Broken Arrow
As The Boy Became A Man
Ruby's POV:
I hung up the phone with a sigh. Our phone call had at least ended on a good note, but I hated fighting with Brian. He had to understand why I was here, why I couldn't just up and leave. I'd already done so once, because he had asked me to come home. And the original deal was that it was only supposed to be for a little while, until I got back on my feet. But I got comfortable, I'd let him talk me into staying. I didn't regret it, but I'd never made an effort to tie up the loose ends back here.
A knock came at the door and I looked up to see Jack leaning against the door frame.
“Hey.” he said, awkwardly.
“Hey.”
“Was that Brian?” he asked, nodding at my phone laying on the bed.
“Yes.” I replied. “Is that a problem?”
“I didn’t come in here to fight.” he sighed, rolling his eyes as he sat on the corner of the bed.
“That’s a nice change.”
He was quiet for a moment, his back to me, before he spoke once more. “So are you guys like, a legit thing now?”
“I guess so…” I nodded, although we had never quite put a label on things. “More or less…”
“I know I said it in a less than desirable way before, but I saw that coming, you guys hooking up…”
“Jack…” I groaned, rolling my eyes and expecting another argument.
“What’s so great about him, anyway?”
“He’s not a total fucking jerk, for starters.”
“He’s not a Saint, either.” Jack muttered.
“Maybe so, but he lets me be who I wanna be-”
“I never-”
“Jack, for once in your life, shut the fuck up and let me talk!”
He pursed his lips, and said no more as I continued.
“You hated everything I loved and everything that made me who I am. But with Brian, I can breathe.” I shrugged. “You met me, kissed me after three days, fucked me once and asked me to be your Girlfriend.”
“You said Yes, though.”
“I did. But Brian courted me, as much as we never quite said out aloud that those outings were Dates.” I explained. “He took me for motorbike rides and bought me chocolate, took me to gigs, hung out at bars and danced with me. He took me to Vegas and we went on a fucking Gondola ride for my birthday, and looked out over the city from the Paris Hotel Eiffel Tower. He borrowed his Dad’s yacht and took me to freaking Catalina Island and we just played in the water and enjoyed each other’s company.” I couldn’t fight the smile that spread across my face as I recalled it all. “He brought me along on Warped Tour, and I got to meet tons of awesome people, and even sing onstage with some of them.”
“I’m not gonna lie… I was pretty fucking pissed when the photos from the Orlando date went up and I saw you onstage with Bert McCracken…”
“Karma.” I smirked.
Jack rolled his eyes.
“My point is… Brian brings Adventure into my life. And as cheesy as it sounds, he makes me feel Alive.” I laughed softly to myself.
“Money helps.” Jack frowned.
“That’s not the point.” I said. “You would have had more than enough to take me out once in awhile, but you spent all your money, and mine, on Drugs.”
He looked away in shame as I said it.
“And you refused to give it up. But Brian quit, because I was more important to him than getting high.”
Jack clenched his jaw and remained silent.
“That wasn’t the case with you, you always put it before me-”
“You made your point.” he cut me off.
“Good.” I answered simply.
More silence, and then “I’m sorry…”
“Too little, too late.” I frowned. “But I hope you’ve learned your lesson, so that you don’t put next girl you date through absolute Hell like you did Me.”
Jack looked lost for words to say. He clenched his jaw, his eyes staring off into space. I knew by his silence that my words had hit him like a ton of bricks, I'd hurt his pride. Good. I wasn't sorry. The one thing Jack had always hated more than anything else in the world, was being wrong. Maybe now he'd wake the fuck up to himself, accept that he'd had his chance and screwed it up.
Several more, quiet moments passed, before he let out a huff of defeat and got up off the bed, stalking back off to his own bedroom...
***
Brian's POV
The mid-afternoon Sun warmed my skin, hitting the surface of the lake and making it sparkle as Jimmy and I enjoyed a couple of cold beers out on the back deck. It was completely quiet, save for the distant squawk of birds in the trees and the occasional speedboat passing by every now and again. I pulled out my phone and snapped a photo, tapping out a short but sweet text to Ruby.
Wish you were here... xx
"P.S. When we're re-united, wanna try Anal?" Jimmy giggled, leaning over my shoulder.
"Shut up." I chuckled, punching him in the arm.
"We all know she's open-minded." he teased.
"How do you know?" I asked, stuffing my phone back into my pocket.
"Girls talk, and Demi tells me everything." he smirked, tapping his nose. "Daddy."
I rolled my eyes, taking another swig of my beer as I leaned against the railing. "So you guys set a date yet?"
"Not yet..." he replied, taking in the view of the lake. "But I think I wanna get Married here."
"Yeah?" I smirked.
"It's quiet, it's isolated, lower risk of fans gate-crashing."
"All fair points." I nodded.
"So when you gonna grow a pair and propose to Ruby?" he teased, elbowing me in my side.
"I don't think she's the Marriage type..." I sighed, licking over my lips as I turned the beer can in my hands.
"Uh-oh, you actually sound disappointed?"
"I know, it's weird." I chuckled, brushing my hair back out of my face.
"Synyster Gates is actually ready to settle down, eh?"
"I think so..." I pondered.
"Well fuck." he chuckled, clapping a hand on my shoulder. "You're in Love."
"Don't use the L-Word..." I cringed.
"But it's true." Jimmy teased, wiggling his eyebrows.
"Yeah alright, it's true, shut up." I snorted, punching him again.
"Welcome to Adulthood." he sighed, slinging one lanky arm over my shoulder. "I think you'll like it here."
"I'd like it better if she knew..." I frowned.
"You haven't told her?"
I shook my head.
"I thought for sure after that night in Broken Arrow..."
"Not even then." I sighed, draining the last of my beer. "Though it sure was fuckin' intimate..."
"Oh we heard that." Jimmy chuckled.
"Dude... I made love to her." I admitted. "Might've sounded like we were just fucking but, it wasn't. Not that night."
"So you made love to her, but you didn't tell her you loved her?" he cocked his head to the side. "Colour me confused."
"I told her she was mine, and I was never letting her go."
Jimmy whistled. "Whoa, big words there..."
"I know, shocked myself, even." I nodded, reaching into my pocket and pulling out my smokes, placing one between my lips.
"Well, you know how to bring her back from Chicago then, don'tcha?" he grinned.
"Mhm?" I replied, lighting my smoke and taking a drag.
"Tell her you fuckin' love her, man." he slapped me on the back. "That'll send her running home."
"And sound like a big massive guilt trip." I grumbled. "I'd rather not have the first time I spill my guts and tell her I'm in love with her be over the goddamn phone."
"And if you don't, you might lose her." Jimmy frowned.
"That's a risk I'm willing to take..." I sighed, blowing out a wisp of smoke. "I wanna do this right, man."
"You know what? I'm actually proud of you." he smiled.
"Yeah?"
"For once, you're actually thinking things through, not just being selfish and taking whatever the fuck you want, when you want."
"Even though right now is probably the best time to be selfish and take exactly what I want?" I smirked.
"Yupp." he nodded. "You're growing up, man."
I hung up the phone with a sigh. Our phone call had at least ended on a good note, but I hated fighting with Brian. He had to understand why I was here, why I couldn't just up and leave. I'd already done so once, because he had asked me to come home. And the original deal was that it was only supposed to be for a little while, until I got back on my feet. But I got comfortable, I'd let him talk me into staying. I didn't regret it, but I'd never made an effort to tie up the loose ends back here.
A knock came at the door and I looked up to see Jack leaning against the door frame.
“Hey.” he said, awkwardly.
“Hey.”
“Was that Brian?” he asked, nodding at my phone laying on the bed.
“Yes.” I replied. “Is that a problem?”
“I didn’t come in here to fight.” he sighed, rolling his eyes as he sat on the corner of the bed.
“That’s a nice change.”
He was quiet for a moment, his back to me, before he spoke once more. “So are you guys like, a legit thing now?”
“I guess so…” I nodded, although we had never quite put a label on things. “More or less…”
“I know I said it in a less than desirable way before, but I saw that coming, you guys hooking up…”
“Jack…” I groaned, rolling my eyes and expecting another argument.
“What’s so great about him, anyway?”
“He’s not a total fucking jerk, for starters.”
“He’s not a Saint, either.” Jack muttered.
“Maybe so, but he lets me be who I wanna be-”
“I never-”
“Jack, for once in your life, shut the fuck up and let me talk!”
He pursed his lips, and said no more as I continued.
“You hated everything I loved and everything that made me who I am. But with Brian, I can breathe.” I shrugged. “You met me, kissed me after three days, fucked me once and asked me to be your Girlfriend.”
“You said Yes, though.”
“I did. But Brian courted me, as much as we never quite said out aloud that those outings were Dates.” I explained. “He took me for motorbike rides and bought me chocolate, took me to gigs, hung out at bars and danced with me. He took me to Vegas and we went on a fucking Gondola ride for my birthday, and looked out over the city from the Paris Hotel Eiffel Tower. He borrowed his Dad’s yacht and took me to freaking Catalina Island and we just played in the water and enjoyed each other’s company.” I couldn’t fight the smile that spread across my face as I recalled it all. “He brought me along on Warped Tour, and I got to meet tons of awesome people, and even sing onstage with some of them.”
“I’m not gonna lie… I was pretty fucking pissed when the photos from the Orlando date went up and I saw you onstage with Bert McCracken…”
“Karma.” I smirked.
Jack rolled his eyes.
“My point is… Brian brings Adventure into my life. And as cheesy as it sounds, he makes me feel Alive.” I laughed softly to myself.
“Money helps.” Jack frowned.
“That’s not the point.” I said. “You would have had more than enough to take me out once in awhile, but you spent all your money, and mine, on Drugs.”
He looked away in shame as I said it.
“And you refused to give it up. But Brian quit, because I was more important to him than getting high.”
Jack clenched his jaw and remained silent.
“That wasn’t the case with you, you always put it before me-”
“You made your point.” he cut me off.
“Good.” I answered simply.
More silence, and then “I’m sorry…”
“Too little, too late.” I frowned. “But I hope you’ve learned your lesson, so that you don’t put next girl you date through absolute Hell like you did Me.”
Jack looked lost for words to say. He clenched his jaw, his eyes staring off into space. I knew by his silence that my words had hit him like a ton of bricks, I'd hurt his pride. Good. I wasn't sorry. The one thing Jack had always hated more than anything else in the world, was being wrong. Maybe now he'd wake the fuck up to himself, accept that he'd had his chance and screwed it up.
Several more, quiet moments passed, before he let out a huff of defeat and got up off the bed, stalking back off to his own bedroom...
***
Brian's POV
The mid-afternoon Sun warmed my skin, hitting the surface of the lake and making it sparkle as Jimmy and I enjoyed a couple of cold beers out on the back deck. It was completely quiet, save for the distant squawk of birds in the trees and the occasional speedboat passing by every now and again. I pulled out my phone and snapped a photo, tapping out a short but sweet text to Ruby.
Wish you were here... xx
"P.S. When we're re-united, wanna try Anal?" Jimmy giggled, leaning over my shoulder.
"Shut up." I chuckled, punching him in the arm.
"We all know she's open-minded." he teased.
"How do you know?" I asked, stuffing my phone back into my pocket.
"Girls talk, and Demi tells me everything." he smirked, tapping his nose. "Daddy."
I rolled my eyes, taking another swig of my beer as I leaned against the railing. "So you guys set a date yet?"
"Not yet..." he replied, taking in the view of the lake. "But I think I wanna get Married here."
"Yeah?" I smirked.
"It's quiet, it's isolated, lower risk of fans gate-crashing."
"All fair points." I nodded.
"So when you gonna grow a pair and propose to Ruby?" he teased, elbowing me in my side.
"I don't think she's the Marriage type..." I sighed, licking over my lips as I turned the beer can in my hands.
"Uh-oh, you actually sound disappointed?"
"I know, it's weird." I chuckled, brushing my hair back out of my face.
"Synyster Gates is actually ready to settle down, eh?"
"I think so..." I pondered.
"Well fuck." he chuckled, clapping a hand on my shoulder. "You're in Love."
"Don't use the L-Word..." I cringed.
"But it's true." Jimmy teased, wiggling his eyebrows.
"Yeah alright, it's true, shut up." I snorted, punching him again.
"Welcome to Adulthood." he sighed, slinging one lanky arm over my shoulder. "I think you'll like it here."
"I'd like it better if she knew..." I frowned.
"You haven't told her?"
I shook my head.
"I thought for sure after that night in Broken Arrow..."
"Not even then." I sighed, draining the last of my beer. "Though it sure was fuckin' intimate..."
"Oh we heard that." Jimmy chuckled.
"Dude... I made love to her." I admitted. "Might've sounded like we were just fucking but, it wasn't. Not that night."
"So you made love to her, but you didn't tell her you loved her?" he cocked his head to the side. "Colour me confused."
"I told her she was mine, and I was never letting her go."
Jimmy whistled. "Whoa, big words there..."
"I know, shocked myself, even." I nodded, reaching into my pocket and pulling out my smokes, placing one between my lips.
"Well, you know how to bring her back from Chicago then, don'tcha?" he grinned.
"Mhm?" I replied, lighting my smoke and taking a drag.
"Tell her you fuckin' love her, man." he slapped me on the back. "That'll send her running home."
"And sound like a big massive guilt trip." I grumbled. "I'd rather not have the first time I spill my guts and tell her I'm in love with her be over the goddamn phone."
"And if you don't, you might lose her." Jimmy frowned.
"That's a risk I'm willing to take..." I sighed, blowing out a wisp of smoke. "I wanna do this right, man."
"You know what? I'm actually proud of you." he smiled.
"Yeah?"
"For once, you're actually thinking things through, not just being selfish and taking whatever the fuck you want, when you want."
"Even though right now is probably the best time to be selfish and take exactly what I want?" I smirked.
"Yupp." he nodded. "You're growing up, man."
Notes
Okay, it's short, but sweet. I was gonna make this longer but the stuff I had planned would've totally flipped the vibe of the chapter around, and I needed this one to be a bit more serious. I won't go making any promises about when the next one will be out as I'm notorious for taking months between updates, but I do have shit planned. This story ain't over, not yet. And I'm not abandoning it, no matter how fuckin long it takes to write.
Also, can I just make a shout out to my girls violetshade and AGirlIKnowNamedLarisa for being the BEST fucking long-distance Deathbat pals ever?? They knew I was devastated that I couldn't go to the Pizza Party the band just threw for Jimmy's Birthday, and went out of their way to get Brian to say Hi to me in a video. I fucking CRIED! He says my real name in it, but if we can keep that on down-low on this website that'd be much appreciated, frens. :)
Video Link: https://www.instagram.com/p/BtrSCIFlmcK/
Until next time! xx
@Ghost-On-A-Sea-Of-Wine
I totally get where you are coming from! Hopefully inspiration comes along
8/7/21