Chapter Text
“You look perfect, Danny. Quit fussing.”
You batted your best friend’s hand away from his perfectly mussed head of curls, not wanting him to mess them up in his characteristic pre-show nervousness. Danny gave you an unimpressed look in the mirror, a little put out at your scolding, but you both knew you were right.
“Don’t look at me like that,” you said, and the longer you held his gaze in the mirror, the harder it was to keep a firm tone. A smile spread over his face until the corners of his eyes were crinkled with it, and you couldn’t help but grin back.
“I’ll look at you however I want,” he said, straightening to brush his hand over the sparkly mesh top he wore. “I’m the rock ‘n roll god here, remember?”
You rolled your eyes, but it was affectionate. “Sure. Remind me again what kind of rock ‘n roll god still shakes like a chihuahua before every show.”
He sighed and turned to sit on the edge of the makeup table. “Yeah, it’s stupid.”
“Hey,” you said gently. You moved closer and touched a few fingers to his cheek, careful not to muss his makeup. “It’s not stupid. I was just teasing, but I shouldn’t have. It’s ok to feel nervous.”
He gave you a wry smile. “Even though I’ve played a million shows and I should be used to this kind of thing?”
“Oh, you should be used to thousands of adoring fans screaming your name?” you teased. “How very big-headed of you, Daniel.”
He chuckled. “You know what I mean.” He tugged on one of the curls you’d purposefully left out of your space buns. “Thank you for being here.”
You smiled. “You’re welcome,” you said. “Thank you for inviting me.”
You knew you had an open invitation to any of the boys’ shows — all you had to do was ask, and they’d roll out the red carpet and fly you in, get you a room in the hotel they were staying at, and make sure you were backstage or in the pit or wherever else you wanted to be for the show. You’d been kind of embarrassed the first couple of times they did all that for you, trying to explain you were only letting them know you’d be at the show, not that you’d been expecting or even asking for the VIP treatment. But you’d since realized that it was their way of showing you love while their lives were so hectic on tour, and you didn’t protest the royal treatment any more.
You hadn’t needed all that for this show, though, because it was only half an hour away from where you all lived in Tennessee. You’d only asked to be able to bring your boyfriend, and the boys had been kind enough to include him even though you knew good and well that none of the boys were particularly keen on him. You’d been dating Ben for about a year now, and while his bad-boy charm had attracted you to him like a moth to the flame, Danny and the Kiszkas weren’t overly impressed. You had to admit that Ben wasn’t the perfect boyfriend, not by any stretch of the imagination, but there was something about him you just couldn’t give up.
He was waiting for you backstage, likely sulking at your absence instead of trying to make friends with the boys you’d known and loved since middle school. You’d stayed with Danny when he hung back in the dressing room, knowing your best friend needed a few more minutes to get a hold of his nerves and wanting to be there to help.
“You’re gonna do great, Danny,” you said, giving him an encouraging smile. You kissed his cheek, and you hid your smile when you saw a telltale blush under the glitter on his face.
“Just pretend you’re playing for me,” you said, a little sassy, and you were pleased when he smiled.
“Who says I don’t already?” he said cooly, and he smiled when you laughed.
He tapped your nose as he stood. “Come on, sunshine. Let’s go play some rock ‘n roll.”
You beamed up at him, feeling a comforting warmth in your chest like you did every time he called you that. It had been his nickname for you since you were kids, and while Sam, Jake, and Josh had taken to using it too, it always sounded different in Danny’s voice.
You followed him out to the backstage area, finding the brothers and a couple of roadies talking in a lopsided circle while last-minute checks were conducted on instruments, outfits, and mic sets. Sam’s girlfriend, affectionately dubbed “birdie” since your childhood, had her arms wrapped around his lanky frame and was looking up at him with an adoring gaze. They’d only started dating in the summer, and the glow of the honeymoon phase looked good on them.
Just as you’d expected, your boyfriend was standing off to the side looking like he’d rather be anywhere but here. You reluctantly walked to him instead of the circle of your friends, holding your hands out to him.
“Ben, honey,” you said, uncrossing his arms and taking his hands when he didn’t offer them to you. You’d learned not to let stuff like that bother you, else you’d be tied up in knots all the time.
He scowled. “Where were you? I’ve been standing out here forever.”
You threaded your fingers with his. “I was helping Danny. You could have gone and talked to the guys.” You gave him a teasing smile. “They won’t bite, honey. They’d actually like to get to know you. Maybe you could be friends.”
He didn’t return your smile. “I don’t need any more friends.” He moved your hands behind your back, untangling his fingers from yours to hold your wrists together with one hand. You felt an odd thrill, the same kind you did when you slept with him — equal parts nervousness, excitement, and an unwavering knowledge that you should do what he told you if you wanted his attention.
“You don’t really need any more either, do you?” he asked, and finally, you saw him smile. It was a little hard around the edges, but it was a smile, and you’d been the one to draw it out.
You shivered when he grazed his knuckle down the side of your breast, feeling his warmth through the flimsy lace top he’d picked out for you. You couldn’t help but glance over your shoulder, heat racing to your face at the thought of the boys seeing Ben touch you so intimately.
“Ah-ah, baby doll,” Ben chided, touching your jaw to get you to turn back to him. “Eyes on me. Wouldn’t want me thinking you’re looking for someone else, would we?”
You flushed. “I’m not looking for someone else,” you said sincerely. “I just... maybe we shouldn’t be so...”
His expression hardened. “So what? So obvious?” He took your chin in an unforgiving grip. “Don’t you want everybody to know you’re mine?”
“Of course I do,” you said, knowing better than to try and fight his grip. He’d only make it tighter, and it hurt a little already. “But everybody here already knows that, Ben.”
“They do?” he said. “Well. Maybe I should have a chat with Wagner, then.”
You paled. “Why?” Ben had always held a particular dislike for Danny, though you’d never understood why. Danny had been nothing but friendly to Ben from the day you’d introduced them.
Ben brushed his thumb over your bottom lip, smudging your lipstick. “He must be pretty stupid to try and make a move on a girl who’s already taken.”
Your eyes widened. “He didn’t,” you said quickly.
“What were you doing back there alone?” he demanded.
“We were just talking,” you assured him. “Nothing happened, Ben, I promise.”
“You swear?”
You nodded. “Yes, I swear.”
He didn’t say anything for a long moment. Then, with his hand on your neck, he gave you a bruising kiss.
“You better not be lying to me, baby doll,” he said in a low voice. He kissed you again, and it sent a dangerous, electric thrill running through you.
“I’m not,” you breathed. You thought of how to get back on his good side. “When we get home... why don’t I do something special to show you how much I love you?”
He gave you a wicked grin. “Why wait? Let’s go right now.”
You frowned. “I don’t want to miss the show.” You kissed him before he could protest. “I promise I’ll make it worth it, Ben. Please.”
He gave a displeased huff. “No, you know what? If you care about them more than you care about me, I guess I should just go.”
You held on to him as he tried to pull away from you. “Ben, please don’t go. I want you to stay, please.”
“I want you to leave with me,” he said. “Why don’t I get what I want? Why is it always you who gets what they want?”
“I...” You didn’t know what to say. You hadn’t been trying to make this into a competition.
“I thought it would be nice to do this together,” you said. “They’re my friends, and you might like their music if you give it a try.”
He broke away from you, and you knew any chance of getting back into his good graces ws gone for the night.
“No, I’ll just go,” he said after a moment, but it wasn’t as harsh as you thought it would be. “You have a good time with your friends, doll.”
You were a little uneasy, trying to read his mood. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah,” he said, and it was almost sincere. He closed the distance between you and gave you a too-innocent smile.
“And since I’m being so generous, I know you’ll be just as eager to please when you get back home.”
You wilted. You should have guessed you wouldn’t be getting off scot free.
“You will, won’t you?” he asked, nipping at your bottom lip. “My sweet baby doll. You’ll be good for me because I love you so much, won’t you? You know I love you more than anything.”
You softened a little. “I know you do.”
He kissed you, quick and hard. “Good.”
He left, and you felt guilty at the twinge of relief that accompanied his departure. You watched him go, and as much as you wanted to stay for the show, part of you felt like you ought to chase after Ben and make him happy with you again.
“Sunshine.”
You jumped a little at his voice, and you felt him put a steadying hand on your back.
“Just me,” Danny said. He came around to face you. “You ok?”
“Yeah,” you said quickly. You looked beyond Danny to make sure Ben was gone, not wanting him to get the wrong impression. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
He shrugged. “You look a little tense.” He licked his thumb and wiped at your smudged lipstick, and you blushed vividly.
“I’m fine,” you said, pulling away and attempting to repair yourself. Hopefully the lipstick wouldn’t be so visible once you were in your seat. “Ben’s just... tired. He decided to go home.”
“Ah.” Danny let his hand drop. “Well, you’ll still have birdie. But you can stay backstage if you’d rather.”
You shook your head. “No, I’ll stick with her.” You wanted to be close to your friend and enjoy the show with her, not spend the whole night being upset about Ben.
Danny gave you a sweet smile. “Good. I know she’s been missing you. We all have.”
You knew without him having to spell it out that he wasn’t just referring to how little you’d seen them during the tour. Since you’d started dating Ben, you’d spent less and less time with birdie and the guys, and you missed them too.
You collected yourself and gave Danny a smile. “Well, we’ll have plenty of time this weekend to catch up.”
He grinned. “I know. I’m really excited for it.”
Sam and birdie had planned a camping trip a while ago for the first weekend of the boys’ break, and they’d invited everyone else to come along, including Ben. The twins had politely declined in favor of spending a long weekend at the beach, but Danny was going and you’d somehow miraculously convinced Ben to go with you. It worked out wonderfully that this last show before the break was close to home, and you were all supposed to meet at the campsite tomorrow evening.
Danny took your hand, chaste and comforting.
“You and birdie should get your spots,” he said, leading you towards the group of your friends. He nodded to the stage where the opening band was playing. “They have one more song after this, so you still have time to get Jake to make you a drink.”
“Or two,” you said.
He laughed. “Yeah, or two.”
Jake was happy to make you and birdie drinks strong enough to get you plastered before they even went on stage, and after wishing the boys good luck, you wove your way through the venue to get your seats in the first row. You sat back to enjoy your drink and your sweet friend’s company while the opener finished their set, relaxing into your buzz and the energy from the crowd.
When the boys came on stage, you cheered as loud as the rest of the fans and waved like they could see you. Sam blew a kiss, and though a wave of swooning cheers was given in response, you nudged your shoulder against birdie’s. She grinned back, knowing the kiss was for her but pleased to share it with the rest of the fans.
You forgot all about your argument with Ben as the boys played, letting yourself get lost in the familiar, incredible feeling of their shows. You sang along with every song and laughed at Josh’s stream-of-consciousness ramblings, knowing you’d tease him about them later. You sat in awe like you always did when Jake, Sam, and Danny soloed, blown away at the talent you’d never be able to wrap your mind around no matter how many times you heard them play. When Josh sang the final notes of “Black Smoke Rising,” you made yourself hoarse with cheering, proud beyond words and alive with joy and energy.
You stayed in your seat after everyone else had left, drinking in the post-show ambiance as the roadies started to break down the set. Birdie had gone backstage right after the show to see Sam, but you were content to be alone; you watched as groups of friends took final pictures together, some crying and laughing, some with love tokens like picks and flowers and necklaces generously given from the boys during the show. You loved to watch how much people loved Greta Van Fleet, enjoying how all the love the boys poured out was given back tenfold by the fans to the boys and to each other.
Danny stepped out on stage after a while, careful of the roadies diligently working around him, and you knew he was looking for you. You waved, feeling a tight squeeze in your chest at the sight of him looking for you. He grinned and waved back.
“Come here,” he called across the pit, his voice carrying in the near-empty venue.
“I can’t,” you called back. “I’m too tired.”
He laughed, and he gave you an affectionate shake of his head. “Alright then, trouble. Stay put. I’ll come get you.”
He jumped down from the stage and made his way to you, pausing on his walk to pick up some of the empty cups and little bottles of alcohol that littered the floor. He tossed them in a nearby trash can, much to the surprise of the teenager with a broom instructed to sweep up the pit; the kid gave him an almost bewildered “thank you” and Danny smiled in response.
He climbed up on the railing above the wall of the pit, holding on with one hand and leaning back precariously as he surveyed you.
“You’re just exhausted, huh?” he asked. “All that cheering and worshiping really took it out of you?”
You laughed. “Is that what I’m doing now?” you asked. “Worshiping?”
He grinned. “Weren’t you?” He swung himself over the railing and leaned back against it, nudging his shoe against yours.
“Did you have a good time?” he asked.
You smiled. “Of course I did. You were great, just like I said you’d be.”
“Oh, right. I forgot you know everything.”
You huffed a laugh, and he cracked a smile for you. He offered you his hand.
“Come on,” he said. “You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.”
His mom had always said that when it was time for you and the Kiszkas and birdie to go home from hours of hanging out at the Wagner’s house, and you smiled at the memory now.
He groaned a little when you let him help you up, his muscles sore from their workout on the drums, but he steadied you like it was second nature when you realized just how strong Jake’s drink had been.
“Easy, tiger,” he said with a chuckle. “You alright?”
You hummed. “Jake’s an alcoholic.”
He laughed. “I coulda told you that.” He swept his hair back from his face, his curls damp with sweat and his makeup smudged. “In fact, he’s the one that suggested we go out. You coming?”
You sighed. “I shouldn’t,” you said, reality coming back as you came down from your post-show high. “Ben’s waiting for me.”
He raised a brow. “He left in your car, though. How are you supposed to get home?”
“He sent me money for an Uber.”
Danny rolled his eyes, and for the first time in a while, your best friend couldn’t hide his dislike for your boyfriend.
“What?” you said defensively, a little hurt and embarrassed. You wanted more than anything for Danny to like Ben, but you also wanted Ben to be someone worth liking, and you didn’t seem to be faring well on either front.
“He sent you money for an Uber?” Danny repeated. “Come on, sunshine. His apartment’s, like, twenty minutes away. He can’t come get you?”
“I don’t want to make him drive if he doesn’t have to,” you said.
“It’s not safe,” Danny insisted.
“Oh, relax,” you said irritably, disliking the thought that Danny was looking out for you better than your own boyfriend was. “I’ll be perfectly fine. It’s not like I’m jumping in the back of an unmarked van and asking for a ride home.”
“No, you’re not,” he agreed. “And you’re not getting an Uber, either.”
You crossed your arms over your chest. “What should I do, then, Danny? Walk home?”
He gave a dry laugh. “Yeah. I’m gonna make you walk home, sunshine.”
He went over the railing again and jumped down to the pit. For an awful moment, you thought he was leaving you, and you leaned over the railing to call him back.
“What?” he asked, looking up at you. He was waiting patiently at the bottom, not leaving you all alone.
You shook your head. “Nothing. I thought you were leaving.”
His expression softened. “No, sunshine. I’m right here.” He extended his hand to you. “Come on.”
“I’ll meet you down there,” you said, intending to find the stairs down to the pit. You looked left and right; the stairs were way off on the edges of the bleachers.
“Nah, it’s quicker to come this way,” he said. “Just come over the railing.”
“No way,” you said. “I’ll fall to my death.”
He gave you a grudging smile. “When have I ever let you fall to your death, huh? That’s right. Never. So come on.”
You cautiously, hesitantly did as he said, easing yourself over the railing until you were standing on the other side. You looked down; the floor seemed a lot farther away than it had a few seconds ago.
“Just drop,” Danny said. “It’s not as far as it looks.”
“Yes, it is,” you said, clinging to the railing. “Besides, I’m drunk. I’ll break my ankle trying to do that.”
You heard him sigh and walk over to you; a moment later, you felt his hands on your waist.
“Let go,” he said.
“Let go ?” you repeated.
“Yes, sunny.” His voice was tired but patient. “Let go of the railing.”
You did, and he took you by the waist and set you down on your own two feet.
“There,” he said. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”
You were a little embarrassed at your theatrics, especially considering that the railing really wasn’t that high up now that you were looking at it.
“Thanks,” you said bashfully.
Danny’s tired smile soothed your embarrassment. “No sweat.”
He led the way backstage, and you were surprised to see that he only went into the dressing room that was obviously hosting the post-show party to get your jackets.
“You’re not gonna try and get the guys to convince me to stay?” you asked as he helped you put on your coat.
“If I thought it would work, maybe,” he said. He looked over his shoulder at you as he put on his own jacket. “Would it work?”
You sighed. “No. I need to get home to Ben.”
“Right.”
He turned back and continued to walk towards the exit, and you had to jog a few steps to keep up with his long strides.
“Where are you going, Danny?”
He gave you a bemused look. “I’m driving you home.”
You stopped. “No you’re not.”
He noticed you weren’t walking with him any more and turned around with a huff.
“Yes, I am,” he said. “Let’s go.”
“Why are you driving me home?” you pressed. “You’re... you’ll miss out on the party.”
He shrugged. “We probably shouldn’t be partying all night anyway if we’re going camping tomorrow.”
“Sam and birdie are partying tonight,” you said.
“So they’ll be hungover as shit tomorrow,” he said, tossing his hands up in exasperation. “Who cares? You said you needed to go home, and I’m not letting you get in some creepy axe-murderer Uber just because your boyfriend’s too lazy to come get you.”
“Danny,” you warned.
“Fine,” he said. “Your boyfriend isn’t coming to get you for some chivalrous, sexy reason. Either way, I’m driving you home. So come on.”
You had no choice but to follow him as he started walking again, and you tugged on his jacket pocket to get him to slow down.
“Danny, wait.”
He sighed and stopped again. “Yes?”
“You don’t have to take me home,” you said. “It’s sweet of you to offer, but I’ll be fine taking an Uber, really. I don’t want you to miss out on the party.”
After a moment, he gave you a half smile. “Wouldn’t be much of a party without you there, sunshine.”
You softened. “Danny. Please don’t make yourself miserable because of me. I’ve already had one too many people do that tonight.”
He affectionately tweaked your cheek. “I’m not making myself miserable, I promise. I’m ready to go home, and you’re on the way.”
That was only sort of true, but you didn’t argue. You wouldn’t have been able to change his mind even if you had. He offered his hand and you took it, walking together to the parking garage.
You got in Danny’s car as he cranked it and turned the heat on low, combating the chilly early October weather outside. It wasn’t often that the boys drove in to shows by themselves, but they liked the novelty of it and did it whenever they could. You propped your arm on the door and pressed your head against the window, watching as Danny texted the group chat he was in with the guys.
“Just telling them I’m taking you home,” he said, sending the text and opening up Spotify. “Any requests?”
You shook your head. “Whatever’s good with me.”
He put a playlist on shuffle and backed out of his parking space as you pulled out your own phone to tell Ben you were on the way home.
You found an Uber ok? he asked.
No, Danny’s driving me, you said. Are you at mine or yours?
He didn’t text back right away. You set your phone down and listened to the song that was playing, John Anderson’s “Wild and Blue”.
“Hey, you listened to him,” you said, pleasantly surprised. “I didn’t know if you’d like his music.”
You could just make out Danny’s smile in the dark. “I do like him,” he said. “This song’s one of my favorites.”
It was one of your favorites too, and you hummed along to the melancholy, honky-tonk tune.
“ In somebody's room on the far side of town, with your mind all made up and the shades all pulled down, someone is trying to satisfy you — he don't know you're wild and you're blue.”
Danny was singing along, his voice soft and a little distracted as he made sure you were headed in the right direction on the highway. Your phone buzzed, and you read the text from Ben.
I’m at my apartment. Tell Wagner to take you to yours.
You felt a thrill of panic.
I thought you were waiting up for me, baby, you typed back, frantically trying to soothe him. I’m really eager to please, remember? ;)
Again, a pause, and you bit the inside of your cheek.
I don’t want to fight, you typed. Do you want to meet me at my place?
Finally, he replied, and your heart sank.
No. Tell Wagner he can keep you.
You put your phone in your pocket and tried to take a steadying breath. No reason to get worked up. He was just upset about what happened earlier, and you’d call him when you got home and work everything out.
“Everything ok?” Danny asked.
“Yeah,” you said quietly. “Fine. He’s... he’s at my place, so if you could drop me off there, that would be great.”
Danny seemed to sense that you weren’t up for conversation, and the rest of the ride home was quiet. When he pulled into one of the two parking spaces for your apartment, it was glaringly obvious that Ben’s care wasn’t in the other one.
“Didn’t you say he was here?” Danny asked, and you noticed a tinge of frustration in his voice.
“He’s... he’s coming in a little bit,” you said.
Danny looked over at you. “Sunshine...”
“It’s fine,” you said, taking your purse from the floorboard and opening the door. “He said he’s coming, so he’s coming. Thank you for driving me home.”
“You’re welcome,” he said. “Do you want me to wait with you until he gets here? I know you don’t like to be alone at night.”
You felt an uncomfortable ache in your chest.
“No, thanks,” you said, trying to keep your voice from wobbling. For some reason, the idea of Danny staying with you made you want to cry. “I’ll be okay.”
He didn’t say anything for a moment, and you knew he was trying to decide whether arguing would do any good.
“Okay,” he finally agreed. “But... please call me if you need me, sunshine. I mean it.”
You tried for a smile.
“I will,” you said. “Goodnight, Danny.”
He gave you a soft smile back. “Goodnight, sunshine. See you tomorrow.”
He waited until you were safely inside to head home, and you watched him leave until you couldn’t see his car any more. Part of you wanted to call him and tell him to come back, to confess everything that was going on with you and Ben, to ask him to stay with you in your apartment that you hadn’t spent a night alone in for a long time.
Instead, you called Ben; you got his voicemail. You texted him and asked him to call you when he got a minute, wanting to explain and ask his forgiveness; you showered and curled up in bed, waiting for your phone to light up with a notification.
It did, and you jumped up to read it. A heartsick sigh escaped you when you saw it was from Danny.
Sorry for being kind of a jerk tonight, he said. I shouldn't have talked about Ben like I did. I know you love him, and I just want you to be happy. I’m sorry.
You didn’t know what to say back. He texted again before you thought of how to respond.
Thanks for coming to the show, sunshine. I’m really glad you came. I’m excited about our trip tomorrow, and I can come get you if I need to. Just let me know.
You texted back a quick thank you and told him you’d text if you needed him. You looked back at your messages with Ben, and you felt the sting of tears. You sent him one last text, saying that you were sorry and still wanted to talk.
You fell asleep with your phone in your hand, waiting for your boyfriend to call you back.