powerless // f.w

Everyone's Date

Declan was out three minutes later, dressed in Caleb's slick adidas outfit. She still wore all her silver chains and rings and her black combat boots. Her short black curls falling around her face naturally, with a few pinned up in the front by industrial looking pins. Her face had little make up, Jaeden guesses some mascara and eyebrow gel was all. Sophia smiling beside her.

"Oh I love it!" Jack, who had joined them, grinned.

"You look snazzy!" Wyatt complimented.

"Let's go! We're late!" Jaeden reminded them as he took Declan's hand and stuck his tongue out at Finn.

Finn rolled his eyes as he followed behind them, smiling at Declan.

And so, Jaeden on one hand, Sophia on the other, and Finn, Jack, and Wyatt behind her, Jeremy and Chosen behind them, the group walked out onto the carpet.

•::•:::•::•:::•::•:::•::•:::•::•

It wasn't what Declan remembered.

Flashes and screaming, sure, but everything felt so much closer, more in her face. And yet, at the same time, she felt safe, like it wasn't life or death.

After a minute and some whispered coaching from Jaeden, Declan found the spots where she could hang back and avoid being sucked into the pictures and interviews and such. Luckily, no one seemed too interested in her and she smiled as she watched the group take photos together, answer questions, laugh, smile, grab each other, and make fun of some of the interviewers. Every two minutes, without fail, Sophia, Finn, Wyatt, Jaeden, or Jack came to check up on her.

There were many other celebrities there as well, many of whom stopped to say a surprised hello to Declan and catch up: namely Billie Eilish, Uma Thurman, and Sophie Turner.

Then, after about a half an hour, Finn came back and took her hand.

"You mind if I steal her for a second?" Finn charmingly asked Sophie, who was engaged in an excited conversation with Declan.

"No no! Go ahead! I'll see you around Declan!" The woman smiled and was on her way.

"Bye Sophie" Declan smiled and then turned her attention to Finn. "What's up?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to be with you" He shrugged cutely. Declan shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"Finn! Finn!" Someone called out.

Finn rolled his eyes, but turned around, smiling, to go answer the interviewer anyways. Declan tried to let go of his hand, but he refused, and tugged her along.

"Finnnnnn" She warned him. He let go of her hand at the exact second before the cameras hit them but also too late for her to casually turn back around.

She huffed and he laughed at her as they walked to the interviewer.

"Finn! Who's this?" The interviewer asked.

"Declan. Eilistrae. And I can talk for myself" Declan answered simply.

"Is she your date for tonight?" The interviewer ignored her and asked Finn excitedly.

"Uh..." Finn frowned as he looked at Declan uneasily, he hadn't really thought this out very well.

"She's all our dates!" A voice from behind them replied excitedly.

Jaeden was just in time, and Declan smiled at him. Sophia, Jack, Wyatt, and Chosen we're in tow behind him.

"We adore Declan" Wyatt planted a kiss on her cheek.

"I mean have you seen her work? Incredible" Sophia added, resting her head on the girls shoulder.

"So... she's all of your dates??" The interviewer frowned.

"Yup!" Jack replied excitedly.

"Who invited her?" Another interviewed chimed in, soon they had a lot of attention.

"Does it matter?" Declan shrugged.

"It had to have been Finn, right?" Another interviewed interjected.

"Says who?" Chosen replied.

"There are pictures of them together!" The first interviewer shot back.

"There are pictures of me and Wyatt together?" Jaeden countered.

"Yeah but you're friends. And boys" The second interviewer scoffed.

"How heteronormative of you" Jack shook his head disappointedly and the cast laughed.

"Thank you all for coming out and supporting! But we gotta head in now!" Finn wrapped his arm around Declan and waved as he turned her around, the rest of the group following, waving and blowing kisses and yelling goodbye. Finn took the cover of their rowdiness to pull Declan close to him and kiss her cheek. She rested her head against him as they entered the viewing room.

Surrounded by new friends, Finn close to her, she finally, for the first time in a month, felt at ease.