Author: Kat
Title: Pretty Face
Story: In the Heart and Second Genesis (although it doesn't really show up) - OT4 AU
Colors: Admin yellow 3 (Just a guy at the right place at the right time.), sphene 4 (Gem)
Supplies and Materials: Graffiti (Lilith Faire Main Stage: When All The Stars Were Falling, Lisa Loeb), glitter (Problem), glue (You can't help but think about certain things over and over again. It seems as if no one understands the complexity of your thoughts now.), novelty beads (it always seemed such a waste/she always had a pretty face/I wondered why she hung around this place)
Word Count: 388
Rating: PG-13
Summary: April falls asleep on Ryan's shoulder and it's all just fucking over after that.
Warnings: swearing
Notes: This is a tiny section of a much larger piece. Take my word for it when I tell you it's also the most publishable portion. April is the daughter of my character Joy and Nikki's character Noah.


April falls asleep on Ryan's shoulder and it's all just fucking over after that.

Because. Because. Well, he couldn't just dislodge her, could he? She was so soft and small like that, her mouth askew, drooling a little bit and yeah, he's pissed about that because that was a nice suit jacket she nearly ruined. But April doesn't ruin things. That's his job. And he's determined not to ruin her any more than he absolutely has to.

So she falls asleep on his shoulder and leaves a little damp spot over his collarbone, and her eyelashes on her cheeks look like lace, or spider's legs. Stephanie comes by with a drink in her hand and spots them, and he gives her his best glare but it doesn't stop the unholy grin growing on her face. Still, she's not enough of a bitch to wake April up--plenty enough of a bitch to laugh at his misery though--so she just salutes him with her glass and wanders off into the crowd.

He wants to go after her and shake her, make her come back and take April away. April is her friend, for God's sake. She should be looking out for her, not leaving her with her skeezeball of a brother and his fancy fucking suit. But she knows him better than he wishes she did.

April sleeps through the end of the game and the near-riot when Germany wins and only wakes up hours later when the bar's about to close. Her eyes are hazy with sleep and it makes something inside him go soft and painful.

"I'm so sorry," she says, and yawns, kittenish. "You should've just woken me up."

"No, it's okay," and he's stumbling over his words, trying to make her feel better. "I fell asleep myself there towards the end, wasn't really a very good game and you know, too much to drink, do you want Stephanie to drive you home?"

She smiles at him, puts a hand on his sleeve. "Actually, could I get a ride with you?"

He only dodges that one by claiming (not entirely inaccurately) that he's had too much to drink. And if something twists inside him, watching her walk away with Stephanie and laughing sleepily at something she's heard, well, that's just too fucking bad for him.