this story doesn't have a happy ending

chapter one

If Mercury was entirely honest, he was never huge on love.

Well, at least up until a week ago.

Before that, though, the idea of settling down someday scared him- he could hardly commit to a pair of socks- and frankly, he wasn't sure he'd be the best candidate for marriage, much less fatherhood. 

Besides, he didn't exactly have the best role model in that department.

Most nights, after he- begrudgingly- said goodnight to his mothers and stepsister, he laid in bed with his limbs spread out like a starfish, eyes wide and breathing slow. No chatter from his television, blue light from the screen of his smartphone, or clatter of drumsticks smacking wood. Instead, he'd lay there in total darkness and listen to his breathing- alongside the occasional car horn or police siren outside his bedroom window- until he fell asleep. At least, that was most nights.

Some nights, like tonight, he was rudely awakened from his peaceful slumber. Usually, his body would wake itself up for a quick trip to the bathroom or a few sips of water, but this night was the exception; the cause of his awakening was external.

"Mer?" whispered a voice.

Mercury recognized it all too quickly. He woke with a start, sitting up in bed at an impressive speed. "What's wrong? What happened?" he rasped.

She stood sheepishly by his side. His door was partially open, allowing light from the hallway to spill into his otherwise dark room. He winced at the brightness. It took a minute for his eyes to adjust, but his gaze was fixated on her once they had. "Nothing's wrong," she clarified. "I actually just, um... had a weird dream."

"Oh."

An awkward silence filled the room.

"It wasn't a sex dream!" she exclaimed. Mercury jumped at the volume of her voice. Her hazel eyes were wide open, a blush beginning to seep into the tips of her ears and the rest of her face. Mercury stared at her for a while before bursting into laughter. "What's so funny?"

Laughing, he patted a space on the bed beside him. She haphazardly climbed into bed beside him. "Babe, I didn't think you had a sex dream. I was just relieved the house wasn't on fire or something."

She nodded silently, unable to say anything else. He kissed the top of her head and wrapped his arms around her. She happily closed the embrace and threw an arm over his stomach, grinning from ear to ear as she cuddled into his side. His hands instinctively traveled to her hair, twirling a few strands around his fingers. She purred at his touch, tugging him impossibly closer.

She met him for the first time a little over ten years ago at a PTA meeting her mother attended. His father had just finished yelling at his mother twenty feet from the gathering that would completely change the course of his wife's life and walked to the bar two blocks away.

Athena Rutherford sighed and blinked back the tears that pricked at her eyes. Mercury took her hand and looked up at her. "Mami? Where did Papi go?"