pairing: jon moxley x doll (fem!oc)
plot: based on the song riot van by arctic monkeys
genre: general
warning: swearing (this is moxley we're talking about here)
word count: 3.8k
author's note: do i listen to anything except arctic monkeys? no.
♡°.♡°.•♡.•°♡.°.♡•.°♡°.•°♡.°♡.•♡
doll really had no idea how she always managed to get herself into these kinds of situations. she knew that she was smarter than this, that she's better than this, yet here she is, sneaking off from her room once again.
clad in a black hoodie, jeans and her signature dirty and worn out black converse, she slowly pushed the door open as to not make any sound, before peeking through the crack to see if anyone else was up. the loud snores that came from her parents' room was the only thing that was heard through the hallways. this meant that her brother, who usually spent the majority of his time screaming at a phone while he plays video games, was also asleep now.
a sigh of relief was breathed in and out of her mouth before she tiptoed out of her room, immediately stopping and freezing at even the slightest of sounds - a floorboard creaking, her parents shifting in bed, the old wood of their bedframe groaning, an owl hooting too loudly from the outside, she even swore that she could hear a leaf land on the roof given how tense she was - she had no idea why she did that though. if anything if there was any sign of her parents waking up, she should bolt right back into her room like a bat out of hell so they wouldn't catch her red-handed. nevertheless, it was how her body reacted and it wasn't like that reaction ever failed her when she would somehow get herself into an unavoidable sticky situation.
she was making progress with her sneaky roaming throughout the house but, from her position on the staircase, she could faintly hear gentle clatters against the window and she couldn't help but silently curse at the familiar sound. tap tap tap. "dammit moxley." tap tap tap.
it was him throwing pebbles at her windows, this time, wanting to remind her about the promise she made earlier for them to hang out.
she couldn't blame moxley, of course she couldn't. reason number one, they've been having a really busy week with school and haven't really been able to hang out in a while because of that. the only time they talked was during recess or lunch and even then, their minds weren't fully there with everything that was going on. especially with doll being the overthinker that she is, her mind was always elsewhere when she's surrounded by noise, chatter and clutter.
the schoolwork that was being handed out to them was massive. it seemed like once one batch of schoolwork was over with, another, bigger batch was delivered with a smile and a kiss of death. it was a vicious cycle that seemingly chewed the students up and spit them out, but that was the system. as hard as it is to believe given her latest outings, doll really isn't one to not pass an assignment or a project. in fact, she has made it a goal to not pass them past the deadline either.
now that this stream of school work has seemed like it has stopped, or at least for a while, the duo are going to milk it and take this time to talk to each other and catch up on all of the things they've missed out on during the past few days. besides, they needed the rest and the relaxation and being in each other's company always provided moxley and doll with both of those.
and reason number two, doll and moxley have known each other since kindergarten but she is not able to remember a time where she was able to resist the chesirecat-like grin that was permanently etched on his face. whether it was him doing something that upset doll - it didn't matter if it was on purpose or on accident - or offering her a tempting plan - a risky, dangerous plan, but a tempting plan nevertheless - she could never say no to that face, she's ninety nine percent sure that he was blessed with a face that can get him out of anything just with a look with that smile and those eyes. her favorite smile was the one moxley reserved just for her but this one, another one that she saw way too often, was a second favorite.
all of a sudden, doll remembered why she was sucked into all these dumb and unwise decisions in the first place. even though when she's all alone, she prided herself on being smart and wise for her age (and rightfully so), not getting into as much confrontation as the other teenagers their age, she had one weakness: jon moxley. that man could take her to hell and back and she would probably love it, as long as he was with her, holding her hand or giving her his signature grin the whole time.
he had her wrapped around his finger, she realized, but it was too late to turn back now.
she needed to get out of the house and she needed to get out of the house fast, yet not taking her time exiting the old place and risking her parents hearing, waking up and catching her wasn't an option.
though she was nervous, she still took it step by step, pressing the toe of her shoes on the patch of wood, making sure it was going to be able to hold her weight without protesting too loudly, measuring how secure it was, before putting all of her weight on it.
the tap tap tapping on her window was getting more faint and she wasn't sure if it was because she was moving away from it or if it was because moxley was getting a little more tired (or couldn't find pebbles small enough to not disturb her parents' slumber when thrown against glass, which is the more likely option) but whatever the reason may be, she was thankful because as a result, her nerves and anxieties about getting caught have now settled down some, along with the fact that she was just getting closer and closer to the door.
after some time, she was finally able to reach the door. doll took one last glance behind her shoulder just to make sure that there was no one there, before grabbing the doorknob, still with the utmost care, twisting it and walking out the house.
the girl couldn't even let out a sigh of victory before an embarassingly high-pitched squeal was extracted out of her via moxley grabbing her from the front porch by her waist, knocking the air out of her lungs in a precious way, crushing her to his chest then just wiggling her back and forth in the cage that is his skinny arms. he breathed out a laugh as they halted and he buried his face in her hair, pressing a discreet kiss there. to anyone passing by as well to doll, it seemed to just be a friend putting his face into his smaller, shorter friend's hair, but doll couldn't see the way mox closed his eyes as he kissed the top of her head.
even though she was scared to death by mox grabbing her out of nowhere, her heart that was beating fast and the butterflies that were size of blue whales which fluttered in her stomach weren't because of simply getting surprised.
she hated being surprised but she could never stay mad at him.
once her mind has fully caught up with what just happened, she laughed with moxley breathlessly, not moving away from his embrace. she laid her head there for a few moments, hearing his heartbeat. it was a bit faster than how it usually was (she knows this as they platonically cuddle all the time and everytime doll would think of this, she tends to put extra emphasis on platonic for her sake). picking off nonexistent lint off of his matching black hoodie, she smiled as she looked up at him, the smile widening when he met her gaze as he looked down at her.
everybody says to not take a picture from a lower angle as it was unflattering but looking up at him right now, he couldn't look any more perfect she thought.
her moxley smile was plastered on his face as he kept his stare at hers. speaking up he says, "you ready for the ultimate doll and moxley date night?" and that signature moxley smile was soon replaced by his mischievous one, the one he usually wore when they were in public. the one everybody in town knew about.
oh no, please don't call it a date night but she didn't dare utter those words outloud, nor did she let her facial expressions change and show how much she was actually affected by those two simple words. he didn't need to know about her feelings for him, though he may or may not reciprocate them.
with the same smile she given him before she was shaken up by date night she nodded enthusiastically. "you know i am, moxley" and she finally stepped back, out of his embrace.
moxley's smile faltered a bit at that, but doll didn't notice as he gathered himself again and spoke. "you up for some munch and crunch under the moon?" he suggested, wiggling his eyebrows up and down at her making her slightly chuckle.
"i'm up for it if you are"
"we'll grab some snacks first then let's fuckin go doll." he hollered loudly, throwing his arm around her shoulder as they started walking forwards making her shush him in fear that her parents will wake up or that they'll attract some form of unwanted attention, yelling at such an ungodly hour at night. if she was caught outside, she already knew that she was getting something so much worse than just a grounding.
it was only then that she noticed the empty backpack on his back and she quirked an eyebrow at him. "are we really getting that much snacks, moxley?" she quirked an eyebrow at him, playfully prodding at the black bag.
he couldn't help but laugh at her query. "well, to carry our shit is one of the reasons, i guess." he took a quick glance at her.
at that, doll's walking faltered and she was behind a bit, eyes as wide as cherry pies. "mister jon moxley you are not suggesting that we are going to steal, are you?"
he turned around and held her face in his hands, tilting it up so they could stare into each other's eyes. "doll, no offense but you're so naive sometimes. i don't know how you survived this long here." and he let go of her face.
her face went to the ground and her eyes cast downwards, teeth chewing on her lip when moxley spoke again in his gravel-like voice which never failed to send sparks up and down doll's spine. this time was no different but his attractive voice wasn't the only reason for this.
"shit.. shit.." he swore once he realized that his words upset her. "i- don't... don't take that the wrong way, doll. you're smart, i know how you were able survive, doll. it's just..." he breathed in, trying to find the right word for his best friend. "adorable, really, how you can be so naive sometimes. it-it's refreshing though, keep on being yourself, doll." and he offered her an apologetic smile along with his confused words.
she smiled back at him, walking to be at his side once more. "lead the way then, moxley."
again, he threw his arm around her and pulled her closer to him as they walked around the cold streets of cincinnati, ohio in order to find some snacks to accompany them in their night out.
the nearest rinky-dink convenience store was supposed to be just a fifteen minute walk from doll's house but living in the rough neighborhood that they were in, they encountered some people that made them wait until it was safe to come out and a single confrontation that thankfully didn't escalate into a fistfight. they scooted into little alleyways when a drunk man approached, or a group of men that didn't look very friendly turned to walk in the same street at them.
they both knew how to defend themselves - they kind of have to - but they were both wise enough to know that avoiding a fistfight was the better, safer option. at least for now.
eventually, they made it to the small twenty-four hour store. the bell that chimed when they opened the door announced their presence, but the person with purple and black dyed hair and black, chapped nail polish didn't seem to care. they didn't look up to greet the pair when they arrived, continuing to type away at their phone and chew the bubblegum they had.
"it's gonna be easier than i thought." moxley's smirk grew bigger when he discretely leaned down and whispered into doll's ear.
the two nonchalantly walked to the back of the store, into the chips section, not wanting to draw attention to themselves.
once they were there, they both looked around. it didn't seem like there was any security cameras or convex mirrors that could potentially show the person behind the counter that they were stealing, and even if that was the case, the person didn't look like they would care. that fact made doll feel a bit better, but she was still going to be as careful as ever. she couldn't risk it.
moxley took the backpack off of his back, and slowly unzipped it to make sure that it wouldn't make a sound.
once it was completely open, doll grabbed the first bag of chips, a cheeto bag. she gently picked it up and put it into the bag moxley wad holding. she was extra careful because chip bags are very crinkly, and she was trying to avoid any and all noises.
moxley seemed to be much better than her at it. he didn't have to move as slowly as her. instead, he picked up a lays bag with a gentler touch, and carefully set it inside the bag.
his partner in crime - one could take that a bit more literally right now - stared at him in awe. "how did you do that?" he only offered a wink her way, before doing the same thing to a doritos bag. "i'll teach you at school or something."
after that, they wanted to get some sodas. they knew it was good to check on the person working first though, just to make sure that they still weren't acknowledging any of their presences. much to their relief, when they peeked around the corner of one of the shelves, the person was still obnoxiously chewing on their bubblegum, expertly blowing a bubble, and typing on their phone. they absolutely did not care about moxley and doll in the store.
they walked to the soda section of the store in a regular, not suspicious pace, keeping their eyes straight forward, but glancing at the person in their peripherals. nothing has changed from the last time they peeked at them.
moxley and doll got four sodas. two for moxley, and two for doll. they usually didn't drink that much, but they wanted to take advantage of this moment, besides who knew, maybe they would get really thirsty this night? it is better to be safe than sorry, and it is better to stock up while an aloof teenager is behind the register, rather than when it's an adult who would be very suspicious of them from the get-go. there are definitely adults around the area that judged them, even without knowing who they truly are, but really, they didn't care about that. not anymore, at least.
moxley, with as much skill as he did before, quietly zipped up the bag again. he shifted it so it was behind him, positioned in the way backpacks usually are. the not-suspicious, normal way.
as anyone could have guessed, they were able to pass the register without looking or nodding at the person there hassle-free. they didn't get stopped or questioned. part of doll knew that the person behind the cash register was well-aware of their shoplifting. they just didn't care to stop them. it was either they're too lazy, or they knew how hard life was and didn't wanna bother the two teenagers. maybe both of those options. whatever the reason may be, doll was extremely grateful.
when they're a few streets past the convenience store, moxley grinned at his best friend. "see doll? i have great ideas!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms up.
she rolled her eyes at her friend. "one great idea. you had one great idea, moxley." and to an extent, perhaps that was true. doll could name a hundred of his bad ideas just at the top of her head. being his best friend and companion through life though, maybe she had an advantage in naming those bad ideas since they basically did everything together.
all of a sudden, red and blue lights started flashing from behind them. they were aware that it was currently deep in the middle of the night and they probably seemed like rowdy teenagers, and the police around their area weren't exactly the heroes school made them out to be so the pair didn't even wait for the car to fully catch up to them or for the man to come out of the vehicle. they quickly grabbed each other's hand and began running full speed down the sidewalk. that was a good call from them, as after they did that, they heard a "hey!" calling after them.
they just kept on running through the streets, not stopping to peek at the car or caring about how their heels hurt and burned because of how the back of their sneakers rubbed it raw. they turned a sharp corner, then another one and it led them to an empty, stinky, shady alleyway. much to their relief, there was no one else in that area and there wasn't much things either, only trash and junk people threw away.
hearing sirens blaring from a distance, moxley roughly tugged on her arm and led her to the back of a large, long, rectangular garbage bin to hide. they stayed huddled up there, doll being tucked into moxley's arm. no matter how many times she proved herself to be capable and strong, he was still always protective of her. after all, they were all each other had. they couldn't afford to lose each other.
the close proximity they were in had doll's heart beating out of her chest and it only increased when from the reflection on the stained brick wall, she saw the the red and blue lights getting closer to them. moxley leaned his head down, looking at her before putting his index finger by his lips, signaling for her to be quiet. she didn't notice how her breathing increased and had started to be more audible, but he did, and he knew she had to lower it down or else they might get caught.
after a long while of them squatting in their hiding place, the lights stopped flashing back and forth. the police stopped circling the area and they thought that it would be safe to come out, but they were still going to be careful.
they walked to the main street slowly, peeking out of the corners to see any sign of the vehicle they were trying to avoid and not rushing. finally, they made it and the coast was clear. they could finally breathe out a sigh of relief.
hands still holding each other's, doll started to walk towards the opposite direction moxley was walking to, making their hands separate from each other with a jolt. "where ya going, doll?"
she looked at him clearly confused. she jabbed a thumb behind her as she answered. "home?" but due to her confusion, it sounded more of a question than anything.
moxley tilted his head at her, "what happened to the ultimate doll and moxley date night i was talking about?" and she threw him a look like he had grown three heads right in front of her. "we almost got arrested by police and you still wanna go do that?"
"we didn't though, did we?" he carelessly grinned at her, booping her nose as he did so making doll shake her head at him. "you're actually unbelievable. lead the way."
and that's exactly what he did. with his finger around the belt loops of his pants, they walked around town. thankfully, they didn't run into anyone who wished ill intent on them now.
moxley stopped walking when they were in front of an off-white colored building that looks like it had been abandoned for at least five years.
"what are we doing here?" doll asked him. this isn't what she was expecting when he asked her to come hang out.
instead of verbally answering, he motioned for her to come follow him. attached at the back of the house was a ladder. "figured we could climb up and enjoy the view and shit. fucking... moonlight dinner and all that jazz." he shrugged at her before he started to climb and she followed him shortly after.
when they got to the roof, doll didn't really think anything about the view. she didn't think it was breathtaking, but if mox liked it and thought that she would like it as well, she would gladly pretend as to not hurt his feelings. she knew how genuinely he was approaching their friendship and she would never want to bum him out. she breathed out an awed "woah" while looking at a view she really did not find special at all. mox only chuckled though, before gently grabbing her face and turning it towards another direction, the direction she was supposed to face.
the breath was actually knocked out of her at the view. it was definitely beautiful and she was glad her best friend shown it to her.
there was a large body of water, dark blue - almost black - as a result of the night sky, then on the other side of that was the good parts of the city. there were tall buildings and skyscrapers and their lights twinkled like stars. it was stunning against the black canvas of the night sky and doll found herself melting into it.
her and moxley spent the night and early morning eating the food they got, talking about their lives and the things they've missed while they've both been so busy with school, while basking in the view and the intoxicating, comforting presence of each other.