#I can picture them fighting over things on the tour bus like little kids & Stage-Mom Fred™ having to come in to woop their asses

[downtherabbitholewithlucy]

When will these two ever learn that sharing is caring?

[thatfunkyopossum]

The 4400 AU

In short: Time Travel Shenanigans AU where Katsuki Bakugou is a first generation Japanese American immigrant who was born in 1936 and got sent to the future in 1952. Eijirou Kirishima is a gay american punk from new york living through the AIDs epidemic, born in 1970 and sent to the future in 1986. More information below the cut!  

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Do you know The 4400? Its a show where, over the last 50 years, there have been 4,400 specific disappearances. In the modern day, a ball of light is on a collision course with earth. Before it crashes it slows down, then in a bright flash it deposits all 4,400 of those people. Not one of them has aged a day since their initial disappearance. By all accounts, they were just at the spot and time of their disappearance mere moments ago, even though many occurred decades previously. They’re held for 6 weeks by the government before its determined that they and their families have the right for them to be freed, on the condition that they return for weekly check-ins. Interestingly, after their reappearance, the 4400 begin to display supernatural abilities.... 

My friend @albino-pony suggested this au! Its one I’ve gotten really into even though I’ve only ever seen the first episode of the show. I’m not entirely sure how to format this so its interesting, but I figure that if you clicked on the readmore and you’re still reading, then you’re ok with some info dumps. So here’s these boys individual timelines. TW For era typical homophobia and racism. 

Katsuki

          Mitsuki was born in 1914 in Japan’s Aomori prefecture. She was born with albinism, giving her blonde hair and blue eyes. In 1928 Mitsuki immigrated with her family to the United States at age 14, where they were processed at Angel Island, and moved into San Francisco shortly thereafter. She, her parents, and older brother all got jobs as soon as they could. In 1932, amidst the Great Depression, she met Masaru Bakugou and married him in the spring of 1934.

In 1936 Masaru and Mitsuki had their first child, a boy who inherited her albinism, and named him Katsuki. They do their best to provide for him, but it's the Great Depression and they're immigrants who only speak English so well. They scrape by, providing for their boy as best they can. They normally leave their son in the care of an Inko Midoriya, a fellow Japanese immigrant who is being supported by her fairly successful husband. 

 Then in 1939, things are stabilizing again. Life is getting easier. They still work themselves to the bone but they don't go to bed starving so their growing son can have his best chance. In 1940 life is pretty good. Katsuki's four years old. Mitsuki has a job as a seamstress, and Masaru has an office job. Life is looking up. 

December 7th of 1941, Pearl Harbor is bombed. Americans die. Masaru and Mitsuki are scared about the possibilities of war and what it could mean for their little one. But they decide to do their part and work as hard as they can for their new home, because they're Americans, and they love this country and the hope it holds for their son. 

February 1942, the Bakugous are detained and put in a Japanese Internment camp in southern California, where they spend the next three years. Katsuki is five years old when they’re forced out of their home, and he remembers the train ride. He remembers his father holding him as they walked. He remembers the cold. He remembers the three coldest winters he ever felt, and he remembers the burning blazing heat of the three hottest summers he ever endured. He remembers the scorching desert of Manzanar. He remembers the stuffy air of the tight quarters. He remembers. 

September 1945, The Bakugous finally leave Manzanar. They’re among the last to go. They go home to San Francisco and try to move on. Katsuki is nine years old. His parents are disturbed at how bad anti-japanese sentiment has gotten in the time they were at Manzanar.�� Mitsuki finds an old magazine in a waiting room with an article on how to tell Japanese people from Chinese. Masaru is spat on and called various racial slurs. They're terrified for their son, and do their best to shield him from it. When Inko Midoriya’s husband is killed only a few blocks away because he was Japanese and his murderer talked about how his brother was killed in action by them, Mitsuki doesn't let her son play outside anymore.

December 1945, Mitsuki realizes she’s pregnant again.

September 19th, 1946, Tsubaki Bakugou is born.

February 27th, 1947, Tsubaki Bakugou dies of whooping cough at four months old, her family lacking access to the vaccine. Katsuki is eleven years old, and is the one to find her body after his mother asked him to check on her. 

June 1947, Mitsuki pays closer attention to her remaining child, terrified of losing him too. She gets worried. Mitsuki starts to notice how fond he is of his friends, and how little he seems to care about girls.

1948,  She starts to worry about the way he looks at other boys and the movie stars of his favorite pictures. She asks him one night if he likes boys better than girls, and when he says yes she cries and tells him that he has to learn to like girls, and that liking boys is bad and he can't do it anymore.  She doesn't let him go to the cinema anymore, and doesn't let him go out at all with his friends unless Izuku is there with him, because she knows Izuku will tell his mom if anything weird happens, and that Inko will tell her. She doesn't tell Masaru.

1949, When Katsuki is 13, Mitsuki and Inko talk, and they end up sending both of their sons to military school. Inko hopes it will help her son to stand up for himself, and Mitsuki hopes it will teach Katsuki discipline and order. It helps Izuku. It tames Katsuki's attitude toward adults, but his treatment of the other kids only gets worse. The only thing he learns there is how to pretend.

1952,  Katsuki is 16, he's visiting home. He fights with his mother. They call each other all manner of horrible things. He tells her he never wants to see her again. She tells him thats fine, and to go. Katsuki goes for a walk to clear his head.

He never comes home.

Eijirou

Eijirou is born on October 16th, 1970 in upstate new york. His timeline is shorter than Katsuki’s because I dont know as much about 70s/80s culture in new york that would have affected a young japanese american man, so theres only a few really important events in his life that I know for sure of.

July 28, 1982 - Eijirou is 11 years old and sees Queen live on their Hot Space Tour in NYC, and it blows his fucking mind. It instills in him a love of music, and whenever he needs to psych himself up for something he listens to those songs and remembers that energy. 

1984 - He comes out as gay to his parents and is kicked out. He takes a bus to the city and ends up being embraced and taken care of by some members of the punk scene and NYC gay communities. 

1985 - The man who took care of Eijirou, Taishiro Toyomitsu, better known by his stage name Fatgum, dies of HIV related complications. 

1986 - On his way back to the shitty apartment he shares with his bandmates from a concert they were a part of, Eijirou stops to pee in an alley way or something, and disappears in a flash of light. 

When the 4400 appear back on earth in the modern day, many experience small physical changes. For example, Eijirou and Katsuki have red eyes, and Izuku’s hair is slightly green. Todoroki’s hair is half white, and half red. 

People Who Reappeared in the 4400 and When/Where

Touya Todoroki - 1923 - Japan

Tenya Iida - 1924 - Great Britain (London)

Shoto Todoroki - 1930 - Japan

Yagi Toshinori - 1946 - America

Katsuki Bakugou - 1952 - America (San Francisco, California)

Izuku Midoriya - 1952 - America (San Francisco, California)

Fumikage Tokoyami - 1961 - America (West Virginia) 

Hawks (whats your real fucking name u shit) - 1961 - America (West Virginia)

Yuga Aoyama - 1968 - France 

Tooru Hagakure - 1970 - New Zealand 

Denki Kaminari - 1977 - America

Ochako Uraraka - 1985 - United Kingdom

Eijirou Kirishima - 1986 - America (New York, New York) 

Momo Yaoyarozu - 1989 - West Germany (Berlin) 

Shota Aizawa - 1992 - Japan (Tokyo)

Ashido Mina - 1996 - Japan

Hanta Sero - 2000 - China (Yunnan Province) 

Kyouka Jiro - 2005 - America 

Tsuyu Asui - Literally like a week before they reappeared - America

More will be added as they’re decided on!

[meetmeatmidnightsblog]

Face time video chats ( blessed)

Joe / Taylor had been trying to video chat for weeks. The challenge of life was working against them. It was becoming a full time job around her schedule, his work hours when he was on set. Giving up was not the best option. She stayed up late after each concert was done. It was almost 1:15am on her clock. He should be getting up soon. Her body needed rest in order to function for another two hour show. Her head pounds with a frustrating mirgraine. She closed her eyes, hoped that it would go away when she wakes up.

Being on a world stadium tour made it hard to keep up with her boyfriend. He was so far away. She missed him. Those feelings were bottled up, but her fans figure it out, didn't say anything during the private meet and greets back stage. She throws her phone against the wall, angrily for missing the chance to call him. She slid on the floor in her dressing room, trying to fight the tears staining her face, and cheeks.

Andrea could hear the commotion coming from Taylor's dressing room. As a mom she knew what her daughter was going through. It was not easy to see her get worked up, or hurt by the missed opportunities. When you're in love like they are, every missed call, or text is enough to break your heart into millions of little pieces.

This is the tenth missed call. Taylor pulled herself together for the fans who waited two hours in line. She meet as many as she could, took dozens of pictures, with fake smiles, forced hand shakes. She signed so many albums, t-shirts until blisters covered her knuckles.

A young fan, no older than five years old could see that her idol was upset. She wanted to know why. The parents noticed the red puffy eyes, heavy bags. They didn't mention that as Taylor took pictures with their daughter. Most kids knew when someone was hurting, or depressed, or sad. The girl tugged at the singer's skirt.

Taylor knew what the girl was going to ask. She needed a answer that would put a smile on her face. She was defeat, warn out. She kneels in front of the child. The parents wore an apologetic look on there faces.

"We're so sorry..." the mom whispered to Taylor

"It's okay. I don't mind." Taylor's response was nice, and very genuine then the mother expected from such a famous celebrity.

"Why are you so sad, and angry?." the girl was direct with her question. Taylor was used to it. She sets the child onto her lap, strokes her brown hair, makes direct eye contact.

"I missed a very important phone call. I shouldn't have gotten that upset. Can you ever forgive me?."

Andrea was impressed with how well Taylor handled the young fans. It was a pure yet soft moment that won't go unnoticed in the parents eyes. She was proud of her for being so honest and vulnerable.

The young girl gave Taylor a hug, wrapped her arms around her neck, which took most of her frustration, anger away. She even let the child pet her cats Olivia and Meredith. She loves her amazing animals. It made her heart melt. The two cats purr happily.

"Come on sweetheart, it's time to go. Make sure you thank Taylor for her time before we leave."

"Okay mommy I will."

The kid ran over to Taylor, tells her "Thank you for a great time. I love you're cats. They like it when I there belly."

Taylor smiled at the young fan. She whispers softly "You can visit them anytime you're in Nashville."

The girl gave Taylor a big bear hug, skips over to her parents, waves goodbye. The night winds down on the bus. She couldn't fall asleep. She still upset about missing Joe's call. He might not think that there relationship is worth it at this point. Maybe this was his way of breaking up with her. She should have known that this wasn't going to last forever.

Her heart sunk lower, and lower. She curls up against the soft pillow, right before the tears fell, her phone rang. Taylor flung her finger across the screen, pressed the red video button.

"Hey babe, sorry I missed your call. I couldn't get reception in my dressing room."

Joe can see the pain, puffiness in Taylor's eye's. She looked warn out, and exhausted. He loves her wrinkles, the heavy bags underneath the lids. He wasn't going to leave her behind, break her heart, because the timing sucked. She was here now, that was everything.

"It's okay my love. I was held up for hours in hair and makeup. How was your show?."

He always asked her that. He enjoyed hearing about each performance. He was bursting with pride over her successes. It never intimated him. He'd let reality kick in once he was able to get over the starstruck, wonder of her mind blowing carrer. He was really dating the most beautiful, successful, influential young lady. No one knew. Privacy wasn't a luxury that either one of them could afford.

"It was great. I sold out the entire stadium. I met so many fans that I have blisters in between my knuckles. I met this young, young, fan who overheard the break down in my dressing room. She was a sweetheart. I even let her meet my cats. Meredith and Olivia were putty in that girl's hand."

Joe listened intently to Taylor. His heart shattered silently over the break down she had. It was common thing for her to cope with. He's usually the only one who can calm her down. Most causes are from the media, and her impending court trail. He became her rock during those times when everything fell apart. She losened her uptight bun, let's the blonde hair fall down.

"I gotta go love, there calling me. We'll talk again soon okay."

The screen went black before Taylor could say 'I love you', 'good bye', 'good night.' she buries her cold limp body underneath the blanket, cries herself to sleep.

[thatbluegibson]

CH 98

Sleep had evaded him completely and though he had tried to get comfortable, his tossing and turning finally irritated Liz enough that she rolled to the other side of the bed in an exhausted huff. Trying to be as quiet as he could while still under the effects of Crown Royale, he threw on a clean shirt and shorts and slipped out of the bus.

The night kept replaying in his mind, over and over as he analyzed every second and wondered if maybe he was reading too far into things.

"David!"

His head snapped up at Liz's mother's greeting and awkwardly accepted her hug as Josh, Jack Black and Kyle Gass hightailed it to the bar to avoid interrupting their conversation. 'Thanks, guys,' he thought bitterly and offered Nancy Josh's vacated chair.

She glanced at it briefly and shook her head. "Oh no, dear. How about a drink?"

"Sure," he said quickly and led her to the bar, worried he might not have any alcohol she'd like. She wore a pink cardigan, pearls, dark jeans and ballet flats, more the picture of a woman asking for a white wine spritzer than shots of jaeger.

But, she was Liz's mother after all, and she examined the back bar with a shrewd eye before asking for the entire bottle of Crown Royal. "Cheers," she murmured with a smile, tapping her shot glass against his and downing it before immediately pouring more. "So tell me, David. Why are you dating my daughter?"

He neared Taylor and Allison's bus, then stopped short when he heard the faint rhythmic creak of the suspension and rolled his eyes.

"Worse than rabbits," he grumbled and weighed his options. Nate, Pat, and Chris were most likely asleep, Rami's bus was probably getting its alignment blown out as well, leaving him with Josh.

He stumbled along, swearing at the uneven ground and three buses over, he knocked loudly on Josh's door. There was some crashing and swearing before the door swung open and he was greeted with a platinum grin. "Dr. G..."

A bottle of tequila, an open journal, a laptop, and a guitar lay around the table where Josh resumed his place and watched his friend expectantly.

"You writing already?" Dave asked, flopping onto the couch across from him.

"Just getting some shit out of my head," he explained and reclined back in the booth. "Missing my girl, I guess."

"Yeah...," Dave sat back on the leather couch and raked his hand through his hair. The whiskey Liz's mom had fed him was still coursing through his veins but was manageable now.

Josh studied him for a moment before grabbing the bottle of tequila and offering it to him. "What's on your mind, dude? You're a fucking wreck."

Any reservations he had about spilling everything to Josh instantly dissipated and he gladly took the bottle. "Her parents are fucking amazing," he groaned. "Her dad... fuck, dude! I would have killed for a dad like that growing up. And her mom-"

"Her mom's hot!" Josh barked a laugh. "And you know all women grow up to be their mother, you lucky son of a bitch. You're gonna be 80 with a Helen Mirren in your bed."

A pang of fear crashed into Dave's chest, the same one he had felt at the bar with Nancy just hours earlier. "I don't know, man..." he felt himself crumble under the weight, pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes to stop the flood of tears that hovered below the surface. "I just... I don't think she wants that."

"Liz or her mom?"

"Liz," his voice broke at her name and he angrily scrubbed away the tears. "Every time we reach a... a..."

"Milestone?"

"Yeah. Every time I try to move us forward, she flips. She won't move in with me, she won't... The last time we fought she ran out on me... fled the fucking continent on me and... fuck, dude," he broke, unable to stop the tears this time. "I want all of her so badly but it's like she's only willing to give me so much."

Josh slid out of the booth and perched on the edge of the couch next to Dave, throwing a supportive arm around his shoulders. "Her ex was a fucking tool wasn't he?"

Dave only nodded, letting his hair fall forward to hide his tears.

"Remember when Brody and I finally hooked up? She was a certifiable head case for months because of Tim and I just rode the crazy wave until it finally broke. And she pushed me, man! Remember when she showed up at the studio drunk off her ass and tried to fight me? You had to hold her back and talk her down like a rabid badger." Josh chuckled at the memory and sat back on the couch, eyeing Dave's hunched shoulders. "I don't really have a point here, dude. I'm just telling you that I understand."

"Thanks," Dave sighed, feeling even more confused than before.

"But Brody came around," Josh added quietly. "We both came off tour, things settled down and she realized I wasn't going anywhere no matter how crazy she got. Next thing I knew, she was asking me how I felt about getting married for Christmas."

Dave just shook his head, unable to even imagine Liz doing anything like that. It was just so unlikely. "Is Brody still up for tomorrow?" he asked suddenly.

"Yeah," Josh chuckled. "She's nervous as hell."

*

He sipped his coffee, watching Liz wake up for the second morning in a row. She slowly opened her eyes, lost in the momentary confusion of where she was before picking her head up off the pillow to find his side of the bed empty. He laughed softly at her sleepy panic, holding up the cup of coffee he had made her when she found him watching her from the doorway.

Stepping around the side of the bed, he handed her the cup and sat beside her. "Morning, babe."

"Morning," she muttered, sitting up against the headboard. "Do you always watch me sleep like that?"

"Yup," he finished his coffee and shoved off the bed to begin to rifling through his suitcase, tossing clothes onto the bed at her feet.

She frowned and whispered into her coffee, "Weirdo."

He just laughed and began to get dressed, holding up her favorite surf shop hat to let her know he was taking it.

"You feeling okay?" she asked.

"My head is fucking pounding, but all that Advil you stuffed down my throat last night helped," he returned to his spot next to her to pull on his shoes then leaned over to kiss her. "Thanks for taking care of me."

"If it were up to anyone else, you'd probably be somewhere out in the desert half naked and cuddling a cactus."

He shrugged and hopped off the bed, holding his hand out to help her up. "Wouldn't be the first time. Let's go introduce the kids."

*

Liz held Owen tightly against her and followed her father down the row of tents as Jack sat proudly on his shoulders. She kept her eyes focused on the tent Dave had reserved as private for this specific occasion and tried to calm herself down.

Even if they don't get along right away, they can always learn, she told herself. Maybe with time they'll be able to share holidays and weekends and-

Shutting down her thoughts before she went into a full-on panic attack, she stopped outside the tent where Dave was waiting for them and took a deep breath as Steve handed Jack to him.

"Good luck," Steve whispered, giving her a quick kiss on the top of the head and Dave a slap on the back before he left them to it.

Dave reached for Liz's hand and squeezed it tightly, silently telling her that she looked just as nervous as she felt. "It's gonna be okay, babe."

She only had a moment to nod before he led them inside and Phee squealed from her spot at a low table.

"Oh, he's just little!"

Liz set Owen down on the grass and crouched beside him, keeping a reassuring hand on his back when Phee skidded to a stop in front of them.

"Hi Owen, I'm Phee," she said quickly, almost all her baby teeth on display with how wide she was smiling. "Daddy says you like trucks so we got a firetruck book! And I can read it to you! The words are really easy, you just look at the pictures."

"Owen," Liz said slowly and gently, "Would you like to-"

"Firetruck!" he yelped and clapped his hands, reaching out for Phee and the book she was holding.

Feeling a little obsolete, Liz looked up at Dave as their two youngest children toddled off hand in hand to the short table covered in crayons, books, and paper.

"See?" he grinned and set Jack in a chair, helping him prop up his cast while Liz set his crutches aside.

"Yeah," she murmured and ran her fingers through Jack's hair. "Where's Jordyn?"

"Hung the fuck over," Dave laughed, then winced when he realized Jack was listening. "Sorry, dude."

"It's cool," Jack smiled, then turned his attention to Violet when she walked up. "Hey, Violet."

"Hey, Jack. I heard you had to have surgery after all."

Dave and Liz stood together in stunned silence as their eldest children had a casual conversation about the color of his cast and how green jello tasted better than orange.

"Hold up-," Dave interrupted when he couldn't stand it any longer.

"You two already know each other?" Liz finished for him, taking the words directly out of his mouth.

They both turned to look at Liz and Dave as if they had asked the stupidest question possible. "Uh, yeah," Violet rolled her eyes. "I was right there when he busted his leg."

"She told me not to move it until my teacher came and got me," Jack added.

"Cool... cool," Dave nodded, then stepped back to Liz's side to whisper at her, "Did you know that?"

Liz shook her head slowly, still trying to figure out what was going on when Harper ran up with a box full of markers.

"Can we color on Jack's cast?" she asked eagerly.

"You cool with that, Jack?" Liz called to him, then nodded at Harper when he gave a thumbs up.

Dave and Liz sat together in the corner of the quiet tent, hands joined under the table as they sipped their coffees and watched their kids color and talk amongst themselves. It was peaceful, maybe even relaxing, but a voice in the back of Liz's mind was screaming at her.

It's all too perfect.

*

Dave kept an eye on Liz while pretending to watch Krist's band play the main stage. She was just off stage left with her mother, sitting in camping chairs and apparently deep in a tense conversation by the way Liz's arms were crossed and her lips pursed in a thin line. Though her mirrored sunglasses were on, he felt her eyes on him and he subtly raised an eyebrow from his spot at stage right, receiving a short nod in response telling him she had everything handled.

Still, his boozy conversation with her mother the night before hovered in the back of his mind.

"My daughter moved herself and my grandchildren two thousand miles from home for you and I'm curious as to why," Nancy said casually. She wasn't condescending or sneering, possibly just genuinely curious as to what he had to offer.

"Well...," Dave started, quickly realizing he was too far gone on Crown when she offered him yet another shot. "She made that decision all on her own."

A raised eyebrow, so much like Liz's and then subtle head tilt, "And she didn't move in with you?"

Dave snorted a laugh. "No, but believe me the offer was, and still is, on the table."

"I fucking hate Malibu," she grumbled into her shot glass and then put it away like it was apple juice.

"Yeah," Dave tossed his own whiskey back, knowing he'd pay dearly later, "Me too."

"Dave?" He snapped out of his fog and stared at Krist who was holding out a set of drumsticks to him. "You up for Star Machine?"

Settling behind the kit, he took a cursory glance at the screaming crowd then looked to Liz where she, her mother and now her father were all smiling proudly at him before he played the opening riff. He felt a strange sense of pride, a little like what he felt when his kids and his mom were at a show, but... different.

*

The sun was beginning to hang low in the sky and Iggy Pop's baritone drifted across the backstage tents, indicating Dave only had about an hour until he had to start getting ready. He and Liz were in the middle of the family tent, never moving more than a few feet from each other in a wordless dance that told him she knew he was on edge. Both her siblings and Dave's sister along with their respective families had arrived and everyone had been properly introduced, adding another layer of insulation against the emotional weight that was bearing down on him.

Dave kept his arm around Liz as she spoke with Lisa, knowing it was awkward, but having her beside him felt necessary and he found himself gravitating to her if she moved too far away. He wasn't especially proud of how needy he felt, but he couldn't exactly deny it anymore. There were far too many emotions wrapped up in the looming reunion, the stress of running the entire festival, meeting her family and the kids that the strain was beginning to be too much. He stared into his beer cup, running through the night's setlist that was essentially a timeline of his life when her hand left his.

"I'm gonna go talk to your mom for a minute, okay?" she said softly. "I'll just be right over there."

He smiled when his mother lit up a the sight of her and watched them greet each other with a long hug and laughter when a large hand landed on his shoulder.

"David?" Steve asked with an enigmatic smile. "I know you're a busy man, but could I borrow you for a moment?"

His heart nosedived into his stomach and he nodded, catching Liz's confused stare as they left her behind in the tent.

*

Liz was walking just behind Ally and Josie up the narrow steps to the side of the stage when she heard Dave call her name. Thinking maybe he had forgotten something and needed her to retrieve it, she jogged over to where the band was waiting, instruments at the ready.

"What's up?" she asked, feeling incredibly uncomfortable that she was interrupting a strictly band moment.

Dave turned away from Taylor and dove towards her, grabbing her face in his hands as his Gibson slammed into her hips. "You know how much I love you, right?"

"I love you, too," she gripped his arms as hard as he was holding her, trying to appear happy instead of showing the sudden panic she felt. "I'll be just to your left the whole time."

She had meant it to be comforting knowing that he was on edge, but he frowned and let her go, leaving her next to an equally confused Taylor.

"What's going on?" he hissed at her.

"I was hoping you knew!" she whispered back, then plastered on a smile when Dave ran back and held her tightly once again, this time he kissing her with a distinct sense of desperation.

"Go with Gus," he said sharply once he let her go.

Taylor and Liz both spoke at the same time with equal confusion. "What?"

Dave looked between the two of them, struggling to explain when Gus lumbered up. "Two-minute warning," he barked, sending Dave and Taylor into motion.

Dave bundled Liz back into his arms, repeating his 'I love you' as she helplessly watched Taylor dart away like a scared rabbit. "I love you, too, Dave," she said. "Is everything okay?"

He gave no answer, just dropping his arms from around her and stepping back to give her one last look before following Taylor and the rest of his band. Seeing her chance, Liz hurried back to Allison and Josie as they waited on the steps and was just feet away when Gus's hand clamped over her arm.

"Liz, Dave wants you with me," he said simply.

"What?" Ally stared at Gus with wide eyes, then over at Liz with the same expression. No one sat stage right during their show. That was Gus's spot, the spot where the techs watched closely for broken strings or a stuck pedal, the spot that Dave sat to watch Taylor's drum solo in peace with other the distraction of family or kids or...

"Dave wants her stage right," Gus repeated with a shrug, clearly just as bewildered as they were.

"Um... So I guess I'll see you after?" Ally asked, skipping down the steps and giving Liz a quick hug.

"Yeah, okay," Liz nodded and swallowed hard, shakily picking up her beer once she was alone with Gus.

"Ready?" he asked, his voice a bit softer than his normal brusqueness.

"I guess... where will I be out of the way?"

Gus chuckled at that and wound the strap of his flashlight around his wrist, but didn't answer, just shined the beam of light at the steps and urged her ahead. She didn't realize it until she hit the top of the steps, but stage right was far more exposed than the left and the crowd that had managed a spot at the rail cheered in excitement when they spotted her. She was just one step closer to Dave, an indication that they were about to be in the presence of a legend.

Gus pointed to a low equipment box and she sat, trying to make herself as small as possible in the open space and just hoped that she would be ignored by the crowd once the band came out. She spied her parents across the dark stage and despite the anxiety she felt, smiled at how excited they looked. Her dad threw his arm around her mom and kissed her cheek, whispering something to her that made her laugh. Liz felt her heart soar, knowing that Dave was able to give them back a bit of their youth and that they could relive the place where they had met in 1974 and then, four years later in 1978, made things official with Steve asking Nancy to marry him during the Bob Welch set. It took her a couple seconds, but it finally hit her.

Oh, shit.

Feeling as if she had been hit with a ten-ton truck full of white gowns and catering menus, she whipped back around to where Gus was standing with a guitar tech, adjusting the set list with a ten minute gap.

*

They blasted through the first fix or six songs, closing out Rope when Taylor's kit began to rise from downstage. Dave shrugged off his guitar and handed it to his tech, hurrying out of sight to give Taylor the spotlight for a few songs. He had been looking forward to the cooler shows in the fall since those blistering hot summer festivals in Europe were unbearably hot, especially when he insisted on wearing black jeans and shirts on stage.

Liz was perched on an amp case just beside the large red digital clock and his guitar tech's workstation, looking back with her hair obscuring her face. His lighter and pack of Parliaments were just beside her, waiting as they always were for his break mid-show. He picked them up and dug for a smoke but she nudged his arm, plucking the fresh cigarette from her lips and handing it to him. It was a simple gesture, but the moment he tasted her vanilla chapstick he couldn't take his eyes off of her. She was watching Taylor intensely with a forced smile on her lips, her heel bouncing against the stage and her thumbs tapping gently on her thighs along to his tempo when Dave grabbed her chin and pulled her to him, kissing her in full view of the crowd. The fans against the rails that were watching screamed louder and veered their phone's camera to the make out session just off stage while several lurid suggestions were thrown out to them, making Liz press her hand into Dave's chest. She pushed him away and he looked down at her, worried he had upset her.

"Not here," she shook her head, her eyes brimming with tears. "Whatever it is you're doing or going to do, please... not here."

"Liz..." he brushed her tears away with his thumbs, startled by her sudden meltdown.

"Just, Dave... I'm not-"

"Dave!" Gus called from his spot just beside them. "Thirty seconds!"

"Yeah, hang on!" he called back, keeping his eyes on her.

"I'm sorry," she cried. "I'm not... I'm not ready."

He tried his hardest to hide it, but he knew she could read his mind when her face fell and threw her arms around him. "I'm so sorry..." she whispered.

"Twenty seconds," Gus warned.

Dave held her tightly as long as he could, worried that the moment he let her go she would bolt. He felt her deep, shaking breath before she pushed herself back and forced a smile on her face.

"Go," she insisted, her eyes darting to his incoming guitar tech. "Have fun."

*

He had been looking forward to the afterparty ever since the 'reunion' had been nailed down. He wanted to get through his last set with Krist, Pat, John, and Joan if only to put the rumors to rest for another five or six years. The songs were like muscle memory for him even after almost twenty-five years, but they never seemed to stop the ache from seeping through, no matter how hard he tried to convince himself it was all cathartic. He and Josh were mostly through a bottle of tequila, laughing about old times and discussing future plans as people built the nerve to interrupt them and strike up a conversation. Liz and Brody were sitting close together on some couch the party company he had hired brought in, holding their red keg cups and leaning in when the other would talk, clearly in a serious discussion about something.

"They're plotting against us," Josh said, nodding towards them. "We'll be dead in a shallow grave before sunrise and they'll be halfway to Vegas for a quickie wedding."

"You think?" Dave muttered, wondering what they were talking about so intensely. "They certainly hit it off right away."

"Similar personalities," Josh mused and held up the now empty bottle. "I bet if we bring them drinks they'll at least let us watch the wedding night before offing us."

"That alone might make it worth it," Dave chuckled and followed him to the bar, only to be sidetracked by Jack Black and Kyle Gass asking if he'd be down to play their Halloween gig in the next few weeks. He was checking the calendar on his phone and trying to listen to the details, but he could hear her laugh from across the crowd and smiled to himself.

Jack just shook his head. "You've got it bad, brother. Go get your lady!"

He didn't stick around any longer than necessary after thanking Jack and Kyle for playing his festival and made a straight line toward her, managing to find the one low spot with his bad ankle and stumbling just slightly.

"Oh, lord," Liz laughed and set down her drink to help him. "Drunk again, David?"

"Sorry," he jokingly slurred as her arms went around his waist and she smiled up at him. "It's almost three, are you partied out yet?"

Liz glanced back at Brody, who waved her on and dragged Josh into her empty spot on the couch. "Go put the old man to bed," she called, planting a loud kiss on Josh's lips.

They talked quietly about nothing in particular on the long walk back to their bus, laughing loudly when Taylor and Allison ran past them at a dead sprint, shedding their clothes even before their own bus was in view.

"I love them," Liz giggled as she pulled the keys from her pocket.

"Yeah, me too," he leaned his shoulder into the side of the bus and watched her unlock the accordian door. "You look good in my shirts."

"That's a sweet way to say I'm dumb for not packing anything warm to wear," she teased.

He followed her up and into the bus, making sure the door was locked behind them before finding her in the bedroom untying her Vans. Following her example, he moved to his side of the bed and pulled off his shirt. "You wanna take a shower with me?"

She tossed her shoes in the corner and sighed, "Bed, please."

"Yes, ma'am," he growled, quickly stripping off everything but his boxers before crawling up the bed to watch her undress. "So what were you and the Ice Queen talking about so intensely?"

"Ice Queen? Brody?" she asked in confusion, then huffed when Dave nodded. "She's not an ice queen! She's lovely!"

"Yeah, tell that to 2003 me when she put her fist through my jaw."

Liz giggled and slid out of her jean shorts. "She told me you folded up like a cheap poker table."

"I did not," he protested but gave himself away with a grin. The scar on his elbow was proof that Brody had flattened him out in the studio parking lot thinking that he was covering for a cheating Josh. "So what were you two talking about?"

"None of your business," she said sweetly and pulled off her tank top.

"Fine," he relaxed against the headboard to watch her and crossed his arms. "You ready to talk about what happened on stage?"

Her hand paused momentarily on its way to unclip her bra. "The fact that you were amazing and rocked the faces off of thirty thousand people?"

"We can come back to that..." Dave offered, losing the battle of keeping his eyes on her face when she tossed her bra aside.

"You're sure you just want to sit around and talk?" she asked and hooked her thumbs into her lace boyshorts. "We're kidless tonight..."

"Yup," he nodded intently but made a show of grabbing her pillow and shoving it in his lap to hide the obviousness of what she was doing to him. "I just want to talk."

She smiled at the obvious pain in his voice and dipped back down to the carpet to retrieve his flannel shirt she had worn that night. "Okay," she pulled on the flannel and crawled up the bed to grab her pillow. "Let's talk."

After a brief tug of war, Dave let her have the pillow and laughed when she gently hit him in the face with it. Following the pillow with a kiss, she threw her leg over his and pressed him into the headboard with her lips. He surprised her by pulling her even closer with a hand at the back of her neck and groaned when she trailed kisses to his ear.

"You were so amazing tonight," she breathed.

"Do I make you happy?"

The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them and he swallowed hard when she froze against him.

"I can't believe you even have to ask that," she whispered and sat back to run her fingers through her hair. "Of course you make me happy, blissfully happy! Am I not-"

Desperate to stop her train of thought before it went off the rails, he flipped her over onto her back and shoved her knees apart with his own. Bracing himself just above her, he kissed her softly and pressed his forehead against hers. "You really want to have the 'we need to communicate better' talk right now, Elizabeth?"

"You're the one that wanted to talk, David. You can't always interrupt our difficult conversations with sex."

She was perfect. Messy hair, laughing green eyes, wearing his shirt, a smile and not much else; it didn't matter how much they talked about what had happened, she knew exactly what he was about to do up on that stage. He didn't know how, but she knew.

He rocked into her as his swear mixed with her gasp, instantly changing the air around them from light to desperate. Desperate in that he wanted all of her, he wanted her in his bed every night so he wouldn't have to wonder if she was as lonely as he was in their respective, empty houses. But the actual words were too touchy, too open and raw to say so he'd settle for showing her instead.

I need you, be with me, always.

Her nails dragged down the backs of his arms and her chin tilted up, exposing the length of her neck that he always gravitated to. The moment his lips touched her skin she gasped his name and broke, dragging him over the edge right along with her.

He was quiet for a moment, but couldn't hold back any longer once he caught his breath, "Earlier... Liz, I didn't mean to upset you on stage, I just wanted you close by in case everything got to be too much. I wasn't sure how I would feel with John up there in front of all those people... he looks..."

Her eyes widened just slightly and she knit her eyebrows together. "That's why you-," she stopped short and pushed him back until he was sitting on the bed with her astride him again. "He does," she agreed with a nod. "It's a little eerie that close up."

He only sighed and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly to him and resting his head against her chest so he could listen to her heart beating.

"Dave?"

He hummed a response as her fingers combed through his hair.

"I've never been this happy," she whispered into the silence. "You're like Christmas morning, every morning."  

He waited a beat, knowing just that simple statement had been difficult for her to say but couldn't help teasing her with an, "... and?"

She laughed and forced his head up so she could kiss him, "And I want to take that shower now."

*

"Finally."

Liz sighed when Dave eased her truck to a stop at a light just outside his neighborhood, feeling the exhaustion of the weekend hit her all at once. The drive back to the Valley had been long and all she wanted was to curl up in his bed and sleep the rest of her Sunday away.

Dave fixed his eyes on the red light and muttered, "Taylor was hovering over the catering tables like a vulture when we left. He said he'd drop off some dinner once he and Allison got home." He glanced over to find her attention on a man staking a for sale sign in the ditch alongside them. "Looks like they're finally letting the house at the top of the hill go."

"Yeah?" she swiveled around to look at him. "Which one?"

"The one at the very top," he explained, distracted again by traffic. "You can't see it from the street, but it's fuckin' nice. Gated, big yard, pool, a heated shop with a lift. Nate said-"

"Wait," Liz's hand shot out to stop him. "A heated shop with a lift?"

"Yeah. Nate said some hedge fund investor bought it years ago and had it maintained, but never once stepped foot on the property."

"Interesting," she said casually, then jammed her black fingernail into the window button. "Excuse me!" she called as the window slowly rolled down and the man looked up. "Is the address on that sign already on the market?"

"Yes, ma'am!" the man yelled and gave a friendly wave.

"And you're the realtor?"

"Yes," he called eagerly and dropped the sign to move closer.

"Do you possibly have a moment to show my husband and myself around?" she asked sweetly, ignoring Dave's hand when it landed on her thigh.

"Liz?" Dave asked weakly, feeling like someone had kicked him in the chest. He wasn't prepared for her yelling at some stranger on the side of the road and he definitely wasn't prepared to be referred to as her husband.

"I'd be happy to!" the realtor yelled back. "Just park up at the gate and I'll be right with you!"

"Thank you so much!" Liz called, rolling her window up and swatting Dave's hand away. "Stop!" she giggled. "I just want to see the shop!"

"I thought you were tired!" he cried, but turned the truck up the hill for the gated house. He had always been curious about the shop.

"I was until you said it had a lift!" she shot back.

"Fine," he sighed and drove past his own driveway. "But this guy is gonna ask questions. What's our backstory?"

"You're a successful, rich, painfully handsome stay at home astronaut and I breed rare South American butterflies."

"And our budget?"

"Unlimited."

Dave smiled and parked the truck in front of the massive black gate. "What else?"

Liz was busy looking at the flowerbeds on either side of the gate as she replied, "We've been married for... oh, I dunno... ten years and our children are away at boarding school in the English countryside. Oh, here he is! Remember, David... astronaut."

"Right," he shook his head and unbuckled his seatbelt. "How could I forget."

*

The realtor rattled off the house specifications as he unlocked the large front door and held it open for them. "Seven bedrooms total, four upstairs and three down. There's also seven bathrooms, though only four of those are full. You could always blow out a closet and make a fifth bath if you'd like. The great thing about this house is that there's so much potential for expansion." He his bright grin faded a little when Dave and Liz didn't move from their spot on the porch, clearly trying to process all the information he was throwing at them. "I'll uh... I'll wait here while you two look around a bit. Just yell if you need me."

"Thank you," Liz whispered and let Dave pull her further into the empty house.

They wandered in and out of rooms on all three floors, admiring and examining the rich wood accents and open spaces while exchanging quiet smiles. It wasn't a typical LA sprawling mansion by any means, but a decent sized house with enough space to breathe and a big secluded backyard to feel like you weren't in a neighborhood.

"Well," Liz sighed and leaned her back against the rail of the deck that overlooked the lush green canyon. "The house makes a nice addition to the shop. I didn't see anywhere for you to park your rocket ship though."

Dave snorted a laugh and stood up from the built-in gas grill he was scrutinizing. "You think we've spent enough time in the house to hide the fact that we're only here to snoop around in the garage?"

"Yeah, I think so," she giggled and reached for his hand, walking closely with him through the house towards the front door, but not before looking over the kitchen and attached living room one last time.

"Any questions?" the realtor asked earnestly, standing up from the iron bench on the front porch and stuffing his phone back in his pocket.

"I think my husband would like to look at the shop if that's all right," Liz said smoothly, ignoring Dave's flinch at the critical wording.

"Ah," the realtor nodded and directed them towards the tall shop beside the house. "Are you a classic car guy? Motorcycles?"

"A little of both," Dave admitted, looking over at Liz as the door was unlocked for them. The building wasn't connected to the house, but was built in the same Craftsman style and artfully blended into the scenery around it. He followed the realtor in and waited for the lights to be switched on. "Holy shit..."

Liz scampered in after him, colliding with his back as he looked around the immaculate shop. "Oh...," she breathed.

"There's a loft up above," the realtor called from the open door. "It's an office right now, but it's large enough for a separate apartment."

Liz slowly walked the perimeter of the shop, taking in all the features that she had only seen in professional auto shops while Dave climbed the stairs to the loft. She made it all the way around and glanced into a small room that housed the air compressors, finding herself face to face with her Pops as a 21-year-old GI, fresh from the war and drunk off his ass on his favorite motorcycle.

"Hey, Pops," she whispered, running her fingers over the classic biker gang poster everyone, her included, had hanging in their shops. "I wish you could see this."

Dave flipped on the lights to the room above the shop and scanned the space. A large wooden desk was stationed in the corner facing the windows overlooking the canyon, a dark leather sectional towards the back was positioned in front of a large projector screen next to a pool table and a bar. A brass pole in the middle of a corner stage rounded out the other side of the room making Dave roll his eyes.

Man cave, he thought, stepping in a bit further. But the artwork on the walls wasn't the typical dogs playing poker or stacked female straddling a beer logo, it was mostly framed album covers and gig posters. Dave looked around again, wondering if maybe he knew the guy when he was faced with himself, about 22 or 23, standing just to Kurt's right and wearing that stifling Armani suit with the red necktie. The poster was framed along with some ticket stubs from a show he had played in 1993, right before things started to tumble down hill.

He heard Liz's footsteps on the stairs and hurried out, meeting her halfway on the staircase.

"Hey," she whispered, noticing he was just as pale as she felt. "You okay?"

"Yeah," he nodded and looked her over as well. "Are you?"

She only nodded and took his hand, walking him back out to where the realtor was waiting. Dave went to speak with him while Liz examined the little fountain in the middle of the roundabout driveway.

"So what do you think?" the realtor asked.

"Well...," Dave said reluctantly and glanced over his shoulder when Liz came to join them. "My wife was really wanting an ocean view..."

"And it's a bit far from NASA," Liz added, pursing her lips as if she were deep in thought.

"Ah... I see," the realtor said, looking perfectly crestfallen. "Here's my card, I've written my personal cell number on the back. Feel free to contact me if you'd like another look or if you find something else that piques your interest."

"We absolutely will," Dave said smoothly, taking the card and looking it over. "Thanks again for showing us around."

The realtor retreated back into the house and the minute the front door closed behind him, Dave and Liz ran to the truck, diving into the front seats while trying to hold back their laughter. They sat facing the garage door of the house, the attached garage they never even bothered to look at as their laughs faded into a contemplative silence. It took an entire three minutes before Liz finally spoke.

"So... yeah?"

"Yup," Dave gave a short nod and they jumped into action, bolting up the front steps and catching their breath while Dave pounded on the front door.

The realtor cracked the door open just an inch, peering out at them with wide eyes as Dave threw his arm around Liz's shoulders and beamed down at her. She wound her arms around Dave's waist and matched his smile, speaking mostly to him rather than the realtor.

"We'll take it."