forum Treble Clef IPA // Roleplay With Eris

Started December 16, 2019 by Deleted user

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"Yeah…." he said, running a hand over his short-cropped hair and attempting to keep his heart from beating out of his chest. "Yeah…guess I do."

Obviously, Baylee had been kissed and delivered plenty of kisses in his lifetime, but that?….Damn. There was so much emotion in it. Two and a half months of awkward tension and restraint being thrown into the wind in an instant. At this point, he couldn't even remember what any of the rules were. Sure, he initiated the kiss, but it still stunned the absolute shit out of him.

He wanted to do it again.

"Um…." Still recovering, he shuffled over to the tree and bent down, picking out the smallest of his presents. Ripping open the paper, he read the name on the black box: "Polo Black."

"Jesus fuckin'," he mumbled, looking up at Mila as he opened up the box. "How much money did you spend on this shit?"

As soon as his back had been turned, Mila pirouetted, a giant grin on her pink face. That kiss had been more than she ever expected, her lips still tingled from the force of it. Baylee was a man of very few words–and those words generally never expressed what he was feeling–but that kiss? Damn it was like he was telling her of all the emotion he had built up inside him since they had met. So she had responded in kind. With all the affection for him bursting like a firework in her heart.

Mila froze in her celebration, the instant Baylee's eyes landed on her over his shoulder. She was still grinning though, her blues as bright as the sunlight streaming through the window. Question momentarily forgotten, Baylee's own lips tilted up at the corners. They shared a moment of just smiling at each other like lovesick teenagers before they both looked away, identical blushes coloring the high points of their faces.

Shrugging, Mila came over to look at which present Baylee was looking at. "Oh! The cologne? Smell it. I thought it would be perfect for you."

Oh yea, she was ignoring the question on purpose. There was a tiny uncertain knot in her stomach, they'd never discussed a budget for presents and now Mila was freaking out a little.

"I actually have the same brand," he mumbled, setting the box down on the couch with a smile still on his lips. His hands were still shaking slightly from the kiss, but they stopped when he slipped them into the pockets of his onesie. His eyes stayed down at his feet as he turned around and faced Mila. "I…" What the hell was he trying to say? Why was there a ball of emotion in his throat? And the tears in his eyes? "Thank you for staying this long. This is the first Christmas I've shared with someone since….probably since I was 16. It…" a small sniff and one of his hands had to come out and wipe a ear from his cheek. He had been holding in all of this ever since he woke up, but after that kiss, it was like a dam broke in his head. Everything he was feeling was coming out all at once. "…..means a lot to me."

Mila slipped her arms around Baylee's waist again, propping her chin on his chest so she could look up at him. The expression on her face was open, compassionate, but there was a deep sadness in her eyes. She understood him more than he knew.

Baylee's free hand settled on the curve of her hip again, bringing her closer into his embrace. Althother tear slid down his cheek, but Mila's fingers were the ones that caught it this time. "Don't cry, Bay. Being here–being with you–means the world to me. I've never had a place where I felt comfortable in my own skin…" She cupped Baylee's cheek entirely, gently tracing the lines of his features.

"There have been places I've lived, places that I've enjoyed traveling through… But Baylee, this is the only place where I've felt home." Mila's own voice cracked with emotion, but she was smiling gently.

Baylee closed his eyes and leaned against her touch. For what felt like the first time in…ever, he had no conflicting feelings in his chest about their physical contact. There was no restraint, no voice in the back of his head telling him she was trying to use him, and no panic in his head. He simply enjoyed it. Opening that first present freed him in a way he hadn't felt since his father died. A break from his depression that not even his medicine gave him: it made him feel wanted.

"Fuckin' shit," he mumbled, opening his eyes and slipping a light, almost sheepish smile on to his lips. "I didn't meant to turn this shit into a sob-fest. I just….you mean a lot to me, búp bê. I guess I'm just now realizing it." Damn. He'd been wanting to say those words since he met her and now that they were out, the last little bit of weight in his chest dropped.

"It's about time." Mila teased lightly, tilting her head as she smiled so big that her eyes crinkled at the corners. Sure she had been waiting for him to admit his feelings for her out loud, but Mila was never really worried that he never would. Baylee had shown her in a million other ways that he cared for her. From driving her to the ER in a calm panic when she sliced her hand open at the bar one night to picking up caramel apples one day just because he knew she liked them. Baylee was subtle, but Mila had figured it out.

Mila pulled his face down to her, but even extended all the way on her tip toes she still could not reach his lips for a kiss. The pout she gave Baylee was comical enough that he laughed, the last of those tears vanishing in a moment. His other hand came around her waist again and he swept her up into another kiss. This time though, Mila showed him just how much he meant to her.

Baylee had been kissed before, but never like this. The force she managed to muster even though her feet weren't even touching the ground was hard to believe. And he never had to physically pick someone up to kiss them, but the feeling of her legs wrapped around his body was something that he definitely liked. Her hands came around his neck as he deepened the kiss even further when she opened her mouth slightly, letting out a small noise from the back of his throat as he took a small step backwards to keep himself from tumbling over. The feeling of something tickling his back made him pull away slightly and turn his head over his shoulder. Baylee was about two inches away from knocking the tree over, and he damn near sent his foot through one of Mila's presents.

"You still have more to open up," Baylee said softly, turning his head back to Mila and giving her a small smile.

It was certainly nice to be held like she was, but not at the sacrifice of the Christmas tree. Mila giggled, leaning into Baylee for one last peck–and yes it was a peck because anything more probably would have sent her out of her mind–Mila disengaged herself from his hold. Baylee was reluctant to let go it seemed, as his hand gently trailed across her back and waist as she moved. The casual touch left a warmth in it's wake that settled in Mila's cheeks even as she turned to the gifts once more.

She folded herself into a crisscross sit, tucking her waves behind her ears as her eyes fell over the remaining gifts. There were only a few left and a long thin package wrapped in green paper with 'Mila' written in Baylee's quick hand caught her attention. Within a few moments, the singer had torn through the paper enthusiastically, and was chuckling adorably at what was inside.

"This is fantastic. I swear this is going to be my favorite shirt for the rest of forever." She smiled warmly at Baylee, bringing the shirt up first to her face because it was so soft, but then held it against her chest. It was several sizes too big–just how she liked it–and deep black in color. The kicker was the cartoon cactus on the front, wearing sunglasses and flipping off the world. Mila had an amazing collection of odd shirts and Baylee's gift was the perfect addition. "I love it so much, Bay."

Her fingers tapped the floor next to her in invitation for him to sit with her. "You next!"

The rest of their Christmas went about the same. They opened resents, laughed, told stories, and generally acted like a happy couple. They even kissed a few more times, although they were much less passionate than the first two. They knew if that happened again, they most likely weren't going to stop, so they were content with little pecks and things like that.

After they opened the rest of their presents, they moved over to the couch and immediately turned on the TV, settling in and watching the various Christmas specials on. Baylee even allowed a Hallmark movie, despite his intense hate for their shotty writing and horrible acting. Of course, Baylee shared his candy with Mila, falling victim to her puppy eyes when he originally refused.

Truthfully, nothing much had changed between them. Sure, they kissed, Baylee's hand seemed to be permanently attached to Mila–holding her hand, on her knee, on her waist, cupping her cheek–not that she minded one bit, curling into the affection with a soft smile each and every time. But, they were still themselves. Baylee and Mila. The way they talked didn't change, the way they exchanges stories, the cuddling, the way they tore apart Hallmark movies…it was all the same. There was just that undercurrent of 'we're together now' that made them grin ridiculously at each other frequently.

Happy was just not a strong enough word.

"Best Christmas ever." Mila mumbled again before drifting off hours later. The rumble of Baylee's laugh and the soft kiss pressed into her hair let her know that he fully agreed.

Unfortunately, the next night they both had to work. Surprisingly, the bar was packed as it seemed everyone had family visiting from out of town. Mila had just finished her first set of the night, eyes gleaming with her usual carefree attitude as she stepped off the stage. She scooped up her tip pitcher and made her way through the crowd towards the long bar. A few regulars stopped to say hello, commenting on her song choices of the night. Now that Mila seemed to be a permanent feature of the dive, people had actually started being nice to her. Almost made the place homey. Almost.

"Hello," Mila chimed sliding up to Baylee's side, stretching the word out for a long moment. She usually didn't come behind the bar, but Baylee had set up a little strongbox for her to dump her tips into between sets. "Busy night–do we have any honey? My throat is a bit scratchy tonight."

Baylee smiled for a moment at her shirt before turning to the shelves. She wasted no time showing off the shirt, the prickly fingers of the cactus flipping the bird to any and all who gazed upon it. Her expression of pure excitement when she walked out of his room with the shirt on was enough to make him laugh. The smile managed to carry all the way to the bar before disappearing the moment he saw how many people were in there. Christmas rushes happened, but never had it been that bad.

"Yeah, I do," he said, reaching up to the top shelf and grabbing the bottle. In the time it took Baylee to grab the bottle, Mila had taken the strongbox off of the counter and set it on the floor in between them. When he turned to hand it to her, she gently grabbed the collar of his shirt and tugged him down far enough to bring their lips together. The entire bar seemed to be frozen for a moment until one of the regular patrons stood up and said, "Pay up, John! I told you!"

The bar erupted into laughter, grumbled, and crumpling up paper as people passed cash around. Bets had been made ever since the first week Baylee and Mila started talking of when they were going to kiss. Berry was the one who started it and was cashing out the most, standing near the entrance with a huge grin as he counted the wad of cash in his hand.

"The fuckin' bastard," Baylee mumbled, grinning slightly despite the red tint of his face.

"Well, well–That was unexpected.." Mila trailed off, looking everywhere but Baylee as her own blush tinted her cheeks. She had only wanted a quick peck. Never in a million years would she have imagined that it would have this kind of reaction. But it seemed everyone approved? Baylee's warm hand came to rest on the small of her back for a brief moment. He wasn't big on PDA, but it was obvious that the kiss made him happy.

Mila stuck her tongue out at Berry across the room, moving to put her strongbox back into it's place under the bar. As Baylee got back to work–damn was he smiling? Mila's heart gave a little shiver at the sight–she moved down to the opposite end of the counter, out of Baylee's way, to make her throat soothing tonic.

"Ey, girlie. Ya manning the bar? Wanna get me a rum 'n coke?"

Mila glanced over her shoulder at the voice. A duo of men sat at the bar just opposite her. They weren't regulars, that was for sure, she could recognize their faces now, if not their names. Nor did they look particularly seedy, clothing well made and clean, faces shaven and open. She turned her gaze to Baylee, but he looked like he was working on a big order. Besides he'd been teaching her drinks for the past couple weeks now.

She shrugged, placing her honey and glass back on the counter. "Sure. No biggie. Do you have a tab open, Mister….?"

"Y'can call me whatever you like," the man said, leaning forward in his seat with a grin. "And nah, we're new around here. Seems we picked a good spot, though. Not many places got women as pretty as you singin'."

Baylee heard every word the guy said, his face turning a deep red as his jaw locked. The last of the drinks were slid over to the patrons with a bit more aggression before he turned around and walked back to Mila's side.

"You got a pair of balls on you, huh?" he growled, gripping the edge of the counter so hard his knuckles are turning white. "Say one more fuckin' word to her and I'll rip your fuckin' tongue out."

"Hey, now, I don't see the issue," the flirt's partner said, his tone incredibly condescending. "Let the girl decide who she wants to t-"

Baylee grabbed the glass Mila was in the process of filling and tossed its contents directly into the face of the partner. Both of them stood up as Baylee walked around the counter, his face as red as a firetruck. Berry, noticing the situation, pushed off of the wall and approached the two guys as well. It looked like they were about to have a full-on brawl right then and there.

Mila was half a step behind Baylee, cursing up a storm under her breath. Goddamn was he really so protective of her? A little part of her was thrilled, basking in the display of his feelings for her–not that he'd ever had a problem smacking bitches down for her. Pride made her stand just a bit taller. But remembering that Baylee tended to have a little violent streak–the boomstick and Jacob came to mind–she quickly tried to maneuver herself in front of him. His longer strides proved wildly difficult to over take, especially since the patrons were parting like the goddamn red sea for him.

"Baylee." Mila commanded his attention, managing to grab hold of one of his hands in both of her own. He looked down at her, face still red, but surprise flicked across his face as he paused. "Come on. It's not worth it, okay? Just bitches being bitches. Let's go." Her voice was soft, but leaving no room for him to argue. Tugging gently on his hand, Mila was prepared to lead him right out the back door so they could cool of in the night air.

Her soft gaze turned into a grimace as the flirt's hand come down on Baylee's shoulder. "Yea, listen to the little girl. Go put yourself in time out so she can hang with me and my buddy here. We'll make sure she's nice and taken care of. Make her earn her tips of you know what I mean. A little bar whore like her should know what to do."

Mila's gaze went hard, jaw flexing as her own anger flared. Baylee's hand tightened into a fist within her grasp. Man, if she hadn't been trying to keep the high of their wonderful Christmas going, she would have joined Berry and Baylee in beating the shit out of these guys. No one called her a whore. But more than anything, Mila wanted her bartender safe.

"Baylee."

Baylee didn't need his hand. He had around 50 more ways he could've hurt the guy but only one of them seemed suitable in this situation. With a grunt, the bartender leaned back at the waist, then snapped forward, his forehead slamming into the nose of the asshole. It made a loud crack as the douche went crashing to the floor in a heap. His partner took a step back in shock as Baylee lunged forward again, but this time Berry was there to help Mila hold him back.

"Fuckin' idiot," the bartender spat at the flirt, who was still curled up on the ground. "Get the fuck outta my bar."

With that, Baylee allowed himself to be pushed/pulled out of the backdoor and into the night air.

As soon as the door banged shut behind the trio, Mila dove into Baylee's chest so hard he was almost knocked off balance. Her grip on his shirt was the only thing that kept him from falling over. "You have to stop picking fights over me, Bay. You know I can handle a shit talker all by myself." Was she pouting ever so slightly, despite her serious as death tone? Hell yea.

Berry muttered something that sounded like: "Gonna get yourself arrested again. Then I have to take care of the blue-eyed she-devil." as he smacked out a pack of cigarettes and leaned against the wall.

Baylee threw him a dirty glare, single arm coming down around Mila. He was pointedly not looking at her, knowing that those damn eyes of her would make him do anything she damn well pleased.

"I know you can handle it," Baylee mumbled, staring off at the door as he spoke. He simply couldn't look at her right now. She had a way of making him listen to reason, something he didn't want to do at the moment. "But that don't stop me from gettin' mad about it. I mean, what would you do if that was me in that situation?"

"I'm gonna head back into the bar and clean up the mess," Berry said, grinding a half-smoked cigarette underneath his boot and letting out a loud sigh. He was starting to get annoyed with the fights, something that he never felt before.

As Berry walked back into the bar, Mila considered for a moment, remembering their disastrous first date where she had almost ripped the face off of a waitress. Well shit. She couldn't be a hypocrite. "Well–yea I would do the same. But!" She said quickly when Baylee looked down at her with a arched brow and a 'well there you go.' kind of look. "We've got to trust each other, don't we? I can throw punches just as good as you can to protect myself, Bay."

Well–he did have a mean right hook, so maybe she couldn't, but Mila hoped that her point got across. She cared deeply for her bartender and would prefer it if he didn't risk himself over a few nasty words. Baylee's features were still set stubbornly, but he was now rubbing her back in warm, comforting circles. So…maybe he was listening to her.

Baylee turned to Mila fully and wrapped his other arm around her shoulder, gently pulling her into a full hug. She was right. He's gotten in three or four fights in the past 3 months and his boss was loosing more and more of his patience each time a new one popped up. Thank the heavens that the guy liked Baylee, or he would've been out of a job after the second.

"Yeah….yeah, okay," he mumbled, setting his chin on the top of her head and letting out a long sigh. "I'm sorry. Those guys…..I don't know. Don't really like the word 'whore,' especially when it's directed at you."

"Me neither…But we both know I'm not so we do not need to let those peons ruin our night." Came Mila's soft chastisement, muffled by the cloth of Baylee's shirt where her face was pressed. She inhaled deeply–oh, Baylee was wearing the cologne she bought him. It smelled wonderful on him–and exhaled, pushing the event firmly behind her.

Pulling away a bit and tilting her face up, Mila gave Baylee a mischievous grin. "I do love how protective you are of me, though." She was still chuckling when Baylee pulled her firmly back into the hug. The mumbled "Shut up." making her hug him the tiniest bit tighter.

"So…….." Baylee pulled away slightly to make eye contact with Mila. "My sister called when you went grocery shopping yesterday." Mila's eyebrows shot up in surprise and her entire expression screams Tell me! "We caught up a bit….y'know, she told me about her fiancee, I told her about you and she told me about how her work's going. Then….well….." Baylee had to look up at the door. "She said they booked to extra tickets to a cruise they were going on. The friends she intended on inviting had to decline, so…..they offered them to us." He glanced down at Mila for half a second to gauge her reaction.

A million and one thoughts raced through Mila's mind and probably on her face from the way Baylee's gaze kept flicking from her to the door and back again every few seconds. First and foremost being: What sister doesn't invite her only brother to her wedding? And then invites him only as back up? Mila frowned ever so slightly. A little twinge of anger circled her heart, but Mila pushed it aside firmly. Baylee had told her that he and Avi were not particularly close, but she had no idea it was like that.

Her second thought: Big boat. Oh no. Her motion sickness was no joke. Nor was her fear of the ocean. But….Mila had always wanted to go on a cruise. And the idea of going on a vacation with Baylee was an opportunity that she could not pass up. They could sacrifice an afternoon for the wedding but the rest of the time?

Her, Baylee, and sunshine?

"Let's do it." Mila grinned. "Sounds like fun." Terrifying fun, but Baylee had asked, obviously very uncertain about the entire thing, she couldn't not be there for him.

Baylee had two months to mentally prepare himself for the five days they'd be out at sea and two days they'd be in the Bahamas. It had been almost two years since he'd spoken to his sister and having their first face-to-face conversation since she left Charleston on a crowded cruise ship made him sweat just thinking about it. Mila did her best to distract him from these thoughts and did a damn good job of it as well. She couldn't pass by him without giving a bear-hug or kissing him. To be honest, Baylee loved the attention. It was something he dreaded before, but now it became a regular part of his life and he couldn't be happier about it.

The ship could be seen from a solid mile away, it's giant whale tail signifying it was owned by Carnival. It was named the Symphony of the Seas and was the biggest ship in the Carnival fleet. Over 361 meters long, it boasted 18 decks and could accommodate over 5,000 people. Due to an outbreak of the coronavirus, however, it would only be carrying a little under 3,000. Which was still way too many people in Baylee's opinion, but the ship looked like a fucking miniature city, so maybe it would've be that bad.

After travelling to the smelly, intense check-in area, (Baylee thought the pat-down lady was getting a bit too handsy than the job required) they added the suitcases to the drop off area and headed up the winding boarding bridge, Mila talking excitedly the entire time. She wore that same shirt Baylee had given her for Christmas, along with a pair of shorts over a swimsuit, since they planned on getting into the pool the moment. Baylee couldn't help but marvel at how pretty she looked when the early morning sun hit just the right angle on her face.

How the hell did he manage to get a girl like her?

"Baylee!" a voice called from behind them, causing the person in question to stop in his tracks and turn around.

A woman with long black hair, dazzling green eyes and pretty olive skin was fighting her way through the crowd towards them, another woman in tow behind her. The other woman was nearly as tall as Baylee, with buzz-cut blue hair and a large nose ring. Judging by the ring on her finger, it was Avi's fiancee.

"Uh, he-oof," Baylee exclaimed as his sister wrapped him up in a surprisingly aggressive hug.

"God, it's like you're taller every time I see you," Avi said, pulling away and giving her brother a wide smile, like they see each other every day. Her large green eyes turned to the singer next to Baylee and seemed to dance with excitement. "And you must be MIla! God, Baylee wasn't kidding about how pretty you were." A furious blush descended on the bartender's face as he looked away from the both of them.

Mila had been talking non-stop out of sheer anxiety. She had to, or else her mind was going to fall into the pit of despair that was the fact that she was on a boat. A big boat. That was about to be out at sea for five days. Did Baylee notice the death grip she had on his hand? Probably. It wasn't like he would ever care. To be honest, he preferred to be touching her. He had talked to her endlessly about the boat's safety features and he would keep her safe, but that damn irrational fear was sure a hard one to get over.

When the young woman that looked like she could be Baylee's twin barreled into his chest, Mila carefully dropped his hand and took a small step away. She had no problem letting the siblings have their moment, understanding that even though Baylee hadn't entirely voiced it, this trip and reconnecting with Avi meant a lot to him.

"Ah–" Mila laughed, her own blush tinting her face across her cheeks and even the tips of her ears. "Yeah–Hi! I'm Mila. Mila Bransen." She met Avi's firm side-hug with a awkwardly half-hearted pat on the back, entirely unprepared for the warmth of her greeting. Knowing a bit about their past, Mila gave Baylee a questionable look, but he appeared to be as surprised as she was.