IN WHICH the heiress to grunge is swooned by the king of garage rock in a lifelong affair over the span of three decades, always fervidly dancing on the edge of crashing and burning...
[2000s JULIAN CASABLANCAS x GROUPIE!OC]
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Julian zipped up his pants as Stella sat on the couch, drinking from his beer. "You gonna leave me some?" He asked, watching her in the mirror. Her face faltered for a second before she put on a faux grin. "Yeah, I'm just thirsty." Those eyes of blue turned downward as they trailed his every pace around the room. Outside the crowd was trickling in for another outstanding performance. Tonight they would play their EP with some new songs from the upcoming album. RCA had begun filtering more money into their budget after seeing some spikes in sales.
"I can ask Ryan to get you water," his hands tugged slightly as he ran them through his hair. Knuckles flexing as if to hold back balling up a fist. Julian's back was tense, his entire being was rigid as the unease suffocated both of them. He could see the drooping look on Stella's face. The agitation brewing behind her eyes and projecting onto him like a cyclone waiting to make landfall. The room felt at least the size of a shoebox as his heart gave slow, nearly erratic beats. His breathing fell short and gave out as she spoke, "That's okay. I'm okay for now."
She watched him through her lashes, slick in black. A fur coat lined her slip dress beneath as her long, tattered hair fell over her chest like a vision of Venus in mink. That gaze cut through him like knives. In a surprising move, she rose from the couch, almost waltzing over to help him button his shirt. His heart raced as she did the buttons, his gaze shooting upwards with a thick swallow. "I like this shirt," she murmured, "you look good." Her touch was tender and inviting, trying to stir something within him. Suddenly there was a delicate look in her eyes. This time, however, it was genuine. He had noticed it before whenever they shared stolen moments together, in the depths of their intimacy, the silence.
After buttoning it to the top, she gently pressed a kiss on his neck. "For good luck." she murmured with that same adoring look in her eyes before nuzzling him. As her arms wrapped around his waist he stood deadly still. Stiff. For a second he thought he might just return the favor but instead he unlatched her from his body. "Stella," he sighed, "Stop." Her eyes became frigid again and her body jolted as if she'd just been hit by a freight train. "What?" Brows furrowed in the center of her face as she looked at him with the wrath of a bull. There was a pause, a breath, and a hitch. He stepped into the ring again.
"If people see us like this, they may get the wrong idea." He sighed as he stepped away from her to pretend to work on his tie. Stella stood still, agape at the words that had just tumbled out of his mouth. Not much came to mind in that moment. Not much but the tears that welled in her eyes. "Fine." She huffed, taking her coat and fixing it as she walked towards the door. His eyes snapped towards the click of her heels as she shut the door behind her. He rubbed his face, torn between loyalty and a concept of it.
Retreating into the bathroom, she practiced the same sanctified ritual. Pour. Cut. Ski. It just wasn't setting in fast enough. She could hear girls giggling outside of the stall. Probably groupies like her. But no. She wasn't a groupie. Julian had said otherwise just a second ago. "I'm totally going home with him tonight," her ears perked up as her brows furrowed. "Julian?" chimed another voice. Her blood ran cold. Her heart dropped into her stomach as she attempted to swallow it. She couldn't fathom the thought of Julian with anyone else, especially not the thought of him taking another girl back to his place. To the corners of the apartment that had witnessed late mornings and days evading school. Her eyes welled with an intense burning sensation that warmed her entire body. An inevitable ball of fire in her throat waiting to take form in salt streaming down her face.
"Yeah," the voice laughed, "I met him backstage, he was totally with it." Her chest nearly collapsing as she fiddled with the lock of the stall, the drugs incapacitating her ability to focus. She groaned in frustration rendering the room silent, "Damn it!". With a powerful sob the stall door swung open as the group of girls dropped their murmurs and spun their gazes to Stella. They stared in concern as her chest heaved, pupils dilated like a rabid animal. Without a word she rushed off. Backstage became a blur of faces like cars passing by on the world's fastest highway. Fastest, Frantic, Tearful highway. Faces blurred into light, light blurred into the floor, the floor blurred into her feet as she dashed through the halls.
That's when her eyes caught it. The only thing that ever seemed to catch his eyes. The silhouette of Julian laughing with another girl. Stella tried and failed to remember the last time she made him laugh. Suddenly the ball manifested, the dam breaking across her eyes unleashing tears down her face. His hand crossed her waist in the darkness of the wings before his eyes realized who was standing just to the side. Stella. Her fur coat nearly falling off her shoulders as she stood like a deer in headlights. With the shake of her head she walked off, unable to grapple with the image of it all. Even in the midst of this, her chest felt a pang. A pang of affection for that soft face she adored. For the calloused hands that lulled her to sleep on the road. For her Julian, who was not so "hers" at all.
In the midst of her metamorphosis, it entered the final stage as she caught whim of an abandoned drink on a trunk. A blanket of white hot venom blinded her as she dropped her coat on the parking lot. Her eyes were veiled with a layer of animalistic rage as she lunged toward the Gin and Tonic. "They might see us right?" images of his disapproving gaze flashed through her mind as she reached for the glass. "They might even think-" she laughed bitterly, "They might even think we're Together!".
Her voice boomed above the crowd. In that moment she understood this was inherited. Even now in the blonde it was a bit ironic, with her mascara smudged down her cheeks, she knew it was very Courtney of her. She knew that once the press got ahold of it, she'd be smeared as her mother's twin. "Stella what are you doing?" his face was stern as his hand gripped the redhead in his arms. His hand on her arm nearly sending Stella into overdrive. "What's she on about?" she heard her murmur. She didn't seem to care as she clenched her fist around the drink.
In blind confidence she launched the drink at him successfully evading the girl. "Is that real enough for you?!" she shouted, suddenly all eyes seemed to be on them. No one cared that the show was in ten minutes. Everyone was too caught up with Julian, now soaking wet, launching towards Stella. "You crazy bitch!" he yelled as he shook her, "You crazy fucking bitch!". Albert stepped in, moving Julian away as they stood toe to toe. Realistically he knew Julian would never dare to hurt Stella but he wasn't taking any chances right now. "C'mon man." He murmured as Julian stumbled back with him.
