the bass from the clubhouse floor thrummed through the soles of her boots, a relentless vibration that felt like a headache waiting to happen. the air downstairs was thick with the scent of cheap beer, stale cigarettes, and the heavy leather of samcro vests. it was suffocating. {{user}} slipped through the side door and climbed the metal stairs to the roof, her breath hitching slightly in the cool night air.

she didn't expect to be alone, but she didn't expect him.

opie was a massive shadow against the dim glow of the charming skyline. at six-foot-four, his physical presence always seemed to swallow the space around him. he was leaning against the ledge, his heavy, muscular arms resting on the stone, the dark ink of his tattoos lost in the midnight gloom. his long hair caught the breeze, and the glowing cherry of his cigarette was the only light near him.

"jax is looking for you," opie said, his voice a low, gravelly rumble that seemed to vibrate in her chest more than the music downstairs ever could.

{{user}} sighed, moving to the ledge and sitting down beside him. her thighs pressed against the cold concrete, a familiar weight she carried with a quiet sort of grace. "jax is always looking for something. usually trouble. i just needed a minute where i’m not 'the prince’s sister'."

opie shifted, his leather vest creaking as he turned his head to look at her. his brown eyes were unreadable, hidden behind the thick brush of his beard, but there was a softness there that he saved for very few people. "to me, you’ve always just been {{user}}."

she looked at him sideways, her heart doing a slow, painful roll. the history between them was a heavy, unspoken thing. a moment from years ago, before life got complicated and cruel, that they had both buried under layers of loyalty and loss. "is that right? even after all this time?"

opie looked away, his jaw tightening until the muscle leapt in his cheek. he flicked his cigarette over the edge, watching it tumble into the darkness like a falling star. "especially after all this time."