"Set those tables up on the other side of that canon! And these go behind the mountains, don't drop them on the rocks or they will crumble!" Blue's voice cracked as she was giving out orders as loudly as possible. As Aunt Millie would say: she was hollering as loud as a hound dog that found its lunch. Trying to make sure she was heard over the noise, she bellowed her instructions over the rowdy crowd of cast and crew gathering in anticipation of the open bar that was being set up.

"Blue, where should I put the food? Do you have a table already set up?" Kiara asked. She had made Bagel Bites and Hot Pockets, from scratch of course.

"Yeah, just put them near the bar so everyone can grab a bite while they wait in line for a drink. Thanks again for making them, they smell amazing." Blue moved to grab one off the platter, but Kiara swatted at her hands and told her to wait patiently.

Natasha ran up to Blue and started pulling her in the opposite direction, saving Kiara's snacks from being devoured too early. "You have to come see this! The stage is all set up, the sound is being tested now. They're already dressed and looking good enough to make their wives swoon - the outfits you got them are so perfect!"

Blue had been thrifting for weeks, finding enough flannel, stripes, and ripped jeans to outfit the entire band. Some of them still fit in their vintage t-shirts that they had saved at the bottom of their closets from all those years ago, so she built their outfits around them. The drummer said he had actually owned the same exact pair of pants that Blue picked out for him, noting the holes were in different spots though.

Her own outfit was also carefully curated, giving Blue an excuse to show off her edgy side. She wore her platform Dr. Martens that she'd owned since high school with a pair of yellow plaid pants she found in a bargain bin at her favorite thrift store. They were tight enough to show off her curves, and the high waist accented them even further. She cut off one of the Arcanum t-shirts Natasha had made for them into a frayed midriff shirt and added a black choker necklace. Her long hair was half pulled up into two buns on top of her head, wispy pieces falling out and framing her face.

"You guys look amazing!" Blue beamed proudly at the group of guys that she had transformed from late-forties dads into their former rocker selves. "How are you all feeling?" she asked them.

"We are warmed up and as ready as we'll ever be," Ken estimated. "I think we could all use a drink before we start though," he joked as they all headed off the stage to get a beer before everyone else could storm the bar.

Natasha turned to Blue and said, "I need to grab my camera from upstairs and get pictures of everyone mingling, can you make sure all their wires and cables are taped down with gaffer tape so no one trips and Malik never forgives us? I think there's a roll in that box behind the amps."

Blue nodded and began rummaging through the cluttered box as Natasha left through the wings. She was bent over the giant box full of different bright colored spike tape used to mark the actor's positions on stage, digging to the very bottom where she could see the wide black gaffer tape that she was after. It was too far down and she was too short to reach it, but she still stretched her arm as far as she could in vain.

"Holy shit," she heard Gael's voice say from behind her and immediately stood up, almost falling over into the box in the process. As she steadied herself, she looked over her shoulder and saw him staring at her ass. A playful grin from Blue as she turned to face him only made Gael's mouth hang open more, leaving him speechless for a moment.

When he finally gathered enough sense to speak, all that came out was, "you're so fucking sexy..." as he moved from the spot where he had been frozen to wrap his hand around her waist. They were hidden behind all the amps on stage and Gael was apparently in no mood to worry about other people tonight. As his fingers touched her bare skin, it felt like every blood vessel in her body reacted by immediately going into overdrive, making the spot where he touched her feel on fire. Blue was positive he could feel her body react to him as his other hand wrapped around her other side, sparking the same exact fire there too.

If only he knew what else he did to her body.

"Thanks," she said while running her hand along his chest and down to his stomach. "I like your outfit." Gael was wearing ripped jeans and a matching Arcanum t-shirt with a flannel shirt tied around his waist. His hair was down and falling in his face, doing a poor job of hiding the hunger that was darkening his eyes as he looked down at Blue greedily.

"I really like your outfit. How the hell did I get so lucky that I get to stare at this all night?" His hands ran over her ass, pulling her closer to him as she chuckled.

"I wondered if you were an 'ass guy', it seems like I was correct in my prediction," Blue whispered, afraid someone would walk in on them at any moment.

"Oh, I am," Gael sighed. "Actually, I think I'm an 'anything guy' when it comes to you." His eyes drifted down and he looked like he was about to do something, but held himself back. "You drive me insane, you know that right? Sometimes it's all I can do to keep myself from locking us together in the office again," he admitted.

"Don't hold back from me, remember?" She grabbed his ass this time and made a lopsided smirk appear on his face. She stood on her toes and whispered in his ear, "you can fuck me anywhere at any time. We don't have to go this slow." It had been a week since they had sex on his desk, and Blue was getting impatient. Her withdrawals from him had gone on long enough and she needed a fix soon. Trying to go slow after having a taste of him was excruciating, and she wouldn't admit it but she had hoped that tonight's party would be more successful at getting her what she wanted than Malik's party had been.

Gael still never expected anything she said to him, but was becoming slightly less taken aback by her forwardness. All he could do was look at her in awe, his eyes telling Blue that her request was very likely to be granted.

Later.

"Okay guys, let's plugin and get started!" Arjun's voice echoed across the stage as Blue jumped back from Gael, still hidden by the amps. "Natasha, can you give everyone a five-minute warning? Where is Blue, has anyone seen her?"

"I'm here! I couldn't reach the gaffer tape so Gael is getting it for me." She pushed Gael towards the box and pointed inside, giving him the hint to start digging for the tape.

Arjun mumbled, "yeah, I'm sure he's getting something..." as he peeked at them behind the amps, giving Blue a sarcastic look.

She rolled her eyes but blushed slightly, hoping Gael didn't hear that as his head was inside the box retrieving the tape for her. When he stood up and handed it to her, Arjun said, "you guys better stop messing around back here grabbing tape, and go get a drink before the show starts in five."

"I'll get us drinks while you finish whatever you need to do with the tape. You want one too, Arjun?" Gael asked as he started walking away.

"Mhmm, oh don't worry, we will take anything you give us." Blue nudged Arjun as she walked by him to start taping down the cables leading from the mics to the amps.

"You're just jealous Mr. Journalist isn't here to grab your tape," she joked as she ripped a piece of tape off with her teeth, making a sour face at the taste of the sticky glue.

"How do you know he won't be here? Or hell, maybe I invited two journalists tonight. We'll just have to wait and see, won't we?" Arjun waved her off and strutted away as she laughed loudly, completely believing that he would invite two guys to the concert and go home with the one that "won". She had seen him do it multiple times at parties in college, so it wasn't out of the realm of possibilities that he was playing that game again.

Once everything was set up, Blue gave Natasha the cue to dim the lights and she quickly left the stage, meeting Gael in the seats and gladly taking the beer that he handed her. She was already feeling warm because of nerves, both from being so close to Gael and from being anxious for the band's first time to play in twenty years, so the cold beer felt amazing as she gulped it down. Gael watched her chug in amusement, teasing that she looked like she had done that a time or two before. She gave him a sarcastically innocent look as the house lights went dark and the curtain began to slowly rise, sending everyone into a frenzy. She was so excited for Ken and the guys, knowing they had to be loving the crowd's reaction. Natasha had planned for the stage to be dark with each bandmember lit from above, illuminating their silhouettes as their instruments glinted in the spotlights; it looked edgy and intriguing, making Blue even more excited for them to start playing. Ken started tapping his foot as he began the opening riff of the song, a lo-fi guitar sound churning out of the amps on both sides of the stage. The drummer suddenly kicked the bass drum and slammed the tom rack with his drumsticks, bringing the song to life with an explosive beat that made everyone begin to nod their heads and sway back and forth. The loud fuzzed-out guitar sounds from the lead singer joined with the heavy notes from the bassist and the crowd erupted from their seats, unable to sit any longer. This was one of their most popular songs, one that Ken had shown Natasha and Blue a video of all those months ago on his phone. It was like a mixture of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "Cherub Rock", showcasing the band's talent from the very first moments of the concert. As the lead singer began to sing, his voice carried across the house in a melodramatic tone that cut deep when combined with his sharp and witty lyrics.

Blue looked over at Gael who was letting his mask fall, the live music decompressing him as he lost himself in the sounds of the band. She couldn't help but smile as she watched him enjoy himself and live in the moment, no worries for anyone else, not even her. He was so incredibly good looking on a normal day, but in that moment he was breathtaking. His hair flung back and forth as he nodded his head to the beat, and only his eyes were lit up by the lights of the stage, dark shadows being cast around his face making his features a mystery that she wanted to rediscover.

As the first song ended, the crowd began to cheer wildly, begging for more. The band started into the next melody slowly, gaining momentum until the bass was loudly reverberating through Blue's chest and thundering down to her bones. She closed her eyes and let the sensation of it all overtake her, indulging in the thrill of letting go and not thinking of anything as her heart felt like it abandoned its own rhythm and began to beat to the rhythm of the song instead.

Arjun and Kiara joined them in their seats with more drinks in hand and passed them down to Gael and Blue, who gratefully accepted. Quickly downing them and setting the empty cups under their chairs, they jumped up when one of the songs got particularly unruly and the entire crowd was slowly turning into a makeshift mosh pit - or as close as it could get to that in a Broadway theater at least. Everyone was bristling with energy and loudly cheering for the band; it was quickly becoming a madhouse of delightful disorder. The scent of beer and sweat from bodies moving together and crushing against each other permeated the room, smelling exactly like what every room smells like where everyone is having a good time.

After a few more blistering songs, the lead singer announced they would do a cover of a slower song before taking a break; He looked over at Ken who began to play the tight sounding notes of the beginning of "Drown" by Smashing Pumpkins on his guitar. As the crowd swayed, Gael put his hand on the small of Blue's back. She leaned into him, as close as she dared, and although she was slightly sweating from jumping up and down for the last thirty minutes, she still shivered at his touch. As the song was winding down and only had around a minute left, Gael suddenly took her hand and led her out of the seats and back down the side aisle. Unsure of what was happening, but positive she would enjoy it, she gladly followed him through the shadows and around a corner in the back of the theater. As soon as they were out of sight, he pressed her against the wall that was rumbling with the vibrations that the drums were sending out into every surface in the theater. He kissed her so deeply without hesitation, no sweetness working up to the heat - there was only fire from the first second their lips touched. Never breaking their kiss, his hand swept up her stomach then under what little fabric there was of her shirt, making her gasp. This was new. He hadn't touched her this much even when they had sex - it had been so rushed there wasn't much time to think about anything else. At this point, she could hardly control her mind, much less her body. Her hands slid down and rubbed against him and she barely heard Gael groan and curse in Spanish over the music. The song was, unfortunately, coming to an end so he kissed her again, the kind of kiss that stops the music even if the band still keeps playing. Blue couldn't hear the music anyway, there was nothing but the rushing sound in her ears as her heart worked harder than ever before to keep up with her adrenaline. She knew at that moment that she had never felt like this before, that no one else had absolutely taken her breath away until she couldn't imagine ever being able to breathe after this. Instead of wanting to come up for air, she wanted to drown in him.

Gael pulled away, even with her desperate for more.

"Blue, I..." his voice was rough and he was breathless too, it seemed. "I need to stop or I'm not going to survive you." He ran his perfect hand through his perfect hair and Blue almost started undoing his pants right there, but she suddenly noticed the band had actually stopped playing.

"Fine. Let's go get another drink. But, I need a minute. To compose myself." She glanced down and smiled, "looks like you need a minute too."

Gael laughed nervously and muttered "yeah..." as he shook his head back and forth slowly and took a step back.

She bit her lip, trying to calm down but unable to take her eyes off him. He gave her a warning, "if you don't stop looking at me like that, it's really not going to help."

Smiling at the knowledge he was just as pained as she was, she pulled her hands through her hair to make sure it was smooth and didn't look like Gael had just been pulling it in a dark corner. "Who knew grunge music was such a turn on? Their wives must be helpless every time they pull out an old Arcanum CD."

Gael's eyes crinkled at the edges as he laughed, "God I hope they use that as a makeup method. Like every time their wives are mad, they just sneak the CD into the old dusty stereo - which I'm just assuming they still have one, of course - and then come out with flowers and an apology to the tune of 'Into the Machine'. Surely that works every time, right?"

"Oh, absolutely. What woman could possibly say no to that?" She reached out and tightened his flannel shirt that had come loose in all the grinding. "Okay, let's try to blend back into the crowd and make our way to the bar. I'm sure no one has missed us."

As they walked up to the bar, Malik yelled out to them, "guys! Come do shots with us!" then held up tiny shot glasses already filled with some kind of liquor; it didn't matter what it was to Blue, she just needed something to help her get through the rest of the night as she tried to keep an appropriate distance from Gael. Julian was standing next to Malik and handed her and Gael their glasses. They all tilted their heads back at the same time, slamming them down on the bar to be immediately re-filled. Excusing herself, she left Gael laughing with the guys and found Kiara on her way to the bathroom.

"Oh, there you are," Kiara exclaimed over the noise of the cast and crew gathered backstage. "We lost you for a while when you snuck off with-" Blue put her finger over Kiara's mouth and gave her a silencing look. Kiara rolled her eyes and huffed as Blue dropped her hand back to her side. "Oh come on, are we still pretending? Okay fine...where are you headed?"

"Gotta pee, is there a line for the bathroom?" Blue asked.

"No clue, that's where I was headed," Kiara said as she started walking with Blue.

Once they were done, they decided to go back to the bar to get Kiara a couple shots too. Blue was feeling unconstrained thanks to hers and she wanted Kiara to unwind and have a good time with her. As they got closer to the bar, she saw the blonde hair before her alcohol numbed mind could react. Then she heard Gael's voice, louder than normal and sharp enough to pierce whomever he was aiming it at. Carrie was there, in his face, with a taunting smile on her lips as Gael told her she needed back off. It only made her get closer to him, purposely trying to torment him.

"Whoa, what's going on? Let's all calm down," Blue said as she looked at Gael, noticing his breathing was ragged and he was not okay.

"What, are you supposed to be, some kind of tiny bodyguard?" Carrie sneered, not realizing who Blue was at first. As the awareness spread across her face, she glowered at Blue and muttered, "oh wait, you're much more than that, isn't that right Gael?" Leaning even closer to him she spat, "she's the replacement."

Knowing at that moment that Carrie meant more than just the replacement costume designer, her brain tried to catch up to what was happening. How could Carrie possibly know that she and Gael had any kind of interest in each other?

"You need to back the fuck up. Now." Blue looked at her with unbridled disgust, the shots lowering her inhibitions and making her even more feisty than normal.

Kiara added, "why the hell are you even here, Carrie?"

Carrie snickered, "I was invited! Some people just can't get enough of me, I guess." She looked at Gael as though he was one of those people, completely unaware of how obviously repulsed he was by her presence. "I couldn't turn down this invitation, I love a good concert, right Gael? Remember that night at The Bowery?" The look on her face suggested it was a night to remember.

Blue felt sick to her stomach and couldn't listen anymore. She glanced at Gael who looked extremely unsettled and wondered what happened at the concert that Carrie would try to mention it just to get a reaction out of Gael. And why did it make him look like he wanted to vomit?

"It looks like history might be repeating itself tonight, albeit with a second edition costume designer this time. Hey, at least you're consistent, Gael!"

Something fractured and Gael's demeanor shifted from agitated to livid within seconds. "Shut the fuck up Carrie, you have no idea what you're talking about." His voice was low and chilling. "It's time for you to leave, no one wants you here. This is my goddamn theater and I sure as hell don't want you here."

A loud voice rattled from the mic on stage suddenly as Ken announced they were starting back up so everyone should take their seats.

Gael turned around abruptly, leaving Carrie in his wake as he grabbed a hot pocket and another drink and walked away. Carrie mumbled something along the lines of "have fun tonight..." and walked towards the door. Blue didn't hesitate to push through the gathered crowd that was trying, yet failing to look inconspicuous while they eavesdropped. When she found Gael at the other end of the bar, he was knocking back a shot with some of his co-stars. She leaned against the bar next to him and nodded for Kiara to bring more shots. She handed Gael another one and took one herself, staring into his tormented eyes the entire time. He looked at her as he drank it and set it down gently on the bar.

"Are you okay?" Blue whispered, not trying to make any more of a scene than what was already forced upon them by Carrie. Gael just nodded at her and looked at her, letting his eyes do the talking. He really was okay, still a little upset and rightfully so, but he handled it well and she was proud of how he stood up to Carrie and made her look like the imbecile she is.

Blue waved Kalani over and said she needed to check on the band to make sure they didn't need anything before they started back up. "Keep an eye on him?" was all she had to whisper in Kalani's ear as she walked away. Kalani nodded and said to Gael, "let's get some bagel bites to soak up all these shots!" Blue smiled at her as she and Kiara went to check on the band.

"What the hell was that?" Blue asked Kaira as they walked through the wings onto the stage. "Who invited Carrie and why did they think that was a good idea?"

"I have no idea, everyone I know dislikes her enough to not want to work with her, much less hang out with her." Kiara stood there pondering as Blue checked that the tape was all still secure and asked Ken if he needed anything. As they headed down to their seats, Kiara stopped Blue and point-blank asked, "I'm assuming you and Gael finally slept together, correct?"

Blue didn't have the energy to deny anything, and she had been waiting for the right time to mention it anyway. "Yes. We all knew it was going to happen, so obvious, et cetera..."

Kiara looked worried as she said, "Blue, Carrie is a vindictive bitch who is most likely not mentally stable. She will lie, and cheat, and basically do anything to ruin you and make your life a living hell. Just because you're with Gael. That's it. Remember when I said she would be after you? I wasn't saying that for dramatic effect. Tonight was only a taste of what she's capable of."

Blue rubbed her temples, the alcohol no longer numbing her senses but instead teaming up with her stress to make her head hurt. "I get it, but I don't know that there's anything I can do about it right now. It's just going to have to be something I deal with if I want to be with Gael." Her eyes widened as she realized she had just said that out loud.

Kiara smiled at Blue and said, "well at least you're finally being honest." They started to walk to their seats as the house lights dimmed again. "You're into him way more than just physical attraction. I've known Gael for a long time and you're good for him, I can see it. He's been different...like Arjun said: you light up his fucking life." She stopped talking as the curtain rose and the band began to play.

Taking in what Kiara said, Blue nodded along to the music and smiled. She was so terrible with weeding through her own emotions that it was wonderful to have Kiara pluck them out for her and confirm what she was already thinking. It had been such an amazing night, she wasn't going to let Carrie ruin it now. Also, Gael probably could use some cheering up.

Oh wait, where was Gael?

She stood on her toes and looked around to see if she could spot him, not able to see very far with her short stature and a very dark theater. Just then, someone wrapped an arm around her waist and mumbled in her ear, "looking for me?" She couldn't help but smile, loving the tingle that ran down from her ear to the floor when he did that. She turned around and looked at him, noticing all the shots he did must have finally kicked in and made his eyes heavy. The crooked smile on his face would have been cute if she wasn't so worried about him.

"You sure you're okay?" she asked over the loud music as she grabbed for his hand in the dark. He looked down at her and simply nodded, squeezing her hand and turning to watch the band.

—

After the show ended, Blue sent Gael to find a bottle of water to drink while she cleaned up the tables and helped the band pack up. Arjun found her and mentioned Kiara had filled him in on the situation and that they would finish stacking the tables and make sure the bartender got paid, but Blue should go look for Gael.

"Are you sure? What about your journalists?" Blue asked as she tied up a garbage bag and put it in the pile with all the others.

"Don't worry about me, I am perfectly capable of playing hard to get until this is all cleaned up, then swooping in once I'm done. Actually, I might just enlist them for help and see whoever works the hardest..." he trailed off as he walked away, looking for his contestants.

Blue found Gael sitting on the edge of the stage, staring out into the now empty and quiet theater. Most of the cast and crew were still backstage chatting and laughing, not willing for the night to end. She walked over and sat next to him, dangling her feet over the edge and lightly kicking them against the wood.

Gael stated, "pretty successful party, I'd say. Seems like everyone actually relaxed for once and really enjoyed the concert." He was speaking to Blue, but looking out towards the empty house that was eerily still after such a lively night.

"Yeah, and I think the band had the night of their lives. They were all beaming as they packed up, it was sweet actually." Blue stopped kicking her feet and crossed her ankles, unsure of what to say or do, feeling awkward for Gael who seemed to be pondering something.

Gael finally looked at her, staring intently and making her feel even more awkward under his gaze. "You did that for them. You gave them this night that they will never forget. You tried to make sure everyone had a good time, and they truly did." Carrie's earlier actions had cemented his realization that Blue was so much kinder and more generous than the woman that had just tried to ruin their night. He clumsily took her hand and rubbed the back of her wrist like he always did. "Will you go home with me? I don't want to be alone tonight." He tried to run his hand through his hair, although it accomplished nothing, and slightly slurred, "plus I think I'm a bit drunk and don't want to stumble around the city by myself."

Feeling her heart ache at his words, Blue smiled as she simply stated, "of course." They stood up and she started pulling Gael towards the door, not caring if anyone saw her holding his hand; most people were either too drunk to care or unable to see them sneaking away in the dark anyway. She would make sure he got home safely and also try to make sure he didn't dwell on the one bad thing on an otherwise fantastic night.