Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Santa Monica ❯ Santa Monica ( Chapter 1 )

In Santa Monica, in the winter time,
The lazy streets so undemanding
I walk into the crowd

Vincent hunched over, tugging his leather jacket tight around him as he walked across the streets. People swilled around him, but it was lazy, unhurried. Not like New York City...

'Alec...'

He sighed, breath clouding in front of him without the aid of a cigarette; he watched it swirl and fade away. He felt... lonely. Red eyes glanced about as he strolled, hands tucked into his pockets, seeing but not seeing as he moved. A building caught his wandering attention and he moved towards it.

In Santa Monica, you get your coffee from
The coolest places on the promenade

It was what Chloe would jokingly refer to as tre chic; all angles and metal and utilitarian. Very 'in'. But Vincent smelled coffee, and coffee was better than alcohol. So coffee he would get.

"Can I help you sir?" asked the server behind the counter, a young girl with bubblegum-pink pink hair pulled into pigtails. Vincent placed her at maybe fifteen, sixteen years of age. Young, sheltered, parents probably loaded, shops at the gap.

"Sir?" He blinked, shooting her a smile.

"Heh, sorry about that. Wandering minds, you know. I'll have a vanilla cafe latte, if you would."

"What size?"

"Oh, a medium, thanks. Can I have that for here? It's freezing out!" He mocked a shiver and the girl laughed.

"Sure. I'll serve it to you when it's ready, okay? You can sit at table three--it's a window seat." He smiled and nodded at the girl.

"Thanks." He turned to go away then turned back. "Can I add something to that order?"

"Why, yes sir!"

"I'd like some shortbread to come out with that, if you would."

"No problem. It shouldn't be more than a few minutes." Vincent nodded absently, waving over his shoulder.

The chairs were just as impersonal as the rest of the decor, but they weren't uncomfortable. He collapsed into one, leaning forward, resting his arms on the table as he stared outside, watching the people pass by. He wondered what Alec was doing right now, if they'd found any leads.

Where people dress just so
Beauty so unavoidable, everywhere you turn
It's there
I sit and wonder what am I doing here?

"Here's your coffee and shortbread, sir." He smiled and took the plate and saucer from the girl.

"Thank you!" She blushed and looked at the ground, shaking her head.

"It was no problem sir; just doing my job."

"Well, you're doing a bangin' job of it! I'll make sure to let you know if I need anything else..." She nodded and moved away; Vincent noted that she was wearing the latest tee and jeans from Abercrombie and Fitch.

'Of course. I'm never wrong.'

The coffee was good, better than he expected, really. Maybe he'd drag Alec in here sometime. The shortbread was even better.

His pocket vibrated.

"Allo?" he asked, taking another bite of his shortbread. There was silence for a moment then, "...Vincent?"

Soft, crackling, distant, tired.

"Alec..." Breathy, longing, surprise, pleased.

But on the telephone line I am anyone
I am anything I want to be
I could be a supermodel or Norman Mailer
And you wouldn't know the difference

Vincent shook his head, black hair twisting around him.

"Wow, man, how're ya? Y'guys find any leads yet?" A frustrated sigh through the phone line, and Vincent could just see Alec ripping his hands through his blonde hair.

"We haven't found anything yet, and yesterday Mercedes went missing. Sets and I are fucking frantic. This isn't good, Vincent. Not by a long shot." Vincent turned his body around, facing the window, coffee and cookie forgotten.

"What?! Cedes went poof? How? It's not like her--" Alec cut him off with a snarl.

"I know that! I might not've known these people as long as you have, but I have known them long enough, thanks!"

Neither of them said anything, not trusting themselves to without saying something they'd later regret. Vincent took a sip of his coffee, suddenly feeling a burning desire to have a cigarette. A ragged sigh came through his cell phone.

Or would you?

"Listen, Vincent, I'm sorry. New York is a helluva lot different than California, and it's been putting me on edge for the last few days. And with Cedes missing..."

"Something had to blow sometime, and at least it was to me not some random stranger. Man, that'd be creepy. Just minding your own business and this random kid comes up and starts yelling at you. Actually, I'd laugh, but that's just me." He took another sip of his coffee. "Oh! I found a decent coffee shop in Santa Monica."

That caught Alec's attention. "Really? I was under the impression they were hiding from me." Vincent flapped a hand--even though Alec couldn't see it--and grinned.

"No, not one of our bohemian joints. Unitarian. Angles. Tre chic." He chuckled.

"Really." Vincent nodded.

"Yeah, I know. No clue what got me in here, but damn is their coffee good! I used your card, hope you don't mind." He'd had the card for a few months now, and it still felt awkward to use someone else's money like that.

Even if that other person was loaded.

In Santa Monica, all the people got
modern names
Like Jake or Mandy
And modern bodies too

"Do you need anything else, sir?" the girl asked, interrupting him. He shook his head.

"Nah, thanks doll, but I think I'm good." She gave him a coy smile.

"My name's Mandy; you can call me that instead." He gave her an absent smile.

"Okay then. If you don't mind though, Mandy, I'm on the phone with my boyfriend so if you could..." The expression on her face went from coy and flirting to shock.

"Oh! Oh... Okay then. Sorry to intrude!" She ran off and Vincent had to chuckle. He was met with an answering one over the phone.

"You love doing that, don't you?" Vincent grinned.

"And you love it when I do it, so I think it works out okay. How's Sets, aside from the whole 'one-of-my-friends-has-gone-missing' thing?"

"Jittery. The last time she was in NYC, she got captured by that orphanage. So she's not feeling all that comfortable... Hey, I've got someone on my other line. Hold on, okay?"

Alec was gone before Vincent could say a word.

In Santa Monica, on the boulevard,
You'll have to dodge those in-line skaters
Or they'll knock you down

Outside the window, people were going on as they always have, chatting, interacting. Vincent could spot at least three grifters working the boulevard, and another two crashers. The crashers whizzed by on the latest inline skates, crashing into people and stealing their money or jewelry before the person had time to react, and were gone like magic. It was a gutsy work; Vincent had to grudgingly respect the morons who did it. Himself, he was more into the grifting lay; he even knew how to read tarot due to the old bat, so it's not like he couldn't be convincing. Hmm, another possible job to do if things ever went wrong. Like if Alec left him.

I never felt so lonely,
Never felt so out of place
I never wanted something more than this

It was stupid, he knew, but he couldn't help it. He was used to a harsh, gritty life, where even your own mother would sell you out in a heart beat...Not always for money, either. Love, acceptance, 'kindness'--all were usually faked on the streets. To find someone like Alec... It was really good, and Vincent couldn't help but wait for the other shoe to drop.

He reached for his coffee, frowning when all he got was the dregs.

"Here." Mandy placed another steaming cup next to his plate. He blinked, looking up at her quizzically.

"...Thanks?" She smiled at him, smoothing down the front of her black apron.

"Sorry for my reaction earlier. You just...don't look the type." Vincent cocked a brow at her.

"You mean I'm not sitting here, wearing make-up, with my legs crossed at the knee--" he demonstrated "--making flamboyant hand gestures and talking like this 'No way girlfriend! Mm-MM!'" She flushed and laughed.

"When you do it like that it seems kinda stupid," she admitted. Vincent laughed.

"You're right," he said, unfurling his legs and leaning back. "Some gay guys do act like that. A friend of mine is like that--so gay he sets of gaydars in a five-mile radius. But you know, not all guys who are gay act like that, nor does it mean that all guys who act like that are gay. My old landlord? He seemed like the gayest man alive, I swear to Aphrodite, but y'know what? The guy's been married thirty years last July, has three lovely kids, and loves his wife more that you'd think was even possible Get the moral?" He gave her a sardonic grin; she nodded, smiling sheepishly.

"To quote, 'Don't judge a book by its cover, right? Yeah, sorry about that. So was that really your boyfriend, or were you just saying that to chase off the pesky young girl?" She took the seat across from him; Vincent grinned.

"A little of both, actually." His phone buzzed. "Ah, if you'll excuse me?" She laughed and nodded.

"Don't let me get in your way. The coffee's on the house." She got up and patted him on the shoulder. "Have fun." He grinned and flipped open his phone.

"Allo?"

But on the telephone line I am anyone
I am anything I want to be
I could be a supermodel or Norman Mailer
And you wouldn't know the difference

"Hey. Cedes checked in." The relief in Alec's voice echoed in Vincent. He heaved a sigh, resting his head on the table.

"Christ. Where was she?" he asked, sitting up. Alec made a weird, choked off noise.

"She was working underground in a SEX ring and forgot to tell us."

Vincent sat there for a moment.

"Two things aren't adding up," he said, nibbling on his shortbread. "One--" he gestured, flinging crumbs across the table, "Cedes is working in a sex ring. Yeah, the gal knocks a few back at S&C from time to time, but that's all she does there. What the hell is she doing in a sex ring? And two, I don't buy that whole 'forgot' thing. I think she's in deeper than she's tellin'."

"Yeah, I know," Alec said, sounding annoyed. "Sets is going out to join her tomorrow. I'm gonna be stuck here, doing nothing helpful."

Vincent had to bite back his response, closing his eyes as he angrily downed a huge mouthful of his coffee. As his mouth scalded, Vincent counted to ten. Finally--

"Yeah, I know what you mean," he said airily. Alec cursed.

"Fuck, Vincent, I'm sorry," he said passionately. "I didn't mean--"

"I know you didn't," Vincent interrupted calmly, popping the last of the shortbread into his mouth. "Think a little, my impromptu friend."

"If I thought, then I wouldn't be me now would I?" he shot back sarcastically. Vincent chuckled.

"No, you'd be my very own Body Snatcher."

On the telephone line, I am any height
I am any age I want to be
I could be a caped crusader, or
space invader

"Har har. Very funny Vincent. Hey, listen, do you need anything? 'Cause Sets and I have to leave now if we plan on reaching Cedes before she goes back to work, so--" Vincent cut him off.

"Nah, nah, its cool. Go ahead. Talk to you later, right?"

"Yeah, sure." Alec sounded distracted. "Bye." A dull, droning buzz sounded from his cell. Vincent shut it and put it down.

And you wouldn't know the difference

"You okay?" Mandy asked, giving him another coffee. He shook his head.

"Nah, i'sok. Thanks for asking, though." She shot him a dubious look but walked away, back behind the counter. Vincent glared at the table.

'Stupid. He's busy helping and you're a fucking ass to think he'll remember something as stupid as saying 'I love you' to his boyfriend.' His phone buzzed.

"Yeah?"

Or would you?

"I love you." Vincent smiled, ducking his head to hide his tears.

"Love you, too."

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AN: First song fic EVAH. Like it? I wrote the second half during work. FUN! *dances* My feet hurt.
I wanted to show another side to Alec and Vincent's relationship, and hopefully succeeded without making my own characters out of character. I love these two.
Alec, Vincent, Mandy, and the coffee shop belong to me. santa monica belongs to Savage Garden. Santa Monica the place belongs to California. BOOYAH!