Rio oneshots

Elk Bar (13)

The Elk Bar is where you find yourself the next day. You take a window seat, watching the coming and going of people. A part of you is paranoid that Jason will show up, even though you have no idea what he looks like.

The bar is kind of empty during the day, except for the usual day drinkers or night shift workers coming in to unwind. The thought of Daniel and his words swirl around in your mind. You were so sure that you'd help him.

Help yourself even.

But the stoic look on Rio's face as he walks towards your booth is enough to have you second guessing your decision. Nerves kick in and your palms start sweating. You haven't seen him in two days. He looks exactly the same, dark jacket with a beanie adorning his head.

You catch a whiff of his cologne as he takes a seat across from you. The familiar scent always had you captivated, swooning as it filled your senses. It still does but it buried under the weight of everything he's done to you. 

"What happened ?" He asks leaning back, resting against the back of the booth. His eyes bore into your skin waiting for an explanation.

"Someone broke into my house looking for the drive" You spit. You don't know where the sudden hostility came from but it doesn't take him by surprise.

"You're alive aren't you?" he asks indifferently.

His words are like a stab to the heart, twisting and eating away of what's left of it. You cant help the surge of anger rising in your blood.

"You're such a dick Rio"

Rio doesn't flinch at your words. If anything, his gaze grows more piercing, the calmness in his demeanor only fueling the fire inside you. He's too relaxed, too unaffected by the danger you're in, and that indifference feels like a slap in the face.

"I gave you the drive. I did what you asked."

He runs a hand over his jaw, eyes narrowing as if he's contemplating something. "And they came after you. Maybe you should ask yourself why."

Your chest tightens. He always does this—turns everything back on you. As if none of it is his fault. As if he's not the one pulling the strings that led to this mess.

"Don't play games with me" you say, voice low but trembling with barely contained frustration. 

"You know damn well why they came after me. I don't care what you say—this is on you."

For the first time, something shifts in his expression. It's brief, a flicker of something that's gone before you can place it, but it's there.

"You wanna talk blame? Alright then, ma, let's talk." He leans forward, elbows resting on the table as his eyes lock on yours. "You knew what this was from the jump. Don't sit here like I dragged you into somethin' you didn't choose."

"I didn't choose this!" you snap. "From the minute I met you, I've been saying I wanted nothing to do with any of this."

Silence falls between you, heavy and tense. You want to scream at him, but deep down you know that you made choices too. You chose to help the women who were your family. But where are they now?

Rio just watches you, unreadable, before finally sighing and leaning back in the booth. "You should've called me."

You blink, caught off guard. "What?"

"If someone broke into your house" he says, his voice calm but firm, "you shoulda called me. You know I would've handled it."

You let out a bitter laugh, shaking your head. "Like you'd actually help me."