So Lock And Load, Mercenaries

That was the first time I'd lied to my best friend.

As I lie under Ronnie, it wasn't the last time either.

I knew that night wouldn't be the last, and two days afterwards, after avoiding each other to as to not arouse suspicions, Ronnie and I are going at it like rabbits.

I lodge my hands in his hair and tug sharply as his hips keep up the rhythm, growing steadily faster as his breath rasps in and out of his lungs.

"Shit Ronnie..." I gasp as he shifts a little more, muttering something about coming, and soon enough he does, making a throaty sound I didn’t think he was capable of and I smile a little as he pulls out and lies next to me.

I curl over onto my side and mould my body round his, legs tangled with legs, head on chest, "I love you Ronnie..." I breathe, my head rising and falling on his chest.

"I love you too Lily."

I smile and start drumming a pattern on his bare chest and he smiles, kissing the top of my head.

Pure bliss.

And it's all broken by a loud bang on the door.

I jump and hear a yell, a strand of letters I cant order into words, with another bang on the door. I hop off the bed and look out the window, seeing a black coat, black hair, and lips set in a scowl.

Shit.

Craig.

I let out a string of swears as I shove on my shirt and jeans, leaving my underwear on the bed, too worried to care.

"Shit, shit, shit Ronnie. Shit!"

I literally throw myself down the stairs and rip open the door.

Craig's mouth is set in a tight line, his hair whipping across his face, eyes full of hate.

"How, Lily?" He spits, stepping forward so he's in my face.

For once, I'm terrified of him.

"Craig, I..."

"Save it Lily." He says, one hand reaching out from the pocket of his coat, to push me back so he's standing in the hallway, "I loved you."

He shakes his head, softly, to himself, and I see the rage shake every muscle in his body.

His voice rises to a yell, "I loved you Lily!"

He steps towards me, getting in my face, and his hands linger dangerously close to my neck, "Fuck this."

"Craig, stop. Let me explain."

"Go on, I want to hear what you're going to say."

"Nothing's working Craig, not with us..."

"So you fuck Ronnie?" He spits, his hands tightening on my throat before flying to his hair and tugging.

"It's not like that, not that harsh." I say, biting my lip.

He goes up the stairs, stops halfway, trying to express his anger, and turns to me, "How could you Lily?" He says, his lips curling into a sneer and I shrink back from his stare, "Nevermind, you can't explain this. There's only one thing to do."

"Craig!" I screech, following him up the stairs as he bursts into Ronnie's room and I hear yells and swears.

The door bangs against the wall and I see Ronnie and Craig, fists flying, just blurs. I'm almost calm, and I know Ronnie is, almost, because we know what to do. Craig gets Ronnie in a headlock, backed against the wall, and digs his hand under his coat, pulling out something and holding it against Ronnie's forehead.

"I'll do it! I swear! It's all he deserves!" Craig snarls, digging the pistol into Ronnie's temple.

Ronnie squirms, but I can see a smile playing on his lips, out of Craig's view.

"Craig..." I murmur, slowly raising my hand towards Craig, and I see his own shake, "Give me the gun Craig..."

I wonder where he got it from, wonder how he's got the guts to this, but as I look into his eyes, I see them shine with rage, and I see them look at me, hate and love mixed in one, and I realise what possessed him to do this.

"Craig..." My voice is soft and warm, even though I feel anything but that towards him.

"Since when?" Craig spits, "When did it start... with, with this?" He jolts Ronnie, bringing his knee up into his lower back, and Ronnie hisses, his face screwing in pain.

"Tell him..." Ronnie says softly, but Craig tightens his forearm round Ronnie's neck.

"Shut up. Don’t speak, you don't deserve it."

Ronnie smirks and shifts his feet a little so he's a little more comfortable, and I watch him breathe in and out, bare chest rising and falling.

I take in his posture, legs under black skinnies confidently bent, on his toes so he can move quickly, head cocked to one side, confident, smile playing on his lips, confident.

Just looking at Ronnie, the confidence oozing from every pore, his skin luminous from the sex and I find myself holding back from saying I love you again.

By just looking at him I know our plan will work.

"Since the sleepover about a week ago," I breathe in and out, "When you brought me the roses, the thirteen."

"Is that it?" Craig spits, outraged, digging the gun against Ronnie's temple again, "Because I brought you thirteen fucking roses?!"

"No, because I wasn't attracted to you Craig. You were a brother, not my boyfriend."

"Fuck this!" He spits, and I see his fingers tense round the gun.

I reach out, but he doesn't do anything, his fingers loosening a little.

He doesn't have the guts.

Craig drags himself and Ronnie towards the top of the stairs, turning so he's facing us, back to the stairs.

"I'll do it!" He hisses, reassuring himself more than Ronnie and I.

I stare at Ronnie, winking my left eye quickly, just a scrunch of my eyelid, and he smiles back, winking back and biting his lip.

Just like lightening, he half twists round, elbowing Craig in the stomach so he's winded. His fingers loosen round the gun and Ronnie wrenches it from his hand, twisting round fully so the gun is right in Craig's face.

Before Craig can react Ronnie pulls the trigger, stance confident, and I know he doesn't regret it. I see Craig's eyes widen before the blood spatters up the walls, and Craig tumbles down the stairs, hitting his head, before falling onto one side, rolling down the stairs and hitting the laminate floor.

My eyes fix on the blood spatter on the walls, before following the trail of blood down the steps to the bottom, where I see the corpse of my boyfriend, blood pooling around the remains of his skull, and for some sick reason, I smile.

Ronnie turns to me, gun at his side, and smirks.

"Nice one babe." I say, moving forward and kissing him deeply. He wraps his arms round me and I feel the cool metal of the gun against my back, and I shiver.

He pulls back and I see spatters of blood on his chest, and I smile.

Everything worked out.

He takes my hand and squeezes it hard, his other hand reaching out and touching the blood on the wall.

"Everything worked Lily..." He smiles, and he's genuinely happy. He looks at me and bites his lip, "All mine."

I lean up and kiss him, "Come on," I say, tugging on his hand a little, "Let's ditch this joint."

He laughs and pulls me down the stairs, dodging the river of blood, and as we hop over the body at the bottom of the stairs, Ronnie catches it with his foot, and as I look back, I see half a face, covered in blood, shattered bone, torn muscle.

But I don’t regret it.

Everything was perfect then, slamming the door behind us, smiles bright.

But pulling that trigger was the start of Ronnie Radke's downfall.