Work Text:
The lights dimmed as she sneaked onto the stage hidden by the darkness, dead center she hit the first and most breath taking note as the lights flashed on revealing the band and singer. The crowd roared quickly joining in with the song and moving to the heavy beat. The singer ran forward as she sang putting both her emotion and body into the lyrics, it was one close to her heart as she had wrote it about someone she lost long ago. As the song ended the singer had tears in her eyes but despite that her voice held strong as she addressed the crowd “This next one is for all of you lovely people here to, I want to hear you sing and see those horns up in the air!”. The audience screamed and cheered as the bands most popular song started, even each member of the band got hyped up and danced up to and with one another. This was their biggest performance yet, each member was ecstatic and high energy, only over a year ago they had been nobody's but then they became viral sensations when a friend helped them record a professional looking music video. The last song in their set came to an end and with it they went out with a huge bang of pyrotechnics.
With the crowd roaring and chanting for an encore the band exited the stage only to bump into the band following them, Red Swan, their lead singer a tall lean blonde sneered at them. “Careful out there dear, I hear there's going to be a mutiny” Regina replied to the sneer, their feud was sore spot for both bands, the other band members actually exchanged some quick encouragements to one another before dragging away their respective lead singers. Backstage the band settled down in their room “That was one hell of a show” Mal seemingly purred as she removed her tall boots. “You know what a hard day like today warrants, right guys?” Hyde announced with a grin “TO THE BAR!” they all cheered together. Laughter, jokes and pre drinks started first as each member got changed and ready to go out, the pre drinks became a game very quickly of raunchy never have I ever. Jefferson was the only band member sat down relaxing as he called out “never have I ever shagged another band member” inciting a group laughter “wait, wait are we counting just our band or others?” Mal slurred slightly. “Other bands too” Jefferson replied nodding before a shout of realisation “Oh shit!” as he too had to drink with everyone else.
The rounds of never have I evers continued on the way to and even into the bar, the rabbit hole was the local hang out for bands, stealthily stealing a booth the band members of Frankenstein’s Evil Dragon returned to their game. “Never have I ever had a threesome” declared Victor, the others all sullenly replied they too had never however Regina took a sneaky sip which didn’t go unnoticed “wait did Regina just drink?!” Mal practically yelled. Blushing bright red Regina remained mum and tapped her nose to indicate that it was a secret, their game was swiftly interrupted when the members of Red Swan entered making a ruckus as usual. Mal groaned “oh god, Gina’s gonna get all mad again and try to fight Emma” she put her head in her hands, Jefferson sympathetically patted her back “What actually is the beef you have with Em anyway?” he asked Regina. She replied with a cold hard glare which prompted Jefferson to put his hands up in surrender “sorry I asked” he replied meekly.
Across the bar the band members of Red Swan were buying themselves drinks, their lead singer Emma was leaning against the counter phone in hand when her drummer Hook sidled up to her. “Hey sweetheart, how about a dance huh?” he breathed in her ear making Emma roll her eyes and push at his shoulder “For god’s sake man how many times do I have to tell you I’m not interested.” Hook had the decently to look a little ashamed but shook it off when another blonde caught his eye “Who ya texting anyway?” he asked still laser focused on the other blonde. “What are you my mother?” Emma huffed at him before realising he wasn’t even focused on her “Urgh dude just go over to her and stop drooling on me” she gave him a light shove in the right direction. Ruby and Lily tugged Emma over to a table proudly presenting their tray of shots “I think a celebration is in order, don’t you?” Ruby asked holding up a shot to Emma. A buzz from her phone distracted Emma for a second before smiling deviously “hell yeah, lets have some fun” and with that she downed her first shot grimacing slightly at the after taste.
After a few more shots Emma had excused herself with Lily hollering after her “Oi! Don’t break the seal just yet! You’ll be peeing every few minutes otherwise!” to which Emma simply flipped her off while pulling tongues. Over at the other bands table Regina had seemingly vanished, the band waited a few moments to check their singer had gone before motioning to the other band to join them. In the booth both sets of band members crammed together smiling and chatting like the friends they actually were. “Ok,ok I have to ask but what the hell's going on between Emma and Regina this time?” Victor asked the group, Lily casually took a swig from her beer “Lovers tiff obviously” she stated like it was obvious. Ruby and Mal were nodding in agreement while the men all looked confused, looking to each other for explanation they could only shake their heads or shrug. “Urgh oh my god you guys are clueless” Ruby sighed dramatically “Come with me and I will bet any of you fifty bucks that Emma and Regina are in the back nearly hate fucking each others brains out”. Shaking himself out of the confused stupor Victor scoffed “ok I call bullshit on that Regina is totally straight and into me duh, I mean just look at me”. “Wanna bet?” Ruby toothily grinned, the pair shook hands on it as the group got up to go look for their missing singers.
Ruby was the first to spot the pair squished against a wall near the toilets, the blonde and brunette were locked in a passionate kiss that bordered on being violent, they were so entwined that they could’ve passed for a single entity. Ruby pointed triumphantly at them, “Oi Vicky you owe me fifty bucks!” she yelled turning around to look at him only to bump into him in the process since he’d been behind her. “Jesus Rubes I’m not deaf,... well actually I might be now” he said rubbing his ears, behind him the other male band members gawked at their singers. Mal grabbed Hyde’s arm first and started to tow him back to the booth “alright lads that enough leering” Lily called from the back, herding everyone else to the table. Hook took a quick photo of the couple but deleted it instantly when Lily threatened to castrate him with a rusty spoon, he went scampering back to the others as fast as he could.
When another round had been brought over along with a tray of shots paid for with the fifty dollars Ruby won, the questions started from the guys. “wait so are they dating?!” Jefferson asked confused, “How longs this been going on?!” questioned Hyde his voice rising in volume, “Who's the top do you recon?” Hook sleazed all at the same time. The women rolled their eyes collectively, “To answer your questions fellas, no they’re not exactly dating. Two this has been going on for years like before the bands I think too” Ruby nodded confirming the later statement. “Oh and Hook dear?” Mal smiled sweetly making Hook turn a smoulder on her “don’t be so fucking gross and keep your nose out of it” she snapped completely dropping the sweet façade from before. Lily sat back chuckling “you know for someone so beautiful and small you can’t half scare people to death”. She winked at Mal who in return smirked replying suggestively “you’re not so bad yourself dear” Ruby who was sat in the middle of them groaned “oh get a room already!”.
A couple of drinks later when the conversation lulled Ruby piped up out of nowhere “oh my gosh do you guys remember Emma writing hall of hearts? That one was totally about Regina. Everyone stopped a moment to think about it before all laughing and agreeing. “You know” said Mal “our bands song enchantress is about Emma”, the group gaped at her before all bursting out laughing again. “What are you lot all cackling about?” came a cool tone, Regina and Emma stood to the side looking at their band members expectantly. However the group had branched into a huge joint laughing fit, faces went red, someone was wheezing and Hook choked a little on his beer. Wiping her eyes as they were watering so hard Ruby gasped out and pointing at them “you two” before starting to laugh again “and your love songs about each other” Jefferson added holding his sides. The couple shared a fiery glare with one another before sitting on opposite sides of the booth, Regina glared at them all before doing three shots in a row. Whilst Emma merely huffed crossing her arms and slouching like a stroppy teenager “oh shut up!” she snapped at the others. After the laughter died down Hyde laughed breathlessly “oh man, I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe” Jefferson nudged him “your telling me, man my face aches from laughing so hard” prompting several of the others to exclaim “same!”. The singers stubbornly ignored the group, Regina rolled her eyes a smirk tugging at her mouth, although Emma tried to scowl and looked mad she caught Regina’s smirk and guffaw. In the end they all giggled together and fell into relaxed conversation, when the group headed over to the hotel they were both staying at they all piled into one of the rooms to crash together. When the others had all got cosy and drifted off Emma and Regina stood together at a bedroom door holding hands, looking over at their madcap friends Emma couldn’t help but smile as she whispered “you know Gina, the others are right we should do this more often”. Regina leaned into her, arms around Emma’s waist with her head rested on a shoulder, “I think you actually might be right for once Emma” Regina replied stifling a yawn, she leaned away to look up at Emma and they shared a brief kiss before entering their room to sleep for the night. Hopefully their next meeting would be even more fun and less feud like.