#( his vocal range and lyrics just captivates me okay? )

[fortitudina]

*OOC. ------ There is just something about Nation Haven's voice that does things to me. He can serenade me with his songs all that he wishes.

[niallerspayno]

We'll Be Alright - Chapter Five

Masterlist

Your POV

Arriving at the stadium has me in awe. It's breathtakingly huge making me feel even more nervous to have to perform on it.

The boys also seem in awe as we walk through where the audience will sit tonight and head for the stage. Zayn and Liam close their eyes, taking it in, meanwhile Niall, Louis and Harry are eyes wide open, exploring everything.

I’m ushered to the back by one of the assistants. She preps me with an ear piece that has a microphone attached, as it seems like I’ll be playing my guitar tonight. She places my acoustic guitar in my hands and motions for me to hit the stage.

Niall is waiting for me. He sits on the end of the stage, dangling his feet over the edge and plucking away at his guitar. He smiles as I join him.

“Ready?”

I ready my guitar in my lap and nod. We begin to play the familiar chords together, singing our assigned parts and harmonising during the chorus. Like this morning, I’m lost in the lyrics and Niall’s captivating blue eyes. He looks at me like I’m the only person in the room, and I feel myself leaning towards him slightly as if pulled by an invisible string.

My focus is so intently on Niall that it takes me a minute to realise we have an audience. The other One Direction boys alongside a few crew members are sitting and standing in the empty audience. They watch the two of us in awe.

Zayn and Harry give me encouraging thumbs up, Louis knowingly winks, but Liam? His eyes are brimming with concern. They move between Niall and I, he almost seems hurt.

As the song comes to an end the dozen people watching whoop, cheer and shout encouragingly. It makes me feel a lot better about myself, and having Niall by my side for the first performance is assuring.

Unlike last time, despite the tension in the air we’re both aware of the audience only meters from us. Niall squeezes my shoulder, lingering a little longer than he should, then jumps off the stage.

“Now it’s your time to shine, sweetheart.” He encourages.

I take a deep breath in and out then begin to play another one of my fan favourite covers, Let Her Go by Passenger, I then move on to play Some Nights by Fun before finishing up. I get the thumbs up from the sound team after my performances, seems they’re ready for tonight.

The few crew members left cheer and clap for me. I give them a smile before heading to the back to find the boys. There’s a small flurry of activity backstage, there’s an assistant fixing Harry’s mess of curls, another is helping Zayn with his earpiece, and Louis and Niall are having a chat.

Liam is nowhere to be found. A hand suddenly grabs me, and pulls me into a quiet alcove away from the noise. I find myself basically chest to chest with the missing band member.

“Hi.” He says, stepping back a little to give me more room but still staying close, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

I smile up at him, “It’s okay. You can just ask me to chat instead of kidnapping next time.” I chuckle, “What’s up?”

He can’t seem to meet my eyes, “Why’d you choose to duet with Niall?”

“Liam, I-”

“Am I not good enough? I love the lad, he’s a super sweet guy and he can play guitar as well as sing… but I thought you’d pick me. I thought maybe we had something.”

I gently take his chin in my hand and tilt his face up so his eyes meet mine, “Liam, I think you’re amazing. Your vocal range is nothing short of phenomenal AND you can harmonise with ease AND beatbox?” This gets a smile out him, “It was honestly just a first come, first serve thing. I was anxious about tonight so Niall offered to duet with me to help.”

I go to drop my hand, but Liam instead takes it in his. Our fingers intertwine, a perfect fit. There go those damn butterflies and that warm feeling in the pit of my stomach again.

He drops on to one knee dramatically, “Y/n Y/l/n, will you do me the honour of dueting with me on our next stop?”

I giggle, “Yes, a thousand times yes!”

He stands up and wraps me in one of his classic bear hugs, “Sorry I was upset over something silly.” He whispers in my ear.

I pull back slightly and look at him, “It’s not silly, everyone wants a piece of this.” I wink jokingly.

He chuckles, “Everyone has exquisite taste.”

A loud voice rings out near us “Liam? Where are you?” I recognise it as Zayn.

He rounds the corner and find us, still half intertwined in the alcove. He looks between the two of us curiously.

“The lads are on stage, it’s sound check time.” He announces.

Liam lets me go and asks, “You going to watch us?”

“Of course! Break a leg boys.” I wave as they head onto the stage while I go into the audience.

Watching them perform is amazing. As a long time fan I feel myself slipping into my old fangirl self. I’m giddy watching the boys sing, dance around, and joke with each other. Niall and Liam send smiles, winks and air kisses my way.

Harry and Zayn’s effortless belting, Liam and Louis ability to harmonise and Niall’s guitar skills leave me weak in the knees. They’re all so talented as both a band and individuals.

After the boys have tested out a few songs and gotten the approval from the sound team, we head back to the hotel. We have a few hours of downtime before we have to go back for the actual show so I retreat to my hotel room to decompress.

Next chapter

[queen18xo]

I’m Falling Again

Fic for @geraskierminibang for @patchwork-doublet ‘s art :)

A man with short, messy chestnut hair sits on a stool. Various patterned tapestries hang from the walls behind him. On his lap sits a light wood acoustic guitar. He flashes a charming smile at the camera, his baby blue eyes shining beneath the studio lights. The camera slowly zooms in, focusing on soft, agile fingers as they pluck expertly at the acoustic guitar strings, his fingers pluck out a gentle rhythm, his sweet, melodic voice ringing out above the soft strumming of the guitar. 

"I'm in my bed 

And you're not here 

And there's no one to blame

But the drink in my wandering hands." 

The man on the stool looked to be in his early twenties; he had a young blemish-free face, his face was well structured, his eyes sparkling with a youthful twinkle. His fingers were graceful and moved across the strings with well-practised ease. His chestnut hair complemented his pale complexion; his cheeks tinted pink as he softly sang. As the lyrics spilled from his mouth, his pink lips pulled up into an easy smile. 

He wore a threadbare black t-shirt, the worn hemline drooping to expose his prominent collar bones, the shirt hanging loosely from his slim frame. 

"Forget what I said 

It's not what I meant 

And I can't take it back 

I can't unpack the baggage you left." 

His strumming quickened, the familiar chorus approaching, his voice rising a few octaves as he sang, passion coating every word pushed past his lips. 

"What am I now? What am I now? 

What if you're someone I just want around

I'm falling again, I'm falling again, I'm falling

What if I'm down?

What if I'm out? 

What if I'm someone you won't talk about?

I'm falling again, I'm falling again, I'm falling."

The final note rings out loudly; the man throws a disarming smile in the direction of the camera, one of his dainty hands running through his hair, pushing his fringe from where it's fallen into his eyes.

"Thank you for listening everyone; I'm Jaskier." Jaskier's eyes twinkled, his voice bubbles easily from his mouth, his arms flew around at his sides, their movements lightening fast, keeping up with the speed of the words falling from his lips. "So the song was one of my current favourites, Falling by Geralt Rivia" a shy blush coloured his cheeks as he spoke poetically about his favourite singer. "Yeah so for anyone that hasn't checked him out I suggest you do, it was a pleasure to entertain you, until next time." Jaskier threw a flirtatious wink at the camera, a slight blush still colouring his usually pale cheeks. 

The video ended, the screen turning black before several squares advertising other videos. Geralt stared at the screen slack-jawed, his mind reeling as he sat awed by the impressively diverse vocal range the singer showcased. Jaskier had a soft, sweet voice; however, beneath his voice's soothing sultry sound was a raspy quality that added a unique element to his voice. He effortlessly captivated people, his warm smile and bubbly personality were infectious. 

Geralt wasn't usually one to pay attention to others covering his songs; in fact, he actively tried to avoid listening to covers. A piece took months, sometimes even years to perfect, and he had no desire to hear others butchering his hard work. However, listening to Jaskier's cover of one of the least recognised songs he'd released became unavoidable when Cirilla, his 13-year-old daughter, demanded several times in the space of a week that he listened to the cover. 

It was rare to find genuine talent; everything was auto-tuned and over-commercialised, Geralt enjoyed the simplicity of watching a man and his guitar. The sight reminded him of when he had first delved into his passion for music. There was no doubt Jaskier loved what he was doing despite the struggle of being an unknown artist. 

"He's good, right?" A confident voice chirped from behind him; he felt the pressure of his daughter's entire body weight as she pushed down on his broad shoulders as she was bouncing excitedly behind him. 

"Hmmm, not bad." Geralt shrugged, chuckling at the affronted sound she released her mouth pulled down into a scowl. Geralt smirked, twisting his arm around to pinch the pink apples of her cheeks before removing himself from his desk chair. 

"Mum likes him; Mum says he's just your type." Geralt stops in his tracks turning to face his daughter, his eyebrows raised as he stares, shocked by her statement. 

He crouches down to Ciri's level, one knee on the floor as he watches her carefully "Cirilla, you and your mother need to stop trying to meddle in my love life okay, I am perfectly happy." His large hand cups her chubby cheek softly, he gives her a warm smile, settling the young girl with a fond gleam in his eyes.

~~~~~ 

Once Cirilla had been settled for the night Geralt sat at the kitchen counter, the stove’s overhead light bathing the spacious, tiled room in a soft glow. "Yennefer." Geralt growled in greeting, not bothering with pleasantries. 

"Geralt, polite as always." The woman snarked, her voice ringing loudly in his ear as she greets him. 

"Will you stop meddling in my damn love life." Geralt whisper shouted, his voice dropping an octave as he spoke. 

"What love life exactly Geralt?" 

Geralt growled lowly in warning his frustration with the woman steadily rising the longer she spoke, her voice, unlike Jaskier's, grating on his frayed nerves. He pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger drawing in a deep calming breath. "Just let it go Yennefer," Geralt breaths out suddenly tired, his shoulders sagging as he sits with the phone pressed to his ear. 

~~~~~~~

Several days later, Ciri came bounding through the front door, launching herself into her father's lap as he sat reclined on the sofa watching tv. "Dad, guess what?" She asked excitedly, the teen vibrating with excitement as she spoke. He didn't bother with a response just raising a perfectly groomed eyebrow, waiting for her to continue. "Jaskier, the guy that covered your song, he's my new music teacher!" She squealed her face flushed with exertion from the excited screeching and bouncing she was doing. 

Geralt had watched several more of the man's covers since seeing the cover of his song, Jaskier was relatively successful on youtube, he had gained a large following in a short amount of time. "What happened to Mr. Marx?" Geralt asked. He hadn't been aware Ciri's usual music teacher had left the school. 

"Dad" Ciri groaned, rolling her eyes exasperatedly, Geralt chuckled slightly over the girl's dramatics. "Who cares what happened to Mr. Marx! Jaskier is my new teacher, dad this is great." She squealed in his ear the shrill sound causing him to flinch away from the irritating sound. 

"Cirilla, calm down and stop screeching in my ear like a damn banshee." Geralt ordered rubbing a hand over his suddenly tired face. Geralt found it peculiar to think that the beautiful stranger must not live far from their apartment, his heart began beating heavily in his chest over the thought of possibly running into the man one day. 

Jaskier uploaded a new video weekly, Geralt had just finished watching the most recent video. The man had covered another one of his songs; however, it was a slightly more upbeat, more popular song but still not one of his mainstream hits. Geralt found himself idly wondering if he'd made the connection between Cirilla and him yet. Geralt could see boxes and various small homely items scattered around the floor in the background of the usually empty room, indicating he had recently moved into their area. Probably for the job. 

"You're still picking me up tomorrow right dad?" Ciri called from her room, across the house, the teen knew how much it aggravated him yet that never seemed to deter her. 

"Yes Cirilla, go to sleep." He shouted back, his deep voice loud in the otherwise quiet apartment. Since his divorce from Yennefer it was only the two of them left in the apartment, the large space often feeling empty, two people not enough to fill it. 

~~~~~~

Geralt arrived at the school late; he rushed from the car over to the school's courtyard, where his thought process was promptly derailed. Standing beside Ciri, was Jaskier, her new music teacher and the man Geralt had developed a hopeless crush on. 

He approached the two who barely noticed his arrival, both lost in conversation. Jaskier had a massive grin on his face, his fringe hanging messily across his forehead, his clothes rumpled from a long day of work.

"Dad!" Ciri called loudly as if he wasn't standing directly beside her. She smirked up at him, mischievously a trait she had unfortunately gained from Yennefer. The witch still making his life difficult years after their separation. 

"Cirilla." Geralt scolded the girl quietly for her obnoxious behaviour, Ciri looked up at him apologetically, her amber eyes glowing as she looked up at him. 

"Hi I'm - Oh my god." Jaskier gasped out, his dainty hand flying to cover his mouth as his jaw dropped in shock. His bright blue eyes stared up at Geralt beneath thick black lashes. 

"I'm Geralt, Ciri's dad." Geralt offered out his hand for the teacher to shake, flashing the man a small reassuring smile. Jaskier reached out, his small shaky hand grasping Geralt's in a gentle grip. 

"I love you." Jaskier blurted out his cheeks colouring," Oh my god I can't believe I just said that." Jaskier stated mortified, his blue eyes watery as his eyes bore into Geralt’s. "This is so embarrassing," the man laughed hysterically. 

Geralt motioned for Ciri to make her way to the car alone, waiting until the teen is out of earshot before calming the hysterical man down. "Hey, hey, it's alright." Geralt hesitantly pulled the man in his arms, leaving Jaskier enough time to decline the physical contact, not wanting to cross a line. 

Jaskier’s laboured breathing finally began to calm, the man pulling his head from where it leant against Geralt's firm chest. He stays tucked beneath the older man's muscular arms; his head pulled back far enough to meet Geralt's eyes. "I am so sorry; this is so unprofessional." Jaskier groaned, burying his head back into Geralt's chest to hide his embarrassment. 

Geralt chuckles, finding the man in his arms delightfully adorable, he was used to fans being overwhelmed by him, but none were quite like Jaskier. "How about you let me take you out?" Geralt asks timidly, Jaskier's small frame held against his chest. 

"God yes," Jaskier breathes out his heart thumping heavily in his chest as he curls further into Geralt’s secure hold, his anxiety petering off the longer Geralt held him safely in his strong arms. 

[thewreckkelly]

Window to a World - Number 2

Serving Two Masters

It can be reasonably argued that prior to 1656 painting pictures was regarded as a craft and not art. The date is important because that’s when a Spanish ‘craftsman’ was commissioned by King Philip IV to paint a ‘portrait’ of the Princess Margaret Theresa.

-o-

Stephen is a professional musician who has served his time learning his craft on the way to producing art. He now took his time considering my ‘Window to a World’ question – confirming twice over a two day period as to exactly what I meant and/or expected by way of an answer.

I continued to keep it simple and difficult; ‘anything you have experienced that allowed you to see a different world and shaped your thinking in one way or another and remains fixed in your psyche’

For obvious reasons I expected his reply to be something musical based; a lyric, an artist, a performance, a piece of music, even an instrument possibly ….

I was wrong.

‘It’s a pretty wide ranging question and to be honest’, he began with the earnest expression of one to whom such a concept has importance, ‘for me, there have been many such experiences and I’ve been trying to separate them into some sort of order of personal importance to come up with something definitive but, much as I try, cannot reduce them to any less than two ….. and even then …..’,

‘Two is allowed’, I conceded, ‘what are they?’

-o-

In June 1995 a London born sugar trading magnate brokered the purchase of a Dutch Master for the princely sum of approximately €8,000,000

-o-

‘The first would be Las Meninas by Diego Velázquez’, he said with some care before pausing as if to conjure up a fuller picture in his mind.

‘Why’, I asked quietly and carefully so as not to break the mood.

‘It was the first time I truly understood that a great painting had its own language, can speak to those who looked at it in a way that was both universal and personal’, again he went into his own thoughts, likely lost to an indelible image imprinted on his mind.

I waited, silent and patient.

‘Simply put; Las Meninas is an expression of great craftsmanship, a visual representation of a time and place where formality dictated class and adherence to etiquette, a product produced by order of a king in return for money and stature with certain expectations to such a bargain …..’

He looked directly at me to see if I was following. I held his gaze allowing him to continue without interruption.

‘But it was, is, so much more than that’, his tone now becoming passionate, ‘it’s full, it’s exciting, it’s rebellious, it’s a puzzle, an enigma, an adventure in departure and self awareness, an enduring flight of realism and fantasy born of the hand, eyes and mind of the gifted who is inspired and inspires’

The musician took a moment to draw breath and consider further.

‘The first time I saw it I was captivated and struggled to wonder why. I didn’t know the painter or the subjects painted, had no idea of background whatsoever, this work from a period that truthfully held no known interest to me beforehand’

His enunciated thoughts now struggling to keep up with the visual and vocal emotions waving through his brain,

‘When I did research it the result was even more exhilarating, led me to understand more, helped me comprehend fully why this work has endured and influenced so many for so long …. but the funny thing is, despite knowing more I somehow knew I already knew as much as could be known from the moment I first laid eyes on it ….. this piece of extraordinary art spoke to me in a language I felt rather than read with my eyes or heard with my ears …… and that was both shocking and thrilling’

He had finished and we both took time to reflect. I was aware of the painting and am, perhaps, equally enamoured with it, yet could not have expressed its importance in as passionate or concise a manner as he had just done. We sipped our drinks and let the moment linger before I, somewhat bluntly, broke the mood;

‘And the second?’

‘You’ll really appreciate the second’, he smiled.

‘Go on then’

‘Do you remember that time we went to Highbury to watch an Arsenal game and I couldn’t sit with you and Robert, had to sit in a different part of the stadium?’

‘Yep, you used my season ticket and I got two seats off a tout for me and Rob’

‘That’s the one’, he nodded, ‘and you jokingly said to me; make sure you keep an eye on the number 10’

‘Bergkamp’

‘Who else’

‘Okay’

‘That was the first time I’d seen him live and finally realised why they called it the beautiful game’, he stopped and shrugged his shoulders, ‘sorry, that was the first time I realised he was the reason they called it the beautiful game’

For the next hour or so the two of us reflected and reminisced on how that Dutch Master changed the way we viewed the game we loved along with properly defining the working class ballet we call football - how Dennis Bergkamp provided a window into a world that changed our world.

[sassyshoulderangel319]

Karaoke Date

So my last two MLQC one-shots went from really long to fairly short and this one is solidly in the middle. I recently had a lot of professional musicians tell me I have a good singing voice so this just felt like a lot of fun.

I was sitting in my office when my phone rang. Glancing at the Caller ID and contact photo, Kiro’s smiling face and bright eyes were looking back at me. I picked it up. “Hey Kiro,” I greeted.

“Miss Chips!” Kiro replied happily, like he didn’t think I would answer. I chuckled.

“What can I help you with?”

“I came up with a brilliant idea! Hear me out,” he said dramatically. “You and me: karaoke!”

I blinked. “Uh… Kiro?”

“Yeah?”

“You’re a superstar. Why would you even think that’s a good idea? You get mobbed stepping out your front door. Putting you on a stage in some bar under a bright spotlight and singing a song—even if it’s not one of yours—would be the biggest security risk I can think of. Your agent would kill me if I let you—”

“But that’s the thing! There’s this new karaoke place in town where you’re in individual rooms but your microphone is projected into all the other ones. You can lock the door and sing completely anonymously. I could go in there and sing someone else’s song and no one would know it’s me!”

“I’m pretty sure everyone would know it’s you because they can, y’know, recognize your voice… but I guess you have a point.”

“So you’ll go with me?”

“Sure.”

“Great! I’m gonna come pick you up from work tonight if that’s okay!”

I smiled. “That’s just fine. I’ll be waiting for you.” If that wasn’t the motivation I needed to get everything done in the set work schedule today rather than going overtime, I wasn’t sure what was.

“Why are you smiling, bossman?” Kiki asked.

“A friend is picking me up for karaoke after work,” I said. I purposely left Kiro’s name out of the conversation because I knew Kiki wanted me to date him and I didn’t want her to have a full-scale squeal-fest in the middle of the office when it was this early in the morning.

“Oh have fun!” Kiki said.

“I will. Definitely.”

*****

“Good evening, Miss Chips. Your chariot awaits,” Kiro said, opening the car door for me. It was a nice car—not as expensive as Victor’s but still a piece of art on wheels. He had on a hat and hipster glasses, covering his blond hair and bright eyes, as well as baggy, dark clothes. His jewelry was still the same but I’d only ever seen him without his earrings once or twice, and never without his ring. Not even at the summit. How that hadn’t given him away, I’d never figured that out. Maybe the people at the summit weren’t looking for his telltale styles.

“Hi, Ki—” I greeted, cutting myself off from saying his name. I ducked into his car. “What should I call you tonight?”

He shut the car door once he made sure I was safely in and jogged around the hood to the driver’s side. He slid in himself, so fast he nearly knocked his hat off. He gave me a dazzling smile. “I think tonight I should be… Lee. Just Lee.”

I smiled. “Okay. Lee. How was your day?”

“Long and exhausting, but I’m all better for seeing you.”

What an absolute sweetheart. “Aw. Thanks. I’m better for seeing you too.”

He beamed at me and we drove off. The radio was playing classical music, strings and winds running around each other, competing for dominance and then blending together in a perfect choir.

“Penny for your thoughts,” Kiro said.

“I’m just… listening to the music. I figured you were more of a pop radio guy.”

He snorted. “Just because I sing that stuff doesn’t mean I like listening to it in the car. Classical is so much more interesting. Have you read sheet music?”

“All the time,” I said. “I’m a pianist. And I play the cello a little.”

“Yeah. So you see my point. Pop music is so boring from a sheet music perspective.”

“I agree,” I said, thinking back on when Anna bought me a book of the most popular music of the year for piano and the music was waaay below my skill level and so simple I didn’t even need the music to figure it out by ear.

“Finally. Usually people seem shocked that my own genre isn’t my favorite,” Kiro remarked.

“Well we’re all more complex than people tend to think. We like to put things in boxes, but people never fit in boxes,” I said. Kiro hummed in agreement and kept driving. I realized he was a much safer driver than any other guy I’d been in the car with recently—except maybe Lucien. Gavin was reckless and Victor drove so fast—but Kiro was pretty cautious. I got the feeling that maybe he didn’t drive very often.

We got to the karaoke place in good time. I handled the check-in while Kiro stood just slightly behind me, not making eye contact with anyone but holding my hand. We were escorted to a private room. There was a tablet set into the wall where we could make song selections and order food and stuff.

Kiro locked the door and winked at me. “Don’t wanna be caught by any fans,” he whispered before examining the equipment. There was a bright smile on his face. “Ah, man! It’s been so long since I did something silly and normal like this!”

“Well let’s not waste time, then,” I said, crossing to the tablet set into the wall. “Let’s see… how about…” I started listing off his own song titles with a playful grin on my face. Kiro came up behind me, his torso pressing against my side and one hand resting on my shoulder to read past me.

“No way am I doing one of my own songs. That’s how I get caught,” he said.

I giggled—I couldn’t help it. “I knooow. I’m just playing with you.”

He tsked. “How rude, Miss Chips,” he teased.

I snorted. “How about this one?” I gestured to a song title. “I mean, if you want to do a duet.”

“Of course I do! I can’t wait to hear how good you are!”

I laughed. “Hold your horses, tiger. I can carry a tune but I’m nowhere near your level, Mr. Superstar.”

Before I could say anything else, Kiro reserved the song for us. The tablet gave off instructions so we’d know when it was our turn. Someone else’s slightly-off-key singing was echoing over our speakers. We turned it down a little so we could talk.

We just chatted for a few minutes. There were only two songs before us, according to the queue on the tablet screen.

When we got to be on-deck, Kiro and I took our microphones.

He looked at me as the guitar began. “Tell me somethin’ girl… are you tired of this modern world…” He had such a beautiful, crisp, clear voice. It captivated me and pulled me right in. I stared at those bright blue eyes and could have gone for a swim in them. He sounded incredible. I wondered if anyone recognized his voice.

He sang it better than the original recording with What’s-His-Face. Maybe I just like singing something straight—without overdoing the stylization. Kiro didn’t bother with fancy riffs or vibrato.

It was my turn to pick up with the female part. I cleared my throat away from the mic and then held it close. “Tell me somethin’ boy… aren’t you tired of tryna fill that void…” I started quiet but confident. I knew the lyrics—and even if I didn’t, they were on the huge TV screen that was meant for karaoke. Kiro stared back at me, both of us just holding the other’s gaze.

For the life of me, I couldn’t read his expression.

I held the mic slightly farther away from my mouth so I could let out my full belt. I’d always spoken with a loud voice and accompanying that was a singing voice that could fill a Broadway theater. I’d been taught how to sing quietly, but letting loose felt so much better.

“I’M OFF THE DEEP AND WATCH AS I DIVE IN—I’LL NEVER MEET THE GROU-OU-OUND!”

Kiro stared at me with his jaw going slack. I felt my ears reddening and my voice wavered as though I was performing in front of an audience looking right at me instead of just Kiro.

But he picked up the harmonies perfectly when he was supposed to come in, and he knew them. He didn’t even look at the lyrics on screen. Neither did I. We didn’t need them. I did the vocalization in the middle, slowly building up the volume and then repeated the refrain. Kiro added the harmonies again.

I didn’t realize until the song petered out a few seconds later that we were standing within inches of each other. His warm breath brushed over my face.

I put the mic back on its stand. Kiro did the same. After a few moments, another song started up, signaling to us that our equipment had been turned off. Kiro immediately grabbed my arms with a massive smile on his face.

“Miss Chips!” he exclaimed. “That was amazing! Why didn’t you tell me that you could sing like that! You should come on stage at my next concert!”

I shook my head. “Oh no. I don’t sing in front of crowds that big. I don’t… sing in front of crowds, period. But thanks, Kiro.”

He fell onto the couch in our little room. “I cannot believe you never told me you were that good! You should be in front of the camera as a star—not behind it producing.”

I chuckled and crossed over, standing next to him but turned slightly toward the tablet screen so I could look at the food menu and the other songs. “But I like my job,” I said.

He leaned forward, grabbed my wrist, and pulled me down onto the sofa.

Except he misjudged the angle and I ended up falling right across his lap with a, “Whoa—WHOA!”

He caught me with a hearty laugh. “Whoops! Sorry,” he said, sounding entirely and genuinely unapologetic. But the sparkle in his eyes dissolved my irritation completely.

“It’s fine,” I said.

“We need to make this a regular thing. Come and do karaoke. I can’t go the rest of my life never hearing you sing ever again—you sound so good!”

“Kiro…”

“I’m serious, Miss Chips. It can be our little getaway thing. Or you can come to my place any time you wanna practice. I just… I’ve discovered my new favorite artist,” he said.

I snorted. “Thanks,” I muttered.

He brushed a few strands of my hair out of my face, eyes peering deep into my soul with earnest affection. We froze right there for several moments, someone singing what could have been Welcome to the Black Parade in one of the other rooms. The song was fuzzy though, tuned out as we focused solely on each other.

Heat spread over my face, originating from my ears and crawling down my neck too.

So many thoughts swirled through my head all at once that I couldn’t make sense of any of them. One of them, though, rang out loud and clear, like a bell, as I stared at Kiro’s smiling eyes.

I love you.

The thought pulled me up short and my face got even hotter. I must have been turning bright red. I slowly picked my way off Kiro’s lap and went back to the tablet screen. “Want to get something to eat?” I asked. “I’m hungry.” I hoped that would be the end of it. Not that I wasn’t enjoying the moment but… I wasn’t ready to say those three words out loud yet. Kiro was… a great guy and I really liked him but he was so busy all the time. I didn’t know if I wanted to get involved in a relationship with a superstar.

If there was ever a way to get thrust into the spotlight without being a public artist myself, that was it.

“Something wrong?” Kiro asked gently at the sudden change.

“No. Just hungry. Haven’t eaten since noon and it’s…” I glanced at the clock on the tablet screen. “Holy—wow. It’s seven-PM. No wonder I’m getting a little woozy. I haven’t eaten in forever.”

Kiro pressed against my side again as I browsed the food menu. We picked what to eat and I returned to the sofa. Kiro stayed at the tablet for a second though, scrolling through songs.

“Wow,” he said. “They have a lot of my songs here.”

I snickered. “Everyone loves your songs and wants to sing them, I guess,” I said.

He turned and fell back onto the sofa next to me. “Did I do something wrong?”

“What? No!”

“Well—it’s just—you just—you went all red and got up like I… like I did something wrong.”

“It was nothing you did, I promise,” I said. “It was just… I felt like you were looking right into my soul. I psyched myself out.”

Kiro smiled. “Maybe I was looking into your soul,” he teased.

I defaulted to playful mode to get over the awkward. “Oh yeah? Did you like what you saw?”

He leaned incredibly close to me. “I loved it,” he said seriously, so breathy it was almost a whisper. Immediately my heart hammered against my sternum so hard I thought it might break my ribs.

There was that piercing look again. The one where he was seeing the contents of my heart and soul laid bare. He was so close that if I barely shifted forward I could kiss him.

Over the speakers, someone was singing one of Kiro’s love songs—one I’d listened to… way too many times. Especially on days I was feeling lonely or down on myself. It was hard, even over a recording, not to feel like Kiro was singing right to my heart. Singing for me and only me.

And I’m sure everyone who listened to that song felt the same way.

The karaoke singer definitely didn’t have the nuance of Kiro’s voice, nor Kiro’s charm, but they sounded good.

But all of that was at the very back of my mind while the artist himself was looking at me like he was trying to shine his sunlight on the deepest, darkest depths of my heart.

And there was that thought again, amongst the too-fast swirling other thoughts.

I love you.

Feeling impulsive—and knowing we had quite a while to wait for food to come—i leaned forward, closing the distance between us.

He met me with enthusiasm, his fingers sliding into my hair. I felt the ring on his right finger brush my left earlobe. My nose was squished against his cheek, letting me smell his skin. I couldn’t tell if I recognized his aftershave or not but it had a sharp sweetness to it.

Just like him.

His fingers flexed in my hair, pulling me even closer to him. I relaxed against him, letting him take the lead.

“I love you,” I breathed against his lips. “I’ve fallen for you hard. And I don’t intend to try to get up.”

He chuckled, his eyelashes brushing my cheek, not pulling away from me either. “I love you too,” he replied. “Every love song I ever wrote pales in comparison to how I actually feel for you. I never had the proper experience to write about being in love accurately until I fell for you.”

[z-exo-l]

My 20 Favorite Kpop Songs of 2019

I’m a huge fan of ranking lists, so I decided to make my own music countdown for the end of the year!

Notes: I’m being a little loose w the term ‘kpop’ here, since there’s some Japanese and Chinese songs. Also this list is, shockingly, mostly comprised of SM releases. And I’m afraid there are no ballads. I’m keeping this to ‘bops,’ if you will. I’m also not a *gif maker*, so this is just a text post w some credited gif appearances. (Including some dancing gifs for the b-side tracks.)

Feel free to scroll on if you’d like, this is just some narcissistic babbling I’m doing for fun. 😇 But I don’t *really* start babbling until under the cut.

A quick mention to my darlings who blessed us with station solos before they enlisted this year: You by Xiumin. Home by Minho. And That’s Okay by D.O. 😭

Now, onto the list!

20. Savage by A.C.E

19. Jekyll by EXO

18. Love Talk by WayV

17. Famous by Taemin

16. Want by Taemin

15. Jopping by SuperM

14. Bet Bet by NU’EST

13. UN Village by Baekhyun

12. Baby You Are by EXO

11. Obsession by EXO

10. What A Life by EXO-SC

I’m so happy I finally gave our boys a listen, because omg, this song is so bouncy and fun, and so is the mv. I’m also so proud of how Sehun has grown as a vocalist! They both did an amazing job actually, and they deserve every bit of praise they’ve gotten! ❤️

9. Alligator by Monsta X

I spent ages listening to this song, trying to figure out if it was hilarious or awesome. As it turns out, both. It’s both. I really like the vocals, and it’s got a super cool mv, but...the alligator/swamp metaphor gave me giggles for weeks. Sorry guys. 😆

8. Superhuman by NCT 127

Superhuman didn’t dominate my shuffle the way later songs on the list did, but I still really like it. It’s such a happy listen; very upbeat and invigorating. ☺️ And I love how the robotic theme is integrated into the choreography, especially that head move at the chorus! I wanted to use a gif of that part but I couldn’t find one. 😭

7. Take Off by WayV

Finally listened to this one in *November*, shit, where have I been??? Take Off is great because it doesn’t *just* have memorable lyrics; the actual music behind the singing is awesome too! It’s got a sound that’s kind of reminiscent of 00’s R&B, which I love. And the vocals are very sweet, especially juxtaposed against that deeper music. The result is a smooth and sexy song that is instantly addictive. ...At least to me. 😅 And don’t get me started on that hard rock dance break!

6. Betcha by Baekhyun

My absolute favorite song from City Lights! As much as UN Village grew on me, I liked this one right away, and it only got better the more I listened. It’s totally infectious, the chorus has such a playful rhythm, and let me tell you, it’s a great song to dance to while housecleaning! I love Baek’s voice when he goes hard, *cough* Mama *cough* but he’s got an innate talent for pop songs too. Basically the man is an insanely talented singer with an absurdly wide range! Slay, Byun Baekhyun. You’re gonna be mine I–Oh baby in time I–BETCHA! AHH! I love it so much!! 😍

5. Wakey Wakey by NCT 127

Did you hear that Jay from Clerks made a cameo in an NCT mv this year?? .......... I’m sorry. The hilarity that was poor Johnny’s wig aside, this was undisputedly NCT 127’s biggest bop of the year for me! It has the play in pitch that I like, it’s fast, it’s catchy, the choreo is interesting, and omg I’m becoming such a fan of their vocal line! Jaehyun is warm and deep, Doyoung is sweet and light, and Taeil is Captain High Note! And somehow all of that skill is audible in a song that’s just a few feet away from dubstep. Well done boys!

4. Boom by NCT Dream

Like everyone else, I do believe, I fell hard for this one. In fact I’d say it’s my new favorite Dreamies song. By FAR! It’s abundantly catchy and groovy, but there’s no vocals lacking for that. (Excuse me Renjun!) The aesthetics for the mv are on point, particularly the indoor sequences. And I’m so impressed by the choreography! I’m a sucker for skillful footwork, and there are some sections near the end of the song that are so fast and so uniformly executed that they’re utterly captivating!

3. Ya Ya Ya by EXO

As of now this is definitely my favorite track off Obsession! It’s pure earworm delight, and such a pleasure to sing along to! I really like when we get unusual pair ups, so when Junmyeon and Chanyeol sing together, or when Jongin and Jongdae sing together, I love those parts! 😍 Actually I love how they structured some parts like that in general. One member sings, then another, then they sing together; repeat with two different members. To me it adds another layer of interest when you’re listening; especially given the unique combinations they used! I don’t know if this song will stay my favorite from the album, but for now it’s sitting squarely at the top! ☺️ (PS, I’m sorry, this list originally didn’t have so much EXO, but what did I think would happen when my boys released a new album!? 😭)

2. Follow by U-KNOW

NO, not Follow by Monsta X! (Tried, didn’t like it that much.) This was such a surprise hit for me, because while I like and respect TVXQ, I’m not a *fan* per se. But holy shit, this song came out of nowhere, and I immediately fell for it! The sound is incredibly cool, yet it’s almost got a spooky, haunting vibe to it? And the dancing is sublime! Seriously, if the demonstration in the mv isn’t enough for you, watch the dance practice video! Both Yunho *and* the backup dancers have such razor-sharp precision, it’s impeccable! And normally I don’t go for heavily-tuned voice effects, but they’re utilized so carefully in this song that it never becomes a distraction. And when you hear Yunho singing without the effects the tone of his voice is a great contrast to the music. My only concern is the command he issues in the lyrics: “Follow me like a robot, Follow me like a robot, touch me like a robot.” !!! I still haven’t figured out what that means! What kind of robots are touching you, man???

1. Under Cover by A.C.E

I first found this song through a K-pop quiz on YouTube. (Which is how I usually find kpop songs not released by SME) The few seconds that played from the chorus sounded promising. So I gave it a listen, and oh man, it was unbelievably banging!!! The bridge has drums build up to the chorus, where there’s a second of silence, then you’re hit with the vocals and powerful guitar riffs for maximum impact! Agh! I love rock and kpop together, and this is one of my favorite examples of that blend to date. (Save for Why So Serious by SHINee. That one’s untouchable!) The mv is relatively standard fair, but the choreography in it has some creative segments. Most of it is highly energetic too, particularly when the beat drops! And I have to say, there are some rather talented vocalists in A.C.E! Donghun caught my ear pretty quickly; he’s on the bridges of this track. Jun, the leader, also has a really good voice! He has some great adlibs near the end. Btw, I didn’t mean to bookend this list with the same group, but Savage grew on me just enough to land it at 20. Under Cover however, is such a badass, wickedly cool song, that it’s dominated my 2019 ever since I first heard it. It couldn’t be any spot but number one!

So, that’s my list. If you’re still here I hope my rambling was tolerable, or that you at least realized your own favorite kpop song from 2019!

Thanks for reading, and Happy New Year everyone! 🎉

[i-am-the-gay-shit]

The Machine of a Dream

SO... I'm totally suppose to be updating 'My only Sun'... But I have writers block and can't force anything new yet... I've re-written the 4th chapter... like... 10 times... So I'm taking a break from that! (Sorry to anyone waiting for that update, I promise to try and get it before the end of next week!) I've been listening to I'm in Love with My Car, and this idea came to mind. Enjoy:) This is a Smut! (Maylor. Sex scene. Please read at your own risk! <3)

The scenery passed so quickly it was just a blur of dark shadows, brown, and orange. The Radio blared some new song by The Sweet as the wind whipped through the open windows.

His arm hung out the window and tried to flow with the wind while he moved his head to the beat. His brown, unruly hair flying all over his face, but he didn't care. Not when the moment was so perfect... Speaking of perfect…

Looking over, he couldn't help the smile on his face grow wider as that blonde hair danced with the wind and those pink lips were spread in a pearly white smile. Dark sunglasses hid familiar brilliant blue eyes which was slightly disappointing, but not terribly. Oh no. Even still, his boy always looked so... sexy while driving like this... His left hand lazily holding the top of the wheel while his right arm was propped on the open window, hand tapping the visor to the rhythm. Only changing his right hand to the wheel when his left hand needed to shift.

They were far from London by now, on some older road surrounded by plains of dead, brown grass thanks to the cold autumn that had settled. The wind around them definitely had a bite to it, but neither of them wanted to let go of the free feeling it gave them. Speeding down the lonesome road with the radio at maximum volume. Singing to old classics they had grown up to, brand new songs, and everything in the middle. It was bliss.

"That was 'The Sweet', yeah?" Roger had to pretty much yell over the wind and the radio.

"Yeah... 'Fox on the run', I think they said." Brian nods with a smile, having to raise his own voice as well.

"Huh... It was good... Liked the beat." He heard Roger comment to himself as the song switched to a much more familiar tune.

"The machine of a dream, such a clean machine

With the pistons a pumpin', and the hubcaps all gleam..."

One of their own. Well. One of Rogers. One Brian was originally against. The lyrics were just... very... awkward. But he had to confess... after hearing Roger record and sing it... God he was captivated. He always forgot what an amazing voice his boyfriend had... Bohemian Rhapsody really brought some light into Roger's range, but this song... the raspy, deeper vocals... did something to him…

"Heh. Bet you didn't expect to hear this on the radio." Roger commented louder than his previous. Brian could hear the slight bitterness to his smug tone.

"Actually... I'm surprised this is the first time I've heard it on the radio." Brian said with complete honesty, keeping his eyes front. Out of the corner of his gaze, he saw Roger take his sunglasses off and look over at him. Probably trying to figure out if Brian was really being truthful or being a dick.

"...Seriously?" Roger asked, making Brian look over. Their eyes locking before Brian reached over and pushed Rogers face so he was looking at the road.

"Yes, I'm serious, Rog. I made fun of you before I heard the song, but after... Babe, your voice just made that song for me." He smiled as he watched Rogers eyes flicker from the road, to him, and back to the road. Almost like he was waiting for a mean comment. But it never came. Brian just smiled fondly before leaning his head back against the headrest and watch the scenery rush by.



"I'm in love with my car, gotta feel for my automobile

I'm in love with my car, string back gloves in my automolove"

Roger switched hands on the wheel to downshift, but before he could take his hand from the shift Brin reached over and gently put his hand over Rogers. Neither said anything. They didn't have to. Both silently watched the road as their fingers slowly entwined. Roger kept his speed steady so he didn't have to shift and so they could keep their hands together for as long as possible. Brian knew Roger hated driving in the city because they could never hold hands like this, and he also knew Roger took a personal pleasure from their small intimate touches. But he loved those sweet touches too.

"Bri... I have to downshift." His voice was soft and almost completely drowned out by the radio which now was blasting The Beatles - Hello, Goodbye, honestly one of their personal favorites but now wasn't the time to bring it up. Something in the blondes soft voice made Brian unease. Not in a bad way, he just knew his lover enough to know that calm and quiet almost always came before a storm.

Slowly he untangled their fingers and allowed Roger to operate his car fluently. Slowly down shifting as they lost speed, until the were off and parked at the side of the road. The upbeat tune was the only noise at this point since the wind had died down. They just sat there without a word, enjoying the peaceful scenery and song, before Brian looked over at Roger. The blonde was nodding his head to the beat while looking out his window.

"...Roger, you okay?" He asked softly, reaching hand over to place it on Rogers hand which was resting on his thigh. Slowly the blonde turned to face him. Blue eyes locking with hazel. Roger didn't look mad. He honestly didn't have any specific emotion written on his face. It was just kind of... blank. But from his eyes, Brian knew Roger was relaxed. But something was bothering him.

"Rog?" He spoke up when his lover didn't make a move to reply. Roger just smiled softly after a moment.

"...I love you, Brian." He said softly. He couldn't even hear the radio at this point. All he was focused on were those simple words that made him smile ear-to-ear like a school boy.

"I love you too, Roger." Brian replied with a warm smile before they both leaned in for a kiss. It was simple and soft, just like the words they had spoken. One kiss... two... three... four... Brian honestly loved when he could count their kisses. He didn't know why, but it was just a small detail he couldn't get enough of... Which was quite opposite for the younger man who would much rather a quick pace kiss. The vast difference between their likes and preferences always made Brian laugh. He wondered how they made it work, but somehow... they always made it work. Not flawlessly, but it still worked.

They pulled away slowly, still facing each other as they leaned back in their seats. Eyes barely breaking contact.

"...Do you really like the song?" Roger asks softly, averting his eyes.

"Babe, I love it.... now." He admitted. Roger shot a glare at him, making him chuckle. He turned the radio down before continuing. "Hey. It's no secret I didn't like it before. But after I heard you sing it... I really came to love it." Now Brian averted his eyes shyly.

He looked down at the stick shift and studied the numbers and pattern on the little head as if he never saw one before in his life before he heard the small click of Rogers seat belt, making him look up.

"Rog-"

He was cut off by Roger leaning in completely and taking his lips into a deeper kiss than their previous kisses. Brian let a small shocked noise come from his throat before closing his eyes and accepting the sweet lips and intoxicating tongue. He heard another click and felt his own seat belt loosen.

"Rog-"

Brain tried again but was once again unable to finish his sentence before the blondes lips were on his again. He felt Roger shift in his own seat as he pulled away for a moment. Brian was about to take this opportunity to speak up again, but was taken by surprise as the small blonde easily slid from the drivers seat to his own... Happily straddling his lap. Their eyes met for a slight moment and a spark just just ignited. Their lips meeting quickly, teeth clashing in the heat of the moment and tongues dancing together. Rogers hands gently cupping Brian's face as Brian held his hips. Their position was uncomfortable as hell, but neither really cared as their lips connected and reconnected in a series of searing, passionate  kisses.

"Roger-" kiss "-Meadows-" kiss "-Taylor-" kiss "-Are we really-" Kiss "-about to act like a couple of-" Kiss "-horny ass teenagers, and screw mindlessly in the back seat of your car with the radio playing?" Brian was finally able to get his entire sentence out by turning his face from those invading and wicked lips, which only smirked at Brian.

"Why, my dear, Brian Harold May. We are not teenagers, nor will we be mindlessly fucking. I prefer to call it "passionate, hot, sexy, love making". And we're not in the backseat. We're in the passenger's seat." Roger smirked as he spoke in a smart-ass tone. But let out a surprised squeak as Brian slapped his ass gently.

"Alright, smartass. Are we really going to act like horny ass adults and have a passionate, hot, love making session in the passenger's seat of your car?" Brian corrected himself with a fake annoyed tone. The smile on his face told Roger that he wasn't truly annoyed, just playing.

"Uh. You forgot 'sexy'. But I'll let it slide." Roger giggled as Brian gently smacked the back of his head this time. "But yes. To answer your question: That's exactly what we're about to do. Are you against it?" Roger cocked an eyebrow with that devilish smirk on his lips.

"Not in the slightest. Just wanted to make sure I had the story right~" Brian cooed before catching Rogers lips in another deep kiss. This time their hands roamed. Brian let his hands gently cup the perfect curved of Rogers ass, loving the way the jeans fit him. While Roger wasn't wasting anytime and let his hands instantly start to unbutton the taller mans white shirt. It wasn't long until the shirt was long gone and thrown to the back. Rogers hands roaming Brian's broad shoulders, down to his arms, back up and down to his chest.

Brian let his hands rub and grip at the clothed ass of his lover, loving the small noises coming from the young mans throat. Especially loving the moan, breaking their kiss, when their clothed erections brushed against each other.

"Brian..." Roger breathed out before moaning again as Brian rolled his hips up, rubbing them together again, both of them moaning softly this time. Their lips soon met again with a new fire burning as their hips continuously moved against each other.

Rogers hand suddenly left Brian chest, reached down between the seat, and clicked a small button that sent Brian flying backward with the seat and breaking their kiss. Brian laid there in shocked for a moment, his brain slowly registering that Roger had made his seat go back, before being brought back to reality as Roger stripped off his shirt with no problem and threw it to the back. He suddenly hoped no other cars decided to take this back road for a Saturday drive, because he knew all they would see is Roger... Though from a far, he was sure Roger would look like a woman anyway...

"Hm... Distracted~?" Roger practically purred as he leaned down and kissed at Brian's neck.

"Kind of..." Brian hummed, enjoying the small assault on his neck. He loved when Roger licked and kissed at his neck...

"What's on your mind~?" Roger smirked against the skin before licking and giving a small bite, making Brian groan softly.

"Well..." Brian started but stopped as he let in a sharp breathe from the feeling of Roger's teeth on his neck. He cleared his throat before continuing. "I'm thinking about my hand on your grease gun~" Brian teased. He felt those lips stop dead in their tracks before Roger pulled away so that he was sitting up. Face in his hands and shoulders shaking as if he were crying, which made Brian sit up as best as he could. He didn't mean to make him cry!

"Rog, babe, I'm sorry! I didn't mean for that to be-" He started off in a panic before he heard a small giggle. Slowly he realized the blonde wasn't crying, but laughing. Slowly Roger removed his hands from his face and was laughing so hard his face was red and tears started to form in his eyes. This made Brian start to laugh too.

"I-I could have gone all fu-fucking night without hearing that, Brian!" Roger laughed out, trying to steady and calm himself which only made him laugh harder. Brian was laughing just as hard at this point.

"Yo-you're the one wh-who wrote the bloody lyrics!" Brian tried to say clearly between laughter.

"Doesn't mean you have to whisper them to me during sex!" They both laughed for a good minute or two before calming down. "Bloody, idiot..." Roger said in a whisper, smiling and shaking his head.

"Aw, but you love me?" Brian said innocently, laying back and giving big puppy dog eyes.

"You know I do." Roger smiled before leaning down and kissing Brian again, not as deep as before, but still a nice kiss.

"Wait. We have a situation to take care of before we start kissing again." Brian said softly, pulling away. Roger gave a confused look. "Your pants. They need to be off, Love."

"Oh... Yeah, I guess that's how sex works, huh?" Roger laughed softly. Brian smiled and nodded with a small hum. His hands making quick work of the blondes button and zipper, helping him struggle out of the jeans and underwear before tossing both in the back with their shirts.

"Well, that was a bloody nightmare." Roger huffed before straddling Brian again.

"Yeah? Imagine if we were trying to make out and do that at the same time." The taller said with an amused smile on his lips.

"Yeah, yeah." The blonde huffed again before opening the glove box and grabbing something. "Before you stop us again for something, here." He said before tossing a bottle of lube onto Brian's chest.

"I-.... Why do you have lube in the glove box?" Brian smirked, but Roger just rolled his eyes

"For when I have my hand on your grease gun." Roger said sarcastically, but Brian didn't have time to laugh. Their lips were pushed together and dancing again before he could register anything. His brain finally caught up and he took the lube from his chest. Opening in and pouring some on his hand without breaking their kiss.

He wrapped his left arm around Rogers waist as his slick, right hand brushed against his entrance before thrusting his first finger in. Roger moaned into their kiss as the digit easily entered him; his body still loose from their previous encounter. Brian knew he really didn't have to prepare his lover, but felt the need to anyway. If only to push Roger as close to the edge as he could get him before...

"Brian..." Roger gasped out, breaking their kiss. The older man just hummed before allowing a second finger to slip in, loving the gasps and whines coming from his lover as he moved his fingers in a scissor motion. He only spent a moment like this before thrusting a third finger and moving the fingers in out out easily.

"Fuck~! Brian..." Roger moaned out all of a sudden, making Brian smirk.

"Hm? Right there?" He asked as his fingers gently teased the same spot. Roger moaned out and whined. "What was that, babe? You need to use your words..." Brian cooed, his fingers brushing that spot again.

"Ah-ahhnn, fuck, Brian, right there... please..." Roger manages to moan out.

"Of course." Brian hums before letting his fingers continuously brush against his lovers prostate, not letting them hit full on, but definitely enough to making the man above him a moaning mess. He marveled at the way Roger's body arched slightly and hips pushed back against his fingers. The way his head leaned back and how he bit his bottom lip, like that was going to keep him quiet.

"Want more?" He asks softly, receiving a small whine as an answer, making him chuckle. "Okay..." He says before removing his fingers and grabbing the lube. Rogers fingers already working his zipper and pants just enough to pull his aching cock out. Humming softly, Brian poured some more lube on his hand before tossing the tube in the back seat and stroking his erection. Groaning softly at the cool, wet feeling. Though he didn't enjoy the feeling for long because Roger grew impatient and smacked his hand away. But Brian couldn't complain when he felt Roger's warm heat surround him slowly... well... he could complain, but he sure as shit wasn't about to.

Groaning out, he closed his eyes and enjoyed his lover slowly taking all of him. The way they fit together was just perfect.  Brian couldn't be sure how long they took or when exactly Roger was completely seated on his lap, but he was in heaven the entire time.

Gently gripping on his lovers pale hips, he moved his hips softly. As if trying to ask permission to move without words. Roger gasped softly before resting his hands on Brian's shoulders to steady himself. Slowly lifting himself up, until the head of Brian's cock was almost ready to slip out, before letting gravity guide him back down. They both moaned and moved together, Brian slowly thrusting up and Roger sinks back down. Both trying to find a comfortable position before speeding their rhythm up. Soon the only sound that filled the air around them was the lewd, wet sound of their skin meeting and both of their moans.

"Brian~~! Fuck~! Right there, babe~" Roger moaned out, throwing his head back in pleasure. Brian gripped his hips tighter before thrusting up harder, right into his sweet spot. Roger moaned out and quickened his pace. Brian could tell the blonde was already close and just let him take the control he needed. Slamming down and speeding up, pleasuring them both. He had no complaints and enjoyed laying back in pleasure; watching that blonde hair bounce softly, eyes close tightly, and mouth hang open slightly. He could probably come at that sight alone...

"Ffffffffuck, Brian~!" Rogers voice whines and moans as he rides his lover like no tomorrow.

"Go on, babe... Roger, come for me... Come on, babe..." Brian encourages softly between moans. Roger didn't need to be told twice before tightening around Brian's cock and coming, riding out his orgasam as Brian moans and bucks his hips up. His own release flowing close behind.

"Fuck..." Roger pants out, letting himself slowly relax. Brian's hands gently massaging his hips. Without anymore words, Roger laid down and snuggled to Brian. Both enjoying the quiet of the evening.

It was around 1 am when they finally got back to London. Both walking side by side, arm around the others waist, into their shared apartment for the band. Neither was surprised to see the TV or their two bandmates snuggling on the couch.

"We were wondering about you two..." John said softly, not taking his eyes off the action packed, cheesy movie playing.

"We just took a drive..." Brian said simply. John's eyes flickered to Brian and then to Roger, noting their messy hair and clothes. But he didn't say anything, instead he just looked back at the TV, not even wanting to know what the two really did.

"Oh, guess what we heard on the radio today..." Freddie muttered sleepily as they two walked past the couch and to the stairs.

"With my hand on your grease gun?" Roger whispered before bursting into a fit of giggles, making Brian smile widely and bite his lip to try and not laugh. The comment didn't go unnoticed by their friends, but again John just looked at them before looking away, shaking his head. While Freddie just looked over in a confused, sleepy state of mind, before John simply just put his hand on Freddie's head and guided him back to lay on his chest. Trying to ignore the giggling duo headed for their room.

[ryanwilsonblog-blog]

ALBUM REVISITED: ‘Deja Entendu’ by Brand New

ALBUM REVISITED: ‘Deja Entendu’ by Brand New Released 17th June, 2003

Released in a time when CDs were still the relevant format and not used as a coaster for your expensive coffee. Many regard ‘Deja Entendu’ to be the pinnacle of Brand New’s career in terms of creativity, originality & songwriting. That being said there is still a huge divide within the fan base as to which is better, this record or the follow up ‘The Devil & God Are Raging Inside Me.’

 Deja Entendu is the Long Island based band’s sophomore album. Heavily praised for displaying the band’s maturation following their debut ‘Your Favorite Weapon.’. This progression lead to many plaudits at the time, but even more so, 14 years on. It’s inclusion in many publications lists such as ranking #25 on Sputnikmusic’s ‘Top 100 Albums of the 2000s’ as well as being included in Rocksound’s ‘101 Modern Classics’ list at #21.

The album set the bar for the emo genre ridiculously high, surpassing the genre’s 90s greats such as Jimmy Eat World’s ‘Clarity’ or even Mineral’s ‘The Power of Failing’. The record was well-produced but still maintained the raw integrity found in earlier albums of the genre, and for that it was a huge milestone for a previously, underground genre.

Single ‘Sic Transit Gloria … Glory Fades’ is a line from the Wes Anderson movie Rushmore. Opening with a contagious bassline which becomes the basis of the verses which contain back and forth lyrics from vocalist Jesse Lacey almost as if he’s having a conversation with himself. The aforementioned dark themes are in full force within the track, which explores the unwanted death of childhood through the means of equally unwanted sex.

Deja Entendu didn’t only prove to be a step forward lyrically, but musically too. The bands previously more pop-punk based sound had progressed into a somewhat more progressive take on the genre. The heavily distorted guitar sound is still there but it is used more sparingly which emphasizes the energy when it is executed. This is evident in the track ‘I Will Play My Game Beneath the Spin Light’.

‘Okay I Believe You, But My Tommy Gun Don’t’ is perhaps the alternative rock equivalent to a hip-hop brag track. Like most songs titles on this album, it doesn’t directly relate to the songs lyrical content. Jesse croons the lyrics “We are the best at what we do” which is entirely reminiscent of a brag track. The song has an immense amount of dynamic range from its soft verse, even softer intro all the way to the huge chorus.

Lead single ‘The Quiet Thing That No One Ever Knows’ is the first real introduction of Vincent Accardi as a backing vocalist as opposed to just being lead guitarist. Accardi and Lacey trade off high-octane vocals in the chorus that are almost like screams. The track’s energy is captivating and infectious to say the least.

By this point in the album you’re half way through and you’ve gone through the motions of hearing such a variety of sonic landscapes that the New York quartet are capable of. From the raw emotion, the shrewd lyrics or the bands discovery of guitar pedals other than just overdrive. Then you’re welcomed with the album’s token ballad, ‘The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot’. A pleasant acoustic arrangement is accompanied by delayed guitars and trebly chords.

‘Guernica’ is the fastest, rawest and most open song on the record. Its lyrical content is more straight to the point as opposed to the metaphor heavy content found on the previous tracks. It’s the closest to that of their debut record. Detailing the death of Lacey’s grandfather and the impact it had on him while he was touring, which explains the lyric “Nobody plans to be half the world away at times like these.”

For a band whose previous material was snotty pop-punk about girls, the same material bands like blink-182 have made a career off of, it’s crazy to think one of these bands could soon pen a seven-minute track that doesn’t feel laborious or tiring. That’s the exact description of penultimate track, ‘Good to Know That If I Ever Need Attention All I Have To Do Is Die.’ The tune is a scornful take on the music industry, from the lyrical premise all the way to the actual title. Playing on the idea that an artist has an increase in record sales after they pass.

The record closes with acoustic ballad ‘Play Crack The Sky’ which tells the tale of love, lost at sea based on the shipwreck of FV Pelican at Montauk Point, New York. Just Jesse’s voice and a singular acoustic guitar play you out of what feels like a musical conquest. A perfect way to tie up what is truly an iconic emo masterpiece.

This is an album that still stands as the staple piece of the genre, worshipped by bands and fans alike. Brand New cemented themselves as alternative geniuses with an album that has impacted emo in the same way ‘Nevermind’ transformed grunge forever. I revisited this album but I think the outcome is that I wrote a love letter to one of the truly great albums of the 21st century.