it's a running theme right now ...
Title: Crazy
Characters: Elena Munez, Jared Phillips (jaggedjared)
Universe(s): A Safe Harbor/Falling Starlight
Timeline: Nebula/Disenchanted
Rating: Mature
Written for jaggedjared. I would like my brain back please. ;)
This concert was a needed distraction, not that she was willing to admit it to anyone but herself. She'd bought the ticket over a month ago, before she knew how much time she'd be devoting to Marshall, before she'd twisted her heart in knots over Jared, before her soul became a toy for her brain and her conscience.
The bouncer glanced at her ID and let her through. She handed her ticket over to the girl at the door and took the steps to the stage level three at a time. These guys were friends of hers, but she hadn't gone out of her way to get a pass. If they caught her and invited her back, she'd take it. But tonight she was here as a music fan. She just needed a shot and to get lost in music she had nothing to do with. Yes, the part of her that was tied to her record label would be listening to the openers, seeing if any would be a good fit, but she really was just here for herself.
It was early and the crowd was still thin. At the bar she ordered a shot of tequila and a jack and coke and made her way over to the sound pit. There was a ledge behind the box that was perfect for setting drinks and she liked to watch the crew guys doing their thing. Falling Starlight had played this venue more than once and she knew the guys, so the smiles they tossed her were comfortable. Next to her, she listened to two guys chat about the upcoming shows and ones they'd seen.
"Yeah," the larger, older one said. "I saw Falling Starlight here once. They're pretty cool."
"The bass player knows what's up," the younger one said. "Always wonder if they hired her though because it's cool to have a chick in the band, you know."
Elena laughed and tossed back her shot. She flashed a smile over her shoulder and shook her head. "Nah, I hired them because it's easier to get ahead with a guy on vocals."
They both sputtered. She laughed and took pity on them but moved on after allowing them a couple of photos. The merch booths all had the same stuff with the same prices and she'd come ready to spend and support. She knew the headliners pretty well and knew she could stash her loot behind their table until after the show was over. She bought download cards and posters and a new hoodie and contributed to one of their bus repair funds. As it was, she was glad they'd rented their last bus but it was time to really make a decision about buying it and the cost was terrifying. A few people recognized her, but everyone was there for the music and her presence didn't matter as much as the artists on stage. Elena nursed her jack and coke as she found her way toward a pillar off to the side of the stage. She leaned against the cool concrete, watching the people around her. The bands faded together, the music and the shadows pressing as the crowd filled and filled and filled. She kept glancing across the room, sure that there were eyes on her, but save for the two or three people who recognized her, there wasn't any reason to believe it. So she leaned against the pillar, letting the music wash over her, and at one point she was sure she'd drown.
The band launched into an all too familiar ballad and she closed her eyes, fighting back tears. Suddenly, she felt a touch on her arm, but she wasn't surprised. She wasn't scared. Instead, she opened her eyes and looked into the pair that haunted her dreams every night.
His arms snaked around her and she let herself be pulled from her pillar. He held her against his body and she wrapped her arms around his neck and while the ballad held them close, he held her closer. She pressed her face into his neck and his hands tightened on her and she could stop the shudder or the sob that threatened her. She gripped him closer and closer and before the end of the first chorus, his lips were on hers and the rest of the crowd faded away. It was them and the guitar riffs and how her heart soared as he kissed her.
What in the holy hell was she waiting for?
Why the hell was she so fucking scared?
The song went on forever and ever and by the time the final chord passed through them, she felt Jared pick her up and press her against him and he was shaking and crying too.
"What are you doing here?" She asked.
"What, I can't like music too?" He teased.
She whimpered a bit. The concert was moving on without them; the ballad changing to something rougher, something tougher. But she wanted the softer melodies. She wanted to let herself be in love with her best friend, if only for a moment. He kissed her again and she was glad her hiding spot was far enough away from the press of people so they could fall into each other. She backed into the pillar while his mouth made love to hers, while the music spoke their angst. Their tears mingled while lips danced and hands wandered and when he finally pulled back, she reached up to dry his face.
"I'm sorry, J," she whispered. "God, I am so sorry."
"For what?"
"Breaking both of our hearts."
"The heartbreak doesn't have to continue, you know."
"Marshall ..." she shook her head. "He's not ..."
"And I told you I was willing to deal with that. I get it, Elena. I know why you're there."
"Good, because I sure as hell don't." She let out a shaky, sad breath. "But I ... Fuck, J."
"Here's what is going to happen, Elena. I'm going to kiss you again. The rest ... fuck it, okay? At least til the show is over."
She nodded. For a few minutes, she'd let life be as uncomplicated as she knew it could be if she'd just let her soul win out. And when his lips descended on hers, she knew full well that when the show ended, they'd go their separate ways but she couldn't let him escape. She couldn't let him disappear. She couldn't ... fuck ...
His arms were pulling her close again and she bit down on his neck, just a bit.
"I'm going to Europe in four days," she whispered.
"And I'm going to the East Coast on Saturday." He shivered. "So what, E? We're going to what? Doesn't matter if it's today or six months from now. We're always going to be about to go on the road somewhere."
"But I need more time with you to figure this shit out and I can't ..." She grabbed his hand and dragged him away from the show, which was trapped in a dead zone while the band worked out a bad monitor issue. The smoke that had seemed so romantic a moment ago now was apparently an actual safety hazard. Just outside the stage area were two sets of stairs. One led down to the main entrance the other to a rarely used green room area. Inside the venue room, the lead singer chatted up the crowd and wasted time while the monitor was fixed. Elena and Jared sat on the top stair, ignoring the glare from the bouncer. She linked her fingers through Jared's and with the other hand, wiped the tears from her eyes.
He reached over and dried her cheek with his free hand. "Hey," he shook his head. "let's try something. At least for tonight. Let's not talk. Let's just not talk. Let me kiss you again. Because that's what we both want, no matter what logic and the rest of the world might be telling our brains. Because we both want this and we're letting crap dictate things. It fucking feels right, E, but we're both taking off and the road is going to take up so much time and God knows when we'll actually talk so fuck it. Let me just kiss you. Right here. Right now. Because you're leaving and I'm leaving and we'll figure the rest out later. So let me kiss you."
She bit her lip and wiped her eyes again before leaning in. His lips grabbed hers as the music started up inside.
In the back of her mind, she knew they stayed until the end of the concert. Pressed against a far wall, she leaned against him while his hands roamed from her hips up to just under her breasts and back again. Ballads pushed them closer together, his lips on her neck, brushing her ear, her hands finding steady ground on his thighs.
They ended up in her car, at one of the all night beaches. Parked in the shadows behind the lifeguard tower, she slipped from the driver's seat into his lap, both of them tugging on clothes and trying to touch every inch of skin. With the songs from the concert playing softly on the speakers, Jared's fingers slipped inside her jeans, teasing her, and while she rode the wave he created for her, she could see his hips searching for contact. Pants and space confining them, the close contact they craved wasn't possible, but she slipped back into her seat and unzipped his jeans, pulling him free. He groaned, his hand in her hair as she bent to take him in her mouth. She swallowed when he came and listened to him panting, gasping to catch his breath. Both of them held back the words that were teasing their lips.
Elena pulled the car out of the parking lot just as a cop pulled in, searching for people who were doing what they'd just finished. That of all things broke the tension and they started to giggle as she drove back to where his car was parked.
In the parking lot, she stopped him from climing out. "J ..."
He looked back at her, took her hand, kissed her fingers. "Have a good trip to Europe, E. We'll both be back in a couple of weeks." He paused. "I'll be waiting, okay?"
It was hard to breathe. His eyes were so full of everything she was so scared to say. "Thank you," she whispered. "I ...."
"I know." He leaned over and kissed her. "I know. Happy Thanksgiving, E. I love you."
And she knew he didn't just mean as friends. She grabbed him and pulled him back and kissed him. Hard. "I love you too. And thank you."
He smiled and climbed from the car.
Elena cried the whole drive to her mother's.
Characters: Elena Munez, Jared Phillips (jaggedjared)
Universe(s): A Safe Harbor/Falling Starlight
Timeline: Nebula/Disenchanted
Rating: Mature
Written for jaggedjared. I would like my brain back please. ;)
This concert was a needed distraction, not that she was willing to admit it to anyone but herself. She'd bought the ticket over a month ago, before she knew how much time she'd be devoting to Marshall, before she'd twisted her heart in knots over Jared, before her soul became a toy for her brain and her conscience.
The bouncer glanced at her ID and let her through. She handed her ticket over to the girl at the door and took the steps to the stage level three at a time. These guys were friends of hers, but she hadn't gone out of her way to get a pass. If they caught her and invited her back, she'd take it. But tonight she was here as a music fan. She just needed a shot and to get lost in music she had nothing to do with. Yes, the part of her that was tied to her record label would be listening to the openers, seeing if any would be a good fit, but she really was just here for herself.
It was early and the crowd was still thin. At the bar she ordered a shot of tequila and a jack and coke and made her way over to the sound pit. There was a ledge behind the box that was perfect for setting drinks and she liked to watch the crew guys doing their thing. Falling Starlight had played this venue more than once and she knew the guys, so the smiles they tossed her were comfortable. Next to her, she listened to two guys chat about the upcoming shows and ones they'd seen.
"Yeah," the larger, older one said. "I saw Falling Starlight here once. They're pretty cool."
"The bass player knows what's up," the younger one said. "Always wonder if they hired her though because it's cool to have a chick in the band, you know."
Elena laughed and tossed back her shot. She flashed a smile over her shoulder and shook her head. "Nah, I hired them because it's easier to get ahead with a guy on vocals."
They both sputtered. She laughed and took pity on them but moved on after allowing them a couple of photos. The merch booths all had the same stuff with the same prices and she'd come ready to spend and support. She knew the headliners pretty well and knew she could stash her loot behind their table until after the show was over. She bought download cards and posters and a new hoodie and contributed to one of their bus repair funds. As it was, she was glad they'd rented their last bus but it was time to really make a decision about buying it and the cost was terrifying. A few people recognized her, but everyone was there for the music and her presence didn't matter as much as the artists on stage. Elena nursed her jack and coke as she found her way toward a pillar off to the side of the stage. She leaned against the cool concrete, watching the people around her. The bands faded together, the music and the shadows pressing as the crowd filled and filled and filled. She kept glancing across the room, sure that there were eyes on her, but save for the two or three people who recognized her, there wasn't any reason to believe it. So she leaned against the pillar, letting the music wash over her, and at one point she was sure she'd drown.
The band launched into an all too familiar ballad and she closed her eyes, fighting back tears. Suddenly, she felt a touch on her arm, but she wasn't surprised. She wasn't scared. Instead, she opened her eyes and looked into the pair that haunted her dreams every night.
His arms snaked around her and she let herself be pulled from her pillar. He held her against his body and she wrapped her arms around his neck and while the ballad held them close, he held her closer. She pressed her face into his neck and his hands tightened on her and she could stop the shudder or the sob that threatened her. She gripped him closer and closer and before the end of the first chorus, his lips were on hers and the rest of the crowd faded away. It was them and the guitar riffs and how her heart soared as he kissed her.
What in the holy hell was she waiting for?
Why the hell was she so fucking scared?
The song went on forever and ever and by the time the final chord passed through them, she felt Jared pick her up and press her against him and he was shaking and crying too.
"What are you doing here?" She asked.
"What, I can't like music too?" He teased.
She whimpered a bit. The concert was moving on without them; the ballad changing to something rougher, something tougher. But she wanted the softer melodies. She wanted to let herself be in love with her best friend, if only for a moment. He kissed her again and she was glad her hiding spot was far enough away from the press of people so they could fall into each other. She backed into the pillar while his mouth made love to hers, while the music spoke their angst. Their tears mingled while lips danced and hands wandered and when he finally pulled back, she reached up to dry his face.
"I'm sorry, J," she whispered. "God, I am so sorry."
"For what?"
"Breaking both of our hearts."
"The heartbreak doesn't have to continue, you know."
"Marshall ..." she shook her head. "He's not ..."
"And I told you I was willing to deal with that. I get it, Elena. I know why you're there."
"Good, because I sure as hell don't." She let out a shaky, sad breath. "But I ... Fuck, J."
"Here's what is going to happen, Elena. I'm going to kiss you again. The rest ... fuck it, okay? At least til the show is over."
She nodded. For a few minutes, she'd let life be as uncomplicated as she knew it could be if she'd just let her soul win out. And when his lips descended on hers, she knew full well that when the show ended, they'd go their separate ways but she couldn't let him escape. She couldn't let him disappear. She couldn't ... fuck ...
His arms were pulling her close again and she bit down on his neck, just a bit.
"I'm going to Europe in four days," she whispered.
"And I'm going to the East Coast on Saturday." He shivered. "So what, E? We're going to what? Doesn't matter if it's today or six months from now. We're always going to be about to go on the road somewhere."
"But I need more time with you to figure this shit out and I can't ..." She grabbed his hand and dragged him away from the show, which was trapped in a dead zone while the band worked out a bad monitor issue. The smoke that had seemed so romantic a moment ago now was apparently an actual safety hazard. Just outside the stage area were two sets of stairs. One led down to the main entrance the other to a rarely used green room area. Inside the venue room, the lead singer chatted up the crowd and wasted time while the monitor was fixed. Elena and Jared sat on the top stair, ignoring the glare from the bouncer. She linked her fingers through Jared's and with the other hand, wiped the tears from her eyes.
He reached over and dried her cheek with his free hand. "Hey," he shook his head. "let's try something. At least for tonight. Let's not talk. Let's just not talk. Let me kiss you again. Because that's what we both want, no matter what logic and the rest of the world might be telling our brains. Because we both want this and we're letting crap dictate things. It fucking feels right, E, but we're both taking off and the road is going to take up so much time and God knows when we'll actually talk so fuck it. Let me just kiss you. Right here. Right now. Because you're leaving and I'm leaving and we'll figure the rest out later. So let me kiss you."
She bit her lip and wiped her eyes again before leaning in. His lips grabbed hers as the music started up inside.
In the back of her mind, she knew they stayed until the end of the concert. Pressed against a far wall, she leaned against him while his hands roamed from her hips up to just under her breasts and back again. Ballads pushed them closer together, his lips on her neck, brushing her ear, her hands finding steady ground on his thighs.
They ended up in her car, at one of the all night beaches. Parked in the shadows behind the lifeguard tower, she slipped from the driver's seat into his lap, both of them tugging on clothes and trying to touch every inch of skin. With the songs from the concert playing softly on the speakers, Jared's fingers slipped inside her jeans, teasing her, and while she rode the wave he created for her, she could see his hips searching for contact. Pants and space confining them, the close contact they craved wasn't possible, but she slipped back into her seat and unzipped his jeans, pulling him free. He groaned, his hand in her hair as she bent to take him in her mouth. She swallowed when he came and listened to him panting, gasping to catch his breath. Both of them held back the words that were teasing their lips.
Elena pulled the car out of the parking lot just as a cop pulled in, searching for people who were doing what they'd just finished. That of all things broke the tension and they started to giggle as she drove back to where his car was parked.
In the parking lot, she stopped him from climing out. "J ..."
He looked back at her, took her hand, kissed her fingers. "Have a good trip to Europe, E. We'll both be back in a couple of weeks." He paused. "I'll be waiting, okay?"
It was hard to breathe. His eyes were so full of everything she was so scared to say. "Thank you," she whispered. "I ...."
"I know." He leaned over and kissed her. "I know. Happy Thanksgiving, E. I love you."
And she knew he didn't just mean as friends. She grabbed him and pulled him back and kissed him. Hard. "I love you too. And thank you."
He smiled and climbed from the car.
Elena cried the whole drive to her mother's.