ᒪᗩᗪY ᔕTᖇᗩᑎGE

iv

Sav ambled down the sidewalk in Five Points, South Carolina, ignoring the looks people gave him. Sure, he was a sight with his tousled silvery blonde curls and his tight jeans with his obvious junk, but people needn't stare. Didn't they know how rude that was?

"Don't swing your ass like that." Joe said as he and Sav walked side by side, headed to the thrift store called Sid & Nancy.

"Oh my god." Sav squeaked as soon as he stepped through the doorway, eyeing a cropped pink silk jacket. "I need that!"

"You'd look fucking hot in that." Joe agreed. "Try it on."

Sav slipped into the dressing room, pulled his shirt over his head, and slid his arms into the sleeves of the jacket. He looked in the mirror. Hell yes.

"Shit." Joe breathed when Sav came out and spun around.

"You like?"

"Jesus god, you look amazing."

"Thanks." Sav smiled coyly. "Wanna help me take it off?"

"Sav!"

The bassist just snickered. While he changed back into his t-shirt, Joe tried on all manner of ridiculous sunglasses.

"You like?" Joe struck a pose, hands on his hips as he modeled a pair of pink cat-eye glasses with huge rhinestones on the corners.

"Sexy." Sav growled, and then cracked up. Joe giggled and wandered over to the t-shirt rack.

"Look!" Joe says, his voice cracking awkwardly. "Look!"

Sav looked, and saw a dark purple Mott The Hoople shirt. Joe looked good in purple, and Sav knew he'd never leave without the shirt anyways.

Fucking Mott.

"Get it. Purple's a good color for you."

"I know. It's a good color for you, too, y'know."

"Oh, shove it." But secretly, Sav loved the compliment, and tucked it away for when he was feeling down.

After paying for Joe's shirt and Sav's jacket, the two musicians stepped back out into the warm southern air, sliding their sunglasses over their eyes in a synchronous movement that was almost comical.

"I'm gonna check out that bakery across the street, wanna come?" Joe asked.

"Nah." Sav was itching for a smoke, but he'd left his back in the hotel. He knew better than to try and bum one from Joe, as he had quit years ago. Said it was "detrimental to his health" or some shit. Sav didn't see anything wrong with himself, other than his Bell's, and that definitely wasn't related to smoking.

He scanned the people around, looking for someone to swipe a cigarette from. There! The young woman leaning up against the wall, lighting up. She looked shady, wearing sunglasses and a long trench coat, despite the heat. Twin braids snakes out from underneath her black newsboy cap.

"Hey." He said, casually joining her against the wall. "Can I bum a smoke?"

She wordlessly pulled out a pack of Marlboro Reds—Sav's favorite—and held it out to him. He snagged one and then realized that his lighter had been left in the hotel with his cigs.

"Can I bum a light?"

She huffed and handed over a cheap plastic Bic lighter, neon orange. Sav wasn't sure why he felt the need to note that detail, but he did. Specificities came at a higher cost with each passing year.

He took a drag and blew out the smoke, watching with bored fascination as it swirled around his head and dissipated into the air. Just one more vice he couldn't stand to give up.

"Thank you." He nodded at the girl, who was playing with the end of one of her braids.

"No problem."

Sav jolted.

"You're her." He stated, not bothering to phrase it as a question. He knew. That voice, the odd aura that seems to surround her...he knew.

"Depends. Who's her?"

"Don't play dumb. You're the one who saved Joe's life."

She pulled off her glasses, folding them up and sliding them into the front pocket of her coat.

"Yes."

"Who the fuck are you?"

"Whoever you want me to be. Nobody. A liar, a thief, a whore. A witch. Casanova. God. Scarlett O'Hara. Marilyn Monroe."

Sav shook his head. What?

"Jamie."

"How do you know my name?" She glanced at him, and he swore he saw gold.

"Depends. Once you explain last night, I'll tell you."

Unfazed by Sav's height and age, she got right up in his face.

"Tip them off and I'll kill you. I thought it would be okay to use it to save Joe. I couldn't...I couldn't let...nevermind. I thought I could trust you lot. Tell anyone what happened and I'll kill both of you, all of you. That's a promise."

She made to run but Sav grabbed her arm.

"I'm not going to send you back, if that's what you're worried about. That woman rubbed me the wrong way anyhow."

"Then what do you want?"

"To say thank you. Joe wants to as well."

Speak of the devil. The blonde singer was hightailing his way across the street, towards Sav.

"Bloody 'ell, mate! You found her!"

"Joe." Jamie said, her voice flat and even.

"How? How did you know? You saved me!"

"I don't kiss and tell. You so much as mention it to anyone else, I'll kill you, and him." She pointed at Sav, who calmly took another drag and snaked his arm around Joe's waist.

"Sav!"

"Shut up." Sav breathed into his friend's neck, licking the spot underneath his ear. He snickered when he felt Joe shiver.

Jamie crossed her arms.

"Do I make myself clear?"

"Yeah." Joe sounded a bit strangled, probably due to Sav's hand in his back pocket.

They really shouldn't do this out in public, Sav mused. But who cared? He wanted Joe, and he wanted him now.

"Hotel." Sav growled. "Jamie, come with us."

"What?"

"I'll explain later, now come on!" Sav demanded, while Joe called an Uber. No way in hell were they waiting for the other guys.

A green Mazda pulled up to the curb. Jamie got in the passenger seat while the two musicians tumbled into the back. Sav fought to keep his hands off of Joe for the entirety of the thirteen-minute ride, and was half-hard by the time they'd made it into the elevator.

"Here." Sav gave Jamie the key card to his room. "Make yourself at home. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

And with that, Sav and Joe rushed down the hall to Joe's suite.