Work Text:
June 1st, 1927
Calvin stepped onto the street with Ivy after a… rough night. He’d gone on a booze run and just got back to Ivy waiting for him at the speakeasy. He gave her a bracelet that he spent the little money he had on, and after a stern talking-to from her about how he shouldn’t spend all the money he has on her and that she loved him either way, they began to walk back to the car.
“I didn’t mean to come off as rude, though. I do love it, really.” Ivy took his paw in her own and walked down the street, admiring her new bracelet. It was white, with a yellow gem in the center that Calvin said was citrine. It matched her dress - along with half of her wardrobe - perfectly!
Calvin grinned. “Oh, I know, I know. You’re just so lovely, that it’s hard to not shower you with just about everything I can get my paws on.” He sheepishly chuckled, before recoiling as he felt her lips on his.
Ivy quickly went back to walking beside him, pretending that she didn’t just give him a quick peck. “Sooo….” She let out a giggle as she looked back to see his face red, and stammering like an engine. What she didn’t expect though, was him to wrap his arms around her and kiss her.
It took all of his courage, but damn was it worth it. Sharing a perfect kiss with the one he loved in the moonlight. When their lips finally separated, he felt whole, finally feeling like a weight was lifted off his shoulders. He felt more than comfortable around her, and that he could really be himself.
“Hey Ivy?”
“Yes, Cal?”
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Eventually they were a few dozen yards away from his car and the end of their night, when he spotted a beggar on the side of the street, downtrodden and glum. Partially because he wanted to make a good impression, and partially because it was the right thing to do, he paused and opened his coin pouch, fumbling it in his shaking paws. However, before he could open it, he heard a squeal.
Immediately looking up, he saw the same beggar he was going to give some change to holding a smashed bottle up against Ivy’s throat, and his paw over her mouth.
“If ya want your lassie without a scratch, you’d better hand me whatever you got in that pouch, ya’hear?!”
Blood was pumping throughout Calvin’s body, and he froze. Really?! I was going to give you some money anyways! Ivy, I’m so sorry! Damnit, why can’t we have at least one peaceful night? He bared his teeth, his eyes turned to slits, and claws unsheathed… however the only thing that came out was a feral screech.
His instincts took over, and Calvin stamped on his pads that were sticking out of his torn shoes, as well as tossed the coin pouch at his face. That caused him to recoil and loosen his grip, leaving Ivy to fall on the ground, hitting her head on the pavement. But Calvin- No, Calvin was not in control now. The only one left now was the one that the Marigold’s feared. He didn’t stop there though. He kicked his knee and followed it up with a sucker punch to the side of the cheek, causing the assailant to fall back, where Calvin pounced on him.
Blood was pumping through his veins, and it was all he could hear. Calvin’s knees were pressed on the beggar’s shoulders as he landed blow, after blow, after blow onto the poor sucker’s face. A rotting tooth flew in the air, and that didn’t even phase him.
Hurt me all you want, I don’t give a damn. Flay me, shoot me, lock me up. I don’t care. But you lay a finger on Ivy, the one I love, the only light in this entire
fucking
city, THIS is what you get. Let this be a message to all your flimsy Marigold friends, I don’t care what you do to me.
You all bleed the same.
He’d completely lost it at this point. Call it a form of PTSD, but in his mind this beggar that tried to hurt Ivy was some Marigold crony.
“Calvin! Calvin, stop!”
Punch, punch, punch.
“Calvin! Please!”
“Piece. Of. Fucking. Garbage!”
“Calvi-in!!”
He felt familiar paws on his shoulders, attempting to pull him back. He almost swung back, before finally, the real Calvin came back. Breathing heavily, he looked back at Ivy, tears in his eyes, noticing that she was crying as well. Confused, he felt pain in his paws. They were bloodied and bruised… then he saw what was behind them. Who he was on top of. Everything from the past 5 minutes came flooding back. The kiss, the beggar, and the brawl leading to the barely-breathing, bloody pulp beneath him.
He felt sick.
“I- Uh- What have-” He leaned to the side, before hurling up the little food he had for lunch. He shot up and grabbed his pouch and Ivy’s arm, profusely apologizing to Ivy and the man who just hurt her. He placed his coin pouch back next to him, before slowly speedwalking to the car, still stammering under his breath.
Once they both got in, he regained his breath, eyes still wide. He was ashamed to look at Ivy. He didn’t deserve her. He didn’t deserve anything. Frankly, after that, he should be in prison. Solitary. Maybe even dea-
“C-Calvin… What…”
He briefly glanced at her, catching a glimpse of her face, and broke down to tears, hyperventilating.