peace will follow // river phoenix fanfiction

April, 1988

Once again, apologies for the delay. Uni really takes a toll on you! Anyway, here's the next chapter, I hope you guys enjoy even though it's nothing special, but I do have some interesting things planned for the next chapters. See you soon!

- R I V E R   P H O E N I X -

"Rain!" I practically yelled as I darted in her direction. She threw her arms open widely for me as I crashed into her embrace. Rain was so much different. I hadn't seen Rain in what felt like forever. Her black head of hair was thicker and much curlier and her eyes seemed to have gained a different brightness to it... they were much more greener, much more vivid. She seemed a lot happier nowadays.

I managed to peek into the Phoenix household, noticing a few stacks of empty cardboard boxes here and there. 

"How long has it been?" Rain asked, smiling widely. 

"Forever," I replied, laughing. 

Suddenly, a figure slowly came out of the house, and it took me a few seconds to realize it was Joaquin, who looked even more different than Rain. Much more grown.  My smile grew bigger at the sight of him. 

"Hey, Joaquin!" I called out. He paced towards us and gave me a warm hug, the same way Rain had done. "Looking good, huh?" I elbowed him playfully in the ribs.

"Haven't seen you in awhile, Jocey. And me? Always," he said, winking at both me and Rain. 

I hadn't seen River yet this morning, but I assumed he was somewhere upstairs still, probably sleeping. That was the most likely option.

Rain began talking to me about how she and River and a couple of friends had formed a band,  "Aleka's Attic", and that they'd been rehearsing day and night. I knew the Phoenix family were into music considering their past in Puerto Rico. I was glad for the both of them and I knew they both had immense talent to go far one day. In fact, Rain confided in me that the band were planning on having their first concert this year, but nothing had been confirmed yet. They were still writing out songs.  However, Rain promised I'd be the first to know if any Aleka's Attic concert went forth. 

Later, Rain and Joaquin guided me into the house, noticing even more cardboard boxes stacked along the corridors and staircase, but I figured that it was normal, considering they were back in town. The place was a little messy, but their parents were busy attempting to clean the place. I gave John and Arlyn a quick hug, blushing at their mother's comment on how "grown up" and "beautifuly feminine" I looked. Eventually, I proceeded upstairs with the siblings.

The door to River's bedroom was slightly ajar but it was also dark. I assumed the curtains were still drawn and that he was definitely still asleep. 

Rain and Joaquin gave me a sign, as in "you go wake him up", and they both trotted off to their own bedrooms. I sighed but couldn't help smile at the same time. I made my way to the door and gently creeped in, noticing the mound underneath the bed covers. Yep, he's still asleep I thought. 

Slowly, I made my way to the curtains and grabbed each one by the side. I counted to three in my head then suddenly yanked the curtains away and yelled good morning as loud as I possibly could. 

River jolted in his bed. "Jesus!" He sat up straight, startled, his hair fuzzy and his eyes still puffy. "Rain, what did - wait, Jocey? What are you doing here? My head..." He said as he rubbed his forehead. 

"What's up with you? A long night at the studio I heard". I chuckled, noticing River's slightly sour look. 

"Yes, it was," he replied. "Oh, I'm so gonna get revenge". 

Before I knew it, River grabbed me by the hips and dragged me into his bed with him, tickling me in every place possible. I squirmed and screamed for him to stop but he continued despite my protests. I was half-crying, half-laughing at this point. The whole shenanigan distracted me from the fact that River was solely in his black boxers and that if the siblings or either of his parents were to walk in, we'd have a hard time explaining. 

"Riv, stop!" I begged. River's smile grew bigger by the minute. "Ok, ok, I'll do anything you want! Just stop!"

Suddenly, River's hands were in the air, exposing me to his rather unsightly, hairy armpits. "Really, Jocey? Anything?" 

I crossed my arms at him. "Yes, like putting your arms down because honestly, you are stinking right now."

River glanced at both his armpits and then at me. "I think I look rather manly, don't you think?"

"Godzilla". 

River scoffed. "I wasn't holding up a mirror." I punched him in the arm in response. "Ouch! Come on, Jocey!" 

"Wuss!" 

"I'll show you wuss". Before I knew it, River lunged at me once again, pinning me down across his mattress. His body hovered awfully close against mine as he held my arms down with all his strength. "Hah, bet you can't get yourself out of this one". 

I looked at him. Something came to my mind, but I was unsure whether I should verbalize it or not. But then I decided to go with it. "What if Martha saw this?"

River's face suddenly changed. "Martha has nothing to do with this. In fact, I'm not with her anymore," he answered confidently, not once breaking eye contact with me. 

I gulped hard. Deep down, it was what I wanted to hear, but at the same time it must have hurt River in someway, knowing what a sensitive soul he is. "What did you tell her?" I asked.

River's grip loosened a little but he didn't move away from me, not even one inch. "I told her it wasn't working. That was it".

"How did she react?"

"Normal... We both knew it wasn't going anywhere".

"Where are we going?" I then asked.

River paused for a moment. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm going to the kitchen because I'm hungry".  I squinted my eyes at him. "I know what you meant, Jocey... Just give me some time. To plan things better in my head".

I sighed. "You want me to wait. What you made me do the last time we -"

Oh, wait, that's River's lips on mine. Wait, huh? Yep, and just like that, River kissed me mid speech and annoyingly took my breath away with it. I had to admit his morning breath was getting to me initially but then the whole thing just made me forget that. All I could focus on was the way our lips touched, the way he gently caressed my face and made me feel like I was at home. 

He was annoying.

But I had to admit, he was cute.

Sometimes.

Eventually, River unlocked his lips from mine, and the sudden disconnection made me crave more. But I controlled myself.

"So, how much time exactly are you going to make me wait?"

River rolled his eyes and laughed. He slid off the bed and grabbed me by the hand, and I guessed he was dragging me to the kitchen. "You'll understand what I really meant in a few days time". 

And just like that, he managed to suck me right back into the universe that was River Phoenix. And I loved it.