"Sorry I threw up on your shoes" + "you found me drunk and crying in a bathroom bc my ex dumped me and then you brought me to a taxi and insisted to give me your number so you'd know that i got home safe and then we start texting a lot AU"
Text Me Maybe
"Excuse me?" Sen looked up from the stool where she sat at the front door of the club, raising an eyebrow at the young woman wearing a rainbow minidress.
"Can I help you?" She asked.
"Yeah, um… you're, like, the bouncer, right?" The girl asked.
"As good as."
"Well, um… in the girl's bathroom…"
"Is there a guy lurking outside of the women's bathroom?" Sen asked.
"No, there's a girl crying inside of it," the girl said, looking nervous. "She's obviously drunk, and none of us know what to do." She stepped back as Sen reached behind herself, visibly relaxing when Sen pulled out a walkie-talkie.
"Bruin, I need you to come and run the front door for me," she said as she stood up.
"What about the bar, boss?" Came crackling over the radio.
"Nash can handle it." Sen stood up as a young man approached, sliding into the seat as Sen stepped away with her hand gently resting on the girl's shoulder. "Would you mind leading the way?" She asked the girl, who nodded and walked ahead of her to the opposite side of the busy night club.
As they came up to the door a girl exited with a scowl on her face.
"Straight girl," she said to the girl in the rainbow dress. The look of sympathy and worry on the first girl's face faded. Sen brushed passed them and into the bathroom, her eyes immediately landing on a girl huddled on the floor between the sinks and the first stall, sobbing into her hands. There was one last girl kneeling beside her, awkwardly patting her shoulder.
"What's wrong?" Sen asked as she kneeled across from the crying girl.
"Boyfriend dumped her," the third girl said. Sen sighed and dragged a hand down her face.
"We get this a lot, I'll take care of her," Sen said to the third girl, "you go ahead and get back out there, have some fun." The third girl looked at the crying girl for a moment before standing up and walking out, her heels clicking on the floor. Once the door swung shut Sen slid down next to the girl.
"Wanna talk about it?" She asked quietly.
"There was no sign!" She sobbed, "It came out of nowhere!"
"You sure about that?" Sen asked, trying not to sound dismissive.
"He bought me flowers last week!" The girl cried out, burying her face in her hands. "They were roses! It had a note that was addressed to me!"
"Wow, he did that and then dumped you? Dick move," Sen scoffed, immediately regretting the words as soon as they left her mouth; to her relief, the girl choked on a laugh through her tears. "Maybe he has an evil twin?" The girl laughed through her sobs again, sniffling as she wiped her face with her palms.
"I just wanted to have fun," she muttered, her words slightly slurred. "But then - one of the kings played 'Light On', and-and that was our song! He played that for me -" she collapsed into another fit of tears.
"Do you want a hug?" Sen asked after a moment, the girl immediately slumping over against her chest so Sen could wrap her arms around her, gently rubbing circles on her back. "I know how it hurts," she said quietly, hugging the girl tightly. "I'm sure a lot of people have been telling you to just get over it and move on, that he didn't know what he had, all other kinds of BS like that. But none of that makes it hurt any less." The girl's arms went around her waist, hugging her back as she sobbed against Sen's chest.
"What's your name?" The girl asked drunkenly.
"I'm Sen."
"Sen…" the girl mumbled, "I'm Jericho."
"That's a pretty name," Sen told her, still rubbing her back.
"You're really nice, Sen."
"I try."
"Those other girls didn't even wanna be near me. I think they thought I was gonna throw up on them."
"Do you feel like you're going to throw up?"
"Only if I stand up too quickly."
"Then how about we get you standing really slowly," Sen said, hooking her arms under Jericho's so she could help her stand, letting her brace herself against the sink once they were both on their feet. "How are you feeling?" Sen asked, rubbing Jericho's back as she stared into the mirror.
"Like shit," she slurred.
"That comes with the territory of being drunk and heartbroken," Sen told her. "How about you splash some cold water on your face, that might help you sober up a bit."
"I'm worried I'm too far gone for that," Jericho said, her knees visibly shaking.
"Can I put my hands on your waist, to help you stay steady?" Sen asked her. Jericho nodded, and Sen did just that. With shaking hands, Jericho splashed cold water on her face; Sen winced when Jericho heaved and threw up in the sink; some of it splashed out, onto her shoes. Jericho promptly fell into another fit of sobs. "Hey, hey, hey, it's okay," Sen soothed her, cupping some of the cold water in her own hand and holding Jericho steady with her other arm, offering the girl water to drink from her palm. "Try rinsing your mouth out, I know it sucks, but it'll help."
"Thank you," Jericho rasped once she did so, her eyes glassy as Sen rinsed her vomit down the drain. "Why are you so nice? My barf is on your shoes."
"I told you, I've been there," Sen told her. "Except my upchuck was on my sister's shirt." Jericho laughed at that, making a choking noise that had her quickly hovering over the sink again. Sen kept her steady while she dry-heaved, starting to sob gently again.
"I'm a mess," she mumbled.
"I've said it before and I'll say it again: we've all been there." Jericho sniffled and Sen yanked a few paper towels from the dispenser, passing them to her so she could pat her face. "Did you come with any friends tonight?"
"My best friends," she nodded weakly.
"What're their names?"
"Guila and Diane," Jericho answered.
"Well, Jericho, I think you had best look into getting home - I'll have somebody find your friends and they can get you home," Sen said, hooking Jericho's arm around her shoulder and the other around her waist to help her walk.
"You're a lot taller than me," she slurred.
"One of my friends said it makes me the ideal lesbian," she answered.
"You're a lesbian?" Jericho responded.
"Well, seeing as we're at a gay nightclub, it's a safe assumption to make," Sen said, smiling as she kicked the door open. She unclipped the walkie from her back pocket and said into it, "Heyo, DJ, I've got a request."
"What can I do for you, babygirl?" Came a voice over the radio.
"Can you call for some friends named Guila and Diane to come to the bar?"
"Sure thing, gorgeous." As Sen guided Jericho to the bar, the drag show host made the announcement to the crowd watching the show, loud enough that even the people dancing would hear it. As they approached the bar they saw two girls doing the same from the dance floor.
"Are you Guila and Diane?" She called out, loud enough to be heard over the music; the two girls whirled around and gasped at the sight of Jericho, who dissolved into another puddle of tears when she saw the two girls.
"I am so sorry," she sobbed as Sen guided her into one of the chairs, the brunette taking her in a hug. "The two of you just wanted to help me feel better and forget about him, you just wanted to have fun and I ruined everything, like I always do -"
"Oh, Jericho, that isn't it at all," the brunette said, petting her hair.
"We should have come with you, we should have been keeping a better eye on how much you were drinking - we're the ones who made the night more difficult for you," the girl with the long, jet black hair assured her before turning to Sen. "Thank you - we should have been keeping a better eye on her."
"It's fine, it happens all the time," Sen told her, taking a business card for the club off of the bar counter and a pen out of her pocket. "Will you do me a favor?"
"Of course!" Diane said, still hugging Jericho.
"This is my personal phone number," she said, passing the card to Guila. "I'll call you a cab, can you make sure she texts me or calls me when she's home safe?" Guila took another card and requested the pen in that Sen had used, scribbling down another series of numbers.
"This is Jericho's number," Guila said, passing it to her. "So if you don't get a text from her later tonight, then you can text her and make sure she's okay."
"But they live together, so it shouldn't be too much of an issue," Diane said.
"All the same, I think you should have her number," Guila said with a knowing smile as Diane guided Jericho towards the door.
"Are you sure it's a good idea to give a drunken straight girl's phone number to a lesbian?" Sen deadpanned, pocketing the card all the same as she followed Guila while pulling her phone out of her pocket.
"What makes you think Jericho is straight?" Guila asked. Her reactive facial expression must have been funny, because the guy who had taken her place at the front door laughed. .
"Shut up, Bruin," she snapped at him as she hit the auto-dial for the nearby cab company on her cell phone.
"You can't hide your blush out here, boss lady~" Bruin sang quietly Sen leaned against the wall, waiting until a cab showed up for the three girls. "You falling for a straight girl again?"
"What makes you think she's straight?" Sen asked with a smirk before turning around to head back inside.
'Glad I keep extra pairs of shoes here,' she thought as she went behind the bar, frowning at the flecks of vomit on her sneakers.
"Is the girl lucky she's pretty?" Nash asked, leaning against the bar and watching her take her shoes off.
"If pretty doesn't save you from getting your heart broken, then no," Sen answered while grabbing a rag and a spray bottle of bleach once she had changed her shoes.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Hey, this is Sen from the club last night. I just wanted to make sure you were okay this morning
Jericho groaned and squinted at the message, her memory of the previous night fuzzy, but clear enough that she remembered the woman who had consoled her in the bathroom and kept her steady -
Oh god she threw up in the bathroom sink and got it on her shoes.
Jericho felt increasingly mortified as the previous night's events came back to her.
Except for my crippling mortification from my behavior last night, absolutely peachy.
Thank you for all of your help.
Jericho groaned as she crawled out of bed slowly, scratching her head when she heard the ding of her generic text notification. She smiled and chuckled at the response once she read it.
Starting to feel like I should make a banner that says 'been there'. Maybe flyers. Tuck them into purses and coat pockets of every soul unfortunate enough to mourn the loss of a relationship in my club's bathroom.
Her brain stopped for a moment and she re-read the text again.
'Your' club?
She had to wait a second before the dots stopped and another message from Sen pinged on her screen.
Yeah, Bounce is my club.
Jericho felt like she was going to faint. She had thrown up on the club's owner.
And I'm not banned for life?
Nope.
Jericho dragged her hand down her face, seriously contemplating for a moment before her curiosity won.
Why?
See second text.
Is that really enough to not ban me for life?
Throwing up on me is practically a rite of passage. Every person who works for me has thrown up on me at least once. You know the guy at the bar with the blue hair? Three times.
Trust me, Jericho. When I say I've been there, I'm talking about heartbreak. When it comes to being a hot mess, I could make a list. You aren't alone.
Is there any way I can pay you back?
I'll let you know if anything comes to mind.
Jericho smiled and went to brush her teeth and shower. An hour later she was hunched over a bowl of cereal when her phone dinged again.
You can pay me back by telling me more about yourself(?)
Jericho laughed, earning a strange look from Guila, but she paid it no mind.
There isn't a lot to tell.
I highly doubt that. Girls who cry in club bathrooms are always more complex than they let on.
Jericho nearly choked on her cereal, having to take a moment to breathe.
"Jericho? Are you alright?" Guila asked carefully.
"I'm fine, Guila, I promise," Jericho laughed, waving at her with her eyes still on her phone.
It's tough for me to think of where to start.
Do you play any sports?
I do fencing.
Well, if that isn't a coincidence.
What is?
I've been fencing since I was seventeen.
Jericho dropped her phone on the counter in surprise, scrambling to pick it up again when Sen sent her another message.
Next time we both have a day free, we should hang out and spar. I haven't fenced since I opened the club.
Jericho felt an inexplicable heat rising in her face as she tapped out a response excitedly.
That sounds like fun!
Alright, well, can I text you more later? I have some business stuff I've gotta do.
Of course, I look forward to it.
"You seem happy this morning," Guila said as Jericho went to put her dishes in the dishwasher. "Especially considering last night."
"Um, yeah…" Jericho ran her fingers through her hair and frowned, "I'm really sorry about last night. You and Diane just wanted to have fun and help me forget about him, and -"
"-Jericho, it's fine!" Guila assured her, putting her hands on her shoulders. "Honestly, Diane and I should have done more to help you last night."
"I'm…" Jericho looked at her phone and smiled gently.
"Jericho?"
"I'm... kind of glad you didn't."