Milkshake Hearts

Chapter 24: Don't Jinx It

"Thank you for challenging me to do that," Shayne starts, genuinely, as they drive home after their final meeting. "It actually started some conversations with our friends that felt nice to have, which was an unexpected side effect, but I've got more and more okay with telling you the dirty stuff throughout the day."

"I've liked it too - for both those reasons," Courtney replies, quickly glancing over at him before looking back to the road, "I did not expect you to get bold enough to comment on how I taste when we were sitting in public, or to get explicit out loud about wanting me to ride you, but I'm so glad you did. I'm also glad that there were all these other little things in there, too. Also very happy if you want to keep it up for the rest of the night."

"As long as you're cool with it getting more intense because now we're alone and I'm getting quite comfortable with it," Shayne answers, and she nods, settling into a surprisingly comfortable and open conversation with him about what they like, and what they want to try. She admits she holds back a little because he does, and he admits he wants them to start holding back less.

"I just... really enjoy doing things for you. You're my girl, my angel, I want to make you feel good," Shayne's voice turns to a soft murmur as she parks at their apartment, and she's glad they're home.

"I love you. Come on, want to turn Friday date night into cuddle and talk about feelings night?" Courtney asks, opening her door.

"Yeah. That sounds perfect," Shayne replies as they walk towards their front door, "I was going to cook curry for dinner, that cool with you? I'll put it on soon and then it can just kinda do its thing."

"I can help prep if you want," she shrugs, "I kinda love cooking with you. Just another domestic peace thing."

"You can help – I love it too," he replies, putting his laptop down on the coffee table and moving into their usual just-got-home routine. "I think love is becoming one of my most used words, but I'm also feeling it so much these days."

"I've noticed that too – for both of us. Love and contentment has kind of become my default state of being," Courtney replies, sliding up behind where he is standing in the kitchen, wrapping her arms around him and pressing a kiss to his clothed shoulder.

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It takes a little while for all of them to get used to being on tour – the first show in LA is a simple way to ease into it, not really any different to the times they've done conventions and the like before. San Diego, too, is easy: it's only a couple hours' drive from LA, and they have time, so Shayne, Courtney, Damien and Ian take the PCH in Ian's car and make a day out of it, stopping along the way to enjoy the beach life they so rarely actually engage in despite living in California. It's nice to hang out the four of them, and the couple make a point of not putting either of the other two into too much of a third-wheeling position, given Damien and Ian openly admit they certainly aren't the closest of the cast.

It's harder once they start moving, and the travelling schedule is kind of gruelling – they've got 12 shows in 4 weeks, which is all well and good and actually pretty easy, but they tend to have half a day in one place then one in the next and then a weird 3-day break before they have to move again. It's mildly disconcerting, although at least they're following a standard path in a rough anti-clockwise circle around the country, so the time zones aren't too hard to manage.

"You love the audience stuff, don't you?" Ian asks Courtney as they wait backstage, post-meet and greet but pre-show, halfway through their second week at their Dallas stop.

"It's kinda cool to see how many people identify with our stuff and how diverse our fanbase is. We're doing positive things for young-ish people, you know? That's kinda cool," she shrugs. "The Q&A on stage is a little more unpredictable, though. I get why we do it, and it's cool when they ask about our stuff, but you know. I'm mildly surprised we haven't got a Shourtney question yet."