#id come closer....can i sit in your lap vinny?!

[ilovemesomevincentprice]

Vintage 80s Monster Vitamins ad with Vincent Price

[shhh-no-ones-home]

kick back vinny mauro x reader

+++++++++

the song she sings are original lyrics by me, there will be a screenshot of the whole thing in the comments/reblogs if you would like to see it all. there is no sheet music, i am not a musician, but the lyrics are all my own and subject to copyright (/11/06/20/). thanks for understanding

Song: sorry haha I fell asleep by egg

tag list: @musicsexandpizza69 @thisplace-ishaunted @lifeisabitchandsoareyou @svintsandghosts @alilpunkrock @cynic-spirit @theoneandonlykymberlee +++++++++

I looked down at my phone as it rang for the eighth time today. It was Vinny. Again. Couldn't he take the hint? He thought he wanted me but I knew he didn't. How could he? Clearly he wouldn't let it go though. I rolled my eyes and went to put my phone back down when it dinged. He didn't call this time. It was actually a text.

"I know you're ignoring me but I'm gonna keep trying, i told you how i feel and thats not gonna change. Also a heads up, I'll see you on tour."

My eyes went wide before I immediately called our band manager.

"Just the person I wanted to talk to."

She said fairly chipper.

"Tell me we aren't."

I said sternly.

"What?"

She sounded confused.

"Tell me we aren't touring with motionless."

She laughed a little.

"Why would I tell you that? Of course you guys are. isnt it exciting?"

My mouth dropped.

"Why?!"

"Um, because it's good publicity? their manager called me yesterday and asked if you wanted to collab on something too so i hope youve been writing. but back to tour. They are doing a short spring tour, just a few weeks. i figured you were the best breakout band on my label."

She seemed very happy. I sighed into the receiver.

"Dawn their drummer has been calling and texting me for two weeks straight."

She paused.

"Okay?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose.

"He has been trying to get me to go out with him for two weeks straight."

"Oh!"

She said.

"Then what's the problem?"

I rolled my eyes.

"Ya know what, actually there's no problem. this is a great opportunity for our career. When are we starting?"

"Great! I have to call the rest of the girls but you start February third."

I nodded.

"Okay. Two months away. I can put this off till then."

I said more to myself.

"Well dear I've got to go, I'll talk to you when the posters come out."

°°°°°°°°°

i sat on the ground outside the bus and strummed my guitar lightly. id been in contact with all the girls from our band and all the motionless guys for our new song together since i got the call from dawn two months ago but things werent coming out as good as wed hoped. so here i was still working on it, by myself. the thing is though the song was supposed to be out by the end of tour and yet here we all were, one week in and still nothing. i couldnt even focus on the task at hand. i had to much other shit running through my mind.

"that sounds pretty."

i heard from behind me and stiffened my body.

"thanks, ive been trying to find new chords for the song."

i said as vinny came into view.

"well i think it sounds great, when i read through the lyrics you had so far i wasnt really sure how heavy it would end up being but i kinda like that."

he said, moving to sit in front of me. i nodded.

"it will be heavier but my brain wont let me right now."

i said, dropping my hands to my lap. he nodded back.

"well what you have so far sounds beautiful anyways."

i stared at the ground, tapping my fingers lightly against the guitar.

"actually vin, this isnt for the collab. its actually for you and the only reason i cant finish the other song is because im lost."

he raised a brow.

"its for me?"

i sighed.

"i dont exactly know how to talk to you anymore so i figured a song would be easier but its really not."

i said through a nervous laugh.

"ive been meaning to talk to you about that actually."

i shook my head.

"you dont have-"

"no, i do."

he said, sending me a look.

"i shouldve taken the hint in December but i thought that if i persisted then maybe youd see how much i meant what i said. but i guess somewhere along the line i got annoying. hell i know, i did, i was annoying myself. then when you started texting me back, even though it was just about the new song, i was excited. it meant i could still talk to you even if it was just business."

"vin i-"

"please, just listen for a second."

i cleared my throat and nodded.

"okay, lay it on me."

he took a deep breath.

"i want you to know that i did mean what i said, i do really like you and i want to try something, a relationship, casual dates, hell even just hanging out. maybe you dont want more, and thats fine. but i still want you in my life and i want you to know that i do care about you. even if you have been ignoring me on purpose."

i frowned.

"vin i dont know how to do this."

i said, motioning between us.

"all my past relationships have crashed and burned and i dont know how to move on form that. i dont want to have to change who i am again."

he shook his head.

"you dont- you would never have to do that. i like you the way you are, and i want to prove that to you."

i sent him a look.

"no, you like who ive created for you. thats not me. im not carefree and easy going, and agreeable. im pig headed and strongly opinionated and i have a loud mouth."

i said with a laugh. he smiled back at me which i wasnt quite expecting.

"i dont care about all that. i care about you, whether you think youve created someone for me or not. give me stubborn. give me opinionated and loud. hell even give me furious at times. i know thats the real you and yet im still trying. cant you see that?"

i bit the inside of my cheek and thought for a second. then i looked down started strumming again lightly.

"im sorry for making things harder, i never meant to make it this far."

i began singing lightly.

"you dont deserve this mess of a person, i just keep making things hard."

i looked to him and he was staring at me intently.

"we've made it this far, i cant believe youre still around. i thank the heavens cause if not id be six feet down"

i closed my eyes, swaying back and forth as i played.

"Im sorry for making things harder, you dealt with this before. If i make it up to you somehow, we wont have to waste our time no more."

i said softly, over the guitar before stopping and looking at him.

"its not quite done yet."

i said a little shy. he sent me a small smile.

"i love you."

he said and my face went straight. i watched as he scooted his way closer to my side.

"ill always be here for you, no matter how we move forward."

i looked to my lap for a second before looking back to him. he was staring at me longingly.

"i think i love you too vin."

i said, barely above a whisper. he looked between my eyes before his hand moved to graze my cheek. i couldnt help moving into him. before i knew what was happening i was kissing him lightly, his hand going to the back of my head to hold me to him. when he pulled away he had a huge smile on his face.

"the song sounds great by the way."

i laughed a little at that, feeling a blush creep its way to my face as he pressed his forehead to mine.

"our little atypical love song."

[bloodandfire-kennyhickeyfanfic]

Chapter 8 - With These Three Words, I Fell

Brooklyn, New York August 7 1994

I could feel my heart pounding and my cheeks felt like they were on fire. Did he just say what I thought he said?

"What?" I ask quietly again, my eyebrows drawn together in confusion. Kenny moves closer to me, reaching for my hips and drawing me into his lap as his dark eyes focus so intently into mine. His eyes glance down at my lips for a moment then back into my eyes as I try to find the words to say what I need to say. He then slowly moves in and presses his beautiful soft lips to mine and I instantly melt in his arms. The feeling is overwhelming and I press my body closer to his, lacing my fingers through his curls as his hands find their way back up my shirt and around to my lower back, feeling his fingers skip across my skin. After a few moments, he parts his lips from mine, leaving me practically breathless as he touches his forehead to mine and closes his eyes.

"I love you," He says, his voice cracking a little. The sound of his words course through me like I never thought they would. I knew that I was falling in love with him but I tried so hard to deny it and I never wanted to admit it to him though I think subconsciously I knew he was feeling the same way to. The way we left each other back in L.A last week and that night we spent together wasn't just sex like I tried to tell myself it was.

"I love you," I finally say back to him and It felt so good to finally say it out loud. I don't have to wrestle with it back and forth anymore because I do love him. I am so in love with him.

"You have no idea how much I love hearing you say those words," He says as his eyes flicking back to mine.

"You have no idea how good it feels to finally tell you," I say pressing my lips to his and immediately sucking his bottom lip as I lace my fingers through his curls once more.

"You uh... you wanna show me how much you love me?" I ask slyly as I shift myself in his lap, straddling him as he pulls me to sit on top of him.

"Oh baby, you have no idea how much I want to," He says, his voice becoming raspy and oh so sexy.

"Ok, but me first," I say and immediately slide myself off him to kneel down in front and quickly unbuckle his jeans.

"Damn..." Was all he could say before I showed him just how much I loved him too.

*****

"Kenny... does this look ok?" I ask as I stand in his small bedroom in front of his full length mirror beside his tall standing dresser fixing my dark curls as they fall down passed my shoulders. I was getting ready to head to L'Amours to meet up with the guys from Pantera, well really, I was meeting with their tour manager first and he was introducing me to the band, even though I have met Vinny, Phil, Rex and Dime before it wasn't on a professional level and I'm not even sure they would remember me anyways. I'm really glad Kenny's coming with me though. I'm fucking nervous as fuck but Kenny is really close with Dime so at least that makes me feel a little better.

As I turn and glance over my shoulder in the mirror to see just how my black short lacy mini long sleeve dress covered me, I see him step into the room, ready to go in his usual black jeans, a black button up shirt, boots and his leather jacket, his eyes growing wide as I attempt to pull down the hem of my dress. It feels like it's barely covering my butt cheeks.

Of course the only thing I would have to wear is this little mini dress. Fucking god damn airport and losing my luggage. I just hope I'm taken seriously given what I'm wearing.

"Jeezus" He says with his eyes glancing over my curves.

"It's too short isn't it?" I wince a little.

"No baby it's... perfect. You look gorgeous," He says dreamily with his Brooklyn accent coming through.

"See, I had these really cute lacy open toed heel wedges that match this perfectly, though wearing heels to L'Amours probably would be a bad idea," I say as I turn to face him and he nods in agreement with me.

"I had them in my luggage bag that the fucking airport lost and I feel like It looks weird with my Doc's. Maybe I should just change back into what I was wearing before" I say looking down and examining my boots, my curls falling down around me as I try to smooth out the dress and pull the hem down but it's no use.

"No, uh uh..." Kenny shakes his head at me.

"Well... I don't wanna give the wrong impression you know? You don't think it's too short do you?" I ask still second guessing myself.

"Not at all baby..." He says as he steps towards me, taking me in his arms and I giggle as he brushes my curls off my shoulder and presses his lips to that spot just under my earlobe.

"You have no idea how much I wanna throw you back down on my bed... and see how many times I can make you cum again," He whispers huskily in my ear. With those words, I bite my bottom lip and try to contain the fact that I want him to do just exactly that.

"Now that's exactly the impression I don't want to give," I say as I pull away to look up at him and he chuckles.

"Baby, trust me... you look fucking gorgeous," He places a kiss on my lips as his hand moves directly to my butt and gives me a little squeeze making me squeal against his lips.

"Just checking," He smirks when he pulls away and I smack him playfully on his chest laughing.

L'Amours, Brooklyn New York August 7 1994

"...I'm supposed to meet Steve Bainbrige backstage though," I try to explain to the door guy at L'Amours. It was early enough in the night that there was no one really here which I thought would make it easier to get backstage to meet Steve, Pantera's tour manager. The door guy looks down in a black book scrolling through what looked like a list of names and asked to see my ID. Normally I would have my planner and everything with me, but that too was lost with my luggage. I pull out my ID, along with my business ID card showing that I work for Silver Management.

"Alright, you can head on backstage," He says and shows me the way to the doors backstage. Kenny chats for a few seconds with the door guy, only because he's played here so many times before and then walks with me down the long corridor to the backstage area.

"You do know that you were going to get backstage whether you showed your ID or not," Kenny says.

"Yea I know but I wanted to make sure that I'm not just someone trying to get backstage," I say as I put my ID back in the pocket of my leather jacket. I flip my curls out of my face and see Kenny smiling at me.

"What?" I giggle.

"Nothing, you're just so... "

"Kenny!!!!"

Suddenly a deep southern voice booms down the long corridor and I look up to see Darryl 'Dimebag' Abbott taking a drink as he yells out for Kenny. I suddenly could feel my nervousness creep back up, but I know I have to be calm. We walk over to meet up with Dime and I couldn't stop my heart from pounding as Kenny and Dime shake hands and hug each other for a moment.

"Dude, I'm glad you made it," Dime smiles.

"Yea you're only glad I made it so you can stick fish down my boots again," Kenny says and Dime laughs and I raise my eyebrow at them both.

"No not tonight my friend... but Saturday you never know," Dime chuckles and Kenny laughs.

"Uh... this is Andi," Kenny clears his throat and introduces me noticing Dime looking at me up and down for a moment.

"Oh, so she's the one you've been talking about all the time," Dime smirks at him and Kenny just gives him a look then glances back at me as Dime offers his hand for me to shake.

"Wait... you look familiar," Dime says as he contemplates as he takes a sip of his drink. Once again my heart started to pound and I figured this would be the best time to leave and find Steve but for some reason I felt frozen to the spot.

"Me?" I ask, trying to play it off like he was thinking of someone else.

"Yea... no, we've met before... you were with Chris Cornell right?" Dime asks and now I feel extremely awkward as Kenny gives me a confused look.

Why can't people just remember me for me and not because I was married to Chris?

"Um... yea I was," I say shyly hoping he doesn't go on about Chris.

"Fuck, man you didn't tell me it was her. That's fuckin' awesome dude!" Dime chuckles as he pats Kenny on the shoulder.

"Uh, yea... well she's uh working for you now too," Kenny says glancing at me as he takes my hand in his and pulls me a little closer to him.

"Wait, you're our new P.A? That's sweet. Well I'm glad it's someone that I've met before and not just anyone..." Dime smiles sweetly at me which made me feel a little better.

"Well... I've got to go and meet Steve... so should I just meet up with you back here or..." I trail off as I glance up at Kenny.

"Yea babe," Kenny says so sweetly to me and places a kiss on my lips.

"Come meet us in that room down the hall. We'll have a few drinks and shit," Dime smiles sweetly at me gesturing down the long hallway by the backstage door when Kenny pulls away from me.

"Cool," I say and make my way down the hallway to find Steve.

A few moments later, I finally find Steve and introduce myself once again and we chat and go over what is in store for the next couple of weeks with Pantera and their tour on the east coast with some dates including the west coast. He hands me a schedule and goes over where I can stay with the band and everything they would need. Since Type O Negative is the supporting band over the next couple of weeks, he also mentioned that I could assist with them if they needed anything. So basically I'm a P.A for Pantera and Type O Negative, which wasn't planned in the beginning but is actually a pretty good bonus if you ask me.

"...alright so you'll start with us Saturday night, tonight's just like you know, meet the guys, hang out what have you, get to know them a little bit and then I'll have you meet up with us in New York City at The Hotel near The Ritz - the address is listed on the schedule there. Type O Negative is opening that night so I'll need you there as early as possible, to help get the guys ready and on time... you know the usual stuff," Steve explains as he goes over the schedule with me.

"Oh, ok so it's not just Pantera?" I ask little surprised as it wasn't mentioned in the contract that I signed.

"Nope, it also includes the supporting bands as well... you're ok with that right?" Steve says looking at me with a concerned expression.

"Yea, yea... I have no problem with that at all," I say as I start to feel a little stressed about it. I've never worked for 2 bands at the same time before.

"Again, it's still all the usual stuff, there's no curveballs thrown in there so don't worry," Steve chuckles and I offer a smile. It seemed pretty standard, a few interviews with a couple of magazines, some T.V interviews with Pantera and Type O on MTV in New York here and about 14 dates in regards to performances which also include a couple of shows in Toronto Ontario. It's going to be a long 16 weeks but this is going to be awesome.

"If you have any questions or anything, you can come and find me but you should be fine," Steve smiles at me.

"Sure, sounds good," I say as I glance over the schedule some more.

"Alright, see you Saturday," Steve says and holds out his hand for me to shake. I give him a sweet smile feeling confident I can pull this off and head back to the dressing room.

16 weeks? Fuck, I had no idea it was this long. I wish I hadn't lost everything in my luggage bag for fuck sakes. Why the fuck didn't I keep the contract with me? But of course Andrea you just had to have a tiny little lacy mini dress in your bag but nothing else important other than your wallet and ID... I hate how I fail at life sometimes.

As I walk down the long corridor, The dressing room door was wide open and I could hear the yelling and laughter bellowing out which actually made me giggle. I can hear Kenny with his husky voice telling some story making everyone yell with laughter as I approach the open door.

".... so we were fucked... I swear, I can't even watch Spinal Tap cause I live that shit all the fucking time!" Kenny laughs with Dime as he takes a drag of his cigarette and looks up to see me walking in the room. He was sitting in a chair beside Dime as they laughed away with each other.

"Hey baby," He says sweetly which then Dime follows with a huge hello even though I just saw him a few minutes ago. Then Vinny and Rex walk in behind me saying hello and grabbing a couple of beers that were in a bin full of ice.

"Andi, there's beer... help yourself," Dime says as he gestures to the large bin full of ice and takes a sip of his beer, but then Vinny just opens one and hands it to me instead.

"So are you the new assistant?" Vinny asks and takes a sip of his beer.

"Um, yea... yea I am," I say and take a sip.

"You worked with Soundgarden right?" Vinny asks.

"Um yea I did," I figure now I should just accept the fact that everyone is going to automatically associate me with Soundgarden. It's not a bad thing I just want to be able to make a name for myself, have people remember me for me, and I know that's probably just going to take some time.

"Well, welcome to the family," Vinny smiles sweetly and clinks his beer to mine and it felt pretty cool that he said that.

"You're not starting tonight are you?" Dime asks me.

"No, no... Saturday is when I officially start," I say and take a sip of my beer as I head over to sit beside Kenny.

"Oh, and um... I apparently work for you now too," I say to Kenny and take another sip of my beer as I flip my curls out of my face and Kenny gives me a sly smile.

"Really...? Hmmm... so does that mean you're gonna do anything I want?" Kenny says slyly moving closer to me, placing his arm around the back of my chair.

"No it means I have to look after your ass... and make sure you're all on time and all that shit," I smirk at him and take another sip of my beer.

"But what if I'm in need of some extra assistance...?" Kenny says low and raspy in my ear, brushing my curls off my shoulder. I close my eyes for a moment and inhale his sweet cologne that makes me want him all over again.

"Then I guess, you'll have to show me so that I can help you," I tease flicking my eyes back to his and he touches his forehead to mine.

"God, I fucking love you," He chuckles and I giggle back and press my lips to his.

[mxliv-oftheendless]

New Beginnings

Okay, so this one takes place in @cosmicrealmofkissteria‘s Assassin AU (that is the link to her Ao3 page where the story is if you haven’t read it) because jeez, she really puts Vinnie in a dark place. So naturally, I had to give Vinnie a happy ending, and that’s how BETH came into the picture! She’s Vinnie’s younger cousin, and while their backstory isn’t really relevant to the story, they were really close when Beth was younger. Enjoy! 

Beth wasn’t sure why she was still in New York.

At first, it had been because her brother insisted she come to see his new baby, and she could never refuse her brother, even if he was still living in New York. His new baby, a girl named Emily, was definitely adorable, and his wife was wonderful, but Beth was only planning on being there for a few days, three at most. It was nearly five days now, and she was very sure her boss wouldn’t understand if she called and asked for more time off.

What was she still doing here? This city had been the place she felt trapped in for the first seventeen years of her life. It wasn’t a home; it was a prison. A prison that at any second could riot and cause her or her brother’s death. So when she received the scholarship to University of Phoenix, she’d left with her scholarship money and saved tuition money and never looked back. She hated New York. So why hadn’t she left yet?

On the fifth day of her visit, Beth was walking down the street from her hotel, thinking she would take a subway to her brother’s neighborhood, when a black car rolled up to the curb. For some reason, Beth’s legs slowed, and came to a stop as the car stopped beside her.

The tinted window of the backseat rolled down, and a dark-haired man wearing sunglasses looked out at her. “Elizabeth Cusano?”

Old instincts began to kick in, and Beth gave him the best glare she could manage in her sunglasses. It was equally reassuring to remember the small Ruger handgun she kept in her purse. “Who’s Elizabeth Cusano?”

“You’re the granddaughter of the current head of the Caringi family in the Italian mob. You left seven years ago to attend the University of Arizona, and now work as a bartender at the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas. Am I wrong?”

Beth tried her best not to gawk. Just who the hell was this guy?

She glanced around, then got closer to the car, leaning down and grabbing the top of her purse so she could easily grab her gun. “Listen, man, who the hell do you think you are, and what do you want?”

“My name is Gene Simmons and I have some information for you regarding your cousin, Vincent.”

Beth froze. Immediately memories flashed in her head, of a young man with dark eyes and sad smiles and unconvincing laughs. “Are you bullshitting me?” she snapped.

Simmons waved for her to get in the car. “Why don’t you find out for yourself?”

Beth paused. On one hand, she could shoot the guy and run. But run where? She was in broad daylight, hundreds of people were surrounding her, and she would be running on foot while he was in a fast-moving car.

On the other hand…

Beth looked around to make sure no one was watching, then opened the door and slid into the car. 

--

The office Gene brought her into was big and windowless, and had three huge monitors showing security footage behind a desk. She was shown into a chair in front of the desk while Gene himself sat down behind it.

“Okay, I came with you,” Beth said, trying to sound in control. It was something Papa had drilled into her head: Always seem like you’re the one in control. “Now what do you want to tell me? And remember, if you’re bullshitting me, I can shoot you right now and throw your body into the Hudson. I know how to cut up a body.”

Gene looked almost amused. “I don’t doubt it.” He tented his fingers together. “When was the last time you saw Vinnie, Miss Cusano?”

“Er, eight years ago, I think. At my Nana’s… well, that doesn’t matter. Then he dropped off the grid; I haven’t seen or heard from him since.”

Then again, she had been too wrapped up in her own shit at the time.

“Why do you want to know?”

“Have you ever heard of Peter Criss, the Brooklyn Wildcat?”

The name wasn’t ringing any bells. Then again, she’d been away from New York for long she didn’t know how many gangsters she knew about were still alive and how many were dead. “No, I haven’t. He sounds… interesting.” Read: fucking dangerous. Another thing Papa had told her: if they have a nickname, they’re either insane or very dangerous, or even both. “Did Vinnie get mixed up with him?”

“We know that Vinnie was working for him. Well, “working” is a bit of a loose term. We don’t know for how long, but what matters is now. And right now, Vinnie needs to get out of New York, and you just so happen to be the only family member he remembers giving a damn about. We need your help getting him out of New York.”

Beth hesitated for only a second. “Of course. Where is he now?”

Gene pressed a button on his desk. There was a buzzing noise, and a side door opened. A short man with unbelievably fluffy hair walked in, followed by… Vinnie.

His hair was longer and his skin was paler, and he looked horribly thin. There were dark circles under his eyes and his face was gaunt. His head was turned to the floor and he looked… defeated. Heartbreakingly defeated.

Beth’s mouth dropped open at the sight of him. “Vinnie?” she said aloud, unsure if it was really him.

Vinnie looked up, and his eyes widened. Tears welled up in them. “H-Hi, Bethie,”

His voice was croaky and hoarse, but it was him.

Beth shot out of her seat and ran to him, feeling like a young girl again, and threw her arms around him. Vinnie hugged her back tightly, and she heard him start to softly cry. She couldn’t believe this was happening.

“If you want my advice,” Gene said behind them, “I’d leave tonight. We don’t know if Vinnie has any other enemies, and there’s a chance Criss will find out he’s still alive.”

Still holding onto Vinnie, Beth looked over at Gene. “Of course.”

She wasn’t sure what she’d gotten into, but all that mattered to her right now was that her cousin had returned, and she was returning to Las Vegas with a probably-permanent companion.

--

Back at Beth’s hotel, Beth was on the hotel room phone with the airport while Vinnie showered in the bathroom. It would be last minute, but there was a two AM flight from New York to Las Vegas they could take. And Vinnie had procured a fake ID and passport, probably from Gene, so there was a good guarantee nobody would figure out he was really a notorious assassin.

Just as Beth hung up, the bathroom door opened and Vinnie walked out. He looked much better; still tired, but better.

She looked up at him. “I just changed flights and bought a ticket for you. We’re leaving on the two AM flight.”

Vinnie nodded. “Okay,” he said quietly. He stood where he was, eyes darting about.

Beth furrowed her brow and gestured to the bed. “You can sit down if you want,”

Without a word, Vinnie sat down on the bed.

“So we’ve got the rest of the day before our flight. What do you want to do? We could go out and do something.”

“I don’t think that’d be wise,” Vinnie replied timidly.

Beth nodded in assent. “Yeah, you’re right. You hungry? I think the restaurant opened a while ago.”

Vinnie shook his head. “No thank you.” He looked down at his lap.

Now Beth frowned. This was not the Vinnie she remembered. The Vinnie she remembered was not this timid and submissive. Her blood boiled in her veins as she wondered what happened to him. Whoever this Peter Criss was, she wanted to hunt him down and cut him into bits; the image of that made her feel slightly better.

“Uh… you remember Anthony, right?” Vinnie nodded. “Well guess what: he’s married and has a kid.”

Vinnie looked up at that, looking amazed. “Really?”

Beth nodded. “Yeah. The kid’s name is Emily and she’s adorable, and his wife is nice too. We could go see them if you want.”

But it seemed that was the wrong thing to say, because at that suggestion Vinnie looked down at his lap again. “No, that’s okay. They sound nice. I’m… I’m glad Anthony is okay.”

Honestly, Beth doubted Anthony would even remember Vinnie anyway. He’d never been as close to him as Beth had been.

Beth got up from the desk and went over to the bed, sitting next to Vinnie. She went to take his hand, but when Vinnie visibly blanched she thought better of it and withdrew her hand. “Listen, I don’t know what happened to you, and I can’t being to understand it, but I promise I’ll get you out of here. When we get to Vegas, I can find you a job too, if you like. It could be at the Luxor, same as me.”

Vinnie looked at her in confusion. “Why?”

The question caught Beth off guard. “Why?”

“Why would you do that… for me? Why would you do all this for the person who left you alone?”

Beth frowned. “Because you’re the only person in our family I care about. And I don’t care that you left. Honestly, if I had been older, I would’ve asked to go with you.”

Vinnie looked like he was going to cry again. “But I—”

“I don’t care,” Beth stressed, trying not to be too loud. “What matters is, you’re here now, and we’re getting out of the city. And you know what else? We’re never coming back.”

Vinnie sniffled, and a tear rolled down his cheek. A small smile appeared on his lips. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug. “I—I missed you, Bethie,”

Beth smiled and wrapped her arms around him. “I missed you too,”

--

LAS VEGAS – ONE MONTH LATER

Beth walked into her flat, exhaustion coursing through her body. She had just gotten off the late shift at the Luxor, and she could not believe how many people ordered drinks tonight. Jesus… She loved working as a bartender at the Luxor—it paid well and mixing drinks had always been a talent of hers—but the people that came to it could sometimes be difficult.

Beth threw her purse onto the kitchen table and got a glass of water, then gulped it down as she walked into the living room area and flopped down on the couch. She opened one eye and looked over at Vinnie, who was sitting on the other end of the couch reading a book. “What’re you doing up?” she asked tiredly.

He shrugged. “Couldn’t sleep,”

Beth nodded in understanding.

Vinnie had certainly begun to change for the better after moving to Vegas. It took time, but he gradually stopped being so timid and quiet, and started to be the first one to talk instead of Beth being forced to make conversation. He started smiling more and laughing more; Beth still smiled at the memory of when they, bored out of their minds, watched a Looney Tunes rerun and Vinnie laughed so loud her upstairs neighbor came down to see what was going on. He was doing better, but still had a ways to go. He slipped sometimes, back into who he had been before, and sometimes, like tonight, couldn’t sleep due to night terrors. Beth wasn’t sure what she could do about it, but she did make sure to stress every time that Vinnie could always talk to her whenever he needed to.

“Well, I’m so tired I’m not tired, so what do you want to do?”

Vinnie shrugged again. “Not sure.” He looked in the direction of Beth’s radio. “We could listen to music.”

Beth shrugged herself. “Sure. We just have to make sure it’s quiet.”

Vinnie closed his book and went over to the radio as Beth kicked off her shoes.

“—listening to 92.3 KOMP, Las Vegas’s official rock n’ roll station. Coming up next, we’ve got Elton John!”

Beth immediately perked up as the opening piano music to “Bennie and the Jets” came through the speakers. She loved this song. “Oh, sweet. You ever heard this song?”

Vinnie shot her a look as he sat back down. “Of course I have. Who hasn’t heard “Bennie and the Jets”?”

They both sat in silence. Beth’s foot tapped and her head nodded along to the beat as she looked over at Vinnie, who was sitting and listening silently. His head bobbed slightly along.

She wondered if Vinnie knew just how much she worried about him. She was happy with how far he had come, but sometimes, whenever he slipped, she wondered and worried if this would be the time he slipped back completely and never went back again. That, realistically, was impossible, but she still wondered; it had only been a month, after all.

“Say Candy and Ronnie, have you seen ‘em yet? Oh, but they’re so spaced out—”

“B-B-B-B-B-Bennie and the Jets,” Beth sang aloud. Vinnie looked over at her, smiling slightly. Beth smiled back, and sang more confidently. “Oh, but they’re weird and wonderful. Oh, Bennie, she’s really keen.”

She sat up and pretended she was singing into a microphone, moving dramatically. “She’s got electric boots, a mohair suit. You know I read it in a magaziIIIIIIne, ohhhh. B-B-B-Bennie and the Jets!”

Vinnie laughed. Beth smiled wider and got up. She grabbed Vinnie’s hands and pulled him off the couch. “C’mon, Vinnie, dance with me!”

And soon they were up off the couch and dancing around the living room, singing along and not giving a damn who heard (well, they would apologize if anyone knocked, but still).

“Oh, Candy and Ronnie, have you seen ‘em yet?” Vinnie sang. His voice was melodious. “Oh, but they’re so spaced out. B-B-B-B-B-Bennie and the Jets! Oh, but they’re weird and wonderful. Oh, Bennie, she’s really keen.”

“She’s got electric boots,” they sang together, “a mohair suit. You know I read it in a magaziIIIIIne, ohhhh. B-B-B-Bennie and the Jets!”

Laughing, Vinnie grabbed her hands and twirled them both in circles. They continued dancing until the song ended, and when it did, they flopped back onto the couch, breathless from dancing but laughing in pure joy. Beth leaned her head on Vinnie’s shoulder, smiling.

He’d be okay. She was sure of that now. He’d be okay. 

[shhh-no-ones-home]

green looks good on you  vinny mauro x reader

+++++++++

Request from @gardenjungle : "If you are taking requests, I would LOVE if you could do an imagine where the reader has a ton in common with Chris (likes hockey and Harry Potter, is a vegan, etc...) so they’re super close, and Vinny is super upset about it because he likes her sooo much and “Chris gets all the girls” ??? Vinny gets no love and you’re one of the only people who writes about him often. I’d also love if you could get a little sexy action in there"

Ngl this is like 1600+ words and i wrote it in like twenty minutes and loved every minute of it. i really hope you like it! i didnt end up adding anything ‘sexy’ but its pretty gratifying to say the least lol.

Song: gold by sleeping with sirens

tag list: @musicsexandpizza69 @svintsandghosts @alilpunkrock @cynic-spirit @theoneandonlykymberlee @ryansitkowskiswifey @joeybarber @thisplace-ishaunted

+++++++++

i rocked back into the couch, laughing at what chris had said. he was sat next to me, very comfortably, as we chatted amongst ourselves. we had been very close friends for a very long time and i was over the moon that he'd invited me to travel with them for this tour as the videographer. not only did i get to expand my portfolio but i also got to connect with my best friend and his band.

"okay but do you remember that one fall at the orchard when you tripped on that apple and ended up face first in the dirt?"

he laughed out and i sent him a shocked expression.

"i thought we agreed to never bring that up!"

i protested, the other guys around us sort of laughing along, them only half paying attention as they played a new video game. their focus was above our heads.

"but it was hilarious. i looked up for a split second and BAM! there you went."

he said loudly, being a little more expressive at the 'bam.' i shook my head at him.

"okay then, if we are ratting each other out about stupid shit weve done,what about that one time you got your hand stuck in the Christmas tree ties on your dads car?"

i said matter-of-factly. his eyes got wide.

"hey! that was an accident and you know it. we couldve taken my whole arm off!"

he said in his defense.

"i thought it was hilarious."

i said sternly back, smiling widely at him. he stuck his tongue out at me, a notion i gladly mirrored. then he grabbed me around the shoulders, pulling me to him. i screamed at the sudden motion, looking to vinny and rick who were sitting across from us for some guidance but they were to into the game.

"you two are too much."

ricky laughed out, looking at ryan for a second as he walked by. chris pulled me closer before licking a stripe up my face.

"ew!"

i said pulling away from him and wiping his saliva off of my face.

"asshole!"

i said, grabbing his face and blowing raspberries into his cheek. he laughed incredulously, pushing me away from him.

"youre nasty."

he said mimicking my notion and wiping his face. i punched his arm lightly before swinging my legs into his lap, him holding them there and looking down at me endearingly.

"so are you."

i said back, shaking my head at him, nose scrunched.

"you know you love me."

he said, bringing his face closer to mine.

"well yeah."

i said back, squinting at him.

"i think im done for tonight."

vinny said suddenly, pausing the game. ricky sent him a look like 'wtf?' and watched him stand.

"im gonna go get some air."

he said and we all watched him walk off the bus.

"that was weird right?"

i asked and they all nodded. i had a good few chances to talk to vinny since tour had started and he seemed like a really cool guy. someone id be lucky to call a close friend by the time tour was over if not something more. part of me felt bad, like chris and i really where too much for him to handle in that moment. but this was how we always were. we practically survived our teens years together, losing touch for a bit but inevitably going back to the way things where when we found each other back.

"you guys mind if i go out there too?"

i asked and they all sort of shrugged at me, chris letting my legs go so i could stand. as i did i leaned down and kissed the top of his head.

"dont miss me while im gone."

i joked and he rolled his eyes at me.

"of course not."

i laughed a little bit as i descended down the stairs, pushing the door open and seeing vinny leaning against the bus.

"you okay?"

i asked softly, walking to him and rubbing my hands together. i had sort of forgotten how cold it had got. it was late fall after all but the bus was so warm and inviting i didnt even think about grabbing a jacket before leaving. i half shivered as i walked closer, his face being illuminated by the street lights outside the venue.

"uh yeah, everything's great."

he said a little condescendingly, kicking his foot into the gravel under him.

"im sorry if we were too much, i guess when we get together we have a tendency to overshare and its not for everyone. but i suppose thats what you get when youre comfortable with someone the way we are."

i tried to defend to him and he let out a short sigh-laugh.

"its no big deal, you guys really like each other. its cool."

i smiled.

"yeah, hes my best friend."

vinny nodded once.

"how long have you guys been together? i dont recall him ever talking about you before."

i drew my brows.

"together?"

i asked and he seemed just as confused as i was.

"look i get it, chris gets all the girls, being the front man and all."

he seemed a little jealous.

"but i dont think he ever mentioned you before tour started and then one day he told us about some girl coming on to film us. but clearly you guys are close so do you have like a, i dont know, like a open relationship type thing?"

i laughed a little bit.

"you think chris and i are dating?"

he half shrugged.

"well yeah, its kinda obvious."

i shook my head and took his hand in mine.

"vinny i can assure you that chris and i are just friends. if anything hes like the brother i never asked for nor wanted but got anyways. but life just does that sometimes."

he looked down at our connected hands and let go of me promptly.

"i guess it just doesnt seem like that."

he said a little hurt. i sighed and leaned against the bus next to him.

"it would be kind of weird to bring it up to him but i like someone else in this band, if you wanted to know."

i said, looking at him a little hopeful he was picking up what i was putting down.

"oh."

he said sadly. i sighed, i guess not.

"yeah, hes super cool, and nice, and ive really enjoyed connecting with him."

i shivered as the wind blew and he finally looked over at me.

"are you cold?"

he asked, ignoring what i had just said. i nodded a little bit, crossing my arms over my chest.

"just a little bit but i ll be fine."

he shook his head at me.

"no way, here."

he said taking his jacket off. at least he had long sleeves on. he placed his jacket over my shoulders, pulling it together in the front.

"thanks vin."

i said as we both returned to our positions against the bus.

"would your new dream guy do that?"

he half joked, i could still hear the venom in his voice. he was absolutely jealous. i thought it was funny because now he was jealous of himself.

"actually yeah."

he scoffed, hiking his foot up on the side of the bus.

"great."

he said looking away from me. i stepped closer and nudged him.

"he would because he just did."

he looked at me and drew his brows together.

"wait you mean?"

he asked, his face turning to that of shock. i nodded.

"god, yes. vin ive had a crush on you since i got here."

i laughed out.

"i didnt think you would like me back and then i realized just now that that was utter bullshit."

he half smiled.

"and whys that?"

he asked a little cocky.

"you were jealous of chris and that has only happened to me a handful of times in my life. once in highschool when my boyfriend said he would break up with me if i didnt stop hanging out with him. once when i graduated college and my then boyfriend accused me of sleeping with him. and right now."

he looked down a little ashamed.

"yeah i guess that wasnt fair of me to do. i just figured since you guys hit it off so fast that you were into him."

i laughed a little bit.

"dont get me wrong i love him with my whole being, but seeing someone go through puberty just does something to your vision of them ya know?"

i asked and he laughed back, nodding.

"okay, well if you really are into me, would it be stepping to far to ask you out?"

he said hopefully and i grinned widely at him.

"i would love that vin."

he sent me a tired smile in the dim street lights.

"may i also be so bold as to ask if i could kiss you?"

i let out a nervous laugh. i was really gonna let that happen huh? i nodded.

"id like that a lot vin."

he stepped closer to me slowly, placing his hand gently against my cheek, running his thumb over it. his hands were rough and calloused from playing the drums so long but i didnt mind. it kind of felt nice. he looked deep into my eyes before leaning down and capturing my lips in his. all of a sudden it felt like home, like this was it, the thing id wanted for so long and never found. his other hand made its way to my waist as he deepend the kiss. i sighed into him, practically melting against his mouth like chocolate left outside in the sun on a hot day. when he pulled away he rested his forehead against mine and smiled like an idiot, one i gladly returned.

"fucking finally."

i heard from behind me, the bus door clicking closed. both of us turned to look, seeing ricky and chris standing there grinning from ear to ear. i had a mad blush splayed across my face now and was thankful that the light was behind me so it would be harder to see.

"how long have you been standing there?"

i demanded, walking to chris and punching his arm. he laughed in pain as he rubbed his arm.

"long enough to see the sparks fly."

he teased, pushing me back. i rolled my eyes at him.

"get your ass back in the bus."

i said opening the door and escorting him back inside. he made kissy noises at me as rick followed him up the stairs. i shook my head and turned around, jumping a little bit at vinnys presence behind me.

"rick had kind of been waiting for that for a while."

he said, looking up at the now closed door. i raised a a brow.

"oh?"

i asked and he sent me a bashful smile, scratching the back of his neck lightly.

"ive been crushing over you for a while too. and being jealous of chris just as long, rick's been pushing me to say something. i guess it just took one last little push."

he shamefully laughed out.

"at least now we're on the same page."

i said before standing on my tip toes and bringing him down to kiss me again, both of his hands going to my waist.

"now come on, im still cold and the bus is much warmer."

i joked and he nodded along.

"agreed."

[shhh-no-ones-home]

by your side vinny mauro x reader

+++++++++ Request from @young-hearts-world : "Hii, I was thinking about a little something about reader being an over thinker and maybe quarantine time wasn't the best to help with it and maybe Vinny, being the softy we all know he is, being there for them"

thank you so much for trusting me with your request it means a lot. and thank you @buryallyourbones for suggesting this to me. it was kind of relieving in a way so thank you both. i hope you like it.

Song: crazy by gnarls barkley covered by daniela andrade

tag list: @musicsexandpizza69 @svintsandghosts @alilpunkrock @cynic-spirit @theoneandonlykymberlee @joeybarber @ryansitkowskiswifey @thisplace-ishaunted +++++++++

i typed relentlessly on my computer trying to get a little ounce of homework done for the night. i had been overthinking again about classes as well as the job i had just lost. not only that but my mind was racing with the relentlessness that would be my bills coming in the mail. it was making everything harder and i wished i could be one of those facebook people that made art for fun or just did stuff cause they had time now. oh how were they not filled with the existential dread of being home for so long? i was practically going mad. i think vinny was even beginning to think id lost it.

i sighed heavily, closing my eyes and dropping my head against the back of the couch. i sat in silence for a second, vin scrolling down his phone next to me with his headphones in. i breathed deeply before looking back down at my computer in my lap. i had about twelve tabs open, each one holding something different. about half of them were utilities i knew would be paid late, the other half being the homework i so desperately needed to finish and turn in. i clicked through each of them before closing them one by one. vinny shifted next to me, drawing my attention. he looked at me like id caught him doing something bad and pulled a earbud out.

"everything okay?"

he asked lightheartedly. i shrugged before slapping my laptop shut and pushing onto the couch between us. he raised a brow.

"would a kiss make it better?"

he asked in a baby voice, leaning over and fake pouting at me. normally i would laugh and play back but i really wasnt in the mood.

"no."

i said nonchalantly and he frowned.

"why not?"

he asked a little hurt, leaning closer.

"just dont, im not in the mood right now."

i said sternly, making him draw his brows together.

"come on babe."

he said, resting his head back on the couch next to mine. i sent him an annoyed look.

"i said no vin."

i looked ahead of us at the blank tv, the black screen staring back at me. i felt the couch shift and when i looked over at him we were nose to nose. i blinked at him slowly. he knew he was getting on my last nerve.

"will you just get out of my face?"

I said angrily at Vinny, standing off the couch quickly, leaving him there by himself. i rolled my eyes at him before stepping over his legs and stomping into the kitchen. i sighed as I leaned into the counter. I looked up and rolled my eyes again as he came in through the doorway after me.

"Whats the deal?"

He asked, brow raised. I rubbed my face with my hands, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"I'm sorry I guess I'm just agitated. We can't leave, we don't know what's going on and my anxiety is through the roof. not to mention without work i have no money for bills and my college professors have ridiculous standards."

I dropped my hand and sent him a sorrowful look.

"I'm just tired. Of all of it."

He held his hand out as he walked to me, taking both my hands in his.

"Look, I know you get in your own head sometimes but maybe this is the best time for us to just chill."

my eyes got wide, clearly he wasnt a mind reader.

"how am i supposed to chill when i have so much to do?!"

he shook his head at me.

"surely you have some free time, maybe weekends? i know your class schedule cant be that busy even with the homework."

i wiggled my hand out of his placed it gently against my face again and just held it there, thinking.

"i dont know, its so hard to focus on anything right now. like i know ill get through this, i always do but its so hard."

he took my hand away from my face and intertwined our fingers.

"just think, you take at least friday night and saturday off and You can finally get to all those other things that youve been meaning to get to. like that painting you started before all this happened. its so pretty, id love to finally see it finished."

he gushed. I looked down and half frowned.

"How can I relax when I know there's all this bullshit going on outside? The thought alone has been making it hard to sleep at night."

He let go of my hands and wrapped his arms loosely around my waist.

"I know baby, I do sleep next to you after all. It makes me feel bad when I fall asleep and you're still awake, staring at the ceiling until all hours of the night."

i looked up at him amused as he cracked a small smile.

"we can get through this together. ill help you keep your schedule, help with your homework if you need, and sit with you while you do things that you love. and if need be i will make dinner every night of the week just so you have an excuse to stop what you are doing and focus on your health for even an hour."

i smiled back at him before leaning in a kissing him softly.

"thank you vin, i dont know what i would do without you."

he side nodded.

"probably freaking out."

we both laughed.

"oh im still doing that, you just make it a little more tame."

i said pushing some of his hair behind his ear.

"sometimes its better to just trust the system."

i nodded.

"i think youre right."

he squeezed me tighter, bringing me in for a hug and swaying back and forth.

"i love you baby."

he said softly into my ear as we danced to a music-less house.

"i love you too vin, and thanks."