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thelanguishing · 2 years

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when we meet again (mouthpiece x velma)

a/n: as requested by @mp198651-blog, i managed to write a piece on what i thought mouthpiece and velma’s meeting might look like a few years down the road. i wasn’t planning on churning it out so quickly, but i just got rejected from one of my dream schools so i decided writing might help as a distraction. spoiler alert: it didn’t. still disappointed. anyway, this one is a lot longer than my first one, but i hope that you don’t mind too much! i really wld recommend reading my previous one first (it’s called the aftermath) to give more context as to the significance of some of their dialogue when they meet. please enjoy!

word count: 2477

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Somewhere along the Upper West Side, Mouthpiece finishes organising the comic books along his little stand. Heaving a sigh of relief, he stands back, inspecting his work. Why, he’s getting better and better at this! The newest editions of Superman lie proudly front and centre, and you can barely notice the little tears in the more worn copies at the back. The colour of the magazine covers lie in a perfect gradient of red to black. His boss should be so proud of his up-and-coming apprentice. In no time at all, Mouthpiece would be more than ready to open and close the store on his own.

As customers stream in and out throughout the day, Mouthpiece helps his boss tend to their products, tirelessly rearranging and taking in the new stock. His skinny, kindly middle aged employer walks up to him and pats his back proudly.

“Boy, you takin’ good care of the shop, ain’t ya! Ya doing me real proud here.” His jovial warble reverberates around the little store, words of praise bouncing off the walls into Mouthpiece’s ears. Mouthpiece turns slightly red at the generous praise. Compliments from anyone at all were so rare, he nearly didn’t remember the last time someone paid him one.

Oh, wait. It was probably her.

It’s a rather quiet time of day, so Mouthpiece deposits himself on a little stool behind the cashier, deeply lost in his own thoughts. How long had it been since he saw his beautiful girl?

Ah, his mistake. She wasn’t his anymore. He thinks back to the day of the Dog Days Dance, nearly four summers ago by now.

They were in her bedroom, after she’d let him in through her fire escape. It was their tradition to let one another do the final touch ups on their outfits before going out. His well worn signature cap in hand, Mouthpiece extended it to her after plopping himself on her duvet, looking at her expectantly. She adjusted it deftly onto his head, placing a little kiss on his cheek after she was satisfied. In return, he’d helped her put on her necklace, careful not to catch her hair in it. He remembered how excited she had been that night.

“I’ll get to dance all night with the best dancer in alla New York tonight! I won’t let you go even for a single minute. And, my, don’t you look handsome.” She declared, voice lilting the way it always did when she felt pride. Mouthpiece grinned cheekily, pulling her close.

“Of course we’ll dance all night. Just you and me, Vel.” He promised, even going so far as to link their pinkies together. Velma loved it when they got to do cheesy, childish things like this. It made her feel as if the boy underneath wasn’t completely lost to the anger of his world. He remembered how pleased he’d been by her offhanded, but genuine compliment, as they remained entwined in each other’s embrace as they made their way to the school gym.

Refocusing on the cash register, Mouthpiece forces himself to count the spare change, making a mental reminder to go get more dollar bills for the till. But as he attempts to apply himself to his work, he finds Velma clouding his thoughts. It isn’t uncommon, per se. It’s the little things, like seeing a blue dress in Gimbels or red roses from the florist he used to frequent. There are bits of her in everything. Even the way the sun would so brightly shine through an overcast afternoon. I hope Vel’s doing alright now, wherever she is.

The same day, Velma poises herself in a seat opposite her mother at the dining table, hands perfectly folded while she waits for her mother to speak. Hands together, shoulders back, chin up. She has done everything to work on her posture at the table, just like her mother demands. As her mother gestures to the food, Velma daintily picks up the soup spoon and begins eating. Her other hand is casually but constantly resting on her napkin, ready to wipe her mouth should the soup stain her face. It is an effort to consistently remind herself of etiquette, but she will practise diligently until it comes to her as naturally as it does to her mother. The perfect Upper East Side wife.

“Velma, you have been doing wonderfully with all our etiquette practice. I arranged for you to meet the son of your father’s business partner. The boy’s name is Thomas. He’s very handsome, and you’ll make a good wife for him. If all is well, we can have you two married within the year. Go shopping sometime today, please, and get yourself a good dress to meet him in a few days.” Her mother issued her instructions before excusing herself to her room.

Velma isn’t surprised by the idea. No, she’s always known she would have to marry the heir of some business. The younger, more naive girl in her might have tried to oppose that, wishing to marry for love instead. But over the past few years, she’d learnt what stability and comfort could do for you. If you married well, there wouldn’t be a day in your life where you worried about rent or food. You could go to as many dances as you wanted. You’d probably end up organising some of your own. You might not be blissful, but you sure as hell wouldn’t be destitute.

Oh wait, ladies don’t use the word hell.

But that name. Of all the Johns, Davids, and Jameses, why did he have to share the same name as the boy from her past? The only boy, really, who she could truly count as a part of her history?

Velma indulges herself and leans back on the dining room chair. She thinks back to the last Thomas she’s known, the last Thomas she’s ever loved. She is always cool and collected, and the way she filters her thoughts is no different. Mouthpiece is a part of her life that no longer fits, and therefore she tries to sieve him away from memory. But she admits that he slips through the gaps a lot. It’s the little things, like watching a passerby adjust his cap or the Batman comics she sees in the shops near her house. There are bits of him in everything. Even the way the sun would so brightly shine through an overcast afternoon. I hope Mouthpiece is doing alright now, wherever he is.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Velma grabs her purse and strides out of the house. The sooner she gets that dress, the better. Gimbels is still the biggest clothing department store near her, and so she heads that way.

The Upper East Side and the Upper West Side aren’t all that far away from each other, in reality. But Velma oftentimes finds herself subconsciously steering away from the Upper West Side wherever possible, away from her old haunts with her old friends, and as far away as she can from Doc’s. She tells herself that it is because of all the reconstruction, but her heart knows better. It is better to avoid the place and people who wounded you, lest something happens again.

Walking through the outskirts of the Upper West Side streets, Velma already notices how much the area has changed over the few years. Shiny new apartment complexes rise from where old rubble once was. There is less dust and more delight. It’s almost unrecognisable.

She soaks in the new Upper West Side, surveying the smaller shops surrounding Gimbels. A small diner. A pub. A comic book store. The establishments are unfamiliar, but not exactly everything is. She’s no stranger to the longing in her gut as her eyes fall on the comic book store.

It’s just a comic book store. You don’t even like comics.

But she remains fixated on that quiet little shop. There’s no point even trying to stop the floodgate of memories as she burns a hole in that shop with her eyes. She can suddenly hear Mouthpiece’s laugh; he is chuckling as he tries to show her his favourite characters from whatever comic he has on hand, and she playfully swats at him. She can smell the sweetness of their chocolate milkshake; they always used to share one whenever they went out for dates. She can feel his arms around her waist again; he was always pulling her impossibly close everywhere they went. Her chest tightens as she recalls how happy she was, how happy they both were. He always did have a way of making her feel like the only girl in the world.

From inside the store, it is hard to make out clearly who that figure across the street is. Mouthpiece has long noticed that woman standing there on the road, just waiting to get knocked down by an oncoming car. He has half a mind to go across and tell her to step aside, unless she has a death wish. Watching for about half a minute more, he finally brushes himself off and opens the door of the shop.

Dumb broad ain’t never heard of road safety before.

Mouthpiece has every intention of calling, “Hey, miss! Ya wanna step aside or get railed down by the next car?” But the words die in his throat as he makes eye contact with the one girl plaguing his mind for the past three, nearly four years. She’s older, curvier, and taller, but the first thought that crosses his mind is that she’s still pretty.

They awkwardly stare at each other for half a second before recognition fully sets in. Now on the cusp of adulthood, Mouthpiece looks a lot taller and stronger from their last meeting. His jaw is more defined, his cheekbones a little sharper. He looks like a man now.

Settling for a wave, she finally inches tentatively towards him into the store. Their last meeting had been tearful and angry and messy, and looking at his grimace, Velma knows he’s recalling it vividly too. A bit of a bad place to pick up off, if she was being honest.

Neither of them want to break the ice, but the suffocating tension in the shop doesn’t go unnoticed by Mouthpiece’s boss. He meaningfully clears his throat, gives Mouthpiece an encouraging look, and retreats to the back of the shop.

At this, Velma finally asks, ‘This where you work now?’

Mouthpiece dumbly nods, for once at a total loss for words. What are you supposed to say to the only girl you’ve been thinking about for the past three years and counting when you finally meet her again? But even through the speechlessness, there is no apprehension or nervousness looking at her. His chest relaxes, his eyes soften, his back slouches just a little. It feels like he is looking at home.

Looking at this lost visual of Mouthpiece, Velma grins. She doesn’t think he’s ever been this silent around anyone. It’s rather refreshing.

Finally, he strings together a few words, enough to make him look less like a mute fool.

‘It’s good to see you, Vel…ma. Ya look great.’

She picks up on the delayed addition of the final syllable in her name. It’s all Velma can do not to hold back a bittersweet smile. He never did forget what I said about people calling me Vel.

She accepts the polite remark with a deferential nod of the head, but not before returning one of her own.

‘You look good too, Mouthpiece.’ And she means it. He does look good. A lot healthier. Happier, too. His eyes are less clouded by hate and rage. There is an added element of contentment in his expressions now.

Small talk emerges, and it is clear from the way Velma responds and reacts that she has not maintained contact with anyone on the Upper West Side. Not any of the Jets, not their girlfriends, not even Graziella. Mouthpiece provides her with careful updates about the Upper West Side girls. Grazi has a little boy who just turned three. It doesn’t take much for Velma to figure out that the boy is Riff’s. Rhonda got hitched, though Mouthpiece evasively avoids the name of the groom. Velma has a feeling she knows who it is, though.

In turn, Velma provides updates of her own. She has been going to school, practising her manners with her mother, and learning to cook. She mentions going to Gimbels to shop for a dress at the request of her mother, but leaves out the detail that it is for a meeting with a potential suitor. She has a feeling Mouthpiece knows what it’s for, too.

As they get more comfortable, Velma perches herself on the armrest of a couch in the store. Their first meeting is not perfect, but she appreciates how they both try to put the other at ease. It is what she imagines meeting an old, distant friend is like.

‘Velma? I wanted ta tell ya somethin’ else.’ Mouthpiece’s words cut through Velma’s musings, and she nods at him to continue.

‘I never said sorry for what I did. I never told ya how sorry I was for what I did and didn’t do that night. So even though it’s late, I’m sorry, for how I treated ya and Grazi and Tessie, and I’m even sorrier to the Shark girl for what I’d did. I already apologised to her, if you’d wanna know. It don’t make things any better, saying sorry like that, but I knew I just gotta say it anyway. It’s worse if I don’t.’

Mouthpiece fears her reaction to his vulnerable confession. What if she thinks I’m being patronising? What if she cries all over again? What if she remembers how bad it really was and storms off? Time stops for him as he holds his breath, nervously anticipating a reaction as violent as the one he faced that last day they met.

But the explosion never comes. Velma finally smiles that beautiful, bittersweet smile of hers, and takes a deep breath before formulating her response.

‘I forgive you. And I forgive all the other Jets too. I didn’t get the brunt of the attack that day, but thank you for apologising to me anyway. It took me a long time, but I forgive you now.’

At that moment, Mouthpiece swears he feels tears spring to his eyes. The only girl he has ever loved, who once pushed him away from her bedroom window, now sits before him with forgiveness in her heart? He thought he’d never live to see this day. Trembling, he reaches out and grasps her hand gratefully.

‘Thanks, Velma. Really. Thank you.’

Her smile grows into something more loving.

‘It’s Vel.’

#west side story fanfic #mouthpiece x velma #west side story 2021 #ben tyler cook #maddie ziegler #my stories #writing #rambling #west side story

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angeltrapz · 3 years

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helo beloved mutual connor, im sorry ur goin thru it rn but i come bearing asks n a heart emoji (💗): bcuz i have had this thought floatin around for a lil bit, wld love 2 hear ur takes on an Adam/Eric/Mallick (+ Art too if u want!) road trip vacation! how long wld they go, do they get motels or camp or just sleep in th car? whats everyone's favorite road trip snack? what sorta shit do they like 2 stop for? (weird tourist traps like giant balls of yarn etc, small town main street stores, cool looking restaurants, nature sites, Actual Destinations, so on n so forth!)

fjkdsd thank u beloved mutual adam,,, <3

ohhh I love tht idea!! road trip fics/hcs are one of my weaknesses,,

but um!! I rly like the idea of th four of them going camping a few hours up north!! (we... don't rly know where. SAW is set so just. imagine a vaguely rural campground lmao. I'm used to camping in th upper peninsula of MI so) it's smth tht Art did a lot w his family when he was growing up, so he's th most familiar w it - Eric went a few times as a kid too, Mallick went Once, n Adam has never rly been camping, w his family or otherwise (he's slept on a trampoline at one of his friends' houses once tho). Art is p excited abt it tbh, it's not exactly smth he gets 2 do often so he's got this whole list planned of things he wants 2 show them!!

it's easiest 2 just take a week in late August, bc they can head back home on a Friday n have the weekend to settle n readjust b4 th coming week + they have to go back 2 work. so they head out around ten on a Monday morning 2 kind of get ahead of th traffic (or at least try to). Art drives both bc he insists and bc he knows they can switch if he needs to, which he does later w Eric. it's a good couple hours (at least 3) b4 they get 2 th campground Art wants to take them to, so clearly it is Music Time + Adam made sure 2 bring CDs! a lot of that time is just spent vibing 2 th music and singing very, very loudly (ESP on Adam + Mallick's end). Art's up front like u three are so fucking goofy (affectionate), but eventually he starts singing too lmao.

Mallick starts th Colour Game, where they try 2 find a car fr every colour of th rainbow. it's smth Eric is familiar w as well bc he used 2 play it w Daniel sometimes, and it's good until they come to purple bc how often do u see purple cars??? so Adam's just like "we're not gonna find pink either" n tht's when this fucking pink pickup truck (noticeably spray-painted, + not done well) passes them n Adam just groans n thumps his head against th window. Mallick is like, trying rly hard not to laugh by pressing a hand over his mouth + Art is biting his lip, but Eric is very openly cackling bc "u see what happens when u assume???" (he gets a very light slap 2 th shoulder but it's still very gentle)

ANYWAY. favourite snacks!! Adam can eat Way Too Many Sour Patch Kids. sour anything, actually, as long as it's candy. yes his tongue hurts and no he doesn't regret it. Eric just gets goldfish bc he tends 2 get a lil carsick + bc it's a food tht's familiar n comforting, n he doesn't rly want 2 be eating anything Too heavy (he's up front w Art, so he can sit by a window in case he needs some fresh air at any point). Mallick likes m&m's, but he switches fr cheez-its every once in a while bc he can only eat so much chocolate. Art likes those peanut-butter filled pretzel bites! he's also partial 2 animal crackers tho. they also bring a good amount of snacks/things they can b sure th four of them like, bc yeah there's a lil store abt a half hour away frm their campsite + they can go there to pick up things if they need 2, but it's easier 2 bring things they like, too. (there's also a mcdonald's in tht town n. they do go there at LEAST twice.)

th campsite they stay at has a lake + a beach, n one of Art + Adam's fave things 2 do is walk along it to see if they can find anything interesting! Mallick goes sometimes too, but mostly he stays w Eric bc Eric can't do tht fr as long as Adam + Art can (not tht he's resentful of it tho). he n Mallick chill on th beach w a blanket (it's kind of like. not necessarily sandy?) n just kinda sit against/lay on each other n read sometimes. Adam + Art come back 2 where they're set up to find them sleeping n Adam has never been more thankful he thought 2 bring his camera!!

on th second day Art + Mallick want 2 go swimming, so th four of them come back out to th beach, but Adam stays out of th water + Eric stays w him. they both know th water will be cold, even if it's late summer, n Adam rly doesn't like being in cold water ESP if it's over his head/he can't touch th bottom. fr Eric th cold can b kind of painful, so they chill n walk along th beach fr a little bit n just talk. Adam gets some good pictures n even gets some of Eric! he also does take a selfie of them, he can't help it. he gets a couple of Mallick + Art too. it's honestly such a nice thing fr them n it just feels like they can breathe easy, not having 2 worry abt looking over their shoulders constantly (tho they're all getting better abt that).

th third day they spend around th campsite to kind of unwind n relax. they might walk th beach a little bit again, but mostly they just sorta chill n walk some of th trails around the campground itself. when night falls they light a small bonfire (Mallick is still iffy around fire, understandably) n they sit around it in their folding chairs w th cupholders (Adam gets red, Eric has green, Art gets blue, + Mallick gets dark green) n make s'mores. they talk abt anything n everything until they're barely able 2 keep their eyes open, n then after making sure th fire is pretty much out they kinda just stumble into th tent n none of them r awake for very long after (they specifically got one tht cld comfortably hold th four of them).

fourth day!! they pack up n head into another little town about 45 minutes away; it's bigger than th one around th campgrounds. after they get situated in a motel room w two beds, they do some window shopping + going into lil stores that interest them! Adam def buys some niche graphic tees tht aren't going 2 make sense to anyone other than th four of them n he's delighted abt it. I like 2 think Eric gets a worry stone, specifically made out of rose quartz. Mallick too, but his is made of amethyst! he also gets a rly cool multicoloured jacket in a thrift store they duck into. Art gets a hoodie w th town's name on it n he's pretty happy w that. they get a few more lil things, just little knick-knacks while they're there, n then they have dinner in this lil diner they'd walked past earlier bc it's inexpensive + the atmosphere is very lowkey n honestly just Nice. there's not a bunch of ppl, the servers r rly kind n the lights aren't too bright, which Eric rly appreciates. it's such a tender moment bc they're squeezed into a booth, Adam + Mallick on one side n Art + Eric on th other, n they're talking n laughing n stealing bites of each other's food n it's Comfortable.

then they head back to th motel n channel surf while unpacking enough 2 get to their sleep clothes. Adam + Eric r sharing a bed n Art + Mallick r sharing th other one, tho Adam is very tempted 2 just push them together so they're all close by (th distance btwn th beds isn't tht big to begin with, but it's the principle of th thing). mostly tho, until they go to bed, they're pretty much just all stretched out Everywhere. Adam is only discouraged frm jumping across th divide btwn th beds bc Art breaks out his Lawyer Voice, despite trying rly hard not to laugh, to say Yr Going To Hurt Yrself, Don't Do That. he grumbles n whines abt it but Adam knows he's right jdhjks (th way he sees it is like. he can b silly sometimes. he's Earned It, but he also trusts Art + wasn't super serious abt tht idea). eventually tho Eric can hardly keep his eyes open n Mallick is just straight up asleep while he's still sitting up so tht's when they all go to bed after making sure every1 is comfortable. they leave a lamp on.

fifth day they pack everything up again n stop 2 walk th trails of this lil park b4 they head home! there's a lil shop near th parking lot so they spend a lil bit of time looking around in there first. they probably pick up a few lil things, souvenirs, n Adam walks around 2 get some pictures. he gets this rly cool one while they're on a bridge, th sun peeking thru the clouds a lil bit n shining down on th water. he's super excited to develop tht one (but he's excited to develop All of them, bc this is his family!!!) + he n Art discuss whether or not they're gonna need another cork board lol. eventually tho they round back to th parking lot n on th way home, they stop at another lil hole-in-th-wall kind of place, but it's just as nice as the first one they'd been to. after tht Eric switches spots w Art n he drives them home!!

they're all exhausted when they get back but they have room to crash w each other while they nap so tht's what they do. they fall asleep all tangled together, Art stretched out w Eric's head on his chest, Adam curled against Eric's back, n Mallick w his head on Art's stomach. there r arms n legs everywhere n tht is okay. they're happy. they love each other. they had a lot of fun on their trip n they're tired, but they're comfortable!! tht's what it's all abt!!! it's just such a good n relaxing experience fr them after all th shit they've been thru.

#can u tell I. love camping jdkfks #saw #art #adam #eric #mallick #ty ty!!! I rly appreciate it #I'm doing okay now mostly I think. pretty much always open fr saw asks tho djhfkjsd ESP if they're abt the polycule!!#I literally Do Not get sick of talking abt them dkjdskd #asks #gotta update th masterpost later!! I remembered yesterday but I was up fr too long lmao #real talk tho. thank u fr sending me asks they're my fave <3

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