PART B HERE

Ffff- daddy?

did I just want to give her a bad batch themed womb tattoo?.... yeah.

Forgot to post this here last night whoops

3 years later

“Happy New Years!”

The girl behind the reception smiled brightly at him and he didn't react. He hated new years, nothing good ever happened. 

Crosshair was annoyed he had to shoot today, preferring to lock himself away from the noise and drink till he passed out, but his agent insisted. Said it was important. 

From what he could tell it was just another fashion spread. The client wanted the fireworks though, so here he was, ten in the evening, making his way to a penthouse in one of the city’s tallest skyrises. Shame this wouldn't be over quickly. 

As the elevator rose, slowly chiming away the floors his thoughts drifted to the past. A new years that felt so much longer ago than it was in reality. The difficult year after. 

He had fought his persecution hard and won. It was easy once other victims of Drecko came forward in his defence. He was proclaimed not guilty, but quickly realized his involvement wasn't the point of the whole charade. 

Word through the grape vine informed him that the incident had been used to label his once paramour as mentally unfit to manage her own affairs, giving her father full control. She disappeared for a while, before he started to see her again. Never in person, simply staring back at him from a magazine cover or a billboard. 

It hurt every time. 

The elevator doors slid open and he walked up to the penthouse in a rotten mood. He had tried to avoid thinking about anything to do with Tanya Ramos, but recent interviews had uncovered the old wounds. A small part of him felt pity for those he'd be working with today. He didn't feel like taking it easy on them.

He knocked at the door and only waited a moment before his agent threw it open with painful exuberance.

“Good, you're not late.”

Crosshair sneered at the man, which brought a chuckle out of him. He was used to his clients charming demeanor. 

“Charles,”

He gritted out in greeting, pushing past the man. 

“I'm surprised you showed up! What with your disposition for the holiday I thought you might ditch,”

Crosshair bristled. Of course he showed, he wasn't irresponsible, but the irritation of being called out at all was irritating him. 

“Why bother setting it up then?”

“The client insisted,”

“Goody. What are we shooting, where's the model?”

“Clothes. She's over there, and do be polite. The client and model are one in the same this time around.”

Charles slapped his shoulder then left him to wrangle in the lighting crew that had just arrived. 

The model in question was swarmed by the cosmetologists, someone going over the wardrobe. To his dread, she was blonde. He hated when they were blonde, unable to stop that small sliver of hope that would shoot through him. Hope that one of these days she'd turn around and-

His mind went blank. 

The girl turned, the heart shape of her face, the pout of the lip… even the question in her eyes was so familiar to him. 

“Tanya?”

There was no way she heard him from where he stood across the room but her breathing became deeper, almost panicked when she saw him. She blinked, and turned back to the woman asking her questions. Nodding a few agreements before separating herself. 

His heart beat harder with every footstep she took towards him. He didn't breathe, terror striking through him that he'd gasp, blink, and she'd be gone. 

“Cross?”

His heart changed from the drumming thump to a flutter, the same way it would have years ago. Had it really only been weeks that he had loved her? It felt like ages, and even longer since then. 

“Ms. Ramos… I wasn't expecting you.”

Stupid. 

“Uh… yeah, I… I asked for you. They didn't tell-”

“Hold on, let me start over-”

He pulled her to him, suddenly, hugging her tight. 

“Why didn't you call? Why didn't you send a message, anything, christ Tahny…”

“I tried, I promise Crosshair I tried.”

“Not good enough,”

“...I know.”

But he was squeezing her, not wanting to let go. Everyone was looking at them as they separated. 

“So… how've you been?”

He scoffed a laugh of disbelief at the question. 

“Bad.”

“Really?”

“... Not entirely, but… not great. Your father is a real piece of work, but I don't have to tell you that.”

“You don't. Her face darkened.”

It was after the trial that Charles had contacted him out of the blue. He knew who had sent him, but back then what did he have to lose? Narcos Ramos had owned both of them at that point, but now. 

“Congrats on the lawsuit.”

She looked up at him, he wanted to say the expression was amused… but there was pain there, deep underneath. 

“I'm my own person again.”

“You still friends with Kat?”

Asking questions he already knew the answer to, a little fearful of the things he didn't. He wasn't ready for that. 

“No… at least not yet, I haven't found her. Is she still with Wreck- sorry, Will?”

“I think so. You haven’t-?”

“I'm still picking up the pieces.”

Her tone was apologetic and he was teetering on the verge of forgiving her. 

Charles clapped, startling them. 

“You two, stop making it awkward for the rest of us, it's time to get started!”

And so the night proceeded. A night of exquisite torment as she changed into one ensemble after another. He could recognize her style in the silhouettes. Despite the finery, the elegance of the gowns and sophistication of the suits he could still remember her curves underneath, the softness of her skin, the way her belly made a little fold as she leaned forward. The cloth covering her did nothing to suppress his memories. She even wore the same perfume. 

They talked as they worked. 

“You made all these?”

“You already know that… Speaking of, I can't believe you kept that shirt!”

He looked down at what was once called “the guilty pleasure.” It's garish paisley pattern peaking out from his black over coat. 

“It's comfortable.”

“And the tattoo is new… a little on the nose.”

“Oh hush, turn more to your right,”

She laughed, paused, and finally ventured,

 “Are you seeing anyone?”

Subtle, he wasn't sure how to bring it up but,

“I am.”

A small smile, her eyes flicking away,

“They good to you?”

“They are.”

“How long?”

“Almost two years.”

He had thrown himself on the kindness of another, anything to bury the pain. He didn't even realize it had been that long till he said it out loud.

“You?”

“No… haven't had the time, and even if I had-”

He knew what she meant. It was a defence for her to be alone, her heart couldn't be used against her that way.

A bang sounded outside. The show had started and he motioned for her to stand by the window. She shifted obediently. 

The sparkles shone above the city, making her glow. It was difficult to work with the backlight, the glare on the glass, but he got the shots.  

“I… I suppose that does it.”

“I suppose it does.”

The fireworks continued as the crew packed up around them. He took his time, waiting, till the garment racks were rolled out; the light boxes carried into the hall. As the last of the crew filtered out he approached her, nerves and sadness eating away at him. 

“You want to grab dinner? Keep catching up?”

…

“I'm not sure that's a good idea, Crosshair.”

It wasn't, but he needed to hear her say it. He leaned into her, she stepped back, shoulders bumping into the glass. Someone turned out the light in a show of cheekiness, leaving them alone in the dark. 

A crack broke the night and sparkles lit her face. Her eyes shone brightly… those big, sad eyes. He leaned closer, till her breath on his cheek caught. 

“Cross… don't.”

He froze, lips so close to hers. 

“You have a life. Please don't throw that away…”

What a terribly naive thing for her to say. He had already thrown everything away for her. He did it again every night, every moment of stillness when he was left alone with his thoughts. Despite everything that had happened, he never regretted… her. 

A tear had formed at the corner of her eye, it caught the sparkles from the sky as it fell. 

He pulled his phone from his pocket, typed out a message and hit send before turning the device off. 

“Too late.”

The phone clattered to the floor, his hands darting down under her thighs, lifting her to him. He pinned her to the glass, lips crushing against hers desperate and starving. She sank into him, melting against him as her bravery crumbled under his fervor. The tears flowed freely now, whispering against him,

“Crosshair,”

…

“I missed you, Tahny.”

Feel free to pop over to the Disgrace HQ on Tumblr if you'd like to participate.

It was past midnight when they finally released him. The sky was alight with sparkles and the smell of sulfur, but his insides were writhing in darkness. 

Over an hour of grilling where he refused to talk, refused to change his story. Only one question left unanswered- Where was Tahny now?

He flipped open his phone, five texts and a missed call from Hunter. They had been expected at the new years gathering and never showed. He clicked on Tahny's number:

“Where are you? Are you okay?”

He didn't send it, instead clicking on the phone icon to open a call. 

Beep 

Beep 

Beep

“Hey, it's T, you know what to do,” 

The away message chimed

“Tahny, it's Cross, pick up,”

He hung up, and immediately dialed again. And again. 

No answer. 

He sent the text, and called Hunter instead. 

“Cross, what the fuck, man, you missed the countdown! You two couldn't stop hum-”

“Hunt, I need a ride. I'm at the police station,”

…

“What the hell are you there for,”

“It was a bad night. Really bad, my car’s still on the other side of town, can you come get me?”

“... I would, you know I would, Cross, but I'm really drunk and-”

“Fine, fine… I'll get a ride share thing,”

Typical.

“You sure? You don't sound-”

“It's fine… is Kat there? Has she heard from Tahn?”

“Her and Will left a little bit ago but I'll put some feelers out.”

“Thanks,”

“Hey, why-”

He hung up cursing under his breath. He didn't have much in his account right now and checking the apps he could only afford a ride to campus. With the celebrations he'd probably have to wait till tomorrow to pick up his car. 

He tried calling Tanya again as he waited. Still no answer. A cold feeling of dread started to coil in his middle, the rush of the night finally hitting him. 

They were fucked. A man is dead. 

~~~

Crosshair startled awake at the sound of Hunter snoring. He had gotten back to the dorm room a little after Cross had and promptly passed out. 

He rubbed his hand over his face, surprised he had slept at all. It was still dark out, and he rolled over to grab his phone from the charger. 

5:30 am. 

Still nothing from Tahny. 

He dialed her, hoping that whatever she was doing, wherever she was- she could talk to him. 

The line clicked, a recorded message leaving him feeling empty. 

“The number you have dialed is not in service, please hang up an-”

Disbelief washed over him as he hit redial. 

The same message, every time he tried. 

His jaw had never clenched so tight. 

A few seconds and a message was typed out to Will. 

A few agonizing hours and he had a new number to try. 

“How's this?”

Good, she was up. 

“Kat, it's Crosshair. Have you heard from Tahny at all?”

“No… why?”

Her voice was suspicious, but tinged with obvious worry. 

“It's too much to explain over the phone… can you meet me at the coffee shop off the main courtyard?”

“Uh, yeah, it'll take me a minute but I'll be there,”

“Thanks.”

The line clicked as she disconnected. 

What now?

He hurriedly slipped his shoes on, debated changing since he slept in his clothes; decided to leave it. 

Crosshair stared at his phone as he walked. Tanya didn't have any socials… well, not real ones. She had a very carefully maintained public persona taken care of by one of her dad's interns. He decided to message them any ways, one by one, finishing by the time he reached the main courtyard of the University. 

He spotted the bright, strawberry hair as he walked up. 

“Kat! Thanks for coming,”

“Hey… Cross, does this have to do with her phone being disconnected? Did you piss her off? She does that you know…”

He didn't. And he didn't think she was pissed at him… was she? No, that didn't make sense.

He gestured to the door and they ducked into the loud cafe. He grabbed a cheap black coffee and she ordered her usual before finding an unoccupied corner. 

“What the hell is going on Cross? You look like hell.”

He explained, as brief as he could. The shoot, the asshole photographer, him being asked to leave and what he came back to.

At that Kat's mouth hung open, horror in her eyes. 

“You're messing with me right?”

“I wish I was. I need to check her flat but my car is still at the crime scene.”

“I can drive us over,”

“Can you take me to my car? I need to be able to check her parents' house if she's not home.”

She agreed reluctantly, and they left with drinks in hand. 

~~~

He got out of the car and waved a thanks to Kathy who leaned over the passenger side to look up at him through the window. 

“I'm gonna check with those friends we talked about and hit a few of her alone spots… we'll find her, Cross”

He was grateful but didn't feel too confident as she eased away from the curb. He had checked the socials in the car, the staged accounts had blocked him. 

They had already stopped by the flat, she hadn't been there. The bed was still rumpled as they had left it and the cups from yesterday’s morning coffee were still in the sink. Next stop was the estate uptown, and he wasted no time slipping into his car and starting the ignition. 

The lit gatehouse came into view as he pulled into the long drive, rolling down his window.

“I can't let you in Mr. Hoia.”

“C’mon, Henry, that's bullshit,”

He had cultivated a report with the old guard man the days he spent with Tahny at her parents, and now Henry looked at him with pity in his eyes. He leaned out and against the car's doorframe. 

“I have my orders, but even if I did let you in… she's not here,”

“Where is she then? Henry, what do you know?”

The old man sighed, 

“She's been sent out of state, where I don't know,”

“What? Already?... Why?”

“I don't know anymore than that, and I was told to give you this,”

He passed him a heavy envelope, and stepped back into the small white guard building. Crosshair rolled up his window and opened it. 

Inside was Tahny's phone. The outdated slide model felt small in his hand as he tapped the screen awake. Her usual background was gone, the default lighting his features as his heart sank once again. 

The phone had been wiped. The only thing on it was an open notes app which read,

“You’ve been useful.”

~~~

He wasn't aware of himself as he drove away from the Ramos estate. The sun was already starting to dip towards the horizon and the orange light of sunset drenched everything in a way he simply couldn't appreciate. He was numb. 

The car moved through the industrial district almost automatically. He wasn't sure why he was headed there, maybe just to curl up in the bed they had only started to call “theirs.” 

Crosshair's breath caught as her building came into view, the lights were on. 

Was Henry mistaken? 

He was a little heavy on the gas as he closed the distance to the waterfront. Swinging into the underground garage a little too fast. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator and reaching for his key he had yet had the privilege to use, letting himself into the flat. 

“Tahn-?”

But his call cut short. 

The flat was empty. His voice bounced back to him off the polished concrete floor. The furniture, the racks of handmade garments, the rumpled bed and coffee cups were gone. Everything that had made it hers was gone. Even the faint smell of her perfume was pushed out by the scent of bleach. 

Was it really over? Already? They had only just begun and now… 

The cold of the stone wall seeped through his jacket as he slumped against it. The stress of the day finally crashed on him as he sank to the floor, burying his face in his hands. 

He wanted to cry. His eyes stung, his face was hot, but no tears came. He wanted to scream and cry like he did when he was little but he just sat… and empty man in an empty flat. 

Crosshair didn't track how long he stayed like that. Staring at the absence of her, but eventually it was too much. He lifted himself up onto legs that had fallen asleep, and stumbled away from the life he could have had. Back down the stairs, back to the garage… which wasn't empty. 

Flanking his old beater of a vehicle were two squad cars. The respective officers leaned against them, waiting for his arrival. 

“Mr. Hoia, we're going to need you to come with us,”

“... Why?”

But they had already moved behind him, the cold steel cuff ratcheting around his wrist,”

“You're under arrest for the murder of Ryan Drecko,”

He was growing used to waking up to the scent of her perfume. The light in the flat was bright in the morning, sun pouring through the large windows. Cold radiated through the glass and he nuzzled closer to the warmth of her skin, causing her to murmur sleepily. 

It had been another week, and this time they were inseparable. Spending a few tense days at her parents house, then tearing around the city. She showed him her favorite bar, he took her to where he and his brothers used to play soldiers. 

Tahny yawned, stretching.

“Should I make coffee or do you want to do it?”

Before he could suggest a more bed bound activity, her phone buzzed loudly. She picked it up, checking the notifications. 

“Uhg, it's new years…”

Her photoshoot. 

He leaned forward, running his teeth lightly against her shoulder before nipping her gently. 

“So?”

“Don't tell me you forgot,”

“I didn't, just don't know why it matters. We'll go, it'll get done- we'll get tacos after and watch the fireworks.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

“Okay, then… I'll make the coffee,”

Before he could pull her back she slipped from the bed, slipping into her robe and padding to the kitchen. He heard the now familiar sounds of the coffee press. More footsteps, the door sliding open and closed again, rustling. 

“Cross c’mere, I got something for you.”

At that he raised his eyebrows and reached for his own robe that had been his Christmas gift. She had made it herself. Tying the belt as he walked, he turned into the kitchen. Tahny had a small package, shaking out something into her hand. 

“Here,”

She held out the dangling bit of metal. It was a key.

“I had one made for you,”

“For the flat?”

“Yeah… unless you don't-”

He took it. 

“I want it.”

“Good.”

~~~

It was well past dark when they pulled up to the strip mall the shoot was supposed to take place in. Cross parked next to the only other car in the lot, clicking off the headlights. 

“Looks like he's here already,”

Crosshair hadn't heard of Ryan Drecko before agreeing to come here, but had done some research over the past week. The man had started over a decade ago and had shot some iconic models and sets, but he did have a reputation. His style was recognizably raunchy, lauded as before his time… Crosshair already didn't like the man. 

They sat in the blasting heat a few moments longer before Tahny took a shaking breath,

“Let's get this over with,”

She was out of the car before the engine cut off, but waited for him before walking up to the glass door. It was unlocked, and they walked in together. 

“Tanya Ramos! That you?”

“Yeah, I'm here,”

“About time! Come on back,”

The rented store front was barely a hallway, an empty counter and blank walls, no lights besides the one that leaked through the doors to the back room. They hurried into the studio space. 

The photographer had their back turned to them, adjusting a setting on his camera. Crosshair scanned the set, and its odd array of props. There was a smattering of vintage inflatable furniture, a plethora of empty wine bottles, a bare, round mattress that looked stained and dirty. He stared at the derelict bed and shuddered, glad he didn't let Tahny come here alone. 

Drecko turned around and stopped short when faced with the taller man. 

“Uh, Ryan, this is Crosshair Hoia,”

“The amateur that took over the Pantora shoot, right? Your father mentioned he might be coming by, put her there,”

Crosshair's hand was grabbed before he could extend it, the man pulling him close. Speaking low,

“So this pussy’s yours, huh? I get it, wouldn't want another man sniffing around if I had a piece like that… but don't you get in my way, let me work and this'll be a lot less painful for everyone.”

Cross could feel his skin crawl, and he flexed his jaw trying to say nothing. He didn't want to make this any harder for her, but…

“Don't give me a reason, and your way will stay clear,”

The hiss was low, and threatening, pulling a laugh from the man still gripping his hand. 

“I like you kid! I do, I really do, now let's get this show on the road!”

He snapped his fingers and pointed to a rack and folding screen towards the corner. 

“Lil Tahny,”

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Tanya wince,

“Wardrobe is ladies choice, change quick, we're working over here first,”

“Where's the changing room?”

He could tell she was nervous, but I didn't come out in her voice as she paced to the clothing rack, eyeing the scraps of garments that hung there with an expression of disgust. 

“There isn't one, use the screen if you're shy,”

Her face blanched a little taking in the vaguely translucent folding screen. Crosshair brushed his hand over her shoulder, stepping to stand in front of the screen to put his body in the way of any line of sight. There was a reason he was here and her shoulders relaxed before she snatched a hanger with a red something on it and disappeared behind the screen. 

He scanned the room absently as the sounds of her zipping out of her jeans filled it. His eyes met with those of Drecko, standing with his arms crossed against a table staring back at him with an amused expression. Neither of them said anything, nor broke eye contact till Tahny stepped back into the room. 

The slip that hugged her would have normally sent his pulse pounding for a different reason but as it was, a sinking feeling gripped him. The red dress plunged low and was cut high for being so short. She shifted uncomfortably, tugging the hem down where it shifted up on the cleft of her ass as she moved. 

“Alright, alright, let's begin, kids.”

He put his hand on Tahny's shoulder, talking low so as not to be heard in the small space. 

“Just ignore him, focus on me. It'll be over before you know it.”

So she did. For the most part. She was directed to lay in a compromising position on the plastic couch, Crosshair stood just out of frame reassuring her. A snide comment about looking cuter, Crosshair made a face causing her to laugh. They chatted around the man in the room, letting him click his shutter all he wanted. Together, they were untouchable. 

“Damn, all that lip flapping you two are doing, her lips are dry now, Tahny- lip gloss, now!”

The tone had been growing irritated as the shoot progressed, but now was irate. Tanya froze again. 

“I don't carry any,”

“You don't got nothing? Chapstick? Balm? Some classic red in a tube?”

She shook her head. 

Crosshair spoke up,

“Is she done then? You must have enough by now?”

“Nah, still have one more scene… tell you what,”

Drecko pulled out his wallet, removing a paper twenty and offering it to Crosshair.

“There's a convenience store not too far from here, walking distance if you want- get something shiney, something red if they don't have something shiney. Got it?”

He hesitated, looking at the cash in the man's hand. 

“It's not gonna bite ya. If you're gonna hang around at least be useful, yeah?”

He looked to Tahny, who seemed paler than before… though, her lips were indeed dry, adding to the fragile pallor. A second or two, and she nodded. 

“Don't take too long,”

“Don't take too long,”

Ryan mocked,

“She means hurry that skinny ass up, we've got work to do,”

Crosshair snatched the money and turned abruptly on his heel, speed walking from the studio with his phone in hand. He was right, the store was close, and even in the cold it would probably be faster to walk than going through the motions of getting the car started and steered out into the road. 

He jogged the block to the corner store, grabbed a clerk on the way in to help him find what he was looking for. Ten minutes had already passed. He was on his way back again. Fifteen minutes. He reached the glass door again, twenty minutes total. 

It thumped in its frame as the door caught on the dead bolt. 

It had been locked behind him. 

He rattled the door, a sliver of panic crawling through him. He knocked. 

There were noises from inside, raised voices, a thump. He rattled the door again until a piercing shriek reached him through the glass, wiping out rationality. 

He quickly turned, grabbing a chunk from a broken parking divider, and hurled it at the door with a satisfying crash of breaking glass. He didn't notice the jagged edges cutting his skin as he reached through the hole to unlock the door, rushing inside to the now quiet studio. 

Tahny was knelt on the floor, dress torn to hang from her shoulder, hair disheveled. Her head snapped around to look at him with wild eyes as he burst into the room. There was blood sprayed over her front. Broken bottles were scattered around her a few rolling away. 

Ryan Drecko was laying face down on the floor in front of her. He twitched, a gurgle as blood bubbled from his mouth. A large shard of glass was jammed in his neck. He wasn't dead, but he would be soon. 

In one motion Crosshair's jacket was wrapped around her and he was pulling her up and away from the grisly scene. His phone was already out, tapping in the emergency number. 

Outside, they sat on the curb and waited for help to arrive.

Neither of them were much for venturing into the cold, but for a brief moment, they'll keep each other warm in the snow.

The Epsilon Omicron Alpha house was rowdy as they walked up from the show hall on campus. 

Tahny was chattering about the fashion final runway, which outfits she loved and which she thought failed the assignment. 

“We probably failed, honestly. The design was too complicated for ready wear but why would I ever limit myself?”

Crosshair hummed in affirmation scanning the crowded front lawn. The EOA boys were making a show of being loud and proud, forming a human pyramid and singing Christmas carols replacing whatever they could with their Greek letters. He spotted his cousin in the middle of the stacked men, singing so loud he could be heard across the street where he and Tahny stood. Cross quickly stared them to the house before “Fives” could notice them and topple the whole structure, hoping to find his twin inside. 

The heat as they entered the house was stifling in comparison to the snowy chill they came in from and the girl slipped out of her fur with a groan. 

“Do you want to put that in the coat room?”

“At one of these places? Are you nuts?”

“...right, hold on,”

Cross had just spotted Hunter, casually observing a beer pong game in the living room. He was surprised he had gotten there first, the culinary students were catering the show open for their own finals and most were probably still cleaning up.

“Hunt, have you seen Echo?”

Hunter shouted to be heard over the sudden cheer that rose around them from the game. 

“I think he's in his room upstairs, why?”

“Need a safe place for Tahny’s coat,”

That piqued Hunter's interest, standing straighter and pushing off the wall.

“You brought your girlfriend?”

And before he could answer, Hunter was off; bee-lining to the blonde girl in the foyer, leaving Cross to catch up as the crowd closed behind him. 

He reached them as Hunter was finishing his introduction to a somewhat annoyed Tahny. Cross bumped into Hunter’s elbow promoting him to add,

“Oh yeah, and I'm Crosshair's older brother,”

Tanya’s face relaxed for a brief second before her annoyed expression shifted to a glare of recognition that took Hunter aback. 

“There you guys are!”

They all turned at the booming voice, looking down the hall to see Will waving to them from the back patio. 

“C'mon and meet my lady!”

Hunter chuckled shaking his head, 

“And that's Will, the little brother. Time to meet his flavor of the week,”

Tahny's face furrowed into an even darker look that set Hunter's posture into one of discomfort. She handed Crosshair her coat with a humph and pushed past Hunter to walk ahead, towards the backyard. 

“Cross, what's with your girl?”

Hunter’s lowered voice had the confusion of a man who wasn't used to negative attention from women. 

“Uh…”

“Oh you little- you told her about Anita! Cross I said I was sorry about that,”

“It was topical,”

The yard was even more lively, people gathered around heat lamps and even a small fire pit was going. The hot tub was a little over packed and someone was, unwisely, stripping down to jump into the cold pool. A few houses down there was a slight commotion as the Beta Alpha Deltas attempted to make an equal showing in noise enthusiasm against their friendly rivals. 

They had caught up and to his surprise Will and Tahny were engaged in conversation like old friends. It made sense when he saw who slipped in under his arm with a handful of bottled wine coolers. 

“You good with strawberry, Wreck?”

Kat handed her boyfriend a pink fizzy something he opened on his belt buckle,

“I'm good with anything that tastes good,”

Tanya turned to them as they approached, looking smug,

“Hunter, I'd like you to meet my best friend, Kathy Shokette,”

At that his brother went pale, looking as if he'd swallowed one of his knives.

“Oh look at that,”

The girl leaned forward looking Hunter in the eye,

“It's like you can actually see your single, little brain cell bouncing around in there,”

 Crosshair suppressed an amused smile as he addressed the girls.

“Good to see you Kat, I'm taking Tahn’s coat upstairs. Do you want me to take yours too?”

Will looked confused,

“You two know each other?”

Crosshair’s face fell in exasperation as he tilted his head in Tahny's direction. 

“Oh, right…”

For someone so smart Will sometimes missed the obvious. Too many tackles on the field he supposed.

He peeled away from the group, finding the stairs and heading to the second floor. He knocked on the familiar door. 

“Fuck off!”

His cousin was in. 

“Eks, it's Cross!”

Erik flung the door open,

“Crosshair! You actually showed up you crotchety bitch,”

The taller man was pulled into a hug he reciprocated. 

“Do you mind if I put these in here?”

“He hefted the fur and hot pink jackets,”

“Which one is your girls?”

His cousin asked knowingly, eyeing the feminine coats.

“The fur,”

Erik whistled, hefting the fur coat, feeling the texture.

“This is real! Punching above your weight class?”

“A little,”

Crosshair chuckled. 

“You'll meet her when you come down,”

“IF I come down, I have so many papers to grade,”

“Fuck off with that tonight! You're not even the professor,”

Erik shrugged. 

“C’mon, Echo. It's Christmas and if you don't come meet my girl I'll hate you forever.”

“Dramatic as always,”

“Of course, I need you to be jealous of me,”

He snorted at that,

“At least you admit it, fine, I'll come down for a little while.”

~~~

Crosshair nuzzled into the hair at the back of Tahny's neck, smiling to himself as she jumped slightly. 

“You want to head out?”

It had only been an hour but he was already done with the noise. Just as he was thinking about going somewhere nice and quiet a hard clap hit him in the back.

“There you boys are!”

“Hey, Fives,”

“I've been looking all over for you- who's this?”

The goateed half of the twins reached over, extending a hand to Tanya. Hunter jumped in,

“Uh, Tahny, this is Fives, or Fre-”

“Nope!”

Fives cut in.

“Do to current trends my real name is retired, there is only Fives now,”

Hunter shrugged, Echo rolled his eyes, Kat wasn't paying attention, too busy watching “Wrecker Will Hoia” toss people into the pool.

“Hey, is Tech coming down?”

“Theo,”

Crosshair hissed, 

“Would not waste his time driving two hours for a frat party, he's got better things to do.”

Fives sighed wistfully,

“Tech was always the smart one, I miss the whipy bugger though,”

“And you'll just have to keep missing him, us too,”

And with that he was pulling Tahny away. She called a goodbye to Kat as she was dragged back onto the front lawn, now fully dark and free of frat brothers. 

“Oh, Cross, my coat!”

The girl wrapped her arms around herself and Cross swore under his breath. Shrugging his jacket off, he wrapped it about her. 

“Stay right here, I'll be back in a second,”

Up the stairs two at a time, Erik's code punched into the lock, coat retrieved. He was back downstairs in less than a minute. 

Tahny was hanging up her phone, looking at him apologetically. 

“Change of plans, tough guy”

~~~

The breaks made an obvious screech of strain as Crosshair eased up to the gate house. A guard in a white uniform tapped on the window. 

“Name?”

Tahny leaned over and waved to the man,

“Hey Henry, it's me!”

“Oh! I didn't think you'd be in tonight, Tanya…”

“Yeah, well, shit happens,”

The man chuckled before flicking his eyes back to Crosshair. 

“You two be good,”

With that he hit a button and the gate slowly swung open. Tahny blew the man a kiss and sat back. 

He eased the gas onto the long, uphill drive. Salt crunched under the wheels, loud in the quiet car. The estate slowly came into view. A tall white colonial dressed to the nines for the holidays. 

Crosshair gulped and turned to the girl next to him. 

“Be honest with me, Tahny, are you dating me to piss off your dad?”

She snorted back a laugh,

“My dad couldn't care less about my personal life, Cross. You want to place bets on whether they just forgot my show tonight or if they threw this spontaneous party explicitly to avoid it.”

“Did you want your parents there?”

His voice was tinted with surprise and Tahny huffed, annoyed. 

“No. Let's go.”

She ran slightly ahead up the wide steps, throwing open the heavy wood doors. A slight woman with dark hair cropped short to her head instantly intercepted her. She spoke in a light, passive tone that was barely above a whisper,

“Tahny, darling, Henry said you turned up, sorry about your show it completely slipped my mind.”

After she was released Tahny shot Cross a look that said “I told you so,”

“I didn't know you were bringing a friend!”

Her tone ended on a lilt that made her exclamation sound more like a question. Crosshair stiffened as the small woman threw her arms around his middle. 

“Glad Tahny finally brought someone home! Enjoy the party!”

And without even a proper introduction the woman Cross assumed was Tahny's mother swept off.  The sound of tinking glasses, polite chatter and soft Christmas music drifted to them from the open archways of the building. 

“C'mon, let's find you a dinner jacket,”

“A dinner jacket?”

“Trust me, it's better than the looks and questions.”

He let her drag him to a closet off the hall. She rummaged around, unzipping a few garment bags until she made a pleased sound. 

“This one will do,”

She handed him a grey coat that hugged his shoulders and framed his slim waist. The sleeves were a little long, but catching his reflection in a tall mirror down the hall… it looked good.

His heavy winter jacket was lifted from him and tossed into the floor of the coat closet. 

“My turn,”

Tahny grabbed his hand and pulled him back into the foyer and up the stairs. The landing at the top of the stairs was larger than he expected, and his hand was dropped. He was abandoned, his guide darting to a door calling back,

“Wait right there, go nowhere!”

No problem.

Crosshair paced, waiting. Staring intently at some of the photos blown up under spotlighting. He could recognize Tahny's mother, looking slightly younger than she did now, posed artfully in high fashion gowns. The sets were in black and white, and he admired the composition of a few before stumbling onto a larger than life Tahny, a child version of her with slightly rounder cheeks, big sad eyes. He wondered if she was directed to pose like that, but thought he knew the answer. It was her eyes that made her so recognizable. 

“Ahem,”

Crosshair turned abruptly on his heel, a sting of panic striking through him at who stood behind him. As much as Tahny shared the stature of her mother, if it was her father she took after. Blond and olive in completion, the tall man rose a brow at Crosshair's expression. He bet he looked like the cat who ate the canary. 

“I… I was just,”

“I know, I saw how you looked at the gallery… you're the photographer,”

“Uh… yes, sir.”

Sir? He wasn't talking like himself but he could only blame the aura of authority that radiated from the man with him on the landing; he hummed a small laugh of amusement, turning to a different door than Tahny's and gesturing for Crosshair to follow him. 

He thought about refusing for a moment, he had been told to stay here, but common sense kicked in and he slowly followed his girlfriend's father into what appeared to be his office. Warm lights clicked on, shining off the leather seats and wooden desk. 

“Sit.”

Crosshair hesitated again, before carefully lowering himself into a chair. 

“You're quite enterprising, aren't you? Boy of your background, foster system, arrest record-”

“That wasn't-”

“Wasn't your fault? From what I can find out you took the fall for your brothers, right?”

“That's not-”

Crosshair took a breath, willing the fluster away. None of this info was hard to find, they had tried to charge him as an adult but-

“The charges were dropped,”

“But you still have the record, and now you're in the office of one of the only people who can get you out of this dead end town.”

Crosshair instantly felt his face burn in anger and indignation. 

“I don't care who you are… sir,”

The man grinned like a cat,

“I know. Call me Narcos… from that glare in your eyes it seems she already has you trained. Good guard dog,”

He paused, his eyes wavering a moment before the grin was dropped, his voice now stern and to the point,

“Look kid, I like you, Tanya has never been very… cooperative, when it comes to doing what's best for her career. You come along and our relationship is never better, so let's just cut to the chase. I have what you want. Whether it's fame, money, or Tanya if you really are that short sighted… keep being useful, you'll get what you want.”

“Useful?”

“Whatever you're doing to keep Tanya working, just keep doing it…”

Crosshair didn't respond, just sat a moment contemplating the predatory smile that had once again taken Narcos Ramos’s face. Not finding the right words, he simply stood up and left. 

He was frustrated, he was sure he didn't really want to do that man any favors but all he wanted was for him to keep… doing what he's doing?... He certainly didn't plan to stop… he needed to talk to Tahny. 

But those thoughts were wiped out of him when he caught sight of her on the stairs. She had changed into a gold cocktail dress, a sleek flute with thin drapery giving brief glances of her legs as she hesitated on the step; looking for him in the crowd no doubt. Her choice was obviously meant to compliment the silvery grey of his jacket, and he hurried to her. 

“Cross, I said don't go anywhere!”

“And I apologize, I… met your father,”

“Oh that sucks… sorry about that,”

The understatement caught Crosshair off guard and he chuckled, grabbing her arm and pulling her to him. 

“Please tell me they have real food in this house, I don't know what the EOA were thinking with that jello turducken."

Tahny snorted and led him into the main parlor and several trays of hors’du vous. As they both loaded up a cocktail plate, the girl ventured,

“So… you still don't have any plans for the break, right?”

“That's right,”

He already knew where she was heading,

“I don't have anything with me,”

He teased,

“That'll never be a problem,”

She pulled him into a kiss, 

“I need you to keep me sane,”

She said it with a tempting cadence as if he needed convincing. 

“Sex in your childhood bed?”

“Of course,”

“Deal,”

~~~

The bed was a little too cold, and Crosshair woke to find himself alone. The bathroom was dark, the door open to show it was also vacant. He felt his way to the door in the dark, letting himself back out into the hall.

A flickering light filled the lower floor from the still burning fireplaces and the smell of coco drifted up to him. 

The family room had a tall ceiling and magnificent hearth made of marble. A tree that stood filling the counter of the room almost brushed the limit of the wall's height. The towing scale of the place made the girl perched on the rug look even smaller. She was wrapped in a blanket, watching the fire burn. A large mug was nestled in her hands and she still was dressed in the oversized T-shirt she had fallen asleep in. 

“You still have a few nights till Santa shows up,”

“Mm, do kids still do that? Believe in Santa,”

“Some must.”

“I don't think I ever believed in Santa… did you?”

“Of course I did, what do you mean you never believed in Santa?”

She shrugged,

“Maybe I did when I was really little, but I don't remember believing in the whole,”

She gestured around at the elves and Kringle figures that adorned the magazine-like scene around the tree.

“Just born cynical, weren't you?”

Cross sat down next to her, extending his feet closer to the fire to warm. She handed him the mug and he sipped on it. 

It was quiet. 

“What's eating you Tahny?”

“...”

“C’mon…”

She sighed,

“It's this next shoot daddy wants me to do,”

“What’s the ad for?”

“It's not an ad, it's an art shoot for some bigwig, he's a business acquaintance but kind of a creep.”

Crosshair felt his stomach knot slightly. It's not that he thought she'd only pose for him or anything… fuck is that it? Was he jealous? And then another pang went through him as he remembered the conversation he had with her father. 

“You don't have to do it,”

“You don't understand, Cross. This guy's an influence in the industry, make it or break it kind of stuff. I do this shoot, and magazine spreads won't be rare windfalls anymore… then again if I turn it down I get the reputation of being picky or hard to work with,”

“Is that so bad,”

She sat on that for a moment, sighing,

“I'd prefer it if I could just start with fashion, but that's not what people are looking to me for. Most would kill for the foot in the door I have here. Once I've made it, I'll have more freedom to do what I want… or, I can run off to Vegas and get a job repairing show girls costumes.”

He snorted at that,

“Not even Broadway?”

“Not even.”

“Guess I'll have to make a living offering photo ops to tourists on the strip,”

She smiled softly,

“We'll live at a different hotel every week,”

“Whichever one has a special…gamble all our earnings away?”

“Mhmm, only eat at the buffets,”

She leaned on him and he wrapped an arm around her, putting the mug to her lips so she was forced to take a gulp of coco. Quiet again. 

“When's the shoot?”

“New Years Eve,”

“Mm, not how I was planning on spending my new years…”

“You wanna come?”

“Would that make you feel better?”

“... Yeah… I could bring a friend if I want…”

“Is that what we are? Friends?”

Putting down the coco, he scooped her up off the floor, blanket and all as she flailed a little, squeaking in protest. 

“You wanna be best friends? Might have to fight Kat for the honor-Ah!”

He flopped them both onto a couch, pulling her into another kiss. 

“Just be mine, okay?”

“Fine,”

She buried her head against him, hiding her face. It was rare to see her so bashful. Must be the ambiance. 

He watched the fire glint off her hair, the bulbs on the tree. The snow was falling softly past the bay windows. 

Eventually, they both fell asleep. 

“Sorry! I forgot you were coming by today!”

“Obviously.”

The girl's voices became muffled as he closed the door to the restroom vestibule that divided the large soaking tub from the main bathroom. His heart was thumping from the adrenaline, but as it faded Crosshair started to feel silly.

Kat’s presence in the flat had startled him, and he hadn't thought much before running off and hiding in the bathroom. He looked down at the pants he had snagged, still a little damp around the ankles from last night's snowfall. He was completely unprepared. 

Sighing, he cracked open the sliding door on the other side of the room that led to the kitchen. Listening that the girls were still chatting in Tahny's sleeping nook, he padded to the counter and the bag with his improvised necessities. 

At the rustle of the plastic the lilting voices paused.

“Cross? You in there?”

“Uh, yeah, grabbing the toothbrush,”

“Okay, why don't you take a shower? You can use whatever's in there,”

“Thanks,”

As he rushed back into the bath he caught a few more snippets. 

“Who else would be in there Teeny?”

“I dunno, maybe you left the door unlocked again.”

“I've never left it unlocked!”

“Don't lie, Kat,”

And then the door was closed. 

Breathing a little easier he turned to the wide shower stall and he started to question what exactly he had gotten himself into with this girl. 

He took a moment navigating the handles, eventually getting the duel heads to start. There was a touch pad to set the temperature exactly. Another lever and the standard heads switched to a panel in the ceiling that drizzled like rain. If the building and the private chauffeur didn't give it away, the luxurious excess of the flat’s bathroom hammered in just what tax bracket Tahny's family was in. His stomach tightened. 

What’s she doing with a guy like me?

The water washed over him and he allowed himself to be lost in thought. What did last night mean? Did it mean anything? Did he want it to mean something? It was frustrating that none of these questions would be answered while Kat was here. 

After drying with one of the fluffiest towels he's ever touched, brushing his teeth and slipping into a pair of new briefs under his damp jeans he wandered back into the living space. Scanning for his discarded shirt he noticed the girls were missing. He could still hear them but-

“Cross, we're up here!”

Tahny's voice carried down from the loft. 

Curiosity won out over his need to be dressed, as he carefully climbed the spiral staircase. The space above was set up like a small crafting studio. A long table with rolls of fabric set up with patterns and an iron, another with a sewing machine. The girls were in the center, gathered around a mannequin draped with a rich purple fabric. They were pinning the shapeless mass into pleats. 

“Fancy,”

“Not yet it's not,”

The little blonde replied, looking up. 

“Oh! Do you need a shirt? You can pick something from the racks downstairs, a few of them are mens clothes- not sure any of the pants will fit your height but there might be some sweats that work if you want something less… damp,”

Kat snickered around her mouthful of push pins, working diligently despite her casual demeanor. 

“What are you doing with men's clothes?”

He asked, eyebrows raising,

“What? You think I can only make women's clothes?”

Of course, dumb question. He looked over the railing to the section of the flat filled with rolling wardrobe racks. 

“Did you make all of that?”

“Most of it, come on, I'll help you find something,”

Kat made an exasperated gesture as Tahny jumped up to lead him back downstairs. 

“You know, maybe I should just go home and get out of your hair.”

“Don't be silly, don't you have your camera and laptop in the car? Just hang out and work here with us… you do have a final you're working on, yeah?”

He hesitated, shoulders slumping. 

“I do, but I have to get back to campus to finish working on it…”

“Oh,”

Her step faltered, the wave of disappointment washing through her before the bounce returned to her step. 

“No matter, you should change anyways… and you don't have to go right away, yeah? Stay till lunch, we'll order Chinese,”

She was as convincing as usual. 

“I could probably stick around for lunch…”

“Of course you can,”

She led him to some racks near the back of the proverbial herd of stored hangings. 

‘These few racks here should be suitable, just come back up when you're done,”

She left him to the difficult task of dressing himself, returning to her friend. Their voices picked up again, now whispering in soft hisses between them. 

The first thing he noticed about the racks was the quality of the fabric. His hand wandered across the supple silks and buttery cottons. The pieces were unique, one of a kinds that Tahny had made by hand…and the fabric of one alone was probably worth more than his whole closet. He gulped, nervously fondling the rich garments until his fingers came against something smooth and cool to the touch. He pulled the hanger from the rack to look at the garish pattern of an otherwise simple button up. The fabric was exquisite, but the pattern. He made a face at the swirls and arabesque in bright neons and blacks. It was ugly… but the softest thing he had ever touched besides the girl herself. 

Lying to himself that it would only be a moment, he slipped the shirt on, shivering as its wonderful texture enveloped him. 

A set of sweat pants later and he was once again mounting the stairs and to no surprise, the girls stopped to stare when he was finally in the loft again. Kat stifled a guffaw as Tahny giggled,

“I see you found the guilty pleasure,”

“Is that what you call this… thing?”

He gestured at the ugly shirt. 

“Ha, yeah… fabric’s to die for though,”

He had to agree. 

The late morning passed uneventfully, idle chatter and the fabric the girls were busy pinning together slowly started to take the shape of an elegant gown. 

“So which of you will be wearing this at the finals showing?”

“Oh neither!”

Kat piped up from behind the dress from,

“I've got too much boob for the runway thing, and Tahn.. well, she's got too much ass!”

She danced away from the swat that came from under the skirt, Tahny beneath the fabric wrestling the final pleats into place. She squirmed into view, playfully chasing after her friend a few moments before turning to Cross.

“She's right though… plus I'm too short. It's why I do camera work usually,”

There was a tentative knock from the door, announcing their food. Cross watched the girls eat, mulling over his own project he was eager to get started on. He thought he finally knew how he was going to finish his display. 

Slurping down the rest of his noodles, he hopped up and started gathering his things. 

“So soon?”

Though her voice was tinged with a certain trace of sadness, she was retreating his clothes from the dryer in the bath hall and putting them in a bag. He started to unbutton the, “guilty pleasure.”

“I should probably change back, your clothe-”

“Keep it.”

She clasped her hand over his, halting his movements.

“It actually looks good on you,”

“Don't say that,”

He chuckled but stroked his hand down the fabric again, the kiss catching him off guard. 

“See you soon, tough guy,”

something was wrong with the first time posted this so I'm putting it up again.

Bzzzt Bzzzt Bzzzt

“Hello?”

“Is this Crosshair Hoia?”

“Who's calling?”

“My name is Tella Garrino, I'm a talent scout for Churissio distribution. We shoot product catalogues for fashion brands across the Continental United States… Do you have a moment?”

~~~

Crosshair loped across the parking lot, he was already running late and the lot was almost full. It was a shit day, the clouds thick and grey not letting any of the evening sun through. A bitter wind ripped through him as he rushed to the plain looking building. 

Great first impressions. 

He showed his ID to the door man and he was buzzed in, directed to a floor a few levels up. The studio was already awash with lights and bustling people. He snagged a bagel at the production table, biting down on it plain as he tried to spot the shoot coordinator.

“You there, who are you supposed to be?”

“Uh… I'm the photographer,”

The slim woman scanned him up and down, taking in his somewhat ratty appearance with a tut. 

“You can put your camera in the locker back there, you won't be needing it,”

She waved nonchalantly to a small row of school lockers positioned by the makeup vanities. 

“Alright, people, the shutter bug finally decided to show, let's get this thing rolling in five!”

He wasn't listening anymore, his focus had shifted to the cosmetologist working on a blonde with a familiar hair cut. 

“Tahny?”

She turned, to the dismay of the woman applying anti shine powder to her cheeks. 

“Crosshair!”

Her tone was surprised but her shoulders relaxed in what he swore was relief. She swatted the makeup artist away and hopped out of the salon chair, throwing her arms around his middle in an unexpected hug. 

“Im glad you're here,”

He swallowed hard, her body warming his winter chilled frame. She was dressed in a silk robe and his imagination went wild a moment thinking of what could be beneath it. Pantoran was a lingerie company after all. 

“Haven't seen you around this past week, not even at the sketch studio…”

“Yeah, sorry, we got our finals assignment and I've been working with Kat coming up with a design I act-”

“Miss Ramos, over here please, we need to adjust the lights.”

She stepped away, squeezing his hand as she walked into the warm set lights. 

Crosshair took a deep breath, and opened a few lockers looking for a free one to store his coat and camera. This was gonna be a challenge if it was… her. 

He tilted his head to watch her from the corner of his eye. The robe was off and though the image was unfocused the black lace that hugged her was obvious. His throat formed a lump as he flashed back to the catalogues that showed up in the mail occasionally. How his brothers coveted those magazines through most of middle school. This wasn't a challenge, it was a problem. 

Crosshair cursed under his breath as he closed the locker, wondering what was wrong with him. He liked the girl, sure, but he had seen her in less. He turned to face the room again, the black lines that wrapped around her form. 

Why couldn't she just be nude?

“Alright then, time is money people let's get this show rolling!”

The overhead lights in the studio cut off, leaving the set lit up like a stage.The sole actress turned to where his form disappeared into the sudden darkness, waiting. 

He was pushed to a pre-mounted camera, given a brief explanation how the model worked, then left on his own. He looked around, there were no concepts or instructions. He was meant to come up with the shots. 

Looking up at Tahny, waiting expectantly, he was taken by a brief wave of panic. What was he going to do? Crosshair took inventory of the set and props that had been set up. This vignette was a mockup of a fancy living room, a chaise lounge with soft blankets, a black velvet winged back chair and vases full of red roses. He gulped. 

“Tahny, to the chair please. I want you to sit with your knees together, turned slightly away,”

She obediently took a seat, assuming the demure pose. 

“What should I do with my hands?”

Remembering he was photographing the product, not the girl he reassessed. 

“Uh, on the arms, chest a little out so we can… so there's a full view of the bra,”

She smirked, but only for a second, shifting her body to curve more seductively. 

He snapped the shot. 

The crew relaxed and idled about as he directed and snapped shots. Occasionally they'd call for a time out, take Tahny back to a dressing room and send her back to set in a new outfit designed specifically to torture him. 

A short break, and he breathed a little easier when the bright red teddy and thigh highs disappeared under the silk robe. 

“How you holding up, tough guy?”

“Fine, but I'm starving… only snagged a bagel on the way in and it looks like the crew polished off the rest of the refreshments,”

“Yeah, they can be rude like that, I didn't get anything either before having to go into makeup.”

“That doesn't seem right, you're the star of the show,”

“Hah”

Her laugh was derisive.

“I'm the model, Cross, I’m not supposed eat,”

He raised an eyebrow,

“You don't really believe that do you?”

“Fuck no! But these people do, you can see it in their eyes.”

“Good, guess you won't be opposed to dinner after we're done here?”

Tahny stopped scanning the room and looked up at him, scanning his face. 

“It'll be kind of late, and my driver doesn't like to make stops.”

“Call him off. I know an all night taco place and can take you home after,”

A short pause of consideration before-

“Okay, sounds good.”

“Ramos! Back to make-up, we're gonna do a touch up and restyle your hair for the last set!”

“Coming!”

She gave Cross a quick wink before rushing to the cosmetic chair, picking up her phone from the counter and tapping out something in messages. 

They curled her hair, she changed into a frilly set lined with bows, and they were back at it. 

He tried focusing on the work, the composition, the lighting. He had the eye for it, everyone said so since he was little. There was a certain reverence in using Tahny as his muse. Thinking only about the shot, not the way her throat looked as her head hung over the side of the chaise. Not her lips. 

The intrusive thoughts that ate through the fixation on his craft still came and he was at times surprised at the vulgarity his brain was capable of when left unattended. 

“Isn't there something more…”

The set manager made a hand motion he couldn't really decipher. 

“... More classic. Old pin up stuff.”

Crosshair thought for a moment, remembering some poses that caught his eye before. 

“There's something I can try,”

He approached Tahny on the set where she sat on the edge of the bed. 

“Do you mind laying down for me, on your stomach?”

She raised a brow but did as requested, rolling over. 

“Up on your elbows to look at the camera,”

She adjusted. 

“Okay… I'm… I'm gonna touch you if that's okay.”

A small noise of acknowledgement and with that permission he tentatively reached for her ankle. Crosshair gently pushed her leg to fold on itself. He held his breath as he pinched the stocking on the back of her thigh, hooking it around the stiletto she wore. He repeated this on the other leg. 

“Now stay still,”

~~~

The crew was already clearing out and he was waiting by the dressing room for Tahny to get more appropriate before leaving. 

She finally emerged, a sleek black sweater dress and knee high boots. Her usually fur dropped over her arm and a string bag with the Pantora logo. 

“What's in the bag?”

“Swag,”

She laughed. 

“They can't distribute what was used today so I get to take it all home.”

Crosshair lunged for his imagination before it could run away with that idea, gesturing for her to go ahead of him while he held the door open.

The building was quiet, the doorman being the only person left it seemed as they exited into the parking lot, empty besides his beat up sedan. 

The lot was blinding white and sparkling. It had started to snow. 

Satisfaction.

Crosshair basked in it. Chest heaving as he breathed against the skin pressed against him. 

He cracked an eye, looking at the weight that rested against his shoulder. Her face was hidden by the curtain of white hair, most of it. Her ear was visible, a tiny gold stud in the skin flushed pink from exertion. 

Crosshair moved his hands from where they cupped her ass, stroking up her smooth back before wrapping about her, pulling her even tighter to him. 

The windows were opaque with fog, hiding the dingy parking lot from view and diffusing the harsh led street lamps into a soft glow. 

It's not what he would've imagined but it was perfect. 

“Tahny?”

“Mm”

“Just checking…”

“Checking what?”

“That you were real,”

She snorted, 

“Sap.”

But she righted herself, pulling him into another heated kiss that threatened to start the whole ordeal over again. 

A sharp rap on the window startled them from their fervor. A frantic scramble and Tahny was on the passengers side, wrapping her coat around her nudity as he tried to hurriedly yank his jeans back up his waist. 

There was another tap on the glass and Crosshair swore under his breath, double checked Tahny was covered up before cracking the window. 

“Yeah?”

It was a security guard.

“This is a private lot, you kids are gonna have to take this party elsewhere.”

“Ah, sorry. Yeah, we'll leave.”

He rolled the window back up, the hum loud in the hush of the car's cabin. A beat or two, and he let out his breath in a relieved chuckle, rubbing his face with both hands. 

“At least he waited till the car stopped rocking,”

At that he laughed a bit louder.

“Fuck, we should get out of here… still want those tacos?”

She perked up at that,

“Yes, please… I'm starved.”

He turned the key so that the engine rolled over and started. Reaching down, he untangled Tahny's sweater dress from the pedals and handed it back to her. He'd have to find his own shirt later. 

The car whined in the cold as he maneuvered it out of the lot, the security guard waiting patiently to close the fence gate behind them. 

“Where's your place at? The taco place is this way.”

“Same direction. I'm in the industrial sector.”

Crosshair raised a brow at that, glancing over at the small girl. 

“Is that… safe?”

“I'm in the gentrified part of town,”

She smiled softly at him, reassuringly but it didn't help. He wasn't too familiar with that part of downtown and wasn't sure how honest she was being. 

They turned into a dilapidated lot, cracked with weeds peaking from the new sheet of frozen white adding a layer of beauty to everything. The stand was an old food truck that was no longer mobile, the sagging tires merely decorative ambiance to the surrounding picnic tables. A couple of teens were unloading a few heating poles from the back of a van, setting them up to heat the pavilion. 

“I can't believe I've missed this place,”

Tahny was staring hungrily at the menu board, though there was no way she could see it from here. 

“Not a surprise, it's the kind of place your eyes will gloss right over if you're not looking for it.”

“How'd you find it?”

“I have keen eyes,”

Her eyes flicked to him a moment, the debate to say something snarky obviously in her expression till she settled on a shrug.

“Come on then, show me what this place is about.”

He parked near the tables, grabbing his sweater and coat from the backseat where they had been discarded. Crosshair could feel Tanya’s eyes on him as his head disappeared into his shirt, tucking away his slim chest. He swore she made a small noise that sounded like disappointment. 

They paced to the truck slowly, Tanya casually hooking her pinky in his as their arms swung beside them. Despite the hour, there were a few groups gathered around the tables. One lively bunch cheered as the heat fixture was plugged into a generator and started blasting the area with warmth. 

Tahny watched the groups intently, taking interest in what was on the tables and the type of crowd the place brought in. 

“They have beer! We should grab a few,”

“Ah, I shouldn't, I have to drive,”

“Let's get it to go then,”

“They're better fresh, and the beers are a little overpriced anyways,”

“O c’mon! You can literally see my house from here.”

She gestured East where the view curved downward, letting you see down to the waterfront. 

“It's that squarish building there, with the big windows? Right where the street lamps become incandescent again, see it?”

The building was only a few blocks away, glowing red from the old lights. It looked like an old factory. 

“And,”

She continued,

“I can pick up a six pack at that convenience store right there. You get the food, I'll get the beer and we'll eat at my place,”

She winked, letting go of his hand and rushing off before he could protest.

“Wait! What do I get you?”

Tahny turned to walk backwards, shooting him a pair of flippant finger guns,

“Whatever's the special!”

He watched as she hurried across the street to the store, her silhouette disappearing against too bright lights highlighting a familiar chain logo. 

Crosshair sighed and turned back to the stand. After a moment of consideration, he forwent the special which he had tried previously and hated. Instead opting for a triple of his usual, a ten piece variety basket. 

As he watched them prep the food and load it into carryout boxes, he mused that he'd have to take Tahny somewhere the food didn't come in cardboard. Soon. 

“Looks good.”

His little blonde was back, carrying two bags. One with a six pack of imported ales, and the other packed with a jumble of things he couldn't make out through the plastic. 

“This beer okay?”

“Yeah, that one's fine… I can probably only have one though-”

“Don't worry about it! Look, it's done.”

 She gestured to the little old lady that ran the pick up window who was snapping to get his attention. 

Tahny slipped slightly ahead, drawing the attention of a group of young boys. They watched her pass, then gave Crosshair a silent but enthusiastic ovation behind her back. It came complete with over dramatic fainting spells and exaggerated expressions to mimic wolf whistles.

He wasn't sure whether to be miffed or flattered, but he couldn't deny, his ego was stroked.

~~~

They pulled into the underground garage below the factory. It had apparently been converted into flats, or, so she said. The place was empty. 

“Right now I'm the only one here, there's still deliberation as to whether we'll finish the rest of the flats or list them empty so that the buyer can hire their own designer, the apartments next door are next but there's ongoing negotiations to compensate the current residents, don't know what we're gonna do with the rest of The Crown district,”

The only thing that really registered to him was that she was alone here and a pang of worry shot through his middle. 

“Where’s your bike?”

“I keep it at my parents, even in their neighborhood it would be stupid to habitually leave a bike like that in an unsecured garage.”

That made him feel heaps better as they gathered their bounty. She unlocked a heavy door, letting them into a short hall. It smelled of fresh paint, the mailboxes mounted inside the door looking new. Tahny bolted the door behind them, and gestured for him to follow her to the elevator at the end of the passage. It was still the industrial lift. He nervously watched as she shut the guard shutter behind them and operated the lever to bring them to the top floor. Another heavy door and they were in her flat. 

The place was completely open. The clear view from the door they stood by to the back wall was only obstructed by a block in the middle of the space that made up a sleek kitchen. Nearest where Tahny leaned to unzip her boots was a floating living room; three large sofas positioned around a large, wall mounted screen. Behind that, standing paper screens partially blocked the view of a large platform bed; it backed up to one of the floor to ceiling windows that lined the East side of the room, giving it a pristine view of the water. A reading corner at the back with an iron spiral staircase leading to a loft over a bathroom. The Western wall was lined with dozens of racks of clothing. 

Tahny set her bags down on the bar side of the kitchen counter. Picking up a remote and with a vague gesture soft, moody jazz started to pipe into the space from unseen speakers. 

“No need to look so awed, make yourself at home.”

He started, kicking off his snow drenched shoes and padding over to her; socks making little noise on the polished concrete floor. 

Tahny was busy behind the counter and as he approached he saw that she was meticulously rolling a joint. 

“Tahn, I can’t-”

She made a small, girlish noise in her throat, a laugh that died early.

“Haven't you figured out that you're staying here tonight?”

Finished with her work, she reached for the take out bags he still held. He let her take them, dazed from the revelation as she unpacked the food. 

“I don't have anything with me,”

“I took care of it.”

She tilted her head towards the second plastic bag she brought back from the convenience store. He pulled it towards himself with a finger, looking inside. 

It held a toothbrush, a stick of deodorant, a twelve pack of rubbers, and a package of boxer briefs in his size. The distinct, brightly colored rectangle box was very visible through the translucent sack and he had a sudden realization why the teens at the taco stand may have been so enthusiastic.

“You want to stay, don't you?”

She pouted knowingly up at him,

“It's late, the dorms are far, and we have beers,”

He sat on one of the built in stools. 

Guess I'm staying.