Safe Haven [Feli & Luci]

[Feliciano Vargas]

He was so tired. So terribly tired…His body seemed to forget how to move properly and Feliciano staggered about the hallway leading to his friend’s flat, looking like a drunkard, no doubt. He supposed that wouldn’t look too out of place in that regard; he’d seen more than a few students tumbling back towards their rooms in the early hours of the morning, and right now he looked just like them. The chill of the night still clung to the petite Italian and he never missed the warmth of his home country more than in the dead of the British winters. All he wanted was to take a shower and collapse into his bed. And yet, his tired and numbed mind knew he couldn’t go home, there was no lights and no heat and no hot water to welcome him. He sighed and clutched his woolen coat closer to his chest. His latest target had been more difficult than he’d anticipated and his shirt was soaked through with blood and sweat, which only served to make him colder and made it a lot harder to find a place to stay. Maybe he could convince Luci to let him take a nice hot shower. It shouldn’t be hard, she’d always been such a sweetheart, always willing to let him crash on her couch in exchange for a home cooked meal and Feliciano was quite confident in his powers of persuasion. After all, this was hardly the first time he’d shown up, bloody and exhausted, at her door.

He had to admit, of all the people he’d suspect to have a second life, Lucille Bibourette had not even made the list. Her band had played at the Bunker, nearly a year ago, and Lucille had caught his eye immediately. She’d taken the stage like a hurricane, commanding the attention of everyone at the Bunker, employees and patrons alike. A wild spirit with a cloud of dark hair that seemed to float about her, her delicate features were still angelic despite the piercings and heavy stage make-up, designed to make her look world-weary and hard. Feliciano had propped his chin on his hands, content to lean on his bar and watch her perform. She was hardly his normal type, and yet he couldn’t keep his eyes off of her. Like magnets, he felt himself being drawn to her, compelled to talk to her. And talk he had. As the night had been wrapping up, and the band was tearing down, Feliciano had appeared with a bottled water and what he’d hoped would be a winning smile. It looked like, his instincts about her were right—they had fallen into an easy friendship almost immediately. He’d taken her to his favorite coffee shop and they’d whiled away the last hours of the night deep in conversation. From there on out, she had been a constant feature in his life. Feliciano liked her, probably would have pursued her, but the burden of his double life, as it had so often before, kept her at arm’s length. But all that changed nearly three months ago.

Looking back, he couldn’t have been luckier to have Luci learn of his secret. After so long of being on his own, with no one to turn to, to rely on, he couldn’t describe how nice it was to have someone in his corner. And tonight, as he knocked clumsily on her door, he took a moment to thank whatever forces that be for her friendship. He leaned on the doorframe, resisting the urge to fall asleep right there. He looked at his watch, worried that she might be asleep. It was nearly 3 am and nearly any other person would be.

“Luci? It’s me, Feli. Can I please come in? The power’s off in my flat again….” He bit back a whimper. The adrenaline of the job had long since had abandoned him, leaving guilt and exhaustion in its place. He didn’t know where to go if not here. Sure, there was Fratello and Nonno, but how could he show up to either of their houses like this? How could he explain the blood? No. If he couldn’t stay here, he had no choice but to return to his dark and icy apartment. Supressing another yawn, he knocked again. “Luci? I’ll cook you lots of delicious food… Just open the door, si?”

@lucille Nibourette

[Lucille Nibourette]

It was three in the morning and Lucille Nibourette was beyond tired. She wanted to go to sleep, but nevertheless she was making a valiant effort at keeping awake. The reason behind this was the rather hectic week that had just transpired, with some sort of booking each day, which meant that she was hideously behind on nearly all of her TV shows, an abject horror, really. She needed to find out what was happening on the latest episode of The Walking Dead and How to Get Away With Murder, not to mention Empire, and she certainly was not going to hold back now that she finally had a break! Even if she had class in the morning… Her attendance had been good enough this semester, so it shouldn't be an awful drawback for her to skip tomorrow, would it? Nah, of course not! Her professors should surely understand that being a student while holding down a blossoming singing career was no easy task!

That was the entire reasoning behind why she was where she was, in the living room with the dim glow of her laptop illuminating her features and a set of headphones around her ears, listening enraptured as Viola Davis swore to protect her students (even if they were murderers). The entire storyline was all too relatable in some ways, which she was sure it wasn't meant to be, but—well—tough luck changing reality. The noise-canceling headphones was the reason she didn't hear the knocking at her door until she felt compelled to take them off, too overwhelmed with emotion at the end of the episode that she needed to do… something. Grab a pillow and roll around, or go to the kitchen to find some comfort food to snack on, but as it happened, she was met with a knocking when she slipped the headphones off and absently shook her hair out.

Her first reaction was one of annoyance—of course it was her drunk neighbors again, returning home after a night at the bar and finding the wrong door—but then her impromptu visitor spoke, and that sense of annoyance promptly vanished. Though she would have been exasperated if it hadn't been three in the morning; even if she was accustomed to Feliciano dropping in from time to time, he would never be bothering her this late unless it was something important, so the exasperation she might have felt over oh, of course you didn't pay your bills again instead gave way to a nagging bit of worry.

Setting her laptop and headphones down on the couch, she scrambled up and hurried to let him in, only pausing to check through the peephole that it really was Feli standing there. A quick turn of the lock, and she pulled the door open to be met with the sight of a fairly miserable-looking Italian. Under the glow of the streetlights, she could just make out the thin sheen of sweat covering his brow, his slumped posture and the exhaustion in his expression. He must have been coming in from a job, and after a quick glance around to make sure no one was watching him—well, them—she ushered him inside, then shut and locked the door again. Then, she flipped on the lights inside her own flat to get a good look at him. Granted, he didn't look much better under the lights, and she said as much.

"Oh, honey, you look awful," she said, not bothering to mask the worry in her tone. Something must have not gone well, and she tentatively reached out for the edges of Feli's wool jacket (not warm enough for spring nights in London, she thought), tugging it open to reveal the bloody mess beneath. Feli's shirt was drenched. It clung to his skin where he'd sweated through the fabric, then in other places where the white was stained a browning red. Blood. There was no other liquid that held quite the same quality. It would be a lie to say that she didn't panic some at the sight, but she couldn't see any obvious indication of a wound, which released the immediate tension in her shoulders. Yet, she wasn't fully assured, and her eyes flickered up to meet his. "Yours?" she asked anxiously.

SPOILER: Click to show

Feliciano Vargas Sorry this took so long!

[Feliciano Vargas]

Words: 522

Tags:Lucille Nibourette

Notes: ... this is why you don't open your door at 3 am

Feliciano was just about to resign himself to another cold night, curled up in his sleeping bag when the door was finally flung open and Luci—looking like an angel in that moment, dragged him inside. He caught the worried look in her eyes as she took in the pitiful sight he was certain he presented at her door. He couldn’t help but smile weakly at her words… one of the things he liked about Luci was that she certainly wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. But when she asked about the blood, Feli’s tired mind ground to a halt. The blood? Who did it belong to? Most of it was his target’s—a vicious mobster with the physical constitution of a pit bull. But all of it? Feliciano vaguely remembered some other figures, some baring knives, some baring bats… And now his ribs were burning, radiating a sickening warmth through his chest and causing his stomach to churn.

“I… I’m not sure… I don’t think so…” his chilled fingers found hers and he gingerly pulled them away from his coat. She might be willing to shelter him, but she certainly didn’t need to see the extent of the carnage he was carrying with him. Biting his lip to will the pain and nausea away, Feli carefully shed his coat and shirt, wincing as the wet fabric parted from sensitive skin. Looking down, the little Italian was relieved to see nothing too concerning. There was an angry looking bruise that was blossoming on his left side—broken ribs for sure, and his torso and arms were littered with bruises, welts, and cuts (including pretty nasty one on his right bicep) but there was nothing that could be considered life threatening. With a practiced smile and a carefully concealed wince, Feli quickly wrapped up his soiled clothes into a tight bundle. “Okay… most of it isn’t mine, si?” He said, fighting the urge to lean against the wall—he knew all too well how hard it was to scrub blood stains off of it later. He looked longingly towards the bathroom, praying she wouldn’t mind him being too rude for making a beeline for the shower. The thought of hot water, soothing his battered and aching muscles, nearly brought tears to his eyes.

“D-Do you mind if I used your shower? I just don’t want to bleed on carpet or furniture?” He had clamped his other hand down on the cut on his arm, hoping to staunch the blood flow… perhaps after this, he should invest in a suturing kit or something, but for now, he’d be content with a nice shower and some bandages. He looked up to meet Luci’s gaze and knew he had to provide some sort of reassurance that he wasn’t going to drop dead in the next 20 minutes. So despite his exhaustion and protesting body, Feli managed a cheerful smile and used his free hand to pat her shoulder.

“Don’t look at me like that, Luci! I’m just a little banged up! I just need to get cleaned up and I’ll be good as new, you’ll see!”

made by MISSO for KAT

[Lucille Nibourette]

If there was one thing she disliked about Feliciano, it was his tendency to keep everything to himself. He was obviously trying not to make her worry, giving her weak smiles and keeping up a chipper tone, and she would take that sort of energy as an indication that he was all right, if she didn't also happen to think that he'd do the exact same thing on his deathbed. The blood she got a look at before he pulled her hands away, the pained expression on his face was confirmation enough that he wasn't okay, and she wished that he'd just say so. She wasn't some delicate creature he needed to protect from ugly realities. She knew them. She'd seen enough of them. The only reason that really held her back from insisting to see his wounds right now was that she knew he'd fight, so it was probably faster to let him do as he wished and insist later.

That didn't mean it wasn't without reluctance that she took her hands away, ending up crossing them over her chest. Her lips were pressed into a thin line as Feli tried to answer her question. Needless to say, 'most of it isn't mine' did little to soothe her nerves, but when he asked to use her shower, she took a deep breath and gave a terse nod. "Yeah…" she said, keeping her responses short for once. If she talked any more, all of her concerns and admonishments might just flood out all at once, and then Feli would probably just bleed out in the doorway before she was halfway through, so she kept her words in by chewing on her inner lip.

Feliciano must have noticed her distress, because he rushed to reassure her. “Don’t look at me like that, Luci!" he said. "I’m just a little banged up! I just need to get cleaned up and I’ll be good as new, you’ll see!” Him trying to make her feel better when he was the one obviously hurt only upset her more, but she bit back her temper. Even she knew that getting into an argument now wouldn't solve anything.

"Don't be stupid," she finally ground out. "Go take your shower, but then I'm going to take a look at your wounds. And don't—" she added, knowing he'd probably object. "I've seen worse carnage than a couple of cuts, so that's not up for discussion." She only had some bandages and some creams she'd asked Emma about the last time Feli had come here looking like this, so suffice to say that she wasn't exactly a nurse. She wasn't even sure what she'd do if he was seriously injured, but she supposed she'd call Emil if that were the case. But those were judgments she could make once she actually got a good look at Feli's wounds.

Lucille turned and made her way to the bathroom, using the short distance to try to calm herself down, scrubbing her hands over her face. At least by the time she switched on the lights and waved him inside, she no longer felt like snapping. "You know where the towels are, right? Top cabinet?" she said, gesturing again just to make sure. "And keep the door unlocked. I'll get you some clothes, and I don't want to take an axe to my own door either if you just like, pass out in there."


Feliciano Vargas

[Feliciano Vargas]

Words: 806

Tags:Lucille Nibourette

Notes: ...he's like a puppy...

Feli nodded, relieved that she didn’t start yelling at him. He wasn’t sure he could stay upright for it. It was one of the many reasons he liked going to Luci, she’d always been understanding and never one for lectures. It made for such a nice change compared to the others in Feli’s life. He really had to find a way to thank her when he could breath normally and the world stopped spinning so viciously around him. He winced once he heard her demands to see his wounds afterwards, but even he could see when a battle was lost before it had begun and maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to let someone fuss over him for a bit.

“Okay, Luci… I’ll try to be quick,” he said with a smile, using his hand to prop himself on the sink. “Don’t worry, you won’t have to come rescue me. I promise!” It was only when she finally left him to his own devices that he finally relaxed, slumping as he limped over to the shower to turn it on. He was very lucky to have escaped with such minor injuries and he knew it. But his whole body felt like one giant wound and he knew the morning was not going to be kind to him. He could only hope Luci would let him camp out on her couch for the day. He had done his best not to rely on the girl too much, and especially when his wounds were too severe—despite the tough act she put on, he wasn’t sure she’d handle some of his worse battle scars. But still… it was nice to have someone to care for him. Feli sank into the tub, too tired to stand as the hot water poured over his chilled and aching body.

He had so little of that in his life it seemed. People who genuinely cared about them. People liked him, sure, but he was a fleeting pleasure at best. Just ask Saddi, or Gil…. He was an object of fascination, of amusement, a passing fancy. People all too often forgot about him, craved something more than a pretty face. And of course, Feli had no choice but to encourage such actions. No one could stay that close. Not unless he wanted them figure out just what Feli got into behind closed doors. Feliciano shivered despite the near scalding water. No. It wasn’t safe to have long lasting relationships. Even Luci… deep down Feliciano knew he’d have to pull away, to disappear from her life just as quickly as he’d appeared in it. Not that he wanted to. She was so kind (in her own way) and Feli was just so starved for any sign of attachment. To know that someone was waiting for him. That someone would remember him. She was the closest thing Feli had to a home at the moment. But every time he came her, he put her at risk. All it would take would be one set of eyes, working for the wrong family and Luci would—

Feli shook his head, slowly washing the blood from his body. He always got so paranoid after a case. Nothing had happened yet and besides, he’d been doing this long enough to know how to eliminate any loose ends. There was a reason his identity had remained so secretive for so long. A part of him still worried, still cautioned that he should cut off his ties to Luci while he was still able to, but Feli quickly dismissed that. He knew he was being selfish, but deep down, he wasn’t sure he could go back to being so alone. Just the thought made him sick.

With a groan, Feli got to his feet and turned off the shower. Toweling himself off presented more of a challenge than he’d imagined and changing into fresh clothes even more so. Feli overbalanced as he tried to tug on the oversized pajama pants she’d left for him, sending him crashing into the wall with a sharp cry as the impact sent a shock of pain through his ribs. He took a couple of shallow breaths before pulling on the rest of his clothes and stepping outside to find the closest thing to security he had in this world.

“See! I’m still conscious! No ax-wielding required.” He said with a bit more pep to his voice than before. His hair was still streaming water, but some color had returned to his cheeks. “I feel so much better! How about I make us some food and we can curl up and watch tv? That sounds good, no?” He wanted her to stop looking at him with such worried eyes, but more than that. For just tonight, he wanted to pretend that he wasn’t alone.

made by MISSO for KAT