I have an early update for all of you! Enjoy!
I do not own Lord of the Rings.
I do own my OCs.
-o-
Jupiter collapsed onto the bench swing in the backyard with a satisfied sigh and lit his cigarette. He took a deep breath and let the smoke pour out before exhaling the rest. Keeping the white stick clenched between his teeth, he popped his beer bottle open using the edge of the bench and drank it after taking the cigarette out of his mouth. Don't ask how he managed to smuggle the alcohol in his house or how he got it in the first place.
He leaned back on the bench, looking up at the night sky. It's been a couple of days since the beginning of the week and today he didn't have any work. Manny, who was currently helping around in the dance studios, has a job as a makeup artist at a store in the mall during the afternoon which she starts up again soon. He was still amazed by how talented she was in the arts, and was secretly impressed by her determination to improve her ballet and drawing.
He was slightly drained from today, but it was nothing that he couldn't handle. It helped that he calmed down in the lab and took his time instead of overwhelming himself.
It wasn't late, but it was late enough for everyone to just chill in the living room and watch another movie. He and Manny agreed that they shouldn't show them the Lord of the Rings movie unless they wanted to. Of course, they did, but the both of them stopped it before they entered Moria.
The reactions varied greatly. In the beginning, they had some laughs - especially when Pippin and Merry caused trouble with Gandalf's fireworks - some were neutral, some creeped out due to seeing their lookalikes on screen, some angry, and some sad. Mostly sad. After that, Manny had switched to The Amazing Spider-Man and what they saw mostly slipped from their minds.
He smirked slightly remembering how Frodo and Manny were holding hands during both movies. They thought no one saw it, but he saw it. He definitely saw it. It was really hard to miss considering her cheeks were redder than his hair.
Taking another puff, he tried to figure out where he was going to take Isabelle after dinner and before the party. Probably to the movies or something, but that was the least of his worries at the moment.
A few months ago when they were just starting their relationship, he would be ecstatic to plan out their date and spend time with her, but now... He likes her. He does, but she isn't the same anymore. He feels like the feelings he once had were all just an illusion, but maybe he can take her somewhere and bring out what she once was. What she really is. A nice, caring girl. Not a bitch who thinks she's the queen of everyone and everything just because she's dating him.
A sudden weight on the bench next to him made him jump almost violently, nearly choking on his beer. Jupiter scowled at the other after his coughing fit was over, "Damn it, you scared the shit out of me! I'm gonna start calling you Twinkletoes if you keep it up."
Legolas seemed sheepish and apologized for the scare. He waved it off and took another puff, flicking the ashes off afterwards. "It's warm tonight. A strange change from it's usual coolness."
The scientist hummed in agreement, "Probably since winter is nearly over." He lazily gestured to some trees that were beginning to grow a few leaves. He blindly held out his beer towards the ellon, "Want some?"
There was a pause before the glass bottle was plucked out of his hand. Watching from the corner of his eye, he saw the elf stare at the bronze glass with curiosity before hesitantly drinking some of it. He scrunched up his nose slightly, "It has a strange taste... Bitter as well."
Jupiter smirked and took back the bottle, "Yeah, it doesn't taste great, but it's more for the buzz for me." He knocked the rest of the liquid back and set it aside. It wasn't until he straightened back up to continue smoking half of his cigarette did he realize that they just had an indirect kiss...
Heat spread over his cheeks at the thought and wondered why that bothered him. Manny and him sometimes took a drink from the same cup or bottle, and he and Isabelle sometimes ate out of the same spoon or fork. Not to mention when he and Legolas ate off the same utensil as well during dinner that one time, so what's the difference?
"Is there something on your mind, Jupiter?" The archer asked.
He snapped out of his thoughts at the question. Jupiter didn't have to turn his head to see that the other was looking at him now. "...Not really."
"You hesitated."
The teen rolled his eyes and ran his fingers through his crimson hair that was free from his hat, "Alright, maybe I do, but it's nothing for you to worry about."
"Would you like to share?"
Jupiter met his gaze and found worry in his blue eyes. He was a bit surprised by it, but he could only assume that it was because of the dark circles under his eyes. It was nothing new, but they've been darker lately. He finally gave in when Legolas's eyes seem to sparkle in the moonlight insistently, "Fine."
He brightened and scooted closer, giving him his full undivided attention. The teen rose an eyebrow at this, but decided to just ignore it. Turning his body slightly to face him, he started, "I've just been thinking about Izz and I. We're going on a date soon and to a party afterwards."
"What are you celebrating?"
"Nothing, it's just for fun. Ray's hosting it, but I'm only going 'cause Izz wants me to." He blew another lungful of smoke to the side, away from the elf, "Anyway, I'm trying to figure out where to take her after eating. There's a bunch of stuff to do, but it's been hard to please her lately... Seriously, I take extra shifts for her at work to earn the money I need to take her out on a date, and at the end of the night she's complaining about where I took her even though she was the one who was begging to go there."
Legolas frowned and tilted his head, "Even if she did not enjoy her experience, wasn't she at least grateful for your effort?"
"No, a simple thank you would have made me happy." He scowled, "She's changed a lot. When I first met her, she was kind and gentle like a... Like a kitten. Then all of a sudden she just grew into this bitchy cat that clings to me like a leech and wants everything."
"Jupiter," The blonde gently pushed away his hand that held his cigarette, ready to take another long drag of it, "I do not know much of courting and romantic relationships. I have never been in one before, but I think the best thing to do is to speak to her about this. She must know how you feel about her behavior. You are still stressed because of this, perhaps it will help."
Adjusting his glasses, he went over his words. It made sense and he wondered why he didn't think of it. Maybe it was because a small voice in the back of his head told him it wouldn't work. All the same, it was advice and words that he needed to hear. He shot Legolas a small, thankful smirk, "Thanks, I hope you're right."
He finished off his cigarette before dropping it on the ground and crushing it with his foot. They both turned back to the night sky that held not that many stars, but a full moon made up for it.
-o-
Jupiter adjusted his tie for the millionth time that night. He had texted Isabelle to dress in something classy, but comfortable to move around in for the party later. For the night, he ditched his hat and usual clothing in favor of his black dress shirt tucked into his dark denim jeans along with a pair of black and white converse. His tie was white as well and was being stubborn with him.
After attempting to adjust it for the thousandth time, he gave up. He looked great still, so why bother? The door in front of him opened up to reveal his girlfriend who had, for once, listened to him. She was wearing a purple bodycon dress that fit snug on her body, showing off her curves.
She had a black cardigan to keep her warm, and her lips were shiny with lip gloss. To complete the look she also had stay-up thigh high stockings, her feet snug in a pair of black stilettos.
He frowned at the heels and she rolls her eyes, holding up her purse, "Don't get your panties in a bunch, I'm bringing flats."
Jupiter nodded in satisfaction. There were countless of times when she wore high heels and ended up hurting her feet to the point where he had to give her piggy back rides, "Your parents aren't home?"
"No, they're on one of their getaways again." Izz smiled when he offered his arm to her. After locking the door, she locked her arm with his, "This is different, I never thought you would be such a gentleman."
"Well, we're going to a fancy restaurant, so I might as well take extra care of my lady." Jupiter smirked down at her as he escorted her towards his car. She giggled and slipped into the front seat after he opened the door for her.
Satisfied that the night was at a great start, they made their way to the restaurant Izz has been wanting to go to for the longest time, called Sierra Magu. Luckily, it wasn't far, but the prices are just ridiculous and he was absolutely dreading when he had to pay for the bill. They stayed silent during the ride, listening to the radio and saving the conversation for when they arrive.
Fifteen minutes and they were inside the dimly lit restaurant, their arms locked together. The restaurant itself was beautiful, tables and booths were spread out to give people privacy, and conversation was light and quiet. Perfect atmosphere for a date... But too romantic and cheesy for his taste.
They were seated at a booth, away from any wandering eyes. When he had opened his menu he had cringed so hard that he didn't cringe at all. Some of these things are triple digits. The Italian cuisine has to taste better than Gordon Ramsay's cooking to deserve that price, otherwise he's going to be pissed.
"So, your friends from Arizona," Izz spoke up, "They're... interesting."
Jupiter quickly went through what he had rehearsed with Manny in case someone they knew mentioned them, "Yeah, they were all originally from England and moved to Arizona a few years ago. They're visiting for a while and I offered that they stay at my house."
"That's nice. Oh, speaking of visiting, you wouldn't believe what happened during rehearsal!-" He held back from sighing when she went off to another rant about some ex-cheerleader that wanted to get back in the team, since Izz had kicked her out because she wasn't skinny enough.
Why couldn't she just talk to him? Talk about her day, hell, even how her family is! Just without all of this damn high school drama. He even tried easing his way into taking Legolas's advice, but it was to no avail as she went on and on.
What finally silenced her was the waiter arriving with their meals. For a moment, he couldn't help but stare at him as he placed their meals in front of them, told them to enjoy, and walked away. The thing is, is that his eyes traveled down to his butt... He had a nice butt. Okay, what the fuck is wrong with him? God, everything that has happened since last Friday night is starting to make him go mental.
"Hey, Jupiter, hello?" He snapped out of it and looked at Izz, who was raising an eyebrow at him, "Do you not hear me? I asked you what time it was. Are you deaf or something?"
He sighed for what felt like the thousandth time that night and placed his hand over her's on the table, smirking, "Don't worry about it, the party can wait for us. Let's just enjoy our time here alone."
This response seems to satisfy her since she leaned over the table to peck his lips. She removed her hand from under his in order to start eating. His actions with the waiter soon slipped from his mind as he copied her.
Jupiter ate his ravioli, the cheapest thing that was on the menu, and ate it with slight satisfaction. It was tasty, so he was glad that he wasn't giving people his money for a pile of shit. Luckily, Izz found her food to be satisfactory as well.
They had cleaned off their plates and ordered dessert afterwards, which they shared. A simple three layer chocolate cake that was rich and sweet. It immediately reminded him of Legolas considering his new obsession with chocolate... He was actually starting to regret giving him permission to go in his chocolate stash.
When the bill came to the table, his face nearly went pale. It was less than what he imagined it to be, but still expensive. Nonetheless, he paid for it, took Izz to the movies to watch some chick flick that she had been wanting to watch, then they were heading to the party.
Once they arrived, Izz ran off to her girlfriends and did her usual thing while he went off to grab a beer. He stood off to the side in the corner, watching the already escalated party continue wildly. Jupiter wasn't too crazy about parties, the only thing he comes for is the alcohol and the music. Usually, he lets Izz do what she wanted and hang out with her friends, then when the party winds down he carries her intoxicated body back to the car and drive her back home. All he cared about, really, was making sure that she had fun.
For most of the party, he denied other girls that ask to dance with him and sipped on his drink, pacing himself since he has to drive. He kept his eye on Izz, seeing that she was too busy socializing to take more than one shot, which was a bit strange since she tended to go nuts with the strong stuff and he sometimes had to step in to stop her.
The whole night he never got the chance to have a serious talk with his girlfriend, but he knew that it would come around eventually. Jupiter nearly choked on his beer when he remembered checking out that waiter's ass. He was on a date and he was checking out some dude's ass. Let him repeat that again very carefully. He has a beautiful girlfriend, and when he was out on a date with her, he was checking out the waiter. The waiter.
Really thinking about it now, he never checked out any girl, mostly his eyes would linger on a guy and he will now stop pondering over this because he has a girlfriend. Speaking of girlfriends... Where is she?
Frowning, he downed the rest of his beer and tossed it to some random direction. He pushed through sweaty, dancing bodies and tried to find a head of dirty blonde hair and a purple dress. Jupiter mentally cursed Ray for inviting so many people and escaped the dance floor in favor of searching her friends to ask them where she went.
He felt worry press down on him. More for what Isabelle was currently doing than her well-being at the moment. Drunk Izz can be crazy, but Sober Izz is unpredictable. He had a feeling that she was up to something and it was nothing good.
After a few minutes, he found the group, "You know where Izz is?"
One of the girls who had black hair pointed towards the stairs, "Ray told her something and went upstairs. They're probably talking."
Jupiter nodded and all the tension in his body left him. Ray may be a piece of shit, but he had been her stepbrother for years and actually cares about her like a brother should. He headed towards the staircase and checked his phone to find that it was two in the morning. He needed to take Izz home before her parents come back and start worrying. They don't need to know that she was at a party that their son was throwing at his house.
He kept his distance from couples and strangers making out in the halls, basically dry humping each other in their drunk states. Do these people not have a shred of decency, even when they're drunk? At least go into the bathroom or in a bedroom and make out...
The teen opened each door and peaked inside them. Some were empty, some he regretted looking into, and some were locked for reasons unknown. It frustrated him, and he was now wondering if that girl was lying to him as he reached the last door.
Before his hand even touched the knob, he heard Izz's voice inside. It was strange though, she didn't sound like herself... Pressing his ear against the door, he heard her muffled voice, "Oh, Ray..." His curiosity got the best of him and he twisted the door knob, cracking the door open slightly. He peeked in before immediately closing it.
Backing away, his back hit the wall opposite of the door as he stared wide-eyed at it. He did not just see that. No, no, it was just a hallucination, it's the alcohol getting to him. Yeah, that's it! It's all in his imagination!
"Shit, Ray! Harder! Yes!" He heard even more moans and pleasurable screams clearly through the music blasting downstairs, including the distinct sound of skin slapping against each other.
Jupiter bowed his head as if he were defeated. His expression was blank, his feelings perfectly being reflected onto his face. He just felt... empty. He wasn't sad or angry... Through that emptiness he just knew. He knew that it was going to happen, yet he had denied it constantly.
That Isabelle wasn't ᶓƀү ୴ղᥴ.
Like a ghost, he glided back down the stairs in a daze. As he made his way out the door, he grabbed a random unopened bottle of whiskey and went out to his car. Jupiter cared less if Izz didn't have a ride back home, Ray can fucking drive her there.
The drive was a blur and he parked his car once he got back home, grabbing the bottle of liquor as he exited. He made a b-line to the forest as he drank a mouthful of the bronze liquid. He might as well fill his emptiness with something...
By the time it was a quarter empty, he had arrived to an old campsite. It was a small open area surrounded by trees and in the middle of it all, there's a dead tree trunk in the ground that had been used for the fire along with logs around it for people to sit on. The area was almost pitch black and there might have been all types of critters that he didn't want to get near, but he didn't give a shit. Instead, he focused on trying to think of reasons why Izz would do this, his reasoning becoming slower and stupider the more he drank.
It didn't take long before the alcohol hit him full force and he passed out.
-o-
Is it weird that I'm pissed off at Isabelle? I mean, I am the one who made her do it... Sort of... Or was it her choice? Are we all doing what we want or are we all in a story too and doing what the writers want us to do?... I'll shut up now. The point is, I am very mad at Isabelle and I want to give Jupiter lots of cuddles and brownie batter ice cream.
And yes, ᶓƀү ୴ղᥴ was put in purposely as fancy gibberish. I wonder what it is... ;) (P.S. I'm not sure if the writing will show up for you, or if there will be those weird boxes or just a blank space...)
If there are any grammar/spelling mistakes, please tell me so I can fix it ASAP.