Chapter Text
To say Rock was stressed was an understatement, he had been waiting an eternity (4 days) for this date to come, his first date in an eternity (4 years). Not to mention this was also his first time going to a concert. He looked around his apartment as he paced nervously. Freaked out about what to wear, how to stand, what to do with his arms. This show was at a bar, right? So, better wear something casual then? Rock looked through his closet only to be greeted with a row of white button up shirts, short sleeves for the summer, long sleeves for the winter. In his dresser he had meticulously laid out pairs of the same style socks which he maintained that they made it so that they never get mismatched coming out of the laundry. As for pants, he owned seven pairs of gray slacks, one for each day of the week. Rock took a step back and analyzed himself.
“If someone broke in here, they’d probably think I’m a psychopath…” he thought to himself while raising an eyebrow. He had spent the last few years mostly living out of utility aside from some personal items such as games and movies, but now he had to start living for himself. He picked up the phone and dialed Revy’s number, tapping his fingers on his knee as he waited for her to pick up.
“Hey! Revy! Uh… quick question, I’ve, uh… never been to a concert before… and I really don’t know what I’m supposed to wear, all I’ve got are button ups and slacks.” Rock asked.
“Wait, really? No graphic tees or jeans, nothing?” Revy replied, raising an eyebrow.
“No, I’ve never really needed anything more than what I got, and when I found my style I just bought duplicates of everything.” Rock explained, scratching the back of his head.
“Okayyyy… Well, I mean, you could just wear your shirt and tie then. In fact, i’ve been to shows where the bassist was wearing stuff like that, and people died in the pit… you should get left alone if you wear that. Plus, if you feel like it you can definitely pick up a shirt at the merch booth.” Revy offered up.
“Well, that sounds scary, but a bit reassuring I guess… I’ll see you in a bit to pick you up, just let me finish getting ready first.” Rock told her as their call finished. He pulled a shirt over his chest and buttoned it up before tying his tie and heading down to his car.
Revy looked through the pile of clothes on the floor before grabbing a pair of black jeans and a red t shirt, she ran her fingers through her hair and put it in a ponytail before grabbing her keys and a backpack, she locked up her apartment and began waiting on the steps outside her apartment building until a Toyota Camry pulled up and rolled down the window.
“Hey Revy! You been waiting long?” Rock yelled out from his car.
“Eh, not too long, just stepped out like two minutes ago.” Revy responded before getting into his car and taking a look around the inside of the vehicle and sitting back. “I don’t think I’ve ever been in a car this clean. Usually there’s at least a couple McDonald’s wrappers and empty bottles all over the floor” She commented.
“Yeah, I try to do my best with it.” Rock stated as he pulled out a cigarette, put it in his mouth, and lit it before driving off as Revy looked at him mildly shocked with raised eyebrows.
“Oh, sorry, Do you want me to put it out?” He asked softly as it hung on his lips.
“Nah it’s cool, I don’t give a shit, just didn’t take you for a smoker is all…” Revy commented
“Yeah, I’m no altar boy… hope that ain’t too much of a disappointment.” Rock chuckled as he turned on the CD player.
“Not at all, you got any more surprises?”” She smirked
“One or two, a magician never reveals all his tricks at once. You got any?” Rock asked back
“Nope. What ya see is what ya get” Revy lied to him before paying extra attention to the stereo “Wait, are you playing Cutlass right now? We’re on our way to see them.”
“Yeah, I want to refresh myself on their stuff, so we can recognize the songs at the show.” Rock explained.
“What, you think if you don’t know the words, you’re gonna get a bad grade or something?” Revy teased “C’mon put on something else, what other CDs ya got?” she asked as Rock suddenly focused on the road while she began investigating his glovebox, his face turning red. “What?”
“...the only other CD I have here is the Spider-Man 2 soundtrack…” He mumbled out
Revy’s eyes suddenly widened and her mouth went slightly agape while she shook her head. “And here I thought you almost had a dangerous side for a moment…” she smirked at him before scanning the back of the CD seeing what was on it. “Oh shit I actually know some of these guys… huh.” she smirked as she popped out the Cutlass CD, put it in it’s case, and pushed the Spider-Man 2 soundtrack into the slot.
The ride to the bar wasn’t too long or awkward as Rock had feared. And soon enough they had ended up at the Yellow Flag, a decently sized club on the outskirts of Roanapur Heights. After they parked, Revy grabbed her backpack and slammed the door behind her as she got out and took a good look at Rock.
“Alright Rock, let me take a look at ya.” Revy said, looking him up and down before approaching him. “Alright first of all, let me just…” She said before grabbing his tie and pulling on it to loosen it, then she undid the top button of his shirt and grabbed his shirt, pulling it out of his pants. “Eh, not too bad, alright come with me.” She commanded further as she grabbed his arm and lead him to the club.
“Wait! Revy! Aren’t there some ground rules or something I should know for this? I told you already I haven’t been to a concert before!” Rock exclaimed before Revy stopped in place, rolled her eyes, and put her arm around his shoulder.
“Alright, first things first, don’t call it a concert, it's a show. Try your best to look and act like this isn’t your first time, don’t bother fighting for the front row, and if your feet start hurting then that’s when you know, you’re enjoying it right.” She listed off and finished with a smirk “Now c’mon, you can buy me a drink.” The two walked into the club and were greeted with blaring loud music, a room reeking of piss and nicotine, and cigarette smoke so dense the room seemed like a maze, needless to say, Rock fell in love with it instantly.
“Hey can you buy us some drinks real quick? I gotta head to the bathroom” Revy asked as she patted him on the shoulder and took off. Before he knew it, he was standing alone at the bar, looking around at the new environment that he had enveloped him. It seemed like everyone there had already been in their own cliques and little social circles. He looked out at the sea of ringing ears and raspy throats and leaned back onto the bar.
“You’re new here, aren’t you?” The bartender asked as he cleaned out a glass.
“Yeah? How’d you know?” Rock asked back with an eyebrow raised as he took a sip of his beer.
“Only someone that’s never been here before would be dressed like that.” He replied deadpan.
“I knew it wouldn’t blend…” Rock murmured out
“Don’t worry kid, people tend to stay away from folks dressed like that. Scares em…”
-
As Rock went to go and get some drinks, Revy headed off and went backstage where she greeted her bandmates.
“Told you guys I’d be here on time…” Revy told them as she took her backpack off and opened it up.
“Way to cut it close, two hands…” replied Cindy, their bassist.
“What, were you gonna go on without me?” Revy shot back as she began undressing, swapping her t-shirt and jeans for her iconic (to the reader) tank top and cut offs.
“We go on in ten minutes, are you sure you’re even ready? You haven’t even warmed up” Joanna, their singer.
“You know I can play our set in my sleep, don’t worry.” Revy said as she took out the final piece of the ensemble, a balaclava and pulled it over her head. “Now, any other questions?” she asked as she pulled out her drumsticks and began twirling them in her hand
“Yeah, what’s with the mask?” Kate, asked as she finished tuning her guitar. Revy just sighed and rolled her eyes.
“Alright, look out on the floor, you see the guy talkin to Bao with the white shirt and the tie? He’s my date, he works at my mall and I told him about the show after he bought one of our CDs. He doesn’t know I’m in the band so I figured I’d give him a little surprise.” Revy explained as she ran her hands down the side of the mask to flatten it out. “Now, let’s surprise him…”
Soon the stage lights went dark, and the band took the stage. Rock had started sulking into his beer after he’d been abandoned. Did he do something wrong? Was he too nerdy out of the gate with that CD in his car? Maybe she was just using him to get a ride or a laugh… But when the stage lit up and the bass started thumping, he began to forget all that as the band played. Something fast and loud cranked through the rickety walls and beer stained floors of the bar as people swarmed the front of the stage, singing along with the band while they moshed like an angry sea, Rock against Revy’s earlier advice decided to make his way in and fight to get to the front.
As Rock joined in with the crowd, he jumped and shook his head to the music while shoving back whenever someone else got a bit too close for comfort. As he looked up he saw the band for the first time, and realized the drummer was wearing a mask, the only reason it stood out was none of the other members were, maybe it was a gimmick? By the third song, Rock had finally gotten into a groove and was fully immersed in the show, while the band stopped to introduce themselves to the crowd.
“You guys can scream loud, I like that! Thank you all for coming out tonight, We are Cutlass! My name is Joanna, now let me introduce you to my friends up here. This master shredder, her name is Kate, and she can melt your face off!” She announced as Kate played a small solo, before the light shifted to the right side of the stage. “Now, this tall, beautiful lady, her name is Cindy! Name a song, she’ll play it!” Was the next announcement as three loud bass notes rang out. “And now, our secret weapon, the heartbeat you’ll be stomping your feet to all night, REVY TWO HANDS!” Joanna yelled as she ripped Revy’s mask off and tossed it into the crowd, while Revy stood up, tapping the cymbals lightly as she looked into the crowd and winked at Rock.
“This next one goes out to the guy in the tie!” Joanna announced as Revy counted them off before the band started playing again. Rock could only stand there in shock, his mouth agape as he saw her behind the drumkit. He had thought she was cute before, and definitely wanted to get to know more of her, but now she was something else.
The band launched into a cover of Janie Jones by The Clash as Joanna looked right into Rock’s eyes and smiled. As the show went on, the energy was kept up and as the band finally closed down on their last song, Revy stood up from her drum kit and made her way to the front of the stage. She put her hands on her knees and looked into the crowd while biting her lip. She picked a spot right over Rock, pointed at into the audience and nodded her head while smiling before diving right in and letting the crowd hold her. As she surfed through the crowd they let her down slowly and she made her way towards Rock and put her arm around his shoulder.
“The girls are going to the diner after this, you wanna go with them?” Revy asked him.
“Yeah, alright, sure… you have a lot of explaining to do anyway.” Rock nodded before she began walking him backstage to meet the rest of the band.
Rock followed Revy as she lead him by the hand and led him to the back dressing room where the rest of the band were cooling down after the set.
“Hey two hands! How’d your boytoy like the set?” Kate asked teasingly as she disassembled her pedal board and put the various effect pedals in a case.
“He has a name…” Revy growled out. “And he loved it, he was just telling me as I was bringing him back here.” Revy stated as Rock peaked out from behind her and waved shyly.
“Hi, I’m Rock… I really liked the show…” Rock spoke softly as he waved to the band, as the three looked at him, eyebrows raised before Cindy spoke up.
“Your actual name is fucking Rock?” She asked in disbelief before Rock signed and began to explain.
“It’s short for Rokuro, a lot of English speakers here couldn’t be bothered to learn how to pronounce it so… I’m Rock.” He told the girls as his shoulders dropped down and his hands fell to the side. “Also, Revy mentioned you guys are going out for food at some diner, and she wanted me to tag along if that’s alright.” The girls then huddled together and began murmuring and whispering to each other.
Soon enough the huddle ended and the three stood across from him.
“Alright, you can come, but only cause we need to interrogate and see if you’re good enough for our favorite drummer” Joanna answered as the rest of the band began loading up their equipment into the van outside. After all the equipment was loaded up, Joanna looked back at the duo “Well, aren’t you coming?”
“Oh, we took my car to get here, we’ll just follow you to the place” Rock answered as Revy opened the passenger door to get in Rock’s sedan and they began tailing the van to the Tick Tock diner. After a short drive, the group ended up at the diner and all got into a booth. The group mainly ordered some appetizers such as mozzarella sticks and disco fries while Revy ordered a bacon grilled cheese and Rock ordered some eggs and bacon.
“Dude, it’s 3AM, why are you getting breakfast?” Revy questioned as she waited for their food to come. “I just like eggs, I guess…” Soon their good arrived and Revy excited began eating her grilled cheese, letting out an embarrassingly loud moan as she took her first bite. “Rock, you gotta try this.” She insisted as she shoved her sandwich in his face, practically into his mouth.
As Rock took a bit of the sandwich that Revy was practically assaulting him with and his eyes opened wide. “Oh my god, that’s actually really good.” He said to her as he looked back at his meal. “Damn it, now I regret getting these.” He complained as he went back to his eggs and bacon.
A little while into their food, Revy got up and went to the bathroom, as she did the girls looked at Rock and focused their eyes on him. Rock, suddenly feeling three sets of eyes on him, looked up to meet their harsh stares. “So…’Rock’ We weren’t kidding about interrogating you, especially after that last asshole she dated. What exactly would a straight laced suit like you want with a cumdumpster like her?” Joanna began pressing a line of questions into him.
“Well, first of all. Wow. That’s… certainly a way to describe her. But… I don’t know, she came in to buy a coffee one day, and I got infatuated to say the least, then I bought some CDs to impress her and she invited me out to the show. I’m just hoping things keep going as well as the have so far.” Rock explained.
Two of the girls narrowed their eyes at him while one leaned in, causing Rock to lean back while his eyes widened. “Why do I feel like if I answer you girls wrong I'm gonna end up with a switchblade in my stomach?” Rock asked rhetorically. The girls all then leaned back and smiled.
“Relax Rocky boy, we’re just fuckin with you. We just had to put some pressure on ya to see how we feel. But if you do break her heart, you’ll be wishin we killed you instead~” Joanna teased further as Revy returned from the bathroom.
“You bitches done grilling him?” Revy asked as she sat back down in the booth. “Look at him, he’s about to piss himself.” She lightly mocked Rock’s scared expression. The rest of the meal went on for about an hour before they called it a night and went their separate ways as Rock drove Revy back to her apartment. After the drive, he pulled over onto the curb and let her on her way.
“Hey, sorry about the bait and switch with the show… Next time it’ll be a real date. I promise.” Revy said as she smiled at Rock before entering her building. Rock smiled to himself and drove off into the night, heading back home from the best night he’s had in years.