Long Time No See

Wren Morrison
Played by katahdin


Luke Galloway
Played by Bad Street Boys

@ BadStreetBoys

Wren had only been living in the city for a week or so, and she was already fed up with it. Having lived in a small town her entire life, she'd grown used to not having to fight a crowd when walking down the street, and not having to look over her shoulder at night when she was headed back to her tiny shoebox of an apartment. She also missed seeing trees and flowers, and especially missed being able to go outside at night and see the stars. But she liked her job well enough, and was sure that she'd get used to it in time. Or at least she hoped.

It helped that she'd already become decent friends with one of her co-workers, as all of her friends from high school and college were practically across the country, or much too far away for her to see them regularly, and one of her big concerns upon moving was that she wouldn't know anyone. She was a shy person by nature, and as much as she knew she'd be fine being an introvert in her apartment, she knew it'd be better for her if she made a friend or two and made a point to at least try to hang out with them occasionally, as it meant she wouldn't go stir crazy, and she'd be able to calm her parents concerns about her living alone in the city.

At the moment, though, she wasn't worried about making friends or appeasing her parents, and was just concern with getting home to take a long bath and a well deserved nap. She'd had a long and stressful day at work, and wanted nothing more to be back in her apartment where she didn't have to speak to anyone, and she could finally relax. The entire week had been stressful for her, between trying to furnish her apartment on a very small budget, learning how much she could carry from the grocery store to her apartment without her arms giving out, and figuring out how everything at her new job operated, and at this point she was grateful that it was Friday, and that Monday was a holiday, meaning she'd get a nice long weekend to adjust and recover.

It was only a few more blocks until her apartment, and while she waited to cross the street she adjusted her coat around her, letting out a little frustrated sigh as she checked the time on her watch, feeling like she'd been waiting for the signal to turn for a million years.

@ katahdin
Luke had finished his drug runs for the day and was walking back to his apartment. He was slowly climbing the corporate ladder of the gang world in this city. He was doing everything right and proving what an asset he was. The leader, Marco, trusted him implicitly, which helped. He was tired from the busy work and running all over town to meet people, pick up, and drop off supplies. Luke was not the biggest fan of the city, he missed his old home. He missed the town he had lived in where he didn't have to resort to illegal means to survive.

His mother, younger brothers, and he had moved out of the town and into the big city when he was 15 because of the loss of his father. Everything was downhill since then. Luke dropped out of school at 16, just so he could provide for his family. He hustled with low paying labor jobs, but it wasn't enough to feed four mouths. That's when he met Marco's son, Fabio. Who invited him into the gang. He started off as a low man and had to prove his worth to the gang, which he begun to do. Fabio became his one true friend and helped him raise through the ranks, and therefore make more money for his family.

As Luke walked down the street, he began to people watch. He was looking for new clients, new customers, or new members constantly. His eyes landed on a girl in a long coat and his eyes widened. he thought he recognized her. Luke shook his head and rubbed his eyes. There's no way He thought to himself. He sped up so he could get a better look at her face. His jaw nearly dropped when he realized it was her, it was Wren!

Luke darted into traffic, not looking, or caring. where cars were. There was a chorus of honks followed by angry screams from drivers. One car was so close to hitting him, Luke had to jump over the hood. He hit the sidewalk and ran up to her. "WREN!" He screamed in excitement, grabbing her hand as he looked at her. His eyes bright with life for the first time in years. "What are you doing here?!"

@ BadStreetBoys

Wren was startled when she heard the chorus of car horns go off, and looked up to try to spot what was causing it, whether it was an accident or just some crazy person. It seemed to her like it was the latter, as she watched a man weave though traffic and hop over the hood of a car to get to the other side of the street, before he started to come right toward her. She had a moment of panic, where she reached into her pockets for her keys or a pen, anything to use to defend herself, but as the man said her name and grabbed her hands her eyes snapped up to meet his. It took her a moment, but realization slowly spread across her features, and then she was gripping his hands just as tightly as he was gripping hers.

"Luke? Luke Galloway?" She asked even though she already knew the answer, a smile spreading across her lips as her eyes brightened. She couldn't believe her best friend was here in front of her, especially when she thought she'd never see him again. He'd moved away when he was fifteen, and that had been seven or eight years ago at this point, and they'd fallen out of contact despite having been best friends since kindergarten, so it seemed impossible that he was standing there in front of her.

Before she knew it she'd thrown her arms around his neck in a tight hug after practically jumping into his arms, laughing in disbelief as she relished seeing him again. "I can't believe it's you! I thought I'd never see you again!"

@ katahdin
Luke's heart was pounding in his ears, he couldn't tell if it was from the adrenaline of running into traffic or for seeing his best friend, and old crush, that he hadn't seen in years. His hand gripped hers tight, squeezing it and he closed his eyes. A huge smile was on Luke's face as he took a few deep breaths to try and calm himself down. Once he had composed himself, he opened his eyes and looked at Wren again and grinned. "Yes. It's me!" He said excitedly. "I can't believe its you!" Luke sounded like a kid in a candy shop.

Luke motioned for Wren to take a step back with him so that the two of the, were not blocking the sidewalk. He hugged her back just as tight, not wanting to let go. He felt as though he would lose her again if he did. After a moment he pulled away, just continuing to smile. "I can't believe it either. Like, you are here! I'm seeing you!" He jumped excitedly. "My best friend!" He smiled and hugged her again. Luke felt like a kid again.

"what are you doing here? Why are you here?" He asked, taking one of her hands in his as he tried to calm himself again. "I mean, I am pumped that you are here, but what are the coincidences that you show up in the city I moved to seven years later? How did you get here. I have s many questions." Luke realized he was talking fast and probably not making any sense as he tried to calm down again. "Where were you heading? I can walk you so we can catch up." He said and smiled at Wren. He was just trying to take in his best friend's presence again.

@ BadStreetBoys

Wren laughed as he returned her hug, the man practically having to carry her out of the way, as she wasn't ready to let go of him yet, and even if she did she wasn't sure her legs would work properly. She was shocked that she was seeing him after so long, and she couldn't wait to catch up with him, find out what he'd been doing all these years. She gladly returned his second hug, her fingers briefly brushing through his hair, something she did when they were younger. She couldn't believe he was here. He seemed taller to her, and definitely more attractive, not that he wasn't before. But her high school crush had turned into a young man, and her heart still fluttered just as wildly as it had before he'd moved.

"I live here now. I actually just moved her a week ago so I could start my new job. I never thought I'd see you here, though!" She beamed, squeezing his hands. She nodded when he offered to walk her back to her apartment, not daring to release his hand, even though she knew she'd have to sooner or later. "I live a couple of blocks away from here, so it's not too far... I can't believe you jumped in front of a car!" She said after a moment, hitting his arm playfully as she laughed, hurrying to cross the street with him before the signal turned again, not that she was in a hurry to get home anymore. Quite the opposite, in fact.

@ katahdin
Luke was beaming with happiness. His body was warm with comfort. She was a familiar sight. She was a reminder of home. A reminder of a simpler time, a better time. He looked Wren up and down. Wow, she got hot He thought to himself. He didn't want her to notice he was checking her out, so he shook his head and looked into her eyes again. "You live here?!" He said getting even more excited. "That means we can see each other, again. Just liek the old days!" Luke followed after Wren as she began to walk towards her apartment. "I walk everywhere in this city, a few blocks is nothing." He teased. Luke rolled his eyes as she teased him. "Hey, when an opportunity arises, you gotta take it before it disappears. I lost you seven years ago when I moved here, I'd be damned if I los you again." He said and smiled at Wren.

Luke was so happy to see her, but that quickly faded when he realized that she would be asking about his life and what he did now. He didn't know how to tell her that he had to turn into a 'bad boy' to survive. He knew she would disapprove. She would never understand what it was like to be so poor as to not be able to eat. Her parents were rich, especially for their small town. He sighed to himself. Luke hoped to keep the topic on her so that he didn't have to talk about himself. "I can't believe this still, I wanna pinch myself."

@ BadStreetBoys

Wren beamed up at him as he said that they'd get to see each other again, that they'd get to be best friends again. She'd missed him so much, and if she weren't such a coward, she'd probably acknowledge that most of her missing him was because she was hopelessly in love with him, and not just because he was her best friend. She squeezed his hand when he talked about losing her, standing up on her toes to press a kiss to his cheek. "No one is losing anyone. Not again." She reassured him with a smile as she looked up at him happily.

She laughed when he said he still couldn't believe that she was here, reaching over to pinch his side playfully, grinning up at him. "You better believe it, mister. I'm here, and that means you're obligated to hang out with me again, whether you like it or not." She grinned, linking her arm through his as they walked so that she could be closer to him.

"So, I've told you about me, what about you? I tried texting and calling you after you left, and your mom had given me your new address to write letters, but all the letters got returned, and you never answered the phone.." she frowned, trying not to show how upset that had made her. She'd done her best at the time to write it off as nothing personal, but it still had hurt a lot that her best friend had just stopped talking to her, that he hadn't reached out or anything. "I was really worried about you... I guess I just assumed you'd found a new best friend, and didn't want me anymore."

@ katahdin
Luke laughed and playfully swatted her hand away when she pinched him, “hey!” He nodded in agreement, he would be more than happy to hang out with her again. He believed that Wren could be his saving grace. His escape from the real world. An escape from his every day life as a gang member. She was sweet, pure, and home. His life now was always on edge, violent, and distrusting. This could finally help him settle and relax. But he knew his life would never be the same because of his gang affiliation. “I’d choose you everyday, Wren. No worries for that.” He told her

Like looked down as she spoke, nodding slightly. He frowned when she spoke about how they lost contact after he moved. He knew he didn’t have the correct answers but he wanted to give her the true ones, while hiding the bad truth. “Well when we got here, after only a couple weeks we had to move apartments, we couldn’t afford the one we had gone into. Had to downsize and move. That was even faster than t he original move here so we didn’t get our mail forwarded until a bit later.” He paused and gave her some puppy dog eyes. “Same with the phone, my mom couldn’t afford it and at the time I couldn’t get a job. She needed to pay rent and bills first. Her phone was important so it cut mine off.” He sighed softly, he didn’t want to be a sap story. “I’d never find anyone better than you.”

Luke stood straight and put his hard face back on. “But I mean, I’m good now, everything is good now. I’m glad you’re here and we can connect again.” He said, almost matter of factly. “What’s your new job? Where do you work?” He asked, trying to get the spotlight off of him. Luke knee he couldn’t hide his life for long, but as long as he pretended everything was okay, maybe it would be.

@ BadStreetBoys

A faint blush appeared on her cheeks as he confessed that he'd choose her no matter what, resting her head against his shoulder. She'd missed him so much, and was still amazed that he was here next to her. When he began to speak about the move and his family's struggles she frowned, lifting her head to look up at him. "Luke... You should have called. I know you knew my phone number and address by heart back then, you should have reached out. You know I would have done anything I could have to help you." She meant it. If she'd known they were struggling the way they were, she gladly would have emptied her savings account for him, or begged her parents to help them. He was her best friend, and the thought of him and his family going through that broke her heart.

Wren could tell he was faking it, putting on a brave face so she wouldn't feel bad for him, something he did even when they were kids. She didn't want to push him, but she still wanted to talk about it. Sure, he was saying things were fine for him now, but were they really? "It's just some boring office job, near center city. Nothing worth talking for very long about." She sighed, squeezing his arm before she looked up at him. "I missed you, Luke.." she admitted softly, the faint blush returning to her cheeks.

@ katahdin
Luke glanced down, looking at her face after he spoke. He knew she would be upset by it, but he didn’t want her to be. “I know, I know. We just had a lot going on and I had to adjust to everything so fast, y’know?” He paused and squeezed her hand “it’s okay now thought, we’re here and together again.” He murmured. Luke had never been rich or well off, but things had been much easier before his dad’s death. He always wondered what would be different in his life if that hadn’t happened. Maybe he and Wren would have ended up a couple during high school, his shook his head wanting to clear that thought. He didn’t want to think of what could have been, he needed to focus on the now.

Luke smiled down at her when she squeezed his arm. He Playfully flexed his muscles under her finger tips. Besides saving his life and dragging him out of poverty, the gang life helped him build muscle. It was needed in the life, they had to be fit and strong to survive. He was so happy Wren knew him so well, he had never been one to talk about his feelings, she never made him feel like he had to, didn’t push it, and eventually he usually came around to taking. “Oh come on, you were the smartest person in the high school. It’s gotta be some cool job I’m sure. You’re just down playing it.” He teased. Wren was so humble, he always knew that. Luke has always tried to get her to embrace how smart and pretty she was. “I missed you too.” He said, quietly..

@ BadStreetBoys

Wren nodded a little in understanding at his reassurances, resting her head against his shoulder once more, keeping her eyes on the street ahead of them, because she knew if she looked at him now she'd probably do something embarrassing like cry. She'd cried enough over him when he left, and the last thing she wanted was for him to know about that, or see her cry himself. She rolled her eyes playfully when he flexed his arm under her hand, nudging his side with her elbow. "Show off.." she mumbled, trying to hide her laughter. He was even more attractive than she remembered, but she was sure that that meant he had a girlfriend at this point, and she felt a little guilty holding his hand knowing that. But he was her best friend, and she had no idea the next time they'd see each other. For all she knew, once they were standing outside her apartment building, he'd walk off and she'd never see him again.

She laughed a little at his teasing about her job, shaking her head. "Fine, fine. I'm working in the mayor's office, but it's nothing special, really. All I do is sit at a desk sending emails, really anyone could do it." She smiled as she looked up at him. "What about you? What do you do for work? And how is your mom and your brothers? Are they doing well?"

When they finally reached her apartment building they stopped in front of the door as she stepped away from him, fingers fidgeting with her coat nervously. She didn't want him to leave yet, but she knew he was probably busy, and she didn't want to take up his time. "Thank you for walking with me, Luke... I'm really glad I got to see you." She wanted to invite him up to her apartment, ask him to stay for dinner, ask him to stay the night, to move in with her, anything to keep him from leaving her again, but she knew he had to get back to his family and whoever was lucky enough to call him their boyfriend. She was a coward, anyway, and no matter how much she wanted to tell him, she knew she'd never be able to.

@ katahdin
Luke chuckled softly, he had always done whatever he could to show off, flirt, and impress Wren. He had the biggest crush on her when they were younger. He wanted to ask her to their winter formal dance during their sophomore year, but he was never able to as his dad died in the fall, and therefore his life fell apart. He had planned it all in his head and watched it fall apart. Luke knew he didn't want to lose a chance again, if he had that chance again. Luke was silent for a few moments as he looked Wren up and down again. She looked just like she did when they were kids, but she also looked absolutely stunning now. He thought that her body had filled out to a perfect form.

Luke high-fived Wren when she told him about her job, he was happy for her. He knew it was difficult to get in there. "That's amazing! See, I told you that you were smart and can do anything. It's hard getting jobs like these. Even if you are just sending emails" He paused and squeezed her hand. "What's the goal though? I don't think you wanna work there forever, right?" Luke smiled, encouragingly. "What's your degree in? You've gotta have one." He teased. Luke paused slightly after she asked him what he did. He ignored the question, opting to talk about his family instead. "Mom is good, still working hard for the brothers. Theyre older now, both in high school. I send money their way to help take care of them so that they don't have to work and can focus on school. Jake wants to go to college. He wants to study business. Ryan hasn't though about it yet, but his school has a construction certification program that he wants to try." Luke said and smiled. He was proud of his siblings, he was doing everything he could to give them a better life.

Luke frowned when they stopped in front of a building. He didn't want to go yet. He felt like he had just gotten her back. "I'd walk to hell and back for you." He whispered to Wren. Luke paused and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath before looking down at her. "You aren't even going to invite me in to show me the place?" He teased, hoping that he could get in. "I almost get hit by a car for you and you aren't even gonna offer me any of your amazing Kraft Mac n Cheese?" he teased.

@ BadStreetBoys

Wren laughed a bit as he high-fived her, shaking her head at his enthusiasm. She'd much rather be doing something else, but her lawyer parents wanted her to go into politics or law, so she figured she'd take the opportunity to build her resume for a few years while she figured out what she'd rather be doing. "I'm not sure. I figure I'll work for a few years to build my resume, and look for a better job in the meantime. I double majored in political science and history, but I also took enough art classes to minor, even though my parents want me to go to law school soon." She shrugged. "I dunno. I'll figure it out sooner or later."

She smiled as she listened to him talk about his family, nodding. "That's great to hear. If you or they ever need anything, feel free to ask. I'm happy to help, you know." She offered, squeezing his hand. She blushed and laughed when he asked her to invite him in, adjusting her jacket around her a bit tighter. She blushed even brighter when he said he'd walk to hell and back for herself, offering him a faint smile. "Hmm... I don't think I have box mac and cheese.. but I'd be happy to make you dinner or something with what I have?"

@ katahdin
Luke listened intently as she told him about her degree, he was so proud of her. Luke knew that Wren could do anything she set her mind too. He had originally wanted to become a mechanic, work with his hands. But he had to go to trade school for that. College wasn't for him. Wren had tried to open his mind to it, but he didn't budge. He didn't think he was smart enough for that. "Your parents just want you to follow in their footsteps, huh?" he asked and shrugged. "You know I think you could do anything. I think you might be able to convince them of other options, but it would take a while." He said and thought of all the times he had been over at her house. He felt out of place with her parents, but they had accepted him. "How are they anyway?" He asked quietly. Luke knew they would be disappointed in him if Wren told them what he was doing now. He shook his head, just trying to forget about real life and focus on Wren.

"I know that, but you know I'm too prideful for that. I can do it on my own, I don't need help>" Luke told her, almost sheepishly. He had always been stubborn and didn't want to admit weakness. Now he couldn't. If you had a weakness, which in a a gang, it would be exploited and you could end up dead. When Wren invited him in, he let out a small sound of excitement. "I think that sounds amazing." He purred, following Wren inside. He made sure to take his shoes off at the door and took a deep breath. "Girl's apartments always smell so much better. Mine smells like stale beer and chips." He laughed.

@ BadStreetBoys

Wren smiled a bit at his encouragement, squeezing his arm a little as she looked up at him. "Thanks, Luke. You know I think you could do anything too, even if you don't believe me." She laughed a little, fidgeting with her keys as they walked inside and up the three flights of stairs to her apartment. "Mom and Dad are alright. Dad's had some heart problems the past few years, and we're trying to get him to retire, but he's being very stubborn about it." She shrugged, looking up at him as he mentioned not needing any help. "Luke.. you spend all your time looking out for others, and seeing the best in them, but you don't do that for yourself. It takes a lot of courage to ask for help, and I know you think otherwise, but asking for help is one of the strongest things you can do."

Once she got the door to her apartment open she headed inside, holding the door open for him while she slipped off her shoes and set them on the little mat she had by the door. Her apartment was small and cozy, although the small size didn't bother her too much. After hanging up her coat and setting her bag down she headed to the little kitchen, looking through the fridge and freezer for what she had for food. She laughed when he said her apartment smelled much better than his, shaking her head. "Ew. I'll have to come over and help you clean up sometime, won't I?" She teased as she started to pull some things out of the fridge and set them on the counter. "Make yourself comfortable. Is there anything specific you want to eat?"

@ katahdin
Luke gave her an awkward smile when Wren went on about him being able to do anything, and saying he should ask for help. He didn't know how to react, he didn't like the idea of it. To him, he knew that his ship had sailed to be successful after he had joined the gang. He did not like the idea of asking for help much either. Luke just shrugged slightly, looking down and away from Wren. Luke chuckled softly, "Your dad has always been the most stubborn guy. But he's got the best jokes. I miss him." He said with a smile. Luke had always loved Wren's parents, they were like his second set of parents when they were kids.

Luke took his shoes off placing them besides Wren's. He then took his jacket off, setting it across the back of a chair and sitting in it. Luke was content with how his life was at this exact moment. A small smile sat upon his lips as he watched Wren move, search the cupboards, and just being herself. He had missed these intimate moments of silence with one another. Just peace and tranquility. "I'm fine with anything. I usually eat ramen or something cheap and easy like that." He said and shrugged. It was true. He tried to live frugal so he could send a much money as possible to his family. Luke cracked his back as he stretched on the chair. "I would love for you to come visit my place and help me make it better." He said teasingly. Luke leaned back, watching Wren. "So what happened in school and stuff after I left?'

@ BadStreetBoys

Wren noticed his silence after she encouraged him to ask for help, although she wasn't surprised by this lack of response. She knew he'd never ask for help if he didn't absolutely need to, but she hoped that maybe if they started hanging out again he'd soften up a bit, and he'd be willing to let her help him a little. "They miss you too. I'm sure they'd love to see you, if you wanted to come home and visit." She offered, knowing her parents wouldn't mind letting him use the spare bedroom if he wanted it.

She hummed a little as she moved through the kitchen, pulling various things out of the fridge and cupboards, clapping her hands together when she finally figured out what she'd make. She rolled her eyes and laughed as he explained what he usually ate, shaking her head. "I'm not surprised. But you don't have to spend a fortune for good food, you know." She pointed out with a smile before she got to work on dinner; some sort of pasta with chicken and vegetables. Once everything had been prepped and was cooking she leaned against the counter so she could watch the chicken on the stove and talk to Luke.

"After you moved, Trisha and her friends made a point to make my life hell once I didn't have a bodyguard anymore." She said with a shrug, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked at the pan, stirring the chicken absentmindedly for a moment before adding some seasoning. She didn't blame him for the bullying, she never would do that, but her last few years of high school were pretty miserable without him. "I heard someone elbowed her in the face at winter formal though, and she ended up bleeding all over her dress, so that made me feel a little better." She laughed. "I just wish I could have been there to see it."

@ katahdin
Luke smiles at the thought of going back home and visiting where he grew up. “I’d love to. But I work a lot, so I would have to figure it out with that sometime.” He paused and smiled slightly. Luke would love to take his brother and mom back sometime too. He wanted to make enough money and gain enough trust in the gang that they would let him leave for a weekend. “But maybe, just maybe, I’ll take you up on it.” He stretches out again, cracking his knuckles.

Luke watched Wren as she cooked, smelling the air. He loved the scent of home cooked food. “Wow that smells good. I’ve certainly missed this.” He told her. He got up and walked over to Wren. Grabbing her hips, he pulled her into him. Luke smiles down at wren and hugged her tight to his chest again. “I’ve missed hugging you. You’re so warm to me.” He said and chuckled. Luke releases wren before grabbing a piece of pepper from the pan and plopping it in his mouth.

Luke frowned when he listened to her tell him about the bullying. He hated the mean girls that had bullied wren when they were kids. He was a bit bad boy, so his reputation protected her, but his looks also kept the girls attention on him. “Listen I’ll go back and fight them all now.” He told her jokingly. “I wish I could have stayed to protect you. You are so nice, I don’t know why they didn’t like you but loved me.” He said shaking his head

@ BadStreetBoys

Wren smiled brightly when he agreed to take her up on her offer to come visit their home town, excited about the prospect of getting to go to all of the old places they used to visit when they were kids. "What do you do for work? You never told me, but you did make a point to hound me about the specifics of my job." She pointed out teasingly, smiling over at him. She wanted to know what he'd been up to since he'd moved, including what he did for work to support his family.

Wren looked up from the skillet when she heard Luke move over to her, blushing brightly when he grabbed her hips and pulled her against him, happily hugging him back. Her arms wrapped around him tightly as she tucked her face into the crook of his neck, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. He was so familiar to her, even though they hadn't seen each other in nearly eight years. "I've missed you too, Luke." She whispered, laughing a little when he pulled back to steal a pepper from the pan, swatting playfully at his hand. "If you're going to eat it before it's ready you can help cook, you know. Besides, maybe if you learn how to cook for yourself you won't have to survive on ramen." He teased, combining the chicken and veggies into the same pan to finish cooking while she made the sauce and waited for the pasta to finish cooking.

Wren smiled a little when he offered to go fight the girls who had bullied her in high school, shrugging a little as he said he wished he could have stayed to protect her. "It's fine, Luke, really. They probably just hated that you always kept turning them down whenever they asked you out. And because you always used hanging out with me as the excuse to get out of going anywhere with them, it made sense that they'd hate me."