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yetanothersparrowofthedawn · 1 month

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Now That We Don't Talk

Masterlist

Extended Masterpost

Word Count: 1.3k

Pairing: ex!Jake x Reader

Genre: Angst, Hurt, ex!Jake

Synopsis: idk at this point, sorry. But here’s the jest of it: Breaking up sucks ass.

Disclaimer: English isn’t my native language, so I apologize in advance for mistakes and awkward wordings to come.

Previous Track: Hits Different (coming soon..)

Chapter soundtrack: Now That We Don’t Talk – Taylor Swift

(By the way, for every ‘Chapter Soundtrack’, basically the idea is that it’s a song that YN eventually wrote with that chapter of her life in mind) Listen to the song, it's basically the entire chapter, I do not have a creative bone in my body, babes.

Guess this is how it was to be Now that we don't talk

Late at night, Y/N found herself lying on her kitchen floor. She scrolled through her phone, the soft glow of the screen casting shadows across her face.

The press had been relentless; capturing glimpses of the lead guitarist of Greta Van Fleet, at various events and gatherings. Well, it was either that or her algorithm was fucked.

She found herself immersed in the snippets of his life presented by the media. His presence, magnetic as ever, effortlessly parting the crowd like the Red Sea in fan edits.

YN, herself hadn’t gone out in a while, choosing to steer clear from the limelight after a couple of nights of binge-drinking had gone more public than she would’ve liked.

Her red eyes captured by flashing lights as she was ushered into a cab by a friend of hers had made the front page for a week. Let’s just say the Sad Girl Era fans had branded her with, wasn’t exactly the kind of publicity she’d wanted out there.

She couldn't help but wonder if he, too, ever got anxious, while on his way home. Did he absentmindedly make a wrong turn towards the street they used to live on? Did he ever, for a fleeting moment, take a hand off the steering wheel to rest it on her thigh, only to find it was no longer there?

Stalking him online had become a guilty indulgence, a masochistic act that she couldn't resist. She lingered a little too long on his Instagram, scrolling through the curated moments of his daily life.

She noticed his hair, even longer than before, framing the features she used to trace with her fingertips. She observed the familiar furrow of his brow as he performed, a guitar pin between his teeth.

From the outside, it all painted a picture of a life moving forward. She remained on the periphery, a quiet observer of the world she used to inhabit. She caught short glimpses of his social life, photos of shared laughs with musicians they once mocked together, videos of studio sessions with a producer he’d once told to fuck off forever.

The bitter truth hung heavy in the air. She no longer had a say in the choices he made, the life he embraced. The silence between them was deafening. She had become an outsider, left outside in the rain, looking through a window at the life of a boy she once knew.

As her mind wandered into the realm of speculation, she couldn't help but wonder what he’d told his friends – those same friends they had once shared dinners and long weekends with. Were they privy to the turbulent love, the passionate highs, and the devastating lows that marked their time together? Few were even aware of their relationship, so would anyone even come to hear of their breakup?

The public was aware she’d moved from Nashville to LA after her latest tour, but only a select few knew why.

She didn’t know what she, herself would choose to say. There was no point in pretending it was platonic. It wasn't some amicable parting where two people decided they were better off as friends. No. Truth was it had just- ended.

She could never be his friend. Can you imagine? She thought. Casually sharing stories over Sunday brunch; smiling for group pictures at birthday parties? She felt ridiculous just thinking about it. After all, they hadn’t been friends to begin with. Not really.

The days and nights stretched endlessly, punctuated by the silence of unsent messages and unspoken calls. Pathetic. That's how she felt. Pathetic for caring, for still being affected by choices that they had made. The more she’d given, the more she laid her heart bare, the less he’d seemed to want her.

A bitter truth gnawed at her consciousness – a realization which had struck her hard, like a sudden gust of cold wind. She was paying the price of what she had lost, and heartbreak didn’t come cheap.

In the quiet hours of the night, phone calls to Patty became a familiar ritual for Y/N, a whispered confessional amid the shadows. Her manager's voice echoed like a guiding beacon in the recesses of her mind.

"Remember, it's all for the best, sugar," Patty would assure her. "Maybe try and get it all off your chest, yeah? You’ll feel better."

Craving the catharsis that only honest introspection could provide, YN eventually heeded the advice. She sat down at the piano and opened her notebook to a crisp white page. Pen in hand, she began to write.

She tried reminding herself of the way he'd faded ‘till she’d left. A distant star dimming until it was barely a shimmer in the night sky. A black hole whose pull she’d barely escaped.

Every stroke of ink presented an attempt to convince herself she was, of course, so much better off now. As it is written, so it shall be done, or some shit like that.

Let’s see. Now that they didn't talk… well, first off, she didn’t have to keep acid rock in her shower playlist. She no longer had to pretend to revel in the company of so-called industry legends on some yachts. No longer found herself forced to feign interest in these obsolete men’s very important thoughts on the death of good music when she’d much rather jump off the deck.

Quite a relief, right? She smiled bitterly. She was a compulsive liar, even in the privacy of her own apartment, in the secrecy of her own thoughts.

Those weren’t the things that she was glad to be rid of. But the unfiltered truth would look too ugly on paper. It would sound too coarse on the radio.

Frustration seeped into her bones, settling like an unwelcome guest. She didn’t know who or what she was even trying to protect.

She wondered if he, too, lingered on her social media, if he glanced at the magazine covers when he stopped by a gas station. She shook her head. What magazine covers? She’d been trying to stay as far as she could from the press.

In an attempt to recover a shred of her dignity, she’d tried turning back into a shrouded mystery. And failed miserably. Fans and critics alike couldn’t get enough of her enigmatic persona, and it seemed she couldn’t go anywhere without people following her.

Success had never tasted to bittersweet.

Could be worse, though, she thought. She could’ve been heartbroken and shunned. Plus, it may have all been for the best. After all, the flash of cameras was the only bridge they had yet to burn. The only way they could haunt each other without having to do the dirty work themselves.

And this was simply how it had to be, now that they didn't talk.

______

One night, at the ungodly hour of four in the morning, her phone's shrill ring shattered the stillness, causing her to bolt upright from her couch.

"Patty?" YN's voice was thick with sleep as she answered the call, squinting at the glaring screen. "Do you know what time it is?" she muttered, rubbing her eyes. "Yeah, I'm sitting down, what is it?" she asked, her tone tinged with apprehension.

YN listened intently and, after a prolonged pause, she breathed out, "Oh my god."

A mere twenty minutes later, she found herself settling into the backseat of a cab, her mind racing

The driver's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Where to?" he inquired, casting a curious glance at her through the rearview mirror.

"LAX, please," she instructed.

(Welp… guess who’s about to be talking again lol)

Next Track: Beautiful People with Beautiful Problems

Hope you all liked it! Please interact lol, I am desperate for any reaction at all. Help a girl out, peaceful army. Xxx

Taglist

@aintthatapity

@sinarainbows

@vanfleeter

@gretavanhockey

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bettysupremacy · 9 months

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I’ve come to spam your inbox once again 🥳

I have a couple requests this is like 1/4

Anyways, just thinking about Steve with the song ‘Always There’ by Greta Van Fleet.

More specifically, I’m thinking about reader being Steve’s best friend, and she’s watched Steve go through numerous relationships…and heartbreaks (poor steve). She’s been in love with him, but has also just accepted their relationship as fully platonic, and is mostly okay with it. Meanwhile, Steve is finally coming to the realization that reader is actually the girl he should persue (as the song says, “you’ve been waiting for your lover, when you’ll discover, she’s always there”)

THANK YOU BABES

Link to fic

Link to song (made me fall to my knees)

OH MY GODJFJJFFNGNFNBWJDH lynn i feel like you knew what the fuck u were doing when u put me onto this song and that’s so insane of u ??? izzy Greta Van Fleet arc coming soon? Helpme??

This actually jellied my brain because it’s literally the most Steve ask ever. You’ve been friends with him forever, and he loves you, but he’s too scared to come to terms with it because he loves you and he cannot lose you. You’re a “woman in a dream,” as gvf would say “one that makes you fall in love.”

I’m gonna be a little nauseous!

#steve harrington x reader

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imgonnagetkilledbynutstink · 1 year

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HEY THIS GOES OUT TO AUTISTIC TPP ANON not sure why i didn't just do this under their ask but here's the aurinko crime family as songs from my spotify wrapped list

Juno: Torches by The Oh Hellos

Peter: The View Between Villages by Noah Kahan

Buddy: Choreomania by Florence + The Machine

Rita: Bright Whites by Kishi Bashi

Jet: Your Protector by Fleet Foxes

Vespa: It's All So Incredibly Loud by Glass Animals

Ruby 7: My Way Soon by Greta Van Fleet

and some honorable mentions (pairings mostly)

Juno and Peter: Q&A by Kishi Bashi

Vespa and Buddy: Like The Dawn by The Oh Hellos

Rita and Jet (platonic): King and Lionheart by Of Monsters and Men

Juno and Rita (platonic): Soap by The Oh Hellos

Sasha: Willow Tree March by The Paper Kites \

Mick: Battery Kinzie by Fleet Foxes

#tpp #the penumbra podcast #juno steel #peter nureyev #buddy aurinko #rits tpp #jet siquliak #vespa illkay #ruby 7 #jupeter #sasha wire #mick mercury

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ageofnations · 2 years

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Marigold // jmk // Pt.1

Summary: After staying behind while Danny goes on tour, you do everything you can to salvage your relationship. Will you be successful? Or will you find refuge elsewhere?

~This is a continuation of Chamomile~

Pairing: Danny x f!reader …with a little spice

Word Count: ~4.9k

Warnings: angst, talk of mental health and self-invalidation, teeny bit of fluff

A/N: i am so excited to finally get this out. i have A LOT of projects i’m working on, so i’m not sure how often I will update. but i can assure you, i will update as soon as humanly possible. don’t hate me too much <3

Playlist // Chamomile Masterpost // Marigold Masterpost

Part 1

They say that fame changes people. With a little bit of money and attention, they turn into inconsiderate, cocky individuals that can barely even be considered “people.” They say rockstars are the worst. Once they get more popular and hit the road, they become the most arrogant and vain people out there. They use others for validation, and they continually disregard any other individual’s needs if it wasn’t to meet their own selfish demands.

You never thought you’d believe that.

You never had any reason to.

You had been acquainted with the boys for the entirety of ‘Greta Van Fleet’. You’ve seen them go from performing in talent shows to performance halls, bars to civic centers, and you were lucky enough to manage your friendship during all the time it took for them to get to the big venues. The various accolades and achievements along the way never once altered their egos. They always stayed the same guys you knew from the beginning of it all, the title of ‘rockstar’ only seemed to be a side quest in all of their expeditions.

They were outliers. They were different from the rest. They wouldn’t change.

Right?

They had made their cases for themselves for years now, never making you doubt your relationships with them. They’d constantly show you that they appreciated and loved you, no matter how famous they got and no matter how many tours they went on.

Thinking back, you imagined you seemed pretty silly not to realize that Danny had more than platonic feelings for you. He had always been the main one to reach out to you while they were away on tour. He’d make sure you had eaten, ask to see the various crafts you had made for your store, and try to include you in the band’s plans when they had the off time. He’d even send you pictures and videos of their shenanigans and adventures they’d embark on while away. Danny wanted you to be included in everything they did, and you had hoped it would be the same way this tour.

Their fanbase had grown slightly, but not much more than it had been during the last leg of touring the boys had completed. You didn’t expect anything about the boys to change because nothing had really changed. Things were just the same as they had been in the past.

That was… everything except for Danny’s role in the band.

With the start of a new tour, more people could experience what “the world’s best drummer” had to offer. People traveled far and wide to be able to see what he could really do when he was under the stage lights. You were lucky enough to see a small number of performances thanks to a few very entertaining fan live streams, and from that alone, you could see the change in his stage persona. You could also see the change in the fan dynamics. They appreciated him more, they cheered for him more, and you were more than thrilled to be able to experience that with him. You couldn’t stop thinking about how proud you were of him as you watched, listened, and sang along. Especially during the new drum solos that the boys had incorporated for him. You were incredibly thankful that he was finally getting the recognition he deserved.

But with this newfound attention, the only thing that was consistent with him was his busy schedule. According to the others, paparazzi was everywhere, sneaking pictures and videos when the boys refused. Journalists and publicists would constantly be hounding their managers, but they would always ask for Danny.

He always was a people pleaser, looking to make anyone happy and do whatever they told him to.

That’s why he found himself booked with various photoshoots and interviews, and even some brands asked if he’d help with promotional videos. He was almost always busy, and while you were happy for him, you couldn’t help but feel a little left behind.

It was your fault, truthfully. You had been adamant about not coming with them on tour. You didn’t think you were ready to be on the road like that, especially since your relationship with him was still somewhat fresh to the public. You had also been adamant about getting a job to fill the time that he would be away. But in reality, you had unintentionally just filled any and all time that he would be free.

You had gotten hired at the local record shop. It was one that you had frequented so often to the point that you and Gil, the owner, knew each other on a first-name basis long before you were hired. The place was small but honest, and you could tell that Gil put his heart into the business. He was an older man, and his store started with his own beloved record collection that quickly turned into a place for others to donate or sell their old records for other collectors to come to buy. He had run the store on his own for the entirety of the store’s lineage, but with his age, he was desperately needing help keeping things tidy.

You were glad to be there to help, especially in such a comforting space that had been a part of your life for as long as it had. But what had originally been lending a hand here and there turned into essentially taking over the store. You were there more than Gil ever was. He chose to handle all of the paperwork and formalities of the business from his home. You made sure the place opened and closed at the right times, was kept clean and organized, and had shelves stocked full of whatever new and used vinyls entered the market.

The shop wasn’t open for more than 8 hours every day, so thankfully it wasn’t a strenuous or time-consuming job, but your schedule was fairly stable. You hoped this would be ideal for your long-distance situation. Aside from the time used for soundcheck, performances, and interviews, the time zone differences often were a lot of the problem. You essentially had just begun playing a game of cat and mouse with Danny. When one of you wasn’t busy, the other one was. When one of you wasn’t sleeping, the other one was.

Sure you still texted and sent funny videos, but there was only so much a quick text could do, especially when it sometimes took hours for each of you to respond to one another. Or days, on his part.

It wouldn’t be like this if you just would’ve gone with them like he wanted you to. You’d be with your best friends. You’d be with him.

In the brief moments that you would get with him, you tried to hide your worries and insecurities, scared that bringing them up or letting them show would only make matters worse. It seemed pointless to be sad about not being able to talk to him as often while you were literally on the phone with him. But no matter how many times you tried to convince yourself that things were okay, you couldn’t help but overthink.

Like now. It was a slow day at the record store, a Thursday. You were five hours into the shift, and only two people had entered the building other than yourself. One was Gil, who left soon afterward, only stopping by to let you know he was going out of town for a few days, and the other was a delivery man, coming to give you some of the new albums Gil had ordered for the shelves. You weren’t supposed to have your phone out at all while you worked, and honestly you never really cared enough about your phone to break the rule, but lately, you had become more and more desperate to talk to Danny. You had gotten a text from him this morning, letting you know that he would be busy almost all day, but he’d be free from 3 to 4 PM. Your heart ached at the first part of the message, but a shimmer of excitement gleamed with the last portion. You had texted him back right away.

You (9:14 AM): Soooo I’m hearing we have a date via FaceTime from 3 to 4?

Dan the Man (10:01 AM): Won’t you get in trouble?

You (10:03 AM): Not if Gil doesn’t see ;)

Dan the Man (10:56 AM): Then sure

You were glad no one had come into the store while you patiently waited for 3 o’clock. It had been almost a month since the last time you could FaceTime with Danny, so needless to say, you were excited. It was the only thing you could think about, so even while you worked, you only did so absentmindedly. The old office chair that sat behind the register counter would be your home for the next hour. The chair was worn from the years, having been the same chair Gil had used when he opened the place, but it was still one of the most comfortable chairs you had ever sat in. You made sure you looked presentable, no strand of hair out of place, your shirt perfectly draped over your body.

You hit the call button right at three on the dot, not wanting to waste a single second of your time with Danny. You stared at yourself on the screen while you waited for your boyfriend to pick up. Your smile was diminishing the more you heard the quiet ringing, and it completely disappeared once the call was terminated after ringing too long with no answer.

Maybe he didn’t mean right at 3, he’s probably just busy still.

You sighed and lifted yourself from the chair, making sure your ringer was on so you’d hear it once he called back. You busied yourself with straightening the shelves nearest to the best, but as 3:30 approached with no call or text from Danny, you started to worry. You knew you’d hear from one of the others if something was wrong, but that only made your thoughts wander. He had said he’d be free at 3, right? You checked your messages to confirm your doubts, and sure enough, you hadn’t been misremembering anything. As you reread the short conversation, you looked at his last message.

“Then sure”

Did he even want to call? Was he just agreeing to make you happy? Maybe you had been too insistent on the call in the first place. He was busy, he probably really wanted to use his only free hour of the day to be alone and recuperate. You really shouldn’t be worrying that much about a single call.

But he had still said he was going to. You thought you’d finally get to see his face. You thought you’d get to hear that saccharine voice of his. You had agreed to call, whether he really meant it or not, and the fact that he was going back on his word disheartened you.

Maybe he had just got distracted and didn’t realize what time it was.

You had pressed the call button again before you even realized it. A few rings in, you glanced at the clock. 3:40. You sighed at the loss of time, but seeing Danny’s face once he answered the call made your heart feel warm again.

There were subtle differences in his appearance from the last time you saw him. Since then, he had sent the occasional selfie, and you could see him in fan videos and pictures, but there was never the intimacy that only presented itself while you talked to him on the phone. The visual contrasts were those that only you could notice. He was tanner, and his hair had changed ever so slightly. It was darker, as if he had dyed it just a shade deeper than his natural color, and it was parted in the middle instead of to the side. Even his facial structure seemed as if it had changed, his cheekbones much more defined and lips plumper. This was different, but you had to remind yourself that it was still your Danny.

“Hey, Bip,” he said with a sweet smile.

“Hi,” you responded, trying to keep your cheerfulness genuine despite the circumstances. He could see right through your act, and he frowned at the pretense.

“I’m so sorry I wasn’t here right when I said I would. We had an interview that was supposed to end at 3, but then it got delayed and then they wanted to speak to me and-”

“It’s okay,” you interrupted. “You’re here now, and I’m just glad to finally hear your voice. How are you? How’s Europe treating you?”

“It’s alright,” he responded. He sounded sincere, yet distant. You couldn’t quite read his expression, and that was new for you. Understanding his body language was something that you had always been able to do, even more so now that you had started dating him. It took some time, but you had learned what every tone change, every mood shift, and every fidget in his mannerism meant, and you were able to assess the situation accordingly. Now, you weren’t sure why that seemed to be an impossible feat for you. It didn’t seem too hard for him, but maybe you couldn’t see past the stress of the tour for him or the cloud of doubts that had been flooding your brain.

You hoped he would continue with his statement, or at least bring up another topic, but once you realized that he wasn’t going to do that, you bit the bullet and started one yourself.

“I really miss you. I wish I could be there with you guys.”

He nodded, seemingly digesting your admission. “Yeah…” He let his voice trail off before clearing his throat. “How’s the store?”

“Obnoxiously slow. Absolutely no customers today, and Gil’s going to some convention this week, so I don’t even have to worry about looking busy,” you added a laugh in your words, hoping Danny would join in. You were only lucky enough to elicit a small smile from him. You continued, hoping to avoid another moment of crushing silence. “Um… I did find a new record that I enjoy, though! I’ve been keeping it in the store’s rotation a lot lately just to hear it more often. I think you’d like it.”

“Yeah? That’s really cool. I’m happy for you.”

“The real question is,” a different voice joined in. “-would I like it? I think you may have forgotten that I’m the one with impeccable music taste in this band.”

Danny’s smile grew to one that seemed much more authentic, and his eyes rolled at the added individual to the conversation. You were glad to see the head of curly hair appear behind your boyfriend, but a little annoyed that you couldn’t have more time alone.

“Hi, Josh,” you greeted.

“Well, I thought you’d sound a little happier to see me. You forget about us that easily?”

His teasing managed to make the atmosphere much lighter, even from oceans away. Although you tried to feign your irritation with him, his toothy grin melted it away in an instance.

“Just you,” you quipped back. He clutched his heart as if you had struck a deep nerve, making you let out a genuine laugh for the first time all day.

“That one hurt!” Josh spoke through his own bits of laughter, wiping a fake tear. “Danny, your girlfriend is ruthless.”

Danny scoffed and smirked at you. “We all knew that before she was my girlfriend.”

“Danny!” You giggled at his sudden wittiness. It took you by surprise, a stark contrast to how he had been acting just seconds prior while you were alone with him.

Josh started again before you could defend yourself from the fun they were both poking at you. “Well, I'm gonna get out of here before she insults me further. Plus I think I was interrupting something-?”

“Actually,” Danny resumes. “I need to set up the kit for soundcheck ‘cause I completely forgot to do that this morning.”

The frown that returned on your expression remained unnoticed as the two carried on a conversation that was too quiet for you to hear. Not like you were listening anyways. How could you? All you could focus on was how you were supposed to get an hour with your boyfriend, a single hour compared to the days and weeks that you had waited since you last spoke, but the hour shrunk with every passing second. You knew he wanted to be sure everything was set up just right and how he needed it to be, but Why couldn’t he get his team to set up his drums for him just this once? You knew he would be busy before you even started dating him, but you hoped he’d still make time for you. He had said you’d get the time with him that you so desperately needed, and now you felt like all of that was being robbed from you.

You jumped back into the conversation once you heard Josh clap his hands dramatically. “Well then I will keep your meanie of a girlfriend company until your return!”

The brief episode of your zoning out left you in a slight fugue state. But after hearing Danny mumble a quick ”I’ll be right back babe.” and seeing him set the phone down on the table he had been sitting at, you knew that Josh would be replacing your boyfriend’s end of the call.

Josh always had a way of cheering you up and bringing a smile to your face. He had that effect on everyone, essentially, and it was easy for him to make friends and new acquaintances no matter where he was. It was natural to him, his ability to seize the spotlight and brighten any room he walked in. You had always been drawn to him, and your friendship grew nearly as fast as your friendship with Danny. You admired Josh’s optimistic and kind personality, and you were even jealous of his carefree nature at times. But now, you were almost certain that there was almost nothing he could do or say to lift your spirits.

It had grown quiet on the other end of the FaceTime call, faint conversation subsided with a clicking of a door opening and closing. The phone was still laying down on the table, and you continued to look at the plain, boring ceiling of whatever room they had been in. It all seemed extremely dull, and it matched the feelings that you were experiencing in an unceasing manner.

Even when Josh slowly peeked back into the camera’s view, stopping just at the bridge of his nose to show his wide eyes and permed curls. He was raising his eyebrows playfully, trying to earn a smile with his silly antics. As much as you wanted to give him what he was obviously aiming for, you couldn’t. You couldn’t stop thinking about Danny and how bad you missed having him, really having him.

“Oh come on, Bip, that usually at least gets a fake laugh out of you!” Josh grabbed the phone and sat in Danny’s old spot. “You sure you’re not forgetting about us?”

“I’m sorry, Josh,” you responded meekly. “I just…” You stopped and debated on confiding in Josh. You needed to talk to someone about everything on your mind, but was Josh really the right person to bring it up to? He had to be around Danny on a daily basis, and Josh wasn’t exactly known for his ability to keep secrets. You trusted Josh with your life, and he always knew what piece of philosophical advice you needed to hear. But the idea of making things tense between the two bandmates made your stomach twist.

“I know, I know,” Josh jumped in before you could complete your sentence. “You miss him. He misses you, too! He talks about you all the time.”

The statement made you smile, and upon seeing the sight, Josh smiled, too. You took the opportunity to digest his current appearance, and unlike Danny, Josh looked mostly the same since the last time you saw him. The only noticeable difference was a tint of pink on his partially sunburned cheeks.

“He does?” You asked the question out of selfishness, wanting to hear about Danny’s admiration and longing for you in any way you could.

Josh laughed sarcastically and rolled his eyes. “At the first few shows, it was almost non-stop. He picked his outfits based on what he thought you’d like. Brought up an old memory with you any chance he got. Included you in every conversation possible. It was gross, really.”

The hopefulness inside you began to dissipate the longer Josh spoke. You almost were scared to ask him to continue, but you hoped his usage of past tense was accidental. You managed to mumble “And now?...” and you only hoped his phone’s volume was up enough to hear the soft words.

Josh realized his mistake, and the cheeky grin he had wore while recounting Danny’s behavior turned into a straight face. “Well, he hasn't done it so much recently-” he paused to look away from the camera briefly and clear his throat. “-but he still misses you all the same! It’s probably just because you guys haven’t been talking as much!”

You sighed, already exhausted from the conversation. “Yeah, maybe.”

“You should call more often! I’m sure that would help you feel better rather than only hanging around an old man with even older records.”

Although he hadn’t meant for his light-hearted teasing to come off as an accusation, your current mental state inhibited you from taking it in any other manner. You could feel tears welling in your eyes, and you scolded yourself for being so melodramatic during the first call with them in a long time.

“I try to call him, Josh,” you stated plainly. “But every time I try, he’s got an interview, or he’s too tired or-”

“You do understand that he’s not the only one of us that has a phone, right? He’s not the only one that misses you, either. Us Kiszkas need some time with our Bip, too, ya know!” He added a huff of a laugh to ensure you that he was not upset with you and to keep his admission in a positive light. “You can call us, and if it’s him you’re wanting to see, then we’ll find him. Even if you can’t talk to him at the moment, you’ll be able to see him and make all the heart-eyes you want.”

You both shared a hearty laugh at his mocking. It did seem nice to be able to call and see Danny more often, even if he wasn’t able to speak. You honestly didn’t know why you didn’t think of the idea yourself, but you were glad that Josh had been the one to offer.

Once the laughter died down, Josh continued again, this time using a much more earnest tone than he had previously. “Seriously though, we miss you. I miss you. I don’t see why Danny has to get all of the attention.”

The admission made you smile smugly to yourself. “Well, he is my boyfriend,” you goaded.

“And aren’t I your best friend? I think we’re pretty close in the rankings here.”

“That’s debatable,” your sentence trailed off as you shifted in the office chair, draping your denim clad legs over the arm of the seat. “But you can call me, too, ya know? You guys are busier than I am, so you can just call me whenever.”

Josh seemed pleased with your response, and he was almost bursting with animation before he even began his answer. “And I will! How about I call you tomorrow? We can even make it a routine. We’ll call it FaceTime Fridays.” He added dramatic flair with the wave of his hand, as if he were picturing the name in flashing lights.

“Don’t you have a show tomorrow? And most Fridays?” Skepticism never looked good on you, but you worried that his proposal wasn’t rational. If Danny was having trouble keeping up with everything, it was only logical that the frontman would experience the same thing.

He shrugged and waved a hand at you through the phone in dismissal. “I’ll call at least some before or after, but I can assure you that I can find the time.”

“Plan on it then.” Just as you answered, you heard a door opening and closing in the background.

“Okay, I’m really going this time. You lovebirds have fun now.” Josh wiggled his eyebrows at you and shot finger guns your way, earning a fleeting laugh from Danny before his phone was returned to him.

“As if we could do anything remotely scandalous with two minutes left,” you huffed with a smile.

Your joke failed to draw any more humor into the conversation. The only response you received was silence, and you guiltily started to wish Josh was at least back in the room with you two. The silence was much too loud, much too uncomfortable. You needed to say something, anything to tell him how you were feeling, but was now the best time? Rushed and right before a show? You wouldn’t stop feeling this way, and in fact, waiting would make it much worse. But before you could gather your thoughts, Danny spoke up again.

“Well, I guess I’ll text you later,” he said plainly. You had hoped he would be starting another conversation to fill the last two minutes of the call, but to your dismay, it was quite the opposite.

“Okay…” You sighed, trying to muster up the cheerful facade you had put on before he left the first time. “Thanks for calling and good luck at the show tonight. You’re gonna kill it!”

“Thank you.”

“I love you!”

“Love you, bye.”

And just like that, the conversation’s end left you feeling dejected. A shudder erupted from you once you heard the sound of Danny hanging up on you. You were shaking, trying to control the thoughts that ran through the walls of your mind.

The juxtaposition of Danny’s and Josh’s attitudes gave you whiplash. Josh had tried so hard to make you smile, and looked so rewarded and prideful after receiving the teeniest bit of a lip curve. He promised to make time to catch up with you and let you see Danny. Danny, however, almost acted as if the call was a nuisance. You tried to make an excuse for his behavior. For all you knew, things might’ve been happening on the tour that he hadn’t talked to you about. But that didn’t seem to make sense considering he had smiled and laughed all the same with Josh, he had just acted differently towards you.

Of the hour that he was supposed to dedicate to you and your call, he had narrowed it down to 20 minutes. And on top of that, of the 20 minutes he did set aside for the call, he was only present for upwards of 5 minutes, and hardly here for that brief time. He barely looked at you through the camera. He barely spoke. And he didn’t seem into the conversations you tried to bring up with him.

What hurt the most though, was that he hadn’t even told you he missed you when you said it.

It was such a juvenile thing to be upset about, but you felt stranded, and you wanted to know that you weren’t alone in feeling this way about him. You wanted to know that your absence was hurting him just as his was hurting you. That’s what you hoped to earn in this call. You hoped that seeing each other’s faces and hearing each other’s voices while you spoke would be a much needed reunion. You’d tell each other how much you thought of one another on a daily basis, pointing out the many things that made you think of him and vice versa. That’s why this call was so important to you. But it didn’t serve its purpose whatsoever. He had barely even bid you a proper farewell at the end of the call. He usually made it a point to never be lazy with his “I love you”s. You both thought highly of the statement, and you both knew it meant a lot to one another. And for him to barely heed something he also claimed to believe in… it worried you.

You wanted to hold on to everything, every bit of trust and hope in the relationship. You wanted to hold onto the memories you had made with him, before and after he had asked you to be his. You wanted to hold on to him as much as he had held onto you for as long as you had been dating. You needed to hold onto him. But the problem was, it felt like he was letting you go.

>>>part 2

taglist (click to join): @joshkiszkas @teenagesublimefan @streamsofstardust @fireandsaltydogs @gretavanflipflop @kdarling1 @greta-van-chaos @stardustingold @the-chaotic-cow @tripthelight-fanfic @gretavancreep @gretavanfleas @weightofdreamz @myownparadise96 @loofypoofy @gretavanpoguelife @doodle417 @gmolszewski @m1rkw00dpr1ncess @hearts-hunger @s0livagant @stardustdanny @eeeloraaa @jakeydoesit @fan-girl-97 @welightthefire @maedesculpaeusoubi @josiee-gvf @brokenbellz @sammysvanfeet

let me know if i missed you or if you’d like to be removed!

all notes/feedback welcome <3

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gretavanfleetlove · 2 years

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OKAY! It’s been awhile but I want to get back into writing and I would really appreciate requests. I’m currently writing for (drum roll please)

Marvelous Mrs Maisel

All male characters at the moment

And I’ll write for the female characters platonically for now

Lenny, Joel, etc, and I’m accepting requests

(Btw it will be reader inserts)

Greta Van Fleet

I’ll write for all members

I’m in love with them all

Platonically or romantically

And I’m def accepting requests

JATP

This one is new to me

But I really want to write for all 4 members!

I’m not sure if I’ll do romance for Alex??

But either way I want to write for them

Again requests accepted

Måneskin

I’ve always wanted to get into writing for them

Sooo here ya go

I’ll write for all of them love em all

I do not write smut, or sexual assault, yandere, or anything alpha male related but anything other than that I’m all ears! And will write requests. Fluff, angst, slow burn, etc etc.

I’ll also do ships for any of these fandoms!! Much love 💕

Also that to make up for other things ^

#greta van fleet #x reader #jatp #jatp fanfiction #jatp x reader #Maneskin fanfic #marvelous mrs maisel #Lenny Bruce x reader #I’ll answer all requests I swear 😂😭#julie and the phantoms #luke patterson #Reggie peters #Jake Kiszka #Josh Kiszka #danny wagner #Miriam Maisel #victoria maneskin #damiano david fanfiction

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gustingirl · 2 years

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gvf headcanon | you are siblings

request: hi i was wondering if you would do any headcannons on you being siblings to the boys?(❍ᴥ❍ʋ)

disclaimer: this is purely platonic, sibling-like relationship!

danny.

don’t get me wrong, these four boys are like sibling goals. you can so easily tell they grew up in true healthy families, but something about danny gives off like super cool big bro vibes, you know? i feel he's the type of brother to check on you if you need anything, like keeping an eye on you every once in a while. i’m not sure how he would be as a younger brother though, i do believe he would look up to you a lot and would love to just go anywhere with you. like you go to the grocery store and he's right behind you.

but in the scenario of a big brother, danny sort of just acts like a father with you, not caring whether your actual father is a good one or not. like he has this need to take care of you, watch over you. like this one time he knew you had a pretty hard exam for a subject you were not good at. he would occasionally peek into your room to watch you study all night. the next morning, he would make sure you ate breakfast as you were reading your notes over and over again. he spent the entire day at school doing his stuff and, as soon as lunch time arrived, he first made a stop at your table to see how it went.

"so? was it as hard as you thought?" danny asked while standing by your side, completely ignoring your group of friends' presence. after you shared how the exam went, he smiled while petting your head "i knew you could do it, idiot. keep it up, alright? you got this!" and after tousling your hair with a smile, he left you alone, knowing you didn't like being treated like a kid in front of your friends.

jake.

there are two possible scenarios with jake. he's either a fucking nightmare or your dream team, it all depends on how similar you are to him. if your energies match and you're as energetic as he is, then you could expect one adventure after the other. but, if you are more chill, then chances are you're participating in a box fight every week. like he's zero violent though, i mean he knows mom wouldn't let him hit you without consequences. but bro, he's definitely annoying you any time he can, no matter if you’re older or younger than him.

however you still love him and love spending time with him. like playing games and such. but the biggest issue is when you two decide to study together, or work on your stuff together. you liked the same chill atmosphere as you concentrate, but you still both lived in your own worlds, and that could be an issue.

"jesus christ, y/n, stop doing that with your mouth" jake suddenly spoke, shaking you off your concentration line. you looked over at him and explained it helped you keep your head clear, but he wasn't having it "i don’t care just stop, please, it's driving me insane" you knew, however, you could never listen to him. so, with an evil smile, you stared at him as you made each noise louder. you should have expected a book towards your head coming from his desk at some point.

sam.

sam is definitely chill no matter what. like the man is cool with anything, no matter whether you are similar to him or not. and like, he 's also used to have you around so he's not as bothered as jake could be. if you’re older than him, he probably just stays in his world and bothers you if there's anything he needs. if he's the one older than you, then...it would be the same, just that he's a bit more alert with you. he doesn't like showing it much but he truly cares for you and will only show it to you with actions, as words don’t come out easily from his mouth.

even if you're the typical annoying little sibling, he will still show you his love with a bitch face. like that one time he knew you were mad at your best friend with who you had argued earlier that day. sam still picked on you as the brother he is, but as he noticed you were not ok, he began slowly calming down, especially after mom told him off. later that night, you were curled up in bed watching tv when he knocked before coming in.

"hey, mom made cookies and i stole some for us. wanna share?" sam knew he needed consent to truly walk inside your room. he truly loved bothering you from time to time but he knew you had boundaries and respected them. once you nodded slowly, he showed you a half smile as he entered the room and closed the door behind his back. after sitting with you in bed, he gave you a cookie before talking "i can tell you're weird today, what happened?"

josh.

this boy only has love to give. his body is just filled with a lot of love and it overflows with it. no matter whether you're ten years older or 10 months younger, josh still only has love for you. even his jokes and pranks on you are filled with love. and he's such a family guy, he truly loves spending time together. if you're his little sibling, he would always try to not get directly mad at you. if there's something that you did that pissed him off, he would probably just rant it off with your parents or with jake. if you're his little sibling then you're his protected baby, the one nobody can touch.

don’t get me wrong though, you probably still fight like a lot, especially if your personality is not anywhere near his. but if you're as chaotic and careless about other's opinions as he is, then you two together are unstoppable. like, people truly believed you were his twin. not because of the similar looks, but because of the mind connection you two had. josh only needed one look at you and you two knew what you were thinking. like the one time your mom bought foam for an upcoming event she was participating at. the second you two saw all the foam cans at the kitchen, it only took one shared glance at each other to run towards the counter and still a few cans, running away from your screaming mother as you made your way to the street.

"COME ON Y/N, YOU GOTTA RUN FAS- WAIT ASSHOLE WAIT FOR ME!" josh's screams could be heard from the other side of town as you sprinted down the streets. your father was now right behind you, calling your names with both anger and joy, as he was actually having fun. "GO TO DANNY'S, WE'RE SAFE THE- AH!" his little yelp made you laugh hard as you turned around to find your dad picking up josh with ease from his side of the car. josh's legs were fighting the air as he laughed loudly while his father carried him from inside the car.

this was actually so fun?? thank you for the request and thank you for reading <3

#greta van fleet #gvf #.gvftxt #greta van fleet fic #greta van fleet headcanon #greta van fleet headcanons #josh kiszka #sam kiszka #jake kiszka #danny wagner #greta van fleet platonic

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luverleaver · 2 years

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peepaw <3

#grandpa josh has my heart #my platonic soulmate #josh kiszka #gvf #greta van fleet

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jakesguitarstring · 2 years

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me: im absolutely josh obsessed and yeah every time i see his face it feels like my heart is too big for my chest and literally can't help smiling. loving josh is just a really huge part of me.

someone: so you're in josh's lane then?

me: no, no. i'm in jake's lane.

#greta van fleet #josh kiszka #jake kiszka #josh gvf #jake gvf #josh is literally my sun moon and stars #but like in a platonic way?????#does that make sense #lmao #this is based off that louis tomlinson tiktok sound hahah

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s0livagant · 2 years

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Are their any GVF fics that are just good ole OT4 friendship fics in canon. Those are my favorites

Oooooh none that I can recall off the top of my head??? Does anyone know of some??

#this fandom loves romance and reader insert fics first and foremost so I feel like platonic ot4 is an underserved community #gvf #Greta van fleet #asks

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hearts-hunger · 2 years

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the cabin fever universe masterlist

Series Summary: This ‘verse is home to the Cabin Fever gang - Josh, Baby, Jake, Sparrow, Sam, and Danny. Cabin Fever is the beginning of Josh and Baby’s love story, as well as Sam and Danny’s; No Strings Attached is the beginning of Jake and Sparrow’s love story. All other companion fics can be read as standalone fics, but they follow the story of the Cabin Fever gang through their many adventures of friendship, dating, marriage, and parenthood.

Pairings: Josh Kiszka x Reader, Jake Kiszka x Reader, Sam Kiszka x Danny Wagner

Taglist Form | Cabin Fever Playlist ♫ | No Strings Attached Playlist ♫ | Read series on Archive | Full Greta Van Fleet Masterlist

Cabin Fever ♡ ❀ ✧ ☆ — Josh and Baby’s story

Josh Kiszka x Reader, Sam x Danny

During your week away at the cabin, you and Sam make a pact — on the last day, if he tells Danny how he feels, you’ll tell Josh how you feel. It’s going to be a very long week.

In the Midnight Hour ♡

Josh Kiszka x Reader, Sam x Danny

You and the boys explore the old haunted house in the Kiszka’s neighborhood on Halloween night.

Love Like Ours ♡

Josh Kiszka x Reader

You and Josh celebrate Valentine’s Day.

No Strings Attached ♡ ❀ ✧ ☆ — Jake and Sparrow’s story

Jake Kiszka x Reader, Josh x Baby, Sam x Danny

The destination wedding of a high school friend brings you and Jake together for the first time since graduation. Can you make it though a long weekend without killing each other, or worse, falling head over heels in love?

part one | part two | part three | part four | part five

Big Squeeze ♡

Josh Kiszka x Reader, Danny Wagner x Reader (platonic)

When you need a little extra love, Josh knows just the thing to help.

Affection ♡ ❀

Jake Kiszka x Reader || smut (18+ only)

Nothing hurts when you’re with Jake.

Love is Like a Resting Place ♡

Josh Kiszka x Reader

You and Josh take care of each other after a long day.

Just Because I Love You ♡

Josh Kiszka x Reader

When you’re not feeling well, Josh takes care of you just because he loves you.

Growing Pains ♡ ✧

Josh x Reader, Jake x Sparrow, Sam x Danny

As you and Josh pack up your apartment for your impending move to Nashville, Josh is right by your side for this big, scary change and all the growing pains it brings with it.

Home for the Holidays ♡ ❀ ✧ ☆

Josh x Reader, Sam x Danny, Jake x Reader || series (in progress)

The Cabin Fever gang spends Christmas in Frankenmuth.

Companion series in the Cabin Fever universe

part one | part two | part three

To Be Loved By You ♡

Josh Kiszka x Reader

Josh helps you tidy the house.

A Sure and Steady Hand ♡

Josh Kiszka x Reader

Josh comes home sick, and you take good care of him.

January Blue ♡

Josh Kiszka x Reader

You’re sick, and Josh takes good care of you.

Inhale/Exhale. ♡ ❀

Josh Kiszka x Fiancee!Reader || smut (18+ only)

You help Josh work out his frustration when he’s had a rough day at the studio.

Hot Stuff ♡ ❀

Josh Kiszka x Fiancee!Reader || smut (18+ only)

You show Josh just how much you like his new haircut.

Josh’s Song ♡

Josh Kiszka x Wife!Reader, Jake x Sparrow, Sam x Danny

The Cabin Fever gang celebrates Josh’s birthday.

Kisses & Clementines ♡

Josh Kiszka x Wife!Reader

You and Josh pick out a name for your little one.

Bringing Me Home to You ♡ ✧

Josh Kiszka x Wife!Reader, Jake x Sparrow, Sam x Danny

You want to be happy when you see those two little lines, but Josh has been so distant. What if he's not happy too?

Heart to Heart ♡

Josh Kiszka x Wife!Reader, Jake x Sparrow, Sam x Danny

You and Josh host Thanksgiving at your house, and your little family has more than one surprise in store for this holiday season.

#your one stop shop for all things josh and baby ♡#cabin fever fics #cabin fever #josh kiszka x reader #josh kiszka fanfiction #josh kiszka fluff #josh kiszka smut #greta van fleet fanfiction #gvf fanfiction #sam kiszka x danny wagner #maddie writes stuff!

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gretagolden · 2 years

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gretagolden masterlist

hello! welcome to the masterlist of my fanfictions for the band greta van fleet! below all my currently published works are linked, and will be updated regularly as i publish more! my ask box is always open if you have a question, want to send something my way, or suggest an idea for a fic you’d like to see! if you’d like to join my taglist, either just send me a message or an ask, and i will gladly add you! please remember that these fics are all 18+ (even if they do not contain smut) just for the sake of my own comfort! enjoy!

disclaimer: i do not claim to know any of the people involved in these fanficitions. these are fictional stories, not based in the reality of the lives of the people included – as i have no idea what their lives are actually like, nor claim to. i do not mean any harm to those mentioned in these stories; this is all completely fiction, please do not take anything in these stories as fact

For the Better

Sam Kiszka x female reader

For the first time after breaking up, Sam runs into his ex and realizes it’s the only thing he’s wanted, and needed, since.

Like Friends Do

Sam Kiszka x female reader/oc

When on vacation with his best friend, Sam faces a dare that brings buried feelings to the surface and forces him to face the feelings he swore he’d always keep a secret.

part one | part two

Platonic

Josh Kiszka x female reader

Josh’s relationship with his best friend isn’t entirely platonic, and when the holidays make the drinks go down smoother, the things that go unspoken slip from tongues more freely.

Falling

Josh Kiszka x female reader

Several months after a falling out, Josh Kiszka’s ex-best friend shows up at his door with a scraped-up knee and a mountain of regret for what had happened between them.

New Year's Day

Jake Kiszka x female reader

Jake wakes up on the morning of new year’s day and begins the new year with his girlfriend

Real Life

Jake Kiszka x gender neutral reader

After moving to Nashville, Jake reconnects with an old acquaintance from Frankenmuth and the pair strike up a tradition of late night drives during which their friendship grows.

Alone Together

Daniel Wagner x female oc

After his best friend ends up in a relationship with his high school crush, Danny finds himself growing closer to her little sister.

Homeward Bound

Daniel Wagner x female reader

Danny hides away with his girlfriend for a moment in her childhood bedroom while on a trip to her hometown to meet her family.

Stranger Birthdays

Daniel Wagner x gender neutral reader

On your birthday, you meet Danny in peculiar circumstances but strike a conversation and begin to grow closer regardless

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gretavansidecut · 3 years

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Room to Breathe

Pairing: Josh Kiszka x Gender Neutral Reader

Word Count: 4,297

Summary: You're out at a crowded bar with the boys and start to have a panic attack from all the sensory overload and your crush Josh helps you through it

Warnings: swearing, alcohol use, general angst, detailed descriptions of sensory overload, anxiety, and spiraling negative thoughts. If you find any of these things to be triggering or otherwise upsetting, please proceed with extreme caution!

A/N: So I haven't written a fic in like... God, six years maybe? But this idea popped into my head the other night and just wouldn't leave so I figured what the heck, why not give this writing thing another try? I had an absolute blast writing this, and I hope you all enjoy it!

You held your head in your hands, trying your best to steady your breathing as you took refuge in the bathroom stall. The pounding, brain-rattling music of the honky-tonk was slightly more bearable in the relative quiet of the restroom, but you still found yourself grinding your teeth as the noise was beginning to get to you. Densely packed places were always a challenge; you weren't necessarily afraid of crowds, or claustrophobic, or anything like that, it was more that the combination of the overbearing noise and the feeling of being packed in like a sardine tended to make you a little... Panicky, to say the least. It didn't help that just getting into the bar in the first place nearly gave you sensory overload either. But you weren't about to bail early if you could help it, and you weren’t about to let a little creeping panic ruin a night on the town with the guys of Greta Van Fleet, especially not when Josh was the one who'd invited you to come along. Besides, you could handle a crowded, noisy bar for one night, right?

The sudden slamming of the bathroom door made you jump in your stall, the rowdy voices of drunk patrons shattering whatever peace you'd had up to that point. You let out a heavy sigh, figuring it was for the best as you'd already been in there for at least five minutes. Any longer and the guys might've started to get worried, or worse, come looking for you. You emerged from your stall, ignoring the drunk people and their slurred conversation to your left as you washed your hands, and then taking a moment to splash some water on your face. Just the thought of going back out into the noise and crowd was enough to make your chest tighten, and you couldn’t help but feel a little pissed off at the current situation. You’d been looking forward to this night out for over a week; a chance to properly spend time with the guys outside of work after doing odd jobs around their studio for the last few months, and you’d especially been looking forward to spending some time with Josh. As much as you hated to admit it, you’d developed a little bit of a crush on him over the course of working at the studio, but you figured there was no harm in dreaming as long as you kept things platonic and professional. He seemed to enjoy your company and laugh at your jokes, and you definitely enjoyed his in return.

You let out another shaky breath, taking a few more seconds to steel yourself before heading back out there. You knew this place would be packed, and you’d been ready for it, honestly you had. But today had just been one of those aggravating days, the kind where every little thing seemed to go wrong and rub you the wrong way. And when that happened, the panic would tend to creep in more easily, and with greater intensity. Still, you resolved to hold yourself together as best you could and not ruin the evening, glancing at yourself in the mirror to make sure you were presentable, before turning around and reentering the bar.

All at once, the blaring music and roar of the crowd hit you, and you couldn't even hear yourself think. There were flashing neon lights hung up on every wall, a few TVs scattered here and there playing some sports channels, and people zipping about all over the place. It felt like your whole head was ringing, your eyes and ears begging for mercy already as you made your way back to the far corner of the room where the boys’ table was. You could eventually pick out Josh's boisterous laughter through the mayhem, and the four of them came into view just in time for you to see Josh lob a pretzel about 4 feet into the air, only for Jake to expertly and effortlessly catching it in his mouth. Danny and Sam both cheered at once, each of them swiftly downing a shot of tequila as Josh shared a high five with his twin.

"Hell yeah Jakey, ten in a row, that's a new record!" He exclaimed in triumph, grabbing his glass and finishing what was left of his salty dog in one gulp. When he was done, he noticed you approaching the table and his eyes immediately lit up, though whether that was because of you or the sudden rush of alcohol you weren’t sure. Still, it was always nice to see him smile, even when you felt like you were on the verge of losing your mind.

"Heeey, Y/N's back! Now we can get this party going again!" He slung an arm around your shoulder, pulling you close to his side as he grinned from ear to ear. In any other situation your hopeless crush on him would make you nervous if he got this close to you, but after your perilous trek to the bathroom and back a little contact from someone besides a total stranger was more than welcome.

"Yeah, what took you so long?" Jake teased, popping another pretzel into his mouth. "We were starting to think you'd fallen into the sewers or something!"

"No, that's what you thought Jake, me 'n Sam were betting they'd run off and joined the circus!" Danny added with a grin, his words slightly slurred from the tequila at this point.

You swallowed tightly, flashing them a half-forced grin as you shook your head. “Guys, c’mon, be reasonable here, it was nothing like that... What really happened was an alligator popped up out of the toilet and we had a riveting conversation about quantum physics and string theory.”

The guys erupted into laughter; Jake covering his mouth so he didn’t accidentally spit out his pretzel, Josh cackling to your left, Sam almost choking on his beer, and Danny holding his face in his palm as he snickered drunkenly. Even in your heightened state of anxiety, you couldn't help but genuinely laugh along with them in the moment. After all, even in a stressful situation the guys were still a hoot to be around. They each had their own oddball sense of humor that made you, a fellow oddball, feel right at home with them. And the fact that Josh's arm was still wrapped around your shoulder was pretty nice too. It was almost enough to make the blaring noise and packed-in-like-sardines feeling of the bar bearable... Almost.

You were able to keep it together enough to have another round of drinks with them, finding solace in a simple vodka cranberry as the guys got drunker and more boisterous. Danny and Sam decided to have an arm wrestling contest, which Danny won quite easily given his drummer's arms, though that didn’t stop Sam from challenging him to a rematch, and still losing, five more times. Then Jake ended up slipping into his Oliver Reed impression, made all the more credible in his intoxicated state, and he began to ramble on about how wild and wonderful the filming of Tommy had been. Josh of course piped in when he could, commentating on Danny and Sam’s contest like a sports announcer and slipping into his own goofy voice as he ”interviewed” Mr. Reed. If this were happening anywhere else, literally anywhere else besides an overcrowded bar in the most overcrowded part of Nashville, you would've been having the absolute time of your life. But instead you found yourself getting more and more tense with each moment that passed by, the pounding noise and mass of shifting bodies behind you making your pulse race and your head ache. Your drink had done absolutely nothing to calm your nerves, and not even the continued feeling of Josh's arm on your shoulder seemed to help, and you were starting to resent the fact that you couldn't even enjoy that.

You finally hit your limit when you felt the sharp point of someone's elbow jab into the middle of your back, and you flinched hard away from the source of the sudden contact. You could feel Josh’s arm tighten around your shoulder slightly, and everyone's heads whipped around to see a young woman, clearly drunk and looking very apologetic.

"O-oh shit, I'm so sorry sweetie!" She slurred out, steadying herself on her feet. "Didn't mean t'hitcha! Jus' tryin' to get s'more drinks for my table!"

The guys all nodded, assuring her it was and honest mistake and she gave them all a smile and a wave as she staggered off towards the bar. You, on the other hand, couldn’t even bring yourself to look at her, your eyes locked on an empty glass on the table as the ringing in your head became unbearable, every nerve and muscle in your body suddenly taut like a bowstring. The guys kept talking, though what about you had no clue, unable to make out what they were saying as your own pulse pounded in your ears. In the back of your mind you thought you could feel Josh's thumb rubbing gently against your shoulder, almost in a soothing kind of motion, but you honestly couldn't be sure right now. Every molecule in your body was struggling to keep it together as you quickly spiraled into a frenzied panic, and the only thing you were absolutely positive was true was that you had to get out of there fast.

"Hey... You alright?" Josh's voice was suddenly clear and crisp in your ears like a bell, and it was enough to snap you out of your spiral for just a second and address the table. Though the way Jake, Sam, and Danny were looking at you expectantly made you feel like you wanted to run and hide under a rock. If there was one thing you hated more than having a breakdown in public, it was people knowing you were having a breakdown in public.

"O-oh yeah, I'm good! Sh-she just startled me is all..." Your voice trailed off, and you swallowed dryly as you fought back tears. "I... I'm just gonna s-step outside for a second and get some air, yeah?" You said with a plastered-on smile, doing your best to not let them know anything was wrong as you reluctantly wormed your way out of Josh's grip and made your way towards the nearest door. You pushed your way through the crowd, ignoring the protests as you bumped into several people along the way, struggling to focus long enough to make it to your goal. You could feel your throat tightening, hot tears stinging your eyes as shame and embarrassment crept into your panic stricken mind. ‘Seriously? You couldn't even handle one night out in a crowded bar? You just had to let your sort-of-crappy day get to you and ruin everyone's night, didn't you?’

Finally reaching the door, you stumbled out of it, desperately trying to catch your breath as you welcomed the sudden rush of fresh air. Unfortunately, in your panic, the door you ended up choosing wasn’t the one that led to the bar's outdoor area like you thought, but the front door, and you suddenly found yourself adrift in the churning tide of rowdy, drunken humanity that was the Broadway strip on a Friday night. You didn't even bother trying to hold the tears back at this point, completely overwhelmed and hyperventilating as you found the quietest spot in sight, an empty doorway on the other side of the bar's front windows, and sank to the ground. You hugged your knees tightly as you brought them up to your chest, shaking as you buried your face in your arms, the blaring noise, blinding lights, and sheer presence of the crowd causing you to shut down on the spot.

The feeling of a hand on your shoulder jolted you out of your stupor, and you scrambled away from the touch as fast as you could with a startled scream. You were fully prepared to yell at whatever stranger had just touched you, because the last thing you needed right now was some rando putting their hands on you. To your mix of shock and relief, it was Josh's face that you saw, his eyes a little wide as he held up both of his hands in a defensive manner.

"Easy Y/N, it's just me, it’s Josh!" He said as softly as he could while still being audible over the throng of the crowd. You couldn't find it in you to respond, just staring at him like a deer caught in a car’s headlights as your body started to shake uncontrollably. You suddenly realized there was, in fact, something you hated more than people knowing you were having a breakdown in public, and that was your goddamn crush knowing that you were having a breakdown in public. In the back of your panic-stricken mind you wondered, if you just stayed still long enough, whether Josh would just turn around and leave you alone. You realized just how futile that thought was when he did quite the opposite and extended a hand out to you.

"It's pretty intense out here. Let's go find a quieter spot, alright?"

The rest of your body still shaking, you nodded your head eagerly, accepting his hand as he pulled you up off the ground. Once you were standing, he let go of your hand and wrapped that same arm around your waist, pulling you in close to his side as he cocked his head in one direction.

"You're ok, just stay close to me, I'll get you out of here."

You hastily nodded again, unable to make words or maintain eye contact as you turned your gaze to the concrete below you and let Josh guide you through the sea of bodies. It felt like you were in there forever, the crowd shifting all around you, and any time you felt someone get too close, your body began to lock up and freeze. The only thing that kept you upright and moving was Josh's arm curled around your side, keeping you grounded as he led you away from the worst of the crowd. Eventually it dawned on you that the number of people around you were thinning out, the noise getting less and less intense as Josh led you up a street and then some kind of steep ramp. A cool rush of air and the sudden smell of water hit your nostrils and you glanced upwards to get your bearings just in time to realize that Josh was leading you over the river on the pedestrian bridge, towards the eastern side of the city and away from the bedlam of Broadway. You were about three quarters of the way over the bridge before he pulled you off to the side, leading you right up to the railing where you could clearly feel the breeze. The cacophony you'd just escaped from was still very much audible from this distance, but you found its volume to be much more bearable now. There was also plenty of room out here, as well as far fewer people, and for the first time since you'd entered the bar earlier that night, you felt like you could finally breathe.

You leaned forward, bracing yourself against the railing as you took deep breaths in through your nose, before slowly exhaling through your mouth, and you could feel your body ever so slowly start to relax more and more with each one you took. Josh was quiet for the time being, his hand moving from your side to your back and rubbing up and down in a soothing motion while you caught your breath. Despite feeling calmer, the tears were more difficult to stop, anger and embarrassment at yourself nagging you in the back of your mind, unable to shake the feeling that you'd just ruined whatever fun he'd been having that night.

You felt something soft touch your arm and you looked up to see a packet of tissues in Josh's other hand as he offered them to you, still silently rubbing your back. You happily accepted them, tearing the plastic open and grabbing a couple before reaching up and wiping your face, your breath still hitching here and there as you tried to steady yourself mentally. After a few more moments of quiet you finally heard Josh speak up, his voice soft and concerned.

"How're you doing? Any better?"

You bit your lip out of nerves, nodding as you finally worked up the courage to look him in the eye for the first time since leaving the doorway by the bar. You were expecting to see anger, annoyance, judgement; honestly all the things you felt about yourself right now reflected back at you in his face, but instead you saw nothing but sympathy and concern painted across his features. In any other situation you'd be positively swooning over how he was looking at you so tenderly. It was another couple moments before the ability to speak finally came back to you, and you let out a heavy, shaking sigh.

“Y-yeah I… I’m alright now…. Thanks.” you trailed off, trying to swallow down the shame that had been slowly creeping into your mind. “I… I’m so sorry about this… I d-didn’t mean to ruin everyone’s night.”

“Ok, first of all-” Josh said in a calm but firm voice, his palm on your back pressing into you a bit more and pulling you closer to him. “We’re not gonna do that tonight, alright? You didn’t ruin damn thing, you had a panic attack and that’s not your fault.” It took everything in you to not star crying again when he said that, though at least this time it would've been because you were touched by his concern and not because you were upset.

“And second, I should be the one apologizing to you. That street can be really intense if you’re not ready for it, and I should’ve checked with you ahead of time that you were. I never would’ve picked such a crowded spot if I knew that was gonna be an issue for you.”

You sniffled a little bit, shaking your head as you slowly pulled yourself together. “I-it’s ok, really... Like, normally I can handle crowds and loud noise, but being packed in like that, with everyone bumping into you and all the noise and lights on top of it... that can just be too much for me to handle sometimes, you know?” You watched as Josh nodded along to what you spoke, indicating that he was listening, and knowing that he wasn't going to judge you for how you reacted was helping the residual panic and shame you still felt fade away.

“And then on top of that, today just like.... kind of sucked, in general. I mean, nothing terrible happened or anything, but it was a whole bunch of little things, one after the other. I totally fucked up making breakfast, my cat threw up on my favorite pair of shoes, I got a parking ticket for a really ridiculous reason, and I have some other work deadlines coming up that’re stressing me out, so I already wasn’t in the best headspace to deal with all of...That tonight.” you gestured your hand back towards the direction of Broadway.

"Then when that chick jabbed me in the back it just... snapped something inside me. I-I know it was an accident, and I don’t blame her for what she did, but it honestly startled me so bad, and I just lost it..."

"I don’t blame you,” he replied sympathetically “That’s entirely too much shit to deal with in a single day.”

"And like... I-I know I could’ve asked for a raincheck, but I didn't wanna like, be rude or have you guys think I was blowing you off. Because I didn’t want to blow you guys off! Especially not for something so stupid..."

"Hey, it's not stupid at all." He replied adamantly, giving your shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Those kind of crappy days have a way if wearing you down way harder than you’d think."

You let out a breath you didn’t realize you’d been holding as it felt like a weight had been lifted from your shoulders. You’d been so, so worried that Josh was going to be angry, or that he wouldn’t have understood what had happened, as had been the case for you so many times before. His hand began gently rubbing your back again in a soothing motion, and the two of you slipped into silence for a moment, letting the cool breeze coming off of the river wash over you. Even with the music still pounding in the distance, you could hear the sound of the river rushing under you if you listened closely enough, and so you did, finding the sound incredibly soothing. It was almost hypnotizing in a way, and you weren’t sure how much time had passed before Josh spoke again, but when he did, you were a little surprised by what he had to say.

“I know a couple smaller clubs on the outskirts of the city we could check out next time. They've still got all the good drinks and music, but they aren’t nearly as intense as that one was.” he suggested, flashing you a warm smile.

“I mean, don’t get me wrong, those definitely sound like my kind of place. But you seriously want me to hang out with you guys again after that whole mess?”

“Of course! So you had a bad night, it happens to the best of us. We aren’t gonna hold it against you. Besides, why wouldn’t we wanna hang out with someone as awesome as you?”

You let out a small chuckle, a smile tugging at the corner of your lips as nervous blush crept onto your cheeks. “Well, I’m not sure about awesome... but I’m glad to know you guys enjoy my company.”

“What, are you kidding me?” he retorted enthusiastically, his dark eyes sparkling in the dim lights of the bridge. “You’re absolutely awesome! You’re so nice and welcoming to everyone, you’ve got an incredible sense of humor, great taste in music, and you are delightfully weird!” You were glad the lighting on the bridge wasn’t the best where you were standing, because your face was rapidly turning red as he kept showering you with compliments.

“Well, thank you.” You replied somewhat shyly, a grin spreading across your face as you found Josh’s good mood infectious, feeling much more at ease now than you had earlier. In a sudden streak of boldness you struck a small pose, with one hand framing your face dramatically. “But what, no mention of my flawless good looks?”

You were just kidding around, of course, and Josh knew you were too. But even still, you couldn't help but notice the way Josh’s eyes widened and his smile twitched ever so slightly when you said that, or how he seemed to be blushing if the way his cheekbones suddenly appeared darker were anything to go by.

“I mean...” he began with a small shrug, his smile downright sheepish at this point “That’s so incredibly obvious that I kinda figured it went without saying. But they’re definitely a bonus!”

You let out a nervous laugh, feeling your face burn from the sudden rush of blood to it, and you turned to face back towards the river. You couldn’t keep looking at him when he said that, not when he said it while he had his hand on your back, not when he was blushing while he said it, not when he said it so... so earnestly. You pressed into his side a bit more firmly, and you swore you could feel his heart beating faster in his chest.

“Yeah, well... don’t sell yourself short, you’ve got a face that could give Errol Flynn a run for his money.” you half-teased, nudging him affectionately in the ribs with your elbow. He let out a small chuckle beside you, his arm still firmly wrapped around your shoulder and he gave your arm a soft, affectionate squeeze in return. The two of you said nothing for a moment, just enjoying each other’s company and touch as you both gazed out over the river, watching the lights of the city twinkle and glimmer on it’s dark surface.

“Is... is it cool if we just stay up here for a little while?” you asked, suddenly feeling very physically tired after this whole ordeal. “I hate to just ditch the others and leave them in that bar, but I honestly don’t think I could handle going back in there tonight.”

“Oh don’t worry, a bar is the best place we could possibly leave them.” Josh said with a chuckle. “But seriously, we can stay out here as long as you need.” he assured, giving you a firm hug from the side and flashing you a soft, reassuring smile. “We don’t have to go anywhere.”

A sudden surge of warmth and fatigue washed over you, and you found yourself leaning more heavily into Josh’s frame, which he seemed to welcome, finally letting your head come to rest on his shoulder. Your eyes slipped closed for a second, and you took a deep breath before letting out a soft, contented sigh.

“Thank you so much for everything you did for me tonight. I seriously can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.” He hummed softly in reply as he leaned back against you, the weight of his cheek suddenly pressing into the top of your head.

“Anytime, Y/N. I’ll always have your back.”

#greta van fleet #greta van fic #greta van fleet fan fiction #josh kiszka x reader #sidecut fics #because I guess that's a tag I need now x'D #I still can't believe I actually wrote something again after all this time. I had so much goddang fun!

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