Trouble in a Tank Top
one nation under lock and key.
"Tony, what are you doing?" Ande giggled, pulling slightly at the bandana she had wrapped around her eyes. Tony swatted at her hands, telling her to stop and that they were almost there. Where Tony had taken her Ande wasn't quite certain since as soon as she had gotten back from her shift at Oliver's Diner, Tony was there to greet her and tell her to change. Ande, while confused of why, did so with the help of Tony's fashion sense in what she should wear.
It came down to a soft summer dress that she had only worn once since she had gotten it almost two years before. Ande pulled at the bandana again, but Tony only laughed and let her take it off. They were at their destination.
Ande looks at the candle lit table in her small kitchen. The smooth smell of spaghetti and garlic bread makes her mouth water.
"Happy birthday, baby."
"Oh, Tony..."
Ande, for the first time since she was a little girl playing with her father in her toy room, feels like a princess all over again.
"Come on, let's eat before it gets cold."
--------------
Ande hummed quietly as she walked around the large, clean kitchen as Ruby babbled away to Ande while in her arms. Jaxin was standing over the stove making potato and sausage hash, making faces at his bubbly daughter; he poured spices and cheese into the pan. Ande smirked as she watched them. The two interacted perfectly, with Ruby’s face lighting up everytime Jaxin made a new face or sound.
It only took a few more minutes before Jaxin was spooning the hash onto two plates and moving them over to the small kitchen table. Ande slides Ruby into the highchair and the little baby continues to speak just happy to hear her own voice.
“Thank you, Jaxin,” Ande tells him before taking the first bite of her breakfast.
“Don’t worry about it, Ande,” he replies as he takes a bite of his breakfast before grabbing Ruby’s bottle and helped her hold it up as she sucked out the formula.
This was the third morning Ande had woken up in the Hall household. Natalie was happy to have the brunette around, and after a quick girl chat, the two were setting up for a quick house-done hair dye session. Now, three days later, Ande was redheaded and playing babysitter for Ruby while Jaxin and Natalie got some work done.
Jaxin’s and Nat’s barber/tattoo shop mesh was bustling with business from the minute it opened at ten in the morning to well past the closing time of nine in the evening. It was fascinating watching the two work in such close quarters – Jaxin’s steady hand moving needle and ink across skin, and Nat’s precise, quick fingers that styled and cut hair. It was beautiful. The looks on Jax and Nat’s faces when they would look up for a quick second made Ande’s heart beat faster.
That was the love that Tony had been talking about and Ande realized then, with Ruby asleep in her arms, that she wanted it too. That is what she was missing in life and she wanted it more than anything.
The buzz of the tattoo gun and the snip of barber scissors lulls Ande asleep as she sits on the ruby red couch with Ruby asleep in her arms.
”Ande!”
I looked up from the pair of pants that I had been sewing up from a rip that had been caused during a play date with the neighbors. Tony came in with two toddlers under his arms, all three boys giggling.
“Andre and Cesar wanted to give you something.”
I smiled and nodded, clearing my lap of the pants and giving the two toddlers my full attention. As soon as they were set on their feet, the four year olds ran up and dropped two messily made cards that both read “Happy Birthday mama!”
The grin on my face could have beat Tony’s own.
The two boys, my sweet, sweet baby boys, chimed in with their own version of the birthday song. I listened intently, watching as their bright faces turned a light pink from singing the song the loudest their little vocal chords would allow them. When they finished, jumping up and down for the finale, I hugged them tight and kissed their cheeks. “Thank you, my sweet boys. I love you so much.”
“Love you too, mama!”
I gave them another quick kiss before they ran off to play with the little puppy that started barking from the backyard. Tony walked over to me, his cheeks puffed out with a smile and crow’s feet in the corners of his brown eyes.
“Happy birthday, Ande.”
He kisses me, and just like everytime since I agreed to marry his troublesome ass, it takes my breath away.
“Thank you, baby.”
Tony continues to grin and I smile back, but go back to sewing up the rip in Cesar’s red shorts.
“Ande?”
“Yeah?”
Silence. I look up, confused, but find an empty kitchen. The sliding door that leads into the backyard is open. I stand and walk out it, but its not my pretty backyard that I’m used to seeing. Its dry and barren and full of sand and tumbleweeds. I turn to go back in the house, but all that is left of my home is a concrete foundation and dust.
“Ande!”
I open my eyes.
Tony shakes Ande awake. The buzz of Jaxin's tattoo gun is silenced as he watches the interaction between the two. Nat had taken Ruby from her for a quick lunch break. Ande stares up at Tony for a few seconds before she wraps her arms around his neck and pulls him into a kiss.
It had been a long, lonely three days for Ande. She slept in the guest room that Jaxin and Natalie had set up from Tony's old room when he had lived with them. The sheets and duvet that were on the bed were floral print, a definite change from Tony's taste, but if Ande took the case off the pillow she could smell the faint scent of Tony's cologne and shampoo. He had moved into his own little apartment about four months before, so the smell was just barely there now.
But now, Tony was here, finally, in her arms and she was no longer alone.
"I'm sorry I left you, Ande, but I had to."
Ande didn't say anything as she held him before slowly pulling away and looking at him. She smiled at him, elated to have him in her arms, but suddenly it was anger that made her smile disappear. She balled up her fist. Ande decked Tony's left jaw bone with her right fist. The knuckles were sore and sore but Ande felt satisfied with herself.
"That's for not listening to me, asshole."
Tony winced as he rubbed his jaw before chuckling at her and nodding.
"I deserved that."
"That and more."
Tony silently agreed with her.
Ande looked at Tony. The stubble on his face and jaw bone was darker than it was three days before, and there were dark spots under his eyes and his dermal piercing was duller than usual.
"When was the last time you slept?"
Tony hesitated. "Last night."
"For how long?" Ande wasn't convinced.
"About three hours," Tony sighs. "Then I left to come and get you."
Ande shakes her head.
"Go sleep, Tony, you need it. I'm not leaving until you've slept and eaten."
"Only if you join me."
Ande wasn't going to turn that down. Tony held out his hand for her to take and she did. The buzz of Jaxin's tattoo gun started back. Natalie came back out carrying Ruby and her car seat into the studio. Natalie smiled at the two.
"There's sandwich meat in the fridge."
Ande nods at Nat with a thankful smile and looks over at Tony.
"Food or sleep first?" She asks him.
Tony stops in the middle of the kitchen and pulls Ande into his arms. She feels him press his nose into her red hair and they simply stand there in an embrace. There is the buzz of Jaxin's gun and Natalie's soft voice as she talks to Ruby playing in the background.
"Can I just hold you for a moment?" he practically pleads, his voice cracking on the last syllable. Ande doesn't speak, her heart slowly breaking as Tony's chest shakes and his arms tighten around her. As she holds her, one arm wrapped around her waist as the other has its fingers tangled in her hair, Ande slowly wraps her arms around his waist, rubbing his back.
"I love you," he chokes out and a few tears fall onto Ande's shoulder.
She inhales quickly. Her throat burns and she feels tears stinging the corners of her eyes.
"I love you too, Tony. Please don't cry."
Tony's arms pull her body closer.
"I'm so sorry I brought you into this Ande, I'm so fucking sorry. I should have told you about the jobs and the money and all the shit I had gotten myself into."
Ande squeezes her eyes together, trying to keep herself from crying, too.
"It's okay, baby, it's okay. I forgive you, stop beating yourself up. I love you, Tony, and right now we both need some sleep, okay?"
Tony nods into Ande's hair and his breath catches as he tries to calm himself down. Ande squeezes his waist and they slowly pull apart. Tony rubs the tears out of his eyes. Ande gives him a small smile. Once Tony has calmed himself down he kisses her forehead before taking her hand and pulling them into his old room.
The lights are left off, since the closed blinds over the window let in just enough sun light to see the outline of everything in the room. Tony begins to pull off his clothes, his tattooed body being drank up by Ande's dark eyes. Down to his boxers, Tony gets into the bed and moves over to make room for Ande. She feels unsure, having never been in her underwear in front of Tony before.
Tony looks up at her. His eyes are so tired looking, as if he hasn't slept in years. Ande takes a deep breath and begins to strip. She leaves on her tank top and underwear, though, before climbing under the duvet. Tony wraps his arms around her waist; his hold on her is so strong, as if he will never be willing to let her go.
Ande does not sleep any. Tony's soft snores are the only sound in the small bed room. He shifts a little in his sleep and keeps his arm around Ande's waist. Her dream of the happy little family she was going to have in four years keep her up. The smiling, dimpled faces of the two twin toddlers keep showing up in the back of her head. She wants to see those faces and Tony's little wrinkles in the corners of his eyes.
She rolls over onto her other side and watches Tony as he sleeps. His lips stay slightly parted and small snores slip past every few exhales. His eyes flutter softly behind his eyelids; his knee twitches and his fingers dance over the small of her back. He's dreaming, she knows he is, but she can tell it's not a very pleasant dream. His breath quickens and Ande is about to wake him up but Tony wakes himself up. He sighs to himself after he opens his eyes and pulls Ande closer.
"I had a nightmare."
"I know," she whispers. "I was watching you. You only slept for about an hour."
Tony sighs again and kisses Ande's head.
"I haven't been sleeping very well the last few days."
Ande frowns. "Why?"
"I'm scared you're going to get hurt."
It's Ande's turn to sigh.
"Tony..." she takes a deep breath before sitting up and looking down at him. Tony's sleep deprived eyes cause her heartbeat to speed up. He's only ever looked at her like that two times, both of which Ande felt her body overheat.
But this is Jaxin's house and she would feel entirely uncomfortable doing anything with Tony in that nature, even if this was his old room.
"Ande." The brunette snaps out of her little trance. "You okay, baby?"
Ande just looks at Tony before connecting her lips to his. That one kiss, that one touch of her hand on his chest and her hair falling over them like a curtain, lets them know.
"Will you marry me?"
"Yes."
And just like she thought, his kiss took her breath away.
The sound of Jaxin's tattoo gun got louder.
It came down to a soft summer dress that she had only worn once since she had gotten it almost two years before. Ande pulled at the bandana again, but Tony only laughed and let her take it off. They were at their destination.
Ande looks at the candle lit table in her small kitchen. The smooth smell of spaghetti and garlic bread makes her mouth water.
"Happy birthday, baby."
"Oh, Tony..."
Ande, for the first time since she was a little girl playing with her father in her toy room, feels like a princess all over again.
"Come on, let's eat before it gets cold."
--------------
Ande hummed quietly as she walked around the large, clean kitchen as Ruby babbled away to Ande while in her arms. Jaxin was standing over the stove making potato and sausage hash, making faces at his bubbly daughter; he poured spices and cheese into the pan. Ande smirked as she watched them. The two interacted perfectly, with Ruby’s face lighting up everytime Jaxin made a new face or sound.
It only took a few more minutes before Jaxin was spooning the hash onto two plates and moving them over to the small kitchen table. Ande slides Ruby into the highchair and the little baby continues to speak just happy to hear her own voice.
“Thank you, Jaxin,” Ande tells him before taking the first bite of her breakfast.
“Don’t worry about it, Ande,” he replies as he takes a bite of his breakfast before grabbing Ruby’s bottle and helped her hold it up as she sucked out the formula.
This was the third morning Ande had woken up in the Hall household. Natalie was happy to have the brunette around, and after a quick girl chat, the two were setting up for a quick house-done hair dye session. Now, three days later, Ande was redheaded and playing babysitter for Ruby while Jaxin and Natalie got some work done.
Jaxin’s and Nat’s barber/tattoo shop mesh was bustling with business from the minute it opened at ten in the morning to well past the closing time of nine in the evening. It was fascinating watching the two work in such close quarters – Jaxin’s steady hand moving needle and ink across skin, and Nat’s precise, quick fingers that styled and cut hair. It was beautiful. The looks on Jax and Nat’s faces when they would look up for a quick second made Ande’s heart beat faster.
That was the love that Tony had been talking about and Ande realized then, with Ruby asleep in her arms, that she wanted it too. That is what she was missing in life and she wanted it more than anything.
The buzz of the tattoo gun and the snip of barber scissors lulls Ande asleep as she sits on the ruby red couch with Ruby asleep in her arms.
”Ande!”
I looked up from the pair of pants that I had been sewing up from a rip that had been caused during a play date with the neighbors. Tony came in with two toddlers under his arms, all three boys giggling.
“Andre and Cesar wanted to give you something.”
I smiled and nodded, clearing my lap of the pants and giving the two toddlers my full attention. As soon as they were set on their feet, the four year olds ran up and dropped two messily made cards that both read “Happy Birthday mama!”
The grin on my face could have beat Tony’s own.
The two boys, my sweet, sweet baby boys, chimed in with their own version of the birthday song. I listened intently, watching as their bright faces turned a light pink from singing the song the loudest their little vocal chords would allow them. When they finished, jumping up and down for the finale, I hugged them tight and kissed their cheeks. “Thank you, my sweet boys. I love you so much.”
“Love you too, mama!”
I gave them another quick kiss before they ran off to play with the little puppy that started barking from the backyard. Tony walked over to me, his cheeks puffed out with a smile and crow’s feet in the corners of his brown eyes.
“Happy birthday, Ande.”
He kisses me, and just like everytime since I agreed to marry his troublesome ass, it takes my breath away.
“Thank you, baby.”
Tony continues to grin and I smile back, but go back to sewing up the rip in Cesar’s red shorts.
“Ande?”
“Yeah?”
Silence. I look up, confused, but find an empty kitchen. The sliding door that leads into the backyard is open. I stand and walk out it, but its not my pretty backyard that I’m used to seeing. Its dry and barren and full of sand and tumbleweeds. I turn to go back in the house, but all that is left of my home is a concrete foundation and dust.
“Ande!”
I open my eyes.
Tony shakes Ande awake. The buzz of Jaxin's tattoo gun is silenced as he watches the interaction between the two. Nat had taken Ruby from her for a quick lunch break. Ande stares up at Tony for a few seconds before she wraps her arms around his neck and pulls him into a kiss.
It had been a long, lonely three days for Ande. She slept in the guest room that Jaxin and Natalie had set up from Tony's old room when he had lived with them. The sheets and duvet that were on the bed were floral print, a definite change from Tony's taste, but if Ande took the case off the pillow she could smell the faint scent of Tony's cologne and shampoo. He had moved into his own little apartment about four months before, so the smell was just barely there now.
But now, Tony was here, finally, in her arms and she was no longer alone.
"I'm sorry I left you, Ande, but I had to."
Ande didn't say anything as she held him before slowly pulling away and looking at him. She smiled at him, elated to have him in her arms, but suddenly it was anger that made her smile disappear. She balled up her fist. Ande decked Tony's left jaw bone with her right fist. The knuckles were sore and sore but Ande felt satisfied with herself.
"That's for not listening to me, asshole."
Tony winced as he rubbed his jaw before chuckling at her and nodding.
"I deserved that."
"That and more."
Tony silently agreed with her.
Ande looked at Tony. The stubble on his face and jaw bone was darker than it was three days before, and there were dark spots under his eyes and his dermal piercing was duller than usual.
"When was the last time you slept?"
Tony hesitated. "Last night."
"For how long?" Ande wasn't convinced.
"About three hours," Tony sighs. "Then I left to come and get you."
Ande shakes her head.
"Go sleep, Tony, you need it. I'm not leaving until you've slept and eaten."
"Only if you join me."
Ande wasn't going to turn that down. Tony held out his hand for her to take and she did. The buzz of Jaxin's tattoo gun started back. Natalie came back out carrying Ruby and her car seat into the studio. Natalie smiled at the two.
"There's sandwich meat in the fridge."
Ande nods at Nat with a thankful smile and looks over at Tony.
"Food or sleep first?" She asks him.
Tony stops in the middle of the kitchen and pulls Ande into his arms. She feels him press his nose into her red hair and they simply stand there in an embrace. There is the buzz of Jaxin's gun and Natalie's soft voice as she talks to Ruby playing in the background.
"Can I just hold you for a moment?" he practically pleads, his voice cracking on the last syllable. Ande doesn't speak, her heart slowly breaking as Tony's chest shakes and his arms tighten around her. As she holds her, one arm wrapped around her waist as the other has its fingers tangled in her hair, Ande slowly wraps her arms around his waist, rubbing his back.
"I love you," he chokes out and a few tears fall onto Ande's shoulder.
She inhales quickly. Her throat burns and she feels tears stinging the corners of her eyes.
"I love you too, Tony. Please don't cry."
Tony's arms pull her body closer.
"I'm so sorry I brought you into this Ande, I'm so fucking sorry. I should have told you about the jobs and the money and all the shit I had gotten myself into."
Ande squeezes her eyes together, trying to keep herself from crying, too.
"It's okay, baby, it's okay. I forgive you, stop beating yourself up. I love you, Tony, and right now we both need some sleep, okay?"
Tony nods into Ande's hair and his breath catches as he tries to calm himself down. Ande squeezes his waist and they slowly pull apart. Tony rubs the tears out of his eyes. Ande gives him a small smile. Once Tony has calmed himself down he kisses her forehead before taking her hand and pulling them into his old room.
The lights are left off, since the closed blinds over the window let in just enough sun light to see the outline of everything in the room. Tony begins to pull off his clothes, his tattooed body being drank up by Ande's dark eyes. Down to his boxers, Tony gets into the bed and moves over to make room for Ande. She feels unsure, having never been in her underwear in front of Tony before.
Tony looks up at her. His eyes are so tired looking, as if he hasn't slept in years. Ande takes a deep breath and begins to strip. She leaves on her tank top and underwear, though, before climbing under the duvet. Tony wraps his arms around her waist; his hold on her is so strong, as if he will never be willing to let her go.
Ande does not sleep any. Tony's soft snores are the only sound in the small bed room. He shifts a little in his sleep and keeps his arm around Ande's waist. Her dream of the happy little family she was going to have in four years keep her up. The smiling, dimpled faces of the two twin toddlers keep showing up in the back of her head. She wants to see those faces and Tony's little wrinkles in the corners of his eyes.
She rolls over onto her other side and watches Tony as he sleeps. His lips stay slightly parted and small snores slip past every few exhales. His eyes flutter softly behind his eyelids; his knee twitches and his fingers dance over the small of her back. He's dreaming, she knows he is, but she can tell it's not a very pleasant dream. His breath quickens and Ande is about to wake him up but Tony wakes himself up. He sighs to himself after he opens his eyes and pulls Ande closer.
"I had a nightmare."
"I know," she whispers. "I was watching you. You only slept for about an hour."
Tony sighs again and kisses Ande's head.
"I haven't been sleeping very well the last few days."
Ande frowns. "Why?"
"I'm scared you're going to get hurt."
It's Ande's turn to sigh.
"Tony..." she takes a deep breath before sitting up and looking down at him. Tony's sleep deprived eyes cause her heartbeat to speed up. He's only ever looked at her like that two times, both of which Ande felt her body overheat.
But this is Jaxin's house and she would feel entirely uncomfortable doing anything with Tony in that nature, even if this was his old room.
"Ande." The brunette snaps out of her little trance. "You okay, baby?"
Ande just looks at Tony before connecting her lips to his. That one kiss, that one touch of her hand on his chest and her hair falling over them like a curtain, lets them know.
"Will you marry me?"
"Yes."
And just like she thought, his kiss took her breath away.
The sound of Jaxin's tattoo gun got louder.
I love this
3/2/14