Vox: A FanFic/X-Reader

Chapter Sixteen

The end of the show becomes apparent. The bassist passes me and nods toward the exit. I stand. The guitar stops. Then, the drums too. Someone will pack everything up.

He walks by me, hand reaching and skimming—tugging—on my wrist. I follow him down the stairs. Trailing behind, we head for a blacked-out van. The open door awaits. He slides into the back seat. I climb on his lap, straddling his thighs, and wrap my arms behind his back. My neck presses against his, the net and cloth separating us.

My shuddering breaths don't stop when I squeeze him. He holds me close, his hands rubbing and kneading up and down my spine. My leaky eyes barely trickle now.

Reexamining our previous interactions, I realize he never lied to me. It reassures me. The thing that I'm tripping up on is what I know of him personally and what I thought I knew of him as an artist. I shuffle through various bits and decide we'll talk about it at some point, but ultimately, no matter what the answers are, they won't matter.

"I'm so sorry I made you cry," he whispers below my ear. "Forgive me."

"Fuck, you—"

"I'm sorry." A pained groan sounds in the back of his throat as he squeezes me.

"No, I—"

"Please don't hate me."

"I don't."

"Then?"

"You killed me."

"You're alive, love. Just breathe," he says, hands massaging my hips and legs.

Trying to talk right now isn't working, but I try. "I'm not saying 'fuck you,' I'm saying, 'Fuck, you emotionally overloaded me.'"

The drummer is the last one in and the door slides shut. The driver hops in, starts the van, and we roll away. Costumes stay on until we're about ten minutes from the hotel. A pack of wipes sails through the air and lands on the seat beside us.

"I was crying so hard, I missed most of the song. Was it recorded?"

"Yes, I made sure."

"Thank you. It was beautiful—what I heard of it."

"I wanted to see your face." He cups the back of my head.

"No, trust me. I was so thankful for the mask. Unless you're into tears."

"Maybe you can persuade me." He smiles into the hollow of my neck.

"Don't you start."

I reach over and snag the wipes. Plucking a few out, I remove his hood and mask. I wipe away the excess paint from his face and move to his forearms.

He watches me, one hand snaking up my back to my neck. Strong arms press me to him. His hands slide around my neck and undo the lace, then the mask and hood. He unzips the robe, which I think is actually a graduation gown, and pushes it off my shoulders with the backpack.

His lips find mine. Our first kiss, where I know who he is, is no less passionate than any other we've shared. His mouth slants over mine, tongue swirling against mine. Nipping at my lips, he uses his teeth to capture one, then the other, swiping his tongue against the meat of each. The sigh he exhales goes straight to my head. Intoxicating me, he cups my face, stroking both cheekbones with his thumbs. He drags them down, tracing each side of my throat, and applying enough pressure that I shiver under his touch. Foreheads pressed together, his nose nudges and slides against mine.

Death by seduction. And there are too many people in here to do anything about it.

I sigh, squeezing his shoulders, then locking my fingers behind his neck.

Recalling when I told him he'd always have to 'share me' has me wanting to smack him. "You could have told me you didn't have to 'share me' with yourself, you overgrown jerk," I tease.

He laughs. "Kiss me, woman." And I do.

A minute later, one of the guys asks, "Are they fucking? I think they're fucking."

"Not yet, but soon probably," another from the row in front of us says.

I laugh. "You know if you two want to make out up there, we won't complain, nosy."

"Oh, she told you." A third voice.

"Mind your business, mate." Someone else.

"Ignore them," he tells me.

"Gladly. You thought I'd be angry you didn't tell me. Why would you tell me?" I say, thinking I get it. "You had to be sure."

"Exactly."

"Thank you for trusting me."

"My pleasure."

"Any more surprises?"

"Maybe."

"What am I going to do with you?"

"Anything you want."