Devil Ride 34/?
Title: Devil Ride
Author: xenalvr
Fandom: Guiding Light
Pairing: Olivia/Natalia
Rating: NC-17
Warnings and Disclaimer: CBS, P&G, Telenext et. al. own these characters, not me.
This story is set in an alternate universe, where Natalia Rivera's history and timeline are greatly altered. Most of Olivia Spencer's history remain intact. It contains adult themes and language, and deals with the sex industry, which might not be to everyone's taste, so please do NOT proceed if you are not of age or if any of that might offend you.
I've decided not to worry too much about pre-Otalia plotline discrepancy as this is an AU after all.
34
When Natalia used to live with roommates, she would frequently escape to cafés with a good book so that she could have some alone time. Even when she had her own place, it was still nice to get out of her apartment once in a while and lose herself in the anonymity that Chicago city provided.
It had been a while since she last did that, what with leaving Chicago and adjusting to living in Springfield, so it was with a slight spring in her step that she walked down Grand Avenue, in search of a nice spot to spend her morning at. Even though she was well aware that she was currently homeless and had somehow acquired a stalker, waking up with Olivia in her arms and being surprised by a ball of energy named Emma jumping on Olivia's bed made her worries fade to the background.
Natalia hadn't had the chance to be around children. What she felt for Emma came instinctively; there was absolutely nothing to not love about her. It made her yearn for the opportunity to spend more time with Raphael on a regular basis. She planned to speak to Gus about the possibility of such an arrangement; she didn't want to disrupt Raphael's life more than she had to.
Spying a small, out-of-the-way café, Natalia entered it. She looked around, found an empty seat beside a large panelled window that afforded her a view of the street, and sat herself down. After placing her order for a mug of hot chocolate, Natalia flipped open her book but quickly found herself distracted by her thoughts. So she stared unseeingly at the small prints on the book pages while her mind wandered.
Olivia and Emma were spending the day together at the shops. Even though she had been tempted to join them, she knew herself. She needed some time on her own to take a breather and assess her situation; otherwise, she knew she would crash along the way and she didn't want that to happen.
Natalia realised that she had to learn how to be in a relationship with someone who had a child. She hadn't known how to act when Emma had burst into Olivia's room that morning. Thankfully, they had been clothed. She had followed Olivia's lead and had welcomed Emma into their embrace.
Natalia smiled at the memory of Olivia planting a sleepy kiss on Emma's forehead before encouraging her to pass it on. Emma had giggled and had raised her head to kiss Natalia's chin. Natalia, in turn, had leaned back down to kiss Olivia. Natalia sighed when she recalled the way Olivia's eyes had met hers the moment before Olivia had lifted her face to receive the kiss on her lips.
Natalia didn't think that there had ever been another moment in her life quite like that, where she felt completely and utterly a part of something.
Emma had accepted their behaviour without question. Natalia imagined being this way with Olivia around Raphael and decided that she couldn't wait for the day to come. She glanced at the time and pulled out her cell. After a quick conversation with Gus, who promised to call her back after speaking to Harley, Natalia blew out a breath and turned her attention to the other thoughts waiting in the shadowed background of her mind.
Mallet, or Tony Camaletti, was quite the menace looming over her otherwise placid life. She tried to push away her feelings of resentment and anger, and recall the things he had told her on the off chance that there was something in there she could use in her favour. She considered going to the police about Mallet but past experiences had taught her that they were more likely to side with one of their own. She wondered if she could talk to Gus about Mallet, then feared the possibility that Gus might reconsider letting Raphael see her when he was reminded of her rather recent past. She didn't want to take any chances, not when she had so much to lose.
Mallet had mentioned the name 'Vizzini' several times. Natalia touched a finger to the rim of her mug as she thought back to what he had said about it: he was going to look for her when he got out of this mess with Vizzini.
That meant he wasn't out of this mess with Vizzini.
"Hey Natalia!"
Natalia snapped her head around, recognised Greg's boyfriend with surprise, and smiled. "Hey Paul, what a coincidence!"
"Yeah, I sent Greg to work and thought I'd hang out instead of going home and wasting a perfectly good Sunday." Paul paused for a moment. "Do you want company? I could leave you to your book; you looked like you were thinking about something..."
Natalia shook her head with a half smile, revealing a dimple. "I'd love some company." She had gotten along really well with Paul and Greg at Buddha Bar. Even though Paul was doing rather well managing the newly opened bar, he didn't put on any airs. Natalia found him to be warm and genuine, a good match for Greg's flamboyant charm.
"Enjoying your day off?" Paul asked, pulling up a chair next to Natalia. "Is Ms. Spencer at work?" He chuckled before Natalia could respond, and shook his head. "Sorry, that must sound really funny to you, but Greg refuses to refer to her as anything but Ms. Spencer, so..."
Natalia snorted. "Greg is awesome. No, actually, Olivia's out shopping with her daughter. I have to go to work in a few hours."
"Right. You work at Company, right?" At Natalia's answering nod, Paul asked, "How do you like it there?"
Natalia shrugged. "It's work," she said diplomatically. "Buzz is a great boss. The pay could be better, but that's how it is in the hospitality industry, I guess."
Paul nodded. "Well, Buddha Bar is looking for service staff, if you're interested. I'm sure we pay a lot better. And the tips would be so much better. Do you have any bartending experience?"
Natalia blinked. "Um. Yeah, I did a bit of bartending here and there," she said haltingly.
Paul shrugged. "Sounds good. Wanna come in for a trial? I'm at work from 1 every day this week."
Natalia blinked again. "Wow. Really? Yes! I mean, I might have to talk to Buzz and give him notice but yes, I'm definitely interested. I have Thursday off. I could come in then for a trial..."
"Great! Now that I've poached you from Company, I feel like I deserve a brownie. Would you like one too? My treat," Paul said, cocking his head in question. Paul wasn't half as flamboyant as Greg was, but a few of his mannerisms clued people to his sexuality if they knew to see them, and this was one of them.
Natalia grinned. "Sure! Thanks, Paul. I really appreciate that."
Paul chuckled. "Anything else I can help you with? I have great discounts with furniture and home appliance stores..." he joked.
Natalia shook her head, smiling sweetly. "Thanks, but you need a room before you can have furniture and appliances. I just moved out of the boarding house and I'm looking for a room to rent," she said with a slight frown at the thought of room hunting.
Paul lifted a brow. "I think I might be your fairy godmother today, excuse the pun." Natalia smirked. "My housemate's moving in with her boyfriend in few weeks. Greg and I are not ready to live together, and even though I can afford the place on my own, I really like having another person around the flat--that is, when I'm around. I'm not really around all that much."
"I..." Natalia shook her head in disbelief at her luck, then told herself to not get too excited. Paul looked like he lived somewhere nice; chances are, she wouldn't be able to afford the rent. "How much is the rent?"
"How much were you paying for that room at the boarding house?" Natalia stared at Paul incredulously. "What? I like you! And so does Greg. I'm a little particular about cleanliness around the shared areas of the flat... okay, I'm a lot particular... so it's not like it'll be easy living with me."
Natalia let out a short bark of laughter. "Is that it? Sign me up!"
Paul laughed, sounding equally delighted. "Dope! Well I'll let you know when the room's free. You'll be all right till then?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm staying with Olivia..." Natalia said, her voice turning warm at the mention of Olivia.
Paul shook his head. "You know, even from what Greg's told me about Ms. Spencer, nothing could have prepared me for the real thing. She's just so..." he trailed off, gesticulating with his hands as he spoke. "... she has this presence about her, you know?"
Natalia nodded with what she was sure looked to be a silly smile on her face. "She is pretty amazing."
Paul sucked in a breath. "Sexy, commanding, intelligent..."
Natalia laughed. "You sound like you might be in love with her," she teased.
Paul giggled. "I might have a tiny crush on her," he said coquettishly, holding his index finger and thumb just slightly apart. "Greg is in awe of her."
Natalia sighed dreamily. "I am pretty lucky," she said, calling up the image of Olivia's laughing face rather easily.
"She didn't do too badly herself either, I think!" Paul said, making Natalia lower her head and blush. She bumped his shoulder with her own in comfortable comradarie.
"I think I should treat you to that brownie, Paul," Natalia said finally. "How about another coffee as well?"
TBC
Author: xenalvr
Fandom: Guiding Light
Pairing: Olivia/Natalia
Rating: NC-17
Warnings and Disclaimer: CBS, P&G, Telenext et. al. own these characters, not me.
This story is set in an alternate universe, where Natalia Rivera's history and timeline are greatly altered. Most of Olivia Spencer's history remain intact. It contains adult themes and language, and deals with the sex industry, which might not be to everyone's taste, so please do NOT proceed if you are not of age or if any of that might offend you.
I've decided not to worry too much about pre-Otalia plotline discrepancy as this is an AU after all.
34
When Natalia used to live with roommates, she would frequently escape to cafés with a good book so that she could have some alone time. Even when she had her own place, it was still nice to get out of her apartment once in a while and lose herself in the anonymity that Chicago city provided.
It had been a while since she last did that, what with leaving Chicago and adjusting to living in Springfield, so it was with a slight spring in her step that she walked down Grand Avenue, in search of a nice spot to spend her morning at. Even though she was well aware that she was currently homeless and had somehow acquired a stalker, waking up with Olivia in her arms and being surprised by a ball of energy named Emma jumping on Olivia's bed made her worries fade to the background.
Natalia hadn't had the chance to be around children. What she felt for Emma came instinctively; there was absolutely nothing to not love about her. It made her yearn for the opportunity to spend more time with Raphael on a regular basis. She planned to speak to Gus about the possibility of such an arrangement; she didn't want to disrupt Raphael's life more than she had to.
Spying a small, out-of-the-way café, Natalia entered it. She looked around, found an empty seat beside a large panelled window that afforded her a view of the street, and sat herself down. After placing her order for a mug of hot chocolate, Natalia flipped open her book but quickly found herself distracted by her thoughts. So she stared unseeingly at the small prints on the book pages while her mind wandered.
Olivia and Emma were spending the day together at the shops. Even though she had been tempted to join them, she knew herself. She needed some time on her own to take a breather and assess her situation; otherwise, she knew she would crash along the way and she didn't want that to happen.
Natalia realised that she had to learn how to be in a relationship with someone who had a child. She hadn't known how to act when Emma had burst into Olivia's room that morning. Thankfully, they had been clothed. She had followed Olivia's lead and had welcomed Emma into their embrace.
Natalia smiled at the memory of Olivia planting a sleepy kiss on Emma's forehead before encouraging her to pass it on. Emma had giggled and had raised her head to kiss Natalia's chin. Natalia, in turn, had leaned back down to kiss Olivia. Natalia sighed when she recalled the way Olivia's eyes had met hers the moment before Olivia had lifted her face to receive the kiss on her lips.
Natalia didn't think that there had ever been another moment in her life quite like that, where she felt completely and utterly a part of something.
Emma had accepted their behaviour without question. Natalia imagined being this way with Olivia around Raphael and decided that she couldn't wait for the day to come. She glanced at the time and pulled out her cell. After a quick conversation with Gus, who promised to call her back after speaking to Harley, Natalia blew out a breath and turned her attention to the other thoughts waiting in the shadowed background of her mind.
Mallet, or Tony Camaletti, was quite the menace looming over her otherwise placid life. She tried to push away her feelings of resentment and anger, and recall the things he had told her on the off chance that there was something in there she could use in her favour. She considered going to the police about Mallet but past experiences had taught her that they were more likely to side with one of their own. She wondered if she could talk to Gus about Mallet, then feared the possibility that Gus might reconsider letting Raphael see her when he was reminded of her rather recent past. She didn't want to take any chances, not when she had so much to lose.
Mallet had mentioned the name 'Vizzini' several times. Natalia touched a finger to the rim of her mug as she thought back to what he had said about it: he was going to look for her when he got out of this mess with Vizzini.
That meant he wasn't out of this mess with Vizzini.
"Hey Natalia!"
Natalia snapped her head around, recognised Greg's boyfriend with surprise, and smiled. "Hey Paul, what a coincidence!"
"Yeah, I sent Greg to work and thought I'd hang out instead of going home and wasting a perfectly good Sunday." Paul paused for a moment. "Do you want company? I could leave you to your book; you looked like you were thinking about something..."
Natalia shook her head with a half smile, revealing a dimple. "I'd love some company." She had gotten along really well with Paul and Greg at Buddha Bar. Even though Paul was doing rather well managing the newly opened bar, he didn't put on any airs. Natalia found him to be warm and genuine, a good match for Greg's flamboyant charm.
"Enjoying your day off?" Paul asked, pulling up a chair next to Natalia. "Is Ms. Spencer at work?" He chuckled before Natalia could respond, and shook his head. "Sorry, that must sound really funny to you, but Greg refuses to refer to her as anything but Ms. Spencer, so..."
Natalia snorted. "Greg is awesome. No, actually, Olivia's out shopping with her daughter. I have to go to work in a few hours."
"Right. You work at Company, right?" At Natalia's answering nod, Paul asked, "How do you like it there?"
Natalia shrugged. "It's work," she said diplomatically. "Buzz is a great boss. The pay could be better, but that's how it is in the hospitality industry, I guess."
Paul nodded. "Well, Buddha Bar is looking for service staff, if you're interested. I'm sure we pay a lot better. And the tips would be so much better. Do you have any bartending experience?"
Natalia blinked. "Um. Yeah, I did a bit of bartending here and there," she said haltingly.
Paul shrugged. "Sounds good. Wanna come in for a trial? I'm at work from 1 every day this week."
Natalia blinked again. "Wow. Really? Yes! I mean, I might have to talk to Buzz and give him notice but yes, I'm definitely interested. I have Thursday off. I could come in then for a trial..."
"Great! Now that I've poached you from Company, I feel like I deserve a brownie. Would you like one too? My treat," Paul said, cocking his head in question. Paul wasn't half as flamboyant as Greg was, but a few of his mannerisms clued people to his sexuality if they knew to see them, and this was one of them.
Natalia grinned. "Sure! Thanks, Paul. I really appreciate that."
Paul chuckled. "Anything else I can help you with? I have great discounts with furniture and home appliance stores..." he joked.
Natalia shook her head, smiling sweetly. "Thanks, but you need a room before you can have furniture and appliances. I just moved out of the boarding house and I'm looking for a room to rent," she said with a slight frown at the thought of room hunting.
Paul lifted a brow. "I think I might be your fairy godmother today, excuse the pun." Natalia smirked. "My housemate's moving in with her boyfriend in few weeks. Greg and I are not ready to live together, and even though I can afford the place on my own, I really like having another person around the flat--that is, when I'm around. I'm not really around all that much."
"I..." Natalia shook her head in disbelief at her luck, then told herself to not get too excited. Paul looked like he lived somewhere nice; chances are, she wouldn't be able to afford the rent. "How much is the rent?"
"How much were you paying for that room at the boarding house?" Natalia stared at Paul incredulously. "What? I like you! And so does Greg. I'm a little particular about cleanliness around the shared areas of the flat... okay, I'm a lot particular... so it's not like it'll be easy living with me."
Natalia let out a short bark of laughter. "Is that it? Sign me up!"
Paul laughed, sounding equally delighted. "Dope! Well I'll let you know when the room's free. You'll be all right till then?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm staying with Olivia..." Natalia said, her voice turning warm at the mention of Olivia.
Paul shook his head. "You know, even from what Greg's told me about Ms. Spencer, nothing could have prepared me for the real thing. She's just so..." he trailed off, gesticulating with his hands as he spoke. "... she has this presence about her, you know?"
Natalia nodded with what she was sure looked to be a silly smile on her face. "She is pretty amazing."
Paul sucked in a breath. "Sexy, commanding, intelligent..."
Natalia laughed. "You sound like you might be in love with her," she teased.
Paul giggled. "I might have a tiny crush on her," he said coquettishly, holding his index finger and thumb just slightly apart. "Greg is in awe of her."
Natalia sighed dreamily. "I am pretty lucky," she said, calling up the image of Olivia's laughing face rather easily.
"She didn't do too badly herself either, I think!" Paul said, making Natalia lower her head and blush. She bumped his shoulder with her own in comfortable comradarie.
"I think I should treat you to that brownie, Paul," Natalia said finally. "How about another coffee as well?"
TBC