Stardust Chords || Greta Van Fleet

Chapter 9: Connection

As I gradually surfaced from the depths of my pounding headache, I was brought back to the reality that was another morning cramped into my bunk. Slowly but surely, the events of last night came creeping back into my mind, the missing details eventually fitting together like the most intricate of puzzles.

A haze of passing glances and laughter mingled with a fleeting yet electric moment with Jake, sending a thrill through me that was both exhilarating and terrifying. I couldn't shake the image of his smile, the way his eyes met mine for that split second before the world spun again, the way his lips so delicately caressed his glass, leaving small traces of alcohol to linger until he playfully licked it off, making me wonder if maybe whiskey wasn't so bad after all, in the right context. But just as I started to lose myself in the memory, a groggy voice cut through my daydream like a blunt knife.

"Jewel.." Noah's voice rumbled from beside me, thick with sleep and concern, reminding me of the reality waiting just beyond the haze of last night's revelry.
"Hmm?"
"Are you up?" I sighed, rolling over and opening my curtain to see his was still closed.
"Yeah. I'm up." I muttered.
"Can you start the coffee?" I let out another deep sigh, hoping he could hear me.
"Sure."

When Noah and I first started dating, I loved doing things for him. Making his favorite coffee in the morning, surprising him with little notes around the bus—it all felt like gestures of love, ways to show him how much he meant to me. But lately, it seemed like every act of kindness I had once offered was now expected, and without barely anything in return. Like I was simply here to cater to him.

As I went over to the coffee maker, I couldn't help but think about what was going on on the other bus, how the rest of the guys started their mornings, curious if Jake was someone who would expect his coffee to be made for him, or if he would have a cup waiting for me when I woke up.

Or.. whoever.

The thought lingered, a small ember of curiosity in the midst of my turbulent thoughts about Noah and where we were headed, the conversation with Josh once again coming to mind. Was this really how I wanted to wake up for the rest of my life? Was this who I wanted to wake up to every morning?

I finished making Noah's cup, bringing it over to his bunk, and pulled the curtain open to see his eyes still closed. I gently shook him until I was met with a begrudging stare that eventually relaxed into a satisfied grin when he saw the coffee in hand.
"Thanks, babe." He said simply, flashing me a quick smile before taking it from my hands.

It wasn't lost on me that I only got those pet names when I did something for him.

"I'm gonna go get some air." I said, making my way towards the door, wondering if he would take it upon himself to join me, but instead there was nothing but the sound of his curtain closing once again.

I made my way down the steps, slamming the door behind me and was instantly met with the comforting scent of cigarette slowly filling the air; the same kind I smoked. When I looked over, my heart jumped at the sight of Jake, leaning back against their tour bus in nothing but old sweatpants, his hair tied back as the cigarette hung from his lips, his eyes concentrated on the clouds passing by above us.

The slamming door caught his attention, to which I was greeted with a welcoming grin.
"Well, good morning to you." He said cheerfully, his voice still groggy. I tried my best to contain my grin, quickly wiping my eyes which were still filled with sleep.

"Good morning." I muttered, making my way over to him. As I got closer, I took in a deep breath, trying to get as much of it as I could, now suddenly wishing I had a pack on hand. He noticed, carefully taking it from his lips, handing it over to me. I hesitated for a moment, my heart beating faster at the thought of anything from his lips touching mine.

"It's okay." He said, insisting with a nod. "I can tell, it's killing you."
"I'm trying to quit." I finally said. He nodded again, smirking back at me.
"You can quit tomorrow." My eyes moved back down to his lips, wondering if there would be any of him lingering on the edge of that cigarette.

I took it.

As I took a drag and passed it back to him, our fingers briefly brushed, sending a thrill down my spine. In that moment, I couldn't ignore the intimacy of sharing this simple act; the way our breath mingled in the smoke, the lingering touch of his lips on the filter as he took his turn. It was as if with each exhale, we were sharing more than just smoke; we were sharing a moment of unspoken connection that left me breathless and craving more.

"So, last night was fun." He finally said, a now permanent grin pressed against his lips. I nodded.
"Yeah, I never knew Noah liked pool so much." I laughed, reaching back over for the cigarette. He handed it over willingly, now giggling to himself.
"Yeah you got yourself a chatty one, huh." He laughed. I shrugged, taking another drag.
"I guess that's just for you. Him and I don't really have much to talk about, not like that anyway." He held his stare on me for a moment, assessing the situation.

"What do you mean?" He eventually asked.
"Well, you guys have guitar and.. I don't know, something in common." He smirked back at me.
"I really don't think him and I have much in common at all." I peeked over at him, trying to contain my grin again.
"Oh no?" He shook his head, reaching back out for me. I handed it back to him.

There was a comfortable ease between us that I hadn't felt in a long time, if ever, which was hard to grasp considering I really didn't know anything about him. But all I knew was I wanted to know more.

I wanted to know everything.

The silence that settled between our words was peaceful. I found myself starting to savor these moments with Jake, where words flowed effortlessly and I didn't feel the need to fill every pause.

"You know.." He said, finally breaking the silence. "I.. I really enjoyed talking with you last night. Just.. just you and me." His words hung in the air, and I felt a rush of warmth spread through me.
"I did too." I admitted softly, the admission feeling weightless and freeing. In that moment, I realized how much I wanted to spend more time with him. His smile grew before taking another long drag, handing it back for me to finish off.

"And.. well, I was wondering, um.. well maybe tonight, you know since we're off, uh.. if it's something you'd be into, maybe I could.. show you some guitar stuff. If you want, you know, so.. it's not just something me and Noah have in common." He said, now avoiding my eyes. I couldn't help but smile.
"Are you saying you'd trust me with your guitar?" I joked. "After how you freaked out last night?" He shook his head, his cheeks burning a bright flirtatious pink.

"I did not freak out, Jewel." He laughed.
"You kinda did, Jake." He let out a deep sigh, playfully rolling his eyes.
"Well, I'm sorry, but.. I get.. very territorial over her and I guess I just.. I don't trust easily."
"I understand." I muttered. He held his stare on me.

"But.. maybe if I saw how you were with.. other guitars, maybe.. it could make the idea of it a little easier for me." He shrugged.
"I think that could work." His smile grew.
"But, I.. I don't want your boyfriend getting jealous." He mocked, rolling his eyes again, now tightly crossing his arms against his chest. "He had asked me about teaching him a thing or two."
"Oh, could you?" I asked. "He's been playing the same four chords for months." He flashed me a toothy grin, his cheeks burning even redder.

"You're funny." He said softly, now shoving his hands into his pockets. My heart jumped, unable to remember the last time Noah called me funny. He held his stare on me for a moment, just long enough for me to start counting the freckles in his eyes when he quickly snapped out of it, backing away and motioning towards the bus.

"Um, so, I.. I just made coffee, before I came out. Would you.. want some? I can make you a cup if you haven't had any yet, or.."
"Coffee would be great."