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asphaltcowgrrlTitle: Down at the Twist and Shout
Fandom: Romani Detective Original Fiction
Pairing: Everyone
Rating: PG-13 for some language
Word Count: 1,506
Summary: Zayne and James are having a crisis, so they call Hilary for help.
Author’s Note: Written for a prompt at comment-fic. The prompt was “when (pronoun) got drunk, it wasn't an incident, it was an event”. Poor Andy. LOL
“Maxwell,” Hilary said into her cellphone. “And this better be damn good because it’s two in the morning.”
“Sorry, Hil,” Zayne said. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. “I didn’t want to wake you, but it’s kind of an emergency. I need your help.”
That woke her fully. Sitting up, Hilary pushed her hair out of her face. “What’s wrong, Zayne? Are you okay? Andy? The narco?”
“I’m fine, the ginger is fine but Zek… he’s…”
“What’s wrong with Andy, Zayne?” She was practically shouting.
“Shit,” Jake muttered from beside her. “Something happen to Zeklos? Are Reyes and Rosewood okay?”
She waved a hand frantically at her boyfriend to get him to shut up. In an effort to keep him quiet, she put her phone on speaker. “Zayne? You’re not answering and it’s freaking me out.”
“Sorry, Hil. He’s okay, I mean, he’s not hurt or anything but…”
“BUT?”
Zayne laughed. “I think I heard that in all capital letters, Hil.”
“Probably because I said it in caps lock, Zayne. Mostly because you’re not reassuring me yet.”
“Sorry, sorry,” he said, still chuckling. “Zek’s… well, he’s drunk. Really, really drunk and…”
“And we can’t get him off the goddamned karaoke machine,” she heard James shout. “Get my partner out of your bed and both of you get down here and help us, please.”
Despite her earlier fear, Hilary started laughing. “Tell the narco to cool his jets. Jake and I will be there as soon as we can. And where the hell are you anyway?”
“A bar called The Blind Dragon,” Zayne said. “It’s not far from Zek’s house, just past the gym? You know where I mean?”
“Yeah, I think I do,” Hilary said. “Give us ten minutes. Wait, is that him I hear in the background?”
“Yeah,” Zayne sighed. “He discovered the Carrie Underwood catalogue. God help me if he starts in on “Jesus Take the Wheel”. Please hurry.”
The line disconnected and Hilary’s laughter turned into uncontrollable giggling.
“What’s so funny,” Jake asked, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. “We need to go help Reyes and Rosewood.”
“No,” Hilary said, choking on her amusement. “No, we do not. Andy rarely drinks and I think I’ve seen him drunk twice in all the years I’ve known him. If he’s trashed enough to get on stage and belt out “Cowboy Casanova”, we might be smart to stay the hell out of it.”
“How… how did you know that’s what he was singing,” Jake asked, giving her a look.
“I had it on repeat nearly nonstop every time Reyes and I split up,” she confessed. “I’d know that song anywhere.”
“And you’re likely the only reason Zeklos knows the song, too, right?”
She shrugged. “Maybe? That boy has the weirdest damn taste in music. He likes classical and this bizarre, Romanian pop stuff. He’s a paradox.”
“He’s also apparently drunk enough that neither Zayne nor James can handle him,” Jake reminded her. “Are you sure you don’t want to go find out why?”
“Hmm,” she said, thinking that over. “Okay, maybe you’re right. Would be interesting to know what drove Andy to get drunk and sing karaoke. That’s so not like him.”
--
“Well, for better or for worse, he’s moved on to Brittney Spears,” Jake observed as soon as they entered The Blind Dragon.
Hilary gave Jake a look. “He’s singing “Toxic” for the love of god. How can that be for the better?” She shook her head and stormed off in the direction of her ex-boyfriend.
“Oh geez,” Zayne said, grabbing Hilary by the arms as soon as she was close enough. “Please, get him off that stage.”
She looked towards where the most strait-laced man she’d ever known stood, singing his heart out. A smile crossed her face as she took in his outfit, something else not like him. He was wearing snug blue jeans and an old t-shirt that had to have belonged to Zayne at one time. It dwarfed Andy’s slimmer frame, but somehow enhanced his height and irresistible swagger. His normally tame hair was gelled to hell and back, his adorable waves standing upright in what seemed like a coup of epic proportions.
“Aw, he seems like he’s having fun,” she said, catching Andrej’s eye and waving at him. He grinned back at her and launched into the next verse. “So, fess up, what did you two do.”
“What the hell does that mean,” James snapped. “Why did we have to do something?”
Hilary glared at him. “I’ve known Andy longer than you have, Rosewood, and I know he’s not the type to get drunk and sing karaoke unless something was really wrong. What. Did. You. Two. Do?”
Zayne and James looked at each other for a moment, before Zayne heaved a sigh and directed his gaze at Hilary. “We got into a knock down drag out fight. And before you say anything,” he said quickly, seeing she was about to lecture them, “it was with good reason this time.”
“What constitutes a good reason, Reyes?”
“This asshole turned Zek down again.”
“I have my reasons, cowboy,” James interrupted.
“Has it ever occurred to you that your reasons are breaking Zek’s heart?”
“Oh go to hell.”
“Hold on,” Jake said, stepping between the two. “What did Zeklos ask you, Rosewood?”
“He asked me to move in with them again,” James admitted, looking at the floor.
“What kind of reasons could you possibly have to say no to that,” Hilary asked, her tone softer than it had been before. “He’ll feed you, love you, take care of you… I mean, I’d move in with him if he asked.”
“I don’t know, okay?” He threw his hands up in frustration. “I don’t know why, but I just can’t say yes.”
Hilary felt the air go out of her. She could imagine how much that had to have hurt Andy because she knew how much he wanted James with him and Zayne. She probably knew better than James or Zayne, honestly. “And he didn’t take it too well, I’m guessing?”
James shook his head. “He said he was going to go out for a bit, clear his head.”
“Did you follow him here,” Jake asked.
“No,” Zayne laughed. “I wasn’t even home when it happened. I’d gone to help one of the guys from missing persons move a bookshelf for his wife.”
“So, how’d you know he was here,” Hilary asked.
“I called them,” Trish said, approaching the group. “He was doing okay, nursing a glass of wine, and then suddenly, he was ordering tequila and well…” She motioned towards the stage.
Well, this whole mess at least explained Andy’s outfit, Hilary surmised. “Did you bring him here?”
“Nah,” she said. “He asked me if I’d meet him here for a drink and a bitch session. I figured we could leave these two out of it but once he got trashed and started in on the sappy country songs, I thought it might be smart to call these two.”
Hilary grabbed Trish by the arm and dragged her away from the guys. “How long did you wait to call them, Rollins?”
“Just a couple songs,” she said. “Andy had said he needed to work some shit out and we both thought this would be a good way to do it. Safe, you know? He wasn’t going to fight with those assholes, and I love listening to him sing. He’s got a great voice. I figured no harm in letting him do some karaoke.”
“You’re not wrong on any of that. How long has he been going,” Hilary asked.
“About an hour,” she said. “Ooooh, he’s waving to me. I’ll be right back.”
“Trish,” Hilary yelled. “Don’t you dare!”
“Don’t worry,” she called back, “this is the encore. I’ll bring him back with me.”
“What the hell,” Zayne said, watching Trish get on stage with Andrej.
She picked up a microphone and keyed up the song she was looking for. When the music started, Hilary laughed. “Oh god, I’ll be right back.”
“Where the hell is she going,” Jake asked.
Recognizing the music, Zayne started to laugh, too. “She’s joining them on stage. This is their favorite number. It’s worth the price of admission.”
“What the hell are we about to listen to, Zayne,” James growled.
“How do you not know this,” Zayne asked, looking at the two confused faces staring back at him. “Garth Brooks? “Friends in Low Places”? Seriously?” Dismissing them with a wave of his hand, Zayne jogged off to go join his friends on stage.
“You know,” Jake said as their friends started to sing onstage. “You’ve got to hand it to Zeklos.”
“How so,” James asked, warily.
“When he gets drunk, he sure as hell goes all out.” He grinned and gave the inebriated Romanian two thumbs up. “He doesn’t cause an incident, he creates a goddamned event.”
Despite himself, James started to laugh. “I blame the cowboy, Jake. I blame the cowboy.”
Fandom: Romani Detective Original Fiction
Pairing: Everyone
Rating: PG-13 for some language
Word Count: 1,506
Summary: Zayne and James are having a crisis, so they call Hilary for help.
Author’s Note: Written for a prompt at comment-fic. The prompt was “when (pronoun) got drunk, it wasn't an incident, it was an event”. Poor Andy. LOL
“Maxwell,” Hilary said into her cellphone. “And this better be damn good because it’s two in the morning.”
“Sorry, Hil,” Zayne said. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. “I didn’t want to wake you, but it’s kind of an emergency. I need your help.”
That woke her fully. Sitting up, Hilary pushed her hair out of her face. “What’s wrong, Zayne? Are you okay? Andy? The narco?”
“I’m fine, the ginger is fine but Zek… he’s…”
“What’s wrong with Andy, Zayne?” She was practically shouting.
“Shit,” Jake muttered from beside her. “Something happen to Zeklos? Are Reyes and Rosewood okay?”
She waved a hand frantically at her boyfriend to get him to shut up. In an effort to keep him quiet, she put her phone on speaker. “Zayne? You’re not answering and it’s freaking me out.”
“Sorry, Hil. He’s okay, I mean, he’s not hurt or anything but…”
“BUT?”
Zayne laughed. “I think I heard that in all capital letters, Hil.”
“Probably because I said it in caps lock, Zayne. Mostly because you’re not reassuring me yet.”
“Sorry, sorry,” he said, still chuckling. “Zek’s… well, he’s drunk. Really, really drunk and…”
“And we can’t get him off the goddamned karaoke machine,” she heard James shout. “Get my partner out of your bed and both of you get down here and help us, please.”
Despite her earlier fear, Hilary started laughing. “Tell the narco to cool his jets. Jake and I will be there as soon as we can. And where the hell are you anyway?”
“A bar called The Blind Dragon,” Zayne said. “It’s not far from Zek’s house, just past the gym? You know where I mean?”
“Yeah, I think I do,” Hilary said. “Give us ten minutes. Wait, is that him I hear in the background?”
“Yeah,” Zayne sighed. “He discovered the Carrie Underwood catalogue. God help me if he starts in on “Jesus Take the Wheel”. Please hurry.”
The line disconnected and Hilary’s laughter turned into uncontrollable giggling.
“What’s so funny,” Jake asked, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. “We need to go help Reyes and Rosewood.”
“No,” Hilary said, choking on her amusement. “No, we do not. Andy rarely drinks and I think I’ve seen him drunk twice in all the years I’ve known him. If he’s trashed enough to get on stage and belt out “Cowboy Casanova”, we might be smart to stay the hell out of it.”
“How… how did you know that’s what he was singing,” Jake asked, giving her a look.
“I had it on repeat nearly nonstop every time Reyes and I split up,” she confessed. “I’d know that song anywhere.”
“And you’re likely the only reason Zeklos knows the song, too, right?”
She shrugged. “Maybe? That boy has the weirdest damn taste in music. He likes classical and this bizarre, Romanian pop stuff. He’s a paradox.”
“He’s also apparently drunk enough that neither Zayne nor James can handle him,” Jake reminded her. “Are you sure you don’t want to go find out why?”
“Hmm,” she said, thinking that over. “Okay, maybe you’re right. Would be interesting to know what drove Andy to get drunk and sing karaoke. That’s so not like him.”
--
“Well, for better or for worse, he’s moved on to Brittney Spears,” Jake observed as soon as they entered The Blind Dragon.
Hilary gave Jake a look. “He’s singing “Toxic” for the love of god. How can that be for the better?” She shook her head and stormed off in the direction of her ex-boyfriend.
“Oh geez,” Zayne said, grabbing Hilary by the arms as soon as she was close enough. “Please, get him off that stage.”
She looked towards where the most strait-laced man she’d ever known stood, singing his heart out. A smile crossed her face as she took in his outfit, something else not like him. He was wearing snug blue jeans and an old t-shirt that had to have belonged to Zayne at one time. It dwarfed Andy’s slimmer frame, but somehow enhanced his height and irresistible swagger. His normally tame hair was gelled to hell and back, his adorable waves standing upright in what seemed like a coup of epic proportions.
“Aw, he seems like he’s having fun,” she said, catching Andrej’s eye and waving at him. He grinned back at her and launched into the next verse. “So, fess up, what did you two do.”
“What the hell does that mean,” James snapped. “Why did we have to do something?”
Hilary glared at him. “I’ve known Andy longer than you have, Rosewood, and I know he’s not the type to get drunk and sing karaoke unless something was really wrong. What. Did. You. Two. Do?”
Zayne and James looked at each other for a moment, before Zayne heaved a sigh and directed his gaze at Hilary. “We got into a knock down drag out fight. And before you say anything,” he said quickly, seeing she was about to lecture them, “it was with good reason this time.”
“What constitutes a good reason, Reyes?”
“This asshole turned Zek down again.”
“I have my reasons, cowboy,” James interrupted.
“Has it ever occurred to you that your reasons are breaking Zek’s heart?”
“Oh go to hell.”
“Hold on,” Jake said, stepping between the two. “What did Zeklos ask you, Rosewood?”
“He asked me to move in with them again,” James admitted, looking at the floor.
“What kind of reasons could you possibly have to say no to that,” Hilary asked, her tone softer than it had been before. “He’ll feed you, love you, take care of you… I mean, I’d move in with him if he asked.”
“I don’t know, okay?” He threw his hands up in frustration. “I don’t know why, but I just can’t say yes.”
Hilary felt the air go out of her. She could imagine how much that had to have hurt Andy because she knew how much he wanted James with him and Zayne. She probably knew better than James or Zayne, honestly. “And he didn’t take it too well, I’m guessing?”
James shook his head. “He said he was going to go out for a bit, clear his head.”
“Did you follow him here,” Jake asked.
“No,” Zayne laughed. “I wasn’t even home when it happened. I’d gone to help one of the guys from missing persons move a bookshelf for his wife.”
“So, how’d you know he was here,” Hilary asked.
“I called them,” Trish said, approaching the group. “He was doing okay, nursing a glass of wine, and then suddenly, he was ordering tequila and well…” She motioned towards the stage.
Well, this whole mess at least explained Andy’s outfit, Hilary surmised. “Did you bring him here?”
“Nah,” she said. “He asked me if I’d meet him here for a drink and a bitch session. I figured we could leave these two out of it but once he got trashed and started in on the sappy country songs, I thought it might be smart to call these two.”
Hilary grabbed Trish by the arm and dragged her away from the guys. “How long did you wait to call them, Rollins?”
“Just a couple songs,” she said. “Andy had said he needed to work some shit out and we both thought this would be a good way to do it. Safe, you know? He wasn’t going to fight with those assholes, and I love listening to him sing. He’s got a great voice. I figured no harm in letting him do some karaoke.”
“You’re not wrong on any of that. How long has he been going,” Hilary asked.
“About an hour,” she said. “Ooooh, he’s waving to me. I’ll be right back.”
“Trish,” Hilary yelled. “Don’t you dare!”
“Don’t worry,” she called back, “this is the encore. I’ll bring him back with me.”
“What the hell,” Zayne said, watching Trish get on stage with Andrej.
She picked up a microphone and keyed up the song she was looking for. When the music started, Hilary laughed. “Oh god, I’ll be right back.”
“Where the hell is she going,” Jake asked.
Recognizing the music, Zayne started to laugh, too. “She’s joining them on stage. This is their favorite number. It’s worth the price of admission.”
“What the hell are we about to listen to, Zayne,” James growled.
“How do you not know this,” Zayne asked, looking at the two confused faces staring back at him. “Garth Brooks? “Friends in Low Places”? Seriously?” Dismissing them with a wave of his hand, Zayne jogged off to go join his friends on stage.
“You know,” Jake said as their friends started to sing onstage. “You’ve got to hand it to Zeklos.”
“How so,” James asked, warily.
“When he gets drunk, he sure as hell goes all out.” He grinned and gave the inebriated Romanian two thumbs up. “He doesn’t cause an incident, he creates a goddamned event.”
Despite himself, James started to laugh. “I blame the cowboy, Jake. I blame the cowboy.”
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no subject
Date: 2020-07-13 11:36 pm (UTC)I have a feeling Andy isn't as drunk as the boys think.
Jay needs to stop being a debbie downer and move in with his boys.
no subject
Date: 2020-07-14 01:30 am (UTC)Hahaha... he's playing them big time. Having lots of fun while he does it, too.
He's scared and Zayne's going to give him hell as soon as he figures it out.