Oneshots for Jaclyn Because I'm Bad at Gifts

A Complicated Relationship

In case you didn't read the description, this one-shot was made for the lovely SpunkyasQuiznak's birthday. I'll be using OCs and plotlines from her Dabi book, so I recommend checking it out if you're confused about who these people are. Actually, I recommend you check it out in general because it's great and her writing deserves more attention.

I hope you like your gift, love, and I hope your birthday is everything you wanted it to be.

~*~

The energy in the room was infectious.

Jaclyn Perry jumped along with the crowd, voice edging towards a gravelly rasp as a night of screaming lyrics caught up with her. The twinge of pain was worth it, though. The energy, the music, the excited crowd all helped her drown out the thoughts of him. Losing herself to the performance quieted the thick fog of emotions and memories that had swamped her for days.

Her group, a pop-punk cover band called the Soilmayes, had managed to snag a gig at a well-known bar downtown, and they'd jumped at the chance. Well, Avelyn, who managed most of their events and played the keyboard, had been hesitant to accept, worried that Jaclyn wasn't up to pretending to be fine, but Jaclyn had insisted. There was no way she was letting her asshole ex get in the way of her band's success.

Their set rolled to a close, Luna sending them off with an intense drum solo, and soon Jaclyn found herself packing their stuff into the van to make room for the next group. Sweat dripped down the back of her neck and chest, and the adrenaline high was slowly fading. The memories she'd been running from slunk in to fill the space, and Jaclyn slumped against the side of the van.

Avelyn popped her head out from the back, eyebrows knitted together in a worried frown. Jaclyn gave her a tired smile, and Avelyn hopped out of the back, leaning next to her and nudging Jaclyn's shoulder with her's. "Are you sure you don't want me to hunt him down and break his kneecaps," Avelyn murmured, shooting Jaclyn a wry smile.

Her tone had been joking enough, but Jaclyn knew that if she asked, Avelyn wouldn't hesitate to follow through with her threat. Their relationship may have been complicated and hazy, lines blurring between platonic and romantic, but if there was one thing Jaclyn was sure of, it was that Avelyn was loyal to a fault. She'd lie and steal and fight to make sure her loved ones were safe and happy, and she'd gotten into more than enough trouble to do so.

"Nah," Jaclyn replied, keeping her tone light. "He's not worth a jail sentence." Straightening up, Jaclyn grabbed Avelyn's hand, tugging her back inside the bar. "Come on, babes, let's celebrate our incredible performance." Really, she just wanted an excuse to get drunk, and she was sure Avelyn knew that, but the brunette just shrugged and let herself be pulled along. Clover and Luna would take care of the rest of the equipment--bars weren't really their scene--and that knowledge was one worry off Jaclyn's shoulders.

After three drinks with names suspiciously close to So,innuendos--the kind that were considered girly despite containing much more alcohol than the watery beer men drank--Jaclyn was feeling the buzz. Well, perhaps more than just a buzz, she realized as she tripped over a discarded purse, stumbling and giggling as Avelyn grabbed her arm to steady her. Jaclyn slung an arm around Avelyn's shoulders, feeling energized and confident. "Let's dance," she yelled over the thrum of electric guitars and drums.

Avelyn wrinkled her nose. She'd drunk significantly less than Jaclyn and wasn't nearly tipsy enough to consider dancing. She waved Jaclyn on, gesturing to a free stool at the bar that she could watch Jaclyn from. Shrugging, Jaclyn made her way into the throng of writhing bodies, swaying to the music as she let the energy of the crowd take over once more.