Strings

s t r u m

Aug . 12

(Stevie's fit)

Today we had our last practice before our first real gig. We had been practicing for 2 months now. I had moved into the apartment with them shortly after I had joined the band. Living with them was like living in a pig sty, trash everywhere, cigarette smoke clogging the air and music playing 24/7. 

The boys had texted letting us know they were gonna be late because they were going to pick up new amps so I had to set up alone with Tate. I had to admit I was a bit nervous about one on one time with her. 

"You sound good." I murmured upon entering the garage to find Tate leaned back on an amp with her guitar.

 It was drizzling outside so my hair was plastered to the sides of my face and clothes had been slightly dampened. I peeled off my damp brown zip up and tossed it onto a random chair. I then turned around to pull down the garage cover, still met with silence from Tate.

"Yeah?" Tate mused. She hid her smirk by biting her lower lip. Her fingers continued to flutter over the strings while maintaining eye contact with me.

"Yeah." We continued to stare into each other's eyes for what felt like forever before I broke the silence, "oh um, the boys are gonna be late to practice today if you didn't know."

"I know they told me at the same time as you stupid." Her smirk still planted on her face. "The rain got you good."

"Fuck off." I flipped her off and stuck my tongue out like a child.

She started to get up to put her guitar away, "should we start setting up?"

"Ugh yeah I guess so orrrrr you could just do it yourself and I sit here and look pretty." I did my best puppy dog eyes and pouted my lips when she turned to glare at me.

Tate couldn't help but smile when she saw the look on my face, "you, baby, are something else."

Ah there it was again, the nickname. Coming from the other band members it felt like a fun teasing name but when Tate said it felt different. I couldn't place why, maybe it was because she was a girl or I wasn't as close with her. 

"I know."

"Shutup."

"Ok fine I'll help you set up."

I reluctantly went over to where Tate was setting up a stand and accidentally brushed into her arm while trying to help. We continued to work it peaceful silence for a few minutes but I was not one that did well with staying quiet.

"I wanna learn."

"What?" She turned to me with a cocked eyebrow.

"To play. I want you to teach me how to play guitar."

"Oh?"

"Oh?  Indeed."

She thought for a second before she spoke, "Yeah I can teach you. If you teach me how to sing." She had a smirk playfully planted on her face and a chuckle escaped her lips.

I snorted at her request, "Have you heard yourself sing?! I think you're unteachable."

"I'm kidding, I know I'm a shit singer." Tate was now bent over laughing. "Don't worry I won't make you have the pain of listening to me sing and of course I would be happy to teach you guitar."

"Really, thanks! I've always wanted to play so I thought why not learn now."

"While we wait for the boys do you want to start learning a bit?" Tate had a mysterious glint in her eyes as she stood up sauntering over to me. "I mean we're done setting up and I wanna see how bad you are at it."

"Oh fuck off!" I rolled my eyes. "But yeah we can start now."

She slowly walked closer not breaking eye contact as she placed the guitar strap around my shoulders gently. We were now standing only an inch away as she adjusted the strap to fit me, her breath tickled the top of my head making goosebumps erupt on my skin.

"Have you ever played before?" Her voice came out low and sultry unlike how she had been speaking earlier. The simple sentence and the way she said it made me almost think it holds a double meaning.

"No, I haven't." My voice came out breathless as I stared into her striking blue eyes. I wasn't sure what had happened but suddenly the air surrounding us felt different and suffocating.

"Well, first you place your left hand on the strings up here to change how the note," she tenderly took my small hand into her larger rougher hand and helped me place my hands on the strings to form the note G. "Yeah like that."

"And then I strum with my right?" My heart was beating out of my chest and my voice sounded like someone else's. What the fuck was going on? One minute we're joking and the next the world around us seems to stop.

I began to strum as she guided my fingers to make different notes and I began to play a slightly coherent song. The strums began to sound like the Beatles song can't buy me love.

"Yeah nice and even stums baby."

The minute the words left her lips I felt like I was melting. She still hadn't broken eye contact and I found that I couldn't bring myself to look away either.

"Hey your not bad!" Tate chuckled not focused on how our fingers moved effortlessly together.

"I like this song." It almost came out as a whisper when I said it.

She hummed, "yeah, me too." Tate removed her hand from the guitar and gently trailed it up my bare arm.

I shivered avoiding eye contact as she continued to trail her hand up to my neck. Her large calloused hands stopped when they reached my cheeks and she brushed a rough finger over my plump lips. Grasping my chin she brought my face up to meet hers, "tell me to stop." She growled her eyes filled with lust and hunger.

The next words that came out of my mouth surprised both me and her, "don't stop."

She grunted and brought my lips up to meet hers. The kiss was hungry and desperate as our tounges explored each other. She brought her hands down the back of my neck grabbing a handful of my hair and tugging my head back to have easier access to my neck. She trailed wet kissed down to my neck and began sucking on a spot that was definitely leaving going to leave a dark purple mark. I let out an involuntary moan grasping on to the collar of her white button-up. The guitar was still around my neck seemingly abandoned swinging between our two warm bodies. We were hypnotized and our bodies were moving in sync as she began to bring one hand down to my ass. Her large hands desperately grasped at my ass which granting a low breathy moan from both of us. One moment we were one unit moving in perfect unison then the next we were hearing a van door slide shut and the familiar loud ruckus of the boys.

We quickly pulled apart, "fuck." there was a hint of resentment and regret in her voice. "I'm sorry."

I was flushed in the face as I scrambled to give her back her guitar and separate ourselves. I didn't know what had come over me but I suddenly felt ashamed and embarrassed.

"I'm straight," I whispered not meeting her eyes, "I'm sorry."