Grunge One Shots

Layne Staley 2

It was a boring Tuesday evening. Business was slow today, as per usual on weekdays but, I managed to not fall asleep. Small victories, they keep me running. I swept the shop for a while and listened to whatever was on the radio. Usually, I wasn't too fond of it but today, they played something amazing. I let my eyes close a bit as I let the guitar move me from side to side. That was when the vocals came into play.

'Mind, of destructive taste,'

That was when my eyes widened. That voice was so beautiful yet, so haunting.

'I choose to stroll amongst the waste

That was your heart lost in the dark

Call off the chase

Walls of thought, strong and high

As my castle crumbles with time

I think of you, oh, yes I do

Such a crime

You opened fire and your mark was true

You opened fire aim my smiling skull at you

You opened fire

I live tomorrow, you I'll not follow

As you wallow in a sea of sorrow,'

By this time I was zoned out, my mind was in a different place and, while I was fully aware of my surroundings, everything seemed a little hazy. It wasn't until someone coughed that I snapped out of it.

"Ah! I'm terribly sorry about that! What could I help you with?" I smiled while closing my eyes so I didn't have to face the person who watched me make a fool of myself.

"I need to know how to say 'fuck you' in flower," the voice responded quickly. My eyes shot open and I was met with a tall, curly-haired blonde man wearing sunglasses. An odd sight, but, I must admit that he was cute.

"Okay, before I start putting together a bouquet, might I ask who these are for?" I responded, trying my best to stifle my laughter.

"My asshole bandmate who stole all of my weed," the sweater-clad man smiled while looking at his feet. I nearly lost it right then.

'Come on (Y/N), be a professional you dummy,' I thought to myself while thinking about what flowers I would use in this bouquet. I finally thought of the flowers I'd use. The bouquet would certainly be striking but it would definitely get the point across.

"Okay, so I'll start off with a few horseshoe geraniums," I started while picking out a few of them, "to represent stupidity."

"He's definitely stupid," the man replied sassily. I bit my lip to muffle my laughter which was becoming harder and harder to do.

"I'll add some meadowsweet for uselessness," I hummed, "and some hydrangeas for heartlessness."

"You're really good at this," the blonde remarked with a smile.

"Thank you," I smiled wholeheartedly while adding a few yellow carnations, "these represent disappointment or disdain." The man nodded as a sign that he understood.

"Last but not least, an orange lily, to represent hatred," I commented while arranging the flowers. "Do you want me to write a name?" I asked as the tall man admired the flowers.

"Yes, please write, 'To the distasteful fuckwad named Jerry from Layne,'" the man replied, emphasizing the name Jerry. I couldn't take it anymore. I burst out laughing. I was doubled over while my face went red. I took a deep breath and stood up properly while gripping the counter for support.

"Okay, do you want it in cursive?" I questioned while catching my breath. The man, who I now knew as Layne, nodded. It was actually pretty cute because when he did, his curls bounced and seemed to have a mind of their own. I tied up the flowers with a ribbon that held the note. I put my best effort into making the calligraphy look as beautiful as possible. I handed the flowers to Layne.

"That will be forty dollars even," I told the fluffy haired blonde with a smile.

"Okay," he smiled while handing me the money. "Oh, by the way, I'm glad you like our music. I heard you listening to it. I'm the singer," Layne beamed. As soon as he said this, my eyes widened a bit.

"That was you?" I stammered, my face going pink. He nodded, once again, his curls bouncing happily. 'Why do I like his hair so much?' I thought while trying to wrap my head around the fact that this guy was practically famous.

"I don't believe you," I blurted out like a kindergartener. My hand immediately went to cover my mouth. 'Why did I say that!' I screamed internally. Right as I was about to apologize, Layne cleared his throat and began to sing the song from before. He was, with no doubt, the singer from earlier. I let my eyes close and before I knew it, I was in the same trance from before.

It wasn't until I heard the door open and close that I realized that Layne had left. I was upset and embarrassed. I looked down at my shoes when I noticed a note on the counter. It read, 'Thanks for the flowers. Call me, I'd love to sing for you again! (***) *** - **** - Layne x

I read the note over and over and smiled. I held it close as I closed my eyes and smiled in content.