[just_muse_me] 1.1.1. Van Morrison quote
1.1.1. “You can't stay the same. If you're a musician and a singer, you have to change, that's the way it works.” - Van Morrison
Co-written with asinthecity
Veering in to fall meant the day was nice, but it had a crisp feeling in the air. The trees in Central Park were turning over to the attractive rusty colours that came right before they shed their leaves. It was days like this that Luke loved to get out, enjoy the New York atmosphere and do what he loved best - his music.
He'd chosen a busking spot he frequented often and that came with many regulars who had taken the time over the years to stop and chat to him or request specific songs. The money flowed, but none knew he just walked around the corner to the children's hospice and dropped it in their donations box at the end of the day. He busked for the love of music and people watching, nothing more.
And people watching was exactly what he was doing as he played his current song without missing a beat. Well, one people in particular. He'd spotted the red hair from a distance up the street and was immediately struck by the colour of it. He had a thing for redheads, always had. As she approached, he found himself struck by how cute she was. Small, bouncy and just had something about the look on her face. Right before she crossed his path, he cut off mid-cord, tucking his sax under his arm, and stepping in front of her with a grin. "Well, this is my lucky day," he offered.
Tab was lucky she could walk. She was well and truly and oh so thoroughly fucked about five ways from Sunday. That Flynn hadn't been all talk, and she was glad. She ruffled her hair with her hand and grinned as she walked through Manhattan. She wasn't going to tell Riley that he'd been right for at least a week, or so, but she did have to agree that there was something to be said about rebound fucks. At least the kind that involved different positions and dressing up and--
She blinked and arched an eyebrow at the bloke who'd just stepped into her path. The saxophone music had been something that she'd noticed, but she had still been caught up in replaying her marathon with the talented Flynn. Tab's brown eyes looked the stranger up and down, and while she had to admit he was hot, she didn't appreciate the interruption.
"Oh, why's that? And if you say something about angels falling from heaven, or seeing yourself in my pants, I might be forced to jam that sax somewhere uncomfortable."
"Even your reference to corny pick up lines almost gives me indigestion," Luke replied, his hand protectively wrapped around the neck of his saxophone. "Maybe you just look like someone who could appreciate good... music."
He couldn't help but smirk at the look on her face. He tapped the instrument. "I take requests. Anything but the Mission Impossible theme. I'm always up for any challenging mission."
She tilted her head. For some reason when he said music, she could almost hear an implied metaphor. "Hey, you're the one that opened with it being your lucky day. I say you brought the indigestion on yourself, Charlie Parker."
"I hope you're planning on adding Kenny G to the blacklist, or else you're in more trouble than I thought." She pulled her mouth to the side and scanned through the massive music library in her head. "Hendrix?"
Luke laughed and raised an eyebrow at her. "Do you make a habit out of thinking every friendly comment thrown your way is a pick up line?" he asked, his eyes locked on her face. "You make me play Kenny G and I'll shove the sax up my own arse. Hendrix, huh? Not bad. Hendrix what?"
For the briefest of moments Tab looked embarrassed. Then she just shrugged a shoulder and adjusted the courier bag slung across her chest. "No, only the ones that sound like pick up lines." She nodded curtly as the corners of her mouth kicked up. "Now there's a policy I can agree with. How about 'Castles Made of Sand'?"
"If it was a pick-up line, would it have worked?" Luke asked, smiling as he adjusted the sax strap over his shoulder and wet his lips. He started to play the song smoothly, watching her with his eyes shining as he did so.
Tab just smirked softly in response, and let him play. She held his gaze as he started the song, and then let them drift shut as she just listened. He was good; she'd give him that. In fact he was damn good. It was rare for Tab to enjoy saxophone anything and she had to wonder if it was because of her bias against Kenny G. The slower Hendrix song sounded smooth, and seemed to suit the guy's chosen instrument. She swayed a little on the spot, and before she realised what she was doing, she'd joined in to provide vocals.
Luke had always had a knack for multitasking when he was playing. It came so naturally to him that he could concentrate on other things while he did it. This was no exception. As soon as she started singing, she had him hooked. He watched her mouth and her lips as she matched his melody with lyrics. Their music fit together smoothly and it was an honour to share that brief moment with her.
The song faded out and Luke took the sax from his lips and smiled at her. "See? What did I tell you? It is my lucky day," he told her.
There was definitely something that had clicked musically between the two of them. Tab wondered briefly if it would be the same for them personally, but she didn't dwell on it. She wasn't ready to try out another horse... was she?
"Maybe I should be asking you for a dollar, then," she replied with a cheeky grin.
A businessman walked by and randomly threw a new crisp twenty-dollar note towards Luke's sax case on the ground. This busking ground often made a lot of money because it was a popular district for professionals.
Luke stooped and caught the note before it made its destination. He stood up, taking a closer step towards Tab with a mischievous smile on his lips. He pressed the twenty into her palm and squeezed her hand. "Now it's your lucky day," he told her. "I'm Luke."
Tab looked down at the twenty he had pushed into her hand, and gave a shake of her head as she brought up her bandaged hand to flick her fringe out of her eyes. "I wasn't being serious, Charlie Parker. Luke. You should keep it, you earned it." She still frowned a little as she looked at him, but the smile was hard not to return. "I'm Tab."
"Pleasure to meet you, Tab." Luke finally released her hand, still smiling as he was caught by her eyes and how bright they seemed. "And keep it. I don't need it. I have all I need right here." He brushed his hand against the side of the saxophone.
His tongue darted out to wet his lips. "Where did you get a voice like that, Miss Tab?" he asked, intrigued.
"Definitely an experience to meet you, Luke." She took her hand back and wrapped her arm around her slender waist as she watched him. Her gaze kept dropping to his mouth. A small, tiny part of her wondered if he kissed as well as he played the sax. "How very Bohemian of you. I'm the same with my guitar though, so I guess I can't really judge."
A jolt went down her spine when he licked his lips, and Tab quickly averted her gaze to her hand as she pretended to check the bandages were okay. "From a Lucky Charms box," she responded with a grin.
Luke laughed. "Oh, I'm not Bohemian. Far, far from it," he insisted. "It would just look weird if I stood on a street corner playing. I tried that once, people just threw the cash on the ground at my feet. New Yorkers can be surprisingly generous with an old tradition like furnishing a busker."
"And to think the rest of us musos get here with a lot of determination and passion. I think I'm jealous. The last freebie I pulled from a lucky charm box ended up blocking my drain." He tilted his head. "Do you get your dates from a box of Lucky Charms also, or can I tempt you to lunch?"
"Maybe you're just a true muso, then. Most of us are happy to starve and struggle if we're just left alone to play." Tab's eyes narrowed a little as she tried to work out exactly what he was. If he was happy to give her twenty dollars, he was either very generous, or he genuinely didn't need it. "I think you'll find clubs and bars are more likely to be the place to stand and not have money thrown at you. Beer, yes. Money? Not so much." She looked around the crowded street and smiled. "They'll be generous to buskers, but awful to each other. I love this city."
Her cheeks started to heat up and she ruffled her hair as she cleared her throat. "I don't don't--I'm not really--ah, wow. I think maybe my brain just got replaced by one of the marbits. Damn those sneaky little marshmallows."
"Bars," Luke said, his smile not revealing anything. "I'll have to look in to that. I love it, too. I mean, I miss home, but Sydney isn't New York and never will be."
He raised his eyebrows and held up his hands in surrender. "Sorry. Boundary stepping. I guess we'll just write this off to one of those lucky days where you meet mysterious New Yorkers and never see them again. I wouldn't want to be the one to Lucky Charm your brain."
"I thought you didn't sound very New Yorker," she commented with a knowing look. "London's not really New York, either. It's got its own scene but I wasn't about to become a true rock chick at twelve, so I had to wait until I'd already been living here a few years."
Tab held up her own hands before pointing at herself. "No, no. Really, it's all me. It's just... horses," she blurted. Fuck, what was it with her and not talking right now? A guy tried to ask her out and she lost all ability to form any kind of coherent sentence.
"The Brit accent wasn't lost on me. I just didn't know if you were one of those foreigners who want to be a true New Yorker once they land here," Luke said, brushing his hair back with his fingers.
He gave a slight, small nod. "Horses. Right." Even though he had no idea what the hell she was on about with horses. The only ones he knew of nearby were pulling the carts in Central Park. "Well, you never know, we might cross paths again one day."
"Oh, thanks. That's really making me feel more at ease. I've been here for like thirteen years, I just haven't lost the accent entirely. It's getting pretty mangled, though." She watched his fingers comb through his hair and tried not to be mesmerised. She always did like blokes with good hair.
"I'm sorry, it's a thing. I guess if we do cross paths again I'll get a chance to explain myself and hopefully not still have a marbit brain." She gave him a half-hearted smile, and rolled her shoulders. She sucked at this stuff, she really did. Why'd he have to be so fascinating?
"There's nothing mangled about you, my dear," Luke assured her, unable to wipe the smile off his face. He caught her hand in his again but this time put it to his lips and kissed the back of it. "Until we meet again, then, Lucky Charm."
Tab sucked in a breath and had to bite back a grin. She was also trying to ignore the way her heart skipped a beat as his lips brushed against her hand. "Take it easy, Charlie Parker."
She looked at him again, before she slid her hand from his and started on her way again. As she walked down the street, Tab turned to look over her shoulder and looked at Luke one last time from under her red bangs.
Luke caught the look and threw her a cheeky grin as he waved and winked, then went back to his Sax, starting to play 'Foxy Lady' by Hendrix as he finally, but reluctantly, dragged his eyes away from the mysterious Tab.
- strips4u & pullmysteth referenced with permission
Tabitha London Browne [asinthecity] & Luke Jackson [notskywalker]
Original Characters
2,124 words
Co-written with asinthecity
Veering in to fall meant the day was nice, but it had a crisp feeling in the air. The trees in Central Park were turning over to the attractive rusty colours that came right before they shed their leaves. It was days like this that Luke loved to get out, enjoy the New York atmosphere and do what he loved best - his music.
He'd chosen a busking spot he frequented often and that came with many regulars who had taken the time over the years to stop and chat to him or request specific songs. The money flowed, but none knew he just walked around the corner to the children's hospice and dropped it in their donations box at the end of the day. He busked for the love of music and people watching, nothing more.
And people watching was exactly what he was doing as he played his current song without missing a beat. Well, one people in particular. He'd spotted the red hair from a distance up the street and was immediately struck by the colour of it. He had a thing for redheads, always had. As she approached, he found himself struck by how cute she was. Small, bouncy and just had something about the look on her face. Right before she crossed his path, he cut off mid-cord, tucking his sax under his arm, and stepping in front of her with a grin. "Well, this is my lucky day," he offered.
Tab was lucky she could walk. She was well and truly and oh so thoroughly fucked about five ways from Sunday. That Flynn hadn't been all talk, and she was glad. She ruffled her hair with her hand and grinned as she walked through Manhattan. She wasn't going to tell Riley that he'd been right for at least a week, or so, but she did have to agree that there was something to be said about rebound fucks. At least the kind that involved different positions and dressing up and--
She blinked and arched an eyebrow at the bloke who'd just stepped into her path. The saxophone music had been something that she'd noticed, but she had still been caught up in replaying her marathon with the talented Flynn. Tab's brown eyes looked the stranger up and down, and while she had to admit he was hot, she didn't appreciate the interruption.
"Oh, why's that? And if you say something about angels falling from heaven, or seeing yourself in my pants, I might be forced to jam that sax somewhere uncomfortable."
"Even your reference to corny pick up lines almost gives me indigestion," Luke replied, his hand protectively wrapped around the neck of his saxophone. "Maybe you just look like someone who could appreciate good... music."
He couldn't help but smirk at the look on her face. He tapped the instrument. "I take requests. Anything but the Mission Impossible theme. I'm always up for any challenging mission."
She tilted her head. For some reason when he said music, she could almost hear an implied metaphor. "Hey, you're the one that opened with it being your lucky day. I say you brought the indigestion on yourself, Charlie Parker."
"I hope you're planning on adding Kenny G to the blacklist, or else you're in more trouble than I thought." She pulled her mouth to the side and scanned through the massive music library in her head. "Hendrix?"
Luke laughed and raised an eyebrow at her. "Do you make a habit out of thinking every friendly comment thrown your way is a pick up line?" he asked, his eyes locked on her face. "You make me play Kenny G and I'll shove the sax up my own arse. Hendrix, huh? Not bad. Hendrix what?"
For the briefest of moments Tab looked embarrassed. Then she just shrugged a shoulder and adjusted the courier bag slung across her chest. "No, only the ones that sound like pick up lines." She nodded curtly as the corners of her mouth kicked up. "Now there's a policy I can agree with. How about 'Castles Made of Sand'?"
"If it was a pick-up line, would it have worked?" Luke asked, smiling as he adjusted the sax strap over his shoulder and wet his lips. He started to play the song smoothly, watching her with his eyes shining as he did so.
Tab just smirked softly in response, and let him play. She held his gaze as he started the song, and then let them drift shut as she just listened. He was good; she'd give him that. In fact he was damn good. It was rare for Tab to enjoy saxophone anything and she had to wonder if it was because of her bias against Kenny G. The slower Hendrix song sounded smooth, and seemed to suit the guy's chosen instrument. She swayed a little on the spot, and before she realised what she was doing, she'd joined in to provide vocals.
Luke had always had a knack for multitasking when he was playing. It came so naturally to him that he could concentrate on other things while he did it. This was no exception. As soon as she started singing, she had him hooked. He watched her mouth and her lips as she matched his melody with lyrics. Their music fit together smoothly and it was an honour to share that brief moment with her.
The song faded out and Luke took the sax from his lips and smiled at her. "See? What did I tell you? It is my lucky day," he told her.
There was definitely something that had clicked musically between the two of them. Tab wondered briefly if it would be the same for them personally, but she didn't dwell on it. She wasn't ready to try out another horse... was she?
"Maybe I should be asking you for a dollar, then," she replied with a cheeky grin.
A businessman walked by and randomly threw a new crisp twenty-dollar note towards Luke's sax case on the ground. This busking ground often made a lot of money because it was a popular district for professionals.
Luke stooped and caught the note before it made its destination. He stood up, taking a closer step towards Tab with a mischievous smile on his lips. He pressed the twenty into her palm and squeezed her hand. "Now it's your lucky day," he told her. "I'm Luke."
Tab looked down at the twenty he had pushed into her hand, and gave a shake of her head as she brought up her bandaged hand to flick her fringe out of her eyes. "I wasn't being serious, Charlie Parker. Luke. You should keep it, you earned it." She still frowned a little as she looked at him, but the smile was hard not to return. "I'm Tab."
"Pleasure to meet you, Tab." Luke finally released her hand, still smiling as he was caught by her eyes and how bright they seemed. "And keep it. I don't need it. I have all I need right here." He brushed his hand against the side of the saxophone.
His tongue darted out to wet his lips. "Where did you get a voice like that, Miss Tab?" he asked, intrigued.
"Definitely an experience to meet you, Luke." She took her hand back and wrapped her arm around her slender waist as she watched him. Her gaze kept dropping to his mouth. A small, tiny part of her wondered if he kissed as well as he played the sax. "How very Bohemian of you. I'm the same with my guitar though, so I guess I can't really judge."
A jolt went down her spine when he licked his lips, and Tab quickly averted her gaze to her hand as she pretended to check the bandages were okay. "From a Lucky Charms box," she responded with a grin.
Luke laughed. "Oh, I'm not Bohemian. Far, far from it," he insisted. "It would just look weird if I stood on a street corner playing. I tried that once, people just threw the cash on the ground at my feet. New Yorkers can be surprisingly generous with an old tradition like furnishing a busker."
"And to think the rest of us musos get here with a lot of determination and passion. I think I'm jealous. The last freebie I pulled from a lucky charm box ended up blocking my drain." He tilted his head. "Do you get your dates from a box of Lucky Charms also, or can I tempt you to lunch?"
"Maybe you're just a true muso, then. Most of us are happy to starve and struggle if we're just left alone to play." Tab's eyes narrowed a little as she tried to work out exactly what he was. If he was happy to give her twenty dollars, he was either very generous, or he genuinely didn't need it. "I think you'll find clubs and bars are more likely to be the place to stand and not have money thrown at you. Beer, yes. Money? Not so much." She looked around the crowded street and smiled. "They'll be generous to buskers, but awful to each other. I love this city."
Her cheeks started to heat up and she ruffled her hair as she cleared her throat. "I don't don't--I'm not really--ah, wow. I think maybe my brain just got replaced by one of the marbits. Damn those sneaky little marshmallows."
"Bars," Luke said, his smile not revealing anything. "I'll have to look in to that. I love it, too. I mean, I miss home, but Sydney isn't New York and never will be."
He raised his eyebrows and held up his hands in surrender. "Sorry. Boundary stepping. I guess we'll just write this off to one of those lucky days where you meet mysterious New Yorkers and never see them again. I wouldn't want to be the one to Lucky Charm your brain."
"I thought you didn't sound very New Yorker," she commented with a knowing look. "London's not really New York, either. It's got its own scene but I wasn't about to become a true rock chick at twelve, so I had to wait until I'd already been living here a few years."
Tab held up her own hands before pointing at herself. "No, no. Really, it's all me. It's just... horses," she blurted. Fuck, what was it with her and not talking right now? A guy tried to ask her out and she lost all ability to form any kind of coherent sentence.
"The Brit accent wasn't lost on me. I just didn't know if you were one of those foreigners who want to be a true New Yorker once they land here," Luke said, brushing his hair back with his fingers.
He gave a slight, small nod. "Horses. Right." Even though he had no idea what the hell she was on about with horses. The only ones he knew of nearby were pulling the carts in Central Park. "Well, you never know, we might cross paths again one day."
"Oh, thanks. That's really making me feel more at ease. I've been here for like thirteen years, I just haven't lost the accent entirely. It's getting pretty mangled, though." She watched his fingers comb through his hair and tried not to be mesmerised. She always did like blokes with good hair.
"I'm sorry, it's a thing. I guess if we do cross paths again I'll get a chance to explain myself and hopefully not still have a marbit brain." She gave him a half-hearted smile, and rolled her shoulders. She sucked at this stuff, she really did. Why'd he have to be so fascinating?
"There's nothing mangled about you, my dear," Luke assured her, unable to wipe the smile off his face. He caught her hand in his again but this time put it to his lips and kissed the back of it. "Until we meet again, then, Lucky Charm."
Tab sucked in a breath and had to bite back a grin. She was also trying to ignore the way her heart skipped a beat as his lips brushed against her hand. "Take it easy, Charlie Parker."
She looked at him again, before she slid her hand from his and started on her way again. As she walked down the street, Tab turned to look over her shoulder and looked at Luke one last time from under her red bangs.
Luke caught the look and threw her a cheeky grin as he waved and winked, then went back to his Sax, starting to play 'Foxy Lady' by Hendrix as he finally, but reluctantly, dragged his eyes away from the mysterious Tab.
- strips4u & pullmysteth referenced with permission
Tabitha London Browne [asinthecity] & Luke Jackson [notskywalker]
Original Characters
2,124 words