Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Staring at the CAD file open on her computer trying to render, her head shoots up as she hears a smart knock at her office door. Through it, as it was open like always, she saw her colleague and broke into a grin. The two had been close ever since Willow had taken her under her wing when she started at the LA branch of the firm.
"Close that fucking laptop, Ivy." Was all the warning she got before Willow stalked out of her office and down the corridor, leaving her to scramble to shut down her laptop, clear her desk and hurry after her.
"I don't know about you, but I'm parched. Are you parched?" Willow said as she came into earshot. "It would be a damn shame if we fell into a bar, you know, like, for survival."
"Yeah," she retorted, "Cause we might dehydrate before we make it home. It's only safe that we stop and get a drink to make sure we make it home tonight." Grinning now, the girls signed out and exited the building. Since Ivy was tall, she walked quick, her long strides allowing her to weave between the crowds on the pavement, Willow half jogging to catch up.

It was only a 5 minute walk to their favourite bar, and when they got there, Ivy immediately went to the bar and leant on it, while Willow went and sat at their table.
"That's a record, even for you two," Came a familiar voice, "5 minutes past 5, on the dot. If I didn't know you were English, I'd accuse you of being an alcoholic and refuse to serve you."
"You wouldn't dare." replied Ivy in a mocking tone.
"You're right, I wouldn't. You're far too rich for me to kick you out. The Friday usual, then?" A nod of affirmation and the barman got to making their drinks- a pint of Cherry Super 8 for Ivy, and a pint of sweet cider for Willow. This was their ritual, and had been ever since Willow figured out why she wasn't going home along with everyone else on a Friday- Ivy felt homesick at the best of times, the culture difference being so strong between home and LA, but it only got worse on a Friday. Going for a drink just wasn't the same as at home; watching people get all dressed up in heels and tiny dresses, have one vodka coke and be stumbling. Back home, it was relaxed, you went to the pub to wind down from the week, not wind up for the weekend. And so, Willow found the only pub in the city, it seemed, that was full of old men dressed in ratty jeans and t-shirts, with no shouting newly-21-year-olds and a bar full of beer on draught and no liquor lining the back wall. The barman and landlord were grumpy and unwelcoming when the two first began to come in- it took a few weeks of regular visiting before they began to succumb to the pair's charms. Now, the welcomed them in the traditional English way- with lighthearted mocking and sarcasm.

Carrying the pints to their table, Ivy saw Willow was chatting with one of the other regulars, who smiled when he saw her approaching.
"Aww, you didn't have to buy me a drink," he started, holding his hand out for one of the glasses.
"Aint no way," Willow remarked, batting his hand away and grabbing the glass, "I've been waiting for this all week." Taking a big swig, closing her eyes and sighing in relaxation.
Laughing, Ivy took a drink from hers and crouched down over the table, ignoring the stool as usual, preferring to stand up after sitting down all day.
Over a few more drinks, the pair chatted about how their weeks had been, and when the conversation turned to weekend plans, Willow's eyes lit up.
"We have plans tomorrow night," Willow explained. "We're going to a party."
Ivy groaned. "Don't you see enough of me through the week? Why do I have to go?" Since Willow was born and raised in LA, she invited Ivy to parties almost every single weekend, and almost every single weekend, Ivy refused. She had been to 3 the whole time she had been in LA, and every one had caused her great annoyance. LA locals were so grating (Willow excluded, of course).
"No, I don't." Willow smiled angelically. "I'll get an Uber at 6 and we'll have a few drinks before we go. How's that?"
"Fine," Ivy whined, draining the remainder of her drink. "I'm gonna get going. I'm starving."

Locking the apartment door behind her, Ivy hung up her work bag and headed straight for the shower, stopping to refill the empty cat food bowl. The cats came trotting up to her, meowing their thanks and tucking in. Ivy showered and dried off, applying moisturiser to her body and doing her skincare routine, hurrying up when her stomach growled angrily.
Grabbing her leftovers from the night before from the fridge and putting it in the microwave, she got herself another beer from the fridge and opened it, taking a swig. The microwave dinged, and she got up to get it, delicately placing a record on her turntable before tucking in to the start of the Kid Cudi album.

Waking up, stretching, and rolling over to check the time. 5:30. Light was weakly making it's way through the sheer curtains, and so she rolled out of bed, collecting the workout set from the chair in the corner of her room and pulling them on. She had always loved running on a morning, having to make it earlier to fit it in before work, and because LA just got so hot it was unbearable any later on. Putting her headphones on, she stepped out of her apartment.

She was only just getting into the rhythm when all of a sudden she bumped into someone, knocking their phone out of their hand. She stopped, somewhat shocked. There was never anyone out at this time in LA.
"I am so sorry," the person said, "I wasn't looking where I was going-"
"You're all good," Interrupted Ivy, "my fault too, I wasn't paying attention either." She huffed between breaths. "Is your phone okay?"
"Yeah all good, don't worry." The man croaked. Ivy looked up at his face for the first time, and despite being struck by his blue eyes, she noticed how bleary they looked, like he hadn't slept.
"Sorry again," Ivy spoke, turning away and putting her headphones back on. Whoever this was, it was none of her business. Back home, she would have asked if he was okay, if he wanted to grab a cuppa together, but the people here were different. And so she kept running.
By the time she'd got home, eaten breakfast and got all her chores done- two loads of washing, hoovering, mopping the floors, cleaning the kitchen and bathroom- it was 5pm, and so she ran a bath, setting up music and a candle in the bathroom, getting herself a bottle of beer and a book before climbing in. She washed her hair and put it up in a towel, hoping her curls cooperated, moisturised and put on her robe before picking out her outfit for later. A denim jumpsuit with some brown leather mule heels. No need for a jacket since it was a million degrees. Laying the outfit on her bed, she moved back to the bathroom, humming along to the music as she started on her makeup- light, just concealer, highlight, and a little mascara. She topped it off with some sparkly eyeshadow and put on perfume-vanilla and pistachio. As she got dressed, the doorbell rang, and Willow stepped in through the door.
"Y'know, if you're going to act like you live here, the least you could do is pay some rent." She directed at Willow, pitching up her voice so it would carry down from the mezzanine.
"At least your cats welcome me properly. Hello, Willow, thank you for bringing me some beers, really appreciate you!" She muttered to herself as Ivy came down the stairs.
"Hello, Willow, thank you for bringing me some beers, really appreciate you..." Ivy spoke sarcastically, grinning at her friend. "Are they cold?"
"What more do you want from me? I bring you beer, and now it has to be cold too. Will the demands ever cease?" Willow complained, flopping down dramatically onto the sofa.
Putting the beers in the freezer to cool quicker, Ivy grabbed Willow one, and handed her it.
"How do I look?" Ivy gave a spin and Willow fanned herself with her hand.
"Like a million dollars darling," Willow spoke in an attempt at an English accent. "Almost as good as me, in fact."
Giggling, Ivy sat down next to Willow; one of the cats followed her up and curled up in her lap.

Stepping out of the Uber, the girls could already hear the party raging.
"Fashionably late, as usual." Spoke a man, quite loudly. He had a mane of black hair and he was covered with tattoos, shown off as much as possible by his black vest.
"Jake! Long time no see!" Willow breathed, stepping over to envelop him in a hug. "Jake, this is Ivy. Ivy, Jake."
"Hi," Ivy waved awkwardly, "nice to meet you. Willow's mentioned you before."
"And she's mentioned you, but never how beautiful you are. Where has she been hiding you?" He questioned, looking her up and down before leaning down to give her a hug. He smelt amazing- earthy and spicy. Ivy felt a little dizzy.
"I'll be out back having a smoke if either of you want to join," he said, his gaze lingering on Ivy. "If not, make yourself at home, drinks are in the kitchen." And with that, he meandered away, stopping to greet some more arriving guests before disappearing around the side of the house.
Willow lingered in the doorway and smiled knowingly, and then sighed. "I know, he is absolutely gorgeous, but he is also absolutely still hooked up on his ex, Tara." She advised. "Bad idea."
"I wasn't even thinking about it," Ivy rushed, trying to hide her disappointment. Nodding at that, Willow opened the front door and the full force of the noise washed over them both. At least, with Jake hosting, the music was better than the other parties Ivy had attended already. They beelined straight for the kitchen, pushing past groups of people that were already drunk, and both grabbed a beer each from the fridge. They looked out the window to see a crowd of people cheering on someone doing a keg stand, and then Jake and a few others in the corner, slouched around a fire. Ivy could see smoke drifting in the air above them.
"Are we at a frat party or are these actual adults?" Willow grinned, heading towards the door to join the crowd anyway.
Rolling her eyes, Ivy turned and leant back against the kitchen counter, spotting a table set up for beer pong in the other room. Maybe she had stumbled into a frat party.
"AAH," Someone exclaimed to her left, and her head shot round at the noise. "Don't make me drop my phone again!" She recognised that voice.
"Someone's looking a bit more awake than they were at 6am this morning," She smiled politely, and the man scoffed.
"That's what a breakup does to you, I guess.." he smiled awkwardly.
Muttering her apologies, her eyes flitted to the doorway as two more people stepped through into the kitchen. What...?
"Oh," she managed, before her brain caught up. "Hi. You're... triplets? Unless there's more of you?"
The trio laughed politely. "Sorry," she continued, "I bet that's all you ever hear. I'm Ivy."
"I'm Nick, and this is Chris, and Matt." He introduced, pointing towards each of his brothers.
"Do I gotta answer a riddle to get to the fridge, or are you gonna let me though?" One of the brothers, Chris, laughed as he moved towards her. He had a mane of brown hair, but unlike Jake, he didn't have any tattoos- that she could see, anyway. He was wearing a grey hoodie, with some baggy jeans and clean white sneakers.
"Oh," She said again, and kicked herself. They were going to think she was a moron. "Yeah, sorry," She apologised, laughing awkwardly, and flattened against the kitchen counter. Chris grabbed her hips as he scooted past anyway.
"Thanks, ma." He said lowly, and she could feel the heat rising to her cheeks.
"How do you know Jake?" Nick asked, curiously. "I've never seen you at one of his parties before."
"Oh, I don't, I only met him today." At Nick's suspicious look, she continued. "I'm not crashing the party, don't worry. I'm here with Willow." The confusion went out of his face, and he looked relieved. Willow took this opportunity to breeze back in from outside.
"OH, Ivy! I see you've met the triplets. Can you tell them apart yet? It took me ages," She laughed, fixing her stare on the other girl expectantly. Ivy took a second to look between them, and pointed to each of them.
"Matt, Nick," she swallowed, "Chris." She peeked at him to see an impressed look on his face, and relaxed her shoulders.
"Impressive," spoke Matt. "I can hardly remember one person's name when they tell me, let alone 3-"
"and we do all look similar," Interrupted Nick. Matt offered her an encouraging smile, seemingly used to being interrupted by his brothers. At that moment, someone stumbled into the kitchen, tripped over the lip on the French doors, sprawled outside and vomited into the lawn.
"I need to catch up," announced Chris, smirking and nodding to the beer pong table. "Anyone fancy their chances?" His gaze fixed on Ivy.
"Yes!" Willow and Nick shouted in synchrony, grinning widely at each other. "Teams? Dibs on Nick," Willow rushed, grabbing a few cans out of the fridge and scooting over to the table, Nick in tow. Matt smiled at Ivy, and wandered outside, assumedly to find Jake.
"Looks like it's up to us, then." Chris smiled and held out his arm for her to take. He guided her over to the table, and helped set up the game. "You any good?" He asked, and now it was her turn to smile.
"Sometimes," she replied, picking up the ball. As she expected, it sailed straight into the first cup.
"Looks like it's my lucky day," remarked Chris, impressed. Nick's attempt missed, and Chris' sailed into the second cup. "This is too easy," he boasted, although his smug look dropped off his face when Willow's shot hit it's target. Ivy picked up the cup.
"It's okay, dear," She said. "I've got this one." Downing the contents of the cup, she put it down to see Chris looking at her with an expression she couldn't place. Then, the smug look returned to his face.
"You spilt a little," he came closer to her, grabbing her jaw and wiping her chin with his hand. "Better." Again, an expression she couldn't place. Before the heat could rush to her cheeks again, Willow cleared her throat.
"Whenever you're finished," she remarked, gesturing to the ball.
The rest of the game went smoothly, Chris and Ivy winning. "Well so much for catching up," Chris boasted, dapping up Ivy.
"You v me?" Ivy offered, trying her best to look innocent. She knew she could beat him if she tried.
"You're on." Chris replied, moving round to stand at the opposite end of the table. They both busied themselves refilling the cups, Willow and Nick melting into the crowd.

"Fuck!" Chris shouted, loud enough for Ivy to hear even over the racket of the party around them. She laughed ecstatically.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She wheezed once she caught her breath, collapsing into another fit of laughter at the deepening scowl on his face. At this, his face softened and he started laughing too- he couldn't help it, it was contagious.
"You got what you wanted though, surely!" She said, and he nodded, having now downed 8 cups of beer in a short space of time, he was on his way to being a little tipsy. He looked over to see Ivy pointing at Willow, who she had spotted in the crowd, and singing along to the song that was blasting from the speakers. He took the opportunity to get a proper look at the girl: he had wanted to all night, but hadn't wanted his brothers to notice. His eyes travelled up slowly from her brown heels, noticing how well the flared denim accentuated her thighs and the curve of her ass. He tried not to linger on the deep V cut neckline- he did have some class, at least- and his gaze skimmed along her side profile as she continued to sing along. When she looked over and caught his eye, he winked, and, feeling the heat rush to her face, she looked away. He smirked and wandered closer to her, placing a hand on her waist and leaned in to talk in her ear.
"Catch you later, ma. Gonna go find Matt." She stared at the back of his head as he swaggered off and felt her face burning. She fought the urge to go after him, and instead went to get another drink. When she got into the kitchen, Jake was just opening a bottle of cherry Sourz.
"Ah, there she is! There was a shelf in the liquor store I went to that had a bunch of these, have you tried it before?" He asked excitedly, slurring his words. She cringed slightly.
"Yeah, I have. Every kid back home has put themselves off it by drinking a full bottle of it and projectile vomiting red puke everywhere when they were, like, 13."
Laughing, Jake reached up to a cabinet above his head to grab shot glasses, his vest riding up as he lifted his arms. Ivy took the moment to admire the tattoos she could see on his lower stomach. When Jake cleared his throat, she snapped her gaze up, embarrassed.
"Here," he said proudly, stumbling over to her and placing two of the shots in front of her, keeping two for himself. "A toast," he began, smirking, "to the hottest bitches in this joint." At this, Ivy smiled awkwardly, picking the shots up and shooting both.
"Yum." Ivy remarked, taking Jake's empty glasses from his hands, accidentally brushing her fingers against his as she did so. He grabbed her wrist as she went to turn towards the sink, and pulled her close to him. She bumped into his chest with a soft "oof" and chuckled nervously. She was closer now than earlier; enough to pin down the earthy smell on him. Weed. She looked into his eyes and saw his pupils were huge. He was high as fuck. He studied her face, glassy eyes flitting from her eyes, to her lips.
"I've missed being this close to you, Tara," He spoke with great effort.
"Jake.. I'm Ivy.." Ivy said nervously, her voice barely loud enough to reach her own ears.
"Is everything okay?" A voice said, and Jake let go of her wrist, recognition dawning on his face, sobering him slightly. She looked over to see Willow standing in the doorway of the kitchen, concerned eyes moving from Jake to Ivy as she tried to figure out what was happening with her friend.
"Yeah, all good. Don't worry Willow. We were doing some shots, and I told Jake he should probably go have a lie down. Isn't that right, Jake?" Ivy said, looking at Jake, hoping he would catch the conspiratorial look.
"Yeah," he slurred, and turned to look at Ivy. He now looked absolutely trashed. "I'm really sorry," he said, and stumbled off. Willow watched him go up the stairs before turning around to her friend.
"What was that about?" She asked, and Ivy told her what had just happened. Willow frowned.
"Oh. I feel bad for him," She said, concerned, and then brightened. "Come on, get a drink and come outside. They're making s'mores!"
"Out in a sec," Ivy laughed, and opened the fridge. No more beer. There were cans of Pepsi, though, so Ivy grabbed one, drunk some, and topped it back up with the cherry Sourz on the table. Waste not, want not, she thought, smiling to herself as she made her way outside. Matt and Nick were stood by the fire, a table next to them with skewers, marshmallows, graham crackers, Hershey's bars and brownies on it.
"Edibles," came a voice from over her shoulder. Chris.
"What?" She asked, confused.
"Edibles," he repeated, nodding to the table. "The brownies." He clarified, and she nodded.
"I see," She said, looking at him warily. "Have you had any?" She asked, and he smiled warmly.
"Matt has, but I don't touch the stuff. It made me sick once, never again," He explained, shuddering slightly, and she laughed. He loved the way her smile transformed her face- he just wanted to grab her and kiss her. His thoughts were interrupted when Matt came over and bowed.
"M'lady," He said, taking Ivy's hand and pressing his lips to her knuckles. She giggled and curtsied back, making him laugh- he folded over as if it was the funniest thing he'd ever seen. Chris caught himself staring stonily at the display, biting back his jealousy. Matt was high, and besides, he had just met this girl. He had no right. Plus, it wasn't as if he wanted her, or even a relationship at all- did he? No, he told himself. They were just flirting, that's all.
He excused himself and went inside the house to get himself another drink, saw the bottle on the counter and grabbed it.

Chapter Text

"Yes! It's fine, you gotta try. They're delicious." Matt urged, holding out a chunk of brownie. He knew it wasn't enough to affect her too much; he wasn't about to peer pressure the poor girl. They'd been chatting by the fire for a while now, and he quite liked her.
"Fine, fine, as long as you shut up about it," she laughed, taking it from his hand and eating it. He was right, it was delicious. She was just about to tell him that, when Willow stumbled out of the French doors, hands over her face, with her jeans unbuttoned, shirt crumpled and unfastened at the top. Ivy jumped up and ran over to her friend, blood running cold, grabbing her hands and revealing her face; tears were streaming down the girls cheeks. Ivy bristled.
"What happened? Who do I have to gut?" Ivy demanded, and Willow whimpered.
"Where did you go baby? We were just getting started!" came a slimy voice from inside the house. Ivy took one look at Willow's terrified face and stormed inside to meet the man. He was repulsive. He stood at around 5'5", much smaller than Ivy, but huge compared to Willow, and his skinny jeans and Fred Perry polo looked like they were painted over the steroid-fuelled muscles bloating his arms and legs.
Chris stood and watched from the kitchen counter as Ivy strode across the room and wound up to throw a punch at the man, connecting right on his nose. A trickle of blood came down, and he held his hands to his face. As if that wasn't enough to fell him, she followed it up with a swift kick to his balls which had him collapsing to the floor in agony. Chris hurried over to grab her just as she brought her leg back to kick the guy on the floor. She wriggled to try to escape him, but he held on.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Chris asked incredulously. "Wha-"
"What sort of piece of shit motherfucker do you have to be to even try doing that to someone?" Demanded Nick, storming into the kitchen, and Chris noticed the state Willow was in for the first time. When it dawned on him what had happened, he released Ivy and bent down to grab the man by the collar and drag him through the house, only stopping to open the door before dragging him outside and throwing him down the steps.
"Don't ever let me fucking see you around here again." Chris warned. "I will beat you to a fucking bloody mess."
"If I catch you ANYWHERE near Willow," Nick joined in, "I will personally see to it that your tiny fucking cock is removed. Cut off. Fucking burnt. Get the FUCK out of here." He finished, and slammed the door. The boys noticed then that the music had stopped, and someone had turned a light on, illuminating the empty cans, bottles, cups, scattering every surface and spilling over onto the floor.
"What the fuck are you looking at?" Nick raged, causing everyone's eyes to be averted to the floor, and he marched back through to the kitchen, Chris in tow.
"Here, Willow, he's gone. I promise. You're safe," Matt urged, Willow pressed to his chest and sobbing. Ivy was clearly fuming, pacing and looking back at her friend, concern and fury marring her features.
"Don't think he'll be coming back." Chris assured her when she pointed a questioning look his way. To his surprise, instead of responding, she walked right up and thrust her arms around his shoulders. He froze for a second, but then melted into the hug, putting his arms around her waist and resting his head on hers.
"Thank you," She mumbled, her voice muffled from being buried in Chris' jumper. He couldn't help but smile, not responding, just reaching his hand up to smooth over her hair. She smelt sweet; vanilla and something else.
"Ivy, your Uber's here," Matt spoke. "Do you mind taking her with you? She can come with us if you prefer-"
"No, thank you." She interjected, "I want to look after her. She needs me." Ivy answered, detangling herself from Chris and moving over to throw her arm around Willow.
In the car, Chris jogged over before she could close the door and held his hand out.
"Your phone," He stated, handing her it. "I put my number in there, y'know, just in case you need m- anything." He rushed, trying his best to look nonchalant. Ivy smiled.
"Thank you," She said, the smile not quite reaching her voice. She was still furious.

Willow had fallen asleep in the Uber, so Ivy reached down and carried her princess style up to her apartment, thanking God her building had an elevator and not just stairs. She laid the girl gently on the sofa and covered her with a blanket, leaving her a glass of water and some Advil for when she woke up. Ivy trudged up the stairs, only just managing to scrape up the effort to wash her face and swish some mouthwash before collapsing into bed.

She woke up to a notification sound on her phone. Glancing down from the mezzanine, she saw Willow was still crashed out, and so she relaxed back into bed and blindly reached out for her phone. Chris. He had left her a few messages the night before, too.

Hey, everyone's gone home. No party without you two, clearly :) -Chris
Hey, us three got home safe. Assuming you guys did too. Should I leave a tip on Uber? xD -Chris
How's the patient this morning? -Chris

Grinning, she tapped out a quick response, and then heaved herself out of bed, heading towards the kitchen to make coffee. When she got down the stairs, she saw Willow was now awake, staring into space.
"Morning, sleepy head." Ivy said, offering the girl a reassuring smile.
"Hey," Willow responded distantly. Ivy plonked herself down next to her.
"You doing okay?"
"Um.. yeah. Not great, but okay." Ivy thought for a minute, and then put a hand on her friend's shoulder.
"Go get a shower. There's shampoo and conditioner, and get a fresh loofah and body brush before you get in. Scrub yourself head to toe. It'll help a little bit. I'll have breakfast waiting."
She hesitated. "Waffles?" The smaller girl requested, a reserved but cheeky smile on her face.
"Fine," Ivy conceded, rolling her eyes and getting up to make a coffee. Putting the kettle on, she checked her phone again. Chris had messaged again.

Do you wanna come get breakfast with us? We were thinking Waffle House...

"Willow," Ivy shouted up, "do you wanna go get breakfast with the triplets?"
The girl sidled up to the balcony railings, a knowing smile on her face.
"Do YOU?" She questioned, tilting her head, an accusatory look on her face.
"Yeah, kinda..." Ivy mumbled hesitantly, eyes on the floor. When she looked up, Willow had broken into a grin.
"You LIIIIIKE HIMMMM," She paraded round, much to Ivy's dismay. "It's Chris, right? I'm not wrong? I thought I noticed you two getting close last night."
"Just go get a shower, dick." Ivy forfeited, and walked back into the kitchen, butterflies swirling in her gut. For some inexplicable reason, he made her incredibly nervous, with his wandering looks and unshakable confidence. No, not inexplicable, she thought. He was hot as HELL- but she knew he was renowned for not having or wanting relationships. What did he want with her?

Yes, sounds good. We'll meet you about 10? -Ivy

He read the message and felt his stomach do a flip. He had never wanted something more in his life. His fancy from the night before had turned into a craving, and he was desperate to see her again. One thing was bothering him, though- he knew he didn't want a relationship. That, he had instilled in himself pretty much since he moved to LA. The girls here.. weren't nice. But surely Ivy was different, right? She wasn't from LA. But the thought was still lingering, gnawing at him.
He shouted to his brothers to be ready for 9:30, and rushed to get a shower. He couldn't be bothered to shave, so he just showered and threw on a laidback outfit, dousing himself in cologne, and admiring himself in the mirror. In the end, he had gone for black baggy joggers, a white vest, and white sneakers, adding a beanie on and a grey hoodie. He had to give his trainers a wipe considering they still had a drop of the guy's blood on them from the night before. He grinned at the memory. Ivy had absolutely leathered the guy, and rightly so. He still felt guilty for stopping her.
"Ready!" Matt shouted from the kitchen, and so Chris stepped out of his room.
"Why are we meeting them again?" Nick questioned, looking at Chris with so much intent that Chris knew he could see right through whatever lie he made up. He always could.
"I like Willow," he began, swallowing thickly. "and Ivy's cool. I'd like to spend some time with he- them." He finished, shrugging in an attempt to look nonchalant. He cringed at himself inwardly.
"You are disgusting." Nick smiled sweetly.

Chapter Text

Chris looked over from his booth and felt his heart swell when he saw the vision that was Ivy- dressed down in a white-and-red striped tee and some flared jeans, with some battered white trainers peeking out underneath. She smiled, and he swore he could've melted into a puddle right there and then. He simply nodded at her, not trusting his voice.
"Hey!" A bright voice scattered his thoughts.
"Hey, how are you both?" Nick asked, aiming the question mainly at the smaller girl. Ivy took the opportunity to speak to Chris.
"Do I gotta answer a riddle or are you gonna let me sit down?" She said, in an absolutely terrible imitation of Chris' accent, echoing his words from the night before. He smiled, and scooted over, and she slid in beside him. He tensed as her leg brushed his, relaxing when she smiled warmly at him.
"It's good to see you again," She admitted sheepishly.
"You too, ma." He responded quietly, grinning. He loved how flustered he made her.
They turned towards the group and joined in the conversation, only stopping to decide what they were going to order. Once they had placed it, Ivy chatting animatedly with the server about something or other when she had come over- Chris didn't even hear what she was saying, just admired her as she talked- they resumed chattering and bickering between themselves. When the food arrived, every inch of the table was full of plates of waffles, bacon, mini syrup jugs, butter trays and powdered sugar tins. They ate their food, washing the sweetness down with milkshakes. Willow laughed hysterically at Matt when he had taken a sip from the rim of the milkshake glass, getting whipped cream all over his mouth and, somehow, on his nose. When she grabbed his face to wipe it off for him, he had turned scarlet.
Once they were finished, they said their goodbyes, heading out to the parking lot- soon realising they had accidentally parked right next to each other. Chris stared.
"This your car?" He questioned incredulously. Ivy smiled.
"Yeah, problem?" She returned his question, swinging herself up into the drivers seat with ease.
"That is so cool..." He uttered, walking all the way around the vehicle to admire it. It was a vintage Bronco, and pristine. With a smug look on her face, Ivy rolled down her window.
"I'll have to take you out in it sometime." She said innocently.
"I'd like that," Chris smiled, swaggering up to the window and resting his arms on it. "Maybe.. tonight? Let me take you out?"
"You're hardly taking me out if I'm driving you!" The girl laughed, but nodded her head in agreement nevertheless.
"You'll be surprised," answered Chris, "I'll text you my address and a time. See you then, ma." He said the last sentence so quiet Ivy barely caught it. She blushed as he took her hand and brushed it over his lips, not quite kissing it. They were feather soft. Butterflies swirled in her stomach.
"S- See you tonight," She managed, feeling quite dizzy. He let go of her hand, smirked, and wandered off to join his brothers.

Ivy was gripping the steering wheel with both hands, staring straight ahead. She could feel Willow's gaze on her. Willow chatted the whole way home and, credit to her, skirted the Chris topic entirely. Ivy had almost forgotten her nerves by the time she pulled into her apartment's parking lot; they all came crashing back to her when she unlocked her front door and whirled around to Willow.
"What the fuck do I wear?!" She exclaimed. "I don't even know where we're going!"
"Has he texted you yet?" Willow asked, grabbing Ivy's phone from her pocket and looking down at the screen.

See you at 4, I'll drop you a pin on the address. Oh, and one on the place we're going. You're a smart girl, I'm sure you can figure out which is which ;)

True to his word, two pins followed the message- one to a huge town house just out of the centre of LA, and one to what looked like an extremely cool vintage looking arcade bar. Willow began typing out a response much to her dismay. The taller girl tried snatching her phone back, but Willow simply laughed and ran up the apartment stairs.

Works for me- I'll come get you. You better keep up and dress cool ;)

Chris smiled and looked to the outfit he had laid out on his bed, ready to put on. He'd chosen his green Nautica tee, baggy blue jeans, of course with white sneakers.
He had stuff to do first- he was finalising the new designs for his brand today, which was exciting- he was doing everything ever he wanted to do in life, yet all he could think of doing in this moment was grabbing his phone and telling the girl to come pick him up now so he could see her. He threw a hoodie on and left the house, hopping in his black Mercedes G-Wagon and driving to his warehouse, speeding slightly. When he got to the office, he threw himself down on the long station table, setting up his sewing machine to run the last few stitches on the last prototype garment. He was just finishing cleaning up the trailing threads when his marketing team arrived.
The meeting didn't last long, just enough for him to explain all of the features in his designs- he was sure he'd nailed it first time with these- and talk fabrics. The team didn't have many questions- he knew, by now, what they needed to hear in his briefs and so he kept it short and stuck to what they were interested in. There was much more, of course- he could talk back and forth all day about what specific textiles lasted better with age, colour palettes and cohesion between the lines he was releasing- but he couldn't stand to see the bored looks on the faces of them when he was talking about his passion.
Once he was given the nod of approval, he walked them out before giving the warehouse a quick clean up, heading upstairs to his office to check his emails, typing a few out on things that needed to be sorted immediately, and to his treasurer to let her know his designs had been approved. When he noticed the time, he slammed his laptop shut and rushed out, only pausing to lock the warehouse behind him.

Finishing off with a few swipes of mascara, Ivy stood back to admire her work. Willow had helped pick out an outfit and left her to it, so she had showered, moisturised, and spritzed a little perfume over herself. While putting on the outfit- a huge graphic tee, baggy denim jeans, and white trainers- her phone dinged, and she checked it to see a photo of Chris. She tapped out that she was setting off, grabbed her keys and wandered down to the parking lot, nodding and smiling at her neighbour on her way.

He smiled when he saw her pull up outside, saw her checking her phone as he stepped out. He waved when she looked up, and he heard the click of the doors unlocking before he stepped up.
"Such a cool car," He fawned, before turning to look at the girl. He could've brought her back into the house before they even went anywhere. She truly was gorgeous.
"Thanks for the lift, ma," He said, sprawling his legs out to get comfy. He knew it'd take about 30 minutes to get to the place he'd chosen, so he felt he needed to ask-
"Can I look at your Spotify?" Ivy nodded and handed him her phone, unlocked. 'Good girl', he thought, impressed. He queued a few songs, noticing their tastes overlapped a lot, and recognising quite a few songs that Matt had played him that he'd liked. When the first one came on, she questioned him on it, and they chatted about music until they got to the bar, Chris grinning the whole time. He loved that she knew a lot of the music he liked, the two of them still lip-syncing at each other as they pulled into the parking lot.
"You know what bothers me most about America?" She asked, continuing anyway, despite Chris not speaking. "Nothing is fucking walkable. You gotta drive everywhere. Why is the parking lot for this place so big? If they'd just put it near the other places, people could walk to it. It pisses me off every time I see a proposal like this at work. And when I say this, they're always like, ooooh I never thought about that, and I'm just like, surely it's logical?" She finished her ramble, Chris laughing as he asked her what she did for work.
"I'm a city planner," She responded, adding "an engineer," at his confused look.
"Shit, ma, are you a genius or something?" He smiled at her, and she giggled and shook her head.
"No, just a little smart. It's not as tough as you'd think." She paused a beat. "What do you do?"
"Not done on you yet, sweetheart. How come you ended up city planning for LA if you hate it so much?" At his nickname, he caught her turn her head to hide her blush. She cleared her throat before responding.
"I wanted a big project. My ex- he was an engineer too, back home- he used to take the piss out of me, cause I worked for a smaller firm than him. So I took this as like, a fuck you, you know what I mean? Sorry- ex talk so early on," She laughed again, this time self-deprecatingly, and shook her head.
"No, you're good. I don't mind ex talk. You went through something, it shapes you, y'know?" He reassured her, and she shot him a grateful smile.
The bouncer ID'd them on the door, grumbling something about them looking too young, but let them in anyway.
"He was a happy chappy," Ivy whispered to Chris, making him laugh.
"What the fuck is a chappy?" He laughed hysterically, turning to her and walking backwards, towards the bar.
"A chap. A person?" She laughed as his hysterics continued, mocking her accent as he started to order them drinks.
"I'll have a Pepsi," he asked, looking at her. "And you?" She ordered the same as him, and he continued to say things in a really bad English accent. Once they had their drinks, they wandered towards the arcade- there were some more modern machines: bikes for racing games and shooting games with plastic guns fixed on hinges- but most of the place was filled with old fashioned pinball and joystick arcade machines, the floor covered in a navy carpet, smattered with neon patterns that glowed under the black light washing over the whole bar.
Ivy spotted a basketball game over in one corner, and grabbed Chris' hand excitedly, dragging him over to it.
"I got you good on this," She boasted, "Jut like the beer pong." At this, Chris riled up, standing over her.
"Like fuck you do," He spat back jokingly, inserting a coin and picking up the basketball as it rolled down the slope, shooting and scoring over and over until the time ran out. He ended up with an impressive 500 points. He smirked seeing Ivy's worried look.
"Ma'am," He said, entering a coin for her and gesturing grandly. She took up the ball and shot it, missing a few but still ending up with 460 points. Chris sidled up beside her and put his arm around her shoulders.
"Awww, better look next time. You fancy your chances at air hockey, or are you gonna fall short again?" He challenged.
"You are so fucking on," The girl responded fiercely, making him laugh.

They played games for a few hours, both loving how competitive the other was.
"Me and Matt used to come here all the time when we first moved to LA," Chris said as they were just wandering around, looking for other games. "We'd get kicked out at 9pm, though, because we were underage." At this, Ivy laughed.
"I can't believe the drinking age is 21, here." She wondered aloud, "So weird. Like, you can drive life-threatening heavy machinery at 15 but don't you DARE be in a bar."
Chris was about to respond, when she gasped. "I love this song!" Ivy exclaimed, mouthing the words and dancing around to Panic, by The Smiths. He laughed at her, taking her hand and twirling her around, dancing with her. He spun her to him, and she bumped into his chest, laughing, tilting her head up to his. They locked eyes, and Chris felt his heart melt with the way she was looking at him. She was so unlike anyone he'd met- ambitious, wanting to succeed for herself, not use him.
"Do you wanna... Can I take you on another date tomorrow?" He asked suddenly, and she smiled.
"I'd love that." He arranged to pick her up, and they carried on swaying to the music for a while, just chatting away into the night until Ivy drove him home.

Once Ivy got home, reeling with excitement, she called Willow to tell her everything, before she got ready for bed and lied there, grinning to herself.

Chris wondered what the fuck he was doing. Why had he asked her on another date? Why had he gone on a date in the first place? He just didn't do this, and he didn't want to hurt the girl- she was too sweet for him, too nice. There was a reason he stuck to mean girls, if at all- he'd sworn blind in every interview that he just didn't do relationships. They never asked why, only assumed he was a player, that he'd grow out of it. Only Matt knew why he didn't date girls anymore: The first girl he'd fallen for, really fallen for, had spent their entire relationship doubting him, becoming increasingly more verbally abusive towards him, jealous of his building success, ensuring in the end it would totally fuck him up. It had been messy, and painful, and he'd cried for nights on end. But he'd got through it, and he never wanted to be in that position again. He'd just have to get her to realise what she was getting herself into, and she'd get over him and leave. No need to drag it out.
That night, he slept uneasily, tossing and turning, nervous for the following day.

Chapter Text

Chris awoke the next afternoon, uneasiness now just settled as a pit in his stomach. He drove to go get her, and the moment he saw her, all logic went out of the window. The simple plan slipped from his mind as she climbed into his car, her black mini dress riding up as she slid into the leather passenger seat. Her perfume drifted to his nostrils, and he greeted her by grabbing her hand and moving it to his mouth, pressing his lips to her knuckles.
"You look incredible," He uttered once he'd found his head, making her blush. His hand found it's way to her bare thigh, and easy conversation flowed between them on the way to the restaurant.

By the time they got to the venue, Ivy was getting riled up. He'd kept his hand on her leg the whole journey, stroking his thumb across her exposed skin, and she felt her heart was exploding out of her chest. She just needed some space to compose herself.
Her prayers were denied, however, when his arm found its way around her shoulders and he leant in close to speak to her: "I've been to this place a few times and the food is always good; plus, I can't wait for you to see the view from the table."
"I'm excited," She tried a smile and looked at him, but seeing his smug look, she had to look away. He knew he was driving her insane, and he fucking loved it. He loved the effect he had on the girl- he'd barely laid a hand on her and she was blushing. The problem was that he couldn't stand to take his hands off her- her skin was so soft, and he couldn't wait for an excuse to be closer to her. 
"Table for 2?" He asked on the door. The guy nodded, and smiled. 
"Follow me, please," the waiter obliged, and walked the couple up the twisting stairs to the rooftop. He tried not to stare, but the dress she was wearing was so short, and soon his eyes were wandering down between her legs before he ripped them away. Ivy gasped seeing the view at the top, and whirled to him. 
"This is gorgeous," She praised, sitting herself down on one side of the small table, Chris taking the other side, realising his mistake in choosing this place. It was so cramped that their knees were entwined under the table, even the slight bit of contact making his head spin. After thanking the waiter, he turned his attention to the girl sat across from him. 
"I said I'd take you out," He remarked smugly at the impressed look on her face. 

The pair ate slowly, ordering a few plates at a time to share and chatting more than eating- the sun was just going down, and they both broke off to watch as it set against the city skyline. They ordered another round of drinks and a dessert, choosing to share one since they were both almost full. It arrived with one spoon, but Chris was unruffled, picking it up and scooping some of the rich mousse onto it before holding it out for Ivy, a serious look she couldn't quite read on his face. She felt her cheeks redden as she leant forward and took the spoon into her mouth, her eyes closing at the taste of it. It was exquisite. Chris watched this display, now half hard in his pants, and his eyebrows knitted together- in this moment, he thought the girl was more beautiful than anything he'd ever seen, inside and out. He'd picked her brains all evening, asking her about her life plans, and she'd told him about her dedication to succeeding in her career, to show all of the men that had sneered and looked down at her when she began that she was 10 times more capable than they'd ever be. He could feel his heart twisting, hurting in a way it never had before; it felt like it was trying to burst out of his chest to join with hers. What is happening right now? He was thinking, panicking; he'd never felt this way in his life. He didn't do this relationship shit. You're only going to end up hurting her, he thought again, grimly, souring his own mood.
"Give," the girl laughed, breaking his reverie, gesturing at the spoon. He held it out, and she took it, glancing at him through her eyelashes as their hands brushed. She scooped some of the dessert onto it and held it out for him, looking him in the eyes as he leant forward and let her guide the spoon to his lips. He broke the intense eye contact, and looked down, and Ivy noticed the shift in his mood, but stayed quiet. She sat back in her seat, and looked out at the view again. It really was beautiful. 
"Yeah, could we get the bill, please? Thanks," She heard Chris saying, and turned to see he had eaten the rest the dessert. Charming.
"Got somewhere to be?" She asked, hoping the disappointment wasn't too clear in her voice. She was so confused.
"Yeah, sorry baby. Duty calls," He said, flashing her an arrogant smile, and hating himself for it. She prickled at the pet name, sounding out of character from the boy. She smiled awkwardly, but politely, in response.
While they waited for the bill, he shut down every line of conversation she tried- after a few times, she got the message, and stayed silent, shrinking into herself. Chris noticed, and cringed inwardly, the thought of hurting the girl rejected to his core. But he was doing it anyway. 
What the fuck? Ivy thought, irritated at the complete switch up in attitude. She hadn't seen this side to him before, and she was pretty sure she hated it. The pair descended the stairs, Chris not saying a word, eyes on his phone the whole time, faint sounds from TikTok's he was watching drifting towards Ivy in snippets.
"Are you still okay to give me a lift home?" She asked, completely guessing at what he wanted her to say. "I can Uber home if you want?" 
"No, it's okay, babe, can't leave you here." Chris tried to keep his tone level and nonchalant, despite the compliments and praise swarming in his head for the girl. 

Ivy smiled her thanks as he dropped her off outside her apartment building, the expression falling straight off her face as she turned around. What the fuck had all that been about? He'd been so pleasant, then turned in the restaurant, the ride home being awkward on her behalf, but he was as chatty as if they were the closest of friends. Her head spinning, she slammed her front door, slumping down it and huffing out a sigh. She was greeted with her cats purring and nuzzling her leg, easing her hurt and embarrassment slightly. Maybe she'd just come on too strong. 

Hey, had a great time, sorry to cut it short. See you soon. -Chris

Me too, no problem! -Ivy

She sighed at his non-committal message, figuring she'd either hear from him in a week or never again. Cringing at herself and her unflinching ability to end up alone, she got herself ready for bed and slept, making sure she wouldn't be tired for work.

The first half of the week flew by, Ivy all-consumed by her project delivery due on Thursday, which she got submitted by the skin of her teeth, presenting confidently enough that the plans were approved on the spot. 
Chris' week dragged until Wednesday, guilt of ignoring Ivy making his humour hide under his skin while the three brothers tried to film a video, causing a huge argument to break out. Matt and Nick were not speaking to him Thursday morning, and against his better judgement-

Hey, what are you doing tomorrow? Fancy some food? -Chris

Ivy's phone dinged on her desk at work, making her jaw drop when she saw who it was from. She hesitated before typing out a message, smirking at her sarcasm as she sent it.

Sounds good, I'm finishing work early. 
You sure you have the time? Duty calls, as you said. -Ivy

Chris felt a new wave of guilt as he realised his actions hadn't gone forgotten since he last saw her. She offered to pick him up since she had to work Friday, and he obliged, figuring he could have a couple of drinks to relax. 
When Ivy pulled up outside his house, he greeted her warmly, kissing her cheek as he settled in. The conversation was polite but terse at first; Ivy was being cautious about how she acted- she didn't want to scare him off again. She still let her humour shine through, though, making tears stream down Chris' cheeks at some of her quips on the way to the restaurant. He'd warmed her to him by the time they arrived, linking arms as they stepped through the threshold, the smell of fresh herbs and the sweet acidity of tomatoes cutting through the air as they sat in the bay window. The two giggled and chattered, completely immersed in each others' company.
"'Scuse me. Need to use the bathroom- can you order me another drink, please?" Chris ducked his head to speak to Ivy as he stood, and she nodded obediently, smiling up at him as he bent to kiss her cheek, letting his eyes wander over her face before he stood. His content expression was cut short in it's formation by the sound of giggles from a table he passed by; he glanced back as he opened the bathroom door. The giggles swelled as he met their eyes, pointing and whispering making him feel like an act in a play as he let the door fall shut behind him, feeling a little embarrassed to be caught in public without his brothers, and on a date of all things. What the fuck have I done this for? He thought to himself, his head lolling to look at the ground in shame. 
When he returned to the table he downed the drink Ivy had ordered for him, the girl immediately sensing a shift in his demeanor. She felt a sense of deja-vu watching him ask for the bill again, this time before they even got to dessert.

"Sorry babe, I got things to do. Sure you do too?" He glanced at her unseeing, blinded by self-hatred at the act he was putting on yet again. 
"Yeah, sure." Ivy was sick of his bullshit by now. She could excuse the one time, figuring maybe something had come up, but twice was ridiculous. When the pair stepped outside, they were followed by the table of giggling teenagers, Ivy's polite smile faltering on her face when Chris turned to her quickly.
"Hey, you mind going quickly? I don't want them to see us together." He uttered sharply, offering no further explanation as she stared at him dumbly. When the shock wore off, she felt her embarrassment and hurt simmer quickly into rage.
How DARE he speak to her like that, as if he hadn't been staring at her adoringly 5 minutes ago? She marched to her car, slamming the door, putting the key in the ignition and revved the car, making the wheels spin and letting the rear end of the car spin out as she left the car park, watching dust and gravel fly at him in her rear view. 

Chris watched her drive off and knew that he'd gone too far. He'd seen the anger in her eyes as he'd dismissed her. He'd finished taking pictures with the fans that had swarmed him as he left the restaurant, and he realised he was just stood staring at the spot her car had been in. He called Matt to come get him, and sat on a wall to wait, scrolling his phone idly before one of Ivy's posts showed up in his feed. He clicked on her profile, looking through her posts. There were a couple from the night of the party, and he remembered them being taken- one of them was during their game of beer pong, another when she and Matt were sat by the fire. 
He looked up as he heard a beep from in front of him, jumping down off the wall to get into Matt's car. 
"What happened kid? You look upset. And I thought Ivy was bringing you home?" The triplet asked, concerned for his (barely) younger brother. 
"It's fine, I told her to go. Just wasn't feeling it anymore," He responded, unconvincingly. Matt gave him a long look, then turned back to the road, starting the car. 
"You wanna go Topgolf? I think some mutuals are there right now, we could go join?" Matt asked, determined to cheer the boy up, even if he didn't know exactly what was wrong. Chris nodded his assent, looking back down at his phone, Ivy's profile still open.  

Chapter Text

Ivy couldn't relax after what had happened- so she'd turned to the only thing that she knew would soothe her anger. The gym. 
She was lifting heavy, puffing out her breaths with the effort, Black Flag blasting through her headphones. When her phone rang, she dropped the weight, annoyance flaring.
"Yes?" She grunted, picking up without looking at who it was and laying back down to finish her reps.
"You've seen it then?" Willow's voice came through her headphones.
"Seen what?" The girl frowned. 
"Um.. look at Chris' recent insta tagged." Willow said softly, waiting a beat while her friend opened her phone. When she saw the photo, Ivy's heart dropped, and a soft "oh," came out of her mouth. It was a photo of Chris and Matt along with some other people she didn't know- and Chris was smiling, his arm around some short ass bimbo blonde, her head resting on his chest. 
"I'm on my way over now," Willow said through the phone, and Ivy could hear keys jangling as she collected her car keys. 
"No, it's okay." Ivy said, wanting some time to herself to continue her workout. "I just hit 3 PR's, this'll just make sure I get more." She heard Willow laugh.
"Was the date that bad?" the girl questioned.
"It was going great, then all of a sudden he like, fully shifted attitude and then cut it off and sent me home," Ivy rambled, giving her friend details. "I was so pissed." 
"No wonder, what a dick." Willow responded, angry on behalf of her friend. "What about Matt?" She asked, forming a plan in her head. 
"What about him?" Ivy responded, confused.
"Well, I'm sure he could tell us what's going on," She suggested, and Ivy shook her head.
"No," She said when she remembered the other girl couldn't see her. "I like Matt, he's really sweet, and it's his brother we're talking about. I'm not gonna involve him in this. It's not fair."
"Up to you dumbass. I can ask him-" 
"I don't want it getting back to Chris that I'm that bothered. I don't care, anyway. He can do what he wants." She mumbled the last bit, and Willow's silence said it all. 
"Well, if you don't want me- I'm going to see Nick. You know where to find me if you wanna join us. Later, bitch." Ivy put down her phone and picked up more weights, loading them onto the bar. She spent another hour in the gym, lifting until she was sore- once she'd had enough, she returned to her apartment and ran a bath for herself, pouring in some of her Jo Malone soap, smiling to herself at the bubbles foaming on the surface of the water. She left it to fill and headed downstairs, into the kitchen to make herself a hot chocolate, topping it with extra whipped cream and marshmallows (she deserved it, after all). She turned off the tap and slipped into the bath, hissing as the felt-like-near-boiling-hot water engulfed her. Her aching muscles started to relax, and she laid her head back, closing her eyes. 

When she woke up, the only light in the bathroom was from the candles she'd lit- it was dark out, and the water was cold. She got out, wrapping herself in a bath gown, and tramped through the apartment to find her phone to check the time. Looking down, she saw it was 7pm, and flicking through the notifications, she saw that Jake had messaged her. 

I feel really bad about the party last weekend. I didn't mean to make it weird. Apology drinks? -Jake, 5:58

As friends, obviously. Friendly apology drinks. -Jake, 6:35

Ivy smiled at her phone, debating her answer. 

Where and when? I'm a busy girl.. -Ivy

She hadn't even put her phone down when it dinged again.

Tonight? Now? I'll pick you up. I have a few ideas.. -Jake

She only considered it for a second before tapping out her agreement and turning to her wardrobe, and pulled out an olive-green corduroy trousers and waistcoat, paired with her brown mules. Usually, she wouldn't dress up too much for drinks with a friend, but given that she had no idea where she was going, she decided to make an effort; she hated feeling underdressed. 
She put on a light bit of makeup, and heard a car horn outside her window. She looked out to see Jake waving from an Uber, so she rushed to get down the stairs and into the car beside Jake; he reached over to hug her in greeting, that same spicy aftershave lingering around him as the night they met. 

They met up the week after, too, and Ivy had almost forgotten her heartbreak over Chris- she hadn't seen or heard from him since she left him standing in the parking lot. 
Jake was quite the conversationalist when he wasn't absolutely plastered. He was funny, Ivy thought, as Jake wandered off to the bathroom. The way he told stories was absolutely hilarious to her- the suspense he built, and the sheer stupidity of his jokes, had her absolutely creased laughing.
"What are you drinking, honey?" Jake spoke in a southern accent as he returned, grabbing her empty glass and looking at her intently, smiling sarcastically and standing with cunt.
"Surprise me." Ivy laughed, tilting her head at him. He looked her up and down before grinning at her and spinning to walk to the bar. Ivy was watching him swagger away, admiring his broad shoulders in that tiny tank top he was wearing- when her heart dropped, seeing who walked through the door. She didn't think she'd seen it right at first; he was in a crowd, but it was definitely him. She couldn't even delude herself into hoping it was just Matt- there were definitely two of them. She knew Nick was with Willow, and this was mostly the group in the Instagram post she'd seen- and there, the same girl that was cosying up to Chris. Her ankles looked likely to snap in her too-high tacky heels, a horrendous faux-fur cape around her shoulders, her arse visible beneath the flared micro-skirt she was wearing. Even from her distance, Ivy could see the white powder around her nostrils. The very picture of trashy. 
"You," Jake started, snapping her back to reality, "look like you want to murder someone. What is it?" He placed his hand on her lower back, following her gaze over to Chris approaching the blonde girl, catching the annoyed look as he grabbed her and wiped the powder from the girl's face. Ivy didn't see that, only saw the way he caressed her face as he wiped it, the curve of his hand over her hip. She wanted to throw up. 
"I see. Blonde bimbo took your man, that it? I wondered why you were resisting my charm." He joked, sitting down on a high stool, and Ivy replied distractedly.
"No, I can resist your charm because you're still in love with Tara, and nobody wants to be with a man that is pretending she's someone else." Realising what she said too late, Ivy turned to apologise, but-
"Ouch... You're totally right, though. I keep waiting for the right moment to talk to her about it, but it never happens. I'm starting to think I'll be alone forever," He laughed, but Ivy could see the pain through it. Instead of responding, she reached to hug the boy, stepping between his legs and wrapping her hands around his neck, mumbling her apologies in his ear. He hugged her back, arms around her waist and resting flat on her lower back, his forehead resting on her shoulder. He asked about what had happened with Chris, and she told him a rough outline- when she was finished, there was silence.
"If you want her back, you should tell her sooner rather than later. At least then if she's gonna reject you, it'll save you wondering what if." She advised, and the boy let out a chuckle.
"So sensitive, I thought you were supposed to be all like 'ooh, she could never reject you! You're perfect!'"
"Obviously, I'm not gonna say that," Ivy laughed, moving away from him, feigning a serious look. "I'm never gonna lie to you, Jake." She said, nodding somberly, until she couldn't keep her composure any longer and started laughing. He joined in, insulting her jestingly and swiping at the back of her head, making her double over and continue laughing. 

"Wanna do a line with me in the bathroom? I'll let you do it off me, and then I'll suck you off..." The blonde slurred in his ear, in what he could only assume was an attempt to be sexy. It had the opposite effect, and Chris felt his irritation flare and pushed the girl away from him. He'd entirely had enough of her; all she had done all evening was make sexual advances and talk about doing drugs. He was fully fed up.
"For the love of fucking god- leave. me. alone." He said loudly, stalking away from the shocked looks of everyone around him to the bathroom to calm himself down. He slowed when he walked past Ivy and Jake, failing to hide the pining in his eyes as he saw her usually open expression was completely guarded. He tore his eyes off her to nod at Jake, and shoved open the bathroom door.

Chapter Text

"One sec," Jake said, standing up.
"Where are you going?" Ivy asked, flustered. The intense wanting in Chris' eyes had confused her, after he'd fully shoo'ed her off after their date. 
"I'm gonna talk to him. See what his deal is. He's acting like a dick." Jake answered before marching off after Chris. 
Now on her own, Ivy walked over to the bar, asking the bartender for an absinthe shot. 
"Absinthe? Someone's a little excitable today..." A familiar voice came from next to her.  She turned, confused at first, thinking it was Chris in the low light. Her frown lifted, realising it was Matt, and she turned back to the bar.
"I'm sorry- about whatever happened with you and Chris. He was down, and I wanted to cheer him up-"
"He was down? Matt, do you even know what happened?" Ivy spat, continuing at Matt's confused expression. "He was acting all lovey and cosy with me, until halfway through the date, he went all Cinderella's carriage on my ass, but instead of turning into a pumpkin, he turned into a prick. He basically waved me away as if he'd finished having his fun with me and he was bored." She finished her rant, venom lacing her tone.
"Ivy, I- I had no idea, please, you've got to believe me." Matt spoke softly, incredulity in his voice. Ivy scanned his face, and saw he was being genuine. 
"What's with the bimbo? Why is she with you? And why did he post her if he clearly can't stand to be near her?" She asked, trying to keep the desperation from her voice.
"I didn't invite her, she was fucking one of the guys over there, and came over to speak to Chris when we went out earlier, then just followed us here." Matt said, disgust evident in his voice at the behaviour of the girl. "I can't fathom why he posted her, sometimes Chris seems to do things just to fuck himself over later." 
"Does he do this often? Act as if he's totally head over heels with someone and then turn?" Ivy asked, flitting her gaze between Matt's eyes, looking for any kind of insincerity or lie while he spoke. 
"Every so often, yeah. It's like he goes out of his way to hurt himself in relationships, then wonders why he always ends up with bitches." A hesitation. "Please, Ivy, I'm telling you this from a purely selfish perspective, for my brother. There was a difference in him since you two met, he seemed... almost lighter, and happier. Please don't give up on him. He has the ability to be the nicest, most thoughtful person you'll ever meet. And I can tell that you're that too, I can tell by your vibe that you're the kindest motherfucker in this whole room." He spoke, eyes pleading with her. She was so confused, torn, and as soon as the bartender put her absinthe down on the bar, she took it up and drained the glass, shaking her head at the foul taste. 
"Look, Matt. I really like you- I do. And I- I appreciate you saying all that. But Chris treated me like I was disposable. I don't see thoughtfulness or niceness in that. If he wants to mess up his own life, I say go for it. It isn't my job to help him pick up the pieces. I can't force him to grow up- He's gotta do that himself. I'm sorry, Matt- I hope we can still be friends." She finished, hoping he would agree. Then, he smiled sadly.
"Of course we can." He said. "Me and you? We're tight." He said, fist bumping her. 
"See you soon, then." Ivy said, walking back to her table. 

"What the fuck is your problem man?" Jake entered the bathroom, bolting the door shut to seal both him and Chris in.
"What the fuck is yours, kid?" Chris retorted, confused, and angered by Jake's sudden entrance.
"Ivy told me what happened between you two. If you're just not into her, that's fine, but you can't just fuck the girl around like that. She's- she's incredible. And you had her head over heels- and you just fucked it up because you're acting like a shallow LA prick. You should see Matt's face when you're talking recently- he's embarrassed by you, dude. And so am I."
"I fail to see how that is any of your business. If you wanna fuck the bitch, go for it, don't let me stop you. Just to warn you though- she's a little clingy." Chris felt his stomach turn at the vility of what he'd just said. He paused, caught by a moment of self-reflection, horror painting his face. Jake was right- he was acting like a shallow LA douchebag. Everything he swore he'd never be.
"Look, man," Jake softened at Chris' expression. "I know you're not like this. I don't know what it is that's bothering you, or what happened, but you gotta heal from it and move on. You're better than how you're acting right now. I know it, Matt knows it, which is why it irritates us both to see you being like this. What is it that's bothering you?"
Chris paused for a long moment, and Jake saw his vulnerability disappear behind a wall. He put his head down, breaking their eye contact, and turned to leave.
"Whatever, man. You do you." Just as Jake reached the door, Chris spoke, softly.
"When we first moved to LA," He started, and Jake paused, hand still on the bolt. "I met this girl. Madison. We got along so well, and we went on a few dates, maybe 5 or 6, and we slept together. It was incredible. I thought I was in love," He scoffed humourlessly. "She convinced me to keep the relationship secret, even from my brothers, from Matt. Once she'd had her fun, she had us find out she'd been seeing us both. Turns out she'd been telling Matt the same thing, to keep it a secret. Me and Matt sent her packing, but we haven't talked about it since. I think we're both embarrassed, I don't know. It's the only thing we've ever kept from each another." Jake was wracking his brain for something to say, anything, but Chris just continued. 
"I tried to date other girls after that, but if something made it more than 3 dates, once I introduced them to Matt and Nick, they either acted like a bitch or tried to fuck them.
So I promised myself I'd never have another relationship- I hated that it made me and Matt distant, and that I never felt good enough for anyone to just like me and that be enough. I've not had one for years- I have no idea what I'd do if I was in one. Truth is, I'm so used to purposefully screwing up that I seem to do it naturally now."
"That's not fair on yourself, Chris. You can't- You can't just resign yourself to a life of being alone just because someone got between you and Matt. That's a one in a million dick, not every girl, man. Ivy's a good one-"
"And that's exactly why I can't be with her, Jake. I'd only fuck her up. I'm- There's something wrong with me, man." The boy's voice cracked with emotion, and Jake stepped over to him and wrapped him in a hug, and Chris was breathing heavily into his shoulder, trying to keep it under control.
"I don't wanna be alone, Jake. I don't-" He broke off with a sob. "Ivy's perfect- so perfect it scares me shitless. I don't want to lose her, but I don't know what to do." 
Jake detangled himself from the boy, handing him some tissues and grabbing him to look into his eyes.
"You gotta apologise to her, dude. You haven't lost her. She's just pissed. It might take a lot of time, a lot of grovelling, but she will forgive you. I'm sure of it."

Chapter Text

It had been almost 2 weeks since she'd gone out with Jake, and Ivy was somberly sat at her desk at work, tapping away at her laptop, pissed off with some fucking moron opposing her plans she'd submitted earlier in the week. She was just about to send a rather explicit email to her client to explain the hold up, when Willow rapped her knuckles at her office door, making Ivy snap out of her trance and look up.
"Drinks tomorrow after we finish?" 
"We literally have drinks every Friday, I'm not sure why you feel the need to keep asking," Ivy chuckled at her friend, resuming her hateful tapping.
"Nick and Matt are coming too, I think..." She trailed off, and Ivy looked at her suspiciously. 
"Just those two? Not the other one?" Willow hesitated.
"I'm not entirely sure." She said, with a flick of her hair indicating that she was sure, she just didn't want to say.
"Fine. I'm not staying for long if he comes, though." 
"Alright, whatever. You leaving now? It's 5." Ivy shook her head, explaining she had some more work to do, and the next time she looked up, it was 10pm.

She shut her laptop, lifting her arms up to stretch, and rolled her neck, wincing at the cracking. She couldn't be bothered to cook, instead ordering a Chinese takeaway to her house so it'd arrive when she got home.
She opened her passenger door, putting her laptop bag on the seat, and screamed when she shut the door and a figure was standing, leaning against the hood of her car. 
"Sorry- I didn't mean to scare you. Are you okay?" The figure said, rushing towards her. She backed away instinctively.
"What the fuc- Chris?" She said, incredulously, freezing. 
"I wondered when you'd be coming down- I've been waiting here since 5. Willow said it'd probably be a late one for you, though-"
"You do realise how stalker-y that sounds, right?" She cut him off, still staring at him with disbelief.
"Now that you mention it, yeah," He chuckled, pausing when she didn't laugh with him. "Look, Ivy, I've been wanting to talk to you since I saw you out with Jake, but I didn't know what to say. I assume Jake told you what happened-"
"No, actually, he didn't. He wouldn't tell me what you guys discussed. Care to enlighten me?" The girl demanded, crossing her arms. Chris was struck by how beautiful she was, tailored suit rendering her all sharp angles and long legs- the dim light of the parking lot making her face angular and accusatory; though he thought that could have just been his conscience talking. 
"I told him what I'm about to tell you- something I haven't told a girl, ever."
"Ooh, so brave of you." She narrowed her eyes. Chris ignored the taunt, carrying on.
"When we first moved to LA, I tried a few relationships. Every one of them ended in disaster. I counted it all up for you: 6 girls used me for my money, 4 of them disappearing after I bought them a huge gift, the other two kept demanding and demanding until I had to threaten them to leave me alone. 3 girls tried to fuck Matt when I introduced them to him, 2 tried to have a threesome with the both of us- and one girl actually did fuck me and Matt, dated both of us and manipulated us to keep her a secret from the other. And when she'd dug her claws in enough, she arranged it so I'd walk in on the two of them- fucking on my kitchen counter. I saw the scratch marks on Matt's back, identical to the ones she left on me, and the hickeys- the same place as I had them. I was frozen, and I couldn't do anything but watch as Matt fucked my girlfriend." Ivy's eyes were wide with shock, her hands had dropped to her sides. Suddenly, she felt so exhausted, all of the hatred she'd harboured towards the boy slowly melted away.
"It was the only thing we ever kept from each other, and it made it so we were never as close. It still isn't the same between us. Nick still doesn't know. I swore I was done with LA girls. I couldn't risk my relationship with Matt being damaged again- there's already enough damage done between us." He had his head down now, ashamed, and scared of the girl's response. What he didn't expect was her arms around him, as if she could shield him from more hurt. 
"I'm sorry all that happened to you. Nobody deserves that." Ivy said eventually, breaking away to see Chris' glossy eyes looking back at her with more hope than she could take- she had to look down, away from him. "It's an explanation, not an excuse, though. It doesn't wash away how much you hurt me." She gained the courage to look back up. "I have never, ever, in my life, been treated the way you treated me the last time we were together. If you want any future for us whatsoever, you have a hell of a lot of trust to build back up. I don't forgive easily." She narrowed her eyes at the disappointed look in his eyes, trying not to become irritated at the evidence that he thought he could tell a sad story and be off the hook, trying to scrape together all the empathy in her body that was left after her work day to figure how hard this must be for him.
"I get all that, Jake told me I'd have some grovelling to do. What are you doing at the weekend- how about I take you shopping, we could get some food together-" 
"Are you fucking kidding me? Buying me a nice purse isn't going to fix it- who do you think I am?" The incredulity on her face shocked Chris to the core.
"What the fuck do you want from me, Ivy? I've got grovelling to do, but when I try, it's not right?-"
"Grovelling, yes! Spend time with me Chris, laugh with me, be truthful when I ask you questions, be considerate about my feelings- don't just spend money on me as if that's gonna help me fucking trust you-" She paused at the blank expression on his face, reeling. "You do understand that I liked you for you, yes? Not for your money- you could be broke on the streets for all I care." Chris frowned.
"You don't mean that."
"Well, maybe I'd prefer if you had the money to take me out for drinks, but..." This surprised a laugh out of Chris, making Ivy smile ruefully, regretting her annoyance. "I'm sorry I snapped- I've just had a long day. I can't wait to get home."
"I'm so sorry, you can go- I didn't mean to hold you up." Chris stepped aside, opening her car door for her. Ivy hesitated.
"Do you- I ordered Chinese, there'll be enough for two. Do you want to join me?" She looked up shyly through her eyelashes, and Chris thought his heart was going to burst out of his chest.
"More than anything. I'll meet you at yours." He kissed her forehead gently, smiling as he closed her car door. Ivy waited for him to start his car before she set off quickly, racing him on the almost empty LA roads- by LA standards, anyway.

After their tense conversation, Ivy had wondered if it'd be awkward- but she needn't have worried, the chatter flowing easily, catching up on what they'd missed, Chris telling Ivy all about the blonde bimbo and her drug habit.
"And she leant into me, trying to be all sexy- she was fully cross-eyed, I don't know from the drink or the drugs- and she said 'wanna do a line with me in the bathroom? I'll let you do it off me- and then I'll suck you off-'" He broke out of his high-pitched impression towards the end of the quote, tears streaming down his face as Ivy cackled with laughter.
"What the fuck-" She wheezed, trying and failing to drag air into her lungs through the laughter.
"That's why I shouted- I'd just had enough. I can't believe I didn't laugh in her face, though." He grinned at Ivy, absolutely glowing in her silk pyjamas, hair wrapped up into a loose bun. He thought he'd never seen someone as beautiful in his life. 
"What are you looking at, do I have something on my face?" Ivy wiped her mouth, frowning good-naturedly at the boy. He chuckled, looking down.
"No, you're just- really pretty, ma." She flushed at the nickname- she'd missed it, the way his lips curled into a smile when he said it. 
"Don't be cringe." Chris giggled at her bright red face, looking away and making kissy noises at the cat lurking at the foot of the sofa, waiting to jump up when invited. It jumped straight up, purring and sitting on Chris' lap expectantly. 
"Who's this?" He asked as he pet the furry creature, laughing as it flopped down and curled up.
"That's Sam. And that-" She pointed over the room, causing the other cat to come running. "Is Dean. They're brothers- someone was selling a bunch of kittens they found in a box, I saw those two were left and figured I had to. They were so small- proper runts. Didn't think Sam as going to make it at first."
"Sam and Dean- there's a show- I can't remember the name- I think I've seen clips on my TikTok." 
"Supernatural, yeah- you will have seen something from it. Have you never watched it?" 
"No, never." Ivy glanced at the clock, wincing at the 00:08 displayed there. 
"We don't have time today, but at some point. I will make you watch it." She held her pinky out, linking it with Chris' in promise. 
"I'll count on it. I'll get out of your hair now- thank you for the food."
"See you tomorrow?" Ivy asked, remembering her conversation with Willow earlier.
"I told her not to tell you I was coming." Chris fumed as she pushed him out of her door, laughing as she blew a kiss. 
"Don't blame her! I deduced it all by myself."
"Oh, then well done, ma. Congratulations." He laughed as he waved goodbye, winking at her before she shut the door behind him. She took herself straight to bed, heart feeling a little lighter than it had done that morning.

Chapter Text

"5 o'clock, ma'am!" Willow breezed straight into Ivy's office, banging on her desk, chanting. "Pub! Pub! Pub!" 
"Pub! Pub! Pub!" Ivy joined, amused, snapping her laptop shut and clearing her desk. "Regular first?"
"Yep, the boys are meeting us there. Are you sure you're okay with this? I get if you want to ditch them, we can go somewhere else-"
"Oh, shit! I forgot to tell you-" Guilt swirled in her gut at not keeping her friend in the loop. "I saw Chris last night." 
"I thought he said he was gonna wait! I just figured he'd left- I checked your location and you were here until 8. Again." Willow snipped, unamused at her friend's unhealthy working habits.
"He did wait. For 3 hours. Scared the shit out of me when I got to my car, thought I was gonna have to scrap someone." Willow laughed at this, covering her mouth as Ivy continued. "I spoke to him- he told me about his disastrous love life. I told him it makes no difference if I can't trust him after how he acted. We kinda made up, he came over and we had takeout-"
"He CAME OVER?!" Willow snapped her head around, surprised at her friend's forgiveness- usually she was cut-throat when guys messed her around. 
"Yes, and we ate Chinese food, and that was it. I won't forget easily, you know that, Willow. Anyway- hush. There they are." Ivy plastered a smile on her face, willing her friend silently to not take the piss out of her in front of the triplets.
 
Chris stared over at Ivy- her and the bartender were still laughing over something, and she was carrying two pints back from the bar. 'That's my girl' he thought, and this time, he ignored the voice chastising him for getting ahead of himself. 
"Hey, ma." He greeted her, winking as she placed the pints down with a slam. She flashed a grin at him, looking absolutely full of mischief. 
"Hey, guys- how are we? Hope you're ready for some Friday drinks." She spoke, and Matt chuckled as he glanced behind her. Chris followed his eyes to see the bartender approaching their table with a tray full of shots, black liquid sloshing around in the glasses. 
"Excitable again, then?" Matt mused, and Ivy retaliated with a flail of her hand, connecting on Matt's arm with a slap. Nick laughed, turning to Willow to speak, leaving Ivy to excitedly babble at Chris and Matt, explaining her week and the most recent approval on her project. Once she was done, she reciprocated their questions, listening intently and gulping her drink down as she nodded, asking questions, making Chris' heart swell as she asked about his clothing line, the imminent release, how he was feeling- she even listened past when Matt got bored and moved around the table to join Willow and Nick, responding with enthusiasm even as he explained down to the small details of the new line, and how it was hugely superior to the last. 
"You're living my dream. I always wanted to be a designer- I've always loved fashion." She smiled shyly at him, and he laughed.
"Anyone who looks at you can tell that- you dress cool as fuck. Even for work, apparently." He gestured at her huge-lapelled navy corduroy jacket, shoulder pads and sharp angled waist cutting the silhouette exquisitely.  
"Thank you." She did a little twirl before picking up some shot glasses and distributing them, passing a couple over to the table next to them. "Happy Friday!" She pitched her voice to be heard over the low hum of chatter in the pub, turning to the table she'd passed the shots to. "There, I got you a drink like you've always wanted." Chuckling, she threw the glass back, swallowing the liquid in one and smiling at the taste. 
"I meant an ale, not whatever the fuck that was." The old man remarked, and Ivy laughed at the cringe on his face as he returned the empty shooters. 
"Oh, you want an ale? One second." Ivy strode over to the bar, heeled boots clicking on the floor. She spoke conspiratorially to the barman, glancing back and forth. 
A minute later brought a glass, full to the brim of dark liquid to the old man. "There you go, Harry. A good old Yorkshire Stingo."                                                                                                  Harry took a gulp, immediately cringing yet again. "What the fuck is this- Just buy me a pint of lager, you freak." Ivy found this hilarious, cackling her humour. "How strong is this? What-" He coughed before continuing. "What is that?" 
"I told you! Ungrateful shitbag." She shook her head in mock disapproval, making the old man's friend laugh uncontrollably, tears coming to his eyes. The triplets and Willow joined in, finding the pair's jesting spat hilarious. Willow explained that they'd been in here for months- this was the first time Ivy had ever bought Harry a drink, despite him asking every single week. 

"Jake!" Ivy shouted excitedly as they entered their fourth bar of the evening, spotting her friend sat across the room. He turned quickly, standing up out of his seat and joining them quickly, wrapping Ivy in a bear hug when he reached the group. Chris watched, swallowing his jealousy. 'They're just friends. You hug your friends, it's normal for her to, too.' He rationalised in his head, breaking off when he heard Ivy giggling at something Jake had said to her and Willow. 
"You look like you're angry, dude. Is there something going on with those two?" Matt appeared at his shoulder, having seen Chris' expression from across the table. 
"No, there isn't. And he fucked Ivy about, so if there is, it would be exactly none of his business, because he had Ivy interested and ruined it." Nick chimed in, unsympathetic to his brother, having seen him repeat this cycle over and over. "Honestly, Chris, you're incredible. I don't see how you only ever manage to stay with a girl for a couple months at a time." 
"Because he messes it up intentionally, Nick. The dude needs therapy or something."
"I am stood right here." Chris reminded them, looking from Nick to Matt. "And I didn't fuck her about-" 
"No, you just acted like a dick to her. Nick, did Willow tell you what happened?" When Nick shook his head, Matt continued. "First date went great, second started great and then he went all hot and cold on her ass, and the third he literally waved her away like a fucking servant when he was done." Chris looked at the floor, not wanting to see the eldest triplet's reaction to his actions. Didn't stop him hearing it, though.
"Are you fucking joking, Chris? Imagine if mom heard you'd acted like that- what the fuck is wrong with you?" He slapped Chris' arm, hard, eyebrows still raised in surprise.
"Look- I'm making it up to her. That's why I'm here-" 
"You better do a fucking good job, asshole." He held his hand up to halt Chris' attempt to speak. "Enough. What drink do you want?" Nick waited for an answer and then strode off to the bar, leaving Chris to turn to Matt.
"Why did you tell him all that? And- how did you know?" He demanded, irritated by Matt's unflinching demeanor. 
"Because he needed to know. You can't just keep things from us because you know you won't like our reaction, douchebag. Ivy told me, the night we saw her out with Jake, after you threw your little tantrum. I tried to speak to her about what had happened and ask her to be patient with you- I made myself look like a total asshole asking her to give you a second chance when she told me how you'd acted. Honestly, Chris- sometimes I look at you nowadays and it's like I don't even know you." 
"You know-" Chris started off loud, breaking off to lower his volume to a murmur. "You know why I act like this. Madison? Or have you just conveniently forgotten what happened-"
"Are you fucking joking? Chris, if you wanna talk about that bitch, I'm all ears."
"Now you are. What about before-"
"I've been all ears since it happened, Chris! Is that what this is all about? I've been fucking waiting for you to talk to me about it for years!" Matt whisper-shouted, emphasising his words by prodding his brother's chest. "I was joking before when I said you need therapy, but now I'm being for real. I think it might be a good idea-" He broke off as Nick returned, straightening up. "We'll talk about this tomorrow." Was all he said. 
"Do you guys want- Oh, you have drinks. Rude." Willow asked as she walked past, Ivy and Jake in tow. The latter were chattering excitedly, tapping on each other as they giggled, before wrapping an arm each around Willow's shoulders and speaking. She glanced back excitedly, breaking out of her chatter to order their drinks before turning back around and continuing. 

"Summer solstice party. Friday 20th June. At Jake's." Willow spoke when she rejoined the group, Jake winking a farewell at the triplets as he returned to his friends.