FRAMED - Cowboy Bebop fanfiction

Session 25

When Quinn awoke, she almost felt like everything that night had been nothing but a dream. As her eyes fluttered open, she was faced with an unfamiliar ceiling. She was laying flat on her back on top of an unknown mattress. The bedsheets were quite comfortable, and they had a familiar, yet unrecognizable scent. 

Her head was pounding, and her throat felt like sandpaper. She felt her stomach churn as she attempted to roll onto her side. Agonizing pain shot through every inch of her body as her eyes scanned the side of the room that she was now facing. There was a door across from her, and next to it, on an adjacent wall, was another door. It was propped open, and Quinn could see a sink. 

She was desperate for water, and she had a feeling her stomach was about to give out at any moment.

She used all her strength to drag herself out of bed. She was fully clothed, wearing the same outfit she had left the house in the previous day. As her feet hit the cold, wood flooring, a voice called out to her from the bed.

"Don't wander too far my dear. You'll only wind up in more trouble," the voice hissed. Quinn turned her head to see the man from the bar last night. Vicious. His silver hair shimmered in the sunlight that was pouring in through the open curtains next to him. There were no sounds of traffic, or city life, only the sound of what Quinn imagined to be waves, harshly lapping against a nearby shoreline. Quinn felt her throat contract. 

"I-," she stuttered, but she threw a hand over her mouth before she could begin to speak. She turned on her heals and sprinted towards the bathroom. She slammed the door behind her before promptly spilling her guts into the porcelain sink. She gagged as she hung her head over the appliance. Once she had felt like every last drop of liquid had been unpleasantly expelled from her stomach, she switched on the tap. 

The water washed away the filth that was left behind, and once Quinn was sure it was all down the drain, she brought her face down to the water spout. She opened her mouth and drank from the tap as she allowed the cold water to wash over her skin. Her mascara ran, and her makeup melted off of her face. She lifted her head upwards, and took a look at her appearance in the mirror. Her eyes resembled that of a racoon, and her hair was tangled and messy. 

She switched off the tap before slipping over towards the toilet. She closed her eyes as she cleaned herself up in the washroom. Vicious hadn't come to check in on her; considering there was a window in the bathroom that could be used as means of escape. She tapped the glass with her finger nail. It was sturdy, and most definitely bullet proof. There was no chance of escape from this room. No wonder he wasn't concerned. 

Quinn exited the bathroom. She looked over to her captor who was now sitting upwards in the bed. He was shirtless, and his back was pressed against the headboard. 

"Feeling alright dear?" He asked menacingly. Quinn frowned as her eyes surveyed the bedroom. The door was to her left, far away from Viscous' side of the bed. She contemplated running, but it seemed like Vicious already knew what she was thinking. 

"If you want to leave, be my guest. But I promise you wont get far without a boat," he smiled devilishly. 

"A boat?" Quinn raised a brow as she turned her gaze towards the open curtains. Outside, beyond what she assumed was more bullet proof glass, was an impossibly infinite span of ocean. She gasped, taking a step towards the window. Vicious watched as she slowly inched her way across the room. Quinn pulled back the curtains and peered outside. There was nothing but dark, colorless waves spanning for miles. 

Quinn felt her stomach twist again. She raised a hand to her mouth as she suppressed the urge to gag. 

"W-why am I here?" She stuttered, turning to face Vicious who was relaxing on the bed next to her. 

"I'll tell you everything you need to know while we eat breakfast," he stated before pulling back the covers and climbing out of bed. Quinn scoffed in response. 

"I'd rather die than eat anything you have to offer me," Quinn grumbled sorely as she stepped backwards. Vicious chuckled as he approached her. 

"Oh dear, with that empty stomach of yours I know you wont last long," he shrugged before brushing past her. 

"Make yourself comfortable here while I fix us something to eat," Vicious exclaimed once he had reached the bedroom door. 

"You're not going to keep me here forever," Quinn hissed as she heard the doors lock click out of place. Vicious paused with his hand on the doorknob. 

"Keep you here? Love, that's not the plan at all!" Vicious laughed playfully as he swung the door open. Quinn looked at him with a puzzled expression. 

"Quinn, I'll tell you everything you need to know over a meal. Please, just make yourself at home while you wait," Vicious sighed heavily with his head turned towards her. Without another word, he left the room and closed the door behind him. Quinn didn't hear the lock click into place. Was he really leaving her in that room alone? 

She  stood by the window dumbfounded as she listened to his footsteps disappear down what she assumed was a staircase. She couldn't believe anything that was going on. Was this some sort of fever dream? Quinn pondered the idea. Maybe she was still asleep. Maybe the alcohol had hit her too hard last night. Maybe she was passed out at the counter, or maybe she was at home. 

Quinn pinched her arm. She grimaced as the sharp pain stung her skin. She was awake, and she knew she was. Quinn frowned as she looked out the window once more. The waves were chilling, and uninviting. She wanted nothing more than to be at home at that moment. She wanted to be in bed, alongside someone. She wanted Spike to be with her. In that moment, despite how strong she was on her own, she yearned for his presence. 

Quinn felt her eyes begin to water as she made her way back towards the bathroom. She pulled open the door, and locked it behind her. She undressed herself, and turned on the shower. She attempted to clear her mind as she let the water pour over her grief stricken expression. She hoped that if she closed her eyes for long enough, that she'd open them again and suddenly be back home. 

She knew she was awake, but she hoped she was wrong. As the warm water dripped down the rest of her body, she felt herself begin to cry. The tears were indistinguishable from the water, but Quinn imagined them streaming down her blushed cheeks. 

She cried like this for quite some time. She sobbed, and whined as the painful emotions ate away at her soul. She missed her space cowboy, and she wished she hadn't pushed him away. If she had just stuck by his side, Vicious never would have captured her. 

This thought only made Quinn cry harder. If only she had suppressed that one snarky comment that had started that whole argument. If she were to have kept her mouth shut for once, she'd be somewhere on Venus, alongside someone she was growing to be quite fond of. She regret what she had thought about him. She thought she didn't need a street rat like himself, but there she was, the next morning, sobbing, wishing nothing more than to have him by her side.