Quiet Backstage: A Series of Lippa Oneshots

Thick as Thieves // In The Heights AU

Lin's POV

It had been a long day. Rent had gone up, so I had been working extra overtime hours at the bodega. It had been a slow day, and my muscles were stiff with exhaustion. It was late at night, almost closing time when I heard that little bell ding at the door. 

I didn't even see the customer enter the store, but I just figured he or she might have just been shorter than where I was standing behind the counter. 

I looked up from the spot I was cleaning on the counter when I heard a crashing at the end of the shop. "Hey!" I shouted when the girl ran out of the bodega. 

I jumped the countertop and darted outside. "Hey!" I yelled again, putting my hand on her shoulder, turning her around.  

And there, in front of me stood a young girl, quite possibly the most beautiful young girl I've ever seen. And she was a beautiful girl with a cracked lip. 

I swear to any God out there if one of those street gang kids did this, I'm finally calling the cops. I thought. 

"Ma'am?" I asked, putting on a stern facade. While she was beautiful, I will not tolerate robbery in my bodega. 

The girl looked down at her hands that were full of her stolen goods. I could see that she was starting to cry."Listen, my...my boyfriend dumped me, and...and I might be pregnant, but sir, please it's been days since I've had anything to eat."

My stern expression immediately fell. "Let's get you inside, Love." I grabbed her hand and snuck her back into the bodega, shutting the small door and closing the blinds. I even flipped the 'closed' sign up. 

"Here, take these back, just please don't call the cops on me." She handed me the loaf of bread and bottle of water back, her eyes still full of tears.  

"No, no, I won't be calling anyone on you." I coaxed. "Stay put." I instructed her. 

I ducked back down behind the counter, setting a bottle of rubbing alcohol, a container of cotton pads, and a towel onto the table. I patted the top of the counter, instructing her to sit up there. 

"This might sting, Honey." I told her, pressing an alcohol dipped cotton round onto the fresh cuts on her lips. "Bite down on this, it is clean, I promise." 

She gently took the towel between her teeth, and I held her hand as I pressed the cotton to her face. I hushed her when I felt all of her muscles tense up. 

"See, we're done, we're done." I nodded, speaking slowly as I took the cotton off of her lip. I asked her to stay put as I started pacing around the bodega. "This might be a bad time, but what is your name, cariño?" 

"P-Pippa..." She coughed out, her voice stuttering. 

I smiled, it was a beautiful name to match a beautiful face. "Well, Pippa, why don't you eat this." I tossed her an apple before continuing. "And why don't I take you back to my place and cook you a homemade meal?" 

"No, Sir, I couldn't ask you to—"

"Please, call me Lin." I smiled, grabbing her hand. "You need it." I considered bringing up her potential pregnancy, but I didn't want to nick a sore spot. I slipped a skinny pack of pregnancy tests inside my jacket, making a mental note to pay for those the next morning. Maybe she'd like to know. 

I walked her back to my place, only a block and a half out from the bodega. I talked to her gently, trying not to bring something up. On her own, she thanked me for bringing her home, saying that Matthew would never had gone and done anything like that. 

"So...this Matthew character? Is he your boyfriend?"

"I wouldn't call him that." Pippa frowned. "Boyfriend's don't rape their girlfriends."

My eyes widened. I remembered the package in my pocket, and all of the color drained out of my cheeks. "Let me get you warm and inside." I said as we approached my doorstep. I tried to get the lump out of my throat, but I couldn't. 

~~~~~

Pippa told me more and more about herself as she watched me cook her some pasta. She stared at the pan like she hadn't eaten a meal in months. I found out that she'd met Matthew when she attended Juilliard and the rest was history. I found out she'd been cheated on and mistreated ever since she started dating him. 

I knew this girl had a good heart.

"Cariño, I want you to stay here and safe tonight." I announced. "There's a foldout bed I'll take, and I'll give you my room." 

She parted her lips to deny me, but I stooped her. "Why don't you get a shower, and um...I grabbed these at the bodega before we left. Just in case." I handed her the box I had stashed in my coat.

Pippa mouthed a thank you and headed off to the bathroom in my apartment where the shower was. 

I sat back on my sofa when I heard the shower water started to run. I couldn't imagine what would be going through her head but I could imagine us being thick as thieves from then on.