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Was Shaundi in love with Gat?
Mel doesn't like the fact she doesn't have a solid answer to that question yet. Hate it, even—that it's so fucking unclear, even this far into the game.
Was Shaundi in love with Gat?—is she still? Mel doesn't know and hell, she doesn't even think she wants to. It's not any of her business. Never was and, really, should've never been at all. It's Shaundi's—Gat's too—but Gat isn't here (i.e dead) and, somehow, it became her goddamn fucking business.
She wants to ask. She really wants to ask. But with the state of Shaundi right about now—Mel's made a stupid correlation of her to one of those shitass expensive porcelain dolls. Y'know; fragile to the touch, ready to break at anyone's stupid expenses—She doesn't think asking and/or throwing that accusation in her face–freshly after the (debatable/possible/decided) object of her affection was otherwise assumed, well, dead–would be a very smart idea.
So she asked a different question.
"Shaundi–sweetie, are you okay?"
Stupid fucking question in hindsight, Mels aware.
Shaundi had been laying on the raggedy ass shit couch of their current crib–one of her ex's place; a dirty flat who's sole purpose was to store important shit and to lay her head for probably 4 hours max every few days–and was just... staring. Concerning even Mel hersef, staring right up at the ceiling, blinking every few seconds and sighing on and off every few moments in between.
Shaundi does grace Mel with a glance, at least. Though, Mel thinks she'd describe it better as a glare. After that question, she's not entirely offended by it.
"Do you think I'm fucking okay? Jonny is dead."
Mel fully expects that answer. Expects the anger and hurt. It does nothing to stop her frown at the tone, though.
"I was there."
"Then fucking act like it."
"And be detrimentally depressed and bitchy? I have a crew to run and a city to take over sweetie, thank you very much." Were they arguing? This feels like arguing.
"Well, being bitchy is better than acting like I don't care!"
"Is that what you think?" Mel let's her voice drop a bit, tone low, reluctant. But it's gone as quick as she let's it slip. "Whatever. I don't know what the fuck you want from me. What I need for you as my damn lieutenant–" Stubbornly and insistently, does Mel round the couch and sits her ass down. Despite the fact Shaundi seems to have no intention whatsoever of moving her legs. She barely manages to, mind you, grumbling in distain as she sits up to make room. "–is for you to put on your big girl pants and get over this–for now." She adds the ending bit when she note Shaundi's mouth opening on some type of protest.
Still. She's setting Mel with a midly begrudging look and this is the point where... Mel just starts spewing shit. Anything, really, to steer them away from this processing emotions and feelings bullshit.
"What do I need to do for you–besides avenging Jonny's death? Do you wanna go fucking shopping or some shit? We can go, right now. Victoria secret. No budget. I'll even peel 'em off you nice and slow and eat you out until you forget Jonny's goddamn name."
Mel doesn't know why she said that. It has just... come out. It was like, half a joke. No intention behind it whatsoever.
"Boss–fuuuuck. Oh my god..."
But here they were.
Mel was going to have to tidy up her hair before she met with Pierce after this. With the intoxicating feel of Shaundi's fingers dragging and scratching throught her scalp, it's only a small price, she'd wager later.
Okay so. She's eating out Shaundi, nooooo biggie. Shaundi's legs are on her shoulder and she's on her knees on this godforsaken floor and... it's not exactly the worst situation ever.
Mel breaths out deeply, the gesture of which, must've been very tickling on Shaundi abdominals and results in her slightly drawing back. Only, for Mel to draaaaaw her right back in with a firm tug, eyes slinking right up to Shaundi's with a intense look that spoke actual words, since, her mouth was currently otherwise occupied.
Hell no. You aren't going any fucking where.
Funny, in the gist of it, it's Mel that ends up not going any damn where. Her phone's probably gone off 'least 5 times at this point. No doubtly Pierce, asking what the hell happened to meeting up for business. Too bad. She's a little preoccupied getting down to business herself.
Jaw aching and tongue slightly stiff with just how hard she was just going at it, Mel wipes her mouth and stood before the scene of Shaundi. Throughly tired and throughly fucked, but, not depressed! Improvement, if you asked Mel.
Just seeing Shaundi display something other than sad bitch has Mel more pleased about the outcome than exactly what just transpired.
"Next time we talk, it'll be about something fucking productive and on track to killing Loren, okay?"
Shaundi nods. And that's that.
Then Loren is dead. Mel likes to think it helped somewhat in whatever department of shit Shaundi has going on, but it's been on more than one occasion she's caught Shaundi sulking around Saints HQ. And it's been more than a handful of times Mel's met her eye, unbeknownst to the rest occupying whatever room, and nodded her head up to nowhere in particular. It's main point? A silent gesture and basically a dead proposition.
It's a routine now.
After Jonny's funeral. After taking down both the Morning Star and the Deckers. After rescuing Shaundi from those STAG assholes (the first time). Shit, even after Mel came back all sweaty and caked in blood after Murderbrawl–Shaundi had only relented for the circumstance of doing it in the shower for that one. Which, fine. Nothing was ever going to get in Mel's way of getting laid, a busted lip and bruised fingers be dammed.
Albeit, those things did in fact hinder her ability to actually reciprocate much (at all). It'll be the first time she's ever been on the receiving end of these little trist between the two yet, Shaundi is gentle. Still taking time to mind how thoroughly beaten-the-fuck-out-of her body is. Her face's wedged right into Mel's neck and body pressed fully against her own from their position on the shower wall, her hand's moving between her thighs in such a way, Mel can hardly help the responding grunts into Shaundi's wet hair.
This... was strangely intimate. Strange, but not necessarily uncomfortable, surprisingly.
Mel even let's Shaundi drag her into bed, still wet and dripping on the sheets. After a long shower consisted of solely fucking, twenty-five minutes entirely of trying to wash dry blood out of her scalp and then ten, of actual showering, she's far too tired to put up much of a fight. Especially so, when Shaundi makes her the goddamn little spoon.
Shaundi's whispering into her neck at some point. "It started with Jonny...but now it has to end with Killbane. Once and for all Boss."
Mel responds with a pinch to the hand on her waist.
Ending with Killbane... unfortunately, not over Shaundi's dead body.
Or Violas. Or Burt Reynolds. But Mel was fucking neither of those people so, sue her, she's entitled to fucking favorites here.
"Boss, holy shit–"
"Shut the fuck up."
She kisses her. Dead stag bitch at their feet and Killbane making his pussy retreat as we speak, forgotten, only for a minute. It's their first kiss after all, Mel wants to fully enjoy it. Take in the absolute shock on Shaundi's face and the feel of her slightly chapped lips against her own.
Shaundi about squeals when Mel dips her low, hands hiking down to grip firmly at her ass and... someone clears their throat.
Oh. Yeah. Other people being held hostage! Toooootally didn't forget.
She's fumbling horribly with the knots at Viola's wrist when, Viola levels her with a question she's not quite expecting.
"Sooooo... I wasn't aware the two of you were...you know."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Mel squints, tongue stuck between her teeth in concentration.
"You and Shaundi? Are you two... not together?"
"No? We're...it's..." her mouth sets on a thin line. "It's complicated."
Viola looks slightly amused by that answer. "I'll bet."
Before Mel can even ask–What the hell is that supposed to mean?–Shaundi is calling out to her from over her shoulder.
"Hey boss, Kia had a pocket knife on her, this should help!"
Viola's little comment easily forgotten (to think about later). "Thanks sweetie, toss it over here!"
It takes a full on week for things to blow over, but afterwards, the Saints do what the Saints do best. Throwing a big, dramatic ass, post-war ending party.
Somehow, Mel's ended up driving with Pierce to attend to some last minute legal bullshit after that whole ordeal with STAG, and she's trying to balance successfully texting while driving on top of having an absent-minded conversation with Pierce to fill the air.
"What are you up to after this Boss? There's an official Stag-is-dead slash This-city-is-ours-now party going down at HQ later and you know it's going to be big."
"Did you just fucking say slash out loud...wait, give me a second. I may end up just going home." Mel glances down to quickly type with the one hand off the steering wheel. 'Where are you right now?'
"So back to 3 count?"
"Depends." Her phone dings.
"And what does that even mean?" 'At HQ trying to convince Kinzie to stay for the party. Why?'
"Oh, never mind. We're going to HQ."
"Okaaaaaay?"
Mel merges onto the highway and its easy to tell Pierce still has some sort of inclination of shit she isn't telling him.
He'd be correct. But, god is he nosy as shit.
"Hey Boss, I gotta question."
"Shoot."
"You fucking Shaundi?"
"Jesus H Christ–Pierce!?" Mel swerves back into her lane and pointedly pretends that did not just happen by straightening her wheel. Pierce's snicker from the passenger almost makes her wish she had just let them drive off the ledge of the bridge. Fucking asshole. "At least try to be fucking subtle, will you? Blegh."
"Don't dodge the question."
Mel proceeds do exactly just that. "Why do you ask?"
"Weeeeeeeell, I was talking to Viola..."
"Gossiping about your Boss Pierce? Next you're going to tell me you guys did face mask and helped each other change tampons."
"First of all, gross. Second of all, stop changing the subject man!"
"What's it to you if I am?" and she's genuinely asking here. This doesn't seem to be any of his damn business but, she'll humor it. She's not sensing any ill intent on Pierce's curiosity, anyways.
"Nothing, really. I'd just like to think my friends would inform me if not only one, but two of them started sleeping with, you know, each other. Just a heads up? So I can avoid any rooms with the two of you from here on out."
"You're not getting shit out of me."
"Fine, I'll just ask Shaundi. if I'm especially desperate, I'll go to Kinzie too, even!"
"Good luck with that." And Mel's secretly grinning for the rest of the ride. Pierce's quips about her being pussy-whipped amusing her more than she'll ever let on.
The party is great. Very, very out of control. But so is everything else they do or get their hands on, basically.
Mel's hugging her own fifth of something dark when, Shaundi finds her, a bemused on her face.
"Hey, Boss, you've any idea why Pierce is asking me if it's purple too? I don't even want to begin to think what he even means by that..."
Mel is admittedly, very tipsy right now. But Shaundi is just... so damn pretty, so worked up over possible being outted of the fact they've been sleeping together for a while now, Mel doesn't even think about it.
She steps up, nice and close to the unsuspecting Shaundi, and reaches behind to thread her hand into the very end of her ponytail. Where then, after getting a good grip, tugs to tip Shaundi's head back just enough so they're staring right at each other.
Mel revels in the responding gasp.
"Um...Boss? You do know that we're in the middle of Saints HQ right now... right?"
"And do you know that you're my woman?"
Shaundi lets her mouth fall open, gaping. Like a fish out of water. It's an amusing set of seconds later and one pointed act of clearing ones throat before she can even give a response. "...I do now."
"Then shut the fuck up."
Shaundi flicks Mel on the cheek. "You know what Boss? You're going to stop talking to me like that before I accidentally let it slip to Pierce that I wear the strap–oh my god. I just figured out what he meant, that perverted son of a–"
"But Shaundi...babe... it is purple."
"That is literally besides the point!"
Mel laughs, letting her fingers tangle themselves more and more into Shaundi's high-pony. "Call me Mel." She whsipers.
"Uh...Pardon?"
"As sexy as it is to hear you call me boss in bed... I think you've earned the right. Call me Mel, Shaundi."
Shaundi doesn't answer verbally. Eye lidded, Mel allows her to be drawn down by the collar of her shirt into a kiss. An official one, since well shit, this is official now?
Shaundi ends up dragging her off to a closet somewhere, everything easily not as important than the way Shaundi whispers her name in the thrones of passion.
Not even how they're totally going to be trending on Twitter tomorrow.
Fucking Pierce.