Chapter Text
Nick is so tired. He's been behind the wheel of the van for at least 8 hours now. If he could switch with someone else he would, but the rest of the band is in the back, sleeping off their turns driving. He shakes himself awake a bit and finishes off the last of a monster energy drink, tossing the empty can into the footwell of the passenger seat where it lands on top of at least 5 others. Almost there, just another hour, he thinks to himself.
Suddenly there is a horrendous grinding noise from the engine and he can feel the van jerking beneath his hands.
"No, c'mon don't do this to me now," Nick pleads. The shaking only gets worse, every dashboard light turning on. It gets almost impossible to control as the power steering fails on top of everything else.
"Shit, shit, shit, FUCK C'MOOOON!" He chants as he wrestles the steering wheel to get the van to the side of the dirt road. As he pulls onto the shoulder there is a chugging sound from under the hood and the van, his baby, dies on the spot. Nick groans and lets his head fall onto the steering wheel. Great..just fucking great.
Ellory leans over the seat divider, woken up by the sudden rough movement, and turns to look at Nick.
"How far are we from the hotel?" She asks tentatively.
Nick doesn't lift his head from the wheel, his voice coming out muffled. "About another hour."
"Fuuuuuuuck," Ellory eloquently replies. "Okay then. I'm going to wake up the boys, do you know if there is anywhere nearby we can try to find help?"
"God I hope so," Nick says, finally lifting his head up. "I think there was a cafe or something we passed not too long ago. I can go see if they can help." His voice trails off with his lack of confidence.
He hops out of the van as Ellory goes back to wake the others, slamming the door behind himself. He just stands there for a minute, looking up and down the road praying for another car to come by to help. But with his luck, nothing happens. He sighs loudly to himself and starts the trek back the way they came.
If it was under any other circumstances, Nick would enjoy this walk. It's late spring, the weather is a comfortable mid 70s, and the sun is shining brightly. The dirt road he is walking down is supposedly a shortcut to the boardwalk where their band, the Water Mice, have a weekend of gigs booked. And it might have actually been true if his van didn't break down.
There aren't any other buildings in sight besides that cafe he swears he saw about a mile back. The road is lined with the occasional tree, most seem like the generic tree to Nick. Not that he knows any actual species….he thinks the white ones with the eye looking designs are birch? Maybe? Who cares. It's pretty scenic, and the walk helps him calm down before the cafe comes into view.
It's right at the corner of the main paved road and this apparently isolated dirt one Nick and his friends took.
The cafe itself is quite quaint. There is a wooden sign out front with the name of the place, Thanks A Brunch, painted in the same dusty blue color as the roof. There are hanging plants in the eaves, and two flower bushes flanking the entrance. There are even a few outdoor tables with umbrellas for shade. This is almost like something out of a fucking travel guide book for tourists, Nick thinks as he approaches. There are a few cars in the dirt parking lot, and even a few people sitting outside in the nice weather.
If he wasn't in such a bad mood about the van, Nick would enjoy this place, it's kinda cute.
As he walks into the cafe notices the decor inside matches the outside pretty well. Except for a room off to the side that looks to be filled with arcade machines? The few he can see look like vintage pinball machines. They even have a Led Zeppelin game. I know how I'm going to spend time waiting for a tow, Nick thinks to himself with a smile.
He makes his way up to the counter, passing only two occupied tables. The one closest to the door is taken by two people, one is a girl around his age with bright red hair pulled into a poofy ponytail wearing tattered jeans and a slouchy oversized graphic t-shirt. The other is a boy who bears a resemblance to the girl, some type of family connection if Nick were to guess. The boy has dark brown hair instead of red but it's fashioned into dreads pinned back from his face. One eye is covered by an eyepatch, a small bit of scarring visible around the edges. He is wearing jeans as well but they are less torn than his companions, and is wearing a bomber jacket with what looks to be a homemade patch on the sleeve that says The Hotties. Underneath their table is a skateboard that the boy rolls back and forth idly as they talk and eat.
The other occupied table has a generic looking older man sitting with a newspaper. He is wearing a trucker hat and basically looks like a stereotypical Dad, beard, beer-belly and all. Sitting across from him is a boy who can't be older than 13 with close cropped hair. He’s got bandaids on his hands and knees and is viciously stabbing his waffles like they insulted his mother.
Nick approaches the counter, gaining the attention of the man behind it. He is taller than Nick by a good 5 inches, with large puppy dog eyes. The name tag on his shirt says Terry Jr. and he glances up at Nick with a customer service smile.
"You're a new face, what can I get for you?"
"Uh, actually I'm mainly here for help? You see, my van broke down a bit down the road and I was hoping you would be able to point me in the direction of a towing company." Nick pulls on his rockstar persona, leaning on the counter and grinning at Terry. "My band and I have a gig scheduled at the beach tonight and we can't very well perform without our stuff, ya know?"
Terry looks unimpressed by this added detail and just shouts over his shoulder towards the kitchen. "Hey Grant, can you get ahold of Walter? This guy needs a tow."
The clamor of cooking comes to a stop and a man, probably this Grant person Terry called for, walks towards them. Nick does a double take, Grant looks like a younger and more fit version of the man at the table behind them. He must be the guy's kid or something.
"Oh man, your car broke down? That sucks dude. I'm Grant, this is Terry," he says, introducing them. He seems much friendlier than Terry just by his greeting. "Give me a second and I will get the best tow guy you will ever know down here within the hour."
"Thanks man! My name is Nick, I really appreciate the help. You guys don't mind if I wait here until he shows up, do you? I couldn't help but notice the amazing game room you have over there, is it open to the public?" Nick hooks a thumb towards the side room as he talks.
"Oh yeah man! Feel free to hang out til Walter gets here." Grant's face lights up at the compliment to the game room. "And we're open for breakfast now if you get hungry while you play."
He steps away and starts walking towards the phone on the wall nearby, trailing his hand across Terry's back as he goes. Terry's face turns pink in embarrassment and he awkwardly says, "I'll let you know when your ride is here," leaving no more room for conversation as he quickly turns to follow after Grant.
Nick shrugs to himself, not everyone can be charismatic. He walks into the arcade room, eyes trailing over all the frankly beautiful machines. As he stands in the entrance trying to decide which one to play first, he hears a commotion to his left. Turns out he isn't the only one here. Standing at a Medieval Madness machine is a man, clearly annoyed by the game. His back is to Nick, but even from here he can see his curly dirty blond hair, and the muscles moving under his fitted t-shirt. As he moves to pull the pinball shooter Nick catches a glimpse of part of a tattoo on the other man's upper arm, the letters "R O W" all he can see from the doorway.
He focuses again on the game, but doesn't do well judging by the swears Nick can hear him saying under his breath. Watching this happen for a moment, Nick decides to watch this guy play, he might be able to give him some pointers. He walks up, leaning against a machine next to Medieval Madness, and gets a better look at the man. He is…unfairly pretty, for lack of a better word. His curly hair is long enough to hang down and brush his jaw. Freckles are scattered across his face, bringing attention to his bright green eyes. From this angle the full tattoo is visible and Nick can see it is the word Sparrow.
"Do you see something you like?" The man asks, still not taking his gaze away from the pinball machine. Nick's face grows hot at getting caught staring but he tries to play it off.
"If I do, it's certainly not your pinball playing," Nick says in a flirting tone. The man finally turns to look at him, giving him a surveying glance.
"Oh yeah? Think you can do better?" He asks unimpressed.
"I know I can," Nick smiles. He gestures for him to move so he can take control of the game. As he starts to play, he can feel the other man's eyes watching him intently. That's fine, he won't let himself be distracted.
"You know…" the man starts. "I don't think I have ever seen you here before. Are you new in town or just passing through?"
"A little of both, I guess? My band and I are here for a concert tonight and then we are having a mini vacation for a bit. Just killing time here though until I can get our van towed."
"A band? What kinda music do you play? No wait let me guess...." he trails off, taking in Nick's dark jeans, leather jacket, and assortment of jewelry. "I bet you play country music."
The joke takes Nick so off guard that he lets out a bark of laughter and misses the ball with the flippers, causing it to fall down the drain. He decides to stop for a moment and turns to face the other man.
"You're darn right, sir," he says in an overly fake southern accent that makes his companion laugh as well. "Nah, we're a rock band. Called the Water Mice, if you were curious."
"Honestly, I wasn't at first, but you've managed to intrigue me. What name do I have to drop to the security to get backstage if I go see you play?" The man asks, leaning in towards Nick with a smirk on his face.
"Oh! I never introduced myself, did I? The name is Nick, Nick Close. Drummer of the Water Mice, at your service." He sticks his hand out for a handshake.
"Well, Nick Close, Drummer of the Water Mice, it is nice to meet you. I'm Lark Oak," the man returns.
Lark, Nick's mind whispers.The name is strange to him but it fits like a glove. He's lost a bit in his own thoughts and almost misses the next thing Lark says.
"So are you going to prove that you can do better at pinball than I can? How about a little competition? Whoever gets the higher score wins."
"Wins what?"
Lark thinks for a moment before a devilish look enters his eyes. "Loser has to pay the bill for brunch."
He turns to stand in front of the game behind him, an older Elvira machine that is right next to the Medieval Madness one, casting Nick a challenging glance.
"Oh-ho get ready to lose, pretty boy," Nick cracks his knuckles and shakes out his shoulders. He's too focused on this new challenge that he misses Lark's reaction to the nickname. His ears turning a faint pink as he also tries to focus on the game in front of him.
All too quickly, Nick loses track of time. The banter between him and Lark is easy and carefree. Something that doesn't usually come easy for Nick. Most people can't match him with the rapid fire jokes, or they get annoyed by them quickly. But not Lark. Lark gives as good as he gets with jokes and quips, making Nick laugh harder than he has in a long time.
Nick is focused on their competition when Lark curses and almost hits his fist on the machine. When he looks over, he can see that Lark is not doing so well on his own machine. Forgetting the bet, Nick decides to focus more on how Lark is playing, watching the level of skill and noticing that while he is good, he gets easily frustrated with mistakes.
Nick watches until Lark runs out of turns and gets an idea. He sidles up next to Lark, clapping a hand on his shoulder.
"I have a trick for you, I think it might be right up your alley and once you get the hang of it, your score will skyrocket."
Lark looks at him, mouth open to refuse more likely than not, but decides against it. "Alright. What is it?"
"I'm going to show you the proper way to tilt a pinball machine," Nick says with a grin. "Most older pinball machines like this have a mechanism in them called a plumb bob. Its job is to measure the level of the machine, so if you tilt it too far, the plumb Bob will hit the ring around it. If that happens, the flippers and other things that would add to your score get locked, basically ruining your game. But!" Nick starts a new game as he is explaining, looking at Lark to make sure he is keeping up. Once he gets a tentative nod he continues, "the machine can still be tilted without locking everything. The trick is to tilt it just enough to help direct the ball without setting off the plumb bob."
Nick gently tilts the machine, skillfully guiding the ball towards areas that give more points, almost immediately getting a high score. He lets the ball drop back into the drain, and turns to Lark.
"Just don't let the owner catch you, it might get you in trouble," he says in a conspiratorial whisper.
Lark laughs and shakes his head, "Nah, there is no need to worry about that, Grant is a good friend. As long as I don't break anything he can't get upset."
"Hell yeah, man that's awesome!" Nick says with a laugh. "Here, you try now. There are a few runs left in this game and I want to see how good you do now that you have my wisdom behind you."
He steps back, waving his arm towards the pinball machine with a flourish. Lark takes his place at the front of the game and, with the tips from Nick, succeeds in “mastering the art of tilting” as he called it….after a few tries. Still, he’s a fast learner, and Nick is honestly impressed. Just as he is about to tell him so, the man from the front leans his head into the doorway.
“Hey, Walter is here to give you a ride back to your van. Don’t keep him waiting,” Terry says. He looks between the two of them, his face turning into a frown when he makes eye contact with Nick. He jerks his head in a gesture to follow him and walks away. “Let’s go,” he doesn’t even wait to see if anyone is following.
“What’s his problem?” Nick asks once he’s out of ear shot.
“Don’t worry about it, Terry is just slow to warm up to people. I’m sure you two will get along if you spend more time together,” Lark pauses for a moment. He seems almost shy when he asks his next question. “Will-will you be spending more time here?”
Nick is almost stunned at the question. Sure they have been flirting this entire time, or at least he has, but he is so used to flirting without it going anywhere that Lark asking that question makes him almost giddy.
“Yeah! I mean-,” He coughs, noticing he sounds too eager. “Yeah, the band is playing down at the beach for the weekend. And then after that I was planning on having a little vacation. Gives us time to write more material and shit, ya know? So, if things go to plan, I definitely plan on stopping by this place more often.” Is it hot in here? God I hope my face isn’t as red as it feels.
Lark’s posture relaxes the more Nick talks. By the end of the explanation Lark is no longer nervous at all and is smiling back at him. "Good, that's good. But um, you might want to head out now, Walter really is waiting for you."
"Oh right, yes. I should…I should go do that," Nick stumbles over his words. He fumbles with his pockets awkwardly, and turns to walk back towards the front. Right before he steps through into the restaurant proper, he hears Lark call out again.
"Hey, Nick! How does getting breakfast sound? Tomorrow I mean, if you're free." Nick turns back and sees the cutest blush spread across Lark's face and up to the tips of his ears. His face splits into a wide grin.
"It's a date," he replies with a wink, before continuing his way to the door.
Once he's sure that Lark can't see him, he breaks into a victory dance, not noticing that he is walking past a half wall leaving a view into the arcade area. As he spins, he locks eyes with Lark who is apparently also mid-victory dance. Almost at the same time they turn away, Lark to the pinball machine, and Nick towards the front door. When he passes the counter he catches sight of both Terry and Grant watching him. Weirdos.
As he gets to the front, Nick sees the person who must be Walter. Standing next to the table with the older man and the teenager is a short, pudgy man who looks to be in his 50s. He's got on the tell-tale mechanic overalls, oil stained rag in his back pocket and everything. Despite his pronounced jowls, Walter has a very open and friendly face. He has a large mouth with deep laugh lines and his eyes are set slightly farther apart than the average, almost making him frog-like in appearance. Not that Nick would ever say that out loud. He walks up to him just as his conversation with the kid is ending and introduces himself.
"Oh hey," Walter says with a rather gravelly voice. "You need a ride back to your van too, yeah? Where would you want me to tow it once we get there?" He waves goodbye to his friends and gestures for Nick to follow him out the door.
"Well, we are staying at the hotel down by the boardwalk...do you think they would let me work on it there?" Nick asks as they get into the truck.
"I doubt it. But I've got space in my yard if you need it. And if you know what you're doing," Walter adds almost as an afterthought with a chuckle. Nick scowls at the implication that he doesn't know how to take care of his van. That van has been through hell and it's his Baby. By now he can take it apart to just the frame and put it back together. But that is too much to mention to a relative stranger so he reluctantly lets it slide.
They sit in relative silence for the rest of the ride, luckily it isn’t the uncomfortable type. As the van comes into view, Nick can see that the back doors are open and Ellory is sitting there facing where they came. She stands up as the tow truck parks in front of the van and walks towards them, shouting something over her shoulder, probably to Cern and Johnny, the other two band members.
Nick hops out of the truck the moment it rolls to a stop and walks to meet Ellory with a spring in his step.
“Well someone is in a good mood,” she says when Nick gets close enough. She’s got a sly smile on her face and it doesn't take a genius for Nick to know what it means. He has known Ellory and the others long enough that they can all basically read even the smallest changes in each other's body language.
“How can I not be? I got us a tow and he’s going to let us keep the van in his yard while I fix it up. What isn’t there to be in a good mood about?” Nick replies. He introduces his bandmate to Walter almost as an afterthought and starts to walk towards the back of the van. Ellory kindly greets him and immediately starts asking about the mechanics of the winch and the wheel lifts. Nick needs to update Cern and Johnny on the news, and make sure all their equipment is tied down before the tow truck picks it up. He only makes it a few steps away before Ellory shouts from the back of the tow truck.
“Are you sure it’s only the tow that has you in such a good mood? Or did you meet someone at that restaurant and you are keeping it a secret from us?”
“That! Is none of your business” Nick yells back without turning around, prompting Ellory to burst into laughter.
“I’ll take that as a yes!”
He keeps walking, knocking along the side of the van to the tune of ‘shave and a haircut’, getting the ‘two bits’ response almost immediately. Cern pops his head out from around the door, a crooked smile on his face.
“It took you long enough to come rescue us, dude,” the bassist jokes.
“Yeah, yeah,” Nick says, waving away his friend's dramatics with a roll of his eyes. “Come help me make sure everything is tied down well enough that nothing will get fucked during the ride.” He climbs into the back next to Cern, taking stock of what needs to be moved and what they need to take extra care with. Most of it is already strapped down, they all learned very quickly how expensive some of their equipment is to replace. Cern grabs his bass and Ellory’s guitar without being asked and hops out, probably to give her the guitar personally. Neither of them go anywhere without them for too long. Ellory alone would rather walk to the venue with the guitar strapped to her back than leave it in the van where she can’t keep an eye on it.
Nick spots Johnny sitting against the wall of the van, almost hidden between two amps. He knocks on the wall to get his attention, the deaf keyboardist looking up at the feeling of the van vibrating.
“I got a tow. We are dropping everything we need at the venue and then the guy is taking the van to his place for me to work on tomorrow,” Nick signs, mouthing along in case something comes across better being lip-read.
Johnny smiles at the news, his own hands coming up to reply. “That’s great! Do you know how long it will take?”
“Nah, not really. But we have time after the shows if its really fucked up.”
Johnny nods and moves to get up. He casts a look around for anything that needs to be with them, and grabs a few of their overnight bags. Handing one to Nick he signs a quick question.
“Ellory and Cern are outside already?” Nick nods, and takes another bag from his friend, leaving each of them with one on each shoulder to keep their hands free.
“Yeah, this is the last stuff we need before we can leave.”
“Sounds good to me. Let’s get this show on the road,” Johnny replies and playfully slaps Nick’s back on their way out of the van. Nick shuts and locks the doors behind them. He takes a moment with his hand on the door, reluctant to leave. He never likes having to tow his baby. So many things can go wrong, but it's completely undrivable at this point. It’ll be fine. Walter is a good guy, and I’ll be able to work on it tomorrow morning. Nothing to worry about. He thinks to himself as a pep talk, and turns to walk with Johnny to join their bandmates.
As they walk around towards the others, Nick can see Ellory and Cern talking together conspiratorially. Uh-oh.That can't be good. Cern spots them first and he nudges Ellory and points in their direction. She looks over and that smug look returns to her face. Oh yeah, she definitely knows something’s up. When they get close enough, Johnny and Nick pass the bags to their respective owner, Cern speaks up.
“So Ellory was telling me you met someone at the restaurant? And you weren’t going to tell us?” There is fake offense in his voice, but his eyes, even with the lizard eye contact lenses, are full of mirth. “C’mon, Nick. What’s their name! Give us the deets.”
Nick looks between them, even Walter seems to have stopped strapping the wheels to the lifts to hear what he has to say. Usually he is very open about the people he flirts with but for some reason, even thinking about talking about Lark is making him nervous.
“Okay fine,” Nick draws out the “I” in a whine. “His name is Lark, and I met him in the restaurant playing pinball in their little arcade room. He’s really funny and I may or may not have a breakfast date with him tomorrow morning.” He signs along as he talks because he doubts that Johnny would be able to read his lips with how much he is mumbling. The other members of the Water Mice cheer at the news of the date. Johnny slaps Nick on the back again, and Cern even sticks his surgically forked tongue out in celebration.
Walter fumbles one of the wheel straps, it falling to the ground with a loud clunk, grabbing Nick's attention. When he looks over, he catches a flash of concern? Worry? Something like that on Walters face before he turns away to pick up the strap and finish securing the wheel. Unable to decipher the look, Nick turns back to his friends, a smile on his face as they continue to tease him lovingly. Walter coughs behind them to get their attention after a moment.
“Everything’s all hooked up. Are you guys all ready to go?” He asks once he has their attention.
“It’ll probably be a tight squeeze in the cab but the trip to the hotel isn’t long.”
“That’s alright! We don’t mind getting close and personal, do we boys?” Ellory laughs.
“Yeah, and we all don’t have to stay with the van once we unload our stuff at the venue,” adds Nick. Walter nods at that, grateful that they aren’t upset about possibly having to sit in each other's laps. Sure it’s dangerous and illegal but it's even more illegal for some of them to be in the van while it's being towed.
“Alright then. Let me just lift the van, and we can get a move on.” He moves to the control panel on the side of the truck and pulls a lever. The wheel lifts activate and the van’s front wheels lift off the ground. He does one more look over to make sure everything is secure, and turns back to the band. “We are all set. Hop on into the cab and you can tell me where you need to go.”
Thankfully, the ride to the venue wasn't too long. The van really gave up right before the finish line, Nick thinks as they unload all the equipment they need for their show later. It's barely noon so they have plenty of time to finish setting up before the concert at 9pm. Once everything is out of the back of the van, Nick walks over to the driver's side door of the tow truck. He gestures for Walter to roll the window down and once he does, shoots him a smile.
"Thanks again for driving us all here. How much do I owe you?" He asks, pulling out his wallet.
Walter just waves him off in a friendly manner. "Put your wallet away, boy. Just do me a favor instead."
Asking for a favor instead of money is never a good sign. Nick sighs and puts his wallet back reluctantly. "Alright, I'll bite. What's the favor?"
"Just…just be careful, okay? Don’t fuck this up. I'll see you tomorrow, " Walter says cryptically before rolling his window back up and throwing his truck into reverse. Nick watches him go until the truck's brake lights are no longer visible. Well that was fucking weird.
Ellory shouts something that Nick can't quite hear from behind the building, drawing his attention back to the matter at hand. As he walks back towards his friends, he makes a mental list of things that need to be done by tonight. First and foremost, set up their speakers and instruments. Then they really should check into their hotel. Nick knows better than to assume they would be awake (or sober) enough to do that after the show. And finally once those two things are done, he's got a car to rent so they can at least get around until his baby is fixed. He can worry about the weird, ominous shit Walter said to him later.
Nick curses how meticulous he is about an hour and a half into setting up everything they need for the show. It’s so hard for him to visualize how he wants everything to look when the deadline is looming closer. Usually they show up early enough that the Water Mice can get everything set up before the afternoon, so not even starting until noon is stressing him out. Ellory had him and Johnny retape the markers for where the mics and speakers should be about four different times. Now the only thing that is giving them issues is Johnny’s keyboard. It’s usually in a mirrored position to where Cern stands with his bass, but the stage lighting makes it look awkward there. Feeling a headache start to build behind his eyes Nick throws his hand up and stomps on the stage to get everyone's attention.
“Can you three take care of the rest of this? I want to try to check into the hotel before it gets too busy,” He asks. He hates that he feels like he’s bailing on his own band here but he's at his wits end.
Ellory and Cern look at each other, silently communicating, before she looks back at Nick with a soft smile. “Yeah, of course. This has been a shit show of a day and we are almost done. Send me a text with our room numbers when you have them?”
The sense of relief he feels at that reply almost knocks him to the ground. Nick didn’t realize how tired he was and while he wasn’t afraid of them arguing for him to stay, it’s still nice to know that they don’t mind. “Of course! I’ll even call for a rental from the hotel so we won’t have to walk there after the show.”
“Fuck yeah, man,” Cern yells from across the concert hall. He throws a hand up in devil horns, which Nick returns, before grabbing their bags and walking out the doors. The smell of the ocean is almost overbearing outside. It would be strange if it wasn't due to the building facing said ocean but after the stuffy interior of the concert hall, it's a pleasant change. Nick takes a moment to look at the beach, only a small sliver of it is visible between the boardwalk and the water. But even from here he can see unlit bonfires every couple of yards, and small groups of families enjoying the weather.
The boardwalk is filled with people, some long boarding, some on roller blades, and a lot just meandering. A miniature fair is set up on the far side of the boardwalk, a ferris wheel and carousel are visible along with a bunch of game booths you would expect to see at a fair. Nick can smell popcorn and other foods being prepared when the wind shifts. None of the attractions are open, it's too early, but that doesn’t stop people from trying to beat the crowds. Maybe after their shows, while they are on their little ‘“vacation” they can actually spend time here and have fun. Pulling out his phone, he quickly looks up directions to the hotel. It isn’t far, definitely within walking distance, but it isn't in view. Once he knows where he is going, he shoves his phone back into his pocket and stretches his hands above his head, hearing his spine pop in a few places as he does so.
Nick knows it's technically too early for check in at their hotel but it doesn’t stop him from asking if their rooms are ready. The receptionist at the front desk looks to be just as done with the day as he is. Her name tag reads Matilda, and she informs him that their rooms are in fact ready, and asks how many keys he would like.
“Uh, two for each is fine?” He’s never sure how many keys people would need, just put it in your wallet like a normal person, then you won't lose it. She nods, and after making the keys, writes the room numbers on the key sheets, and slides them over. Nick only half listens as she robotically tells him what time breakfast is, when the pool and fitness rooms close, and the time of check out. Slipping the keys into the pocket of his jeans, he thanks her and goes to put everyone’s bags in their respective rooms, casting a look around the lobby as he does.
The hotel is completely open up the center, all the rooms facing the atrium. The ceiling is one huge skylight, the natural light being the main source of illumination during the day. A beautiful chandelier hangs down in tiers, and flanking the clear glass elevators are two huge water features. Nick is almost intimidated to even be here, him in his beat up leather jacket that is probably as old as, if not older, than he is. His ripped up jeans and dirty boots don’t help the feeling either. They don’t usually stay in places as fancy as this, they are way too expensive, but hey, they got a discount from the venue so they decided why not? And the receptionist didn’t kick him out when he checked in so he guesses he’s fine. Nick makes his way to the elevators, pushing the button for their floor. As he waits, he takes a photo of the room keys and sends it, and whose bags he’s putting where, into the band group chat.
Once this little errand is done, he heads back down to the lobby and goes back towards the front desk. He can almost sense Matilda’s dismay at seeing him again, she probably thinks I’m going to complain about something, he thinks.
“Hey, sorry to bother you again so soon, but I forgot to ask this when I checked in. Do you have a company you work with for renting cars?” He asks, “Or even just a phone number for a rental place I can get from you?”
“Oh! Yeah, here let me just-” Matilda says, as she reaches into a shelf below her and brings out a small pamphlet. She sets it on the desk in between them, facing Nick. “Here. This is the place we use for guests. I can call them for you if you would like, but their number is right down here-” She points at a string of numbers directly under the name of the company.
“Nah, you don't have to call, I got it. Thank you so much for this,” Nick says, pulling his phone out to dial the number. She slides the pamphlet closer to him with a quiet “you can keep this one”, and he nods his thanks as the line starts to ring. He walks away from the desk for some privacy and waits for them to pick up.
After almost twenty minutes on the phone, Nick finally has a rental ready to be dropped off for him. The guy said it would be about half an hour before it gets there, which still leaves him plenty of time to get back in time for rehearsals. It’s not his baby, but the 2019 Toyota Sienna isn’t bad. It has enough room for them all and any parts Nick needs to buy to fix his van.
He doesn’t mean to but he ends up spending that time waiting thinking about the man he met today and their breakfast date. He may have a rockstar persona but Nick hasn’t been this interested in someone this quickly since probably high-school. Lark is just so snarky and the way the sun would catch on his curls, turning the blond strands gold. He’s dragged out of his frankly embarrassing daydreaming by said Sienna pulling up outside. He goes out to meet the driver, and finishes signing the contract and everything else needed. When everything is done, the guy shakes his hand and walks to a car Nick didn’t even notice. He climbs into the passenger seat, and it drives away, back to the rental place, he assumes.
Finally, all that is left now is to perform and the day will be over. Nick gets into the van, and loads up the gps to the venue. It’s slightly longer than walking due to the traffic, but he still gets there by 4pm. Parking in the back, he notices the front parking lot is much busier than it was a few hours ago. He can even see some people milling about, very obviously concert goers. This is going to be fun.
The lights go up and the crowd erupts into noise. The adrenaline of this moment is what he lives for. This moment right here is why he started a band. Even though he is a drummer and not front and center like Ellory is, he doesn’t need to be. Being on a stage with fans screaming in adoration for them all is enough for him. And Nick couldn’t ask for better band mates or friends. He leans towards his microphone, the smile audible in his voice as he yells, “ARE YOU GUYS HAVING FUN TONIGHT?”
That gets an even louder cheer from the crowd in response. “We are the Water Mice and we are Definitely not a country band!” Nick doesn’t even know why he says that, it just sort of slips out. Ellory and Cern look back at him in confusion, not understanding the joke but go with it anyway. Apparently he still has Lark on his mind a bit too much. What if he is in the audience, his mind whispers dangerously. Would he have laughed at that? Nick claps his drumsticks together to count the band in, and in unison they launch into their first song.
The three hours they are on stage seem to fly by. Nick gets lost in the atmosphere and their music. A lot of their songs are written by himself and Ellory and more than a few relate to their past experiences. Not only is the attention from the crowd addictive, but being able to perform songs written about such important things offers Nick a sort of catharsis.
Once it's over, the Water Mice make their way backstage to catch their breath and take a short break before going out to do a small meet and greet with fans. This won't be possible to do once they get slightly larger in popularity, but it's so much fun that Nick doesn't want to stop doing them until they absolutely have to.
"So is your date here tonight?" Cern draws him out of his thoughts with the teasing.
"Pfft I doubt it. The guy never heard of us until this morning and I'm sure he has better things to do," Nick says, trying not to sound hopeful at the idea of Lark being there.
Johnny taps him on the shoulder and once he gets Nick's attention signs, "Well there is only one way to find out, right?"
"Yeah, he's right! Don't be so down on yourself tonight, Nick. We did amazing and I can see a shit ton of people waiting for us out there. Let's go see if your man is one of them," Ellory chimes in. She seems to always know what to say to help when his thoughts get too annoying. Nick nods and claps his hands against his thighs before standing up.
"Yeah..yeah! Let's go!" He says getting more motivated through the sentence.
Lark wasn't there. Unsurprisingly. Nick keeps up a positive attitude for the rest of the night and does his best to ignore the small sliver of disappointment in his chest. He's just glad the night is finally over. This day felt like it lasted a week. All he wants to do now is go back to the hotel and try to fall asleep as quickly as possible. Knowing his luck, he will be awake all night thinking about tomorrow morning.
All four of them are practically stumbling as they walk into the hotel lobby. A few of the fans bought them drinks during the meet and greet and who was Nick to say no to free alcohol after the day they all had. He's definitely regretting it now though. Instead of helping soothe his nerves about tomorrow, all it's done is make him even more physically exhausted but mentally morose. The entire drive back to the hotel Nick was just imagining every way that everything could go wrong tomorrow. From Lark standing him up to the van being unfixable. Thank God that Cern decided to be the designated driver tonight, not wanting to deal with a possible hangover, otherwise they all would have been miserable.
They are all at different stages of being asleep where they are standing, and Nick cannot wait to get to his room and pass out. Their rooms are all in a row so they stick together until each of them make it to their respective doors. Ellory waves to them all, saying goodnight through a yawn before going into her room and putting the do not disturb sign up before closing it. The others follow suit and Nick practically falls into bed.
It takes Nick hours to fall asleep despite being so exhausted. His thoughts won't stop running in circles and it's driving him nuts. The last thing he remembers before sleep finally takes him is the image of Lark laughing, his eyes crinkled and smiling so wide he has dimples.
The first thing Nick is aware of next is the sound of his alarm on his phone blaring directly next to his ear. Groaning, he blindly smacks his hand around on the pillow next to him until he finds the offending contraption. Its screen brightness is set to 100% and he manages to blind himself when he finally opens his eyes to turn the alarm off. He sets the phone on his chest and just stares at the ceiling for a moment, trying to pick out shapes in the popcorn ceiling design as he tries to wake up more. Then the plans for the day come back to him in a rush and he flings the covers back and he jumps out of bed. Distantly he hears the sound of his phone thump against the ground from its flight off the bed but he’s already halfway to the bathroom to care. Rushing through his morning routine, he walks back into the main room and stands at the foot of the bed where his suitcase sits.
What the fuck do I wear? Nick just stares into the open bag at a loss of what to do. Most of his wardrobe he brought with him is basically the same. Ripped jeans, and well loved graphic tees. But does this breakfast warrant a band shirt, or some cheesy joke shirt? Which one would Lark like more? Nick grabs one of each, a shirt from his dads own band, The Glenn Close trio, and then a gag gift shirt from Cern. It’s a ringer style shirt with a Chuck E. Cheese rip-off style logo for a fake restaurant called Bull E. Wug’s. He wanders back to the bed and finds his phone under half a sheet that got tossed off the bed in his rush to get up. Taking a photo of the options he sends it to the Water Mice group chat for their opinions. He decides to finish getting ready while he waits for the verdict.
What surprises him is the fact that all three of them are awake this early. Nick half expected to get a reply from Cern and maybe Ellory, but Johnny was smashed last night, and he had very low hopes that he would wake up to the phone flashing. Ellory is the first to respond with a resend of the photo but the Glenn Close Trio shirt circled sloppily. Maybe not fully awake then. Cern’s reply is almost immediately after with a simple ‘i second this’. Johnny’s text reads ‘why all the bull e wugs hate :(‘ getting a laugh from Nick. He replies to the group with a simple ‘Sorry Johnny, the council has spoken. Thanks guys’ and then shuts the screen off to finish getting dressed.
Before walking out the door he stops by the mirror on the closet door, musing up his hair a bit more before nodding to himself and leaving.
Pulling the van into a parking spot in front of Thanks A Brunch, Nick turns the car off and practically hops out. He whistles a little tune to himself as he walks to the doors. No one is seated outside today, but he can see a few tables are occupied already through the windows.
It takes him a moment to see Lark, his eyes immediately going to the arcade area and finding it empty. He spots him sitting at a booth with a plate of waffles in front of him. Nick frowns a little bit at that but makes his way over, and slides into the booth across from him.
“Decided not to wait for me, huh? Kinda rude to do on a first date you know,” He says jokingly.
Lark’s originally relaxed posture suddenly changes to rigid and closed off. He stops in the middle of cutting a piece and glares at Nick from across the table.
“Excuse me, but who are you and what the fuck are you talking about?”