as Winsley scrambled nervously for answers, for words that she couldn't find. He opened his mouth to reassure her, to help her, but it was too late. She had already rushed off to the bathroom. Jay sighed deeply, looking down at the menu with an almost sad look on his face, one Celeste took notice of. "If you like her so much go help her," Celeste said. Jay looked up, raising an eyebrow at his little sister. "Like her? Celeste she's just-"

"Jay. I'm not stupid. You bring girls home sometimes and I never see them again. You don't introduce me to those girls. Go make her feel better. She deserves that, doesn't she? To feel better? And you should be the one to do that. Girls love guys who take care of them," Celeste explained easily, and Jay looked at her for a moment, weighing the pros and cons. "Elle, just because I like Winsley doesn't mean I want her to get the wrong idea. I don't want a relationship. It's better to just let her cry out her own emotions." Celeste quickly shook her head. "No. You like her, Jay. You've never kissed a girl like that in front of me either. You completely forgot I was here. I think she's a keeper. Now go talk to her, right now Mister!" she added, and after a moment of thought, Jay nodded once and got up.

He headed into the girl's bathroom without batting an eye, and the one woman that was in there shrieked and rushed out. Jay casually slid into a stall, climbing up on the toilet and leaning against the wall, looking down into the one Winsley sat in. "You know, you're too pretty to get this frazzled," he told her casually. His arm reached down and he gestured for her to take his hand. "I'm always going to flirt, Wins, but it doesn't mean I don't wanna be with you. And you kissed me, so what? Celeste isn't four, she's twelve. She's seen worse on television. Babe, please smile for me, come back and let's finish our lunch, alright? We love each other so we can't let little embarrassing things fuck that up," he added, smiling at her in hopes his little pep talk would help.
 
Kilo smiled as she moved along with him, suggesting after their little baking session they should go to the park. Since she had just mentioned it, he didn't say anything to pressure or back the idea up, and simply waited a minute before she finally changed her mind. He held on to her to comfort her, making sure she was happy. "Anything you want to do, I'm all for."

They finished up the cake, putting it in the oven at last before they would have to add the strawberries. During their wait, Kilo picked her up and carried her over to the couch. "And now, we wait." He sat down and settled with her in the seat, holding on her just for the moment. It took him a few minutes to decide to even get back up again, though when he did he placed her on the couch so she wouldn't have to get up. He chose an easy movie, a cartoon more specifically. It may have been a kid's movie, but he didn't care. Something light-hearted and enjoyable to see was needed. He sat down next to her when the movie started, pulling her close so they could relax. This made him tired, though he could at least function for a while longer. For the last two days he hasn't slept well, so finally relaxing made him exhausted. He tried his best to stay awake though, avoiding from showing signs of exhaustion.
---

Winsley stayed in the bathroom until the song she played was over, and even so she couldn't manage to budge from the position she was in. It was comfortable to be held so close to herself, and felt like holding together parts that were shattered. Her focus, or lack of, had been knocked by the sound of the door opening and a woman shrieking. Such a sound confused her, though she managed to hear heavier footsteps head towards a stall next to her. There was something at the corner of her eye, or rather someone. Jay had come to check up on her. She looked up to see him peering down at her, reaching his hand out to her for her to grab. Instead of reaching for it right away, she hesitated, processing his words. Her expression was empty, lacking happiness or feeling, which usually happened when she spaced out of the world and into her own head. For a moment she looked down at her feet, still holding her legs against her body, contemplating what he told her.

After a minute or so, she finally looked up again and shared a hint of a smile, delicately reaching up and placing her hand in his. "Alright." She finally stood up, letting go of his hand to exit the stall. Winsley put away her earbuds and phone, not bothering to check at that point if Patch replied, which she probably wouldn't on time anyways. "Time for lunch with your crazy bitch girl-" She coughed, awkwardly pausing from the statement. Even if he called her babe, she was unsure if what they had deserved labels. "Crazy bitch girl, sounds like me." Instead of being so glum, she laughed it off and started heading for the door, though still she was slightly tense. Soon she would force herself to calm herself down, though it was difficult to change her attitude. Instead, she kept a small smile for Celeste, brushing her hair out of her face.
 
Winnie curled up against Kilo as the movie played, her head resting on his shoulder as she watched. She shouldn't have been tired and yet she couldn't help but feel exhaustion dripping into her bones. Still she wanted to stay up, to hear Kilo's heartbeat, to feel his warmth radiating off his body. It was so inviting and yet a thought came to her mind as she laid there with him. School.

She couldn't stay hidden in this house forever. She couldn't deny herself the park out of fear of everyone around her- let alone school. "I don't know if I can go back." And yet she was. She was denying reality for as long as she possibly could because this cozy little fake life she was living all snuggled up to Kilo was good enough for her. "Don't make me go back." It was so quiet, begging for something she knew could never happen.
-
Before Winsley could leave, Jay grabbed her hand and pulled her against him. "You're not a bitch, babe, you're a queen." He paused for a moment, really looking at her, really thinking about everything he had said. He realized then perhaps he was pushing ideas into her head that he wasn't going to go through with, but he couldn't help himself. She made him want to say those things, made him want to make her smile. He normally didn't care about things like that but with Winsley it was different.

Maybe it was because she was a rat. Rats had hard lives but the people who sat at his lunch table didn't. They cried over broken nails- Winsley cried over depression and anxiety problems. Anxiety. No wonder she had rushed off. He had almost completely forgotten about her problem. "You know, Celeste really likes you. She needs a big sister in her life and I think you'd be good to fit that role," he said, not realizing that his words could have been taken almost as a proposal. "And you know something?" He leaned in close to whisper to her, as if it was a secret. "I really like you too." This wasn't like the 'I love you' he had said before. That had been said out of pure lust but this, this meant something. But before he could think too hard about the mistakes he was making he leaned in and kissed her roughly. "And I think we should finish what we started," he added, mumbling into the kiss as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer.
 
Kilo held her close as they watched the movie, smiling all the while. A tiredness fell over him, though he stayed awake. They stayed there on the couch, peaceful as they watched the movie. It was a fantasy to be in such a state of peace, though he didn't bother to disrupt it. There was enough tragedy in her life for them to second guess the situation.

As soon as such a thought was given attention to, it seemed as if she read his mind. He held her just a bit tighter, not to hurt her but to keep her close, and kissed her forehead. "I won't make you, Winnie. I couldn't if I tried." Even though he wasn't sure exactly what she was referring to, he had a general idea. It had to have been school. What else would it have been? "I'll tell you what, Winnie. We can move your classes around so you don't have to face them. When you're ready, I'll be right there for you." Kilo smiled at her before giving a gentle kiss to keep a light-hearted mood. In mention of Bucky he didn't want to hang on the topic, especially with school. "Hell, I'll stick right by your side if I have to, mi amor. I won't let anyone hurt you on my watch." With that he looked into her eyes, refraining from blinking while making a silly face just to hear that sweet laugh from her. This lasted a couple moments before he finally pecked her on the tip of the nose, and kept her close.

A heavy breath fell from him, drawn out longer than it needed to be. Peace clothed him when the breath was completely released. Surely they could build a world there without any disturbances or horrors, though life still had to go one. The secret worry about work and helping his mother with finances hid in the back of his mind, though for now he surprised the idea of it.
---
Winsley was just about to head out the door, though her attention was snapped back to Jay. In the blink of an eye she was pulled against Jay, with her attention placed on him. She looked up at him, peering into his eyes as he spoke. All she could do was stand there and listen, since she wasn't completely sure what to think. It would have been easy to blow it off and say he was wrong, but he seemed so insistent to state this. There was a brief silence between them, filled in with a hint of a genuine smile growing on her face. She kept eye contact when he spoke, and giggled slightly when he leaned so close to her ear. Such words meant something to her, and helped her lift her mood, even if she didn't believe that she would be a good person to fill the role of the bigger sister. Her feelings towards it overruled her logic of being a good sister.

In a way she thought of his proposal of being a sister as an invitation to be in his life, which made her happy. Surely they would be together now, though she was going to have to get rid of any jealousy towards flirtation. Admittedly she overreacted, since she knew that some day she was bound to flirt with someone else, though not push anywhere past simple flirtation. Her smile brightened just by thinking about it, though it was interrupted with a kiss, by which she welcomed. She quickly got into it, wrapping her arms around him to keep close to him.
 
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