Love-Love || OLD DRAFT

two - one

A/N

Roux is pronounced as Roo

....

“I have the money,” I said.

“How much?”

“Two hundred k.” I grit my teeth knowing what was coming.

“Two hundred?” the man on the other end of the phone hissed.

I didn’t reply.

“Two hundred?! You want me to believe you destroyed a flyover for two hundred k?”

“Yes.”

“Do I sound like a fool to you? My daughter gets two hundred k for her pocket money.”

“You should be careful with such information,” I said in a monotone. “There are bad people around –”

“Make it five,” he growled, “and bring it to the rendezvous point at 1600 hours today. Understood?”

I gripped the phone tighter and did not reply.

“Do you understand, boy?” the bastard of a man shouted.

“Yes.”

“Good,” he lowered his voice but kept the growl. “And don’t think of us to be idiots, boy. You think we don’t see you toying with Super Storm?”

I glared at the wall in front of me as cracks crawled onto it. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Remember your job. If you can’t finish it, we’ll send someone who can.”

The cracks got bigger and bigger and I forced myself to stop. I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head. “It will be done.”

“You’ve been saying that since the past seven months. Get it done, Gravel,” he spat my name like it burned him to utter it, “or you know what will happen.”

“It will be done,” I growled into the phone, then immediately cut the call. I walked over to the grey wall opposite to me and slammed my fists against it. Again and again and again, until I felt steam rise from my finger tips and blocks of concrete melted and dripped down on the floor now cobwebbed with cracks.

Great!

I stepped back and walked out of the room, making a mental note to keep Roux away from it until I fix it. On the way, I grabbed a duffel bag from one of the wardrobes and made my way downstairs. Roux was lounged on the couch munching away on a pack of cheetos, watching TV. I walked past her, towards the large table at the centre of the room, onto which I opened the bag and dumped the stacks of money.

Roux must’ve sensed my anger, for she was beside me in a jiffy.

“They want the money,” I answered her unasked question.

“They – how much?”

“Five hundred K,” I said. “You’ll take it to the rendezvous point this evening? I have a class at 3.”

Roux did not reply.

I paused my work and looked at her. She was still in her Garnet costume, minus the mask. “What’s wrong?” I asked.

“I –” She looked down at her feet, brows furrowed. “I needed the money, Ridge.”

I sighed. “You know we cannot. We got four hundred k from the heist yesterday and I have another hundred from some of our previous heists. I would give you money, Roux, but I simply do not have any.”

She threw up her hands in exasperation and took a step back. “I don’t understand,” she cried. “I don’t understand Ridge! Are we not out of their debts yet? Were we ever in their debts? I’m tired of giving up all the money we rob to them! And us, Ridge – why do we rob banks if we don’t get more than three-four hundred k? Why can’t we do bigger heists and get rid of this debt once and for all? I have superpowers, Ridge, and I have to resort to petty theft to pay my flat rent!” she ended, breathing heavily.

I sighed. “Come here.” I threw an arm around her shoulder and led her to the couch. She sat down with a huff and I knelt on the ground beside her. “You know why we do this, Roux,” I began softly, “and you know we don’t have a choice –”

“Yes we do,” she said. “We can kill them. Ridge. We. Can. Kill. Them,” she said slowly as if explaining to a child. “Garnet and Gravel are unstoppable together and you know it. We can kill each one of them. Even Super Storm. Let’s kill Super Storm!” Her eyes flashed dangerously.

I patted her leg softly. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves Roux. You trust me, don’t you?” I waited for a response. “Don’t you?”

She stared at me with her piercing blue eyes, then nodded.

“Thank you,” I said. “I have a job to do,” I informed her, “after which we won’t have to pay them anymore. Trust me, we won’t have to pay them anymore.”

She narrowed her eyes at me. “What job?”

I smiled and got to my feet. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Ridge,” she said in a warning tone, “what job?”

I playfully ruffled her short, shoulder length hair in an attempt to make her drop the subject. “Don’t worry about it,” I repeated. “Come now,” I added before she could reply, “go get changed. We are going shopping.”

I knew I succeeded in making her forget our ongoing conversation because I saw her eyes light up, though she tried to hide it and pretended to glare. “I thought you said you don’t have money.”

“I don’t,” I shrugged, “but I want to get you something special for your birthday.”

Roux smiled her blinding, million-dollar smile. “It’s not for another week though.”

I shrugged again. “So?” I dusted my hands on my pants as I walked back to the table and the pile of money. “Go get changed – oh wait no. Garnet has to go take this money to the rendezvous point at 4.” I turned to her, “I’m sorry I make you do these god-awful things but –”

She walked up to me and patted - read slapped - my cheek. “You have a class, I know,” she smiled. “I’ll take it. It’s fine.”

I grinned at her. “After that we’ll go shopping, I swear.”

She raised an eyebrow challengingly. “We better.” She dipped a finger in the pocket of my jeans and pulled out my keys. “I’m taking the bike,” she stated, daring me to question her.

I half raised my arms in surrender. “Can’t say no to my lady.”

She blew me a kiss and walked away, out of the room.

I brought my gaze to the money and let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. That was close.