Burnt Flowers Fallen - Peter Steele (one-shot and short story collection)

Summer Girl

A/N: Dedicated to purplepanther93 who requested a fic with some Josh smut. I do hope I did not disappoint! If I did, please let me know and I will be happy to try again!

Leaves crunched beneath Josh Silver's sneakers as he strolled down the familiar concrete walkway, a cigarette in his mouth as a cool late summer breeze blew through his long curls, causing them to billow behind him like a cape. He had a pack of smokes in one pocket of his green windbreaker, and a few joints in the other. He took his lit cigarette between his index and middle finger and took a puff as he approached his destination, the familiar basement apartment just a few blocks away from where he lived. Him and Pete...childhood friends that were always destined to be together, it seemed. Maybe it was sappy, but it was true.

Josh dropped his cigarette to the ground and stomped it out, making sure to kill all the ashes. He wouldn't smoke in Pete's apartment. Pete didn't care for the smell, though Pete had apparently made exceptions for a few dalliances of the female variety in the past. But Pete's current girlfriend didn't smoke either, so he'd be respectful.

He flipped his loose curls over his shoulder before trudging down the concrete steps, his sneakers squeaking a little as he did. He raised his fist and knocked on the door and waited as he heard voices and footsteps on the other side coming to answer.

The door pulled open and Josh came face to face with Lizzy Graves. Her seafoam eyes glowed back at him beneath her side swept ginger bangs, cinnamon freckles scattered about her nose and cheeks. Her lips pulled up in a grin as she wrapped her arms around him, "Hey Josh! Come on in!"

"Thanks Lizzy," Josh responded, returning the hug with one arm as he strolled in and glanced around. His eyes then settled at a familiar brunette sitting cross legged on the floor. The brunette flipped her curls back as she looked up at him and jumped to her feet.

"Hey Josh!" Andi said, running up to him and giving him a hug.

Josh couldn't help but smirk as he wrapped an arm around the petite brunette before glancing down at the floor where she had been sitting. There were records and t-shirts amongst other various items- loot from a successful morning of thrifting he presumed. Josh squatted down to get a closer look as Andi and Lizzy both sat back on the floor, cross legged, organizing their items. "I see you girls hit the thrift store today."

"Yep!" Andi confirmed with a nod before holding up a Black Sabbath record, "Good finds today, too!"

"Cool," Josh said with a nod and smirk of approval before standing and looking around again, "Is Pete around?"

"He and Kenny went to the scrap yard to look for some parts for that motorcycle he's been working on," Lizzy said as she shook out a shirt that had the Misfits Fiend Skull on it. She then rolled her eyes and shook her head, "I swear, he's gonna scare me to death with that thing."

"Really?" Josh asked with a smirk, "But you're such a fan of the doom buggy!"

"His car is one thing, but that motorcycle," Lizzy sighed and glanced up at Josh, "That's a whole different ball game. I made him promise me that he'd wear a helmet the whole time riding it, so of course he answers back by bringing home a World War II army helmet. Where he got that, I'll neve know, but I swear he gets some kind of glee torturing me like this."

Josh let out a chuckle before he glanced towards the door again, "Right. Well, I'll leave you girls to your loot and come back later."

"No, it's okay Josh, you can stay and hang out with us!" Andi said, looking up at him with her big brown doe eyes.

"Yeah," Lizzy said as she stood, "They'll be back before too long. You want something to drink?"

"Uh," Josh shoved his hands in his pockets as he glanced around again before shrugging, "Sure, I guess."