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"Yeah!" Headphones cheered into her microphone, saluting the crowd in front of their band. "Good night everyone!"
She gave out one last riff from her guitar as the crowd cheered loudly. Cod, she loved that sound.
The blue inkling turned her back to the crowd, walking to the back of the stage. Her band members followed soon after. She walked towards the corridor that led to their respective room, bidding one last goodbye to the rest of her team members.
She saw the Monarch from the side of her eye, a classical band who was famous for their elite performances. The three older members approached her teammates, while two of the younger ones walked towards the snack table (Prince and Laceless, Headphones remembered as their names). Eging and Bobble yapped to each other about their shared instrument, while Emperor teased Specs (along with Goggles joining in).
The Monarch's last member, who was the violinist and someone Headphones admired a lot, was standing by Emperor. Pacer had a beautiful white dress on (like her teammates in sleek elegant outfits, in a contrast to Blue's street-like wear), a gleeful smirk on her face. Headphones felt a wave of heat rushing to her face as she thought Pacer was in the audience, watching her performance. Even if it happened more than one time she was still flustered that someone pretty, talented, ethereal as Pacer even noticed Headphones in the first place, let alone watch her.
Speaking of noticing, the violinist monarch casted a glance at her side and noticed the lead vocalist. Pacer's smile got a tiny little bit wider as she looked at Headphones with her gold eyes.
Good Cod, Headphones thought, smiling back to the taller inkling as she gave a wave.
Headphones felt the blush on her face growing stronger as Pacer walked towards her, heels clicking on the cement floor of the backstage.
"Great performance out there, Phones," Pacer spoke, in a tone that Headphones could describe as simply like honey.
"T-thanks," Headphones internally cursed at her stammering. "I'm glad you liked it."
The two inklings stood at the entrance of the coridor for a few peacefully silent minutes, watching over their teammates. Bobble pulled out her keyboard and leaned it over at Eging, who inspected it in awe. Emperor and Goggles both quite literally drowned Specs in kisses, the bassist getting flustered.
Pacer let out a chuckle as she leaned on the corridor wall with her arms crossed. Headphones glanced at her, suddenly noticing her back.
It was exposed from the backline of her dress, and the most beautifully done butterfly tattoo was in sight of Headphones. It looked so pretty...
"N-nice tat," Headphones stuttered, internally cursing again. Couldn't she give a compliment without toppling over her words?! Yeah, she felt like getting folded like a lawn chair at the sight of the gold inkling, but please...
"Oh thank you," Pacer said, "yours are cool as well."
"Um, thanks. They're kinda hastily done though, hehe," Headphones grinned sheepishly, taking a glance at the random tattoos stamped on her arms as she stratched the back of her head, feeling herself relaxing. "Didn't take you for the type though? Thought you guys didn't allow it or something."
"Of course we do, just not on plain sight," Pacer said as she smiled. "Both Eging and Emperor has a bunch, even Laceless has one on his arm. Prince wants to get one so bad but Emperor would never let him." The gold inkling ended her sentence with a chuckle.
"Why do I feel like he'd get one just to spite him?"
Pacer's chuckle turned into a laugh. "Probably."
A few moments passed as the two inklings leaned on the wall side to side, listening to the natural rush and the crowd of the backstage.
"Hey, Pace!" The said-inkling opened her eyes to look at her teammate. Eging pointed over his shoulder with a thumb, as Pacer didn't see Emperor (along with the drummer and bassist of Blue) in near sight.
Yeah, they aren't seeing their lead vocalist until next day.
"I'm taking Prince and Laceless home, you wanna come?"
Pacer was silent for a few seconds, as she looked at her Headphones beside her.
"Okay. You go Eging, I'll catch up with you."
The-said pianist of monarch shrugged. "'Kay, but I'm not waiting more than ten minutes. C'mon, Prinz, Lace."
Pacer smiled as the other exited the backstage and Bobble disappeared into her own room, leaving her alone with Headphones.
"So..." the shorter inkling swayed on her spot.
Suddenly, she let out a yelp when she felt a hand on her cheek.
"So," Pacer whispered, thumb brushing other's skin.
"D-do you wanna hang out tomorrow?" Headphones managed to say, the blush on her face feeling hotter than Splatsville's sun.
Then, Headphones felt the monarch's thumb moving to her chin, lightly tilting it upwards–
And then she felt those beautiful lips of her, as Pacer put her other hand on her cheek as well.
Oh Cod. Oh. Oh my Cod. Fuck– where do I put my hands–
Headphones brain was surely melting, as she flailed her arms around like an idiot before hastily setting them on Pacer's waist.
The kiss lasted for a few seconds that felt like heaven to Headphones. They parted after a while, with Pacer looking at her with half lidded eyes and a small smile. Headphones thought what she did to get such a loving gaze out from the usually poker-faced monarch, hell, what did she do to catch the attention of a goddess?
"I would love to," Pacer said, looking at Headphones' eyes. "Tomorrow at four in afternoon?"
"Y-yeah."
"It's a date, then."
Pacer left a last peck on her cheek as she walked away, giving out one last wave as Headphones stood at the entrance of the hallway, dopey smile on her face with a lipstick mark on her cheek.