𝙎𝙐𝙎𝙋𝙄𝘾𝙄𝙊𝙐𝙎 𝙈𝙄𝙉𝘿𝙎 - 𝙚.𝙥

【 ↬ 23: 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘕𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘖𝘯𝘭𝘺

°•. ✿ .•°
📌CALIFORNIA
5882 WORDS
fun fact: soldiers used cocaine in the army alongside amphetamines
! featured songs: 'dreamgirls' from the original dreamgirls
'one night only' from the original dreamgirls
i'm your baby tonight — whitney houston
✿°。 ✿°
.❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。

"IT WAS A beautiful service." she whispers out into the darkness, listening to his heartbeat from where she laid upon his chest.

"Yeah." he croakily says, his fingers absentmindedly running up and down her side.

"I uh..." she clears her throat. "I have to tell you somethin'."

"Mm?"

"I have to leave in the morning..." she started. "I gotta go back to Cali — i'm safest there."

Elvis' brows scrunched together as he began to unravel himself from her to sit up, looking at her incredulously. "You're safe here too as long as you're in Graceland...with me."

"El.." she trails, sitting up herself. "Not if they establish a warrant nonetheless, you're leaving back to Germany soon. I can't afford for somethin' to happen to your father just because i'm here."

"You can't leave." he says brokenly. "We haven't seen each other in months."

"I know...and I want to stay bu—" she went to reach out to him but he flinched away.

"Clearly you don't, not enough." he retorts, climbing out of the bed. "Jus' lost my mother and you can't even stay."

Colette's eyes narrowed at him. Though it was clearly the grief talking, it didn't hurt any less. "Gladys was like a mother to me too, you know, but I have to go. For my safety and for yours."

"What, do you not feel safe around here anymore?"

"What...Elvis, what are you even talkin' 'bout? Of course I feel safe." she shakes her head at him in confusion, getting up as well. "But the government is on my ass they're on everyone's ass. Ruth, Elizabeth, Hudso—"

Elvis let out a disbelieving laugh, raking his fingers through his hair. "So this is about Hudson."

"What?" she then reached over towards the lamp on Elvis' nightstand so that there could be light. "This isn't about Hudson, this is about us and our family — what's good for us and our family."

"What's good for us is you being here in Graceland with my family!" he argued. "What's good for us is my mind being at ease to know that you're here!" his voice began to rise.

Colette looked him up and down in absolute sadness. She's never seen him so pale — his blue eyes, stormy. "I'm not gonna indulge in your attempt at an argument."

Elvis chose not to reply, beginning to pace the floors with his fingers tangling his tendrils.

"Baby, please sit." she urged, setting down on the bed. "I understand what you're goi—"

"NO!" he barked out and turned sharply to face her, causing for her to jump at the sudden loudness. "No you don't!"

A look of almost hurt came across her features. "Yes I do, and you know that I do."