Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Working at the hotel promised a new adventure every day ー Niffty had learned quickly to expect the unexpected. There was always something to keep her racing mind occupied!

Yet still, she continued to be surprised by things.

Charlie and Vaggie were taking the day off of work. This meant, of course, that they were spending their time cuddling on a loveseat while they discussed management issues and savings accounts ー things Niffty didn’t care about. The thing that endlessly confused Niffty was just how much the couple reminded her of her time in The Living World.

It had been decades since she’d allowed herself to think about it ー to think about him ー but seeing Charlie and Vaggie sharing soft smiles and whispered secrets sent a jolt of bittersweet nostalgia through Niffty’s heart.

Of all the memories, her favourite by far was the day she’d met Marco…

⧫⧫⧫

Katherine couldn’t help the sigh that escaped her when she realized Donald was going to continue following her around. She didn’t need anything from her locker but she had thought that the stop between classes would be enough to bore him into leaving her alone… Clearly, she’d underestimated his ability to be annoying.

“Anyways,” ー what was he talking about? She couldn’t remember ー “My father is next in line for the promotion. By next year he’ll be running the company.”

“That is wonderful,” she replied politely, offering the slimmest smile she could muster.

Donald scoffed slightly, leaning on the locker that neighboured Katherine’s. “It’s impressive,” he corrected.

She nodded in agreement but she found that she barely cared at all. She made quick work of opening her locker, dropping in a few of her school books, and grabbing the books she needed for her next class. It was lunchtime but she doubted she would get any time to work on her writing if Donald continued following her.

“My father expects me to do the same,” Donald was saying now while he adjusted the popped collar of his jean jacket.

Again, Katherine offered a nod and smiled.

Donald smiled back but Katherine didn’t believe its sincerity ー he only wanted someone to play back seat bingo with him. Acne scars and spotty facial hair only made him look less attractive… But Katherine knew that saying so would be rude and she didn’t want to seem like a spaz.

She closed her locker with more of a bang then was strictly needed and turned on her heel in the direction of her next class.

She had barely made it two steps before Donald grabbed her free hand and pulled her back. “I was thinkin’,” he said, paying no mind to the look of surprise that his rudeness had caused on Katherine’s face, “I’m going cruising tonight. You should come with me; it’ll be a blast.”

The request was expected, of course, but it still took her slightly off-guard. “I have homework,” she replied instinctively.

If Donald thought the raise of his eyebrow was attractive then he clearly hadn’t seen it in a mirror. “Don’t be such a square, Katherine. Homework ain’t any fun. I’ll pick you up at six.”

“No,” she tried again, attempting to pull her wrist out of his grip, “I really don’t think I should go out tonight, Donaldー”

“Donny,” he corrected with a bite in his tone. “C’mon, don’t say no to me. Are you tryin’ to hurt my feelings, Kathy?” His face pulled into an ugly pout.

Before Katherine could reply ー and remind him that her name was not Kathy, thank you very much ー a hand landed heavily on Donald’s shoulder. “Hey,” a deep voice interrupted, “The lady said no.”

Katherine and Donald both turned enough to see the man who had come to her rescue. He was slightly shorter than Donald and had slightly longer hair that had been greased lay flat. His face was clean-shaven to show off the sharp cut of his jaw and his eyes were a brighter green than Katherine could ever remember seeing. The pegged sleeves of his white t-shirt showed off the muscles hiding beneath his skin and his well-worn jeans rode slightly low on his slim hips…

He seemed to notice Katherine giving him a once-over and offered her a smile that bordered on shy.

“Getcha hands off me, Greaser,” Donald spat, drawing the attention back to him. “This has nothing to do with you.”

The stranger ignored him, his attention solely on Katherine. “What’s your name?”

“Katherine,” she replied instantly.

“Can I call you Kitty?”

She nodded eagerly. She’d never been a fan of nicknames but she couldn’t bring herself to say no.

“Righto,” he nodded. Finally, he turned back to Donald. “Kitty and I already have plans for Friday night, so hit the road.”

Donald’s eyes immediately narrowed and he turned to glare at Katherine. “You have plans with this goof? He’s bad news!”

Caught off guard, Katherine sputtered unintelligibly for a moment. Her gaze bounced between the two men before locking eyes with the greaser. She was struck by the shy question she found hidden in the emerald colours; she knew that if she turned his offer away then he’d take the rejection without question.

“Sorry, Donald,” she finally spoke, though she continued to stare unabashedly at the man who had come to her rescue, “I already have plans.”

The hand around her wrist dropped ー she sighed in relief at this ー and Donald scoffed loudly before turning to leave. He was sure to aggressively bump shoulders with the stranger as he made his getaway.

Once she was certain that Donald was far enough away that he wouldn’t hear her, Katherine let out a weak chuckle. “Thank you.”

“No sweat, Kitty,” the greaser smiled, “That germ has been causing problems for a lot of people lately; he thinks he’s a big shot ‘cause his daddy has money. I couldn’t stand back and let him bother you.”

Her smile fell slightly. “Oh. Well, thank you.” She clutched her books close to her chest, biting her lip to keep from frowning; somehow, she had hoped this would end differently. “I should get to class.”

“Don’t let me keep you,” he told her.

She wondered if the disappointment in his eyes was just wishful thinking…

There was no use dwelling on it, she supposed. She turned on her heel and started walking to her next class, already knowing she’d be entirely unable to focus. Her mind was already dreaming up stories about boys with emotion-filled eyes and slicked-back hair…

She was surprised when she could hear shouting and the pounding of footsteps running behind her. “Hey! Kitty, wait up!”

Katherine turned around, pleasantly surprised to see her hero had returned.

“Can I walk you to class?” he asked quite suddenly as he pulled up beside her. “Also, are you free Friday?”

She couldn’t find it in herself to be embarrassed by how quickly she accepted his advances.

⧫⧫⧫

Niffty hadn’t noticed that she’d stopped cleaning until Charlie was hesitant to touch her shoulder. “Niffty? Is everything okay?”

Niffty blinked slowly, suddenly dizzy as she was ripped away from memories she hadn’t allowed herself to think about in years. When she finally found her composure she flicked her gaze between the worried faces in front of her; Charlie, knelt down to eye level, and Vaggie standing close behind the princess. “Oh!” she jumped slightly, eye-widening, “Yes, I’m fine!”

“Are you sure?” Charlie kept her hand gently on Niffty’s shoulder, her brows pinched together with concern. “You’ve been staring off for quite a while. We can get you some water?”

Niffty pulled on a grin and shook her head. “I’m fine, I promise! Just thinking about when I was alive! It’s been so long ー I guess I got stuck in dreamland!”

Charlie’s concern immediately softened into something closer to understanding, though Vaggie continued to silently bite her lip with a look of worry. Charlie offered a smile to Niffty and gestured to the couch. “Do you want to sit with us? I’d love to hear stories about your life.”

Niffty bounced on her heels, nervously glancing between the couch and Charlie’s face. She’d never talked to anyone about it before, not in Hell, but there wasn’t any harm… Right? She nodded her agreement and scurried to the couch much faster than the other ladies could follow.

She immediately made herself useful and wiped the dust off the couch, flipped the cushions to hide the stains, and fluffed the throw pillows on either end.

“You’re so fast!” Charlie complimented when she approached.

Niffty smiled and sat down but didn’t reply.

Charlie sat in the centre of the couch, Vaggie curled up on the right, and they both stared expectantly at the redhead.

“Well,” Niffty hummed, her voice coming out uncharacteristically slow, “I was actually just thinking… You two reminded me of my boyfriend.”

Charlie’s face broke into her signature wide smile, her eyes wide with barely concealed excitement. “Really?” She shot a look to Vaggie ー said demon offered a tight-lipped smile, though her eyes revealed a fond softness. “Tell us all about him,” the princess insisted when she turned back to Niffty, “What was he like? Oh, oh! Tell us about your first date!”

The excitement bled into Niffty easily, causing her to bounce and fidget in her seat with energy. “Okay,” she agreed eagerly, “Our first date was really fun! He took me to his favourite place…”

⧫⧫⧫

When Friday night came, Katherine spent hours getting ready. She’d selected a plain white blouse and paired it with her favourite pink skirt; her mother had insisted she wear a hoop skirt underneath but Katherine merely rolled her eyes and opted for a tulle petticoat that provided her outfit with a playful bounce. Her dark pink stockings matched the handkerchief she tied loosely around her neck, and she styled her hair with short curls.

Standing in front of her full-length mirror, she couldn’t help but be nervous. Did she look too casual? Too dressed up? Marco ー by now she had learned his name ー hadn’t even told her where they’d be going! She wanted to make a good first impression.

She had never been on a date before.

When the doorbell rang, Katherine was quick to shout, "I'll get it!" and run to the door.

The moment she pulled the door open, a wide grin spread across her face. Marco looked no different than he usually did ー a white t-shirt, dark levis, slicked-back hair ー but he’d added a thick leather-jacket to his ensemble and a wide belt held his pants more decently on his hips.

She could see that he was nervous too, his green eyes gave him away every time, and somehow the thought comforted her.

“Hi,” she greeted when she’d finally finished staring, “Come in.” She opened the door wider and stepped back. “I just have to grab my purse and then we can hit the road. Wait here!”

If her nervous habit of talking fast bothered him, he didn’t show it. Instead, he nodded with an easy smile. “Take your time, Kitty. There’s no rush.”

The nickname sent her heart fluttering fast enough to make her feel like she was flying as she ran up the stairs in her black kitten heels.

When she came back ー walking to avoid twisting her ankle, which she’d almost done at the top of the stairs ー she was surprised to see her father standing with Marco. They seemed to be having a conversation and she couldn’t help but eavesdrop for a moment.

“I understand, sir,” Marco was saying, voice strong despite his rigid posture and shaking hands, “I’ll have her home no later than ten o’clock.”

Her father’s expression stayed neutral, eyeing Marco in a way that Katherine knew meant he wasn’t entirely impressed. “Good. I expect you to take care of her; she’s a bright young lady and I won’t be happy if anything happens to her.”

“Of course,” Marco nodded with enthusiasm, “We’re just seeing a flick. I promise she’ll be safe.”

Before her father could continue his interrogation, Katherine took pity on Marco and announced her presence. “I’m ready to go now!” She leaned up to kiss her father's cheek before grabbing Marco’s arm. “Bye, daddy!”

“Ten o’clock!” her father reminded even as she dragged her date out of the house, heels on fire and grinning.

“Yes sir!” Marco called back. The sentiment made Katherine giggle and pull him faster.

She pulled up short, however, at the sight of the automobile parked in front of her lawn. A bright blue Ford Thunderbird, clearly brand new with no scratches or dents… She stared in awe for a long moment before turning to Marco. “Youー Who did you have to pound to get this?!”

He laughed, shaking his head slightly as a blush rose up to his cheeks. “It belongs to my brother. I didn’t want your parents to see my beat-up Fairlane. Besides, it’s our first date… I wanted to be classy.”

The smile that overtook her face was soft and fond. Despite his tough appearance, Marco was clearly a gentleman. Katherine was certain she’d never met anyone so dreamy in her life. “Let’s hit the road,” she insisted.

The ride to the drive-in didn’t take long at all but Katherine felt nervous as soon as they pulled in. “A flick?” she asked curiously.

“Yeah!” Marco’s excitement sounded genuine enough… But Katherine knew what other teenagers did on dates to the drive-in. She couldn’t help but wonder what Marco expected of her. “There’s a new movie called ‘Death of a Scoundrel.’ I’ve been meaning to see it. My brother said that it’s bogus but I want to see it myself.”

She hummed in acknowledgement but she was suddenly feeling much more self-conscious. She’d been jazzed about this date, Marco seemed like a great guy…

“I’ll grab snacks,” Marco declared after he had parked the car. He had picked a centre row, directly in front of the large screen.

Shouldn’t they be in the back row? Hidden in the shadows?

“Do you want popcorn? Soda pop?” He was staring at her with such wide, earnest eyes…

She shook her head no.

He raised a brow curiously. “Are you alright?”

Katherine pursed her lips slightly and looked away. “I’m fine,” she lied.

The look he gave her implied that he didn’t believe her but he nodded anyways and climbed out of the car. “I’ll be right back,” he promised.

She nodded and watched him walk away. Once he was out of sight, inside the snack-shack building, she sighed heavily and allowed herself a moment to close her eyes and think. She was nervous, of course, but why? She liked Marco… Kissing him would be fun. She didn’t hate the idea of it, not at all, but something was holding her back. This was her first date ever. She just wasn’t sure if she was ready…

Marco came back faster than she expected, carrying too many snacks to count. “I wasn’t sure what you liked,” he told her as he awkwardly shoved his way into the driver’s seat, “So I got a bit of everything! Good plan, right?”

She couldn’t help but laugh at his antics, her nerves calming slightly. “A great plan,” she agreed.

Marco arranged their feast across the dashboard and his lap, offering some of it to Katherine as well. “The movie should be starting soon,” he declared with a giddy smile as he adjusted the radio, “It’s a mystery flick, I think. I hope that’s cool.”

“Shouldn’t we move to the backseat?” Katherine asked quietly, her nerves flaring up again. A desperate part of her just wanted to get the night over with…

Marco looked surprised, though. “Why? Wouldn’t that make it harder to see the screen?”

It was a simple answer ー naive, in a way ー but it settled Katherine’s heart immediately. Marco didn’t expect anything but a movie…

“Nevermind,” she laughed, leaning back in her seat as the movie started.

In the end, the night was beyond enjoyable. Throughout the flick, Marco frequently turned to Katherine with excited comments or minor complaints. His energy never seemed to let up and it was increasingly obvious that he was very interested in films; he made references to other films he’d seen, he made insightful comments of the actors’ performances, and he openly pondered the creative choices made by the director. Katherine didn’t always understand his statements and ideas but he never made her feel dumb; “No sweat, Kitty,” he’d say with a grin, “I’ll teach you all about this stuff.”

By the time they had pulled up in front of Katherine’s house ー at nine-thirty because Marco insisted on respecting her fathers’ wishes ー the redhead was on cloud nine.

Her date jumped out of the car fast to open her door for her, the perfect gentleman, and walked her to the front door.

“I had a blast!” Marco told her with a grin. She hadn’t noticed they were holding hands until he went to pull away ー she didn’t let him.

“Me too,” she smiled.

Marco’s smile widened. “Yes!” he agreed eagerly.

Katherine giggled and tugged his hand to pull him slightly closer. “Good,” she whispered before kissing his cheek gently, a blush rising on her cheeks.

Her blush was nothing compared to his, it seemed. Even his ears turned red! The sight only made Katherine giggle more.

“Righto,” Marco smiled and the look on his face bore resemblance to a happy puppy, “Good. I’m- Uh- This was fun! You should- Uh- Your father will be, y’know… Waiting…”

Katherine laughed more and finally let go of his hand. “Thank you, Marco. I’ll see you at school on Monday?”

Marco nodded dumbly, still grinning ridiculously, as Katherine walked inside and closed the door.

Chapter Text

Charlie’s wide eyes seemed to be tearing up as she stared at Niffty, smiling so bright that the redhead was certain her cheeks must be hurting. “That is so cute!” the princess squealed, “He sounds like such a sweetie!”

Smiling nervously, Niffty nodded. “He was,” she agreed.

But really, it was more than that. Marco hadn’t just been sweet. He had been smart and kind, he never made her feel small, he always shared his interests and he never hid his admiration for her.

She’d grown so used to being his Kitty that she stopped going by Katherine altogether ー she’d grown to hate the name her father gave her when it became clear that her father would never grow to love Marco.

“So you were high school sweethearts?” Charlie asked after Vaggie had disappeared to get them each a cup of tea, “Did you stay together?”

Again, Niffty nodded. “Oh, yes! We were together for the rest of my life. I loved him very, very much.”

“When did you know?” Charlie asked curiously. She seemed suddenly nervous. “When were you certain that… That you loved him?” The princess glanced towards the door that Vaggie had passed through moments ago before sighing heavily; “You don’t have to answer thatー”

“Prom,” Niffty interrupted, offering an understanding smile, “That’s when I told him, anyway.”

⧫⧫⧫

She’d known for the past two years that she’d be going to prom with Marco ー they’d been going steady since their first date and rarely spent longer than a few hours apart ー but somehow she’d still been shocked when he asked.

The weeks leading up to the night had been some of the most exciting of her life. She was on cloud nine, floating from place to place and smiling brighter than ever.

Of course, Kitty’s father disapproved. He’d grown to dislike Marco over the years. “He’s bad news,” he’d tell her, “And your name is Katherine, not Kitty.” For once, she didn’t care about her fathers’ opinion ー Marco was too important to give up. He had been since their first date.

The night of prom, Kitty felt chrome-plated. A bright red dress that stopped just below her knees, shorter than she usually wore, fitted with soft shoulder lines and a tiny waist; her makeup matched perfectly, as did her shoes, and she’d stolen her mother's pearl jewellery to complete the look.

Marco looked just as good, if not better. Kitty hadn’t expected him to wear anything different than his usual leather jacket and jeans but she’d been pleasantly surprised to see him leaning against his car ー he wasn’t allowed inside the house anymore ー in a slightly-too-big suit. It was black with red accents, complimenting her ensemble nicely.

“Nice threads,” he complimented with a grin as she approached. His car looked as though it had recently been washed and she smiled at the effort; he was so sweet and trying so hard to impress her, even after all this time. “Ready to go, Kitty?”

She nodded excitedly and kissed his cheek before jumping into the car. “Punch it!” she told him, “I’m jazzed and I want to get there before Barbara! Her dress is nearly identical to mine and I don’t want anyone to think I copied her.”

“They won’t,” Marco promised with a laugh as he slid into the driver's seat, “You wear it better. If I didn’t already have dibs, I’d probably have to fight for a turn to dance with you tonight.”

The wink he sent her way made her blush bright red and laugh. “Cool it, Marco,” she teased, “Eager little boys don’t get any sugar.”

He grinned and started the car.

When they arrived, Kitty was surprised to see the rest of the gang had also joined the bash ー rather, the members of the gang who were still in school. Many of Marco’s friends had dropped out to become more involved with the older members or had already finished school entirely (Marco had considered dropping out to work at his brothers’ garage full-time in an attempt to get better at mechanics but Kitty had thrown a fit until he promised to finish his education). The greasers who remained weren’t the type of people that Kitty expected to see at prom but they were her friends so she was happy to see them all the same.

She giggled and spun in circles as they whistled in her direction and chanted her name. She knew it was all a show to tease Marco which only made her laugh more.

Predictably, her boyfriend sent them all a glare as they approached. “Get bent,” he told them but there was no real heat behind the words.

They all went inside the school gymnasium together, laughing and joking all the while. Kitty found herself having a lot of fun, especially when the music started. “I love this song!” she squealed at Marco.

“Let's dance then,” he grinned. As usual, she was struck by just how handsome he was… Big green eyes and adorable dimples in his cheeks; he looked like someone sent straight from Heaven. She nodded her agreement and pulled him to the dance floor.

The live Rock n’ Roll pulsed around them in waves as they danced. Kitty couldn’t stop smiling, hand-in-hand with Marco as they jumped and laughed and screamed together. Kitty barely noticed their friends whispering conspiratorially behind cupped hands, pointing in their direction before running off when they’d been caught ー Marco shrugged them off and assured Kitty that she could ignore them, so she followed his advice and let herself have a good time.

It felt like hours before the music died down and a student walked onto the stage carrying two envelopes. The crowd was hard-pressed to quiet down but eventually, the speaker was able to corral them all. “Time to announce Prom King and Queen!”

Kitty squealed alongside everyone else, gripping Marco’s arm. “I wonder who it’ll be!” She turned to grin at him only to see that he was already staring at her with something akin to wonder in his eyes.

“I wonder,” he replied. He didn’t sound like he was curious at all.

Kitty stared at him curiously for a moment, slightly confused by his demeanour, but she dropped it soon enough. The speaker on stage rambled on for a moment about a fundraiser for the school before finally, she opened the first envelope. “Prom King is…” Silence around the gym seemed to swallow all the air. Kitty listened with rapt attention, endlessly curious… “Marco Messina!”

Confused murmurs rushed across the room like a wave. Kitty turned to stare at her date in surprise.

Marco only grinned, calm and collected. “That’s my cue,” he told her with a wink before running up to the stage. Cheering from the back of the gym seemed to break the curse of confusion and many people started to clap while Marco accepted a cheap crown from the speaker. Kitty turned around and stood on her toes to see who was screaming Marco’s name.

She couldn’t say she was surprised to see the rest of the gang there, ballots falling out of their pockets and innocent smiles on their faces.

“And Prom Queen is…” The band provided a drum roll but Kitty was already grinning, knowing what to expect even before her name echoed across the gym walls.

She barely heard the applause as she ran onto the stage. She couldn’t stop her excited bouncing as they handed her the tiara and proclaimed their royal status. “And now,” the speaker declared, “The King and Queen will share the first slow dance of the night!”

They were ushered into the middle of the dance floor quickly.

“You planned this,” Kitty accused happily as she put her arms around Marco’s shoulders. She could feel his hands resting just above her hips and she nearly giggled. He was such a gentleman… She was endlessly grateful to have him.

He nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I did,” he told her as the music started. “I wanted it to be a night you’d remember forever.”

They swayed together, eyes locked. It was like the rest of the world didn’t exist anymore… It was just the two of them in their own pocket of happiness.

“I love you,” she told him suddenly, pulling him closer. She found that she didn’t care how inappropriate their proximity may appear; she needed to be close to him for as long as possible.

The smile on his face was like nothing she’d ever seen before. She politely pretended not to notice the tear that fell down his cheek when he whispered his reply. “I love you too, Kitty. I love you so much.”

⧫⧫⧫

Charlie was blinking back watery eyes as she smiled at Niffty, clearly moved by the story. “That’s so sweet,” she whispered. Somehow, Niffty was certain that any story containing even a scrap of emotion would move the princess to tears.

“It was,” Niffty agreed happily ー she was proud to say that she wasn’t crying after telling the story. She’d relived it enough times by now; it no longer affected her as drastically as it once did. “And when I realized what he had done, I knew… I loved him. He was all I wanted.”

Charlie nodded her understanding.

Vaggie came back in at that moment, three tea cups laid out on a tray. “What’re we talking about?” she asked curiously.

“Prom,” Charlie answered easily, standing to take the tray out of her girlfriends' hands. “We should have a party at the hotel! I never got to have a prom, obviously, so it might be fun!”

Vaggie sat down with an unsure expression while Charlie handed out the hot drinks. “I don’t know, Hun… Parties aren’t a great way to promote a life free of sin.”

“A ball then!” Charlie announced, grinning brightly. “Something formal but fun!”

Niffty glanced around the room and her eye widened. “If we’re going to have guests then this place needs to be cleaned up! It’s a mess!” She got to work in a hurry, happily dusting everywhere she could reach while muttering to herself. She could hear Charlie planning cheerfully behind her ー Vaggie sighed heavily but helped nevertheless.

Niffty found herself ignoring them easily, losing herself to the repetitive actions of cleaning.

Talking about her past was new and she was surprised by how much hurt. She felt almost numb as she recalled everything she had lost. Briefly, she wondered if Marco had grown indifferent to the memories… Wherever he was.

But certainly, the answer would be a resounding no. Marco’s opinions were too big to grow indifferent. He was too stubborn to forget; too loyal to abandon his Kitty.

⧫⧫⧫

They were both busting a gut as they walked out of prom together, hand-in-hand and shouting excitedly. The two of them were surrounded by friends on all sides, various members of Marco’s gang having picked up ladies of their own, and Marco had declared that they could move the party to his brother’s house. “Dallas already gave the okay,” he assured with a grin, “Let's go have a bash!”

They’d barely made it to the parking lot when all the men started to grow quiet.

Kitty, oblivious in her glee as she chatted animatedly at Marco, didn’t notice the change of atmosphere until the group had slowed to a stop. Marco’s green eyes had turned cold, his lips pressed into a tight line as he gently persuaded his girl to stand behind him.

Finally, Kitty turned her gaze outwards. Standing before them was a group equal in size but filled with large men wearing jean jackets, all watching with stoically judging expressions. Donald seemed to be leading the pack, a look of wicked glee morphing his ugly features.

“What do you goofs want?” Marco called out.

“Cool it,” Donald chastised, “Don’t you remember? The high school is common ground, greaser! We’ve got just as much a right to be here as you.”

Kitty’s mood grew colder with every passing second. Marco had kept her away from gang affairs as much as possible but she knew what this was… A confrontation. Things could easily roll into a rumble if anyone made a wrong move.

Suddenly she was terrified.

Marco’s grip tightened around her hand in reassurance but his eyes remained trained on the group in front of them. He seemed sceptical of Donald’s words, his stance widening into something that Kitty assumed would be better for fighting. “What do you want?” he repeated.

“We want to make a trade,” Donald finally caved. He sounded delighted and sugary-sweet in a way that made Katherine feel sick to her stomach. “See, we were approached by somebody with some interesting information about your eldest brother. Isn’t it weird that he runs a junkyard but can somehow afford all those fancy engines?”

“Don’t you talk about my family!” Marco hissed. He dropped Kitty’s hand and stepped closer to the rival gang. A few of the greasers followed his lead, cracking their knuckles with threatening scowls. “You’re cruisin’ for a bruisin’! Talkin’ about shit you don’t understand!”

Donald waved away his threats nonchalantly and continued on ー though Kitty could see the shake in his jaw, the trembling of his lip, his lack of confidence. “We have several witnesses that are willing to come forward about his secrets. Illegal gambling, racing, drug-sales… He’ll be in the cooler by the end of the week.”

Marco’s eyes flashed dangerously. “What do you want?” he asked for the third time.

“It’s pretty simple, really,” Donald hummed, “Give me Kathy.”

Kitty forgot that she was to hold her tongue and to avoid involvement and stepped up beside Marco. “What?!” she hissed.

“What does this have to do with her?” Marco asked. His tone was calm and without emotion. It gave away nothing.

But his eyes? They were shiny with fear.

“She deserves a normal life,” Donald reasoned, “I can give her that. I’ll be starting at my father’s company by the end of the year. I can offer her things you can’t; a life free of crime.”

Kitty sputtered angrily, ready to scream an insult at the bug-eyed man, but Marco gave her a look that gave her pause. He seemed conflicted, as though begging her for the answer to a question… He was giving her a choice. An option. He was allowing her to take the reins in her own life.

A gentleman to a fault, that man.

“I’m not going with him,” she told her boyfriend sternly. Then, louder, “I’m not going with you, Donald! Did my father put you up to this?”

The surprise on his face was enough of an answer… Kitty sighed heavily and wished she had at least a chance to wish her mother farewell. She would choose Marco, just as she knew he would choose her, and her father never stood a chance.

Rumbling mutters ripped through the crowd as more people began to step forward.

“We’re in mixed company,” Marco warned Donald, “And it’s like you said, school property is common ground.”

“Get bent,” Donald told him before rushing forward.

Kitty barely heard Marco tell her to run before she was being whisked away to safety by the rest of the greasers present.

Chapter Text

Remembering the night she chose Marco over her parents was harder than Niffty anticipated. Her cleaning slowed dramatically as the memories weighed down her feet. It wasn’t until Charlie asked her ー for the second time of the day ー if she was alright that she even realized she had stopped moving.

She assured the princess that she was fine, just tired, before scurrying off to her room for the night. A good night's rest would calm her, she was certain. Tomorrow she could finish cleaning and perhaps she’d even have time to construct a dress for Charlie’s upcoming ball.

Despite her best attempts to ignore them, the memories flooded her dreams that night.

⧫⧫⧫

After the brawl in the school parking lot, Marco and Kitty had to drop out of school only a few weeks shy of graduating. Marco’s eldest brother, Dallas, welcomed them into his home with open arms. (Marco’s mother had offered them her home as well but Marco’s pride wouldn’t allow him to cause her any more trouble than was strictly necessary.) Kitty would always be thankful for the roof over her head and the warm food provided to them but the cost of such generosity had been nearly more than she could bear.

The first year was mostly fine. Marco had caught a knife in his calf during the rumble but it healed quickly and he was walking again within six months ー though he now had a permanent limp ー and he quickly started putting all his time into gang activities with his brothers. Their expenses quickly became an issue. The money Marco made on winning drag races wasn’t much and Kitty refused to use any money he made doing things she wasn’t told about and didn’t wish to hear.

She picked up shifts at the local diner but it still never seemed to be enough.

It seemed that every passing month brought less time with Marco, less happiness, and more awareness of what her future was becoming. That is, she felt as though she barely had one anymore. She never regretted the decision she’d made on prom night, she would choose Marco every minute of every day, but she certainly hadn’t thought about the repercussions until they were already happening.

Laying in bed one night, head resting on Marco's bare chest, she found herself expressing her concerns in quiet whispers. “I just don’t want to live in your brothers’ basement forever,” she told him, “I want to start a life with you.”

“I know, Kitty,” he replied with a gentle kiss to her temple, “Don’t worry your pretty head about it, okay? There’s no reason to worry about the future because it hasn’t happened yet.”

She sat up and raised a brow at him. “That’s exactly why we should worry,” she countered.

Sighing, he pulled her back down with a gentle hand. “Get some sleep, Kitty. You’ll feel better in the morning.”

She didn’t feel better in the morning.

⧫⧫⧫

Charlies’ energy was unmatched for the rest of the week as she threw herself into preparations for the upcoming ball. The guest list seemed to grow bigger by the hour and the budget had to be expanded no less than three times to accommodate the sheer size of the event. It quickly became apparent that the hotel was not equipped to handle a gathering so large so they rented a separate building for the night.

To no one's surprise, Alastor had been thrilled by the idea. Husk was mostly indifferent in the beginning but had grown irritated and grumpy when Alastor had declared the cat-demon would work the night as a server. Niffty had been given the same job but she was much more enthusiastic than Husk. Charlie had to beg Angel Dust to come ー “You’re currently the only patron! This ball will be a great way to promote the hotel so you have to be there!” ー and he had agreed on the condition that he could leave if he got too bored.

Niffty was so busy helping that she was able to forget her reminiscing for a time.

The ball was only two days away when Vaggie insisted, “We cannot expand the budget again,” with a persistent shake of her head, “We’ll barely be able to pay back our last loan as it isー”

“Then I’ll ask my mom!” Charlie insisted, still grinning brightly as though she was unaware of the tension surrounding herself and her girlfriend. “Really, we can’t not have a live band! Maybe if I talk to mom she’ll even come singー”

“No,” Vaggie insisted, cutting Charlie off easily as she waved papers carelessly through the air, “We definitely can’t afford your mom. Besides, it’s not like she’ll answer the phone anywaysー”

The sharp intake of air that came from the princess was enough to have Niffty wincing from her spot across the room (she wasn’t meaning to eavesdrop while she dusted the bookshelves but the couple weren’t being discreet). “She might…” Charlie whispered in a voice that sounded too small for her big personality.

“We can’t depend on that, babe. We need a plan; preferably one that doesn’t expand the budget.”

Charlie sighed heavily. “Why do we need to have such a strict plan? Can’t we just enjoy the moment?”

The familiarity of the comment struck Niffty suddenly. Charlie’s resemblance to Marco had never been so obvious and Niffty found herself lost in it for a moment…

⧫⧫⧫

Though Kitty often tried, she never seemed to be able to convince Marco to talk about their future. They’d been living with his brother for nearly two years and there hadn’t been any sign that things would change… They were still broke, still sleeping in a basement, and still quietly ignoring the space that seemed to be growing between them.

Kitty hated it.

Their weekly date night ー which was actually a monthly date night due to budget cuts ー seemed to be the only time that Kitty was able to forget about their situation. Every drive in brought her happy memories and every flick filled her with a fondness for Marco as he complained about bad actors or marvelled at interesting scenes.

“Y’know,” Kitty laughed as she threw a piece of popcorn at Marco, “You don’t seem to like this one.”

“It’s bad!” Marco insisted, laughing along with her, “The acting is bogus, Kitty!”

She hummed her acknowledgement and continued to throw popcorn at him, happily managing to get some of it stuck in his slicked-back hair.

“I’m glad to see that my disappointment is just a big tickle to you,” he huffed dramatically, still grinning, “I’m never bringin’ you to a flick again.”

“Ain’t that a bite,” she teased, “I guess I’ll get Dallas to take me. His car is better anyways.”

Marco leaned over and stole a handful of popcorn to throw back at her piece-by-piece.

They laughed together for a moment before Marco got distracted by the screen again and fell quiet. A man on the screen was making some big declaration, throwing his arms out wide and smiling. The woman he was speaking to looked shocked, eyes overly wide in a way Kitty found comical ー her giggles were gently shushed by Marco. The man threw himself to the ground, leaning onto one knee in front of the woman; it would seem that he was proposing. Of course, the woman agreed fervently and threw herself forward in excitement. The entire scene was especially corny and unbelievable.

“See?” Marco spoke suddenly, though his voice was much quieter, “Bad acting.”

Kitty watched him with a concerned gaze for a long moment. His eyes gave away nothing ー a new ability that seemed to strengthen with every gang meeting ー and he refused to look in her direction… Something was wrong. She wasn’t sure how to broach the topic without upsetting him further.

She turned silently back towards the screen.

When the movie ended, Marco remained quiet. This was unusual, of course, because he usually enjoyed talking about what they watched during their drive home.

He didn’t seem angry so Kitty supposed there would be no harm in asking…

“Is everything alright?”

Marco hummed non committedly, eyes trained on the road but mind clearly elsewhere.

“Marco? Is everything alright?” she repeated, leaning closer to him from her spot in the passenger seat. She resisted the urge to wave a hand in his face to get his attention, fearful that it would result in the car veering off the road.

His response was altogether the same as it had been so she sighed and slumped unhappily in her seat. He’d talk to her when he was ready ー she hoped so, at least ー so she decided to let him be for now.

He was silent the entire drive home, even after he’d turned off the ignition, but he didn’t move to get out of the car. Kitty waited with bated breath for a long moment; she was ready to give up, to go inside without him, when he finally turned to her with a determined glint to his wonderful green eyes.

She melted a little bit under his stare. How could she have forgotten his perfection so quickly? His eyes certainly held the answer to all her most burning questions.

Reality came crashing back when he spoke. “Let's get married.”

She knew her voice was shrill when she replied, “What?!”

“Let's get married!” he repeated, his enthusiasm rising, “Kitty, I love you more than anyone I’ve ever met. I want you to be mine forever. Will you?”

In her panic, Kitty could barely speak. She sputtered and frantically shook her head, trying to find the words to articulate her response.

Watching Marco’s face fall made her chest hurt. Her heart was squeezing behind her ribs, her breath coming in shaky pants.

“Marco, no,” she was finally able to whisper, eyes still wide. “Not… Not now. We can’t get married now.”

“Why not?” His voice sounded so heartbroken… She could see the tears filling his eyes and she gaped uselessly at him; had she ever seen him cry before?

“We live in your brothers' basement,” she replied. She thought it enough of a response but Marco was still staring at her with a helpless confusion. “We’re broke,” she continued on, “We can’t just decide to get married. We need a plan.”

“This is a plan!” Marco insisted. He took Kitty’s hands and squeezed them gently. He looked ready to beg for her to say yes and she knew that if he did she would have no choice but to agree so when he opened his mouth to speak again she cut him off.

“I want to build a life with you,” she promised, “But you need to be patient. I don’t want all of our decisions to be made on a whim ー especially the important ones. Do you understand?”

He shook his head.

Kitty sighed heavily and leaned across the car to kiss him gently. “I’m not saying no, Marco, but not yet.”

“But I love you… Isn’t that enough?”

“It’s not a plan, Marco,” she huffed. She couldn’t help but feel frustrated. “You don’t even have a real job!”

Marco’s brows knit together in confusion. “I don’t need one. The gangー”

“That isn’t a sustainable career,” Kitty interrupted, “You can’t do that forever… You do know that, don’t you?”

His reply was silence as the blank expression came across his eyes again. She mourned the loss of their expression even if looking at their sadness had hurt her so deeply. Regardless, it was answer enough; Marco hadn’t given his future a second thought and he intended to follow the footsteps of his older brothers.

Unable to accept that truth but unsure how to change his mind, she sighed and turned to exit the car.

She’d barely gotten the door open when Marco’s voice muttered, low and broken, “Why do we need to have such a strict plan? Can’t we just enjoy the moment?”

Lips pressed tightly together, she pretended that she hadn’t heard a thing and exited the vehicle.

Chapter Text

The more Niffty thought on it, the more obvious it became that Charlie bore a striking resemblance to Marco. Endlessly positive, polite, and kind, while also overly eager and naive.

Though she couldn’t have meant to, she had no way to know, the princess continued to trigger bittersweet memories.

When Charlie comforted Angel Dust with a gentle hand, Niffty’s mind lost itself to a mirrored scene between herself and Marco. Charlie’s mild idolization of Alastor reminded Niffty of the way Marco lifted Dallas onto a pedestal. The increasingly frustrated bickering between Charlie and Vaggie was scarily reminiscent of what Niffty remembered as The Beginning of The End.

As the days went on, the memories lost their sweet edges and became altogether bitter.

The day of the ball finally arrived and it seemed the situation between Charlie and Vaggie had reached a peak and although Niffty was relieved that there was no explosive shouting, their avoidance of one another was equally difficult to witness.

“I think Vaggie’s being a bitch,” Angel commented idly, a cigarette pinched between his fingers.

They ー meaning Niffty, Angel, and Husk ー were outside of the hotel, waiting for the transportation that would escort them to the rented building where the ball would take place. Charlie and Vaggie had gone ahead earlier in the day to be sure things were prepared.

Ever the gossip, Angel continued; “Charlie might be a lil’ enthusiastic but she just wants the party to be fun.”

Though he insisted he wanted nothing to do with the conversation ー or the hotel in general ー Husk huffed and shook his head. “Nah, Vaggie is just bein’ realistic. Charlie kept going over their budget… Somebody had to put their foot down.”

Niffty found her gaze bouncing quickly between them as they spoke.

“Vaggie’s a hard-ass,” the spider countered with a roll of his eyes, “She needs to lighten up.”

Husk shrugged non-committedly and leaned over to steal the cigarette out of Angel’s hand. He took a slow drag, handed it back, and then huffed, “Maybe, but Charlie acts like a child. It can’t be fun babysitting your girlfriend.”

Angel huffed dramatically but he didn’t disagree.

Niffty sighed and turned away from the conversation. Though she wasn’t technically involved, a part of her felt torn between both sides of the situation. Vaggie wasn’t wrong, a plan was necessary, but Niffty couldn’t bring herself to think of Charlie as incorrect ー the princess was doing her best.

“Everything alright, Niffty?”

At the sound of Husk’s voice, the short girl jumped in surprise. “Yes!” she assured him quickly.

The cat-demon didn’t seem convinced but he shrugged it off as their limo approached.

The ride to the hall was quick. When she arrived in the kitchen, Niffty was happy to find that the black apron provided to her as a uniform looked nice with the dress she’d made ー a yellow circle skirt with a sleeveless top, accessorized with a thick belt and gold jewellery.

(Husk was significantly less happy with the apron if the way he tugged on it with a frown every few seconds was any indication. Niffty supposed it had something to do with the fact that he generally disliked any article of clothing.)

Guests were already arriving so they were put to work rather quickly. Husk was to walk around with a tray of drinks ー all non-alcoholic, obviously ー and Niffty was given a platter of finger foods to do the same. She found the task slightly difficult, seeing as she was much shorter than any of the guests; regardless, she did her job with a smile.

Things seemed to be going well. When Niffty caught sight of Angel Dust, the spider was shamelessly flirting with wealthy demons and Niffty heard through whispers and gossip that he was doing well in convincing them to financially support the hotel. Certainly not the outcome anyone had expected, she supposed, but good nevertheless.

Even Husk was on his best behaviour! He served drinks with a tight smile and minimal conversation which was the best anyone could expect from him. The grumpy man was an introvert at heart and Niffty suspected that the night would be draining for him. She made a mental note to do something nice for him soon ー perhaps she could clean the hotel's welcome-desk-turned-bar?

The few time Niffty managed to catch a glimpse of Charlie or Vaggie, the two were standing only a few feet from each other but clearly not speaking. They were both smiling politely as they spoke to guests but their smiles were strained and they both looked… Exhausted. Depressed.

The sight made Niffty’s heart hurt. Guilt was growing in her chest. She’d inspired this ball ー wasn’t she to blame for the fighting?

Niffty was tired of witnessing the heartbreak.

⧫⧫⧫

At the age of twenty-two, Kitty was sad to admit that she was still living in the basement with Marco.

Nothing had changed. Nothing at all.

“I don’t understand how that’s my fault,” Marco grumbled when she expressed her upset one stormy night.

“I’ve asked you to leave the gang hundreds of times!” she shouted back, “If you get a real job, we can move out and start our life together.”

“And I told you,” he responded with a heavy sigh, “I can’t just leave. That’s not how it works.”

Kitty rolled her eyes, sitting beside him on their beat-up couch. “That’s bogus, Marco. Your brothers would have your back. You can leave whenever you want to.”

“Well, I don’t want to, Kitty!”

“Why not?”

Marco rubbed at his eyes and Kitty felt irritation strike in her chest once again. What right did he have to appear so annoyed and tired? She was the one working two diner jobs to keep them afloat!

“I like it,” Marco explained slowly, as though talking to a child, “And I think you focus too much on the future.”

“You don’t focus enough on the future,” she accused with a frustrated sigh.

Marco huffed and stood. “There is no pleasing you!”

Clicking her tongue, Kitty stood as well and levelled a glare at Marco. “I’d be pleased,” she began, stretching the word with a mocking tone, “If we had our own home. If you had a job. If we were happy!”

When Marco started to walk away, up the stairs and towards the front door to exit the house, Kitty was quick to follow him. “If you wanted to be a chick in skins so badly,” Marco accused, “You should have gone with Donald.”

Though it certainly wasn’t the first time Marco had made that particular argument, Kitty found herself unusually enraged by the comment. “Maybe I should have!” she shouted as they walked into the rainy outdoors, “At least he had half a mind to quit illegal gang activity!”

“Only because his daddy caught him,” Marco scoffed, “And besides, he still causes trouble. Or did you forget that his guys are still comin’ after mine? Which is entirely your fault, by the way.”

“My fault?!” Kitty screeched in shock.

“Your daddy is the one who started this war.”

Kitty’s glare grew more fierce as she followed Marco through the rain. She wasn’t sure where they were going ー she didn’t really care. “I never asked him to do what he did, Marco,” she hissed angrily.

⧫⧫⧫

The memory was enough to have Niffty rushing towards Charlie and Vaggie, determined to fix what she’d broken ー unintentional or not, she had caused them grief and she wanted to help them.

“Niffty!” Charlie greeted with a smile that might have fooled the guests surrounding her but didn’t fool Niffty at all. The princess’ eyes were too expressive to hide their pain from someone who was looking for it. “Are you enjoying the ball?”

Niffty paid her questions no mind. “Can you come to the kitchen for a moment?”

The question seemed to catch Vaggie’s attention from a few feet away. “Did something happen?” She approached quickly, a clipboard clutched to her chest.

“I need to talk to you both,” Niffty stated simply before turning to run off towards the kitchen. The couple would catch up, she was sure, but she needed a moment to collect her thoughts. Setting her plate of finger foods on the countertop, Niffty allowed herself a breath of relief; the kitchen was empty and hopefully would stay that way while she spoke with the hotel managers…

It didn’t take very long for Charlie and Vaggie to enter the room, twin expressions of worry on their faces.

“Alright, what’s going on?” Vaggie asked insistently.

Niffty pulled herself up onto a stool next to the counter, crossing her legs with a short hum. “I want to tell you a story.”

“A story?” Vaggie asked suspiciously, “Niffty, we don’t have time forー”

“Don’t interrupt her,” Charlie chided. She stubbornly refused to look at Vaggie and nodded towards Niffty, “Tell us,” she insisted, taking a seat as well.

So Niffty told them everything. The things they already knew ー how she met Marco, the joys of prom night ー and the things that she’d never told anyone…

⧫⧫⧫

They walked in silence, excluding the rain and thunder overhead, towards their unknown destination. Kitty still hadn’t found the courage to ask where they were going and she still wasn’t sure if she cared.

Still, the rain made her skirt heavy and uncomfortable and it felt like every step in her flats was like stepping into a bucket of ice. Wherever their destination, she hoped they arrived soon.

“Why didn’t we take the car?” she eventually asked. Her arms were wrapped tightly around herself in a desperate effort to conserve warmth but the chill had already soaked through to her bones.

“I didn’t want you to follow me,” Marco grumbled ー Kitty barely heard the words over a sudden roar of thunder.

She tried to ignore him. They were both angry and irritable, she reasoned to herself, they were saying things they didn’t mean.

Still, everything would be fine if Marco just listened to her.

They turned left down a street Kitty didn’t know and soon enough they were approaching a large warehouse. “C’mon,” Marco urged as he started to walk faster.

When they reached the front door, he held it open for her ー despite herself, the action brought forth a rush of fondness in Kitty’s chest. “Thank you,” she whispered before ducking into the building.

The warehouse was filled nearly end to end with automobiles. Most of them were beaten up, rough around the edges, their tires flat and paint scratched. Two or three near the garage door looked brand new at first glance, though a closer look would prove them to be recently fixed and remodelled.

“What is this place? Kitty asked as she stared around the space in awe. She’d never seen so many vehicles in one space!

A leather jacket fell around her shoulders, warmth radiating from the inner lining. Turning, she watched as Marco also stripped off his t-shirt and threw that onto the dirty floor. “This is where we fix up cars for racing,” he explained.

She frowned heavily and turned away from him. “Why are we here?”

“Why do ya think?” he asked with a slight scoff ー her frown grew all the more heavy ー before he turned to grab a toolbox off of a nearby cart. “I’m gonna work on one.”

“Should you be doing that without your brother?” she questioned with concern, “You’re not a great mechanicー”

“It’s fine,” he snapped, “I’ve been getting better.”

Kitty’s lips drew into a tight line but she nodded. While he got to work, she took a deep breath and moved to sit on a nearby bench. The wood was dirty, covered in stains and used rags, but she paid that no mind.

Listening to the sounds of Marco working, his tools clinking against metal and his voice rambling near-silent instructions to himself, she found her head clearing into a mellow calmness. She was still angry and uncertain about her future with Marco but her heart was filled with a fondness for the man ー he tried so hard, she knew, and his love was true.

She’d barely noticed herself drifting off, her eyes closing against the harsh lights of the warehouse. Walking in the storm had certainly exhausted her! She supposed the fatigue running through her veins was partially to blame for their fight; she’d had a long shift at the diner and made very little tips, after all ー it wasn’t fair of her to take that out on Marco. A sharp roll of thunder woke her just enough that she was able to think clearly and decide that apologizing to Marco was the best course of action.

Another bolt of thunder had her sitting up quite suddenly, nearly falling off the bench, because that wasn’t thunder at all, was it?

“Marco?” she called warily, blinking the sleep from her eyes. The metal doors of the warehouse shook violently and indecipherable shouting could be heard over the pounding of rain.

“I know!” he responded. He was no longer tinkering with an old Ford near the back of the room. He was walking towards her with an anxious speed in his step, “It’s the other gang. Dallas mentioned that the warehouse might not be safe for a while since information got leaked but I didn’tー The rainー I thought it’d be fineー”

Kitty’s eyes flew wide in alarm. “How manyー?”

“All of them,” Marco winced. She suddenly noticed he seemed newly drenched with rain, “I ran around the back to check… They saw me so we can’t sneak out the back either.”

“What do we do?”

Marco pursed his lips and his expressive eyes shined with fear. “I don’t know.”

Chapter Text

Kitty watched, shaking heavily where she sat, as Marco pushed things against the front and back doors of the warehouse. It was the best they could do, given the situation… They would have to blindly hope that their enemies were too stupid to notice the closed garage doors around the left side of the building ー Marco had explained that fencing surrounded the area but it wouldn’t be hard for the rival gang to jump it or simply run it down with their cars.

Marco was cursing under his breath and Kitty winced each time. He rarely spoke such words in her presence ー he rarely spoke such words at all, as far as she knew. It was a testament to his terror that he was letting his guard down.

“We need a plan,” Kitty stated slowly as he finished, “There has got to be a way out of this mess.”

“There’s no time,” Marco insisted as he shook his head, “We’re gonna have to roll with the punches on this one, Kitty.”

Her eyes narrowed. “The doors are blocked. We have time to come up with a plan.”

He shook his head once before finding his dirty shirt on the floor. It was still wet but he pulled it on anyways, wincing slightly when it uncomfortably stuck to his skin. “There’s no guarantee any plan we make would work. We just have to wait and see what they doー”

“What is it with you and running into things blindly?!” She huffed, finally standing off the bench. The thick material of her skirt was still wet and heavy, her blouse barely dried under the leather jacket around her shoulders, but she barely noticed it as a fiery wave of anger flared beneath her skin. “We obviously need a plan right now, Marco!”

The warehouse went suddenly quiet. Neither of them noticed.

“Why do you live in the future?” Marco snapped back, his green gaze sharp and accusing. “Why can’t you just trust me to know what I’m doing?!”

“Because you don't know what you're doing!” Kitty shrieked.

They paid no mind to the roar of engines outside or the crashes that followed.

“You don’t know that,” Marco hissed, stepping towards her in a way that should have been threatening ー Kitty was only able to match his stance because she was certain that he would never lay a hand on her. “I’m plenty capable! You just worry too much! You’re always nagging me and acting like you’re better than me but you don’t know what the future looks like any more than I doー!”

His rant was cut short by Kitty’s terrified scream when an overwhelming crash rang out and a car drove straight through the garage doors.

“Run!” Marco ordered but there was nowhere to go because he’d blocked all the doors. Still, he grabbed Kitty’s hand and pulled her towards the newly opened garage doors. Kitty wasn’t surprised to see they’d been blocked off by rows of men in jean jackets.

What did surprise her was the shining metal of the guns in their hands.

“Marco!” a voice suddenly rang out, “What a lovely surprise!”

They both turned to the voice. A tall man with teased black hair had stepped out of the car that had torn a hole into the warehouse. He looked no worse for wear, though the peepers on his nose appeared slightly crooked.

Kitty didn’t recognize the newcomer in the slightest but it was clear that Marco did; green eyes widened in shock before shifting into a hateful glare. “Richard.”

“Ah, you remembered! Good, good!” The man strolled towards them leisurely with his hands tucked into the deep pockets of his worn-out levis.

Kitty pulled herself closer to Marco. Though her eyes were trained on Richard, she was aware of the surrounding gang members closing in on them. They were trapped.

“Richard,” Marco repeated, “We’re in mixed company.”

“I can see that,” he replied idly. If Kitty weren’t so terrified she might have found it offensive that he barely glanced at her. “Unfortunately, I don’t care.”

The two men stood chest-to-chest now, eyes locked and glaring. “You’ll be catching more than a knuckle sandwich if you lay a finger on her,” Marco promised.

The man laughed and the sound was nothing short of devilish. “I don’t plan on touching her. The threads you greasers wear are much too cheap ー I’d get a rash.” Stepping back, Richard snapped his fingers. The sound prompted one of the surrounding men to step forward, handgun held level to Kitty’s chest. “There are faster ways to dispose of people anyhow.”

If Kitty had been terrified before, now she was frozen solid with fear so overwhelming that she couldn’t describe it if she tried. “Marco…” She whimpered, gaze flickering between the barrel of the gun and her lover.

Immediately, Marco’s eyes filled with panic. “No! Please, leave her alone ー she has nothing to do with any of this!” When he moved to put himself in front of the gun, yet another man jumped forward to restrain him. “Please!” Marco struggled against the arms that wrapped around him, “Please, Richard!”

“While I do love seeing you grovel,” the man replied, “It’s too late for that. Your brothers stole my car, you helped them steal my money, I’m told that you even stole this girl away from her family!” Richard smirked, “Thieves must learn lessons.”

“She stole nothing,” Marco insisted.

Kitty could feel tears streaking down her cheeks. She was surprised that her knees were able to hold her weight at all. Shaking, she closed her eyes and took a deep inhale. “Marco, it’s alright.” Silence descended upon them for long moments. She didn’t open her eyes but she could feel the weight of their stares…

“Kitty?”

“It’s alright,” she repeated. She was proud to say her voice was steady. “Don’t fight them. You’ll just make it worse.”

“Brave girl,” Richard hummed, “But you know, bravery is just another word for stupidity.”

Kitty barely had time to wince and Marco barely had the time to scream. The shot echoed through the warehouse in a thunderous way. In the moment, Kitty swore it rang out louder than any cloud in the sky, draining out the noise of rain hitting the metal roof.

She gasped when a second shot ー then a third ー blasted.

When Kitty went to the drive-in with Marco, the people on the screen never seemed to experience pain when they were shot. There had always been something romantic about being shot ー heroic, it seemed, or adventurous.

Instead, Kitty found herself shouting in both surprise and pain, her head banging painfully on the concrete floor when she landed. Her stomach burned where it had been hit but not nearly as much as her chest, which seemed to jump and flutter with every breath she drew. She could feel a gurgle in her throat as her own blood filled it. She couldn’t focus on any one pain, it all hurt so much, so she instead turned her head as much as she could and watched the scene before her play out.

Marco seemed to be screaming ー she could only barely hear him ー at Richard, who watched with an air of casual indifference. Her lover was still being restrained, his arms held tightly behind his back, but his struggling seemed to be testing the strength of his captor.

Kitty idly noticed that the strength in Marco’s arms was no less attractive than the wonderful day she’d met him. She’d loved him since the moment she laid eyes on him, hadn’t she? The thought made her smile.

She coughed and wasn’t surprised when blood poured from her mouth. She sobbed brokenly, scared and sad for an infinity of reasons. This was death, she was certain; the darkness closing around her vision was enough to convince her. She was going to die without having married Marco and wasn’t that just a shame? Her tears were as much for him as they were for herself.

Why hadn’t she said yes when he’d asked? She couldn’t remember.

Suddenly there was someone beside her, leaning over her body. She wearily opened her eyes ー when had she closed them? So many unanswered questions…

Marco’s eyes greeted her. They were filled, as usual, with too many emotions to count. Panic, terror, sorrow… So expressive, those green eyes; they always had been.

“Kitty, listen to me,” he rambled helplessly. One hand floated above her, alternating between each of her wounds as though it wasn’t sure which to save first. The other hand clutched at his own stomach; through the dark haze, Kitty could barely make out the blood seeping through his clothes. “Keep your eyes open- Open! Kitty, c’mon, please-”

She struggled to obey but she tried her very best regardless. “Marco?” she mumbled weakly, “Marco, I’m dying… Aren’t I?”

“No!” he shouted desperately, “No, Kittyー”

She laughed but it brought forth another blood-soaked coughing fit. “It’s okay,” she promised, “It’s okay…”

“No!” he insisted again, “No, Kitty- Please don’t- I can’t- Katherine!”

She shook her head. “Not Katherine,” she told him softly, “Kitty. Your Kitty.”

“My… My Kitty,” he agreed. Tears fell in streams down his face. “I’m so sorry, Kitty,” he sobbed.

“I love you,” she said by way of reply. Using all the strength she could, she lifted a hand to his cheek. He felt so warm against the ice-chill of her fingers. “I love you, Marco ー I’m sorry.”

He sniffled helplessly, leaning down to press their foreheads together. “I love you too,” he promised, “Kitty… I don’t want to lose you.”

“You won’t,” she promised. “I’m always yours, Marco. Forever.”

The darkness closed in around her and suddenly she was falling through the red skies of Hell.

⧫⧫⧫

To Niffty’s surprised, Vaggie’s eyes were filled with tears.

Charlie’s were as well, of course. The princess was barely able to compose herself, tears streaking her eyeliner down her cheeks in steady streams. “Niffty!” she wailed, throwing her arms around the redhead, “Niffty ー That’s so sad! I’m so sorry!”

“Incredibly sad,” Vaggie agreed with a sniffle while she rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands. “But Niffty,” she continued, “Why tell us this now?”

Niffty shifted uncomfortably but was unable to escape Charlie’s embrace… Niffty’s energy was running high and she wanted nothing more than to run away but she’d brought on this attention herself. For good reason too! She sighed heavily and gave Charlie an awkward pat on the back. “I thought… Well, I thought you two could learn something.”

Charlie finally pulled away. “Learn something? Like what?”

“Well…” Niffty stole her chance to back away, leaving Charlie to sit on the stool with Vaggie standing alongside her. “The two of you have been fighting latelyー”

“I wouldn’t say fightingー” Vaggie interrupted.

“Disagreeing, then,” Niffty amended, “But I think… Well, I think when you love someone you should be willing to make compromises. I learned that too late. I don’t want to see you make the same mistake.”

They both stared at her with wide eyes for a long moment.

“You do love each other, don’t you?”

Their response was instantaneous. “Yes,” they replied, perfectly in-sync with one another. Yet, they turned to suddenly stare at one another with the same wide eyes that they’d given Niffty. She watched with a smile as their faces grew red.

“Then compromise,” Niffty stated with certainty, “And apologize.” With that, she turned to grab her tray of finger foods. “I’ll leave you to talk.” She was quick to return to the ball and barely heard as the two began to ramble rushed apologies to each other.

⧫⧫⧫

Things returned to normal.

With the ball having been such a success, the couple spent the following weeks busy. They met with investors, welcomed new guests, and happily tended to all hotel events and happenings.

Yes, happily.

Niffty couldn’t be more overjoyed to witness the way they now spoke to each other with love and excitement. Whenever they discussed budget or similarly sensitive topics, they came to agreements that met somewhere in the middle of their differing opinions.

Their good moods were contagious as well! Angel Dust was getting along well with everyone ー Vaggie included! Alastor was less apt to purposely cause chaos. Even Husk seemed less grumpy; Niffty noted that the cat-demon had gone a record three hours without drinking!

Niffty even found herself feeling… Lighter. Her memories still came but they remained soft and happy. She hadn’t found herself stuck within horrid daydreams since before the ball. Talking about her past seemed to have, in a way, freed her from it.

She was able to think about it, to remember the hard times that had come while she was alive, but the sweet outweighed the bitter. Niffty’s love for Marco was still strong after so many years and she remembered him fondly. She allowed herself to remember, allowed herself to feel any and all emotions, but she refused to allow the memories to rule her life negatively.

She learned to compromise.