"What a fucking night!" I cried as the last of us piled out of Johnny's upon closing time.

It was 3am, and save for about ten or so people, most of them had gone home. Brian and Rayleigh had stayed, but Matt had left hours ago, stating something about "Wife's Curfew". The members of each band that had played tonight had also stayed until close; such was customary to get paid. It was still dark out, but most of the other bars in the area had closed up for the night, too.

"Heyy!" I giggled, seeing Mick and the rest of Dead Joe pile out of the venue. "Duuude!"
"Rikki!" Brian chuckled, watching me drunkenly skip over to them.
"Rikki fuckin' Lee Taylor, is that you?" Mick grinned as I approached him.
"It's me!" I smiled as he put down his Bass - which he carried in a totally kickass Coffin case - and hugged me. "Excellent show tonight, as always."
"It's good to see you again." he replied. "We miss your face around The Anarchy Library."
"Yeahh, I don't go there anymore." I slurred.
"How come?"
"Story for another time." I stated.
"Fair enough." he nodded. "See you next show, maybe?"
"You playing here?" I asked, pointing to the bar.
"Sadly no, usual stomping grounds."
"Let me see how shit goes." I nodded, drunkenly raising a thumb to him.
"Alright, get home safe, please." Mick smiled, stowing his Bass away in the backseat of his car. "See you again soon, I hope."
"I'll take care of her." Brian said, grasping my shoulders to steady me as I struggled to maintain my footing.

Mick nodded in acknowledgement, and he and his boys and got into the car and drove off into the night. The door to Johnny's opened and Rayleigh and Dominic emerged, Dom locking the door behind them. Once all was taken care of; Dom walked over to his car and opened one of the back doors, throwing his backpack into the back seat.

"How are you getting home?" he asked me, popping a cigarette into his mouth.
"I was probably gonna get the bus?"
"Absolutely-fucking-not." Rayleigh scolded me. "Not on your own, not in that state, get in the car."
"Actually, I could split an Uber with her?" Brian suggested. "I'm happy to make sure she gets home safe?"
"I can take care of myself, dammit!" I protested, stomping on the ground.
"And that right there just proves you're shitfaced." Ray chuckled. "But if it's no trouble, Brian, that would be great, and would put my mind at ease."
"Wait, you sure that's such a good idea?" Dom cut in. "I mean, no offence, Brian, but we barely know you."
"Non-taken." he shrugged.
"She'll be fine." Ray groaned, rolling her eyes. "Get an Uber, text me when you get home." she ordered, embracing me for a moment.
"Yesss Mommm." I grumbled.
Dom still seemed uneasy, his lips set in a frown as he scowled at Brian.
"Dom, you gonna drive or what?" she demanded, clicking her fingers to get his attention.
"Yeah." he sighed, opening his door. "Stay safe."
"I will, Daddyyy." I giggled, waving like an idiot as he shook his head and got into the car.

"Someone's protective." Brian smirked, reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out his own cigarettes.
"Sparky doesn't own me." I slurred, accepting the smoke he offered.
"Sparky?" he raised an eyebrow, looking up from his phone as he booked the Uber.
"Stupid lil nickname I came up with for him." I giggled. "He's like... my companion-friend, like a Pikachu, and there's that one episode where Ash meets that kid Ritchie, and he has a Pikachu, and its name is Sparky?"
"You pulled his nickname out of Pokemon?" Brian chuckled, lighting his cigarette and taking a drag.
"Dom and I have a thing for Cartoons." I shrugged, leaning forward as he lit mine. "Pokemon was awesome, in the 90's."
"I was more the type to be outside on my skateboard." he said, flicking ash onto the ground. "My sister loved it, though."
"Besides, fucker calls me Pinkie-Pie all the time, shits me." I grumbled.
"Pinkie-Pie?"
"My Little Pony."
"What grown man watches Ponies?" he cringed.
"Oh, you'd be surprised..." I breathed.

The Uber pulled up and Brian and I doused our smokes before getting in the car. Brian took the front seat - being the more-coherent drunk - to direct the driver. I gave him my address, and then slumped back in my seat; digging out the water bottle from my handbag and chugging it. My head was spinning now I was out of the cool night air and inside the humid cabin of the Uber. I hadn't realized how drunk I'd gotten. But then again, when did I ever not get wasted?



Thankfully, my apartment complex was only about a fifteen minute drive from Johnny's, and I was able to get out of the car and back into the cool air before the dizziness drove me to hurl. Brian paid the driver, and opened the back door for me. I climbed out of the car and made my way toward the door of the complex.

"Whoa shit!" I spat, stumbling and dropping my bag in the process.
"Just how much did you drink?" Brian laughed, helping me gather the spilled contents of my bag from the asphalt.
"Enough to forget how to walk, apparently."
"C'mon." he said, offering his hand to me and helping me to my feet. "No-" he protested, lightly slapping my hand away as I tried to take my bag back. "I got it."
"I don't need you to take care of me, ya know." I teased, letting him be chivalrous, but reaching into the bag to retrieve my keys.
"Sure you don't."

I unlocked the door into the main stairwell of the apartment complex and began to climb each floor to my room. Until I slipped and had to grab onto the railing to keep myself from tumbling down the stairs.

"Yeah, totally capable of taking care of yourself." Brian snorted, coming up behind me and drawing my arm over his shoulders. "C'mon, at least let me lead you up the rest of the stairs, before you end up with a broken fuckin' neck and we have to eat hospital food for breakfast."
"Fine." I rolled my eyes.

With Brian's guidance, I made it to the door of my apartment without slipping again. After fumbling with my keys for a few moments, struggling to see under the shitty halogen tube lights, and my distorted vision due to intoxication, I finally unlocked the door and led him inside. I switched on the light, and the gentle pitter-patter of puppy paws on the linoleum floor told me Wraith knew I was home.

"Oh, who's this?" Brian cooed, kneeling down and holding out his hand for Wraith to sniff.
"Wraith."
"How you doin, little dude?" he said, rubbing Wraith's belly as he rolled onto his back.
"You like dogs, I assume?"
"Got a little Maltease back home-" he cleared his throat. "At Michelle's, I mean."
"A fucking Maltease?" I laughed. "I'd have pegged you for a Rottweiler kinda guy, or maybe a Great Dane."
"Little dogs are less maintenance." he replied. "Plus, 'Chelle fell in love with her, couldn't say no."
"Fair point, I suppose, those little fuckers are cute." I said, dumping my bag on the counter and heading for the stairs into the loft. "I'm gonna get out of these sweaty-ass clothes."
"Go for it."

I made my way up to my bedroom and stripped myself out of my denim jacket and Motley Crue t-shirt, sitting down on my bed to undo my Doc Martens and throwing them into the corner. After taking a few minutes to remove my makeup in my tiny, en-suite bathroom, I splashed my face and made my way back downstairs.



"Whoa, Hello." Brian smirked as I descended the stairs, barefoot, in just my bra and jeans.
"Don't get any ideas." I chuckled, shaking my head as I grabbed my cigarettes from my handbag before flopping down on the couch. "Here." I offered him one.
"Thanks." he said, taking it from me and reaching into his jean pocket to retrieve his lighter, tossing it over to me to light my own.
"I take it you're crashing here, then?" I asked.
"If it's cool?" he replied, taking a seat on the two-seater opposite to me.
"Sure, but you're sleeping on the couch." I smirked, blowing out a puff of smoke.
"Fine by me." he said, his cigarette dangling from his lips as he undid the first few buttons of his black shirt and rolled up the sleeves.
I stretched myself over the armrest, tapping ash off into the ashtray beside the couch. "You had a good night then, I assume?" I could feel Brian's eyes on my body, and felt internally satisfied.

What could I say? He was Hot, and I liked the attention...

"One of my better nights in the past few months, I'll admit." he said, slouching back in his seat. "And that's saying something."
"Good to hear." I nodded. "By the brief run-down you've given me, it seems like you've been dealt quite a shit hand, my dude."
"That's putting it lightly." he sighed, ashing his own smoke. "Grieving my Best Friend and being in the middle of a Divorce? Definitely takes its toll."
"Never been married, hope to god I never will be." I joked, trying to lighten his mood.
"Don't." he sniggered. "Bad fuckin' idea."
"Couldn't have been entirely terrible?" I pried, unable to keep my nosy-self at bay. "Something must've made you wanna propose in the first place?"
"High-School sweethearts, she knew the best and worst sides of me, and she still stuck around." he explained. "Even when I wasn't exactly... faithful." he frowned.
"And here I am believing true love is dead." I commented.
"Shit got weird after Jimmy died, something just kinda shifted between us." he continued; "I kinda just detached myself from everyone, and everything, emotionally, started hitting a bottle of wine a night instead of my usual glass or two." he licked over his lips. "Was easier than dealing with the giant fuckin pit in my stomach."

His eyes shone slightly as he spoke, and the empath in me felt for him. It was times like these that re-enforced my resilience. I'd been through my fair share of woes, but there were people out there that had suffered far worse things. People like that deserved sympathy, not lovesick puppies like I'd once been.

"Know the feeling." I sighed, taking another drag from my smoke.
"You never did tell me your story."
"Because Rayleigh summoned me before I got the chance." I chuckled. "But sure, you shared your woes, least I can do; I'll spare you all the nitty-gritty, origin crap. But the gist is, I wasted far too much time taking care of someone who ultimately fucked me over - literally, and left me for dead."
"The ex-best friend, I take it?" he asked, recalling my comment earlier tonight.
"Eyupp." I nodded, finishing my cigarette and squashing it out in the ashtray. "Good ol' Bassists, steal your heart with a wink and a smile, take what they want, and vanish into thin air."
"Can't spell Bass without Ass." Brian joked.
I laughed in response. "He is an Ass, indeed."
"Change of subject; Gotta admit, was surprised to hear that Burn Halo song played tonight." he stated.
"Why's that?"
"Because it wasn't too long ago that we recorded it."
"Wait, what?" I blinked.
"I played the Solo for that song." he answered, smugly.
"Bullshit." I snorted.
"No bullshit, pull up the video sometime, you'll see." he winked.
"He features in rock songs, he loves little dogs..." I teased. "Any other secrets you're keeping?"
"My exceptional skills in the bedroom?"
"Every guy claims he's a God in the sack." I rolled my eyes.
"Not every guy has the skill to back up his claim." he smirked.

Cocky motherfucker, but if he's as good in the sack as he is Hot...

I shook myself out of my thoughts; Promiscuous though I was these days, I still had some morals left. Morals that kept me from screwing a potentially awesome new friend the first night I met him.

"I think this is the part where we collectively admit we are wayyy too drunk, and call it a night." I giggled, getting to my feet. "Lest we royally fuck up and regret it in the morning."
"Fair point." he agreed, kicking off his shoes and laying back on the couch.
"Night." I nodded, fist-bumping him before picking up Wraith and heading upstairs to my bedroom..

Notes

Chapter Title Cred: Carry Me Home by Dead Joe

This is Mick, by the way



One of the coolest motherfuckers I know
And he kinda looks like Jimmy, which warms my heart

Well, look at that, managed to shit out another update. It's pretty much more filler, actually, this story in general is gonna have a pretty chillax, day-to-day kinda vibe. Ever seen a movie called Adventureland? Daydream Nation? Played Life Is Strange? Or, like, I'm sure a bunch of you have probably seen The Perks Of Being A Wallflower - this story's kinda got that vibe in my head.

Hope you enjoyed, Subscribe if you like
Comment to keep me motivated

Until next time xx