[right]Timestamp: What If, the afternoon before Beau's party[/right]
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[color=darkgray][indent][indent]A young woman with long acrylic nails, casual designer wear and Prada sunglasses sat behind the wheel of a bright red convertible Porsche, much like the one sitting in the garage of her [url=https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/14319-Mulholland-Dr-Los-Angeles-CA-90077/243595168_zpid/]multi-million dollar Bel-Air home[/url]. Her luscious locks of black hair flowed freely in the morning breeze as she sped down the streets of her hometown, [url=https://youtu.be/1JehvadyY78]singing along to one of the songs[/url] of [url=https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E0p4i-NWYAcBQAL.jpg]her close friend Karli-- or, as the world knew her by, Kali Uchis[/url]. A behemoth of a man with buzzed hair, a neat beard and equally fashionable designer clothing occupied the passenger seat next to her, his own hazel eyes hidden behind aviator sunglasses. His large hand rested on the driver’s thigh affectionately as he watched contentedly how the scenery around them changed while the woman drove on. All roads lead to their final destination: the home of Reynaldo and Guadalupe Gonzalez in Edenridge’s Southside.

When Aleyda Gonzalez, Zara Beauregard and Deanna Salvador had received the news that the town of Edenridge was coming together to throw a retirement party for Zara’s father, there was no question of whether they'd be attending the festivities or not. Mr. Beau was not just a teacher, but a mentor, a father figure, a conscience and a voice of reason for students and community members alike. It made the girls happy to know that his positive contributions and impacts to the lives of so many people were being acknowledged and celebrated, and they would not miss being there for the world.

Once they were informed of when the party would be happening, the LA-based Edenites formed a plan to return home and surprise their families with their unexpected arrivals. They had each told their loved ones little white lies about how prior, unavoidable work commitments wouldn’t allow them to make it to the party, all the while making the necessary preparations to attend. Transportation arrangements were easy when you had friends (or significant others) in high places. Aleyda's boyfriend, the one and only undisputed heavyweight boxing champion Derex ‘The Bull’ Steiner, had graciously donated his private jet for the occasion. At any other time, first class would’ve been sufficient, but the Eden girls didn’t want to risk their surprise getting ruined. Once in Boston, vehicular transportation was covered by another member of their fierce fivesome/Zara’s girlfriend: A-list Hollywood actress Lior Ray (who was, to the girls and Rex, Sadé Nguyen). After five and a half hours of flying, the group had collected their respective vehicles and split up, each heading out to fulfill the last par before eventually reuniting at Mr. Beau’s party the next day. 

[color=8F2E62]“You hanging in there, Bull?”[/color] Aleyda teased her boyfriend with a smug smirk, glancing at the man over her sunglasses. Back in Los Angeles, it was always Derex the one who drove them around in his GMC Hum-V. But whenever they were in the streets of South Boston, in Ley’s turf, she was always the one dangerously tearing down the familiar roads. [color=8F2E62]“You haven’t asked me to switch seats once since I started driving, so I guess I’m not doing [i]too[/i] bad.”[/color]

Rex let out a low rumble of a chuckle, curving his lips into a small grin. [color=#c04000]“I’m hangin’ like Spike did in my last bout with him. Just enjoying the ride, mein Viper.”[/color]

Rex had come to Edenridge a few times in their two years of dating to meet her parents and see where the second most important woman in his life found her beginnings. A quaint small town not too dissimilar to the one he came up in back in his home country of Germany. He came up in Fussen, which sat just north of the Austrian border. In its own way, his Viper’s home of Edenridge had a similar vibe from how he saw it. The church and the Gothic Castle in Fussen that he used to explore when he was a little boy were too similar for his unique eyes and experience to not connect those dots. He doubted anyone else would.

The last time they were here, it was to meet her family. The first time he would meet her father and his sons. Meet her mother, Guadalupe. When he would meet Rey Rey’s wife, Maxine. It was a rather intimidating experience to say the least, but his ability to thrive under pressure was always an asset to him. Being able to take on these dangerous tasks was probably one of the many reasons Aleyda fell for him. She was small compared to him, but boy did she have a bite that just drew him in from day one. So meeting her family was nothing compared to the buildings he destroyed to get that first date with her.

[color=#c04000]“How’s are [i]you[/i] doing? That Mr. Beauregard guy is pretty important to your hometown, isn’t he?”[/color]

Aleyda nodded vehemently, confirming her boyfriend’s statement. [color=8F2E62]“He really is. I know I’ve already told you about how he was like another dad to Dena and I because of Zee, and how he’s always been close to my dad. But Beau’s basically everyone’s dad in some way. He has this uncanny ability to sense whenever something is up with you, and always seems to find a way to either convince you that everything will be alright or even make everything all better. He could be a bit of a hardass as a teacher, but nobody can say he didn’t try his damned hardest to make sure every one of his students learned at least one lesson. I wouldn’t be surprised if they made a statue of him or named a building after him or something.”[/color]

Rex knew the type. He knew the kind of man that this Antoine Beauregard was. He knew he didn’t have to meet the man to know it first hand because he had someone like that in his life too. His father. The man who raised him right. Instilled the values he still holds close to his heart. Rex valued the honesty in his life. The kind of honesty that he knew those he chose to surround himself with would give to him. He never wanted to be lied to in order to spare his feelings. But at the same time, Wolfgang helped him become the man he was today through his own form of wisdom and intensity. [color=#c04000]“Sounds like he and Pops would get along. They’re cut from that same cloth. But I can’t lie to you.”[/color] Rex found himself laughing even before he admitted it, [color=#c04000]“that isn’t the kind of man I ever expected to have a daughter like Zara.”[/color] He said with as much respect as he could. Zara was unique and fierce in her own way, yet at the same time, tested the wide limits of his patience.

Aleyda's laughter was quick to fill the air as she thought of her sister by association. While the Beauregards were exemplary individuals and pillars of their communities, Zara had always stood out as the rebellious force of nature who would live life her way, on her own terms. There were many times where people judged the youngest daughter's actions and shook their heads in disappointment, thinking about how ashamed of her the Beauregards would be. But other people's opinions about Zee had never mattered to Beau. He knew his daughter and what was in her heart-- that was all that mattered.

[color=8F2E62]"I know Zara can be a handful, but I’d do anything for that girl. And once you meet Beau, you'll definitely be able to see where she gets her best qualities from,"[/color] Aleyda mused out loud, snickering as she added, [color=8F2E62]"And just wait until you meet her mom and her siblings-- you'd never imagine that they're related. She'll be acting like she's at Sunday church service, too. Sadé won't even recognize her. It'll be hilarious to watch for sure."[/color]

Rex let out a hearty laugh, almost choking on his own breath. Zara like a nun? Was she talking about the same Zara who was like one but from one of those X-rated adult film parodies? [color=#c04000]“This I might have to see. She’s made me go red one too-many times for her own viewing pleasure.”[/color] It was all in good fun and Rex had a thick coat, so he could take the jokes and uncomfortable situations she loved to put him in. Karma was about to hit her in full.

[color=8F2E62]“Now it’ll be your chance to get your long-awaited revenge.”[/color] Ley joked with the man. The relationship between Derex, Dena, Zara and Sadé had always been one of mutual banter in which they all continuously poked fun at each other. When the girls had found out that their favorite Latina had captured the heart of The Bull, they had warned her about his reputation as a ladies man, a hardhead who pushed people away with his ‘toxic obsession for the game’, and who had allegations of mistreatment coming from a few exes. During their initial meeting, they had hounded Derex with questions, trying to decipher who he truly was as a person and what intentions he had with Ley. Rather than be offended, the German man had taken everything in stride; validating the girls’ concerns, reassuring them that he was a good guy, that what he felt for their friend was true, and that his only intentions were to make Aleyda the happiest woman in the Universe. With time and effort, Rex’s actions had earned him the trust and affection of Ley’s chosen family. They now considered him a part of their inner circle, and that meant putting up with each other’s jokes and roasting sessions. Zara and Sadé happened to be the two that picked on Derex the most, so for him to see the tables turning would be amusing to say the least.

Just as Ley finished speaking, she drove up to a stoplight that, as she approached it, changed from yellow to red. A mischievous smirk lit up her features, and she immediately turned to her boyfriend. [color=8F2E62]“Uh oh. Looks like we’ve found ourselves at a red light…”[/color] she announced, placing a hand on his thick thigh and squeezing it teasingly a few times.

[color=#c04000]“Amazing we haven’t ran into one since we got to your little slice of the commonwealth,”[/color] Rex remarked with a grin, squeezing his grip on Ley’s thigh with less force applied than she had on his. He was much stronger than she was and she wasn’t nearly as toned as he was, either. The long-standing tradition between them was PDA at red lights, a thing that happened randomly in the first few months of their now-two-year relationship. It was something they got off on, but while he loved kissing her lips, that familiar taste of the poison he picked to take into his system, there was another thing that he liked more.

[color=#c04000]“How obnoxious you wanna get this time? We’re in your turf, Viper. You lead and this boxer will follow in your shadow.”[/color] He massaged her thigh, licking his lips somewhat, moistening them up, taking note of a car.

Aleyda's smirk widened into a grin. [color=8F2E62]"I say we go all in,"[/color] she replied, leaning over the middle console and inching close enough to Rex's face that he could smell the peppermint from the pieces of gum she'd just been chewing on. [color=8F2E62]"What do [i]you[/i] say?"[/color]

With a smirk, his hand went confidently further past her thigh, gripping her waist and slid it slowly up her back and around her neck. He shot the car next to them, a woman was driving and another woman, likely her mother or someone older, was looking at them. They both smiled and so did Rex. “Showtime at the Red Light!” When Ley had his attention, The Bull charged horns first into his Viper’s lips, aggressively and tame at the same time. All the while, he could feel his Viper getting into it, and when he looked back at the women in the car next to them, he saw their disgusted expressions. And yet, they couldn’t take their eyes off…or at least they tried not to be obvious about it.

Even as Aleyda kissed her boyfriend back with the same amount of sloppy and raunchy enthusiasm without a single care in the world, she knew that she was playing with fire by playing little games. Stunts like these could bring attention to hers and Derex’s presence in town, and that could risk ruining the surprise she'd been looking forward to for weeks. But how could she resist herself? Red light makeout sessions had been their thing for nearly as long as she and Rex had been dating, and she couldn't imagine the day in which she'd ever get enough of her lover.

The honk of the vehicle behind them yanked Aleyda away from Rex's lips and back to reality. She pulled away from Rex just in time to see the SUV that had been waiting behind them at the traffic light go around them and speed off, its driver making annoyed faces and gestures at her as he drove away.

[color=8F2E62]"Suck my dick if it bothers you!"[/color] she yelled out after him, flipping the vehicle's occupant off for good measure as she began to drive again. Outburst now completed after this live display of her extremely short fuse, Ley before turning back to her passenger. [color=8F2E62]"Fuck him!"[/color] she told Rex as she rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses and shook her head. Her annoyance, however, was cut short when she saw the wide grin on her boyfriend's face. [color=8F2E62]"You live to see me bitch people out, don't you?"[/color] she asked him with a playful scoff, followed by a round of laughter and a light smack to his arm. [color=8F2E62]"You're so bad."[/color]

Rex merely shrugged. He knew what he liked and what he liked was seeing that temper flare in a way that reminded him every day why he loved her. Some would call it toxic. 

[i]Why would he want to encourage that kind of behavior? It’s gotta be toxic![/i] 

Yeah, no shit. She wasn’t called Viper for no reason. Toxicity is in her blood and like the animal he’s named after, Rex runs after it like it’s a red cape because in truth, he’s not the best person if people want to bring up toxic masculinity or whatever kind of term they want to put on it. But he doesn’t disrespect her. He doesn’t disrespect himself. Her family, her friends, and his own know him. Who fucking cares what a couple of random drivers on the road think? If they didn’t like it, they heard Ley. 

[color=#c04000]“The Bull wanted to frolic around for a bit. Can you blame him?”[/color] Rex laughed, curling his amused smirk into an even more obvious grin. He had the obnoxious habit of sometimes referring to himself by his boxer nickname.

[color=8F2E62]“Oh, he does, doesn’t he?”[/color] Aleyda drawled, risking another suggestive glance at her boyfriend before turning back to the road. An impulsive idea sprung to the forefront of the Gonzalez woman’s mind-- one that would delay their arrival, but the beauty of a surprise visit was that you would never be late since nobody was expecting you in the first place. Before she could talk herself out of it, she was changing course away from the center of town and towards the outskirts instead, brushing off Rex’s questions about what she was doing or where she was going. Whether the Porsche would be able to withstand the change from paved streets to dirt roads was put to the test, but luckily the couple inside the vehicle had the means to afford any damages that could stem from this little road trip to the one and only O’Halloran’s Creek.

[color=8F2E62]“How’s [i]this[/i] for a place to let The Bull frolic around?”[/color] Ley called out to Derex as she exited the car and walked to stand in the shade of a large cherry tree, stretching out her hands and spinning in place a few times. [color=8F2E62]“Is it as good as Santorini, Fiji or the million vacations we’ve taken? [i]No[/i]. But is it the best place around town to spend some time alone together and completely away from civilization? Absolutely. We can even skinny dip here like we did in Bali that one time…”[/color] she suggested, pointing towards the beautiful creek beside them with its sparkling, crystal clear waters.

Rex took in the scenery, the environment. The rock formations and the water so clear you could probably see your own reflection in it. The kind of crystal waters that, if this was a boy band video, some model-turned singer would splash his reflection away to seem [i]cool[/i].“You kidding? I knew a spot back in the old country that was just like this. Has my usual go-to relaxing spot upgraded ever since my bank account has gotten bigger than my undefeated streak? Yeah, maybe. Could be a possibility. But you know what isn’t?” Rex intentionally made a loud noise. Nothing specific, just a typical hype-inspiring yell. One that would scare all the birds away, which he took notice of as they all flew from the tops of the rocks, trees around them.

The sometimes crazy Bull waited and let the silence of nature save for the sounds of the creek in the faint distance fill the air. He waited for a few more moments and grinned at his super hot girlfriend. [color=#c04000]“Nobody in sight. Nobody came to the poor damsel in distress’ aid, thinking there was one to begin with. Just, you, a Bull, and…”[/color] Rex came face to face with a creature who didn’t run away when he screamed. Stocky and mostly tan with a black and white pattern on its face. It had a long head with glaring eyes that were staring into Rex’s souls. [color=#c04000]“The fucking fuck? Is that a fucking badger?”[/color]

Aleyda, who’d been watching the enthusiastic Rex take in his surroundings with the biggest grin across her face, found herself frowning in confusion at his last comment. [color=8F2E62]“What?”[/color] she barked, whipping her head in the direction he was staring at and finding herself locking eyes with nothing other than a fucking [i]honey badger[/i].

Before Derex could comprehend what was happening, Ley began to howl with laughter so hard it made her tears run down her cheeks. It wasn’t a coincidence that they’d stumble on the animal that became her little brother’s Serpent namesake so shortly after she’d stepped foot on their old stomping grounds. During their teenage days, Mika had embraced his new ‘youngest brother’ status by consistently testing Aleyda’s short temper,  hoping to get a rise out of her. One of his favorite, foolproof ways to annoy his sister was interfering with her dates. Whenever Ley thought she had scored some time alone with someone and things were heading in a saucy direction, Mika would pull some disruptive, attention-grabbing stunt that would bring the moment to a screeching halt. These incidents often ended with Ley screeching at Mika like a banshee, chasing her snickering brother around until she ultimately caught up and wrestled with him until his taunts turned into upset pleas for her to stop. They had both grown out of it eventually… Or so she thought.

[color=8F2E62]“I know you’re fucking lying…”[/color] she cackled, doubling over as she tried and struggled to catch her breath. [color=8F2E62]“I haven’t even been here five minutes, and the little shit’s already cockblocking me.”[/color]

Rex couldn’t break his stern and grounded gaze away from the badger that was doing the same. This would be his first, real life encounter with the creature. He’d seen the memes. He’d watch the video. The Badger, but specifically the Honey Badger, was a tenacious and stubborn creature. Someone who didn’t give any shits about what the odds were against him. Also a bit of a menace in the wild. Rex could respect that. He did respect that. He respected it so much that looking away would mean he admitted defeat to the animal that was mad-dogging him. Be it pride or an equal stubbornness, Rex refused to, yet he could multitask. [color=#c04000]“What was it that they say about it? It doesn’t give any fucks? Nasty little shits.”[/color] As if offended, he heard the badger make a noise of disapproval and it huffed proudly, as if also gloating in what Rex just stated.

Rex had heard plenty of tales about Ley’s family. How they were in the life. The Southside Serpents - gang warfare, crime, and basically any kind of scenario seen on the 10 O’Clock news was likely just the tip of the iceberg of her family’s doings. Rex was seldom phased by it, mostly because he never had it easy when he was growing up. His family wasn’t poor but they struggled. He and Frankie were, as some might infer, just a bunch of stupid boys doing stupid boy things. It’s why his family had moved away from Germany and to Los Angeles. It helped that his father got a sweet contract with all these sponsorships due to his own tenure as a boxer, but it was, as Derex came to understand years later, a way to remove Rex and Lena away from that life.

[color=8F2E62]“You know, there was a time where I was really pissed off at my family for not letting me in the business,”[/color] Aleyda admitted with visible regret, reminiscing about the many arguments she’d had with her father and older brother for allowing someone outside the family to be a part of the Serpents’ leadership: a position she’d been all but forbidden from ever occupying. [color=8F2E62]“I felt like they didn’t trust me, or that maybe they thought I wouldn’t be able to handle it or something. God, I didn’t speak to them for months-- I was so fucking upset about it… But after I moved to Los Angeles and started seeing what my life was looking like, I realized that keeping me out of the life was the best gift Dad and ReyRey could’ve ever given me. [i]I fucking made it.[/i] I have everything I ever dreamed of and more. That never would’ve happened if I had stayed here. The thing that used to bother me the most turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me.”[/color]

Rex understood her anger at her family more than anyone. After a moment, he willingly submitted to the Badger’s assertion for dominance and looked away. As he did, he heard the sound of a happy and proud badger that was trying to rub it in Rex’s face. He ignored that and gazed at the second strongest woman he knew, only being second to his mama. [color=#c04000]“Family’s complicated like that. Decisions you didn’t understand before you would achieve everything they hoped you would only make sense when you put yourself in their shoes,”[/color] he said, bringing his left hand to stroke Ley’s cheek. The fire in her eyes was clear, shining specs of red in the brown eyes he fell so hopelessly in love with. The same fire he saw on his own whenever they looked in their mirrors. [color=#c04000]“And if I’m going to toot my own horn, if you never left this place, I would’ve never landed the hottest makeup artist in the SoCal area.”[/color]

Aleyda's laughter quickly filled the air. [color=8F2E62]“That's [i]celebrity[/i] makeup artist to you,”[/color] she joked, playfully tapping the man's nose before wrapping her arms around him for a tight hug. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw the badger still staring at the two of them with what Ley could've sworn was a judgmental, disgusted look on its face. Before she could stop herself, the Gonzalez girl flipped the badger off, and watched as it let out what sounded like an offended scoff before hurrying away in the direction that it came from.

Smirking to herself, the woman pulled away from the embrace to stare at the handsome face of her life partner once again. [color=8F2E62]“I'm happy I found you, Derex. Thank you for being here with me,”[/color] the brunette told the man, reaching up on the tips of her toes to show her gratitude with a kiss.

In what was only a jest on his part, but so in line with how they teased each other, Rex said, [color=#c04000]“What else is a bull to do when he sees a red flag?”[/color] He laughed, his hands sliding down to hold his [i]celebrity[/i] makeup artist of a girlfriend by her slimthick waist and bringing her so close to him that he could feel her pressing against his chest. He had towered over her by nearly a foot, but height wasn’t a matter. He loved her anyway. He deepened the kiss between them, feeling the hunger inside of him grow the more he tasted her. The more he took in her scent. Greed and gluttony always went hand in hand with Lust smashed between them. The perfect trio of the vices that Rex submitted to every time. He loved Aleyda Gonzalez with all his heart. He loved her fire. He loved her ambition, but maybe in the simplest and purest way, he loved her body. 

And it was evident when he raised her up, holding her secure only to guide her down onto the cold stone. He heard the ambience of the creek, the serene gusts of wind tickling his skin. [color=#c04000]“You know…we don’t have to be anywhere for a while, right?”[/color] He hovered over her, feeling the hunger rising like a tide. Nibbling on her neck, he met her fiery gaze like he was waiting for the green light from his red flag so they could become a beige center in nature.

Aleyda giggled and rolled her eyes. Leave it to Derex to shift things back to the direction they were previously heading to. No bullshit and straight to the point: qualities the young woman loved so much about him. [color=8F2E62]“Then I guess we better get busy before that badger comes back and takes a bite out of us…”[/color] she whispered in his ear, their laughter filling the air before Ley took her boyfriend up on his suggestive, thinly-veiled offer.[/indent][/indent][/color]