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

[Bellz]

Monday, July 29th, 1985
~ Early Morning ~
Harper King​

Harper would be lying if she said she wasn't fully prepared to get back into bed with Jeremy and finish where they had left off. The moments they shared were just as passionate as they had been the first time, leaving Harper completely winded as she now sat in bed beside him. Taking the fork he offered her, she stabbed at pieces of food gently, happily plopping it into her mouth. Her cheeks flushed as he fed her bits as well, taking the opportunity to do the same for him.

She beamed as he complimented her cooking...which never really mattered before to her. But that happiness was quickly replaced by her usual sass as she rolled her eyes at his comment about her remembering and presenting him with food. "I'll have you know that I've remembered your birthday for quite some time now. But you were always getting wasted with my brothers so I never felt the need to do anything special." She defended herself with a scoff. "And I can make food thank you very much, you think I survived solely off what all the men in the house made? Alex can hardly boil pasta without burning it." Her tone was teasing as she stuck out her tongue playfully.

With a content sigh, Harper leaned her head on his shoulder, both enjoying the silence. She was soaking in the meaning of it all, how she felt compared to the last few weeks. It was like she had a sudden zap of energy, serotonin even. As prepared as she was for their usual banter, Harper had been stunned by Jeremy's following words. They effectively stopped her breathing as she listened to his heartfelt confession. Harper's head slowly lifted from his shoulder and she turned to look at him, their eyes meeting as he told her that they could travel where she wanted to, do what she wanted but regardless of that, he still wanted her to be his wife. While her heart told her she didn't want him to be joking about this, her eyes still searched for any signs that he might be pulling her leg. When she found no humor behind those beautiful blue eyes, a slow sincere smile grew on her face, though she was still struggling to find the words. He took her hand in his, kissing her fingertips as he then said that they could have whatever marriage she wanted to, break all the rules in fact. I just want you to be mine. That made her heart skip a beat.

Biting her lip, she moved her legs in an attempt to get a better look at him. "You'd really want to be with me for the rest of your life, Jeremy Gray?" Harper asked, knowing that in her mind, she could see herself spending the rest of her life with him. "I hope you know this doesn't count as an actual marriage proposal. I want the whole cheesy moment, you know, like writing it out in the sand on the beach or tying the ring to a puppy." Her voice was teasing, only because anything he did would make her happy. In her euphoric state, Harper wasn't thinking about how badly things could go...the future had yet to come and things could change. "I mean...I'm not saying yes until I see that ring...but I'll think about it." She fought to contain a large smile, settling for her usual smirk as she winked at him.

 

[BasDorcha]

Monday, July 29, 1985
-Midday-
Jeremy Gray​

Her head lifting from his shoulder instilled the slightest bit of fear he spoke too soon, and immediately he thought he should take it back, but his heart would not let him. He had spoken the truth, and if Jeremy was anything, it was honest. As she searched his face, he kept himself emotionally exposed for her viewing, watching as her smile spread across her lips. The reward was more than worth it, her inner beauty shinning through, something he wished he could show her. Her teeth bit down on her lower lip, her body shuffling to train her gaze better on him.

“Yes, Harper King, I want to be with you for the rest of your life, and mine… No this isn’t a proposal, it’s just a warning, so you know what’s coming.” He leaned forward and kissed her lightly, his hand moving to caress her cheek. “I will find a way to ask you that even you couldn’t plan, when the time is right. I’ll accept you thinking about it, that’s all I need right now.” He pushed his fingers into her hair and deepened the kiss, before letting her go and playfully swiping a dollop of whip cream from breakfast onto her nose.

“Maybe, just maybe, I’ll let you help me pick the ring, if you’re lucky.” He laughed and squirmed away from her, sure she was going to retaliate on the food. “Don’t waste breakfast lady!” He teasingly put some space between them, holding up his pillow as a barricade. “Besides, I don’t think its laundry day yet, is it?” When he was sure she’d put down her ammo to get him back, he pulled her close, licking the sticky syrup off her fingers. “Let me take you out tonight, that’s what I want to do for my birthday. We’ll go to a jazz club, eat a fancy dinner, sway under the stars to some music or pretend to swing with our broken bodies in some smokey room. What do you say?”

 

[Bellz]

Monday, July 29th, 1985
~ London ~
All Jazzed Up Club
Harper King ​

It had been a long time since Harper had been out for fun. Or at least it felt that way. In reality, it had only been a little over a month since she was in that damned nightclub. After getting that fancy dinner Jeremy had promised, they were now headed to the local jazz club that she used to frequent. All Jazzed Up was a unique establishment in the fact that it was one of the only ones left. It was a spot that was definitely for the old-fashioned and while Harper didn't find herself that way in the traditional sense, her tastes in music had a wide range. Plus, she was a fan of dancing and she had grown familiar enough with the owners that they let her play the piano often as they were closing up for the evening.

Walking into a club again felt a little strange, in all honesty, and Harper felt the slightest bit on edge. Getting ready to go out had felt just as strange, not looking like the same person she had before the explosion, the dress hung in places that were normally full and curvy. Her leg was killing her and it was making her a little irritable but instead of indulging in any pills like she wanted to, she figured she'd get drunk instead. 3 extra strong drinks later, Harper was actually starting to feel like herself again. No matter the mood she was in, nothing would keep her from swaying to the music even in the seated position she was in now. It was a habit that she had formed as a kid and never grew out of. Looking to Jeremy who was seated across from her at the small cocktail table, Harper gave him an easygoing smile. "I think I'm about ready for that dance now." She hummed.

When they were finally on the dance floor, the next song took a somewhat slower turn and Harper lifted her right hand to take his before placing her other on his shoulder. Let's Fall in Love started with a soulful note by the singer on stage and Harper smiled sweetly. Once they were in a comfortable movement with one another, Harper took a moment to look around. "You know...I used to come to this place by myself all the time." Her voice was light, lacking any of the usual hoarseness that normally plagued it. She took a moment to soak in everything, dancing with the man before she felt like a dream..to one of her favorite songs.

I have a feeling, it's a feeling
I'm concealing, I don't know why
It's just a mental, sentimental alibi
But I adore you
So strong for you
Why go on stalling
I am falling
Our love is calling
Why be shy?
Let's fall in love
Why shouldn't we fall in love?
Our hearts are made of it
Let's take a chance
Why be afraid of it?​

"It was one place that I could go that my family didn't own or have a watchful eye on." Harper went on to explain, her eyes looking into his before her hand reached up to touch his bruised-up face. "It was one place I could go that was...mine, in a way." Biting her lip, she tried to stop the color that was forming on the apple of her cheeks. "Now I have someone who is mine to share it with...and it feels-" Harper got a little daring, giving him the hint to spin her out and then back in, spinning a little more so that her back was to him as they swayed. "Like a dream." She finished her words as her face turned back to look up at him. "And I don't want to wake up."

 

[BasDorcha]

Monday, July 29th, 1985
~ London ~
All Jazzed Up Club
Jeremy Gray ​

Dinner had been exactly what Jeremy had in mind, just an intimate occasion for the two of them, out in public on a date for the first time. It was like a story, everything felt a glow to it. He couldn’t help it, he kept touching Harper any chance he got, holding her close, playing with her hand, anything to be the center of her attention. It felt like nothing he had ever felt before. When after dinner, Harper picked a bar he had not been to in a long time, he couldn’t help the grin that played over his face. She picked the one place in town he had never taken one of the boys too, that was only his.


Throughout the night, Jeremy was carefully watching Harper, trying to judge if it was time to go home, how was her pain, had he pushed her to go out to quickly. Over and over again, she made him forget his worry, bringing him back to the moment, falling in love with her a thousand times again with each new glance. As badly as he wanted to dance, he didn’t want to make her in case it hurt to bad, so when she asked him, he burst into a broad smile, standing and offering her his hand, guiding her out to the floor like no one else was there. Within moments the perfect song came on, and they were swaying together with the rhythm of matching heartbeats. He hung on every word she spoke to him, caressing her with each brush of his hand. When she told him that she use to come to this place alone, he leaned in and nipped her ear, saying, “This was my special place too, you know.” He spun her out gently, then back against him.

He tucked his head over her shoulder, murmuring in a deep rumble directly into her ear as they swayed, “Then let it be ours from this moment on, until infinity. Just you and me. We’ll stay here forever.” He gave her another soft spin, pulling her back and dipping her while planting a kiss on her. As he stood her back up, he didn’t break the kiss, instead stopping them in the middle of the floor to share their own private moment. “This will be our night.” He smiled as a little more upbeat song came on and he picked up the pace, twirling her around the floor at a half pace.

It didn’t matter that there were other couples dancing, it didn’t matter that the song sometimes didn’t fit their dancing, none of it mattered all Jeremy could see was them, their bubble, and the haze of the light shining down around them with smoke filling the air like a fog from the stage. He pulled her close as the song You’re Getting To Be A Habit With Me came on and he just held her close, purring the lyrics into her ear. He knew it was to soon, but with his heart, with his actions, he was already asking her to spend a lifetime with him. Jeremy could never go back to not loving Harper anymore, and no one, no god, no force could stand between him getting to her. Only she would be able to stop him, and he prayed she never did.

“Harper, you are so beautiful. I love you, inside and out, for every little thing that makes you…. You. I hope you know that I can’t go backwards from this, I can never unlove you at this point… I’ve given you my heart, it’s never been handled before. Please… love it like it loves you.” He pressed his cheek to the side of her head, still whispering down to ear the whole time. The feeling in his chest was to big to properly explain, but he would keep trying until he found the right words.

 

[Bellz]

Monday, July 29th, 1985
~ London ~
All Jazzed Up Club
Harper King ​

The way he nipped her ear made her shiver but his words were what really caught her attention. In his arms, she leaned her head against his as he rested his chin on her shoulder. He told her to it now be their special place, from now until forever. She could have cried, could have just kissed him until the end of both of their days but he spun her back out all too soon and suddenly she felt cold. Luckily, he brought her back into his arms and she felt bathed in that familiar warmth once more. He dipped her and though she could feel the familiar strain of her muscles, it didn't hurt. He was like a drug that she could take forever. And at that moment, she simply couldn't get enough of him. Jeremy's kiss was all she needed at that moment.

The song picked up speed and she let him lead her around. The world seemed to fade into nothing but a swirl of different colors, only being able to see Jeremy clearly in front of her. Seeing him so smiley, so completely elated...it was new to her. Knowing that she was the reason for it made her want to keep making him happy, continue to see that drop-dead gorgeous smile on his face.

Jeremy pulled her close to him, her body fitting perfectly against his as they danced. The song, was ironic in itself as he sang it softly into her ear. For one moment in her life, Harper felt complete. A whole half of her had returned back for one fleeting moment. The young, vibrant and lovely person that she used to be before it had disappeared the night of the explosion. And he had given it back to her as if he'd been holding onto it for her in the hopes that he could one day return it. Like some fairytale, she had read as a child, but instead of a hollow glass slipper...it was her. Overcome with emotion, Harper moved her hands to wrap around his neck, her face buried into the side of it as they continued to sway.

His words sounded like a song as well written as the music playing around them. A song that she had been missing in her life, humming the tune aimlessly without realizing that someone would come along to finish it. It was the song of her heart, one that she thought had been wrung out ages ago.

Realizing the song had changed, Harper moved her head to look up at him, unable to keep her eyes from burning. "You have given me the feeling of being myself again. I'll love you until my last breath and even thereafter." Her eyes searched his, a lopsided grin forming on her face. The song, Love is here to stay once again seemed so appropriate for the moment and she sang rather beautifully with it, It's very clear that our love is here to stay...not for a year but ever and a day.."

"I don't know what I'd do without you now." She said honestly, letting her right-hand slide down his shoulder back into his other hand as she returned to their normal dancing position. "But I'm not going to let myself find out." Harper pressed herself in closer to him as the song grew in tempo. "Marriage...a family, whatever you want. It's yours, I'm yours. But just promise to make me feel this way every day, for the rest of my life and I promise the same."

 

[BasDorcha]

Monday, July 29th, 1985
~ London ~
All Jazzed Up Club
Jeremy Gray ​

As she spoke to him, he gradually grew happier and happier until he was ready to sweep her off her feet. Carefully, he crouched a bit, wrapping his arms around her waist, and lifting her up, spinning her as he kissed her stomach, her weight supported on his chest as he slowly slid her back down. It seemed that all the waiting in life, all the things they both had been through, had brought them here and he couldn’t be happier. Was it all good things? No. Would he undo some of them if he could? Maybe, but then maybe they wouldn’t be here now.

He slowly lowered her to her feet again, her body clasped against his, fingers burying into her hair as his forehead pressed hers. The time slipped away, them dancing there, before they took a break and headed to a private booth with curtains and swinging doors. It allowed for privacy if wanted, or it to be opened and watching the floor and band if so desired. Jeremy had no intention of keeping it open. He pulled his tie off, hanging it and his jacket on the outside door, closing it behind him and dropping the curtains. Harper didn’t get to her seat before Jeremy came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her, one hand sliding up to her throat the other downwards.

The waitress came to knock but seeing the discarded clothes she just giggled and walked off, leaving the booth alone. Jeremy whispered all his promises and love to her as the music played in the background, their sounds mixed into the big band horns and drums. Afterwards, her now on his lap, he held her close, kissing her. “Let’s go home Ms. King, I’ll make love to you the right way. I’ve had a wonderful birthday but now I don’t want to do anything but be with you.”

***

Later that night

***

Back home, Jeremy had put on a vinyl of Frank Sinatra, the music playing low and melodiously through the apartment as he swayed with her in the living room, both of them drunk on liquor and each other, both in the afterglow of their love making at the jazz club. It was as if the night would never end, but in the windows the sun would soon peak. He led her out onto the balcony and light a cigarette, sharing it with her by occasionally offering her a drag from his fingertips. “Harper, I know that this little… honeymoon thing we’ve got going right now can’t last forever… But I want to promise you that no matter how much we might one day fight, how angry we might get at each other, hell even if we end up hurting each other, that will never change how much I love you.”

He kissed the back of her head, his chest pressed to her back, arms around her shoulders, holding her tight. “I’ve read enough stories to know true love isn’t always perfect, it’s the efforts we will put in that make it that way. So, I promise to always keep trying to show you how much I love you, every day, and to always remind you of all the amazing things you should know about yourself.” Teasingly he gave her an inappropriate squeeze on her chest, kissing her ear playfully. “And to try and always keep you entertained so you don't grow bored of me. You know, when Bruce assigned me to baby sit you,” His voice took a teasing tone, letting her know he was joking, “The first thing I did was make boob hand signs at him and said you had really grown up. I don’t know what that man was thinking letting me anywhere near you. Still, I would have done anything to protect you then, and still now.”

 

[Bellz]

Monday, July 29th, 1985
~ London ~
Her Apartment
Harper King ​

Letting out a squeal of surprise as he picked her up, Harper couldn't stop laughing as he spun her around. Her body screamed at her, her face shifting slightly in pain as he gently set her on her feet once more. The rush of adrenaline he'd given her was soon replaced with what felt like hot ice, shooting through every vein in her as he stared at her so intensely. They had stayed like that for a long time, the music changing, time moving at a pace she refused to keep up with. When they finally moved away from one another, he quickly led her to the private booth he'd managed to snag.

Seeming to have some newfound boldness, he tugged off his tie and jack before pulling the curtains closed. Before she could even think about sitting, his hands grabbed her and Harper couldn't resist. Absolutely risking it all just because they couldn't keep their hands off each other, Harper allowed him to whisper all of his promises pure and not so pure in that. Praying that the music was loud enough to keep others from hearing the noises escaping her, everything felt like a dream...once again acknowledging that she didn't want to wake up.

When everything was said and done, he held her in his lap, kissing her sweetly. "Oh, so that was the wrong way then? I'd love you to show me what the right way is, Mr. Gray." She practically sang but didn't waste another minute getting ready to leave.

***​

The buzz of the alcohol had begun to wear off slowly but surely, but the way she felt about the man swaying with her in her living room would never fade. The smallest bit of color was starting to paint the horizon, she hadn't even realized that they had been up all night long. Letting him lead her to the balcony, Harper leaned against the railing as she looked down at her neighborhood that was only just starting to bustle with life. They shared a cigarette and Harper had just been blowing out the smoke from her lips when he spoke up. The nicotine helped keep her from shaking and sweating as she had been only a night ago. The alcohol was almost completely worn off and the pain in her limbs had returned tenfold.

As she straightened up from the railing, Harper turned to look at him, Frank Sinatra still sounded from the living room When I lost you playing its terribly solemn tune. I lost the sunshines and roses... Jeremy went on to say the very thing that she had been afraid of, acknowledging that this feeling wouldn't last forever. I lost the heavens of blue.I lost the beautiful rainbow. I lost the morning dew... His vow to promise to love her, even if they fight, no matter how angry they got...even if they hurt each other. It was almost too much to bear as she turned back to look out at her neighborhood.

The last few days were intoxicating...pulling her into this euphoric state that she swore she'd never get away from. And while he didn't mean to hurt her so, to remind her of just what the reality of their relationship would be...it was like stabbing her in the chest. His lips pressed against her head and his arms wrapped around her, protecting her from the crisp early morning air.

I lost the angel who gave me summer
The whole winter through
I lost the gladness that turned into sadness
When I lost you..​

Harper's throat became tight as she pressed a hand to it. His promise to try to show her just how much he loved her...to remind her of all the amazing things he thought she should already know about herself. Tears formed in her eyes, one sliding down her cheek without her permission, landing on his arm before she could catch it herself. Before she could say anything, he inappropriately squeezed her chest, causing her to giggle despite the sadness in her heart. "Don't be such a perv!" She said, her voice hoarse with emotion as she forced herself to smile widely, eyes crinkling nearly closed to hide the tears behind them.

Her anger about Jeremy watching her every move had felt like such a long time ago...almost years. A slightly disgusted scoff escaped her as she turned in his arms, her tears completely gone despite the redness in her eyes as she playfully shoved him. "Real mature of you, Jeremy, making a gesture to my Uncle like that." She teased before shaking her head at hearing what he said about Bruce. The fact of the matter was, it seemed like Bruce wasn't really paying attention to what she wanted or needed anymore. Fortunately for him, Jeremy had been something she secretly needed from the start...and while she would never admit it out loud...she had wanted him for a long time too.

Jeremy was so gut-wrenching sincere and she knew he would protect her from everything. "Sometimes, true love ends in tragedy." She suddenly said, unable to keep the thought from her mind. "This phase...I don't want it to pass...but I know what I am, Jere." Harper swallowed and shook her head, suddenly moving out of his arms as she turned to look towards her living room. "How can I return the sentiment of loving you when I know that I'm the one who will eventually hurt you." She asked, her voice quiet. "You can't protect me from me, love."

 

[BasDorcha]

Monday, July 29th, 1985
~ London ~
Jeremy Gray ​

As the sun started to peak over the horizon, like a light flickered on in the dark of a room, the magic started to dispel, Harper now brought back to reality, and Jeremy ready to remind her that the gloom would not last. He watched her as she turned towards him and away again, frowning as he saw the clouds starting to edge in metaphorically speaking. At first, when she tried to move away, he held her closer, not letting her just run. The tear hit his arm, and instantly, he had snuggled her closer to him, nuzzling her neck right at the curve, trying to stop the rolling waves he could sense moving over her.

Kissing her lightly, he tried to keep the mood light, “You make me a perv, woman.” He nipped her ear again, something that was starting to become a habit any time he was close to her lobes. “Eventually everything ends in tragedy, love. Its not about the ending, its about the living in between.” She pushed out of his arms, a sigh escaping his lips. She had come a long way in a few days, but he forgot that for her, this was still just a diversion, that her feelings may be induced from withdraws and the longing to feel more then them. Her eyes told him it was more, but his own fear was quickly tamped back – he had to believe enough for both of them, until she could believe it on her own.

“What are you Harper? A human, going through human struggles? You make yourself out to be a demon, burdened upon this world, unwanted, when nothing could be more untrue. No one is going to blame you for any of the things in your mind. I love you, your family love you… Loving someone can sometimes mean pain – I loved my parents, they died, should I blame them? No, it happens. That is life. Only I get to decide if you are going to hurt me. Its up to me to feel those things, not you.” He sighed, exasperated. The alcohol was still buzzing enough in his system he was not as articulate as he had been the night before, struggling to make her understand, make her see.

Part of him knew that all he could do was keep being there, keep proving, keep showing, but part of him wanted desperately to skip that part. Could anyone blame him for wanting to get to the good part? The part where they just loved each other, without worry, knowing they could face anything together? Would she ever believe, like him, that love truly could conquer all? Maybe he was just a hopeless romantic under it all, but that was just who he was. Rough exterior – though lately it felt extremely not rough – with a soft inside. Rubbing the back of his neck and head, he stepped back towards her, his touch feather light incase she flinched away this time, kissing her neck if she allowed.

“Come, our nights not over if we don’t watch the sun come up. Come to bed with me, let me make you forget the sun exist.” He guided her inside, shutting the curtains behind them. Before she could complain, he hurried to his room, throwing an extra blanket over the curtain to block out all light. He turned off the sad music that now filled the air, lit a few candles he kipped from around the house, and turned his bland room into a hide away. “You’re escape awaits, Ms. King.”

 

[Pyroclast]

Friday 31st August 1979
The Mercury Nightclub and Cocktail Bar
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Billy King​

At the front of the bar, Billy drummed his hands in time to the disco track playing over his head. The disorderly queue behind him was thick and heaving with impatient dancing drunks, so much so that he kept getting pushed forward and nudged in the back. Having waited a total of two songs to give his order, he had made it a big one and ordered four shots of vodka each as well as two double vodka lemonades. Jeremy hadn't been specific about what he wanted, but put Billy in charge of alcohol and everyone was doomed to get wasted.

While the eight shots were being poured out, Billy turned around to look for his friend. An attractive woman had started talking to him and Billy's smile fell, not wanting Jeremy to abandon him for the sake of a woman's attention. Quickly, he reached through the crowd and grabbed Jeremy's arm to haul him over to the bar instead. With a mischievous grin, he slid Jeremy's four shots along the bar for him to take and clinked each of his own against Jeremy's before downing them in quick succession.

The heavy intro to ABBA's Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight) came suddenly booming from the speakers, eliciting a shriek from a group of girls and filling Billy with a heightened sense of confidence and allure. With the hot sting of spirits sizzling in his throat and excitement pumping through his veins, Billy distributed the vodka sodas, grabbed Jeremy's free hand and began to shove his way back out of the queue, through the crowd and over to one of the pillars at the edge of the dance floor - far away from Jeremy's female admirer.

Normally when Billy went out clubbing with his friends at university, he was on a kind of conquest, rarely leaving without having kissed a handful of girls and often taking one - or even two - home with him. But this time was different…because Jeremy was back. Ever since Spencer started going to nightclubs, when Billy was barely a teenager, he had been waiting for the day that he and Jeremy could go out just the two of them. No rules, no uncle or big brothers telling him to go to bed - just staying out late doing whatever they wanted, drunk, carefree and liberated. Billy and Jeremy, just tearing up the city. And now that it was happening, Billy had no interest in going after women.

Leaning against the pillar, Billy sipped on the sweet alcoholic drink and watched Jeremy, how the multicoloured lights would swing over him, illuminating his handsome features in the shadows. Somehow it seemed to only take a couple of sips until his drink was gone. He couldn't remember how many he had had already, but he felt like he was flying. Not caring how full Jeremy's cup was, Billy grabbed Jeremy's hand and started dancing with him, spinning around him, singing along eagerly to the dance track.

When the song came to an end, Billy stumbled in close, grabbing onto the neck of Jeremy's shirt to hold himself steady and raking a hand through Jeremy's hair to keep his head still as he reached up to speak into his ear. "It's after midnight," he reminded him, in reference to the song. "If you wanna get that girl."

He then launched himself back so he could see the man's expression. He was trying to determine something - who Jeremy would choose, what he wanted, if he had had enough of Billy's company. He was giving him a choice, but he knew the answer he wanted to hear.

 

[BasDorcha]

Mercury NightclubBethnal Green, London
Jeremy Gray

Jeremy had been standing at the end of the queue line, wondering how long it would take to get a drink in the club his employer owned. Shaking his head, he watched Billy’s head bobbing up and down, trying to order, and by his hand signals, he was ordering a lot. While he waited, a tall, curvy brunette came and tried to chat him up, but aside from being polite, he had no interest – not that he wasn’t into women, he was just here to get away from all that. The last few weeks he had been out tons with Alex parading through women like he was going for the record, and Spencer constantly trying to avoid his wife, he had been out scouring birds and ‘getting laid’ for days. Truth was, he hadn’t slept with any of the women, and honestly was tired of the pretense. They wouldn’t understand that he had never felt he found the right one to sleep with. When they first assumed, he was too shy to deny it around the older men, so he just went with it.

Billy pulled him into the throng of people, shoving his shots towards him. A shiver went through him, vodka was not his friend, he had been drunk on it badly one time and rarely touched it since, but for Billy, he would drink it tonight. Once they were cleared, he grabbed his drink the same time Billy grabbed his hand and pulled him along to the edge of the dance floor. Both men had agreed they were not in the mood for chasing birds, so nothing came across as odd to him about his friend, though he did seem to be much more relaxed than he’d seen him in a long time. Jeremy looked forward to just enjoying his time with his friend and getting out of the house, his mind distracted from what had occurred a week before.

Unaware of Billy’s staring, he swayed to the music, singing to a few of the songs, enjoying the live band at the front stage. Without realizing it, he finished his drink, setting it down on a table crowded with people next to them just in time for Billy to grab him into a dance. Laughing, Jeremy danced around with him, genuinely enjoying seeing Billy being himself when so often it felt like a front. For a while Jeremy had a sneaking suspicion that Billy would one day have great revelations about himself, but that was a long time coming. Until then, he often felt like Billy tortured himself, and Jeremy was happy to see him letting go of the well-kept wall for once.

When Billy whispered in his ear, his hands on his collar and hair, he carefully wrapped an arm around his waist, supporting his drunk weight. “Nah, mate, I’m good. No birds tonight, remember. I’m not looking to shack up tonight, its just us! We’re going to paint the town red!” He laughed, hugging Billy as he easily kept his lighter form from falling. “Not sure you’re going to make it though mate! You seem to have gotten a head start on me.” Jeremy was buzzing, sure, but Billy seemed away ahead of him. “Let’s get out of here and get some air!” His voice raised above the music, he started dragging Billy out the back door, nodding to the guard standing at the back of the Mercury to remind him to let them back in momentarily.

Once the fresh air hit them, he took a deep breath, ambling over to a ledge just outside the back with a good solid seat and wall behind it so Billy could not fall over. He helped them both find their seat, pulling his cigarettes out and lighting one for each of them. “That’s better, get you some fresh air and slow down that buzz before you pass out on me ‘fore the nights even over.”​

 

[Pyroclast]

Friday 31st August 1979
The Mercury Nightclub and Cocktail Bar
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Billy King​

A few drinks ago, Billy had surrendered control of his body, actions and decisions to the alcohol. Thanks to the high levels of alcohol in his system, his walls had all but dropped and there was very little - if anything at all - stopping him from acting on impulse and leaving no time to reflect before letting his words flow out.

Hearing Jeremy affirm that he had no intention of hooking up with any women and was solely there to have a night out with Billy made the younger man’s eyes light up in a smile. ’It’s just us!’, he had said. Us. Warmth flooded his heart at the sound of the word. Jeremy had always had a way of making Billy feel special. Even as a child he had never had to fight too hard for his attention, because Jeremy somehow seemed to know that he wanted it. Now that they were going out together as just the two of them, Billy finally felt like he was in close friend territory, rather than just being Spencer’s little brother.

The way that Jeremy held him so tight made it hard for Billy to regain balance on his own feet, and so when the man let him go he stumbled forward as if physically hooked on him. After pointing out that Billy was far drunker than he was, Jeremy suggested that they get some air. A cigarette did sound nice, but what was even more enticing was the idea of being together in the smoking area. That was where Billy usually sealed the deal with his one night stands; starting off on the dancefloor, getting a drink or a few, then going outside to share a cigarette and a conversation that would lead to a taxi home…

As he was being dragged across the dancefloor, the swirling lights interspersed with darkness began to dizzy him and he had to grip onto Jeremy to stop his stumbling feet from taking him down. It didn't seem to take long at all for the pair to reach the smoking area and the cool air and comforting smell of cigarettes came as a relief. Still, the dizziness was only contributing to the giddy feeling that came from being with Jeremy, and despite his oscillating vision, Billy couldn't help but smile as he followed the man over to the ledge. Momentarily forgetting that he wasn't good with heights, Billy leaned all the way over to see the people down below. A flash of pain suddenly rattled through his skull, his vision went black and when he came to, he found himself sitting next to Jeremy on the bench, his back firmly and safely against the solid wall. The man placed a cigarette between Billy's lips and he leaned into him clumsily to allow him to light it.

"I ain't passin' out," Billy assured him through a puff of smoke, though he knew it was a habit of his on nights of heavy drinking. "We're gonna stay out all night, you and me." He turned to face Jeremy and clapped a hand against his chest, the other on his bicep to balance himself. It must have been a while since Jeremy had last let him feel his muscles, because Billy's eyes widened in awe. "Mate, you got fuckin' ripped!" he said before he could stop himself. "Look at you! I bet you get all the girls…you could get anyone lookin' like that. Girls…" A stifled hiccup interrupted him before he could expand on who else Jeremy might attract besides women, but the air was whirling with a sense of possibility.

"This is the best spot," he told him, looking out across the crowd of people smoking and laughing together on the open terrace. "If you're kissin' a girl downstairs…you take her up here away from the noise and you can chat 'til she wants to go home with ya'." He took another drag from his cigarette and blew the smoke away before turning to look at Jeremy, gazing deep into his eyes. His imagination was running wild as he asked his next question. "Did you do it a lot at uni, take girls back to your place? I bet they loved you…"

 

[BasDorcha]

Mercury Nightclub
Bethnal Green, London
Jeremy Gray

Jeremy laughed at Billy, always such a clumsy drunk. He knew that Billy always looked up to him, but part of him had suspected at one point it might have been more of a crush, though now that Billy had dated plenty of women, he no longer had any concern about that. Lighting the cigarette the man barely could hold on to, Jeremy wrapped an arm around his shoulders, scared he would fall face first into the ground. Billy was nearing blackout drunk, something he had seen him do on several occasions, the last being his party where Billy had interrupted him kissing Harper – a memory he could not escape. Truth was, he was out with Billy tonight to try and get his head on right – there couldn’t be other women if he couldn’t stop thinking about his best friend’s little sister, and he had known her all his life, how could he even possibly feel that way?

Jeremy shook the thought away, returning his attention to the man beside him as he blew out a puff of smoke. He laughed as he watched the younger one of them declare they would be out all night, knowing full well they’d be done before three as Billy was already half gone. As Billy turned to hold on to him, he snorted at the reaction he got about his arms. “Yeah, yeah, quit yanking my chain Billy, they’re no where near that big, but I have been working out, you need to come put some time in, you’ll be ripped in no time with me training you again.”

He listened as his friend went on about the smoking section and taking home girls, something he had only done when he was keeping face in front of the guys. The women normally ended up dropped off without any contact, or he’d fool around and foreplay with them, but to date, Jeremy had chosen to not sleep with any of them due to his belief that it should be something special to give to the women he loved. So far, he didn’t love anyone, though he could find himself loving Harper. Stop it, he told himself. Thankfully, Billy was blissfully unaware, still talking before catching Jeremy’s eyes with a gaze that made him wonder what was going on in his head.

The raspberry that shot out of his lips when Billy asked if he took a lot of girls back to his place at school was short, loud and genuinely amused. “I went to school, Little King, to learn, not to pick up women. I spent most of my time studying so I could get done and get back here to you guys. I couldn’t stay away from you, could I? My life is here and you guys, the King’s, are the closest thing I have to family. I wouldn’t be anywhere else if I could help it.” He reached up and clapped Billy on the back, staring up at the stars above. The cool night air felt good, but it reminded him again of a short time ago sitting in the dark. Aggravated at himself, he stubbed the cigarette out, deciding he maybe needed another drink. Waving to the guard at the back door, a man who was familiar with who they both were and that treated them equal to Bruce and Spencer, Jeremy called the man’s attention. He propped the door open with a brick and came over.

“Can you ask the waitress to bring us one whiskey sour and a-,” Jeremy mouthed the word ‘no’, “Tequila sunrise. I’ll tip her big for bringing it out to us so we can keep sobering up a bit.” The man nodded and headed off, leaving them to sit alone again in the night.​

 

[Pyroclast]

Friday 31st August 1979
The Mercury Nightclub and Cocktail Bar
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Billy King​

The mental image of Jeremy working out drew an audible moan from Billy but he was so drunk that it was easy to play it off as a joke. "Bet the girls go mad for it," he repeated, still feeling the man's toned bicep in his hand. He was about to protest against the offer to train with him - the exercise was fun and the payoff was great, but he hated dieting with a passion. No pizza? No beer? No thank you. Yet, when his drunken mind gave it a fraction of thought, he realised that he would get to see a lot more of Jeremy and his muscles, pumped up and glistening with sweat, and he forgot about the dieting issue altogether. "Yeah, yeah, you come over to mine and gimme some o' these," he agreed, giving both of Jeremy's arms a firm squeeze.

He couldn't help but scoff lightly when Jeremy told him that he had gone to university to learn, not to pick up women. For Billy, the two went hand in hand. Getting wasted and sleeping around may have caused him to miss a lecture or two, but Billy was bright enough that he never fell behind. To him, the university experience existed to teach far more than just academia, and learning how to pick up women was one of those life-changing skills.

But Jeremy was different, or so he claimed. He was being so sweet that Billy could only assume that he was joking and he laughed when the man explained that he had worked hard at university so he could get back to the King family sooner. Billy gazed at him fondly, an amused smile resting on his lips as he waited for Jeremy to laugh and show that he was only playing. His mind went blank but his heart was full to compensate, and a warm, giddy feeling began to flutter in his stomach. He barely heard Jeremy order drinks from the nearby bouncer, still fixated on the all-too-serious look on his face.

"You sentimental little prick," he teased through a fond smile, still holding a soft gaze on the man. "You really love us, don't ya'? Scared you could never love a woman as much as you love the Kings…"

His smile grew into a broad grin that shone in his glassy eyes and he leaned in close to Jeremy, taking his hand. "Okay, if you're gonna train me to get buff, then I am gonna train you, my burly friend, in the art of gettin' laid."

He pushed himself to his feet - with all the grace of a reversing dump truck - and grabbed Jeremy's hand to pull him up, too. Even once they stood face to face, Billy continued to sway on the spot. "So you got off with this bird downstairs, yeah?" he started. "Dancefloor pushed you together, you're kissin' each other, feelin' each other, and it's goin' in that direction. So then you take her by the hand and you come up 'ere for a smoke…" He was digging around in his pocket for his cigarettes as he spoke and proceeded to light one up. Closing in on Jeremy, he placed a hand on the man's hip to balance himself and reached up to place the cigarette between his friend's lips. He didn't step back, keeping the space between them close, and watched as Jeremy took a drag. Gazing into his soulful blue eyes, Billy said, in a softer, deeper voice, "Then you tell her...she's beautiful."

His heart was racing, the fluttering feeling in his stomach only growing more intense. This never happened when he hit on girls. Maybe he'd had a bit too much to drink - maybe he was just queasy? He couldn't really tell - all he knew was that he couldn't break away from the pull that Jeremy seemed to have on him.

"You already showed her your hot and heavy side downstairs, so now…now you gotta put the charm on, sweet talk her a little," he explained, starting to get a little breathless. Almost without thinking, Billy reached up and stole the cigarette from Jeremy's mouth, taking a drag and blowing the smoke to one side. When he turned back he was smiling. "See how I didn't light one for myself?" he said. "It's cuter if you share. They like bein' teased like that…"

He put the cigarette back in Jeremy's mouth and just stood watching him, unaware of the hand he still had on Jeremy's hip. His smile had faded, his breath growing heavier as the dizziness distorted everything in sight. His peripheral vision had narrowed significantly, swallowing up everything but the hazy image of Jeremy's handsome face mere inches away from his own.

"Then…then you just…"

And in one swift motion, Billy pulled Jeremy close until their lips connected. Perhaps it was a fair demonstration of how he might kiss a woman he was trying to go home with, but with Jeremy…the feeling was unlike any other.

 

[BasDorcha]

Mercury Nightclub
Bethnal Green, London
Jeremy Gray

Jeremy laughed at Billy calling him a sentimental prick, even if it was the truth. He had known the family almost his whole life, and after his uncle died, they were the only people around for him. He nodded to his friend, confirming he did in fact love them. So much he was scared he couldn’t love a woman, was it that bad? Instantly Harper’s face came to mind and he flushed, pushing her out again. When Billy pulled his hand, he stood, and snorted at the idea of being taught in the art of getting laid. No one around here knew that Jeremy had spent off and on majority of a year with a woman who taught him exactly what he needed to know to please a woman. They had split when she started to fall for him and him politely but firmly declining, falling in love was strictly against the contract they had agreed upon. They still remained friends, but as time passed, they grew further apart, especially once she found someone to take his place, she had avoided him like the plague.

Standing face to face with the shorter man, he watched questioning what he was about to do. Whatever it was would be amusing for sure, Billy was always a goofy drunk. When Billy broke out the cigarette, he laughed again, having seen Alex use this exact move a dozen times. Turns out he got all his smooth moves from his older brothers. Part of him wondered if he had gotten anything from him, but he dismissed it, he wasn’t his brother after all and of course he would rather emulate them. His eyebrows quirked in a questioning manner though the moment he felt a hand on his hip, looking down. As he did he felt the alcohol in his system start to kick into effect, the ground spinning slightly. Before he found stability Billy had placed the gaf in his mouth and Jeremy took a long drag.

The way those eyes looked at him, he suddenly started to feel that something different than what he thought was going on, but Jeremy was unsure and regardless cared about Billy – who or whatever he was in his life would never be a problem for him. For a moment, he was reminded of a flirty teenage boy that use to do anything to get his attention while fighting with Harper when she tried to tag along. It made him inadvertently grin. He should be smiling anyways, Billy just called him beautiful, hadn’t he? He did manage to choke back the laugh though, not wanting to embarrass Billy.

Jeremy watched as the explanation continued, watching as Billy was so certain he was teaching Jeremy something new – he had been around Alex and Spencer when they learned those moves. Billy appeared to be sliding down a slippery slope, he was bobbing and weaving a bit more, and his hand dug into his hip. He was about to question him about sitting back down, or was he at least okay, because Billy looked absolutely tossed. As if to confirm this, Billy gave him a pull and the next second their lips were touching. For a brief moment, Jeremy’s mind went completely, unsure how to respond. Then, as if something clicked into place, Jeremy softened, realizing that he was, in fact, right about Billy all along. In an instant, he realized so many things. Billy always wanting his attention. Billy following him, calling him, asking him about everything. He had always loved Billy like a brother, but it turned out that the love returned was much deeper even if it was misplaced. He thought about all the women he watched Billy run through, the shit face black out nights he had with them, unsure if he had even slept with the girl of the night. He thought about all the derogative things Billy had heard, participated in, the shaming he’d heard, and he felt terrible. Billy must be terribly lonely inside, and hurting as he pretended to be something he wasn’t. Unfortunately, in the business they were all moving into it was even less accepted for a man to be in with another man. It didn’t take as long as it felt to decide that just this once, he was going to give Billy something that might carry him forward a while longer against it all.

Steeling his nerves against the awkward feeling that he was kissing his brother, let alone another man, he slowly extended his hand turning Billy’s back to the wall so that if he fell, he would at least be stupefied somewhere safe for the drunk man to sit. Then, he kissed him back, his hands reaching up to caress his cheeks on either side, his mind thinking of all the training he’d had with Rosaline. If it was only going to be one, he’d make it a good one, and maybe it would help Billy see himself more clearly. Jeremy, flipping the roles, quickly backed Billy up until his knees hit the bricks they had just been sitting on. The kiss was brief, but passionate, though it did nothing romantically or sexually for Jeremy he watched the heat rise in his friends face. Pulling back, he pretended he didn’t know it wasn’t just a lesson in kissing girls and grinned a forced grin, “How was that? Think the girls would like it?”​

 

[Pyroclast]

Friday 31st August 1979
The Mercury Nightclub and Cocktail Bar
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Billy King​

Acting entirely on impulse and almost blinded by dizziness, Billy was at the level of intoxication which spun him completely out of control. And yet, it was as though the kiss was lighting up every inch of his body. Billy may have been too drunk to realise that it wasn't just a show, but part of him, somewhere deep inside his subconscious, was waking up…just enough to make him mildly aware of something unusually special about the kiss.

The tenderness with which Jeremy held his face in his hands and caressed his cheeks as the kiss went on only fuelled Billy's passion and he gave a clumsy step forward, trying to get as physically close to the man as possible. His breathing was growing heavy and he had to hold on tight to Jeremy as the man edged him back; his knees buckled when they hit the seat they had been sitting on before and he gripped onto his friend to stop himself from falling, desperate not to break the kiss.

But then Jeremy pulled away and the moment was over. Not having expected it to end so abruptly, Billy instinctively moved in to continue but was interrupted when Jeremy said something. Billy's eyes opened, but the dizziness and low lighting meant he couldn't see a lot. He just clung tightly onto Jeremy's shirt to keep himself on his feet. What had the man said? Something about girls?

Doing his best to stay upright, Billy tilted his head up to find Jeremy's eyes and mumbled, "Girls love you." He was stupefied by what had just happened, his drunken brain too muddled to process it.

A shadow suddenly fell over the pair as a group of men approached them. “Aw, you havin’ a little cuddle?” one of them jeered. "Don't let us interrupt." At this, Billy let go of Jeremy’s shirt to create some distance; he immediately stumbled back, reaching out a blind hand behind him to catch himself on the railing. One of the men came to stand at Billy's side and pointed at Jeremy’s face. “You do know Goldilocks over there is a bloke, right?”

Billy mumbled something, but the words came out all slurred and so the man leaned in closer and urged him to repeat himself.

“I was…just demonstrating,” he finally managed to get out, unfortunately failing to mention that the initial aim of the kiss was about picking up women.

“Demonstrating what, your love?” the man mocked him.

Meanwhile his friends were starting to square up to Jeremy, standing between him and Billy to block them from each other and getting up close to his face. “And you don’t even look that drunk,” one of them remarked to Jeremy in a low, menacing tone. “What’s your game, then? You a poofta’, tryna’ get in his pants? There’s special clubs for perverts like you, ya’ know, and this ain’t one of 'em, mate.”

“My brother owns this place,” Billy pointed out, pushing himself away from the rail to reach the men surrounding Jeremy - but the one standing next to him pulled him back forcefully.

“Oh yeah? And does he know you’re a fuckin’ fairy?” he growled. Before Billy could think about the question, the man gripped him tightly by the collar and dragged him half over the railing…one push and he would go toppling over the edge, falling two storeys to the ground below.

 

[BasDorcha]

Mercury Nightclub
Bethnal Green, London
Jeremy Gray
​

Jeremy watched Billy trying to steady himself, the concern clearly written all over his face. He tried to sit his friend down, but he refused, still clinging to his shirt. Jeremy kept an arm on him, unbothered by the physical contact. It became apparent to him that Billy was much drunker than even he had estimated and when Jeremy started to say it was time to go, that’s the moment they were interrupted.

“Aw, you havin’ a little cuddle? Don’t let us interrupt.” The man staggered over reeking of alcohol himself, his two cronies ambling along behind him. Billy immediately released him and tried to put some space between them, Jeremy’s arm reaching out to catch him as stumbled into the rail and caught it. The first man got into Billy’s face, pointing out that here’s a man, as if it wasn’t obviously. The other two men – no where near sober themselves – closed in on Jeremy, attempting to block him from Billy. Jeremy cracked his neck, preparing for what was coming. It was him and only him, Billy would not be able to help him. That was fine though, Jeremy was trained and these guys were easy to read – average assholes, no lives, no real goals in life, working some dead end job from nine to five, they didn’t stand a chance against someone who spent half his time in a gym preparing for enemies who could kill him without so much as blinking their eyes.

As Billy mumbled out an explanation, Jeremy circled to the side giving then men one more chance to get out of his way and allow him to Billy before he lost his cool. When the man urged his friend to repeat what he said, he heard Billy trying to explain it was a demonstration. The snarky response he received about it being for his love raised an anger in Jeremy that caused his line of sight to turn red, his hands tensing and a low growl emanating from his throat. One of them got into Jeremy’s face, commenting how he wasn’t as drunk as the rest of them and must be trying to get into Billy’s pants. The idiots just kept running their mouth, as if Jeremy and Billy needed to be taught about the special clubs around town for queer men, and how Mercury wasn’t one of them.

When Billy tried to defend them, the first man growled out asking if Spencer knew that Billy was a ‘fucking fairy’ and that was the moment Jeremy lost it. Black spots formed in his eyes as it built inside, like the steam in a kettle. The two in front of him sent to give him a shove, like they thought they were capable of laying hands on him and getting away with it. He cocked his arm back, and the next second, Jeremy had planted his fist into the third man’s face. A tooth stuck out jaggedly afterwards, the man instantly falling to the ground.

The second man had just enough time to react, taking a swing at Jeremy as he ducked backwards, dodging it easily.

“You guy’s just made a big mistake. That gentleman there, that you’re holding over the edge, is a King.” The blanched look on their faces said enough that the first man pulled Billy back over the rail just enough to keep him from accidentally falling down the two story drop.

“N-no, that can’t be, ain’t no fuckin’ fairy’s in that trope.”

“Wrong. You just met one, me” Jeremy’s voice was thick with venom and hate, deadly even. He moved faster than he normally did, dodging the second mans next attempt at hitting him and planting his foot upside his head, sending the prat to the ground where his head crunched sickeningly off the bricks at their feet. Jeremy stomped his foot down on the man’s face, another sound of breaking bones filling the air. Calmly he strolled over to the man still partially holding Billy, trying to decide if it was worth it. He very slowly inched Billy forward, back onto the ground. He threw his hands up, stepping away, “Oi, you win, we was just playin’ anyways.”

Jeremy’s movement was like a flash, one second a few steps away the next he had the man by the scruff of his shirt, lifting him off the ground. With a movement that flexed his strength and agility, he had the man lifted completely in the air with one hand at the throat of his shirt, the other grabbing his belt and using it as leverage to swing his body in an arch. Jeremy didn’t even hesitate the drop the man over the edge, his body landing with a whump on the ground below. He grabbed Billy, dragging him away from the scene to the backdoor of the club, banging on the security door that opened instantly.

“Get me a fuckin’ car, now. I’ll be in the office calling a clean up crew. Get the others out here and keep the fuckin’ pigs out of this area.” The guard nodded and was gone in a moments time, following the given orders. Of the three men, Jeremy had likely killed two of them, one of them would be severely damaged. He drug Billy all the way to the office, shoving him down in a chair as he jumped around the table to grab the phone. A few calls later, the clean up crew was already outside, ensuring the now three dead bodies were taken care of. He had, in fact, killed two of them, both from the head damage they received.

“Common Billy, let’s get home.” Jeremy, finally satisfied that things would be taken care of they could leave, helped his friend up and out of his seat, back out the front door to the car that had been waiting. The crawled in the back as Jeremy told them to head to his house. A half hour later, Billy was tucked into bed in his guest room, Jeremy was washing the blood away from his hands and getting rid of the clothes that had blood spattered up the legs from kicking the second man’s head in. As the clothes burned away in the pit outback his home, he watched the flames in deep concentration, everything about the night filling his head. There would come a day when Billy would have to acknowledge who he really was, but until then, Jeremy intended to be around enough to protect him. He wouldn’t be going away again, not when he was needed. Billy would likely not remember any of this come morning, he had been so sloshed, Jeremy should have realized it quicker.

If, come morning, he did not bring it up, Jeremy would be keeping the secret to himself, not wanting to call him out and embarrass him. He’d tell him what a normal night it had been, how they’d danced and drank and then Billy passed out at the smoking area while they waited for drink. The rest would be his story to keep until Billy could hear the truth. Jeremy squashed out one last f@g, looking at the sun beginning to light the sky. Time to turn in. With one last look at the bright new day seeping into the darkness, he disappeared back into his house, finally getting his own sleep.

 

[Pyroclast]

Friday 31st August 1979
The Mercury Nightclub and Cocktail Bar
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Billy King​

Even with his feet off the ground, Billy didn’t clock what was happening until he was tilted upside down. He didn’t scream or shout - he was too stunned at first. It was only when he instinctively twisted his head to check where he was heading that he saw the ground below. Even when he was sober, Billy struggled to look down from even one storey high without getting vertigo, let alone two - but drunk, upside-down and with the very real risk of falling, the view of the concrete below ignited a real sense of terror within him. He genuinely thought he was about to die.

He was too busy gripping onto his assailant’s arm for dear life to pay any attention to the hideous sounds of Jeremy kicking and beating the other two men to death. After what felt like several minutes, the dark cloudy sky rolled past Billy’s eyes and his feet touched the ground again. The second the man let go of him, Billy staggered forward and didn’t stop ‘til he reached the opposite wall, getting himself as far away from the edge as possible. His heart rate was off the scale, stomach churning and head spinning, and though there were no tears in his eyes, a single sob burst out of him from the shock.

Moments later, he felt Jeremy hoist an arm around him and drag him back over to the door. He found himself plunged back into the blaring music and low lighting and he lost his footing several times on the stairs, entirely relying on Jeremy to keep him from falling as he was ushered towards the staff rooms. He didn’t appreciate being rushed around, nor being dropped into an office chair and forced to watch a stressed Jeremy make phone call after phone call. “Jeremy, stop,” he whined, not following what the man was doing. He stretched forward across the desk, accidentally knocking pen pots and notepads and a desk lamp onto the floor. He let out a dramatic groan, impatient for either Jeremy’s attention or for sleep.

Boredom soon had him searching through unlocked cupboards within reach of his chair for bottles of alcohol - he wasn’t fussy, he just wanted more. Fortunately, before he found anything, Jeremy announced that they were going home and picked him up out of his chair. Having by this point completely forgotten about the fight upstairs, the restless Billy was just happy to be on the move again, his mood back up and ready to keep partying despite his body begging for sleep. He eagerly asked Jeremy what they were going to do when they got home, but when they got into the car that had come to pick them up he passed out across the man's lap before they had even pulled away.

*****​

The next morning he awoke to the cold touch of porcelain against his cheek. How many hours he had spent with his head hanging over the toilet bowl he couldn't say, but for all the semi-conscious throwing up he had evidently done he still felt horrifically nauseous. Still in his clothes from the previous night, Billy stripped down and crawled into the bathtub, letting the shower rain cold water down on him. It took him a minute or two to figure out whose bathroom he was in - usually if it wasn't his then it was some woman's whom he had slept with, but he was grateful to eventually recognise that he was in Jeremy's guest room.

Half an hour or so later, he had dressed himself in some spare clothes of Jeremy's that he had found, gathered up the evidence of a broken standing lamp he must have knocked over in his unconscious rush to the bathroom, and bundled his soiled clothes and bed sheets into the washing machine. Why Jeremy still put up with him he wasn't sure, but he would make it up to him somehow, like he always did. When he stepped out onto the back patio for a cigarette and some fresh air, he found Jeremy already sitting there. As rough as he felt, Billy had to smile. "Morning," he greeted him in a hoarse voice, sitting on the bench a short distance away. As soon as he said it, he realised it could be the afternoon for all he knew. "Ugh…we must have had fun last night," he grinned, rubbing his eyes. "How you doin', mate? And what the fuck did we get up to? I feel like I've been hit by a bloody train…"

 

[BasDorcha]

Jeremy's House
Bethnal Green, London
Jeremy Gray

After going in and getting some sleep, Jeremy had woken up shortly before noon and dressed in some casual sweats with a tank, made some breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast, a cup of strong coffee and made his way out back again. The remnants of the fire from that morning lay smoldering in his rock fire pit, the clothes completely burned away. His eyes lingered on the skimpy smoke strands still floating into the air. When the door behind him opened, and Billy stepped out, Jeremy turned and gave him a lazy wave, nodding good morning to him.

He had seen Billy asleep in the bathroom on his way out but decided not to bother him as he did not want to try and clean up any throw up from the man. He’d already had a long night, made a big mistake, and had to take care of it, he didn’t need anything else to deal with. Still, he had no intention of reminding Billy of it all. As far as he was concerned, it was a normal night.

“Afternoon you mean,” Jeremy laughed, scootching down the bench seat to give Billy somewhere to sit. Picking up his plate from earlier, he offered Billy a piece of jam and bread, “Hungry?” Once Billy sat down, he smiled looking out at the pit again. How many had it been now? Five men, he’d killed five men. Jeremy lifted his thumb to his lips and began to nibble at the skin around his nail, thinking. Billy asked him how he was doing, and he looked up, painting a you know it grin across his face. “I’ll tell ya Billy, you really laid one on last night. We were dancing, had a couple birds around, we stepped out for a smoke on the private deck, and the alcohol hit you all at once. You’re such a lightweight sometimes, I forget I should have you pace.” He teased.

“I brought you home, where you proceeded to try and dance with a lamp in the hallway, sing karaoke to the neighbors, and find more alcohol in my kitchen. I finally got you to bed just before dawn. Wouldn’t you know it, you had to have a lullaby, Little King, just to get you to sleep. Thank god you don’t remember my terrible voice.” Jeremy had been practicing what he was going to say all morning in his head. Billy was not ready for the truth, it would drive a rift between them, him denying it ever happened, and likely result in them fighting. He also didn’t want Billy to feel bad about the deaths that followed due to their encounter. Billy had never killed anyone, and rarely even hurt anyone, he didn’t want to lay that on him.

“Next time, we party at my house, we’ll just invite the girls over here instead.” He clapped Billy on the shoulder, giving him a little shake and watching the feeling of nausea rush over his face. “Eat the bread. Billy, you’ll feel better. It’ll start soaking up all that alcohol still in your system, if any is left after your time at the porcelain god.”​

 

[Pyroclast]

Friday 31st August 1979
The Mercury Nightclub and Cocktail Bar
~ Bethnal Green, London ~

Billy King​

Billy gave a single, self-deprecating laugh when Jeremy pointed out that it was actually the afternoon. He couldn’t be too surprised. He wasn’t 18 anymore, and though he still had plenty of party spirit in him the hangovers were only getting worse, causing him to sleep through the day. At least it was another cloudy day, so the sunlight wasn’t too grating. Jeremy tried to pass him a plate of bread and jam, asking if he was hungry, but Billy instantly recoiled, pulling a face of disgust. The mere thought of eating made him feel sick to his stomach.

Despite the man clearly having made more progress than him in recovering from the previous night, Billy understood exactly what his facial expression meant when asked how he was doing. He began to describe what they had got up to, and it sounded like one hell of a night. The dancing he remembered, but that must have been when he lost it because everything else Jeremy was describing could have been totally made up and Billy would be none the wiser. It made him giggle to hear about his singing and dancing, only hoping that he hadn't broken yet another of Jeremy's lamps. When the man told him he had had to sing him a lullaby to get him to go to sleep, Billy kicked him in the leg. "Fuck off, you did not!" he protested with more laughter, before slouching deeper into his seat with a groan as the nausea spiked again. "Drunk me can get you to do anything but I'll never believe you sang."

The fresh air wasn't doing much to help his raging hangover, not yet at least. Jeremy suggested they keep their partying in the privacy of his own home, to which Billy scoffed and called him a coward, albeit by a more derogatory term. "You had fun last night and you know it," he muttered, and when his friend reached out and gave him a shake, he swore at him, a fresh wave of sickness rattling through him. Jeremy then commanded him to eat the bread and made a reference to his intimate night spent with the toilet, which had Billy hiding his face in his hands and cursing under his breath. His effort to clean up after himself had been made before he was fully awake and he only hoped he hadn't left any unnoticed mess in his wake. "I'm sorry I'm a fucking mess," he groaned from behind his hands, emitting a miserable kind of laugh.

Finally lifting his head, his eyes landed on the fire pit a short distance away. The blackened clumps of wood looked fresh. "We have a bonfire last night too?" he asked. He regretted not remembering that part - he loved bonfires. Turning to look Jeremy in the eye, he noticed the the plate of bread and jam that his friend was still trying to give him, and pushed it away. "I'm serious - if you don't wanna see that come back up all over your nice patio, you'll get that shit away from me. It's too soon…"

The weather had begun to turn already as the sky grew darker, and a light misty rain was blown towards them by the breeze. Billy welcomed it, the spitting raindrops refreshing his clammy skin, and he knew he would feel better sooner if he just stayed outside a bit longer. For the time being, however, he was still too ill to feel quite like himself, and that was why nothing held him back when he sank into a horizontal position on the bench and lay his head down in Jeremy's lap, resting a hand on his stomach and allowing his eyes to close.

A few moments passed as he revelled in the healing effects of the cool, misty rain and his friend's company. Even though he had always loved being around him, rare moments like this when he allowed himself to actually be intimate reminded him of how close he really felt to the man. Drawing in a deep, soothing breath, Billy exhaled and, without even opening his eyes, said, "I broke the lamp upstairs." A small mischievous smile formed on his lips, no choice but to own how annoying he must be as a drunk guest. "But I'll take it home and fix it for ya'."

 

[Bellz]

~ October 17th, 1978 ~
Harper King
Bruce's House
~ Bethnal, Green ~
17 years old ​

Despite the shaking, Harper had managed to haul herself up the stairs to her bedroom without anyone noticing. At least she thought no one noticed. Her sunglasses still on, she snuck into her room and shut the door silently before turning to her vanity. Removing the glasses, her eyes widened at the already purple bruise under her cheek. Her lipstick was smeared and she looked at it in the mirror for a long moment as she bit back tears. Wiping it quickly, a small sob escaped her as she reached for the concealer in her vanity drawer along with some setting powder.

In an attempt to avoid any more homophobic slurs from Billy and those around her, Harper had been dating a boy that she had met at school. While Harper certainly didn't have anything against dating men, she had just been more comfortable with girlfriends. The blonde actually saw something with this boy...liked him well enough. He was her first now and not by choice. Harper had been putting up with his little passive-aggressive digs about her sexuality, his extreme jealousy...in order to keep those around her believing that she was not bisexual.

Caught in the middle of being a woman and still being a kid, Harper had forced herself to believe that the teasing and jokes would stop on her behalf if she just dated a man. How foolish that had been. After he forced himself onto her in a booze-induced situation, Harper had shoved him off and he'd slapped her hard across the face, enough to make her nose bleed. She ran as fast as she could home like he was following after her

As she dabbed concealer on her face, she let out a cry, the makeup dropping onto the desk as she lost motivation. They wouldn't let her leave the house again if they saw her like this. Maybe she didn't want to now, afraid that he might come after her. But her brothers would surely beat the hell out of him, leave him waiting for death if they knew. While Harper hated him now, she didn't wish that upon anyone. Her nose started to bleed again and Harper reached for the tissues to the left of the vanity.

Suddenly, Darcey's voice called her name and Harper gasped moving to hang her head away from the mirror as the door opened slightly. "What is it, Darcey?" She croaked softly.

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Darcey Hargraves
~October 17th, 1978~

That night Darcey had been up late talking with some suppliers for her business. They'd been 8 hours ahead of them which meant she needed to call later her time. She only needed to make these calls once a month but even still it was annoying. Staying up late wasn't exactly something she could be doing anymore. "No no, I need four dozen spark plugs," she said, twirling her finger around the phone cord. She'd heard the door open and someone enter the house but she wasn't able to see who. The cord length gave her very limited mobility. However, because she'd been so familiar with the different footsteps in the house she was able to deduce that it had been Harper. So she didn't forget what she wanted from the young girl, she wrote it on a notepad and returned to her conversation.

It wasn't too much longer before Darcey was able to hang up. Referring back to the note she left for herself, she snapped her fingers and headed for the stairs. She raised her hand to knock on the door only to pause when she heard what sounded to be crying. Something then clattered and with concern in her voice, she spoke out. "Harper?" Without really waiting for her to answer she slowly opened the door and leaned in. The moment she heard her voice Darcey walked all the way inside. "Are you okay," she asked, closing the door.

"Normally you speak when you come home." Darcey could feel that something was off. Harper didn't seem to be acting like her normal self; loud and excitable and wanting to talk about her day or something. Not only that but the way she was avoiding the mirror and hadn't turned to face her whatsoever in the few seconds she'd been standing in her room. Hesitantly, Darcey walked closer to her. "'S alright, you know. You can tell me anything - you have thus far, haven't you?" Darcey liked to believe she and Harper were close enough for the young woman to confide in her about anything. Being the only girl in a family full of men was probably tough, which is why Darcey wanted to make it clear she was always available to her. "Wanna tell me what's going on?"

 

[Bellz]

~ October 17th, 1978 ~
Harper King
Bruce's House
~ Bethnal, Green ~
17 years old ​

Harper's back went stiff as Darcey opened the door further, keeping her head ducked out of view from the mirror. "I'm fine." She said hoarsely, wincing at the sound of her emotion-filled voice. Darcey mentioned that she normally spoke when she came home. It was true, Harper loved to tell her family about her day normally, sometimes saying things that she did that would get under their skin but most of the time just to tell them about her day without any motive behind it.

She especially enjoyed speaking with Darcey. The two women understood each other. Having been the only constant mother-like figure in her life, Harper trusted her most with her secrets, especially after what Billy had said to her. As if reading her thoughts, Darcey told her it was alright, and that Harper could tell her anything, that she had so far. Harper nodded her head sharply and an uncontrollable cry escaped her. Finally, Harper worked up the nerve to turn around to face Darcey, the shame written all over her features as she continued to hold the tissue to her nose, a part of her eye already swelling from being hit.

"Kent....he hit me...and...he..." Harper couldn't bring herself to say it, her shoulders shaking as her eyes squeeze shut. Shaking her head, she opened her eyes once more to look at Darcey. "He tried to force himself on me...and I fought him off! And he...hit me. I didn't know what to do, I should have hit him back but I just ran home." Harper said, her lip trembling. "You can't tell Bruce, or the boys, Darce...they won't ever let me leave this place again. And they'll kill him." She had remembered all too well the times in her life people had been beaten up on her behalf when she never asked for it.

"I must look like an idiot. Don't I? Weak? I feel so stupid."

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Darcey Hargraves
~October 17th, 1978~

Darcey prided herself on being able to read people and discerning when they were lying. And considering she'd known the King children since they were born she could tell when they were, too. So when Harper told her she was fine, Darcey sucked in air through her teeth and shook her head. The pain she'd heard in the young woman's voice was more than enough for Darcey not to believe her too. But hearing it herself made Darcey worry that something had gone horribly wrong. The worry was beginning to settle in - her heart racing and mind wandering. What could've happened to her that she would be acting this way? Was she hurt? It was killing Darcey to have to wonder about something like this.

The relief Darcey felt from her finally telling her what was wrong only lasted a second. The moment Darcey lay eyes on her she hurried over to her. With her hands gently placed on both of her cheeks, Darcey started to look her over. "Who did this to you?!" She exclaimed in a hushed whisper. Because Harper had snuck into the house, Darcey could only assume it was because she didn't want her brothers and uncle finding out. Darcey wanted to respect that wish the best she could, therefore, tried not to be too loud. Harper informed her that it was Kent and Darcey's vision slowly blurred until she saw nothing but red.

"Kent," she harshly repeated, frown on her face. Darcey wasn't sure how she'd felt about Kent before this; he was a nice enough kid, but Darcey was sure he wasn't the one for Harper. But now? Now she was sure she didn't. Wanted to kill him, in fact. But killing people was more up the boy's alley and they weren't supposed to know about this. In fact, after she'd explained everything that happened, Harper specifically asked her not to tell them. "Wha- Harper," she sternly started, shaking her head. "H-How would you want me to cover this up, huh? What am I supposed to say if they ask me about it?" Her initial response was mostly worry and her protective tendencies coming to surface. Darcey was more than happy to have someone taken out for causing harm to her family. Seeing how serious Harper was about it, however, made her pause and rethink. Closing her eyes, she leaned her forehead against Harper's and took a deep breath.

"Okay." She'd whispered it, trying to convince herself that what Harper was saying was right. Though she didn't agree and wanted Kent to suffer, she was more than willing to accept her wishes. Taking another deep breath Darcey opened her eyes. "Only if you let me talk to him. I won't touch him, nor will I threaten him." She wasn't lying, either. Darcey Winona Hargraves didn't believe in threats, only warnings. The moment Harper started beating herself up, Darcey shook her head and shushed her. "Hey, no. Don't do that. You're the victim here, okay? You trusted someone not to do this to you and they just-... Deceived you." Pulling her in softly for a hug, Darcey kissed the top of her head. Though she didn't talk about it, something similar had happened to Darcey years and years ago. She'd never told anyone about it and hadn't thought of it for some time now. "You're not stupid. It'd have been stupid of you to go through this alone, but you told me and now you don't. This wasn't your fault and you did nothing wrong."

 

[Bellz]

~ October 17th, 1978 ~
Harper King
Bruce's House
~ Bethnal, Green ~
17 years old ​

"I don't want you to talk with him, Darcey. He's not worth even trying to threat! I just want to scrub him from my memory, scrub what happened away." Harper said, squeezing her eyes shut as Darcey held her face in her hands.

Harper's shoulders shook horribly as Darcey pulled her in for a hug. "Darcey...I know I said he tried to force himself on me...but he did it. And I just...couldn't." She couldn't get the words out, feeling like a complete failure. "Why would he do that to me? Why would anyone do that?" She asked, her voice hoarse as she tried to keep her voice down. She twisted in Darcey's arms, maneuvering so she could look her in the eyes. "Now everyone at school is going to think I'm some sort of whore." Harper said, her lower lip trembling as she tried to keep herself together.

Her eye felt like it was going to swell shut at some point and Harper wondered if her requests for Darcey to help her cover it up would be in vain. "They can't know, Darce. They just can't! Those boys will kill him and then I'll be left to pick up the mess they made by having everyone hate me." Harper wasn't terribly popular at school anyway, but surely the friends she did have would turn their backs on her if her family was exposed as murderers.

"This is all Billy's fault, you know! With his homophobic slurs! He said such horrible things to me after I trusted him with the information that I like girls as well as boys. He's never been so mean to me, Darcey." Harper squeezed her eyes shut again, visibly wincing as it hurt her to do so. "He's my favorite brother and he treated me as if I was some sort of...tramp." The hurt was evident on her face as she opened her eyes once more. "Boys are such idiots. I swear I will never date another one for as long as I live! There is no man good enough out there who could change my mind. All they do is take what isn't theirs and hit you when you try to defend yourself."

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Darcey Hargraves
~October 17th, 1978~

Seeing Harper's reaction to Darcey wanting to just 'talk' to Kent was enough to make her change her mind. At least, in that moment. She didn't want to make things harder for Harper at school and in life whatsoever, but she also couldn't let it slide. Darcey had been stuck between her duty to protect who she saw as her niece and her niece's wishes. Bruce and the boys often ignored those wishes and Darcey didn't want to be the same. That didn't mean it wasn't frustrating. Darcey let out a heavy sigh, pressing her forehead to Harper's before she nodded. "Okay, okay. I won't- Harper, you-... Fuck," she muttered, trying to get her words under control. "If that's what you want," was all she could manage.

As if things couldn't get any worse Harper admitted to what really had happened and Darcey paused. Her brain was slow in processing her words as she pulled back, hands on the young girl's shoulders, and slowly glanced down. The moment she made eye contact once more with Harper, Darcey's eyes began to well up with tears. "Oh, Harper..." She whispered, voice cracking. Never in a million years had Darcey ever thought she'd be here, able to relate to how Harper was feeling; comforting Harper after something like this. Darcey's heart broke for her and in her moment of vulnerability, Darcey let Harper see that.

Hearing Harper's pleas and reasonings for not wanting to tell the boys, Darcey nodded her head. The entirety of the King family had been incredibly unforgiving. If one was hurt they would all go after the person who'd done it. In this particular case, Darcey knew as much as Harper did that they'd definitely kill Kent. Harper's life was already complicated - she didn't need Kent's death added to that. Though she still wasn't 100% on board with at least herself saying anything to Kent, she nodded in agreement to keep it a secret. "Okay, hey. It's gonna be okay. We can just- Girls are still little bitches, aren't they? You can- You can say you got in a fight and that she suckered punched you, but you took care of business." Darcey hated lying but because it was Harper asking her to she would.

Things took a turn as Harper explained it was Billy's fault. At first, she was confused, furrowing her brows together and tilting her head. Soon enough Harper explained what she'd meant by it all - that Billy had made her feel less than for being bisexual. As Darcey had suspected that Billy wasn't all that into girls, to begin with, she felt he didn't have any room to say such things to Harper. At least, she thought, Harper knew who she was. But that wasn't the reason she was upset with him. As her older brother, he should have made her feel loved and welcome. Being anything but heterosexual during those times was difficult; something Darcey knew all too well. "Listen to me," she said, cupping her cheeks in her hands. "Don't you ever let a man make you feel less than because of who you are or who you fall for." Having been told that the only reason she liked women was that she, "Couldn't handle a man," Darcey spoke from the experience of being discriminated against. "They're all intimidated by you because you have bigger balls than they do, do you understand? We'll always have the upper hand against them and they know it, huh? Make them fear you and worship the ground you walk on."

"Harper," she continued, softly stroking her head. "No one will ever lay a hand on you again. That I'll make sure of."