you promised the world and i fell for it (Invite)

[Deleted]

CW: This post contains mentions of physical abuse, slut-shaming, gaslighting, + victim blaming. He was so close to his lunch break. He'd actually had the chance to make himself lunch the day before specifically for this day - He'd learned from past experience that it was best to prepare a meal the day before it was needed. He'd made veggie dumplings for the first time. They'd been a pain in the ass to shape right and several were messier than he would have liked but they tasted perfectly fine in his opinion. He'd even packed the best ones, the least messy ones, in a bag and slapped Arnim's name on it before heading to work. Today was a good day, he decided. He had the same shift as Kim and while he wasn't sure if they were friends or not, she was good company while they waited on tables - the two of them often making fun of the annoying costumers while on break, making sure they were away and couldn't be overheard. He was laughing at a joke Kim had made as she helped him clear a table that a large party had used. He was wondering what Arnim was doing - Had he started his shift yet? Was he working today? He was thinking of anything else except-- "Hey, Babe." His heart felt like it dropped straight to his stomach. He recognized that voice - it hadn't been too long since he'd last heard it. The last he'd heard it, it'd been yelling and kicking him out of his own home. The last time he'd heard it, it'd been firing him. He hoped it didn't show on his face - the fear, how he felt like he'd paled, the sickness he felt at that fear. But the way Kim's eyes went from the man behind him to him told him it was probably obvious. He turned around to see his ex, Thaddeus, his eyes holding that warmth that Adrian had learned very quickly was faked, layered over a tundra of ice. "What are you doing here, Thad?" he asked, his voice strained as he tried to keep the fear, the venom out of it. He turned to grab more dirty dishes. "I'm working." Thaddeus gave Kim a warm, bright smile. Adrian wondered if his own body language told her not to trust that smile. "Friend of mine said he saw you working here," came the response, casual - far too casual. Adrian resisted the urge to shudder. He'd never liked Thad's friends. "Thought I'd see for myself." Adrian pointedly ignored him, putting the dirty dishes in the bin. It was heavy. He decided he'd carry it - not because he didn't think Kim could, simply because it gave him a reason to get away from Thaddeus. He'd only lifted the bin an inch from the table when-- "So who'd you fuck to get this job?" It was said purposefully loud. Diners quieted - they'd heard. Kim looked a mixture of pissed off and concerned. The bin slipped from his fingers and hit the table, the dishes inside clattering and clanking loudly. He felt like he couldn't breathe. He couldn't take his eyes, wide, off of Thaddeus. He couldn't get the color to return to his face. He couldn't get his stomach to stop twisting into a tight knot. "What?" Thaddeus continued, "You have a habit of bending over for your bosses." Adrian noted Kim stepping away - he couldn't tell if she was heading toward the kitchen or another part of the building. "I'm not having this conversation," he forced the words out, turning and walking away with all the strength he could muster. The bin was forgotten. He needed fresh air. He headed toward the garden, the vegetable one he knew the restaurant used. He was distinctly aware of footsteps following after him. Thaddeus had never liked it when he lost. He'd never liked coming in second. He pushed past Adrian, their shoulders bumping purposeful and rough as he passed through the garden's entrance, his hand reaching and grabbing Adrian's upper arm in a tight grasp that hurt. Adrian felt his fear returning. "What do you want?!" he found himself demanding, trying to get out of his grasp. The grasp on his arm tightened before he was released. He rubbed where Thaddeus' hand had been out of instinct, wondering if it was going to bruise. "You've been ignoring my texts," he stated as if it was some federal offense. "Well excuse me if I don't want to hook up with my ex," Adrian snapped. Thaddeus laughed, dark, humorless. "You literally fuck everyone--" "I don't." "But when I want to see you," Thaddeus continued, "You decide you suddenly have standards? Please, Babe, sluts don't have standards." Adrian thought he was going to throw up. "You knew about my job--" "And then you fucked men behind my back," Thaddeus' voice was a snarl. It made Adrian take a step back. "I didn't--" "Shut the fuck up, Adrian!!" Adrian flinched, his mouth clasping shut. Thaddeus was laughing again. "God, you always talk about how each man you date - each man you fuck - treats you like absolute shit, like garbage but you know what? There's a common denominator there, Babe, and it's not the men." He took a step closer. Adrian took two back. Thaddeus' smile was somehow a mixture of cruel and pitying. "Shouldn't be surprised though - You're just like your slut mother." He shouldn't have but he did. Adrian reached forward and pushed him roughly but Thaddeus was bigger, more muscular, taller, and stronger. He retaliated for Adrian's own retaliation, backhanding him, his nails scraping Adrian's cheek. He then less pushed him and rather grabbed and shoved him. Adrian found himself in the dirt by the carrots. He barely had time to try to get up before a foot slammed into his stomach, knocking the breath from his lungs.

... one track mind, one track heart. if i fail, i'll fall apart. maybe it is all a test 'cause i feel like i'm the worst so i always act like i'm the best ... adrian @(open invite to any of the Aria brothers + their significant others) work uniform 968 words This takes place after Honey I'm Home.

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Most of his lunch breaks were spent off of Watch Dog's  Astaria campus nowadays. Whether Inara had an off day and he came home to the apartment to take his lunch and visit with his love, or if he stopped into HomeGrown to sit and chat with Inara and his brothers while they had free moments. This day in particular was the latter. He sat quietly inside, waiting for his boyfriend, or perhaps Ashem to have a seat at the table with him. His attention was caught by the entrance of a stranger, who immediately gave him bad vibes from the start. Seated back in the kitchen, he couldn't hardly see what was happening, and he craned his head to look pointedly at the intruder. Cautiously, he watched the strange man walk right up to Adrian, the new guy. Narrowing his eyes he watched, just managing to catch the way the shorter man's face fell at just the sight of him. Things visibly began to escalate. He started to push himself to his feet, hoping to intervene after the crude and demeaning comment had barely left the guy's lips. He could hear it all the way from where he sat waiting for Inara. It seemed Kim had a similar idea. They silently exchanged a look, and he gave her a nod, silently willing her to go get the other boys as he moved past her out of the kitchen. Adrian stormed out, and the stranger followed, and Andy quickly moved out of his chair and after them. Outside in the garden it escalated to a screaming match between the two, and piece by piece he put together the asshole was Adrian's ex. He stepped forward, hoping to break it up, starting with a firm "Hey!" to get their attention. No response. Andy floundered for a moment, before drawing closer and joining the shouting match, anger starting to rise in his voice: "Listen bloke, you need to leave. Now." Before his eyes, it got physical, and he watched helplessly for a moment as Adrian tried to push the guy away, and received a backhand for his efforts. Something within him snapped at that moment, already fed up with the attitude and the volley of insults being thrown needlessly. Throwing himself forward, he shoved the man away from Adrian, putting himself between the two of them best he could. Andy earned a punch to the face for his efforts, feeling the sting of his lip splitting. He pushed again, following it up with a well aimed counter hit to the man's nose, bloodying it near instantly. That seemed to get his attention. "I told you to piss off and get the bloody hell out of here. You're not fucking welcome." He spat, glaring at the stranger. Without a response, he was bowled over into the dirt, the other man wailing on him as they went down. With a firm grip he wrestled the bastard into a hold to keep him from causing anymore damage. Face down in the dirt and all but snarling, Andy wrenched the man's arm behind his back and pinned him there, pushing threateningly against the arm at every slight movement from the other guy. Chest heaving, he glanced down at the stranger, before looking for Adrian and calling out to him. "Hey, you alright? Hang in there, Kim's getting the boys and she'll get you inside. We'll take care of this prick."

. . . 'cause andy you're a star, in nobody's eyes but mine. . . copycat @inara wordcount: 556

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"Inara!" He looked up from where he was, out the back door of the kitchen, where he was picking some fresh produce from a container to bring inside for the lunch rush. Kim's voice had never sounded that strained before, and immediately he snapped into a hyper-aware, protective mode. "Kim, what's wrong?" The waitress said something about a guy and Adrian going into the vegetable patch. Just the tone told Inara he needed to see what was happening, and he caught Kim halfway through the explanation. "Just- manage the dining room." Inara rushed along the exterior of the HomeGrown complex. The vegetable garden came into view quickly, and he faltered. Andrew was being tackled to the ground, blows raining down on him. Inara's chest sparked. Azure and silver stardust flooded his eyes and leaped into the air around him. Gardening equipment crowded against the wall beside him drifted ominously into the air. His lips snagged in a snarl and instinct leveled his hand at the stranger attacking his Andrew. The constellation that started knitting in front of his palm wobbled when Inara felt someone behind him. He looked to see Arnim, who had frozen, taking in the scene, putting the pieces together in an instant. Inara cursed inwardly, forced to change tact, even if the interruption was keeping him from making a rash mistake. "Arnim, wait-" Arnim took his turn to leak stardust, this time gold and magenta. He tried to throw himself forward, a primal anger twisting his handsome features. Inara grunted, calling on a different constellation than the one he'd been about to level at Andy's attacker. The force field rushed into place around Arnim, who balked at it, then let loose a wave of stardust that rolled against the interior of the bubble. Inara strained, muscles standing out in his neck and arms. "Arnim, think! You can't-" Arnim continued to push against Inara's shield, "-but Adrian," he said through the effort. The stardust built in Inara's eyes, warping his voice. "Enough," he ordered. The shield knocked Arnim's footing off, forcing him to stumble to keep upright. His stardust withered, and the surprise of it all was enough to make reason catch up with his emotions - just like his appearance had helped Inara do the same thing. Together the two Aria's looked back to the vegetable garden. Andrew had the man he'd been fighting with pinned. "Go to him," Inara said and, with a last spurt of focus, folded the shield around Arnim into nothingness. While Arnim rushed at a run toward Adrian, Inara followed him, headed for his boyfriend. "Andrew," he called out, tone twisted with worry and anger and confusion and so many other emotions. Rather than pull Andy off of the man he had pinned, Inara scowled and dropped on his knee, planting it in the small of the stranger's back to make it easier on Andrew. Arnim helped Adrian to his feet, any awkwardness that'd been between them the last few days replaced by sheer, unfiltered concern. "Are you okay?" he asked Adrian, bracing one hand on each of the other man's biceps and looking earnestly into his eyes.

. . . And then I learned the truth How everything good in life seems to lead back to you And every single time I run into your arms I feel like I exist for love. . . eos @adrian

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He hadn't noticed Andrew. He'd been far too distracted by the yelling, the fear, the anger, the fear returning. His eyes had never once left Thaddeus because he knew if he did, he'd be grabbed, he'd be at a disadvantage. Not that he could fight back. His fear kept him frozen. His gaze was only moved once he was on the ground, curled up and clutching his stomach which ached. He expected another attack - perhaps for Thaddeus to get on top of him and do... He didn't want to think about that. But that never came. He became aware of the fact that Thaddeus' feet were no longer near him and thus he was no longer near him. Then he became aware of the fight, knowing what it was the second he heard it. He remained on the ground because everything in his body, in his mind, was telling him if he tried to get up, somehow he'd be pushed back down. It took him a moment to recognize Andrew because of how close they were fighting and the blood - oh God no. Andrew was hurt and it was his fault. He wondered if he begged enough, would Thaddeus leave Andrew alone? But then Andrew clearly and somehow won the fight, pinning Thaddeus, who was using quite colorful language - mixed in with Adrian's own name, he noticed - to the ground. He wondered if that meant it was safe to get up. But there was the risk that Thaddeus would get free and push him down again. He remained where he was, small and vulnerable, though his eyes were glued onto the scene before him, watching Thaddeus as if he was a predator and Adrian was the prey. His eyes snapped to Andrew instantly at his words. The boys...? Oh. In the back of his mind, he wondered if he looked as panicked as he felt. The more people involved meant the more that could get hurt because of him. And if Inara knew? He needed this job. He really needed this job. That and Thaddeus already seemed thoroughly pissed off. He didn't want to think about what he'd do in retaliation for this. "Why...?" he couldn't help asking, the word a breath, a whisper that caused him to cough from the kick he'd received earlier. He barely knew Andrew - Why had he come to help? Why had he intervened? He couldn't recall anyone ever intervening before. But then Arnim was there. It was probably stupid but he felt the urge to ask him if he'd liked the dumplings, despite everything that had just happened. Things had been... Tense between the two of them after they'd spent time together in Arnim's bed. Thankfully having two jobs made it easy to avoid his roommate because he'd figured Arnim wouldn't want to see him. He hadn't even known if he'd want the dumplings as he'd packed them into a lunch for him. But Arnim was there and all he wanted was to be in his arms again, to feel that sense of safety again. He grimaced as he was helped to his feet, his stomach still sore from the kick and protesting at the movement. That was when he noticed Inara and paled, though his boss' attention seemed primarily focused on Andrew, who he knew was his boyfriend. In Adrian's mind, because he'd been told this multiple times over the course of his life, this was all his fault. He wasn't sure how entirely but it was. He'd brought this trouble to HomeGrown. He would have understood if Inara fired him on the spot to keep the other employees and customers safe. But he really needed this job. Adrian's eyes found Arnim's at the sound of his voice, the touch of his hands. The scratches on his right cheek from Thaddeus' nails were starting to bleed. That side of his face, especially under his eye, hurt from the blow. He didn't think he was okay. He opened his mouth to speak, unsure what he'd say. "Fucking hell!" Thaddeus' voice cut him off and Adrian flinched, leaning more into Arnim's embrace as if searching for a shield. "What is he fucking all of you--OW!" Thaddeus' own words were cut off by the arrival, Adrian noticed, of Ardeshir, who dug the heel of his boot - which was heeled - into Thaddeus' ankle. Adrian thought he saw stardust similar to Arnim's except a different color dancing between Ardeshir's fingers but he blinked and it was gone. Ardeshir's eyes glanced over Adrian and Arnim, though Adrian felt like they lingered on him, perhaps noticing the injuries. Then his gaze was on Inara and Andrew and then it settled in a cold glare on Thaddeus. "I can hold him," Ardeshir said as if he had experience detaining assholes that Adrian knew nothing about, "I'll keep him here until the cops arrive." At the mention of the cops, Adrian's body jerked as if he wanted to stop them. He didn't want the authorities to get involved. He didn't want to press charges. It'd only make things worse, he was sure of it. "Don't!" he found himself saying, the fear he felt still evident on his paled face. He heard Thaddeus start to laugh only to be cut off by Ardeshir's heel returning to his ankle. "It - It's my fault. I... I pushed him." He didn't know how much everyone had seen but he also wasn't lying. It didn't matter that Thaddeus had been verbally harassing him. He'd tried to push him so in his own mind, that meant everything was on him.

... one track mind, one track heart. if i fail, i'll fall apart. maybe it is all a test 'cause i feel like i'm the worst so i always act like i'm the best ... adrian @andy work uniform Ardeshir 932 words I was too lazy to make a new outfit for Ardeshir LOL.

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Hearing his name in that tone his head snapped up instantly, brown eyes alert and searching, finding Inara walking towards him and the bloke he had pinned down. At the string of insults and curses, Andy's eyes dropped to the stranger once more in anger, and he pushed sharply against the arm, wrenching a pained groan out of the man. His burden was eased, as Inara and later Ardeshir came to help him. He relinquished his full hold, but kept the arm trapped behind the bastard's back with his knee on it to prevent any cheap shots. Glancing back at Inara, he gave a sheepish smile, wincing at the pain in his lip and nose and reaching a hand up to dab at the blood curiously. With a shrug, more to himself than anything, he scanned the area once more, watching Ashem come out of the woodwork as well covered in grease, no doubt from either the restaurant or the shed where they kept all the tools. Ashem took one look at him, and one at Adrian, and headed inside wordlessly, returning a moment later with two sandwich bags of ice, a box of band aids, some antibiotic ointment and a couple alcohol wipes. Andy finally levered himself up, letting Ardeshir take over in his place, and Ashem stepped closer to hand him a couple of wipes, a few band aids and one of the bags, quickly turning on his heel away from Andy and stepping over to Adrian to offer the rest of the gifts he'd brought with him from the medicine cabinet. With a quiet hiss, he dabbed the alcohol wipe against his lip and cheek, wiping up the blood best as he could before holding the makeshift ice pack to his face. Catching Inara's eyes once more, he gave a small smile and shook his head at the worried look directed at him, murmuring truthfully, "It's alright. It looks worse than it is." He paused, throwing an idle glance at Adrian and Arnim, and Ashem now that he'd joined the pair and was offering medical supplies, before adding: "I'm just glad Adrian's okay. No one deserves to be talked to like that."

. . . 'cause andy you're a star, in nobody's eyes but mine. . . copycat @inara wordcount: 365

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