Look East | A Hozier Fanfiction |

10

Andrew felt the bassline in his chest as the music pulsed in his ears. His ears felt like they were stuffed with cotton wool and every noise was stifled. He was standing in front of a large speaker in a club in Dublin - The Dust Bowl, maybe? He didn't get a chance to see the name before he was tugged inside by Molly.

The party at Chester's flat had gotten too big for the small space, so he had everyone migrate down the street to a club. Once they arrived, most of them dispersed into smaller groups or couples. Molly had gone off with Chester and Jamie in search of Maeve, leaving him alone in a dark corner, nursing a Guinness. Not that he minded, of course.

Clubs and large parties were never his favorite things. All through school, he had been much more of a wallflower, keeping to himself and rarely broadening his tight circle of friends. Besides, he was enjoying the people watching far more than the atmosphere.

Women glided past, teetering in high heels. Mini skirts and low-cut tops revealed more skin than they covered. Men watched them move, like lions on the prowl. If he could read minds, Andrew could have guessed how many explicit thoughts would fill the air. He took a sip from his bottle and leaned against the wall, black clothes blending in with the shadows.

Molly caught his eye from the edge of the dance floor. Her olive skin glowed in the pulsing lights. He enjoyed watching her for a minute, admiring the way her skirt covered just enough of her legs to be passable for public wear. He took note of her nearly see-through top, cut low between her breasts. The high heels she had on elevated her a good four inches above everyone else.

She moved with grace and ease and he found himself entranced. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and glanced in his direction as she danced with Jamie and Chester. Maeve joined the group and Chester looked like a king surrounded by his consorts.

Chester was harmless and Andrew tried to stifle a yawn, holding his beer in front of his mouth.

"Bored?" a female voice met his ear.

He looked next to himself and saw a tall, thin blonde woman holding a martini glass and leaning against the wall. "Oh - ehm - not really. Just had a long day," he explained.

She shifted her weight in her knee-high boots and tilted her head slightly. "Long day doing what?"

Andrew cleared his throat, suddenly aware that he was speaking with another woman while Molly danced fifteen feet away from him. "Working, mostly."

The woman extended her hand. "Samantha," she offered.

"Ehm - Andrew," he replied, grateful that the shadows hid most of his features.

Samantha closed the gap between them slightly. "What do you do for work?"

"I'm a studio musician," he said vaguely. He was sure the poor lighting was enough to hide him. Plus, it seemed like Samantha was at least on her second drink. "I play guitar."

"Oh? That's really cool!" she exclaimed. "Have you played for anyone I've heard of?"

A devilish smile crossed his lips as he contemplated the freedom he had in that moment. "Yeah. Hozier. He's a real asshole," he answered.

Her eyebrows raised. "Really? I thought that he was really nice."

"Nope. Total fucking knob," he answered, turning his face away to hide the huge grin on it.

With his hair up, glasses on, and plain black t-shirt, he looked like any other dorky 20-something guy in the club. There was no way she'd recognize him.

"That's a shame because he's really fucking hot when he's on stage," she said dismissively.

Her compliment made him blush. Sex symbol status was not something Andrew felt comfortable with. It wasn't because he didn't enjoy the attention; it was moreso that he didn't see himself as sexy to begin with. He was long and gangly with a weird face and bushy hair and glasses. He liked anime and spent his time reading poetry from dead authors growing up. He wasn't exactly turning down many dates. Even so, her words ignited something in him, a small flicker of heat that he felt slowly spreading up his legs from the tips of his toes.