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asphaltcowgrrlTitle: Strange is the Night
Fandom: Preying Eyes Original Fiction
Pairing: Gen
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 935
Summary: Adrien is out for a bite to eat when the past creeps back into the present.
Author’s Note: Written for the weekend challenge at 1_million_words. My prompt was a picture of what looked like train tracks in the dark. Not sure how that fits with this story but… *shrugs* And maybe I ought to get something done before the day is over. Work? I don’t know her.
Leaving the hotel, Adrien turned left and followed the sidewalk. His drummer, Pete, had told him there was a great little bar not far down from where they’d been staying. While Adrien wasn’t exactly interested in having a drink this late at night, he was starving. Bars like the one Pete had described always had the best burgers. Well, in his very humble opinion anyway.
He glanced at his watch and winced. It was just after two in the morning. The show had run later than usual, pushing the meet and greet back even later than its already unbelievable start time. Why these venues couldn’t do them before the show, he’d never understand. But this was his life while touring, nothing was going to change it anytime soon.
God, he wished he could call Elliot. Hearing that sweet man’s voice would erase the exhaustion and give him the strength to make it to the bar.
Adrien stopped, yawned, and reconsidered. Maybe he could go back to the hotel? No, he could see the bar’s neon sign just a few storefronts down. He was practically there, it was dumb to turn around now.
“Just keep going, idiot,” he scolded himself.
Shaking his head at himself, Adrien stepped forward and felt something brush across the back of his neck. He froze, heart pounding in his chest.
“Stop it,” he growled, resisting the urge to grab his phone and call Elliot, damn the time.
Even though it had been over a year since his stalker – a man now known to be Daniel Fulton – had been arrested and charged, things like this still creeped Adrien out. Something fell behind him and he jumped, putting a hand to his chest out of reflex.
Once, he’d overheard Damon and his mother talking about the whole incident. Damon had told his mother that just because Fulton had been caught didn’t mean it wouldn’t or couldn’t happen again. That Damon even believed it to be possible made Adrien want to hole up in his house and never, ever leave.
“Keep it together for two more minutes, the bar is right there.” He could call a cab to take him back to the hotel. The driver would give him hell, but he didn’t care. If nothing else, he could claim he’d had a few too many and didn’t trust himself to get back to the hotel safely. That, he was sure, was something every taxi and Uber driver in the city had heard at least fifty times.
He was two steps from the bar’s entrance when a heavy hand landed on his shoulder. Startled, Adrien yelped as he struggled to turn around.
“Geez, Adrien, calm the fuck down, you neurotic piece of work.”
“Good god, Pete,” he gasped, bending over, trying to will his heart to slow. “You scared the shit out of me. How long have you been following me?”
“Pretty much since you left the hotel. I called out to you but you must not have heard me.”
Of course he hadn’t, he’d been thinking about Elliot. Idiot. Adrien straightened and hugged his drummer. “I’m sorry. It’s stupid, but I’m still pretty easily spooked.”
Pete patted him on the back and broke the hug. “It’s okay, after all that happened, you have every right to be a little wacky. And I should know better than to follow you like that.”
“Yeah,” Adrien agreed. “Next time call me, even if you’re close enough to spit on me.”
“You mean I can’t just spit on you to get your attention?”
“How did you get in my band again?”
“Shut up,” Pete laughed, knowing that Adrien had picked him specifically out of thousands of other auditioning musicians that day. “Let me buy you dinner for scaring the daylights out of you.”
“Now that’s an offer I can’t refuse,” Adrien said, pulling open the door and holding it for Pete.
After the waitress had taken their orders, he sent Elliot a text.
Show went well, even if Pete tried to give me a heart attack after. Will explain next time we talk. Miss you. Will be home soon.
“You need to hire that boyfriend of yours to be your bodyguard,” Pete said, nodding at Adrien’s phone. “I know that’s who you have to be texting.”
“It is,” he admitted. “He’s dead asleep right now, but I always text after a show. And I did ask, but he said no. Damon agreed – he’s needed in Tucker, which I can totally get behind.”
“Guess we’ll have to find someone else to guard your body. I could probably find about fifteen willing women in this place alone.”
“You are not funny,” Adrien snorted. “It’s a good thing you offered to buy my meal or I’d make you find another table.”
Pete grinned. “Big words, baby,” he teased. “You’d never make me leave.”
“Ah, Pete, you know I couldn’t do this without you.” Adrien lifted his glass and looked at his friend and bandmate. “Although, I could do without the scares, thanks.”
Pete raised his glass and saluted Adrien. “You’ve got it. From now on, I’m putting bells on my shoes just for you.”
As stupid as he felt, Adrien was grateful it was only Pete that had been following him. He made a mental note to not do something so dumb again. Next time, he’d check to see if someone wanted to come along and, if not, room service it was. Elliot was going to give him an earful later, but he could live with that. A dressing down borne from real concern was worth it in the end.
Fandom: Preying Eyes Original Fiction
Pairing: Gen
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 935
Summary: Adrien is out for a bite to eat when the past creeps back into the present.
Author’s Note: Written for the weekend challenge at 1_million_words. My prompt was a picture of what looked like train tracks in the dark. Not sure how that fits with this story but… *shrugs* And maybe I ought to get something done before the day is over. Work? I don’t know her.
Leaving the hotel, Adrien turned left and followed the sidewalk. His drummer, Pete, had told him there was a great little bar not far down from where they’d been staying. While Adrien wasn’t exactly interested in having a drink this late at night, he was starving. Bars like the one Pete had described always had the best burgers. Well, in his very humble opinion anyway.
He glanced at his watch and winced. It was just after two in the morning. The show had run later than usual, pushing the meet and greet back even later than its already unbelievable start time. Why these venues couldn’t do them before the show, he’d never understand. But this was his life while touring, nothing was going to change it anytime soon.
God, he wished he could call Elliot. Hearing that sweet man’s voice would erase the exhaustion and give him the strength to make it to the bar.
Adrien stopped, yawned, and reconsidered. Maybe he could go back to the hotel? No, he could see the bar’s neon sign just a few storefronts down. He was practically there, it was dumb to turn around now.
“Just keep going, idiot,” he scolded himself.
Shaking his head at himself, Adrien stepped forward and felt something brush across the back of his neck. He froze, heart pounding in his chest.
“Stop it,” he growled, resisting the urge to grab his phone and call Elliot, damn the time.
Even though it had been over a year since his stalker – a man now known to be Daniel Fulton – had been arrested and charged, things like this still creeped Adrien out. Something fell behind him and he jumped, putting a hand to his chest out of reflex.
Once, he’d overheard Damon and his mother talking about the whole incident. Damon had told his mother that just because Fulton had been caught didn’t mean it wouldn’t or couldn’t happen again. That Damon even believed it to be possible made Adrien want to hole up in his house and never, ever leave.
“Keep it together for two more minutes, the bar is right there.” He could call a cab to take him back to the hotel. The driver would give him hell, but he didn’t care. If nothing else, he could claim he’d had a few too many and didn’t trust himself to get back to the hotel safely. That, he was sure, was something every taxi and Uber driver in the city had heard at least fifty times.
He was two steps from the bar’s entrance when a heavy hand landed on his shoulder. Startled, Adrien yelped as he struggled to turn around.
“Geez, Adrien, calm the fuck down, you neurotic piece of work.”
“Good god, Pete,” he gasped, bending over, trying to will his heart to slow. “You scared the shit out of me. How long have you been following me?”
“Pretty much since you left the hotel. I called out to you but you must not have heard me.”
Of course he hadn’t, he’d been thinking about Elliot. Idiot. Adrien straightened and hugged his drummer. “I’m sorry. It’s stupid, but I’m still pretty easily spooked.”
Pete patted him on the back and broke the hug. “It’s okay, after all that happened, you have every right to be a little wacky. And I should know better than to follow you like that.”
“Yeah,” Adrien agreed. “Next time call me, even if you’re close enough to spit on me.”
“You mean I can’t just spit on you to get your attention?”
“How did you get in my band again?”
“Shut up,” Pete laughed, knowing that Adrien had picked him specifically out of thousands of other auditioning musicians that day. “Let me buy you dinner for scaring the daylights out of you.”
“Now that’s an offer I can’t refuse,” Adrien said, pulling open the door and holding it for Pete.
After the waitress had taken their orders, he sent Elliot a text.
Show went well, even if Pete tried to give me a heart attack after. Will explain next time we talk. Miss you. Will be home soon.
“You need to hire that boyfriend of yours to be your bodyguard,” Pete said, nodding at Adrien’s phone. “I know that’s who you have to be texting.”
“It is,” he admitted. “He’s dead asleep right now, but I always text after a show. And I did ask, but he said no. Damon agreed – he’s needed in Tucker, which I can totally get behind.”
“Guess we’ll have to find someone else to guard your body. I could probably find about fifteen willing women in this place alone.”
“You are not funny,” Adrien snorted. “It’s a good thing you offered to buy my meal or I’d make you find another table.”
Pete grinned. “Big words, baby,” he teased. “You’d never make me leave.”
“Ah, Pete, you know I couldn’t do this without you.” Adrien lifted his glass and looked at his friend and bandmate. “Although, I could do without the scares, thanks.”
Pete raised his glass and saluted Adrien. “You’ve got it. From now on, I’m putting bells on my shoes just for you.”
As stupid as he felt, Adrien was grateful it was only Pete that had been following him. He made a mental note to not do something so dumb again. Next time, he’d check to see if someone wanted to come along and, if not, room service it was. Elliot was going to give him an earful later, but he could live with that. A dressing down borne from real concern was worth it in the end.
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Date: 2019-01-29 11:37 pm (UTC)What is this thing work you speak of....lol
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Date: 2019-01-29 11:44 pm (UTC)Man, I am soooo freaking backlogged and yet... I have zero motivation today. Probably because I've been up since 3:30. January sucks. February will be easier because all the end-of-year stuff (and all of the OMG DROP WHAT YOU'RE DOING, HELP THE ACCOUNTANT) will be done.
On the bright side... it is now 3:40 and in 20 minutes I can get the heck outta here.