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corrodedcoughin · 2 years ago

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little story about little Eddie and his 2 new friends | word count approx 2.5k | general audience rating | steve and eddie are kids and Wayne is a pushover

Wayne sometimes thinks it was a mistake, not taking in the boy. God no, he would never think of Eddie as anything other than an important and intrinsic part of his life, couldn't be without him, wouldn't want to be.

No, what Wayne worries about is how his readiness to help Eddie feel loved might contribute to the boy's difficulty in making friends.

It was an innocent enough request, Eddie asked for a pet as all young children do. He was so small and so wide eyed, just a scrap of an 8 year old with more feelings than he knew what to do with. Wayne knew he'd never hold up against any request Eddie made but he liked to pretend to himself that he could. And while technically he never pandered to the boy, yes Eddie usually got what he wanted but in a way that suited their means. Or so Wayne tells himself.

8 year old Eddie asked for a pet and a pet is what he got.

Eddie barrelled into the trailer door, backpack swinging off his arm and ready to be thrown into the corner. Planning to shoot off back out the door to do his usual; lift up rocks and inspect whatever bugs he could find, to grab sticks and imagine them as wizard staffs, to let his imagination finally run wild after hours of sitting still at a desk under too bright lights and too busy class rooms. In truth he wasn't really paying attention to the insides of the trailer, expecting it to be the same as always. It took a very pointed cough for Eddie to register that Wayne was unusually home from work, far earlier than normal, and a further loud clearing of the throat for Eddie to pay attention to what Wayne had placed on the kitchen table.

Right in the middle of the table, sitting in a beam of sunlight, was a cage and in that cage was what would soon become, Eddie's very reason for being. He crept up close, almost as if scared that any sudden movements would prove the whole thing to be a cruel illusion. He was brought out of his reverie by a pink nose wiggling at the bars, whiskers attached and twitching as the rest of the rat appeared.

'is he-? is he for real?' Eddie said with a gasp, hands inching towards the door of the cage.

Wayne had to suppress a laugh, trust this boy to be bowled over in wonder at a rat as if it were a puppy. He opened the contraption of the enclosure door and dipped his hand inside, allowing the rat to climb onto his palm. The guy from work assured him that this one was the most tame he had, inquisitive to a fault and oddly enough, desperate to be handled. Quite honestly, the perfect match for his well meaning but excitable nephew-near-enough-son.

'Yeah, yeah kid it's for real. And he's a she.' Wayne lets the rat sniff at Eddie's hands, little pink hands finding a platform on Eddie's palms, clearly holding himself a still as possible but if Wayne knew this boy, and he did, he knows that Eddie is so close to vibrating out of his skin, that containing that much excitement must be killing him.

'I don't care. Wayne, I don't! Can she sleep in my room? Does she know tricks? Can I teach her? What does she like? Can I take her to school? Please! Wayne!' He's started now, words pouring out of his mouth, tripping over himself to try and release every thought entering his brain at lightning speed.

'Woah, there' Wayne says pulling the rat up, cradling it in two hands, 'We got to be kind to her alright? She's only small. Doesn't know what loud noises are good and which are bad, okay?' He watches as Eddie nods vigorously, eyes never leaving the creature. 'Now you promised me you'd look after a pet so that's what's going to happen. She is your responsibility. That means cleaning, feeding and loving, got it?' Eddie nods again, tentatively reaching his hands up, the image of Oliver Twist springs to Wayne's mind.

Wayne comes around the kitchen table, crouches down to Eddie on creaky knees and hands the rat over, filling Eddie's small hands with a heartbeat and fur. Eddie giggles, watching as the rat surveils the new patch of skin its found itself on.

'Tickles, Wayne' and its said with such love and devotion Wayne almost feels his heart break

'Yeah son. She does, doesn't she?'

Of course it takes less than a week and Eddie and Sam are inseparable. As soon as Eddie gets home he's itching for his furry friend, delighting in the way she scampers around the room, over his arms and anywhere she can get. No matter what though, she always comes back to him. She can be digging in to a particularly interesting crevice behind the couch but she'll always come running back when she hears Eddie make a noise.

The thing is, Eddie is a pretty lonely kid. Not for lack of trying, don't get it wrong. Eddie tries to socialise he tries to talk to the other kids in his class, get them involved in his imaginary games and play pretend but being the new kid doesn't really do him any favours. Being the new kid that lives in the trailer park and a penchant for biting to show affection does him even less.

To Eddie, its him and Sam against the world. He can come home and know that his best friend will listen to all his problems, will stay close and won't run away even when he's extra loud or being 'a lot' as his teacher like to tell him. He's so tired of being told to use his 'quiet hands', his 'inside voice' and every other subdued phrase they try to press on him.

This particular day was a hard one, Sally Winters had said that Eddie was 'bad luck' and the word quickly spread around by recess. Eddie had thought he was making some progress with a couple of kids from the class, was thinking today might be the day that he finally got asked to play but that hope quickly got squashed. He had hopped up to the potential friends with a stick in his hand and a notion of being a pirate when they both looked at him like he was a monster, they couldn't get away fast enough. And Eddie couldn't find a place to hide quick enough before the fat and heavy tears fell from his eyes.

It was a long day and home time was his only saving grace.

Wayne knows somethings up, can tell in the way that Eddie isn't even really talking to Sam, hardly looking at the Tv despite the fact that Wayne very purposefully had put the cartoon Lord of the Rings movie on. The sure fire fall back he liked to keep in his back pocket. The trump card to get his kid happy. This time though? No luck. Looking at the kid makes a chasm open up in his gut, deep and full of overwhelming sadness that he just wants to stop, wants to find the solution to make this boy smile like the sun again. They don't talk much for the rest of the night but Wayne makes sure to stay close, stay awake in case he's needed. Eddie spends the time between dinner and bed sitting on the floor, side pressed up against Wayne's leg and playing fetch with bits of Wayne's whittling with Sam, not a word said.

Eddie wakes up the next morning with a plan and a devil may care attitude. Oh so carefully he maintains his usual routine; says good morning to Sam, carts her around the trailer as he washes his face and wanders into the kitchen, placing her in her secondary cage so she can eat breakfast with Eddie and Wayne - Eddie was adamant that they couldn't have meals without her, 'she's part of the family!' and soft hearted fool Wayne Munson agreed and an additional cage was sourced.

When breakfast is finished Eddie begins his usual rigmarole of dragging his feet to get out of his pjs and into his clothes, reluctant to grab his bag and go out the door. Same old protests as Wayne watches him walk out towards the school bus.

What is a new addition to the routine though, is Sam Munson hiding up the sleeve of a school boy and about to go on a secret and very dangerous mission. A mission to survive the school day.

Surprisingly, Eddie manages to keep Sam secret, keep her safe, the whole morning. He came prepared with snacks to make sure she was entertained and happy, he couldn't stand the thought of her being sad, her eyes get so big and her tail droops as well as her ears, it makes the whole of Eddie ache. But no, she's happy, or happy enough at least.

So the morning goes without a hitch, Eddie making noises to cover up any squeaks and keeping a hand in his pocket to reassure Sam, stowed in the pocket of his hoodie. He knows he's seen as 'weird' so what's a few extra noises? They are let out for recess and Eddie breathes a sigh of relief, thinking this is his time to let Sam out, knowing she's desperate for some fresh air. Sure, she's peed in his hoodie pocket, but he can't really tell with it's dark colour and the layer of t-shirt between the wet material and his tummy.

He runs off to his usual corner, stuck between a bush and a tree and gently tips Sam out of his pocket, she scampers around his feet and gratefully accepts a broken off bit of cracker between her hands.

'Thanks for coming with me Sam. Everyone is so mean, its so stupid. I don't care. You are a better friend than any of those losers' He crouches down, hoping to find a twig to play fetch with. A game that he delights in, is immeasurably proud of her for learning it so quickly. 'Gonna find you the best stick Sam. Promise. Best stick for the best friend'

He continues muttering to himself and doesn't notice that he's getting progressively louder after finding a twig and beginning the game. Doesn't register that he's drawn unwanted attention with his happy shouts and encouragement until a body is crashing through the shrub he's hidden himself behind.

Sam doesn't notice either until the unexpected form is right in front of her and she bolts, running as fast as her legs will carry her and Eddie is right behind her, muttering under his breath as he trips over his own feet in an attempt to catch her 'oh shit oh no oh no oh no' He's pushing himself as hard as he can but it doesn't count for much, he never was the fastest. He keeps trying though but then a faster body is accelrating past him, in a evident bee line for Sam.

Without thinking, Eddie lets out a painful 'NO!' terrified of what might happen.

He knows people think rats are dirty, thinks they don't deserve love and don't deserve life. He doesn't want to imagine what this person's intent might be. Sam reaches a dead end up against the wall of the school and the body, the boy, stops infront of her. Scoops her up? Cradles her into his chest? Eddie...Eddie doesn't know what to think, he's prepared to fight this kid but then the boy is looking up at him with curious hazel eyes. Stroking Sam's head gently and with intent.

He holds Sam out, careful with his motions, trying to blow his brown floppy hair out of his face without disturbing the animal in his hands 'is she okay? is she yours? did I hurt her? she looks okay, is she?' Eddie gingerly steps forward and plucks Sam out of the boys hands, gives hera thorough inspection as the other boy continues

'I didn't mean to scare her I swear! I didn't even know you had her! I won't tell, I swear I wont! You know...you shouldn't really have a rat in school. If I promise not to tell can I play with you? I'm Steve'

Holding her close, Eddie squints at the boy, at Steve, and thinks. Thinks about how he looks nice, about how soft his hair looks and how he asked Eddie, Eddie!, to play, that he didn't give him a wide bearth and that he held Sam with such care. It isn't even a hard decision.

They spend the rest of recess together. Eddie shows Steve just how smart Sam. That she can play fetch, that she can run across one arm to the next, over your shoulders without losing balance. That she can twitch her whiskers and it seems like she's laughing at the joke Eddie tells her. That she laughs at the joke Steve tells her! Steve learns that she's named after somebody called Samwise and it doesn't matter that he's a boy because Sam is brave just like Samwise and smart and cares just as much. That Sam is Sam and Eddie is Frodo and together they can take on the world.

Steve asks if he can have a name too and Eddie calls him Legolas, doesn't tell him why. Doesn't say that Steve reminds him of the pretty elves described in the books Wayne reads out loud to Eddie. It doesn't matter, not really.

Recess ends and they shuffle back to the school doors, both of them lagging behind the others.

Eddie steels himself, knows he has to bring his misfortune up so that he can own in, so that his new friend doesn't find out from someone else. 'I'm bad luck you know. Sally...she said it. now everyone wont talk to me. I wont be mad if you don't either. I've got Sam. We'll be oaky! So you can just go, I don't care!' He knows he's getting wound up, he can't stop himself. He just wants the bandaid ripped off so he can start feeling sad quicker, get it over with sooner.

Before he can register is, Steve is wrapped around Eddie in a flash of a hug, careful to keep his tummy away from squashing Sam.

'Not bad luck to me. See you tomorrow Frodo' Steve whispers next to Eddie's ear and shuffles through the school door.

Eddie is in a daze of joy and happiness, thoughts rumbling through his head but none of them sticking as he journey back into his class room. Pure happiness radiating out of his body, he takes Sam out of his pocket and holds her up to his face 'Sam you made my bad luck go away!' kissing her on the forehead as he hears his teacher scream

'EDWARD MUNSON IS THAT A RAT?!'

So Wayne thought the already unpopular kid having a rat would make things worse. Turns out, he was wrong. Very, very wrong. He might have to start pocket inspections before school though.

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also on ao3 if that's the preferred reading format for you

#steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #wayne munson #stranger things #hello is this thing on? hi ummm so i didn't think i'd write again for a very long time if ever #but choco mentioned rat boy eddie and idk this sprang forth #and i KNOW okay i KNOW its rusty and not good but i finally just wrote!! i wrote because i wanted to!! and i had FUN!!! IT DIDN'T FEEL #FORCED OR PAINFUL!!!!!#anyway i am half thinking of a part 2 but who knows maybe possible maybe not #either way it is a relief to know that i can actually have fun writing and not feel like i owe something to someone!!!!#its like when i startd back in the summer of last year!!!!!#idk man its silly and these tags are silly but i had fun and creating is fun and i missed having fun WITH it #probably wont write again for a while but thats OKAY!!!!#thank you anyone who reads this and any one who has ever been nice about my silly words #choco shout out to the jestie #okay okay sorry GBYE

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malina-33 · 1 year ago

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Femme Like You - Chapter 2

Chapter 1

Summary: You are the new tour manager for Arctic Monkeys during The Car era. You are practically the only girl in the team, also younger than the rest (27 y.o.), so your skills are immediately called into question. In particular, by the frontman who is not used to being led by a woman.

Word count: 10,2k

Warnings: swearing, emotional swing (is it even a warning?), kind of voyeurism (slight), age gap

A/N: Dear friends, hi!! I know, I know that I've promised you to update the fic every 3 weeks, and the disappeared for 1.5 months, but I spontaneously found a job, so there was very little time. But the chapter is much longer and with some interesting collaborations ;) I'll hope you enjoy them!

And write down what do you think if I make a description of not only the whole work, but also the chapter before each new part? Or is it better to keep the intrigue till the end?

In any case, I look forward to your feedback, it's soooo much important for me. I won't promise to return before the end of September, but I'll do my best not to delay. I already have an interesting plot for the next chapters, you should like it💔

*guys, English isn't my first language so if I have (and I know I have lol) any grammar/logic mistakes don't hesitate to tell me :)

The first week after meeting with the group flew by unnoticed. You dealt with the documentation, understanding how necessary it is, no matter how much you hated it, phoned the representatives of Ashton Gate stadium, made sure that everything was okay and confirmed the presence of the group and even tried to check the weather since the gig would be held outside. However, it turned out to be a little more difficult with the transport company. Apparently, James forgot to warn them about the temporary removal of his duties, so you had to spend time clarifying the situation and explaining who you are. It seemed that your hands-on approach was excessive, because you were trying to control everything in one time, but only due to the feeling of extra responsibility.

Steven, as promised, sent the contacts of the guys and important people from the technical crew, so now your phone had the names of Jamie Cook, Nick O'Malley, Matthew Helders and Alex "dickhead" Turner among others. 19 years old you would definitely envy yourself. So when you got a message while cooking pasta for dinner on Saturday night, you already knew it was from the drummer and not from an anonymous online scammer.

Matthew Helders: "good evening, Miss Y/S! I hope you aren't busy. We'll wait you on the soundcheck on Monday at 2 pm in Domino, need your advice :)"

You almost overcooked Carbonara bacon rereading the message. "Do they really need my advice?" you whispered, furrowing your brows "About what?". But the only answer was:

You: "Sure! Do I need to take some 12% cider?"

Matthew Helders: "you better not show up without a package lol"

Immediately followed by:

Matthew Helders: "just kidding! We are waiting only for you, but in the company of cider it will be even better)"

You chuckled, surprised at how quickly Matt went from formal Miss at the beginning of the conversation to smiles and lols at the end. To tell the truth, you still didn't fully understand how to behave with them. On the one hand, you are their manager and have a certain influence, as well as subordination. Steven and James don't have it, although they are "higher" in position, but they've been friends for half of a life, and you are a completely new person. On the other hand, in this area there is no place for strict formalities, especially since the guys don't look like those who would comply with them. After all they were big kids no matter how mature and pretentious they could look on stage, and you clearly felt it. Maybe your company will help them to relax even more, so there won't be any awkwardness and you will naturally find an edge where all of you will feel comfortable and which no one will cross.

With those thoughts, Carbonara and Rosé you spent your Saturday night watching your favorite series "La Piovra". You got used to such calm and quiet evenings. The era of parties until the morning has passed in the university years, and it’s not that you don’t go to clubs now, it’s just that the older you become the better you began to appreciate moments of silence. Not to be bored alone with yourself is the most valuable skill that you have acquired in your life. Having lived first with your parents for a long time, then getting married early at the age of 20 and having lived with your husband for 3 years, you were essentially not left alone with yourself. Having discovered over time that you feel absolutely nothing for the person whom you said "yes" to in the registry office, you were horrified and frightened to say at least. You thought that you get married once for a lifetime, but it turned out that happy endings exist only in fairy tales. That period of despondency, depression and eventual deepening into work gave its results. Major labels began to notice you, inviting you to musical projects with famous bands such as Maneskin. You worked with them for 1.5 years, leaving after their heyday at the Eurovision, realizing that you can’t give them more. That was your second decision to leave, but unlike the divorce, it didn't bring you much suffering. You understood that you and the group gave each other a lot, and although the parting was bitter, everyone understood that it was necessary. You still remained friends with the guys and periodically wrote off to meet. You planned to go to their concert, but couldn't find the time. And after your assignment to the Monkeys it became even more harder to shedule.

After the divorce you didn't have a serious relationship, instead you had a dream job, money, a car, a country house and even a corgi Grapes. You weren't afraid of the future, loved the time in seclusion and found inner peace by meditating on the production of cider, which was your unusual but very tasty hobby. Were you fully happy, though? Wouldn't you like to cross the threshold of the house and be met not by a dog's barking, but by a warm kiss on the forehead and a quiet "how was your day"? You probably wanted to, but it was hard to admit, especially considering that the fear of intimacy sat somewhere deep inside, not letting you forget the disappointment that you experienced when you removed the engagement ring from your finger. Although you remained friends who didn't hold evil against each other, the bitterness of your marriage was almost impossible to remove from the memories.

But for now, your head has been occupied by the sudden question of where to put Grapes for the duration of the tour...

Monday morning was sunny and peaceful, you woke up in a surprisingly good mood, put on your make-up, put on your favorite lime flared jeans, loaded a case of apple drink from the basemеnt into the car, patted Grapes and drove off to the studio. The road took about an hour, so during this time you managed to phone your father. You haven't talked much lately due to your workload, and now was almost the only time of the day when you were relatively free. You put the speaker phone mode, listening to the slightly hoarse voice of the man, without being distracted from the road.

"Hello my dear! How are you?"

"Hi daddy, I'm fine, going to work right now"

"My busy bee, James has already told me about your progress" you could hear him chuckle, coughing a little. You could only guess what Ford said to your father, because you spoke to him only once in these 2 weeks, when you recalled him after meeting with the group. And not that your story was very colorful. Therefore, the guys or Steven contacted him, and from this point of view, you couldn't imagine what they possibly come up with towards you.

"He assured me the boys liked you"

"Oh, really?" you said on the exhale, squeezing your hands on the steering wheel tightly.

"Yes, James is pleased with you. Well done, babe!" you melted under his words. It felt like you were a little girl again who drew a family picture that was hung on the refrigerator, even though mom and dad looked like monsters.

"Thank you daddy, I'm very happy to be with them actually"

"Of course, in such a company of men. Should I be jealous? 'Cause I looked through their photos on the Internet" dad said proudly, to which you burst out laughing, stopping at a traffic light.

"Dad, c'mon, no! They're too old for me" you laughed.

"10 years are not a big deal. Anyway, your choice. Just don't forget to eat please, I know how tough you work now. Otherwise you'll get drunk on your cider. God, how did you even manage to get into this alcohol sphere..." the man groaned in prostration. You rolled your eyes, but still smiled without answering. You got used to your father's fast flow of different thoughts.

"And don't roll your eyes, little naughty one! I care about you. So if they hurt you, you know who to call, right?"

"Oi, who will offend whom first" you retorted defiantly.

"Okay okay, I won't interrupt anymore. Kiss Grapes for me. I love you"

"And I love you very much, hello mom"

"I'll pass it on, bye!"

You turned off the call, fully focusing on the road. After talking with your parents, you always felt warm in your soul, so up to the studio you didn't leave a smile when you sang songs from the radio under your breath.

You arrived exactly at 2 o'clock, as agreed with Matt, but when you saw a few more cars in the parking lot in addition to the familiar Cadillac, you realized that the guys had been here for a long time. You must have looked a little ridiculous in a business suit and heels and a wooden box under your arm, but you didn't have other choice. Holding the car key in your mouth and trying to press the button at the same time, you clumsily closed the trunk with your leg. A purse was still dangling somewhere on your shoulder, and sunglasses had slipped from head to the bridge of your nose. "Must be an amazing picture to observe" you thought tiredly "Oh, if only Matt were here".

But before you had time to think about it, you heard a soft laugh behind you. You turned around sharply, noticing the frontman smoking alone near the entrance. You spat the key into the box, finally pressing the right button, and shouted

"And how long do you look?"

"I came exactly at the most interesting moment" man smiled, taking a puff.

You heavily crossed the entire parking lot, approaching him. Turner, having finished smoking a cigarette and throwing it into a nearby trash can, silently took the box from your hands.

"Hi, Y/N" he greeted you wheezing nicotine in the lungs.

"Hi," you frowened a little, but slowly added "Alex".

Calling him by his first name was... Unusual. A week ago the appeal to him was exclusively Mr. Turner, but today he was the first to break this line. "Well, apparently, we will both have problems with the boundaries of what is acceptable" bitterly flashed through your thoughts.

You both entered the building - Alex with a box in front, you behind holding the door. The way was silent. You wanted to say something to break this crystal quietness of his, but by the time you mustered up the courage, you stopped at the door 13A. The vocalist pushed it with his left shoulder, squeezing the alcohol forward, and you trotted along.

As soon as you and Alex entered the sound studio, you were immediately greeted with whistling and loud hooting.

"Look who's here, Miss Y/N"

"Hi, guys! I'm here with gifts as promised" you smiled broadly.

Alex at this time put the box on the table and immediately took one bottle for himself.

You noticed that there were Tyler and Tom in the studio as well, so you mentally praised yourself for taking bottles with a margin. You didn't know them personally yet, but was willing to change it. Turner introduced you to the men, and surprisingly you didn't hear his usual sneer in the voice.

"So, welcome Y/N Y/S, she's our manager for the summer before America starts and James gets back"

"Happy to finally meet you!" you were the first to extend your hand to Tyler, which he shook gently, smiling affably, and then to Tom. But he intercepted your hand, kissing your knuckles and making you laugh.

"Mutually, Miss" Rowley said enchanted.

"And she makes her own awesome cider, get one" Matt ordered businesslike, raising his voice from behind the drum kit.

"Yeah, there is enough for everyone, don't hesitate to take"

Evidently you arrived during the break, and before that they had already rehearsed a bit. You were wondering what kind of advice they need from you. The thought that they just needed cider you pushed back with a grin. But Alex, as if reading your thoughts, leisurely started speaking leaning on the table and holding a drink.

"Well, thanks for the cider, but that's not what we called you for. Since you're such a big fan of My Propeller, we discussed it here and decided that it's possible to put one on the set list for a couple of times. So listen to how it sounds, maybe have some ideas or whatevah" he was trying to sound casual, not attaching importance to his words for you.

"I'll do my best!" you almost jumped from such news.

Jamie chuckled audibly, running his fingers over the guitar. You sat down on the couch as Matt tapped the rhythm with his sticks and the melody began.

Seductive. The first association that came to your mind when you heard the intro of this song. It was your favorite from Humbug for sure and one of the band's all time favorites. Alex never told in any interview what was the secret of the lyrics, and probably that was the reason it attracted you even more. The guys played it selflessly, as if there hadn't been those decades that they hadn't performed it. You liked how they gave themselves to the process, even if it was just a rehearsal. They were in simple t-shirts and Matt was proudly wearing pineapple shorts, but you could swear, a real concert was unfolding right in front of you.

When Alex started singing you tried to hide the goosebumps as best as you could, but it hardly worked out well. His voice flowed melodically, not betraying a hint of wheezing or breaking, which could arise due to the age. He closed his eyes, tightly gripping the microphone stand, and moved his feet to the beat, slightly ridiculous, but at the same time gracefully. Throughout the song, you didn’t take your eyes off the group for a minute, sometimes singing along to the words, pulling the last syllable of

Coax me out my law

And have a spin of my propeller

When the song ended, you clapped and Nick even made a mock bow.

“I don’t know how objective my assessment will be, because apart from the words of delight I have nothing to add” you honestly admitted. It seemed to you that you heard Alex's quiet "As I said", but Matt was quick to interrupt him asking you "Actually, we have already decided to play it in Bristol, but the question is where to chip in. We'll definitely not start with this one, and the outro is already completed, so..."

You thought a little, trying to understand what motives My Propeller reminds you of, and then the penny dropped.

"Pretty Visitors!" you exclaimed louder than you should have because your words echoed through the silent studio.

"Smooth interlude from Pretty Visitors, yeah, not bad actually" Alex quickly developed your idea, turning to Matt, as if asking "Do you mind?", but the drummer only closed his eyes approvingly. It seemed that they didn't need any words at all, they could understand each other with guitar riffs and drum brakes. Their connection, it was amazing, honed to automatism for past 20 years. They were like scientists in a chemistry lab mixing potions together in an attempt to make a new elixir. It was magic to come true and watching this process was so intimate that you involuntarily felt the heat on your cheeks, as if you were engaged in voyeurism.

***

The hours in the studio flew by. Fortunately for you, the guys decided to surprise fans with the return of Mardy Bum which will be the opener. The exact setlist for Bristol was confirmed at the end of the rehearsal, bringing back Teddy Picker and The View From The Afternoon as well. So looking at the perfect 21 songs, you could only imagine what they would save for London. Originally you were going to visit their concert in your hometown, you bought tickets as soon as sales were announced, but after James's call you easily gave the ticket to a friend, saying that you had won a jackpot.

Tom and Tyler have already left and the five of you are left. You were sitting on a soft chair, moved from the corner of the room, and the guys opposite on the sofas. The boys had laid down their guitars and you were leding a peaceful conversation about life, since the studio rental time ended only in an hour. You told them about your career in the industry, Maneskin and the part time projects you've been working on lately, omitting the details of your divorce because you thought it was too early for them to immerse themselves in such personal aspects of your life.

"By the way, Vic is your big fan and Alex in particular" you giggled, remembering the way drunk Maneskin bassist told you that she would like to sleep with Turner. Those were the carefree times of your youth you warmly remembered.

"Really?" Matt raised his eyebrows as he sipped his seemingly endless bottle of cider "You still have their contacts, right?"

"Yeah, sure, we even text each other occasionally" you quipped.

"And you didn't say you were working with us?" Heldres was surprised.

"Actually, somehow it didn't seem possible" you lowered your gaze, "I mean what would it look like? "Hey guys, look who's here, I now manage the Monkeys btw?" - so what?"

You could tell by the Cheshire smile on Matt's bristly face that this was exactly how he thought.

"Oh no, Matthew, don't you-"

"Oh yes, darling, dial FaceTime, you'll show them our doll" the man neighed, turning to Alex, who had been sitting quietly on the couch until this moment, and fidgeted in place after the suggestion.

"For God's sake, Matt, what a kindergarten behavior" the vocalist howled irritably, rolling his eyes, "I don't even remember their names".

The idea of making fun of Turner a little for the morning case with the box and taking revenge seemed to you unexpectedly delightful. Your hand automatically sank into your pants pocket, deftly pulling it out into the light and finding the right WhatsApp chat.

"Don't worry, you just have to say hi to Vic, I'm sure you'll be fine" you sang sweetly, glancing slyly at Matt, who chuckled approvingly, glad that you supported his idea.

Alex only cursed at this and ran a hand through his hair, smoothing it. Either from nerves, or putting his hair in order before the call.

You moved from your seat to the couch between Alex and Matt, gesturing for Nick and Jamie to join. You put your hand in front of you so only your face was visible in the camera frame, waiting for one of the guys to take the call. It might have been a little ill-advised to call like this without warning on a workday evening, but anyway it was already too late, as the beeps trailed in a string of sounds. You hoped that they didn't have a concert today, in any other case, one of them would definitely pick up the phone from you. And by a happy coincidence, it was Vic who ended up on your screen.

"What the hell, Miss Boogie, are you really occasionally calling after all this time of silence?" despite Victoria de Angelis's accusatory words, she sounded playful. She was a little disheveled and with a bright blush on her face. People were walking randomly with the string interruptions in the background. Apparently, the guys were at the soundcheck at one of the venues, and Vic recently finished playing.

Four pairs of eyes openly stared at you with undisguised interest after hearing the nickname, demanding an answer, but you just mouthed "later".

"Awww, sweetheart, and I'm happy to hear you again too!" you said with an ironic smile.

"I have a lot of news for you, and I will definitely call you in private soon"

"Are you not alone? Who's with you?" the girl even moved closer to the camera in an attempt to see something.

"Well, I have a little surprise for you. Actually four surprises, but one of them you'll find really special" you said conspiratorially, looking around at the guys who were still out of the picture. Alex sat to your right, trying to portray the most distant look, as if everything that was happening was nothing more than baby talk for him.

"Darling, if you have a group orgy without me, then I will be offended and drop the call" the bassist said threateningly, wiping her forehead with a towel that was hung on her shoulder.

You just burst out laughing "Ok ok, I'm not languishing you anymore. I hope you're ready. Boys, say hi to Vics" and you finally moved the camera further so that Matt, Nick and Jamie, who were sitting to your left, got into the camera frame, Alex's appearance you saved for a dessert.

The musician's reaction exceeded all your expectations. At first she narrowed her eyes, bringing the phone even closer to face, and then she widened them with a loud squeal, jumping up from her seat.

"What the hell, Y/N! What the actual fuck, you're a shitty mutherfucker!!!" she covered her mouth with her hand, chaotically moving the phone in different directions. Apparently, other members of the group came running to her scream, as you heard the voice of Damiano asking what happened.

"What happened?" she repeated "The fucking Arctic Monkeys are sitting next to Y/N!" answering a question off-camera and stabilizing the phone. Now you could clearly see the vocalist leaning over her shoulder, Thomas to the side and Ethan slightly behind.

Finally, the men next to you decided to introduce themselves "Hey, guys, what's new?" Matt said smiling to the camera, Jamie and Nick just waved their hands in a friendly manner.

"Oh my God, what's going on" Vic, still dumbfounded, spoke with a face of complete amazement. Damiano, who quickly figured out the whole situation and realized that Vic was unlikely to be able to communicate normally now, carefully took the phone from her hands.

"Hi, Y/N, long time no see! Hi, boys, how fresh you are" the frontman winked. The words "for your age" were suggested mutely, but David left them behind the scenes. The men next to you just laughed quietly at this remark and saluted the Italian boy.

"Vic, that's not all yet, look who's next to me" wanting to finally finish off your friend, you moved the camera to the side, revealing Alex's presence, who was already sitting with a polite smile on his face, leaning on the sofa armrest.

"Hi, love" Turner murmured hoarsely, turning on his usual charisma. You were surprised how quickly he went from "fuck off everyone" to his stage persona. Indeed, a skill acquired over the years.

De Angelis, after looking at the camera for just a second, squealed even harder than the first time, which you even grimaced a little, because in a quiet studio it sounded deafening.

The camera was still held by Damiano, but the girl in the frame could be seen doubled over, holding back cries of happiness. Her guys just laughed out loud at this, knowing full well what a strong fan of Alex she was.

"Y/N, I'm going to fucking kill you, I'll strap your ass so you can't sit still for another week, what are you doing to me?" Vic didn't let go of expressions, which made the men next to you shamelessly laugh, even Turner smiled predatoryly.

"Holy shit, you're real" the girl muttered in one breath.

Her adoration entertained Alex. Celebrities fangirling celebrities wasn't an unknown story for Alex, so the way Vic behaved didn't annoy him, but brought a feeling of sincere pleasure from what was happening.

"It would be strange if I wasn't, mhm?" the man grunted, changing the position - now he rested elbows on his knees, bringing the face closer to your phone. You could smell his light apple scent from the cider you both drank and the cigarette halo that soaked into all of the frontman's clothes.

Damiano finally decided to take control over the situation by turning the camera completely on himself.

"So, Y/N, if you wanted to surprise Vic, then you succeeded 100%! But we are now at soundcheck, and we don't have much time, and she" nodding towards the bassist "still needs to be brought to her senses. We were extremely happy to hear from you, babe. Call us when you are free and tell us everything in detail. Miss you very much!"

"Guys, me too! Love ya, see you at Glasto!"

"Wait! Take a screenshot!" Vic's desperate exclamation came from Damiano's left side.

He made a focused face, looking for the right buttons, while you and the men simultaneously smiled at the camera.

"Send it to the chat" you asked, ending the call and blowing a virtual kiss. You obviously cut off Vic's "I love you" without being entirely sure it was addressed to you.

The studio immediately froze in deafening silence. You put your phone down on the coffee table, still smiling.

"That was a real buzz, they're cute" Matt said leaning back on the couch. The mood of the guys clearly improved by this little conversation. You were glad that you could somehow diversify their evening after a productive and exhausting day. Even Alex stopped keeping his always compressed lips and frowning eyebrows.

"So, Miss Boogie, right?" Jamie began slyly, reminding you of your infamous nickname.

An approving "ooooo" reverberated around the room, from which you hid behind your palms.

"Damn, I was hoping you'd forget" you muttered from your hiding place.

"C'mon, we're intrigued already" Nick reached out to you through Matt, gently taking your hands away from your face.

Jamie suddenly started chanting your name, encouraging you to reveal this terrible secret, and Matt whistled as if Sheffield FC had just scored a goal.

"God, okay, just shut up please" you gave up.

The four men took more comfortable positions in anticipation of your story.

"In fact, there is nothing special in this story, it's just stupid. When Maneskin was approved for Eurovision, we went to celebrate, how can we not. It was in Milan. We got very drunk in a bar and went for a walk around the city. It was about 3 in the morning, and to entertain ourselves we played Truth or Dare. The most banal thing that could be, but nothing better came to mind. And I chose Dare, 'cause everyone else only cowardly told their secrets. So Vic asked me to dance for a minute on the street to any song that a passerby would name. Well, since at such time you are unlikely to meet any adequate passerby, we only found a beggar in the square. I don’t know how old he was, but the first song that he remembered was Boogie Wonderland" at this point you made a dramatic pause, "so yes, I had to dance to this song at night in front of other poor people who came up to us. Since then they call me Miss Boogie. Everyone is satisfied now, having fun, huh?"

You intentionally crossed your arms in insult, surreptitiously watching the laughing band.

"I bet there's a video" Matt said cheekily.

"Yes, there is, but you'll never see it!" you retorted quickly, glaring at the drummer.

"Your hot cheeks make me want to see this video even more" Nick teased tapping Matt on the shoulder.

"You know what," Alex suddenly announced, "choose any song you want. We play it, and you show the video"

You could swear your jaw was somewhere on the floor.

"Woah, did you decide to go all-in?" Matt asked, also not expecting such a generous offer "Be careful, otherwise you will have to play a Taylor Swift song"

"Ouch, why do you think I like her?"

"Who doesn't like her?"

"Your truth" you nodded approvingly.

"I meant our song. We'll perform it at the concert" Turner interrupted your dialogue, looking at you testily from under his eyelashes.

There was a slight silence, which you broke with a heavy sigh.

"Wow, okay, this is getting interesting" you muttered, leaning back on the couch like Helders had done earlier. The three men to your left looked at each other in surprise, waiting for an answer, while you've been thinking, looking at the frontman.

"Certain Romance," you easily stated, "I want this one"

"Your wish is my command, Miss Boogie," he joked without any hint of smile, standing up "you guys remember how to play it, don't you?"

The guys looked at each other dumbfounded, unable to find words for such a drastic change in the behavior of the vocalist, but after a discordant series of affirmative nods, they received a condescending smile from him.

"Well, that's great, there's still time to rehearse. I propose Sheffield!" Alex said solemnly, thrusting his hands into the pockets.

"Al, ru ok?" Matt raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"All right, man" Turner said artificially.

"This house is a circus indeed" swirled through your head. Alex's behavior was defiant. Emerging into conflict. Literally a minute ago everything was peace and quiet, and now he, like a proud peacock, was arranging a show for you at the level of a cheap soap opera.

"No, but seriously, let's even organize a lottery, since Y/N has such an influence on the setlist" Alex didn't let up.

"Come on, pipe down, you suggested it yourself" Nick intervened carefully, not wanting to stir up the smoldering coals of the conflict.

"And I think all of you are into this idea, aren't you?" Turner didn't raise his low, heavily accented baritone, but the underlying toxicity in his tone was evident, "oh, even better, let's ask our Italian friends for advice! Let's get their opinion and her video as well".

"Alexander, smoke?" you stood up decisively from the couch, grabbing your purse and phlegmatically glancing at the wooden cider box you'd probably have to leave in the studio. But you couldn’t leave the guys in such an atmosphere, so out of courtesy you promised to return again.

"Y/N, no problem, see you before Bristol! Send the screen to our group, 'cause I'm getting jealous for these Italians" Matt gave you an encouraging wink in the end, and you certainly promised to do it tonight.

"They'll kill each other"

"He doesn't stand a chance"

Jamie and Matt said at the same time as the door closed behind you.

Alex imposingly walked ahead, not hurrying anywhere. He politely said goodbye to the security guard, noting that the rental period had already come to an end. Almost bowing, he opened the door to the street for you, artificially gallantly holding it with his hand, still making a show from every gesture, which for some reason made you feel disgusted. You were counting on working with middle-aged men, accomplished musicians, but it feels like you are talking to teenagers.

Damp cold air from the river hit your red cheeks, which made you wrap yourself in a jacket more tightly. Alex took out a pack of Marlboro, offering you one, but nodding to himself, removed it, remembering your words a week ago practically at the same place.

"Well?" he said with a cigarette in his mouth, lighting the filter.

The sky was overcast with a milky haze of fog, which wasn't uncommon for these places, a weak wind was blowing, but not a single sound from the road was heard, which made you hear sparks from ignited tobacco hiss like champagne bubbles, falling on the asphalt.

Alex exhaled noisily, squinting at you with his eyes. His face was faintly lit by the flame of a cigarette, but even in such low light, it was noticeable that his gaze was completely blank. "Amazingly indifferent and deep eyes at the same time. It's impossible to tell anything from them" you thought. Or maybe he was like this only with unpleasant people to him, who you apparently were. You can’t even imagine the way these eyes changed on stage "Where are you real, Alexander?". But instead of asking this, you just threw your head back, tiredly closing your eyelids, showing with your whole appearance how absurd the situation is.

"Alex," there wasn't any visible point to call him Mr. Turner even though you were annoyed "I thought we made a deal, didn't we?"

"Really? When?" his voice sounded even more affected than in the studio, despite the fact that now the man spoke rather quietly and slowly. Or maybe even a whisper would be loud in this ringing silence.

"I just don't understand what the problem is" you continued, as if you didn't hear his words.

"I don't see it either, Miss Y/S"

You raised your eyebrows high as you asked a silent question, which made Alex smirk slightly. Taking a puff, he began to explain to you with the intonation of a parent teaching a child not to put his fingers in the socket.

"Listen, I won't hide it, you brought some chaos to our tour. This is different from your direct duties though - to solve all the problems on our way. But you're a stranger who stirred up our peace and foundation. I was initially against this idea, but James left me no choice. You are undoubtedly an educated young lady, and probably from a moral point of view, I sound like a scoundrel now-"

"You sound unprofessional, Alex. You only make me feel contempt, and I don't care about any moral side"

The frontman looked at you from under his brows, taking out a second cigarette in a row from the pack, waiting for a further reaction, but inside you was a frozen magma that didn't want to break out, muffled by self-esteem. For now.

His words contradicted his behavior. In the morning he carries your boxes and asks for a song advice, and in the evening he gives out this shit. If women's logic is ridiculed by society, then men do not have it at all.

“You know what, when James offered me this job, I was damn excited and proud that I would be working with a team like yours. I was on a cloud nine. But you, Alex, you're just a spoiled boy in the body of a 37-year-old man who hasn't overplayed his ambitions and thinks that his subtle nature is so fragile to understand that you need to hide behind the facade of an asshole so that normal people with good intentions don't crawl into your soul. You are cowardly and arrogant!"

You were breathing heavily, and the words "fool fool fool" stretched on repeat in a red line behind your eyes.

You didn't even understand how they escaped from your lips, absolutely thoughtlessly. You even instinctively wanted to raise a hand to cover your mouth, but pulled yourself back in time, deciding to play to the end. Show after show.

Alex hadn't raised a cigarette to his face during your tirade, so that the wick was almost dead in his fingers. You intensively looked at each other without stopping, and at some point it seemed to you that fear flashed in his pupils. Fear of the revealed truth. However, they were covered with a thick veil of indifference to what was happening in a second, and he finally took the last puff, throwing the butt right on the road.

"Miss Y/S, it seems that you have to go" the musician said unemotionally.

You took one last burning look at his features and, without saying a word, turned around towards your car. How ironic, a week ago you left each other in roughly the same sequence of activities - studio, cider, parking lot, but under completely different circumstances.

Slamming the door shut, you sharply revved, not bothering to warm up the engine, and drove out of the parking lot with a clang of tires. Burning tears of resentment gushed from your eyes, covering the already foggy road in front, but you didn't pay attention.

Your cooperation has just begun, and you have already swept on an emotional swing. Only in the morning you were driving in a car towards the sun and rejoicing at the warm words of your dad, and in the evening you return home, wiping the salty paths with the back of your hand from your face.

You were never embarrassed by tears, you cried out almost all of them during a divorce, but if they dripped from your eyes today, then there was a reason for that. Your parents taught you that after rain there is always a rainbow, after tears there is always peace of mind, you need to be able to live through any emotions in order to turn them into your power later.

***

You haven't seen the boys since that evening until today's early departure for Bristol. Of course, you communicated on all sorts of organizational issues during this time and there was no visible tension, especially since they didn't hear about your quarrel with Alex. You were more than sure that he would not tell his friends about that incident. This is what infringes on him, and therefore makes him weaker, which he couldn't allow.

All these days you have wondered what was the reason for such a sharp behavior, however you couldn't really delve into yourself. Why exactly you were crying - from resentment, overstrain or just an emotional outburst, it was also difficult to understand. Perhaps all together. Over the past month, from your first conversation with Ford to recent events, your life has changed 180 degrees, so it's no surprise that your psyche gave a little glitch.

You've comforted yourself with routines though — setting Grapes up with a friend until your next visit to London, inviting your parents over for dinner to tell you all the details, packing your suitcase for the tour, checking out all the technical stuff, and almost forgetting what kind of adventure you're packing for.

And now, without any idea of the nearest future, you were sitting in a black Mercedes Sprinter between Marcus and James Kerr, Ben was in the passenger seat in front, Steven was riding with the group in the bus. It was only 8 am, you were sleepy, only at the last moment you didn’t forget to remove eye patches before going out, you didn’t even put on makeup, so you sat in the wide sunglasses, even though the sun wasn't visible through the tinted windows of the car.

It seemed that everyone was relaxed, easily communicated with each other and knew exactly what each would do upon arrival at the venue. Unlike you. The schedule was pretty clear - check-in at the hotel, lunch, departure for the soundcheck and then free time for the management and the band, but very busy time for the technicians. Of all this, the most sensible thing was to drink plenty of wine at dinner and walk around the rest of the day in a relaxed state of mind, but those were only pitiful thoughts of creeping fear. Deep inside you were sure that everything would be fine, it couldn’t be otherwise, because even if you didn’t know how to do this or that task, the guys knew their duties, and they physically couldn’t play the concert badly.

"Hey, Y/N, you kinda took working with us too seriously" Marcus snapped you out of your thoughts with his mocking tone.

"I'm sorry, what?" you asked, turning to him.

He touched the bridge of his nose with his index finger and chuckled. It took you another couple of seconds to figure out what he meant, so he took advantage of your confusion to explain "you now going to wear glasses in the dark as well?"

The reference to Alex was read transparently, so you imperceptibly flinched and pointedly removed them, as if not wanting to be associated with him at all.

"No, no, I just didn't have time to do my make up" you honestly admitted, shrugging your shoulders ingenuously.

"Oh, I'm sorry, we-" the guy looked around at all the passengers, "we don't understand this here"

You laughed slightly, at the same time relaxing, and asked him a question that had been of interest to you for a long time.

"Why don't you have women in the team? I mean at all"

Instead of Marcus, Ben decided to answer from the front seat, apparently as the eldest among you.

“It didn’t happen on purpose, but later it became kind of unspoken rule. We are here like on the fishing, you know? We leave our wives, spend time within our male company, it’s like an alternative branch of your life, you do quality work here, you feel needed, while no one owe you nothing and you feel absolutely free in your actions, understanding thoroughly those who are around you"

"Are you aware that this is how a normal team should work, regardless of gender? It sounds somehow sexist. Am I really embarrassing you in actions?" you smiled slyly, anticipating the denouement.

"Actually, besides you, we have 3 other women in the team.." Marcus embarrassingly chipped in.

"Guys, don't bother yourself with excuses, I knew who I was messing with" you laughed, crossing your legs. Marcus looked at you dumbfounded, but said nothing, and James just chuckled softly at the window.

"Well, if you knew that, then you also should know about our tradition, right, guys?" Ben began in a conspiratorial tone, exchanging glances with the guys.

"Um, about what?" you arched an eyebrow in disbelief.

"The newbie is signed up for the after-party. Tonight is your first concert, and after that we go to the bar, the drinks are off you! We're equal here" Ben imperturbably continued to scan your reaction with a fox-eye, waiting for an answer. It's not that you're greedy or unable to pay, but to buy drinks for the whole team...

And as if ahead of your question, the man added "enough management and the band".

As if it changed the essence. But you couldn't refuse, so you mumbled something affirmative, getting a roar of male hoarse laughter in response, and starting to laugh at yourself. You appreciated in people, especially males, this ability - to make a woman laugh. In a time of constant change and stress, finding someone who will make you forget about it was very important.

The rest of the road was spent in the same good mood, and these conversations did help you to forget about your anxiety due to upcoming events. Upon arrival, all the management team and the band settled in the hotel. As James promise, you've been given a private suite overlooking the most beautiful park in the city center. But due to an unknown coincidence, you lived not on the same floor with the attendants, but through the door from the group.

Matt carried your things to your room and you agreed to meet for lunch in 20 minutes.

Since you were able to miraculously did a make up even in the car, thanks to the sensitive driving, now you decided to change into more presentable clothes in which you will be at the concert.

Without changing the habit of choosing clothes carefully and for a long time, you took off your hot sweatshirt, remaining in only sweatpants and starting to go through the whole suitcase in search of those things that would match your mood. You had a couple of looks planned, but today's unexpectedly warm weather changed your plans a little, so you confidently took out a black leather skirt and a white blouse.

A piece of matter fit all your forms perfectly, so you were satisfied with the choice, spinning in front of the mirror by the bed. The black bodice harmonized perfectly with the skirt, and the crazy idea of staying only in it, without putting on anything, flashed through your head like a bullet, but flew out just as quickly as soon as you heard the muffled thud of heels on the carpet outside the door and a muttered "Jamie?" at your door followed by a knock. You hysterically shouted "No!" exactly at the moment when the door opened without a click.

"Shit, Y/N!" Alex, not having time to properly enter your room, but having clearly noticed you in a compromising way, abruptly recoiled, remaining in the corridor, but not completely closing the door so that he could hear you, but not see.

"God! What a mess" you pleaded, rushing to the door. You stuck out only your head, meeting the eyes of the musician, who was discomposedly staring at you point-blank.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Why are you naked?"

You asked at the same time, shouting over each other.

"This is my room! And I'm not naked!"

"Where's Jamie? I thought he was at 312" Turner asked, a little bewildered, clearly embarrassed.

"I have no idea where Jamie is. How did you even get in?" you were still half-dressed, hiding most of your body behind a wooden door.

"I knocked, but it turned out that it was not slammed at all"

"What the fuck? Maybe Matt didn't close when he left," you muttered more to yourself. You clearly saw the question “What did Matt do here?” that arose in Alex’s head, but which he never voiced. Clearly realizing that the dialogue could not be continued in this form, you abruptly switched the subject, trying to tear his eyes from your neck.

"I was changing for dinner anyway, so see you there" you sharply slammed the door in front of him, not wanting to go into details, and tiredly leaned your head against the wooden surface from the inside.

"Crazy" you heard quiet along with receding soft steps.

It was your only meaningful conversation with the singer, since that evening. You understood that it couldn’t go on like this for a long time, but at the moment you didn’t have any ideas how to fix the situation. So you just finally put on the look you chose, after checking that the door was locked, then decided to add a black headband, and being satisfied with your appearance, went downstairs.

After lunch, the whole team went to the stadium, where the technicians had already set up half of the equipment. The guys immediately went to the sound check, and you and Steven went to meet Ashton Gate management. It seemed like there was still plenty of time before the concert, and you thought you would have a few more chances to double-check everything, but in the turmoil that was going on behind the scenes, this turned out to be impossible.

To be honest, you were overwhelmed by what was happening. The soft music, people around, the sun rays moving towards the sunset - this whole scene that was unfolding before you as you unexpectedly stepped onto the empty stage a few minutes before the crowd was let into the stadium looked surreal and incredibly familiar, as if you had been here many times before. The noise and chaos behind you contrasted with the tranquility in front of your eyes. The empty space that was about to be filled with a crowd in just a few minutes brought both excitement and serenity. These were the moments that seemed unreal, but made life worth living.

***

The show was about to start, and you stood next to the dark staircase, where the guys from the dressing room were soon to come up. Leaning on the railing, you nervously twirled a lock of hair around your finger. You went through all the items on the checklist in your head, checking off each one mentally, but something still bothered you.

Alex.

Your unfinished conversations and evasive behavior were weighing on you. You felt guilty, knowing that as his manager, you had behaved tactlessly, driven by emotions. It ate at you from the inside. You decided that you would talk to him today, apologize and put this issue to rest once and for all.

Suddenly you noticed a flickering light from the security, which meant that the group is entering the stage, and you turned sharply, both wanting and fearing to see them. As always, looking luxurious, these four men made their way up to the platform, remaining unnoticed by the audience.

"Good luck, guys! I'm buzzing as hell honestly" you tried to sound confident, but your voice trembled on the last word.

"Miss Y/S, is it just me or are you worried about us?" Nick lightly touched your shoulder in a reassuring gesture.

"Well, it's my first time with you" realizing how ambiguous that sounded, you interrupted yourself with a laugh.

"Oh, you'll love it, babe" Matt mimicked a voice from a cheap adult movie, tossing a stick in the air. It seemed like he could find the right words in any situation, and in the future, you would highly appreciate this skill.

All this time, you were glancing at Alex out of the corner of your eye, trying to read his emotions, but he calmly adjusted the folds on his unchanging dark blue jacket and stretched his neck with turns left and right. Seeing that the guys had moved a little away from you, you looked at your watch, estimating that you had 5 minutes maximum, and whispered to yourself "now or never".

"Alex!" you called him out loudly, trying to outshout the crowd "I wanted to talk, I know it's not the most appropriate time, but-"

"Y/N, forgive me, okay," the man unexpectedly began, barely approaching you. For the first time, you saw genuine excitement in his eyes, here, in the darkness of the backstage area of a 30,000-seat stadium. For some reason, only now you clearly feel the difference in height between you two. He looked down at you patronizingly. Maybe it was because of his heels or the knot of nerves in your stomach that made you feel so small in your attempt to hide from his penetrating gaze.

"I've been a complete jerk and acted childish from the very beginning. You didn't do anything to deserve such treatment. I don't want our tension to affect the group and our work in any way, so I admit my guilt"

You stood in shock, slightly opening your mouth. You absolutely did not expect such a turn of events, so your entire improvised speech evaporated from your mind instantly. He suddenly smiled softly, raising an eyebrow, as if asking 'well, what now?' Still not believing what you heard, you nodded your head almost automatically.

"Y-yes, you were a jerk indeed. But I also didn't behave entirely correctly, my first impression wasn't great either," you sighed in frustration, recalling your memories, "I suggest we start over, huh? Hi, my name is Y/N, I'm your new tour manager, nice to meet you" and to confirm your words, you gracefully extended your hand to him.

"Nice to meet you too, I'm Alex Turner, sort of singing here," he shook your hand with an energetic movement. His palm was dry and steady, causing a pleasant warmth throughout your body, "just business then?"

"Just business indeed. And a little bit of music" you said, more relaxed, smiling with all 32 teeth, still holding onto his hand.

"Deal, Miss Y/S"

For a moment, the roar of fans faded away for you, and you only saw the outlines of his pupils in the semi-darkness and his fingers firmly holding yours. However, your fragile moment was promptly ruined by-

"Al, c'mon!" Jamie impatiently called, and your hand felt the gusts of wind instead of calloused skin of the frontman. You watched him walk away in his waddle manner, as he suddenly turned and shouted, winking "By the way, nice lace".

It took you a couple of seconds to understand what was said, and when the meaning of his words reached you, you exclaimed in indignation "You, motherfucker!" almost stomping your foot, but your cry was lost in the wild roar of the crowd, as the guys were already on stage.

It was a miraculous sight. Four men made people go into ecstasy just with their appearance - this is the phenomenon of the Beatles, and they were proof that rock and roll is alive. As long as they are alive. Every strum on the guitar strings, every touch of the lips to the microphone, every drumstick strike, every hair flip was special in their performance, they themselves were special.

You were fascinated, to say the least. When the performance came to the last song before the encore, Body Paint, one of your favorite songs from the album, that was definitely made to be played live, you were out of words. The whole song built you up to the climax, to the outro that every time was a pure jamming and improvisation. And you literally exploded in ecstasy when Alex started walking around the stage, unable to stand still from the knocking down energy. He closed his eyes in languor, biting his lips, screaming, throwing out his arms, and you couldn't take your eyes off. You weren't dancing or jumping, you were inseparably watching his every movement, arms folded across your chest. Your mouth was agape against your will, and your eyes eagerly punched a hole in the frontman. This is a unique performance, it's something that is hard to explain without feeling it for yourself. You were made up of his music, you literally felt these waves inside your veins, your brain wasn't able to comprehend what was happening, it was like a catharsis for all of you. And you definitely didn't want to be saved.

Suddenly Alex turned his head to your side, continuing to play some divine riff outlining the Van Gogh fields on the guitar strings. His hair was tousled, shirt unbuttoned, but his jacket fitted perfectly. He rested his eyes on your figure, smiling with one corner of his lips, and you looked at each other for good seven seconds which felt like eternity. You were sure that everything was clear in your eyes, and even if he stood next to you and heard you, you wouldn't be able to utter a word.

What you definitely didn't expect when your eye contact was broken and Alex walked to another side of the stage, that tears would involuntarily flow from your eyes. "What the hell..." you wondered aloud, quickly removing the salty tracks from your cheeks. In fact, you perfectly understood why you were crying. From a sense of greatness. The greatness of music, human synergy and the power of unity. It was too much for you, too strong emotions to bear. It was excellent, it was the taste of life, thanks to which you still were here. "God, if you exist, bless this band, they are saints" although it sounded ridiculous and naive, you seriously were ready to pray for the talent of these guys, for the ability to make other people feel alive. You were in your place, you did everything right, you were cruising the victory. Today he convinced you.

As soon as the last chords of "RU Mine?" were played and the bows to the fans were taken, the men disappeared from the deafening roar behind the dark curtains of backstage. Their hair stuck to their sweat faces, and a distinct masculine smell was coming from their shirts. The guys passed by you with exhausted smiles, unable to utter a word from fatigue, and disappeared into the darkness of the corridors.

You didn't know what to do right now. According to your understanding, your job didn't end with pre-concert organization, there were also post-concert tasks to be done. But you were so lost in emotions that you felt like you were drifting away from an anaphylactic shock.

Unexpectedly, Tyler came to you as he was the last one to come off the stage. He fraternally put a hand on your shoulder, tousling your hair with his heavy palm.

"Well, with the initiation into our hell, sweetheart. How're you?"

"Thrilled, and I want more!" you declared confidently, matching his quick pace that was pulling you further away from the frenzy of the crowd.

"Well, don't doubt that, it's just the beginning" he charmingly smiled, and you couldn't help but mirror his expression.

"Now we're going to celebrate, and you're coming with us" it sounded so authoritative that even if you wanted to object, you immediately closed your mouth, nodding in agreement. "Besides, seems like you need to unwind" you remembered.

You left the stadium only an hour later, apparently, it was a normal time for the guys to "recover". You'd made several jokes about one woman waiting for seven men and received offended and teasing looks in return. You got into the same Mercedes you arrived in that morning, and the driver took you to one of Bristol's typical English pubs that the guys loved so much.

You didn't understand their fondness for these quaint places where the sofa upholstery hadn't changed along with the owner. There were so many modern bars in the city, any of which the band could afford to rent entirely, but they paid tribute to traditions, obviously cherishing memories of their lively youth when they started playing their first concerts in similar places. Such a return to their roots after the thousands-capacity stadiums grounded them well. And the warm nostalgia, slipping across the Guinness glasses every time, was a corner of genuine joy for the guys, the only true luxury they possessed.

And overall, you didn't care where to spend money or on what. After all today's events, which felt like a whole month, you didn't mind anymore. In the morning, you looked at your apple orchard in the early mist of suburban London, then stood half-naked in a five-star hotel room in front of a world-renowned music star, and now, in the evening, you huddled next to him on an old leather couch under a red velvet chandelier, drinking a B-52.

Glasses, shots and colorful bottles flashed in front of your eyes like a kaleidoscope. Your head was spinning from the amount of alcohol, and your cheeks hurt from laughter.

"My dear mates, I propose a toast to Miss Y/S and her first concert with us! I don't know if she understands where she has ended up, but we'll make sure she has a great time with us, right, guys? To Y/N!" Matt solemnly proclaimed, rising from the table, and 8 hands, pouring drinks onto each other, reached towards the center of the table to clink glasses.

"Guys, thank you for this opportunity, thanks to James for his unplanned vacation, thanks to Steven and Marcus-" although the latter wasn't here, you decided to thank him as he had been providing you with all kinds of help during these weeks, "for their support and adaptation, and of course, to you Monkeys, for accepting me. I do like your crazy Monkey house" you joked, but it didn't negate the truth. Despite all the past disagreements with the lead singer, you felt that you were still doing everything right. And even if you hadn't gone on this adventure today, you would still feel grateful to fate for such an opportunity to be at the center of life.

"Glad to hear that," Jamie chuckled ironically, "as they say, welcome aboard"

And with these words, you all whistled, and Tom even shouted like a saloon girl from the Wild West. Your evening, or rather the night, continued until 3 am, fortunately there was no concert the next day, so you could at least sleep in a bit. You looked in horror at the amount you had drunk, trying to estimate how long it would take to recover the contents of your wallet. But you had consumed so much gin and tonic that the only thing that really worried you was how to walk straight for at least 2 meters to the bar to pay for it all.

"Drinks on me!" you declared with a mischievous smile to the group as you headed towards the bar counter.

"What, for everyone?" Matt playfully refined.

"Well, yeah," you didn't have the energy to realize his surprise, but he also didn't have the energy to argue with you, "that's no problem".

And thus, the following events spun in your head like a foggy whirlpool. Here you were finally breathing in the fresh air of the street, tilting your head towards the purple sky, then you were half-lying on someone's shoulder in the black minivan, and finally for no reason you were walking barefoot on a soft hotel carpet, but there were no shoes in your hands as well.

You didn't have any memories of walking into your room either. But in the moment, the feeling of soft snow-white hotel sheets flooded your body with long-awaited bliss. You instantly fell into the arms of Morpheus, only on the verge of consciousness noticing that someone took off the headband from your hair, which had been squeezing your head tightly, and silently closed the door.

You may be too drunk to remember each of your actions clearly, but you definitely wouldn't mistake the familiar scent of cigarettes in the room.

---------------------------------------------------

A/N: Oh, so much has happened in one chapter, and this is just the beginning of the tour... I decided to tell the background of Y/N for a better understanding of her actions. What do you think, maybe you want more of "Italian friends" in the work? Whose line do you want to read in more detail? Share your emotions, it is incredibly valuable to me that someone reads this work actually!

xo🤍

Taglist: @missbabyjay @rentskenobi @findmeincorneliastreet @indierockgirrl here it is!

*if you want to be removed or added to the taglist, feel free to ask me!

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tevanavernus · 7 months ago

Text

You Look So Pretty, Pretty Like The Sun - Chapter 1

Chapter 2 , Chapter 3 , Chapter 4 , Chapter 5 , Chapter 6 , Chapter 7 Chapter 8 , Chapter 9 , Chapter 10

Link to ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/55256683/chapters/140163892

No matter what Buck did, he could not get Tommy out of his mind. The countless times he picked up his phone to text the guy, to apologize profusely, and to beg for another chance were driving him insane. He was never good at explaining his feelings when it mattered; the words would make sense in his head, but the moment it came to speaking them out loud, they would come out jumbled, and he, more often than not, would mess it up. If there was one thing that he was great at, it was messing things up. Hell, this week alone seemed to be just one screw-up after another.

The jealousy, the near-strangulation by an alien hand, maiming his best friend, and now royally screwing up the one date he really wanted to go well. Worst of all, the date was actually going better than he had expected for the most part. He couldn’t remember the last time he was so nervous about a date; it felt like he was about to jump out of his skin. If he were honest, Buck wasn’t sure how he even managed to function as a human being; certain things just blurred in his mind. At times, he remembered his mind zeroing in on not letting his trembling hand spill the beer as he raised it, on making sure he wasn’t eating too slowly or too quickly, or worse, choking on a date again. But above all, he remembered Tommy sitting across from him, looking at him, giving his full attention only to him. It left Buck a stuttering and blushing mess, yet Tommy never pointed it out or made him feel self-conscious. If anything, he didn’t bat an eye at Buck stumbling over his words; he just laughed lightly at Buck’s stories and shared his own in turn. Tommy would smile that dashing smile and make Buck forget how to breathe. It was easy to forget they were technically on a date, that it was his first time being out with a guy that wasn’t strictly platonic.

That was until the bill came and reality hit him like another lightning bolt. Suddenly, it all became too real; he was on a date with another man and he couldn’t shake the feeling that everyone was staring at him, accusing him of being a fraud, of pretending to be someone else. It was as if everyone could see straight through him and recognize every mistake he'd ever made. He feared that Tommy would take one more look at him and see it all too. Suddenly, all the desperate need to be seen by Tommy disappeared, replaced by dread. Buck shrunk back into himself so far he might as well have left his body, only to watch himself dig such a deep hole and bury his chance at something with the first guy he ever liked.

Which led him to his current predicament. Days later, he still couldn't stop thinking about the man. Buck thought about what he would say, made a whole script of countless ‘ hey’ and ‘I’m sorry’ messages in his head. Had lifted his phone to write them, but every single time he opened the messaging app, the words died at his fingertips. Their previous conversation history would pop up, and there wouldn’t be good enough words to start the message. It only caused Buck to sigh and run his hand through his hair in frustration, feeling a light pang in his chest. They hadn’t exchanged that many texts, as both had hectic schedules but they would get few words in here and there in between calls, mostly about possible places to go. Yet the messages represented the time where they were good.

It took both coming out to Maddie and Eddie for him to pick up the phone again and actually press the button. He waited with bated breath as the phone dialed, his heart pounding inside his chest.

“Hello?” Tommy finally answered, causing Buck’s breath to hitch.

“Hey Tommy,” he managed to choke out. Clearing his throat, he quickly added, “It’s Buck. How… how are you?”

Before Tommy could answer, he heard voices in the background and hastily added, “Sorry, is this a bad time?”

“No, I can spare a few minutes,” came Tommy’s reply. God, Buck really wished he could see the man. Hearing his voice did things to him, but it didn’t compare to seeing him in person.

“I’m good, how are you?”

“No, I’m great. Listen, I, uh… I really want to talk to you,” Buck managed to get out. “Not that we are not talking now, 'cause obviously we are, but…”

But Tommy deserved better than just a phone call. He came to Buck’s place the last time he wanted to talk, which led to the man kissing him and inviting him on a date. The memory of the unexpected but very welcomed kiss caused his brain to haywire, and he realized that silence fell over them as Tommy waited for him to continue.

“Could… Could we meet up?”

It took Tommy a moment to respond, as if he was considering how to reply. Buck’s nerves picked up again. He really wouldn’t blame Tommy if he said no, not after how he behaved the last time. But before he could drown in doubts, Tommy pulled him back with a simple:

“Sure, Evan. When are you free?”

“Tomorrow?” Buck winced, hearing the eagerness in his own voice, but nonetheless his chest swelled with happiness and a wide grin broke on his face. He could barely contain the urge to fist bump the air. “I can send you the details or if—“

“Great, I will see you then,” The screeching ring of the bell interrupted them. “Unfortunately, I do have to run now.”

“Yeah, of course. Thanks, Tommy. Have a good shift.”

“No need to thank me, Evan.”

With that, Buck was left feeling giddy, standing by the counter in his kitchen with a huge smile, as if he were a lovesick teenager once again.

———

The early sun basked on his shoulders as Buck navigated to a free table outside, two cups of coffee in his hands. He had no idea how Tommy liked his coffee, so he got one with cream and sugar. Buck felt more relaxed this time around, more sure of himself, but that didn’t stop him from subconsciously wiping his hands on his jeans. Luckily, before his mind could overthink it, he spotted Tommy turning a corner and walking up to the table with hands tucked in his navy zip-through hoodie. Buck couldn’t help but eye him up. Not only was Tommy gorgeous, but the way he effortlessly held himself with such ease was captivating

“Hey.” Buck greeted him, breathlessly, his heart racing as he straightened up . Tommy smiled, still with his hands in his pockets, his eyes warm and inviting as he stopped in front of the table.

“Hey,” he replied lightly.

“Thanks for agreeing to meet me.” Buck said, his gaze flickering between Tommy’s eyes and the table.

“Of course,” his gaze briefly dropping to the table before meeting Buck's eyes again, a hint of curiosity in his expression. Buck motioned for him to sit down, his hand gesturing towards the empty chair opposite him.

“I, uh, got you a coffee,” Buck said, a nervous smile tugging at the corners of his lips as Tommy thanked him and finally sat down.

“I- I didn’t know how you take it, so I, uh, took a guess.” He was quick to add to fill the silence. He swayed a bit in his chair, the nerves making him feel jittery. Tommy took a sip and put it down almost immediately, a playful glint in his eyes as he teased, “Mmm, so not like that.”

Buck chuckled, his own tension easing slightly in response.

“Seems like there are a lot of things we don’t know about each other.”

“Practically everything.” Tommy quipped, the corners of his eyes crinkling with amusement.

“Well I would like to change that,” Buck declared, his voice steady and certain. “First, I need to apologise. For the way I behaved the other night.”

“You’ve nothing to apologise.” Tommy was quick to reassure.

“No, I do.” Buck met Tommy’s gaze.

“No I didn’t cut things short because you behaved badly. I did it because I didn’t want to pressure you.” Tommy explained.

“Still the way I reacted was not my proudest moment.” Buck admitted, his voice tinged with regret.

“Noted.”

“So uh.. You said before that you don’t think I’m ready.” Buck swallowed. “And the truth is, I don’t know what I’m ready for. But I am ready for something. And I think that something could be with you.”

There he said it, passing the ball to Tommy. A small hope blossoming inside.

“You already know that I’m interested.”A small smile broke out on Tommy’s face

“Come with me to my sister’s wedding.”

Tommy chuckled in surprise, his eyes widening in disbelief.

“What?”he asked incredulously, his tone filled with surprise and amusement.

“I want you to be my date at my sister’s date.” Buck clarified with a wide grin. He really wanted Tommy to join him. To be able to not only share such important moment with him but also to show him off to the people that were most import in Buck’s life. To have Tommy by his side through the celebrations and the dancing.

“Evan.” Tommy replied, still in disbelief, and Buck relished in the moment of having the rug pulled from under his feet for the first time.

“Come on, I’m serious,” Buck continued, happy yet briefly wondering if he broke the man from how shocked he looked. “You know half the people there and she wants to meet you.”

Tommy leaned on his arms across the table, making Buck distinctly aware of the space between them. Ever since they met, they seemed to gravitate towards each other, and Buck wanted to close that space now.

“Are you absolutely sure about this.” Tommy asked again, his brow furrowing slightly.

“Yes I’m sure. There’s going to be free food, and I need someone to dance with.” Buck replied confidently, his eyes meeting Tommy's with determination.

“Okay.” Tommy said, nodding slowly as he processed Buck's words.

“Yeah?” Buck asked eagerly, a hopeful glint in his eyes.

“Yeah,” Tommy confirmed, a small smile playing on his lips.

“’Kay great.” Without thinking, Buck reached across the table and gently placed his hand on top of Tommy's, feeling a rush of warmth and butterflies in his stomach as Tommy's other hand immediately covered is.

A comfortable silence enveloped them, allowing Buck to relish the sensation of holding hands.

“So,” Tommy finally spoke lightly, his fingertip lightly brushing against his knuckles. “You told your sister about me?”

“Well more about me yet again managing to mess up a date but yeah, you came up.” Buck chuckled, his cheeks flushing slightly.

“Dare I ask what she thinks?” Tommy asked, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.

“She’s happy for me. And probably pleased that I survived the date without an emergency tracheotomy again.”

“Come again?” Tommy raised an eyebrow in surprise, sounding half concerned.

“It’s uh a long and embarrassing story.” Buck chuckled, scratching the back of his head. His cheeks flushed deeper.

“I don’t know about you but I have time,” Tommy smiled, giving Buck's hand a reassuring squeeze “And I would love to get to know you.”

“Yeah, I do have time.” Buck replied, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. The unspoken ‘for you’ lingered at the tip of his tongue.

——-

They lingered at their table for longer than it was probably appropriate. Their conversations about work and light personal stories made time fly. In what felt like mere moments, even though the coffee had long gone cold, Tommy checked the time on his phone and sighed.

“I've got a shift starting soon.”

Buck offered to walk him back to his car, reluctantly pulling his hand away from where it had been grazing Tommy’s on the table. As they strolled to the car, time seemed to pass too quickly, even though they didn’t rush. Buck enjoyed the closeness, and though they weren’t holding hands, as they walked, their fingertips lightly brushing against each other.

“So I still don’t know your coffee order.” Buck mentioned as they stood beside Tommy’s car, not wanting their time together to end just yet. They would have to part ways soon enough, but neither of them seemed eager to do so.

“I guess we will have to keep going out on coffee dates until you figure it out.”Tommy smirked, his eyes glinting with mischief.

“I would like that.” Buck replied, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

“Me too.” Tommy smiled warmly and Buck couldn't help but glance down, not so discreetly, at his lips. He subconsciously lifted his hand and touched his own lips, their last kiss, fresh in his mind. He watched as Tommy’s gaze moved to his lips as well, catching the action. Buck wanted to kiss him again. Or be kissed by him. Whichever came sooner.

“I should get going,” Tommy finally mentioned, his eyes flicking back to Buck’s. With knees that felt like they were about to give out, and feeling a burst of courage, Buck closed the space between them, letting his lips brush against Tommy’s. He wasn’t as smooth about it as Tommy was, almost clashing their teeth together in his eagerness . But none of it mattered. Any coherent thought vanished as Tommy wrapped his arm around Buck's waist, pulling him closer as he returned the kiss. It was as chaste of a kiss as it was in his apartment, but it made Buck melt into the embrace. His hand instinctively reached for Tommy’s bicep, feeling the firm muscle beneath the hoodie. He could taste the coffee Tommy drank on his lips, the smell of his cologne hitting Buck’s senses and sending a pleasant shiver down his back. A smile broke out on Tommy’s face as he parted his lips and leaned into the kiss more.

Momentarily, Buck forgot they were in the parking lot, so consumed by the feeling of Tommy. He almost whined as the man finally pulled away, instinctively trying to reach for Tommy’s lips again.

Reopening his eyes, Buck watched as a grin spread across Tommy’s face, his eyes smoldering with intensity.

“You are something else, Evan,” Tommy murmured, his tone filled with adoration.

The tips of Buck's ears burned, and he ducked shyly at the compliment.

“Have a good shift,” Buck smiled coyly. “And call me.”

With a chuckle and a promise of a call later, they separated. Buck slowly made his way to his jeep, a stupid grin plastered on his face and excitement cursing through his veins

———-

#911 abc #911 show #911 spoilers #evan buckley #buck x tommy #bucktommy #bi buck #tommy kinard #ao3 #fanfiction #kinkley #tuck

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weebsinstash · 13 days ago

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I'm actually so relieved I brought Allister in because one of my biggest fears was that he wasn't eating enough, because he would be slowly picking at his breakfasts and dinners and the portions, visually, seem small, and the vet let me know he actually gained a little bit of weight since his last appointment and that he looks and acts super healthy 😭❤️ I was so worried he wasn't getting enough food in his body but I need to keep reminding myself the portions of food he's getting now may not look like much but he's getting a lot more calories than he was getting before with the wet food, so even if he isn't licking his plate clean, he's technically still eating more than he used to eating his previous meals in entirety

It sounds like basically what the vet strongly believes this is is, he's just still adjusting to his new diet, because if you guys remember, he was eating wet food before, and uh, kind of portions that I found out were too small, like a 'he was potentially not getting enough daily calories' kind of mistake, so he's had this gradual dietary change of me increasing his portions over time, and on top of that, all the added fiber was occasionally giving him gas, but I can tell he's adjusting to it and it's a lot better now (he let loose some NASTY ass last night while he was in my lap but at least I'm not jolting awake in the middle of the night worried he's had an accident anymore)

I'm super happy because it kind of feels like. This is finally confirmation he's out of the red and he's going to be doing good from now on. I just have to make sure he doesn't gain too much weight and they told me a way to weigh him could be weighing myself and then weighing myself holding him, which I feel stupid for not thinking of before but I didn't realize that would work 😅 they said it sounds super good that he's having regular poops just with his cisapride and that it was totally OK and even recommended that I wasn't giving him stool softeners or laxatives anymore because that was just more stuff that could make him queasy, so I'm also glad I called that right

This vet in particular also said, sometimes certain animals are just social eaters and est better with company and I definitely see this in Allister (I think it's a combo of anxiety and being bullied by other cats in the past) and she says since he's in a single kitty home there's no need to worry about "letting him graze" and leaving his food down all day if he doesn't want to eat the entire portion right away and that some cats are kind of just "snackers" and that's perfectly ok

Oh and also oh my gosh, I could cry, so, there are multiple vets at this clinic, right, and the one I'm seeing today is one I haven't seen before, but. She's the first one to tell me she actually disagrees with the idea that, if Allister were to need another cystotomy, another bladder stone removal, that she disagrees that he would be too old to have any more. I know medicine can be subjective but I'm really happy to hear her say it actually wouldn't be entirely impossible for him to have that surgery again in an emergency, more so that the risk increases over time. It just really takes a lot of stress off my mind because these damn oxalate stones are like, the boogeyman waiting to pop back up again, you know? The type he has can't be dissolved once they're around but they're easier to prevent, so.... it's just. . I finally have him in this environment where i can get him the exact care he needs and I'm happy to know that he won't be taken away from me due to how my mom was feeding him before. I can finally, fully protect and care for my baby exactly how he needs and how i want to

They also gave me some tips on how I can give Allister this one powdered supplement he takes for his stones that I haven't been able to give him with his dry food. They say as long as he's eating his prescription diet 99% of the time, giving him snacks or other things that are outside of those dietary requirements should be fine, so there are things I can give him to put these powdered vitamins in like the squeezy tubes or pill pockets for cats, so im also really glad to have that questioned answered

Sigh! In a happy way, with relief. Having him seen today took longer than it was supposed to because they were so busy they couldn't see me until an hour after I was scheduled but the overall cost isn't anything at all and it brought me such peace of mind. I'm so relieved. I'm gonna go home and have a nice drink and maybe play some video games or something with my little baby boy in my lap ❤️

#i need to get my ass back into genshin impact tbh. sounds like the game has gotten huge since i used to play #i was a mobile player but eventually got a ps4 file lol

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thegirlwhowrites642 · 2 years ago

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Do you think Harry is handsome?

Let's answer this question properly so people can finally stop talking about this.

Technically, there's a quote from Rowling that says that James, while not as handsome as Sirius, is good-looking. Harry looks like James, so that should solve it.

This is not really about remembering what's written in the books (something JKR clearly doesn't know how to do) so we could even take that statement and be done with it.

But fuck JKR.

Let's start with James.

It's said that Sirius and James could have been mistaken for brothers. Obviously, while this is a reference to how close they were, it must also mean they looked kind of alike. After all, they were two tall white English posh boys with black hair. But Sirius is supposed to be incredibly handsome so I highly doubt you could mistake someone that is not conventionally good-looking for his brother.

You could add that the kind of arrogance James displays is very difficult to have if you are not somewhat good-looking. James is also very popular, and as good as the guy can be at Quidditch, he is a massive nerd, so to achieve the super-popular status he must have been good-looking.

When Lily shouts at him about messing up his hair, her accusation is that he is doing it to look cooler, never heard of someone that looks cooler by being less good-looking. His hypothetically looking like an idiot for doing it doesn't seem to align with his being popular and also, the guy has friends, and one of those friends is Sirius, if it made him look like an idiot he would know.

This could already settle the issue, but let's talk about Harry.

Harry starts the story as this short underfed thing but he changes during the story.

Between fourth and fifth year, he has his first growth spurt. He seems to have another between fifth and sixth year.

In the fifth book, Pansy substantially calls Harry ugly while he is on a date with Cho. Now, I'm sure she was exaggerating but he mustn't have looked like a model for her to be able to say that. What is also true is that Harry has gone through a growth spurt while being starved and hyper-stressed and with what? Four hours of sleep each night? He mustn't have looked at his best.

In fourth year, Cho, who is a year older, barely knows him (which means personality is not a factor), and is dating Cedric, a supposedly handsome guy, seems to kind of like him. She doesn't find him ugly for sure. Harry here is still pretty short so I imagine he must have a quite decent facial structure. To be fair, considering Cho's behaviour with the whole date/post-article mess, one could argue that maybe she just had a bit of a popularity fetish. This is up to everyone's personal interpretation I suppose.

At the start of sixth year, Hermione tells Harry that one of the reasons why girls like him is that he got taller, but it's just a way to say they find him good-looking. He wasn't short the year before, and sure now there's the difference that they don't think he is completely nuts, but the implication is very clear. If you think about it, it's pretty reasonable, this is probably the first time in Harry's life he looks healthy, surely the first time since he got tall. He spent nearly all summer at the Burrow being properly fed, playing Quidditch under the sun, and falling in love which is always good for the skin (I'm completely serious, it's a hormones thing).

After the war, Harry becomes an Auror, so he definitely is very much in shape. And we have already established he has a good facial structure, he's tall, and his messy hair is recognised as attractive. And, I mean, the combination of black hair and green eyes must not be horrible.

At last, let's talk about something I'm sure no one cares about besides me. Harry and Ginny's stories are built in parallel because they are meant to be equals. They are both popular, they are both charismatic, and they are both famous. Ginny is meant to be this undisputably beautiful girl, so undeniably beautiful that not even the people who hate her can deny it. If Harry isn't, not necessarily as good-looking but still conventionally good-looking, the structure gets ruined.

So, yeah, Harry is handsome. Not Sirius handsome, but handsome.

[If someone writes me that attractiveness is subjective I swear to God, I'm blocking them. We are talking about conventional beauty here. And, yes, knowing if a character is or is not conventionally good-looking is pretty important to be able to write them correctly]

#harry potter

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spacedlexi · 10 months ago

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Wait, people think Carver is the best TWDG villain?? I always thought he was basic as hell, and the fact that he was beefing with an 11-years old girl... Now Stranger on the other hand was great, he was super intimidating and off-putting and I was genuinely so scared he would hurt Clementine. I also liked Minnie for the same reasons (she was so creepy/off-putting), but I still think Stranger is the best villain bc he had a great setup while Minnie was kind of a secondary villain. But going back to Lilly/Carver, I also definitely prefer Lilly over Carver even though neither are my favorite... And now I'm kind of curious how you would rank the rest of the TWDG villains? 🤔

carver being the best villain is a sentiment ive heard for years 😭 im sure its coming from the "S2 is the best season" crowd tho which i also dont agree with 💀

the stranger is an effective villain. hes not exactly the typical villain type people expect. but hes very unsettling and him stalking clementine for who even knows how long through the walkie talkie is 🤢 he really makes me feel sick. she was using that talkie to deal with the loss of her parents, and this fucking creep took advantage of that so hard he was able to convince her to trust him. ugh he makes me feel so gross. and think of all the guilt clem must have about that situation. trusting this freak to help her find her parents, when if she had just stayed then lee wouldnt have gotten bit looking for her, and her parents were already dead the entire time anyway. oof. theres no way that isnt one of the biggest regrets of her life

carver is fine. i definitely think his character wouldve made more sense if they put kenny in that role instead. that way theres less "i am a grown man beefing with an 11 year old" and more "this is a child i helped look out for once, and im gonna make sure shes raised Right". but i agree that carver as he is is just over the top. overly villainous to the point of it being a little comical. like when villains are all tough like that my reaction is usually "god i WISH youd fucking kill me already so i dont have to hear your bullshit anymore do you know how GOOFY you sound??". if it was kenny in that role i definitely think they wouldve been able to tone it back a bit, and him "having a good side" wouldve been way more believable. as he is carver is kind of one note

joan.... definitely the weakest of the bunch. i dont really have much to say about her. david isnt even technically a villain but i definitely saw him as the better antagonist for the season. i mean hes definitely a villain in clems eyes. and is a constant semi-antagonist towards javi throughout the whole season. joans just kinda.. there.. doing things behind the scenes to cause conflict until the final confrontation. and then she can just disappear... okay

i like the way the antagonists work in S4. theres more of a discussion around what actually makes someone a villain and the difference between a person who fucked up and made (very horrible) mistakes, and a person who is straight up a threat. and i like that it connects back to the idea of lee and his murder of that senator. did he do something horrible? yes. did he destroy his relationship to his family? yes. does he regret what he did? i think so. and he definitely has guilt about his fucked up relationship with his wife. in S1 they mention how non-guilty people got sent to prison all the time. while lee is Definitely a murderer, we get to see over the season that hes a good guy who just wanted a family and in a moment of rage and betrayal did something he can never take back. this is why i never hated marlon. did he fuck up and do horrible things? of course. but he was a scared fucked up teen leading a group of other scared fucked up teens. he knows he fucked up, and continued fucking up to cover for his previous fuck ups lol. but he can be talked down. its a shame it ends the way it does, but i really like being able to teach aj the difference between people like marlon and people like lilly

lilly takes that kenny/carver idea and applies it to a clementine that has grown up and has been looking out for herself (and baby aj) for years now, instead of the 11 year old trying to figure shit out she was in S2. shes too old for lilly to be able to sway her in a way she couldve been more susceptible to in S2, and when lilly finally realizes this she just turns her attention to aj instead, seeing the potential in him (a potential clem does NOT want aj to live up to, wanting him to get to be a kid and not just a survivor, let alone a killer). lilly is fun because you can see in her that she WANTS clementine on her side, and throughout the season progressively realizes that its just never going to happen. both lilly AND clem come to the realization that this person they once considered family is beyond reason, their views too different, and so the fighting begins. their fight at the end of EP3 really feels like a "so its finally come to this" moment for both of them, their final fight. i always shoot her.

whats interesting about minnie is seeing her evolve from secondary antagonist in EP3 to straight up primary villain in EP4. the things shes done, the way shes been broken. she becomes her own downfall, seeing herself as someone beyond redemption. that this is just who she is now, its how things have to be. because if they didnt have to be this way? well then theres a lot more guilt she'd have to deal with. yelling at her in EP4 to just STOP FOR THE LOVE OF GOD YOU DONT HAVE TO DO THIS ANYMORE but she has been changed (in her eyes) so irreparably that she cant see any other option. and she progressively sees clem as the one who fucked everything up for her, instead of accepting that it could all finally be OVER. after killing sophie, the delta was all she had left. it cant have all been for nothing. and so she blames clem for taking it all away from her, even tho clem is just trying to protect her family. the family that used to be minnies. and so in her rage she gets bit. something else that she couldve avoided. but shes just too lost to her own downward spiral, unable to be reasoned with. by that point she just wants it all to be Over. and she wants to take tenn with her so she can finally pretend things can all go back to the way they used to be. her, sophie, tenn, and their parents all together again, where no more bad things have to happen to them. shes super tragic and i love her for that. and i love how she holds this dark mirror up to clem. clem struggles to let go of her past too, and the guilt she has over the things shes done and people shes hurt. and that if she cant learn to let go and move on she could get lost to it the same way minnie did. theres a reason clem is so quick to accept her fate, but shes finally able to leave that guilt holding her to her past behind in that barn. and she returns to ericson a much happier and lighter person, so much weight finally lifted from her shoulders. its finally over for her too

so yeah. my fave villains are definitely the S4 ones due to their nuance and layers. then the stranger, then carver, then joan. if i had to put david on this list he'd probably be above carver. but thats mainly because he has more nuance than carver ever did

#S4 addressing themes of rehabilitation makes me sooo happy #twdg #long as post be upon you #replies with lexi #incognito

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lfghughes · 1 year ago

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Heaven Can’t Help Me Now | Trevor pt. 2

a/n: starting to feel like i made a mistake of writing this because i think my own feelings are going to get hurt in the end

You weren’t sure you would be able to fall asleep, not with the way your brain was thinking in overdrive. Trevor clearly had no issue falling asleep and well why would he? He had no clue that the night before you and Jamie had almost kissed. Somehow you managed to turn your brain off enough to fall asleep. It had passed almost too quickly though and all you wanted once the morning rolled around was to sleep more.

The boys had plans though and no matter what Trevor had said the night before or technically very very early this morning, you both were not staying in this bed all day. When you woke up, his arm was still around you and his face was currently buried into your neck. You didn’t want to really wake him up but you moved slightly, hoping to get out from under his arm in a quick attempt so you could go to the bathroom.

“No, not yet.” Trevor grumbled against you as he pulled you in, closing off any space there had been when you had tried to move. “We have to start getting ready, I’m sure the other boys are up.” Which could be true or if they were struggling like the two of you maybe not. “Just a few minutes like this please.” He pressed some kisses onto your shoulder which did all the convincing you needed.

You turned your body so you could look at him and there was that goofy morning grin on his face. “Good morning.” He whispered to you before pressing a quick kiss to your lips. “Trevor, maybe we should..” He pressed another kiss to your lips, interrupting you mid sentence. “We don’t have to talk about anything. We’re just two friends on vacation who are having fun, right? No need in overcomplicating anything right now.”

His words would have been easy to go along with if it weren’t for the fact this was going to be a lot more complicated than even he could imagine. But also somehow he had you convinced. What happened in Canada could definitely stay in Canada. Plus it didn’t look like Trevor was really expecting anything past this so no big deal like he had said. “Okay.” You agreed and just like that his lips were back on yours, this time replicating the kiss from last night.

It was getting a little easy to lose yourself in these kisses with him and if he kept this up maybe you two wouldn’t be making it out of this bed today. A loud pounding on the door quickly erased that thought from your head. Trevor pulled away, another frustrated groan leaving his lips. “If we don’t say anything, they’ll think we’re sleeping.” He whispered to you as he leaned back down to kiss you again.

This time Jacks voice rang out. “T-dawg! Stop making out with your girl and let us in.” A laugh erupted from your lips as Trevor let out a small sigh, leaning his forehead against yours. “We’re not done yet.” He told you before getting up and going to the door, waiting for you to adjust yourself before letting Jack and Cole into the room. “You guys aren’t even dressed yet.” Cole pointed out.

Getting ready didn’t take too long for the both of you since the two boys were rushing you guys. The plan so far for the day was lunch and then you guys were going out on some boat. Lunch ended up being nice but the boat was definitely the fun part of the afternoon. As you leaned against one side of the boat, Jack came over to you. “You know, that boy has been head over heels for you for over a year now.” His head nodded towards Trevor and you just furrowed your eyebrows.

No way has Trevor had feelings for you in general much less for over a year. He was the type of guy that wasn’t afraid to say things so maybe Jack was wrong or was just teasing you. “We’re just friends.” You told him but your cheeks glowed red as you thought about last night and this morning. “Riiight.” Jack told you with a nod of his head.

You looked across at Trevor and his eyes caught yours, waving you over. Perfect timing to break away from Jack. As soon as you got in front of him, he wrapped his arms around your waist and brought you down to sit on his lap. He pressed a kiss to your shoulder and Jacks words rang back to you in your head. “What were you two talking about?” Trevor asked, looking up at Jack. “He was just teasing about this morning.”

Letting your body relax against Trevors you tried to picture a world where he did have the feelings Jack had said he does. Did you share them back the same way? You could picture you guys together and the relationship you would have. The beginning of this week had already given you a glimpse of it. Who knew how the rest of the week would go. A part of your heart ached at even thinking about the end of the week when you would be leaving. But then a voice rang in the back of your head reminding you about Jamie back home and that friendship.

#trevor zegras #trevor zegras blurb #trevor zegras imagine #trevor zegras x reader #( heaven cant help me now ft jamie & trevor )

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kitchen-spoon · 1 year ago

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Rockstar Eddie 90’s Drabble {steddie}

Steddie I 2.7k I 1/1

Sorry for any spelling mistakes etc..

Its 1992 and corroded coffin has made it big. Eddie and the band are famous now, selling out stadiums and living their dreams. He is one of the most talked about metal musicians of the era. And to make it even better Steve has been there for all of it since 1987 technically earlier but it took them awhile to get their shit together.

Being famous means getting to live with luxuries and Eddie loves spoiling Steve with them. Going to the spa was a big hit. Eddie was nervous at first but knowing Steve and his penchant for self care especially hair care he should have know it would soon become one of Steve’s favourite indulgences. Which is exactly why Eddie was suggesting it for their current situation.

As time went on all the upside down action began to catch up with everyone in the party but Steve especially. Chronic migraines, memory issues and random bouts of nausea just being the start of it. When they moved to California it was Gareth that brought up the idea of using marijuana medicinally, siting his uncle who had been using it for his arthritis for years.

Steve was hesitant at first, ever since star-court he had stayed away from anything stronger cigarettes but as time went on things were only going to get worse so he gave it a chance. As predicted it did not go well at first. Steve was already an anxious hyper vigilant person and the weed just heightened that, making him extra paranoid. But with work and a lot of patience from Eddie they found a way to make it work. They made a routine and stuck to it every-time which was why Steve was so thrown for a loop when Eddie suggested he take some edibles before they hit up a spa in the city.

“I know its scary baby but think of it as a trial run for Europe.” Eddie took Steve’s hands in his own, ducking his head down to catch his boyfriends eyes. “The tour starts in a month, and you know how flying affects your migraines, especially long flights.”

Steve bit his lip, “It does get really bad.” He sighed. “But I don’t know, I got so freaked out with just you and the guys around. I don’t think being in public is gonna go better than that.”

“Then I’ll rent out the spa.” Eddie said immediately like it was the easiest thing in the world and not a thousands of dollar decision. For Eddie though spoiling Steve was the easiest thing in the world money truly was no object and would never be enough to show his gratitude for how fiercely Steve stuck by his side during his and the band’s rocky climb to fame.

“Eddie no.” Steve shook his head, unable to hold back his smile.

Eddie couldn’t help but smile back “Fine what if we go somewhere more exclusive, less people.” He raised his eyebrows. “Less chance of being recognized too, everyone there will be so rich and up their own ass they won’t care about lil ‘ol me.”

“I’ll consider it. But we also need to outline a plan and have a quick evacuation set up.” Steve tried to sound stern but he knew he was already going to give in to his boyfriend’s plan.

“Consider it done Stevie.” Eddie squeezed Steve’s hands as he got up. “I’ll take good care of you baby don’t worry.” He leaned down and gave his boyfriend’s forehead a kiss before disappearing off into his office.

***

Eddie’s new plan consisted of them driving out 2 hours to Joshua Tree where he had an emergency hotel booked and one of their regular drivers on stand by incase they needed to make a hasty exit. He also got the edibles from their regular source and was sure to check the dosage 3 times over before letting Steve even look at them.

About 30 minutes away from the Spa Steve ate the gummy’s. That ensured he was still be sober during their check in which he insisted and gave him 30 minutes to acclimatize to the environment before they started to kick in.

Steve began to feel it as he and Eddie walked on the warm stone path outside the spa building, fluffy white robes on, pinkies linked. They were making their way to the heated pool to loosen up before their couples massage. Then they were getting facials and sitting in a mud bath then getting scalp treatments at Eddie’s request. The day’s itinerary was planned by Steve with special consideration of him being high. It also gave him reassurance that there was a structure he knew they’d be following. When Eddie first started getting money and in turn started spoiling Steve, Steve felt guilty. He always tried to hold back, having to be pushed by Eddie to actually get what he wanted, to ask for the cucumber in his water, to book the facials and the mud bath. Now though Steve knew Eddie enjoyed it as much as he did because he knew it made Steve happy. It also kept him looking young so he couldn’t complain too much.

“Baby.” Steve barley whispered, his palm sliding into Eddie’s so he could squeeze his boyfriend’s hand.

Eddie glanced over at him, a calm smile on his lips. “Its okay sweetheart I got you. Its still early only 2 other people are here and they are on the other side of the spa.” Eddie kept his hand in Steve’s guiding him over to the warm salt water pool.

Steve slowly waded into the water with the help of his boyfriend, settling against Eddies side in the far corner of the pool. He took a deep breath embracing the light headed floaty feeling washing over him.

“Feeling okay sweetheart?” Eddie’s voice made him jolt, momentarily forgetting where he was. Steve moved to sit up but Eddie settled a hand around his shoulder, his musician fingers sliding slowly over Steve’s bicep. “Sorry didn’t mean to scare you. You just look very content, its Sexy.” Eddie leaned in closer his lips brushing Steve’s ear.

Steve giggled, twisting his head away from Eddie to avoid the ticklish light touches. It made the water splash around them making Steve giggle more, he opened his eyes gasping and slapping a hand over his mouth. “Sorry” he whispered but Eddie was already shaking his head.

“Don’t be, nobody is around you’re all good.” Eddie smiled, brushing Steve’s hair back. “You’re enjoying yourself its what you’re supposed to do.”

“Okay,” Steve agreed easily with a nod. He leaned his face into Eddie’s hand and closed his eyes letting out a pleased hum when Eddie began scratching his nails over his scalp.

They stayed like that for another 15 minutes before making their way back inside the spa building for their massages. Eddie kept an arm wrapped around Steve the entire way, his fingers continuing to brush Steve’s shoulder when he felt his boyfriend get tense at the sight of other people.

“Hello, for Eddie and Steve?” A woman wearing what looked like scrubs asked them.

Steve stayed silent but gave her a nod trying his best to keep his face neutral. Most of his paranoia when high was with other people and having to interact with them. He was always afraid they could tell and were judging him. He always feared he was acting weirdly but couldn’t tell and nobody was saying anything and he unknowingly embarrassed himself or even Eddie. Because he was openly associated with Eddie his actions impacted his boyfriend’s reputation and he would never want to do anything to tarnish it.

“Okay Stevie c’mon time to relax.” Eddie’s voice made Steve blink, not even realizing he had zoned out. He looked around and both massage therapists were gone. “Lets get you undressed honey, that okay? Can I take this off?” Eddie’s fingers were wrapped around the belt of Steve’s robe but were still, waiting for his reply.

“Wha- yeah, yeah of course.” Steve said, his eyes focused back on Eddie’s face and he was met with a fond smile.

Eddie undid the belt of Steve’s robe then brought his hands up sliding them along Steve’s collarbones then over his shoulders, his arms catching on the robe and dragging it along as his hands continued to move across Steve’s body. Once the robe was off he hung it on the back of one of the chairs then made his way back to Steve.

“Arms up here big boy.” Eddie patted his own shoulders.

Steve giggled, his face turning pink as he followed Eddie’s instructions.

“These okay to come off too?” Eddie’s hands rested at Steve’s hips, fingers dipping just beneath the waistband of Steve’s swim shorts.

Steve bit his lip, his cheeks still burning, “mhmm” he nodded.

Eddie smirked back at him slowly dragging the shorts down until he was crouched. He tapped Steve’s ankles getting his boyfriend to step out of his swimsuit one foot at a time.

“Good job baby, now go lay down I’ll be right there.” Eddie took Steve by the shoulders and faced him towards the beds.

He folded Steve’s swim shorts up and placed them on the same chair as the robe. He then worked to undress himself, folding and hanging his own swim trunks and robe. He made his way over to the two beds smiling at Steve’s who was laying face down with his head turned to the side so he could watch Eddie.

“Want me to cover you?” Steve shifted up onto his elbows as Eddie got closer.

“I’m all good sweetheart don’t you worry.” Eddie gave Steve a quick peck then moved to cover his boyfriend up before worrying about himself.

A few minutes later there was a light knock on the door and the massage therapists were back. Soothing spa music began playing through the speakers, and oil was poured on their backs. Steve let Eddie’s pinky slip away from where it was wrapped around his own, turning his head into the rest and closing his eyes.

The massage felt amazing, it was like Steve could feel each individual line of his muscles being untangled and smoothed out. It created a low level hum throughout his entire body, like every single nerve ending was being stimulated all at once. He could hear groans come from Eddie every once and awhile and hoped he wasn’t being to loud either. Steve was glad Eddie was feeling good though, he knew his boyfriend’s back had been giving him issues lately.

Eventually the hands left his skin and he heard the door close once again. Steve kept his eyes closed for a little longer, breathing until the buzzing in his body calmed down enough that he felt he could stand up without bucking at the knee. He still moved a little too quickly though, feeling a little light headed as he sat up. Steve kept his eyes closed, focusing on the sounds of Eddie’s light snoring as he got his bearings. Once he was able to move again he made his way over to Eddie’s table, smoothing his hands through his boyfriend’s hair. Steve got a bit caught up in the motion, his heart jumping a little when Eddie snuffled awake, turning his head and kissing Steve’s palm.

“Morning sweetheart.” He reached a hand out, wrapping it around Steve’s bare waist and pulling him closer. “Ready for the rest of our pampering?”

“Yeah, c’mon”. Steve took the hand from his waist into his own, attempting to tug Eddie up. He ended up stumbling back into his own table, catching himself before falling on his bare ass.

“Alright stumerella, lets go.” Eddie chuckled as he pushed himself up off his bed.

Steve giggled at the nickname even though he didn’t quiet get it. He accepted Eddie’s help getting re-dressed, only smacking suggestive wandering hands away once. Maybe if he was sober he told Eddie who just wiggled his brows and moved on.

The kept their swimsuits on in the mud bath, laying side by side with their heads tilted back and hands intertwined beneath the mud as 2 aestheticians applied masks to their faces and cucumbers over their eyes.

“How you feeling baby?” Eddie asked once the women left the room. They’d be back in 20 minutes to wash the masks off and scrub them down on a wet table.

“Really good.” Steve sighed, his hand squeezing Eddie’s. “I think I could do this again…if you were with me.”

“Hmm sounds great to me, I don’t think I’ve ever been pampered this much.” Eddie tried to smile but his mask pulled and cracked.

“We’re gonna be glowing after all this, like…like glazed donuts or something.” Steve giggled.

“We’re gonna be krispy kreme level glazed…god I wish we had one here.” Eddie sighed.

“God me too, I could eat a whole dozen to myself right now I think.” Steve agreed.

“I’ll get some when we tour the US again, you’ll have to come to every show in a state that has one.”

“Hmm deal if I get a dozen every time.” Steve nodded lazily. “Now I’m so hungry.”

Eddie chuckled, “the munchies are upon us, took longer than I thought.”

“Hey!” Steve pouted.

“Hey! Nothing, I’ve watched you eat an entire tub of ice cream then throw basically all of it up because it gave you a stomach ache.” Eddie was laughing now.

“Whatever, you thought you had jaundice that one time because you and the band smoked for hours while trying to write for the album and you didn’t leave the studio for so long everything had a yellow tinge.” It was Steve’s turn to laugh.

“That was for the sake of creative process!” Eddie defended. “You are so lucky I don’t wanna mess up this mask or I’d mud wrestle you right here right now.”

Steve burst into laughter, just as the door opened again and the aestheticians returned. His teeth clacked as he snapped his mouth closed. They said nothing and Eddie gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

The mud mask was wiped away with warm cloths and a bunch of serums and oils were rubbed into their faces. Then they made their ways over to the wet room where they were wrapped in seaweed then scrubbed down with a giant natural sponge. They both opted for the lotion after and were thankful for it as it was basically a second massage.

All that was left was the scalp massage which was what Steve was looking forward to the most. He and Eddie kept their pinkies linked as they laid on their backs, heads tilted back into water basins. Two new aestheticians came in and steamed their scalps, then it was a dry brush through, shampoo with a scalp massage, rinse, hair mask with a neck and shoulder massage while it sat, rinse, conditioner.

Once they were alone again Steve was the first to speak. “You’re curls are going to look amazing baby, like a like a shampoo commercial or something.”

“Hmm not as good as when you do them for me though, you have magic hands baby.” Eddie replied.

“Its why I’m a hairdresser…wait that was an innuendo wasn’t it.”

“It was but it doesn’t matter, i’m the only one who gets both types of magic,” Eddie tugged Steve’s hand up to his lips, placing a kiss on Steve’s knuckles.

Steve rolled his eyes but his cheeks still turned pink “Can we go eat now?” He asked as he sat up. “I’m pretty sure it wore off now so i’ll be okay to be in a restaurant.”

“Sure sweetheart whatever you want.” Eddie sat up as well, pulling Steve over to him.

Steve went over easily, standing between Eddies legs allowing his boyfriend to koala wrap himself around Steve. Steve rested his head on top of Eddie’s his own hands wrapping around Eddie’s upper body.

“Thanks for today.” Steve whispered into Eddie’s damp hair. He played with it idly, fingers wrapping around random strands of hair to define their curl.

“You don’t need to thank me,” Eddie’s hands tightened around Steve’s waist. “I love spoiling you and am so happy I found another way to do that.” He moved back so he could look at Steve.

“I love you.” Steve smiled shyly.

“I love you too.” Eddie grinned, he leaned up pressing his lip’s against Steve’s for a sweet kiss.

As they pulled back Steve’s stomach made a loud grumble causing them both to burst out in a fit of giggles.

“Lets get you to that restaurant sweetheart.”