Leon Donovan's Story

"You make me smile."

Beck grinned as his heart lit up before he dipped towards Elisa for the kiss. The world felt as though it had stopped moving and it could have just been them in that moment. Her finger tips against his skin were too cold for a healthy human, but he still adored her touch. It wasn't like he could ignore her flaws such as covered wrists and tiny frame but still her beauty shone through.

"We could just walk, or there's a place down the way were you can open an oyster and get a pearl. It's kind of gross and kind of fun too, they turn them into necklaces for you. Or there's all the pier games and there's some surf shops too. If you want a wet suit to go surfing in. Or check out skimboards, that's always fun."

Beck sighed, slapping his hand to his forehead at her inability to make a decision. "You are impossible." He sighed, but still had a grin on his face. For a while the pair walked until the blonde took some curiosity in a small shop that sold lots of seaside gifts and pretty little trinkets. "I still want a hipster bracelet." He explained with a grin, pulling her into the shop to look around with him. It was a lovely little place. He moved over to the stand that held a lot of men's leather bracelets and examined them carefully, deciding.

~~~

"Probably because you've seen us both naked. Why would you wanna see us in a bathing suit?"

Leon chewed the inside of his cheek and didn't say anything, but only cause he couldn't think of anything to say. He met eyes with Bex to give her a threatening glare, but she wouldn't even lock pupils. Sure enough he had fucked both girls and even loved both girls, but neither had anything for him....as far as he knew.

Millie looked uncomfortable, constantly checking the prices of things and trying to just find the one that would suit her best. As Bex tossed a dark crimson high waisted bikini at her she admired it fondly before deciding to put this in her stack of 'try ons'.

"Do you think all the frumpy moms on the beach would be pissed if they saw me in this?"
"Should I try it on?"

The red head giggled, nodding and encouraging her into the changing room. "My god you are going to get some looks in that! But in the best way of course..." She said, praising her choice. Millie also enjoyed the idea of pissing off snobby mums and being a bit of a deviant.

Leon however scoffed, raising his eyebrows in disapproval. "Yeah she will get some looks alright, maybe a few of the men might come up for a chat, to ask how much you cost." He huffed, the joke not quite as humorous as it could have been put across. "I ain't going anywhere with you in that."

"Don't be so fucking horrible!" Millie hissed with bared teeth before going into one of the changing rooms to get try on her swimwear, leaving the two awkwardly alone for a second.

Leon turned away from her but continued to talk, which completely contradicted normal social rules of conversation but he did it anyway. His voice was softer and forced to be a little more polite than he had done previously. "You don't have to go as skimpy as possible you know. You could try something different, but I think anything would flatter you anyway."

"What do you think? I like it but I don't know if its very me..."

His kiss successfully broke her daze and she shrugged. "Well, what is 'you?' I think everything suits you." Elisa said, pondering what it was that Beck really did enjoy style wise, or if before today he had ever really thought of it before. Her whole life had revolved around it in the past and the idea that someone else might not have at all, was almost strange to her.

"Fuck it."

When he started putting the necklace around her neck, she couldn't stop grinning and immediately began thinking of what types of gifts she could surprise him with. "You didn't have to." She said, knowing full well that she was glad he did and that she'd likely never take it off again unless she absolutely had to. Once it was fixed on her neck, she turned and wrapped her arms around him in a hug.

"Where next?"

"There's a bookstore a couple doors down, I thought looked pretty cool." She suggested, trying to think of the last time she had actually read anything. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy it, she actually loved it quite a lot, she just didn't have the time anymore and when she did...Well, her mind was far to distracted by either Beck or Jess, and the situations that came with them and decisions she would likely have to make.

This trip was the first time she hadn't let herself think much about the negative and still she found it popping up here and there even though she tried to avoid it.

When they reached the book shop, she was pleasantly surprised that it was much larger than it appeared from the outside and all the books were organized by genre - conveniently indicated by handwritten signs. There were some rarer, older books locked up in lit glass cases as well. Elisa felt herself more drawn to classics and poetry than anything else, though she had been known to read more than a few Young Adult books and occasionally would admit to picking up a manga or ten. If it had words, many or few, she enjoyed it.

She mindlessly pulled a book of the shelf, a random medieval fantasy, and read the cover before sliding it back into place. "Do you like to read, Beck?" She asked him, with a dreamy smile on her tired face.

---

"Oh man you don't know how bad I want to fuck you..."

Leon's voice coming from behind her caused Rebecca to startle and nearly scream, until she caught a glimpse of him in the mirror. It took her a moment to gather herself before leaning into him, an intense desire to feel his warmth against hers taking over. She liked the way she fit against him, as though every curve somehow matched every one of his angles. "So," She breathed, running her fingers over his arm, the memories of her telling Millie that she was over Leon almost instantly fading with this new attention. "is this your way of forgiving me?"

She turned to face him, still with his arms wrapped around her waist and she began to trail kisses from his chest to his neck, standing on her toes to reach. It didn't take long for her to come to her senses and realize that hooking up with a dressing room probably wasn't a great idea, and risking getting kicked out of a store when they'd only been at the beach for a day would probably put a damper on things. "But maybe not in a tiny room where our only door is, y'know, a sheet?" She whispered pulling away from him and turning to the bathing suits, she pulled out two from her pile.

"Help me pick one?" Rebecca asked with a pout, holding out the one she had joked about earlier that was basically racy lingerie and another that was much less risque, black monokini.

"Well, what is 'you?' I think everything suits you."

"Hmm..." Beck pushed his fingers through his hair, forcing a smile on his face when clearly something more sinister was hidden behind the grin. What was his style? Wasn't that something you were supposed to develop in your teen years? He was probably more concerned with pumping himself full of heroin at the time. "When I first joined the gang the lads didn't like as lot of my arty farty stuff as you could probably guess so I hid it all away along with half of my personality." He sighed, pressing his lips into a thin line and exhaling through his nose. "It's not much different now."

"You didn't have to."

He laughed softly, turning to pull his face into her neck as they hugged. "I wanted to." He told her. As much as Elisa had much more money than himself he wanted to show her he cared, even if it was with something as small a token as this. He needed to show her she was loved...

"There's a bookstore a couple doors down, I thought looked pretty cool."
"Do you like to read, Beck?"

He held her hand in his as they walked, swinging it slightly in a playful manner. "You know I haven't been one to read much. I never got into it. Maybe you could recommend something for me to read? I bet its something nice to do while on the beach." Beck requested as they entered the shop, legitimately curious. He skimmed the spines with his fingertips but didn't have a clue what to pick up.

~~~~

Leon grinned as she had to force herself to submit a squeal before letting out a little gasp as she pressed himself against her, quickly becoming obviously aroused.

"So,"
"is this your way of forgiving me?"

He smirked as he began to run his hand over her ass, seemingly eager for her. He had completely forgotten his surroundings at that moment in time. He might have even just took her there and then. "I don't get why you taunt me...but I guess all you ever do is tease anyway." Leon said before leaning towards her and whispering against her ear, pressing against her even more so now. "I guess I could forgive you.."

"But maybe not in a tiny room where our only door is-"

"Bex what do you think of thi-?!" Millie said in a cheerful tone as she pulled back the sheet to find the two seductively cocooned together. Her eyes absently flickered to Leon's crotch which was obviously hard before rolling back up to Bex. "Oh." She said simply, not appearing surprised but more confused considering their previous conflict. With a scoff the brunette pulled away from her and removed himself from the dressing room.

"It looks very nice Millie. Get that one." Leon answered in response to her question about the crimson bikini she was now flaunting, giving a glance back into the small room to see Rebecca now requesting assistance. He rolled his eyes, trying to play it cool.

"Help me pick one?"

"The black one. You know which I'd prefer." He told her, but followed it up with a gentle smile.

"When I first joined the gang the lads didn't like as lot of my arty farty stuff as you could probably guess so I hid it all away along with half of my personality."

Elisa frowned, unhappy that he had to hide such a large part of himself for such a long time and that he still continued to do so even though he didn't have to; she didn't think he had to, anyway. It seemed his involvement of the gang had taken so much away from him, so much of his actual identity, that she wondered how he managed to hang on to any part of himself at all. Then again, it wasn't like she was a shining example of self expression and self love. As much as she wanted to encourage him, she couldn't take her own advice and was still living in her mom's shadow, and accepting the lies her life was built on.

"You know I haven't been one to read much. I never got into it. Maybe you could recommend something for me to read? I bet its something nice to do while on the beach."

As always, the girl found herself skimming the spines of the classics section. Each novel larger than it needed to be, seeing as back then they were paid by the word; as dry and dull as some of them could start, she still credited many of them as her favorites. She stopped on Alexander Dumas and pulled out her all time favorite, The Count of Monte Cristo. She had many copies in her own collection at home, running from newer abridged reprints to vintage collectors pieces. She pulled it off the shelf and passed it to him. "The ultimate story of revenge. I love it. Kind of heavy reading for me, I kind of stick with poetry most of the time."

She skipped over to the poetry section at that mention and pulled out a book that was considerably smaller and nothing but a collection of poems from Lord Alfred Tennyson. She quickly flipped through the pages before she landed on The Lady of Shalott. "This guy wrote some stuff inspired by King Arthur legends and this one is my favorite." She explained, passing the book to Beck. "I mean, I read normal stuff too, but this stuff is what my dad was reading when I was little. So it's kind of what I always come back to, even if it's a little boring. I don't really know what you'd like."

---

"I don't get why you taunt me...but I guess all you ever do is tease anyway."
"I guess I could forgive you.."

Rebecca's face lit up with a smile and she ran her fingers through the side of his hair, before planting a sweetly seductive kiss on his lips; maybe a little more sweet than she meant it to be. "Good," She said, pressing against him and lightly nibbling on his neck.

"Bex what do you think of thi-?!"

If Rebecca was embarrassed at all, she didn't show it and when Leon pulled away she simply looked over at Millie and shrugged. She knew she had said she was done, but clearly that was a lie and her will was weak, especially when it came to Leon as much as she would hate to admit it.

Bex admired Millie's bikini and gave an approving grin. "You look hot as fuck, you should definitely get it. I love it against your hair and your cleavage is fucking ridiculous. In a good way. Now come in here." She said, grabbing Millie's hand and pulling her in.

"The black one. You know which I'd prefer."

"Totally noted and will be considered." The brunette said with a flirty grin before shutting the curtain and blocking Leon's view. "Boy's gone. Which one do you think?" She asked, holding the bathing suits up in front of Millie, asking as though the red head hadn't just walked in on her and Leon's brief but steamy make up. She wasn't sure she'd have any answers if Millie asked questions about it, but she figured she could make up some excuse on the fly.

Beck watched her wander mindlessly around the store with eyes bright, hiding how tired they actually were. Her fingertips danced along the book spines as she seemed to move ghostlike between the shelves. He wanted to paint her. He wanted to kiss her. The blonde slowly moved alongside her, pulling his arms around her waist and tugging her into him till he could lean over and look into her eyes with a grin. "You are so gorgeous. You know that? I'm so lucky..." He told her, almost though he was letting his own private thoughts leak out into reality.

"The ultimate story of revenge. I love it. Kind of heavy reading for me, I kind of stick with poetry most of the time."

The blonde couldn't help but think about Malachai when he heard the words 'The ultimate story of revenge.' A couple of sick thoughts skipped though his head about what he'd like to do to the red headed bastard but he never quite let Elisa know what he was thinking unless she could have read the twisted expression on his face. His fingers ached to damage him. "Oh yeah? Explain to me the basic plot." He requested, flicking through the pages swiftly before turning it over to examine the price.

"This guy wrote some stuff inspired by King Arthur legends and this one is my favorite."
"I mean, I read normal stuff too, but this stuff is what my dad was reading when I was little. So it's kind of what I always come back to, even if it's a little boring. I don't really know what you'd like."

"Sooooo hipster...." He teased with a grin before sighing and heading over to the counter anyway. He decided that if Elisa had recommended the first book to him he was willing to give it a try, and if he didn't like it he'd just play his DS or something. "Do you want anything gorgeous? Something nice to read on the beach?"

~~~
"Good,"

Leon's heart rate sped up as she kissed at him, not because it spurred him on more but because of the difference in pressure against his lips. It felt real. Was it real? He continued to kiss her despite her starting to pull away, always aching for more, to the point that it was so obvious that he really didn't want to let go.

"Bex what do you think of thi-?!"

"Millie!!!!!" Leon roared out, almost as though she had done something wrong even though she clearly hadn't. She had just stopped him when he never wanted it to end. He looked angry and she looked like a dear in headlights, but then he sighed, realising his short temper. Millie didn't seem too phased by it.

"You look hot as fuck, you should definitely get it. I love it against your hair and your cleavage is fucking ridiculous. In a good way. Now come in here."

The redhead tried to ignore what she had just witnessed for a second to lap up all of Bex's compliments. Millie was rarely complimented, and especially by female friends. "Really? You think?!" She said with a big wide smile like a Cheshire cat, almost school girl like behaviour. The girl tugged at the under wire of the bikini to examine how it flattered at her, causing Leon to hiss a little and try to divert his eyes, which was kind of odd considering that they had slept together countless times.

"Totally noted and will be considered."

Leon scoffed, knowing that 'will be considered' probably meant 'likely to be discarded' in Rebecca's language. He sighed as he was pushed out of the dressing room, but proceeded to wait patiently elsewhere in the shop.

"Boy's gone. Which one do you think?"

"OOOOoooooOOO so what exactly happened there then! I thought you guys weren't on good terms at the minute." Millie said with a giggle and wink, diving right into the drama rather than answering her question first. It was almost as though she lived for typical girly chatter. "Are you stopping in his bed now or what then?" She asked before turning her attention back to the bikini. "The one Leon likes obviously. You clearly want to keep his attention so..."

"You are so gorgeous. You know that? I'm so lucky..."

"You're being very sweet to me." She whispered, a sense of peace washing over her. They fit together like those heart shaped necklaces you'd give to your best friend. Being next to Beck gave her a sense of wholeness she rarely felt. She couldn't control the smile that spread across her face, though she tried to stop it, when she noticed the way he was looking at her, like she was the most beautiful thing in the world and she absolutely adored it: adored him.

"Oh yeah? Explain to me the basic plot."

"Guy gets framed for something he didn't do and is imprisoned for years; develops a brilliant, elaborate revenge plot and chaos ensues." Elisa said without a thought, flipping through another book on the shelf. She loved reading, almost as much as she loved Beck or Jess. Books were easy to escape in and she loved everything from gothic romance novels to manga. The girl could live and die in a library and she'd consider it heaven. She took a moment to glance up at him, noticing the remnants of something dark on his face and she frowned.

"You okay?" She asked, pressing her hand against his cheek, her brow furrowed with concern; not unsimilar to the way she looked at Jess when she hit her head or cried. It was easy to forget that Elisa had a kid, when she acted so much like a teenager and was stuck in an awkward limbo of what she wanted, who she was and who she was allowed to be.

"Do you want anything gorgeous? Something nice to read on the beach?"

"I don't know. Maybe a journal or something." She said, absentmindedly as she made her way to where the journals and sketchbooks were kept. They were all neatly leather bound, some basic and some with elaborate and beautiful designs. "I never fill them up. I have a thousand with only a couple pages filled in and then I just let them sit around like some kind of hoarder. It's really lame."

---

"Millie!!!!!"
"Really? You think?!"

"It'd be a dumb thing to lie about." Bex teased, flicking her eyes from Millie to Leon, amused and maybe a little embarassed by what had just occurred. Even she didn't like to be caught in the act.

"OOOOoooooOOO so what exactly happened there then! I thought you guys weren't on good terms at the minute."
"Are you stopping in his bed now or what then?
"The one Leon likes obviously. You clearly want to keep his attention so..."

"I dunno. He just came into the dressing room and started actin' all sexy. What was I supposed to do? He's cute, he's good in bed and Lord knows I'm a slut." Rebecca said with a shrug holding one bathing suit in front of herself as she stared in a mirror, switching it out with the other. She liked them both and felt comfortable enough in the both of them. "I'll stay in our room. Just because he came in here all hot and bothered doesn't mean he gets to spoon me every night."

"It's kind of nice to have someone in here with a similar style to me. I mean, don't get me wrong Elisa is beautiful and she always picks out shit that looks fabulous on her, but she likes pastels and cashmere sweaters." The girl rambled, slipping out of her clothes and into the bathing suit that Leon preferred, not caring that Millie was right there next to her. "What's the story with you two? Like, why do you hate each other so much. I think you're both swell and you both like me. Is Beck's dick that good?"

It hadn't taken much for Rebecca to realize that the tension between the two was because of the boy. It wasn't like it was so glaringly obvious or anything.

She continued to mindlessly make small talk as she debated on her bathing suit, though she knew in the end she'd likely buy both. Why pick between two, when she could have the best of both worlds? Hannah Montana had the right idea after all. She ripped the tag off of Leon's preferred and threw her clothes on over it. Just because she was buying it, didn't mean he had to know about it.

"Guy gets framed for something he didn't do and is imprisoned for years; develops a brilliant, elaborate revenge plot and chaos ensues."

Beck pressed his lips into a thin line. It wasn't exactly his own story but the plot seemed compelling and relatable enough. He smiled and have a small nod before tucking the book under his arm before going back to brewing in his own horrid thoughts.

"You okay?"

He flinched at her touch, almost reaching up to batter away her hand as he lay his hand upon her cheek. The blonde jolted away from her, accidentally letting a dangerous expression fall on his face. Not the soft sort of dorky smile Beck would usually hold, but a more serious and cold expression of a gang leader, a warning not to cross the line. It melted away quickly but for a second it was there.

"I don't know. Maybe a journal or something."
"I never fill them up. I have a thousand with only a couple pages filled in and then I just let them sit around like some kind of hoarder. It's really lame."

Beck laughed rolling his eyes. "You are a hoarder. Well you would be if your parents let you..." He chuckled before letting his eyes settle on a larger version of the empty books, red and embedded with spirals and the pages inside thicker than usual. He moved over to it and slid it under his arm along side the novel he had chosen. "We should make an album. Not just me and you but...everything that's important to us." He told her, starting to develop ideas about the photos he would cram into that red book.

"You have 10 seconds to pick up something you want." He tutted, tapping his foot impatiently.

~~~~

"I dunno. He just came into the dressing room and started actin' all sexy. What was I supposed to do? He's cute, he's good in bed and Lord knows I'm a slut."

Millie giggled softly but didn't say anything. She knew Leon was good in bed it was just after he had finished that always bothered her. The way he pulled his arms around her, wanting more and more kisses and for her to stay always made her uncomfortable. He always ached for more than what she could give, and Millie wondered if Bex had come across this issue yet. She opened her mouth to speak out before closing it again, hesitating, before deciding to spit it out. "I guess he is a good fuck but...awfully clingy don't you think?"

"I'll stay in our room. Just because he came in here all hot and bothered doesn't mean he gets to spoon me every night."

"Awh ain't you the little heartbreaker." The red head giggled, leaning towards her enticingly before remembering Bex's sexual preferences and kind of quickly recoiling her body, a slight blush upon her cheeks. She also forced her eyes the other way as she began to strip. Millie knew she was straight but this new introduction to someone who was queer was a little new and unnerving to her. She decided to take the red bikini off to let Leon purchase it and changed back into her clothes.

"What's the story with you two? Like, why do you hate each other so much. I think you're both swell and you both like me. Is Beck's dick that good?"

Millie kicked at the ground with her black ankle boots before letting out a long 'errm' sound and sighing. "I'm not too sure. I think shes just a little jealous I've been on him and that we are close. He and I weren't anything serious though you know?...To be honest she didn't treat me with a lot of respect when we first me and it made a lot of tension between us. I recall being called a fat sausage or something?" She jested, finding the situation now a little amusing. Millie quite obviously left the bit out about her still being hopelessly in love with him and that her last dying wish would be for the two to split.

"Oh yeah and she doesn't like the fact I used morphine to numb Beck and his..." Her mouth snapped shut rather quickly once she had realised what she had almost began to explain. It was easy to forget that Bex wasn't 'in on this'. She didn't know shit...

The way Beck's face had twisted, even if it was only for a moment, scared her. It wasn't the first time she had seen him do it, like he was pushing part of himself deep down and not letting her see. She looked away, hiding a somber expression as she stared at row after row of colorful book spines. "I love you. All of you. Even the parts of you you won't let me see." Elisa told him, though her voice was so low it'd be difficult to hear.


"You are a hoarder. Well you would be if your parents let you..."

"Psh. I bet you have like a million empty canvasses and a million more unopened paint tubes." Elisa retaliated with a wicked grin. Maybe it was something unique to her, but blank pages that were waiting to be filled were beautiful. She loved how perfectly crisp and clean it looked, but most of all she loved all of the possibility that came with it. It was the possibility of what she could write that excited her, probably more so than the actual writing; because there was nothing more inspirational than a black page.

"We should make an album. Not just me and you but...everything that's important to us."

"I have a Polaroid camera packed. We could take them on this trip? I use to take pictures all the time of my friends," Her words were very rushed and excited, though they trailed off at the end as she remembered the pictures she use to have hanging on her wall of Malachai and everyone else in her old crew. People she use to be so close with, people she had been forced to run away from...and now, at least one of them, was a monster. She chewed on her lip as she thought about it, anxious as visions of Malachai popped in her head.

"You have 10 seconds to pick up something you want."

His words broke her train of thought and a smile broke out on her face and she stuck her tongue out at him. Still, she quickly grabbed one of the journals off the shelf; a leather bound one with some floral design etched into it. "The others are probably done anyway, right? We should go find them."

---

"I guess he is a good fuck but...awfully clingy don't you think?"

Rebecca pondered Millie's words briefly. Truthfully, Leon was incredibly clingy and more often than not it made her a little uncomfortable...but mostly because it stirred something inside of her that felt almost nice and that was a terrifying thought. "Definitely. But it's a nice change from most boys who treat you like a blow up doll. It's kind of nice to be treated like an actual person." She said with a shrug.

"Awh ain't you the little heartbreaker."

Bex couldn't help but laugh when that look of realization crossed Millie's face. She had seen it so many times before with girls who were new friends. "I like girls, but that doesn't mean I'm going to cream my panties cuz you look at me a little flirty. Unless that's what you want, but it'll take a little more effort than that." She said with a wink, obviously teasing.

"Besides, you're cute but not my type. I'm more of a Ruby Rose than a Dita Von Teese kinda girl. Unless it's Blake Lively, oh my God, I would marry her in a second." She gossiped, just like a straight girl would about her favorite celebrity men.

"I'm not too sure. I think shes just a little jealous I've been on him and that we are close. He and I weren't anything serious though you know?...To be honest she didn't treat me with a lot of respect when we first me and it made a lot of tension between us. I recall being called a fat sausage or something?"

"The good news is, I'm entirely convinced she doesn't completely hate you and that means it's a totally reversible situation. Elisa can be down right evil if she hates you enough, but I'd say you're just disliked. Not a bad place to be if you ask me." Rebecca told her with an optimistic lilt in her voice, though something slightly insidious laid underneath. Elisa wasn't a bad person, but she hadn't always been a good one and Bex had seen her ruin people. At the time, Elisa had just been playing her mother's game, but that wasn't an excuse for the way she had treated more than a few.

"Oh yeah and she doesn't like the fact I used morphine to numb Beck and his..."

Rebecca's eyes narrowed in on Millie. Morphine to numb him? Numb his what? She had suspected something was going on, she just couldn't figure out what, though she was leaning towards them being a bunch of drug dealers. That was the only thing she could logically come up with. "I'd be pretty pissed if you drugged my boyfriend, too." She stated flatly, unsure of how to react to the situation or if she should ask any questions. Her eyes remained on Millie, questioning and slightly concerned.

Bex didn't mind running with a bunch of rough people, she had before, but what she didn't like was how much she didn't know. "I'm not exactly on the straight and narrow path to Heaven or anything, but I'm not gonna die rolling with you am I?" She asked, holding the bathing suit Leon had picked out, opening the curtain so she could go check out. She wasn't asking for details, she was sure they would come with time or that Elisa would eventually spill it, but she didn't want to be targeted in a drive by either.