Be Gay Do Crime

“Hold still you brat!” 

Ashe grumbled, glaring at the spoon that hovered an inch in front of her face.  Crystal was grinning wide, far too amused with her own antics.  It was humiliating, she was hurt, but not crippled dammit!  

“I can feed myself.” 

Crystal tsked, shaking her head in mock disappointment.  “Sure you can, but how often do you get waited on hand and foot?”  She nudged the spoon forward, brushing against Ashe’s lips.  “Come on, take advantage and let me pamper you.” 

Ashe might have been okay with that, in fact, it sounded downright pleasant to just let it happen.  Her eyes flicked over to the doorway, where the problem with just letting go resided.  Her mom was right there, grinning, with her phone out and no doubt recording the entire thing.  For that reason alone, she was putting up the fight, which in hindsight might actually be more entertaining than her actually just eating the damn soup. 

Fuck. 

She opened her mouth, Crystal practically squealed as she guided the spoon into her mouth.  Ashe ate the bite, the soup a pleasant chicken tortilla type from a can.  Nothing special, but it was one of her favorites.  She glared again at her snickering mom, thanking the goddess that Crystal wasn’t making— 

“Mrrroooommmm, here comes the airplane,” Crystal said, damning Ashe to one of the most humiliating moments of her short life.

“Is it too late to just let me die?” She muttered.  “It would be less painful than thi—” 

Crystal practically shoved the spoon into Ashe’s mouth, a stern look affixed on her face.  “The humiliation will continue until morale improves.” 

Ashe swallowed as quickly as she could, her glare likely marred by the pout on her lips.  It was hard to stay mad, and she knew they were only teasing because they cared.  Mother was at the precinct, giving them the modified statement we had all agreed upon.  They now had a secondary suspect to search for, the woman that saved Ellington’s son. 

Jason wasn’t sure if Theodore had figured out it was her, but she had to assume the man suspected.  That he wasn’t questioning the police’s findings meant he probably didn’t want it to get out that their heroine was a trans woman, and that she had kissed Jason’s cheek like that.  

Stupid, but it would ruin his narrative if it got out. 

At least she had been discharged from the hospital, though she hadn’t gotten a say in where she was staying.  Both her parents and Crystal had agreed in advance that she was going to be staying in their apartment, in her own room.  That was why they were getting away with this coordinated mutiny.

“Morale has already improved,” Mom cut in, still grinning.  “I’ve got blackmail material for life now.” 

“Yes, take advantage of my predicament,” Ashe grumbled, taking another spoonful while Crystal took great joy in her antics.  It was impossible to stay mad at her, especially when she seemed to be genuinely mirthful.  “I will have my vengeance.” 

“I’m sure you will,” Crystal said, spooning up yet more soup.  “But it won’t be this day.  This day, you open up for the choo choo.” 

She even made the noises as she guided the spoon forward, infantile as it was, Ashe couldn’t keep the smile suppressed much longer.  She was just happy to be alive, and that those she cared about were still there for her.  Her parents knew some of her secrets, but not all of them.  A burden lessened, but not abated. 

She opened her mouth and ate her damn soup. 

That continued for several minutes, spoonfuls of soup vanishing down her mouth, some sort of performance offered with each infuriating bite.  Smiling with the smuggest expression Ashe had ever seen on her friend, Crystal scraped the last spoonful from the bowl and fed it to her.  When she pulled the spoon back and set the bowl on the nightstand, she nodded in satisfaction. 

“And that’s lunch taken care of,” Crystal said, then booped Ashe on the nose.  “Such a good girl, doing as you’re told.” 

Ashe bit at the finger, but Crystal pulled her hand back far too quickly for her to catch it, and with her arm in a sling, she lacked the leverage to give chase.  Instead, Ashe just slumped back on her pillow, pouting as Crystal collected the bowl and stepped out of the room, likely to drop it off in the dishwasher.  

When she did, her mom walked in after, taking a seat on the bed, though her attention was off in the distance.  That wasn’t what truly drew her in though, it was the melancholic cast to her features, how her eyes were wavering. 

“I worry, you know?” 

There was a quiver to her voice as she said it, and she couldn’t fault her for it.  Ashe knew how close she came to death.  It was likely to haunt her for some time to come, because she damn near bled out on the ground.  How many more close calls were in her future?  Would the next one be her, or someone she cared about?  How would she handle it if Crystal was the one dying in the dirt? 

Or her parents? 

A brief image of her mother covered in blood flashed through her mind, the nightmare old, yet fresh all the same.  Her mom weeping, holding her.  It was funny in a way, her mother was easily the safer one between them.

“I know,” she said softly.  “We always knew I would be a target.  It’s why you trained me to be able to take care of myself.” 

Which she had, even if it wasn’t quite in the way they thought. 

“I know!” Mom said much sharper, almost shrilly.  “That doesn’t make it any easier.  You’ve been attacked twice now.  Both times were almost fatal.  I know we weren’t as supportive of your plans in the past, but I think this drove it home.” 

“What do you mean?” Ashe asked, not quite following.  She blamed the painkillers she was trying to avoid taking for her inability to follow her mom’s logic.

“Ashe, do you still plan to move for college?”

The question impacted like shattering glass.  Or maybe that was Crystal in the other room, having overheard the question.  She wasn’t quite sure, but one thing was for certain, Ashe wasn’t going to be able to dodge this question. 

She thought about lying, trying to obfuscate the truth, but what was the point?  Crystal couldn’t leave, not until Jason was of age, and even then it was up in the air if the Senator would let him.  Which meant one thing, she wouldn’t leave either.  Her growing criminal career came second to that, and always would.  That didn’t mean she would leave her people high and dry if she could help it, but her priority was Crystal first and foremost. 

“Not if Crystal can’t come with,” she answered honestly.

The silence that followed was heavy and oppressive, almost a physical thing in the space between them.  She knew Crystal was likely right outside the room, listening in, but Ashe found she didn’t mind.  She didn’t want secrets between them.  It was bad enough she was having to keep so much from her parents.

“Does she mean that much to you?” Mom asked, voice barely a whisper.  “I know I tease, but is she worth risking your life just to stay here?”

“Crystal is worth all that and more,” Ashe answered without hesitation. 

The breath rushed out of her mom all at once, the raw truth of the declaration surprising even Ashe with the intensity she had spoken those words.  She meant them too, but that part didn’t surprise her in the slightest.  She couldn’t deny or pretend, Crystal meant too much to her for that. 

She was falling for her friend. 

Hell, if Ashe was being truthful with herself, she had fallen back in that alley and not looked back.  She’d all but changed her entire life’s plan, all for the girl that was on the other side of her bedroom wall.  She would do what it took to keep Crystal safe, just as she continued to do for Ashe. 

“You love her,” Mom said.  It wasn’t a question. 

Ashe could only nod, a dopey grin pulling at her lips as she did.  With that, her mom stood up, and walked to the door.  She paused, sparing one last look back.  Her smile was genuine, but her eyes shimmered.  Then, she turned, leveling a glare right beside the door and gestured with her chin towards the living room. 

Laying there, Ashe could only reflect on the events of the last several months that led her to this moment, lying in her bed while recovering from a brush with death.  No doubt Crystal was getting a lecture over something related to that even though she hadn’t been involved at all.  

There was one lesson that Ashe could take away from this.  She needed more people that she could trust in her growing gang.  People that could do jobs like that for her.  Infiltrators that could report information back, and not just as second hand accounts whispered after a visit to one of her prostitutes. 

That was something else she needed to do more about.  Caralina was someone she could trust, and if Brie wasn’t such a spaz, she might be able to open up with her as well.  The rest of the girls kept a respectable distance when she was around, which she was okay with.  She didn’t need to know everyone personally, just those that she came to trust. 

She had a laundry list of things to do, and no real idea on how to go about it.  Caralina could probably help in that regard, but she was hesitant to push too hard with the woman who was effectively setting herself up to be indispensable to the growing organization.  She’d only known her for a short time, and already trusted her to an absurd degree.  Ashe needed to get to know her better, to ensure that trust wasn’t misplaced. 

Rushing into things would just invite treachery and ruin, people she couldn’t rely on worming their way into positions that they could do real harm from.  She needed to get ahead of that now, that way when people did infiltrate, she could keep them out of important matters.  There was no doubt that she would have infiltrators, or just opportunistic idiots that would talk over stupid shit, or actively sell information. 

It was why she was making the backbone of her information network out of prostitutes.  They were effective.  If they weren’t, the Viuda wouldn’t use them to great effect.  Given she had no plans to discriminate, it would be even easier to slip others into her ranks.  The Iron Patriots fronted themselves as both religion and militia, but their structure was no different from any other gang, nor were their actions. 

Getting out from under her parent’s microscope would take a few weeks, so until then she would just have to rest and plan.  Crystal would be in place to keep things running while she recovered.  She was in it for the long haul after all and working herself into an early grave was not on her agenda.

She’d zoned out a bit, lost in thought and still fuzzy from her prior dose of pain meds, that she almost missed Crystal poking her head back into the room.

“Hey,” she said softly, hesitantly. 

Crystal’s eyes were filled with worry, concern radiating off of her like a flood.  Worse, it was as if she was asking permission to enter her room.  Just what had her mom said to Crystal to make her so damn skittish?  Ashe smiled, not wanting to make her worry any more than she already was.

“Hey yourself,” she said.  “You coming back in?” 

She nodded, stepping in.  Her steps were slow and stilted, as though she was afraid of being snapped at, which was silly.  Ashe knew they would have fights in the future, but nothing of the sort was going on currently.  If anything, she wanted to have a conversation that should end in anything but fighting.  Still, she probably needed to take the lead with what was to come. 

“Mom didn’t scare you too much, did she?” Ashe asked.  She scooted aside, ignoring the dull ache that her protesting ribs sent her way, and patted her bed.  “Come on, talk to me.” 

Crystal stood there for a moment, a complicated expression on her face before she finally relented with a huff and moved to sit on the side of the bed. 

“You can be insufferable sometimes, you know that?” Crystal said with a huff.  

Ashe laughed, reaching out with her good arm, yet bad hand, and grabbed a handful of Crystal’s shirt, and pulled her down to lay beside her.  Her friend squawked, then chuckled as Ashe snuggled close.  

“I am well aware,” Ashe whispered.  “Thanks for putting up with me despite that.” 

Crystal hummed but didn’t reply, instead they just snuggled up closer together.  Ashe enjoyed the simple intimacy, something she feared she would never get to experience, something she had grown to cherish in the short time since she started staying at Crystal’s home.  She didn’t know when that had become something normal to her, but she wasn’t complaining that it was. 

The gentle thumping of Crystal’s heart was a soothing metronome, lulling her into a relaxed haze.  She shut her eyes and let herself drift.  Ashe didn’t care if her mom saw her, she’d all but admitted her feelings for Crystal, and they already assumed they were sleeping together, which was technically true, but only in the literal sense. 

“Did you mean it?  What you said?” 

Ashe was certain she dozed off at some point, but Crystal’s soft question cut straight through any notion of sleep.  She opened her eyes, not at all surprised that someone had turned the lights out in the interim.  Crystal was currently the little spoon, but Ashe knew that she deserved to hear what came next face to face. 

She moved back, inviting Crystal to turn over, which she did after a moment.  Sometimes she forgot that her friend was three years older, that she’d had so much more experience in all things than Ashe had.  It was especially easy to forget after all the close calls they had shared together, how they had each other’s backs when the bullets were flying and bodies were hitting the floor. 

Ashe trusted Crystal with her life, completely and utterly. 

“I meant every word,” Ashe said, letting her injured arm rub Crystal’s own.  “There is nobody on this hunk of rock that I would rather spend my days with.  And if that means waiting a few months so you aren’t at risk of getting in trouble, then I’ll be patient, because you’re worth it.” 

“You know we don’t have to,” Crystal said.  “Both of your parents approve, and I could only see it being a problem if our ages were reversed.” 

“Maybe,” Ashe said.  “I’ll respect whatever you decide.  You’re the one most at risk here.” 

And that was the truth of it.  She was willing to do whatever was necessary if it meant that she would have Crystal in her life.  There was no doubt, she was in love with the woman that had saved her life, held her in her darkest moments.  The vulnerable soul across from her, putting her entire being on the line, all for her. 

“I almost lost you,” Crystal said.  “Just the thought of that scares the hell out of me.  You have no idea how much I want to just pack everything up and run, taking you with me somewhere safe.” 

“I’m sensing a ‘but’ here,” Ashe said softly. 

Crystal stared into her eyes, her jade orbs shimmering with tears as they trailed down her cheeks and over her nose. 

“We both know my father,” she spat.  “He would have you killed, even if we fled the country.  Running isn’t an option.” 

“Then we don’t run,” Ashe said.  “We stay, we fight.” 

Crystal let the silence hand for a moment, then she leaned forward, her lips feathering themselves across Ashe’s forehead.  It wasn’t a proper kiss, but she savored it all the same.  When Crystal pulled back, her eyes had ceased leaking tears, and were instead filled with determination. 

“We fight.”

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