I pulled off my sunglasses as I stepped out of my car, looking around the garage for Brian. As soon as I saw him roll out from under a car, I leaned against the hood of mine.

"Shoot," he jumped, his breath obviously hitching, "h-hey, Mr. King. You scared me a little."

I folded my arms over my chest, nodding as I looked around the garage. "Some nice cars in here."

"Yes, sir," he cautiously said, standing up. He wiped off his hands and quickly held out his, his eyes locked on mine.

I shook his hand, pulling away shortly after. "So you guys work on luxury vehicles, yeah?"

"Yes, sir," he answered, "is something wrong with Fran's already?"

"No," I said, "surprisingly, not yet."

He smiled, his eyes fixated on my car.

"You do detailing, or anything like that?" I asked.

"Uh, no, sir," he answered, "but we do have guys that do, they're in the b-"

"What do you do?"

He looked taken aback, tilting his head over. "I do, you know, like, internal mechanical work. A-and I fix dents, scrapes, scratches, you know. Just stuff like that."

"Well, pretend I hit a curb, or something," I said, "how much?"

He shook his head. "I-I can't do that, Mr. King. Is there something else you might need worked on?"

I jutted out my bottom lip, letting out a sigh. I walked around to the drivers side and opened my door, holding up a finger. I slipped inside and turned the car on, backing up and intentionally driving it into the concrete pole in front of me.

"Oops," I yelled, leaning out the window.

"Mr. King," he said, jogging over to me.

I backed up and drove back into the garage, getting out. I walked around to the front bumper, sucking in a breath. "Looks pretty bad, huh?"

Brian stared over at me in disbelief, looking down at my car.

"I mean, I've got a rep with my vehicles, you know?" I asked, "I-I can't be driving around with my shit dented up."

He let out a sigh, looking over at me. "Mr. King, really-"

"How much?" I asked, "and do you get paid, like, directly from it?"

"I get paid hourly, sir," he softly admitted.

"But you can accept tips?"

He subtly nodded. I could tell a lot about Brian, just from the few exchanges we'd had- he was a humble kid who wanted to make it in life. He wasn't relying on his parents' money, or anything besides himself, and that was admirable to me. He was a good example.

"So just bill me," I said, nodding as I pulled out my wallet.

"I'm gonna have to get my manager," he said, "I-I'll be back."

He hesitantly began to walk away, but stopped and turned around.

"Why'd you do that, Mr. King?" He asked, scratching the back of his neck.

I shrugged, looking around the garage. "You looked bored. Thought you could fix this to pass the rest of your time."

He clenched his jaw and nodded, jogging into the offices.

~*~

"Hey, can we pretend like we're seventeen again?"

I jogged into Jo's office, making him quickly bolt up from his relaxed position.

"Fuck, Fred, you've gotta knock," he muttered, "scared the shit out of me."

"Were you nodding off?" I deadpanned.

"Probably," he yawned, watching as I sat in the chairs across from his desk, "what's up?"

I uncomfortably leaned back, rubbing the nape of my neck. "Can I talk to you?"

"Oh, God," he muttered, rubbing his eyes.

"Has Lena, like..." I trailed off, tracing circles on Jo's desk with my index finger.

"Whatever you're about to ask, please tread lightly."

"Has she gotten, like, I don't know," I muttered, "freakier over the years?"

He took a second before he responded, chuckling. "Uh, yeah. Significantly."

"Seriously?" I asked, leaning forward.

"Yeah," he said, "what, you don't know how to handle Lex now?"

"It's not even that, it's just that I didn't think it was normal," I whisper-yelled, "I mean, she's like-"

"You don't have to go into detail," he said, "just keep that in mind."

"I just seriously didn't expect it," I said, "I-I mean, I'm older now. Some of these positions-"

"I'm stopping you right the fuck there," he said, holding up a hand.

I chuckled, shaking my head. "I'm just saying, man."

"It could also be you guys, like, reconnecting after the separation. I remember when Lena and I went through that terrible spell when we first got married, the sex after was mind blowing."

"Maybe," I muttered, "I don't know, but I'm not complaining."

He smiled. "It's a little harder to maneuver around shit like that, though, with kids in the house now."

I lifted an eyebrow, leaning back. "It is nothing Hero isn't already doing himself."

He let out a heavy sigh and lifted his eyebrows, standing up. "Yeah. I'm about to head out."

"Yeah, I'll be gone after a minute," I said, "just gotta finish up some filing that Lauren didn't do. I'm almost tempted to literally pay for Cecilia's apartment rent just for her to move back and be my assistant."

"Yeah, why's she in town?" He asked, shrugging into his coat.

"Personal stuff, I think."

He nodded. "Alright. Lock up, yeah?"

"Yeah," I said, following him out of his office.

"Night," he said, "don't pull any muscles getting into any positions tonight."

"Very funny," I deadpanned, watching as he stepped into the elevator.

I walked into my office, my hands in my pockets. I let out a sigh and walked towards my windows, looking out over the city.

This life had been a busy, fast-paced, exhausting life. I was ready to just call it quits most days, but I knew it wasn't stopping anytime soon. With the business growing at the rate it was, the King name was quickly becoming a household name, all over the world.

And I had a legacy to leave behind for my children, and my children's children- Dad had taught me that, and led by example himself.

"Late night?"

I turned around, seeing Alexis standing in the middle of my spacious office.

"Hey," I greeted, smiling as I leaned against the window.

"Hi," she said, "what's on your mind?"

I shook my head, looking over at her as she leaned against the other side of the window.

"This has been a," I began, shaking my head, "a hell of a life."

She leaned her head against the window, smiling. "Yeah."

"I mean, fucking twenty hour days," I muttered, "sometimes, it takes all I've got to not just throw in the towel."

"I understand," she said.

"Yeah, because you've lived it, too," I said, clenching my jaw.

She looked up at me, her brown eyes soft and understanding.

"Do you think that's what, you know?"

"No," she said, looking out the window, "that had nothing to do with you."

"But it did, Lex," I said, "it takes two people to make a marriage fail."

"But you fought until I wouldn't let you anymore," she said, "you never wanted it to fail."

We stood in silence for a few seconds, both of our arms crossed over my chest.

"You know, I hate to say it, but I still get bitter towards you for that," I softly said, keeping my eyes locked on the city.

"I know you do," she said, "I can see it in your eyes sometimes."

I looked down at her, clenching my jaw.

"Sometimes, we can be talking about the weather," she said, "anything, and I see this coldness in your eyes. And it breaks my heart. Because I'd take it all back if I could, just so I'd never have to see that again."

I wrapped my arm around her neck, pulling her into me.

"It's behind us now," I said, resting my head on top of hers.

"Yeah," she said.

I pulled away from her, smiling. "That kinda felt good to say."

She smiled up at me. "You know, you don't have to keep things inside."

I pressed a kiss to her lips, pulling away from her shortly after. "Why'd you come?"

She shrugged, looking up at me as she pressed her lips against mine.

"Did you come for sex?" I whispered against her lips, my hands slipping down her sides.

"Open my coat and see."

I pulled my lips away from hers and ripped open her coat, closing it as soon as I saw she was completely naked beneath it, except for the stockings covering her legs.

She laughed as I scooped her up into my arms and carried her to my desk. "What was that for?"

"People can see straight in these windows at night."

"We're kinda into that," she said, leaning back on her elbows.

"No, you're mine," I said, "no one else needs to see that. No one besides me."

"Well, look at it," she said, falling on her back as she opened her coat again.

I looked down at her naked body, flattening my palms against her stomach. I let out a sigh and hung my head, clenching my jaw.

"Yeah, tell the kids we'll be home late."

"They'll figure it out," she whispered, pulling my lips down to hers.

~*~

"Bro, you're going to get your ass in trouble," Eros said, folding his arms on the table separating he and Josie from Hero and I.

"One more shot, it's all I need," Hero said, closing one eye as he centered up his aim. He was currently attempting to make a ball of tinfoil into a trash can from across the lunchroom.

"Shoot," Eros said, watching the ball of tinfoil fly through the air, and land a few inches from the trash can.

"Fuck," Hero said, leaning back in his seat.

"Ah, so he cannot play basketball," Josie said, "jot that down."

"It's the wind," he said, grinning as he folded his arms over his chest.

I looked around the lunchroom for Brian, knowing that he should've been walking in right about now.

And I was correct. He walked in, clad in black sweatpants and a fitted white t-shirt. Wow, his body is great.

I smiled and stood up, waving towards him and the friend he was walking with.

"Yo, Jesse," Hero greeted, "what's up, man?"

"Bro, you fell off," Jesse greeted, and the pair did a handshake, "we've missed you in practice."

"Hm," Hero muttered, looking up at Brian and I.

"Hey, can I talk to you?" Brian asked, gently brushing his fingertips against mine.

"Yeah," I said, "let me grab my bag."

"Hey, man," he said, nodding down at Hero.

Hero clenched his jaw and I smiled, grabbing Brian's hand as we walked towards the exit.

"How are you?" I asked, looking up at him as we walked out of the cafeteria.

He didn't respond, just stepped in front of me and led me to an empty classroom.

"H-hi," I nervously greeted, looking up at him as he closed the door behind us.

"Fran," he muttered, and it was almost a groan- don't do those things to me, Brian.

"What?" I softly asked.

"I don't want to be your family's charity case," he firmly said, looking down at me.

I was, now, in a state of confusion. I wasn't sure why exactly he'd led me away from everyone, but I definitely didn't expect this to be the reason.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, knitting my eyebrows together.

He shook his head, letting out a sigh. "Fran, don't do that. Please."

"I-I genuinely have no clue what you are talking about," I said, shaking my head as he walked away from me.

"Tell me why your dad showed up at my garage, asked me if I could pretend he'd hit a curb, or something, asked me how much, and when I told him I couldn't do that, he proceeded to go outside and actually drive into a concrete pole. Just so I could fix it."

"I-I really don't know-"

"He handed me a seven hundred dollar tip, Fran," he firmly said, yet again, looking over at me.

"I didn't know he was going to do that," I just as firmly said, "I swear."

"I don't want it, Fran," he said, pulling a wad of cash out of his pocket.

"Brian," I said, pushing it back into his pocket.

"Fran, I don't know what to do with this," he said, his voice shaky, "it's not mine, it doesn't belong to me. I've never seen this much money in my fucking life."

I wrapped my arms around his neck, letting out a sigh. "Brian, you deserve it."

"No," he said, shaking his head as he gently pulled away from me, "I don't want your money. I don't want your dad's money. I don't want any of it."

I let out a pained sigh, tilting my head over. "Brian."

"Wh-what would I even do with this?" He asked, blinking back tears.

"You'd use it on yourself," I said, "you are always taking care of someone else. You had to pay your brothers' lunch bill, for God's sakes. They're not your kids, Brian. That's not normal."

He rested his hands on his hips, his jaw taut. "Fran, I don't want it. Someone else needs that way more than I do. Give it back to him."

He pulled the money out of his pocket before I could stop him, throwing it on the desk. "I don't want it."

"Brian, please," I said, grabbing his arm before he could walk away.

"You know, everyone thinks that, anyways," he said, shaking his head, his back still to me, "everyone thinks that I just reeled you in because of your family's money. They have to. Why the hell else would-"

"I don't think that," I said, shaking my head.

"But everyone else does, Fran," he said, turning around to face me, "that's the thing. I do not want you for that. I don't. And I won't take it from you. Or him. Or whoever the hell is offering it."

He let out a sigh, resting his hands on his hips. "I'm asking you to just give it back. I don't want to look at it."

"Brian, he's not going to want it back," I said, "m-my dad's weird about his money. Once he puts it into something, he doesn't want to see it again."

"Well, I'm not a charity for you guys to just put money into."

"Brian," I softly said, grabbing his hand as I pulled him into me.

I looked up at him, shaking my head. "No one thinks that. He thinks you work hard, and you deserve some kind of reward for it."

He looked down at me, his tongue in his bottom lip. "Fran."

I gently grabbed his jaw, pressing my lips against his for a soft, yet the most passionate kiss I'd ever experienced.

I trailed my fingers back to the back of his neck, gripping a handful of his hair. I walked backwards until my backside hit a desk, making him pull away and rest a hand on my hip.

"A-are you okay?"

"Yes," I whispered, eager for another kiss, but he simply rested his forehead against mine.

The lights flickered on, making us jump away from each other. I bit down on my lip, seeing my French teacher standing in the doorway.

"H-hi, Mrs. McMillan," I meekly greeted, tucking a chunk of hair behind my ear.

"You kids are supposed to be at lunch, I believe," she said.

"Y-you're right," Brian said, "we were just-just leaving."

Mrs. McMillan nodded, making me grab my bag and quickly grab the money from the desk Brian had set it on. We walked out of the classroom and I slipped the money back in his pocket, stopping in the middle of the hallway.

"You deserve it," I said, looking up at him.

He let out a sigh and pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Come on. Let's go get lunch. On me."

I smiled, grabbing his hand.

~*~

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