Hold Me Back's Almost Gone
Title: Hold Me Back's Almost Gone (Part two of the Music City verse)
Fandoms: Band of Brothers, The Pacific, Generation Kill
Pairings: Andy/Eddie, Babe/Roe, Burgie/Florence, Harry/Kitty, John/Lena, Sid/Mary, Snafu/Liebgott
Other characters: Walt Hasser, Ray Person, Hoosier Smith, Bob Leckie, Ray Person, Skinny Sisk, Shifty Powers, David Webster, Renee LeMaire, Anna Chiwy, Vera Keller, Bull Randleman
Rating: R for language
Word Count: 1,315
Warnings: Language, country music
Disclaimer: I own nothing and make no profit.
Summary: Music is about honesty, about passion, about life. This is the story of a six piece band, a blues singer, two duos, a retired rockstar, and the people in their lives. They’re all just looking to make a place for themselves in the crazy town that is Nashville, Tennessee. This part is Andy/Eddie centric.
Notes: Title taken from “Keep On” by Eric Church.
The lights were low, the bar was crowded, and the room smelled like cigarettes despite the no-smoking ordinance. Friday night at The Screaming Eagle was well underway.
Hoosier had gotten the crowd all worked up with his blues set, and he was proud of himself for getting a little swampy with it, a side effect of spending so much time jamming with Snafu and Gene.
After Hoosier finished up, Bolt Action Rifle had done their ten minute acoustic set. Skinny and Shifty’s harmonies had been perfect, and they brought the house down with their rendition of “Murder on Music Row.”
The closing chords to The Bayou Boys’ first song, a cover of “Alabama” by Cross Canadian Ragweed, hung in the air. The crowd was eating it up with a spoon.
Eddie stood up from behind his steel and raised an eyebrow at Gene. He wanted to switch it up, play one earlier than they had planned. Gene looked at Snafu, and he nodded his assent. After a sweeping glance around the stage, it was clear that Burgie, Chuckler, and Walt were fine with a little improvisation. Gene moved over to Snaf’s spot to play lead guitar, and Snafu sat down behind Eddie’s pedal steel, with Eddie taking center stage and picking up his old guitar.
It was old and scuffed, but she’d gotten him this far. Just like Andy, he thought. He looked behind the bar and picked out Andy’s form, pouring drinks and moving gracefully up and down the bar. He didn’t help tend bar often, but when he did, he did it with skill, like everything else.
Eddie had felt Andy’s eyes on him all night. Actually, Eddie felt Andy’s eyes on him every night, and he returned the favor just as often. When Andy was in law school at Vanderbilt and Eddie was at Middle Tennessee State, Andy had wandered into one of Eddie’s shows at a tiny bar in Franklin, and they’d been constants in each other’s lives ever since.
Even as Andy tracked Eddie’s hands on his guitar, some drunk frat boy put his hand on Andy’s arm and leaned in and spoke next to his ear, a little closer than the loud bar warranted. Eddie felt the muscles in his jaw clench. Few men in Tennessee were daring enough to make a pass at another man in public, but it happened to Andy more often than Eddie would like.
Snafu’s snort of laughter brought Eddie out of his revelry.
“Aww, Hillbilly’s jealous. Again.”
“Be quiet, Shelton, or I won't change your strings for you next time.”
“Nah, for this, I’ll change my own damn strings.”
“If I had an extra pick, this one would land between your eyes.”
Gene broke in, amusement coloring his voice.
“Snafu, you’re baiting our voice of reason. Stop it. We still have a show to play.”
“Sorry, Gene.”
Snafu fell quiet, but a small smile stayed on his face.
“Hey, Hillbilly.”
“Yeah, Burgie?”
“You could make a move, you know.”
“I don't know. Maybe.”
Eddie brushed a hand over his hair with a sigh.
“Hey, slow down, turbo. They’ve only been dancing around each other for five years. God, Burgie.”
Even Walt dissolved into laughter at Chuckler’s words.
“To hell with you all. ‘Keep On‘, boys, I might as well go for broke.”
Walt fist-bumped Chuckler, Burgie gripped his sticks tighter with a quiet “hot damn,” and Snafu grinned and looked for Hoosier, who was lurking around the side of the stage, because his reaction would be priceless.
Gene played the first few notes with the others coming in strong behind him, determined to give it their all for Eddie. They were beside themselves with glee, but they were still going to do their best for their boy.
After he made sure that Andy’s gaze was on him, Eddie started in on the first verse.
“Yeah I see you over there makin' eyes at me
Like you don't wanna get caught”
He grinned at Andy, and Andy’s wide eyes told him that he knew Eddie was singing to him.
“Where'd you get the cowboy on your arm
And where you want me to drop him off”
Leaning away from the frat boy clinging to his arm as if noticing him for the first time, Andy took a few steps down the bar, keeping his eyes on Eddie so securely that he almost bumped into Joe, who stepped smoothly around him and laughed in his face before handing a double to the frat boy and sending him on his way.
Encouraged, Eddie stepped closer the mic and let the music speak for him.
“I see you tryin' to hide that fire inside
But your hold me back's almost gone
Yeah it's about time I let cowboy know
That I'm a-gonna take you home”
He went into falsetto on “home,” partly because he could and partly because he knew Andy liked it when he showed off the higher end of his range. Andy leaned further across the bar and tugged his lip in between his teeth, eyes still glued to Eddie’s every move.
“Yeah so keep on lookin' at me that way
That way we can move this along
I can tell you what I got here on my mind
But I think you already know
Yeah and now's the time for you to turn around
If you want me to walk away
Or you can keep on, keep on, keep on, keep on lookin' at me that way”
Andy inclined his head toward Eddie, letting him know that he understood, that he agreed, that he wanted him too.
Eddie finished the rest of the song like he was in a daze, never breaking eye contact with Andy. When the last note rang out, he nodded at Andy slowly, wishing that there was some other way he could signal his feelings. When Andy nodded back, he stopped caring.
The rest of the guys couldn’t quit smiling, Snafu included. Gene clapped Eddie on the arm, Chuckler gave him a told-you-so grin, and Burgie rocked back and forth with laughter. Skinny and Shifty wolf-whistled from their spots at the edge of the stage, Ray slow-clapped from the sound booth with Walt joining in, and Babe gave a thumbs up from the merchandise table. He grinned at Gene, sharing a private moment of joy. Bull yelled "about damn time" from his place at the door. Kitty and Harry beamed next to Skinny and Shifty while Florence and the rest of the girls dissolved in delighted bouts of laughter. John slung his arm around Lena and cocked his head at Eddie, letting him know he was impressed.
"Son of a bitch has swagger," he mouthed to Sid.
Sid nodded, amused at the flailing dance of joy that Mary was doing with Vera, Renee, and Anna. Burgie was watching Florence with the same expression on his face.
Even Joe couldn't keep from grinning ear to ear.
Harry leaned over to Kitty.
"No way in hell we're topping that."
She beamed at Eddie and Andy in turn.
"Probably not. Web and Leckie might write odes to this."
They were indeed looking impressed from their places at the bar.
Hoosier leaned onto the stage.
“Walt, you and Ray can stay with me and Joe tonight. I know your innocent young minds don’t need to hear your mentor and your father figure fucking on the kitchen floor. Unless you and Lieb are planning on defiling the place, Snaf?”
“Fuck you, Hoos,” the two said in unison.
Eddie flicked him in the ear as he walked back to his steel.
“I reckon I’ll have to take a number, Eddie. I think you’re booked for tonight.”
“Yeah.” He looked back at Andy and grinned. “I think I am. Besides, ought you not have plans with Leckie?”
"Fair enough, you hill-dwelling son of a bitch. Fair enough."
Fandoms: Band of Brothers, The Pacific, Generation Kill
Pairings: Andy/Eddie, Babe/Roe, Burgie/Florence, Harry/Kitty, John/Lena, Sid/Mary, Snafu/Liebgott
Other characters: Walt Hasser, Ray Person, Hoosier Smith, Bob Leckie, Ray Person, Skinny Sisk, Shifty Powers, David Webster, Renee LeMaire, Anna Chiwy, Vera Keller, Bull Randleman
Rating: R for language
Word Count: 1,315
Warnings: Language, country music
Disclaimer: I own nothing and make no profit.
Summary: Music is about honesty, about passion, about life. This is the story of a six piece band, a blues singer, two duos, a retired rockstar, and the people in their lives. They’re all just looking to make a place for themselves in the crazy town that is Nashville, Tennessee. This part is Andy/Eddie centric.
Notes: Title taken from “Keep On” by Eric Church.
The lights were low, the bar was crowded, and the room smelled like cigarettes despite the no-smoking ordinance. Friday night at The Screaming Eagle was well underway.
Hoosier had gotten the crowd all worked up with his blues set, and he was proud of himself for getting a little swampy with it, a side effect of spending so much time jamming with Snafu and Gene.
After Hoosier finished up, Bolt Action Rifle had done their ten minute acoustic set. Skinny and Shifty’s harmonies had been perfect, and they brought the house down with their rendition of “Murder on Music Row.”
The closing chords to The Bayou Boys’ first song, a cover of “Alabama” by Cross Canadian Ragweed, hung in the air. The crowd was eating it up with a spoon.
Eddie stood up from behind his steel and raised an eyebrow at Gene. He wanted to switch it up, play one earlier than they had planned. Gene looked at Snafu, and he nodded his assent. After a sweeping glance around the stage, it was clear that Burgie, Chuckler, and Walt were fine with a little improvisation. Gene moved over to Snaf’s spot to play lead guitar, and Snafu sat down behind Eddie’s pedal steel, with Eddie taking center stage and picking up his old guitar.
It was old and scuffed, but she’d gotten him this far. Just like Andy, he thought. He looked behind the bar and picked out Andy’s form, pouring drinks and moving gracefully up and down the bar. He didn’t help tend bar often, but when he did, he did it with skill, like everything else.
Eddie had felt Andy’s eyes on him all night. Actually, Eddie felt Andy’s eyes on him every night, and he returned the favor just as often. When Andy was in law school at Vanderbilt and Eddie was at Middle Tennessee State, Andy had wandered into one of Eddie’s shows at a tiny bar in Franklin, and they’d been constants in each other’s lives ever since.
Even as Andy tracked Eddie’s hands on his guitar, some drunk frat boy put his hand on Andy’s arm and leaned in and spoke next to his ear, a little closer than the loud bar warranted. Eddie felt the muscles in his jaw clench. Few men in Tennessee were daring enough to make a pass at another man in public, but it happened to Andy more often than Eddie would like.
Snafu’s snort of laughter brought Eddie out of his revelry.
“Aww, Hillbilly’s jealous. Again.”
“Be quiet, Shelton, or I won't change your strings for you next time.”
“Nah, for this, I’ll change my own damn strings.”
“If I had an extra pick, this one would land between your eyes.”
Gene broke in, amusement coloring his voice.
“Snafu, you’re baiting our voice of reason. Stop it. We still have a show to play.”
“Sorry, Gene.”
Snafu fell quiet, but a small smile stayed on his face.
“Hey, Hillbilly.”
“Yeah, Burgie?”
“You could make a move, you know.”
“I don't know. Maybe.”
Eddie brushed a hand over his hair with a sigh.
“Hey, slow down, turbo. They’ve only been dancing around each other for five years. God, Burgie.”
Even Walt dissolved into laughter at Chuckler’s words.
“To hell with you all. ‘Keep On‘, boys, I might as well go for broke.”
Walt fist-bumped Chuckler, Burgie gripped his sticks tighter with a quiet “hot damn,” and Snafu grinned and looked for Hoosier, who was lurking around the side of the stage, because his reaction would be priceless.
Gene played the first few notes with the others coming in strong behind him, determined to give it their all for Eddie. They were beside themselves with glee, but they were still going to do their best for their boy.
After he made sure that Andy’s gaze was on him, Eddie started in on the first verse.
“Yeah I see you over there makin' eyes at me
Like you don't wanna get caught”
He grinned at Andy, and Andy’s wide eyes told him that he knew Eddie was singing to him.
“Where'd you get the cowboy on your arm
And where you want me to drop him off”
Leaning away from the frat boy clinging to his arm as if noticing him for the first time, Andy took a few steps down the bar, keeping his eyes on Eddie so securely that he almost bumped into Joe, who stepped smoothly around him and laughed in his face before handing a double to the frat boy and sending him on his way.
Encouraged, Eddie stepped closer the mic and let the music speak for him.
“I see you tryin' to hide that fire inside
But your hold me back's almost gone
Yeah it's about time I let cowboy know
That I'm a-gonna take you home”
He went into falsetto on “home,” partly because he could and partly because he knew Andy liked it when he showed off the higher end of his range. Andy leaned further across the bar and tugged his lip in between his teeth, eyes still glued to Eddie’s every move.
“Yeah so keep on lookin' at me that way
That way we can move this along
I can tell you what I got here on my mind
But I think you already know
Yeah and now's the time for you to turn around
If you want me to walk away
Or you can keep on, keep on, keep on, keep on lookin' at me that way”
Andy inclined his head toward Eddie, letting him know that he understood, that he agreed, that he wanted him too.
Eddie finished the rest of the song like he was in a daze, never breaking eye contact with Andy. When the last note rang out, he nodded at Andy slowly, wishing that there was some other way he could signal his feelings. When Andy nodded back, he stopped caring.
The rest of the guys couldn’t quit smiling, Snafu included. Gene clapped Eddie on the arm, Chuckler gave him a told-you-so grin, and Burgie rocked back and forth with laughter. Skinny and Shifty wolf-whistled from their spots at the edge of the stage, Ray slow-clapped from the sound booth with Walt joining in, and Babe gave a thumbs up from the merchandise table. He grinned at Gene, sharing a private moment of joy. Bull yelled "about damn time" from his place at the door. Kitty and Harry beamed next to Skinny and Shifty while Florence and the rest of the girls dissolved in delighted bouts of laughter. John slung his arm around Lena and cocked his head at Eddie, letting him know he was impressed.
"Son of a bitch has swagger," he mouthed to Sid.
Sid nodded, amused at the flailing dance of joy that Mary was doing with Vera, Renee, and Anna. Burgie was watching Florence with the same expression on his face.
Even Joe couldn't keep from grinning ear to ear.
Harry leaned over to Kitty.
"No way in hell we're topping that."
She beamed at Eddie and Andy in turn.
"Probably not. Web and Leckie might write odes to this."
They were indeed looking impressed from their places at the bar.
Hoosier leaned onto the stage.
“Walt, you and Ray can stay with me and Joe tonight. I know your innocent young minds don’t need to hear your mentor and your father figure fucking on the kitchen floor. Unless you and Lieb are planning on defiling the place, Snaf?”
“Fuck you, Hoos,” the two said in unison.
Eddie flicked him in the ear as he walked back to his steel.
“I reckon I’ll have to take a number, Eddie. I think you’re booked for tonight.”
“Yeah.” He looked back at Andy and grinned. “I think I am. Besides, ought you not have plans with Leckie?”
"Fair enough, you hill-dwelling son of a bitch. Fair enough."