Catch a Falling Star (closed)

[Maka]

"And in entertainment news, troubled young film star Megan McCarthy is once again... "

Jay Caldwell switched the car radio off, preferring the quiet of his own thoughts to whatever vapid Hollywood gossip was making the rounds this time. The drive into work didn't need any accompaniment anyway -the sweeping beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains on the horizon seemed to make the chatter on the radio seem even more trite and banal by contrast.

Jay himself seemed to be part of that striking landscape in an almost elemental way. He had the same air of quiet strength and reserve, the sense of something that could endure forever. That impression was strengthened by his tall, tightly muscled and broad shouldered body, and by the intent gaze of his deep, blue-grey eyes, so still and honest and yet at times so filled with wry humour. Years of demanding labour under the sun had tanned his skin, darkened his brown hair and given his body an impressive, taut hardness and power.

He had worked many jobs in his time -ranch-hand, carpenter, guide, and forester. His hands, calloused and hard, were strong and clever, capable of both force and delicacy, as more than one girl had discovered to their infinite delight.

At the moment, he was looking after his uncle's bar, an unpretentious tavern in the small town of Clayton, Virginia. Uncle Ned was recovering from a stroke and Jay had agreed to mind the bar while he got better. It was a decision that had been good for the business of Ned's Place. Jay's chiselled physique and piercing stare attracted a large share of female clientele, while the same qualities dissuaded most aggressive drunks from trying to cause trouble (Jay dealt with those drunk enough to go ahead anyway quickly and efficiently). There was some grumbling on one point -Jay's unyielding insistence that the bar television remain switched off at all times, even during the game, but in time, the patrons of Ned's Place found themselves getting used to the quiet, even coming to enjoy it the way Jay seemed to.

Jay pulled up in the lot behind the bar, got his uncle's keys out, and set about his ritual of preparing the place for its opening. The last item on the agenda was, as always, to switch on the neon sign over the door and throw the door itself open. Jay then retreated behind the bar and prepared for a couple of hours of peaceful boredom. Even a hard-drinking town like Clayton didn't keep Ned's Place very busy in the early afternoon.

 

[slut_in_white]

"Maggie-"

"Fuck off."

A large, open palm slammed into the wall next to Maggie's head, making her jump. The man to whom it belonged - tall and thin with a orange-fake tan and blonde hair bleached to the point of being obviously damaged - sneered at the petite young woman in front of him.

"Now, now, we don't want a repeat of January, do we?"

Maggie had to suppress a shudder at the memory. Her manager, Andrew - the man currently threatening her - had been supplying her with "her pills" for years. At first, she'd been convinced they were anti-anxiety meds. It wasn't until she was well and truly addicted that she realized that he'd been dosing her with some kind of cocktail of highly addictive drugs in order to control her. She'd been an easy kid to control when she'd been a young teen, squeaky-clean and innocent on a variety of those one-off Disney Channel shows. But as she'd gotten older, as she'd gotten more famous and the industry started to realize that she had real talent, she'd gotten harder to control. She'd started resisting his decisions, claiming that he was choosing money over her happiness. And while that was true, he couldn't have her rebelling, so he used drugs. She didn't even know what it was she was addicted to, making it impossible for her to find some other source. She was, well and truly, trapped.

It felt bitterly ironic that he was using the episode in January as a threat against her when it was the reason they were in the position in the first place. The control he exerted over her made her feel sick, and, over Christmas, she'd actually tried to leave. She'd gone looking for a lawyer to try to break the contract that was tying her to him, and she'd gone looking for rehab centers that might be able to help her fix whatever addiction he'd forced on her. But, unbeknownst to her, Andrew had tapped her phone. When he found out, he took her pills away from her for a week, and she'd gotten so violently, painfully ill that she swore she was going to die. And when he finally gave them back, he only did so after making her make a series of humiliating promises that she would be obedient. And, a few months later, she'd attempted suicide.

Apparently her survival had been quite uncertain for the first few days. Attempts to keep it a secret had failed miserably, and fans of Megan McCarthy - Maggie, as she was known to the world - united in support. She received thousands of messages and cards. Now, if only they could help her escape Andrew...

But, as was the problem now, it was impossible for Andrew to continue explaining away why Maggie hadn't gone to get help for her obvious issues. She needed therapy. She needed rehab. But he couldn't give her those things without risking losing control of her, and so, instead, he was sending her to Clayton, Virginia.

"I want to go to a real rehab center, you dick, not some bum-fuck nowhere town where you can hide me away and pretend I'm getting better!"

"Now now, you know that this is the best decision, Maggie. For both of us. Besides, your poor old grandmother misses you, dear." His disgustingly paternal smile twisted into something darker as he leaned a little closer and whispered, "And you know the rules. You do what you're supposed to, won't you? Because I'd hate to see what might happen - to either of you - if you didn't."

God, if only she didn't believe he was an awful enough person to hurt someone else if Maggie didn't do what she was supposed to...

--------

Clayton was killing her, slowly. Maggie had only been here a week. Her grandmother lived in a little house in the middle of the tiny town, but there was nothing to do. She couldn't get onto the internet, even if she wanted to. Her phone didn't get enough reception out here to do anything. Even the TV only got 4 channels. She'd been spending most of the week alternating between writing angry letters to herself, to God, to Andrew and to various directors and producers, and going for long, exhausting walks up and down the little main stretch of road in town in an attempt to tire herself out of the energy to be angry. It wasn't working. She'd just come back with aching feet from stomping around on the sidewalk and angrier than she had been before.

It was 2 in the afternoon, and her grandmother was taking a nap. Maggie was trying to distract herself by reading, but it felt like the newest book in this house had been last published in 1952 and it was boring her to tears when she could stop ruminating on how much she hated her manager for long enough to read more than a page at a time.

"I need a fucking drink." Or 12 drinks. She'd be perfectly happy to drink herself into a stupor. Maybe she'd stumble out of a bar tonight at 2 am and stumble out into the street and get hit by a car. Pain'd be a nice change from anger. There was a tavern a few blocks down the road. She'd stomped past it a few times. Ned's Bar, or something? Whatever, it had alcohol - it would do.

She pulled on her coat, pulling up the collar more out of habit than anything else. No one around here was going to recognize her. None of these people struck her as the sort to really follow the Hollywood gossip rags, and besides, she didn't look like she usually did on-screen or around the set anyway. Back home, her hair was always some unnatural colour, and her face was always done up in over-dramatic sparkly explosions of make-up. The tan that she had to work on multiple times a week to maintain had faded since her stay in the hospital, and she'd gone back to her more naturally creamy pale skin. She'd dyed her hair back to something more akin to its natural black, too, and instead of the daily hours of straightening it into something pin-straight and easy to style, she'd allowed it to return to the thick natural waves that her hairdresser hated because she couldn't do much with it - even if it did usually look quite lovely if she just left it alone. It'd take a real super-fan (or tabloid photographer) to even figure out she was the same person even if they had a picture of Megan McCarthy right in front of them.

Pushing open the heavy front door of the bar, she made a beeline for one of the barstools and took a seat. "Hey, can I get a..." She stopped, once she looked up at the man behind the bar. He was... Honestly, the words flew out of her head. She'd say gorgeous, but that sounded vapid - but maybe that was only to her ears, given how many times she'd heard people squealing it at each other back home, knowing it was disingenuous. The way he was looking at her made her self-conscious, like he was confused. For a split second, she nearly panicked at the idea that he might have recognized her, but then she realized she was the only other person in the bar. And probably would be for at least a couple more hours.

Maybe later she'd think about why that mattered. The judgement of other people had never really served as much of a deterrent to her behaviour - they didn't know what she was feeling. If they had to handle the life she had, they'd drink and party and make terrible decisions too. And yet, it somehow mattered that this man didn't think badly of her. Maybe later she'd come to the realization that here was someone who didn't know who she was. Who wasn't biased against her already. Maybe it was because she recognized that, for once, here was someone who didn't have to look down on her. Something inside her wanted to prove that she wasn't the lost cause that everyone believed she was, and it mattered to her that she be able to prove it, even if it was only to one man.

It definitely did not have anything to do with the way those piercing eyes made her heart flip over in her chest.

"...Ah, um, a coke, please. I'll have a coke. Thanks." A blush coloured her cheeks at the request - she felt weird walking into a bar and ordering a soda, and she found herself staring down at the wooden bar in front of her, unable to meet his gaze once the request was made.

 

[Maka]

Jay had been displeased when he'd heard the door open. The truth was, he always enjoyed the mostly solitary couple of hours before Ned's Place took to life. He'd always been something of a loner, often spending days and weeks by himself, camping in the hills or hiking through the woods.

But his bad mood was dispelled by the sight of the customer approaching the bar. A slender, petite girl with pale flawless skin and wavy dark hair, there was something about the way she moved and held herself that reminded Jay of a time that he had seen a young fawn emerge from dappled shadows in the woods, its brown eyes impossibly large and wide. He'd held still, sensing something almost sacred about the moment, afraid to break the spell with even the tiniest of movements. It was the same with this girl. There was something fresh and sweet about her, something that made him want to protect her.

"Hey, can I get a...", she looked up at him, and blushed vividly, the pink tinge to her cheeks making her face all the cuter. ".. Ah, um, a coke, please. I'll have a coke. Thanks."

If she'd asked for alcohol, Jay might have IDed her -she was over eighteen, undoubtedly, but he couldn't have sworn to her being much past twenty one. He gave a wry half-smile and filled a glass of Coke, then slid it across the bar to her.

"I don't think I've seen you around Clayton before. New in town? I'm Jay, by the way."

 

[slut_in_white]

Maggie caught the glass and took a sip, only to find herself surprised that he asked her whether she was new in town. It was odd for someone to just start a conversation with her like this. She so rarely got to interact with anyone who didn't already know who she was and who hadn't been vetted by her manager and PR people.

And she had forgotten how nice it was to have someone show a normal interest in her. She let the glass clink down onto the bar and smiled, the first time she'd displayed that kind of expression with any kind of sincerity in.... god, it had to have been years.

"I'm Maggie," she answered, holding her hand out for him to shake. She opened her mouth to explain why she'd come up, but there was something about the indulgent smile he'd given her when she ordered the coke that made her want to hide the reason. What kind of a man would still want to chat up a girl who was only in town because she had just tried to commit suicide, but was so badly held under the thumb of the world's biggest asshole that she couldn't even get real help? It's not like he'd be interested in coming to a rehab center to talk to her, after all.

So, instead, she told him a half-truth. "Yeah, I'm new. I came up about a week ago, to visit my grandma."

 

[Maka]

Jay smiled and took her hand. Her fingers felt small and delicate in his hard, calloused grasp. The physical contact sent a rush of pleasure through him, and he had to force himself to release her hand.

He nodded as she explained what she was doing in Clayton. It fit with the image he was developing of her -a kind girl, a sweet girl, taking time out of her life to see a grandmother in some nowhere town.

"What do you do when you're not in Clayton?" he asked. "Are you a student?"

 

[slut_in_white]

Maggie gave a half-shrug. If she told him the truth, he'd probably realize that she was Megan McCarthy, and the whole charade would be up. He'd realize that she was Hollywood's biggest disaster, and then he'd either stick around and keep up false interest in the hopes of being able to say he'd fucked a starlet, or (and this was more likely, given the impression she had of him already as a more honest kind of guy), he'd lose interest in her immediately. And she didn't want either of those.

So, another half-truth. "I'm between jobs. My last one was kind of a mess. I've got a new job lined up, but I took some time off between to take some time for myself, you know?" She looked up at him, feeling obviously uncomfortable with the topic. "I... I don't really want to talk about it." She took another sip of her coke and scratched at the back of her neck. "So, um, have you always lived around here? Do you know of anything good to do?" She grinned weakly. "I've been going a bit crazy with boredom sticking around in town."

 

[Maka]

Jay nodded. "I know how it is."

God, her eyes were bright. There was something ethereal, delicate and beautiful about Maggie, something that drew him irresistibly, yet at the same time he felt that moving too quickly might frighten her away. Did she have a boyfriend? A girl like this probably had a boyfriend.

"I haven't lived here all my life, but I do come from these parts," he said. He thought. "What do people do around here for fun? Well, they drink a lot but," he indicated her Coke, "I guess that's not your thing. They hunt, they watch football, they give barbecues... "

It was hard to imagine the vision before him enjoying any of those things.

"There's some great hiking around here, though. I go out by myself most weekends -you'd be welcome to join me."

 

[slut_in_white]

It took quite a bit of effort for Maggie to avoid sputtering at the suggestion that drinking wasn't really her thing. But there was a certain warmth in his voice when he said it, like he approved, and suddenly, she found she really, really didn't want it to be "her thing" anymore.

She was still ruminating on the life she wanted to have - for his sake - and the life she did have, and whether or not it was possible at all for her to actually become the person he was already making her wish she was, when he mentioned hiking and invited her to join him.

There was clear surprise on her face when she met his gaze again, her mouth popping open into a little O. "I... Really? I mean, sure." She paused, that blush lighting up her face again. What the hell was happening to her? She was used to being utterly shameless, doing and saying whatever she wanted (granted, usually drunk enough to avoid any kind of self-censorship) and here she was, blushing like a school girl at the innocent invitation of just going for a walk with him. "Hiking together sounds fun."

There was a long pause and Maggie's brain tried its damnedest to make it awkward, but it wasn't. The silence just settled over them for a moment, and while Jay continue with his work and Maggie continue to sip slowly at her drink, both of them seemed remarkably comfortable just being in each others' presence. Normally, Maggie would have tried to end the silence much sooner, feeling that this kind of quiet always weighed heavily on her - perhaps a result of the fact that she hadn't really experienced true silence in a long time, given that she was always surrounded by people nattering at her - but instead, she waited until she actually had something to say. It was unusual, to say the least, but she liked the feeling of just being able to be with someone like this. Had she been alone in the bar, she was certain the silence would have driven her insane in less than a minute. It was one of the reasons why her grandmother's house had nearly driven her to drink.

"So how'd you end up working here?" She motioned to the tavern around them with a sweep of her arm.

 

[Maka]

Maggie's soft lips had popped open in a cute little O of surprise, her eyes widening and a blush settling on her cheeks. Jay was a little surprised at her reaction. Maggie seemed a little sheltered but to be shocked by the suggestion of a hike together suggested Southern Baptist-levels of reserve. But then she smiled, a delightful ray of sunlight seeming to enter the bar.

"Hiking together sounds fun."

Jay smiled and nodded. He'd never before taken anyone on one of his hikes through the woods. He prized the solitude too much. But Maggie just seemed different, and not just because she was undoubtedy the prettiest girl to ever pass Clayton's town limits. She valued quiet the same way he did, Jay could tell.

As if to prove this hunch, Maggie let the next few minutes go by in comfortable, relaxed silence, letting Jay polish his glasses. She let the silence fall naturally, did not seem ill at ease with it. When at last she spoke, he knew she wasn't just speaking out of nervousness, or a misguided sense of politeness but genuine interest in the answer to her question.

"So how'd you end up working here?"

"It belongs to my uncle. He's the Ned of Ned's Place. He had a stroke recently, so I agreed to help out here while he gets better."

Jay grimaced humorously.

"Not really my dream job, standing here pouring shots for angry drunks all night instead of getting out into the sun and fresh air, but family is family, huh? I guess it's the same with you and your grandmother, coming out all this way to this dying town to see her."

 

[slut_in_white]

Maggie winced when Jay mentioned his uncle's stroke. That was a topic that could easily have been sensitive, and she hoped she hadn't ruined the mood by bringing it up... though, it seemed like he was okay talking about it.

She shot him a smile at his grimace, feeling immediately better that she hadn't upset him, and laughed - slightly nervously - when he mentioned that she was here because she cared about her family. Oh, if only he knew...

She liked that he thought so apparently highly of her that he'd just assume she was here for her grandmother's sake. But at the same time, it bothered her because it felt dishonest. She wasn't as selfless as he was making her out to be, and there was something uncomfortable about letting him believe she was. It was the same discomforting feeling that had driven her so insane back home - with her manager trying to give her the image of being a wholesome star while she was out nearly killing herself with sex, drugs and alcohol, it felt like she was lying to her audience, to the young girls who looked up to her, and it made her feel sick.

"I, um, yeah, I guess. I mean, I'd like to say that I'm here because it's the right thing to do. I'd like to be able to convince you I'm really that sweet," she answered, staring down at her glass. "But, to tell the truth, it's as much because I needed to get away from my life as it was because I wanted to come visit my grandmother. Don't get me wrong, it's been too long since I've seen her and I'm glad I came to visit, but it's not really accurate to paint my being here as purely selfless, either."

 

[Maka]

Jay smiled, liking Maggie's honesty. Liking her crooked smile, too -brave and bright and warm and impish and yet vulnerable all at once. He liked a whole lot about her, in fact. But for a moment, he had the strangest idea that he remembered a gesture that went with that particular smile, a way that she would brush a lock of hair from her face with one finger, just so. He frowned. Where did that idea come from? He was certain he'd remember meeting a girl like Maggie -if there were in fact such a thing as another girl like Maggie. Maybe he was just already so comfortable with her, one loner gravitating to another, that it simply felt as though they'd known each other for years.

"Well," he said, "If you've got to hide from your problems, I guess Clayton is the place to do it. It's certainly the last place anyone would look."

He smiled at her, his eyes warm and frank.

"But I promise you'll see a better side to it out in the woods."

 

[slut_in_white]

"I've already seen a better side to it..." Maggie hadn't really meant to say it out loud, but then again, she wasn't exactly practiced at containing her own thoughts. She realized what she'd said the moment it was out of her mouth and flushed, ducking her head slightly and staring down at her now-empty glass.

"S-sorry." What was wrong with her? She'd always been so confident, and now she was stuttering? But maybe that was it - what she'd had wasn't a lot of confidence, it was simply that she had never cared. She'd never given a fuck about the people around her and what they thoughts, because she'd spent the last god-knows-how-many-years surrounded by people who saw her as a cash cow instead of a person. It's funny how easy it is to become suddenly shy when you're unaccustomed to being around anyone you actually like.

"I am really looking forward to going hiking with you, though." She was going to say more, but the little bell on the door rang, indicating that someone had come in. She'd been here longer than she'd thought, if customers were starting to arrive. Panic suddenly lanced through her at the idea of one of them recognizing her and telling Jay who she was. "I, um, I should go. My grandma's gonna want help making dinner..." She stood, turning up the collar of her coat in a flimsy attempt to keep her profile hidden from the customer. Then she offered Jay a shy smile. "I'd like to come back to see you, though. Maybe tomorrow?"

And with that, she stepped outside, feeling a warmth in her chest and happier than she had in a long, long time.

 

[Maka]

Jay found himself unsure how to take Maggie's comment about Clayton's better side. He was used to such remarks being delivered with a knowing, flirtatious smirk, a little side-glance to confirm that the weaponised flattery had found its mark. But it seemed to just burst from Maggie's cherry lips unprompted, and she seemed almost as startled as Jay by its emergence.

And that just made him all the more pleased. She was just a breath of fresh, sweet air blowing into Ned's Place, this slight girl with her shy smiles and big eyes. She felt like someone in a million, like someone he might have searched for hopelessly all his life.

The bell over the door announced the arrival of old Zeke, the most loyal customer of Ned's Place, and Maggie, seeming a little panicked, made hasty farewells and departed, passing Zeke on her way out.

Zeke, an old coal prospector from way back, paused to squint at her retreating form, paying especially close attention to Maggie's pert, waggling little rear.

"That your sweetie, young Jay?"

Jay shook his head.

"Then you're a damned fool. Gimme a bourbon."

 

[slut_in_white]

Maggie was in the best mood she'd been in since arriving. She actually did offer to help her grandmother to cook dinner, and she talked a little about going to Ned's and meeting the bartender there, earning quite the indulgent grin from her grandma once she explained.

And, as promised, she arrived around 2pm again, just as Ned's was opening, and her whole face lit up in a bashful little smile when she saw Jay behind the bar, practically waiting for her. "Hi."

She was nervous. Her thoughts has swirled all morning around the little doubt that she'd be able to keep up this charade. There was no way he'd go that long without figuring out who she was, right? She needed to make sure. She needed to confirm that he wasn't going to check up on Perez Hilton or something in a week and all of this burgeoning friendship would blow up in her face. She had to find out whether or not he was the type to pay attention to vapid Hollywood gossip.

"So," she began, her voice warbling a little bit, "what else do you like to do? I mean, other than hiking and being bothered by random girls at your uncle's bar?"

 

[Maka]

Jay had not been able to stop thinking about her for all the rest of the day. He'd gone through the motions of tending bar in a blissful haze, puzzling most of the regulars, except for old Zeke, who'd known the score the moment he'd drank in the sight of Maggie exiting the bar. When he'd closed up shop at one in the morning and driven home to his rented cabin in the hills, he'd still been thinking about her.

Usually, he was always reluctant to forsake the quiet and peace of the cabin for the darkness of Ned's Place, but today he had to stop himself from driving into town early, as though that could somehow make Maggie magically appear sooner.

What if she didn't appear at all? What if she'd just been being polite, and had no intention of showing her pretty face in his uncle's dive bar ever again? Jay, usually stable and self-contained to a fault, wasn't used to even a mild sense of panic.

But his fears were unfounded. The bell over the door jingled shortly after Ned's Place officially opened and Maggie walked in, a bashful, irresistible smile on her lips. His eyes felt drawn to those lips, that smile -so soft, sensitive, and oh so kissable.

"Hi," he said, smiling.

Maggie sounded a little hesitant, something that only made her silvery voice cuter.

"So, what else do you like to do? I mean, other than hiking and being bothered by random girls at your uncle's bar?"

Jay laughed at the comment, but considered the question.

"As a kid, my dad used to take me hunting... but to be honest, I never really enjoyed it. I liked being outdoors, and I was even a pretty good shot but... well, most folks around here would call me a pussy for it, but I never really liked killing things for fun."

He grinned.

"But fishing... fishing I do like. Doesn't really make sense -why should I have a problem with killing deer but not fish? But I guess the truth is I just like getting out to the river with a rod and just thinking -don't really give a damn if I catch any fish at all."

He pretended to look in both directions, and leaned across the bar to whisper to Maggie.

"And between you and me, I've been known to enjoy reading a book every now and then. But don't tell a soul. I'd never pass for a good ol' boy again."

He leant back again.

"How about you, Miss Maggie? What do you like to do, when you're not hiding out in the sticks, visiting grandmothers and charming the pants off susceptible barmen?"

 

[slut_in_white]

I like to party hard, drink myself into a stupor and then take a cocktail of various drugs in the vain hope that I'll accidentally discover whatever that asshole Andrew has got me on. I like to go out dressed in the least possible amount of clothing and behave in the trashiest, most dangerous of ways as a cry for help, which everyone ignores because this is just the expected behaviour of little starlets these days. And I like to imagine what it'd be like to be free - not rich and free, not happy and free, not even alive and free. Just free.

Her thoughts had gotten dark quickly, and there was a frown on her face until she looked up from where her gaze had ended up staring down into her lap. She caught Jay's eyes, looking into them, and her furrowed expression relaxed. She knew, all of a sudden, why she craved his company as much as she did. He made her feel that freedom. He made her feel like it was possible to escape the shit-show her life had become without resorting to suicide. She didn't know why - it's not like he actually had the power to save her. What was he going to do, whip out some magical contract law degree and find a loophole that could get her out of Andrew's clutches? And then admit to also being a doctor so he could find out what she'd been drugged with so he could help her wean off?

It was ridiculous. But it didn't matter, because around him, she could pretend. She could ignore all the pain and misery she'd have to go back to once she'd "cleaned up" a little. She could pretend that she could stay here - with him - forever. It was intoxicating to hope, even if it didn't make sense, after so long of being trapped in despair.

A quick little smile flashed across her features, not enough to quite hide the sadness that had taken over her expression, but close. "Your secret's safe with me. I love reading. The two of us, regular rebels we are," she answered, laughing softly. "I... I like to sing." It was a dangerous thing to admit, she knew, but he didn't seem interested in the sorts of things that might reveal her. Besides, as much as she wanted him to like her, she also wanted him to know her. The real her. The girl that actually lived underneath all the shining lights and drugs and make-up. The one who got into the business as a child because of a real abiding passion for music of all kinds. "I love music. I learned to play the piano when I was young, but singing has always been my favourite thing."

 

[Maka]

A shadow crossed Maggie's face briefly, but Jay knew better than to inquire. Maggie had been wounded somehow by life, that much was clear, but he knew that if she wanted to talk about it, she'd do so in her own time on her own terms. In the meantime, he was just glorying in having the company of this shy, sweet, gorgeous puzzle of a girl.

An obvious light shone in her eyes when she spoke about her love of music, adding another piece to the puzzle that Jay was lovingly assembling. He could see how much it meant to her. He dearly wanted to hear her sing, but refrained from asking, thinking like it might look like he thought of it as just a party trick for her.

"What kind of music? If you like bluegrass at all, there are some very good players around here."

There were, though they'd never feature on any radio stations or put out hit albums. They were old people, for the most part, or young people old before their time, sitting on porches or in run-down kitchens, singing the sad, beautiful old songs they'd learned from their parents before them.

 

[slut_in_white]

Maggie's expression lit up at the idea of listening to someone else's music. "I haven't listening to much bluegrass, no," she answered, drumming her fingers on the bar in thought. Her fingernails, only just long enough to peek out over the tips of her fingers, clicked as she did. "Maybe I'll have to look some up." She'd been too long immersed in the popular genres of music. The closest thing she'd heard to bluegrass recently was Taylor Swift, which just went to show that she hadn't been exposed to much outside the top 100 in a long time. Maybe it was time to fix that.

She could see on his face, too, the curiosity that had been sparked when she said she liked to sing. She was sure he wanted to ask her, but something was holding him back. Maybe politeness. Maybe he thought enjoying singing didn't necessarily mean she was a good singer. Either way, she appreciated his kindness in holding back, but ironically, that just made her wanted to sing for him all the more.

It had been a long time since she'd really wanted to sing, and since she'd had the option to choose for herself what to sing. Not one of her own songs - that was dangerous, and she didn't want to sing her own vapidly bubble-gum pop crap anyway. The thought struck her like a lightning bolt - when had she started thinking of her released music as her own songs? She used to write, but she hadn't had a hand in writing anything on any of her last 3 albums. That wasn't hers. It was what she was paid to sing. The thought was like releasing a dam - suddenly, she was filled with a desire to write her own music again, to express herself in that way. It had felt useless, before, since whenever Andrew caught her playing or singing something of her own, he'd tell her her time was better spent rehearsing her "real" music instead. He'd stomped it down, but the love of writing had never really gone away, and, with a single look, Jay had managed to bring it forth once again.

She smiled at him, bright and joyful, as if to say thanks for what he'd done, even though actually thanking him would lead to a series of questions she couldn't answer.

"Would you, um, like to hear something?" she asked softly, shyly.

At the back of the bar, there was an old-looking little stage, presumably for live bands to play during the evenings. It looked like it hadn't seen use in a long time, but what had drawn her eye was a guitar, leaning against the back wall. She hopped up off the bar stool and went to pick it up. It was badly out of tune, but that was easily fixed.

She took a seat, sitting in the middle of the room, on one of the tables, cross-legged and facing Jay. Smiling at him, she took a moment to tune the guitar, and gave it a quick, experimental strum. Satisfied that it was tuned properly, her fingers began to work the strings. And then she began to sing.

 

[Maka]

Jay closed his eyes and just let the music and Maggie's sweetly mournful voice wash over him, taking him away into somewhere deep inside. He felt her song, felt the raw pain in her voice and deft fingers strumming the guitar. There was suddenly a kind of intimacy between them, something forged by the power and art of her song.

When she was done, he made his way over to where she sat. There weren't words. He wanted to kiss her there and then, kiss the hurt from her sweet rosebud mouth, kiss each of those sensitive fingertips one by one.

But he had to hold himself back. Jay realised how special what he might have was, was determined not to ruin it by yielding to his desires.

"That was incredible," he said instead, his voice soft and clearly moved.

 

[slut_in_white]

Maggie startled at the sound of Jay's voice so close to her. Her eyes snapped open and she blinked at him, surprised by who close he had come to her during her song.

His words were intense. It was obvious that there was much more he wanted to say, but he seemed to be holding something back. She placed the guitar down, shuffling forward until her legs were hanging down off the end of the table, looking up at him with wide eyes. "Th-thank you. I, um..." Her heart was hammering in her chest, and she wasn't sure why. A blush lit her on her face and her gaze dropped to her lap. "I've been playing since I was a little kid. It's been a long time since I've played whatever I wanted to, so thank you." Lifting her gaze back to his again, she smiled shyly.

 

[Maka]

Jay bent down, so he was face to face with the petite girl sitting on the table. He took her hand in his, gently. He could feel her pulse racing underneath his fingertips. His free hand stroked her flawless cheek, cupped her face, feeling the warm of her blushed.

Then he bent down and kissed her -a deep, slow and sweet kiss.

 

[slut_in_white]

The kiss startled her. It might have been because Maggie had never been kissed by a man who hadn't either gotten her drunk or high first, or hadn't started the conversation with an awful pickup line. But regardless, she wasn't even certain what was happening until Jay's lips found hers. She squeaked, surprised, and jumped, the motion breaking the kiss almost immediately.

Her gaze found his and her floundering mind seemed to center itself suddenly as she realized just what was going on. "Oh." The sound came out as breath than a word, but once she said it, she threw her arms around his neck and pulled herself towards him to close the distance once again and return to their kiss.

Her heart was making great leaps in her chest, pounding so hard that she fear it might beat clear out of her ribs. She felt giddy, like a young girl being kissed for the first time by her crush. Nothing she'd yet experienced in her life felt like this - there was something sweet and pure about this kiss, something that spoke of gentle tenderness and a desire for the whole of Maggie instead of just her body.

When they parted again, this time at a more natural break for air instead of because of Maggie's easily-startled nature, she smiled shyly at him, blushing. "I'm, um, sorry about that. I wasn't expecting you to do that..." she explained lamely, the blush brightening. God, she sounded like a girl so sheltered she'd never been kissed before.

 

[Maka]

At Maggie's initial reaction, Jay was furious with himself. Of course this shy, delicate and lovely creature would be startled and horrified by the abruptness of his advance. Jay could only image that Maggie's previous kisses had been gentle, butterfly things.

But then she threw herself back into his arms and seemed to melt against him and for a moment, Jay was lost in the sweetness and yearning warmth of her kiss. He could feel Maggie's little heart thundering in her chest as though it would break loose, a kind of innocent need evident in her every movement, her every little sigh and shift.

When she broke, panting for air, all he could think was when he could kiss her again.

"I'm, um, sorry about that. I wasn't expecting you to do that...", Maggie explained, still breathing heavily.

"I'm sorry too," Jay said. "I'm sure you're not used to guys just grabbing you like that. I'm an idiot."

 

[slut_in_white]

Oh, if only he knew...

She laughed softly at his observation that she probably wasn't used to having men grab her and kiss her like that. And even though that was strictly true, that was only because the men who grabbed her very often just didn't bother with anything as sweet as kisses and went straight to groping her, drunkenly and usually unpleasantly.

"You're not an idiot," she answered, leaning forward to press another kiss to his lips. "Just because I'm not used to it doesn't mean I didn't like it." She licked her lips and her smile, still shy, turned a little bit playful and even a little mischievous. "I, um, wouldn't mind if you did it again, I mean..."

 

[Maka]

There was a sparkle of sweet mischief in Maggie's deep brown eyes as she leant back on the table, the playful smile on her sensuous lips a clear invitation. It was an invitation that Jay had no hesitation in accepting.

Leaning forward, he pulled her to him, her slim body weightless in his arms, he kissed her, relishing the sweet strawberry taste of her lips, the way her body molded itself to him, the way the world seemed to vanish.

Just then the bell above the bar door rang, signalling the entrance of a customer.