rp for sand_mercury

[starlightfell]

He slid his pos car into the parking lot of the restaurant where Brit worked, a few minutes late and knowing from experience that "I'll get off around nine" could mean anything from her being done for an hour or her still running around, closing down her section. God he didn't miss food service. But she hadn't texted with a "Where the fuck are you

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[sand_mercury]

Brit keyed in the code on the door, held the door open as JJ followed her in, and then they climbed the seemingly endless stairs that finally led to the fifth floor of her apartment building. Or at least Brit felt like they were endless. But it had been a long night.

"Jesus christ, don't you have an elevator?" JJ finally asked, as they left the stairwell for a dimly lit, narrow hallway. "And why the hell are you living on the set of a horror movie?"

Brit laughed. "Yes, we have an elevator, but I'm convinced it's more dangerous than this hallway. It's fucking tiny and padded. And the doors take so fucking long to open that when I do take it, I wonder if I'll get out. And as far as this hallway, I'm still alive. So if it's a horror movie, I'm clearly going to be the last girl alive. Or the murderer." She stopped at her door, glanced at JJ, and grinned. "I'll let you figure out which one." She dug through her purse till she found her keychain, which was simple. Her car key, apartment key, and a guitar pick keychain that had AC/DC's logo on it. She unlocked the door, and pushed it open.

"Come on in," she said, switching on the light. Her apartment wasn't much. The living room space and kitchen area were practically on top of each other, and she had just enough money saved up when she moved to get an apartment with a separate bedroom. The living area wasn't much--an old black couch she'd picked up at a thrift store, a $50 TV with an attached dvd player in a previously loved entertainment center, a side table where she left the junk mail to die till she decided to actually throw it out, and a bookshelf where she had some of her DVD collection. It wasn't a large collection, she left most of her stuff back in NY, but there were some things she couldn't leave behind.

"Make yourself at home. There's booze and, well, water, in the kitchen, if you need anything, just grab it. I'll be out in a bit."

[starlightfell]

"I am absolutely convinced you are the murderer," JJ said as he plopped onto the couch. Brit stuck her tongue out at him before disappearing and he was happy just to chill.

The apartment reminded him of the place he'd had before the band moved in together. And the place he and Micah had shared before moving in with Elena, again. Something comfortable and chill with an air of "someday I can afford not to have other people's furniture." To be fair, most of what the band had now still had that air. But it was well encased in a four bedroom house in the suburbs because it was cheaper than all of them living apart.

He was in the middle of a tweet response when Brit emerged and he hit send - Don't worry guys, we're back out on the road in December. Just taking some time to do something awesome. and then looked up at Brit. "I know I promised you food. Want it at my place or here?" Really, he was good either way.

[sand_mercury]

"I'm up for adventure," Brit said. "And since I won't be killing you tonight, I suppose we could go elsewhere." She grinned. The quick shower she had just taken had been just what she needed. The smells and grime of the day had been washed away and she didn't look like she'd just come off of a long shift at work.

"I've been told that my cooking is an adventure," JJ said. "I think people are just jealous of my skills."

"Sure they are," Brit laughed. "Well, if we were to have dinner here, we'd have to order pizza, because I live like a rockstar sometimes."

"Clearly, you were just preparing for this moment," JJ answered, standing. "Like the proverbial hero in a movie, you've been training for just this situation, the moment you'd have to hit the road with a legendary rock band..." he trailed off.

"You are a dork," Brit said, but was unable to stop the smile.

[starlightfell]

"Yeah well, we aren't all that legendary yet," he said, grinning. "That's what gave me away in the dork department."

Brit laughed and leaned up to kiss his cheek. "A lot of things gave you away in the dork department." He laughed and snuck his arms around her waist, stealing the kiss he'd been waiting to steal. "Anyway, you promised to show me your studio."

"Don't you know that's just what I say to all the girls?"

She swatted him and JJ pulled his car keys from his pocket. Down the stairs again, back to the car that he really, really, really needed to replace, and they began the half hour drive back to his place, filling the still nervous space with conversation about the tour they'd just finished.

"Yeah," he said as he pulled into the neighborhood where they'd been living for four years, "Micah just takes off on his bike when we get done with a tour. Usually he's gone for a week but we had the Halloween show so he decided to disappear for the weekend."

"Where does he go?"

"I have no idea," JJ laughed. "But the pictures are always awesome."

"So he might really be the serial killer."

"He does have an unnatural obsession with Dexter."

"That says everything," Brit giggled.

JJ pulled into the drive, coming to a stop just in front of the garage. They'd never actually used it for cars. It was full of gear and assorted equipment and the usual mishmash that came from life, especially life on the road.

"Where does Elena go?" She asked as they got out of the car and walked toward the front door.

"With her folks. They worry and it gives her mom a chance to spoil her and if her dad's home, they usually break down songs together and stuff. Though," he said as he opened the front door and keyed the alarm code, "I suspect that her usual visit with them will be cut short for a certain ex boyfriend."

"Oh?" She dropped her bag on the couch and then followed him into the kitchen.

JJ shrugged and pulled out a couple of beers from the fridge. "Long story short, Elena fell hard and fast for Marshall Malone when she was like eighteen. First love and all that."

"What, reality TV guy?"

"You know him?"

"Kind of like the Kardashians. Can't escape the name."

"Yeah, well. Hard fast. Love. All that stuff. And then they broke up because we break up when we're 20. And then they got back together and because Marshall can be a big douche and is completely self-absorbed and jealous, he broke things off about a month later and just destroyed her. It was fucking humiliating for her. For all of us but you know what happens to women in the public eye." He sighed and realized he was giving this a longer story than it deserved. "Anyway, they've somehow stayed in touch and have this on-again/off-again friendship and he was injured in a surfing accident a couple of months ago. Knowing her like I do, I know she's about to go make a really stupid decision."

"What do you mean?"

"She's got this guy who is fucking amazing hanging on her every breath but all she can think about is making sure Marshall is okay. So, I suspect she'll be over there sooner rather than later."

"Well," Brit shrugged, "they have a history. And you sound a bit jealous."

JJ shook his head. "Once a long time ago maybe. But El is my band leader and my best friend and like my little sister and I just really fucking hate putting her heart together again after they see each other. It's one of those humpty/dumpty things."

"That's fair ..."

JJ sensed the hesitation in Brit's voice and before he got started with the rice and vegetables - which was the limit of his cooking skills but one didn't live with Elena and not learn a few things - he walked over and kissed her gently. "Seriously, jealousy over Elena is not worth your time."

Brit gave him a bit of a smile and he wondered what nerves he'd just poked at. So much for a fun and goofy night.