Realistic or Modern Empire City: The Irish Mob - Bonus Scenes (Closed)

[Bellz]

Tuesday, February 20th, 1979
Dublin, Ireland
Dublin County Garda Station
Lucy Porter ​

Lucy had many sleepless nights in her many years of marriage to James Porter but what kept her going through most of those nights was that she knew things would be okay. When her husband was arrested in front of their home in Dublin yesterday, Lucy didn't feel so sure that this time things would turn out well again. After making sure her grown children were okay, Lucy had retreated to her bedroom to sit in silence for the rest of the night. She had been staring at the blank television screen for hours and hours on end until the morning light started to gently cover everything in the room. It was a new day, full of new opportunities but Lucy knew she would be dealing with the same problem that had presented itself the day prior.

Knowing that she needed to try and figure out the next steps on her own Lucy had already spent the early morning making phone calls to some familiar lawyers who were close to the family. It had been a while since Lucy had talked to Mitch Van Gerwen but she had insight on his whereabouts thanks to her close contact with Roxie. The pair had gone in on her father's firm together and although Roxie lived in Dublin running her own firm in the city, she also spent a lot of time running the other firmly in New York. Lucy was hoping that the pair could help James get out of this mess, she would do anything for help at this point.

After making the necessary phone calls, she bundled up as it was still awfully chilly during the early months of the year and made the quick drive to the station. From the small amount she had been told by the chief of police, James would be held in Dublin for maybe a day or two longer before he would be handed over to the international authorities that would handle taking him back to the States to be tried. Lucy wasn't sure when she would see her husband during the whole transition so she wanted to make sure she could say everything she needed to and get any information that was needed from him to tell his legal representation team, whoever that happened to be.

Lucy had been to the Dublin County Station many times in the past, and each visit had been an unpleasant one. When she walked inside, the station itself wasn't terribly busy so as soon as someone noticed her the casual chatter around the office seemed to hush. One of the officers cleared his throat and dared to step forward. " Mrs. Porter. He's not allowed to have any visitors at this time-" Lucy held up her hand to silence the fool. The man turned a bright shade of pink, clamping his mouth shut. "I would like to speak to the Chief. Now." Lucy told the man to which he nodded his head once and turned on his heels to fetch his superior. Lucy had been told many times in the past that she was not able to visit her family while being held in this place, but given the status and power, the family had in the city...Lucy made it very clear how foolish it would be to not let her have her way. Although it seemed they had her husband right where they wanted him, her brother was now in charge of the family business and if she had something bad to say about how the authorities handled James' arrest...well that wouldn't go down very well with him.

After speaking with the Chief, Lucy eventually got her way and was allowed a half-hour with her husband. She was lead away from the warmth of the office to the corridor that held the temporary holding cells. The last time she had been in this place was when Syd was arrested in 1977 and she had hoped then that that would be the last time she would have to step foot here ever again. But life had other plans.

They rounded a corner and Lucy saw James in his outfit from the day before, sitting silently on the small cot the temporary cell had for a bed. Lucy's eyes watered slightly at the scene but she sucked in a heavy breath before turning to the officer who had escorted her to him. "I would like a chair please." She insisted, much like she had when Syd was in his father's same position. Once she was settled in a chair, Lucy silently looked at her husband for a long time, moving her arms around herself to hold herself tight. "How are you holding up?" She asked softly after one more long moment of silence. Of course, she was ready to hear the famous words I'm fine, but she still had to ask. "They...they haven't told me much of what you are being extradited for. They haven't told me about how this process works. Tell me, love, are you going to be able to get out of this one?"

She waited for him to answer before saying, "I have called Mitch and Roxie. I know both of them have a rocky history with our family but they are the only people I trust to have your freedom in mind, the only people I trust to not screw us over. I think...I think we have a chance here...at getting you out a lot sooner."

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter
~ Tuesday 20th February 1979 ~
~ Dublin County Garda Station ~​

Things had been going well for James and Lucy since they'd returned to Dublin back in 1972. He'd been able to get used to his retirement focusing on various projects in his garage and even training a very eager Olivia to fight as well as getting to spend more quality time with Thomas. As well as all of that, James and Lucy had been able to enjoy their marriage in ways they never had before - free of the constant stress and concerns they'd always had whilst he was the Boss of the Irish Mob. James was enjoying a life he'd never thought he'd survive long enough to lead. Every day had been a gift. Unfortunately, that had come to a sudden end when the James was arrested on his own property yesterday.

The authorities in New York had been looking into a crime from back in 1971 and had finally collected enough evidence to charge James with the murder of an on-duty police officer. From what he had been told whilst handcuffed in the the interview room last night, James knew they had enough evidence and credible - protected - witnesses to warrant extraditing him. The fact he was guilty of the crime practically sealed the deal in James' eyes; he could deny it all he wanted but he knew they had a strong case. The cop in question had got too brave the night he was killed. He interrupted a deal between the Porters and an arms dealer. The cop had been about to call it in, prompting James to put a rapid stop to it in the form of a bullet to the officer's chest. It had been a rare impulsive act on the usually always controlled James' part and one evidently destined to catch up with him.

James hadn't slept during his night in the holding cell. The Garda were being more accommodating than they normally would be, on account of James' relation to Conor; a man they wanted to remain on the good side of. Still, it hadn't stopped James from thinking of how different things would be once he was incarcerated in New York. Not only would he had to contend with being locked up in Gabriel Moretti's territory, but he knew killing a cop was an instant recipe to be unpopular where prison wardens - men singing from the same hymn sheet as the police - were concerned.

When he heard footsteps approaching the cell, James didn't make an effort to move, figuring it was one of the Garda, but then when he heard Lucy's voice, he quickly stood up from the cot that passed off as a bed. The cop commanded James to sit back down, but seemed to compromise by getting Lucy a chair and allowing her to sit in the doorway of the cell. Whilst he would rather have spared Lucy having to see him in a cell, he was still glad to see her. When she asked him how he was doing, he looked past her to the cop and once the man stepped out of sight, he then focused on his wife. "I'm fine, Luce," he predictably assured her.

Lucy made it clear she was in the dark about why he'd been arrested and she wanted to know why, seemingly expecting there was a way out of it, something James doubted was possible this time. "They've pinned the murder of a cop from 1971 on me," he told her, making it clear in his expression that he was guilty of it, even if not saying it outright in case the cop was listening in. "They wouldn't be extraditing me if they didn't think they had a strong case for prosecution." He quickly shook his head. "Luce, I think we all need to prepare for the worst," he told her, not wanting to give her false hope.

"Mitch and Roxie? Yeah, you did the right thing. I'd rather them over any other lawyers," he agreed. Even though he was convinced he wouldn't be getting out of this one, he still needed legal representation.

James leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, looking Lucy in the eyes as he made a point of committing every detail about her to memory. "I wish we had more time together, Luce, but I'm grateful for what we have had. Remember when I didn't expect to live past my twenties? Every day with you and the kids has been a gift," he told her, with a fond smile. "You're going to be alright, love."

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter ​

Lucy listened intently as James explained what the cops had pinned on him and the look on his face told her that he was in fact guilty of the crime they charged him with. With her brows furrowing together, the blonde swallowed back tears as James told her that he thought that they should all prepare for the worst. His approval of her calling Mitch and Roxie made her nod her head once, she would make sure to be on the phone with the pair immediately after speaking with her husband but for now, she wanted to take the small amount of time she had left with him and make it worthwhile.

James leaned forward and looked her in the eyes and Lucy did the same, watching him and trying to remember every part of his face. He expressed his wish to have more time together and a single tear escaped Lucy's eyes, causing her to lift a hand to catch it quickly. Her bottom lip trembled as he brought up how he hadn't expected to live past his twenties. He said that every day spent with her and the kids had been a gift and Lucy couldn't have agreed more. Her eyes squeezed shut as more tears fell from them, cascading down her cheeks as she fought to control her emotions. James told her she would be alright and when she opened her eyes he had a fond smile on his face. Lucy tried to return it as best as she could, sucking in a shaky breath the blonde shook her head. "I'm not so sure about that, darling." She told him honestly.

"You are right, every single day I've had with you and the children has been an extraordinary gift. And considering what my mother went through with losing my father, I really couldn't ask for anything more but...I just thought we would have more time." Lucy reached her hand out to take his between the bars of the cell, squeezing it gently. "If I would have known that yesterday would have been the last time I could feel you in my arms...I would have never let you go." She admitted softly.

"Things happened so quickly that I didn't get the proper time to think. But...if you aren't going to get out of this as you say, then the kids and I will be coming back with you to the States. I know we left there because of Moretti but I am not letting that asshole keep me away from being able to visit you when I can." Lucy said firmly. "Dublin isn't home without you here. Home is where ever you are...or at least in close proximity to it." She murmured. She was sure that Thomas and Olivia would have a lot to say about such decisions, as would the rest of the family but Lucy was prepared to stand her ground on this one.

"This is so unfair." She said, finally letting her tears flow more and her voice crack. "This seems far more final than anything we've ever dealt with...you could die in prison...without me there." That scared Lucy more than anything. At the beginning of their relationship, she had been on the alert that anything could tear them apart within seconds but as they aged and when he retired, she grew accustomed to the idea that when it was their time to go, they would be able to say their goodbyes. Now that expectation was shattered by James potentially spending the rest of his days in prison.

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter
~ Tuesday 20th February 1979 ~
~ Dublin County Garda Station ~​

Watching the tears stream down his wife's face, James had to consciously force back his own emotions so he could stay strong for her. He nodded along as she agreed with him about the time they'd had together being a gift. "I thought we'd have more time too, love," he agreed. When she took hold on his hand, he returned her grasp with a firm one of his own. He wasn't sure he'd be able to let her go of her now. "I wouldn't have let you go either," he echoed her words. By now, his own tears were rolling down his cheeks as he let his guard down to instead focus on the familiar warmth and softness of her hand. Reminding him of the fact he might never hold her again.

He composed himself as Lucy spoke of moving to New York. As much as he would like that, he still had reservations. "Only if Thomas and Olivia agree to it. I don't want their lives to be turned upside-down. I would hate for either of them to resent me for that," he reasoned. "But if you do move, make sure it's back to Queens. I'd rather you were living in Biancardi territory than anywhere near Moretti's lot. Maybe Ricky will help," he suggested, thinking of Roxie's cousin.

James gently squeezed her hand as she said it wasn't fair. "I know, love. I know I might have complained about retirement being boring, but I was happy spending more time with you and the kids. I'd hoped to have even more of it," he admitted. When she spoke of him dying in prison, he shook his head. "Come on..." he began. One way or another, he knew it was true that he was going to die in prison. Either through natural causes or being killed by an enemy, it would be behind bars. He expected this sentence would be worse than when he was last in prison in the 1940s. This time around, he was a former mob boss and one who had killed a law enforcer. His name alone would be enough of an invitation for conflict. "It is pretty final, isn't it?" he agreed, deciding not to sugar coat it. "I'll probably never get out, Luce. I hate the idea, but it's better to be realistic now. It's unfair, but it was bound to catch up with me one way or another. I've had so many close calls and brushes with death, so I'm just glad we got the time together that we did have." He let out a sigh. "I just want you to look after the kids and let our family look after you too."

 

[Bellz]

Lucy Porter
Despite James being seeming cold and emotionless to everyone else around, Lucy got to see the softer side of him. It broke her heart to see his own tears falling down his cheeks. He told her that as long as Olivia and Thomas agreed to move back to New York, she could move back. Lucy thought briefly about how much of a fight their children would put up about leaving Ireland, but something told her that they would comply. James told her to make sure that if she did move to move back to Queens. The Biancardi family owned that territory and they were far more trusted than the Moretti family. Thinking of Ricky, Lucy figured the man was nice enough and would most likely help them, if not she would probably be forced to get Roxie involved and she knew how much the woman despised being involved in her family's messes despite it being her job as their lawyer to do so.

On the subject of this all being unfair, James agreed that it wasn't and revealed that even though he complained about retirement being boring, he was happy to spend more time with his family. Lucy bit her lip to keep a sob at bay as he said he hoped to have more of it. Her point about him not making it out of prison alive seemed to hit a nerve within him and Lucy watched him closely, practically seeing the cogs turning in his head as he thought it over. When he reiterated that it all seemed final like Lucy had said, the blonde nodded her head silently.

James told her that he would probably never get out saying that he hated the idea but it was better to be realistic now. Lucy wanted to cry even harder but for both her sake and James' she did her best to hold her emotions in, to be strong for him. The time that they did get together could never be replaced for either of them and Lucy would be forever grateful for it. There were times over the last 31 years that they had been together that Lucy doubted he would come home to her but he made it every single time. Now was different and he would never come home to her. Lucy's hand squeezed her husband's tightly as she tried to come to grips with that realization. Sighing herself, Lucy nodded her head as James said he wanted her to look after the kids and have the family look after her.

"The kids will be well looked after, I can assure you that." She told him softly. "As for letting the family look after me, you know I have a hard time with letting anyone take care of me." She said, cracking a small smile before the guard that was hanging around cleared his throat. "Times up." He announced and Lucy turned her head away from him to look at James one last time. "I love you so very much. We are going to make it through this...this is just another bump in the road. Please take care of yourself while I can't see you. I will promise to call as soon as I am allowed to." Lucy released his hand to move her own up to his face, bringing him as close to her own face as the bars would allow before kissing him tenderly on the lips. The guard cleared his throat once again after the couple remained locked in a kiss for a long moment. Lucy broke away and turned to glare at the man before looking to James one last time. Taking in every detail of his face, Lucy stroked his cheek and said, "I'll see you soon." Before she was escorted out of the cellblock and out of the station.

~FIN~​

 

[Pyroclast]

Friday 19th April 1985
~The Royal Taphouse - Bethnal Green, London ~

Billy King​

"‘CAUSE I AIN’T GONNA BE MADE TO LOOK A FOOL NO MORE
YOU DONE IT ONCE TOO OFTEN WHAT D’YA TAKE ME FOR
OH DARLIN’, THERE AIN’T NO PLEASIN’ YOU!"

The roar of drunken singing rivalled the laughter that went along with it. Standing on the bar, Billy clung with one hand to the curved wooden pillar that connected the bar to the ceiling, his other hand loosely swinging a pint of beer. The piano didn’t get a lot of use these days; the pub’s pianist, Wendy, had to spend most of her time as a full-time carer for her husband so her nights spent at the pub had become few and far between. But she was there that night, and, after much teasing of Billy for being a ‘moody bastard’, decided to lift his spirits by dusting off the old keys and playing a few songs to rouse the crowd. Well, it had worked well enough for Billy to climb aboard the bar and lead the drunken locals into a rowdy sing-song. Within a couple of minutes, he had forgotten all about the man he had been waiting for.

After the meeting with Gabriel Moretti at the King-owned cocktail bar had ended, Billy had practically pounced on Erik. He wasn’t about to grovel to him in front of everyone there and then, but he had been struggling to find an opportunity to speak to him since their little falling out the previous week and catching him after the meeting had seemed like his best bet. So, he had invited him for a drink at The Royal Taphouse in hopes that they could straighten things out between them once and for all.

Until about pint number five, every minute he had waited for Erik to arrive felt like an hour. By his eleventh, however, it was the reverse - he had entered a state that transcended time, riding on the pure bliss of the pub’s lively atmosphere. When the next chorus came around, one of the locals tried to pull Billy’s trousers down for a laugh, but Billy just poured the rest of his drink over the man’s head, having to pause from singing to let out a shriek of laughter. In another pub, in another atmosphere, such an exchange would almost certainly have started a fight, but here everyone just laughed together.

Billy was in the middle of bellowing a verse over the crowd when he caught sight of him. His voice faltered as he leaned forward, squinting to try to focus his blurred vision. Before he could conclude that it was who he thought it was - or at least, who he wanted it to be - Billy slipped. Had he been sober, the pain of landing face first on the floor might have bothered him a bit, but he managed to just roll onto his back and laugh, too drunk to feel a thing. He was also too drunk to get himself up off the floor, but a couple of men standing nearby hauled him to his feet for him. The movement made his vision reel like a rewinding tape; once he was standing again, he found himself face to face with Erik.

Taking in the sight of his friend, Billy’s face lit up in a beaming smile, a bead of blood forming on his lip from the fall, and he reached up to place a hand on Erik’s cheek. “Erik,” he said softly, his hand naturally gliding to the back of the man’s head as he leaned into him, letting his fingers clumsily graze through his hair. His other hand came up against Erik’s chest to stabilise himself as he swayed before him. “You...fuck, I missed you.”

Perhaps it was partly the merry atmosphere of the pub, but Billy felt a warm feeling swell in his heart as he looked up at the man he had so sorely missed.

"Time to call it, Billy, mate," came a voice from behind him. "You want me to call you a taxi?" Billy felt a hand land on his shoulder and turned to face one of the regular bartenders, Toby. When he turned back to Erik, he had somehow stumbled even closer to him and naturally came to rest his heavy head on his shoulder, nuzzling into the man's neck. "'S okay", he slurred, smiling as he leaned heavily against Erik, drawing in his comforting scent. "Erik’ll take me home."

Toby quirked an eyebrow at the sight of them. "Listen, this ain't that kind of bar, mate," he quietly warned Erik. "You'd better get him home."

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

The Royal Taphouse
~Behtnal Green, London~
Erik Snowden

Nothing stressed Erik more than having to be on his best behavior around his boss. The fact that he hadn't been able to drink or take anything to calm his nerves beforehand just added to it. He managed to hide his jitters from them throughout the entire ideal - biting his fingernails to focus on something else. It was difficult to concentrate on the important things when Billy was on the other side of the door. He found himself thinking about the man, focusing on how good he looked. Since he hadn't seen him for a few days he just seemed... More alluring than usual. For sure he was going to forgive the man right away with or without an apology, but he was going to try not to. During the meeting, he kept shifting in his seat thanks to the lewd thoughts coursing through his mind. At one point he caught himself looking off into space and rubbing his top lip with his index finger.

The moment the meeting was ended, he let out a sigh of relief. He still had to be on his best behavior but at least he was free of the stuffy room. Erik had plans to speak to Tatiana for a moment when Billy approached him. It looked like his friend had been more excited to see him than the other way around; like a puppy whose owner had been gone too long. He had to cover his mouth with his hand quickly to hide the twitch of his lip. The facade that he was still upset with him - though he still sort of was - had almost disappeared. If Billy knew this then Erik wouldn't be able to torture him as much. Billy proposed the two of them go out for drinks so they could talk. Erik agreed, preparing himself for the groveling he was about to get Billy to do.

When Gabriel no longer needed him to be around Erik first headed home to shower and changed. At first, he wanted to quickly head over when he remembered what he was doing. Instead, he took his time. There was no reason for him to wet his hair and go through the whole routine, but it added on time. The closer he got to being ready the more anxious he got. What if Billy were to ask why he was so offended by his comment? Could he really be vague enough to where Billy wouldn't ask any extra questions? Coming out to his friend felt difficult - damn near impossible knowing how he felt about it. Pulling on his white shirt he took a pause, a thought entering his mind; did this mean he was wrong to suspect Billy was gay? 'Erik, you fucking idiot. There's no way he is. Not acting like that.' He thought to himself. With a deep sigh, he left his apartment and headed to the pub.

Erik may have been a borderline alcoholic and a semi-drug addict, but he was still a responsible adult. He opted to take a cab instead of driving himself knowing how much he drank when he was around Billy. The closer they got to his destination the more he felt his heart begin to pound. Despite everything going on not seeing his friend for days at a time was shitty - especially when they had spent nearly every day together. The last time they were at odds with each other Erik had nearly lost his mind. Luckily it was only a few days instead of weeks. Pulling up to the pub he could hear the music spilling out into the street. Once he opened the door the sound of someone singing off-pitch filled his ears. It took him a moment to piece together that it was none other than Billy King. Before he was able to wave, the man fell face first.

Erik sprung into action making his way through the crowd. The moment he appeared in front of him he was already getting back to his feet. Erik just shook his head, listening to him say his name. Erik opened his mouth to speak when he was caught off-guard. Billy had touched him, caressed him, rather intimately. He could feel his heart beating fast, heat rising to his cheeks as he looked down at him. Did he just say he missed him? "You're completely wasted, buddy."

The bartender then approached them to check on Billy. Somehow it caused the shorter man to press further against him. Had this been any other time, any other place, he would have loved it. He wrapped his arm around the man's waist to keep him steady before turning back to Toby. "Oh I- We're not- It's not like that." He was trying to make it clear they weren't a couple, but the way they looked now wasn't helping. "Could you still call that cab? I'll take him outside." He thanked Toby for his help before making his way outside the pub. "Fuck, Billy, you couldn't have waited until I showed up?" He joked though he was starting to worry. Erik had never seen Billy this way and he hoped he wasn't drinking like this because of him.

It didn't take too long for the cab to show up and once it had he helped Billy into the back before sliding in himself. The driver took off once Erik gave him the address. Turning to Billy, he cupped his cheek to rub the blood off his lip with his thumb. "That was a nasty fall, Billy. You wanna get it check out?"
​

 

[Pyroclast]

Friday 19th April 1985
~The Royal Taphouse - Bethnal Green, London ~

Billy King

​

Billy leaned heavily against Erik as he staggered out of the pub, practically blind as to where his feet were leading him. Not catching the humour in Erik’s words, Billy launched himself away so he could point a flailing finger at his friend. “I waited ALL NIGHT!” he loudly corrected him. “All night, all day, all week...my whole fuckin’ LIFE for you, Erik Snowden…” Just then, Billy lost his footing - though he never really had it to begin with - and crashed backwards into a wall. The impact pulled him slowly and clumsily to the ground, to which he surrendered helplessly and happily lay down on the bed of damp, filthy concrete, letting his eyes close.

The next thing he knew, he was being hauled into the back of a taxi. “Where we goin’?” he mumbled, turning around in his seat to watch Erik climb in after him. A broad, albeit sleepy smile spread across his face upon seeing the company he was in and he reached out to grab at Erik’s clothes to help pull him further into the taxi. He wasn’t sure what was going to happen when they got to whoever’s house they were going to - the possibilities were limitless.

After a few martinis, several shots and eleven pints, Billy was struggling to see much of anything, but when Erik leaned in to inspect his injuries he didn’t have to try and focus. Just the blurry image of the man was enough to put a giddy smile on his face. He instantly rested into Erik’s hand when he cupped his face and brushed the blood from his lips with his thumb. Not aware of the pain he should be in, he only saw the intimacy of the moment and it made Billy’s heart pound; he playfully snapped his teeth at Erik’s thumb, and as soon as the man suggested he get himself checked out after his fall from the bar, Billy shifted closer to Erik and, with a flirtatious smile, said, “Go on, then.”

His balance was compromised not just from the drunken state he was in, but also from the taxi veering on the road. After a few seconds of fumbling to undo the buttons on his shirt, Billy ended up sliding involuntarily onto Erik’s lap. The unexpected movement blackened his vision and he momentarily passed out. It wasn’t long before he came to, and he then found himself gazing up at Erik. Even the blurriest vision couldn’t obscure the man’s handsome features. Billy reached a lazy hand up to caress Erik’s cheek, gently grazing his stubble with his fingernails and tracing his fingertips along the curvature of the man's cheekbones. “Come home wi’ me,” Billy softly slurred. “Don’t leave again. I need you…”

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

The Royal Taphouse
~Behtnal Green, London~
Erik Snowden

The moment Billy managed to slip from his grasp, Erik put his hands on his hips. He had had his fair share of babysitting people when they were drunk but never had he done it sober. It was incredibly easier to do – that much he could say. He watched as Billy pointed a finger at him in amusement, stating that he had been waiting his whole life for him. What was he talking about, his whole life? Erik had only ignored him for four days. It seemed to have yielded the result he was looking for as well seeing as he had gone and gotten more wasted than he had ever seen him. A small, triumphant smirk crossed his lips before turning into one of concern as Billy fell backward. He launched himself forwards in an attempt to catch him – missing him completely. Getting him up to his feet had been a struggle but he managed.

Just as Erik was getting into the car, Billy wrapped his fingers around the white t-shirt he had been wearing. He had to catch himself, placing one of his hands on the roof of the taxi and the other on top of Billy’s fingers. Chuckling to himself he shook his head. “Let go so I can get in, idiot.” Once he was free of his hold, Erik took a moment to take a deep breath before getting into the taxi. This was about to be a long night. “We’re going home, buddy,” Erik told him after climbing inside. He then leaned forward to speak through the partition separating the passengers from the driver. The driver then took off in the direction of Billy’s apartment as Erik turned his attention back to his friend. He figured there was a cut or that Billy had bitten his lip during his fall. His eyes drifted back towards Billy’s for a moment as he felt himself leaning forward – a bit too close. Swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat, he refocused his attention on checking him for any other injuries he may have sustained. Unfortunately, Billy had been in a playful mood preventing him from fully checking. Erik should have known he was about to do something foolish based on the goofy grin he was giving him. It sent a tingle down his spine to be looked at like that – by Billy no less. The situation only got worse when he leaned in closer to him. He was sure his face was bright red now, feeling the heat behind it. What the hell was going on right now? Was Billy… Flirting with him? That couldn’t be right, he was straight. Maybe he was just getting back at him for all the flirtatious jokes he had made before. If that were the case he was doing a damn good job.

The driver turned a corner, causing Billy to slide into him. Erik couldn’t deny the tension he was beginning to feel, the overwhelming urge to take him right now in the back of this taxi. His heart was beating fast at the thought as he shifted in his seat. He was trying to deter the eventual bulge rising in his pants as he shook his head to himself. Taking advantage of Billy while he was out of his mind was completely out of the question. He couldn’t believe he had even thought about it; even for a second! It would be something different if the two of them were drunk, but Erik was fully sober and 100% aware of what he was doing. With Billy now laying in his lap, he had greater access to Erik’s face. He felt those soft fingertips tracing along his jaw before coming to a stop. Oh, how he had imagined this one too many times in the past, and here it was happening for real. But it wasn’t real. Billy was drunk and acting out; he wasn’t meaning to be intimate with the man.

The moment he told Erik to come home with him, he had been completely undone. Erik threw his head back against the seat rubbing his hand down his face. Billy had to have been messing with him right now. No, he knew what he was doing; or at least, his subconscious did. Erik was a firm believer in drunk mouths speak sober thoughts, meaning Billy meant everything he was doing and everything he was saying. It was actually starting to piss him off a little. One second he was giving off gay vibes and the next homophobic ones. Looking back down at him, that anger had been temporarily washed away. He looked so cute – the sleepy look on his face, the drunken state of his eyes. It actually made him chuckle when Billy asked him to stay with him. “Yeah, alright, Billy. Who else is going to take care of your stupid ass?” He hadn’t realized it until he started to relax, but he had been clenching his hands into fists. It was taking a lot of willpower to not lean down just then and capture his lips with his own, but he was doing it. He turned his attention to the window, trying to see how close they were to the apartment before turning back to him. Erik hesitated before leaning down to whisper into Billy’s ear. “You’re making this so fucking hard…”

​

 

[Pyroclast]

Friday 19th April 1985
~The Royal Taphouse - Bethnal Green, London ~

Billy King
​

Lying in the back of a taxi across Erik's lap, Billy felt like he was in heaven. In his heavily intoxicated state, he had completely forgotten about their falling out, about the drugs, about everything. To him, in that moment, the two were enclosed in their own little world where nothing else existed to distract them or pull them apart. A sleepy smile spread across his face upon hearing that Erik would take care of him and his arms naturally coiled around him when he leaned down and whispered into Billy's ear. Hearing something along the lines of making something hard, Billy let out a low chuckle. He slid one hand up into Erik's hair while lowering the other, hooking a finger onto Erik's belt. "I am, am I?” he slurred, through a lopsided smile. “Let’s see it, then...”

“OI!” the driver barked, glaring at them through the mirror. “Not in my taxi, you don’t!”

With his eyes still locked on Erik’s, Billy had to bite his lip - but he only made it a second before letting out a loud laugh. He was cut off however when the taxi veered to a sudden halt by the kerb, causing Billy to slide partially into the footwell.

“Pay up and get out,” he ordered the pair, twisting in his seat with a hand outstretched. “I ain't havin' two fuckin’ f*ggots spreadin’ AIDS in my backseat -”

Without exactly meaning to, Billy reached up and grabbed onto the driver’s wrist to help lever himself out of the footwell; in doing so, he managed to bend the man’s arm backwards over the front seat. A string of profanity came roaring from the driver, but Billy was too busy climbing back up to catch what he said. In a matter of seconds, the driver had launched himself out of his seat and slammed the door behind him, leaving Billy and Erik to themselves. Billy instantly caught Erik’s eye, sensing an opportunity - he climbed into a straddling position over Erik’s lap, their faces mere inches apart, and reached up to gently hold the man’s head in position as he leaned in…

Suddenly the passenger door was flung open and Billy was grabbed by the arm. He was yanked violently off Erik and thrown onto the pavement outside, where the driver proceeded to kick him; he then went for Erik, hauling him out by the collar and slamming him against the side of the taxi. Before he could react, the driver threw a hard fist into Erik’s face and then squared up to him, leaning right in, pushing him against the taxi. ”Ponce,” he snarled, and spat in Erik’s eye. He then let go and rounded the vehicle, before climbing back into his seat and driving off.

The screeching of tyres only just stopped Billy from falling unconscious, and he rolled over, coughing into the damp concrete. His blurred vision settled on Erik and he simply gazed up at him for a moment, too tired to move, too shocked at what had happened. When he eventually propped himself up, a tear rolled off his cheek. “Erik…” he murmured. “Take me home…”

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Erik Snowden

The feeling of Billy's fingertips in his hair caused Erik to let out a shaky sigh. A lump had formed in his throat as he swallowed trying to gain control of his nerves. The pressure of it all was too much and it was becoming harder and harder to remain a good person. Feeling Billy tug at his belt caused him to slightly jump and quickly grab at his wrist. "Bi-," he started to warn, only to be cut off by the driver. The driver's once stoic face had grown into one of disgust and irritation as he slammed on the brakes, causing Billy to roll off his lap. That once heavenly feeling was now fleeting as Erik's forehead slammed into the plastic separating them from the driver. He shut his eyes in pain, wincing and pressing the palm of his hand to his forehead. "Fuckin' A." He muttered, shouting at the driver. "What's your problem?!" Erik opened his eyes to see the driver's hand outstretched, telling them to get out. By his words, it was clear he thought Erik and Billy were about to fuck in his backseat when that was not the case... Right?

"Oh, eat me you fucking putz. I'm not payin' you shit." Erik was fully annoyed at how the driver was reacting, trying his best to reach for Billy. Instead, his friend had gone and grabbed the driver's arm to help himself up which only pissed the man off even more. It was clear the two of them needed to get out of there sooner rather than later. The moment the door opened and closed again, Erik looked to Billy who had surprised him by sitting in his lap. "Billy, stop. We gotta go." He told him, though he didn't dare move. Instead, he placed one of his hands on the man's lower back and another on the back of his neck. His eyes darted from Billy's lips to his eyes watching him lean forward. The impending danger they were in didn't matter until he heard the door open again.

The driver moved faster than Erik could as he first yanked out Billy and kicked him. Erik was scrambling to get out of the car before the man grabbed him by his collar. "Hey! You're gonna be in deep shit, dipstick. You hear me?!" He shouted before feeling the stinging sensation of being punch. He grunted, feeling his mouth begin to fill up with blood. Just as he was about to go for him the driver pressed him up against the car again. Erik spits the blood into the man's face only to receive the same action back, followed by a slur. He was thrown to the ground without a second thought as the driver got back into his vehicle, driving away. Erik made sure to get a look at his license plate before chuckling to himself and wiping his eye.

Billy's coughing caught his attention as he quickly turned to him, kneeling down to the ground. "Billy! You alright?" He asked, though the tears in his eyes were an indication that he was not. The moment Billy asked him to take him home Erik eagerly nodded his head and looked around. They were only a few more blocks from Billy's apartment and Erik would manage getting him there alone. "Hey, I got ya." He said softly, "Don't worry."


​

 

[BasDorcha]

Jeremy Gray
May 25th, 1979
Jeremy's house
​

School was over, and Jeremy had made it back home the night before, without much ado. He had missed his place, and his friends, and was glad that school had come to an end. While learning was something Jeremy enjoyed, he felt he had reached the limits of what he could at university and would continue the rest on his own. He had spoken to Spencer earlier today, and Spencer had offered to throw him a return party, but he really thought it was just an excuse to get away from his bitch of a wife. Still, he was eager to see the King brothers and some of their other friends and associates.

It had been fun so far. The boys had shown up, Harper in tow, along with people he both did and did not know. At one point, his house felt way to full, but thankfully, as the night went on, people filtered out and home. It was now nearing one AM, and only a few people remained. Billy was drunk and singing karaoke songs in the front room with one of the girls who had shown up. She seemed way more interested in him then he was in her, but that was pretty normal. He had sat around watching them for a while, but when he broke out with "Don't Go Breaking My Heart", Jeremy decided to take a break and head for the back porch.

He grabbed a fresh beer from fridge, and headed out, finding Harper sitting there content but alone. A good buzz was already drifting through Jeremy, and it was enough that his normal barricaded self was free and talkative. Harper had floored him upon arrival. It had been a few years since he had seen her, with him being away at university, and he came back to a full grown woman. It wasn't the first time she had knocked him on his ass, but it certainly was the biggest. He had the strangest urge to touch her, but he didn't let himself. Instead he slid into a chair across from her, close enough their knees delicately brushed each other, but far enough away she couldn't feel intimidated being alone with him.

"Hey there Harp, why are you out here alone? Everything ok?" His voice had a deep, roughness to it that he hadn't anticipated, and he tried to clear his throat to disperse it. "Mind if I keep you company?"

Mentions:
Misty Gray Bellz Melanin-Gxdess Pyroclast

 

[Bellz]

Harper King
May 25th, 1979
Jeremy's House ​

Despite it being a Friday night, Harper wasn't exactly in the partying mood. She had started the first semester of university and was currently being tossed around with final exams coming up. She had been studying all week and Friday night along with the weekend weren't going to be an exception to all of her hard work but Billy had begged her to come along to Jeremy's welcome home party. It wasn't that Harper wasn't excited to see Jeremy again, she was happy to see her friend but she was too stressed to drink or have any fun and the last place she wanted to be was watching her messy carefree brothers get wasted.

Halfway through the festivities, Harper had managed to slip away onto the back porch to get in some extra reading. She had been so engrossed in her book that she didn't bother to look up as someone came to sit outside with her, figuring that it was one of her brothers coming to berate her for not having fun. Harper was the type of girl who loved to have fun but with her brothers around they were constantly worrying about how much she was drinking so it kind of sucked the fun out of partying with them. Besides, she had to make sure they all got home in one piece because despite them worrying about her they couldn't handle alcohol to save their lives. Billy always ended up passing out in some weird position, Alex ended up sleeping with someone in a stranger's bed half the time and Spencer drank himself to the point where Harper felt he forgot about the snake he was married to. She was the youngest out of the bunch but she felt at times that she had to be the adult especially at parties.

When Jeremy's voice greeted her, only then did Harper look up from her book. "Hmm? Oh yea, everything's fine. Just had to get out of the house before Billy sang another Elton song...Love him to death but sometimes he sings like a dying animal when he's drunk." Harper murmured with a small smile. "I'm surprised to see you in one piece. I would have thought the guys would have made you drank half your body weight in liquor by now." The blonde teased slightly. Feeling that it was probably rude to keep reading her book now, she placed her bookmark inside of it before closing it lightly.

He asked if she minded that he keep her company and Harper shook her head lightly, "Don't mind at all." She said before sighing and leaning back into the padded lawn chair even further. "Happy to be back home?" She asked curiously. "Not sure why'd you want to come back to this boring place...I mean besides watching my idiot brothers get into some trouble there isn't a whole lot to do around here." The blonde said in a monotone voice, sounding bored with describing the whole thing, to begin with.

"Why'd you step out? Didn't want to sing back up with Billy or listen to Spencer groan about his wife?"
with: Jeremy BasDorcha

 

[BasDorcha]

Jeremy Gray
May 25th, 1979
Jeremy's house

Inside the house, another song started playing, and as if to punctuate the point home, Billy was singing again. For a moment, he thought he saw Alex slinking away with a blonde girl, but it was so quick he couldn’t see her face. Shrugging, he turned back to Harper and grinned, a big, heart fluttering grin that was rare and almost a myth from the man. He pinched out a smoke, lit it and offered it to her, striking another if she took the offered one.

“I am definitely happy to be back home. Still, it’s a big, empty house without anyone in it.” While he spoke, he found the nerve to keep his eyes looking into hers, even though a spring was coiling tighter in his stomach the longer he looked. “And for the record, I probably have drank half my weight in liquor, I just have a man’s tolerance… while you brothers…” Spencer walked past the open door, stumbling and headed for another drink, mumbling drunkly the whole way. “Well, they’re another story. I think Spencer drank double me all night though.”

As she sounded bored, she still looked amazing. Had he thought that already? Unconsciously, the hand that offered her the cigarette hung near hers and like metal to a magnet it began moving closer, his knee brushing hers as he rocked his leg. He may have been more inebriated then it appeared, because for the first time in his life all he could think about was how madly this woman was driving him – and he had never been one to be distracted by a woman. If Alex was day, he was night. As he watched her, the next question she asked came with an easy answer. “I came back… for the beautiful sights no one else sees. They're usually right before your eyes and you miss them entirely.”

This is the point where Jeremy normally looks away, but instead he just watched her, hoping she would catch his meaning and a pleasant blush would spread over her cheeks. “Someone has to get your idiot brothers out of trouble. I’ve studied law, mechanics, history and an assortment of other things that may come into play at any given time with these guys. I might need to give Billy some singing lessons…” Billy’s voice punctuated the air again for a brief moment and he laughed a deep, warm laugh. “I stepped out to breathe the fresh air,” Teasingly he took a long inhale but was caught off guard by the smell of her perfume and pheromones instead. Looking a bit startled he coughed slightly but grinned happily, “and it smells like unexpected beginnings.”

Mentions:
Bellz

 

[Bellz]

Harper King
May 25th, 1979
Jeremy's House ​

Harper wasn’t exactly a smoker but she did enjoy a cigarette from time to time, so when he offered it to her, she took it from him and placed it in between her fingers before taking a drag. "Thanks.” She breathed, letting the smoke glide past her lips before blowing it away from his face. "A man’s tolerance, huh?” Harper asked, clearly amused with how he said it. Harper watched as Speaker walked past the door, stumbling and the blonde shook her head. "Anything to forget about that bitch I’m guessing.” Harper said, referring to Spencer’s wife.

Harper’s bored persona perked up as he talked about the beautiful sights. Tilting her head curiously, she let out a small laugh. "I tend to think I’m pretty aware of my surroundings, all I see is a dreary city with people who are being drowned in the constant rain.” Harper had known Jeremy a long time so she was surprised when the man continued to meet her eye. Harper was never one to look away first, finding it an absolute challenge to one-up those who dared to continue to look at her. A small smirk formed on her lips as Jeremy said that someone had to get her idiot brothers out of trouble.

"I don’t know about the mechanics or history but certainly could give them a hefty lesson on following the law.” Harper mused, moving to take another drag from the cigarette that she nearly forgot was still burning in between her fingers. Flicking the access ash that had formed, she then brought it to her lips for a moment before letting the smoke sit in her mouth. Harper couldn’t hold the smoke in any longer, laughing out loud as Jeremy mentioned giving Billy singing lessons.

"Oh god, you two singing together…that would attract all the animals in the neighborhood I’m sure.” Harper teased before mentioning he stepped out to get some fresh air. He smoothly inhaled and for a moment Harper’s eyes landed on his mouth, watching it before forcing her eyes to look back up at his eyes. He let out a small cough but was all smiles as he stated that it smells like unexpected beginnings. Harper laughed and rolled her eyes, "Oh Lord, is that supposed to be some sort of cheesy pick-up line, Jere?” She teased him, meaning absolutely no harm as she moved to push him playfully. "That may have worked on those college girls but I am so much more sophisticated I’ll have you know.”
with: Jeremy BasDorcha

 

[BasDorcha]

Jeremy Gray
May 25th, 1979
Jeremy's house​

Jeremy watched her picking fun at him, but only smiled. A fresh wave of drunkness rushed through his system as his body processed more of the drinks he had already had. When she teased him about his line, asking if it was some cheesy pick up line he leaned over playfully, his face a few inches from hers and winked, “Why, is it working? I’ve got a few more, want to try them out?”

Instead he sat back, laughing with a deep robust laugh, his hand carefully catching hers as she pushed him. It sent a shock through his system, down to the core of his being like he’d never felt before. For a brief moment, he held her hand captured in his, thumb in her palm and the other fingers across the back of her hand, like he had caught her mid karate chop. His thumb brushed the palm of her hand tenderly, and drunk Jeremy had a sudden urge to pull her into his lap.

Realizing he needed to let before it got weird, he left her go. He sat back, scratching his chin and thinking. He wanted to show her something different, different from all the men she probably had throwing themselves at her. She was probably use to brawny guys, flexing and showing their muscles, so his boxing history would do no good. She was use to guys telling her they would give her anything she wanted, he was sure of that too. Instead, he decided to take the smart guy approach, after all, what else was he going to do with all that schooling?

Picking up a discarded paper from his table where he earlier was writing, he started folding it while speaking.

“The fountains mingle with the river, And the rivers with the ocean, The winds of heaven mix forever with a sweet emotion; Nothing in the world is single; All things by a law divine, In one spirit meet and mingle. Why not I with thine?—

See the mountains kiss high heaven, And the waves clasp one another; No sister-flower would be forgiven If it disdained its brother; And the sunlight clasps the earth And the moonbeams kiss the sea: what is all this sweet work worth, If thou kiss not me?”

Looking up at her, he handed her a flower made out of the paper that had folded as he spoke. A light redness tinted his cheeks, though through the dark and the alcohol he had consumed it was hard to tell if it might be a blush or just the liquor in his system.
Bellz - Harper

 

[Bellz]

Harper King
May 25th, 1979
Jeremy's house​

Harper rolled her eyes as Jeremy leaned in and winked at her, asking if his cheesy pickup lines were working. "Please, spare me the other ones. I'll give you whatever you want, just don't hold me, hostage, to hearing more cheesy jokes." The blonde smirked. Watching Jeremy lean back and laugh caused Harper to laugh as well.

When she pushed him, he caught her hand and she let out a slightly annoyed scoff, "Hey now, give me that back." Harper demanded though her tone wasn't nearly as forceful as it would have been with one of her brothers. "I'm serious, Jere. Give it back!" She continued a little more forcefully this time and the man listened, letting her hand go. Harper chuckled, "Sheesh, you have a vice grip you know?" She said, rubbing her small hand as she went to return reading her book.

As she was reading, she wasn't paying attention to what Jeremy was doing but when he started speaking, Harper glanced up at him, letting her book settle into her lap. Listening to a poem she knew well, it sounded a lot different coming from him and Harper couldn't exactly place why.

She watched as he folded the paper that had been on the table, brows furrowing in confusion before he looked up and presented it to her. Her cheeks warmed as she lifted a delicate hand to take the flower into her hands. "Love's Philosophy." Harper said lightly, "Never thought of you as a guy who liked poetry." Harper murmured, looking down at the flower for a long moment before her eyes looked up at him through her long eyelashes.

"Color me impressed. You know they say that poetry is just a clear expression of mixed emotions..." She mused, raising the flower to her eye line as she observed it. "What’s in a name? that which we call a rose. By any other name would smell as sweet." She hummed.
with: Jeremy BasDorcha

 

[BasDorcha]

Jeremy Gray
May 25th, 1979
Jeremy's house​

At the comment about a vice grip, an immediately filthy comment came to mind that he bit back before it escaped his lips. He was not that kind of guy, at least not with a woman present. A woman. It suddenly struck him a renewed force that Harper was a woman now, and not just the underage and cute sister. When she picked up the book, he got disheartened for a second, but it didn’t take much to get it put down back, and that made him smile.

When she quoted Shakespeare, a hooded look came to his eyes. Had she figured it out, what he was trying to say without being blunt or rude? With a challenging look in his eyes, his gaze never leaving hers, he countered with another poem, “I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach, when feeling out of sight, for the ends of being and ideal grace.” Somewhere in it all, he bad started to lean towards those eyes that seemed like deep, deep pools, drawing him in. He wanted to dive and never come back up, happy to drown in them.

When his eyes finally left hers, they traveled to her lips, tracing them visually, before moving to the flower. Gentle, with a feather touch this time, he put his hand on hers and started pulling her as if by magnetism towards him. When an errant wind blew, pushing her hair into her eyes, he reached out, pushing it behind her ear.

Spencer’s going to kill me, but I don’t think I could stop wanting this even if I tried. I need to kiss her. Its past wanting. The voice in his head warned what pissing off her brothers could do, best friends or not, but even that did not scare him enough to move away. He did stop before moving closing, letting her fill the gap half way between them, an even fifty-fifty consent, even if he wanted to lean the full one hundred towards her.

With: Harper - Bellz

 

[Pyroclast]

Billy King
May 25th 1979
Jeremy's House​

She tasted like cheap spirits, syrup and lemonade, her sticky sweet tongue clumsily knocking against his as she pressed herself into him. They could have been anywhere for how much the room was spinning; she could have been anyone for the strength and force with which her hands explored his body. Billy ran a hand through her pixie hair and grabbed a fistful, pulling her head back so he could come up for air. Her eagerness was stifling and when he opened his eyes and caught sight of the blurred multicoloured bulbs flashing from the karaoke machine, he thought he could maybe persuade her to use her mouth for singing another song instead of trying to suck his tongue out of his mouth.

Just as he was about to suggest the idea, one of the guys grabbed his shoulders from behind. "Look at you, always pullin' the hotties!" he said, which drew an oddly proud grin from Billy. He didn't think the girl was that special, but he supposed she was conventionally attractive. "Bedroom's free, mate - go on, gimme the details later."

With a firm slap on the back, he left Billy to it, and the young woman looked at him through sultry eyes, biting down on her smudged pink lips. "Come on, Elton," she beckoned, hooking a finger over his shirt collar and trying to lead him towards the staircase.

"You go on up, I'll be with ya' in a minute," he said, pulling away from her grasp. Seeing a flicker of disappointment in her eyes, he softened and leaned in to kiss her again. "60 seconds, I promise, then I'm all yours." The spark returned to her eyes and she tapped her nose against his with a light giggle before practically skipping up the stairs.

Moments later, the back door burst open and Billy tripped and stumbled out onto the back porch. Tearing a large bottle of vodka from his lips, he spewed a full mouthful of the spirit over the railing only to raise it back up for another lengthy drink. The sickly sweet taste she had left in his mouth was almost rinsed out, but it wasn’t enough - he wanted to be blackout drunk, perhaps so drunk he wouldn’t be physically able to follow her up the stairs. His last gulp of vodka threatened to come back up and he had to steady himself against the porch’s pillar for a second - but he managed to hold it down. After all, being sick might sober him up and that was the last thing he wanted.

He wiped his mouth with the back of his free hand, further smearing the pink lipstick his admirer had left on his face, and it was only when he turned to rest against the railing that his glassy eyes landed on two people sitting together in the dim light. As if caught red-handed, Billy instantly switched back into party mode. “Harper!” he practically shouted, and launched himself off the railing towards the chairs, still swinging the vodka bottle in one hand. When he grabbed the sides of her head to give her a kiss, he almost hit her with it. “And The Graduate,” he added as he dropped heavily onto the narrow armrest of Jeremy’s seat, almost fully sliding into the man’s lap. Dipping his head towards him, so close they could almost kiss, Billy made an attempt to lower his voice in front of his sister. “Oi, you got any johnnies on ya’? This Kiki girl’s waitin’ for me upstairs.” A smirk grew on his face as he remembered the reputation he would get if people knew what he was up to. Turning in towards his friend, Billy pinched the cigarette from Jeremy’s lips and placed it between his own before taking a long, indulgent drag. That was the taste he had been after. If his night had ended there, he would have called it perfect.

Interactions
BasDorcha Jeremy
Bellz Harper

 

[Bellz]

Harper King
May 25th 1979
Jeremy's House​

The smile that had been on Harper's face had slowly started to fade as she watched Jeremy's eyes travel from her own to her lips. His hand touched hers lightly, starting to pull her ever so slightly to him. The wind blew, causing her to shiver slightly, her blonde hair blinding her momentarily before his hand reached up and placed the stray strands behind her ear.

Her eyes were wide, not able to really say anything as he started moving closer. Harper bit on her lower lip but she moved forward towards him slowly as well. She wasn't sure if this is what she wanted to do but she wasn't going to shy away from something just because of uncertainty. When they were almost touching, the back door flew open and Harper jumped in alarm turning to see Billy, drunker than she'd ever seen him. He looked like he was about to throw up and Harper looked at him, clearly worried. "Billy?" She asked, pulling her hand away from Jeremy's quickly. "Who's lipstick is that?" She asked but he didn't seem to want to answer as he finally noticed the two people sitting together in the pale light.

Billy shouted her name and she found herself jumping again. He moved towards her like he was walking on a ship that was in the middle of a deadly storm. "Careful!" She told him as he took her head in his hands, nearly whacking her with the glass vodka bottle. He gave her a sloppy kiss on the head before looking to Jeremy. Despite nearly being caught, Harper had relaxed as Billy didn't seem to notice anything.

When Billy asked if Jeremy had any condoms on him, Harper made a face. "Ugh Billy, is that really something you should be asking in front of me." She said in disgust watching him as he took Jeremy's cigarette. Her own had burned out without her paying any more attention to it in the ashtray. Harper looked to Jeremy and mouthed an apology on her brother's behalf. "I think that's enough vodka for you, Billy. Gimme the bottle." Harper said, moving to pry it out of his hands which had been an easy feat as he was too wasted to notice her now.
with: Jeremy BasDorcha ; Billy Pyroclast

 

[BasDorcha]

Jeremy GrayMay 25th, 1979
Jeremy's house​

Just when Jeremy thought that he was going to have her leaning forward, finishing the kiss, they were interrupted. It shattered the mood, Billy throwing up like a kid and falling into his lap, Jeremy was jerked back. Harper had jumped as if she might be ashamed of what she was about to do, and his chest felt a stab of pain. Had he misread the situation so bad? A feeling of rejection washed over him, darkening his mood instantly. He loved Billy, truly, but he really wanted to kill him right now. His drunk friend had slid into his lap, and Jeremy was forced to wrap an arm around him just to keep him falling. When their lips nearly touched, Jeremy politely put some space between them without coming off rude. A quick steadying hand and he was back to a normal distance away.

Blushing deeply at the request to provide Billy with condoms, he shook his head. “Nope mate, had no plans on using anything like that tonight. I just wanted to relax, you blokes decided to make this a much bigger shindig then I ever did.” Billy nicked his cigarette, which he allowed, only wanting to get back to Harper before the night was over. What a party crasher, Jeremy grumped to himself, looking pouty now.

A sigh escaped his lips, helping the man up out of his lap as Harper decided to help him get inside. His pouting did not get better as he watched her carting him away, going on about alcohol poisoning and how he certainly wasn’t going upstairs with Kiki, but ‘A’ for effort. His eyes watched her hips swaying as she disappeared into the house, and Jeremy sat there playing the entire scene again in his mind. How had they ended up there? Part of Jeremy faintly remembered a growing unease around Harper the older she got, and he constantly put it off because of the age difference, but two years since he last seen her and she had grown into a woman he both knew and didn’t. It was like learning a stranger that you connected with easily. Jeremy rubbed his head, frustratedly sitting back with a groan, hands over his eyes.

“This is either the dumbest thing or best things that I’ll ever do. I better just leave that girl alone before it’s the death of me. Can’t be trusted around her, so I guess that I mean’s I’ll have to start trying to avoid her… I’m never going to succeed.” Jeremy smacked his forehead in defeat. For now, he needed to sort his head, and avoiding Harper was going to be the only way he could tell if this was just lust or something more, like he suspected.

 

[BasDorcha]

Bruce King's Family Home
~ Bethnal Green, East London ~
~ Friday 12th September 1969 ~
Jeremy Gray​

Jeremy had spent the day cruising the city. Lately, work had been picking up, and Bruce was giving him and Spencer more responsibility then ever. The previous night, he had spent the late hours until dawn in the redlight district of Soho. It hadn’t ended in him getting laid, he had passed on that, but it did end with some heavy practice that closely related to the last two digits of the year. The girl had been disappointed when he turned her down for a home run, but he didn’t feel the need to stick it in anything that moved, much like others his age.


It had been noteworthy though, he’d seen a bit of a bondage show and learned what a dominant and a submissive was. It piqued his interest, more then he cared to admit, that he might be the dominant in any relationship he might one day form. Spencer had been with him until sometime in the morning, when he split with his date and left Jeremy for the educational after hours show. They had previously discussed having dinner together on Friday, though it wasn’t much of a decision. Spencer knew Jeremy went were he went, as long as he wanted him there.

When the fun had ended, he had taken the lovely blonde girl home, walked her to her door, and said goodbye. He declined both number and name, it really didn’t matter to him. He’d dated one girl so far, seriously, and he had decided the childish antics were not for him. She had been immature, ditzy, and only interested in him because of his connection to the King family. Jeremy wanted depth, passion, commitment, not a fling which is often what he saw in most of the girls his age, as well as other relationships. No, he was focused on moving up, making more money, and finishing his education. For the moment he had taken a few light classes to stay in mental shape and stay ahead of whatever degree he might go for in the future, but nothing had been decided.

In his passenger seat sat a pile of poetry, philosophy and other random books most people avoided unless it was a class assignment – it wasn’t for him. There was almost always a pile of books in his passenger seat. As he finally decided it was time to start making his way to Bruce’s, he swung by his house, showered, dressed casually, and aimed his car in the King’s direction. The drive was short, but he took his time and meandered the side streets, enjoying the lovely weather they were having.

As he pulled up, he saw a group of younger guys hanging out, talking and laughing as he rolled up and parked. Their voices were drifting on the light wind, at first unheard by Jeremy.

“Yeah, I heard she died when she was born.” One of the voices pierced his oblivion. The tips of his ears reddened as he turned to watch the largest boy – maybe fourteen – start laughing and nodding.

“How much of a bitch do you have to be to kill your mom when she’s givin’ birth to ya? My mum also said she was born a drug addict, must be why she killed her. Couldn’t be seen sharing.” The black spots in Jeremy’s eyes started to grow, seeping to red. They were talking about Harper.

“Harper King, more like Harper Killer, Killed her Mother, should have stop at her brother.” The sing song voice that was trying to make a rhyming song caused him to snap. One second, Jeremy was behind the wheel of his car, the next moment, the door was flying open, his keys in his hand like spiked brass knuckles, and his eyes saw nothing but red.

 

[Misty Gray]

Bruce King's Family Home
~ Bethnal Green, East London ~
~ Friday 12th September 1969 ~

Spencer King​

Although he always had some work to do for his uncle, be it on placement at King Remedial Pharmaceuticals or the the shadier side of the business, Spencer had been able to take at least some time relax over the last few weeks during the summer breaks from University. Due to start his final year of his Pharmaceutical Chemistry degree in a couple of weeks, Spencer had been fitting in as much fun and social life as he could. As easy as it would be to loosen up on his duties and studies, Spencer was always motivated to work hard, to repay Bruce for everything he'd done for him and his younger siblings. There had been a point when he was younger where Spencer had gone off the rails and he'd come close to letting that become his way of life, but when he finally opened up to Bruce, he was instead motivated to succeed and make the man proud. That now meant that he'd been squeezing in as much enjoyment as he could before he'd have to focus on his work and education again.

Last night, Spencer has been out with Jeremy and they hit some of the clubs in Soho. The clubs were certainly more adult than most and whilst it wasn't new to Spencer, he was sure it had been an eye-opener for his young friend. Once it got very late, or perhaps very early considering it was morning, Spencer eventually left Jeremy, having been keen to take his pretty blonde date back to his place where they could finish their night in private. Her name was Lisa, but Spencer hadn't caught her surname, though he didn't need to as both him and her weren't intending on seeing each other again after the were done.

Despite it only been a one-night stand, Spencer did walk the woman back to her neighbourhood when they'd eventually got themselves up and dressed at noon. Spencer had then headed to King Remedial for a couple of hours to finish up some trials reports and results he'd been working on for Bruce. By the time he'd returned home and changed into something casual, he decided to head straight to his uncle's house for the planned family dinner. Although he'd moved into his own place a couple of years ago, Spencer was more often at Bruce's than his own apartment, especially as he was close to his younger siblings who remained living with their uncle.

Though he'd arrived at his uncle's house, Spencer didn't immediately go inside, not when he saw Poppy, a 19-year old he'd slept with a number of times but wasn't in an actual relationship with. As she approached him, Spencer had noticed the coy smile on her face and he stepped out in her path so she couldn't tease him by walking straight past. Now standing up close and person, he stared down at her with a mischievous smile on his face, which she met with one of her own as she looked up to him. "Are you home alone tonight?" he curiously asked her, knowing she lived with her brother and parents, further down the same street they were standing on.

"Nope," she said, quickly shaking her head. "Besides, what would the neighbours say? Not to mention my family tell me to avoid guys like you," she teased him.

"Did they say that before or after we slept together? You certainly weren't avoiding me then," he pointed out, with a flirtatious laugh. "Guys like me, huh... You tell them I'm a professional and well educated gentleman. The perfect catch." He casually leaned back against the wall as he watched her smiling back at him. He could see she was certainly considering his proposition. "Swing by the pub tomorrow night and I'll take you back to mine," he suggested. Though she shook her head and turned away, she called out to confirm a time as she walked away.

Spencer grinned to himself as she agreed to their planned night together, but his smile was soon wiped off his face as his attention was drawn to Jeremy's car as his friend rushed out of it. Something was clearly agitating Jeremy and Spencer turned to see the group of young lads who were hanging around. Tuning into the unpleasant words being sung about Harper and Laura, Spencer tightened his jaw as he had to force himself not to react to it. Of course his mother's death was a sensitive subject, but Spencer had spent much of his childhood and teen years letting his grief manifest into aggression. It had taken a lot for him to learn to stay controlled and collected, so he wasn't about to let a bunch of kids undo all of that. He could see that Jeremy was ready to lash out on his family's behalf. As much as the kids needing shutting up, he couldn't let it happen.

"Jeremy! The hell, mate?" he asked as he rushed to catch up to him. "Front door's this way..." he pointed out.

 

[BasDorcha]

Bruce King's Family Home
~ Bethnal Green, East London ~
~ Friday 12th September 1969 ~
Jeremy Gray​

Jeremy lost track in his head. Harper was a kid, they shouldn’t have been talking about her like that. It angered him, and he wasn’t going to let anyone tear her down like that. She already struggled and he saw it. Harper was a spitfire for sure, she was constantly giving her brothers and himself shit and antagonizing them, but she wasn’t very good at making friends or fitting in. Comments like what was coming out of the kids here didn’t help that situation any, he was sure. It felt like they were insulting his own sister and that pissed him off even more. Harper was a sweet girl, and tried hard, and the fact these kids were tearing her down in public just made him angry even more.

A second later it felt like he was on the kid. Fortunately, he had dropped his keys in the process and now was just punching him with a regular fist – but still it was bad. The kid was large for fourteen, but still small compared to Jeremy. Jeremy had recently turned eighteen, but had been training and practicing his fighting for years and was more prepared then an average fresh adult. All of the boys were. The kids friends tried to jump in and stop him, but ended up shoved backwards away with a swing of Jeremy’s long arms.

Logic tried to tell him to slow down, to stop, he’d kill the kid if he kept up, but the anger in him kept pumping and his arms kept swinging. He slowed down as foot steps rushed up, but only enough to look down and see the kids bloody face beneath his hand. His eyes looked to his hand, soaked in blood too. Still, he was still angry, and like he was out of control, his arm pulled back, ready to swing again.

 

[Misty Gray]

Bruce King's Family Home
~ Bethnal Green, East London ~
~ Friday 12th September 1969 ~

Spencer King​

"Jesus Christ!" Spencer muttered to himself as Jeremy started punching and laying into one of the kids. This was followed by another of the young teens trying to help his friend, only to be shoved away by Jeremy. Spencer's friend was clearly out of control and the fact he was taking it out on some local kids made it even worse.

Just as Jeremy was about to swing for the already bloody-faced kid again, Spencer stepped in and grabbed him firmly by the wrist before he could. Keeping a firm grip, he placed his free hand to his friend's chest and forcefully pushed him back, away from the kid. "Calm the fuck down," he firmly commanded Jeremy, looking him in the eyes. "They're just a bunch of dumb, ignorant kids. Ignore the little bastards," he told him. Finally letting go of Jeremy's arm, Spencer pointed to Bruce's house behind him. "If you want to kick the shit out of someone, don't do it around here. You can't bring drama like this onto Bruce's doorstep. Like, literally on his doorstep. My uncle has enough on his plate without having to deal with cleaning up messes like this."

Spencer took a step back and looked around at the kids, assessing if they were going to keep being lippy and invite Jeremy to lay into them once again. "You all need to quit shooting your mouths off about shit you have no idea about. And bullying a little girl? That's real hard of you, ain't it?" he pointed out to them. "You need to get the fuck out of here before I change my mind about stopping my friend here from breaking your legs."