Runnin' with the Devil

Smoke and Leather

[1465 words]
~
Finally the gig was over and you handed your guitar off to Robin. You wiped away the thin layer of sweat from your forehead as you slid into the crowd of clearly cross faded fans. A couple cheers rung out as you slid by them. As you slid past, your eyes landed on a case of beer. You slouched down to grab a bottle and as soon as the glass hit your hand, you felt a pair of warm hands meet your hips. You jolted up and spun around to see Eddie with a tipsy smile on his face. You quickly laughed off the slight panic of the moment as he took the bottle from your hand. He cracked it open for you and handed it back to you.

"Good job baby bat."

"Thank you."

He then pulled you close to him by your hips and planted a kiss on your forehead. You let out a soft laugh at the gesture and pressed the bottle to your lips. As you tilted your head back to let the alcohol flow into your mouth, you saw Eddie's head dip out of sight and rest on your shoulder, his face pressed against your neck. You rested your empty arm on his shoulder as you felt him smile against you.

"Question."

You hummed in response to his low voice. As you moved the bottle away from your lips you laid your head against his.

"What exactly was the first verse of that song?"

You gave soft chuckle and sighed. You had expected to get this question but didn't think it would come so soon, or from Eddie. After all, he was the one who was the inspiration for the song...well at least the version of him that had appeared in those dreams.

"You're smart, you'll figure it out."

You retorted as he lifted his head from you. His eyes met yours and a small shock wave rolled through you. There was a small flicker of knowing in his eyes that was contradicted by his words.

"I'm afraid I won't doll face...not unless you tell me."

"Sure you will. You were the inspiration after all."

"Me?"

You gave a hum of approval before placing a kiss on his cheek and slipping from his arms. You kept your gaze on him for a moment before disappearing into the crowd. A smug look appeared on your face as you slid back past the cheering crowd.

You were unsure when this new attitude toward those odd dreams appeared but you figured it was better than staying afraid of them. As you continued to move past people, you were stopped by a hand grabbing your arm. Your attention shot to the hand and your eyes slowly scanned up the arm until you met a pair of blue eyes. You smiled at the smirking Billy before you before pressing the bottle back to your lips.

"Interesting set tonight."

He commented as you took in more alcohol. You gave a quick nod as you settled your hand clutching the bottle at your side.

"Why don't you go grab a case of beer and I'll meet you at my car."

You said before slipping away from him and out of the crowd. Your mind slipped for a moment as you made your way to your car. Your own words ran through your mind coupled with flashes of Eddie wearing that odd smile. You attempted to shrug it off but they continued to replay.

~

You leaned against your car as the sound of tires rolling to a stop appeared. You walked around your car to see Billy stepping out of his own car. You nodded to him before walking up to your house. The clinking of bottles echoed behind you as you opened the door. You stepped in and allowed the door to stay open as you walked into the kitchen. Not long after, you heard the sound of footsteps enter the house followed by the door slamming shut.

"In here!"

You shouted as you leaned against the counter. A few moments later Billy entered the kitchen with two cases of beers. You chuckled and pointed to the counter across from you to signal him to set them down before hopping up onto the one behind you. You watched as he pulled out two bottles. You held out your hand expectantly and he laid one in your palm.

"Your jacket is somewhere in my room—"

"I don't need it right now."

He quickly cut you off as he opened his beer. You simply shrugged and did the same to your own. As you tilted your head back you could feel his eyes on you. When your head fell back into its original position, you saw him eyeing you up and down. You watched as his tongue rolled across his bottom lip before his eyes snapped up to yours.

"You got any cigarettes? I left mine in my car."

He asked innocently. You nodded and kicked one of your legs over. As you slouched over to pull a drawer out, you felt him eyeing you again. You shook it off and pulled out a full pack of cigarettes and a lighter. You pulled one out for yourself and let it rest lazily between your lips before tossing the pack over to Billy. You sat back up and set your bottle down next you. Before you could pick your head up, you saw Billy appear in front of you and felt him slip the lighter from your hand. Once you finally did pick your head up to the sound of the lighter flicking to life, you saw a smug looking Billy step closer to you and light the cigarette between your lips. You nodded a 'thank you' to him as you took a quick drag. You pulled the cigarette from your mouth and held it between two fingers. After Billy finally lit his own, you expected him to fall back into his previous position but he stayed right where he was. You peered down at the pack still in his hand as he slowly brought it up to the counter. You watched as he intentionally brushed his hand on your thigh before placing it down next to you. Almost instinctually, you shuddered which caused him to let out a low chuckle.

"So...you mentioned something about it being a rough week for you at the concert, what's that about?"

He broke the tense silence finally and you pressed the cigarette back to your lips. You shook your head and did your best to give a reassuring smile.

"Oh it's nothing, don't worry about it."

Billy stepped closer to you. Close enough that his hip grazed your knee for a moment. Before he could say another word, the sound of your front door opening leaped into the air.

"Baby bat? Whose car is outside?"

You heard Eddie call through the house and you sighed. The door shut and you heard his footsteps find their way to the kitchen. He poked his head in and his expression quickly shot from confusion to clear jealousy.

"Ah, I see."

He commented as he stepped in. That same shock wave from before flew through you again as Billy moved to lean against the counter next to you. You quickly broke eye contact with Eddie and looked down at the pack of cigarettes on the counter. You grabbed it and pulled out another before returning your gaze to Eddie. You held it out to him and he quickly snatched it from you. He pulled a lighter out of his pocket as he walked over to you. His eyes shot to Billy for a moment as he pushed himself between your knees, facing you. He quickly lit the cigarette, taking a drag before pulling yours from your lips. He pressed a kiss on your lips and the smoke from his cigarette fell into your mouth. You couldn't help but smile at this as he pulled away. You took your cigarette back from Eddie as you heard Billy clear his throat, obviously trying to break the silence and bring your attention back to him. This simple action worked. As you blew the smoke from your mouth, you peered over at Billy with a slightly confused expression. Before he could speak, Eddie piped in.

"Get me a beer, will ya?"

Billy huffed at Eddie's request but obliged. As he stepped away from the counter, you looked down at Eddie. He looked pissed. You leaned down and pressed a kiss to his cheek hoping that it would ease his anger. Eddie took this opportunity to whisper in your ear.

"Why is he here?"

His tone was quiet but harsh. You pressed another kiss to his cheek before responding.